Friday 14 April 2017

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Football: Di Maria sends PSG level with Monaco

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PARIS (AFP) - Angel Di Maria scored a brace to keep Paris Saint-Germain hot on Ligue 1 leaders Monacos heels with a 2-0 win at Angers on Friday.The Argentina international showed his class with one sublime and another clinical finish as PSG moved level on points at the top of the table.We are happy because it was a difficult match at Angers, said PSG coach Unai Emery.Were content with three points. We were well-prepared, concentrated and worked well.Monaco can reclaim their three-point advantage with victory at home to relegation threatened Dijon on Saturday but with one eye on next weeks Champions League quarter-final second leg against Borussia Dortmund, they could be vulnerable.Whats more, Monaco have had one less day to prepare for Saturdays game after their first leg in Germany, which the Principality outfit won 3-2, was postponed 24 hours after a triple bomb blast damaged the home sides team bus and left Spanish defender Marc Bartra with a broken wrist.How much that incident has affected Monacos already weary players remains to be seen while PSG -- knocked out of Europe themselves in dramatic circumstances in the previous round when Barcelona came back from a 4-0 first leg deficit to triumph 6-5 on aggregate -- have only domestic matters to concentrate on now.Di Marias first goal was a rare bright spark in an otherwise tight first half, but there was no doubting the quality of the Argentines placement as he bent a sumptuous free-kick from 25 yards over the defensive wall and beyond the despairing reach of Alexandre Letellier in the Angers goal on 28 minutes.The home side had the ball in the net on 39 minutes through captain Cheikh Ndoye but it was controversially disallowed for a foul by Famara Diedhiou on Serge Aurier when television replays proved inconclusive as to which of the two was the true offender as they wrestled in the area.Ndoye came close again 18 minutes from time when his powerful header appeared destined for the top corner until goalkeeper Kevin Trapp acrobatically tipped the ball over the bar.For a team in mid-table safety, Angers were played with real purpose but lacked the quality to break down a stubborn away defence.And six minutes form time, PSG struck with rapier speed and efficiency on the counter-attack mas Lucas Moura fed Di Maria to slot home his second at the near post, although Letelliers positioning was highly questionable.

Football: Brighton move closer to Premier League promotion

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LONDON (AFP) - Brighton moved a step closer to the Premier League as Anthony Knockaert fired the Championship leaders to a 2-0 win at Wolves on Friday.Chris Hughtons side are chasing a return to the top-flight for the first time since 1982-83 and Knockaerts double keeps them firmly on course for promotion.The former Leicester winger put Brighton ahead in first half stoppage-time with a low strike from the edge of the penalty area that eluded a weak attempted save from Wolves goalkeeper Andy Lonergan.Knockaert netted again in the 82nd minute with a clinical finish that took him to 15 goals this season and underlined why the Frenchman was voted the Championship Player of the Year earlier this month.Brighton have won six of their last seven matches and are now 12 points clear of third-placed Huddersfield as they try to make amends for last seasons painful play-off semi-final exit.They will be guaranteed a lucrative place among the English elite if they beat Wigan at home on Monday and Huddersfield lose or draw at Derby.That would cap an incredible revival for Brighton, who were penniless and homeless 20 years ago.The Seagulls only avoided relegation from the Football League on the last day of the 1996-97 season and were forced to play in Gillingham, 70 miles away from their home town, for the next two years after their old Goldstone Ground was sold to pay off debts.Huddersfield kept alive their slender chance of automatic promotion as Collin Quaner clinched a dramatic 3-2 victory over Preston.David Wagners side trailed to an Aiden McGeady strike before goals from Elias Kachunga and Jack Payne put them ahead at the John Smiths Stadium.Jordan Hugill headed Preston level with 11 minutes remaining before the striker conceded a stoppage-time penalty for an off-the-ball incident with Kachunga.Aaron Mooys spot-kick was saved by Chris Maxwell, but Quaner tucked away the rebound to move Huddersfield within seven points of second-placed Newcastle, who face Leeds later on Friday.Sheffield Wednesday strengthened their grip on the final play-off berth with a 1-0 victory over Cardiff.Wednesday substitute Fernando Forestieri struck in the 84th minute to keep his sixth-placed side two points ahead of Fulham.Fulham remain in contention for a top-six finish after beating Norwich 3-1 at Carrow Road despite playing the second half with 10 men.The Cottagers were leading 1-0 through Stefan Johansens early opener when striker Chris Martin was sent off for elbowing Mitchell Dijks just before the interval.Tom Cairneys penalty early in the second half increased Fulhams lead and, although Norwichs Cameron Jerome pulled one back, Floyd Ayites late goal sealed the points.Brentford effectively ended Derbys play-off hopes with a 4-0 victory at Griffin Park.Blackburn boosted their survival hopes with a vital 1-0 win at fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest.Birmingham drew 1-1 at relegated Rotherham, while Bristol City beat QPR 2-1.Aston Villa host play-off contenders Reading on Saturday.

