Sunday 10 May 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Karachi: Gang war accused killed in police encounter

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – According to details, a gang was accused was killed in a police encounter with police in Kala Kot area of Lyari on Sunday.Police sources said that gang war accused Abdur Rehman belonged to Uzair Jan group and was involved in several cases of extortion of money and target killing.On the other hand, some unidentified persons opened fire and injured two youth in Malir Balt area. The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital.

Lahore: Roof collapse injures 8

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – At least eight people, including six women, were injured when roof of their house collapsed in Shahdara Town area of Lahore on Sunday.According to details, all the people were sleeping on the roof top when it collapsed. Rescue teams reached the spot and shifted the injured to Mayo Hospital.

Saudi King Salman to miss US-Gulf summit

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Saudi King Salman will not attend a summit hosted by President Barack Obama next week that seeks to shore up wavering trust and influence from Gulf leaders.A statement by Saudi Arabias embassy in Washington said Sunday that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef would lead the Saudi delegation to the summit.The kings son, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, will also attend.Six Gulf Cooperation Council leaders are due to visit the White House on Wednesday and attend the summit at the Camp David presidential retreat the next day. Washington and the Gulf nations are expected to discuss a new set of security initiatives in the Middle East.The United States is keen to allay Gulf fears that the US is increasingly disengaging from a region riven by conflict, and that Iran could still develop a nuclear bomb under an international accord currently being finalized with the Gulfs long-time rival.Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said Salman would miss the summit due to the timing of the summit, the scheduled humanitarian ceasefire in Yemen and the opening of the King Salman Center for Humanitarian Aid, according to the embassy statement.Jubeir reiterated King Salmans commitment to achieving peace and security in Yemen and his eagerness to the speedy delivery of humanitarian aid to the brotherly people of Yemen, it added.After more than six weeks of Saudi-led air strikes, Yemeni rebels said they would respond positively to ceasefire efforts and their allies accepted a US-backed truce plan.Riyadh has offered a five-day humanitarian truce from 2000 GMT Tuesday.Saudi Arabia said its ceasefire offer is conditional on the rebels reciprocating and not exploiting it for military advantage.More than 1,400 people have been killed since late March in the conflict, according to the United Nations.Aid agencies have called for an immediate ceasefire in a statement signed by 17 organizations.

