Tuesday 18 August 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

US denounces new Egyptian counterterrorism law

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States denounced Egypts newly expanded counterterrorism law Tuesday, expressing concern about its potential impact on human rights in the country, a military ally of the US.President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi signed a law Sunday that would expand the governments surveillance powers and, according to critics, muzzle dissent and target critics.Human rights activists have accused Sisi of leading an increasingly repressive regime.We are concerned that some measures in Egypts new anti-terrorism law could have a significant detrimental impact on human rights and fundamental freedoms, State Department spokesman John Kirby said.But Kirby reaffirmed that Washington stands with Egypt in its fight against terror.He also echoed comments made by Secretary of State John Kerry at a strategic dialogue in Cairo earlier this month, where Kerry called for finding an equilibrium between counterterrorism and preserving human rights.Defeating terrorism requires a long-term, comprehensive strategy that builds trust between the authorities and the public, including by enabling those who disagree with the governments policies to express those views peacefully and through participation in the political process, Kirby added.The new law comes after a string of attacks on military and police by the Sinai Province, the local affiliate of the group Islamic State.After a tumultuous few months, Washington and Cairo appear to have patched things up with the resumption of US military assistance in March, to the tune of $1.3 billion per year -- largely to fight terrorism.

Policeman, civilians killed in Kashmir shootings

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SRINAGAR (AFP) - A policeman and a civilian were killed Tuesday when suspected rebels opened fire outside a Muslim shrine in Indian Kashmir, police said.The militants targeted the police officer guarding the shrine of Tujjar Sharif, 55 kilometres (35 miles) northwest of the main city of Srinagar.The policeman unfortunately lost his life, and a civilian who was shot during the attack succumbed to his injuries later, deputy inspector general of police for the area, Gharib Das, told AFP.It appeared that the policeman on guard was the target, not the shrine.It was not clear if the 70-year-old disabled civilian was shot by the militants or he was hit by a bullet when police returned fire.The militants fled the area after the attack and the dead police officers automatic rifle was missing, Das said, adding security forces had launched a hunt for the attackers.Rebels in recent years have often attacked lone police officers on duty and snatched their service weapons.In separate incidents the same day, one civilian was killed and four others injured in areas of Pakistani Kashmir, the military said. One civilian embraced shahadat (martyrdom) and four were injured due to unprovoked firing by India in Jandrot, Nikhial and Karela sectors, the Pakistani military said in a statement. The Indians started unprovoked firing in the afternoon, which still continues in Nikhial sector. Pakistani troops fittingly responding to Indian firing.Last week a bomb hidden in a steel pot exploded inside the compound of a mosque in Indias southern Kashmir valley, injuring ten people. No rebel group claimed responsibility for the rare explosion.Several groups have for decades battled hundreds of thousands of Indian troops deployed in the region, for independence or a merger of the territory with Pakistan.The conflict has left tens of thousands, mostly civilians, dead.Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end British colonial rule in 1947. Both claim the disputed Himalayan region in its entirety.The two nuclear-armed rivals have fought two wars over Kashmir.The two countries have exchanged heavy mortar fire across their disputed border in Kashmir almost daily since last week. A total of nine civilians on both sides have been killed and many injured.The cross-border exchange of fire continued Tuesday in the southern Poonch sector of the region, said Indias defence ministry spokesman Manish Mehta.

