Tuesday 17 November 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Football: Wembley unites to honour Paris victims

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LONDON (AFP) - A moving rendition of the French national anthem reverberated around Londons Wembley Stadium on Tuesday as fans of England and France paid tribute to the victims of the Paris attacks.In a crowd of 71,223 that included British Prime Minister David Cameron and Prince William, many stood to sing La Marseillaise four days on from the attacks, which left 129 people dead and over 350 injured.England won a subdued match 2-0 courtesy of goals from Dele Alli and captain Wayne Rooney, but the outcome of the contest was a mere anecdote on a night thick with poignancy.Emotionally, it was a very, very strong moment, France manager Didier Deschamps told his post-match press conference.We were all united in this moment of communion, which obviously lifts the spirits because you feel it in your heart. Its beautiful, its moving, its grandiose. Its very strong.France midfielder Lassana Diarra, who lost a female cousin in the attacks, and team-mate Antoine Griezmann, whose sister escaped the massacre at the Bataclan concert hall, both came on in the second half.Diarra, a former player with English sides Chelsea, Arsenal and Portsmouth, was granted a warm round of applause as he came on.He sent us a remarkable message, Deschamps said. His presence with us was something very, very strong. Thats why I let him play the last few minutes.England manager Roy Hodgson said: It was a very poignant occasion. It was everything I expected it to be.There was a visible police presence outside the ground, while two armed counter-terror police officers were seen patrolling beside the pitch prior to kick-off.The friendly between Germany and the Netherlands scheduled to take place in Hanover on Tuesday had earlier been cancelled, with German police citing a serious bomb threat, while Belgiums game with Spain was also called off.Both managers said that they had been aware of events in Hanover, with Deschamps revealing that he had deliberately not informed his players.Tonight we are FrenchLast Fridays attacks in Paris had started with three suicide bombers blowing themselves up outside the Stade de France while France played Germany in a friendly.But supporters arriving at Tuesdays game were relaxed, with English and French fans mingling happily and posing for pictures in front of Wembleys giant arch, which was lit up in red, white and blue.Breaking with convention, the Marseillaise was played after God Save the Queen in order to create a stand-alone moment of solidarity, with the words to the anthem displayed on the stadiums big screens.Many England fans had brought French flags to the stadium. One banner in the crowd, picking up a social media hashtag, read: Pray for Paris.Prior to the anthems, and a solemnly observed minutes silence, figures including Deschamps, Hodgson, Prince William, French Football Federation president Noel Le Graet and his English counterpart Greg Dyke laid floral tributes beside the pitch.In a speech to his fellow dignitaries before the game, Dyke said: Tonight is an opportunity for us, the English, to say to the people of Paris and to the people of France, We are with you, we support you -- tonight we are Parisians, tonight we are French.We share in your grief, we share in your shock, but also we share in your determination not to be beaten.The teams emerged from the tunnel accompanied by mascots wearing both France and England kits and led by children carrying a black flag bearing the French motto Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite (Freedom, Equality, Brotherhood).Shortly before kick-off, the teams posed for a merged team photo, during which a standing ovation broke out around the ground.Tottenham Hotspurs 19-year-old midfielder Alli, making his full debut, put England ahead with a 25-yard drive in the 39th minute and Rooney volleyed in his 51st international goal after the break.Despite the Paris attacks, claimed by Islamic State, the FA said that only 100 tickets for the game had been returned. The final attendance was roughly 20,000 short of full capacity.The communal singing of the Marseillaise followed a social media campaign taken up by British newspapers, many of which printed the words to the 220-year-old battle hymn on the morning of the match.

Pakistan to demand 'proof' of terror charges for deportees

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ISLAMABAD (AFP) - Pakistan on Tuesday instructed its diplomatic missions in European capitals to demand evidence of a potential crime when host countries sought to deport illegal immigrants being held on terror charges to Pakistan.The move came days after Islamabad said it had suspended its agreement on the readmission of illegal immigrants with European Union countries, except Britain, because of its blatant misuse.During a meeting on Tuesday, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan directed Pakistani diplomatic missions in Europe to demand proof from host governments that wanted to deport Pakistanis on terror charges, a statement said.It is a violation of human rights if any Pakistani is deported on terror charges without any proof, he said, according to the statement.We have to not only give courage to Pakistani expatriates, but also stand by them at every step.Also Read: Pakistan suspends EU migrant readmission agreement over misuseKhan also warned that airlines who carried deportees back to Pakistan without the interior ministrys permission or without travel documents would have to pay unspecified fines.The 2010 agreement that Pakistan said it had suspended aimed to facilitate the return of Pakistani illegal immigrants and other nationals who had transited through Pakistan before arriving in the EU.Khan said on Friday that 90,000 people were sent back to Pakistan from various countries last year alone.

