Wednesday 18 February 2015

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Dunya TV

McCullum demands high intensity despite packed schedule

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WELLINGTON (AFP) - New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum vowed the Black Caps would maintain their high intensity cricket in Fridays crucial World Cup clash against England despite having to play three games in a week.The co-hosts trounced Sri Lanka in the opening Pool A match by seven wickets before a patchy three-wicket win against minnows Scotland took them onto four points.Three games in seven days -- I guess thats one of your concerns, but we have a full squad to pick from, and were going to go with the same team weve played the last two games, said McCullum on Thursday.A win over England will put New Zealand in a strong position to make the quarter-finals with Australia (February 28), Afghanistan (March 8) and Bangladesh (March 13) left to play in the pool stage.The top four from each of the two groups will qualify for the last-eight.McCullum stressed his side were exploiting a winning groove which has seen them defeat Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates, 3-2, and then see off the Asian giants again 2-0 on home ground just before the World Cup.Weve been playing a lot of cricket recently, so were probably in a little bit of a groove. Once this game has finished, weve got a decent break before the game against Australia and another big break after that. So we knew the scheduling well before we came into it so we were able to factor that into our preparation. So we go on with no excuses. Well give ourselves a good chance, and hopefully we can replicate our form of late.The Black Caps skipper admitted that Englands attack will pose a different challenge for them.I think they have a good bowling attack. They have a bit of pace and they get some bounce with (Stuart) Broad and (James) Anderson. So theyre going to pose some different challenges to what weve probably faced in the last little while, but its a challenge the boys are looking forward to, said McCullum. McCullum believes his team can handle the pressure of being labelled title contenders.Its kind of irrelevant, I think, the tag. Were the favourites, were the underdogs, once you get out on the pitch you start on an even keel. I think weve been able to handle some of the expectation which has risen recently because of our calmness within the group. McCullum also backed struggling England skipper Eoin Morgan who has scored just two runs in his last five matches, notching up four ducks.Hes a champion player. Hes one of my better mates from around the world in terms of cricket. Hes going through a bit of a tough time at the moment, but tough times dont last, but tough blokes do, said the New Zealand captain.So hopefully at some point hell come out of it. Hopefully tomorrow were able to keep him quiet. But I am very confident at some point hell bounce out of it because hes a quality player and a tough bloke too.

Obama: 'Terrorists' do not speak for one billion Muslims

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President Barack Obama urged Western and Muslim leaders Wednesday to unite to defeat the false promises of extremism and reject the notion that terrorist groups represent Islam. The terrorists do not speak for a billion Muslims, Obama told a Washington conference on countering radicalism that drew delegates from 60 countries in the wake of a string of brutal attacks in Europe and the Middle East.Describing groups like Islamic State and Al-Qaeda as desperate for legitimacy, Obama faced down domestic critics who have pilloried him for not describing attacks in Denmark, France, Syria and Libya as the work of Islamic radicals.Obama said associating Islamic State or Al-Qaeda with Islam would be to accept the false narrative those groups want to put forward.They try to portray themselves as religious leaders, holy warriors, Obama said. They are not religious leaders, they are terrorists. We are not at war with Islam.Obama told delegates at the three-day conference that the fight against extremism could not be won with military might alone.Communities, he said, must do their part.These terrorists are a threat first and foremost to the communities they target, he said.

New Iran-US nuclear talks to be held in Geneva

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - US negotiators will meet in the coming days in Geneva with their Iranian counterparts for a new round of talks on reining in Irans nuclear program, American officials said Wednesday.Chief negotiator Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and her team will travel to Switzerland on Thursday, the State Department said.Iran and the so-called P51 group -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- are trying to pin down a complex deal that would put back Irans ability to develop an atomic bomb in exchange for an easing of crippling international sanctions.These bilateral consultations will take place in the context of the P51 nuclear negotiations with Iran, the State Department said in a statement, adding the European Unions deputy foreign policy chief Helga Schmid would also join the talks.Two deadlines for a permanent agreement have already been missed since a November 2013 interim deal.Negotiators are now working toward reaching a political framework by March 31, with the final technical details to be laid out in a comprehensive accord by June 30.It was not immediately clear who would meet with Sherman in Geneva, but in the past she has huddled with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.The Iranian minister has also met multiple times with top US diplomat John Kerry mostly in European capitals.Their last face-to-face was in Munich earlier this month, when they met twice on different days on the sidelines of a global security conference. Both men stressed that they were focused on the March 31 deadline and appeared to rule out any further extensions.Western powers accuse Iran of seeking to develop a nuclear weapon -- a charge Tehran denies.Disagreements in the talks center on the extent of nuclear activities Iran will be allowed to continue and the timetable for the lifting of sanctions imposed on Tehran over its nuclear efforts.