Ukraine, Russia trade blame for sharp violence spike

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KIEV (AFP) - Ukraines pro-Western leadership and Russia traded blame on Tuesday for a sharp escalation in violence that threatened to see all-out warfare return to the former Soviet nations separatist east.Kiev and the insurgents on Monday reported the deaths of at lest 10 soldiers and civilians -- a dramatic escalation that sparked international condemnation and marked the worst bloodshed in more than a month.Russian President Vladimir Putin pinned the upsurge on alleged preparations by Kiev to grab back territories it had lost in the course of the 16-month war.Unfortunately, we are now witnessing an escalation whose blame lies not on the rebels but on their foes, Russian news agencies quoted Putin as saying.I hope that things will not lead to large-scale violence.But Ukrainian army spokesman Vladyslav Seleznyov accused Russia of trying to pile additional pressure on Ukraine.This once again proves that the (insurgents) are not looking for a peaceful way out of this conflict, he told reporters in Kiev.The Ukrainian army on Tuesday reported the death of one serviceman and the injury of another in the Russian-speaking provinces of Lugansk and Donetsk.But the military also noted a sharp drop-off in the number of provocative attacks on Ukrainian positions.Some separatist offensives have previously been halted by strong Western criticism of Russia -- an increasingly isolated giant that faces the threat of even stronger Western sanctions for its alleged support of most rebel campaigns.Moscow denies the charges and in turn accuses Washington of orchestrating the February 2014 ouster of a Moscow-backed president of Ukraine that sparked the current conflict.Mondays clashes were the culmination of days of restlessness in the former Soviet nation that saw the number of rocket and heavy artillery fire exchanges climb to levels not recorded since the signing of a very loosely observed February armistice.The militias have been trying to seize a road linking their de facto capital Donetsk with Mariupol, a southeastern port held by the government and responsible for exporting much of the industrial regions factory output.Mariupol also provides a land bridge between eastern rebel territories and the Crimea peninsula that Russia seized from Ukraine in March 2014.But Mondays deaths came from strikes across the warzone.France said Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko would travel to Berlin on Monday to discuss the latest spike in violence with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande -- the Wests main sponsors of the February accord.Some analysts in Kiev saw Putins exclusion from the meeting as a diplomatic snub.The violence has sparked a new diplomatic flareup between Moscow and Western powers who want to prop up Kievs new pro-European leaders against what they view as Russian aggression.There can be no mistake as to who is responsible -- Russia and the separatists are launching these attacks, just as they escalated the conflict last August, US State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters.He appeared to be referring to Ukraines loss of hundreds of soldiers who were surrounded by a far more heavily-armed militia unit in the east a year ago.Russias foreign ministry denounced Kirbys comments as the US State Departments effective approval of the Ukrainian armys attacks on rebel positions.Some Kiev politicians accuse Moscow of planning a new rebel offensive that could rattle the Ukrainian leadership enough to reverse its plans to implement a landmark trade treaty with the European Union at the start of next year.Russia has already threatened to expand its list of banned Ukrainian food imports should the agreement go into effect.Yet Poroshenko said on Monday that he and EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker had agreed by telephone that the free trade zone should be strengthened as of January 1.The United Nations believes the conflict -- Europes deadliest since the 1990s wars in the Balkans -- has killed more than 6,800 people and driven 1.4 million from their homes.

