Thursday 1 October 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

11 dead in US C-130 plane crash in Afghanistan

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KABUL (AFP) - A C-130 military transport plane crashed on Friday in eastern Afghanistan, killing 11 people, including six US soldiers who were part of a NATO training and counter-terror mission supporting stretched Afghan troops.Though it was not immediately clear what caused the crash, it comes as Afghan forces -- backed by NATO special forces and US air support -- pushed into the centre of Kunduz in northern Afghanistan to flush out Taliban insurgents who held the provincial capital for three days.The C-130 crash, which occurred at about midnight local time on Friday (1930 GMT Thursday), left six US soldiers and five civilian contractors dead, US Army Colonel Brian Tribus said.The contractors had been working for Resolute Support, the NATO-led training mission.Jalalabad is situated on a key route from the Pakistani border region -- where many militants are based -- to Kabul, and it has been the scene of repeated attacks in recent years.Its airport is home to a major military base.Although there were no immediate indications that the plane crash was due to militant action, Jalalabad airport has come under attack on several previous occasions.In December 2012, Taliban suicide bombers killed at least five people in an hours-long battle at the airport, the third attack on it that year.Most NATO combat troops pulled out of Afghanistan last year but a small contingent remains, including roughly 10,000 American soldiers.The US soldiers, along with other NATO troops and private contractors, are focusing on training Afghanistans national security forces.The C-130 Hercules is a cargo plane built by Lockheed Martin. It is powered by four turboprop engines and is used extensively by the military to ship troops and heavy gear.It can take off and land on rough, dirt strips and is widely used by the US military in hostile areas.The crash comes with Afghan forces battling a Taliban insurgency that has blighted the country since the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan.The stunning fall of the provincial capital, even temporarily, showcased the stubborn insurgencys potential to expand beyond its rural strongholds in the south of the country.The Talibans recent advances in Kunduz and neighbouring Takhar and Baghlan provinces highlight that a large and strategic patch of northern Afghanistan is imperilled by a rapidly expanding insurgency.It is also seen as a game-changer for the fractious militant movement that has been dogged by a leadership crisis since the announcement in July of founder Mullah Omars death.

US, Russia hold military talks to avoid mishaps in Syria

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The Pentagon held talks with officials in Moscow on Thursday, the second day of Russian bombing in Syria, in a bid to avoid mishaps in the region between the two military powers.It was unclear however how fruitful the talks were.US military officials were furious Wednesday after Russia gave them only an hours vague heads-up that warplanes would begin bombing. The warning didnt specify when or where the strikes would occur, only that coalition planes should avoid the area.With a US-led coalition carrying out near-daily air strikes in Syria, the Pentagon worries that Russian planes crossing paths with coalition aircraft could spark a major international incident.Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said Defense Department officials spoke with their Russian counterparts for about an hour via video in what he said was a cordial and professional exchange.He said topics included which frequencies could be used if a pilot was in distress, and what language aircrews should communicate with each other in. We made crystal clear that at a minimum the priority here should be the safe operation of the aircrews over Syria, Cook said.US officials stress that Russia needs to tell them about their military flight plans over Syria. In military jargon, such talks to avoid interference is known as deconfliction.Russia on Wednesday launched its first air strikes in Syria, marking its explosive arrival in the 4.5-year-old conflict that has claimed some 250,000 lives.Strikes continued Thursday, with Russian warplanes hitting opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Russia claims it is only targeting Islamic State jihadists but several reports -- including one from Republican Senator John McCain -- said that Moscow has targeted CIA-trained Syrian rebels.Theres limited air space over Syria, theres a lot of (IS jihadists) over there that we need to get after, a senior US defense official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.Deconfliction is important because it brings down risks associated with inadvertent encounters, it brings down risks of being in the same air space at the same time, the official said.In Washington, the inter-military talks drew scorn from critics of President Barack Obama, who they say has mishandled the Syria crisis and let Russia step into a vacuum of international leadership.It appears deconfliction is merely an Orwellian euphemism for this administrations acceptance of Russias expanded role in Syria, and as a consequence, for Assads continued brutalization of the Syrian people, said McCain, a longtime critic of US efforts to fight Islamic State jihadists.It is simply incomprehensible that the administration is taking such great pains to offer Russia a constructive role in Syria, he said.The Russians have at least 32 warplanes deployed in Syria, US officials say, including bombers, ground-attack craft and fighters. They are based at an airfield that Russia has reinforced in Syrias Latakia region in the northwest.Russia has stationed about 500 marine infantry troops at the base, likely to protect the facility. Including pilots, air crews and support workers, about 2,000 personnel are at the base, US officials say.The US-led coalition however has not scaled back its attacks on IS jihadists in Syria.Colonel Steve Warren, a military spokesman, said Thursday that coalition planes and drones had flown several sorties over the past 24 hours in Syria.One of these drone missions resulted in two enemy excavators being blown up. Warren said the other planes did not drop bombs because of a lack of clear targets.We have not altered operations in Syria to accommodate new players on the battlefield, Warren stressed.Coalition pilots have clear instructions on how to operate when in the same air space as Russian pilots, and Warren said he expects the Russians or any other pilot to follow the same procedures.

