Thursday 10 March 2016

Dunya TV

Dunya TV


Football: Sturridge and Firmino punish sorry Man United

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LIVERPOOL (AFP) - Daniel Sturridge and Roberto Firmino scored as Liverpool deservedly defeated eternal rivals Manchester United 2-0 in the first leg of their Europa League last 16 tie on Thursday.Liverpool dominated the first ever European meeting between the teams from first minute to last, scoring through Sturridges 20th-minute penalty and Firminos 73rd-minute effort to put Jurgen Klopps men firmly in the driving seat ahead of next weeks return leg.United would have lost much more heavily had it not been for the brilliance of goalkeeper David de Gea and failed to create a meaningful chance as manager Louis van Gaals four-game winning run against Liverpool came to a juddering halt at a fervent Anfield.I think it was absolutely deserved, said Klopp.It was a great performance from first second to the last. Its only the first leg, but we needed to win it and we did it.With both teams struggling to finish in the top four in the Premier League, victory in the Europa League looks their best hope of qualifying for next seasons Champions League.It is Liverpool who have one foot in the last eight and while United must gather themselves for Sundays FA Cup quarter-final at home to high-flying West Ham United, Klopp has a full week to prepare his side for their trip to Old Trafford.I have to say that Liverpool created an atmosphere that was fantastic, said Van Gaal, who described both Liverpools penalty and second goal as cheap.They played very good in the first half and we could not cope with their pressure.Its difficult because 2-0 is a very difficult result for us. But we have to create an atmosphere like Liverpools fans have done.United breakthrough star Marcus Rashford started wide on the right and although he kneed the ball wide from an early Memphis Depay cross, he spent most of the first period deep in his own half tracking the forward runs of Liverpool left-back Alberto Moreno.It was the same story on the opposite flank, where the recalled Nathaniel Clyne was keeping Depay on the back foot, and it was from their confrontation that the opening goal stemmed.Depay was adjudged to have pulled Clyne back after getting caught the wrong side of the England full-back and Sturridge planted the ensuing penalty past De Gea.With Uniteds wingers pinned back and Firmino, Adam Lallana and Philippe Coutinho buzzing around behind Sturridge, the visitors found themselves under siege and De Gea had to come to their rescue three times before half-time.Coutinho gave United a huge let-off when he used the outside of his right foot to prod a dribbly shot from Sturridge towards a vacant goal, allowing De Gea to claw the ball off the line in spectacular fashion.The Spaniard then flew out to block from Sturridge, after Chris Smalling had misjudged a flighted pass from Firmino, before producing a stunning reflex stop to repel a Lallana volley from point-blank range.Booked for a late challenge on Moreno shortly before half-time, Rashford came off at the interval and was replaced by Michael Carrick, who dropped into a back three as Van Gaal sought to stem Liverpools first-half dominance.It gave United a foothold in the game and they registered their first effort on target when Morgan Schneiderlin shot at Simon Mignolet from the edge of the box.Depay also created a chance for Anthony Martial, only for the Frenchman -- a peripheral figure throughout -- to get the ball caught under his feet.But De Gea had to remain alert at the other end and he dealt authoritatively with powerful efforts from first Coutinho and then Clyne, before Jordan Henderson hoisted a shot into the Kop from Lallanas lay-off.The second goal that Liverpool richly merited duly arrived 17 minutes from time as Lallana teed up Firmino to stroke home left-footed after Carrick made a weak attempt to clear Hendersons cross.

