Saturday 4 July 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Greeks fly home to vote in knife-edge referendum

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ATHENS - With the stakes so high for Greece in Sundays knife-edge referendum, some Greeks living abroad have flown home to cast their votes in hopes of tipping the outcome one way or the other.On Saturday at Athens airport, among the streams of tourists heading for Greek island vacations, there were a few expatriated Greeks who had come back for the ballot.I came just to vote, Kostas Kokkinos, a 60-year-old Greek living on the EU island nation of Cyprus, told AFP as rela ..

Japan pledges $6.1 bn aid to 'Mekong Five' in bid for influence

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Tokyo (AFP) - Japan on Saturday pledged $6.1 billion in financial aid to the Mekong Five countries as it pushes infrastructure exports and courts influence in a region where rival China has an increasing presence.Prime Minister Shinzo Abe unveiled the pledge at a summit with his counterparts from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam -- fast-growing economies through which the lower section of the Mekong river flows.Japan will implement support worth around 750 billion yen ($6.1 billion) in official development assistance for the next three years, Abe told a news conference following the seventh annual Japan-Mekong summit.The Mekong region, which has vast demand for infrastructure, is one of our most important areas, Abe said.Japan will contribute to infrastructure development of the region in both quality and quantity, he added. The Mekong region and Japan are partners that will develop together.It was not immediately clear if the pledge included previously-earmarked Japanese financial assistance, or whether it was made up entirely of newly-allocated funds.View galleryPrime Minister Shinzo Abe has upped efforts to sell …Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has upped efforts to sell highways, train systems and power plants around …The Mekong region is the most dynamic economic centre, but there still is room for huge growth, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha told the news conference.The meeting came as the leading Nikkei business daily said Friday that three Japanese companies had secured an order worth over 32 billion baht ($947 million) to equip a railway linking the Thai capital Bangkok with nearby suburbs.The Japanese government plans to offer loans to cover part of the cost, the newspaper said, a common sweetener that helps clients afford these kind of big-ticket projects.In a separate deal, Japan, Thailand and Myanmar signed an accord for a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Dawei, southeastern Myanmar, local media said.When completed, the zone on the Andaman Sea coast will have a total area of 200 square kilometres (80 square miles), making it one of the largest SEZs in Southeast Asia and a gateway for the Mekong regions trade with India, the Middle East and Africa, Kyodo News said.View galleryJapan&39;s Emperor Akihito (back to camera) greets …Japans Emperor Akihito (back to camera) greets Thailands Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha …Abe has upped efforts to sell highways, train systems and power plants around the world, a key element in his bid to bolster the economy and Japans standing abroad.InfluenceBeijings growing financial muscle, as well as its increasing willingness to throw its diplomatic weight around, have added urgency to Japans efforts to step up engagement in the battle for regional sway.Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said in November at a summit in Myanmar that Beijings strategic partnership with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) grouping was entering a diamond decade leading to broader and deeper cooperation.Then in March, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China hoped to boost trade with ASEAN countries to $500 billion this year and $1 trillion in 2020.View galleryLeaders from &39;Mekong Five&39; countries and Japanese …Leaders from Mekong Five countries and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attend a press c …Beijings new Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has also upped the stakes, rivalling the Tokyo-backed Asian Development Bank and offering the kind of financial firepower rapidly-developing countries are keen to tap.In a bid to counter the Chinese move, Abe in May announced a $110 billion investment plan for infrastructure projects in Asia, including in the Mekong Five states.Japan is keen to be seen as the benevolent giant in the region and has worked hard to burnish a reputation as the nation bold enough to push back against China in territorial and other disputes.Tokyo has its own spat with Beijing over islands in the East China Sea, but is increasingly vocal over Chinas ambitions to control almost the whole of the South China Sea.Vietnam is one of a number of countries that have territorial disputes with Beijing over this busy shipping area.Siding with Tokyo and Hanoi, the participants jointly expressed concerns over the territorial disputes involving Beijing, saying in a statement that they will further complicate the situation and erode trust and confidence and may undermine regional peace, security and stability.But the meeting avoided touching upon other sensitive issues for the region, including a growing migrant crisis.Some 100 protesters from Myanmar and Japan staged a rally in light rain over Myanmar President Thein Seins presence at the summit, demanding that Yangon release all political prisoners.

