Wednesday 28 October 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

LB election fervor intensifies, police crackdown on exhibition of ammo

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Local Body elections’ fervor kept intensifying on Thursday as Punjab and Sindh prepared itself for the upcoming event to be held after two days. The election campaigns will be closed at midnight Thursday. Police have started a crackdown against all individuals involved in the exhibition of ammunition. In Faisalabad, vehicles were being bought and routed for the delivery of electotion gear to the polling stations.According to the details, police in Lahore started action against display of armaments. 18 Sub-Machine Guns (SMG), 40 pump action shotguns, 16 rifles, 4 revolvers and 70 pistols have been confiscated by the police so far.The electoral administration in Faisalabad was seen repeating the same mistakes it had made in prior elections with last ditch efforts to get hold of any conveyance for the transportation of its election equipment to the polling stations. 500 vehicles were parked in Police Line and stations. Transporters and drivers looked all set to enjoy the official hospitality and privileges.Polling time for the LB election has been extended by one hour while instructions have been issued that all voters must bring their respective National Identity Cards (NIC) at the time of polling. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has also assembled itself for the occasion.Opposition parties in Punjab look steadfast on their demand for the deployment of army during LB polls. An emergency meeting was called by PTI in Lahore to formulate strategy on local body elections. It was decided in the meeting that Army’s deployment in local body elections is inevitable as state machinery including Punjab Police and provincial government will interfere in the proceedings.More than 45 million ballot papers have been printed for the first phase of LB election. Approximately 47.3 million ballot papers have been printed in which 35.740 million papers are for Punjab and more than 11.5 million for Sindh. Ballot papers have also been dispatched to the returning officers (ROs) and will be handed over to the relevant staff at polling stations on October 30.

Vienna talks best chance to save Syria from 'hell': Kerry

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry warned Wednesday that this weeks international talks on the war in Syria will not find an immediate political solution but nevertheless represent the best hope available.While finding a way forward on Syria will not be easy -- its not going to be automatic -- it is the most promising opportunity for a political opening we have seen, he said in a speech on Middle East policy just before he was to set off for Vienna.My friends, the challenge that we face in Syria today is nothing less than to chart a course out of hell.Kerry was to meet with his counterparts from a dozen world powers in the Austrian capital for a series of bilateral and multilateral talks on Thursday and Friday to find consensus on a political way forward in Syria.Speaking to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Kerry noted that Syrian President Bashar al-Assads ally Iran is to take part for the first time, along with Damascus other main military backer Russia.Washington is at loggerheads with Moscow over its stance, accusing Russian forces of concentrating their air campaign on moderate opposition groups opposed to Assads rule rather than on the Islamic State jihadist group.But it is also clear that Russia and the United States share an amazing amount of common ground on this, he said, arguing that both want a united, secular Syria in which citizens can choose their own leader through elections.We agree that all of these steps can only be achieved, and Syria can only be saved, through a political settlement, he said, arguing that one man -- Assad -- cannot be allowed to stand in the way of peace.Two previous rounds of talks on Syria -- dubbed Geneva I and Geneva II, in June 2012 and January-February 2014 -- agreed on the principle of forming an interim unity government and sidelining Assad.But Assad, with support from Iran, Russia and the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah, has clung on, while the United States and its Arab and Turkish allies have continued to support and arm mainly Sunni rebels. Meanwhile, the Islamic State group has carved out a self-declared caliphate in eastern Syria and northern Iraq, despite coming under aerial attack from a US-led international military coalition. Ultimately, to defeat Daesh, we have to end the war in Syria, and that is Americas goal, Kerry said, using a term for the IS group based on its Arabic acronym.The Vienna discussions are expected to be the first time all major international players in the conflict, linked to the nearly five-year war, will participate.Saudi Arabia and other US allies in the Middle East had previously opposed the involvement of Iran, which they blame for fomenting unrest in several parts of the Middle East, including Syria, Yemen and Iraq.