Kerry calls on Russian FM to stop Ukraine attacks

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry called his Russian counterpart Wednesday to urge him to stop separatist attacks on a strategic Ukrainian town and respect a fragile ceasefire.Despite the fall of the eastern town of Debaltseve to pro-Russian rebels after a fierce assault, US officials said the truce brokered just last week was not yet dead.Kerry spoke early Wednesday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and pressed him to stop Russian and separatist attacks on Ukrainian positions in Debaltseve and other violations of the ceasefire, said State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki.Hundreds of exhausted government troops retreated from the town -- a strategic railway hub sandwiched between the main rebel-held cities of Donetsk and Lugansk -- as the separatists claimed to be in total control.The towns fall deals a heavy blow to the European-brokered truce agreed to by all sides in the Belarus capital Minsk last week and endorsed by the UN Security Council on Tuesday.But Psaki said the ceasefire remained in play, and there had been some signs that in other areas the quantity and intensity of attacks has decreased.We dont consider it is dead, no, she told reporters.Weve also seen reports of the withdrawal of certain types of heavy weapons in various parts of Donetsk and in Lugansk by both separatists and Ukrainian government forces, she added.She cautioned that without access by OSCE monitors the US could not confirm the reports.Right now, we believe we still need to continue to give time for the agreement to work itself through, Psaki said, adding Washington was focused on how it could help implement the ceasefire.Obviously, there are some violations. And is it perfect? No. But we dont think the alternative or the right option is to take steps that would hurt the implementation of agreement.

Anwar leads UAE's record return to World Cup

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NELSON (AFP) - Shaiman Anwar led the United Arab Emirates to their highest one-day total when they posted 285-7 to open their World Cup campaign against Zimbabwe in Nelson on Thursday.Anwar scored an impressive personal best 67 as the UAE celebrated their return to crickets elite stage with a host of records at Saxton Oval.After being sent into bat by Zimbabwe in their Pool B encounter on a ground with small boundaries and a fast outfield, UAE first of all easily surpassed their previous best facing a Test nation of 204 against Bangladesh in 2008.They then also registered their highest-ever overall one-day total by passing the 282 they made against Afghanistan last year.For the weekend warriors from the UAE, who survive on limited international cricket and whose only other World Cup appearance was nearly 20 years ago, there were special elements.It was a personal best score for Anwar, the 35-year-old Pakistan-born player in his eighth international.He reached 50 with the first six of the match, driving Tinashe Panyangara over the bowlers head and into the sightscreen.His partnership of 82 with Swapnil Patil (32) was a UAE record for the fifth wicket.At the tail, Amjad Javed (not out 25) and Mohammad Naveed (not out 23) produced their highest scores and their unbeaten eighth-wicket partnership of 53 was also a UAE record.With 43-year-old Khurram Khan contributing 45, along with 34 from Krishna Chandran, UAE did enough with the bat to show they were not daunted by the professional Zimbabwe attack.Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bowl with the same line up that performed credibly against South Africa, despite a 62-run loss, in their first game in Hamilton on Sunday.However, against the lowly-ranked UAE side their bowlers could not generate the same venom and their cause was not helped by fielding lapses.UAE opener Andri Berenger, received a life on the first ball he faced which was edged and dropped by Brendan Taylor behind the stumps.Taylor made no mistake two overs later only for Berenger to be called back when replays showed Tendai Chatara had over-stepped with his delivery stride.While Berenger lived dangerously, it was the more sedate Amjad Ali at the other end who was the first wicket to fall when he feathered Chatara to Craig Ervine at second slip and was gone for seven.Solomon Mire winkled out Berenger for 22, tempting him with a short-pitched delivery and the hook shot was edged through to Taylor.At 40-2 in the 11th over, Khurram and Chandran set about rebuilding the innings.Rotating the strike on a diet of singles, with the occasional boundary, they put on 82 for the third wicket when Mira removed Chandran with the first ball of his third spell.Khurram departed soon after for 45, cutting the ball to Sean Williams at point to give Chatara his second wicket.Chatara was the most successful Zimbabwe bowler with three for 42.

