Wednesday 26 August 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Five die in rebel rocket fire on Syria's Homs

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DAMASCUS (AFP) - Five people were killed and 20 wounded Wednesday when rebel rocket fire hit a petrol station in a government-held part of Syrias central Homs city, state news agency SANA said.The missile fire set fire to a tanker as it was unloading in the Inshaat neighbourhood of Homs, which is the provincial capital and largely under government control, SANA said.The rocket fire came from Talbisseh in northern Homs province where extremist groups led by (Al-Qaeda affiliate) Al-Nusra Front are located, the agency added.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, also reported five dead in a blast at the petrol station, with 40 people injured.But it said there was conflicting information on whether the blast was caused by a tanker exploding or rocket fire hitting the station.The monitor said the toll was likely to rise because a number of the wounded were in serious condition.Most of the central Homs province is under regime control, though rebels are present in Homs citys Waer district and a few other areas in the province.The Islamic State group also controls parts of eastern Homs province, including the ancient town of Palmyra.

India's Gujarat state hit by violent caste-related protests

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NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India deployed paramilitary forces and imposed a curfew in the western state of Gujarat on Wednesday after violence broke out at a protest led by a powerful clan to demand more government jobs and college places.The protests pose a challenge to the authority of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who ran Gujarat for more than a decade before winning last years general election.At least half a million members of the Patidar, or Patel, community rallied on Tuesday in the city of Ahmedabad to demand changes to policies that, they argue, unfairly favor groups at the lower end of Indias social order.Clashes broke out after the arrest of the movements leader, 21-year-old activist Hardik Patel, forcing police to fire teargas and to baton-charge protesters.The agitators clashed with the police and members of the lower castes. They have burnt down nine police stations and over three dozen buses, P.C. Thakur, Gujarats top police officer, told Reuters.We had to impose a curfew to control the clashes. Offices, trading houses and educational institutions will not open today.The Patels, a wealthy business community in India and overseas, have been a driving force in the countrys economic growth. The community dominates the thriving diamond trade, oil processing and the textile industry.But they say that caste-based reservations deprive them of opportunities. They insist the government should put an end to affirmative action policies that favor Muslims, low-caste Hindus and Other Backward Classes - a collective term covering socially and educationally deprived groups.Caste-based reservations has always been a sensitive issue in India, used often as a tool for what is called vote-bank politics.In a recent speech, Modi said that India must overcome its caste-based divisions, and work towards a more merit-based society. Modi comes from a lowly caste included in the Other Backward Classes, and has made much of his rise to power from humble origins as the son of a tea seller.Caste politics are likely to play a role in a forthcoming state election in the state of Bihar, whose chief minister Nitish Kumar belongs to the Patel community and has sympathized with the Gujarat protesters.

Syrian rebel commander killed in Turkey car bomb

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ISTANBUL (AFP) - A commander of a Syrian rebel group fighting the regime of President Bashar al-Assad was killed Wednesday in a car bomb attack in southern Turkey, local officials said.Jamil Raadoun died of his wounds in hospital after the bomb exploded outside his home in Antakya in the southern Hatay region, regional governor Ercan Topaca told the state-run Anatolia news agency.Raadoun, who had defected from the Syrian army, was leading a medium-sized non-Islamist rebel unit called the Suqur al-Ghab brigades that has been fighting in the Al-Ghab plain in northwestern Syria.Topaca told the agency that the attack could have been the result of a dispute between rival rebel groups.Television pictures showed the wreck of his car being cordoned off by police, with the bomb apparently placed under the drivers seat.The Dogan news agency said the bomb went off when Raadoun turned the keys to start the ignition.He had previously been the target of an unsuccessful assassination attempt in April. Anatolia said Suqur al-Ghab, one of many non-Islamist rebel groups, counts some 2,000 people.According to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Suqur al-Ghab contributed to a recent offensive in Al-Ghab with artillery fire and rockets.Turkey, which bitterly opposes the Damascus regime, has said that the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and other moderate rebels are key to ousting Assad from power.