Up to 150 drowned, shot dead fleeing Boko Haram in Nigeria

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KANO (AFP) - Up to 150 people drowned in a river or were shot dead fleeing Boko Haram gunmen who raided a remote village in Nigerias northeastern Yobe state, residents said on Tuesday.Dozens of militants arrived on motorcycles and in a car on Thursday last week and sprayed automatic gunfire, scattering terrified inhabitants of Kukuwa-Gari.They opened fire instantly, which forced residents to flee. They shot a number of people. Unfortunately many residents who tried to flee plunged into the river which is full from the rain. Many drowned, Modu Balumi, a resident of the village, told AFP.By our latest toll we have 150 people either (shot dead) or drowned in the attack. The gunmen deliberately killed a fisherman who tried to save drowning residents of the village. Balumi said the bodies of many of the drowned were picked out by locals several kilometres away.News of the attack was slow to emerge because the militants have destroyed telecom masts around the village, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) from Yobe State capital Damaturu, since the insurgency began in 2009.Most residents, particularly women and children, ran towards the river in confusion,said Bukar Tijjani, another villager, who confirmed the death toll.They were pursued by the gunmen who kept firing at them. In the frantic effort to escape they jumped into the river, which was full to the brim.A local government official confirmed the attack but put the death toll much lower, at around 50.The higher count would constitute the largest loss of life in any single Boko Haram attack since President Muhammadu Buhari swept to power on May 29, vowing to crush the insurgency.The ambush came during the regions peak rainy season, when most waterways in northeastern Nigeria are swollen and can flow with dangerous speed.The village was still reeling from a raid by suspected Boko Haram militants on July 31 when at least 10 people were killed by gunmen who burned homes, food silos and livestock.The Gujba area of Yobe state, where Kukuwa-Gari village is located, has been hit hard by Boko Haram violence in the past but had seen relative calm since troops reclaimed it in March.In September 2013 scores of students of an agricultural college in the area were massacred as they slept in their dormitories.In February last year dozens of students of a boarding secondary school in the main town of Buni Yadi were also killed in a gun attack on their hostels.Boko Haram claimed responsibility for both attacks.The jihadist militia, which has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, has waged a violent campaign for a separate Islamic homeland in the northeast which has seen more than 15,000 deaths since 2009.Ryan Cummings, chief security analyst at South African consultancy Red 24 and an expert on the Nigerian insurgency, said the Kukuwa-Gari attack underlined that victory against the Islamists could not be defined by territorial control. Many areas liberated by the army were more than likely abandoned by Boko Haram who preferred not to engage troops in conventional warfare, he said. Consequently, while localities such as Kukuwa-Gari have been reclaimed from rebel hands, Boko Haram continues to possess both the intent and operational capacity to execute attacks against these settlements, he told AFP. Furthermore, what the Nigerian army is witnessing now is that snapshot operations to liberate civilian populations is a much easier task than actually securing communities from the ever-present threat of further attacks.The military under Buharis predecessor Goodluck Jonathan was heavily criticised for poor handling of the insurgency and its failure to free more than 200 schoolgirls abducted from the northeastern town of Chibok in April last year.Since Buhari took office, the militants have stepped up their campaign with a wave of raids, bombings and suicide attacks which have left more than 1,000 people dead in Nigeria alone, according to an AFP count. The Islamists have also carried out deadly ambushes across Nigerias borders and in recent weeks suicide bombers, many of them women, have staged several attacks in Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad.Nigerias new leader replaced his military chiefs last week, ordering them to end the insurgency within three months, and a five-nation regional force of 8,700 troops from Nigeria and its neighbours is expected to deploy imminently.Chadian leader Idriss Deby declared on August 12 that efforts to combat Boko Haram had succeeded in decapitating the group and that its fearsome leader Abubakar Shekau had been replaced by a commander open to negotiations.But Shekau dramatically rebuffed the claim in an audio recording released on Sunday and authenticated by security analysts, dismissing the Chadian head-of-state as a hypocrite and a tyrant.

US military deploys troops to help in California wildfires

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LOS ANGELES (AFP) - The US Army is sending hundreds of troops to help tackle wildfires raging across parched California, authorities said Tuesday, while also warning of the growing risk posed by drone pilots flying over affected areas.Navy Captain Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, said 200 troops from Washington state would receive three days training before heading to California to help the 12,000 or so firefighters in the region.This is the first time since 2006 that (the Defense Department) has mobilized federal active duty military personnel to fight wildfires, Davis said.Eighteen wildfires are currently raging in California, and 10 states around the country are reporting large fires. A heatwave is exacerbating four years of drought and making California even more vulnerable.State fire agency CAL FIRE cautioned of a growing problem of people flying hobby drones over affected areas.A collision with a hobby drone could easily result in major damage to firefighting aircraft, injuries to the pilot... or worse, a midair collision, the agency said in a statement. If you fly, we cantThe Pentagon has already deployed four firefighting air tankers to help in efforts.Another 440 soldiers and airmen from the California National Guard have also been mobilized.Temperatures are expected to cool to more normal seasonal levels starting Wednesday in Southern California, but high winds will continue to threaten the spread of blazes.

