Sunday 16 October 2016

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Iraq forces launch operations to liberate Mosul from IS

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BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraqi forces have launched operations to retake Mosul, a city whose capture by the Islamic State group two years ago left the country on the brink of collapse, the prime minister said Monday.The northern city was where IS supremo Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi publicly proclaimed a caliphate straddling Iraq and Syria in June 2014.With the support of Iran and a US-led coalition, Iraqi forces have since regained much of the ground lost to IS and Mosul is the extremist groups last major stronghold in Iraq.Today I declare the start of these victorious operations to free you from the violence and terrorism of Daesh (IS), Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in a televised address.The commander-in-chief of Iraqs armed forces did not divulge details of the latest movements on the ground but forces have recently been tightening the noose around Mosul.A coalition of myriad and sometimes rival Iraqi forces -- including the US-led coalition, Kurdish Peshmerga and Iraqi government forces -- will have to fight their way through IS defences to reach the city, in some cases over distances of dozens of kilometres.Then they will likely seek to surround the city before launching an assault, marking the start of deadly street fighting with die-hard jihadists.Abadi vowed that only government forces would enter Mosul, a Sunni-majority city that IS seized with relative ease partly because of local resentment towards the Shiite-dominated security forces.Shiite militia groups have been accused of serious abuses against Sunni civilians in the course of operations to reconquer territory from IS.The force leading liberation operations is the brave Iraqi army with the national police and they are the ones that will enter Mosul, not others, Abadi said.Baghdad is also keen to check the influence of the autonomous Kurdish region, which significantly expanded the territory it controls on the back of the 2014 jihadist assault.The Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary organisation, which is dominated by Tehran-backed militia groups, has made clear it wants to take part in the Mosul operation.Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga forces have been moving in from the eastern side of the city while a US-led coalition is also providing support in the air and on the ground.Turkey, which borders northern Iraq, has also offered to join the offensive on Mosul.The start of the much-delayed offensive on Mosul risks sparking a humanitarian crisis, with the United Nations warning that up to one million people may be displaced by the fighting as winter sets in.The jihadists are not thought to number more than 5,000 and will be vastly outnumbered but the battleground is vast and the areas ethnic and religious diversity makes it politically complex.Abadis announcement came a day after rebel forces in the Syrian half of IS shrinking caliphate retook Dabiq, a town which holds crucial ideological significance for the group and where it had promised an apocalyptic battle.Iraqi forces recently retook Qayyarah, an area some 60 kilometres (35 miles) south of Mosul, setting the stage for the final push on ISs northern bastion.The force that has led operations to recapture other IS strongholds in Iraq, such as Fallujah in June or Ramadi earlier this year, is the elite counter-terrorism service.Thousands of other army and police forces have also been converging on Mosul in recent weeks.Abadi has promised that Iraq would be rid of the most violent organisation in modern jihad by years end.But even the recapture of Mosul will not mark the end of the war against IS, which still holds other territory in Iraq and is likely to turn increasingly to insurgent tactics such as bombings and hit-and-run attacks as it loses more ground.

US, Britain mulling sanctions over Syria siege

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LONDON (AFP) - The United States and Britain warned on Sunday that Western allies were considering imposing sanctions against economic targets in Syria and Russia over the siege of Aleppo. US Secretary of State John Kerry branded the bombardment of civilians in the Syrian battleground city as crimes against humanity and British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson urged Moscow to show mercy.There are a lot of measures that were proposing including extra measures on the regime and their supporters, Johnson said, standing alongside Kerry after talks in London. These things will eventually come to bite the perpetrators of these crimes, and they should think about it now, he warned.Kerry, meanwhile, warned that US President Barack Obama had not taken any option off the table in terms of tackling Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assads assault on his own people.He too raised the idea of sanctions but he played down the possibility of military action and insisted that it was his and Johnsons duty to exhaust all diplomatic options.We are discussing every mechanism available to us but I havent seen a big appetite from anyone in Europe to go to war, Kerry said after talks with French and German officials.I dont see the parliaments of European countries ready to declare war, he said.Let me make it clear, added Kerry. We are considering additional sanctions and... President Obama has not taken any option off the table.French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said stopping the bombardment of Aleppo took precedence during the talks.We see that the regime along with Russian support has other objectives, he said following the meeting.We are always ready to speak with the Russians and with the Iranians but we demand that the precondition is stopping the bombardment.Ayrault did not confirm whether a no-fly zone over Aleppo was on the table. We have tackled many initiatives, we have not finalised everything but there is broad consensus on the necessity for pressure (to stop the bombardments), he said following the meeting.