In Syria border town, battle intensifies after mistrust sinks cease-fire

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DAMASCUS (Agencies) - A cease-fire agreement two weeks ago in the Syrian border town of Zabadani was meant to allow for a relatively peaceful transfer of populations out of multiple war zones, a step toward a smaller but more defendable Syrian state.But the truce in the former summer resort town 18 miles from Damascus quickly broke down, an indication of the deep animosity and mistrust that characterize the largely sectarian Syrian conflict. The fighting has now resumed in earnest.The battle has been especially costly for Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militia supporting the embattled Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad. Nevertheless, the Iranian-backed militia reportedly has rejected appeals from Zabadani’s rebel defenders for renewed cease-fire negotiations.More than 30 Hezbollah fighters are estimated to have been killed fighting well-dug-in rebels in Zabadani, five miles from the border with Lebanon, since the operation to recapture the town began in early July, according to diplomatic sources. In the past week alone, eight Hezbollah fighters were killed, Lebanon’s Al-Manar television reported.In an interview with Hezbollah’s Al-Manar television broadcast Tuesday evening, Mr. Assad offered glowing praise to his Russian, Iranian, and Hezbollah allies, saying Hezbollah’s presence in Syria was “legitimate,” unlike the armed opposition to his rule, whom he described as “terrorists.”He also expressed confidence that Moscow and Tehran would continue to stand by Damascus.Hezbollah fighters began deploying covertly into Syria in 2012, and their presence was only confirmed by the party’s leader, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, in May 2013 during a bloody 17-day assault by the Shiite organization on the rebel-held town of Qusayr, five miles north of Lebanon’s border.Since then, Hezbollah combatants have fought in multiple theaters from Aleppo in the north to Deraa in the south, in many cases supplanting the exhausted and depleted Syrian army in spearheading offensives against the rebels.But Assad has lost another 18 percent of the Syria’s territory to rebel forces and the extremist Islamic State group since January, reducing the regime’s hold to a mere sixth of the country, according to an analysis by the UK-based IHS-Jane’s Conflict Monitor.The territorial retreats and daily casualties that continue to sap the strength of the loyalist forces have encouraged Iran to seek cease-fire deals with Syrian militant groups. Two weeks ago, a tenuous cease-fire was arranged with the militant Islamist Ahrar ash-Sham faction. Hezbollah’s assault on Zabadani was suspended in exchange for a cessation of rebel attacks on two surrounded Shiite villages, Fouaa and Kefraya, in the northern Idlib province and the provision of humanitarian supplies to the stricken areas.The broader deal Iran sought was to transfer the Sunni population of Zabadani to rebel-held areas in exchange for the removal of Shiites of Fouaa and Kefraya from their homes to settle into regime-controlled areas around Damascus. For Iran and the Assad regime, such an arrangement would strengthen the Damascus government’s control over the key terrain linking the Syrian capital with the Mediterranean coast, the heartland of the Alawite community, a Shiite splinter sect to which Assad belongs.But the cease-fire broke down after three days, reportedly when Ahrar ash-Sham and other factions rejected the sectarian population transfers and the Syrian regime refused a rebel demand for the release of 40,000 detainees.In Zabadani, Hezbollah is making slow progress. Although the town has been battered with barrel bombs, rocket strikes, and artillery shelling, the rebel forces have constructed bunkers and deep underground tunnels that provide protection and allow for movement in relative safety. Booby-traps and snipers also bedevil Hezbollah’s advance deeper into Zabadani.Nevertheless, Hezbollah and its Iranian backers have reportedly rejected cease-fire appeals, suggesting that the Lebanese group intends to press ahead with its assault until the town is captured.

More than 1,000 NATO paratroopers mount exercise in Germany

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BERLIN (AFP) - More than 1,000 NATO paratroopers jumped from aircraft above Germany Wednesday in one of the alliances largest airborne training exercise in Europe since the Cold War ended, the US army said.Amid a drive by NATO to boost its defences in light of the Ukraine crisis, 11 member countries are taking part in Exercise Swift Response at the US training area of Hohenfels in southern Germany. It will run until September 13.The paratroopers are now conducting follow-on operations in Hohenfels that focus on crisis response and building a cohesive NATO team of European high readiness forces, US Army spokesman Christian Marquardt said in an email to AFP.Airborne drills were taking place in Italy, Bulgaria and Romania as well with a total of more than 4,800 soldiers from Britain, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and the United States.Russias annexation of Crimea in March 2014 and fighting in eastern Ukraine which has claimed 6,800 lives have sparked the worst East-West tensions since the Cold War.NATO last week warned pro-Russian separatists against grabbing more land in eastern Ukraine and stressed Moscow has a special responsibility to help restore peace as fighting escalates.After a meeting in Brussels, the members of the 28-nation, US-led alliance expressed their serious concern about the recent sharp escalation of violence.