JIT formed to investigate Civil Lines blast

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Interior Ministry on Wednesday has formed a three-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) headed by DSP Civil Lines, Saleem Mukhtar Butt, to investigate Civil Lines blast. The JIT will submit it report to DIG investigation, Lahore. The JIT comprises DSP Civil Lines, Saleem Mukhtar Butt and one member each from CID and Counter Terrorism Force.

Eyes on Kirsten as South Africa prepare for India

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MELBOURNE (AFP) - Having coached one team to the World Cup title, Gary Kirsten is now helping plot another nations bid for the coveted prize -- and the two will meet when India take on South Africa on Sunday.Kirsten, the former South African opening batsman, was Indias coach when Mahendra Singh Dhonis men won the World Cup in Mumbai four years ago.He left the job immediately after the tournament to take over as South Africas coach, serving the Proteas for two years before handing the baton to his deputy Russell Domingo.The 47-year-old is now back with AB de Villiers side as a consultant for 50 days a year and joined the squad on Wednesday after returning from the players auction in the Indian Premier League (IPL) where he coaches the Delhi Daredevils franchise.Kirsten will be at hand to watch the two sides meet at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday in a key Pool B match which will almost certainly assure the winner a place in the quarter-finals.Both teams won their opening games with India thrashing arch-rivals Pakistan by 76 runs in Adelaide and South Africa beating neighbours Zimbabwe by 62 runs in Hamilton.Kirsten was not around in Hamilton when the mighty Proteas slipped to a nervous 83 for four before brilliant centuries from David Miller and JP Duminy turned the game around against their lowly-ranked rivals.South Africa have never won the World Cup despite being one of the most powerful sides in modern-day cricket and Kirstens input will be vital as the Proteas seek to overcome the chokers tag.Im desperately hoping that we win the World Cup this year, Kirsten told the Kolkata-based Telegraph newspaper, but added he will not be carried away emotionally by Sundays match.In a professional environment, work is work. Whatever the colours you wear, youre expected to give your best shot. In todays world, little is unknown as information spreads fast and gets shared.Kirsten is not the only one in the South African set-up with Indian connections. Bowling coach Allan Donald is involved with the IPL and trainer Gregory King was with the Indian squad for four years till 2007.Several players, including skipper de Villiers, Duminy, Miller and fast bowlers Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, ply their trade in the IPL.Australian Mike Hussey, who was taken on board by the South Africans specifically for the World Cup, has also been an IPL regular since its inception in 2008.Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar said the expertise of Kirsten and Hussey could benefit South Africa and urged Dhonis men not to think about them too much.Kirsten knows how people react in the Indian dressing room, said Gavaskar. Hussey has also played in the IPL. They will try and tell how to play spinners, how to negotiate 20 overs of spin.It will help to an extent but then a lot depends on how they play on the field. It will only help South Africa if India think too much about Kirsten and Hussey. These things are peripheral.India have never beaten South Africa in the World Cup, having lost all three times in 1992, 1999 and 2011.Kirsten, who played 101 Tests and 185 one-day internationals between 1993 and 2004, holds the record for the highest individual score at a World Cup -- 188 off 159 balls against the United Arab Emirates in Rawalpindi in 1996.