Syria rebels capture emblematic IS stronghold Dabiq

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BEIRUT (AFP) - Syrian rebels dealt a major symbolic blow to the Islamic State group on Sunday by capturing the town of Dabiq where the jihadists had promised an apocalyptic battle.The defeat for IS came as the United States and Britain warned they were considering imposing sanctions against economic targets in Syria and Russia, which is a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, over the government-imposed siege of second city Aleppo. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Turkish state media and a rebel faction said opposition fighters backed by Turkish warplanes and artillery seized control of Dabiq.The town, in Syrias northern province of Aleppo, is of little strategic value. But Dabiq holds crucial ideological importance for IS and its followers because of a Sunni prophecy that states it will be the site of an end-of-times battle between Christian forces and Muslims.US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said Dabiqs liberation gives the campaign to deliver ISIL a lasting defeat new momentum in Syria.The Observatory, a Britain-based monitoring group, said rebel forces captured Dabiq after IS members withdrew from the area.The Fastaqim Union, an Ankara-backed rebel faction involved in the battle, said Dabiq had fallen after fierce clashes.Fastaqim said rebels then went on to seize several nearby towns, including Sawran, Ihtimaylat, and Salihiyah. Turkeys state-run Anadolu news agency said nine rebels were killed and 28 wounded during fighting to capture the towns. Rebel commander Haitham Ibrahim Afassi told AFP: I thank God for giving us victory. The heros of the Free Syrian Army have liberated the region.Video footage showed the streets of the town virtually deserted, with black IS flags painted on the facades of buildings as well as jihadist graffiti.Dabiq has become a byword among IS supporters for a struggle against the West, with Washington and its allies who are bombing the jihadists portrayed as modern-day Crusaders.IS, which seized control of large parts of Syria and Iraq in mid-2014 and declared an Islamic caliphate, has been dealt a series of military defeats this year and is bracing for an assault on its key Iraqi stronghold Mosul.Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Sunday that Turkish-backed rebels would now focus on taking the jihadist-held town of Al-Bab in Aleppo province.Turkey launched an unprecedented operation inside Syria on August 24, helping Syrian rebels to rid its frontier of IS jihadists and Syrian Kurdish militia.President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday said Turkey would push further south to create a 5,000-square-kilometre (1,900 square-mile) safe zone in Syria.Clashes took place in Aleppos northern and southern outskirts on Sunday, as well as in the city centre, the Observatory said. Air strikes on rebel-held eastern areas killed 31 people, including 15 civilians who died in Russian raids, it added. An AFP correspondent said two buildings had been destroyed and reported nearly non-stop air raids on the opposition-held half of the city since midnight.US Secretary of State John Kerry, in London Sunday for talks on Syria with his British and French counterparts, branded the bombardment of civilians in Aleppo crimes against humanity.British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson warned of possible sanctions.There are a lot of measures that were proposing including extra measures on the regime and their supporters, Johnson said.These things will eventually come to bite the perpetrators of these crimes, and they should think about it now, he warned.Rebel fire on government-controlled districts of Aleppo left three people dead and more than two dozen wounded, Syrian state news agency SANA said.Fighting has surged in the city following the collapse last month of a ceasefire brokered by the United States and Russia, raising deep international concern.Kerry was in London to brief Washingtons European allies after brainstorming talks in Lausanne with the main players in Syrias conflict, but hopes for a breakthrough in the conflict that has killed more than 300,000 people since 2011 remained dim.Saturdays meeting in Lausanne did not produce a concrete plan to restore the truce that collapsed amid bitter recriminations between Washington and Moscow.Kerry warned Sunday that US President Barack Obama had not taken any option off the table in trying to stop the killing, but downplayed the possibility of increased military action in Syria.We are discussing every mechanism available to us but I havent seen a big appetite from anyone in Europe to go to war, he said.

