Friday 17 June 2016

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Football: Spain cruise to last-16 with Turkey win

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NICE (AFP) - Defending European champions Spain booked their place in the last 16 round of Euro 2016 on Friday with a convincing 3-0 win against Turkey in Nice.Vicente del Bosques men bossed the Group D tie from the kickoff, with a double by Juventus Alvaro Morata and a first competitive international goal from Nolito sealing a comfortable win.We showed our winning mentality and great team spirit here tonight, said Andres Iniesta, who was awarded man-of-the-match.It depends on ourselves how far we go here, the feelings we have are very positive at the moment, he said.Turkey could also face UEFA sanctions after sections of their support lit flares and threw firecrackers onto the pitch at full-time.Spain, aiming for an unprecedented third consecutive Euros title, can seal top spot in the pool with just a draw against Croatia in their final group game on Tuesday.Turkey need to beat the Czech Republic in their final match and hope other results go their way to have any chance of progressing as one of the four best third-placed sides from the six groups.We have completed our first objective, to qualify for the next round, we controlled the game almost for the whole 90 minutes and we scored goals, so it was perfect, Del Bosque said. But we havent won anything yet, we are on a good path but there is still a long way to go, he added.Before the game Turkey coach Fatih Terim had called for more fight from his side to keep their Euro 2016 hopes alive after an out-of-sorts display against Croatia on Sunday, and for a while his players responded.Sitting deep and launching the occasional counter-attack, Hakan Calhanoglu roused Turkeys raucous fans by sending a free-kick just over David de Geas crossbar on 25 minutes.From the half-hour though, Spain moved up a gear, starving Turkey of possession and, with Iniesta pulling the strings in midfield, carving out chance after chance.And Terim lambasted his players for not giving their all for the cause.Today our national team threw in the towel, I didnt like it, he said.Spain are a special team, one of the strongest sides in the tournament, the first 30 minutes was ok but afterwards we didnt play well, he said. First Sergio Busquets teed up Nolito for a right-footed curler just wide of left post. Then the busy Celta Vigo winger scuffed wide under pressure after a cutback from Juanfran.On 34 minutes, though, Nolito turned provider to greater effect. Looking up, he spotted Morata unmarked in front of goal and curled a pass over the defence to the marksman whose header gave Spain the lead.Three minutes later, Vicente del Bosques men went two-up, this time with Nolito as the finisher. A chip into the box by Cesc Fabregas should not have reached its target but Mehmet Topal, off-balance, headed backward to the lurking Nolito who half-volleyed on the turn past Volkan Babacan.After the break, despite some brief flurries of Turkish resistance, Spain quickly added a third on 48 minutes. Iniesta, immaculate throughout, threaded a ball through the Turkish defence to Jordi Alba who squared to Morata for his second of the night, a tap-in through Babacans legs.It was all too easy after that for the two-time defending champions. Substitute Bruno Soriano nearly scored a fourth midway through the half, forcing a Babacan to tip round the post.Then two minutes from the end he ballooned over when well-placed.It was another desperately disappointing day for Turkey who had come into the tournament in fine form.Individual mistakes caused at least one of the goals, said the 62-year-old Terim who guided Turkey to the European Championship semi-final in 2008.One of them was unbelievable, even the smallest chances you cant give Spain, otherwise there is no way to resist them.Fancied by some as dark horses to at least escape the group, they didnt manage a shot on target, while their fans even took to booing their star player Barcelonas Arda Turan late on.

