Tuesday 27 October 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Levies official martyred in militant attack on check post

Posted:

MOHMAND AGENCY (Dunya News) – According to details, militants launched an attack on a security check post in Ghaiba Khore area of Tehsil Haleemzai in Mohmand Agency on Tuesday night, martyring one Levies official. The assailants used automatic weapons in the attack.The martyred official was identified as Ajmal Khan. Levies personnel present at the check post retaliated militants attack while reinforcement was also sought from Levies Headquarters in Mohmand Agency.The reinforcement convoy from the Levies Headquarters also came under a rocket attack, however no loss of life was reported. Fierce gun battle is going on between militants and Levies personnel till filing of this report.

US steps up anti-IS raids, Iran invited to Syria talks

Posted:

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States announced Tuesday that Iran may take part in talks to end the civil war in Syria and warned of increased military action against the Islamic State.On the military front, the Pentagon said it may launch more air strikes and even direct ground attacks by special forces against jihadists seeking to carve out an Islamic caliphate in Iraq and Syria.And on the diplomatic side, the State Department said it expected Damascus key ally Iran to be invited to a new round of talks in Vienna this week on a political solution.An invitation to Iran to participate, I think Iranian leaders can take to mean that its a genuine multilateral invitation, department spokesman John Kirby said.US officials would not say which power would pass the invitation to Tehran and did not know if Iran would accept, but they said it would be welcome to attend if it did.Fridays talks in Vienna are seen as a way to end Syrias civil war by creating an interim unity regime and paving the way for President Bashar al-Assads exit.But, in parallel to this fledgling political process, a US-led coalition is carrying out an air campaign against Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria. Testifying to lawmakers, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said US forces would not shy away from direct action on the ground if they see a chance to hit IS targets.Obamas administration has not committed ground forces to back opposition and Kurdish rebels fighting the Islamic State in Syria, but has 3,500 troops in Iraq. These troops have a train and advise role to help Iraqi forces battling the extremist group but were recently drawn into fighting in northern Iraq.Last week, a US soldier died during a raid in which commandos and Kurdish peshmerga stormed an IS-run jail in northern Iraq and freed 70 captives.Afterwards, Carter said he expected more of this kind of thing and on Tuesday he told senators the coalition would focus on the IS stronghold of Raqa, in Syria.We expect to intensify our air campaign, including with additional US and coalition aircraft, to target ISIL with a higher and heavier rate of strikes, he said.This will include more strikes against ISIL high-value targets as our intelligence improves.Carter described the strategy as centered on the three Rs -- raids, Raqa and Ramadi, the capital of Iraqs Anbar province and held by IS forces since May. We are willing to continue providing more enabling capabilities and fire support to help our Iraqi partners succeed, Carter told the Senate Armed Services Committee.The Islamic State is a would-be global jihadist extremist network born out of the Iraqi insurgency and the Syrian civil war, with offshoots around the Middle East.US-led efforts to degrade and destroy the movement have been stymied by the chaos in Syria, where Alawite president Assad is battling a broader rebellion.Russia, Iran and the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah back Assad with direct military support, while US allies like Saudi Arabia and Turkey support Sunni rebels.The United States blames Assads brutality against his own people for causing the war and preventing a united Syrian front against the IS groups advance.But attempts to mediate a peaceful transition of power to an interim unity government have stalled, and Moscow appears bent on keeping its ally Assad in office.US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov are to attend the meetings with around a dozen countries in Vienna on Friday.On Tuesday, in confirming it expects Iran to be invited, Washington signalled that talks are progressing but risked angering Tehrans bitter foe Saudi Arabia.Separately, Obama called Saudi leader King Salman. The White House did not say whether Obama had tried to reassure Salman about Irans participation.But the pair reaffirmed the need to cooperate closely to counter the shared threat from ISIL and to establish the conditions for a political transition in Syria. The aim of the talks, Kirby said, is to make a start on agreeing a framework for a political transition to end the war and pave the way for Assads exit.So I cant tell you exactly what the outcome of the meetings on Friday is going to be or if its the last chapter -- I rather doubt that, he said.Kerry had felt optimistic after talks last week with Russia, Turkey and Saudi Arabia that progress was being made towards laying down the foundation of what a political transition could look like, he said.He felt it was important to continue that momentum, Kirby said.Meanwhile, Frances President Francois Hollande and Germanys Chancellor Angela Merkel met in Paris to discuss the fate of Syrian refugees pouring into Europe.Later, they were to hold a dinner with key Western and Arab allies on the crisis, but not Russia or Iran.Syrias civil war has killed more than 250,000 people since it broke out in March 2011, sparked by a bloody crackdown on protests against Assads rule.