Yemen truce efforts gather pace as rebel heartland hit

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SANAA (AFP) - Yemen ceasefire efforts gathered pace Sunday after more than six weeks of Saudi-led air strikes, with rebels saying they would respond positively and their allies accepting a US-backed truce plan.The renegade troops, who helped the Shiite Huthi rebels seize much of the country, said they had agreed to the five-day humanitarian truce that Riyadh has offered from Tuesday.The rebels did not refer explicitly to the Saudi offer, but expressed readiness to deal positively with any efforts, calls or measures that would help end the suffering.Amid the truce moves, a ship chartered by the UNs World Food Programme docked in the western port of Hodeida, bringing fuel to boost aid deliveries.It aimed at opening up a new humanitarian lifeline for civilians impacted by the conflict in Yemen, where drastic fuel shortages have hurt aid operations, the WFP said.The MV Amsterdam brought 300,000 litres of fuel and supplies for humanitarian organisations, while a second vessel was due to bring in another 120,000 litres.WFP Yemen director Purnima Kashyap said the fuel will mean aid can reach hundreds of thousands of people in need of urgent food assistance.The United Nations has expressed deep concern about the civilian death toll from the bombing campaign and the humanitarian impact of the air and sea blockade Saudi Arabia and its allies have imposed on Yemen.Coalition warplanes pounded the Huthis Saada stronghold in the northern mountains for a second straight night Saturday after declaring the whole province a military target.Aid agencies said 70,000 people, including 28,000 children, were fleeing Saada. They called for an immediate ceasefire in a statement signed by 17 organisations.There is an urgent need to halt hostilities in order to move humanitarian aid to the country, said Daw Mohamed, Yemen country director for CARE International.The UNs humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, Johannes van der Klaauw, has warned that civilians were trapped in Saada and warned of the indiscriminate bombing of populated areas.But coalition spokesman Brigadier General Ahmed al-Assiri told AFP planes avoid bombing civilian targets.We do not conduct any operation in cities, he said.Warplanes also launched twin strikes Sunday on the Sanaa residence of ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who is accused of orchestrating the alliance between renegade army units and the rebels.These troops, who remained loyal to Saleh after he was forced from power in early 2012, played a major part in the Iran-backed rebels capture of swathes of the country.Following mediation from friendly countries to establish a humanitarian truce... we announce our agreement, said Colonel Sharaf Luqman, spokesman for the pro-Saleh forces.The defectors bases have been a major target in the coalition campaign in support of exiled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.The United Nations says the conflict has killed more than 1,400 people since late March.The rebels welcomed efforts by friendly countries to end the aggression and the suffering of the Yemeni people -- an apparent reference to Russia which has pressed for a halt to the air war.Saudi Arabia said its ceasefire offer is conditional on the rebels reciprocating and not exploiting it for military advantage.Salehs political party, the General Peoples Congress, said it hoped the proposal would minimise the impact of the aggression that has burdened the Yemeni people with unprecedented suffering and an unparallelled blockade.Riyadh said the rebels had crossed a red line with deadly shelling of populated border areas of the kingdom last week.Assiri told AFP that Saudi artillery again pounded positions inside Yemen after rocket fire wounded four women in the kingdom on Sunday.Saudi-led forces will continue to retaliate against targets over the border until the 2000 GMT Tuesday ceasefire, if they continue to fire their rockets towards our cities, our population, Assiri said.Clashes also raged between rebel and pro-Hadi forces in the main southern city of Aden, killing civilians and fighters including prominent Hadi loyalist Haitham al-Adani, medics and military sources said.The newly formed Aden Alliance for Popular Aid said in a statement the city urgently needed food supplies, medicines, field hospitals and fuel, as well as safe corridors in disputed areas so the wounded can be evacuated.Aircraft from coalition partner the United Arab Emirates, meanwhile, airdropped 55 tonnes of humanitarian aid in Aden, state news agency WAM reported.In Shabwa province farther east, an apparent US drone strike killed four Al-Qaeda suspects, a military official said.

NATO, EU urge 'restraint' as Macedonia clashes leave 22 dead

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KUMANOVO (AFP) - NATO and the EU called for a return to calm in Macedonia Sunday after clashes between police and an armed group left at least 22 people dead, raising concerns about presumed ethnic-Albanian unrest in the Balkan region.I urge everyone to exercise restraint and avoid any further escalation, in the interest of the country and the whole region, NATO Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement.Police said late Sunday that their operation against the gunmen in the northern town of Kumanovo was over.The armed group is neutralised, police spokesman Ivo Kotevski told AFP. The troubled area in Kumanovo, some 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of Skopje, was under police control, he added.Eight police officers were killed and 37 were injured in the gun battles, which began at dawn Saturday, and 14 bodies were also found at the site, the spokesman said earlier.The assailants were from a particularly dangerous terrorist group whose members included people sought on international arrest warrants, Kotevski said.The group was made up of over 30 people, mostly Macedonian citizens and five presumed ethnic-Albanians from Kosovo, supposedly the group leaders, and one from Albania, he said.According to the interior ministry some 20 gunmen who surrendered Saturday were to be brought to a Skopje court as an investigation opened into the deadly unrest.As crisis-hit Macedonia declared two days of mourning Sunday, both the European Union and NATO warned of the danger of escalating violence in a part of the country hit by an ethnic Albanian insurgency in 2001.Ethnic Albanians make up around one quarter of Macedonias 2.1 million population.Mindful of the past insurgency and multiple wars during the break-up of the former Yugoslavia, EU officials are particularly keen to prevent ethnically-driven violence from erupting in the heart of the continent again. Any further escalation must be avoided, not the least in the interest of the overall stability in the country, EU enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn said in a statement late Saturday.The violence broke out Saturday when police moved in on the armed group, and met with what the authorities labelled violent resistance from snipers, grenades and automatic weapons.The interior ministry said the gunmen were planning a terrorist attack on state institutions and civilian targets, and had accomplices in Kumanovo.Media broadcast images of armoured police vehicles deployed across Kumanovo, with officers clad in bullet-proof jackets.Dozens of people, mostly women, children and the elderly, had fled the besieged zone, some of them being evacuated by police, according to an AFP photographer.We are poor but we were living live without problems ... We dont want a war again as it was in 2001, Adila, a 59-year-old ethnic Albanian from Kumanovo, told AFP.We want a better life for our children, said the mother of five who did not want to give her last name.The incident comes less then three weeks after around 40 ethnic Albanians from neighbouring Kosovo briefly seized control of a police station on Macedonias northern border, demanding the creation of an Albanian state in Macedonia.Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski said Sunday that some of the Kumanovo gunmen took part in the police station attack.The 2001 Macedonian conflict ended with an agreement providing more rights to the community, but ties between Macedonians and ethnic Albanians remain strained.The violence in Kumanovo erupted amid political tension in Macedonia, where the government and centre-left opposition have been trading accusations including claims of wiretapping and million-euro bribes.The crisis has undermined Macedonias already weak institutions, and also sparked concerns within the 28-nation EU that Skopje hopes to join.Meanwhile, Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov convened a top security body meeting, attended also by two ethnic Albanian parties, at which the violence was condemned.Both Albania and Kosovo also condemned Saturdays clashes and appealed for calm.Ivanov also urged EU and NATO, which Macedonia is seeking to join, to find a way to unblock the Euro-Atlantic integration for the sake of both Macedonia and the entire region.