UN chief urges 'unified' effort to prevent terrorism

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MADRID (AFP) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday called for a unified global response to prevent terrorism that puts respect for human rights at the forefront.Our response needs to be unified and multidimensional, he said in a closing address to an international conference on preventing extremism by the Madrid Club group of former global leaders and heads of state.Human rights must be at the forefront of our response, he added.People who are drawn to extremism are often frustrated and radicalised by what they see around them, Ban said.This includes violence, injustice and heavy handed security responses.Ban also said that world leaders have failed to fully comprehend the message of the Arab Spring, the popular uprisings that toppled autocratic leaders across the Arab world.When the Arab Spring happened in 2011, I urged leaders in the region to please listen carefully and sincerely what their messages are, what are their aspirations. But they have not listened carefully, he said.The UN chief said governments need to fight poverty and inequality, promote sustainable development and ensure that youths -- the prime target of extremist recruiters -- are occupied.Ban recalled that at the beginning of next year, either January or February, he will present a global plan to fight terrorism.About 200 experts and around 40 former heads of state took part in the two-day gathering in Madrid to discuss ways to prevent extremism.

Abbas calls for 'international protection regime' for Palestinians

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GENEVA (AFP) - Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas called Wednesday for the creation of a special regime for the protection of his people, as a wave of deadly Israeli-Palestinian violence showed no sign of abating.Abbas called on the United Nations, more urgently than any time before, to set up a special regime for international protection for the Palestinian people, immediately and urgently.Accusing Israel of carrying out extrajudicial killings, he called for the United Nations, and especially the Security Council, as well as member states to shoulder their responsibility.We need protection, and we look to you, he told a special meeting of the UN Human Rights Council on the escalating crisis.Protect us. Protect us. We need you, he said, warning that allowing the current situation to continue would kill the last shred of hope for the two-state-solution-based peace.UN human rights chief Zeid Raad Al Hussein also voiced alarm, warning that the deadly violence rocking Israel and the Palestinian territories was dangerous in the extreme and could lead to a catastrophe.The special one-hour meeting of the United Nations top rights body was a rare event, with only a single precedent: when Chilean President Michelle Bachelet spoke to the council in 2007.Clashes erupted in September as an increase in Jewish visitors to Jerusalems Al-Aqsa mosque compound alarmed Palestinians, who fear Israel is seeking to change rules that forbid Jews from praying there.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly denied such claims.Clashes there spiralled into a wave of stabbings and shootings that have left nine Israelis dead since October 1. Fifty-nine Palestinians -- around half of them attackers -- and one Israeli Arab have also been killed.And an Israeli Jew and an Eritrean have also been killed after being mistaken for attackers.Abbas on Wednesday accused the Israelis of acting as a state above international law, and said it has recently stepped up its criminal practices to the point where it performed extrajudicial killings of defenceless Palestinian civilians, (and) detained their corpses, including children.The surge in violence has prompted an intense diplomatic drive to douse tensions that many fear herald a third Palestinian intifada, or uprising, like those of 1987-93 and 2000-05, when thousands were killed in near-daily violence.Abbas warned Wednesday that it is no longer useful to waste time in negotiations. What is required is the ending of occupation, he said, insisting that was the root of the problems plaguing Palestinians and Israelis alike.He called on the international community to help stop these daily crimes committed against my people and protect Israel from itself.

Russian warplanes hit record 118 Syria targets in 24 hours: Moscow

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MOSCOW (AFP) - Russian warplanes have struck 118 terrorist targets in Syria over the past 24 hours, its highest daily total yet, the defence ministry said Wednesday, attributing the rise to fresh intelligence.Russian jets hit 118 targets during 71 sorties over the provinces of Idlib, Homs, Hama, Aleppo, Damascus and Latakia, said the defence ministry.It was the highest one-day tally since the Kremlin began its bombing campaign on September 30. The previous record was set on Monday when Moscow said it had struck 94 terrorist targets in Syria.The defence ministry released no information on Tuesday.The number of sorties has gone up, the ministry said in a statement.This is due to an increase in intelligence data, he said, adding that targets had been confirmed via various channels.The strikes destroyed a command post near the town of Talbisseh in Homs province that belonged to Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front, said the ministry.Among the other targets was a base in Aleppo province used to control a terrorist weapon supply route which was destroyed, along with the vehicle-mounted anti-aircraft systems that were protecting it, it said.In Sahl al-Ghab valley, which lies between the provinces of Hama and Idlib, the warplanes hit a camouflaged supply base, causing an explosion that also destroyed trucks parked some 500 metres away.Russian forces also hit a command and communications post of Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam) group near Mesraba, a town north-east of Damascus, and completely destroyed a command post in Salma, Latakia, after discovering it with unmanned aerial vehicles.Moscow says its bombing campaign targets Islamic State jihadists and other terrorists but the United States and its allies accuse Russia of targeting Western-backed moderate rebels fighting Kremlin-backed President Bashar al-Assads forces.