Police hunt Paris gunman - but are there others?

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PARIS (AFP) - Police on Tuesday stepped up a Europe-wide hunt for the Paris attackers after video confirmed a ninth man may also have taken part in the worst attacks in French history.Investigators are hunting the suspect for his part in the carnage that left 129 people dead, after footage showed a third man in a car used in one of the attacks on bars and cafes in central Paris.He could be one of two suspects being held in Belgium or on the run -- possibly with 26-year-old Salah Abdeslam, who carried out the shootings along with his suicide-bomber brother Brahim.Belgian police failed to find Abdeslam during a raid in Brussels on Monday, while a subsequent sighting of him in Germany turned out to be a wild goose chase.In claiming responsibility for the attacks, the Islamic State group said eight men were involved.As the manhunt continues, investigators are seeking to pinpoint when, where and how Frances worst-ever attacks were organised, and whether more accomplices are running free.The plan and the timing?How the gunmen communicated, where they travelled and how they planned Fridays attacks is key to the probe.On Tuesday, police found a black Renault Clio rented under Abdeslams name in a northern district of the French capital. It had been spotted on the A1 motorway that heads north from Paris.His bank card was also used to rent two hotel rooms in the northern suburbs days before Fridays attacks at the national stadium, a concert hall and restaurants and cafes, police sources said.But it remains unclear how one of the gunmen, French national Samy Amimour, returned to Europe from Syria without being detected given he is wanted under an international warrant.Or why Belgian police failed to notify their French counterparts that the Abdeslam brothers, who had been living in Brussels, had been flagged as radical extremists.Who has been named?Two of the three suicide bombers whose bodies were found at the Bataclan concert hall, the site of the worst carnage where 89 people were killed, grew up in France.Amimour, 28, grew up in Drancy, a poor immigrant area northeast of Paris, and worked as a suburban bus driver. He was charged with conspiracy to commit terrorism in October 2012, but violated his bail, leaving for Syria almost a year later.Omar Ismail Mostefai, a 29-year-old with petty criminal convictions who was born in the Paris suburb of Courcouronnes, had also been identified by the authorities as radicalised in 2010 and is believed to have spent time in Syria.Nine people linked to the pair are in detention, although the third suicide bomber whose body was found at the site has not yet been identified.One of the three assailants who blew themselves up at the French national stadium, killing one person, was Bilal Hadfi, a 20-year-old Frenchman living in Belgium who spent time in Syria.Two men were arrested at Molenbeek on Monday on suspicion of having helped Salah Abdeslam after the attacks: Mohammed Amri, 27, and Hamza Attou, 20.Who is still unidentified?French police on Tuesday released a photograph of one of the bombers from outside the stadium in a bid to establish his identity. Near to his body was a Syrian passport, which investigators believe may have belonged to a Syrian regime soldier killed several months ago.The mans fingerprints had been registered in Greece in October and the passport holder was later registered crossing the border between Macedonia and Serbia where he formally applied for asylum.The third body found at the stadium has not yet been identified. It also remains unclear why the three detonated their suicide vests in near-empty areas while 80,000 spectators were inside watching a France-German friendly football match.Investigators are also seeking the ninth suspect from the car with the Abdeslam brothers, who gunned down five people in front of the bar A La Bonne Biere, a source close to the inquiry said.The video shows the assailants firing from the car, which was later found abandoned in Montreuil, east of Paris along with three Kalashnikov assault rifles.Planned in Syria?French President Francois Hollande said Fridays acts of war... were decided and planned in Syria, prepared and organised in Belgium (and) perpetrated on our soil, with French complicity.Mostefai, Amimour and Hadji have spent time in jihadist-controlled areas of Syria as is probably the case with the two Abdeslam brothers.A suspected mastermind of the Paris attacks is Belgian jihadist Abdelhamid Abaaoud, a 28-year-old of Moroccan origin, linked to Islamic extremist plots and recruitment efforts in Europe over the past two years.Abaaoud, who likes to brag about his close calls with European police in IS magazine Dabiq, was cited along with Salah Abdeslam in criminal cases in Brussels in 2010 and 2011.Investigators have no proof showing the attacks were carried out on an order from Syria, but a Frenchman detained in August after returning from the war-torn country told investigators he had been ordered to stage an attack, ideally at a concert, on an order from Abaaoud.