Two arrested in Mississippi after policemen shot dead: report

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Two brothers were arrested Sunday over the killing of two police officers in Mississippi, local media reported, less than a week after a New York officer died of a gunshot wound to the head.Police officers Benjamin Deen, 34, and Liquori Tate, 25, were shot Saturday and taken to a hospital where they were confirmed dead, The Clarion-Ledger newspaper reported, citing Forrest County Coroner Butch Benedict.Officials did not give details on the motive of the attack but said the suspects, Curtis Banks, 26, and Marvin Banks, 29, were arrested early Sunday morning, ending an hours-long manhunt, according to the newspaper.Both men were reported to have criminal records, which include drugs and weapons-related charges and felony convictions.A third woman who was allegedly in the car at the time of the shooting in Hattiesburg city was also taken into police custody.No sir, I didnt do it, Curtis Banks said when asked whether he had shot two officers, the Clarion-Ledger reported.The killings come in the wake of another police shooting in New York, where plainclothes officer Brian Moore, 25, was shot in the head and died Monday. At least five police officers have been killed in recent months in the United States, including two other New York policemen who were shot in December.Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree decried the latest killings.The men and women who go out every day to protect us, the men and women who go out every day to make sure that were safe, they were turned on tonight, DuPree said, according to The Clarion-Ledger. The newspaper said that one of the officers pulled a car over Saturday evening, approached the vehicle, and was joined by a second officer before shots were fired. One of the suspects allegedly fled in a police vehicle, which was later found abandoned.A neighboring police force in Oxford, Mississippi mourned the slain officers. Both Hattiesburg Police Officers have died. Terrible. Prayers to the entire community and families, the Oxford force said on Twitter. The Clarion-Ledger said it was the first police killing in Hattiesburg in 30 years.The deaths come at a time of racial tension and protests over police brutality, most recently in the case of a black man who died April 19 from injuries suffered while in police custody in Baltimore.

2 babies die, 29 sickened from bad vaccines in south Mexico

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MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexicos public health system has suspended infant vaccines and mounted an investigation after two babies died and 29 were sickened in an impoverished community in southern Mexico.The Mexican Institute for Social Security says six of the 29 babies are in grave condition after receiving vaccinations for tuberculosis, rotovirus and Hepatitis B. The cause of the adverse reactions is not known, the institute said Sunday.The institute said it stopped vaccines nationwide on Saturday as a precaution.Rev. Marcelo Perez, a Roman Catholic priest, told The Associated Press that families of the babies said they became sick within hours. The adverse reactions started Friday and the babies were taken to a hospital in Simojovel, Chiapas, where 93 percent of the people live in poverty, according to government statistics.

Sketches of suspects involved in murder of DSP Zulfikar Zaidi released

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Sketches of the target-killers alleged of killing DSP Zulfikar Zaidi have on Sunday been prepared, Dunya News reported.According to police sources, the target-killers are aged between 35 to 40 years. The sketches have been prepared with the help of eyewitnesses. On the other hand, the case of DSP Zulfikar Zaidi murder has been registered at the Shah Faisal Police Station.