Turkey rounds up more IS suspects, strikes Kurds in Syria

Posted:

ANKARA (AFP) - Turkey pressed on with its war on terror on Tuesday, just five days before the country goes to the polls, detaining dozens of Islamic State suspects and hitting Kurdish rebels across the border in Syria.President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been playing the security card in the run-up to Sundays vote with tensions running high over the renewed Turkish conflict and a massive bomb attack blamed on IS jihadists.Around 200 Turkish police launched a massive dawn swoop on suspected IS hideouts in the conservative central Anatolian city of Konya, detaining 30 jihadists including one woman, media reports said.Another 14 suspects were arrested in a similar operation in the town of Kocaeli, east of Istanbul, the Anatolia news agency said.The raids followed a gun battle in a similar operation Monday in the southeastern Kurdish majority city of Diyarbakir which left two policemen and seven IS suspects dead.Turkey has been on the hunt for IS extremists since the twin bombings on a peace rally in Ankara on October 10 that killed 102 people and wounded 500 more, the worst such attack on Turkish soil.Erdogan, an increasingly polarising figure in Turkey, on Monday vowed to press ahead with operations against all terrorists including Islamic State and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu also confirmed late Monday that the military had struck Kurdish fighters across the border in northern Syria.In an interview with A Haber television, Davutoglu said Turkey had warned members of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) not to cross to the west of the Euphrates river and if they did, Turkey would attack.We struck twice, he said, without giving any further details. Ankara regards the PYD as the Syrian offshoot of the PKK, which resumed deadly attacks against Turkish forces in July after a deadly bomb attack in a Kurdish majority town near the Syrian border.Turkey responded by launching an air war against PKK bases in northern Iraq, shattering a delicate 2013 ceasefire and hopes of an end to a conflict that has raged for three decades.Davutoglus comments came after Syrian Kurdish fighters accused the Turkish military of attacking their positions near Tal Abyad, where the Kurds expelled the Islamic State group after fierce clashes in June. Kurdish fighters known as the YPG control large parts of northern Syria on the Turkish border, where they have for months engaged in bitter fighting with IS jihadists. The Kurds in Syria last week said they had incorporated Tal Abyad into their autonomous administration in the north of the country.Alarmed by the growing strength of Syrian Kurds, Turkey fears they could eventually create an independent state to threaten Ankara. With Kurds making up 20 percent of Turkeys population, its ultimate nightmare would be Turkish Kurds cooperating with their Syrian brethren in search of autonomy on both sides.Ankara has warned Syrian Kurds to stay away from any attempts to create a de facto situation in Syria.Long criticised by its Western allies for not doing enough to stem the rise of the extremist jihadist group, Turkey launched air strikes against IS targets in Syria after a deadly bombing on a border town in July. But most of the firepower was concentrated on PKK fighters based in northern Iraq, rupturing the truce between Ankara and the rebels.

343 UK academics announce Israeli universities boycott

Posted:

