Thursday 12 March 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

RugbyU: Ireland eye historic win against Wales

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CARDIFF (AFP) - History is on the line for Ireland in Cardiff where victory could pave the way for far greater celebrations.Ireland are on the brink of their best run of form in international rugby after beating England two weeks ago to claim a 10th successive win, matching their feat set between 2002 and 2003.Under New Zealander Joe Schmidt, Ireland have risen to third in the world rankings having gone 12 months unbeaten. This current run began last March against England and has included wins over South Africa, Australia and two Tests in Argentina.Now Wales present possibly the biggest remaining hurdle towards only a second Grand Slam in 67 years before facing Scotland, ranked seven places below them, in the final round. However the Millennium Stadium will hold happy memories for many of this team given their last clean sweep in the Six Nations, in 2009, was here in Cardiff.More surprising still is that they have achieved this remarkable sequence immediately following the loss of arguably their greatest player. Any fears the departure of Brian ODriscoll would blunt either their effectiveness or cutting edge have been swiftly dispelled.It will be another of their modern-day talismans that takes centre-stage this week when captain Paul OConnell wins his 100th cap for the Emerald Isle.The 35-year-old veteran of three British & Irish tours began his Test career with a try on his debut during a 54-10 rout of Wales in 2002 that was to see Graham Henry sacked as head coach of the Welsh dragons.This week he faces another Kiwi coach in charge of Wales for what is expected to be as much a battle of tactics and wit as brawn.Warren Gatland has brought huge success to Wales, following three Championship titles in seven years as well as success with the Lions, but has yet to rid his team of their sometimes maddening inconsistency.Gatland is only too aware that his side were swept aside by Ireland in Dublin last year and failed to show up for the second half of this years opening match against England.However they recovered to register back-to-back wins away to Scotland and France and are threatening to repeat their feat of 2013 when they became the first team to lift the Six Nations trophy after losing their opening game, in Cardiff to Ireland.Gatland said: Its a massive game for us. If we win then were still in the Championship going into the last week. But we have to be mentally right for Ireland. In the last few games against them we just havent been on the edge, said Gatland.Ireland are currently third in the world and have found a style that is proving very successful, so were under no illusions what is coming our way. We just have to be ready and able to cope with the pressure.Gatland has kept faith with the team that won 20-13 in Paris a fortnight ago, which means Sam Warburton will become Wales longest-serving captain, surpassing Ryan Jones when he leads his country for a 34th time.Ireland have made just one change to the side that beat England with No8 Jamie Heaslip returning from three fractured vertebrae suffered against France while fly-half Jonathan Sexton and flanker Sean OBrien both passed fitness tests.Schmidt teams may have changed little but he rejected accusations his team were one-dimensional.He said: A lot has been made about our kicking but we have also passed the ball more than our opponents. Every team plays to their strengths and while those strengths may be known, if you do them well then they can still be enough.

S. Korea, US wrap up 'Key Resolve' military drill

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SEOUL (AFP) - South Korea and the United States wrapped up Friday one of their two large-scale annual military exercises that have prompted bellicose warnings and threats from an incensed North Korea.The Key Resolve exercise, which began on March 2, involved around 10,000 South Korean and 8,600 US troops, but is a largely computer-simulated command post drill that rehearses various conflict scenarios.General Curtis Scaparrotti, commander of the allies Combined Forces Command, said Friday the drill was critical to ensuring the defensive security of South Korea.North Korea views Key Resolve and the eight-week Foal Eagle joint exercise that kicked off at the same time, as provocative rehearsals for invasion.The annual drills always trigger a surge in military tensions between the two Koreas who remain technically at war because the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a ceasefire rather than a peace treaty.North Korea signalled its displeasure when this years drills began by firing two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea off its east coast.UN resolutions ban any ballistic missile test by North Korea, and Seouls defence ministry warned that Pyongyang appeared intent on triggering a security crisis.Although the North has kept up its rhetorical condemnation of the drills, there have been no further missile launches or other incidents.There were some concerns that Pyongyang might consider conducting a fourth nuclear test, but analysis of recent satellite images of the Norths main tests site shows no signs of preparations for an imminent detonation.