Football: Bale, Ronaldo out of Gijon trip

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MADRID (AFP) - Gareth Bale will miss Real Madrids trip to Sporting Gijon on Saturday and faces a race against time to be fit for Reals Champions League quarter-final second leg against Bayern Munich on Tuesday.Bale had to be replaced for the final half hour of Madrids 2-1 win in Munich on Wednesday after aggravating an ankle injury that saw him miss nearly three months earlier this season.The Welshman is just one of seven first team regulars not included in Zinedine Zidanes squad with Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema also rested.He will not be with us tomorrow, that is clear, after that we will see, Zidane said on Friday.It is a muscular problem, it is where he had his operation.When he started to play again it has bothered him.It is true that I am concerned. I dont like to see my players injured and even more so in the final straight of the season.As in recent away games at Eibar and Leganes, Zidane is backing the strength in depth of his squad to get the job done with the second leg against Bayern in mind.Goalkeeper Keylor Navas is also rested, whilst Dani Carvajal is suspended and central defensive duo Pepe and Raphael Varane miss out due to injury.Real have made a positive start to a huge April with Barcelona also visiting the Santiago Bernabeu next weekend.Zidanes men have opened up a three-point lead over Barca at the top of the table and have a game still in hand.Meanwhile, they remain on course to become the first team to retain the Champions League in 27 years.I think it is the DNA of this club, the more difficult the matches, the more the players respond, added Zidane.We are all happy when the end of the season arrives with important matches.

Golf: DeLaet, Donald share US PGA Tour Heritage lead

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MIAMI (AFP) - Luke Donald, a four-time runner up in the US PGA Tours Heritage, pitched in for a birdie at 18 on Friday to seize a share of the halfway lead alongside Graham DeLaet.Englands Donald hit just 11 of 18 greens in regulation. But his five birdies included three in a row at the fourth, fifth and sixth.He followed his only bogey of the day at 11 with a birdie, and holed out at the last for a 67 and a 10-under par total of 132.Obviously wasnt a great second shot, bounded out to the right, he said of his approach at 18. But the grass is really nice so you can really get it to nip and just played it perfectly. It was a little bit of a struggle today, but my short game helped me out.Donald, a five-time winner on the US tour, has six top-three finishes at Harbour Town Golf Links, most recently claiming a share of second last year.Canadas DeLaet, seeking his first tour title in his seventh season, followed up his first-round 65 with a 67 that included an eagle at the par-four ninth.I holed a wedge, said DeLaet, who had 109 yards to the hole from the right fairway. It was a perfect shot, but theres obviously some luck involved in that.Despite a bogey at the third, DeLaet delivered a crisp performance, hitting 15 greens in regulation. He got going with a birdie at the eighth, and after his eagle had a birdie chance at 10 before picking up shots with birdies at 11 and 12.DeLaet and Donald were two strokes in front of Englands Ian Poulter and American Webb Simpson, who both shot 68.Poulter, playing on a major medical exemption, has this week and one more start to collect the prize money he needs to secure his playing status for the rest of the season.Since returning from a foot injury in October Poulter has made eight starts on the US tour, making five cuts.Overnight leader Bud Cauley carded a 72 that included a double-bogey seven at the 15th to fall into a group three shots off the lead on 135.He was joined by fellow Americans Pat Perez (67), Jason Dufner (67) and Sam Saunders (70) and Canadian Nick Taylor (66).