Bahrain recalls ambassador from Iran, expels Tehran envoy

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DUBAI (AFP) - Bahrain recalled its ambassador from Iran on Thursday and ordered Tehrans envoy to leave within 72 hours, claiming interference in its affairs, the official BNA news agency reported.The Gulf kingdom of Bahrain, with a majority Shiite Muslim population ruled by a Sunni dynasty, has suffered from unrest since a pro-democracy uprising in 2011.Bahrain frequently accuses predominantly Shiite Iran of meddling in its affairs.A foreign ministry statement was quoted as saying the action was taken in response to continuing interference by Iran in the affairs of the kingdom and an attempt by Tehran to foment confessional sedition.Iran supports acts of sabotage and terrorism in the country, the statement added, accusing Tehran of forming and arming terrorist groups and providing them with refuge.Bahraini authorities said on Wednesday they had uncovered a large stash of weapons and arrested a number of people suspected of having links with Iran and Iraq.An interior ministry statement said arms and explosives were discovered in a house in the mainly Shiite town of Nuwaidrat, south of the capital Manama.The cache included a tonne and a half of C4 explosives and other explosive material, as well as automatic rifles, pistols and hand grenades, the ministry said.In August, Bahrain arrested five people suspected of links with Iran in connection with a bombing that killed two policemen in the island state.