LONDON (AFP) - Hundreds of British academics said Tuesday they would boycott contact with Israeli universities over the states intolerable human rights violations towards Palestinians.The announcement, entitled A commitment by UK scholars to the rights of Palestinians, was printed as a full-page advertisement in The Guardian newspaper.The 343 academics from 72 institutions said they would still work with Israeli colleagues on an individual basis.We are deeply disturbed by Israels illegal occupation of Palestinian land, the intolerable human rights violations that it inflicts on all sections of the Palestinian people, and its apparent determination to resist any feasible settlement, the advert said.They said they would not accept invitations to visit Israeli academic institutions, participate in conferences funded, organised or sponsored by them, or otherwise cooperate with them.We will maintain this position until the state of Israel complies with international law and respects universal principles of human rights.Jonathan Rosenhead, from the London School of Economics, a spokesman for the boycott, said Israeli universities were at the heart of Israels violations of international law and oppression of the Palestinian people.The boycott cited Technion, the Israel Institute of Technology, as having created special technology to detect tunnels out of the Gaza Strip, and weaponised unmanned bulldozers used to demolish Palestinian homes.Meanwhile, Ben Gurion University had conducted research underpinning the on-going existence and deepening of discrimination within Israels water system, it claimed.The campaign comes a week after a letter signed by 150 British authors and artists, including Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling and double Booker Prize-winning novelist Hilary Mantel, said cultural boycotts that singled out Israel were divisive and discriminatory, and will not further peace.Richard Verber, senior vice-president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, asked why the academics were singling out Israel in such a discriminatory fashion.At a time of immense, often barbaric upheaval in other parts of the Middle East, Israel remains a beacon of academic excellence and progressive thinking, he told the Jewish News newspaper.Simon Johnson, chief executive of Britains Jewish Leadership Council, said: These academics should realise that boycotts... do nothing to advance peace or improve the lives of Palestinians.

Libya helicopter shot down, killing nine

Posted:

TRIPOLI (AFP) - A helicopter from Libyas Tripoli-based government was shot down Tuesday, killing at least nine passengers, an official said, blaming the rival, internationally recognised administration which denied the accusation.The aircraft, carrying 16 people, was hit shortly before noon and crashed into the sea near Al-Maya, just west of Tripoli, said Colonel Mustafa Sharkasi, a spokesman for the Tripoli-based air force.We have so far recovered nine bodies, including the body of Colonel Hussein Abu Diyya, a senior officer in the Fajr Libya militia that controls the capital.We think that all the passengers are dead, he added.Sharkasi said the aircraft was unarmed and blamed militant groups allied to the internationally recognised government for carrying out this criminal act.That administration, located in the east of the country, denied it had anything to do with the aircrafts downing.The general command of the armed forces is brave enough to claim the operations that its units carry out anywhere in the country, spokesman Khalifa el-Obeidi told the official news agency.Sharkasi vowed that Tripoli would retaliate at the appropriate time and place.And the Tripoli defence ministry declared a maximum state of alert for the armed forces and thuwars (former rebel fighters) with a view to eventual retaliation.It called on citizens to provide any information that can help to identify those who fired on the aircraft.Sharkasi said the helicopter was on its way to Tripoli from an unspecified location when it was hit.In addition to Abu Diyya, three crew members and employees, including bank employees who were carrying funds for state employees were on board.Libya descended into chaos after the October 2011 ouster and killing of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi.The two governments are vying for power, and armed groups are battling for control of its vast energy resources.The capital was overrun in August 2014 by the Fajr Libya militia alliance which included Islamists.The militia later established a rival government and a parliament that forced the internationally recognised administration to flee to the countrys remote east.The United Nations has been brokering peace talks between the two sides for nearly a year, aimed at forming a government of national unity.Those talks have virtually broken down this month, but UN envoy Bernardino Leon said Wednesday that the process would carry on.A unity government in Libya is seen as the best chance to tackle the rise there of the Islamic State group and migrant-smuggling from Libya across the Mediterranean to Europe.The UN Security Council has threatened to impose sanctions on those who block a peace deal or undermine any political transition in Libya.