Europe tensely awaits Greek voters' decision

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BERLIN (AFP) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other EU leaders await with trepidation the outcome of a referendum in Greece Sunday that is already dividing opinion in Europe and could even shape its future.After months of fruitless talks with its creditors, Greeces dramatic bid to place a bailout decision in the hands of its people will have an impact far beyond the heavily-indebted countrys borders, analysts warn.The vote on whether to support Greeces radical left-led government in its tough anti-austerity line is a signpost for future negotiations, said Julian Rappold of the German Council on Foreign Relations.With fears a No vote could lead to Greece exiting the eurozone -- a so-called Grexit -- Pawel Tokarski of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs said its impact would reach much further.It will determine the future trajectory of European integration, he said.Merkel, seemingly sanguine last week in remarking that Europe could calmly await the result of the referendum because the bloc was strong, has been at the forefront of efforts to resolve the crisis.Now, the head of Europes biggest economy is faced with a dilemma, Rappold said.If Greece were to leave the euro, it would signify the failure of Europes crisis management that Merkel has championed though years of economic turbulence.She would not like it to be said that she pushed Greece out of the euro, Rappold added.She also fears unforeseen economic consequences, a boost for anti-euro groups in some countries and that a No vote would be seen as a sign of weakness by nations such as Russia or China, he added.But if Greek voters defy Tspiras and vote Yes, Merkel must win parliamentary approval for negotiations on a new aid programme for Greece amid growing dissent within her conservative party on the Greece issue.She would also have to win over a bailout-weary public tired of picking up a lions share of the bill.Nein, OxiBut the referendum is not just dividing Greeks.Germanys Bild mass-market daily, which has taken a tough line with Athens since the start of the crisis, held its own referendum, asking readers if they wanted to go on supporting Greece with billions of euros.It said the response indicated that 89 percent of the 200,000 people who took part said Nein.Thousands of Greece supporters meanwhile took to the streets of Barcelona, Paris, Dublin and Frankfurt to show solidarity with the Greek people and hit back at European policies.Merkel was greeted by placards stating Oxi (no, in Greek) at an event in Berlin Saturday for her Christian Democratic Union partys open day.In Spain, which has endured its own economic crisis, allies of Greeces Syriza party see the referendum as an historic opportunity to change Europe, months before the country holds its own polls.Parties on the political right however fear a spread of radical leftist policies.If Italians were called to vote like the Greeks, 51 percent would support tough measures imposed by Europe to avoid crashing out of the euro, while 30 percent would vote against, according to a recent poll by Ipsos.And Britain, too, where voters will be called to decide on its future in Europe, sees a particular resonance in the Greek bid.Different interpretationElsewhere among Europes leadership, European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi will also dread a No vote.He is not accountable to voters but nevertheless is in an extremely difficult situation, Tokarski said.Through its emergency funding, the ECB is keeping Greek banks afloat. If it were to stop these loans, it would risk pressing the Grexit button -- a decision its chief wants to leave to the politicians.For now though, the post-referendum scenario is far from clear, especially as the question being posed is open to wide interpretation.Athens argues it means saying No to new austerity measures proposed by creditors in return for aid.But this proposal has in the meantime expired, leaving others to interpret the referendum as a vote for or against the euro.Whatever the result, it will be interpreted differently by political forces in Greece and in the eurozone, Tokarski warned.maj/kjm/mfp

Alexis Tsipras: the premier playing roulette with Greece's future

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ATHENS (AFP) - In the five months since he came to power vowing to deliver his country from years of biting austerity, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has kept Greece and Europe guessing.For some he is a master strategist who has called the bluff of Greeces creditors by giving the people the final say on a painful debt deal.To others he is a clueless novice, who has taken Greece into uncharted waters by hurriedly calling a vote that could send the country crashing out of the eurozone.Whatever the result of Sundays bailout referendum the maverick politician, who has infuriated his EU counterparts with his obstinance -- and bemused them by refusing to wear a tie until a deal is done -- has taken a huge gamble.Tsipras denies playing fast and loose with Greeces future, saying a No vote would strengthen Athenss hand in negotiations with Europe and the IMF and that talk of a Grexit is nothing more than scaremongering.Always a rebelAs a teen Tsipras was already at the barricades, fighting for students to decide whether to go to classes.We want the right to judge for ourselves whether to skip class, he told a TV interviewer while leading a school sit-in at 17.Twenty-three years later he is throwing out the rule book again. But the Greek public, which cheered his combative approach with creditors at the start of his mandate, is in two minds about whether to stick with him.And yet, despite his defiant pose and talk of ending twice bailed-out Greeces humiliation, the 40-year-old leader of the radical leftist Syriza party has made a slew of concessions in fraught talks with his eurozone counterparts.He has agreed to continue to cut spending and implement structural reforms, leading former French president Nicolas Sarkozy to declare with satisfaction that Tsipras had eaten his hat.But on June 27, Tsipras drew a line in the sand.Rejecting the additional austerity measures attached to a five-month, 12-billion-euro ($13.4-billion) extension of Greeces bailout programme he took to the airwaves to announce a surprise referendum on the package in a weeks time.The people must decide free of any blackmail, he declared.On the ropesOlivier Delorme, a Franco-Greek historian, said Tsipras has made endless concessions and each time he has been knocked back.By saying dont be afraid and talking of dignity restored he is continuing a leitmotiv of resistance in Greek history, Delorme said, comparing Syrizas approach with Greek rebellion under Ottoman rule.His insistence he is not for turning has made Tsipras the standard bearer of radical leftist parties across Europe.But the prime ministers abrupt decision to test his vision of democracy with the referendum sparked scenes of panic in Greece, where people immediately mobbed ATMs after Saturdays broadcast to try withdraw cash.A day later, as expected, the government introduced capital controls limiting bank withdrawals.The chaos have caused some of Tsiprass supporters to sour on him.Two days before the referendum, opinion polls showed the Yes camp swelling to match, or maybe even slightly overtake, No voter intentions.Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis has suggested the government will resign if it fails to carry the day.Tsipras, however, has kept his cards close to his chest, saying only that in that event he would shoulder his responsibilities as guarantor of the constitution.

