Saturday 7 March 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Football: Make-or-break for Man Utd, Arsenal in FA Cup

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LONDON (AFP) - The FA Cup has been an underdogs tournament this season, but its first genuine heavyweight clash arrives on Monday when holders Arsenal visit old rivals Manchester United in the quarter-finals.The eliminations of Chelsea, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton have cleared the route for United and Arsenal, and it is an opportunity that both teams are desperate not to squander.Recent events have left the FA Cup as the last realistic opportunity for both sides to apply a silver sheen to seasons that are rolling towards uncertain conclusions.The pair remain well placed to qualify for next seasons Champions League, with Arsenal currently third in the Premier League table and United a point back in fourth.But Arsenal are on the brink of elimination from this seasons Champions League after a 3-1 first-leg loss to Monaco in the last 16, while doubts continue to dog United as they struggle for form under Louis van Gaal.Arsenal have won four matches in a row in the league, but recent history has given them reason to fear trips to Old Trafford.Arsene Wengers side have not won there since September 2006 -- a run of 10 matches that includes two FA Cup defeats and a scarring 8-2 annihilation in the league in August 2011.The Arsenal manager refuses to entertain talk of bad omens, however, saying: I dont believe too much in history. I just believe in the performance on the day. At the moment we are doing very well away from home.The size of the pitch is exactly the same everywhere. It is just down to how much we turn up and how much effort we put in to win the game. Both teams will think, If we get over this hurdle, we have a good opportunity to win the competition.We are confident from our Premier League run, so we go to Manchester United to qualify and to give absolutely everything.Uniteds 11-year itchWith 11 titles each, United and Arsenal are the two most successful teams in the history of the FA Cup.Their 14 previous encounters have yielded some of the competitions most enduring moments, from Alan Sunderlands late winner for Arsenal in 1979s Five-minute Final to Ryan Giggss sensational solo goal to settle the tournaments last ever semi-final replay in 1999.Arsenal endured a trophy drought of nine years between beating United on penalties in the 2005 final in Cardiff and coming from behind to beat Hull City 3-2 at Wembley last May.But it is even longer -- 11 years -- since United last lifted the trophy and captain Wayne Rooney is far from alone in Van Gaals squad in having an FA Cup-shaped hole in his collection of winners medals.We havent been to a final for a few years. We want to try to win that game and we are looking forward to that, said the England striker.Of course, I think it is a massive trophy. It is a trophy that, growing up as a youngster, I used to love watching and I was fortunate enough to see Everton lift the FA Cup in 1995 when I was nine years old.It is something which I would love to do and hopefully it can be this year.Robin van Persie and Juan Mata are the only members of the United squad to have won the FA Cup, but Van Persies success came with Arsenal in that 2005 final and Matas was with Chelsea in 2012.An ankle injury means that Van Persie will miss the reunion with his former club, while centre-back Jonny Evans begins a six-match ban for spitting at Papiss Cisse during Uniteds 1-0 win at Newcastle United on Wednesday.Arsenal centre-back Gabriel has been ruled out with a hamstring injury, while goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny (illness), defender Nacho Monreal (back) and midfielder Mathieu Flamini (hamstring) face fitness tests.

Greece tries to end shame of migrant 'Guantanamos'

