Sunday 12 April 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Saudi FM says Riyadh 'not at war with Iran' in Yemen

Posted:

RIYADH (AFP) - Saudi Arabia called on Iran to stop supporting Shiite rebels in Yemen on Sunday but Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal insisted Riyadh was not at war with Tehran.Unless Iran thinks it has suddenly become part of Yemen, we are not at war with Iran, he said at a press conference with his French counterpart Laurent Fabius.But he also called on Tehran not to assist the criminal activities of the Huthi rebels against the legitimate order of Yemen and (to) stop the delivery of weapons and aid to the militiamen.Fabius, who met with King Salman and other top Saudi officials during a visit to Riyadh, said France was ready to work on resolving the crisis in Yemen.France has expressed its readiness to find a solution for Yemen, he said.Our position is to say: All that can be done in order to favour a political solution is going in the right direction, Fabius said in a later meeting with reporters.He added the Saudis have repeated to me all the day long they want a return to stability and legitimacy in the neighbouring country.Saudi Arabia is leading a coalition of several Arab countries which since March 26 has carried out air strikes against the Huthis, who overran the capital Sanaa in September and have expanded to other parts of Yemen.Riyadh fears the rebels could take over the entire country and move it into the orbit of Iran, Sunni Saudi Arabias regional rival.Saud said the kingdom intervened at the request of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, who fled the Huthi advance for Riyadh.Shiite-dominated Iran has rejected accusations of arming the rebels and its supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has described the coalitions efforts as criminal acts.

14 killed in IS bombings in Egypt's Sinai

Posted:

CAIRO (AFP) - Two bomb attacks claimed by Egyptian jihadists loyal to the Islamic State group killed on Sunday at least 14 people in the restive Sinai Peninsula, including 11 security personnel.Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, which has carried out a slew of attacks in Sinai since the armys ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013, claimed responsibility.A roadside bomb attack on an army vehicle killed six soldiers and wounded two near the North Sinai town of Sheikh Zuweid, a jihadist stronghold.An armoured personnel carrier for the army of the apostates was destroyed... killing and wounding all aboard, Ansar Beit al-Madqis said on a Twitter account attributed to it.The military said six soldiers were killed in the attack.Their vehicle was targeted by an explosive device placed by the extremist terrorist elements which left an officer, a sergeant, and four soldiers martyred, and two other soldiers wounded, it said on its Facebook page.Hours later a suicide car bomb targeting a police station in North Sinais provincial capital of El-Arish killed eight people and wounded 45 others, health ministry spokesman Hossam Abdel Gaffar said.The interior ministry said in a separate statement that five policemen and a civilian were among those killed in the police station bombing, while several policemen were wounded.It said security forces fired at the vehicle before it was able to ram the police station.A police officer said the truck was loaded with explosives but covered with straw, and blew up close to the police station.A den of the apostate police was targeted in El-Arish by a car bomb driven by a martyr, Ansar Beit al-Maqdis.The group changed its name last year to the Sinai Province after pledging allegiance to IS.It has claimed several sophisticated attacks in Sinai and the Nile valley and now wants to establish a province of the self-declared IS caliphate.Also on Sunday, an army captain and two soldiers were wounded in an attack on a checkpoint near the town of Rafah that borders the Palestinian Gaza Strip.Ansar Beit al-Maqdis said one of its snipers shot at them.The army has sent troops and armour to fight a dogged insurgency in the Sinai that has grown since then army chief and now President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ousted his Islamist predecessor Morsi.Ansar Beit al-Maqdis says attacks on the security forces are in retaliation for a government crackdown on Morsis supporters that has left hundreds dead.Thousands more have been imprisoned and dozens sentenced to death.Jihadist attacks in Sinai have left scores of security personnel dead.On April 2, Ansar Beit al-Maqdis militants launched simultaneous attacks on five checkpoints in the region that killed 15 soldiers and two civilians.In January, a combined rocket and car bomb attack on a military base, a nearby police headquarters and a residential complex for army and police officers killed at least 24 people, most of them soldiers.The attacks came despite stringent security measures imposed by the army in the province.After a late October attack on a military base near El-Arish, the army imposed a night-time curfew and state of emergency in parts of the region.The army has also built a buffer zone along the border with the Gaza Strip to prevent militants infiltrating from Palestinian territory using illegal underground tunnels.On Sunday, Sisi issued a decree making the digging or use of such illegal tunnels in border areas punishable by life in jail.The army says hundreds of underground tunnels connecting the peninsula to the Gaza Strip have been destroyed since Morsis ouster.Egypt is also facing a threat on its western border from a chaotic Libya where the influence of IS -- which has seized chunks of Syria and Iraq -- is growing.Arab leaders agreed at a summit in March to form a joint military force to fight terrorist groups in the region, after Sisi insisted on the creation of such a force to contain IS.