Tennis: Murray stuns Nadal to win Madrid Open

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MADRID (AFP) - Andy Murray claimed his first Masters series title on clay with a stunning demolition of defending champion Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-2 at the Madrid Open on Sunday.Victory was also Murrays first ever on clay over Nadal in seven attempts and stretched the Scots perfect start on the surface this season to 9-0 after wining his first ever clay court tournament earlier this week in Munich.Defeat will see nine-time French Open champion Nadal slip to seventh in the world rankings, the first time he has been outside the top five in 10 years.To play Rafa in Spain is extremely tough, but this is the reason why we play tennis for these matches, it is one of the toughest things in tennis to try and win against Rafa on clay, said Murray.I will keep trying to play well in the next few weeks with Roland Garros just round the corner.Nadal was searching for his third straight title in the Spanish capital, but his first of the European clay court swing after defeats to Novak Djokovic in the Monte Carlo Masters semi-final and a shock exit to Fabio Fognini at the Barcelona Open last month.Evidently today wasnt the game I wanted or hoped to play. I tried until the end but it is not a day I am going to remember, said Nadal.Even so, this week has been a very important week for me in which I have recovered sensations which I havent felt on a tennis court for some time.Murrays week began in chaotic circumstances as his Munich final against Philipp Kohlschreiber was delayed until Monday due to bad weather and then his first match in Madrid against the same opponent finished at 3 oclock on Thursday morning.However, he has been in supreme form since getting married to long-term girlfriend Kim Sears a month ago and celebrated his win by writing marriage works on the court-side camera.Murray forced Nadal onto the back foot from the off by winning 12 of the first 14 points in racing into a 3-0 lead.Nadal had two break back opportunities in the seventh game and one more as Murray served for the set at 5-3, but he couldnt convert.A similar pattern followed in the second set as a combination of some brilliant deep hitting by Murray and errors from Nadal gifted the word number three a break in the first game.Murray backed that up by holding to love and moved to the brink of victory by breaking again in the following game.Nadal resisted enough to force the Olympic champion to serve out for his 10th Masters Series title.However, the 14-time Grand Slam champion handed the final game to Murray as he failed to put the ball in play on four returns to seal victory in just under 90 minutes on court.

Football: Chelsea close Champions League door on Liverpool

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LONDON (AFP) - Liverpools hopes of Champions League qualification were all but ended on Sunday as they drew 1-1 at newly crowned Premier League champions Chelsea in a languorous end-of-season encounter.Both goals were headers scored by former England captains, with Chelsea skipper John Terrys fifth-minute opener cancelled out shortly before half-time by his Liverpool counterpart Steven Gerrard.Gerrards goal prevented him from tasting defeat on his last Stamford Bridge appearance, but with Liverpool now six points below Manchester United with six points to play for -- and a vastly inferior goal difference -- their top-four bid is effectively over.With the dubious consolation of a Europa League berth awaiting, attention will now turn to next weekends visit of Crystal Palace, when Gerrard will make his final Anfield appearance before he leaves for the Los Angeles Galaxy.There was nothing riding on the game for Chelsea, who secured the title by beating Palace last weekend, but manager Jose Mourinho gave a nod to the future by handing a full debut to 19-year-old Ruben Loftus-Cheek.Liverpool elected to grant Chelseas players a guard of honour as they emerged from the tunnel and the hosts, a little gallingly, laid out a length of blue carpet for the purpose.But expectations of a congenial afternoon evaporated within seconds of kick-off as Cesc Fabregas slid in on Raheem Sterling and caught the Liverpool forward high on the ankle.The Spaniard was booked, while referee Andre Marriner sowed confusion by appearing to flash a red card in the direction of John Mikel Obi, only to quickly return it to his pocket.Within five minutes Chelsea led. Fabregas bent a corner from the right towards the back post and Terry eluded Rickie Lambert to plant a downward header past Simon Mignolet.Mikel was partnered in midfield by Loftus-Cheek and Liverpool sought to exploit the unfamiliarity there by shuffling the ball forward through the middle.Sterling shot wide and Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois saved with his legs from Philippe Coutinho, while Glen Johnson found the side-netting after wriggling along the byline on the left.Seemingly determined to play the villain, Fabregas kept Liverpool on alert by springing his side forward at every opportunity.His pass from deep to Loic Remy forced Mignolet to race from his line and save, and he later saw a shot from a tight angle on the right deflected wide by the Belgian.Gerrard tumbled while pursuing Fabregas at one point, prompting crowing chants of Steven Gerrard, he slips when he wants in reference to the Liverpool skippers infamous slip from last seasons reverse fixture.But the sight of French centre-back Kurt Zouma hobbling off to be replaced by Gary Cahill in the 34th minute intruded upon the hosts harmony and by half-time, Liverpool were level.After Branislav Ivanovic had been penalised for tugging back Adam Lallana, Jordan Henderson clipped a free-kick to the back post and Gerrard headed in.He eschewed a celebration against the club he twice came close to joining, instead jogging back to his own half unceremoniously.Liverpool came within a whisker of completing the turnaround early in the second half, Coutinho side-footing wide from Sterlings cut-back, before Willian twice went close at the other end.But champions or not, Mourinho was in no mood for charity, as he demonstrated by sending on Nemanja Matic for the promising Loftus-Cheek, who departed having completed all 27 of his attempted passes.Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers took the opportunity to showcase two youngsters of his own, sending on 18-year-old Jerome Sinclair for his league debut and 19-year-old Jordon Ibe.There were openings at either end for Sterling and Fabregas, but neither player tested the goalkeeper and the game faded out in the sunshine.

