| Monsoon rains to continue in Punjab, KP, Kashmir Posted: ISLAMABAD (APP) - Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) Saturday forecast rain with thundershower for isolated places of Islamabad, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Kashmir during the next 24 hours. Heavy falls are also expected at few places of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Kashmir during the period. According to the synoptic situation, well marked seasonal low was lying over north Balochistan and adjoining areas.Monsoon currents are reaching into upper and eastern parts of the country. A western disturbance is also affecting upper parts of the country and expected to persist during next 24 hours.The maximum temperatures recorded during the last 24 hours were Islamabad 35 C, Lahore 38 C, Karachi 36 C, Quetta 38 C, Peshawar 32 C, Skardu 26 C, Murree 23 C, Muzzafarabad 36 C, Gilgit 32 C, Faisalabad 39 C, Multan 40 C, Hyderabad 38C.The rainfall recorded during the last 24 hours Rawalpindi 68 mm, Saidusharif 55, Mallamjabba 38, Murree 34, Kakul 29, Islamabad 27, Balakot 23, Kalam 12, Zhob 11, Lahore and Dir 10, Drosh and Kotli 07, Garridupatta 06, Lower Dir 05, Mirkhani, Barkhan and Muzaffarabad 03 and Rawalakot 02mm.  |
| Kerry extends Mideast peace mission Posted: JERUSALEM (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry went into overtime Saturday in his bid to revive long dormant Middle East peace talks as he met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a third straight day.Kerry was shuttling back and forth between Jerusalem and Amman, where he saw Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, as US officials insisted on a virtual blackout of negotiation details as they hoped to reach a deal.Working hard, Kerry told a reporter who asked if he was making progress as he and Abbas began their second round of talks in as many days. Kerry later flew back to see Netanyahu after the end of the Jewish sabbath.For their latest meeting, Netanyahu was accompanied by officials including Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, Israel's designated negotiator to talks with the Palestinians, while Kerry brought aides who specialise in technical details.In a potential sign of headway, Kerry cancelled a dinner he had scheduled for Saturday night in Abu Dhabi, part of his separate tour in the past week through Gulf Arab states to coordinate support for rebels in Syria's civil war.State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said Kerry would still head to a meeting of Asian ministers in Brunei starting on Monday but called off the Abu Dhabi stop because his meetings on the peace process remain ongoing.Kerry is up against a tight schedule to leave Sunday in time for the Brunei meetings and US officials said he hoped to speak one more time with Abbas, who has returned to Ramallah in the West Bank, after the dinner with Netanyahu.Kerry is willing to put in the legwork necessary to move this process forward in a meaningful way, a US official said on condition of anonymity.Kerry was expected to hold a news conference before leaving the Middle East.Israeli public radio, quoting diplomatic sources, spoke of the possibility of a four-way meeting in Amman in the coming week, although Netanyahu himself appeared to dismiss the report during a brief photo opportunity with Kerry.Even before the latest dinner, Kerry had spent seven hours sounding out the Israeli premier and four-and-a-half hours talking to Abbas. His immediate goal is a resumption of direct negotiations on the long-running conflict.The Israelis and Palestinians have not formally met for peace talks since September 2010 and even then the negotiations broke down quickly, with Abbas saying Israel was not serious about a discussion on the future.The Palestinian side wants Israel to freeze construction of Jewish settlements on occupied land and to promise any negotiations will be based on the principle of Israel withdrawing from land seized in the 1967 Six-Day War.Netanyahu has rejected such pre-conditions but insists he remains ready to talk.One idea floated is for Israel to agree not to announce new settlement construction but to make the commitment informally -- reducing the risk of revolt in Netanyahu's largely right-wing governing coalition.Economy Minister Naftali Bennett, who heads the far-right Jewish Home party, recently described the Palestinian issue as shrapnel in the buttocks -- a problem Israel simply had to keep suffering through -- but threatened to quit if the government agreed to a Palestinian state.Abbas, whose rule is effectively confined to the West Bank, also faces Palestinian divisions.Ismail Haniya, the Gaza-based prime minister of the rival Hamas movement, warned Abbas on Friday not to fall into the trap of negotiations.But Kerry heard encouraging words from Israeli President Shimon Peres over a two-hour Friday night dinner following the meeting with Netanyahu.Peres now holds a largely ceremonial role but was identified with the peace process while prime minister.The nearly 90-year-old Peres, welcoming Kerry at his official residence full of memorabilia from the decades-old peace process, acknowledged that it is difficult, there are many problems in moving forward.But as far as I'm concerned I can see how (among) people, there is a clear majority for the peace process, a two-state solution, and a great expectation that you will do it and that you can do it, Peres told him.  |