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ATHENS (AFP) - Afghan migrant Nazir Gazemi shudders at the thought of the two and a half years he spent in the so-called Greek Guantanamos, the notorious migrant detention camps the countrys new government now says it will close.Just released from his life with the rats in the worst camp of all at Amygdaleza north of Athens, the 33-year-old is now trying to help his friends who sleep inside its poorly heated shipping containers which become ovens in the summer sun.It was the suicide of a 28-year-old Pakistani in the camp two weeks ago -- the latest of many such deaths -- that was the final straw for Greeces radical new government.Minister Yiannis Panoussis went himself to the camp to express my shame at the conditions, telling protesting inmates that we are done with the detention centres. We just need a few days to close them.But this week a decree telling the police to no longer arrest illegal migrants entering the country sparked uproar, with government denying it ever issued such an order.Human rights group fear the release of the disputed document was an attempt to undermine Syrizas vow to grant citizenship to immigrants children born in Greece, and to free the 4,500 migrants it admits are held in inhumane conditions in the camps.XenophobiaXenophobia has been mounting in Greece, one of the main illegal entry points into Europe, as the countrys economic crisis drags on. The neo-Nazi, anti-immigration Golden Dawn party is now the third biggest.The release of this order plays into the hands of Golden Dawn and the former governments attempts to whip up fear of migrants, said Thanasis Kourkoulas, of the Deport Racism rights group.But for the migrants caught in the middle -- most of whom, according to Kourkoulas, want to move on to northern Europe -- the nightmare and the waiting goes on.The camps are still open, but with officials quietly releasing inmates in twos and threes, rights groups claim.Ali Ashraf, 23, from Bangladesh, spent two years behind barbed wire before he was released from a camp in the southern city of Corinth a fortnight ago. The next day he was back at the gates with food for his friends, but the guards would not let him see them.For Alphonse, 31, who has been held for seven months waiting to see a judge, the worst was the two weeks he spent sleeping on the floor of a police station in the western port of Patras after being arrested in July while trying to cross to Italy.A Kurd and an Afghan held with me tried to kill themselves, he told AFP by mobile phone from inside the camp.Inhuman conditionsUnder EU pressure to stem the flow of migrants, Athens built four large detention centres in Corinth, Amygdaleza and at Drama and Xanthi close to the Bulgarian and Turkish borders. The former conservative government, which took a hard line on migrants, also increased the maximum period they could be held while their cases were dealt with to 18 months.Last December the European Court of Human Rights denounced Greece for the inhuman and degrading treatment of inmates, and there have been frequent hunger strikes and protests about conditions.Syriza came to power in January on a promise to close the camps and turn them into open refugee reception centres.Rights group are now urging the government to act quickly fearing that later it may be shackled by the need to keep its anti-immigration coalition partners, the Independent Greeks, on board.The minister said he needed 100 days to close the camps, but most of these people have not committed a crime and we want them shut now, rights activist Mario Avgustados told AFP.Yet so heavy is the burden that EU migration rules place on cash-strapped Greece -- with the Dublin 2 rule dictating that migrants asylum claims must be dealt with in the first country they enter -- that its leaders have been tempted by radical measures.With so few wanting to remain permanently in Greece, Pannousis told Skai TV last month that his personal opinion was that the Schengen rules should be broken to give travel permits to migrants so they can travel freely within the EU.This may be heresy in Brussels and Berlin, but it reflects the reality on the ground, said Kourkoulas of Deport Racism. Most migrants, with papers or not, want to leave Greece for northern Europe and that is what they end up doing, he said.

Apple takes leap into new territory with smartwatch

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SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Apples hotly-anticipated smartwatch is expected to debut Monday as the trend-setting firm sets out to make stylish wrist-worn computers must-have accessories for modern lifestyles.Industry trackers say Apple Watch will star at a media event being held at the same San Francisco theater where the California tech giant introduced the iPad.Apples chief executive Tim Cook has revealed little about the sophisticated wrist wear, but has said that he cant live without it.The company announced its plans for Apple Watch last year to much fanfare and has said it would begin shipping in April.It will mark Apples first new product type since the iPad in 2010.Apple has indicated that the entry price would be $349 in the United States, and that two different sizes would be available in three collections, including the Apple Watch Edition, featuring 18-karat gold cases in yellow or rose, sapphire crystal and finely crafted bands and closures.The Apple device will connect with the iPhone, and also have a range of apps and sensors, notably for health and fitness.The watch is also expected to include map software that guides people to destinations with gentle taps on the wrist.Fitness apps on the Apple Watch and its rivals could spell trouble for makers of fitness bands from companies like Jawbone, Fitbit and Nike.Apple is poised to once again show how computing platforms are won or lost on the one-two punch of eager consumers and hungry ecosystem partners, said Forrester Research analyst James McQuivey.Apple reportedly had to scale back health tracking features on the watch after some sensors didnt rise to the challenges.Catalyze, dominate the marketIt remains unclear whether Apple -- a latecomer to the wearables segment -- would do for smartwatches what the iPod did for MP3 players and the iPad did for tablet computers.Apple enters a segment crowded with vendors ranging from South Korean giants Samsung and LG, to Japans Sony and startups such as Pebble.Motorola, acquired by Chinese giant Lenovo last year, also produces a smartwatch, and Chinas Huawei introduced its version at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this month.Pebble, which burst on the scene with a crowd-funded smartwatch in 2012, this month broke the record on the Kickstarter platform with more than $16 million raised.Research firm Strategy Analytics predicts Apple will set fire to the market from the outset, projecting sales of 15.4 million units worldwide in 2015, to give Apple a 55 percent market share.The Apple Watch is the catalyst to ignite the global smartwatch market, said Strategy Analytics executive director Neil Mawston.Apples famous brand, loyal fan base, deep retail presence and extensive apps ecosystem will ensure healthy uptake for its watch.Still, he said Apple may see a few glitches that need to be ironed out.Apples first-generation Watch is not yet perfect, Mawston said in a statement.Apple will need to upgrade tangibly its second-generation watch to stay ahead of competitors later this year.He noted that rival models are more attractive, have a longer battery life and offer more affordable prices.But Deutsche Bank analyst Sherri Scribner predicted an even bigger splash for the Apple Watch, with sales of 17.6 million units this year.By 2018, Scribner said, one of every four iPhone users will also have an Apple Watch, making the segment worth some $26 billion for the company.In a research note, Scribner said the Apple Watch should be a catalyst to expand the market, with wrist-worn devices gradually becoming a complement to smartphones.The next big thing?Others say its not yet clear if the smartwatch will become the must-have accessory for consumers, particularly if the pricing remains at current levels.Roger Kay, analyst at Endpoint Technologies Associates, said Apples loyal consumer base will deliver a certain number of sales but wont guarantee widespread adoption.There will be 10 million people who will buy it because its from Apple, Kay said. But the larger question is whether this category really has legs.A key question is whether Apple can create the same kind of buzz and energy around a new product without its legendary leader Steve Jobs, who died in 2011.Steve could distort reality and tell everyone it was the next big thing, and people would believe it, said Kay.Theyve never done it without Steve. So this is the challenge for Tim Cook.