Football: Dortmund outclass Tottenham in Europa League

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PARIS (AFP) - Brilliant Borussia Dortmund have one foot in the quarter-finals of the Europa League after sweeping aside Tottenham Hotspur with a 3-0 win in their last 16, first leg on Thursday.Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang put the Bundesliga side ahead in the first half and Marco Reus netted twice in the second half at the Signal Iduna Park to leave Spurs with a mountain to climb in next weeks return in north London.This was a clash between the second-placed team in Germany and the second-placed side in the Premier League, although Tottenhams chances of competing evenly with their formidable opponents were not helped by coach Mauricio Pochettinos decision to rotate his squad.For his 100th game in charge, Pochettino made seven changes to the team that drew 2-2 with Arsenal last weekend as Harry Kane, Kyle Walker, Erik Lamela and Mousa Dembele were left on the bench and Dele Alli was suspended.Teenager Joshua Onomah was among those handed a start against a Dortmund side near full strength, although Ilkay Gundogan was missing with a foot injury.Thomas Tuchels side are five points adrift of Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga, the same distance that separates Spurs from Leicester City at the top of the Premier League.But Dortmund showed the greater desire to keep progressing in Europe, with Aubameyang following in to score after Hugo Lloris blocked a fine Henrikh Mkhitaryan volley early on only for the offside flag to cut short the celebrations.However, the rapid Gabon international forward did get the breakthrough on the half-hour mark, rising above Ben Davies to head home a Marcel Schmelzer cross from the left.Tottenham were simply never at the races, and Gonzalo Castro hit the post from a tight angle in the 51st minute after Aubameyang had lifted the ball over Lloris.Dortmund struck again on the hour mark, substitute Neven Subotic heading on a Castro cross for Germany star Reus to lash home on the volley at the back post. And they appeared to have the tie sewn up as Reus scored his second of the evening with 20 minutes remaining, stroking past Lloris from close range after superb build-up play involving Aubameyang and Castro.Elsewhere, holders Sevilla drew 0-0 away to Basel in Switzerland and ended the game with 10 men following the late sending-off of midfielder Steven NZonzi.Shakhtar Donetsk, UEFA Cup winners in 2009, are in a strong position after beating Anderlecht 3-1 in Ukraine. Taison and Olexandr Kucher struck in the first period for Shakhtar and Eduardo added a third late on after Frank Acheampong pulled one back for the Belgians.Fenerbahce have the edge against Portuguese side Braga following a 1-0 win in Istanbul given to them by a late Mehmet Topal goal.Later, old foes Liverpool and Manchester United meet at Anfield in the first ever encounter of the clubs in European competition.Athletic Bilbao and Valencia clash in an all-Spanish tie, while Villarreal host Bayer Leverkusen and Lazio visit the Czech capital to take on Sparta Prague.

Football: Pele to auction off World Cup winner's medals

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LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Brazilian legend Pele is to auction off more than 2,000 items of memorabilia charting his dazzling football career including his three World Cup medals and the ball used when he scored his 1,000th goal, it was announced Thursday.Beverly Hills-based auction house Juliens said in a statement the 75-year-old icon -- widely regarded as the greatest player in the history of the sport -- would donate a portion of the proceeds to a childrens hospital in Brazil.The collection will go under the hammer during a three-day auction in London from June 7-9, Juliens said, and will include items spanning the entirety of Peles 21-year playing career. Having donated a significant portion of my collection to the City of Santos, I have decided to allow fans and collectors to own a piece of my history as well, Pele said in a statement.I hope they treasure these artifacts and share my story with their children and generations to come. The auction could raise around $1 million (890,000 euros) if the upper estimates of the most prized lots are reached. Among the highlights are a copy of the Jules Rimet Trophy which is expected to fetch between $400,000 and $600,000 and Peles winners medals from the 1958, 1962 and 1970 World Cup finals which are estimated at between $100,000 and $200,000.Other lots include the ball used when Pele scored his 1,000th goal in November 1969 during a match between Santos and Vasco da Gama at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. The ball could fetch between $40,000 and $50,000. Items also include memorabilia from Peles stint with the New York Cosmos in the 1970s, including a championship ring and a jersey. The lots also extend to items from Peles post-football career, including the boots he wore during filming of the prisoner of war sports drama Escape to Victory in which he starred alongside Michael Caine and Sylvester Stallone.

