Wednesday 1 March 2017

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Officials: New Trump travel ban removes Iraq from list

Posted:

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump’s new immigration order will remove Iraq from the list of countries whose citizens face a temporary U.S. travel ban, American officials say, citing the latest draft in circulation. Trump is expected to sign the executive order in the coming days.Four officials told The Associated Press that the decision followed pressure from the Pentagon and State Department, which had urged the White House to reconsider Iraq’s inclusion on the list given its key role in fighting the Islamic State group.Citizens of six other predominantly Muslim countries — Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen — will remain on the travel ban list, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the order before it is signed. Those bans are effective for 90 days.The new order includes other changes as well. The officials said the 12-page document no longer singles out Syrian refugees for an indefinite ban and instead includes them as part of a general, 120-day suspension of new refugee admissions.The officials also said the order won’t include any explicit exemption for religious minorities in the countries targeted by the travel ban. Critics had accused the administration of adding such language to help Christians get into the United States while excluding Muslims.The White House did not respond to a request for comment.Trump signed his original executive order in late January. It sparked immediate confusion, panic and outrage as some travelers were detained in U.S. airports before being sent back overseas and others were barred from boarding flights at foreign airports.The federal government initially blocked U.S. green card holders before offering those legal residents special permission to come into the country. It finally decided the order didn’t apply to them.The State Department provisionally revoked roughly 60,000 valid visas in all, before a federal judge in Washington state blocked the government from carrying out the ban. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that decision.Under the revised order, officials said, all existing visas will be honored.The administration had been planning to roll out the new executive order Wednesday, only to delay it for unspecified reasons. It was unclear when the signing would happen.“When we have one, we’ll announce it,” White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Wednesday.The new ban was originally scheduled to be released last week. The delays contrast with the rushed nature of the original order’s implementation, which Trump had said was necessary because “bad guys” would otherwise rush into the country.In his first address to a joint session of Congress, Trump on Tuesday evening defended his effort.“We will shortly take new steps to keep our nation safe and to keep out those who would do us harm,” he said.After Trump signed the original order, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said he would consider reciprocal measures. Many Iraqi lawmakers urged the government to ban Americans from Iraq in response, despite the potential effects that might have on the anti-IS fight.Al-Abadi then met with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in Baghdad and Vice President Mike Pence in Munich earlier this month this month. Both discussions emphasized ways of strengthening cooperation.“They’ve invited us into their country to help them,” Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, said Wednesday. “They are protecting us here and we’re fighting this enemy that threatens all of our countries together. So I would prefer personally not to see anything that would reflect on that except that we have a very strong partnership.”Townsend said he didn’t have details on the travel ban, but noted that Iraqis “were relieved” when Trump’s original order was suspended. They’re now waiting to see how the situation plays out, he said.The Trump administration’s changes to the immigration order follow a report by intelligence analysts at the Homeland Security Department, which found insufficient evidence that citizens of the seven Muslim-majority countries posed a terror threat to the United States. A draft of the analysis was obtained last week by the AP.

Russian jets mistakenly bomb US-backed forces in Syria: US

Posted:

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Russian warplanes bombed US-backed fighters in several small villages in northern Syria after they mistakenly thought Islamic State group forces were in the area, a US general said Wednesday. Army Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend said Russian and Syrian regime aircraft attacked the villages to the south and east of Al-Bab in Aleppo province on Tuesday, resulting in an unspecified number of casualties.The Russians apparently had observed Islamic State fighters moving from the area and wrongly assumed that other forces remaining were jihadists.We had some Russian aircraft and regime aircraft bomb some villages that I believe they thought were held by ISIS, yet... actually on the ground were some of our Syrian Arab Coalition forces, Townsend told reporters in a video call from Baghdad, using another acronym for the jihadists.The SAC forms part of a broader alliance called the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) comprising Kurdish and other groups that the United States has been training and advising to lead the anti-IS fight.US troops operating less than five kilometers (three miles) from the villages observed the bombing and communicated the error, which was then passed to the Russians through a deconfliction hotline the two powers have established to avoid mishaps.It became apparent that the strikes were falling on some of the Syrian coalition positions, Townsend said. Some quick calls were made to our deconfliction channels and the Russians acknowledged and stopped bombing there.The Russian defense ministry denied conducting air strikes but confirmed communication through the hotline.During these talks, the US Air Force representative expressed concern that Syrian and Russian airplanes could inflict an unintentioned strike on US-controlled armed groups while carrying out combat missions against (IS) south of Manbij, the Russian ministry said in a statement. This information was taken into account by the Russian command. Not one strike was carried out by Syrian or Russian aviation on the districts pointed out by the American side. About 500 US troops are in Syria, almost all of them special operations commandos. Their role is currently limited to advising local forces and staying behind front lines.Hardly straightforward to begin with, the anti-IS fight in civil war-torn Syria is growing ever more complex.Russia is using air power to prop up the regime of President Bashar al-Assad but also sometimes strikes IS.Turkey has moved into northern Syria and is battling IS while also trying to keep US-backed Kurdish forces in check.And America is trying to support the Kurds while not alienating ally Turkey.Its a very complicated battlefield situation where essentially three armies and an enemy force have all converged within the same grid square, Townsend said.Everybody should keep their sights focused on ISIS... and not fighting deliberately or accidentally one another.Anti-IS operations in Syria will eventually center on Raqa, the supposed capital of the caliphate that IS declared in 2014.Given the political sensitivities, questions abound on the extent to which Kurdish forces would be involved in the offensive and whether they would enter the city. Townsend said he expects the Kurds to take part in the Raqa offensive in one form or fashion.The facts are there are Kurds from Raqa and larger Raqa district and province. So there are Kurds from there, local Kurds who will participate.Separately, Townsend said between 12,000 and 15,000 IS fighters remain in Iraq and Syria, an indication of a significant dwindling of the jihadists forces.The US military only provides periodic updates on estimates of IS fighters but in 2015 and 2016, the Pentagon put the number at between 20,000 and 30,000 in the two countries.Townsend said the remaining forces are split about equally between Syria and Iraq, and are still able to cross the border.

Syrian opposition refuses to discuss terrorism at UN talks

Posted:

GENEVA (AFP) - Syrias main opposition group said Wednesday that terrorism cannot be added to the agenda of sputtering UN-sponsored peace talks in Geneva, as sought by Damascus.The High Negotiating Committee (HNC) announced the refusal after an unprecedented meeting with a Russian minister, whose country is a key ally of President Bashar al-Assad.We will not deal with it, and if (UN mediator Staffan de Mistura) adds it in any time we will not deal with it or discuss it, HNC delegation chief Yehya Kodmani told reporters.The issue has overshadowed the Geneva talks, in particular after a suicide assault in Syrias third-largest city of Homs last weekend which killed dozens of people.On Tuesday Russia called for terrorism to be added to the agenda of the talks, which have until now focussed on three baskets, or areas for discussion: governance, constitution and elections.According to Syrias SANA news agency, citing sources close to the regime, UN envoy de Mistura has agreed that the talks broach four areas: the three previously agreed plus terrorism.The veteran UN mediator, arriving at the same Geneva hotel as Kodmani a short time later, declined to comment, saying he would speak at the end of the current round of talks.Russian deputy foreign minister Gennady Gatilov was cautious after Wednesdays meeting with the HNC delegation.This was a sound meeting, constructive discussion about the Syrian negotiation round. There is a common understanding that we must move toward political regulation of the Syrian crisis, he said, quoted by the RIA-Novosti news agency. What is new about these Geneva talks is that the sides agreed with the suggestion of de Mistura to discuss all issues in a parallel mode, so that there are several tracks.He added: Of course we would like to see direct talks between (the) Syrian government delegation and a united opposition delegation, but we must admit that this is not attainable right now. The Syrian regimes chief negotiator Bashar al-Jaafari demanded at the weekend that all factions at the Geneva talks condemn the Homs attack or be deemed accomplices of terrorism.UN Syria envoy de Mistura launched the latest round of talks last Thursday, but as in previous sessions there appears little prospect of the two sides meeting face-to-face.The opposition says political transition -- specifically the fate of President Assad -- should be added to the discussions.The Geneva talks, the fourth round of UN-sponsored talks in the six-year conflict which has killed over 310,000 people, are expected to end before or during the coming weekend, though no formal time frame has been set.