Tennis: Kvitova joins Wimbledon exodus, Federer, Murray into last 16

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LONDON (AFP) - Petra Kvitova, the defending champion, crashed out of Wimbledon on Saturday while Roger Federer and Andy Murray both needed four sets to secure their passage into the second week.Czech second seed Kvitova, who also won the 2011 title, lost 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to veteran campaigner Jelena Jankovic who goes on to play 2012 runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska for a spot in the quarter-finals.Kvitovas earliest loss at the All England Club since 2009 leaves just Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Caroline Wozniacki and Lucie Safarova as the last remaining top 10 seeds going into the second week.Im overwhelmed. Im so excited. My heart is still pumping, said the 30-year-old Jankovic on reaching the last 16 for the fifth time.Kvitova has now bowed out of the last four Grand Slams before the quarter-finals.Its not great to lose in the third round. Not to be in the second week of the favourite tournament for me is really sad, she said.Seven-time champion Roger Federer defeated big-serving Australian Sam Groth 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2.The 33-year-old Swiss, chasing an 18th major title, will next face Spanish 20th seed Roberto Bautista Agut.Groth had the consolation of hitting the second fastest serve ever at the tournament -- 147.2-miles (236.9-kilometres) per hour.Murray faces golden oldieMurray survived a shoulder injury scare to make the last 16 with a 6-2, 6-2, 1-6, 6-1 win over Italys Andreas Seppi.Murray, the 2013 champion, required a medical time-out for treatment on his right shoulder after dropping the first game of the fourth set.But the world number three then reeled off six games in succession to set up a clash against Croatian giant Ivo Karlovic on Monday for a place in the quarter-finals.The shoulder is fine. The trainer came out and manipulated my back. He gave it a few good cracks, said Murray.Its a 90-kilo guy lying on top of me so its not that pleasant. He said the shoulder was like a machine gun going off when he laid on top of me.Karlovic became the oldest man in 39 years to reach the last 16 when he beat French 13th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.The 36-year-old giant fired 41 aces in a 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (11/9) win.The 2010 runner-up Tomas Berdych, the Czech sixth seed, saw off Spains Pablo Andujar 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 7-6 (7/3).He next faces Gilles Simon who beat Gael Monfils 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8/6), 2-6, 6-2.Their all-French clash started on Court One but was completed at 10:30pm (2130GMT) under the roof and lights of Centre Court after darkness fell.Dreadlocked German qualifier Dustin Brown was unable to follow his triumph over Rafael Nadal when he slumped to a 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-3 defeat to Serbian 22nd seed Viktor Troicki.Qualifier Brown joins Lukas Rosol, Steve Darcis and Nick Kyrgios who all lost their next match at Wimbledon after knocking out Nadal over the last four years.Troicki goes on to face Canadas Vasek Pospisil, who beat British wildcard James Ward 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 8-6.It is the 29-year-old Serbs first last-16 run at Wimbledon since 2012 and his best performance at a Grand Slam since returning from a 12-month drugs ban in July last year.First timersUS Open champion Marin Cilic took just two games to see off John Isner on Saturday after returning to finish their third round match poised at 10-10 in the final set.Croatian Cilic, the ninth seed, beat the US 17th seed 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 12-10 in a match that lasted four hours and 31 minutes in total after it had been suspended late Friday due to bad light.Cilic next faces wildcard Denis Kudla, the last American man in the tournament.Danish fifth seed Wozniacki reached the last 16 for the fourth time with a comfortable 6-2, 6-2 win over Italys Camila Giorgi.The former world number one will face Spains Garbine Muguruza after the 20th seed shocked 2012 semi-finalist Angelique Kerber 7-6 (14/12), 1-6, 6-2.Muguruza saved nine set points in the first set on her way to a debut appearance in the second week at Wimbledon.Romanias Monica Niculescu also made the last 16 for the first time, beating Czech world number 134 Kristyna Pliskova 6-3, 7-5.She will face Switzerlands Timea Bacsinszky who put out 2013 runner-up Sabine Lisicki 6-3, 6-2 to book a spot in the last 16.Belarusian qualifier Olga Govortsova is another fourth round first timer thanks to a 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 over Magdalana Rybarikova.She next tackles American 21st seed Madison Keys, a semi-finalist in Australia this year.