Football: Italy beat Sweden 1-0 to reach Euro 2016 last 16

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TOULOUSE (AFP) - Brazil-born striker Eder overcame an otherwise patchy performance to hit a cracking late winner in a 1-0 victory over Sweden that sent Italy into the last 16 of Euro 2016 on Friday.Eder, playing in his first major finals for Italy after being naturalised last year, came close to being substituted by Antonio Conte after a dismal opening half up front alongside Southampton striker Graziano Pelle.But the Inter Milan striker had the Italy bench celebrating wildly on the pitch at the Stadium de Toulouse with a well-taken 88th minute strike after running on to Simone Zazas header to beat Andreas Eriksson at his far post.Im very happy with the goal, said Eder, who this season has struggled to make an impact at Inter Milan after moving from Sampdoria in January.Im delighted for the team, and Im very happy the coach has kept faith with me.I think it helped me I wasnt playing for Inter Milan a lot at the end of the season. That helped me to save some energy for this championships and also allowed me to work a lot of my fitness.Italy, 2-0 winners over Belgium last week, now top Group E with six points, leaving Sweden, who had late claims for a penalty waved away, realistically needing to beat Belgium on Wednesday if they are to have any hope of making it to the knockout phase. After a mediocre display in Swedens 1-1 draw with the Republic of Ireland, all eyes were on captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the towering striker sought to make his mark by becoming the first man to score in four editions of the competition.But a cautious Italy restricted the former Juventus and Paris Saint Germain striker to few real chances in front of a huge army of yellow-clad Sweden fans.Defender Giorgio Chiellini was handed that task but he said it took a concerted effort.You cant afford to give strikers like him an inch. He can transform balls that most humans can do nothing with into goals, said the Juventus defender.But it took the whole team to help close him down. Zlatan is 80 percent of Swedens team.A tight first half saw few chances at either end as Italys formidable three-man defence of Andre Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Chiellini kept Ibrahimovic in check, whilst Pelle and Eder failed to shine on their few real forays up the park. Veteran Italy captain Gianluigi Buffon had little to do in goal until he dived to collect Kim Kallstroms curling shot, and the Juventus keeper was happy to see Martin Olssons drive whistle past the post soon after.Sweden edged closer as the half wore on, Sebastian Larsson chesting a long cross into the path of Celta Vigos John Guidetti only for the striker to skew wide. Italy started the second half in positive fashion, Pelle controlling Eders cutback from a Marco Parolo through ball, but his volley dipped over the crossbar.Parolo did well to control De Rossis pass and set up Candreva on the right, but the Lazio mans drive into the area was collected by Isaksson, who got down quickly to smother moments later after another Candreva delivery.On that occasion, Eder was well out of position but it was Pelle who was replaced on the hour, by Zaza.Minutes later, Florenzis high delivery across goal found Candreva at the back post, yet Isaksson again got down low to smother the Lazio mans low first-time effort.Italian hopes looked to be dying out and the Azzurri breathed a sigh of relief when Ibrahimovic fired over from a yard out at the back post although he was ruled offside.Parolo was inches away from the opener on 82 minutes with a header that came off the woodwork.But it was Eder who rescued Contes men with a fine run that took him past the Swedish defence to fire the ball into the net with two minutes to play.

IMF fires Brexit warning as Putin cites Cameron EU 'blackmail'

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LONDON (AFP) - The IMF has warned Brexit could deal the British economy a negative and substantial blow as Vladimir Putin suggested David Cameron was trying to blackmail Europe with the EU referendum.Meanwhile The Times newspaper came out Saturday in favour of Britain staying in the European Union, five days ahead of the vote on whether the UK should stay in the bloc or leave.The pound rallied as investors leaned towards a Remain outcome from Thursdays closely-contested referendum.Campaigning remains suspended Saturday as a mark of respect for murdered lawmaker Jo Cox.Cox, who was backing the Remain campaign, was slain in her northern English constituency on Thursday.Murder suspect Thomas Mair has been charged and was to appear in a London court on Saturday.- IMF warns of contagion -==========================With less than a week until the referendum, the International Monetary Fund warned that a so-called Brexit would harm the British economy while contagion effects could hit markets worldwide.In the worst-case scenario, the UK economy would sink into recession next year and overall economic output would be 5.6 percent lower than otherwise forecast by 2019, with unemployment rising back above six percent, it said Friday.While there is much uncertainty about the precise economic effects of an exit from the EU, they are likely negative and substantial, the Washington-based global crisis lender revealed in its annual British economic check-up.An exit would precipitate a protracted period of heightened uncertainty that could weigh on confidence and investment and increase financial market volatility.In addition, contagion effects could result in spillovers to regional and global markets, although the primary impact would be felt domestically.While in a limited impact scenario the IMF said the economy would only lose 1.4 percent from the current outlook by 2019, the report gave one of the starkest pictures yet of the impact of Brexit.- Putin wades in -==================Meanwhile Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested British Prime Minister David Cameron had called the referendum to blackmail and scare Europe.Why has he set up this referendum? To blackmail Europe? Or to scare it? What is the purpose if he himself is against Britain leaving the EU, Putin said Friday during a meeting with representatives of news agencies, including AFP.Some experts say a Brexit will be to the detriment of Europe. But others say that the EU will be more stable, Putin said, pointing to the example of British fishermen.They explain how hard it is to live with the restrictions on fishing. But there are advantages in other sectors.If you consider all these things, its very complicated to choose, he added.The What UK Thinks average of the last six opinion polls puts the Remain camp on 52 percent to 48 percent for the Leave campaign, excluding undecided voters.- Times pragmatic Remain case -==================================The Times swung behind the Remain camp on Saturday, in opposition to its stablemate The Sun, Britains biggest-selling newspaper, which is backing a Leave vote.The best outcome of next weeks referendum would be a new alliance of sovereign EU nations dedicated to free trade and reform, led by Britain, it said in a 2,000-word editorial.The Times said voting to stay was a pragmatic rather than enthusiastic choice.Brexit is unquestionably economically riskier than a vote to remain, the daily said.On balance we believe Britain would be better off leading a renewed drive for reform within the EU rather than starting afresh outside it.The pound rallied Friday as investors swung their bets towards Britain voting to stay in the EU, in part due to the three-day suspension of campaigning over Coxs murder.The shocking news was seen, at least on the margin, as hurting public sentiment toward the Brexit move, said Omer Esiner of Commonwealth Foreign Exchange.Long-running fears of a pro-Brexit vote had been hammering the pound, and they were heightened in recent weeks as the Leave campaign pulled ahead in the polls.The pound surged about one percent against the dollar to $1.4348. It was up 0.5 percent against the euro at 78.62 pence.Meanwhile French National Front leader Marine Le Pen, enthused by the British referendum, addressed a 2,000-strong Vienna rally of far-right European patriots.The elites of Europe are scared that the United Kingdom is regaining its liberty, its freedom to trade with whom it pleases, she said.