Golf: Coetzee takes Mauritius Open title in playoff

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PORT LOUIS (AFP) - South Africas George Coetzee got the better of Denmarks Thorbjorn Olesen in a playoff to win the inaugural Mauritius Open on Sunday, triumphing at the second extra hole.The 28-year-old, who was the highest-ranked player in the field, led by one shot at the start of the day and found himself three clear after birdies at three of the opening five holes.However, he finished with a two-under-par round of 69 and only secured victory after registering three successive birdies at the 18th hole -- once in regulation and then twice in the playoff.A playoff was required after Coetzee and Olesen -- who had led at the halfway stage -- finished tied on 13 under par, one shot better off than Mardan Mamat of Singapore and two ahead of South Africas Thomas Aiken.Coetzee had needed to birdie the last to force the playoff after Olesen shot a 68. Both players then birdied the first trip back down 18 before Coetzee clinched the win with a third birdie.It was his third win on the European Tour and second this season, following his victory at the Tshwane Open on home soil in March.I actually felt more nervous during the day than the play-off and Im happy to have pulled through it, said Coetzee.Thorbjorn did unbelievably well to put pressure on me the whole day. I actually had to work to catch him in the end.Olesen, who won his second European Tour title in Perth at the end of last year before undergoing surgery on his hand which sidelined him for four months, was pleased with his weeks work despite missing out on the title.Its disappointing, of course, when you are in a play-off and you dont win, he said.