Football: Williams seals bronze for England and first win over Germany

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EDMONTON (AFP) - A 108th-minute penalty kick by Fara Williams gave England their first ever win over top ranked Germany and a third place finish at the Womens World Cup on Saturday.The 1-0 victory after 120 minutes of gritty battle at Edmontons Commonwealth Stadium gave the sixth-ranked Lionesses their first win over the European champions on their 21st attempt.It also helped bury the heartache of the injury time own-goal by defender Laura Bassett which had ended their title bid during a 2-1 semi-final loss to defending champions Japan.It feels a lot better to be sitting here after that than it did the other day, said England coach Mark Sampson.To bounce back from what was a real, real blow for us, its an incredible result for the team.We knew the challenge we faced today from a world class Germany team.Im just incredibly proud of all the players and staff, to achieve a third place finish, to go home as the top European nation, to finally beat Germany, it was a real big statement for us today.Its something that these players will be remembered for forever.The third place play-off had gone into extra time after the teams were locked 0-0 at the end of 90 minutes.But England were awarded a penalty just minutes into the second period of extra time after Lianne Sanderson was pulled down by Tabea Kemme.England no surpriseAnd Williams slotted in past former world goalkeeper of the year Nadine Angerer, who playing her final match for Germany, dived the wrong way.It didnt surprise me as we have seen what England could do over the course of this tournament, said Germany coach Silvia Neid.They really wanted it today, they were very clever in their game.Germany, winners in 2003 and 2007, lost 2-0 to the United States in their semi-final.England had never gotten past Germany with their most recent loss a 3-0 drubbing at Wembley Stadium last year during which World Cup top scorer Celia Sasic scored twice.England skipper Steph Houghton did well to back clear a goal-ward bound shot after just nine minutes in an evenly matched first half.The defender, who had just received treatment for a painful ankle knock, lunged to clear after Jo Potter headed past her own goalkeeper Karen Bardsley following a Bianca Schmidt header across goal.Within a minute Sasic had a chance to extend her tournament leading six goals but her weak shot was held by Bardsley.Forward Ellen White headed over the bar after 26 minutes, and Germanys Sara Daebritz missed a chance to break the deadlock just before halftime but Potter blocked her shot.After the break Germany had the best scoring chance on 53 minutes when Sasic crossed to Daebritz whose volley was kept out by a diving Bardsley.Eniola Aluko came off the bench on 61 minutes and had a solo run towards goal three minutes from time but Angerer recovered the ball.But England continued to push with Jill Scott failing to finish with only Angerer to beat, while Williams saw her goal-bound effort cleared by a defender.But the game was finally decided with the clocking ticking when was Kemme was judged to have pulled down substitute Sanderson, and Williams scored from the spot.A Sophie Schmidt header and Anja Mittag freekick failed to grab an equaliser for Germany in the final World Cup game for illustrious coach Neid, who lead Germany to the 2007 title, three European championships and an Olympic bronze.She had been criticised for her campaign but blamed injuries before the tournament for disrupting their preparations.I dont know why there was this constant criticism when we were in a match for third place, said the 51-year-old.The players were in a catastrophic state before the tournament, we had a lot of injuries.Im quite happy we came this far.Next year well have the Olympics games and were looking forward to that.

Football: Messi downfall plotted by Argentine Sampaoli

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SANTIAGO (AFP) - It took an Argentine, Jorge Sampaoli, to plot Chiles triumph in the Copa America final against his own country.Lionel Messi and Argentinas other Fantasticos lost their nerve in Santiagos Estadio Nacional as they sought their first major international title for 22 years.Chiles coach Sampaoli stayed true to his live wire reputation, jumping up and down on the touchline urging stars Alexis Sanchez and Arturo Vidal to attack so they could win their first South American championship.We had to play a great game against one of the worlds best teams for the quality of players. We should have won in 90 minutes, but ended up getting justice in a shootout, Sampaoli told a press conference after Saturdays win in Sangtiago.Since taking over, Sampaoli, 55, has transformed Chiles national side into true global competitors. As well as Saturdays South American title, Chile also reached the last 16 at last years World Cup and were unlucky not to go further.But when he arrived in December 2012, Chile had lost three World Cup qualifiers in a row and despite the presence of stars such as Sanchez seemed like a disorganized rabble.From the first game, Chile were playing to win the Copa America, Sampaoili said.The team confronted and overcame rivals to win the Copa America through leadership, hard work and discipline. That is the merit of the players that I have fortune to train, added the coach after the 4-1 penalty shootout victory.Sampaoli said that Chile are capable of even better.People are now starting to dream. We have done something great today and qualifying for the (2018) World Cup will be Chiles next target, he said.Though born near Argentinas second city of Rosida, Sampaoli made his name mainly as a coach of teams in Peru and Ecuador.But after his own footballing career was cut short at 19 by a double leg fracture, Sampaoli cemented his reputation imposing an attacking style that he learned from his hero Marcelo Bielsa, another Argentine who once coached Chile.Sampaoli has an all-Argentine staff helping him with the Chilean players. But despite reports indicating he would like to take over his own countrys team, Sampaoli insists he will stay with Chile at least for the 2018 World Cup in Russia -- as long as they qualify.My duty is linked to the fate of this country and these players, Sampaoli said before the Copa final.I dont have Chilean nationality, but I am excited by the chance to make Chile champions, he went on.The coaching staff are all Argentine, but we all want Chile to be champions.