Formula One: Vettel survives Ferrari 'shut-down' in Bahrain

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MANAMA (AFP) - Sebastian Vettel survived a scare on Friday as he and Ferrari proved they are back as serious contenders for this years world championship by topping both opening practice sessions ahead of this weekends Bahrain Grand Prix.The four-time world champion was the quickest man of the day but admitted he had been lucky to recover from a technical problem in the evenings floodlit session when his Ferrari lost power and shut down.We had some sort of glitch, he said. All of a sudden everything went dark. It was a total shutdown.Thankfully, there was no lasting damage to the car and we can fix it.Nowadays, these cars are not just cars -- its all technology and software so it seems to me like something went wrong there.Vettel wound up narrowly ahead of Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes and third-placed Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull at the end of second practice, the trio separated by 0.06 seconds.I think Mercedes looked stronger earlier today, but we were lucky to recover after our issue so overall I think we did ok, he added. I think we can do better.Vettel shares the leadership of this years world championship with three-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes after two races. Both have 43 points after one win apiece.Hamilton was unable to clock a flying lap on his set of super-soft tyres in the second session, when he was baulked by Nico Hulkenberg of Renault, and he ended up fifth quickest behind Kimi Raikkonen in the second Ferrari.Both Hamilton and Hulkenberg were summoned to see the stewards after the session.These drivers are just so dangerous, man, said Hamilton on team radio when he took evasive action.Howver, the Renault driver escaped punishment.I just misjudged a bit how fast and how big the speed difference was and ended up in the wrong timing and the wrong spot. It just happens, what can I say? I cant disappear, and I wont, he explained.While Hamilton revealed his frustration, his new Mercedes team-mate Bottas was inadvertently involved in another incident when the t-wing on his Mercedes car detached and flew off.Max Verstappen in a Red Bull ran over the wing and suffered extensive damage to the floor of his car, which reduced his running to only 18 laps in the floodlit session.Red Bull team boss Christian Horner called for the wings, small items that are fitted behind the drivers cockpit on the engine cover, to be banned from the sport.It was the second time this season that a t-wing had fallen off Bottass car. It also happened in China last weekend.Ricciardo said he was pleased with his showing after a frustrating non-finish in his home Australian event and missing out on a podium in China where he was beaten to third by 19-year-old Verstappen.If that was qualifying, I would take that, said Ricciardo. It was pretty close to the best lap so it was a good day.Hamilton added that it was a pretty normal Friday, really.He added that it had been incredibly hot when the temperature touched 49 degrees Celsius, but the later cooler conditions in second practice had helped him understand his cars performance.It was very close today, with Ferrari fastest, he said. In race trim, they seem a couple of tenths quicker, so Im expecting a great battle tomorrow and again on Sunday.Mercedes technical director James Allison said the outcome of the race, and the weekends work, could be decided by a slight error.We can see that it is going to be another really tight weekend between ourselves and Ferrari, he said. A weekend where the smallest of mistakes could make the difference.

Large asteroid to hurtle past Earth on April 19

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PARIS (AFP) - An asteroid as big as the Rock of Gibraltar will streak past Earth on April 19 at a safe but uncomfortably close distance, according to astronomers.Although there is no possibility for the asteroid to collide with our planet, this will be a very close approach for an asteroid this size, NASA said in a statement.Dubbed 2014-JO25 and roughly 650 metres (2,000 feet) across, the asteroid will come within 1.8 million kilometres (1.1 million miles) of Earth, less than five times the distance to the Moon.It will pass closest to our planet after having looped around the Sun. 2014-J25s will then continue on past Jupiter before heading back toward the centre of our Solar System.Smaller asteroids whizz by Earth several times a week. But the last time one at least this size came as close was in 2004, when Toutatis -- five kilometres (3.1 miles) across -- passed within four lunar distances.The next close encounter with a big rock will not happen before 2027, when the 800-metre (half-mile) wide asteroid 199-AN10 will fly by at just one lunar distance, about 380,000 km (236,000 miles).The last time 2014-JO25 was in our immediate neighbourhood was 400 years ago, and its next brush with Earth wont happen until sometime after 2600.The April 19 flyby is an outstanding opportunity for astronomers and amateur stargazers, NASA said.Astronomers plan to observe it with telescopes around the world to learn as much about it as possible, the US space agency said.Besides its size and trajectory, scientists also know that its surface is twice as reflective as that of the Moon.It should be visible with a small optical telescope for one or two nights before moving out of range.2014-J25 was discovered in May 2014 by astronomers at the Catalina Sky Survey near Tucson, Arizona.Also on April 19, a comet known as PanSTARRS will make its closest approach to Earth at a very safe distance of 175 million km (109 million miles), according to NASA.The comet has brightened recently and should be visible in the dawn sky with binoculars or a small telescope.Asteroids are composed of rocky and metallic material, whereas comets -- generally smaller -- are more typically made of ice, dust and rocky stuff.Both were formed early in the history of the Solar System some 4.5 billion years ago.