S. Korea, US wrap up 'Key Resolve' military drill

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SEOUL (AFP) - South Korea and the United States wrapped up Friday one of their two large-scale annual military exercises that have prompted bellicose warnings and threats from an incensed North Korea.The Key Resolve exercise, which began on March 2, involved around 10,000 South Korean and 8,600 US troops, but is a largely computer-simulated command post drill that rehearses various conflict scenarios.General Curtis Scaparrotti, commander of the allies Combined Forces Command, said Friday the drill was critical to ensuring the defensive security of South Korea.North Korea views Key Resolve and the eight-week Foal Eagle joint exercise that kicked off at the same time, as provocative rehearsals for invasion.The annual drills always trigger a surge in military tensions between the two Koreas who remain technically at war because the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a ceasefire rather than a peace treaty.North Korea signalled its displeasure when this years drills began by firing two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea off its east coast.UN resolutions ban any ballistic missile test by North Korea, and Seouls defence ministry warned that Pyongyang appeared intent on triggering a security crisis.Although the North has kept up its rhetorical condemnation of the drills, there have been no further missile launches or other incidents.There were some concerns that Pyongyang might consider conducting a fourth nuclear test, but analysis of recent satellite images of the Norths main tests site shows no signs of preparations for an imminent detonation.

Extremist-targeted Egypt courts foreign investors

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SHARM EL SHEIKH (AFP) - Egypt is hosting from Friday a three-day conference aimed at wooing foreign investors, while also shoring up global support for President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in his fight against extremists targeting the country.US Secretary of State John Kerry and EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini will join hundreds of others at the gathering in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, with all eyes on Sisi, who has positioned himself as a frontline ally in the regional fight against militants.The meeting aims to attract investment into the dilapidated economy, as the government struggles to stamp out an insurgency in the northern Sinai Peninsula and small-scale bomb attacks in Cairo that have targeted not only police but also foreign companies.Conference consultant Richard Attias told AFP that more than 30 projects will be unveiled, which can attract billions of dollars of investment.General Electric, Unilever, British Petroleum, ENI and HSBC are among companies and banks that will attend.Presidential guards and hundreds of policemen have been deployed across Sharm el-Sheikh, located in the generally secure south of the Sinai, with new checkpoints set up to thwart any attempt at a militant attack.If Egypt is stable -- a country of 90 million people -- this will represent the strongest bedrock of stability in this region, Sisi, who was elected after ousting Mohamed Morsi in 2013, told Fox News on Monday.As one Western diplomat put it: For Egypt this is not an economic event, but rather a political one.Call for unified anti-IS forceWashington, which initially shunned Sisi over his deadly repression of Morsis Muslim Brotherhood, has been forced to acknowledge that it cannot isolate the biggest military force in the Arab world while the Islamic State group pushes to extend its influence in the region.Sisi has called for a joint Arab force to fight IS, which has seized large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria, and is trying to extend its influence in Libya, which neighbours Egypt.Washington said Kerry would meet Sisi during the conference to discuss the anti-IS campaign.Egyptian authorities blame the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood for near daily bombings in Cairo and elsewhere that have undermined efforts to restore stability.Hundreds of Morsi supporters have died and thousands more been jailed in a government crackdown.And rights groups have accused the authorities of human rights violations as scores more have been sentenced to death after speedy mass trials.Attacks in Sharm el-Sheikh are unlikely given the tight security, but terrorists from Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, the Sinai-based Egyptian affiliate of IS, could attack elsewhere or in the peninsula, analysts say.But a string of car bombs in Arish would effectively turn the narrative away from a successful investment conference and towards continuing concerns with insecurity, said Aaron Reese, researcher at Washington-based Institute For The Study of War.El-Arish is a town on North Sinais Mediterranean coast where security forces have been repeatedly targeted by deadly attacks.Investment law amendedAgainst that backdrop, representatives from more than 80 countries and scores of regional and international organisations are attending this weeks conference, but several officials have sought to downplay expectations, saying no major contract will be signed.The aim is to put Egypt back on the map of international investment, and send a message to the world that the country is safe and attractive, International Cooperation Minister Naglaa al-Ahwani said.Reese said they particularly want to return Egypt to the headlines in a positive way, to counter the negative headlines from the ongoing insurgency in Sinai and attacks in Cairo and elsewhere.Projects in energy, transport, industry, telecommunications and housing will be offered for foreign investment.To pave the way, Sisi amended the investment law Thursday to make it more attractive to foreign investment, which has plummeted since the 2011 uprising that ousted long-time president Hosni Mubarak.It adopts clear policies that will offer equal opportunities to investors through a transparent framework, presidential spokesman Alaa Youssef told AFP.Among other things, it lays down guarantees for deals signed with the government and offers incentives to finance labour-intensive projects.Egypt aims for economic growth of 4.3 percent in 2015-2016, compared with two percent annually since the anti-Mubarak uprising, while also reducing the budget deficit and bring down unemployment.