England in search of history as Clarke bows out

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LONDON (AFP) - England may have already regained the Ashes but captain Alastair Cook is determined not to let-up when they face Australia in the fifth and final Test at The Oval on Thursday -- a match that marks rival skipper Michael Clarkes farewell to international cricket.Cooks men triumphed by an innings and 78 runs in the fourth Test at Trent Bridge to take an unbeatable 3-1 lead in the series after Australia, with England paceman Stuart Broad taking a stunning eight for 15, were dismissed for just 60 in 111 balls on the opening morning -- the shortest completed first innings of any Test.No England side has ever won four Tests in a home Ashes series. But they are now within sight of their biggest margin of victory since Mike Brearley led England to a 5-1 success Down Under against an Australia side weakened by defections to the rebel World Series Cricket in 1978/79.Taking this series 4-1 would certainly go some way to avenging the memory of the 5-0 whitewash inflicted upon England in Australia some 18 months ago.Cooky called us all on Tuesday, to say: Lets make sure we turn up knowing that were in a battle and that we want to start again, Because Ive got a burning desire for this to be 4-1, Broad said. Certainly those of us involved in that 5-0 loss (in 2013-14) feel that determination to make this a good week, he added.England have two major selection decisions this week -- whether to recall James Anderson, their all-time leading wicket-taker, who missed the fourth Test because of a side injury and whether they should give a Test debut to leg-spinner Adil Rashid.Given how well Englands pacemen, led by Broad, performed in Andersons absence, there seems little point in rushing their spearhead back ahead of tours to the United Arab Emirates and South Africa.Trevor Bayliss, Englands Australian coach, has spoken all series of how he is prepared to play two spinners and Rashid would certainly come into consideration against Pakistan in the UAE, where the pitches assist slow bowlers.There has been talk of how England could promote off-spinning all-rounder Moeen Ali to open in place of the struggling Adam Lyth to make space to play Rashid as well.But the memory of how England gave a debut to left-arm spinner Simon Kerrigan in the corresponding Ashes Test at The Oval two years only for the Lancashire bowler -- who hasnt played senior international cricket since -- to be smashed for 53 in the eight overs he bowled is sufficiently fresh in the memory to make it likely that Cook will lead an unchanged team.Australias top-order had another miserable week as their side were nearly made to follow-on by an under-strength Northamptonshire, one of Englands weaker counties, last weekend.Clarke, one of Australias greatest batsmen will be desperate to finish with a flourish as indeed will opener Chris Rogers, who is also retiring from international cricket after the fifth Test.Id be lying if I said there wasnt a lot of disappointment amongst the group, said Rogers, with Australia now having lost four successive Ashes series in England. We came here to win and weve been outplayed. Its been a difficult week. A lot of guys have felt a bit flat, I imagine. This is a big last game. Obviously its Michaels retirement as well, but not only that, theres places up for grabs in this side. No ones taking that for granted, Rogers added.All-rounder Mitchell Marsh is set to replace older brother Shaun as the siblings continue to play pass the parcel with a Test place, while paceman Pat Cummins, restricted to a lone Test against South Africa in November 2011 because of fitness problems, could come in for Josh Hazlewood, struggling with shin soreness.Ive been bowling for two years straight, said Cummins. I cant be any more ready if I get the call-up, added the fast bowler. Dont tell him this is a dead match.