Thai elephant kills keeper, runs off with 3 Chinese on its back

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CHIANG MAI (Agencies) - An elephant in northern Thailand went berserk Wednesday, killing his mahout keeper before running off into the jungle with three terrified Chinese tourists still on his back, police said.The mahout who was killed was Karen and he was not familiar with the elephant. They (the tourists) are safe now, Colonel Thawatchai Thepboon, police commander of Mae Wang district in Chiang Mai province, told AFP.The Karen are an ethnic minority widespread in northern Thailand.Police said the incident took place at 9.30am (0230 GMT) as a Chinese family of three -- a father, mother and a young child -- took a ride on the back of a male elephant.Rides are a popular and lucrative tourist activity but many animal rights groups say it is cruel and stressful for the pachyderms.The elephant had not taken easily to his new keeper and turned on him suddenly, goring him to death, Channel 3 reported.The channel broadcast footage of the three frightened tourists being led back to camp still on the elephants back once it had been calmed down by other mahouts and their rides.Thailands roughly 4,000 domesticated elephants outnumber an estimated 2,500 remaining in the wild.Domestic elephants in Thailand -- where the pachyderm is a national symbol -- have been used en masse in the tourist trade since they found themselves unemployed in 1989 when logging was banned.Accidents are not unheard of. In June an elephant killed a Thai man and injured another as they were eating dinner at a beachside restaurant. The pair had been talking to the animals mahout when it suddenly flipped.Rights groups have documented the more unscrupulous mahouts using controversial techniques to crush the animals spirit or severely overworking their rides to make more money.Elephants work every day, of every month, basically 365 days per year, Edwin Wiek, a campaigner from Wildlife Friends of Thailand told AFP.If you had to do the same, you would get stressed. It is the same for elephants. At some point they become crazy and we cant control them.The accident comes as Thailands tourism industry reels from last weeks bombing of a religious shrine in Bangkok, an attack that killed 20 people, mostly ethnic Chinese devotees from across Asia.

NASA sees unavoidable sea level rise ahead

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MIAMI (AFP) - The latest data on sea level rise from global warming suggests that three feet (one meter) or more is unavoidable in the next 100-200 years, NASA scientists said Wednesday.Much uncertainty remains in the predictions -- particularly with regard to timing -- because scientists do not know how fast major polar ice sheets will melt.But a wealth of data in the past few years from satellite instruments shows that oceans are swelling much faster than they have in years past.Given what we know now about how the ocean expands as it warms and how ice sheets and glaciers are adding water to the seas, its pretty certain we are locked into at least three feet (one meter) of sea level rise, and probably more, said Steve Nerem of the University of Colorado, Boulder and leader of NASAs sea level rise team.But we dont know whether it will happen within a century or somewhat longer.The last major predictions were made in 2013 by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).Based on a consensus of international researchers, the IPCC said global sea levels would likely rise from one to three feet by the end of the century.Nerem said new satellite data suggests the higher end of that range is more likely.Scientists are particularly focused on the Greenland ice sheet, which shed an average of 303 gigatons of ice a year over the past decade.Also, the Antarctic ice sheet has lost an average of 118 gigatons a year.But scientists have never seen an ice sheet collapse, so the question of when sea levels will rise drastically is a major mystery.The worlds oceans have risen an average of almost three inches (7.6 cm) since 1992, with some locations rising more than nine inches (23 cm) due to natural variation, NASA said.Weve seen from the paleoclimate record that sea level rise of as much as 10 feet (three meters) in a century or two is possible, if the ice sheets fall apart rapidly, said Tom Wagner, the cryosphere program scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington.Were seeing evidence that the ice sheets are waking up, but we need to understand them better before we can say were in a new era of rapid ice loss.

Coroner: Man dies of injuries from crash 50 years ago

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ALLENTOWN (AP) - Authorities say a man died this week of injuries he sustained when he was hit by a vehicle in eastern Pennsylvania a half-century ago.The Lehigh County coroners office said Richard Albright, 58, died Monday night at the Good Shepherd Home-Raker Center in Allentown.Officials said he was one of two young boys injured in a July 1965 accident in Allentown. The other boy had only minor injuries.The (Allentown) Morning Call said its reports at the time indicated that Albright suffered head injuries and two broken legs. He was reported in critical condition a day after the accident but was said to be holding his own.First Deputy Coroner Eric Minnich said Albrights case is unusual but not unprecedented in terms of the time between the injuries and the persons death.We looked back pretty far to see the chain of events, he told The Morning Call. He was a quadriplegic secondary to this pedestrian accident. He was still receiving treatment for injuries received 50 years earlier.This required a lifetime of treatment and basically he was paralyzed, he said. This is something that he never achieved a full recovery from.