Brexit bill delayed as Lords back EU nationals' rights

Posted:

LONDON (AFP) - The House of Lords voted Wednesday to amend and thereby delay a bill empowering Prime Minister Theresa May to begin Brexit negotiations, demanding guarantees for EU nationals living in Britain.In a major defeat for the government, peers voted by 358 to 256 for an amendment requiring ministers to protect the rights of more than three million European citizens after Britain leaves the bloc.The change means the bill must return to the lower House of Commons for deliberation, delaying final approval just weeks ahead of Mays deadline for starting Brexit negotiations by the end of this month.Before the vote, May said her timetable for triggering Article 50 of the European Unions Lisbon treaty, which starts a two-year negotiating period, would not change.It is, indeed, my plan to trigger by the end of March, she told MPs.A Brexit ministry spokesman said it was disappointed at the Lords vote, which comes after MPs overwhelmingly approved the bill last month. Lawmakers in the lower house defeated all amendments to the bill, including one on the rights of EU nationals.Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn welcomed Wednesdays vote as great news on Twitter, suggesting he may support the amendment when it returns to the lower house.A spokeswoman for Mays office told AFP the government would seek to reverse the change when it moves back to the Commons, where Mays Conservatives have a majority.If they succeed, the original bill would go back to the Lords in what is known as parliamentary ping-pong.The delay may only end up being a few days, but the defeat signals the domestic opposition that May could face during the next two years of complex EU negotiations.The June referendum vote was fuelled by concerns about mass EU migration into Britain, and immigration promises to be a critical issue once negotiations begin.May has said she will prioritise ending free movement of workers from the other 27 EU countries, even at the cost of trade ties with the bloc.But the fate of those who are already in Britain remains uncertain, causing intense worry for people affected.The prime minister has repeatedly said she wants them to stay, but says she must also secure the rights of 1.2 million British citizens living elsewhere in the EU.Labour party peer Baroness Dianne Hayter said the amendment was tabled on behalf of three million people who quite literally feel they are being used as mere bargaining chips.She rejected Mays argument that she must wait for a reciprocal deal, saying: These two groups of people should not be traded against each other.She added: These people need to know now, not in two years time or even 12 months time. They simply cant put their lives on hold.May was forced to introduce the Brexit bill after the Supreme Court ruled she could not trigger Article 50 without parliaments approval, sparking fears that pro-European lawmakers would use the opportunity to block Brexit.Unlike in the Commons, Mays Conservative party is in the minority in the 800-seat House of Lords, and Labours amendment had cross-party support.Former Conservative minister Quintin Hogg had backed it, urging peers to take the moral high ground.Another former Tory minister, Lord Norman Tebbit, was jeered when he said the debate seemed to focus on nothing but the rights of foreigners.May had hoped to agree a deal on EU nationals late last year, but European leaders insisted there could be no talks on any subject before the government triggers Article 50.The hold-up is less an issue of principle than one of timing, Home Secretary Amber Rudd wrote to peers on the eve of the vote in a bid to fend off the defeat.However, I believe the UK and the EU have a common goal to provide this assurance as quickly as possible.The government risks defeat on another amendment due for consideration in the Lords next week, on giving parliament a vote on the final withdrawal deal.May has given verbal assurances that such a vote will take place, but her opponents want this enshrined in law.

Canada university evacuated over anti-Muslim bomb threat

Posted:

MONTREAL (AFP) - A bomb threat targeting Muslim students forced an evacuation Wednesday of nearly 4,000 students from the downtown campus of Concordia University in Montreal.In an email to school administrators and local media, a group identifying itself as the underground chapter of C4, or the Council of Conservative Citizens of Canada, at the university directly warned Muslim students there it would detonate one homemade explosive a day through Friday to protest their activities.Now that President (Donald) Trump is in office south of the border, things have changed. We will not tolerate your behavior anymore, the group said in its emailed letter, referring to the US president.Until Concordia University stops religious activities of all kinds on campus, we decide the following action to show how far we are ready to go to fight Muslims, the group vowed.Montreal police said they were investigating the threatening email. They swept the campus for explosives but found none.A similar threatening letter was also sent to nearby McGill University, which was put on heightened alert, but it did not specify a time or place of a possible attack.Three Concordia University buildings were evacuated just before midday, and would remain closed until around 6:00 pm (2300 GMT), Concordia spokeswoman Christine Mota said.One of the sites was hosting an Islam awareness week.Quebec Universities Minister Helene David, speaking to reporters at the scene, called the threat against Muslim students deplorable.We strongly denounce these attacks against a university which is a model of living together, she said.Quebec is an inclusive place, the minister added. We want to live together. We will not tolerate this kind of situation.There has been an escalation of hate crimes in the country in recent months.In January, a white supremacist student shot dead six worshippers at a mosque in Quebec City.