Interior Minister Ch Nisar orders crackdown against human traffickers

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Federal Minister for Interior Chaudhary Nisar on Tuesday has ordered a crackdown against human trafficking. Speaking at a high level meeting, Nisar warned that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) should abandon traditional approaches and should adopt his mannerisms of working.According to the details, the Minister for Interior advised that the passports of identified traffickers be cancelled and their bank accounts should be frozen. Nisar further stated that red warrants of fugitive human traffickers be obtained from Interpol and actions should be taken to ensure their arrests. Nisar further added that a report pertaining to the matter be submitted on weekly basis.The Federal Interior Minister stated that FIA should obtain evidence against Altaf Khanani from US officials and initiate action for his arrest.The 2008 acquittal case of Khanani and Kalia will be raised in courts.Nisar also announced that a heavy fine should be levied against airlines bringing back deported Pakistanis without permission. Nisar also stated that they will aid immigrants in every step.

Yemen president returns to Aden from Saudi exile

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ADEN (AFP) - Yemens president returned from exile to southern city Aden Tuesday as his troops and allies in a Saudi-led coalition pressed one of their most important offensives yet against Iran-backed Huthi rebels.After landing in the provisional capital, Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi went straight to the palace to supervise the offensive aimed at retaking Taez province, mostly controlled by the rebels, a presidential source said.His arrival comes just days after Prime Minister Khaled Bahah announced the return of his government to Yemen.The president has tried to return before.In September, after six months of exile in Saudi Arabia, Hadi and Bahah returned to Aden but had to go back to Riyadh after a deadly attack on the provisional seat of government.Hadi declared the southern port city Yemens temporary capital after he escaped house arrest in the rebel-held capital Sanaa in February.The following month, he fled into exile as the rebels and their allies entered Aden, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to launch a military intervention in support of his internationally recognised government.The UN says that some 5,000 people, more than half of them civilians, have been killed in Yemen since the intervention began.The president will be staying at the Maashiq presidential palace in the central Crater district of Aden.The palace was severely damaged in the fighting that gripped Aden until July but was recently repaired by the United Arab Emirates, which along with Saudi Arabia is taking a lead role in supporting Hadis government.The coalition sent ground troops to Yemen in early August after months of air strikes.It has deployed significant reinforcements for the advance on Taez, Yemens third city, military officials have said.Taez has seen heavy fighting in recent months between pro-government forces and the Huthi Shiite rebels and their allies.There are loyalist troops inside the city but they are besieged by the rebels.Pro-Hadi forces and their coalition allies pushed north towards Taez overnight, capturing the village of Waziaa, southwest of the city, military sources said.The rebel-controlled Saba news agency had said Monday that the insurgents repelled attempts to advance on four fronts towards Waziaa.Further south, pro-Hadi fighters advanced towards Rahida, the provinces second-largest city, following fierce clashes at nearby Shuraija, a military source said.Loyalist forces deployed in Dhubab advanced towards the port city of Mocha on the Red Sea, an army officer said. They are 30 kilometres (19 miles) away from Mocha, he said. The fighting, which has been accompanied by Saudi-led air strikes, has left 26 rebels and 33 loyalists dead since Monday, pro-Hadi military sources said.A 400-strong Sudanese force arrived in Aden this month in support of loyalist forces, joining 500 who arrived in October. Sudanese forces from the strategic Al-Anad airbase in Lahj were taking part in the Taez operations, sources said Monday.The fighting has thrown into question UN-brokered peace talks that had been planned for later this month.A UN bid to launch peace talks in June failed over demands for a rebel withdrawal from seized territory, but this time, much effort has been put into ensuring there is agreement in advance on the agenda.The humanitarian crisis in Yemen has been identified by the United Nations as one of the worlds worst, with 80 percent of the countrys population on the brink of famine.The UN childrens agency said Tuesday that more than half a million children face life-threatening severe malnutrition in the country.The situation continues to worsen, UNICEF head Anthony Lake told AFP. What we need is a political settlement urgently.