Football: Martino to stick with Argentina losers

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SANTIAGO (AFP) - Argentina coach Gerardo Martino insisted he would stick with the squad beaten in the Copa America final for the 2018 World Cup campaign even though he bemoaned missed chances.Martino said his side should have won the trophy in the 120 minutes of regular play and extra time against Chile. They lost 4-1 in a penalty shootout.Defeats like today are not going to change my analysis, Martino told a press conference giving a vote of confidence to a team that has now lost the Copa America and World Cup finals in the space of a year.Over the 120 minutes, it was a fairly equal game. But Argentina should have won.We tried everything. We had chances -- Nico Otamendi, Pocho Lavezzi and of course Higuain at the end.Gonzalo Higuain in particular had a chance to score in injury time of extra time and then badly missed his shootout penalty.They were very clear chances that should have changed the outcome of the game, Martino said,But the coach added that there will no change in lineup or tactics.Argentina will continue in the same way in qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.For the next campaign we will continue insisting on the same ideas and on the pursuit of success, said Martino.

Football: Chile stun Argentina to win first Copa crown

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SANTIAGO (AFP) - Chile wrecked Lionel Messis dream of a first international title with a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over Argentina to end their 99-year wait for a Copa America crown here Saturday.Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez struck the winning spot-kick for Chile, as the hosts clinched a 4-1 shoot-out victory when the game ended goalless after extra time.Sanchez chipped the decisive penalty down the middle past Sergio Romero to spark wild celebrations in front of a 45,000 capacity crowd at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago.Chile took control of the shoot-out when Gonzalo Higuain blazed his penalty over the bar before Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo saved Ever Banegas spot-kick.Argentina captain Messi, aiming to inspire the South American giants to a first international title in 22 years, could only look on distraught as Chile celebrated.The four-time world footballer of the year had repeatedly spoken of his desperation to win a title with Argentina after winning everything at club level with Barcelona.But the 28-year-old superstar was to suffer more disappointment, only 12 months after enduring another agonising extra-time defeat in last years World Cup final against Germany in Brazil.Chiles win was their first ever victory over Argentina in the Copa America.Dream come trueIt is a dream come true. We have worked so hard for this, said Chile star Arturo Vidal.The midfielder said Chile had been determined to win the Copa America after exiting the World Cup last year on penalties.We talked about it in Brazil that we were going to win the Copa America, Sanchez said.This is really a great generation, we deserve this.Chiles Argentina-born coach Jorge Sampaoli said his side had deserved to win.We had to play a great game against one of the worlds best teams for the quality of players, Sampaoli said.We should have won in 90 minutes, but ended up getting justice.Argentinas players meanwhile were left pondering another heartbreaking loss.Midfielder Javier Mascherano has now played in three losing Argentina teams in Copa America finals, and was also a member of the team beaten in the World Cup final.Three Copa America finals, three defeats ... I cant explain the losing streak, a dejected Mascherano said.We just didnt seem to have that little bit of luck that you sometimes need to have to win in finals. Is it karma? I dont know.Argentina coach Gerardo Martino meanwhile lamented his sides failure to take chances.They were very clear chances that should have changed the outcome of the game, Martino said.Earlier, Chile had begun the final at a ferocious pace before Argentina gradually managed to gain a foothold in the game.While Chile pressed forward relentlessly and launched a series of forays into Argentinian territory, it was the tournament favourites who had the better chances in the first half.Argentina almost grabbed an opener in the 20th minute when Sergio Aguero met a Messi free-kick with a close range header that Bravo parried away.On the stroke of half-time Argentina probed again and Javier Pastore set up Ezequiel Lavezzi whose shot was blocked by Bravo.The second half followed a similar pattern, with clear-cut chances thin on the ground as defences remained on top.Sanchez went close for Chile on 82 minutes but hooked his volley just wide of the post.Argentina almost snatched a dramatic victory in the dying seconds with a well-worked move that began after Messi skipped clear of the Chile defence and released Lavezzi on the left flank.Lavezzi found Higuain -- on for Aguero -- at the far post but the Napoli striker couldnt finish from a tight angle and shot into the side netting as Chile escaped.In extra-time Sanchez almost punished a rare slip by Mascherano but shot over the bar.