Tennis: Teen star Bencic on a roll in Cincinnati

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CINCINNATI (AFP) - Swiss teenager Belinda Bencic maintained her recent giant-killing form at the ATP and WTA Cincinnati Masters here Tuesday with a battling 7-5, 6-3 win over higher-ranked German opponent Angelique Kerber.Bencic, 18, is brimming with confidence after winning in Toronto at the weekend after a tournament which included a stunning semi-final defeat of Grand Slam-chasing world number one Serena Williams. The teenager, coached by Melanie Molitor, mother of Martina Hingis, said Tuesday she was pleased with her mental strength after recovering from 5-1 down in the first set to defeat 11th seed Kerber. Im so happy that I could win, she said of her Toronto title. It was very nice from the crowd, the great atmosphere on the court. I just tried to fight for every point. Its amazing that I could beat so many players so high ranking and top players in the same week.I think I definitely improved my tennis, and I hope I can bring it also to here. Bencic, whose ranking has now reached 12 after her win in Toronto, reeled off four games in succession to level the first set 5-5 after trailing early on to Kerber. She then broke for 6-5 and took the set a game later. In the second she began with a break on the way to the win. I dont need to adjust my goals because I dont set them like particularly for the ranking, she said. I just look from match to match. I would never expect to be number 12 right now. Elsewhere Tuesday, Sloane Stephens took down another seed as she beat number 10 Carla Suarez Navarro 6-1, 6-2. Frances Kristina Mladenovic overcame Daniela Hantuchova 6-2, 6-1; Flavia Pennetta defeated former Australian Open finalist Domenika Cibulkova 7-5, 6-2. Mona Barthel beat Australian Casey Dellacqua in a 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) comeback while Caroline Garcia beat Sabine Lisicki 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Former number one Victoria Azarenka reached the second round 6-1, 6-2 over Lauren Davis. But the Belarus player hinted at a non-critical medical issue which she refused to specify, only to say that she is now working with doctors to deal with it. I would just like to keep it for myself at the moment. Im fine, Im not in danger. Im not sick or something, she said. In the mens draw, US Open winner Marin Cilic, the seventh seed, beat Joao Sousa 6-4, 6-2, while Spains Feliciano Lopez stopped Canadian Milos Raonic 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 as the ninth seed lost an opening match for the second straight week. Sam Querrey put out John Isner 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) and South African 15th seed Kevin Anderson defeated Leonardo Mayer 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 6-1. Controversial Nick Kyrgios was dumped out, a 6-2, 6-1 first-round victim of French 12th seed Richard Gasquet. Kyrgios, building a reputation as the bad boy of the game, was unremarkable in his loss, which lasted for only 56 minutes.Gasquet now owns a 4-1 lead in their series and set up a second-round clash with Australian qualifier Thanasi Kokkinakis.

Football: Depay double gives Man United play-off edge

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MANCHESTER (AFP) - Memphis Depay announced himself to Old Trafford with two stylish goals as Manchester United came from behind to beat Club Brugge 3-1 in Tuesdays Champions League play-off first leg.Bidding to reach the group phase after a first season out of the competition in 19 years, United fell behind to an early Michael Carrick own goal, only for Depay to turn the game around before half-time with a pair of brilliant strikes.Brandon Mechele was sent off for the visitors in the second half, but it was not until stoppage time, when substitute Marouane Fellaini converted a cross from Depay, that Louis van Gaals side truly took control of the tie, which concludes in Bruges next week.It (Fellainis goal) makes a difference because 2-1 is a very difficult result, said United manager Van Gaal.I am very happy for Memphis because a player needs that. I said it was a matter of time and hopefully he shall continue.Depay told BT Sport: It is a nice feeling to score two goals at Old Trafford. We have to travel to Bruges and finish the job.It had been 504 days since Old Trafford last hosted a Champions League game and there was a tangible sense of anticipation in the air as United made a vibrant start to the game.But it was the hordes in blue and black in the East Stand who were the first to leap from their seats as Club Brugge took a shock eighth-minute lead.Victor Vazquezs free-kick from deep on the left flicked off Adnan Januzaj and in attempting to clear the ball, Carrick succeeded only shinning it past his own goalkeeper, Sergio Romero, from 16 yards.It was the first goal United had conceded this season, but they were level within five minutes as Depay opened his account for the club in style.Picked out by Carricks pass, the Dutchman chested the ball up and flicked it over a defenders head before tiptoeing into the box and arrowing a right-foot strike into the bottom-right corner.The giant stadium erupted and although Romero was required to field a volley from Dion Cools, United would not be sated.Wayne Rooney had a volley hooked off the line by Vazquez and Depay squandered a one-on-one by trying to find Januzaj, only to overcook his pass, before warming Sebastien Bruzzeses palms from range.The visitors cause was not helped by the sight of veteran skipper Timmy Simons limping off through injury, with Claudemir replacing him, and in the 43rd minute the hosts went ahead courtesy of another fine strike from Depay.This time the 21-year-old cut inside his marker wide on the left and arced a glorious shot inside the right-hand post from the corner of the box.It was the first indication that the Dutch winger, a 25 million pound ($39.1 million, 35.2 million euros) signing from PSV Eindhoven, might have what it takes to take on the mantle of feted former United number sevens such as George Best, Eric Cantona and Cristiano Ronaldo.But for long periods of the second half it looked like United would fail to build on their lead, with Bruzzese saving from Juan Mata and Depay, while Rooney and Depay shot wide.The Dutchman then spurned a chance to complete his hat-trick in picture-book fashion, hoisting the ball into the Stretford End after Rooney had nudged Luke Shaws pass into his stride with a delicious back-heel.Romero gave the home fans a moment of discomfort when he dawdled over a back-pass, which almost let in visiting substitute Obbi Oulaure, but United were otherwise untroubled.Mechele saw red in the 80th minute after receiving a second yellow card for a foul on substitute Javier Hernandez and United finally made their dominance count when Fellaini headed home in the 94th minute.This last goal was very bad for the confidence, said visiting coach Michel Preudhomme. Its a pity we let this one in.