| Thousands in Istanbul protest demonstrator's death Posted: ISTANBUL (AP) - Thousands of protesters returned to Istanbul's Taksim Square on Saturday, demanding justice for a demonstrator slain by police fire during demonstrations that have swept Turkey this month. Police later forced the protesters out of the square, pushing them back using their shields.In the capital, Ankara, police fired tear gas and pressurized water to break up a similar protest by a group of about 200 people, the Dogan news agency reported.Turkey has been hit by a wave of protests this month that were ignited by a brutal police crackdown on a peaceful environmental sit-in at a park near Taksim. The demonstrations soon turned into a wide outpouring of discontent with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government. Four people three demonstrators and one police officer have been killed and thousands injured.The demonstrations have largely subsided in recent days, but thousands converged back on the square on Saturday, angry over a court decision this week that released a police officer from custody pending his trial for the killing of a protester in Ankara.The protesters also denounced the killing of a Kurdish demonstrator by paramilitary police in a mainly Kurdish town on Friday.Police allowed protesters to chant slogans for some two hours before issuing a warning for them to disperse. They then moved in, pushing the crowd away from the square. They arrested several people in the process, including some foreign nationals, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.Earlier Saturday, hundreds in southeast Turkey attended the funeral of the Kurdish youth, who was shot while protesting the construction of a military post. Eight other people were injured in the same protest when security forces fired on them in the mainly Kurdish town of Lice.The government said it had launched an investigation into the incident, which came as autonomy-seeking Kurdish rebels are withdrawing from Turkey as part of peace talks with the Turkish government.A rebel commander last week criticized Turkish government efforts to build new military posts amid the peace efforts.  |
| Syrian troops launch wide offensive on Homs Posted: BEIRUT (AP) - Government troops launched a series of attacks in central Syria Saturday, striking with artillery, tanks and warplanes in a drive to capture rebel-held neighborhoods in the country's third largest city of Homs, with activists said.The army of President Bashar Assad has been on the offensive in Homs province in recent weeks, reclaiming some of the territory it has lost to the rebels since Syria's crisis began 27 months ago.The military, building on its capture of the strategic town of Qusair between the Lebanese border and Homs at the beginning of this month, has overrun a number of nearby villages. It also has hammered the center of the city, a rebel stronghold since the uprising against Assad began in March 2011.Homs, a city of about 1 million, has shown great sympathy for the opposition since the early days of the uprising. A month after it started, protesters carried mattresses, food and water to the main Clock Square, hoping to emulate Cairo's Tahrir Square, the epicenter of Egypt's revolt that overthrew Hosni Mubarak.Security forces quickly raided the encampment, shooting at protesters and chasing them through the streets. The onslaught only boosted the intensity of the protests, fueling a revolt that has posed the most serious challenge to date to the Assad family dynasty that has ruled Syria since 1970.Homs is the capital of Syria's largest province, which carries the same name and stretches from the Lebanese border to the frontier with Jordan and Iraq.Activists in the city said all cellular lines were cut early Saturday before warplanes pounded rebel-held areas. The air raids were followed by intense shelling with artillery, mortars and tanks, before troops tried to advance.Several activists in the city said the regime began bringing in reinforcements since last week, apparently in preparation for the attack.Two activists said about 400 shells struck rebel-held areas such as Qusour, Jouret el-Shayah, Old Homs and Khaldiyeh.This is the worst campaign against the city since the revolution began, said an activist in the rebel-held old quarter of the city via Skype. They are using all types of weapons, said the man on condition of anonymity for fear of government reprisals.The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said air strikes hit two districts in the center of the city. It said the army also fired mortar shells into the neighborhoods.An activist from the neighborhood of Khaldiyeh said tanks were also involved in the bombardment, and that the military was trying to push into the area from all sides.Shelling has been continuous since 10 a.m. in that area and in nearby Old Homs, activist Tariq Bardakhan told The Associated Press via Skype.Today is one of the most violent days that Homs has witnessed since the beginning of the revolution, he said.In an activists' video of the bombardment, several large explosions can be heard as plumes of grey smoke rise from buildings in a densely built-up area of the city.The narrator of the video says: These are heavy explosions that hit Homs, God is great. Another shell