Hundreds still missing a week after deadly Hajj stampede

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DUBAI (AFP) - Hundreds of people were still unaccounted for Thursday a week after a Hajj stampede killed hundreds more, with national tallies of the dead far exceeding figures provided by Saudi Arabia.The kingdom gave a toll of 769 people killed and 934 injured in the tragedy during a pilgrimage stoning ritual at Mina near the holy city of Mecca.Riyadh has not given any figures for the number of missing or said whether any Saudis were killed.A tally of death tolls from 24 countries, mostly from official sources, puts the number killed at 995.Another 636 are reported as missing. The reason for the discrepancy was unclear, and the Saudi health ministry could not respond to a request for comment.Iran has topped the list of fatalities, reporting 239 as of Wednesday.It nearly doubled that toll on Thursday, declaring that people known to be missing were now presumed dead, raising the number killed to 464.Iran has blamed the stampede on its regional rival Saudi Arabia. It demanded an apology from Riyadh and accused it of hindering efforts to repatriate the bodies.Official reactions elsewhere in the Muslim world have been more restrained, but the anxiety felt by relatives is similar.In Bamako, Mali, Salamata Anna Baby is among numerous families without word from their loved ones.Baby has been trying everything to get news of her mother, including posting photos on social media.She has also spoken with Malis consul in Riyadh, who told her not to delude herself, she said.Sometimes I tell myself that she must be alive. Other times I say, No, Baby said, knowing that her mother would have found a way, somehow, to signal that she had survived.From Africa to Asia, there is a shared pain.The families of the missing people are in distress, the Arab News quoted Mehbooba Mufti, leader of Indias Hajj delegation, as saying.India has reported 51 deaths, and its neighbour Pakistan gave a figure of 46 dead.Pakistani officials on Wednesday met Saudi Minister for Hajj Bandar Hajjar, Arab News reported.Hajjar said he shared the concerns of relatives, and that the government was making all efforts to address the issues they raised, the newspaper reported.Among Pakistans more than 40 missing is Bushra Khaliq, an instructor at a Saudi training centre for flight attendants, her sister Uzma Khaliq, of Karachi, told AFP.We saw a photo of an injured woman admitted in (the) intensive care unit of some hospital which we suspect is of Bushra, but we dont know in which hospital that photo was taken, she said.Pakistans media regulator, PEMRA, ordered television channels to tone down criticism of Saudi Arabia in order to avoid offending one of Islamabads closest allies.After Iran, Egypt has reported the biggest death toll, with 124 killed.Nigeria has 64 confirmed deaths and the largest number of missing, 244.Frustration has also risen in Indonesia, the worlds largest Muslim nation, where the official death toll reached 59 Thursday, and with 74 missing.Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, who is in Mecca, said this week that Jakarta sent a diplomatic note to Riyadh asking that Indonesian medical teams be able to directly check bodies being unloaded from containers, state-run news agency Antara reported.He said this could be quicker than waiting for the release of photos.But Cisse Fatoumata Kouyate, president of Malis travel agents and tourism association, said Mali learned of its victims through the help of such photos of the dead displayed by Saudi officials.The Saudi Al-Madinah daily newspaper reported that 20 teams from the passports department are visiting Mecca-area hospitals to record fingerprints of the dead and of so-far unidentified injured.

Afghan forces push into Kunduz city captured by Taliban

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KUNDUZ (AFP) - Afghan forces pushed into the centre of Kunduz Thursday, triggering pitched gunfights as they sought to flush out Taliban insurgents three days after losing the northern city in a stinging blow to the countrys NATO-trained military.The stunning fall of the provincial capital, even temporarily, highlighted the stubborn insurgencys potential to expand beyond its rural strongholds in the south of the country.Afghan forces, hindered by the slow arrival of reinforcements but backed by NATO special forces and US air support, struggled to regain control of the city after three days of heavy fighting.But on Thursday military convoys managed to penetrate into the centre of Kunduz after an overnight counter-offensive. Residents told AFP fierce gun battles and explosions were still echoing in parts of the city late Thursday, and the streets were littered with Taliban bodies and charred and mangled vehicles. Afghan security forces are in control of Kunduz city, interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi told AFP.The clearance operation will take some time as Taliban remnants are firing from inside civilian houses and booby traps have been planted in places.The Taliban sent mixed messages concerning their progress on Thursday, with spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid insisting that militant forces were holding their ground in the city. But an Afghan Taliban commander who spoke to AFP from an undisclosed location said that Taliban fighters were conducting a strategic retreat from Kunduz. The Taliban have almost vacated the main parts of the city but let me make it clear that we have proved that we can take control of any other city whenever we want, he said.Some scenes of jubilation erupted at dawn around the city square, where people who suffered three days of crippling food shortages thanked government troops, residents said. Afghan soldiers took down the white-and-black Taliban flag in the city square and hoisted the government flag, Kunduz resident Abdul Rahman told AFP.But as fighting raged all day, with columns of smoke visible over much of the city, it was hard to pinpoint which side had the upper hand. Soldiers came under sporadic attacks from insurgents wearing Afghan security uniforms, many of whom took up positions inside residential homes.Precise losses from the fighting were unknown but so far 49 bodies and more than 370 wounded people have been brought to the city hospitals, provincial health director Saad Mukhtar told AFP.The wounded included 64 children, medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said, adding that its trauma centre in Kunduz has been operating beyond capacity.Kunduz is the first major city to fall to the Taliban in 14 years.Security officials said the militants had slowly infiltrated the city during the recent Eid festival, launching a Trojan Horse attack that enabled them to capture it within hours on Monday.The development coincided with the first anniversary of Ashraf Ghanis national unity government.Marauding insurgents seized government buildings and freed hundreds of prisoners, raising their flag throughout Kunduz.The lightning capture of the city sent thousands of panicked residents fleeing as insurgents erected checkpoints and were seen racing vehicles stolen from the police, UN and Red Cross.Amnesty International condemned the Talibans reign of terror in the embattled city, citing civilian testimonies of mass murder, gang rapes and house-to-house searches by militant death squads.The Talibans recent advances in Kunduz and neighbouring Takhar and Baghlan provinces highlight that a large and strategic patch of northern Afghanistan is imperilled by a rapidly expanding insurgency.It is also seen as a game-changer for the fractious militant movement that has been dogged by a leadership crisis since the announcement in July of founder Mullah Omars death.The Taliban know that they dont have the power to retain control of a big city like Kunduz, Kabul-based military analyst Atiqullah Amarkhil told AFP.But their takeover, however temporary, shows they are a force to reckon with before any future peace negotiations.Their incursion into Kunduz, barely nine months after the NATO combat mission concluded, raised troubling questions about the capabilities of Afghan forces as they battle the militants largely on their own.It has also renewed questions about Washingtons plan to withdraw most US troops from Afghanistan next year.Even after years of training and equipment purchases -- on which Washington spent $65 billion -- Afghan forces have been unable to rein in the ascendant insurgency.The Taliban stepped up attacks during a summer offensive launched in late April against the Western-backed government in Kabul.After years of costly involvement, most NATO troops pulled back from front lines by the end of 2014, although a residual force of around 13,000 remains for training and counter-terrorism operations.