Britain to keep troops in Afghanistan into 2016: minister

Posted:

LONDON (AFP) - Britain will keep its current level of 450 troops on non-combat missions in Afghanistan through 2016, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said in a written statement to parliament on Tuesday.The announcement comes after the United States earlier this month announced that thousands of its troops would stay in Afghanistan longer than promised following intense recent fighting.Both the US and our own decisions underline NATOs continued commitment to training and assisting Afghan forces as they grow stronger, Fallon said.We have now concluded that we should maintain the scale of the UKs current military mission in the country in 2016, to help build a secure and stable Afghanistan, he added.Fallon explained that British troops were involved in training Afghan army officers, building capacity in Afghan security ministries and supporting NATO operations in Kabul.Afghan President Ashraf Ghani welcomed Britains announcement.International help for the Afghan army augments the commitment and effectiveness of these forces to fulfil their grand mission, and further boosts their morale, he said in a statement.The government of Afghanistan thanks its international partners like Britain for their assistance, he said.The last British combat troops in Afghanistan were airlifted out of Camp Bastion, a sprawling base located in the southern Helmand province, last October.The pull-out formally ended a mission that lasted longer than World War II and cost 453 lives.Britain had previously said it would keep non-combat troops in Kabul through 2015 at least.President Barack Obama has said the US will maintain its current force of 9,800 in the country through 2016, going back on a campaign promise to end the war in Afghanistan after acknowledging that Afghan forces were not ready to stand alone.After that, rather than go down to a normal embassy presence as had been planned, the United States will leave a force of 5,500 troops in place to train Afghan forces and conduct counter-terrorism missions.US-backed forces ousted the Taliban government from Kabul in 2001. At the height of its deployment, US had around 100,000 troops in Afghanistan.Emboldened by their recent three-day occupation of Kunduz, the first Afghan city to fall to the Taliban since their 2001 ouster from power, insurgents have made brazen attempts to overrun several other provincial centres in recent weeks.Obama and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif last week issued a joint call for the Taliban to return to peace negotiations with the Afghan government.

Multan: Suspects fire at Muhafiz squad, 2 officers gravely injured

Posted:

MULTAN (Dunya News) – Suspected individuals riding in a Rickshaw on Tuesday fired at the Muhafiz Squad gravely injuring 2 officers. The injured officers were shifted to the Nishtar hospital in serious wounded condition where one of the officers is said to be in critical condition. Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Multan stated that the injured officers have informed that the suspects had started firing at the officers. He further stated that the suspects were successful in escaping however. He stated that the police have setup barriers throughout the city and have started a search operation to hunt down the suspects.According to the details, the incident occurred near Jail Mor in Multan as Officers of the Muhafiz squad Seher Gujjar and Sajjad tried to stop a suspicious Rickshaw upon which the passengers riding in the Rickshaw started firing indiscriminately which left the officers critically injured. One suspect was also injured in the retaliatory fire by the squad officers.Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Multan stated that the injured officers have informed that the suspects had started firing at the officers. He further stated that the suspects were successful in escaping however.

Lahore: Post-mortem confirms 7 year old Alishba tortured before murder

Posted:

LAHORE (Dunya News) – A post-mortem report on Tuesday confirmed that a 7 year old kid named Alishba was first tortured and then murdered by her step-mother. Police registered the case on the request of her biological mother Khadija against her ex-husband Khurram and his second wife Ghania and arrested both suspects.According to the details, Khadija, a resident of Mehran block in Allama Iqbal Town had earlier accused that Khurram and Ghania had tortured and murdered her daughter Alishba. During the interrogation, both suspects denied the allegations saying Alishba died due to injuries from falling down the stairs while she was playing. Madiya Khadija wed Khurram in 2008. The marriage ended in a divorce in 2011 after which Khurram remarried with Ghania. Both daughters of Khadija, Alishba and Zoha, lived with their father and their stepmother. The body of the young child was handed over to the family after post-mortem. According to sources, signs of torture were seen on Alishba’s body and recorded during initial post-mortem report. A deep wound was also seen on the back of her head.Police have stated that the facts surrounding the murder will be further cleared once the final post-mortem report was released.