Football: Subs rescue Czechs in flare-hit draw with Croatia

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SAINT-ETIENNE (AFP) - A 94th-minute penalty rescued a point for the Czech Republic in their dramatic 2-2 draw with Croatia as flares thrown onto the pitch marred Fridays Euro 2016 match.With Croatia 2-1 up and with one foot in the last 16, referee Mark Clattenberg briefly halted play late in the game when flares thrown by Croatian fans landed on the pitch in Saint-Etienne.When the match resumed, Croatia defender Domagoj Vida was penalised for handball and Tomas Necid drilled home the resulting penalty, deep in added time, to claim their first point in Group D.European footballs governing body UEFA are poised to impose further sanctions on the Croatian Football Federation for the crowd trouble.These people are terrorists, they are not fans, fumed Croatia coach Ante Cacic.95 percent of our supporters are ashamed in front of Europe, the players are very sad that after playing a beautiful match this happens.Croatia were stripped of one point in qualifying, forced to play two home matches behind closed doors and fined 100,000 euros ($112,000) by UEFA after a swastika was painted on the field before a match against Italy in June 2015 in Split.A member of the ground staff at the Stade Geoffrey Guichard appeared to have been hit by a flare.Punches were also seen being thrown on the terraces amongst Croatian fans in the chaos of the closing stages.I must say the pause due to their fans helped us, said Czech Republic goalkeeper Petr Cech.They were in control at that time and they suddenly lost rhythm and we could capitalise on that. We regained composure and although they had some counter-attacks (before the pause), from that moment on they didnt have anything.Croatia were cruising towards the last 16 after their two Ivans -- Rakitic and Perisic -- netted either side of the break.Having beaten Turkey 1-0 in their opener at the European championship finals, Croatia appeared to have their second win in the bag.But Czech replacement Milan Skoda pulled one back before fellow replacement Necids dramatic spot-kick.Captain Darijo Srna took his place at right-back after returning from fathers funeral back in Croatia and shed a few tears during his countrys anthem in an emotional start to a tense encounter.Striker Mario Mandzukic had a field day playing in front of Real Madrids Luka Modric, whose stunning volley earned all three points against Turkey, while Barcelonas Rakitic capped a good display with his goal. Having threatened earlier in the half, Croatia took the lead on 37 minutes after a mistake in the Czech midfield.Jaroslav Plasil lost the ball and Croatias Milan Badelj snapped up possession on the halfway line to quickly feed Perisic.The 27-year-old Inter Milan winger attacked the Czech area, wrong-footed defender Thomas Sivok and curled his shot past Cech on 37 minutes.It was 1-0 at the break and Croatia doubled their lead when Brozovic fed Rakitic inside the area.The attacking midfielders classy chip gave Cech no chance as it hit the net on 59 minutes.Only a fine Cech save prevented a third before Mandzukic fired over shortly after and Modric went off on 62 minutes struggling with an injury with his side in control.But Skoda proved there was still some life in the Czech engine when he managed to put some power into his header from Tomas Rosickys cross on 76 minutes.The flares then began to fall, briefly halting the game and leading to nine minutes of extra time, which gave the Czechs the chance to equalise against a distracted Croatian defence.Croatia now face defending European champions Spain in Bordeaux on Tuesday.The fightback gives the Czech Republic a realistic chance of making the knock-out stages with victory in their final game against Turkey in Lens, also next Tuesday.