Federer, Nadal at US Open crossroads

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Serena makes case for all-time women's legends

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Serena Williams enters the US Open making a case for herself not only as the greatest womens tennis player in history, but possibly the greatest woman in sports history.The 33-year-old star has sustained a level of excellence few can rival, from winning her first Grand Slam singles title as a teen prodigy at the 1999 US Open to collecting her 21st last month at Wimbledon, completing her second career Serena Slam of holding all four major trophies at once.Winning a record-tying fourth consecutive US Open womens title, a feat last achieved by Chris Evert in 1978, would give Williams something she has never achieved before -- a calendar year Grand Slam -- and link her with only a handful of the games greatest legends, men or women.But its not something world number one Williams wants to contemplate just yet. Its like pondering a good book before the last chapter is written, especially as Williams is penning an epic tale that doesnt appear set to end anytime soon.I just want to play tennis, Williams said. I dont necessarily want to hear about this history and that history, because I just want to be able to do the best that I can. I want to be able to win and I dont want any distractions. Thats how Im going to handle it.When the years final Grand Slam event starts Monday in New York, Williams will be a huge favorite. She has won Wimbledon, the US Open and the Australian Open six times each and collected three French Open crowns.I compete a lot against my standards, Williams said. I have such high standards for myself and I expect the best from me and nothing less.Matching her Serena Slam run from the 2002 French Open through the 2003 Australian Open required Williams to endure numerous three-set fights on London grass, but she emerged triumphant.To have all four at the same time, two times in one career, that totally means a lot, Williams said. It was really important for me to do that.Williams is only one shy of Steffi Grafs Open Era career record of 22 titles and the retired German legend tweeted that Williams feat was incredible and an amazing accomplishment.I see her post things about me and thats pretty awesome, Williams said. I really am still like a kid when I see her or I see posts. I get super excited. Im still living the dream.At 33, Williams is the oldest womens world number one -- no man so old has won a Grand Slam title since 1972 -- and her best might be yet to come.Ive definitely gotten a little better, Williams said. I really dont feel my age. Its gratifying at whatever age you achieve it.Williams is three Slam singles titles shy of matching Australian Margaret Courts all-time record and would join a rare calendar-year Slam list that includes Graf, Court, Maureen Connolly, Don Budge and Rod Laver by winning at Flushing Meadows.I feel OK about my game, Williams said. Im always looking to improve. Im never comfortable. Thats when I think you are susceptible to losing.She became a US Open champion at age 17, only the second African-American woman after Althea Gibson to claim a Grand Slam title. Williams, coached by her father Richard, was toughened on the streets of Los Angeles and by practices with older sister Venus, a seven-time major champion.Maturity brought a fashion design business and a foot in the entertainment realm as an actress, but her domination when focused on tennis has made Williams the likely target for a new generation of record chasers yet to come.I think it will be great, Williams said of such days. I think its amazing. I think I would be really supportive, like Steffi is of me. Its such a great feeling. I always want to see people do well and be successful. I think it will be really cool.

US Open 2015: Nadal says his struggles are on him, not team

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NEW YORK (AP) — Rafael Nadal has won 14 Grand Slam titles while coached by his uncle. A few difficult months wont change his loyalty to Toni Nadal.I have (had) an amazing career with the team that I have today, the same team from the beginning, the younger Nadal said Tuesday. So my feeling is if somethings not working well its not because of your team — its because of myself. The one thing I have to change is myself.That means playing more aggressively. And that can come with greater confidence.Nadal insists his game is coming around, even if it doesnt show much in recent results. Then again, considering he was publicly voicing self-doubt before the French Open, this new assuredness is a notable difference.One of my best things during the whole of my career has been my mental strength, he said. It is something I was not able to find that consistency during this year, but I start to see that I am again with that mentality, with that self-confidence.Nadal is seeded just eighth going into the U.S. Open, which starts Monday. He won the tournament the last time he played in New York but was unable to defend his title last year because of a right wrist injury. Then he was sidelined again by appendix surgery.His run of five consecutive French Open titles ended with a quarterfinal loss to Novak Djokovic, before he was upset in the second round at Wimbledon by 102nd-ranked qualifier Dustin Brown.This month, the 29-year-old Nadal failed to make it past the quarterfinals in two hard-court warmups. But he sees the foundation for greater success, not just in the next two weeks but well beyond.I feel great physically, and thats important for me because thats giving me the confidence in my body thats always been very important (for) the intensity of my movements, Nadal said. If Im healthy and I have the chance to keep working the way Im working now, I believe that I can keep competing well for the next couple of years and keep having chances in the big events.He was in Manhattan on Tuesday taking part in a very different kind of event: a strip-tennis match in a court set up in Bryant Park. See, Nadal is an underwear model for Tommy Hilfiger. A shirtless Nadal also appears in ads for the companys fragrances and tailored line.Hilfiger himself said the tennis star was an appealing endorser because of his sense of style and of course his muscular build. Hilfiger, who serves on the ATPs Business Advisory Board, believes fans will view Nadal as a champion no matter what happens the rest of his career.But, Hilfiger added, noting how Roger Federer rebounded from a rough patch in recent years, I can see him coming back. And were betting on it.For now, Nadal isnt making any bold pronouncements going into the U.S. Open.I will be arrogant if I say I feel ready for the title now after not having a great season, he said. I dont want to say that. I say I am working hard every day. I know I am playing better and I am feeling better mentally than a few months ago.Then (I) need results. I feel closer than ever during the season to be where I want to be. So lets be patient. Lets keep working with that goal and with that intensity, and I hope that helps and works in a not very long period of time.