Football: Messi-Maradona debate rumbles on after Copa woe

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SANTIAGO (AFP) - Another tournament, another shattering defeat, and another round of unfavourable comparisons to Diego Maradona.Lionel Messi was left reflecting on another bitterly familiar failure here Saturday after Argentina suffered an agonizing penalty shoot-out defeat to Chile in the Copa America final.It was the second time in 12 months Messi had finished on the losing side in a major final following Argentinas extra-time loss to Germany at the World Cup last year.This generation is desperate to win a title with the national team, Messi had said before this years Copa America.As a team, we deserve to win something and it would mean so much after the World Cup where we came so close.Saturdays defeat will reignite the debate about where Messi deserves to be ranked in the pantheon of the very greatest players to have graced the sport.For many, his extraordinary achievements at club level with Barcelona over the past decade have already guaranteed him a place alongside Pele and Diego Maradona.Others insist that his failure to lead his country to international glory puts him just behind Pele and Maradona, who won four World Cups between them.Statistically at least, Messi outscores Maradona in almost every department, with 46 goals in 103 international appearances compared to Maradonas 34 goals in 91 games.At club level Messi has amassed 412 goals in 482 games, compared to Maradonas 312 in 588 matches.Messi has won three European Cups with Barcelona; the famous trophy is conspicuously absent from Maradonas CV.Messi has been named world footballer of the year four times; Maradona earned the accolade only once.Yet the arguments invariably circle back to trophies at international level.Although Messi played a key role in Argentina reaching the final of last years World Cup in Brazil, his achievements at international level have not seared themselves in the memory in the way that Maradonas did during his displays in the 1986 World Cup.Maradona is largely credited with single-handedly guiding Argentina to that World Cup title in Mexico, scoring a series of memorable individual goals against England and Belgium along the way.Even in the 1986 final, when he was well-shackled by Germanys Lothar Matthaus, Maradona was able to prove a decisive influence, supplying the sublime first time pass to set up the games winning goal.Messi can justifiably reflect, however, that the margins are impossibly fine.In both last years World Cup final and this years Copa America final, Messi had helped create gilt-edged chances for Gonzalo Higuain that the striker squandered on each occasion.Had either of those gone in -- and helped Argentina to victory instead of defeat -- Messis right to be bracketed with Maradona and Pele would not be in doubt.

IS video shows mass execution in ruins of Syria's Palmyra

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BEIRUT (AFP) - The Islamic State group on Saturday released a video showing 25 Syrian government soldiers being executed by teenagers in the ancient amphitheatre in the city of Palmyra.The video documented an execution that reportedly happened shortly after the terrorist group captured the city on May 21.It shows the soldiers in green and brown military uniforms being shot dead on the amphitheatres stage in front of an enormous version of the groups black and white flag.The executioners all appear to be children or teenagers and are wearing desert camouflage and brown bandanas.The killings are carried out in front of a relatively sparse crowd of men and some children watching from the ancient theatres seats.IS reportedly carried out more than 200 executions, including of civilians, in and around Palmyra in the period when it captured the city.The executions in the Palmyra amphitheatre were first reported on May 27 by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, less than a week after IS captured the city.At the time, Syrias antiquities director Mamoun Abdelkarim said he feared the killings could signal the start of the groups barbarism and savagery against the ancient monuments of Palmyra.Using the Roman theatre to execute people proves that these people are against humanity, he told AFP.The Greco-Roman ruins at Palmyra are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the citys capture by IS prompted international concerns for the fate of its spectacular ancient treasures.So far, IS is not reported to have damaged the actual ruins, although it has blown up and desecrated Muslim graves in the city and destroyed a statue outside the Palmyra Museum.IS has regularly released videos of its mass executions, with slick production and gruesome violence that experts say is a key propaganda tool for the group.