Israel PM calls for peace talks with Palestinians

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - Israels prime minister went to the United Nations on Thursday to call for an immediate resumption of peace talks with the Palestinians and to savage the international communitys nuclear deal with Iran.I am prepared to immediately, immediately resume direct peace negotiations with the Palestinians without any preconditions whatsoever, Benjamin Netanyahu told the General Assembly.Addressing Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas directly, he said: President Abbas, I know its not easy. I know its hard.But we owe it to our peoples to try. To continue to try. Because together... if we actually sit down and try to resolve this conflict between us... we can do remarkable things for our people, Netanyahu added.His remarks come with Netanyahu scheduled to speak with US President Barack Obama at the White House in November -- their first meeting after a deep row about the Iranian nuclear row.Their frosty relations plummeted further during Netanyahus re-election campaign when he rejected a two-state solution for peace with the Palestinians.With the peace process in deep freeze, there are growing fears that tensions like those flaring at Jerusalems flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound could spark a broader Palestinian uprising.Abbas told the United Nations on Wednesday that Israels refusal to release Palestinian prisoners and stop settlement activity, meant that Palestinians could no longer feel bound by past agreements.They leave us no choice but to insist that we will not remain the only ones committed to the implementation of these agreements, while Israel continuously violates them, he said.We cannot continue to be bound by these signed agreements with Israel and Israel must assume fully all its responsibilities as an occupying power, Abbas added, saying Palestinian patience has come to an end.Netanyahu used the first part of his speech to criticize the international community for reaching the nuclear deal with Iran.During his speech, he fell silent for 45 seconds after slamming the UN General Assemblys deafening silence in the face of repeated calls from Iran for the destruction of the Jewish state.The response from this body, he said, has been absolutely nothing. Utter silence. Deafening silence.Israel will do whatever it takes to defend itself and will not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons, Netanyahu said.Israel will not permit any force on earth to threaten its future, he said. Israel will do whatever it must do to defend our state and to defend our people.