Karachi: Police kills 3 gangwar operatives involved in target killings

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KARACHI (Dunya news) – 3 gangwar operatives involved in target killing were killed during police action on Sunday. The criminals started firing at the police during operation in Layari. The police responded back resulting in the deaths of 3 suspects. Suspects Abdul Rehman alias Lamba, Subhan Grenade and Zeeshan Shan were killed during the action. According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) City Fida Hussain, the operatives were involved in targeted killing of 30 people and other grave crimes.On the other hand, 1 felon was killed during a reported police encounter near Sohrab Goth area.Another criminal was killed during a clash with the police near Nazimabad 2 Number area.2 suspects were apprehended near Banaras after a police clash.An individual was shot dead near Purana Golimar area.

Boko Haram pledges allegiance to IS group after carnage in Maiduguri

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MAIDUGURI (AFP) - Boko Haram pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in an audio message published online on Saturday, after three bombs wreaked havoc in northeast Nigeria, killing 58 and wounding scores.We announce our allegiance to the Caliph of the Muslims, Ibrahim ibn Awad ibn Ibrahim al-Husseini al-Qurashi, Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau said, referring to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.Shekau said the pledge was made because of religious duty to Islam and as it would enrage the enemy of Allah.The eight-minute speech, in which Shekau was not shown, was published on a Twitter account used by Boko Haram and subtitled in English, French and Arabic.Shekau has previously mentioned al-Baghdadi in video messages yet stopped short of pledging formal allegiance.But there have been increasing signs that the Nigerian militants, whose six-year insurgency has claimed more than 13,000 lives and left 1.5 million people homeless, has been seeking a closer tie-up.Not only did Shekau announce last year that the captured town of Gwoza in Borno state was part of a caliphate but in recent weeks Boko Haram videos have increasingly resembled IS group propaganda.Nigerias President Goodluck Jonathan, who has persistently blamed the violence on outside forces, last month claimed the country had intelligence on Boko Haram links to IS.Islamic extremism specialist Aaron Zelin, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute of Near East Policy, said it was difficult to assess the immediate effect of Shekaus statement.Definitely it will put an even bigger target on their back, he told AFP in an email exchange.He added: Its relevant because it highlights the resonance of the idea of the caliphate.For years there have been rumours of connections with AQIM (Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb) or Al-Shebab but there was never anything definitive... and now (Boko Haram) decides to do this overtly.Natural allyMax Abrahms, from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, said the pledge of allegiance made sense, as both groups were currently in a position of relative organisational weakness.IS, on the back foot in Iraq, has been looking to broaden its reach beyond the Middle East, particularly in places where there are power vacuums and existing militant groups, such as Libya.Boko Haram has apparently been pummelled out of captured territory by the Nigerian army and its regional allies and has returned to its previous campaign of urban guerrilla warfare.Militant fighters were this week reportedly amassing in Gwoza -- which is generally considered to be the groups headquarters -- possibly in preparation for a military offensive.Nigerias military on Saturday announced another success against Boko Haram, ousting them from Buni Yadi and Buni Gari in Yobe state after previously claiming the recapture of Marte in Borno state.Abrahms, a specialist in extremist groups, said that with IS and Boko Haram both uninhibited in terms of violence, they were a natural ally.But the apparently more formal link could attract more global attention to the insurgency.I think Shekau now has to be careful here as traditionally the international community has regarded the conflict as a civil war within Nigeria, perhaps an extended regional war in west Africa, he added.Maiduguri hitWith Boko Haram squeezed out of captured territory, security analysts have predicted a rise in bomb attacks in towns and cities, including to disrupt elections in three weeks time.On Saturday, a woman with explosives