Bangladesh hangs JMB leader over 2005 blast

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DHAKA (AFP) - Prison authorities in Bangladeshs southern city of Khulna on Sunday executed a senior Islamist extremist whose banned group has been linked to the murder of foreign hostages, police said.Asadul Islam, 42, a leader of the outlawed Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), was hanged for his role in a 2005 blast that killed two judges.Bangladesh has blamed the JMB for a July 1 attack on an upmarket Dhaka cafe in which 22 people, mostly foreign hostages, were shot and hacked to death.He was hanged to death at 10:30 pm (1630 GMT) in Khulna jail, Khulna Police Commissioner Nibhas Chandra Majhi told AFP, adding that there was heavy security around the jail to prevent any violence.Islam, also known as Arif, was one of seven senior JMB officials, including founding leader Shaikh Abdur Rahman, sentenced to death for a bomb attack on a minibus that killed two lower court judges on November 14, 2005.Six of the men, including Rahman, were executed in March 2007 by a military-backed caretaker government as part of a nationwide crackdown on Islamic extremists.Arif was sentenced in absentia and was not detained until July 2007. He has been held in Khulna jail ever since. In August the Supreme Court dismissed his final appeal.His execution comes as Bangladeshi security forces push a deadly new crackdown against Islamist extremists following the cafe attack that has shaken the image of Bangladesh as a moderate Muslim nation.Since July, police have shot dead nearly 40 suspected extremists including JMBs new leader Tamim Chowdhury, a Canadian citizen of Bangladesh descent who allegedly masterminded the cafe carnage.As part of the crackdown, Bangladeshs courts have also fast-tracked prosecution of Islamist extremists, scores of whom were already facing death sentences and languishing in the countrys jails.Majhi said hundreds of police and the elite Rapid Action Battalion have been deployed in Khulna, the countrys third largest city, and key roads leading to the jails had been blocked to prevent any violence.A prison official told AFP that Arif had refused to seek presidential clemency -- his last chance to stop the hanging -- which prompted the authorities to prepare for his execution.His family including his wife, two little daughters, six sisters and several other relatives came to meet him for the last time just hours before the execution, he said.His body has already sent to his village home in the neighbouring town of Mollarhat in an ambulance which was escorted by a heavy police security detail.Founded in the late 1990s by Islamists who fought in the Afghan wars alongside the Taliban, the JMB seeks to impose sharia law on Bangladesh, a Muslim majority but officially secular nation of 160 million people.JMB first shot to prominence in Bangladesh when it conducted a coordinated bombing attack on August 17, 2005, with more than 400 small blasts in 63 of the countrys 64 districts.Many of those bombs targeted secular courts, which the JMB claims are inspired by Satan.Hundreds of JMB extremists including Rahman, his deputy Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai were subsequently hunted down by security forces in a massive crackdown.Since December 2013, Bangladesh has also executed five top leaders of the countrys largest Islamist party and a senior opposition official for atrocities connected to the countrys war of independence against Pakistan in 1971.Their trials and executions have triggered the countrys deadliest political violence, with more than 500 people killed in clashes with police and thousands of Islamists arrested.

Republican party office in North Carolina firebombed

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Police in the southern US state of North Carolina on Sunday were investigating a firebomb attack on a Republican Party office, with the message Nazi Republicans leave town or else sprayed on an adjacent building.No one was hurt in the arson attack overnight on the Orange County Republican Party headquarters in Hillsborough, the town said in a statement.The executive director of the states Republican Party called the attack political terrorism.The office itself is a total loss, Dallas Woodhouse told The Charlotte Observer. The only thing important to us is that nobody was killed, and they very well could have been.Photographs posted by the state party showed the offices charred walls and furniture, with colorful lawn signs for candidates, including Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump, appearing melted and warped.The perpetrators threw flammable material in a bottle through the offices front window, and spray-painted the words Nazi Republicans leave town or else on a business next door, the town said.The damage was reported by another business owner Sunday morning.Police were investigating the attack, which Trump blamed on animals representing Hillary Clinton and Dems in North Carolina... because we are winning.With you all the way, will never forget. Now we have to win. Proud of you all the bombastic billionaire said on Twitter.Clinton, the Democratic nominee, took to Twitter to denounce the incident as horrific and unacceptable, adding she was very grateful that everyone is safe.