Palestinians shoot dead 2 Israelis in West Bank: Israel security

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JERUSALEM (AFP) - Palestinians shot dead two Israelis in a vehicle in the north of the occupied West Bank on Thursday, an Israeli security source said.The attack took place between the Jewish settlements of Itamar and Eilon Moreh, near the Palestinian city of Nablus.Four children in the vehicle were lightly wounded and taken to hospital, the same source said.The two dead were the childrens mother and father.Israeli security forces flooded the sector where the incident occurred, an AFP journalist said.The attack came after court documents showed Israel was considering authorising wildcat settlement outposts in the West Bank near a village where a firebombing killed an 18-month-old Palestinian boy and his parents.It also came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered in a speech at the UN General Assembly to resume direct talks with the Palestinians.The premier said he was prepared to immediately resume direct peace negotiations without preconditions, although the Palestinians condition a resumption of dialogue on an end to settlement building and the release of prisoners.On Wednesday, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas told the Assembly Israels refusal to release prisoners and stop settlement activity meant the Palestinians could not be bound by past agreements between the two sides.However, after Thursdays attack Israels hardline Education Minister Naftali Bennett issued an angry statement.The time for talks (with the Palestinians) is over, he said. It is time to act.A people whose leaders support murder will never have a state.

Burkina Faso coup leader hands himself in

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OUAGADOUGOU (AFP) - The leader of Burkina Fasos short-lived coup was in police custody on Thursday after handing himself in.General Gilbert Diendere, who had said several times that he was willing to face justice following the September 17 putsch, was being held at the Paspanga police base near the centre of the capital Ouagadougou.General Diendere and his accomplices will answer for all the offences of which they are accused, the countrys interim government said in a statement, adding that a commission of inquiry was already hard at work investigating the coup.A military source said military justice would deal with Diendere.The general, who is the former chief of staff to ousted president Blaise Compaore, had taken refuge at the residence of the Vaticans ambassador on Tuesday, just prior to an army raid on the barracks of his elite military regiment which led the coup.Crack troops from the presidential guard (RSP), loyal to Compaore, declared a coup on September 17, a day after detaining interim president Michel Kafando and prime minister Isaac Zida.They complained that pro-Compaore candidates were being barred from running in forthcoming elections.After nearly a week of international pressure they agreed to a peace deal brokered by the ECOWAS west African regional bloc under which the interim leadership would return, and the coup plotters would stand down with their safety and that of their families guaranteed.But tensions soared on Tuesday as some members of the RSP refused to disarm, sparking a standoff with the army at the regiments barracks that ended with the coup plotters abandoning their base after sustaining heavy weapons fire.Diendere had urged his men to step down to avoid a bloodbath after taking refuge at the Vatican ambassadors residence.Guy-Herve Kam of Balai Citoyen (Civic Croom), a prominent civil society group that helped sweep Compaore from power in mass protests last year, urged authorities to not only investigate crimes committed during the coup, but all those in which the general (Diendere) could be implicated.This opens the way for elections to take us out of the transition, Kam added. The resistance (to the coup) has shown a collective drive for the defence of democracy in Burkina.Diendere is deeply unpopular in the capital, and news of his arrest was cheered on the streets.Im very happy, said Omar, a 24-year-old vendor. Now we need to bring him to Revolution Square so the families of the victims can have a word with him.Wednesday had seen the arrest of six officers who took part in the coup while lieutenant-colonel Mamadou Bamba, who had read the coup plotters statements on television, handed himself over to police on Thursday.Earlier, a senior army source told AFP a majority of RSP troops had joined loyalist units after their regiment was disbanded.More than 800 men of the RSPs 1,300-strong force have taken up new postings, a source in the army high command said, adding the remainder were being sought.The regiment was dissolved last week as part of the peace deal and all its members assigned to other units. Those who have yet to join loyalist forces have until Friday to show up at their new postings -- those failing to do so will be considered deserters, a military source said.Official sources say 11 people were killed and 271 injured in protests triggered by the coup, which came just weeks before the first elections scheduled to be held since Compaore was ousted last October after 27 years of iron-fisted rule.The first round of voting was to have taken place on October 11, although officials have said there will be a delay of several weeks due to the crisis. With the coup seemingly having fizzled out and with life having returned virtually to normal in the capital, despite a night-time curfew, Kafando felt able to fly out to the UN General Assembly meeting in New York.Wednesday, Kafando said he believed the country had turned the page on the unrest while promising to turn his attention to fixing an election date in consultation with all parties concerned.