Tennis: Murray says Sharapova scandal sends message to drugs cheats

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INDIAN WELLS (AFP) - Andy Murray says Maria Sharapova should face the music for testing positive for a banned drug and that snaring the Russian sports icon sends a strong message to would be drugs cheats.The world number two Murray applauded doping officials on Thursday for catching one of tennis most high-profile stars.The positive thing about what has happened to Maria is she is one of the biggest female athletes on the planet, Murray said on Thursday at the Indian Wells tournament.If you take performance-enhancing drugs and you fail a drug test then you should be suspended.Former world number one Sharapova announced Monday that she failed a drug test at the Australian Open in January.Sharapova tested positive for Meldonium, which was added to the World Anti-Doping Agencys banned list this year.Murray criticized everyone from Sharapova, to the tennis federation, to his racquet sponsor Head who also sponsors Sharapova.This is happening on a regular basis in sports. I wouldnt say it was shocking, Murray said.I read that 55 athletes have failed that test since January 1. You dont expect high level athletes in all those sports to have heart conditions.World number one Serena Williams said on Thursday she doesnt want the Sharapova scandal to tarnish the image of the sport.It is disappointing for all the players involved but it doesnt reflect on the game, Williams said. Williams said she had never heard of Meldonium until Sharapovas case.I am studying medicine but I have never heard of it. Maybe I am not studying hard enough, she said.Murrays racquet sponsor Head said it plans to continue to use the 28-year-old Sharapova as a spokesperson despite the five-time Grand Slam winners positive test.Murray is not happy with the decision especially after Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer, US sportswear giant Nike and German luxury carmaker Porsche suspended links with the Russian ace.It is not something I believe in. I personally wouldnt respond like that, Murray said.He said the high number of athletes testing positive for Meldonium since January shows that many athletes are getting phoney prescriptions for legal PEDs.If you take a prescription drugs that you dont need but just because it is legal is wrong. You are just doing it for the performance-enhancing benefits, Murray said. Asked if he was playing against players who are cheating he said, I hope not, but it is impossible to say.Murray said he was surprised that the International Tennis Federation and the WTA Tour allowed Sharapova to make the announcement of the positive test herself.I do find it strange that it was up to the player to disclose it. It would be better if it was up to the authorities to disclose it.Murray said he has been drug tested just twice in the first three months of 2016 which is clearly not enough.

Tennis: Serena happy with Venus return at Indian Wells

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INDIAN WELLS (AFP) - Serena Williams hopes her sister Venus receives a warm welcome Friday when she tries to bury the hatchet with Indian Wells fans by ending her 15-year boycott of the WTA Tour event.We had that one memory and we both want to get rid of that, world number one Serena on Thursday.In 2001, spectators at Indian Wells booed Serena during the final and jeered her sister and father Richard Williams when the pair arrived to watch the match. Richard Williams alleges that racist comments were directed at them. Serena, who ended her boycott last year, cheered the return of her older sister as the Compton, California natives could face each other in the quarter-finals.Serena and Venus both play on Friday with Venus Williams making her return during the day session, while Serena will headline the evening session. Venus is a former world No. 1 and the first African-American to become the top-ranked womens player in the world. I am really excited to be here and I am excited for her to have the same experience I had last year, Serena said Thursday.This is where everything started for us. Early in our careers we both played qualifying here back in 1997 or 1998.Last year it wasnt time for her. She was dealing with a lot physically with her illnesses. She wanted to try to make an effort to see what it was like.Serena was greeted by a standing ovation when she returned last year to stadium court last year but was forced to withdraw from her semi with a knee injury, 14 years after Venus withdrew at the same stage.It feels like more of a normal tournament than last year. So we are making strides, Serena said. The top ranked player in the world and the clear favourite here, Serena has a chance to become the first three-time winner in womens singles at Indian Wells. Williams hasnt played a competitive match since her Australian Open final defeat to Angelique Kerber but is determined to add to her 21 Grand Slam titles this season.I definitely expect to win the Slams, she said. There are hundreds of players who havent won two in a row or three in a row.It is just me and another player out there who is expected to win every single match, every single tournament, and every single Grand Slam.