strapped to her body blew herself up at about 11:20 am (1020 GMT) at Baga fish market in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri.About an hour later another blast rocked the popular Monday Market, causing chaos as locals voiced anger at security forces who struggled to control the scene.Just after 1:00 pm a third blast hit a used car lot which is attached to the busy Borno Express bus terminal.There were indications that the second and third blasts were also carried out by suicide bombers but details were not immediately clear.Bornos police commissioner Clement Adoda gave a toll of 58 dead for the three locations in Maiduguri and 139 wounded.Normalcy has been restored, he added, declining to give further details.Danlami Ajaokuta, a vigilante leader whose fighters have been working with the military across the northeast, said the fear of further attacks had prompted the closure of all businesses in Maiduguri.Borno states Justice Commissioner Kaka Shehu blamed Boko Haram and described it as a response to the defeats suffered by the insurgents in recent weeks.The terrorists are angry with the way they were sacked from towns and villages and are now venting their anger, he said.Nigeria postponed its elections initially scheduled for February to March 28 after security chiefs said they needed more time to weaken Boko Haram.While reported victories in the remote northeast may enable polling in areas previously controlled by the insurgents, rising unrest in Maiduguri is likely to raise fears as election day approaches.Shekau has vowed to disrupt the vote and widespread attacks, especially near polling stations, could prove disastrous.

Energy official killed in Dominican Republic

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SANTO DOMINGO (AFP) - Hooded gunmen broke into the home of the Dominican Republics deputy mining minister, shooting him dead and wounding his son, police said Saturday.Victoriano Santos Hilario, 49, was killed late Friday during the home invasion in Cotui, Sanchez Ramirez province, 110 kilometers (70 miles) northwest of Santo Domingo.The wife of the official who was murdered... Zoila Maria Gutierrez, told authorities three hooded men carried out the crime, a police statement said, adding that the suspects fled in a gray car.The deputy minister was treated for gunshot wounds outside the home and died there, while his son, 20-year-old Victor Manuel Santos Gutierrez, was shot in the side and rushed to a hospital in the capital, officials said.Santos Hilarios Dominican Liberation Party called for the killers to face due punishment.The motive of the crime, under police investigation, was not immediately clear.

Tennis: Canada take control with Davis Cup doubles win

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VANCOUVER (AFP) - Daniel Nestor and Vasek Pospisil outlasted Japans Go Soeda and Yasutaka Uchiyama in five sets on Saturday to put Canada one point from victory in their Davis Cup tie.Nestor and Pospisil downed Soeda and Uchiyama 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to give the hosts a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five World Group first-round tie.That means 2014 US Open runner-up Kei Nishikori, ranked fourth in the world, will be fighting to keep Japan alive when he takes on world number six Milos Raonic in Sundays first reverse singles match.Raonic and Nishikori both won on Friday to set themselves up for the marquee clash.Raonic overpowered 85th-ranked Tatsuma Ito 6-2, 6-1, 6-2, while Nishikori defeated Pospisil 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3.Nishikori owns a 4-2 career record against Raonic. They exchanged a pair of fourth-round Grand Slam victories in 2014, and Nishikori beat Raonic in the 2012 and 2014 Tokyo finals and in the 2014 ATP Madrid Masters round of 16.Raonic took their most recent meeting in a Brisbane semi-final.If Nishikori prevails, Pospisil will take on Ito in the final singles rubber to decide the tie.Canada are out for a bit of Davis Cup revenge against Japan.The Canadians rolled to the 2013 Davis Cup semi-finals before falling to Serbia at Belgrade but last year lost 4-1 to Japan at Tokyo, falling to 0-6 all-time against Japan in Davis Cup play.Beating Canada last year launched Japan into the second round of the World Group for the first time, but with Nishikori injured and absent in the quarter-finals, they were hammered 5-0 by then-defending champion Czech Republic.The winner of the tie will face either defending champion Switzerland or Belgium in the quarter-finals in July.Belgium were 2-1 up on the Swiss in Liege heading into Sunday.