China, Russia and eastern Europe boost defence spending: study

Posted:

STOCKHOLM (AFP) - Military spending increased sharply in 2014 in China and Russia and the Ukraine conflict prompted eastern European countries to boost their defence programmes, according to a study by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released Monday.The United States remains the worlds biggest spender on defence, but it spent 6.4 percent less year-on-year in 2014, while China, Russia and Saudi Arabia -- the worlds next three highest spenders -- all increased their expenditures.Chinas spending last year was estimated at $216 billion (204 billion euros), a 9.7 percent rise.The conflict in Ukraine pitting Kiev against pro-Moscow rebels has seen eastern European countries near Russia rack up their spending and revise their defence plans.The Ukraine crisis has fundamentally altered the security situation in Europe, but so far the impact on military spending is mostly apparent in countries bordering Russia, SIPRIs Sam Perlo-Freeman said.Ukraines budget jumped by over 20 percent to $4 billion, while Russias rose by more than eight percent to $84.5 billion.The Russian governments budget foresees an even bigger rise -- of 15 percent -- in 2015, but that could be cut due to the economic troubles linked to the Ukraine conflict.In Western Europe, as in the United States, budgets were shrinking, the report said.While Washington is still the worlds top military spender, levels have shrunk by a fifth since they peaked in 2010, said SIPRI, an independent institute that studies conflict, weapons, arms control and disarmament.However, current US military spending is still 45 percent higher than in 2001, just before the 11 September terrorist attacks, it added.The United States boosted its military budget in the aftermath of suicide attacks on September 11, 2001 that killed nearly 3,000 people.Within two years, it had launched two long and bloody wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.Saudi Arabias 17 percent rise made it the largest increase of any of the top 15 spenders worldwide, SIPRI said.The oil-rich state is a regional powerhouse with a significant role in several conflicts in the fraught region.Since March 26, a Riyadh-headed coalition has carried out air strikes against Huthi Shiite rebels who overran Sanaa in September last year.In Africa too, military spending has risen by nearly six percent, led by oil producers Algeria and Angola, said SIPRI.While total world military spending is mostly unchanged, some regions, such as the Middle East and much of Africa, are continuing to see rapid build-ups that are placing an increasingly high burden on many economies, the institutes Perlo-Freeman said. These increases partly reflect worsening security situations, but in many cases they are also the product of corruption, vested interests and autocratic governance.Global military spending totalled $1.8 trillion in 2014 -- a fall of just 0.4 percent since 2013, the think tank said.

Siberia wildfire kills five with scores hurt

Posted:

MOSCOW (AFP) - Five people died and scores were injured when a wildfire caused by the burning of dry grass swept through southern Siberia, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of residents, Russian officials said Sunday.Sixty-two people have been hospitalised and 11 of them are in a serious condition.Three men and two women, died in the fires, Irina Emelianova, a spokesman for the southern region of Siberia, was quoted as saying by the Ria Novosti news agency.Some 560 people have been moved from their homes to holiday campsites or temporary accommodation, regional authorities said.Russias emergency ministry said that eight planes and helicopters, fire prevention trains and over 5,000 people have been mobilised to control the fire, but that strong winds were making the task difficult.Fire-fighters managed to put out 16 fires threatening villages and contained 17 others but continued to battle the flames, the ministry saidMore than 900 buildings in 42 villages have been affected by the fire, a ministry spokesman told Russian news agencies.Authorities have called on residents of the region to battle the fire, which began because of residents themselves after uncontrolled grass burning, the ministry said on its website.Spring and autumn burning of dry grass regularly results in massive wildfires that often cause extensive damage to homes and human life.