Tennis: Federer flawless in opening rout of Kukushkin

Posted:

BASEL (AFP) - Roger Federer charged past his first hurdle in the quest for a lucky seventh title at the Swiss Indoors on Tuesday, with the top seed delivering a crushing 6-1, 6-2 lesson to Mikhail Kukushkin.Federer set up a second-round contest with a good friend he has beaten in all ten of their matches as he plays Philipp Kohlschreiber after the German started with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 defeat of Pole Jerzy Janowicz.2014 finalist David Goffin of Belgium, hammered by Federer in less than an hour a year ago in the title match, won his opening encounter as he beat Italian Andreas Seppi 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.American sixth seed John Isner needed 64 minutes to put out Ernests Gulbis, sending down 16 aces in a 6-3, 6-4 win. Grigor Dimitrov began erasing a run of recent poor form as the Bulgarian beat Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-3, 6-4 Federers demolition in front of an appreciative home public at the event where the 17-time Grand Slam winner got his start in the game as a ballboy took only 54 minutes.What I did was good, maybe I could have been a bit more efficient on break point chances and tried a few different things that didnt match up that well with what he was doing, said the Swiss world number three.But I moved well, served well and got off to a good start. That was the goal. Once in the lead I was able to stretch that and keep the pressure on him.Federer said that the victory was just the tonic he needed in the wake of an opening round loss a fortnight ago in Shanghai, where he was defending that Masters 1000 title.Im very pleased for a first round win, especially after Shanghai. To come out and play positive tennis was good fun today.The top-seeded Swiss is seeking his 10th straight finals appearance at Basel. He last beat his 64th-ranked Kazakh opponent in the Davis Cup quarter-finals in Geneva a year ago.I was seeing the ball as big as a melon, said the 34-year-old, who has five titles this season. Im very happy with this performance, especially to advance so well here at home.This was a very good start for me, an enjoyable match.Federer said he cannot take upcoming opponent Kohlschreiber for granted despite his 100 percent record.The next match will be a bigger challenge and a different challenge against Kohlschreiber. Hes got different weapons than Kukushkin.If you have beaten someone 10 times there is the possibility that the next time you could have a loss. But having that kind of a record is always good for confidence.

Tennis: She's back - Sharapova floors top seed in Singapore

Posted:

SINGAPORE (AFP) - Maria Sharapova emphatically declared her return to form after months of injury problems on Tuesday as she beat top seed Simona Halep 6-4, 6-4 at the WTA finals in Singapore.Sharapova showed few signs of rust or fitness problems but she had to overcome a determined fightback from the world number two before finally closing out the victory.The Russian, who had not completed a match since July when she arrived at the eight-player season finale, now tops Red Group after also beating Agnieszka Radwanska.Earlier Flavia Pennetta upset Radwanska 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 with Red Group now set to go down to the wire in Thursdays final round-robin matches.It definitely got really tough and I guess those are the moments that you just have to get through when you havent played for a long time, Sharapova said of her match against Halep.Especially against the number two player in the world these matches dont come easy. It definitely showed until the end.The five-time Grand Slam-winner broke at the crucial moment for a one-set lead when Halep, serving to stay in the first set, made her first two double faults.She grabbed a double break to go 5-1 up in the second set before Romanias Halep belatedly rediscovered her mojo, dragging it back to 5-4 in an inspired spell.But Sharapova, after a stern talking-to by her coach, then brought up two match points on Haleps serve and she finished it with a firm backhand into the corner.Sharapovas sixth straight win over Halep comes after leg and forearm problems had largely kept her sidelined since her Wimbledon semi-finals loss to Serena Williams.In the other Red Group match on Tuesday, US Open champion Pennetta kept her hopes of one last title alive with her win over Radwanska.The 33-year-old, who announced her retirement moments after winning her first Grand Slam title last month, swept past the Pole with a display of controlled aggression.The Italian, who could have been eliminated on Tuesday, said she was enjoying every moment on the court after declaring her retirement plans.Its the last tournament of the year. Its the last moment, its special to me, she said. Here its like youre playing the final of a Grand Slam every match, so you try your best. Victory at the glitzy season climax would be a fairytale farewell for Pennetta, who has held open the door to returning for next years Olympics.But she will first have to find a way past Sharapova, who looks in determined mood as she bids to regain a title she last won aged 17 on debut in 2004.On that occasion, the Russian won the final against Williams, this years defending champion and world number one who has opted not to play in Singapore.In White Group, Spains freshly anointed world number three Garbine Muguruza also looked a major threat when she crushed Lucie Safarova in her first match on Monday.