Lahore: Police raid gambling den, 16 arrested including 2 policemen

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Police raided a gambling den Lakhu Der area of Manawan, Lahore in the late hours of Wednesday night. 16 felons were arrested including 2 policemen during the raid. Police conducted the surprise attack on a secret tip off.According to the police, the 2 police officers arrested during the raid have been identified as Munir Ahmed and Allah Rakha. Satellite phones and cash were found from the suspects.Police have registered a case against the suspects in Manawan police station.

Assad accuses West of backing 'terrorist' groups in Syria

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DAMASCUS (AFP) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad renewed his accusation that Western states including France are supporting terrorist groups in his countrys conflict, at a meeting on Wednesday with a French parliamentary delegation.Several countries in the region and the West, including France, are continuing up until now to support terrorism by giving political cover to terrorist groups in Syria and the region, he told three visiting rightwing legislators, quoted by state news agency SANA.Assad said terrorism was the main cause of the suffering of the Syrian people... along with the embargo imposed on Syria, warning that it was an international phenomenon which no border can prevent from spreading.Syrian authorities classify all opponents of the regime as terrorists.Adopting a tough line on Syrias conflict that has cost more than 250,000 lives since 2011, French President Francois Hollande said last week: Nothing must be done to bolster Bashar al-Assad, who is the problem, and cannot therefore be the solution.But with pressure mounting within France to soften the position on Assad and seek a compromise, opposition lawmaker Jean-Frederic Poisson, part of the delegation which arrived in Damascus late Tuesday, said any settlement necessarily requires a dialogue with the Syrian president.

13 killed in Boko Haram attack in Niger village: officials

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NIAMEY (AFP) - Thirteen people were killed and three injured in an attack on a village in south-east Niger allegedly carried out by Boko Haram extremists, local officials said Wednesday.Thirteen people were executed and three others suffered gunshot wounds in an attack by Boko Haram Tuesday evening in Ala village, Malam Ligari, a local official in the Diffa region, which has been repeatedly attacked by the jihadists, told AFP.This was a fast operation, conducted between 8:00 and 10:00 pm (19:00 and 21:00 GMT), Ligari said, adding that the assailants came on foot after crossing the Yobe river -- which forms a natural border between Niger and Nigeria in the area -- by canoe.Boko Haram militants came in number. They burned cars, houses, stores, the private radio station Anfani reported.Since February, the Diffa region has suffered several attacks blamed on the Nigeria-based Islamist radicals, including one in June in which 38 people were killed, including 10 children.On Tuesday, Nigers parliament voted to extend for another three months the state of emergency declared in February in the region.The biggest problem we have is controlling the border with Nigeria, Nigers Interior Minister Hassoumi Massaoudou told deputies.Cameroon, Chad and Niger have formed a military alliance with Nigeria and Benin to battle the extremists, who this year declared allegiance to the Islamic State.The Islamists grip on the region has suffered as a result of offensives launched by local armies. But the group maintains strongholds in remote parts of north-east Nigeria, the Mandara mountains on the Nigeria-Cameroon border and the islands of Lake Chad.