Sarfraz Ahmed reaches Karachi with 5 players of Quetta Gladiators

Posted:

KARACHI (Dunya News) - The skipper of Quetta Gladiators, Sarfraz Ahmed reached Karachi airport on Thursday with five other players and coach Moin Khan, reported Dunya News.Five others players who reached Karachi with Sarfraz were Asad Shafiq, Anwar Ali, Noor Wali, Mir Hamza and Ahsan Ali. Earlier, five Quetta players had reached Lahore airport as they would be playing final in Lahore on 5 March.Sarfraz looked optimistic for the win, even though all of their foreigner players backed out and would not play the final. He said that they would be looking for the perfect replacements.He also said that the main reason behind their victories is the unity between the team and the hard work by team management. Quetta will face the winner of Peshawar Zalmi and Karachi Kings in the final.

Snap: messages vanish, young billionaires appear

Posted:

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - The mobile application Snapchat became a social media star with messages that vanish after viewing, making co-founders Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy among the youngest billionaires on the planet.The history of the company, recently re-branded just Snap in an effort to be seen as being about more than one hit smartphone application, fits into Silicon Valley lore with wealth for its creators as well as controversy regarding who gets credit for its genesis.The startup about to debut as a public company, however, is based hundreds of miles from Silicon Valley in the Los Angeles beach town of Venice, known for surfers, body builders, bathing-suit clad roller skaters, and sun-seeking tourists.The image of Snaps 26-year-old co-founder and chief Evan Spiegel is far from that of a geek.Media dives into Spiegels life paint a picture of a privileged childhood in the posh Pacific Palisades community of Southern California, a penchant for parties, and a celebrity fiancee, model Miranda Kerr.Details from divorce documents filed by his parents, lawyers educated at prestigious US universities, included a then 17-year-old Spiegel arguing a need for an allowance of about $2,000 monthly to support his accustomed lifestyle.He played his parents against one another to get a new BMW car, according to court paperwork.At a conference at Stanford University in 2013, Spiegel acknowledge growing up with advantages.I am a young, white, educated male, Spiegel said.Life isnt fair.. Its not about working hard. Its about working the system.He told of family connections making it possible for him to attend Stanford classes with Silicon Valley stars, and to get a job at software company Intuit.His eclectic array of professional experiences includes an internship at energy drink company Red Bull; lab work in biomedical computing, and teaching in South Africa.He wound up majoring in product design, but dropped out shortly before graduation time to devote himself to a nascent Snapchat startup.If Spiegel is the public face of Snap, Robert Bobby Murphy may well be considered its brain.Snaps technical director is 28 years old, and he is credited for the software that made Snapchat a hit.Few details have surfaced about Murphy. According to a Forbes story, his parents were local government workers in the city of Berkeley across the bay from San Francisco.Murphys mother was said to be originally from the Philippines.The official version of Snaps genesis is that Spiegel and Murphy were Stanford students who became friends in a fraternity and then invented Snapchat.We just thought it might be cool to make photos disappear, Spiegel said at the Stanford conference in 2013.However, a third fraternity brother, Reggie Brown, filed a lawsuit claiming that he was ousted from the startup after coming up with the idea -- the ghost-shaped logo and the original Picaboo name for the application.Resolution of that case was not made public, but an apparent reference was noted in regulatory filings for Snaps initial public offering of shares.Snap paid $157.4 million in 2014 to an unidentified individual to settle a legal dispute over intellectual property issues, the filing said.That payout came the year after Spiegel and Murphy rejected a $3 billion offer from leading social network Facebook to buy Snapchat.Forbes now estimates Spiegel and Murphy to be work about $4 billion each.Following a Silicon Valley trend, going public will not reduce the two co-founders control over the company. Shares being sold to investors give ownership stakes but no voting rights.Picaboo messaging application launched in 2011, was quickly renamed Snapchat and caught fire with teens who could embrace spontaneity without worrying images or messages would linger to haunt them.A side effect was that it became seen as a sexting app.By the end of last year, Snap boasted some 161 million people were using it daily.In what could well be a first for an IPO regulatory filing, Snap refers to sexting, but only to stress that its smartphone application is for much more than sending risque pictures that vanish after being viewed.Snap has announced its intends to reinvent the camera, and has been expanding availability of its second product -- Spectacles sunglasses with built in cameras that synch to the smartphone application.The company contends it can generate healthy and sustainable revenue with advertising aimed at its users, the bulk of whom are in a coveted demographic of people 18 to 34 years old.Snap conceded in IPO paperwork that there is no guarantee it will attract older audiences.Underscoring that point, in a way, was that the Snap road-show pitching the company to prospective investors included a video explaining how to use the application.