Mexico detains 7 federal police for extortion

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MEXICO CITY (AFP) - Mexican authorities detained on Thursday seven federal police officers accused of committing extortion in the border city of Matamoros, days after 13 other agents were held in a kidnapping case.The agencys internal affairs department was investigating the kidnapping case when it received a separate extortion complaint from another person, leading to the new arrests, a federal official said.Internal affairs will continue the investigation of the two cases to find out if there are more involved in order to root out criminal acts in the police force, the official said.On Sunday, 13 federal police officers were taken into custody and face charges over kidnapping a businessman in Matamoros, a crime-riddled city that lies across from Brownsville, Texas. The man was released and found on a highway following the abduction.The administration of President Enrique Pena Nieto has faced a series of scandals involving security forces.Soldiers were accused of summarily executing gang suspects in central Mexico last year.In September, municipal police in southern Guerrero state abducted 43 college students and delivered them to a drug gang, which slaughtered the group, according to prosecutors.Matamoros, meanwhile, has been hit by a surge of drug cartel violence this year that has terrorized the population.On Sunday, unidentified gunmen opened fire on the convoy of Mayor Leticia Salazar, who escaped unscathed.Matamoros is known as a bastion of the Gulf cartel, whose internal battles have been blamed for the recent violence in the city and the rest of Tamaulipas state.Pena Nieto deployed extra federal forces to the state last year to counter a spasm of gang violence.

New Zealand put Bangladesh into bat

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HAMILTON (AFP) - New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum won the toss and decided to bowl in the World Cup Pool A match against Bangladesh at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Friday.Both teams have already qualified for the quarter-finals, New Zealand with five wins in as many games as table-toppers while Bangladesh won three matches and had one point from a washed-out game against Australia in Brisbane.Bangladesh are without regular captain Mashrafe Mortaza who is suffering from a soar throat and a calf injury. Shakib Al Hasan leads the team in Mortazas absence. As expected, Adam Milne was left out with a shoulder problem and was replaced with left-arm paceman Mitchell McClenaghan in the first change for New Zealand in the tournament.Teams:Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mahmudullah, Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Soumya Sarkar, Rubel Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Taijul Islam.New Zealand: Brendon McCullum (captain), Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Grant Elliott, Mitchell McClenaghan, Daniel Vettori, Corey Anderson, Tim Southee, Luke Ronchi, Trent Boult.Umpires: Richard Kettleborough (ENG) and Kumar Dharmasena (SRI).TV umpire: Nigel Llong (ENG).Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG).

Karachi: Rangers release 19 more MQM activists

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Rangers have released 19 more Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) activists on early Friday morning. Three MQM workers were released on Thuesday.Several MQM workers were arrested during a raid at the MQM headquarters and Khursheed Begum Secretariat in Azizabad area on Wednesday. The raid was conducted on a tip-off regarding presence of suspected criminals at the MQM headquarters.According to Rangers Spokesperson Col. Tahir, several suspects including Faisal Mota, Farhan Shabir alias Mulla, Amir Khan, Nadir and Obaid K2 have been arrested.Rangers authorities have claimed that Faisal Mota was convicted by an anti-terrorism court in journalist Wali Babars killing while MQM leader Amir Khan has been taken into custody for interrogation.The Rangers spokesperson further revealed that different kinds of local and imported weapons including Kalashnikovs, shotguns, 9mm pistols, hundreds of bullets and bullet-proof vests were seized during the raid. They believe that some of the weapons might have been stolen from NATO containers.