Errant military blimp sparks fighter jet response, power outages in US

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - A massive US surveillance blimp broke loose from its mooring Wednesday, sparking power outages as it drifted around Pennsylvania dragging a 6,600-foot cable before eventually easing down to Earth, officials said.Two US F-16s fighter jets were scrambled to pursue the so-called JLENS blimp as it floated north of Washington at an altitude of about 15,000 feet (4,600 meters).The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said the huge balloon-like structure finally landed in Montour County in Pennsylvania, at around 4:00 pm (2000 GMT). A military recovery team was en route to collect the runaway aircraft.NORAD spokesman Captain Scott Miller said a section of the aerostats tail had broken off and plummeted to the ground. It wasnt immediately known if it caused any damage or injuries.Authorities warned people to remain clear as power outages were reported in the town of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. Local television said the cable attached to the helium-filled blimp had been hitting power lines and causing blackouts in Bloomsburg.It came untethered from its mooring at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, an army installation in Maryland about 75 miles (120 kilometers) northeast of Washington, at around 12:20 pm (1620 GMT) while at an altitude of about 6,600 feet.People are warned to keep a safe distance from the airship and tether as contact with them may present significant danger, a statement from the Aberdeen Proving Ground said.Weather conditions were within normal parameters for the craft to be in the skies.The two F-16s that monitored the blimp were armed but were never looking seriously at shooting (it) down, Miller said.The aircraft was equipped with an auto-deflation system but it was not known if that had deployed.JLENS blimps carry powerful radars that can monitor an area about the size of Texas for airborne threats including unmanned aircraft, cruise missiles and other objects.The blimp normally flies at about 10,000 feet. When on the ground, it is tied down with a Kevlar-like cable a little more than an inch (2.5 centimeters) thick.Edward Snowden -- the former National Security Agency whistleblower who in 2013 revealed a worldwide US surveillance program harvesting the data of average citizens -- couldnt resist making sport about the snafu.Apparent second confirmation that mass surveillance leads to unauthorized travel, tweeted Snowden -- who in exile appears to delight in poking fun at US foibles and failings, embracing the role of Americas gadfly.Even before the current incident, the blimps presence in the skies over the eastern United States had generated controversy.Civil liberties activists worried the aircraft could be used for domestic surveillance, something the Pentagon strongly denies, saying the blimp cannot see people and has no cameras aboard.Last year, the Government Accountability Office estimated the cost of the JLENS program at a whopping $2.8 billion so far. Congress, meanwhile, nearly halved JLENS $54 million budget for fiscal 2015.Nearly a decade in development, only two JLENS blimps are operational.Together the pair make up an orbit, with the ground crew of one aerostat assigned to 24/7 surveillance and the other tasked with directing air defense missiles to intercept a cruise missile in mid-flight.Each blimp can stay aloft up to 30 days at a time, tethered to a dark green mobile mooring station, coming down to Earth only for maintenance -- like a fresh shot of compressed helium -- or extreme weather.JLENS is a military acronym for Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System.The main JLENS contractor is Raytheon, which also makes the US militarys sea-launched Tomahawk guided cruise missile.

Karachi police say policeman in video guard of security company

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Karachi Police on Wednesday night in a statement related to a video showing a policeman violently beating a woman in the presence of her child, said that the policeman shown in the video was just a guard of a security company and not one of their officers. The statement given by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) south has given the case a new direction raising numerous questions. Police quickly came into action after the video surfaced on news channels. The man in police uniform was arrested and an interrogation has been started.However, the rapid action by the police and the issued statement has raised further questions instead of answering any. A guard of a private security company adorns a police uniform but no inquiry is made or questions asked as to how the guard managed to get hold of the uniform, who allowed him to conduct the brutal investigation and why the woman involved was not presented before the court. The facts of the case leave a big question mark on the condition of our law enforcement agencies and the answers to these questions are yet to be provided by a department that has been designated to safeguard the lives of its citizens.Also read: Policeman violently beats womanThe incident was investigated by Dunya News after which it was learned that the woman in the video being viciously beaten up was named Rehana and was implicated in the theft of gold worth millions. The video shows Rehana being questioned and savagely thrashed in by a guard in a police uniform in Karachi’s Clifton Gulf market. The video also shows a terrified looking child believed to be Rehana’s child.The video shocked and outraged the public after which Chief Minister (CM) Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah ordered the Inspector-General (IG) to submit a report of the incident.