Guptill heroics won't earn Test recall: NZ coach

Posted:

WELLINGTON (AFP) - New Zealand batsman Martin Guptills record-breaking performance in a one-day international against South Africa is not enough to secure him a Test recall, Black Caps coach Mike Hesson said Thursday.Guptill smashed an unbeaten 180 off 138 balls as the Black Caps beat South Africa by seven wickets in Hamilton on Wednesday, the highest-ever score by a New Zealander against the Proteas.It was also New Zealands third-highest ODI score overall, bettered only by Guptills own 189 against England in 2013 and his 237 against the West Indies in 2015.Hesson acknowledged Guptills knock was exceptional but said the 30-year-old had already been tried at Test level and found wanting.He said Guptill would not feature in New Zealands squad for the three-Test squad against South Africa beginning in Dunedin next Wednesday.Hes not in the Test side, I think youve probably got to look at Martins record at the moment and make that decision, Hesson told Radio New Zealand.Theres plenty of examples around the world of players who have been extremely good at one format and not the other, hence theres three different formats.Guptill averages 43.98 in one-dayers but only 29.38 in Tests.The discrepancy has become even more stark recently, with the batsman averaging almost 60 in one-dayers over the past two years while his Test returns were stuck on 28.93.He was dropped from the Test squad after last years tour of India, where he managed only one half-century in six innings.Hesson said Guptill may have a chance to revive his Test career as a middle-order batsman, rather than an opener, but he would have to prove himself in domestic cricket first.Weve decided the middle orders the place for him to push his case, he said.Guptill said he would do whatever was needed to play red-ball cricket again.Ill bat wherever, it doesnt matter if its at 11, he told Radio Sport.Guptills 180 helped New Zealand level the ODI series at 2-2, setting up a winner-takes-all clash in the fifth and final match at Aucklands Eden Park on Saturday.

Karachi: Three dacoits apprehended in police raid

Posted:

KARACHI (Dunya News) – Crackdown against criminal elements continues in Karachi as three dacoits were taken into custody by police during a raid in Malir area of the city on Tuesday, Dunya News reported.According to details, police conducted a raid in Alfalah area of Malir in Karachi and apprehended three dacoits. Police sources said that the arrested dacoits, Imran Tarzan, Adnan and Qurban, were involved in several robbery cases.Police sources further said that arms were also recovered from their possession. Further investigation is going on.

Pindigheb: Four suspects arrested in combing operation

Posted:

PINDIGHEB (Dunya News) - Rangers and law enforcement agencies conducted a combing operation in Dhok Pahar area in Pindigheb near Attock on Tuesday and apprehended four suspects, Dunya News reported.The law enforcement agencies have also recovered two 12-bore rifles, one SMG rifle, three pistols and dozens of bullets from the arrested suspects.Sources said that the arrested persons were shifted to Pindigheb Police Station for further investigation.

FATA reforms: PM to chair cabinet meeting today

Posted:

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will preside over the federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad today (Wednesday), Dunya News reported. The meeting was summoned by the Prime Minister to review the FATA reforms.Sources said that the report on FATA reforms, that has been drafted by Sartaj Aziz, would also been presented during the meeting. Moreover, the meeting will also discuss the merger of FATA into Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.It is pertinent to mention here that the elected representatives from FATA are demanding that the government should finalize the merger of FATA into Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Bail before arrest application of Asfandyar Kakar rejected

Posted:

QUETTA (Dunya News) – The Balochistan High Court (BHC) rejected the bail before arrest application of former Balochistan food minister Asfandyar Kakar on Tuesday, Dunya News reported.Asfandyar Kakar was taken into custody by police from the premises of BHC after rejection of his bail before arrest application.National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed two references of embezzlement against Asfandyar Kakar and he approached BHC to seek bail.