Football: Humbled Chelsea seek Premier League solace

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LONDON (AFP) - Premier League leaders Chelsea will turn back to domestic matters for solace this weekend following their dramatic and ill-tempered elimination from the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain in mid-week.After victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup final, Jose Mourinhos side looked poised to sweep all before them over the seasons final weeks, only to tumble out of European competition on away goals after a fiery 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.The conduct of Chelseas players, who swarmed around referee Bjorn Kuipers as he sent off Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and their failure to overcome 10-man opposition saw them pilloried in the British press on Thursday.They remain extremely well placed in the title race, five points clear of Manchester City with a game in hand, but Southampton will be eager to exploit any frailty -- physical and psychological -- when they visit the Bridge on Sunday.We have to pick ourselves up and go again at the weekend now, said Chelsea captain John Terry. Theres enough experience in the squad to rally round and get everyone going again.Weve got the Capital One Cup in the pocket and the Premier League is a massive one to go for. The manager said if we can win the Capital One Cup and the Premier League, it will be a very successful year.Southampton will come here playing on the front foot and if were not at it, well drop points and slip away in the Premier League.Champions City have already clawed back an eight-point deficit once this season and they can provisionally close the gap on Chelsea to two points if they win at second-bottom Burnley on Saturday.But Manuel Pellegrinis side must also keep an eye on their rear-view mirror, with third-place Arsenal now only four points behind them after a run of four consecutive league victories.Arsene Wengers side host West Ham United on Saturday, bolstered by a 2-1 victory at Manchester United on Monday that took them into the semi-finals of the FA Cup.Gerrard eyes returnArsenal also have one eye on the second leg of their Champions League last 16 tie at Monaco next week, when they must seek to overturn a 3-1 deficit, and Wenger says the time has come for his players to show their worth.You have to stand up to be strong enough, to fight, to show that you have the courage and that youre not inhibited because youre under pressure, and thats the difficulty of the modern player, he told the Arsenal website.Twenty years ago you could lose a game and people would say, Next time Arsenal will play better. Today you lose a game and it is always a crisis. Its not easy for the players to deal with that.Uniteds defeat by Arsenal left Louis van Gaals side with only a top-four finish to play for and they are under increasing pressure from Liverpool and also Tottenham, who visit Old Trafford on Sunday.Spurs have won on their last two trips to Old Trafford and should they repeat the feat, they would go level on points with United, who would sink to fifth place if Liverpool then won at Swansea City on Monday.Unbeaten in 12 league games, Liverpool hope to welcome captain Steven Gerrard back from a hamstring injury for their trip to the Liberty Stadium.Liverpools recent momentum hit a wall last Sunday when they were held to a 0-0 draw by Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup, but Gerrard returns determined to steer his side to a top-four finish and FA Cup glory before jetting off to the Los Angeles Galaxy at the end of the season.Ive just got over a hamstring injury and I am fit and available for the next game, he said on Thursday during an event to publicise a charity game at Anfield later this month.I want to finish the season really strong and leave the team in the top four and hopefully go all the way in the FA Cup. That is how I want to sign off.FixturesSaturday (1500 GMT unless otherwise stated):Arsenal v West Ham United, Burnley v Manchester City (1730 GMT), Crystal Palace v Queens Park Rangers (1245 GMT), Leicester City v Hull City, Sunderland v Aston Villa, West Bromwich Albion v Stoke CitySunday (1600 GMT unless otherwise stated):Chelsea v Southampton (1330 GMT), Everton v Newcastle United, Manchester United v Tottenham HotspurMonday (2000 GMT):Swansea City v Liverpool