World headed for too-high 2.7 Celsius warming: experts

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PARIS (AFP) - Earth could warm 2.7 degrees Celsius this century, warned a review Thursday which judged national carbon-cutting pledges insufficient to stave off worst-case-scenario predictions for climate change.The goal of limiting overall planet warming to 2.0 C (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) from pre-industrial levels is still out of reach, the Climate Action Tracker (CAT) analysis found -- though there are signs it may be inching into view.In rare good news, 2.7 C was a significant improvement from the CATs previous forecast of 3.1 C by 2100, said a statement issued by the quartet of research bodies which compiled the report.But the pledges submitted ahead of an informal October 1 UN deadline would still yield global warming well above the 2.0 C limit set by the global community, said a CAT statement.This reflects the less than sufficient climate targets submitted by many governments.The UNs climate science panel says a world even 1.0 C or 2.0 C warmer would face considerable risks, including more severe floods and droughts, a land-gobbling sea-level rise, the spread of disease and food shortages -- all of which may increase global political instability.The tracker analysed country plans for curbing climate-altering greenhouse gas emissions, known as Intended Nationally Determined Contributions or INDCs, which will form the backbone of a universal climate rescue pact to be inked at a UN conference in Paris in December.Just over 140 countries out of 195 negotiating the global agreement, which will enter into force in 2020, had filed their contributions by Thursday -- setting either five- or ten-year emissions targets for themselves.Representing nearly 80 percent of global emissions, the pledges included top three polluters China, the United States and the 28-member European Union.The CAT prediction also included estimated numbers for fourth-placed India, which has not yet formally pledged, but has made public statements on its intentions.This was the first time since 2009, when the CAT analysis began, that the forecast has dipped under 3.0 C -- a change caused in large part by Chinas pledge, which could see its emissions of carbon dioxide, the most ubiquitous greenhouse gas, peak in the late 2020s.The INDC process has clearly led to progress, said Bill Hare, a founder of Climate Analytics, one of the research groups which contributes to CAT.But it is clear that in Paris governments must consider formally acknowledging that their first round of climate plans for 2025 and 2030 will not hold warming below 2C.Climate envoy Laurence Tubiana of France, which will host the November 30-December 11 UN haggle, said the pledges to date marked a very important step -- we are nearing the scenario we had hoped for.Looking forward, she added, the essential part is that we put in place rules so that countries can ramp up their contributions regularly after the Paris conference, she told AFP.The CAT analysis looked at countries responsible for over 70 percent of global emissions and extrapolated for the rest.To get on the path to 2 C, annual greenhouse gas emissions would have to be 11-13 billion tonnes lower in 2025 than those pledged, and 15-17 billion tonnes lower in 2030, it found.Based on current INDCs, emissions would be 52-54 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent (GtCO2e) in 2025 and 53-55 (GtCO2e) in 2030 -- more than todays estimated 48 GtCO2e per year.The UNs Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), recommends slashing emissions by 40-70 percent by 2050 from 2010 levels and to near zero or below by 2100 for any chance at 2 C.It was not very likely that submissions by countries which have not yet filed their pledges would get us closer to 2 C before Paris, Hare told AFP.Falling below 3 C is symbolically important, but insufficient, added Jean Jouzel, IPCC vice president.The further we are from 2 C, the more difficult it will be to adapt (to climate change-induced challenges), especially for developing countries, he told AFP.The planet is already 0.8 C warmer on average than at the start of the Industrial Revolution in about 1760.

Twelve killed as bus crashes into Ankara bus stop

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ANKARA (AFP) - Twelve people were killed on Thursday in the Turkish capital Ankara when a bus ploughed into commuters waiting at a stop, officials said.The driver lost control of the vehicle due to an apparent brake failure as the bus drove through the Dikimevi district of the city, Health Minister Mehmet Muezzinoglu said.Its a very unfortunate accident. A public bus ploughed into commuters waiting at the bus stop due to brake failure, he was quoted as telling Turkish media.At least eight people were also hurt in the accident which took place at lunchtime, the CNN-Turk and NTV channels reported.An AFP photographer reported chaotic scenes in the aftermath of the crash, with bodies and the debris strewn across the pavement.Meanwhile, rescue workers tended to survivors with bodies trapped under the the bus.The front windscreen of the bus was smashed in the impact but the vehicle was otherwise left largely intact.Reports said that even after colliding with the bus stop, the vehicle carried on for another 80 metres (260 feet), hitting several parked cars before it finally came to a stop.Ankara governor Mehmet Kiliclar said the driver was in good health and had not suffered a heart attack. The driver is on the way to the police station now. His initial testimony is that he lost control of the bus.Deadly accidents involving public buses are a regular feature on Turkeys roads, although the scale of this incident is highly unusual.There has also been concern about the behaviour of some bus drivers who have been filmed reading and, in one case, even dancing while driving.