Tennis: Off-song Murray battles into Queen's semis

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LONDON (AFP) - Defending champion Andy Murray survived a stern test from Kyle Edmund to reach the Queens Club semi-finals with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 victory over the British wildcard on Friday.Murray will play Croatias Marin Cilic in the last four on Saturday in a rematch of the 2013 final at the Wimbledon warm-up event in west London.But the world number two had to dig deep to remain on course for a record fifth Queens crown after a lacklustre first two sets against an inexperienced 21-year-old ranked 83 places below him.Canadian third seed Milos Raonic will face Australias Bernard Tomic in the other semi-final.Murray defeated 2012 champion Cilic in the final three years ago but if the 29-year-old wants to repeat that he will have to improve significantly on his curiously limp performance against Edmund, who showed why he is regarded as Murrays likely successor as British number one with an inspired effort before being blown away in the deciding set.I train with Kyle a lot so I know how good he is. He is big, strong and when he is on, he is very tough to play against, Murray said.Kyle is the future of the game in this country. I have felt that in practice and I felt that in the match. He served extremely well, but I tried to up my aggression at the start of the third set and thankfully it worked.Murray had waited 10 years to face a British opponent until he beat Aljaz Bedene in the second round on Thursday and just 24 hours later the top seed was taking on another compatriot in the promising Edmund.It was the first all-British Queens Club quarter-final in the Open era and the first last eight showdown between two Brits on the ATP Tour since Tim Henman defeated Greg Rusedski in Adelaide in 2002.Murray took the first set despite being some way short of his best against Edmund, who appeared unperturbed by being unexpectedly awoken in the early hours of Friday to take delivery of a washing machine in his new flat.The Scot was on the ropes when Edmund took the second, but he hit back emphatically with a pair of early breaks to finally restore the status quo in the third set.Former US Open champion Cilic battled back to defeat American Steve Johnson 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 6-4 in the days first quarter-final as the fifth seed advanced to the Queens semi-finals for the third time.I really enjoy playing here. Grass suits my game and when Im in good form I can always play really well, Cilic said. Im looking forward to Saturdays match. Its going to be probably a little bit of a crowd against me, but Im going to enjoy that.Raonic took advantage of Spanish sixth seed Roberto Bautista Aguts busy scheduled to sweep into the last four with a 6-1, 6-4 victory.Bautista Agut had to finish the second set of his rain-delayed second-round win over Donald Young earlier on Friday and he looked drained as Raonic slammed down 19 aces and booked his first Queens semi-final appearance in just 60 minutes on court.World number nine Raonics run to the last four comes in the week he started working with American great John McEnroe as his coach.Standing between Raonic and his third ATP Tour final of 2016 is world number 22 Tomic.The 23-year-old will be in his first Queens semi-final after beating Luxembourgs Gilles Muller 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 6-2.Tomic has been practising with Australian Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt this week and the four-time Queens champions advice has clearly rubbed off during his best winning streak since February.

Tennis: Federer ousts Goffin to reach Halle semis

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HALLE (AFP) - Roger Federer beat Belgiums David Goffin 6-1, 7-6 (12/10) on Friday to reach the ATP Halle grass court semi-finals and move to within one win of an 11th appearance in the final.The Swiss world number three, a 17-time Grand Slam winner, is seeking a ninth title in the Wimbledon warm-up event and fourth in succession at the tournament.Top seed Federer will play Alexander Zverev in Saturdays last four after the young German, 19, beat Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis 7-6 (11/9), 6-3.I thought Zverev played well. He played a crucial huge first set, Federer said. Marcos should have won that but ended up losing it, the momentum goes Zverevs way, one break and the match is over. So credit to Zverev for getting the job done. Hes got a big serve, hes got a nice backhand, hes improving his forehand and hes moving forward. Hes going to be a tough player in the future, no doubt about it.Federer won their lone career meeting so far, 6-3, 7-5 at last months Rome Masters.Zverev recorded his 26th match win in a career-best year to knock out 2007 runner-up Baghdatis.For me it doesnt really matter what surface it is, said the teenager. It depends more on me, how I play, how I feel. Ive played well on all four surfaces. Ive played well on clay, Ive played well on hard at the beginning of the year.Austrias Dominic Thiem, the third seed, is also through to the semi-finals after German Philipp Kohlschreiber pulled out of their quarter-final with a hip injury.