Bolt targets fourth consecutive 200m title

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BEIJING (AFP) - Sprint king Usain Bolt will lock horns once again with arch-rival Justin Gatlin in his bid to win a fourth consecutive world 200m title on Thursday.Bolt, also reigning double Olympic champion and world record holder over 200m, drew first blood with Gatlin, who has served two doping bans, when he pipped the American by just one-hundredth of a second in Sundays 100m.But it was Gatlin who clocked the fastest time of the semi-finals at the Birds Nest on Wednesday in 19.87 seconds, with the lanky Jamaican second fastest in 19.95.Bolt has the championship form, winner of an astonishing 10 of the last 11 individual Olympic and world sprint titles since shooting to fame at the 2008 Beijing Games.Hes a true competitor, acknowledged the 33-year-old Gatlin, who claimed a world 200m gold in the 2005 Helsinki worlds before serving a 2006-10 suspension after testing positive for testosterone.There are two competitors that like to compete. Youve got to have that rivalry.A smiling Bolt agreed: Ive learned over the years that Im a great competitor.Allegations of widespread doping rocked athletics before the world championships but Bolts 100m victory over a field including four former drug cheats gave the crisis-hit sport a much-needed boost.Other finals on Thursday include the womens hammer throw and 400m, while the mens triple jump will also be contested.The latter promises to be a humdinger of an event, with Christian Taylor of the United States going up against Cuban Pedro Pablo Pichardo.Pichardo and Taylor have produced a season of jumping which has once more seen the mythical 18-metre mark attained on a regular basis.On five occasions, in three separate competitions -– the Doha and Lausanne IAAF Diamond League meetings and Havanas Barrientos Memorial -– the pair have exceeded 18 metres with Taylor maintaining a 3-2 edge.Only three other jumpers -- world record holder Jonathan Edwards of Britain, American Kenny Harrison and injured Frenchman Teddy Tamgho -- have gone beyond 18 metres.Whether anyone can upset what appears to be a duopoly at the top of the event is a moot point. What Pichardo and Taylor are aiming for is a serious tilt at Edwards record of 18.29m, which has stood for 20 years.

Oil dips after mixed US petroleum supply report

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Oil prices dipped on Wednesday after US petroleum data showed lower crude-oil inventories but barely any decline in production despite sinking prices.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for October delivery shed 71 cents at US$38.60 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.European benchmark Brent oil for October delivery lost seven cents at US$43.14 a barrel in London.Crude supplies in the United States fell by 5.5 million barrels for the week ending August 21, according to US Department of Energy data.However, the report also showed US crude production slipped a scant 11,000 barrels a day, keeping output above 9.3 million barrels, not far from a decades-high production level.In another bearish indicator, gasoline supplies increased by 1.7 million barrels, the data showed.The market continues to try to push off from six- or seven-year lows, said Gene McGillian, broker and analyst at Tradition Energy.However, after the inventory report came out, some of the buying pressure evaporated, Mr McGillian said.US oil prices have fallen below US$40 a barrel this week as worries about the slowing Chinese economy, the worlds second-biggest consumer of crude oil after the US, have added to concerns about an already heavily supplied global petroleum market.