Tennis: Nadal says Djokovic 'difficult to equal'

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BANGKOK (AFP) - Rafael Nadal heaped praise on longstanding rival Novak Djokovic Thursday for playing at a level difficult to equal ahead of an exhibition match between the pair in Bangkok.The Spaniard, who ended the season without a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2004, congratulated the top-ranking Serbian for his amazing run culminating in last months US Open title, his third major of the year.The mental strength and the level of tennis is difficult to equal, Nadal, 29, said sitting next to Djokovic at a press conference in the Thai capital. I texted him after the US Open, but I want to say today in a public way, its amazing the way hes playing during the whole season.In contrast the Spaniards performance at this years Grand Slam tournaments has triggered fears over his future in the game.The 14-time major winner crashed to his earliest exit in New York in 10 years in September, beaten by Italian Fabio Fognini in the third round after being two sets up, with questions raised over his fitness.The former world number one, now ranked seventh, faced similar scrutiny after quarter-final exits at the Australian and French Opens and a second-round loss at Wimbledon.In September Djokovic, 28, seized his 10th Grand Slam title and now stands just seven behind the record of Roger Federer, who he has defeated in the US Open final.Nadal and Djokovic face each other in an exhibition match, which organisers say is sold-out, in Bangkoks Hua Mark Indoor Stadium on Friday, starting at 0100 GMT.

Tennis: Venus subdues Konta, Serena-slayer Vinci up next

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WUHAN (AFP) - Venus Williams earned the chance to avenge her sister Serenas seismic defeat at the US Open when she subdued battling Briton Johanna Konta to reach the Wuhan Open semi-finals on Thursday.The seven-time Grand Slam-winner survived a three-set examination by qualifier Konta to set up a meeting with Roberta Vinci, Serena Williams shock conqueror in New York.The American veteran looked rattled as she slipped to 3-1 down in the third set against Konta, the British number-one-in-waiting, but she recovered to take it 6-4, 6-3, 7-5.I was definitely waiting on a few errors which didnt come from her side, Williams said. Maybe not my best day on the court, but thats when I have to dig deep.Konta, who reached the US Open last 16, beat world number two Simona Halep on her way to the Wuhan quarters and she will now become Britains number one in next weeks new rankings.Theres some things Id like to do better. But as a whole, I played, I felt, quite a high-level match today against an incredible champion, said Konta.Williams will now face Italian Roberta Vinci, who has won 10 of her last 11 matches -- with the sole defeat coming in the US Open final to compatriot Flavia Pennetta. Vinci defeated Serena Williams in the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows, a cataclysmic upset which denied her a calendar-year Grand Slam and a record-equalling 22nd major title. As Serena Williams said she was cutting her season short to heal her physical and emotional wounds, Vinci took just over 75 minutes to dismiss Czech Karolina Pliskova 7-6 (7/2), 6-3.I played a good game also today, solid game. Im really, really happy that Im in semi-final here for the first time, Vinci said.Meanwhile Wimbledon finalist Garbine Muguruza dropped only four games as she beat Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-2, 6-2.Muguruza could break into the top five after reaching the Wuhan semis, where she will meet German sixth seed Angelique Kerber who profited from a retirement by Americas Coco Vandeweghe.Vandeweghe took the late-season tournaments retirement tally to four when she pulled out after 56 minutes, three points into the second set, with a left ankle injury.