Kerry says Syria could be 'weeks away' from transition

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PARIS (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday that Syria could be weeks away from a big transition, following on from international talks in Vienna at the weekend.We are weeks away conceivably from the possibility of a big transition for Syria, Kerry said after talks with President Francois Hollande in Paris, where he was visiting to express solidarity with the French nation after Fridays terror attacks.Kerry said there was now a genuine process with possibilities to unlock the war in Syria, which has cost 250,000 lives over nearly five years.There have been deep divisions over the fate of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.Assad is backed by Russia and Iran, but the United States and France have demanded he step down.We have found a common agreement on principles (and) established a concept of giving life to a negotiation with Iran and Russia at the table, which is unique in the last four and a half years, Kerry said.Top diplomats from 17 countries met in Vienna on Saturday where, despite deep divisions, they agreed on a path to Syrian elections and to bring together the broadest spectrum of Syrian opposition and regime representatives for talks by January 1.They agreed on a target of six months to have a credible, inclusive and non-sectarian transition government, and a schedule for the drafting of a new constitution followed by elections within 18 months.The Islamic State, which has taken control of large parts of Syria and Iraq, has claimed responsibility for unleashing a wave of gunmen and suicide bombers on the French capital to carry out attacks which killed 129 people.

More than 30 dead as carnage returns to NE Nigeria

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KADUNA (AFP) - More than 30 people were killed Tuesday when a bomb blast ripped through packed crowds in Yola, northeast Nigeria, just days after President Muhammadu Buhari visited declaring that Boko Haram were close to defeat.The explosion happened at about 8:20 pm (1920 GMT) in the Jambutu area of the Adamawa state capital, although it was not immediately clear whether it was caused by a suicide bomber or an improvised explosive device.So far, weve recorded about 32 dead and about 80 injured, said Saad Bello, the Yola coordinator for the National Emergency Management Agency.The Red Cross and state police gave a slightly lower toll of 31 dead and 72 injured.The blast bore all the hallmarks of Boko Haram, which has previously attacked Yola with suicide bombers and improvised explosive devices in recent months.Buhari this month was in Yola to decorate soldiers for bravery in the counter-insurgency as well as visit a camp for people displaced by six years of violence that has left at least 17,000 people dead.He told troops he believed Boko Haram are very close to defeat and urged soldiers to remain vigilant, alert and focused to prevent Boko Haram from sneaking into our communities to attack soft targets.Red Cross official Aliyu Maikano and residents said the area targeted was a lorry park which also houses a livestock market, an open-air restaurant and a mosque.The area was immediately cordoned off but poor power supply in Yola meant the rescue effort was conducted in near darkness.Victims could be lying all over the place, Maikano said.Tuesdays blast was the first in Nigeria this month, indicating the armys strategy to cut off the Islamists supply lines and target their camps was paying off. Buhari has set his military commanders a deadline of the end of next month to crush the rebels, who have increasingly taken to attacking border areas of neighbouring Chad, Niger and Cameroon. But the Yola explosion also shows the difficulty in completely neutralising the threat, particularly in crowded urban areas. On Monday, the army said it had foiled an attack using high-powered assault weapons and bombs in the capital of Borno state, Maiduguri, as well as having uncovered a bomb-making factory.Yola had been seen as a relative haven from the bloodshed across the northeast and last year housed hundreds of thousands who fled their homes as the militants advanced into Adawawa state.The military declared the state cleared earlier this year.But in October, 27 people were killed and 96 injured in a blast at a mosque in Jambutu, while in September, seven people died and 20 were injured by a bomb left at the displaced persons camp visited by Buhari last week.Two suicide bombers blew themselves up at one of Yolas main markets in June, killing 31.There have also been multiple raids in the north of the state, near the groups Sambisa Forest stronghold across the border in Borno.The blast came as Boko Haram was named in the latest Global Terrorism Index as the most deadly terrorist group in the world, having killed 6,644 people last year.The index, published by the Institute for Economics and Peace, said the Islamic State group, to which Boko Haram has pledged allegiance, killed 6,073. It highlighted the major intensification of the terrorist threat in Nigeria and said it had witnessed the largest increase in terrorist deaths ever recorded by any country.