Tennis: Pennetta beats Radwanska to keep WTA Finals hopes alive

Posted:

SINGAPORE (AFP) - Goodbye girl Flavia Pennetta kept her hopes of one last title alive on Tuesday when she beat Polands Agnieszka Radwanska 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 at the WTA Finals in Singapore. The 33-year-old Italian, who announced she will retire at the end of the season after winning her first Grand Slam at the US Open, played an aggressive cross-court game to neutralise the stubborn defensive skills of Radwanska.I tried to be really focused, tried to be aggressive and hit the ball hard, and dont give her too much time to do her job, Pennetta said after the match. My serve helped me a lot today.Pennetta said she was enjoying every moment on the court after declaring her retirement plans.Its the last tournament of the year. Its the last moment, its special to me, she said. Here its like youre playing the final of a Grand Slam every match, so you try your best. Fifth seed Radwanska, 26, won the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo and the Tianjin Open in the run-up to Singapore, but is now staring at elimination in the Red Group if top seed Simona Halep beats Maria Sharapova later in the day. Pennetta would then fight Sharapova for the second spot in the group in the round-robin tournament of the worlds top eight players, which world number one Serena Williams has skipped to get some rest.Halep won 6-0,6-3 on Monday against Pennetta, while Radwanska lost a three-set marathon to Sharapova. Pennetta would have been eliminated if she had lost in straight sets to Radwanska.The Pole got an early service break in the first set but Pennetta bounced back to level the match at 3-3, only to be broken again.Pennetta won another break to equalise at 5-5 and held serve to go on top, but Radwanska forced a tie break.Pennetta won the tiebreak 7/5 with a curling drop shot that set up a winner as Radwanska watched helplessly from the net.The Italian sought treatment in the second set for a foot blister and proceeded to break Radwanska in the seventh game with a stinging backhand winner down the line.Another drop shot and easy winner to an open court put the Italian on top 5-3.Radwanska saved three match points in the next game but Pennetta sealed the match with another backhand winner to win 6-4.

Tennis: Hewitt named Australia Davis Cup captain

Posted:

MELBOURNE (AFP) - Retiring veteran Lleyton Hewitt was Tuesday appointed Australias new Davis Cup captain, succeeding interim skipper Wally Masur.The 34-year-old, who is calling it quits after his 20th consecutive Australian Open in January, has been positioned for the role since Pat Rafter stepped down earlier this year. Masur agreed to fill in until Hewitt was ready.He follows in the footsteps of other Australian tennis greats to hold the coveted role, including Neale Fraser, John Newcombe and Rafter, and becomes the youngest skipper since World War II.Ive been fortunate enough to work under some of the greatest Davis Cup captains in history, Hewitt said at Melbourne Park. For me, its about instilling my experience in these younger guys.A veteran of 40 ties over a record 17 years service, Hewitt will lead young guns including Bernard Tomic, Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis.Rafter, now Tennis Australias director of player performance, said Hewitts biggest asset was his passion.That has never waned for him throughout his whole career and I dont think its going to wane now, Rafter said.Hewitts first tie in charge will be next March when Australia host the USA in a first-round fixture.Australia reached the semi-finals this year, with Hewitt playing, only to be knocked out the Andy Murray-led Great Britain.

Football: Sheffield Wednesday stun Arsenal in League Cup

Posted:

LONDON (AFP) - In-form Arsenal were dumped out of the League Cup after a weakened team crashed to a damaging 3-0 defeat at second-tier Sheffield Wednesday in the fourth round on Tuesday.Showing eight changes, Arsene Wengers Arsenal were well beaten by Championship side Wednesday at Hillsborough and also lost Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott to injury.Ross Wallace put Wednesday ahead after 27 minutes and then teed up Lucas Joao for the hosts second goal shortly before half-time, with Sam Hutchinson completing victory early in the second period.It was Wednesdays second Premier League scalp in this seasons competition, following their third-round win at Newcastle United, and brought Arsenals run of four successive victories to an end.Elsewhere, an injury-time equaliser by substitute Loic Remy enabled floundering cup holders Chelsea to take their tie at Stoke City to extra-time.Bidding to bounce back from Saturdays 2-1 defeat at West Ham United and ease the pressure on beleaguered manager Jose Mourinho, Chelsea fell behind to Jon Walterss fine 52nd-minute strike at Britannia Stadium.But in the first minute of stoppage time, Remy lashed Kurt Zoumas flick-on into the roof of the net to keep the holders in the competition.Arsenal manager Wenger made eight changes to the team that beat Everton 2-1 on Saturday for the trip to Hillsborough, which was a repeat of the 1993 final.Oxlade-Chamberlain was one of only three players who kept their places, along with Petr Cech and Olivier Giroud, but he went off in the fifth minute after pulling up while running along the touchline.Walcott replaced his England team-mate, but he in turn was forced off 13 minutes later with an apparent calf injury.Ismael Bennacer, a 17-year-old midfielder, came on, joining Glen Kamara and Alex Iwobi in making his Arsenal debut.Wednesday took the lead nine minutes later when a neat move down their left flank culminated in Daniel Pudil cutting the ball back for Wallace to steer a first-time shot inside the left-hand post.Wallace teed up Wednesdays goal in the 40th minute after a short corner, swinging over a cross from the left for striker Joao to head home.Wednesday completed victory six minutes into the second half when Barry Bannans free-kick found Tom Lees in acres of space at the back post and he volleyed across goal for Hutchinson to score with his knees.

Football: Neymar's mother cited in transfer fraud case

Posted:

MADRID (AFP) - The latest person caught up in Neymars poisonous 2013 transfer from Santos to Barcelona is the Brazilian stars mother, who is to face fraud charges, judicial sources revealed on Tuesday.In June, Spains National Court revealed a lawsuit alleging corruption and swindling by Neymar, his father and the players former club Santos. Now the same Madrid court has revealed it will also investigate Nadine Goncalves da Silva Santos, the players mother, who holds a 50 percent stake in the company that runs her sons affairs.The case has been brought by a Brazilian investment fund, DIS, which owned part of the transfer rights for the player when he was at Santos. They claim they were cheated in a murky transfer deal that Barcelona and Santos originally said had cost 57 million euros ($65m, 41m pound) but that Spanish authorities say cost Barca at least 83.3 million euros.DIS believe an agreement between Neymar and Barcelona saw 40 million euros paid to the players management company to stop other clubs bidding for him and that they were deprived of a cut. The Spanish court asserts several top European clubs including Manchester City and Real Madrid had indeed been interested in signing the player.Former Barcelona president Sandro Rossell was forced to resign when the allegations emerged.Meanwhile Neymar helped Barcelona win La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League last season.N and N is also being pursued by Brazilian tax authorities, and a Brazilian court last month froze $47 million (34.5 million pound, 42 million euros) in assets belonging to the player.

Boxing: Fury plans some 'chaos' for champion Klitschko

Posted:

BERLIN (AFP) - British challenger Tyson Fury plans to bring chaos to his world heavyweight title fight next month in a bid to dethrone undisputed champion Wladimir Klitschko in Duesseldorf.Im going to cause chaos and constantly change my tactics. Thats how I can beat him. It will be a short, violent, simple knockout, the 27-year-old Fury told German magazine Sport Bild ahead of the November 28 bout.If he is looking for a direct exchange of punches with me, it will end in disaster for him. Thats when the shutters will go down.The fight had originally been scheduled for October 24, but Klitschko had to postpone the fight after tearing his left calf.The Ukrainian champion will put his IBF, WBA, and WBO heavyweight belts on the line and with veteran rocker Rod Stewart set to sing before the bout, Fury is planning to get on the microphone if he wins.I will definitely sing a song to celebrate the victory, said Fury.Ill try and do a duet with Rod Stewart.It is 11 years since Klitschko was last beaten.The 39-year-old has a phenomenal record of 53 knockouts in 64 wins from 67 bouts while Fury has an unblemished record of 24 wins from 24 fights with 18 knockouts.Klitschko branded Fury a clown when the British boxer dressed up as Batman for their press conference in London last month before predicting he will put the champion on the canvas in the sixth round.Im as confident of winning as waking up in the morning and putting my shoes on, said Fury at the time.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)