Golf: Radical plans to speed up and simplify golf

Posted:

LONDON (AFP) - Golfs rule-makers unveiled on Wednesday a radical set of proposals they hope will simplify and speed up the game, with Tiger Woods quick to give his high-profile backing.The R&A and United States Golf Association (USGA) want to eliminate many penalties, including for accidentally moving your ball marker on the green, and reduce the total number of rules from 34 to 24.The R&A is seeking feedback on the plans until the end of August, with any amendments to be made before the new rules come into effect from January 1, 2019.We are really about modernising the rules of golf and, in very simple terms, trying to make them easier to understand and apply, said David Rickman, the R&As executive director of governance.The concern was that, over time and despite our best efforts, the rules have grown in length and complexity and therefore have become confusing and intimidating.The proposals include cutting the search time for lost balls from five minutes to three and allowing players to drop a ball from any height when taking relief, rather than shoulder-height as is the case now.Former world number one Woods praised the move, tweeting: Lots of thought and hard work by USGA and RandA to modernise our rules. Great work to benefit the game.Britains Ian Poulter also backed the plans, but called on the games governing bodies to also ban detailed maps of greens that players are allowed to consult prior to putting.The tour greens books should be banned, Poulter said on Twitter. The art of putting has been lost. If you cant read a green thats your fault.One idea that may provoke heated debate -- especially on the LPGA Tour, where it is most prevalent -- is forbidding caddies to help players line up putts.Even though it may be unpopular in some parts of the game, a reinforcement of player skill and judgment was important, Rickman told Britains Press Association.Other measures include no longer obliging professionals to repair spike marks made by their shoes and scrapping the rule that penalises players who are struck by their own ball.The end of the shoulder-height ball drop would mean no repeat of the scene at last years US PGA Championship when Jordan Spieth endured a 10-minute delay.That took longer because of the intricacy involved and the ability for players to be more precise means this can be sped up, Rickman added.The dropping process can be quite lengthy. You can have a very small dropping area and every time you miss it, that drop doesnt count and you need to re-drop if it rolls to any of nine specific places.Video reviews will still be used to determine if rules have been breached, but not to second-guess players who need to estimate where a ball may have entered or last crossed a hazard.We expect players to use all reasonable judgment and in those circumstances, if that proves to be wrong, as long as they acted reasonably we would not be seeking to punish based on later evidence, Rickman said.

Barca on top despite Ronaldo's two quick goals

Posted:

MADRID (AFP) - Barcelona moved top of La Liga on the night Luis Enrique confirmed he will not continue as coach next season as Gareth Bale was sent-off in Real Madrids thrilling 3-3 draw at home to Las Palmas.Enrique announced his decision to step down after Barcas 6-1 rout of Sporting Gijon earlier on Wednesday which leaves Barcelona a point clear at the top, but having played a game more.Bales first ever red card in a Madrid shirt look set to cost the European champions dear as Las Palmas led the 10 men 3-1 with just three minutes remaining.However, Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice in an incredible finale to salvage a point.Madrids slip up, though, means a third title in as many seasons for Enrique is back in Barcelonas hands with the two sides still to meet in April.I will not be the coach of Barcelona next season, Enrique said, citing the need for a break from the pressures at the Camp Nou as the reason for his decision.It is a difficult, measured and well thought out decision and I think I have to be loyal to what I think.After Barca had swept aside Sporting with all of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar on the scoresheet, Madrid also looked in for an easy night at the Bernabeu when Isco slotted home the opener after just eight minutes.However, Real were in front for just two minutes before Tana spun Sergio Ramos on the edge of the box before firing high past Keylor Navas.The game turned just three minutes into the second-half when Bale uncharacteristically lost his temper after a late challenge from Jonathan Viera.The Welshman pushed Viera to the ground and was punished with a straight red card.Things got much worse for the hosts in the next 10 minutes as, firstly, Viera converted from the penalty spot after a clear handball by Ramos inside the area.And then a huge mistake from Navas allowed Kevin-Prince Boateng to knock the ball past the Costa Rican as he flew from his goal before rolling the ball into an empty net.However, despite their numerical disadvantage, Madrid laid seige to the Las Palmas goal and were rewarded in the final minutes.Ronaldo fired a penalty into the top corner after Dani Castellano was penalised for handball.And the World Player of the Year then bulleted home a header from a corner a minute from time to salvage a point.Barca enjoyed a far more comfortable night against a Sporting side still mired in the relegation zone.Messi netted his 36th goal in as many games this season in unusual fashion on his 500th start for the club as he looped a header over Sporting keeper Ivan Cuellar after Javier Mascheranos long ball caught the Sporting defence napping after just nine minutes.Barca doubled their advantage two minutes later as Suarez was played in by a wonderful through ball by Neymar and Juan Rodriguezs mishit turned the Uruguayans effort from a narrow angle into his own net.The visitors were handed a brief lifeline when Carlos Castro tapped into an empty net after Sergio Alvarezs initial effort came back off the post.However, there was no time for any Barca doubts to seep in as a poor defensive header from Jean-Sylvain Babin fell kindly for Suarez to file into the top corner on the volley.Paco Alcacer was given a rare chance for the second half as he replaced Suarez and took just four minutes to make it 4-1 when he slotted home from Messis pass.Messi also hit the bar from a trademark free-kick before the five-time World Player of the Year was rested for the final half hour as he was replaced by Andre Gomes.Neymar took advantage of the Argentines absence to take over free-kick duty and he produced a stunning strike of his own into the top corner for his first La Liga goal at the Camp Nou this season.Ivan Rakitic completed the scoring when he lashed into the roof of the net three minutes from time.