lands and smoke can be seen rising from behind a mosque. Two minarets are seen in the distance and the narrator says they belong to the historic Khalid Ibn al-Walid mosque in Khaldiyeh.The video was posted on the Internet on Saturday and appears consistent with AP's reporting from the area.The Observatory confirmed clashes around the mosque, and said that part of the building, which dates back to the 13th century and has been damaged in previous fighting, was engulfed in flames. It added that troops tried to storm the mosque with no success.The Observatory said both sides have sustained casualties, but did not have numbers.Syrian state TV said the army has had great success in the battle for Homs after killing many terrorists in the Khaldiyeh district.Syrian state media refers to rebels fighting to oust Assad from power as terrorists and say they are mercenaries of the West and their Gulf Arab allies who are conspiring against Damascus.  |
| Djokovic, Serena move into Wimbledon last-16 Posted: LONDON (AFP) - Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams cruised effortlessly into the Wimbledon fourth round Saturday as the first week's shockwaves left just eight of the top 20 seeds still standing.World number one Djokovic, the 2011 champion, destroyed French 28th seed Jeremy Chardy, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in just 86 minutes.He fired 38 winners, eight aces and committed just three unforced errors.I felt very confident to step onto the court and everything went my way, said Djokovic after his 50th career grasscourt win.I haven't lost many points on my service games. I did everything I wanted to do. I enjoy it very much when everything works well. It's a fantastic feeling.Djokovic, yet to drop his serve, will tackle veteran Tommy Haas for a place in the quarter-finals, just weeks after he beat the German in the French Open quarter-finals.But 13th-seeded Haas beat the Serb star in Miami this season and also got the better of him in the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2009.Women's defending champion Serena Williams was equally ruthless taking just over an hour to carve out a 6-2, 6-0 win over Japanese 42-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm.It was the 600th win of Williams's career as the American continued her gentle cruise towards a sixth Wimbledon title and 17th Grand Slam crown.She will face German 23rd seed Sabine Lisicki for a quarter-final place where victory will also give her a 35th successive win, taking her level with sister Venus's record set in 2000.Wow, 600 wins. I had no idea. What better place than under the roof at Centre Court to achieve it, said the 31-year-old American.Only four of the top 10 men's seeds and four of the top 10 in the women's draw have made it to the second week after the Grand Slam heavyweights of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka had all exited by Wednesday.Laura Robson took full advantage by becoming the first British woman to make the last 16 for 15 years when she came from a set and 3-5 down to defeat New Zealand's Marina Erakovic, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3.The 19-year-old goes on to face Kaia Kanepi of Estonia, a former quarter-finalist.Robson, currently ranked 38 in the world, will also move into the top 30 after the tournament, the first British woman to break that barrier since Jo Durie in April, 1987.The men's fourth round will feature five men making their maiden appearance at the fourth round stage.France's Kenny De Schepper, the 26-year-old world number 80, beat Argentine 22nd seed Juan Monaco, 6-4, 7-6 (10/8), 6-4 to book a last-16 spot at a major for the first time.Poland's Lukasz Kubot, ranked 130, also made the fourth round in 2011, and is the second Pole to reach the last-16 after 24th seed Jerzy Janowicz also booked his place on Friday.Kubot beat 25th seed Benoit Paire 6-1, 6-3, 6-4 and next faces French world number 111 Adrian Mannarino who has made the last-16 at a major for the first time in 14 attempts.Left-hander De Schepper will face experienced Fernando Verdasco after the Spanish former top 10 player, now at 54 in the world, cruised past temperamental Latvian Ernests Gulbis, 6-2, 6-4, 6-4.Russian 20th seed Mikhail Youzhny, a quarter-finalist in 2012, defeated Serbia's Viktor Troicki 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 and goes on to face British second seed Andy Murray.Spanish fourth seed David Ferrer, a quarter-finalist last year, managed to escape the caranage.But he needed five sets to beat Ukraine's Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 (7/2), 2-6, 6-1, 6-2.Ferrer will face Croatia's Ivan Dodig, the world 49, for a place in the quarter-finals.Czech seventh seed Tomas Berdych, the runner-up in 2010, claimed his ninth win in nine meetings with South Africa's Kevin Anderson, coming through 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5.Berdych takes on unseeded Australian Bernard Tomic, a quarter-finalist in 2011, who put out French ninth seed, Richard Gasquet, 7-6 (9/7), 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (7/5).Dodig reached his first fourth round at Wimbledon when Dutchman Igor Sijsling quit trailing 6-0, 6-1, 1-0.Sijsling's withdrawal equalled the injury pullouts record of 13 from 2008.Italian 23rd seed Andreas Seppi beat Japan's Kei Nishikori, 3-6, 6-2, 6-7 (4/7), 6-1, 6-4, also