Obama in Selma: 'Our march is not over'

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SELMA (AFP) - US President Barack Obama rallied a new generation of Americans to the spirit of the civil rights struggle on Saturday, warning their march for freedom is not yet finished.In a forceful speech in Selma, Alabama on the 50th anniversary of the brutal repression of a peaceful protest, Americas first black president denounced new attempts to restrict voting rights.And he paid stirring tribute to the sacrifice of a generation of activists who marched so that black Americans could enjoy civil rights and opened the road that eventually led him to the White House.We gather here to celebrate them, he declared, standing on the spot where Alabama state troopers launched an assault on the marchers in scenes that shocked America.We gather here to honor the courage of ordinary Americans willing to endure billy clubs and the chastening rod, tear gas and the trampling hoof, men and women who despite the gush of blood and splintered bone would stay true to their North Star and keep marching toward justice.After the Selma march and others like it, then President Lyndon Johnson passed the Voting Rights Act that sought to prevent racist officials from excluding African Americans from the ballot.That law, Obama said, is again under threat from state governments seeking to tighten voter registration rules in a bit to restrict the size of the franchise.How can that be? he asked, noting that previous Republican presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush -- who was present for the speech -- had renewed it.One hundred members of Congress have come here today to honor people who were willing to die for the right to protect it, he declared.If we want to honor this day, let those hundred go back to Washington and gather four hundred more and together pledge to make it their mission to restore the law this year.That is how we honor this bridge, he said, in front of a crowd estimated at 40,000, more than twice the population of what is still a very poor and mainly black town.After the speech, Obama greeted civil rights veterans and he and Bush joined a 50-strong to group singing Keep Your Eyes on the Prize to walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge -- named after a Confederate general and Klu Klux Klan leader.What an extraordinary honor this has been, especially to have Sasha and Malia here, Obama told the group, referring to his daughters, whom he has cited a members of the generation that must take the struggle forward.The president and his wife, First Lady Michelle Obama, paused halfway across the road bridge to hear Georgia lawmaker and Selma marcher Congressman John Lewis describe the events of the day.Honoring the legendsIn his speech, Obama also addressed recent incidents in which police killings of unarmed black men and teenagers had triggered protests and accusations of deep-seated official racism.We just need to open our eyes and ears and hearts, to know that this nations long racial history still casts its long shadow upon us. We know the march is not yet over, the race is not yet won, he said.We know that reaching that blessed destination where we are judged by the content of our character requires admitting as much, facing up to the truth.On March 7, 1965, some 600 peaceful activists were attacked by police with clubs and tear gas at the bridge, a seminal moment in Americas democracy.Obama was introduced by Lewis, a man he described as his hero, who as a young man was one of those assaulted on the bridge as he attempted to march.We come to Selma to be renewed, we come to be inspired, Lewis said.We were beaten, tear gassed, some of us were left bloody right here on this bridge. Seventeen of us were hospitalized that day. But we never became bitter or hostile.Police racismThe history of what happened at Selma on Bloody Sunday has recently returned to prominence thanks to an Oscar-nominated film starring actor David Oyelowo as civil rights leader Martin Luther King.But the presidents address also comes as todays rights leaders wrestle with scandals over police treatment of black Americans.A probe by Obamas Justice Department unearthed deep police racism in Ferguson, Missouri, where a white policeman shot dead an unarmed black teenager on August 9, sparking civil unrest and a national outcry.Despite what Attorney General Eric Holder called a searing report into Fergusons police department, which Holder has not ruled out abolishing and replacing altogether.On the eve of the Selma anniversary, protests broke out in the northern state of Wisconsin after another unarmed black teenager was shot by police, which said he had attacked an officer.The police violence in Selma and the dignified determination of the marchers are widely seen as the factors that made it possible to swing America behind civil rights measures like the Voting Rights Act.That legislation, which prevents states from limiting access to the ballot through abusive measures, is still challenged regularly, mainly by southern states seeking to make voter registration harder.