Tennis: Nadal battles back to down Dimitrov

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BASEL (AFP) - Third-seeded Rafael Nadal battled back from a break down in the final set to defeat Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 on Wednesday to reach the Swiss Indoors quarter-finals.But second seed Stan Wawrinka suffered his eighth first round loss at the tournament as the French Open champion slumped to a 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 defeat to Ivo Karlovic.Nadal won the opening set against Dimitrov but dropped the second after leading 4-2. When he dropped serve in the opening game of the third set on a double-fault, the situation looked grim for the Spaniard.But the 14-time major winner broke back for 5-3 with a winning overhead, serving out the tight victory a game later after more than two hours on court.This was another very tough match, I had to fight, said Nadal. But to win this way was fantastic.Im very happy to be in the quarter-finals. Winning like this gives me confidence after my second important win this week.Nadal next faces either Marin Cilic or Teimuraz Gabashvili for a semi-final spot.Karlovic, the 36-year-old Croatian, sent down 21 aces to take victory over Wawrinka after trailing a set and a break.I had a poor first set and was missing a lot with my volleys, said Karlovic.But I began improving in the second set and got a bit lucky when I converted my break points (in the sixth game at 3-3). After that, things started going my way.Karlovic, who had lost five of six previous meetings with Wawrinka, next plays Serbias Dusan Lajovic.Wawrinka was disappointed to have let it slip away.Its never easy to lose a match like that, especially since I felt I was playing well and feeling good. I had my chances to take control of the match, said the Swiss.After the first set, everything was good, I was playing well. I played really good for two sets, more or less. I had a few mistakes, but it can happen.Hes playing his best year so far, hes improved his game a lot. He serves amazing and you dont get many chances. Today I got my chances and didnt take them.Elsewhere in the opening round, fourth seed Kevin Anderson advanced over Croatian teenager Borna Coric 6-3, 6-2 while seventh seed and last weekends Moscow champion Cilic beat Basel native Marco Chiudinelli 6-3, 7-6 (7/3).South Africas Anderson sent down 29 winners, improving his record in the best season of his career to 45-22.Jack Sock won an American battle with Denis Kudla 6-4, 6-2 and next faces countryman John Isner, the sixth seed.Russias Gabashvili stopped Argentina Leonardo Mayer 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.In the second round, 2014 finalist David Goffin made the quarter-finals with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Adrian Mannarino.

Tennis: Karlovic sends Wawrinka to eighth Basel opening loss

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BASEL (AFP) - French Open champion Stan Wawrinka suffered his eighth first-round defeat at the Swiss Indoors on Wednesday when he slumped to a 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 loss to Ivo Karlovic.Karlovic, the 36-year-old Croatian, sent down 21 aces to take victory over the Swiss second seed after trailing a set and a break.I had a poor first set and was missing a lot with my volleys, said Karlovic.But I began improving in the second set and got a bit lucky when I converted my break points (in the sixth game at 3-3). After that, things started going my way.Karlovic, who had lost five of six previous meetings with Wawrinka, next plays Serbias Dusan Lajovic.Wawrinka was disappointed to have let the match slip away.Its never easy to lose a match like that, especially since I felt I was playing well and feeling good. I had my chances to take control of the match, said the Swiss. After the first set, everything was good, I was playing well. I played really good for two sets, more or less. I had a few mistakes, but it can happen. Hes playing his best year so far, hes improved his game a lot. He serves amazing and you dont get many chances. Today I got my chances and I didnt take them.Later Wednesday, Spanish third seed Rafael Nadal was facing Bulgarias Grigor Dimitrov.Elsewhere in the opening round, fourth seed Kevin Anderson advanced over Croatian teenager Borna Coric 6-3, 6-2 while seventh seed and last weekends Moscow champion Marin Cilic beat Basel native Marco Chiudinelli 6-3, 7-6 (7/3).South Africas Anderson sent down 29 winners, improving his record in the best season of his career to 45-22.Jack Sock won an American battle with Denis Kudla 6-4, 6-2 and next faces countryman John Isner, the sixth seed.Russias Teimuraz Gabashvili stopped Argentina Leonardo Mayer 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.In the second round, 2014 finalist David Goffin booked a quarter-final spot with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Adrian Mannarino.

Tennis: Top seed Ferrer withdraws from Valencia Open

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VALENCIA (AFP) - Top seed and three-time champion David Ferrer withdrew from the Valencia Open on Wednesday due to an elbow injury.Ferrer, who claimed his fifth title of the year in Vienna on Sunday to edge closer to sealing his place at the World Tour Finals next month, was due to begin his campaign against German qualifier Daniel Brands on Thursday.The Spaniard will be assured of his place in London as long as Richard Gasquet doesnt win the Swiss Indoors tournament in Basel this week and the Paris Masters next week.Ferrers withdrawal means Frenchman Benoit Paire is the only seed left in the top half of the draw after Australian third seed Bernard Tomic was beaten 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 by Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas.Tomic was a set and a break up early in the second set before the world number 33 fought back and just one break of serve was enough in the decider to set up a quarter-final meeting with Portugals Joao Sousa or Paire.Britains Aljaz Bedene is also out after losing 6-3, 6-4 to Canadian Vasek Pospisil.American Steve Johnson, the runner-up to Ferrer in Vienna at the weekend, will face second seed Feliciano Lopez in the second round after defeating Slovakias Martin Klizan 6-3, 6-4.Roberto Bautista Agut edged an all-Spanish affair against Nicolas Almagro 7-6 (7/1), 4-6, 6-4.