Golf: Spieth takes first major with historic Masters win

Posted:

AUGUSTA (AFP) - Jordan Spieth won a historic Masters triumph for the ages Sunday, deftly handling the final-round tension to hold off Phil Mickelson and Justin Rose and win his first major title by four shots.Writing an epic conclusion to a week of domination at Augusta National, the 21-year-old American fired a two-under par 70 to finish on 18-under 270, matching the 72-hole tournament record set by Tiger Woods in 1997.Spieth claimed the green jacket symbolic of Masters suprmeacy and the top prize of $1.8 million at the $10 million event.Englands Rose, the 2013 US Open winner and Spieths last-pair playing partner, shot 70 to share second place on 274 with 44-year-old US left-hander Mickelson, a five-time major winner, who closed with a 69.World number one Rory McIlroy, seeking a third consecutive major win to complete his career Grand Slam, was fourth on 276 after a 66, one stroke ahead of Hideki Matsuyama, who also fired a 66.Its awfully impressive, McIlroy said of Spieths performance.Woods, a 14-time major champion, fired a 73 to share 17th on 283, his best finish since 2013 and a sign that the worst of his physical and shotmaking woes might be behind him.Considering where I was... Im really proud of it, Woods said of his effort.Spieth was a runner-up to Bubba Watson last year in his Masters debut after squandering a front-nine lead on Sunday, but this time responded four times when dropping a shot to his rivals, restoring his margin each time on the very next hole.Spieth, who will jump from fourth to second in the world rankings, became the second-youngest winner in Masters history, five months older than Woods when he won his first major in 1997.Also, Spieth became only the fifth wire-to-wire winner in Masters history, joining Craig Wood in 1941, Arnold Palmer in 1960, Jack Nicklaus in 1972 and Ray Floyd in 1976.Starting with a four-stroke lead after setting the 36- and 54-hole Masters scoring records, the youngest 18-hole leader in Augusta National history answered every stumble quickly.Three times on the front nine Rose trimmed Spieths lead to three shots and each time the Texan boosted his edge back to four on the very next hole.When Rose made bogey at nine and Spieth followed with a 23-foot birdie putt at 10, the US prodigys lead was six shots over Rose and Mickelson with eight holes remaining.Spieths birdie at 10 was his 26th of the tournament, breaking the Masters mark of 25 set by Mickelson in 2001, and he added two more at the par-5 13th and 15th for good measure.Spieth dropped a shot at the par-3 12th and Mickelson, who would have been the second-oldest Masters champion, birdied the par-5 13th to pull within four.But once again Spieth answered a challenge with his own birdie at 13 to restore a five-shot edge.It wasnt over yet, however. Mickelson eagled the par-5 15th, blasting in from a greenside bunker, and Rose birdied 14 to join him on 14 under, both four back of Spieth with four to play.Again Spieth answered. He went over the green at 15 but pitched to seven feet and made the birdie putt to reach 19 under par, the first time any player at any point in any Masters was so far below par.Rose birdied to stay four back but could gain no ground as both parred 16 and 17 and made bogey on 18, Spieth missing a five-foot par putt at the last which would have given him the tournament record alone.Spieth became the seventh man to finish second one year and win the Masters the next, the first since his fellow Texan and mentor Ben Crenshaw won in 1984. Crenshaw, 63, played his 44th and final Masters this week.McIlroy and Woods faded well out of contention early after starting the day 10 adrift, each needing the greatest comeback in Masters history to stop Spieth.McIlroy went four under on the back nine to surge into fourth, his best Masters finish.I played well, McIlroy said. Im happy with how the weekend went. Ill take a lot of positives from it.Woods missed every front-nine fairway and was favoring his right wrist after blasting an approach off pine straw and hitting a tree root at the ninth.A joint went out of place but I popped it back in, Woods said.Woods, in many ways, had a successful week, proving at age 39 that he can still contend in a major, although he said of his next start, Its not going to be for a while.But Woods has not won the Masters since 2005, has not won a major since the 2008 US Open and has not won any tournament since the 2013 WGC event at Firestone.