Tokyo stocks open 0.68% up

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TOKYO (AFP) - Tokyo stocks opened 0.68 percent higher on Friday, breaching the 19,000 level, following a rally on Wall Street.The Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange gained 128.47 points to 19,119.58 at the start.Wall Street stocks Thursday snapped a two-day losing streak, surging after big US banks cleared Federal Reserve stress tests and the dollar retreated from a 12-year high.The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 1.47 percent to 17,895.22, while the broad-based S&P 500 jumped 1.26 percent to 2,065.95.Dow members JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs and other large banks rose strongly after the Feds stress-test review gave the green light for dividend increases and share repurchases.A weak yen also supported the early gains in Tokyo.The dollars ascent against the yen is generally good for Japanese exporters as it makes them more competitive overseas and inflates the value of their repatriated profits.The dollar traded at 121.32 yen, compared with 121.29 yen.The euro changed hands at $1.0620 and 128.90 yen against $1.0636 and 129.00 yen in New York.

Airport shut as Costa Rica volcano spews more ash

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SAN JOSE (AFP) - San Joses international airport was forced to close Thursday and several villages were evacuated after clouds of ash from the newly active Turrialba volcano reached the Costa Rican capital, authorities said.Flights were suspended because of poor visibility at the airport, which is about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the volcano, while pedestrians in the capital shielded their eyes to prevent ash going into them.A number of schools sent students home and the countrys emergency bureau ordered the evacuation of villages within two kilometers of Turrialba.Turrialba erupted twice on Sunday, followed by a burst of activity Wednesday and then again on Thursday.Before now, an expulsion of ash and magma from the volcano in October was its most significant activity in over a century.

Study paints mixed picture of global smoking trends

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PARIS (AFP) - Smoker numbers are declining in many parts of the world, but upward trends in African and Mediterranean countries mean the global total will not change much over the next 10 years, researchers said Friday.The UNs World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about six million people die around the world every year from smoking-related causes -- more than five million from direct tobacco use and the rest from second-hand smoke.About 80 percent of the worlds one billion smokers, it says, live in low- and middle-income countries.An analysis published in The Lancet medical journal of trends in more than 170 countries, said smoking prevalence among men fell in 72 percent of countries measured in the decade 2000-2010.Among women, a decline was observed in 88 percent of countries.WHO member states had agreed to a voluntary target of reducing tobacco use by 30 percent worldwide by 2025 from 2010 levels, said the document.But on current trends, only 37 (21 percent) countries are on track to achieve their targets for men and 88 (49 percent) are on track for women, it added.Rapid increases in Africa and the eastern Mediterranean would cancel many of the gains, said the authors, and projections were for an estimated 1.1 billion current tobacco smokers in 2025.We project that the highest smoking quintile among men will shift from low-income and middle income countries in Europe and the western Pacific to those in Africa and the eastern Mediterranean, said the study, which did not consider smokeless tobacco use.According to the WHO, one person dies about every six seconds due to tobacco, accounting for one in 10 adult deaths.Up to half of current users will eventually die of a tobacco-related disease.A separate study carried by the same journal said that on current rates, about three million people will die from smoking every year in China alone by 2050.Of great concern, about 100 million of the 0.3 billion Chinese smokers that are now younger than 30 years will eventually have tobacco-related deaths, it said.

Golf: Davis seizes Valspar first-round lead

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PALM HARBOR (AFP) - Brian Davis chipped in for birdie at his last hole on Thursday for a six-under-par 65 and a one-shot lead after the first round of the US PGA Tour Valspar Championship.The Englishman, a two-time winner on the European Tour, had Americans Sean OHair and Ricky Barnes hot on his heels.Swedens world number three Henrik Stenson, Alex Cejka of Germany, Zimbabwes Brendon de Jonge and Americans Justin Thomas, Derek Ernst and Nicholas Thompson shared fourth on four-under 67.Cejka is coming off a playoff victory on Sunday in the Puerto Rico Open.Davis, seeking his first victory on the US tour, had stumbled late with bogeys at his 16th and 17th holes, the seventh and eighth at Innisbrooks Copperhead course.He regained sole possession of the lead when he chipped in from 25 feet.Davis had started strong with five birdies in his first nine holes.He got to seven-under with birdies at the par-five fifth and par-four sixth, but three-putted for bogey at the seventh before a bogey at the par-three eighth, where he was unable to get up and down after missing the green.He was just off the green at his closing hole, but got out of trouble with a perfectly judged chip.The golf course was there, no wind and fairly soft, so you have to try to make your score today if you could, Davis said.OHair set an early target with a 66 that included eight birdies and three bogeys.The 32-year-old, who won this title in 2008, is seeking his first victory since the 2011 Canadian Open.He admitted that returning to a course where he has won before is a confidence builder.Ive always liked this golf course, he said. Thats more where the confidence comes from... results from the past.Barness six birdies included four in a row starting at the ninth, but his only bogey of the day, at the par-three 17th, cost him a share of the lead.Stenson, playing at Innisbrook for the first time, even though he lives in Orlando -- about 100 miles (160 km) away -- was pleased with what he found, especially after a bogey-free round.Kept my patience and kept my game plan. All in all, a good day, he said.Defending champion John Senden of Australia carded a three-over 74 that left him tied for a lowly 114th.