Formula One: Rosberg ends Hamilton supremacy with flawless Spanish win

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BARCELONA (AFP) - Nico Rosberg ended his Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamiltons winning streak in this years Formula One drivers world championship when he drove to a near-flawless victory in Sundays Spanish Grand Prix.The 29-year-old German, who had been beaten by Hamilton in all four of this years flyaway season-opening races, led from the 16th pole position of his career all the way to the chequered flag, his supremacy interrupted only by his pit-stops.It was his first win since last Novembers Brazilian Grand Prix and the ninth of his career, and trimmed defending champion Hamiltons lead from 27 points to 20.Hamilton, who slipped from second to third at the start, fought back with daring and great skill, coupled to a three-stop strategy, to finish behind Rosberg and deliver another one-two for the dominant Mercedes team.Four-time champion Sebastian Vettel of Germany, who outpaced Hamilton off the grid, came home third for Ferrari ahead of Finns Valtteri Bottas of Williams and Kimi Raikkonen, in the second Ferrari.Brazilian Felipe Massa was sixth in the second Williams ahead of Australian Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull and Frenchman Romain Grosjean of Lotus.Local hero Carlos Sainz won a late wheel-to-wheel battle with his Toro Rosso team-mate, Dutch teenager Jos Verstappen, to take 10th and then stole ninth from Russian Daniil Kvyat in the second Red Bull. Kvyat finished 10th.It was another day of disappointment for the struggling McLaren Honda team who extended their pointless start to the season. Spaniard Fernando Alonso retired after a brakes failure saw him narrowly avoid colliding with his own pit crew and Briton Jenson Button finished 16th.In another dramatic pit-lane incident Grosjean also over-shot his pit-stop and sent a mechanic, clinging to the front jack, flying. He was, fortunately, reported not seriously injured.The race was run on another hot day at the Circuit de Catalunya, with an air temperature of 25 degrees Celsius (77F) and a track temperature of 45 (113F).As the lights went out, Rosberg made a perfect start to pull clear of the field while Hamilton appeared delayed and was swiftly swallowed up by Vettel who swept past into second.For a second, it seemed also that Bottas was ahead of the world champion, but Hamilton responded with a robust defensive surge to ensure he lost only one place going into the second corner.Behind him, Bottas was fourth with Raikkonen, in the second Ferrari, making the biggest gain by jumping to fifth from seventh.Rosberg revelled in his advantage and his rejuvenated speed. He reeled off fastest laps to open up a 6.6 seconds lead over Vettel by lap 10 with Hamilton a further 1.1 seconds further adrift.Bottas, fourth, was 4.2 seconds behind Hamilton who reported to his race engineer that it is impossible to get close to Vettel in his bid to recover.For Hamilton, it meant a change of strategy and he was soon told to pit, after 13 laps. Its hammertime...Box, box. A delay with the left rear tyre hampered him and he rejoined in seventh place, having added three seconds to his stop.A lap later and Rosberg was in and out for new rubber in just 2.5 seconds, handing the lead to Raikkonen briefly before he, like Vettel, headed into the Ferrari pits. By lap 18, the early order resumed with Rosberg leading Vettel by six seconds and Hamilton back up to third.As Hamilton revealed his frustrations, Venezuelan Pastor Maldonados Lotus team removed half of his cars rear wing, damaged in an earlier collision. He fell through the field, but fought back with some determination, passing both McLaren-Hondas on the way.Alonso, struggling in 14th place, was forced to retire after 27 laps when his brakes failed as he came in for a pit stop. His mechanics dived out of the way as he over-shot by five metres and hit an abandoned jack.By lap 30, of 66, Rosberg was in easy control, leading Vettel by 8.7sec and Hamilton by 10 as the order settled and Hamilton appeared to ease off ahead of his second stop, after 32 laps, for a set of hard tyres and an aerodynamic adjustment. Push the team instruct him as he chases Raikkonen and Bottas.Hamilton did just that and, with the help of a dazzling drive through the traffic and a rapid third pit-stop for fresh tyres, managed to overhaul Vettel for second place after the German slowed following his second stop following more drama in the pit lane when Grosjean overshot the Lotus stop area.

Wambach scores twice in 3-0 US win over Ireland

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SAN JOSE (AP) - Abby Wambach scored twice and the US defeated Ireland 3-0 on Sunday in an exhibition match in preparation for the Womens World Cup.Defender Julie Johnston, who has made just 10 international appearances, added a goal to extend her scoring streak to three straight matches.It was the Americans fifth straight shutout, and goalie Hope Solo added to her US record with the 83rd of her career. Wambach padded her career scoring record of 180 goals, and Sundays match was her 44th with multiple goals.The sold-out exhibition at San Joses new Avaya Stadium was part of a send-off tour for the Womens World Cup, which starts next month in Canada. The Americans head to Carson, California, next Sunday for a match against Mexico.For Mothers Day, the players brought their moms on the field for the pregame ceremony.Wambach first scored in the 42nd minute, a short time after Irish defender Meabh De Burca got nailed by a ball straight to the face and crumpled in front of the goal. Wambach scored again on a header less than three minutes later on a cross from Carli Loyd. Johnstons goal came in the 54th minute.There was a scary moment in the 63rd minute when Wambach collided with Irish goalkeeper Niamh Reid-Burke. Wambachs nose was bloodied, but she returned to the match less than three minutes later.The United States was without forward Alex Morgan because of a bone bruise in her left knee. She will also miss next Sundays game against Mexico.US coach Jill Ellis said this week that Morgan is being held out as a precaution.The United States was also without midfielder Tobin Heath because of a lingering left hamstring injury.Megan Rapinoe was honored before the game for her 100th international match, which came April 4 when the US defeated New Zealand 4-0 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.The US usually gives the players a watch for their 100th cap, but Rapinoe asked that a donation be made to the charity iACT. And per US tradition, Rapinoe wore the captains band against Ireland.Lori Chalupny entered the game in the second half for her 100th career cap.The US is now 11-0-0 all-time against Ireland, which is currently ranked No. 31 in the world and isnt among the 24 teams playing in the World Cup. The Irish roster included forward Stephanie Roche of the NWSLs Houston Dash.The United States opens the World Cup on June 8 with a group play match against Australia in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Womens soccers premier tournament is being played in six Canadian cities over the course of about a month, with the final set for July 5 in Vancouver, British Columbia.The Americans are in Group D with Australia, Nigeria and Sweden.A sellout crowd of 18,000 fans attended Sundays match at the new home of the San Jose Earthquakes.