Lahore: Terrorist killed in intelligence agencies, CTD operation

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – One terrorist was killed and three others, including a woman, were arrested after an exchange of fire with intelligence agencies and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in Factory Area of Lahore on early Saturday morning, Dunya News reported.According to details, intelligence agencies and CTD carried out an operation in Factory Area on intelligence reports during which terrorists present in a house opened fire on the law enforcement agencies. The law enforcers returned the fire as a result one terrorist was killed while three others, including a woman, were taken into custody.Four personnel of law enforcement agencies were also wounded in exchange of fire with terrorists.Sources said that the dead terrorist looked like an Uzbek national and was wearing ‘Shalwar and Qameez’. Explosive material, three suicide jackets and other arms were also recovered during the operation.

Sindh govt undecided about extension in Rangers powers

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KARACHI (Dunya News) - Rangers’ special powers in Sindh have expired on Friday but the provincial government, using delaying tactics, has not yet sent summary of extension in Rangers powers to the federation, Dunya News reported.According to sources, a summary seeking 90-day extension in Rangers’ special powers was forwarded to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on 5th April but he has not signed it yet.Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had extended Rangers’ special powers for 90 days in the province on January 15, 2017 which expired on Friday.Under the National Action Plan and the Anti-Terrorism Act, the federal cabinet had empowered the Rangers to lead a targeted operation with the support of police against criminals involved in targeted killings, kidnappings for ransom, extortion and terrorism in Karachi.The Rangers operation was launched in September 2013 in Karachi and situation in metropolis had improved significantly.

Fire gutted toys shop in Lahore

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – According to details, fire broke out at toys shop in Rang Mahal area of Lahore on Friday which quickly engulfed the entire shop.Fire brigade and Rescue teams reached the spot and brought the blaze under control. Toys worth millions of rupees were destroyed in the blaze at the shop.According to rescue sources, the fire at the shop erupted due to short-circuit.

Youth dies from Naeglaria in Karachi

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – The brain-eating amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, has claimed life of a youth in Karachi on Friday. Aslam, 23, died in a private hospital after suffering from Naeglaria. According to the provincial health department, this was the first death reported in the ongoing year because of the disease, reported Dunya News.Aslam was brought to the hospital a few days back but breathed his last on Friday after battling against the disease.According to the researchers, Naegleria has a fatality rate of more than 98 percent. It is transmitted when contaminated water enters the body through the nose and cannot be passed person-to-person.The amoeba travels from the nasal membranes to the brain. Symptoms are initially very mild, including a headache, stiff neck, fever and stomach pain. Death usually occurs five to seven days after infection.The disease first surfaced in Karachi, a city of 18 million people, in 2006.

Two PPP leaders wanted by NAB will reach Islamabad today

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Former federal minister and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Arbab Alamgir Khan and his wife Asma Arbab will reach Islamabad from Dubai today (Saturday). The couple is facing National Accountability Bureau (NAB) inquiry on the charges of possessing assets beyond known sources of income.The Islamabad High Court had granted protective bail to the ex-minister for communications Arbab Alamgir Khan and his wife Asma Arbab, who was an adviser to the prime minister on States and Frontier Regions (Safron) during the previous PPP government.The court directed them to appear before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) inquiry within 48 hours after returning to Pakistan, failing which they would be arrested.