Football: Real move towards last eight after win over Schalke

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GELSENKIRCHEN (AFP) - Title holders Real Madrid have one foot in the Champions League quarter-finals after beating Schalke in the last 16 first leg in Germany for a second year running on Wednesday.A Cristiano Ronaldo header gave Real a deserved lead at the break and Marcelo rifled home a superb second goal with 11 minutes left as the Spanish league leaders stretched their winning streak in the competition to 10 games equalling Bayern Munichs record winning run which ended in December 2013.Ronaldos goal, his first in four matches, was his 73rd in the Champions League. The Ballon dOr winner now sits only two behind Barcelonas Lionel Messi in the all-time topscorers list and Real manager Carlo Ancelotti was delighted to see his star forward back on the scoresheet.Its clear that Cristiano Ronaldo lives to score goals, Ancelotti said. Its not a problem for us if he doesnt score for a game or two but its obvious that the goal did him good.It wasnt only a goal for the statistics. It was an important goal - the lead goal. At a key stage of the season it was important to win and I think were on the right track.Schalkes Champions League debutant Felix Platte had struck the bar before Marcelos goal, as the German side fared much better than last season when Real won 6-1 at the Veltins Arena.Robert Di Matteo had employed a compact 5-3-2 formation in the hope of avoiding a repeat of that result but he was left with some regrets.Its a disappointing result for us because both teams had few chances, he said.At 1-0 we hit the bar and if we got the equaliser then there could have been a different outcome.We fought and we tried everything we could today. We played against a very strong opponent and I think the quality that Real had made the difference.We hit the crossbar and they put it in the top corner and thats the difference at this level.After a solid start, Schalke wing back Dennis Aogo blazed over from the edge of the box after being well set up by Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Marco Hoeger.And there were howls of derision when a wild effort from Ronaldo almost went out for a throw in as Real -- playing in unfamiliar pink -- struggled to test Schalkes 19-year-old goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther on his Champions League debut.Soon after that, former Real striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar hit a long-range strike that Real keeper Iker Casillas pushed to safety.But on 27 minutes the visitors got in front with a simple goal. Aogo backed off Dani Carvajal allowing the Real full back to deliver a left-footed cross from the right side of the box.Ronaldo was left completely unmarked to head over the advancing Wellenreuther.It nearly got worse for the home team just past the half hour when Toni Kroos played in Karim Benzema but Wellenreuther made just enough contact to prevent the ball squirming into his net.Schalkes hopes of coming back looked bleak when Huntelaar hobbled off with a leg injury and was replaced by 19-year-old Platte.Wellenreuther then flung himself to his right to keep out a free-kick from Ronaldo after the Real attacker was scythed down by Kevin-Prince Boateng. Boateng was yellow carded as a result of the foul, meaning he will be suspended for the return leg on March 10.In the second half, Boateng twice tried his luck from distance and Isco sidefooted over for Real before Schalke came desperately close to an equaliser.Atsuto Uchida ran onto a long ball after 74 minutes and cleverly teed up the impressive Platte, who saw his fierce strike hit the bar. Uchida got on the end of the rebound but his deflected effort lacked the power to beat Casillas.And Real ensured they would return to Spain with a commanding advantage when left-back Marcelo drove a sublime right-footed strike to the top corner from the edge of the penalty area.

Tennis: Williams and Kvitova head pile of scattered seeds

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DUBAI (AFP) - Titleholder Venus Williams and Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova headed a long list of seeds blown away on Wednesday at the Dubai Open.Williams, unbeaten in 16 matches over six years here, and Kvitova, the champion two years ago, both failed to reach the quarter-finals, and were joined by another former winner, Agnieszka Radwanska, and a former world number one, Ana Ivanovic.All were ousted at an upgraded tournament with a first prize which is now nearly half a million dollars, suggesting the pool of talent capable of beating the leading players has deepened.One of them is Lucie Safarova, a 28-year-old top 20 Czech who outplayed Williams 6-4, 6-2 and whose hard-to-read left-handed serve contrasted markedly with the 34-year-old Americans delivery which appeared half paced amidst on-court temperatures reaching 40 degrees.I think she played awesome, said a gracious Williams.There were a couple of games where I didnt even get my racket on the ball. What can I say to that?Karolina Pliskova, a younger Czech, whose steep serve from a six-foot one-inch frame launches an attacking game which is flat and forceful enough to trouble anyone, overcame an often excellent Ivanovic 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.Ivanovic didnt help her cause with two double faults near the end which scuppered her chances. We dont have many players like that, said Ivanovic.She (Pliskova) hits very flat and she hits quite late so its difficult to tell where shes going to go.Pliskova, 22, however has an idea where she wants to be going.I always knew if I can keep to my game, serve good, and play aggressive from the baseline, and if its going, I can really, like, beat everyone, she said.However perhaps the most likely player to burst on to the 2015 scene in a big way is Garbine Muguruza, a 21-year-old Spaniard who plays fearlessly and who overwhelmed an ailing Radwanska by 6-4, 6-2.I think that nowadays like there are so many girls that play so good that the difference between the top players and the other ones are really small, Muguruza said.Another Spaniard, Carla Suarez Navarro, accounted for Kvitova by 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 on a tree-lined outside court where flocks of birds increased in numbers and made an increasing cacophony as the sun went down.Navarros ground strokes always looked as if they might be slightly too much for the under-pressure second seed who mostly played quite well even though her swerving serve did not always make the angles she would have liked.Kvitova was aware of the danger from the start.I think, like, the top 50 is pretty same level, and only in the small, important key points its different, she said.Everybody can beat everyone in the top. And, yeah, maybe its nice for the fans to see something new.Muguruza has hopes of reaching the top 20 by the end of the week. Navarro is inside the 20 already. They now play each other.Fortunately Simona Halep, the top seed, and Caroline Wozniacki, the former world number one, both survived - a relief to tournament stakeholders fearful of losing all the famous names.By far the biggest miss will be Williams. Her loss was the more surprising given that it was only her second of the year, and that she is hopeful of returning to the worlds top ten after a four-year interval.But I dont think I was playing badly and have been super happy with the year so far, she said.She may go to Doha next week but confirmed she will not go to Indian Wells to join her sister Serena Williams, the world number one, who will return to the Californian event after 14 years during which both sisters have boycotted the tournament - a response to hostile treatment from spectators. Asked if she understood Serenas decision to let bygones be bygones, Venus said: Um, I dont know. I just respect every decision she makes, pretty much. Theres nothing complicated about it.