Golf: Spieth battling to make cut after Valspar woe

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MIAMI (AFP) - World number one Jordan Spieth was left staring down the barrel of his second missed cut of 2016 on Thursday after firing a five-over-par 76 in the opening round of the Valspar Championship.The defending champion, who had missed the cut at the Northern Trust Open in Los Angeles last month, suffered a torrid round on the Innisbrook Resorts challenging Copperhead layout to finish the day way off the pace. Spieth, who struggled to get to grips with the blustery conditions, carded six bogeys and one birdie and will need to produce something miraculous on Friday if he is to extend his participation into the weekend.It was a very tough day. I just didnt hit enough greens, said Spieth, who never recovered after a disastrous start which included five bogeys and one birdie in his first seven holes to put him four over at the turn. I got off to a poor start and I was behind the eight-ball with gusty wind on a tough golf course, the 22-year-old Texan said.Spieth was also dismayed with his putting performance on greens that played very slowly.Its so tough on some of these putts down the hill to hit them as hard as we have to hit them, Spieth said.Its one thing to practice on the greens and get used to it, its another to actually do it. Spieth was left nine shots adrift of early pace-setters Keegan Bradley, Ken Duke, and Charles Howell III, who all carded four-under-par 67s to take a share of the first round lead. Bradley shot five birdies and one bogey, a haul which included a superb 25-foot birdie putt at the par-three fourth. Unlike Spieth, Bradley was happy with the condition of the greens. I think this is a great speed for these greens, he said, admitting however that the wind had caused him problems.It seems to be very up and down ... its a tough round. The course is so good because if you hit good shots it really rewards you, he said. Journeyman Duke meanwhile, who has not won a PGA Tour event since 2013, joined Bradley at the top of the first round leaderboard after conjuring up a final hole chip-in from the edge of the 18th green for his fourth birdie of the day.Howell was flawless in his opening round, finishing with 14 pars and four birdies. The highlight was a monster 45-foot birdie on the par-five 11th.The highest non-American players on the leaderboard Thursday included Englands Danny Willett, Swedens Jonas Blixt, South Africas Retief Goosen, Germanys Martin Kaymer, New Zealands Danny Lee and Australias Cameron Smith who all shot 70s.

Badminton: Lin Dan powers into All-England quarters

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BIRMINGHAM (AFP) - Lin Dan, twice an Olympic mens singles gold medallist, pulled the overdrive gear to escape from danger and accelerate into the quarter-finals of the All-England Open championships on Thursday.The outcome was impressive as the legendary Chinese player utterly transformed his match against Sho Sasaki, the world number 20 from Japan, to win through 20-22, 21-6, 21-8.Following the shock first round defeat of Lee Chong Wei, Lins long-time rival, late the night before, there were some who felt that the 32-year-old might also be heading to the exit during his first game loss.Instead Lin indicated for the first time how much his long winter training break may have helped him raise his standards nearer to the sublime best which earned him five All-England titles between 2004 and 2012.He played at a higher speed, he sliced and disguised smashes into difficult areas, and he gave Sasaki far fewer opportunities at the net, where the Japanese player had done well.Asked how todays Lin Dan compared with the one who won the Olympics in Beijing and London, he replied: There are more and more challenges and to me its just about training and getting the best out of myself. Im pretty clear on the current circumstances and because everyones fighting Im just trying to perfect my own game.But he declined to comment on the 33-year-old Lee Chong Weis startling loss, saying: I dont know why everyone keeps asking me about that.Lin thought however that the other 33-year-old, Sasaki, had played really well and that he himself had taken a long time to adapt and recover from the first game loss.Others thought Lin had actually done that with remarkable speed. He produced one sumptuous overhead drop and kill to get to 5-2 in the second game, another superbly disguised overhead drop to reach 13-5, and levelled at one game all with a perfectly punched clear which landed just inside the baseline.Sasaki declined to chase that down, and increasingly it became evident that, for all his skills and experience, he would not be able to halt the flood of brilliance which was overwhelming him. Well as he played in the first part of the match, this will be his last year on tour, Sasaki said.He was still skilful enough to cause Lin to dive fruitlessly along the floor to try to retrieve in the third game, but by then he was 6-17 down.Lin left behind an impression that, despite the cold conditions which require him to take even longer in preparation for his matches, he is probably ready for Fridays potentially difficult quarter-final meeting with Jan Jorgensen, the third-seeded Dane.Jorgensen also looked in good shape as he prevailed 21-13, 21-16 against Ng Ka Long, the world number 16 from Hong Kong. Another to reach the quarter-finals was Tian Houwei, the eighth-seeded Chinese player, who for the second day recovered from a game down.Tian just sneaked through against Indonesian qualifier Sameer Verma 10-21, 21-12, 21-19 and next meets either Kenta Momota, the fourth-seeded Super Series finals winner from Japan, or Indias Kidambi Srikkanth.