Athletics: Gebrselassie announces retirement for second time

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MANCHESTER (AFP) - Ethiopian legend Haile Gebrselassie on Sunday announced his retirement from competitive running following a career spanning 25 years after finishing 16th in the Great Manchester Run.I will retire as a competitive runner, not as a runner, I will never stop running and will continue to be a running ambassador, Gebrselassie said on his Twitter account.It is the second time that the 42-year-old has announced his intention to retire.In 2010 he said he was quitting after dropping out of the New York City Marathon with a knee injury, but returned to racing months later.Im very happy to stop here. I knew this was going to be the last one, Gebrselassie told the BBC after competing in Manchester, a race he had won five times previously.Gebrselassie won the first of his four consecutive world titles in the 10,000m in 1993. He won an indoor 1,500m title in 1999 and set a 5,000m world record that same year.He set the 10,000m world record three times, winning gold over the distance at the 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney Olympics.He also won the Berlin marathon four times.Gebrselassie failed to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics, but the following year he won the Great Scottish Run in Glasgow and a third consecutive Vienna City half marathon.

Cycling: Viviani wins Giro second stage, Matthews in pink

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GENOA (AFP) - Italys Elia Viviani won a sprint finish for the second stage of the Giro dItalia on Sunday to put his Sky team back in the running after a disappointing opening day.Viviani crossed ahead of Dutch cyclist Moreno Hofland and Germanys Andre Greipel after 4hr 13min 18sec in the saddle over 177km from Albenga to Genoa.Michael Matthews took the overall leaders pink jersey from Orica teammate and fellow Australian Simon Gerrans.It was the seventh time the 24-year-old from Canberra had pulled on the pink jersey, after also grabbing it on the second stage last year, before holding it for six days.In Genoa the Australian crossed the line in ninth with Gerrans, in 19th.The important thing was to keep it (jersey) in the team, said Matthews, who was unable to challenge on the 900m run to the line.The win proved a boost for the British Sky team who finished just ninth in the opening days team time-trial leaving their ambitious team leader Richie Porte of Australia trailing at 27sec.It was the first stage win in a major Tour for 26-year-old Viviani, a two-time world track championship medallist last February.Greipel, who had held an early lead, lost steam in the final 100m to be overtaken by Hofland. But the young Dutch rider was soon chased down by Viviani.I worked hard at the Tour de Romandie and I arrived in top condition at the Giro, said Viviani, who also won a stage in the Tour of Dubai in February ahead of Britains Mark Cavendish.Five riders -- Marco Frapporti, Lukasz Owsian, Giacomo Berlato, Eugert Zhupa and Bert-Jan Lindeman -- lead a long breakaway building a lead of nine minutes before being caught 11km from the line in the outskirts of Genoa.The stage was also peppered with falls, notably Australian champion Heinrich Haussler and Italys Matteo Pelucchi who crashed in the final stretch.An accident also cost AG2R climber Domenico Pozzovivo previous time as he lost 1min 09sec after picking up a minor leg injury 11km from the line.The loss of time is nothing compared to the damage you can do, said Pozzovivo, who finished fifth in last years giro.Slovenian Luka Mezgec placed fourth ahead of Italian Alessandro Petacchi.Mondays third stage is a 136km run through the Ligurian countryside between Rapallo and Sestri Levante.
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