Ex-Sarkozy aide charged in case linked to Libya funding probe

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PARIS (AFP) - A former French interior minister was on Saturday charged with tax evasion and forgery in connection with a probe into allegations that former Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi helped finance Nicolas Sarkozys 2007 presidential election campaign.Investigators discovered a 500,000-euro ($540,000) transfer in Claude Gueants bank account during a raid in February 2013.Gueant, who was Sarkozys right-hand man for a decade, claimed the money was the proceeds of the sale of two 17th-century Flemish paintings to a Malaysian lawyer.But art experts challenged the evidence, saying the highest price fetched at an auction by a painting by the artist, Andries van Eertvelt, was around 140,000 euros.Gueant spent the night in the offices of the anti-corruption bureau in Paris before police resumed questioning on Saturday morning.A judicial source on Saturday evening said Gueant had been charged with tax avoidance as part of an organised group and forgery.Gueants lawyer Philippe Bouchez el-Ghozi said his client, who was questioned for 30 hours and faced almost 300 questions that mainly focused on the so-called Libyan funding, denied any wrongdoing.He said his client had not been charged as part of the main probe and that his case simply boiled down to justifying the acquisition of two paintings 22 years ago and whether they had been properly declared for tax purposes.Accusations that Sarkozys successful 2007 campaign was financed by Kadhafis Libya emerged after the first round of voting in the 2012 election, when the Mediapart website published a document dating from 2006 and setting out an arrangement for 50 million euros to be paid to the campaign.Sarkozy says the document is a forgery, and was backed by the former Libyan intelligence chief Moussa Koussa whose signature was on it.The centre-right politician lost the 2012 election to Socialist Francois Hollande.

Football: Inzaghi still on brink as Verona peg back Milan

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MILAN (AFP) - The future of AC Milan coach Filippo Inzaghi was left hanging in the balance on Saturday after Uruguayan Nico Lopez came off the bench to hit an injury-time leveller for Verona in an insipid 2-2 draw at the San Siro.Milan looked to have done enough to claim only their third win in 11 games after an own goal by midfielder Panagiotis Tachtsidis gave the hosts a second-half lead after first half-goals from Luca Toni and Jeremy Menez, both from the spot.However Inzaghi and his fallen Serie A giants were whistled and jeered off the pitch by an increasingly hostile home crowd after a second consecutive draw left them in 10th spot, 23 points behind leaders Juventus.Champions Juventus are not in action until Monday when they host Sassuolo looking to add to their nine-point cushion on second-placed Roma, who travel to Chievo on Sunday.Milan, meanwhile, remain light years away from challenging for the scudetto.Im sorry we conceded a goal in the last 10 seconds, were chickens to have conceded a goal from a long ball like that, Inzaghi told Sky Sport.Its hard to accept a goal like that, but its part of the ugly side of football.We have to keep forging on and keep our heads up, theres not much else for it. Theres still 12 games this season and we have to win them.Inzaghi left on-loan Roma striker Mattia Destro on the bench with Giampaolo Pazzini and Alessio Cerci joining Frenchman Jeremy Menez up front, while defender Philippe Mexes made his return to the line-up following his four-match ban for violent conduct.Verona took the lead just after the quarter hour when Toni beat Spanish keeper Diego Lopez from the spot with a cheeky chip after Sulley Muntari had fouled Artur Ionita on the edge of the area.Mexes tried his luck from distance only to see a dipping shot go just a foot wide of Francesco Benussis right-hand post as the keeper dived to cover.Minutes later, the Frenchmans guile helped win a penalty as he tumbled under a challenge from Bosko Jankovic and Menez stepped up to level from the spot on 41 minutes.Mexes was handed a four-game ban on January 27 for a string of violent incidents involving Lazio captain Stefano Mauri during a 3-1 defeat to the Biancocelesti last month.He had not played since then but looked to have made amends only two minutes after the restart when he hit the shot which led to Tachtsidiss own goal.Cercis drive into the area was sent up into the air by Pazzini and headed on by Menez to the right of goal, where Mexes picked up his own rebound to squeeze the ball home from the tightest of angles with a late touch coming from Tachtsidis.It was far from attractive football but Milan came close to adding a third minutes later when Cercis through ball found Menez in space in the area, but Benussi was out quickly to shut down the intended pass to unmarked Pazzini.Tachtsidis almost made amends on 72 minutes when he smacked the crossbar with a dipping half-volley that bounced behind Lopez before being cleared for a corner.Milan went on to create several opportunities but Keisuke Honda, a second-half replacement for the ineffective Cerci, notably, was out of sorts hitting his efforts wide of the target.The hosts were made to pay in the dying seconds when Juanito Gomez bravely got his head to a ball while surrounded by Milan players to nod into the path of Lopez, who replaced Jankovic with 20 minutes to play.The Urugayan kept his cool under pressure from Mexes to dink the ball past the onrushing Lopez to snatch a share of the points.Were happy, said Verona coach Andrea Mandorlini. We came here to play good football and we didnt deserve to lose.Lopez is a little indisciplined in terms of tactics, but the lad can change games for you when he comes on. Hes fast and can score goals.