Lahore: Custom officials thwart attempt to smuggle 7kgs of Gold

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Custom officials on Wednesday conducting action at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport thwarted an attempt to smuggle 7kg’s of Gold and arrested one suspect. The suspect named Mohammad Rizwan, a resident of Khawaja Kot Saeed area in Lahore, had reached the city with 60 Gold biscuits weighing 7kgs strapped to his leg.Taking the felon into custody, Custom officers have shifted the suspect to an undisclosed location and started an interrogation into the matter.

PTI's Target in Punjab LG elections was 10 percent: Chaudhry Sarwar

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MURIDKE (Dunya News) – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Punjab organizer and former Governor Chaudhry Ghulam Sarwar while addressing an election campaign rally in Muridke, stated that PTI’s target in Phase one of Punjab’s Local Government (LG) elections was 10 percent. Sarwar further stated that PTI had managed to win more seats than the intended target.Addressing the gathering, Sarwar said PTI’s original contestants were not Pakistan Muslim League—Nawaz (PML-N) but Police Patwaris, Deputy Commissioners and the local administration, who are reshuffling voter lists and lodging false cases against its workers.Sarwar stated that PTI will also gather evidence and publish a white paper on LG polls after 22nd of November.

Tennis: Federer floors Djokovic for semi-finals spot

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LONDON (AFP) - Roger Federer got one over on world number one Novak Djokovic as the Swiss great booked his World Tour Finals last four spot with a straight sets victory on Tuesday.Federer triumphed 7-5, 6-2 in their group stage clash in the packed 17,800-capacity O2 Arena in London, winning the key points at crucial moments to hand the Serb his first indoor defeat in 39 matches -- a winning run stretching back to 2012.Triple defending champion Djokovic, on a 23-match winning streak, suffered his first defeat since losing to Federer in the Cincinnati final on August 23.But after becoming the first man through to this years semis, world number three Federer insisted Djokovic was still the favourite to win the season-ending tournament, which is disputed between the top eight players on a hard court.Earlier in the same group of four, Japans Kei Nishikori gave his hopes of reaching the semis a major boost with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic.I know its a big win. Could help me for whats to come in this tournament, Federer said.Its going to help me for next year. Its always good beating Novak or any top player.Still, to me, Novak is still the favourite of the tournament.He should make his way to the semis somehow... and hell be the favourite in that probably, too, with the year hes had. Hes far from gone.The way I know Novak, hes going to find a way to be tougher to beat from now on.Victory for Djokovic in the final group match against Berdych on Thursday would see the Serb through to the semis; it would also prevent Nishikori from progressing, regardless of whether the Japanese beats Federer.In the first set, Federer converted his second set point with a delicate backhand drop over the net that had the six-time champions numerous fans on their feet celebrating.Federer raced away in the second set, earning himself a match point with a tremendous backhand. However, Djokovic won a long rally to stay in the contest.On Federers second match point, Djokovic shot wide and challenged, but the ball was correctly called out as Federer celebrated victory.Federer now leads Djokovic 22-21 in career matches between them.Djokovic said the match couldnt be worse.You have those days when you are not feeling your best, not even close to the best, he said.I made a lot of, lot of unforced errors. Just handed him the win, especially in the second set.Undoubtedly, he was the better player on the court. But I think I also allowed him to play and penetrate through the ball and dictate the tempo from the baseline.I didnt have this follow-through on my shots, no depth, many mistakes. If you play this way against Roger, you have no chance.Earlier, eighth-ranked Nishikori survived a second set wobble but recovered to beat world number six Berdych thanks to what he admitted was a lucky shot.Both players lost their Finals group stage opener -- Nishikori to Djokovic and Berdych to Federer. A second defeat for Berdych therefore left his semi-final hopes hanging by a thread.Nishikori, 25, made the semis last year on his O2 Arena debut.In the third and deciding set, Nishikori saved a break point at 3-3, the key moment in a match that lasted two hours and 23 minutes.Last shot, I went for it, closed my eyes. (It) was a little bit lucky I made that shot, he said.Asias top player said he was looking forward to Thursdays clash with Federer, the youngest player in the tournament facing the oldest.Hes still improving himself, playing great tennis even though hes 34. He doesnt look old for me, he said.Federer said of the Japanese: He showed his talents very quickly and very early. It just took him awhile because of his injuries to really, really break through. Now hes there and one of the best players.