Lahore: Man tortures wife to death

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – An implacable person tortured his pregnant wife to death in Icchra area of Lahore on Sunday, Dunya News reported. The victim, Sundus, had been married three years ago.The culprit managed to escape from the scene after committing the crime. Police have shifted the dead body to the dead house for autopsy.In another incident, some unidentified persons opened fire in Garhi Shahu area and injured two people. The victims were shifted to Ganga Ram Hospital for treatment. Police have reached the spot and started investigation.

Toba Tek Singh: Seven years old girl molested

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TOBA TEK SINGH (Dunya News) – According to details, some unidentified persons molested a seven-year-old girl in village 150-GB near Toba Tek Singh on Sunday, Dunya News reported.Rescue teams reached the spot and shifted the victim to the District Headquarters Hospital in critical condition. The initial medical report of the victim has confirmed the rape.DPO Toba Tek Singh, Usman Akram Gondal along with heavy contingent of police reached the hospital after getting the report. According to DPO a man named Iqbal was taken into custody in connected with the incident.Rape and other forms of sexual assault and domestic violence are widespread in deeply conservative Pakistan.Pakistan’s criminal justice system has a very low conviction rate, in large part because police, prosecutors and judges are underequipped, undertrained, corrupt and beholden to the rich, powerful and politically connected in the districts where they serve.

Tennis: Murray masters Shanghai to close on top ranking

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SHANGHAI (AFP) - Andy Murray demolished Roberto Bautista to win the Shanghai Masters without dropping a set as he edged closer to Novak Djokovics world number one ranking on Sunday.The Wimbledon and Olympic champion won seven points in a row in the first-set tie-break and he broke Bautista three times in the second to win his third Shanghai title 7-6 (7/1), 6-1.The rampant Murray is now on a 10-match winning streak in which he has won 20 straight sets, including last weeks similarly impressive victory at the China Open in Beijing.But most importantly, the world number two slashes the gap to just 915 points from the out-of-sorts Djokovic, who was shocked by Spains Bautista in the semis.I believe I can get there. I definitely believe I can get there. These last few months have proved that to me, Murray said of the top ranking. I may never get another chance to be number one, so Ill give it my best shot to do that while I have the opportunity.Nineteenth-ranked Bautista, who was playing his first Masters final, said it was clear how much Murray wanted to secure the top spot.I think I can see it in his eyes. Hes really focused on getting number one, the Spaniard said.Murrays first serve of the match was a thumping ace and he took a grip on the opening set at 3-3 when Bautista netted a backhand to lose the first break point of the match.But Murray, serving at 5-4, lost three set points and got in a tangle on a drop shot to hand Bautista his first break point, which he converted with a strong forehand.The Briton slammed three consecutive aces for 6-6 and he dominated the tie-break, reeling off seven points in a row and taking the set with a sizzling backhand return. A string of Bautista errors put Murray a break up at the start of set two, but to his obvious frustration he gave it straight back with a miscued forehand.But Bautista twice double-faulted to go a break down before handing over yet another break, making victory a formality for Murray who tucked away his first championship point.With his 41st tournament victory and sixth this year, Murray joins Stefan Edberg in joint 15th place on the list of Open-era title winners.Of greater concern will be his place in the rankings as he draws ever closer to the imploding Djokovic, who has hit a rocky patch after a period of sustained dominance.I will try and finish this year as strong as I can. And next year if the opportunity is there to reach number one, then I want to try and take it, Murray said. But its not going to be easy because Novak plays great tennis indoors, and also his record at the beginning of the year is phenomenal in Australia and Indian Wells, Miami.Its going to be a tough thing to achieve that. Im aware of that. Im close-ish right now, but its going to be really tough still.