Football: Late Keita winner boosts Lazio

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ROME (AFP) - Keita Balde came off the bench to hit a priceless second-half winner for Lazio as the Serie A side beat Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 to boost their group stage qualifying hopes ahead of the second leg of their Champions League play-off next week.Lazio shaded the first half against the Bundesliga side and Spanish striker Keita, replacing veteran German striker Miroslav Klose at the break, finally made the break in the 77th minute when he ran on to a through ball to muscle past the Leverkusen defence to slot past Bernd Leno at the goalkeepers far post.Leverkusen, though, had been unlucky prior to 20-year-old Keitas strike. Admir Mehmedi skewed a shot just wide of the post just after the hour and Hakan Calhanoglu came close twice to break the deadlock.Those misses proved costly and Keitas goal took the wind out of Bayers sails and has given Stefano Piolis side, third-place finishers in last seasons Serie A, hope that they can join Italian champions Juventus and Roma in the group stages of the Champions League next month.

Athletics: Bubka, Coe face off for IAAF presidency

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BEIJING (AFP) - Athletics greats Sergey Bubka and Sebastian Coe will vie for the presidency of world body the IAAF on Wednesday in a pivotal vote which will shape the future of the drug-tainted sport.Members of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) 214 federations will cast their ballots at a vast convention centre in Beijing, with a result expected at about 1:00 pm (0500 GMT).The election comes just days before the start of the biennial world championships at Beijings Birds Nest stadium, after a build-up marked by doping controversies.Coe, the British Olympic champion runner who helmed the successful London 2012 Summer Games, is considered the narrow favourite for the presidency ahead of Bubka, the Ukrainian pole-vault great.Insiders predict a close contest, with hints that Coe may just have edged ahead of his rival although Bubka proclaimed himself very confident.Both Bubka, 51, and Coe, 58, are considerably younger than the current president, Senegals 82-year-old Lamine Diack, who is stepping down after 16 years in charge.When confronted with painful issues such as doping the IAAF have always stood firm and we continue to lead the way in this global fight against cheating, Diack told AFP.I have said on many occasions that when the day comes where we no longer can believe what we see then sport is dead, he added.But I am convinced that the majority of athletes compete clean. We have an obligation to them to root out the cheats and make sure that it is possible to win clean.The credibility of both athletics and the IAAF has come under repeated attack in recent weeks, after British and German media said a leaked database of 12,000 tests had revealed extraordinary levels of doping.The IAAF slammed the allegations as sensationalist and confusing and also dismissed a later Sunday Times report that it blocked the publication of a document showing extensive doping among top athletes.Last week, the world body provisionally suspended 28 athletes for suspected doping offences at the 2005 and 2007 world championships, although most have now retired and none had been due to compete in Beijing.But doping issues will feature prominently at the Birds Nest when US sprinter Justin Gatlin, twice banned for drugs but now in the form of his life aged 33, takes on Jamaican superstar Usain Bolt in the 100m on the opening weekend.Bubka, who has been involved with the IAAF since 2001 and has served as vice-president since 2007, is standing for both the presidency and the vice-presidency.But Coe, who moved on from sports to become a Conservative politician in Britain before overseeing the London Olympics, is standing for just the presidency.The manifestoes of the two former stars are not strikingly different, though one major divergence is Coes insistence on establishing an independent drug-testing body. Bubka would prefer to continue working with the World Anti-Doping Agency.Either candidate, if elected, will be taking on the weighty task of restoring the credibility and popularity of track and field, the biggest Olympic sport but still a minnow in financial terms.