Tennis: Titleholder Kerber follows other stars to the exit

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BIRMINGHAM (AFP) - Angelique Kerber, who set her heart on defending the first grass court title of her career at the Aegon Classic, came agonisingly close to reaching the semi-finals before losing Friday to one of the tournaments many surprises, Carla Suarez Navarro.The world number 15 from Spain was brought up on clay courts, but coped resiliently and skillfully with extra pace and low bounce of the lush grass, in a 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 victory in the best match of a rain-stricken tournament so far.Three times Kerber came within two points of victory in a long tenth game of the final set, but could force the issue no further against an opponent who appeared to have just a little bit extra physically.This was certainly one of the crucial qualities on a day in which both players had to complete unfinished overnight matches, both of which went to three sets.That made it an even tougher setback for Kerber, whose successes since her Grand Slam title sensation in Australia at the start of the year have been disappointingly few.I may not have defended my title here, but I played well, and I will go to Wimbledon (starting in ten days time) with confidence, Kerber claimed, nevertheless looking upset.She established a fine flat-hitting rhythm in the middle part of the match, and tenaciously turned many a difficult situation into winning ones. But she paid a price for making a slower start than Navarro, and played a poor penultimate game, dropping serve to love, giving the Spaniard her chance to close it out.Even then Kerber diligently engineered three break back points, also pressurising Navarro into a double fault on the first match point before the Spaniard constructed yet another of many brilliantly varied rallies to finish it off.I had to fight to play my best tennis to beat the best player, Navarro said, though the seedings gave that accolade Agnieszka Radwanska, one of four well-known names to fail to make the last eight.The others were Petra Kvitova, the two times Wimbledon champion, or Belinda Bencic, the 19-year-old who is the youngest in the worlds top ten, who were among six seeds who failed to reach the quarter-finals amidst disruptively rainstorms.Navarro on Saturday plays the only remaining seed, Madison Keys, the top 20 American who recovered from a wayward start to overcome Jelena Ostapenko, Kvitovas conqueror, 6-7 (1/7), 6-4, 6-2.The other semi-final will be between CoCo Vandeweghe, the American who ousted Radwanska in the first round, and Barbora Strycova, the Czech who is a former finalist here.At her best Keys looks the new favourite but this has been the most unpredictable of tournaments, and the hard-hitting Vandeweghe clearly fancies her chances too.So many big names going out early amidst many violent rainstorms is a calamity for a tournament which is trying to make itself one of the best ten in the world and has acquired its best entry in its 35-year history.

Ronaldo's Portugal, Belgium looking for spark

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PARIS (AFP) - Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal will attempt to reignite their flagging Euro 2016 campaign against Austria on Saturday, while Belgium hope to breathe life into their title bid after a terrible start.Ronaldo was frustrated in his quest to become the first player to score in four European Championships as Portugal stuttered to a 1-1 draw with Iceland in their Group F opener.The three-time World Player of the Year was then widely ridiculed for describing Iceland -- a country with a population of just 330,000 -- as having a small mentality after Portugal struggled to break down the Nordic island nation.But Ronaldo will look to do the talking with his feet at the Parc des Princes this weekend in a crucial encounter with Austria.We didnt get what we wanted against Iceland, but now were focused on tomorrow, said goalkeeper Rui Patricio.Our confidence has not been shattered, we know the kind of quality we can put on the pitch and well do everything to win.Tournament dark horses Austria arrive in Paris under heavy pressure after a shock 2-0 defeat to Hungary in their first match left them in danger of an early exit.Marcel Kollers side charged through qualifying, dropping just two points, but a second successive loss would all but spell the end for the likes of David Alaba and Marko Arnautovic.The Austrians will also be without centre-back Aleksandar Dragovic against Portugal following his red card against Hungary, while Zlatko Junuzovics tournament looks to be over after he suffered ankle ligament damage.- Belgium seek response -=========================Belgium, ranked second in the world behind Argentina, came unstuck against unfancied but experienced Group E rivals Italy as the 2012 finalists claimed an impressive 2-0 victory to hit back at their detractors.Belgium coach Marc Wilmots is expected to ring the changes for Saturdays game against the Republic of Ireland in Bordeaux.Premier League stars Kevin de Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku could drop to the bench for their second group game after Wilmots said goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was the only player not at risk of being axed.We have to win our next two games now to make the knockout stages and that is what well try to do, added Wilmots.Ireland boss Martin ONeill has been forced into at least one change with striker Jon Walters ruled out with a lingering achilles problem, leaving James McClean in contention to start.The Irish drew their first game 1-1 with Sweden, a result that favoured neither side, but ONeill believes their performance at the Stade de France can serve as a springboard.I think from the way the team played (on Monday) they will draw great strength from that, said ONeill.After marking their return to the big stage in style following a 30-year absence, Hungary can punch their ticket to the last 16 with victory over Iceland in Marseille.Expectations are high after the win, now everyone thinks that it will go like that, but thats not how it goes. Nothing has changed because of the win, we have to forget about it and get back down to earth, said Hungary coach Bernd Storck.Iceland goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson sent out a similar message to his team-mates, calling on them not to get carried away after their Portugal heroics.We cant afford to have our heads in the clouds after this result, we have to get our feet back on the ground and think of Hungary, he said.