Tennis: Wozniacki beats Mladenovic to win Hong Kong Open

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HONG KONG (AFP) - Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki beat unseeded French challenger Kristina Mladenovic to take the Hong Kong Open on Sunday after a battle of wills that lasted almost three hours.Wozniacki of Denmark, seeded fifth in the competition, stormed the first set 6-1 with Mladenovic visibly despondent and limping slightly.The 23-year-old Frenchwoman emerged in the second set with her right leg bandaged and with a renewed focus, forcing Wozniacki to dive around the court with a combination of drop shots and powerful drives.The set went to 6-6, with Mladenovic sealing the tie-break 7-4 to go even.Spectators around the packed stadium waved paper fans constantly on a hot and humid afternoon, with temperatures at 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit).Dressed all in green, a determined Wozniacki, 26, finally sealed victory in the third set. A tired Mladenovic was ultimately unable to match the Danes power and consistency. Frequently bending to lean on her racquet between points, the Frenchwoman was in tears as she desperately tried to fight back after Wozniacki took a 5-0 lead.Wozniacki eventually took the final set 6-2.Im really pleased with my week this week -- there was some good tennis and long battles, Wozniacki told reporters.The Dane said the final had been a mental battle, as it was unclear to her how badly Mladenovic was hurt. It wasnt easy mentally because sometimes she would look like she couldnt play, and then she would run like Speedy Gonzalez -- clearly its not that bad if you can run side to side. There was definitely a mental game. I just happened to win it, she said.Wozniacki herself has battled back from injury and has had a resurgent run of form in the past two months, reaching the semi-finals of the US Open and winning the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.She is still without a Grand Slam title to her name and said it was her ambition to win one.Its the only thing missing from my CV, she said.Wozniacki had downed seventh seed Jelena Jankovic, also a former world number one, to book her finals place.Mladenovic had been aiming for her first WTA title -- it was the third time she had made a singles competition final only to lose.She told reporters she had struggled with exhaustion and a hamstring injury during the final after a week of long matches, as well as suffering in the heat and humidity.I was not coming out fresh and when you play someone like Caroline, who is running down every point, you have to fight, she said, adding that she was sad and frustrated during the match.It was very difficult. I have no idea how I made it to three sets.Venus Williams and current world number one Angelique Kerber went out earlier in the competition.

Football: Austin double takes Saints into top eight

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SOUTHAMPTON (AFP) - Charlie Austin scored twice as Southampton beat Burnley 3-1 at St Marys on Sunday to climb into the top eight of the Premier League.The south coast club were in dominant form, with Nathan Redmond also on target before Sam Vokes pulled a goal back for the visitors late on.It was a fine way for the Saints to start a run of seven fixtures in 22 days, with their next game a Europa League clash against Italian giants Inter Milan.Ive got seven goals in the last six but we are seven unbeaten, Austin told Sky Sports. Thats the main thing. We knew it would be a frustrating afternoon if we didnt score early but once we scored one we kicked on.This team will always create chances, its a dream for any striker. I am in the right place at the right time.Claude Puel, Southamptons French manager, added: I take pleasure this afternoon with a very good second half. Afterwards we came back with a good intention.Burnley boss Sean Dyche felt his side should have had a penalty when the game was still goalless only for referee Mike Dean to take no action when Johann Berg Gudmundsson was halted by Virgil van Dijk.We knew they were a good side and in a good run of form, especially defensively, Dyche said.Its very difficult when you come to these places, particularly when we cant get a decision. Im stunned by our penalty that wasnt given. Ive seen it back and am absolutely amazed.Theyre a really good side and made it a really tough afternoon for us. But its not helpful when its 0-0 and you should have a penalty.Who knows after that? It changes the dynamic in the ground and the whole feel of the game.Burnley kept the game goalless until the second half before the Saints scored three times in 14 minutes.They might have been ahead earlier in the match but Austins fifth-minute header was well-saved by Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton.Southamptons Dusan Tadic was also denied by Heaton when one-on-one with the keeper in the 31st minute.Redmond and Austin had chances in the first half but poor finishing kept the game goalless.Southamptons pressure, however, told in the second period with a quickfire three-goal burst.In the 52nd minute, Tadics corner was headed across goal by Van Dijk and former Burnley striker Austin, at the second attempt and amid some poor defending by the Clarets, scored from in front of goal.On the hour, Southampton doubled their lead courtesy of a fine goal from Redmond.Following another corner, he waited for the ball to arrive before striking a low finish beyond the reach of Heaton and into the bottom right corner.Minutes later, Austin put the result beyond doubt with a penalty, awarded after Gudmundsson brought down Sam McQueen.Burnley managed a consolation goal 18 minutes from time when referee Mike Dean pointed to the penalty spot for a foul by Tadic on Ben Mee and Vokes scored as the Saints conceded for the first time in over 10 hours.The Clarets loss was their third in four games and left them just a point above the bottom three.