Weather turns pleasant after light showers in Punjab

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Weather turned pleasant Thursday night after light showers were experienced in various cities of Punjab. The Meteorological Department has predicted that rain clouds of Balochistan will start entering the Punjab province from Friday evening and showers will be experienced in several cities of the Province.The drizzle was experienced in Punjab’s various cities including Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan and Sialkot.The Meteorological Department has further predicted that heavy showers will continue to be seen up until March 14th.

Kabirwala: Two dacoits killed during police clash, accomplices escape

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KABIRWALA (Dunya News) – Two dacoits were killed late early Friday morning during a clash with the police in Saraye Sadhu area of Kabirwala. Two of the accomplices of the exterminated felons managed to escape however.According to the details, 4 suspects made their way towards Fazul Shah after robbing cash from a petrol pump and snatching a rifle from the security guard.Upon information, police dispatched immediately in pursuit of the suspects. Police intercepted the dacoits at Sardarpur road in Saraye Sadhu where suspects opened fire on the police. Two of the felons were killed during the retaliatory fire while two managed to flee.The killed suspects have been identified as Imran alias Mani and Mukhtar alias Mukha.Police is still in pursuit of those felons who managed to escape.

PTI chairman's debate challenge to 'Sharif brothers'

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Thursday challenged both Sharif brothers, Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Shahbaz Sharif, to a debate. The Sharif family responded to the challenge and stated that they were ready for it.Addressing an election rally at Alipur Chatha, Khan lambasted the brothers and challenged them to hold a debate on television.During the rally, Khan inquired from the National Accountability Bureua (NAB) as to when it would investigate Punjab’s cases of robberies worth billions.Khan further challenged that there was no democracy in other political parties.He added that no one could attain a high position in Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) party if they did not have ‘Sharif’ as their surname.Responding to the challenge, Sharif family’s representative said that they accept the PTI chairman’s challenge.The representative stated that Khan should present evidence regarding an allegation that a company owned by the Sharif family was worth Rs. 200 billion. He added that Khan’s inability to produce such evidence was an indication of that he was lying.The Sharif family’s representative stated the PTI chairman should accept Hussain Nawaz’s challenge if he is truthful.The representative further stated that PM Nawaz and Punjab CM Shahbaz were busy in offering their services to the nation and don’t have time to answer to such baseless allegations.

Karachi: Gang war accused killed during Rangers operation

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – According to details, Rangers conducted an operation against gang war accused in Lyari on Thursday. A gunbattle between Rangers and criminals started during the operation in which one gang war accused was killed while two of his accomplices managed to escape. A Rangers spokesman informed media that the killed gang war accused was identified as Mustafa alias Lal Golden and belonged to Uzair Baloch group.Rangers and police launched a joint operation in Islam Chowk area of Orangi Town and recovered huge amount to ammunition. Two suspects were also arrested from the area. On the other hand, 30 suspects were arrested during search operations in different areas of Korangi.

Sarfraz Merchant agrees to cooperate in money laundering investigation

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Sarfraz Merchant, a suspect in a money laundering case that involves Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leadership, on Thursday has agreed to cooperate in the investigation of the case.In a talk with Dunya News during the program “Dunya Kamran Khan Kay Sath”, Merchant stated that the Interior Ministry’s committee has not contacted him for an investigation. He added that only Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had called him asking for his address.Merchant also made some startling revelations during the program and stated that he is a co-accused suspect in the money laundering case.Merchant stated that he became friends with MQM chief Altaf Hussain in 2007. He added that he had lent a loan to Hussain on the party chief’s request after his accounts were frozen in Britain in 2012.Merchant further revealed that the Scotland Yard had informed MQM of its funding by India during the interview. He stated that MQM had registered a company by the name of ‘Euro Property’ for the transfer of money.Merchant stated that Indian intelligence RAW’s personnel often used to visit MQM member Mohammad Anwar’s house.Merchant added that he has further evidence and requested that the committee should also include officials of security and intelligence departments. He stated that he has no contact with MQM as of now.WATCH VIDEO:

Karachi: Firing during anti-encroachment drive injures two

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – According to details, Sarjani Town locality in Karachi turned into a war zone on Thursday during an anti-encroachment operation in the area to get vacate industrial land from encroachers.The residents staged a protest and pelted stones at the Anti-Encroachment Force officials. Some miscreants also opened fire during the protest which resulted in injuries to 8-year boy Obaid and a man named Sajjad.The firing incident infuriated the residents and they surrounded the Sarjani Town Police Station and raised slogan against police and blocked the road for all kinds of traffic. They accused police of firing and also demanded action against the SHO.

Oil prices dip amid doubts about producer meeting

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NEW YORK (AFP) - World oil prices dipped Thursday as doubts rose about whether key producers led by Russia and Saudi Arabia would meet this month to discuss crude output limits.But markets still held onto most of their recent gains with London benchmark Brent staying above the $40 a barrel line.At the close in New York, West Texas Intermediate crude for delivery in April was down 45 cents from Wednesday at $37.84 a barrel.Brent North Sea crude for May delivery lost $1.02 at $40.05 a barrel in London.Andy Lipow of consultancy Lipow Oil Associates tied the fall to reports that a meeting of top producers to address the market glut, thought to be under preparation for March 20, was less likely to take place as Iran has declined to agree to a production cap.The market was selling off today a little bit because theres some skepticism whether there is actually going to be a meeting in Russia on March 20, Lipow said.If thats the case, it would show that theres still some discord between OPEC and non-OPEC producers about where production levels are headed, he said. The idea of freezing output surfaced in discussions led by Saudi Arabia and Russia in February after an increase in global production January added to the supply glut.Iran, analysts think, does not want to join as its rebuilds market share after the West lifted nuclear sanctions on its exports in January.It appears Irans unwillingness to even consider an output freeze has derailed the meeting and could even scupper the freeze itself, said Jasper Lawler at CMC Markets.Still, crude prices held at their best levels since the beginning of the year, supported by signs that US output is falling in reaction to low prices and, possibly, that Beijing is doing enough to counter major crude importer Chinas economic slowdown.Others had doubts, though. Im still not leaning towards prices moving up sustainably because the fundamentals have not changed, said Phillip Futures analyst Daniel Ang.

Euro ends sharply higher after wild swings on ECB moves

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The euro swung about 3.5 percent against the dollar Thursday in reaction to European Central Bank interest rate reductions followed by signals that more easing was not expected.The ECBs initial announcement of reductions in key rates and a boost to quantitative-easing (QE) bond buying was more than expected, sending the euro down to nearly $1.08, after having held close to $1.10 since the beginning of the week.But the single currency sharply reversed course after ECB President Mario Draghis comments later that he did not expect further rate cuts.The euro shot up to $1.1218 before settling up 1.6 percent at $1.1183 at about 2200 GMT.A similar ECB-driven whiplash sent European stocks soaring more than three percent before shrinking back into losses for the day.Facing weak growth and inflation going into Thursdays meeting, the ECB did more than expected. It cut its central refi refinancing rate to zero percent from 0.05 percent; its marginal lending facility to 0.25 percent from 0.30 percent; and its deposit facility to -0.40 percent from -0.30 percent.In addition, it increased monthly QE bond purchases to 80 billion euros from 60 billion euros, and said the program would now include corporate bonds.Tha commitment excited markets even as the ECB cut its growth and inflation forecasts for the 19-nation eurozone, and said it had more stimulus ammunition if needed.But Draghi then said in the post-meeting press conference that he did not anticipate more cuts, taking the air out of currency and stock gains.Let me say that rates will stay low, very low, for a long period of time, and well past the horizon of our purchases, he said.However, he added, taking into account the support of our measures to growth and inflation, we dont anticipate that it will be necessary to reduce rates further.That drew a bit of line under the euro in stark contrast to the otherwise dovish results we got from the ECB, said currency analyst Omer Esiner of Commonwealth Foreign Exchange.The euro also added 1.5 percent on the Japanese yen and 1.2 percent on the British pound.

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