Tennis: Nishikori recovers to see off Berdych

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LONDON (AFP) - Kei Nishikori gave his hopes of qualifying for the last four of the World Tour Finals a major boost with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Tomas Berdych on Tuesday.The eighth-ranked Japanese wobbled in the second set but recovered to beat the Czech world number six thanks to what he admitted was a lucky shot at Londons O2 Arena.Both players lost their Finals group stage opener -- Nishikori to Novak Djokovic and Berdych to Roger Federer. A second defeat for Berdych left his semi-final hopes hanging by a thread.Serbian world number one Djokovic plays Swiss third seed Federer in Tuesdays other group match.Victory for Djokovic would secure his place in the semis, while a straight sets win would guarantee Federer a last four spot.Nishikori, the youngest player in the Finals at 25, made the semi-finals last year in his debut at the season-ending tournament, disputed between the top eight players on a slow-playing hard court.Nishikori was receiving plenty of support from compatriots waving the Japanese flag and a clutch of well-refreshed British fans roaring him on.The first set went with serve until Nishikori broke for 6-5 and then won the set on serve, having given Berdych plenty to think about with some clever drop shots and lobs.Berdych was 2-0 down in the second set but turned it around, winning five games in a row.In the third and deciding set, Nishikori saved a break point at 3-3, the key moment in the match.That was a really big point. He had three, four shots that he went really aggressive. I was defence all the time. Last shot, I went for it, closed my eyes. (It) was a little bit lucky I made that shot, he said.Asias top player then broke Berdych and closed out the two hours and 23 minutes-long match with a game to love.The Czech also felt the missed break opportunity made all the difference.Everything was fine. I was playing very good in the second set. I was playing well in the third, the 30-year-old said.I was the one having a first chance having a break point in the third set. (We) had a good rally, (I) had a good position to finish the ball, but I just didnt make it. Then he took the chance. He broke me next game. That was it.Nishikori said he was looking forward to Thursdays clash with Federer, the youngest player in the tournament facing the oldest.Its going to be a really big challenge for me to play Roger. Its always exciting, he said.Its going to be a really important match for both of us. So Ill try to recover well, and I will get good tactics ready and try to play another good match.He doesnt look really his age, 34. Hes still improving himself, playing great tennis even though hes 34. He doesnt look old for me. Its a great honour to play Roger.Even if Berdych beats Djokovic in his final group match on Thursday, his chances of making the last four would still be slim. Something that is not lost on him.Next match is against Novak. Another one to play with him, challenge him, just try to have a good one for the last match of the season, said Berdych.

Tennis: Murray spearheads Britain in Davis Cup final

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LONDON (AFP) - Andy Murray will lead Britains bid for a first Davis Cup win since 1936 in Belgium later this month with James Ward and Kyle Edmund in contention for the second singles spot.The 28-year-old Scot has won all eight of his rubbers this year - six singles and two doubles - en route to Britains first final since 1978, defeating the United States, France and Australia.But his preparations for the November 27-29 final on a specially laid slow claycourt in Ghent have been hampered by his obligations to play in this weeks ATP World Tour finals on a hardcourt in London.Team captain Leon Smith will look for Murray to bag two points from his singles matches and also likely link up with brother Jamie to ensure what could be the clinching point in the doubles as they did against Australia in the semi-finals.Smith does not have to finalise his four-man line-up until a week on Thursday, and is likely to see how Edmund and Ward perform in practice on clay at the Flanders Expo before making a final decision.Ward has been a key figure in the run to the final, claiming a vital five-set win against John Isner during the first round tie against the United States.But 20-year-old Edmund has pushed himself into contention by winning a Challenger title on clay in Buenos Aires on Sunday and is in line to make his Davis Cup debut.Dan Evans, who also won a title on Sunday, has been left out but was a late inclusion for the semi-final against Australia so could potentially still figure.But there will be no place for Aljaz Bedene, the Slovenian-born British number two who was prevented from playing for his aopted country as he had previously played three matches for his native country, all dead rubbers.Bedene appealed the case to the International Tennis Federation, who run the Davis Cup, but they have deferred any decision until next March. Smith, who took over the captaincy in 2010 for a play-off against Turkey to avoid dropping into the bottom tier of the competition, said: It is an historic moment in British tennis and Im delighted to name these five players for the tie against Belgium.Andy has led from the front throughout this campaign, showing time and again what it means to him to pull on the GB jersey.He shows determination, commitment and passion that inspires the other British players on the bench and our fantastic fans in the stands.The team has had some incredible results this year, and we know that off the back of defeating the three other Grand Slam nations we carry great momentum going into the final.However, we will not underestimate the challenge in front of us. The Belgian team is full of top-100 talent and they will push us all the way.The British team, announced on Tuesday, to contest the Davis Cup final against Belgium in Ghent from November 27-29:Andy Murray, James Ward, Kyle Edmund, Jamie Murray, Dominic Inglot.