Golf: Noren on the up after British Masters win

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WATFORD (AFP) - Swedens Alex Noren joins compatriot Henrik Stenson inside the top-20 on the World Rankings for the first time after capturing the British Masters at The Grove on Sunday.Noren, 34 overcame a mid-round stumble to shoot a closing two-under par 69 for a two stroke 18-under par victory total on the course just north of London for his third success in eight European Tour events.This triumph meant Noren, who won the Scottish Open and European Masters earlier this year, also became the first player since Rory McIlroy last year to win three events in a European Tour season.Noren, who had missed all but two events in 2014 due to tendonitis in both wrists, has now done in Europe what Jason Day and Dustin Johnson, the respective world number one and number two ranked golfers, have done in winning three tournaments during the 2015/16 PGA Tour season.Victory earned Noren a 500,000 pound ($609,470, 555,460 euros) first-prize cheque and saw him soar to a world ranking career high just inside the top 20, with Stenson currently world number five.I believe in myself, but the big thing is like you dont have to play a perfect game, said Noren. You just have to have a few parts of your game need to be strong to get a win. My putting was probably the best thing this week. I holed a lot of putts, he added. My chipping and wedge game was a lot better, so it helped me out. Maybe the driving wasnt the best but I didnt lose that much ground on it.Norens seventh Tour success has also seen him jump from ninth to fourth on the Race to Dubai money list.I try to stay humble as golf is a tough game so I take any win, he added.But its an amazing feeling to have won three times this year as I thought this would not happen to me.Austrian Bernd Wiesberger, who had drawn level with Noren after 15 holes, posted a 67 to finish runner-up on 16-under par.Englands Lee Westwood continued to bounce back from his disappointing showing during Europes Ryder Cup defeat by the United States with a second straight round of 67 that saw him take third place on 15-under par.It was a solid performance as I had it the ball pretty well but one of those weeks where I feel like I didnt make enough putts from 15 to 25 feet, said Westwood.Of course, the Ryder Cup was disappointing for many reasons, for everybody, really. And then last week I struggled to sort of get back into it and get my tournament head on.This week, everything has been back together and played well. Everything was good. Nice performance. Probably going to finish top three, so pleased with that.

Motorcycling: Marquez wins season as Rossi, Lorenzo crash in Japan

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MOTEGI (AFP) - Marc Marquez grabbed his third world championship by winning the Japan Grand Prix Sunday with rivals Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo crashing out in a stunning surprise.The 23-year-old Honda rider became the youngest man to win three premier-class world championship titles, and did so at Hondas home circuit, where he had never won before, with three more races remaining in the season.Marquez finished the 24-lap race in 42min 34.610sec in dry, sunny conditions, 2.992sec ahead of Ducatis Andrea Dovizioso and 4.104sec ahead of Maverick Vinales of Suzuki.Obviously, amazing... Amazing feeling, Marquez said immediately after his victory with a big smile, his face flushed with excitement.He knew he had a chance to claim the trophy but securing it would require Yamaha duo Rossi and Lorenzo to perform uncharacteristically slowly, so Marquez focused on expanding his 52-point lead against Rossi.He started second on the grid, after Rossi. Last seasons champion Lorenzo also started in the front row.The Spaniard took the first corner, but was quickly overtaken by Lorenzo, who had a commanding lead in the races early phase.On the second lap Marquez and Rossi swapped places several times, with the Honda rider keeping the upper hand.In the fourth lap, Marquez closed in on Lorenzo to take the lead and gradually expanded the gap.With 19 laps to go, Rossi also passed Lorenzo to pursue Marquez. But in the following lap, the Italian slipped on the tarmac at a hairpin bend on turn 10 for reasons that even the nine-time world champion could not himself immediately identify.He got up on his own only to withdraw from the race, sending Lorenzo to chase Marquez who was already flying solo.With five laps remaining, Lorenzo also slipped on the track, this time at the V-shaped left-handed turn nine, sending Marquez to unexpected victory.It was difficult to concentrate after Lorenzo crashed out, Marquez said.Marquez said he had struggled find his form early in the season and felt immense personal pressure after a stressful 2015 season, which was marked with crashes, lost opportunities and an open feud with Rossi, while Lorenzo reclaimed the world championship.Last year, I paid an expensive price. I learned, Marquez said, adding that he became a wiser rider.The stunning result came after a number of riders suffered a series of crashes throughout the weekend.Honda rider Dani Pedrosa returned to Spain for an operation after fracturing his collarbone in a crash during Friday practice.Lorenzo experienced a spectacular crash on Saturday and was airlifted to hospital, where he was quickly declared fit for the race but was left with foot pain.Marquez also suffered a small fall while testing a hard tyre.Lorenzo said a wrong tyre choice and pains from the practice crash led to his problem in the race.Rossi said he was trying to focus on the remaining three races.I was strong. The pace was good, he said. Fortunately, we have other races.