Football: Sublime Lewandowski fires Bayern into cup semis

Posted:

BERLIN (AFP) - Robert Lewandowski took his season tally to 30 goals to inspire Bayern Munichs 3-0 win over ten-man Schalke in the German Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday.Having hit a hat-trick in last weekends 8-0 mauling of Hamburg at home, Lewandowskis rich form continued at the Allianz Arena as he was involved in all three Bayern goals, scoring twice.He is the Bundesligas joint top-scorer with 19 goals, alongside Borussia Dortmunds Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, having also scored six times in the Champions League and five in the cup.We managed to do everything we want to in the first-half and attacked well, said man-of-the-match Lewandowski.Schalke couldnt do much about it. We know one goal isnt enough in the cup, which is why we wanted more.The Poland hot-shot gave holders Bayern the lead with just three minutes gone by deftly chipping Franck Riberys pass over Schalke goalkeeper Ralf Faehrmann.He the turned provider by supplying the cross for attacking midfielder Thiago Alcantara to head home on 16 minutes.Lewandowski then drilled Riberys pass into the Schalke net on 29 minutes for a seventh goal in his last four games.Schalke defended well in the second half, but it was a miserable return to Munich for defender Holger Badstuber, on loan in Gelsenkirchen from Bayern until June.The Germany centre-back was sent off late on for a second booking when he fouled Javi Martinez after pulling Arjen Robbens shirt moments before.Schalke shot-stopper Faehrmann said Bayerns early goals were like a punch in the face for the Royal Blues.The first-half was nothing for us, he fumed. We didnt put in the challenges and were behind in all areas.That is simply the class from Bayern that you cant allow any mistakes.The win keeps Bayern on course for the treble of Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup this season and was their third-straight dominant display in Munich.Their Champions League Round of 16, first-leg 5-1 hammering of Arsenal, who they face away in Tuesdays return, was followed by the goal-bonanza against Hamburg.Earlier, Borussia Moechengladbach booked their semi-final berth with a 2-1 win at Hamburg thanks to penalties by captain Lars Stindl and Brazilian striker Raffael.Both Borussia Dortmund and third-division giant-killers Sportfreunde Lotte will go into the pot for the semi-finals after their clash on Tuesday was postponed by a heavy snowfall.The referee deemed the playing surface in Lotte unsafe and the replay will take place on March 14.The German Football Association (DFB) have reportedly advised Lotte to find an alternative ground given the poor condition of the pitch at their 10,000-capacity stadium.Eintracht Frankfurt also reached the last four thanks to their 1-0 win at home to Arminia Bielefeld.Midfielder Danny Blum scored Frankfurts first-half winner.However, the night belonged to ex-captain Marco Russ, who came off the bench in added time to make his first appearance since battling cancer last year.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)