Football: Alli stars as England defeat grieving France

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LONDON (AFP) - Nineteen-year-old midfielder Dele Alli stole the show as England beat a grieving France 2-0 on Tuesday in a poignant friendly at Wembley played four days after the Paris attacks.Making his full debut, the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder opened the scoring with a fine 25-yard strike in the 39th minute and then played a key role as captain Wayne Rooney added a second goal early in the second half.It was the first time England had beaten France in seven games -- a run stretching back to June 1997 -- but the result was of little significance on a night thick with emotion at Englands national stadium.Prior to kick-off, many in a crowd of 71,223 stood to sing the French national anthem in tribute to the 129 people killed and more than 350 injured in last Fridays attacks in the French capital.Players from both sides wore black armbands and the game was preceded by a solemnly observed minutes silence, while armed police patrolled outside.Lassana Diarra, whose cousin was killed in the attacks, and Antoine Griezmann, whose sister escaped the massacre at the Bataclan concert hall, came on as second-half substitutes for Euro 2016 hosts France.Marseille midfielder Diarra, a former player with English sides Chelsea, Arsenal and Portsmouth, was granted a warm round of applause as he came on.A third-tier player with Milton Keynes Dons as recently as last season, Alli was rewarded for some assured displays in the centre of Spurs midfield with his first international start and he did not disappoint manager Roy Hodgson.Six minutes before half-time, and having won the ball back moments earlier, he took aim from 25 yards with a shot that took a slight nick off defender Laurent Koscielny and flew into the top-left corner.Three minutes into the second half he fended off France substitute Paul Pogba at the start of a move that culminated in Raheem Sterling teeing up Rooney to crisply volley his 51st England goal past Hugo Lloris.

Football: Germany 'freedom' match called off over bomb threat

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HANOVER (AFP) - German police said a bomb threat forced them to call off an international football match Tuesday that was meant as a symbol of freedom after the Paris attacks and was to be attended by Chancellor Angela Merkel.No explosives had been found so far and no arrests made after the Germany-Netherlands football match was cancelled and thousands of fans evacuated, said Lower Saxony state interior minister Boris Pistorius.Hanover city police chief Volker Kluwe said there had been serious plans to cause an explosion in the citys 49,000-capacity stadium, and that authorities had acted on a concrete threat scenario.We received a serious indication that a bomb attack was planned inside the stadium tonight, he told public broadcaster ARD.The German team was playing France in Paris last Friday when the Stade de France was rocked by three blasts triggered by jihadist suicide bombers outside the venue.Head coach Joachim Loew had called Tuesdays planned match a clear message and symbol of freedom and a demonstration of compassion, as well as sorrow, for our French friends -- not only in France, but throughout the world.Before the match, players had been practising the French anthem La Marseillaise, which they had been set to sing in a sign of solidarity with the shaken neighbouring nation.They wanted to make a statement against fear and terrorism, but it wasnt to be, said disappointed fan Philipp Beckermann, 38, from Dortmund, who was heading away from the stadium.We didnt even get into the stadium before we heard it was called off, he said, leaving the area with his girlfriend Judith.There was no information about why the game was called off, security has to come first I guess. But its going to be a pretty sad journey back to Dortmund for us now for nothing.Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere -- who had been due to attend the match, with Merkel -- later said the event was cancelled to protect the population, but did not provide specifics.He said we had good reasons, difficult reasons but added that describing them could cause concern to the population.Pistorius told the press conference that rumours of an explosives-packed ambulance could not be confirmed.Thousands of fans were evacuated from the HDI Arena less than two hours before the game had been due to start, as hundreds of police, some on horseback, secured the area.The evacuation proceeded smoothly, with no signs of panic.Merkel had just landed by plane with de Maiziere when the decision to scrap the match was taken, and the chancellor flew back to Berlin, the minister said.The German teams bus, with the logo Die Mannschaft on its side, could be seen driving away, guarded by a convoy of police cars, in a fans video clip published online by top-selling Bild daily. They are safe, German Football Association (DFB) interim president Rainer Koch told sports news agency SID, an AFP subsidiary.Police told the crowd on megaphones: Ladies and gentlemen, dear football fans. Were sorry, but the match has been cancelled at short notice. Please stay calm, there is no imminent danger. Just please simply go home.Police also advised people to avoid public transport and were checking cars, leading to lengthy traffic jams bathed in the blue light of flashing police sirens.The victims of the Paris attacks -- which claimed 129 lives with more than 350 injured -- had been set to be honoured by candlelight in what had been billed as a friendly in the true sense of the word.The DFB had at the weekend already come close to calling off the match, while Belgium cancelled their friendly against Spain on Tuesday.The German team are still coming to terms with what they experienced last Friday.After the blasts, the Germans spent the night in the Stade de France changing room, as it was considered too dangerous for them to cross Paris. They flew home early the next morning.There was a lot of fear and anxiety in the dressing room that night, said Loew. We were afraid.