Cycling: Classy Sagan retains world road race title

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DOHA (AFP) - Peter Sagan retained his world road race title in an exciting sprint finish in Doha on Sunday, edging Britains Mark Cavendish into second.Slovakian Sagan, who also won in Richmond, USA, last year, said the result was unbelievable.I am still in total shock, I am very, very happy, said the 26-year-old. He is the first rider to retain the road race world title since Italys Paolo Bettini in Germany in 2007.Belgiums Tom Boonen finished third, which meant for the first time in the history of the event all three cyclists on the podium were former champions -- Cavendish won in 2011 and Boonen in 2005.It caps a remarkable season for Sagan, who won the points classification at the Tour de France for the fifth consecutive year and the European Road Race championships only last month.Sagan, who prepared for the hot conditions by training in Oman, rode a masterful race throughout and was able to squeeze an opening as the sprinters bunched towards the finish line.Many had predicted that the race, the final competition of the Road World Championships, would come down to a shootout between Sagan and Cavendish, and so it proved.Sagan said he was fortunate at the finishing line as he was not boxed in by any other riders.I was very lucky, he said. You never know what is going to happen in sprints like this.He and Cavendish were part of a group of more than 20 riders which split from the peloton some 170km from the finish line, as the race passed through desert north of the capital Doha.This group were able to keep the peloton at bay, meaning favoured sprinters such as Frances Nacer Bouhanni and German pair Marcel Kittel, who visibly suffered in temperatures of around 34 degrees Celsius (93 Fahrenheit), and Andre Greipel were never in with a shout of winning.There were no further attacks as the leading group completed seven laps of the Pearl Qatar, where the race finished after 257km with a sprinters shoot-out.Cavendish, who appeared to be checked behind Australias Michael Matthews as he made his final push towards the line, said he was frustrated by his second place.When I am not good enough, thats one thing, but today tactically I made a mistake, said the Briton.I feel like, I know that I lost gold not won silver.Boonen seemed irked when asked if Sagan was beatable.Of course, he said. Hes won a few titles but he hasnt won everything. Everybody is beatable. The race brought the curtain down on a controversial world championships dogged by criticism of the lack of spectators watching events and the fierce temperatures which confronted cyclists throughout the week.Next years event will be held in Bergen, Norway.