Karachi: Two gang war accused killed in police encounter

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – At least two gang war accused were killed in police encounter with police in Daryabad area of Lyari in Karachi on early Friday.According to police, the deceased gang war accused were identified as Jabbar Dada and Hafiz Choni and belonged to Baba Ladla group.

Football: Record-breaking Sevilla, Everton, on top, Inter struggle

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PARIS (AFP) - Holders Sevilla, with a record-breaking 13 second goal, Everton, and Wolfsburg were all on top after Thursdays Europa League last 16 first round ties.Sevilla ran off with their all-Spanish clash at Villarreal 3-1, Victor Machin Vitolo creating competition history with his grease-lightning opener.At Evertons Goodison Park, Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku gave his Premier League club a slender advantage against Dynamo Kiev, his late penalty securing a 2-1 win.Roberto Martinezs team fell behind in the 14th minute to an Oleg Gusev strike, but they equalised six minutes before half time when Lukakus power and poise helped him lay on a goal for Scottish forward Steven Naismith.The Toffees, who once again gave a better showing in Europe than they have managed for most of a disappointing domestic campaign, pushed hard for a second half winner and finally broke down the Dynamo defence in the 82nd minute.Referee Carlos Velasco Carballo awarded a spot-kick for handball by Danilo Silva and Lukaku converted, making him Evertons all-time record European scorer with seven goals.Martinezs men will head to the Ukraine for next weeks second leg in Kiev knowing they are still in with a chance of reaching the quarter-finals as the only remaining British side in the competition.We learned that when we have got that tempo in our play and when we use the character we have we are a very strong team, Martinez said.Overall it was a very good performance and the reaction shows we are a very good team. We are not favourites as the home team always has a little advantage.Now we are looking forward to the second leg as we travel well in Europe.In Naples, Gonzalo Higuains hat-trick inspired Rafael Benitezs Napoli to a 3-1 win over Dinamo Moscow.It was a difficult game, especially after their goal. Thankfully we won and well head to Russia with a fairly good advantage. Well suffer in the second leg, but Napoli can qualify, Higuain told Mediaset.The all Serie A affair between Fiorentina and Roma ended 1-1.Two other Italian clubs suffered travel sickness, three-time champions Inter Milan coming away from their visit to Vfl Wolfsburg 3-1 losers, and Torino going down 2-0 at Zenit St Petersburg.Kevin de Bruyne lifted Wolfsburg past Inter despite Roberto Mancinis men looking to have the upper hand over their high-flying Bundesliga hosts when Rodrigo Palacio put the Serie A visitors into a sixth minute lead.But de Bruyne set up Naldo for the German sides first-half equaliser, then with a little help from Inters stand-in goalkeeper Juan Pablo Carrizo he scored a second-half double.Wolves will now fancy their prospects of securing a ticket to the last eight at the San Siro next week.Disappointing was how Inter skipper Andrea Ranocchia summed up the outcome, before suggesting all was by no means lost.We started well but our focus is already on the return leg, he reflected.We scored a goal here and want to make sure it counts at the San Siro. Were making too many stupid mistakes, but weve still got 90 minutes to qualify. Were confident.Andre Villas-Boas Zenit St Petersburg also have an option on the next round after Axel Witsel and former Italian defender Domenco Criscito saw off Torino who were reduced to 10 men after Marco Benassis first-half red card.Its a pity, while we were on level terms we had a firm grip on the game, stated Torino captain Kamil Glik.But the red card for Benassi ruined our plans. But it will be a different story in the second leg in our stadium. We still believe.Dutch champions Ajax go into their second leg against Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk trailing 1-0 after the Ukrainians took the first-leg honours thanks to a first-half goal from Roman Zozulya in Kiev.