Tennis: Czech mate as Kvitova wins battle of lefties

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SINGAPORE (AFP) - Petra Kvitova left fellow Czech left-hander Lucie Safarova staring at possible elimination from the WTA Finals when she beat her 7-5, 7-5 on Wednesday. Two-time Wimbledon champion and world number five Kvitova, 25, has now dominated her friend and Fed Cup partner 8-0 on hardcourts, grass and clay.Im really glad that I was able to play and win the kind of match after my loss in the first match here, said Kvitova, who fell to Germanys Angelique Kerber in straight sets on Monday.Safarova is now relying on Garbine Muguruza beating Kerber in a White Group match later Wednesday in order to stay alive in the eight-player season finale.The world number nine looked set to force a decider after racing to a 3-0 lead in the second set, but she squandered her lead with weak serves.For sure it was a difficult match. I know that Lucie wasnt really healthy weeks ago and Im just happy that shes here as well, Kvitova said.Its great to have two Czechs in the WTA Finals.The victory was vital for Kvitova, who would also have been facing potential elimination had she lost her second match in the White Group round robin.The two women said they looked forward to playing together when they face Russia in the Fed Cup final in Prague from November 14-15.Kvitova and Safarova have led the Czech Republic to three trophies from the last four Fed Cup editions.We actually are good friends from the Fed Cup, so Im really glad the Fed Cup is coming soon and we going to be colleagues and not opponents, Kvitova said.Safarova agreed: I prefer playing with Petra. We always had a lot of fun through Fed Cup weeks. We are a great team, which we show with our results in last few years.Maria Sharapova will lead the Russian line-up that includes Ekaterina Makarova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Elena Vesnina.The two nations have met five times before in the Fed Cup but three of those meetings were between Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union.The Czech team lead their head-to-head record with Russia 3-2, including a victory in the most recent encounter in the 2011 final in Moscow.

Tennis: Muguruza muscles way to verge of WTA semis

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SINGAPORE (AFP) - Spanish sensation Garbine Muguruza dominated Angelique Kerber 6-4, 6-4 on Wednesday to put one foot in the WTA Finals last four on her debut in the season-ending tournament.The 22-year-old, who rose to world number three on Monday, aggressively attacked from the net and dictated play for most of the match against her more experienced opponent.Super-confident Muguruza, with just two titles to her name, said she was already eyeing a spot in the Singapore final after beating Lucie Safarova and now Germanys Kerber to stand on the brink of the semis.Every time I step on the court against Angelique I know its going to be a very tough match -- we played an unbelievable match today, Muguruza said.Im really motivated to be here. Its my first time in Singapore singles so I really want to come here and win all the matches I can and hopefully be in the final, she added.Left-handed Kerber, 27, was broken four times by the tall but quick Spaniard, who won in Beijing this month and was runner-up to Serena Williams at Wimbledon in July.I think right now she had a lot of confidence from the last few weeks, and I think that helps her like to be very confident in the important moment and just go for it, Kerber said.I think thats why she is so dangerous right now.Muguruza, who is also playing in the doubles, tops White Group but she is not into the semis yet and still needs to play Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic on Friday.The top two in each round-robin group will reach the semi-finals. The event features the top eight womens players apart from world number one Williams, who opted to rest.Earlier two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova kept her hopes alive and pushed Safarova to the verge of elimination with a 7-5, 7-5 win over her fellow Czech left-hander.The world number five and 2011 champion has never lost to Safarova, her close friend and Fed Cup partner, holding a 8-0 record across all surfaces.Im really glad that I was able to play and win the kind of match after my loss in the first match here, said Kvitova, who lost to Kerber in her opening match.The two Czechs said they are also looking forward to playing together when they face Russia in the Fed Cup final in Prague from November 14-15.Kvitova and Safarova have led the Czech Republic to three trophies from the last four editions of the Fed Cup.We actually are good friends from the Fed Cup, so Im really glad the Fed Cup is coming soon and we going to be colleagues and not opponents, Kvitova said.Maria Sharapova, who now leads the Red Group in Singapore, will anchor the Russian Fed Cup line-up.
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