Tennis: Kerber out-lasts Keys for Charleston WTA title

Posted:

CHARLESTON (AFP) - Angelique Kerber ended her WTA dry spell with a gritty three-set victory over rising US talent Madison Keys on Sunday for the Charleston claycourt crown.Kerber, a former world number five, battled back from 4-1 down in the third set to defeat 20-year-old Keys 6-2, 4-6, 7-5.The 27-year-old German withstood 49 winners from Keys, belting a modest 17 winners herself but keeping mistakes to a minimum with just 21 unforced errors.I feel great, said Kerber, who broke Keys for a 6-5 lead in the final set, and polished off the win by holding her serve at love.Madison is a great player and she played very well today so I think both of us are champions, the German said.Kerber denied Keys a second WTA crown in as many finals appearances.In her only prior title match, Keys surprised Kerber in the final at Eastbourne last year one of the four WTA finals Kerber lost in 2014 in four opportunities.Kerbers fourth WTA title was her first since she won at Linz in 2013, and she was off to an erratic start in 2015.She lost her opening matches at the Australian Open, Antwerp, Doha and Indian Wells this year as she slipped out of the top 10 in the world rankings.With Sundays win shes projected to jump two places in the rankings to 14th.Despite the defeat Keys -- who reached her first Grand Slam semi-final at the Australian Open this year -- is projected to reach a career-high ranking of 17th in the world.

Football: Chelsea extend lead after Fabregas late show

Posted:

LONDON (AFP) - Chelsea went seven points clear at the top of the Premier League table with seven games to play after Cesc Fabregass late goal sealed a 1-0 win away to strugglers Queens Park Rangers (QPR) on Sunday.It seemed Jose Mourinhos side would have to settle for a draw at Loftus Road in this clash between the two west London clubs at Loftus Road.But after Chelsea goalkeeper Thibault Courtois had made a couple of fine saves, Fabregas broke the deadlock two minutes from time with the visitors only shot on target of the whole match.From a poor clearance by QPR goalkeeper Robert Green, Eden Hazard and Oscar worked the ball down the left before Spain midfielder and former Arsenal favourite Fabregas side-footed the ball in from 16 yards.Victory left Chelsea seven points in front of second-placed Arsenal, with QPR remaining in the relegation zone.It is an important step, Chelsea manager Mourinho told Sky Sports. During the season you always have these moments where you lose and win points at end of the game. We lost points at the end at Old Trafford and won points in the last few minutes today.The Portuguese boss added: It is one step closer (to the title). We need three wins and two draws, when we have one match more to play than the other teams. Our situation is good. Pure mathematics. We need 11 points.Meanwhile Mourinho refused to condemn QPR fans who showered his players with a variety of objects thrown from the stands after Chelsea scored their goal.Branislav Ivanovic grabbed his neck in pain after being struck while Nemanja Matic was also targeted as coins, a plastic bottle and a cigarette lighter flew towards the pitch.Mourinho did his best to play down the incident that marked a bitter end to the west London derby.The game was correct in the pitch and correct in the stands, and hopefully correct outside. It is not easy in an emotional game like that, Mourinho said.If, at the end of the game, someone threw a pound coin, put it in your pocket. If someone threw a chocolate, eat it. It is no problem. Everybody needs a poundBut QPR manager Chris Ramsey added: We dont want objects thrown on the pitch. These rivalries can sometimes go too far.Meanwhile QPR midfielder Joey Barton made no attempt to hide the Hoops disappointment after a loss that kept them two points from safety. Were devastated. We definitely deserved at least a point, Barton said. If we play like that for the rest of the games we should be safe.Sundays other top-flight match sees faltering champions Manchester City away to local rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford.Since the turn of the year, City have been eliminated from both the FA Cup and the Champions League.Meanwhile, their hopes of retaining the English title have all but been scuppered by several damaging defeats.Now they will kick-off in the Manchester derby in fourth place -- a point behind their local rivals and 12 adrift of Chelsea.City manager Manuel Pellegrini did not pull any punches in interviews with several British newspapers published Sunday, saying hat in the last three months his players had thrown their season into the garbage.

Football: Man City blown away by Man United fightback

Posted:

MANCHESTER (AFP) - Manchester United dealt Manchester Citys Champions League qualification hopes another blow by storming back from behind to trounce their derby rivals 4-2 in the Premier League on Sunday.Sergio Aguero gave City an eighth-minute lead at a blustery Old Trafford, but United hit back through Ashley Young, Marouane Fellaini, Juan Mata and Chris Smalling to register a sixth successive league win.Aguero claimed another goal at the death -- his 100th in Citys colours -- but it was too late to prevent United ending a sequence of four consecutive defeats against their neighbours.The win gave United a four-point cushion over City in third place -- the last automatic Champions League qualifying spot -- and took them back to within a point of Arsenal ahead of next weekends home game with leaders Chelsea.City have now lost six of their last eight games in all competitions and manager Manuel Pellegrini is likely to face renewed questioning about his ability to revive the team he steered to the title a year ago.It was a fourth successive away league defeat for City -- their worst run since 2006 -- and hammered another nail in their title defence, leaving them 12 points behind Chelsea having played a game more.While they retain a five-point lead over fifth-place Southampton, Liverpool can close to within four points by beating Newcastle United on Monday.On Citys last visit to Old Trafford, a 3-0 win in March 2014, it had taken less than a minute for Edin Dzeko to put the visitors ahead, and they again attacked United with an intensity that took the hosts aback.David de Gea had to save at his near post after Martin Demicheliss pass set Jesus Navas scampering through and with United appearing bewildered, it came as no surprise when City made the breakthrough.James Milners pass down the inside-left channel found David Silva, who squared for Aguero to tap in his sixth goal in seven league games against his teams cross-town foes.Having revelled in Citys recent misfortunes, Uniteds fans were dismayed to see the script veer off in an unanticipated direction.A back-pass to De Gea from Phil Jones in the 14th minute drew a barrage of boos from the home fans, but it was to prove the precursor to the equaliser.The Spaniards hoof downfield found its way, via Fellaini, to Ander Herrera on the left and his cross was turned in at the second attempt by Young, after Gael Clichy had made an initial block.Young and Fellaini have been symbols of Uniteds recent resurgence and they combined for the 27th-minute goal that put the hosts ahead.Daley Blind reached the byline on the left and cut the ball back for Young, whose trademark in-swinging cross was nodded in at the far post by the unmistakeable frizzy-haired head of Fellaini.It was a brilliant response from Van Gaals men and Citys frustration almost cost them dearly when captain Vincent Kompany flew in on Blind, for which he escaped with a booking.Kompany had been a doubt for the game with a hamstring injury and he gave way at half-time, with Eliaquim Mangala coming on.There was a swagger to Uniteds play -- Michael Carrick flummoxing Yaya Toure with a swish of the hips on the edge of his own box -- and they continued to force City back.Joe Hart parried a free-kick from England colleague Wayne Rooney and then saved from Carrick in the penalty-area stramash that ensued, but the home side would not be deterred.They extended their lead mid-way through the second half, with Mata running onto Rooneys pass and tucking the ball between Harts legs despite replays showing he had been offside.Smalling meted out further punishment in the 73rd minute when he headed in a Youngs free-kick and after Carrick had gone off injured, Aguero reduced the damage by bundling in a cross from Pablo Zabaleta.

Football: Marseille title hopes dented by Bordeaux

Posted:

PARIS (AFP) - Marseille missed the chance to close to within two points of Paris Saint-Germain at the top of Ligue 1 after slipping up 1-0 at Bordeaux in Sundays late game.Defender Cedric Yamberes 61st-minute goal, less than a minute after coming off the bench, sank Marseille, now fourth, and dealt their title hopes a massive blow.In a game dominated by the visitors, Michy Batshuayi had the ball in the back of the Bordeaux net with 15 minutes left but the young Belgium forwards effort was correctly flagged for offside.Marseille have not triumphed at the Stade Chaban-Delmas since 1977 and have picked up just four victories in 51 attempts against Les Girondins in the top flight.With six games to go, the south coast side find themselves five points behind leaders PSG and four adrift of second-placed Lyon, with both teams having a game in hand.Were in an uncomfortable situation, said Marseille coach Marcelon Bielsa.But we retain the strength to change that and we hope that our league table position will be what we deserve. We will fight for every point.Obviously we did not expect this slip-up and I dont think we deserve to be out of the top three now.Bordeaux now sit on sixth and are in contention to qualify for the Europa League with their fourth win in the past five games.Earlier Sunday, there was a hint of nostalgia in Ligue 1 as Saint-Etienne beat Nantes 1-0, the two clubs having won 15 league titles between them in a 20-year stretch up to the early 1980s.On an afternoon of glorious sunshine, thousands of fans went bare-chested in the stands at a packed and boisterous Geoffroy-Guichard stadium, where Franck Tabanous thunderbolt free kick on 18 minutes was enough to give three precious points to Europe-chasing Saint-Etienne.Between 1964 and 1983, the two clubs won 15 titles between them, nine going to Saint Etienne (Marseille and Monaco got two each and Strasbourg the other), as they dominated the French scene.Saint-Etienne are currently fifth and eyeing Europa League qualification, but to avoid disruptive early qualifying rounds in August they are targeting a fourth-place finish, which they also managed last season.Sundays win also helped them get over the disappointment of Wednesdays 4-1 defeat to PSG in the French Cup semi-finals.Nantes, for their part, have re-established themselves as a mid-table side after promotion two seasons ago, their last French title coming in 2001.Monaco beat Caen on Friday to climb up to third on 58 points, holding onto the third and final Champions League qualifying spot.French football is on something of a high right now with Paris hosting Barcelona on Wednesday in a glamour Champions League quarter-final first-leg after a generational victory over Chelsea in the last-16.Meanwhile, Monaco are also in the last eight and travel to Italian giants Juventus on Tuesday in confident mood having won their last four away games in Ligue 1 and beating Arsenal in the last round.PSGs defence of their League Cup title on Saturday, which featured doubles from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani, means their League game with Metz, originally scheduled for this weekend, will now be played on April 28th, while Lyons game with Bastia will be played this Wednesday.Elsewhere on Sunday the 19-year-old rookie striker Said Benrahmas 4th minute strike was enough to give Nice a 1-0 at Reims, while Lille grabbed a 1-0 win at Evian after a generously awarded penalty, converted by Sofiane Boufal. Relegation-threatened Toulouse won 1-0 at home over Montpellier, bottom side Lens slugged out a 0-0 draw with Lorient while in the Brittany derby Rennes beat 10-man Guingamp 1-0.