Bishoo, Shah set up exciting finish in day-night Test

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DUBAI (AFP) - West Indies leg-spinner Devendar Bishoo took a career best 8-49 and his Pakistani rival Yasir Shah completed 100 wickets on Sunday as the first Test was poised for an exciting finish in Dubai.Bishoos stunning performance limited Pakistan to a paltry 123 in their second innings before West Indies -- set a daunting 346 to win the day-night Test -- finished the fourth day on 95-2.West Indies will need another 251 runs for an improbable win while Pakistans hopes rest on Shah to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Earlier it was Pakistani leg-spinner Shah who became the second joint-fastest bowler to take 100 wickets in Test cricket during his 5-121 which bundled West Indies out for 357 in their first innings.Pakistan, who scored 579-3 declared in their first innings, did not enforce the follow-on despite West Indies coming up 23 runs short of their target of 380.West Indies, who hold the record for the highest run-chase in all Test cricket with their 418-7 against Australia at Antigua in 2003, kept Shah at bay with Leon Johnson (47) and Darren Bravo (26 not out) adding 60 for the second wicket.West Indies lost opener Kraigg Brathwaite for six when he was bowled by fast bowler Mohammad Amir, who also dismissed Johnson leg-before.Marlon Samuels was the other not out batsman on four on a day when wickets fell like nine pins.Bishoo said he was delighted at his feat.I tried my plan and it worked, said Bishoo, who also finished with 10-158 -- his first ten wicket haul in his 19th Test.I am delighted to get 8-49 which is a great feeling and I dont have words to describe it -- (Im) more happy for our position because we think we have a very good chance of winning.It was a remarkable turnaround on the Dubai stadium pitch as 16 wickets fell on day four alone, after just nine fell on the first three combined. With the rough marks on the pitch helping spinners, Bishoo triggered a middle-order collapse after Pakistan had lost opener Azhar Ali (two) and Asad Shafiq (five) just before tea.Bishoo, who had trapped Shafiq leg-before, then came into his own, dismissing Babar Azam (21), Sami Aslam (44), Misbah-ul-Haq (15), Mohammad Nawaz (nought) and Wahab Riaz (five) in the space of 40 balls for 21 runs.He then needed five balls after tea to remove Sarfraz Ahmed, stumped for 15, and bowled Amir for one to record the fifth best bowling figures in an innings for West Indies in Test cricket.Bishoos previous best bowling was 6-80 against Australia at Dominica last year.Ali, who scored a career best 302 in the first innings, was lucky to avoid a caught behind decision off Gabriel but was trapped leg-before the very next ball.The day also belonged to Shah who wrapped up the West Indies innings in quick time and also reached a milestone. Englands right-arm medium-pacer George Lohmann reached 100 Test wickets in just 16 Test matches in 1896, which still is a world record in Test crickets 140-year history.Australias Charlie Turner and Clarrie Grimmett, and Englands Sydney Barnes each got to the milestone in their 17th Test.Shah, who made his debut at the same venue in October 2014, bettered off-spinner Saeed Ajmal who held the Pakistani record of fastest to 100 Tests wickets in 19 matches.West Indies overnight batsmen Shane Dorwich (32) and Jason Holder (20) both fell to Shah while Bishoo (17) fell to Nawaz as West Indies failed to delay the inevitable.Nawaz finished with 2-30 on his debut and Riaz took 2-65.The remaining two Tests will be played in Abu Dhabi (October 21-25) and Sharjah (October 30-November 3).

Pink ball pioneers target competitive Test cricket

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DUBAI (AFP) - Top officials of the World Cricket Committee insisted on Sunday that innovations such as the pink ball day-night matches are aimed to make Test cricket competitive and fan-friendly.Mike Brearley, the former England captain and current chairman of the committee, and member John Stephenson were speaking in Dubai at the Test between Pakistan and the West Indies -- only the second ever day-night Test match.We started experimenting with the pink ball in 2008, brought the pink ball matches to Abu Dhabi and all the efforts were aimed at making the five-day Test more competitive and to attract more crowds, Brearley told reporters.Australia and New Zealand featured in the first ever day-night Test in Adelaide in November last year. It increased the crowds threefold over the three days of action as Australia won the match by three wickets. Stephenson, who played one Test for England in 1989, said that following experiments, the pink ball case was presented to the ICC meeting in 2011.We took the evidence (on the pink ball) to the ICC cricket committee in 2011 and it was in that meeting that the ICC allowed the member nations to get together and play a day-night Test if they want to, said Stephenson. It took some years to come to fruition in November 2015.The committee under the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), regarded as the custodians of the rules of cricket, works as a complementary body to the International Cricket Council (ICC) and its member nations. Australia will host two more day-night Tests -- against South Africa in November followed by one against Pakistan a month later.England have announced they will host a day-night Test in 2017 and play another in New Zealand a year later. India and Bangladesh have also shown interest in the idea.Stephenson said the Adelaide Test was a big success.The Adelaide Test was a different occasion, a social calendar thing as a huge party was going on. An Australia-New Zealand Test would usually attract 40,000 people in three days -- it attracted 123,000.Brearley said the sub-continent could be suitable for day-night Tests.I think the sub-continent is ideal for it but you have to pick the right venue where people can walk in, no dew and good lights. You have to tick a few boxes to make sure it works, said Brearley, who led England to 18 wins in 31 Tests as captain. The day-night Test give a chance to people to come after work and its a good spectacle and I am happy that people are trying it. I have seen how things changed in one-day, so its a new innovation.
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