Dollar up for a 2nd day as US stocks recover

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NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar rallied for a second straight session on Wednesday as some calm returned to financial markets with Wall Street stocks firmer and European shares recouping some losses, all of which reduced the need to buy safe-haven currencies like the yen.Chinas central bank ramped up its efforts to shore up sentiment, pumping $21.8 billion into the money market, a day after it cut interest rates and relaxed reserve requirements for some large banks.In addition, an upbeat U.S. durables report boosted the dollar, although the data hardly changes the markets view that the Federal Reserve will likely delay raising interest rates given the recent market turmoil.New York Fed President William Dudley on Wednesday further bolstered expectations of a delay in the Feds rate increase. He said a September rate hike seemed less compelling than just a few weeks ago, although he added that short-term market volatility did not have significant implications for the U.S. recovery. The dollar pared gains against the euro and yen after his remarks.Data showed U.S. durables good order rose 2.0 percent in July, while non-defense capital goods orders excluding aircraft, a closely watched proxy for business spending plans, increased 2.2 percent last month, the biggest rise since June last year.Todays durable goods figure makes good reading for the worlds largest economy, but, after a chaotic start to the week for global markets, this jump in orders may not be enough to alter the Federal Reserves likely plan to delay an interest rate rise a little longer, said Dennis de Jong, managing director at UFX.com, in Limassol, Cyprus.In mid-morning trading, the euro was down 0.7 percent at $1.1427, with the single currency also hurt by comments from a senior European Central Bank official. Peter Praet said the risk of the ECB missing its inflation target has increased due to commodity price falls and weakness in some overseas economies.The dollar was up 0.2 percent at 119.13 yen, having slumped to a 7-month low of 116.16 on Monday.Both the euro and the yen have been underpinned after the current market turmoil prompted an unwinding of carry trades. In carry trades, investors sell a low-yielding currency to buy a riskier asset or currency for higher returns. But when volatility rises and markets come under stress, these trades are unwound.The dollar traded above 125 yen while the euro was below $1.10 just two weeks ago, before widespread risk aversion swept financial markets and drove investors to buy back the yen and euro.

De Villiers guides South Africa to ODI series win

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DURBAN (AFP) - AB de Villiers hit a rapid 64 which provided the momentum for South Africa to gain a series-clinching 62-run win in the third and final one-day international against New Zealand on Kingsmead on Wednesday.The win enabled South Africa to leapfrog New Zealand into third place in the world one-day rankings, behind Australia and India.It also provided a measure of revenge for their heartbreaking defeat to the Kiwis in the World Cup semi-final earlier this year.De Villiers hit his runs off 48 balls to enable South Africa to reach 283 for seven on a pitch which offered some assistance to the seam bowlers throughout the match.New Zealand were bowled out for 221 in reply.New Zealand lost key batsman Martin Guptill early, caught behind off Dale Steyn, but a partnership of 84 off 118 balls between Tom Latham and captain Kane Williamson kept them in contention.Both batsmen, however, were dismissed in the space of 15 deliveries.Williamson was bowled for 39 when he charged down the pitch and missed a straight ball from leg-spinner Imran Tahir.Latham completed his third successive half-century but was run out for 54 by a direct hit from backward square leg by David Miller.With the required run rate climbing, New Zealand lost wickets at regular intervals. Medium-pacer David Wiese took three for 58.The first two games were roller-coaster rides but we showed our commitment and resilience tonight, said De Villiers.We had to work hard to get our runs and all the bowlers did really well.Williamson said his teams bowling effort had been steady.The batting never gained momentum and we never got ahead of the game at any stage.New Zealand were missing several of their leading players during the tour, which also encompassed one-day and Twenty20 series in Zimbabwe.Overall this tour has been of great benefit, said Williamson.A bunch of individuals got a lot out of it.De Villiers, who hurried to a half-century off 38 balls, hit eight fours and a six.When he was on 19 he reached 8000 runs in one-day internationals in his 182nd innings - the fastest to the milestone.The previous record was held by Sourav Ganguly of India, who took 200 innings.After a poor batting performance in the second match in Potchefstroom, where they were bowled out for 204, South Africa fulfilled their objective of making a solid start as Morne van Wyk (58) and Hashim Amla (44) put on 89 for the first wicket.But the scoring rate was languishing until De Villiers and David Miller (36) put on 86 off 65 balls for the fourth wicket.Farhaan Behardien kept the scoreboard moving, hitting 40 off 28 balls before he was caught off the last ball of the innings.Left-arm opening bowler Ben Wheeler took three for 71 but medium-pacer Grant Elliott was the pick of the New Zealand bowlers, taking two for 41 in an unbroken ten-over spell.
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