Motorcycling: Marquez wins third Grand Prix of the Americas

Posted:

AUSTIN (AFP) - World champion Marc Marquez of Spain won the Grand Prix of the Americas for the third straight year on Sunday to get his 2015 MotoGP campaign on track.After a disappointing fifth-place finish in the season-opening race in Qatar, Marquez rebounded at the Texas track where he won for the first time in the elite MotoGP class.A day after capturing pole position with dramatic late-session heroics, the 22-year-old Honda rider was in dominant form.He finished more than 2.3 seconds ahead of Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso, with nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi third on a Yamaha.Rossi, the nine-time world champion who opened the season with a win in Qatar, remained atop the standings with 41 points, followed by Dovizioso on 40 and Marquez on 36.In a race delayed as organizers dealt with water spilled on the track, Dovizioso seized the initiative at the start, powering to the first-turn lead ahead of Rossi and Marquez.The leaders were tightly bunched when Marquez made his move heading into the back straight on lap four.His move past Dovizioso was quickly answered by the Ducati rider, but Marquez wouldnt be denied and at the end of the straight he again maneuvered past to take the lead for good.From there, Marquez was never threatened, maintaining his late lead at more than three seconds as Rossi and Dovizioso dueled for second behind him.Rossis team-mate Jorge Lorenzo left it late, overtaking the Ducati of Andrea Iannone with only three laps remaining to snatch fourth place from the Italian, with Monster Tech 3 Yamahas Bradley Smith rounding out the top six.In the Moto2 race, Speed Up Racings Sam Lowes of Britain shook off the effects of big crashes in practice and qualifying to win his first race at the level.Lowes overtook Ajo Motorsports Johann Zarco to lead with six laps to go. As Zarco and Xavier Simeon tried to reel him back in, they made contact, with the latter crashing.Zarco recovered to finish second ahead of rookie Alex Rins on the Paginas Amarillas HP40 Kalex.British Honda rider Danny Kent won the Moto3 race, his first win of 2015 and the third of his career.Kent, 21, started from pole and held off 15-year-old French sensation Fabio Quartararo, who was making just his second start at this level. Spains Efren Vazquez was third.