Golf: Holmes grabs Doral WGC lead with ace, birdie run

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MIAMI (AFP) - J.B. Holmes fired a hole-in-one and birdied four of the last five holes to seize a five-stroke lead after Saturdays third round of the World Golf Championships event at Doral.Holmes, seeking his fourth career US PGA title, birdied the 14th through 17th holes before a closing bogey as he fired a two-under 70 to stand on 11-under 205 after 54 holes in the Cadillac Championship.Reigning Masters champion Bubba Watson blasted a bunker shot 43 feet for a birdie to finish his round of 70 and grab a share of second with fellow American Dustin Johnson on 210 with compatriot Ryan Moore fourth on 211.Johnson aced the par-3 fourth hole only to have Holmes match his feat about 20 minutes later, both of them using 7-irons to solve the 227-yard hole.There had not been an ace on the hole in 25 years.South African Louis Oosthuizen, Swede Henrik Stenson and American Bill Haas were on 212 with Englands Lee Westwood, Australian Adam Scott, Spains Sergio Garcia and American Webb Simpson on 213.Holmes, whose first PGA title since 2008 came last year at Quail Hollow, opened Thursday with a stunning 62 and followed with a 73 Friday despite finding the water four times.Holmes opened with a bogey and sandwiched another at the seventh around his ace at the fourth. He took another bogey at 12 but responded with birdie putts from 12 feet at the 14th, 15th and 17th.At 16, Holmes put his tee shot into a greenside bunker but blasted out inches from the cup to set up a tap-in birdie.But his tee shot at 18 sailed way right and he ran over the edge of the cup on a 25-foot par putt.Watson seeks his eighth title and second victory since last years Masters, having already taken the WGC HSBC Champions last November.Johnson seeks his ninth PGA triumph, his first since the 2013 WGC HSBC Champions.

Football: Real Madrid stumble to defeat in Bilbao

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MADRID (AFP) - Real Madrids poor form in 2015 continued as they were beaten 1-0 by Athletic Bilbao at San Mames on Saturday.Aritz Aduriz scored the only goal of the game midway through the first-half with a thumping header from Mikel Ricos cross.The visitors improved after the break, but couldnt find a way past Gorka Iraizoz as Athletic recorded their first victory over the European champions in five years.Madrids third defeat in 11 league games means that Barcelona can move one point clear at the top of the table with victory over Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.I think the problem we are having at the moment is quite clear, said Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti.It is not a defensive problem, it is an attacking problem. We are not finding a way through like we did in the games before. Weve only scored one goal, from a penalty, in two games.That is the problem we have to fix. We lack efficiency up front.Athletic came into the game on a high having qualified for the Copa del Rey final in midweek, where they will meet Barcelona for the third time in seven years.And the hosts went in front on 26 minutes when a lovely team move ended with Aduriz powering home a wonderful header from Mikel Ricos floated cross.To win against Real Madrid without suffering is impossible, said Aduriz.We are very proud of how hard we worked. The three points will prove a huge boost. The fans have enjoyed it a lot and they deserved that after the poor performances at San Mames earlier in the season.Madrid didnt even manage a shot on target despite enjoying most of the ball in the first-half.However, they upped the tempo at the start of the second period and only an amazing last-ditch challenge from Mikel Balenziaga denied Karim Benzema a goal from Cristiano Ronaldos low cross.Gorka Iraizoz then had to turn a dangerous cross from Bale out of Ronaldos reach before diving to his right to save a low effort from Isco.Iraizoz was quick off his line once more to deny Benzema from a narrow angle as the pressure from the visitors built.Yet, they could have found themselves two behind 15 minutes from time when another prodigious leap and header from Aduriz came back off the outside of the post.Moments later it was Madrid that were left cursing their luck when a stunning Bale effort from fully 45 yards came off the post with Iraizoz beaten.And despite Ancelotti throwing on Jese Rodriguez and Javier Hernandez in the final stages, Madrid couldnt create another clear chance as Athletic held on for a famous win.Earlier, Sevilla kept their hopes of a top four finish alive with a thrilling 4-3 win away at relegation threatened Deportivo la Coruna.While in other matches, Granada picked up three valuable points but remain in the relegation zone, following a 1-0 home win over rivals Malaga and finally Elche edged Almeria by the same scoreline.