Golf: Marathon man Johnson in share of US Open lead

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OAKMONT (AFP) - Dustin Johnson powered through two punishing rounds at Oakmont on Friday to seize a share of the lead at the weather-disrupted US Open Golf Championship.World number six Johnson carded the first bogey-free round of the tournament with a first-round 67 that put him one shot behind unlikely first-round leader Andrew Landry.He grabbed a share of the lead with a second-round 69 as some half the field tackled 36 holes on the demanding Oakmont course thanks to weather delays that knocked the tournament off schedule on Thursday.Im in pretty good shape, so the physical parts no problem, Johnson said of the long day. But definitely mentally youve got to make sure you stay sharp all day, because you cant go to sleep on any shot out here.His four-under total of 136 had him atop the leaderboard with Landry, who hit just one shot on Friday but made it count.Landry was standing over a 10-foot birdie putt at his final hole, the ninth, when play was halted for the day on Thursday.The 28-year-old Texan, ranked 624th in the world, calmly knocked it in then took the rest of Friday off, and will start his second round on Saturday morning, with those that make the cut to then start the third round.But for Oakmonts fiendish greens, firming up despite the torrential rains of Thursday, Johnson could well have supplanted Landry.He missed a string of birdie attempts from the 10-foot range, but said he couldnt be unhappy with two birdies and a bogey in the second round.Theyre so hard to putt, Johnson said. No matter how close you are to the hole theyre tough to putt. I hit so many good putts today that I thought were going in, and burned the edge or lipped out. Thats just how it goes. I mean, these greens are tough.Certainly, he said, he wasnt haunted by memories of last years US Open, where he three-putted the 72nd hole to finish tied for second behind Jordan Spieth.Asked if the memory of what happened last year weighed on him or motivated him, Johnson blithely answered What happened last year?The leaders were chased by Englands Lee Westwood, who was three-under after one round.Scott Piercy and Spains Sergio Garcia were in the clubhouse on two-under 138, both carding even par second rounds, while Irelands Shane Lowry was two-under through his first 18.American Daniel Summerhays notched a remarkable seven birdies in a five-under 65 that put him in the clubhouse on 139, leading a group of seven on one-under.That was a round to remember, Summerhays said. Im absolutely thrilled with my round and how I performed, especially on that back nine when youve already played 27 holes and youre tired. Thats a lot of walking.World number one Jason Day and third-ranked Rory McIlroy, both touted as title contenders will instead be keeping an eye on the cut line.McIlroy, the 2011 US Open champion, bogeyed the last three holes of his first round for a seven-over 77 that left him 11 shots off the pace.He said the stop-start play on Thursday definitely complicated the first round.But when you shoot 77 everything is a bit complicated, McIlroy added.World number one Jason Day didnt start the first round until Friday, but once he did his misery lasted twice as long as McIlroys.The Australians first-round 76 included a double-bogey at the par-four seventh, where he was in two bunkers and needed two attempts to get out of one of them.He had managed to regain some ground with three birdies and two bogeys leaving him five-over for the tournament with three holes remaining when play ended.Phil Mickelsons optimism that this could finally be his US Open year -- after six runner-up finishes in the only Grand Slam he has yet to win -- proved unfounded.Mickelson was seven-over with two to play at the end of the day.Spieth, aiming to become the first to successfully defend the US Open title since Curtis Strange in 1989 was two-over after one round and bullish on his chances of contending over what will be a busy weekend.A couple of tough breaks, Spieth said. (Im) still in it.