Pietersen celebrates England 'lifeline' with Surrey ton

Posted:

LONDON (AFP) - Kevin Pietersen said hed been offered a lifeline after he capped what could turn out to be a memorable week in his turbulent career with a century on his Surrey return.Pietersen has not played for England since being controversially axed last year following the 5-0 Ashes series loss in Australia.But this week saw the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) sack managing director Paul Downton, who played a key role in the decision to send the 34-year-old star batsman into international exile.Sunday saw Pietersen score 170 in Surreys 420 for seven at The Parks on the opening day of a three-day match against MCC Universities Oxford -- his first hundred in any form of cricket since the Old Trafford Ashes Test of 2013.It was a timely knock, albeit the match wasnt first-class, with his hundred coming just a day before the start of Englands three-Test series against the West Indies in Antigua.Incoming ECB chairman Colin Graves, who takes charge next month, has, in contrast to the previous regime, suggested Pietersen could force his way back into the England set-up through sheer weight of county runs.Ive been given a lifeline, Pietersen said. I really, really like the way that the new bosses are talking, from stuff that you read and stuff that you hear.English cricket needs to change...Theyve started to make some changes.I just want England winning. Ive not been happy over the last 14 months because England keep losing. Its not nice.England were the first team to leave Australia (at the recent World Cup). I was on the plane that way, they were on the plane the other way round.Its not nice as an England fan, as somebody who has played passionately for England every single time Ive gone out and played.Anything that can help England win, Im all for, the former England captain added. All Ive got to do is score runs.Thats what was asked of me today and Ive delivered.South Africa-born Pietersen, Englands leading all-time international run-scorer across all formats, gave up an Indian Premier League contract to re-sign with Surrey in a bid to prove the seriousness of his desire for an international recall.Pietersen faced 149 balls, including 24 fours and two sixes, on Sunday. He was dismissed when Jack McIver caught him at midwicket off Abidine Sakande after Pietersen had been dropped twice earlier in his innings.

Taylor's ton run continues on Championship debut

Posted:

LONDON (AFP) - Former Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor marked his County Championship debut for Nottinghamshire with a hundred against Middlesex at Lords on Sunday.The 29-year-old rounded off his international career by making back-to-back hundreds against Ireland and India at the recent World Cup in Australia and New Zealand and then made 105 on his debut appearance for Nottinghamshire against Loughborough MCC University.His rich vein of form continued at the home of cricket on Sunday as Taylor, for whom the financial security of a three-year county deal was a major factor in his decision to cut short his 23 Test and 167 one-day international Zimbabwe career, completed a hundred in 160 balls including 14 fours.Taylors 106 was the centrepiece of Nottinghamshires 298 for nine on the first day of their First Division match away to Middlesex.He was eventually lbw to Middlesex paceman James Harris, who led the home sides attack with four for 75.

Time up: All unverified SIMs to be blocked with immediate effect

Posted:

LAHORE: (Dunya News) – Time for verification of all the unverified mobile SIMs is over now and such SIMs will get blocked with immediate effect. No further extension will be given for verification of the SIMs.No such SIM will be allowed to make further calls without getting these SIMs activated again.According to Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), more than 11 million SIMs registered in the names of expatriate Pakistanis will remain unblocked. 6 more months have been given for verification of the SIMs registered in the names of people living abroad.

Relatives of laborers killed in Turbat accuse police of violence

Posted:

SADIQABAD: (Dunya News) – Relatives of the laborers targeted in Turbat incidents have on Sunday accused police of beating them in Sadiqabad. They said that the police pressurized them to bury the dead bodies in during night time, reported Dunya News.According to details, the dead bodies of the martyrs were to reach Gulaab Chowk, adjacent to Sadiqbad late at night. Police allegedly pressurized the relatives to bury the dead before daybreak. When the relatives of a martyred laborer, named Mitthu, Liaquat Qamar Deen protested, they were tortured by SHO Kot Sabzal Police Station.Police’s version on this accusation could not be taken.

Lahore: Police stop 8-year-old girl's wedding, book groom

Posted:

LAHORE (Dunya News) – The police on Sunday intervened and stopped the wedding ceremony of an eight-year-old girl to a 20-year-old man upon a tip off from neighbours and registered a case against the groom and girl’s father.According to details, the wedding ceremony of an eight-year-old girl was underway to an adult man in Lahore’s Nawab Town area when the police intervened and stopped the wedding.The groom, Khizer and girl’s father Abbas was arrested by the police. The minor girl told the police in her statement that she was dressed as a bride and was also told that she is being married today.The police took the cauldrons of food, wedding goods and drums into custody and registered cases against the groom and girl’s father.Khizer and Abbas said in their statement to the police that it wasn’t a wedding but rather an engagement ceremony. The insisted the wedding was to take place a few years after the engagement.As per the police, the minor girl was handed over to the Child Protection Bureau and the accused will now be prosecuted under the law.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)