Afghanistan wins toss, elects to bat first.

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NAPIER (Dunya News) – Afghanistan on Sunday won the toss against New Zealand and elected to bat first in the Afghanistan vs. New Zealand Pool A cricket world cup 2015 match.The Afghanistan lsquad line up for the match is Javed Ahmadi, Usman Ghani, Nawroz Mangal, Asghar Stanikzai, Samiullah Shenwari, Mohammad Nabi (Capt), Najibullah Zadran, Afsar Zazai (wk), Dawlat Zadran, Hamid Hassan, Shapoor Zadran.The New Zealand squad line up for this match is MJ Guptill, BB McCullum (Capt), KS Williamson, LRPL Taylor, GD Elliott, CJ Anderson, L Ronchi (wk), DL Vettori, AF Milne, TG Southee, TA BoultNew Zealand has been undefeated and remains on the top position in Pool A while Afghanistan has won a single match by beating Scotland.

Greek ex-finance minister probed for hiding income: report

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ATHENS (AFP) - Ex-Greek finance minister Gikas Hardouvelis is being investigated for alleged failure to comply with his tax obligations, a Greek newspaper reported Saturday.According to the weekly Real News, the deposits in Hardouvelis bank accounts in 2011 did not match the incomes he had declared that year. Also, in 2012 he was suspected of sending money to banks abroad that was not accounted in his declaration of assets.The inquiry was launched by anti-corruption minister and outgoing head of the independent money laundering authority, Panagiotis Nikoloudis,on January 20.Nikoloudis confirmed to AFP on Saturday that he had opened a probe, emphasising that he had done so before becoming a minister in the new Syriza government.Hardouvelis has sent money abroad in a really curious way, he said.Hardouvelis was briefly finance minister in the government of conservative prime minister Antonis Samaras, which was brought down this January by the populist Syriza party, campaigning to roll back painful austerity reforms imposed by Greeces EU creditors.According to the Real News report, which was due to be published Sunday, Nikoloudis had sent an urgent classified demand to the Greek parliament, just five days before the general election, for an audit of Hardouvelis tax declaration.Hardouvelis issued a statement on Saturday, insisting that he had paid all taxes and that any foreign bank accounts he has were opened only because he had also worked abroad. Funds were only sent to those accounts when he was not a minister.Im taxed for the sums of money the newspaper is referring to. The money is the result of many years of work -- mine and my wifes. My tax reports confirm that, said Hardouvelis.Syriza issued a statement Saturday attacking Hardouvelis alleged behaviour at the height of the Greek debt crisis.While Mr Hardouvelis was sending e-mails to the troika of creditors agreeing with new measures that would have burdened people even more, he was not revealing his income and he was sending his money abroad, Syriza said.

Tens of thousands of Israelis rally against PM ahead of vote

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TEL AVIV (AFP) - Tens of thousands of people rallied in Tel Aviv on Saturday against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and called for change, 10 days ahead of a general election.The protest was organised by the Million Hands grassroots organisation that campaigns for a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians and the creation of a Palestinian state.Police said more than 25,000 people protested in the citys Yitzhak Rabin Square -- named after the ex-premier assassinated there during a 1995 peace rally.Organisers said twice as many people attended the rally.This is a demonstration by Israeli citizens who are demanding a change of politics, a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, said one of the organisers, Dror Ben Ami.The current government has failed on the social and economic fronts and has not improved the security situation -- the country has broken down, he told AFP.The rally was one of the largest anti-Netanyahu protests to be held in the run-up to the March 17 election, and reflects growing dissatisfaction with his rightwing government.We hope that the left will return, said Ben Ami.Netanyahus Likud party is almost neck-and-neck with the Zionist Union in opinion polls.Another Netanyahu government is unlikely to press for peace as members of the current cabinet are opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state.A former head of Israels Mossad spy agency, Meir Dagan, also joined the protest and delivered a fiery address against Netanyahu.Israel has enemies but I do not fear them. What scares me is the current leadership of the country, he said.The crowds broke out in wild applause and shouted back: Bibi go home referring to Netanyahu by his nickname.
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