Athletics: IAAF extends Russian ban, leaves Olympics door ajar

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VIENNA (AFP) - The IAAF voted unanimously Friday to extend the ban on the doping-tainted Russian federation, but left the door ajar for some track and field stars to compete at the Rio Olympics as neutrals.Despite a last-ditch campaign to overthrow the ban led by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the IAAF Council, headed by Sebastian Coe, was unanimous in its decision to uphold the suspension.But Coe said Russian athletes based outside of the Russian system could potentially return to international competition as neutrals once their cases are reviewed by our doping review board.Of course its unfair, Putin said of the decision. Im assuming that well have a discussion with our colleagues in the World Anti-Doping Agency and I hope a reaction from the International Olympic Committee.The Council decision was widely welcomed elsewhere, however, United States Olympic Committee chief executive Scott Blackmun saying the move would send a much-needed message. United States Track and Field (USATF) said: It is the only proper course of action given the compelling and powerful evidence presented to Council.Svein Arne Hansen, president of European Athletics and a member of the IAAF Council, added: Our unanimous decision, taken in an atmosphere of extreme pressure, is the clearest possible signal of the IAAFs commitment to the values of our sport.The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) imposed the initial ban on Russia in November over state-sponsored doping and mass corruption, and first extended it in March on the grounds that the criteria set for reinclusion had not been met.But as Russian pole vault star Yelena Isinbayeva reacted immediately by saying she would challenge in court the IAAF decision, an olive branch was proferred.If there are individual athletes who can clearly and convincingly show that they are not tainted by the Russian system because they have been outside the country, and subject to other, strong anti-doping systems, including effective drug testing, then there should be a process through which they can apply for permission to compete in international competitions, not for Russia, but as a neutral athlete, Coe said.Coe insisted that the IOC, which meets in Lausanne on June 21, would not have the final say on eligibility of athletes in light of the August 5-21 Rio Olympics.The eligibility of athletes to compete internationally sits and lies with the IAAF, said Coe. Thats what the IOC would recognise.In a damning verdict, the IAAF said that the Russian athletics federation was at least 18-24 months away from returning to full operational compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code.There are detailed allegations, which are already partly substantiated, that the (Russian) Ministry of Sport, far from supporting the anti-doping effort, has in fact orchestrated systemic doping and the covering up of adverse analytical findings, the IAAF said.In such circumstances, the (IAAF) Taskforce is very clear that the reinstatement conditions have not yet been satisfied, and in particular that RusAF (Russian athletics federation) cannot yet credibly return to international competition without undermining the confidence of their competitors and the public in the integrity of that competition.To make matters worse for Russia, an independent investigator appointed by WADA said that the Russian government covered up positive drug tests at the 2013 World Athletics Championships in Moscow.Professor Richard McLaren said the Russian Ministry of Sport was involved in instructing a Moscow anti-doping laboratory to not report positive sample results over the period before, during and after the IAAF Championships in 2013.The result of the IAAF Council vote Friday came as no surprise given the latest damning report from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), released on Wednesday.Russias Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said the decision had been expected in Moscow and pledged to respond.The suspension of the Russian athletics federation is an expected decision, we could have assumed this, Mutko told TASS news agency. We will react.WADAs new report said hundreds of attempts to carry out drug tests on Russian athletes this year had been thwarted, with drug testers facing intimidation and threats from armed Russian security forces while athletes continued to evade doping control officers.The WADA summary, which was compiled with the help of UK Anti-Doping, said more than 736 tests between February 15 and May 29 were declined or cancelled for a variety of reasons ranging from sample collection to athlete whereabouts.

Karachi: 3 terrorist among 20 accused arrested

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Crackdown against criminal elements continued in Karachi as 20 accused, including three terrorists, were apprehended during police and intelligence agencies operations in different parts of the city on Friday, Dunya News reported.According to details, intelligence agencies and police carried out a joint operation in Nazimabad area and arrested three terrorists. Police sources said that the arrested terrorists were members of Al Qaeda sub-continent branch. Arms, explosive material and hand grenades were recovered from the arrested terrorists.Police conducted an operation in Jackson area and arrested three proclaimed offenders wanted in several cases. Police also arrested a street criminal from Model colony and also recovered arms from him.Police also apprehended eight suspects during a separate operation in Model Colony while a street criminal was taken into custody from Lyari Kalakot area. New Town police also arrested an accused.Rangers also conducted a search operation in Gulshan-e-Johar Block-19 and apprehended three accused. The arrested persons were later shifted to some undisclosed location for further investigation.

'Qadri playing with people's emotions in the name of religion'

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Punjabs law minister Rana Sanaullah, while responding to Dr Tahirul Qadri address during Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) sit-in staged at Mall Road Lahore on Friday, said that the PAT chief should adopt legal option for trial of Model Town tragedy in the military courts. Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Talal Chaudhry while talking to Dunya News said that Dr Tahirul Qadri is playing with peoples emotions in the name of religion.He further said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is currently out of country due to illness and will return to Pakistan soon.