Modi to steer Sri Lanka away from China on landmark trip

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COLOMBO (AFP) - Narendra Modi begins the first official visit by an Indian premier to Sri Lanka in nearly three decades Friday, looking to reassert New Delhis influence over Colombo after its drift towards China.Only weeks after Sri Lankas newly-elected leader Maithripala Sirisena made India his first port of call as president, Modi will hold talks with a range of top government officials in Colombo on Friday.He will then travel north on Saturday for a landmark visit to the Jaffna peninsula, home to the islands Tamil minority and which bore the brunt of a 37-year separatist war in which India was intricately involved.While observers dont expect major policy initiatives so soon after the neighbouring leaders last meeting, it is nonetheless seen as an important signal of a desire to reset sometimes troubled ties. I am sure together we are going to script a golden chapter in the history of India-Sri Lanka relations, Modi said this week as he set off on a three-nation swing of Indian Ocean islands.After whistlestop tours of the Seychelles and Mauritius, Modi flies into Colombo at dawn for a packed schedule which includes talks with Sirisena.Modi is expected to push for demilitarisation in the former war zone and more autonomy for minority Tamils who share close cultural and religious ties with those across the Palk Strait in Tamil Nadu.Although Sri Lanka lies just across the water, Modi will be the first Indian prime minister to hold bilateral talks in Colombo since 1987 although several predecessors attended regional summits.When Rajiv Gandhi visited in 1987, the then premier was famously assaulted with a rifle butt by a Sri Lankan naval rating while inspecting a guard of honour.Gandhi had gone to sign a bilateral pact which sought to end a guerrilla war by Tamil separatist rebels who had effectively enjoyed a safe haven in India since the mid 1980s.The main rebel group, the Tamil Tigers, repudiated the peace accord and India ended up fighting the militants they had once trained and armed.Around 1,140 Indian soldiers lost their lives during the 32-month deployment in Sri Lanka and Gandhi himself was assassinated in 1991 by a woman Tiger suicide bomber while campaigning in Tamil Nadu.After the war ended in 2009, bilateral relations remained strained and Sirisenas predecessor Mahinda Rajapakse caused unease in New Delhi by forging close ties with Beijing.India, which traditionally regarded Sri Lanka as within its sphere of influence, was furious last year when Rajapakse allowed two Chinese submarines to dock in Colombo.Under Rajapakse, Sri Lanka built up steady debts as Beijing funded a string of major construction projects.Since his loss to Sirisena in a January election, the pendulum has swung back towards India with the new president making attempts to renegotiate the terms of some loans.Sri Lankas new rulers last month also ordered a suspension of Chinas biggest investment project, a $1.4 billion new city on reclaimed land just next to Colombos main sea port.Mangala Samaraweera, Sirisenas foreign minister, has said that while Colombo wants to retain good relations with China, we will not go overboard like the Rajapakse regime.Charu Lata Hogg, a Sri Lanka expert at Londons Chatham House think-tank, said there were signs of a recalibration in its previous relationships with China in favour of improved ties with the West and India.Modi is expected to finalise energy and construction deals, including funding for Sri Lankas creaking railways.He will also lay the foundation stone for a cultural centre in battle-scarred Jaffna where he is expected to receive a rapturous reception.He will be only the second foreign leader since independence to visit the region, where India is seen by locals as a crucial protector against the dominance of the ethnic Sinhalese majority.Beijing was a key defender of Sri Lanka at international fora when Rajapakse came under criticism over its rights record and allegations that 40,000 Tamil civilians were killed at the end of the war.Modis predecessor, Manmohan Singh, pointedly shunned a Commonwealth summit hosted by Rajapakse in 2013 over the treatment of Tamils.
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