Egypt's Sisi rallies troops in Sinai after IS attacks

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CAIRO (AFP) - Egypts president said Saturday the situation in the restive Sinai Peninsula, where dozens of soldiers, jihadists and civilians have been killed this week in yet more violence, is totally stable.Former army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was speaking during an unannounced visit to the Sinai, dressed again in military fatigues, to rally troops following a wave of attacks there by Islamic State group jihadists.The army, police and even officials have regularly come under fire, not only in the Sinai but also in Cairo since then army chief Sisi ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi two years ago.The terrorists say they are acting in response to the bloody repression launched by the authorities after Morsis overthrow, which has seen at least 1,400 people killed and thousands more jailed.Most of the attacks on the security forces are claimed by a group calling itself the Sinai Province.Formerly known as Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, it changed its name when it pledged allegiance to IS last November.In remarks broadcast on television, Sisi said: To say that everything is under control is not enough. The situation is totally stable.He was speaking from an army base at an undisclosed location in the Sinai, where he was also shown inspecting captured weapons.The army has said 17 soldiers and 100 militants were killed on Wednesday, but medical and security officials said the death toll was at least 70 people -- mostly soldiers -- as well as dozens of terrorists.I have come to salute the heroes of the armed forces and to express to them my recognition, he was quoted by the armys spokesman as saying.We are still recovering the bodies of terrorists from the latest attack, Sisi said.War on EgyptWednesdays attacks in Sinai came two days after the daylight murder of chief state prosecutor Hisham Barakat in a Cairo car bombing.The foreign ministry said the murder of Barakat and the Sinai attacks affirm the presence of organised terrorist activity perpetrated by the Muslim Brotherhood -- Morsis blacklisted movement.A statement said the Brotherhood has declared war on Egypt during the holy month of Ramadan when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk.Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri told reporters that Brotherhood officials operating from other countries could be orchestrating the attacks. Egypt has jailed most of the groups top leaders are in jail.Officials regularly blame all attacks on the Brotherhood, the countrys biggest political movement which staged major electoral gains between the 2011 ouster of Mubarak and election of Morsi.Criticises unreal media imagesSisi said the purpose of Wednesdays attacks was to mark the second anniversary of Morsis ouster by announcing the establishment of an Islamic province in Sinai, but that plot was foiled.Sisi, who has pledged to eliminate the militants, was faced with more deadly violence on Saturday, but said the theatre of operations was miniscule in comparison with the size of the Sinai.Sinai is 60,000 square kilometres (but) Rafah, Sheikh Zuweid and El-Arish form less than 5 percent of its area, he said, referring to deadly incidents on Saturday.In one, a woman and two children died when a shell slammed into a house in Sheikh Zuweid. It was not immediately clear who fired the shell, which also seriously wounded another woman and a teenage girl.Separately, a roadside bomb targeting police and army vehicles killed a five-year-old child in the town of Rafah on the border with the Gaza Strip. Three other children and a woman were wounded.In his speech, Sisi said he saluted every home, every mother whose child has died a martyr or been wounded for Egypt.He also criticised the media coverage of Wednesdays attacks, saying it presented an unreal image about Egypt, its stability and security. The purpose was to affect the will of the Egyptian people.Meanwhile, the army spokesman posted on his Facebook page several videos of an aerial bombing of militant positions titled Strikes of vengeance against the rats of terror.

German anti-euro party marks shift to right with new leader

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ESSEN (AFP) - Germanys Alternative for Germany (AfD) party ousted its co-founder and frontman Bernd Lucke Saturday to elect a new leader from its right wing, signalling a shift in focus to immigration from its anti-euro origins.Frauke Petry, who heads a national conservative faction within the fledgling AfD, won a clear majority at a two-day extraordinary party congress in the western city of Essen, which gathered about 3,500 members.The party had been riven by a months-long power struggle between Lucke, 52, its economic neo-liberal leader and founder, and 40-year-old Petry, with analysts even warning it could implode.Some 60 percent of delegates voted for Petry, who is head of the AfD in the eastern state of Saxony which late last year saw the rise of the anti-Islam, anti-immigration PEGIDA movement.Petry, a businesswoman and mother of four who supported talks with PEGIDA, had accused Lucke of focusing too much on criticising Germanys policy on Europe.She wants to address all issues without taboos that are of concern to citizens, including immigration, she told the congress.She drew particular applause with remarks about massive integration problems linked to the fact that a religion like Islam conveys a vision of the state that is totally foreign to that which we know in Europe.Not enough to survive politicallyAhead of the congress, her ally, Alexander Gauland, who heads the AfD in eastern Brandenburg state, said in Spiegel news weekly that Lucke had wanted to almost exclusively concentrate on criticism of the euro. But that is not enough to survive politically, he said.He wants to exclude all the topics that have led us to success in the regional elections -- many peoples fears faced with a growing number of refugees, border crime, multicultural society, he added.After it was founded in early 2013, the AfDs main battle cry was for an orderly dissolution of the euro and a return to the deutschmark after the financial turbulence that nearly brought the eurozone to its knees.It came close to entering the German parliament in 2013.Last year it won seats in the European Parliament, followed by representation in five German state assemblies, after it sought to widen its appeal by incorporating populist positions on law and order, immigration and traditional social values.A poll carried out during the congress showed that uncontrolled immigration was the main concern of supporters, while the euro crisis was second, the day before a crunch bailout referendum in Greece.Petry had told delegates before her election that she wanted to create a team ready to work together and to politically provoke.We must end the confrontations, she later told delegates after her win.Its not a victory of conservatives over liberals. Its only together that we are strong and its together that we can change politics, she added.Lucke, on leaving the podium, said he was obviously disappointed but also relieved to be free of the weight of the party leadership. He had garnered just over 38 percent of the vote.But he declined immediate comment on his future within the group which has grown to 23,000 members.Asked if he had lost the AfD, he responded yes and said he was disappointed with the atmosphere among delegates.He recently created an offshoot group within the AfD entitled Wake Up Call 2015 to gather supporters.