Tennis: Cilic charge slowed by Aussie Millman

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BEIJING (AFP) - Former US Open champion Marin Cilic dropped a set against Australias John Millman before reaching the Shenzhen Open quarter-finals on Thursday.The Croatian second seed, still without a title this year, was troubled by the 75th-ranked Millman before winning 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, helped by six aces in the final set.I was generally happy with my performance in the first set, Cilic said, according to the ATP website. In the first game of the second set, he hit good returns. Then he served really well after that. It was not easy to get back in the match. The conditions are really humid, so you have to be prepared. Its more demanding physically, but I served well and that helped me get some free points at critical moments.Cilic, 27, will next face Hyeon Chung after the South Koreans 6-2, 6-0 victory over Britains Aljaz Bedene.Elsewhere Adrian Mannarino of France beat Chinas Yan Bai 7-5, 7-6 (9/7) to set up a quarter-final against Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, who downed Lukas Rosol 6-4, 6-3.

Football: Liverpool draw with FC Sion in Europa League

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LONDON (AFP) - Brendan Rodgers insisted he wont press the panic button after Liverpools spluttering campaign suffered another blow with a lacklustre 1-1 draw against FC Sion in the Europa League on Thursday.Rodgers side took an early lead through Adam Lallana, but they were pegged back by Ebenezer Assifuahs first-half equaliser.The Reds wasted a host of opportunities to regain the advantage and under-fire boss Rodgers was forced to endure boos from the Kop at the final whistle.With a Merseyside derby at Everton looming on Sunday, Rodgers knows the scrutiny will only grow in the coming days, but he maintains he is still relishing the task of getting Liverpool back on track.We are one point behind Everton. I know the media and written press will build the game up but we will stay calm, Rodgers said.I am immensely enjoying the job, it is a great challenge and it is a rebuilding job again.Liverpool have won only one of their last eight matches in all competitions, increasing the pressure on Rodgers.But he still made seven changes as he rested key players ahead of the Merseyside derby.And the replacements, especially Belgian forward Divock Origi, who was deputising for Daniel Sturridge, failed to take their chances.This is where we find out about players like Divock Origi and others on the fringe, Rodgers said.They will be important for us in games like these. Divock did well but he didnt score and he has to add that to his game.We go into the game against Everton and we will focus on our performance. The players will look forward to it. I havent lost a derby yet and they are always good games.But Rodgers did concede he was unhappy with the way his team once again failed to kill off inferior opposition.The result was disappointing considering the number of chances we created, Rodgers said.We worked well and had a good start but gave away a disappointing goal. The players worked hard but we couldnt score the goals. You have to be clinical. We scored a good first goal. They werent half chances, they were good chances and you have to score them at this level. We have to win a game like that.

Golf: Mullen, Dunne star on pro debuts in Scotland

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ST ANDREWS (AFP) - Walker Cup stars Jimmy Mullen and Paul Dunne enjoyed incredible professional debuts on Thursday with opening rounds of 64 that gave both players a share of the lead at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.Englishman Mullen turned professional after winning all four of his matches for Great Britain and Ireland in a record victory over the United States at Royal Lytham last month.The 21-year-old made a blistering start at Kingsbarns, traditionally the easiest of the three courses used for the tournament, as he recorded eight birdies, an eagle and two bogeys.What I did as an amateur worked, so I didnt see any reason to change it, Mullen told the European Tours website.I just stuck to what me and (caddie) Alex (Howie) and Paul (Mitchell), my coach, who is up for a practice day, stuck to our game plan and our routine, and it worked all right today.Not to be outdone Irishman Dunne, who shared the lead after 54 holes of the British Open at St Andrews in July, matched Mullens eight-under par score with a 64 of his own on the same course, having recorded a hole-in-one on the par-three 15th.That left them tied with Kristoffer Broberg after the Swede carded a 64 on the Old Course at St Andrews.Denmarks Soren Kjeldsen as well as Englishmen Richard Bland and Anthony Wall finished one stroke behind after all shooting 65 at Kingsbarns.1999 British Open winner Paul Lawrie ended the day six shots adrift after a round of 70 at St Andrews, while European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke carded a 71 at Carnoustie.
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