Sharjeel, Khalid handed spot-fixing evidence

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LAHORE (AFP) - Pakistan cricket authorities on Friday handed spot-fixing evidence to opening batsmen Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif as a court rejected an appeal challenging the investigation.Khalid had challenged the ongoing spot-fixing inquiry in Lahore high court but had to appear before the anti-corruption unit of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).Khalid, 31, is one of five players charged with spot-fixing and other related offences during the Pakistan Super League held in February and March earlier this year.A three-member tribunal headed by a retired judge is investigating the issue.A Lahore high court official said Khalid was directed back to the tribunal.Khalid had challenged the authority of the anti-corruption unit but his request was rejected, said the official.The PCB said it has submitted evidence against the players to the tribunal.PCB submitted its opening brief to the tribunal which details its claims along with all the supporting evidence. This includes, amongst other material, witness statements, recorded interviews, match footage, and copies of certain WhatsApp voice messages, said a PCB release.A copy of the evidence was also presented to Sharjeel and Khalid.They were provisionally suspended on February 10 over charges of accepting offers of fixing.Mohammad Irfan became the first player to be punished in the case, banned for one year (including six months suspended) last month after the lanky fast bowler confessed to receiving offers of fixing that he did not report to the PCB.Two other players -- Shahzaib Hasan and Nasir Jamshed -- were also provisionally suspended.In England, Jamshed released a video message rejecting allegations against him.I have no link to whatever is said about me and I am not hiding from PCB. I am ready to co-operate with the PCB but after completing inquiry in Britain, Jamshed said in the video.Jamshed was arrested by the National Crime Agency in February in connection with the case but was bailed until the end of this month.The tribunal said the players have until May 5 to respond to charges, after which day-to-day proceedings will start from May 19.

Age no barrier as Chanderpaul rescues Lancashire

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LONDON (AFP) - West Indies great Shivnarine Chanderpaul showed that even closing in on his 43rd birthday his stubbornness at the crease remains as he stood firm for Lancashire in their county championship First Division match with Surrey on Friday.Chanderpaul, a mainstay of the West Indies batting for over two decades and who played the last of his 164 Tests in 2015, shared a superb unbeaten seventh wicket partnership with Jordan Clark of 172 to guide his county to 294-6 on the first day.Chanderpaul was dropped on 47 but went on to make 85 not out while Clarke was on a career best 108.Lancashire had at one point been in a perilous position of 67-5 but Chanderpaul put on 55 runs for the sixth wicket with Ryan McLaren before the latter fell lbw to veteran spinner Gareth Batty.Chanderpaul, who scored over 11,000 Test runs at an average of over 50, was content to play the secondary role allowing Clarke to flourish -- he beat the West Indian to 50 -- and resulting in the 26-year-olds maiden first class century.

Rouhani, hard line rival register for Iran elections

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TEHRAN (AFP) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and hardline challenger Ebrahim Raisi registered on Friday as candidates in next months election, setting up a bruising contest that could decide the future of the Islamic republic.Rouhani, a politically moderate cleric, has won praise since his landslide win in 2013 for taming inflation and reaching a groundbreaking nuclear deal with world powers that ended many sanctions.But disappointment over Irans continued economic stagnation is palpable on the streets, creating an opening for conservative opponents, with judicial cleric Raisi emerging as their frontrunner.Unemployment is stuck at 12 percent, the promised billions in foreign investment have not materialised, and Rouhani has failed to release political prisoners, including reformist leaders under house arrest for their part in 2009 protests.The aggressive stance of US President Donald Trump, who has slapped new sanctions on Iran and threatened to tear up the nuclear deal, has bolstered conservative claims that Rouhani was duped by the West.Rouhani, 68, hit back on Friday, saying: The preservation of the (nuclear deal) is one of the most important political and economic issues in the Iranian nation. The stepmothers who repeatedly tried to kill this baby cannot be good custodians for it.He said an unprecedented $20 billion worth of new projects would be announced next week, which would also see gas production at the South Pars field surpass that of Qatar -- which shares the field -- for the first time.That follows government plans, outlined this week, to triple or even quadruple cash hand-outs to the poor -- a move immediately criticised by opponents as a transparent attempt to buy votes.Raisis emergenceThe conservatives remain divided, but Raisi appears to have the most momentum.The 56-year-old judge, who currently runs the powerful charity-cum-business-empire Astan Qods Razavi, has emphasised his concern for the poor and is seen as a close ally of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.He sought to reach across political lines on Friday, saying: I will be the candidate for the whole of Iran. I dont limit myself to a certain group, party or faction.Despite all the efforts of previous governments, the situation of the country is such that people ask why is there so much unemployment? he said, adding that he would announce detailed economic plans at a later date.A potential spoiler appeared on Wednesday, when former hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made the shock move of registering for the election against Khameneis advice.A clearer picture will emerge next week when the conservative-controlled Guardian Council announces which of the near-1,000 registered candidates are allowed to run in the May 19 election.Ardavan Amir-Aslani, a French-Iranian lawyer who advises European companies setting up in Iran, said he would be surprised if Rouhani does not win re-election despite the economic malaise.He has at least stabilised the economy... and created a better business environment. But Rouhani has not been successful in opening up foreign investment, he told AFP.He inherited a bad situation, but he created so much expectation and nothing has changed for the guy on the street.Rouhani has also lost one of his main backers: heavyweight former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who passed away in January, played a key role in the surprising landslide victory in 2013.But, crucially, Rouhani retains the unified support of moderates and reformists, who still see him as the best hope for change within the strict parameters of Irans Islamic system.