Oil rebounds on easing Brexit fears, weaker dollar

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Oil prices rebounded Friday from six straight sessions in the red, benefitting from easing fears of a potential decision by Britain next week to exit the European Union.The market was also buoyed by a softer greenback, which makes dollar-denominated crude oil cheaper for buyers using other currencies.The risk-off trade flow of a day ago has become risk-on, at least for now, said Tim Evans at Citi Futures as European stock markets rallied in a switch to betting that Britain will vote next Thursday to remain in the EU.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for July delivery leaped $1.77 to $47.98 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.In London, Brent North Sea crude for delivery in August, the global benchmark, advanced $1.98 to $49.17 a barrel.But over a week of bumpy trade in markets rattled by fears of a pro-Brexit decision in the June 23 referendum, the price of WTI lost 2.2 percent and Brent fell 2.7 percent.We think crude oil will have trouble sustaining todays rally and remains at risk for a deeper correction to the downside, Evans said.Gene McGillian of Tradition Energy pointed out that prices appeared to be trading in a narrow range.Overall the market rally seems to have lost momentum, McGillian said.He cited the return of Canadian production to the market after massive wildfires and the possibility of talks between militant Nigerian groups and the government that could end attacks on oil infrastructure.Those supply disruptions had helped push prices above $50.The market is still off the 12-year lows that we saw earlier this year and thats predicated on the fact that were going to see a decline of the North American production level and increase of global demand, McGillian said.In that context, the market seemed to shrug off this weeks rise in active US oil rigs, the third in a row reported by driller Baker Hughes on Friday.Im a little relucant to say its a sign that weve reached the threshold where North American drillers are reentering the market, McGillian said.

Pound rallies as Brexit fears ease

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The pound rallied Friday as investors swung their bets to Britain voting to remain in the European Union next week.Long-running fears of a pro-Brexit vote on June 23 had been hammering the pound, and they were heightened in recent weeks as the Leave campaign pulled ahead in the polls.On Friday, the pound gained in part due to the three-day suspension of campaigning after the murder of pro-EU British lawmaker Jo Cox on Thursday.The shocking news was seen, at least on the margin, as hurting public sentiment toward the Brexit move, said Omer Esiner of Commonwealth Foreign Exchange.The pound surged about one percent against the dollar to $1.4348. It was up 0.5 percent against the euro at 78.62 pence.The European single currency gained against both the dollar and the yen.Besides Thursdays Brexit vote, traders will be turning their attention next week to Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellens testimony in on the US economic outlook on Tuesday and Wednesday in Congress.Investors are expected to closely follow her remarks for clues on future rate hikes, after the Federal Open Market Committee kept rates unchanged on Wednesday in part due to concerns about the looming Brexit referendum.We expect Yellen to reiterate the cautious message of last weeks post-FOMC meeting press conference, Deutsche Bank analysts said in a client note.However, we cannot discount the risk that she will deliver a slightly more upbeat message in case she is dissatisfied with the financial markets interpretation of the path of monetary policy.Markets have been decidedly more bearish than the Fed on the likely path of rate hikes, pricing in lower rates for longer on signs of weakness in the US economy and slowing global growth.

Amir can't put a foot wrong, warns Pakistan manager

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KARACHI (AFP) - Pakistan cricket team manager Intikhab Alam Friday warned fast bowler Mohammad Amir cannot afford to put a foot wrong on the tour of England where he was caught in a spot-fixing case six years ago.The images of Amirs shocking over-stepping of the crease to bowl no-balls during the Lords Test in 2010 will re-emerge as he is all set to take the field on July 14 in the first of a four-match series.Amir and his new-ball partner Mohammad Asif bowled deliberate no-balls on the order of then Test captain Salman Butt in return for money -- a sting operation by the now defunct British tabloid News of the World. All three players were banned for five years from playing cricket and jailed by a UK court.But since the ban was lifted in September last year, Amir has been in a superb wicket-taking form and will be the key bowler for Pakistan on the tour which also has five one-day and a Twenty20 international.Alam warned Amir will be under strict vigil.Amir cannot afford to put a foot wrong, Alam told AFP as the team prepares to depart for England early Saturday.Amir has to prove a point to the cricketing world that there will be no slip-up, make up for the five years he lost and do justice to his talent by bringing laurels.Alam said he fears people will provoke him.I fear people will provoke him on and off the field but he has been told to remain calm and do not react, said Alam. That happened on his first tour (New Zealand) when he was fielding on the boundary line but they die down once you dont react, said Alam. Fans shouted slogans and a stadium announcer played a sound effect of a cash register before the start of one of Amirs overs during Pakistans tour of New Zealand in January this year -- his first international tour on return.Alam said Amir in particular and other players in general will have to follow a strict code of conduct on the tour.The message is clear for all the players and that is there will be no compromise on discipline and zero tolerance, said Alam, a former Pakistan captain.Amir will have to follow strict code of conduct which stops him from meeting people and focus on cricket, said Alam, who praised Amirs conduct.Since his return, Amir has been very good and has shown remorse of what he did, said Alam. People expect miracles from him but he has been very good on the three tours he has had so far and we hope he will deliver to the best of his abilities in England.Alam said Pakistans team was up for Englands challenge.I have always had good memories of England and this time too I believe we will be challenging for our opponents, said Alam who led Pakistan on the 1971 and 74 tours of England.
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