Hodgson proud of England's Ashes success

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LONDON (AFP) - England football manager Roy Hodgson was on hand at The Oval on Tuesday to give his congratulations to Alastair Cooks Ashes-winners in person.Hodgson, accompanied by assistant Ray Lewington, chatted to players from both the England and Australia teams as they trained ahead of the Ashes finale at the south London ground, which starts on Thursday. He had been invited to The Oval by Australia doctor Peter Brukner, who worked with Hodgson when they were both at Premier League giants Liverpool.The former Reds manager even had time to cast his eye over the England cricketers warm-up football kickabout -- with the likes of Adam Lyth and Jonny Bairstow having being promising soccer players in their youth. Hodgsons England side are currently unbeaten in their qualification campaign for the 2016 European Championships in France and are not in action until they face minnows San Marino next month. And he stayed on to give a short team talk to Cooks men, whove already clinched the Ashes after their innings and 78-run win over Australia in the fourth Test at Trent Bridge gave them an unbeatable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.The Oval clash comes ahead of Englands tours of the United Arab Emirates and South Africa, the worlds top-ranked Test nation, with Cooks team looking to do what no England side has done before in winning four matches in a home Ashes series.I just congratulated them on regaining the Ashes and wished them luck on their tours this winter to the UAE and South Africa, said Hodgson.As for the England cricketers football skills, Hodgson added: They were good.It comes as no surprise that people who are good at one sport are good at another.A couple of them could probably have had a career in professional football -- but thankfully for us, they chose cricket.Bairstow said he hoped he had caught Hodgsons eye.Its great to have Roy here watching on, he said.I used to be in the academy at Leeds United, so Im sure hell spot my talent -- and that will be a big factor in the way I play.However, Hodgson kept his thoughts about specific players to himself.I didnt really watch long enough to pick out individuals -- and even if I did, it wouldnt be fair to name anyone in particular, he said.Like many English sports fans of his generation, the 68-year-old Hodgson grew up watching both football and cricket. I watched county cricket as a boy, he said. But then I lived abroad for the bulk of my footballing and mature life - so in actual fact, Ive rekindled my interest and love of the game since I came back to England about eight years ago.Australia opener Chris Rogers confirmed Hodgsons youthful enthusiasm for cricket by saying: He talked about watching county cricket in the 1950s, so hes got a fair bit of history there.History is what Cooks team have made in the Ashes and Hodgson hopes its the start of a run of success that includes the national rugby union team, with England hosting the World Cup that starts next month, and his own side as well. The support for the cricket team is fully deserved, of course -- because theyve had great success winning back the Ashes, said Hodgson.We hope thats going to carry on (in the Rugby World Cup) for (coach) Stuart (Lancaster) and the team - and we hope, even more so from a personal point of view, its going to carry over into France 2016.If the rugby team does well also, well have two very good role models, Hodgson added.

Dollar steady, pound up after inflation climbs

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The dollar was largely steady against most major rivals Tuesday except for the pound, which firmed after British inflation data supported expectations of a Bank of England interest rate hike.The trading this week is much more technically based than fundamentally based for the euro and the dollar, said Boris Schlossberg of BK Asset Management.Not only was the market absent a number of traders during the summer holiday peak, but there were few US and European indicators to give direction, except for a rise in US housing starts in July and the British inflation report.Tomorrow obviously is going to the big day of the week with the FOMC minutes and perhaps well get some movement after that, Schlossberg said.The Federal Open Market Committee has kept the benchmark federal funds rate near zero since late 2008 to support the economys recovery from the severe 2008-2009 recession. The minutes of the FOMCs July meeting were scheduled for release Wednesday at 1800 GMT.The minutes could give insight into the timing of the interest rate increase planned for this year, perhaps as early as September.The pound, meanwhile, advanced after official data showed that Britains annual inflation rate rose to 0.1 percent in July from zero in June. Markets rewarded the pound with a pop to its highest in nearly seven weeks after a surprise uptick in UK inflation bolstered views that Britain was among a sparse global community contemplating higher interest rates, said Joe Manimbo of Western Union Business Solutions.