US inflation, retail sales dip in March

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - US inflation dropped in March for the first time in more than a year on the back of falling auto and fuel prices, the Labor Department reported Friday.While the annual trend in the Consumer Price Index was still upward, the monthly decline could reinforce the US Federal Reserves plan to raise interest rates only gradually.Meanwhile, falling auto sales helped drive down retail spending for the second consecutive month, even while sales remain well above the level recorded a year ago, according to a separate report from the Commerce Department.Analysts had been expecting the CPI price measure in March to remain unchanged over the prior month, but instead it fell 0.3 percent, its first monthly decline since February 2016.The index was still up 2.4 percent over March of last year, but that was slower than the 2.7 percent rise in February which was a five-year high.The falling price of fuel was the largest contributor to the decrease last month, but even excluding the more volatile food and fuel categories, the so-called core CPI was still down 0.1 percent, the first monthly drop since January 2010.Core CPI was up two percent year-over-year, slowing from 2.2 percent in the prior month, and the second straight decline.Measures of inflation closely watched by US central bankers have been rising slowly since mid-2016 and the Fed has twice raised its benchmark interest rates since December to prevent inflation from getting too far beyond its two percent target.- One soft month -==================While central bankers have sometimes been divided on the amount of slack in labor markets and the near-term inflation risk, analysts agree the latest CPI data could support the views of those who favor a slow pace of increases in the benchmark lending rate as the economy continues to recover.With a soft March jobs report, weak inflation, and soft retail sales, we expect the Fed will be on hold until September, Jason Schenker of Prestige Economics said in an analysis.Ian Shepherdson of Pantheon Macroeconomics called the monthly CPI drop remarkable, attributing it to a coincidence of falling prices in numerous retail sectors, including wireless services, which dropped seven percent.However, One very soft month does not make a new trend, he wrote in a client note. So we will be looking for a clear rebound in April.On the outlook for the Feds next move, he said, Another month like March, though, and a June rate hike will become much less likely.March also saw another contraction in retail sales, which fell 0.2 percent in the month, as US consumers shelled out $470.8 billion, according to a seasonally adjusted estimate.The decline followed Februarys 0.3 percent drop and was a tenth of a point below an analyst forecast.Year-on-year, March retail sales were up 5.2 percent over the same month in 2016.Excluding the more volatile auto sector, which saw a 1.2 percent decline, retail sales in March were flat over February.Despite the consecutive monthly declines, the auto sector still shows signs of strength. Sales for motor vehicle and parts dealers in the first quarter of 2017 are 5.4 percent higher than the same period last year and up one percent over the prior quarter.Among the gainers, electronics and appliance stores had their best month in nearly two years, with sales volumes rising 2.6 percent. Clothing and accessory stores saw their fastest monthly increase since February 2016, up one percent.So-called nonstore retailers, such as internet businesses, continued to rise, adding 0.6 percent in sales for the month, which put them up 11.9 percent over March 2016.Jim OSullivan of High Frequency Economics said the details in March sales were more encouraging than the headline numbers.So-called control sales -- which feed directly into GDP calculations and exclude gas station sales, bars and restaurants and building materials -- actually rose a solid 0.5 percent, he noted.As a result, the real data are stronger than the nominal data, he wrote in a client note. We expect the pace to re-accelerate in Q2.
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