Golf: McIlroy targets Dubai win to clinch Tour title

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DUBAI (AFP) - Rory McIlroy wasnt expecting to be leading the Race to Dubai after his injury-interrupted season, but now that he has the chance to win his third European Tour Order of Merit crown, the world number three is intent on not letting the opportunity slip from his grasp.McIlroy, who leads the Race to Dubai with 3,393,923 points, did not play last weeks BMW Masters in Shanghai, thus allowing the chasing pack to close on him.His closest rival, Englands Danny Willett needed to finish sole 28th at Lake Malaren to overtake him, but a tied 28th place finish gave McIlroy a slim advantage of 1,613 points going into the DP World Tour Championship, the season-ending event on the European Tour.The 26-year-old from Holywood, near Belfast, won both the tournament and the Race to Dubai in 2012, when he closed with five birdies in a row to beat Justin Rose, and was the European number one last year when Henrik Stenson won the DP World Tour Championship for a second straight year.I didnt quite think Id be in this position, and coming into this event, especially after taking the week off last week, but a few of the guys didnt capitalise on that in China thankfully and I find myself in a position where its totally in my hands, said McIlroy whose worst finish in six previous starts at the Earth course of Jumeirah Golf Estates is a tied 11th place finish in 2011.If I go out and win the tournament, I win the overall thing no matter what anybody else does, and thats a nice position to be in.I just want to win the tournament. I dont care who finishes second, who finishes third. If I am the champion at the end of the week, it means that I win the Race to Dubai and thats all Im really thinking about. McIlroy, who finished tied 11th in the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai despite a severe bout of food poisoning the week before last, said he felt his health, and his game, were both in great shape to close the season with a victory.Just been trying to put a bit of weight on to be honest, said McIlroy, who said he lost nearly 10 pounds in three days in Shanghai.I didnt really hit a ball until reaching Dubai late Friday night. But my game feels in good shape, it really does.I was excited, its got better each and every week. I felt like it was good in Turkey and I felt like going into China, I could see improvements each and every day.I feel like I still finished well in China. It was a good week. It could have been better. I hit the ball great from tee-to-green. On the greens was a different story, and energy levels werent quite there.But I felt like it was still a positive week in some ways. And now getting to Dubai and feeling at full strength and feeling 100 per cent healthy, I feel like Ive got a great chance on a golf course that Ive played very well at before.Willett, who took the lead in the Race to Dubai early when he won the NedBank Challenge towards the end of 2014, has not been out of the top-two throughout the season.Its a new experience, a new challenge. Its been a long, busy year. But one thats been very rewarding in many ways, and yeah, in a fantastic position to go out and do something pretty amazing, said the 28-year-old who needs to finish ahead of McIlroy to win his first Race to Dubai title.I think everybody would always like to see a little bit of an underdog try and come through. Were pretty closely matched. This week theres one job to do which is win, and if you fail at winning, just try and beat Rory.We know kind of what weve got to do, and so its about trying not to let anything get in your way.The $8 million DP World Tour Championship, featuring the top-60 players on the Race to Dubai, begins Thursday.
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