Tennis: Mannarino, Karlovic reach Delray Beach quarters

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DELRAY BEACH (AFP) - Croatian fourth seed Ivo Karlovic and French fifth seed Adrian Mannarino advanced to the quarter-finals of the ATP Delray Beach Open with straight-set triumphs Wednesday.Mannarino took only 59 minutes to defeat American wildcard Denis Kudla 6-2, 6-2 while Karlovic needed an hour and 47 minutes to subdue 18-year-old Australian qualifier Thanasi Kokkinakis 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/2).Karlovic, 35, blasted 21 aces at the Adelaide teen, 13 of them in the first set, against only three double faults. Kokkinakis, ranked 143rd, fired five aces but had six double faults.Mannarino, the world number 41 who reached his first ATP final last month at Auckland, connected on 76 percent of his first serve and denied both break-point chances Kudla managed in advancing.The 26-year-old left-hander will meet the winner of a later match between South African top seed Kevin Anderson and Taiwans Lu Yen-Hsun.Karlovic, ranked 29th, has a quarter-final date with the winner of another night match, either US seventh seed Steve Johnson or 17-year-old Russian wildcard Andrey Rublev.

Tennis: Robredo tumbles out in Rio

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RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) - Spanish third seed Tommy Robredo tumbled out of the Rio Open on Wednesday, losing his second-round meeting with Austrian Andreas Haider-Maurer in straight sets.Robredo won just five games as his rival scored a 6-3, 6-2 win in 68min aided by early breaks in both sets to advance to a last eight meeting with either home hope Joao Souza or Slovenian Blaz Rola.Argentinian Juan Monaco overcame a second set fightback after skating through the first to see off Finn Jarkko Nieminen 6-1, 7-6 (7/4).Spanish second seed David Ferrer, out to deny Rafael Nadal a successful title defence, was later facing Dutchman Thiemo de Bakker.Womens WTA second round action brought little cheer for the American contingent as both Grace Min and Bethanie Mattek-Sands bowed out.Min went down 6-3, 6-1 to Israels Julia Glushko while Romanian second seed Irina Begu dispatched Mattek-Sands 6-2, 6-4.The Rio Open event at the swish Jockey Club is Latin Americas largest tournament with $1.5 million prizemoney.

Football: Qatar World Cup in Nov-Dec 'done deal': report

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Staging the 2022 Qatar World Cup in November and December to avoid blazing summer heat is a done deal, Sports Illustrated reported on its website Wednesday.Citing multiple sources, the magazines report said the decision has been made, saying a FIFA task force will make the November-December timing recommendation next week at a meeting in Doha and FIFAs executive committee will finalize the plan when it meets next month in Zurich.Just three weeks ago, FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke told France-Info radio the World Cup in Qatar should be staged in winter but clashing with the 2022 Winter Olympics in February was also a concern.The report said the current plan was to impact only one European club season, with clubs hoping to trim some international match dates to achieve, but there was no firm plan regarding the FIFA Confederations Cup, typically staged the year before the World Cup in the host nation as a test run for the globall football showdown.In December, the European Clubs Association and European Professional Football Leagues indicated a strong preference for playing the 2022 World Cup from May to June.Just last week, FIFA extended the US media rights to the World Cup for four years through 2026 with Fox and NBC Universal-owned Spanish language network Telemundo. The move came without opening the events up for bidding, a shock especially given the United States might bid for the 2026 World Cup.At the time, there was speculation the move was a sign that the 2022 World Cup would move to the winter, a major hit for North American rights-holders given the more filled TV sports landscape in a November-December time frame compared to the usual June-July scheduling. Giving rights-holders another World Cup could make up for financial losses a change in timing could bring.