End in sight as powers cite progress on Iran nuclear deal

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VIENNA (AFP) - Global powers and Iran hit the final straights of marathon talks Saturday, amid signs some of the toughest hurdles blocking a deal to curb the Iranian nuclear programme may been resolved.After a 13-year standoff which has poisoned Irans international relations, the UN atomic watchdog voiced hopes of a breakthrough to complete a stalled probe into whether Tehran sought to develop nuclear arms in the past.And on complicated moves to ease a web of sanctions, there were indications that at least at the level of experts some understanding may have been thrashed out, although discussions continued as a new Tuesday deadline looms.The so-called P51 -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- are trying to draw the curtain on almost two years of roller-coaster negotiations since the election of President Hassan Rouhani in 2013.The aim is to finalise a deal which would put a nuclear bomb beyond Irans reach, in return for lifting biting international sanctions slapped on the Islamic republic.IAEA chief Yukiya Amano told reporters after a whirlwind visit to Tehran that progress had been made as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) seeks to ensure that any deal is technically sound.With the cooperation from Iran, I think we can issue a report by the end of the year on the... clarification of the issues related to possible military dimensions, Amano told reporters after his talks in Tehran earlier this week.Iran has long denied it has sought to develop a nuclear bomb and has so far refused UN inspectors access to sensitive military sites to verify its claims.The standoff has stalled an IAEA probe into the allegations that before 2003, and possibly since, Iran conducted research work into developing nuclear weapons.US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and Irans nuclear chief, Ali Akbar Salehi, were back at the negotiating table early Saturday seeking to finalise the deal.Meanwhile, it also seemed there had been some agreement at expert level on how to ease a web of UN, EU, and US sanctions.A Western official told AFP that a deal was possible on the US sanctions but there is no agreement yet on the UN embargoes.A senior US administration official said: Even if and when issues get resolved at an experts level, there will remain some open issues that can only be decided by ministers.Abbas Araghchi, Irans lead negotiator, told Iranian TV late Saturday that there were still four or five outstanding questions regarding sanctions, including synchronising their lifting with actions by Tehran.Ministers returningAs hopes grew for a deal, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and Germanys Frank-Walter Steinmeier were expected back in Vienna on Sunday.It was not immediately clear when their counterparts from Britain, Russia and China or EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini might also return.Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who held a second meeting late Saturday with US Secretary of State John Kerry, said the world had never been closer to a deal.In a rare move, he also offered the promise of greater cooperation to tackle other global problems, such as the rise of the Islamic State group, should the deal be sealed.Iran was ready to strike a balanced and good deal, Zarif said in an English message posted on YouTube, which could open new horizons to address important common challenges.Russian diplomats have said the complex accord, which will stretch to at least 20 pages with a slew of technical annexes, is 90% written.After missing several deadlines, the so-called P51 group has now given themselves until Tuesday to conclude the deal.Extending the talks is not an option for anyone... We are trying to finish the job. Whether we can manage it I cant say with certainty, Araghchi said.If we reach an agreement that respects our red lines then there will be a deal. Otherwise we prefer to return home to Tehran empty-handed.The impending deal prompted Israel on Saturday to reiterate its opposition to the lifting of sanctions against Iran.From the moment the sanctions are lifted, tens or even hundreds of billions of dollars will flow into the Iranian economy, something that cannot be reversed, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement, calling Iran the most dangerous country in the world.Netanyahu has repeatedly said the deal being forged with world powers could leave Iran with the ability to develop nuclear weapons, and he has not ruled out the use of military force to prevent it.

Japan joins US-Australia war games amid China tensions

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SYDNEY (AFP) - The United States and Australia kicked off a massive joint biennial military exercise on Sunday, with Japan taking part for the first time as tensions with China over territorial rows loom over the drills.The two-week Talisman Sabre exercise in the Northern Territory and Queensland state involves 30,000 personnel from the US and Australia practising operations at sea, in the air and on land.Some 40 personnel from Japans army -- the Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) -- will join the American contingent, while more than 500 troops from New Zealand are also involved in the exercise, which concludes on July 21.It is a very, very important alliance, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Friday in Sydney on board the USS Blue Ridge, which is taking part in the exercise, referring to Australia-US ties.Its a very important relationship and right now we are facing quite significant challenges in many parts of the world but particularly in the Middle East.The war games, being held for the sixth time, come as China flexes its strategic and economic muscle in the region.Beijing has been building artificial islands and facilities in disputed waters in the South China Sea, and has a separate territorial dispute with Japan over the Tokyo-controlled Senkaku islands -- which it calls the Diaoyus -- in the East China Sea.Theres subtle message going out that at every level -- from hardware to technical and strategic expertise and cooperation -- the main American allies and America are working very closely together largely to account for China, John Lee, a China specialist at the University of Sydney, told AFP.Beijing rejected US criticism of its reclamation works in the South China Sea during the annual Shangri-La Dialogue meeting in May, saying it was just exercising its sovereignty.The US has been pursuing a foreign policy pivot towards Asia, which has rattled China, and is rotating Marines through northern Australia -- a move announced by President Barack Obama in 2011.While Beijing would not be pleased with Japans involvement in the drills, it would also not be surprised, experts said.Australia has stepped up its relationship with Japan in recent years and last July Abbott described his counterpart Shinzo Abe as a very, very close friend during a state visit to Canberra.Its a continuation of a deepening security relationship between Australia and Japan, Andrew Davies, a senior defence capability analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, told AFP of Japans inclusion in the exercise.
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