Oil prices higher ahead of US inventory data

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Oil prices rose modestly Tuesday as traders looked ahead to weekly US commercial inventory data that could shed insights into demand in the worlds largest consumer of crude oil.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for September delivery closed at $42.62 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, up 75 cents from Mondays settlement.Brent North Sea crude for October, the international benchmark, spent most of the day in the red but managed to eke out a gain of seven cents, finishing at $48.81 a barrel in London trade.Theres not too much today to influence prices, said Matt Smith, director of commodity research at ClipperData.Smith pointed to the WTI rebound ahead of the American Petroleum Institutes weekly oil data report, saying the consensus estimate was for a decrease of two million barrels in US crude inventories.The API is scheduled to publish the report after the market closes Tuesday. The official weekly inventories report from the Department of Energy is due Wednesday.Experts surveyed by Bloomberg News on average forecast the DoE would report that US crude-oil stockpiles had fallen by 750,000 barrels for the week ending August 14.Should we see a bearish build, that will send prices heading lower again, I should think, Smith said.Some analysts predict that will be the case. Carl Larry of Frost & Sullivan said he expected a slowdown in refinery usage and problems at a big refinery in Whiting, Indiana, would add to US crude inventories that are near historically high levels.But Larry said that WTI is bottoming out after falling about 30 percent in the past two months.This $40 area is pretty low, its the lowest weve seen in quite a long time, since 2009, and I think that theres a little bit of room to go lower, he said, citing $38 a barrel as the worst case.Were not in a bad economy right now -- when we talk about weak demand, were talking about China or Europe, were not talking about America, Larry said.BMI Research predicted the global supply glut would persist until 2018.The return of Iranian oil to market, coupled with strong project pipelines in North America, the Middle East, west Africa and Kazakhstan, will see global supply expansion outstrip the growth in global consumption for the next two years, it said.

S.Africa minister casts doubt on Pistorius release

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JOHANNESBURG (AFP) - South Africas justice minister cast doubt Tuesday on the expected imminent release from prison of Paralympian star Oscar Pistorius, who was convicted of killing his girlfriend.Pistorius has spent less than a year behind bars since being convicted in a sensational trial of culpable homicide -- the equivalent of manslaughter -- and sentenced to five years in prison.But the 28-year-old Blade Runner is due to leave jail on Friday for a form of house arrest, having served one-sixth of his sentence.However, prosecutors this week lodged an appeal urging that the athlete be convicted of the more serious crime of murder, which carries a minimum sentence of 15 years.Pistorius does not dispute that he shot model and law graduate Reeva Steenkamp four times through a locked toilet door in his Pretoria home in the early hours of Valentines Day in 2013.But he said he mistook the 29-year-old for an intruder. Prosecutors insist that he deliberately killed her after an argument.The double amputee won international fame after racing against able-bodied competitors in the 2012 London Olympics, and his trial was broadcast live around the world.Justice and Correctional Services Minister Michael Masutha told eNCA television that he is seeking legal advice on Pistoriuss planned release, which has been widely criticised.In response to a petition from a rights group asking him to block the release, Masutha said he needs to know if the release is lawful, and whether he has the legal power to intervene.Im confident that by Friday I would be in a position to determine whether legally I have the authority to do anything, Msutha said.Reeva Steenkamps family has expressed dismay at his imminent release.

Greek government slightly eases capital controls

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ATHENS (AFP) - The Greek government on Tuesday revealed it was easing slightly the capital controls imposed on the debt-hit country by allowing individuals to transfer 500 euros ($550) per month abroad.Almost all transfers from Greek bank accounts to foreign bank accounts had been banned by the capital controls introduced on June 29 to stop a panicked outflow of cash from the countrys banks.According to the government decree published in the official journal Tuesday, individuals can also send out of Greece 5,000 euros every three months to their children who are studying in foreign countries and up to 8,000 euros with documents proving those expenses.At the same time, the limit on weekly cash withdrawals within Greece remains unchanged at 420 euros.Businesses can transfer money abroad more easily to pay for exports, but still within tight limits and with certain products given priority such as medicines, fuel and food.The controls however have forced companies to get large bill payments to foreign suppliers approved by a government commission -- a process that has slowed things down so much that some frustrated foreign companies have begun demanding payment in advance.
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