Golf: Garcia hopes to build confidence in first US start

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PACIFIC PALISADES (AFP) - Spains Sergio Garcia hopes to build confidence in his game and start working toward the Masters as he makes his US PGA Tour 2015 debut this week at Riviera.The 35-year-old veteran is still looking for his first major tile after 65 tries, although he shared second in last years British Open -- his fourth runner-up effort in a major -- and is ranked seventh in the world.But Garcias only win on US soil since the 2008 Players Championship was in 2012 at Greensboro, North Carolina, in the week between the PGA Championship and the start of the US PGA Tour playoffs.I want to try to achieve as many things as possible, Garcia said. Some of them Im sure Ill be able to and some I probably wont. But at the end of the day, I think if I give it everything I have... I cant really ask myself for anything else.Garcia was a three-time runner-up and twice finished third last season on the US tour. This year, he missed the cut at Dubai and shared 46th in defending his crown at Qatar before taking three weeks off at home.Now he begins a three-week US run at the Northern Trust Open before returning to Europe and then coming back for the Houston Open and the Masters in April.Excited about it, Garcia said. Well see what we are able to do. Probably not feeling at my best level at the moment.The last couple of weeks, practice was OK but not amazing. Hopefully I can get some confidence as the tournaments go on and start to find my groove and my game.Garcia has struggled to find consistency but cannot point to a simple problem with his game.I guess its just a matter of kind of building up a little bit of confidence and kind of getting into the rhythm and start doing good things, Garcia said.My long game, it has been OK, but not to the standard that I usually have it. Short game, its been a little bit shakier than it has been in the past three or four years.Garcias best showing in eight prior starts in the event was a share of fourth, but he likes the Riviera layout.I really love the golf course, Garcia said. When it plays firm, its the kind of golf course that is asking you to hit the proper shots.Garcia will play the first two rounds alongside two Americans, 21-year-old Justin Spieth and 55-year-old Fred Couples.Defending champion Bubba Watson, who followed his Riviera crown last year with his second Masters title, will play in a US trio alongside Dustin Johnson, who was second by two strokes to Watson last year, and Bill Haas, who won last months Humana Challenge.

Cycling: Armstrong pleads guilty to careless driving: report

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Disgraced former US cycling star Lance Armstrong has pleaded guilty to careless driving in connection with hitting two parked vehicles and having his girlfriend take the blame, the Aspen Daily News reported Wednesday.Armstrong, who admitted taking performance-enhancing drugs in 2013 after being stripped of seven Tour de France triumphs the year before, posted a cheque for $238.50 (209.50 euros) to pay a fine and court costs, according to court records.Paying the fine and pleading guilty means Armstrong, 43, will not have to appear in court. A March hearing date had been set in the matter.Armastrongs girlfriend, Anna Hansen, had first been charged in the case of Armstrongs vehicle striking two parked cars on December 28.She originally said she had been behind the wheel when they returned home from a party at the Aspen Art Museum, but under later questioning admitted Armstrong had been driving, not her.The news comes two days after Texas firm SCA Promotions announced it had won a $10 million arbitration case against Armstrong over bonus payments from his Tour de France triumphs from 1999-2005. SCA wanted its money back in the wake of Armstrongs doping admission two years ago.Armstrong still faces a federal lawsuit over fraud claims that could cost him $100 million.

Oil prices fall on eve of US inventory data

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Oil prices fell on Wednesday before the release of a report on US crude inventories as traders kept an eye on unrest in crude exporter Libya.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for delivery in March shed $1.39 to $52.14 a barrel compared with Tuesdays close.European benchmark Brent oil for April delivery slid $2.00 to $60.53 a barrel in London.The US Department of Energy will release its weekly stockpiles report on Thursday with many analysts expecting another large rise in stocks.Last weeks report showed that US crude inventories reached their highest levels on record for this time of the year.The market had a very nice rebound from the $44-45 low it made a little while back, said Kyle Cooper, analyst at IAF Advisors in Houston.But the fundamentals are still on the downside, and expectations are for a crude oil build on Thursday.I dont think the production growth is going to slow in the next couple of months.Although leading producers like Chevron and ConocoPhillips have slashed capital budgets in light of the more than 50 percent plunge in global crude prices, the cuts are not expected to significantly affect short-term production levels.Traders were also keeping an eye on developments in north African crude oil producer Libya.Infighting and sabotage in Libya has reduced output to 150,000 barrels a day, down from a high of almost 1.5 million barrels per day, according to analysts.
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