for a maiden last-16 place.Seppi will face Argentine eighth seed Juan Martin Del Potro who defeated Slovenia's Grega Zemlja 7-5, 7-6 (7/3), 6-0.In the women's draw, Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska, the runner-up to Williams last year, defeated Madison Keys of the United States, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3She will face 2010 semi-finalist, Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria who defeated Petra Martic of Croatia, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2.Chinese sixth seed Li Na survived a roller-coaster of a battle to edge Czech veteran Klara Zakopalova, 4-6, 6-0, 8-6.Next up for Li is Italian 11th seed Roberta Vinci who saw off Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova, 6-1, 6-4.The 2011 champion Petra Kvitova, the eighth seed and highest ranked player in her half after the exits of Sharapova and Azarenka, reached the fourth round with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 defeat of Russian 25th seed Ekaterina Makarova.  |
| Dutch ref Kuipers to officiate Confed Cup final Posted: RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) - Bjorn Kuipers of the Netherlands will referee Sunday's Confederations Cup final between Brazil and Spain.The final match of the World Cup warm-up tournament will be played at the Maracana Stadium, the same venue that will host next year's World Cup final.Kuipers, aged 40, who has been a FIFA referee since 2006, says to reach this level, it takes hard work and we've done it. Kuipers refereed this year's Europa League final between Chelsea vs. Benfica.The Dutchman says he is expecting a wonderful final between the hosts and the world champions, and hopes that after the final, nobody's talking about the referee.  |
| Hamilton takes pole at British Grand Prix Posted: SILVERSTONE (AP) - Lewis Hamilton said all week he was uncomfortable in his car. When it mattered most at Silverstone, though, he delivered a blazing lap to take pole position for the British Grand Prix.He won his 28th career pole, one less than Juan Manuel Fangio, with a time of 1:29.607 on his final lap, besting Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg, who moments earlier clocked the fastest time of 1:30:059.Three-time defending champion Sebastian Vettel was third just ahead of his Red Bull teammate Mark Webber.Storming job, Lewis, storming job, the Mercedes team said over the radio as Hamilton crossed the line.Fans, many waving British flags and holding signs in support of the home drivers, were on their feet cheering in a great homecoming for the 2008 F1 champion who made his name at McLaren but angered many of his supporters by switching to Mercedes this season. Critics predicted Hamilton would fail and McLaren's Jenson Button would fill his shoes. Instead, Hamilton has outperformed his countryman, earning three podiums compared to none for Button.It feels incredible to be on pole, just like it did back in 2007, said Hamilton, who won the race here in 2008 on the way to the overall title.My lap in Q3 was a lap for the fans out there around the circuit, Hamilton said. I haven't been feeling comfortable in the car all weekend, so I was really happy to find a good lap and this feels fantastic. The team has done a phenomenal job and it's a great reward for the guys here at the track but also back at base, especially as our two factories are so close to the track. But we know that tomorrow is another day and our Sunday performance isn't quite as strong right now.Rosberg, who was fastest in practice and had been strong in recent weeks in winning Monaco and earning pole in Spain, said he relished the competition with former karting rival Hamilton.It's a big battle we have. Usually it's close, not today, Rosberg said. It's a really big push for the team that we are pushing each other all the time. It's fantastic momentum we have at the moment.Vettel was full of praise for his rivals.They are bloody quick in qualifying. They seem to be in a different world on Saturday afternoon, Vettel said. They manage tires pretty well which allows them to get a good lap.The German believes he still has a good chance to win on Sunday noting that Mercedes struggles to transform its qualifying success into wins. Rosberg took pole in Bahrain but Vettel won the race.It's a long race, Vettel said. I was very happy with the lap I did at the end, it was very close with Mark also. We did what we could for the team and it's always nice to position well in qualifying, especially around here qualifying is good fun and I'm enjoying the high-speed corners. We'll see how we get on with the tires tomorrow and with looking after them.With 12 races remaining, Vettel has a 36-point lead over Ferrari's Fernando Alonso. Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen is another eight points back in third and Hamilton is fourth.The surprises of qualifying were Paul di Resta of Force India who finished a career-best fifth and Toro Rosso's Daniel Ricciardo who starts sixth.But di Resta's joy was short-lived. His car was found by the FIA to be underweight and he was excluded from qualifying. He will start at the back of the grid. Ricciardo moves up to 5th as a result.The strong showing by Ricciardo could help the Australian in his bid to replace countryman Webber at Red Bull. Webber is leaving F1 at the end of the season. The team said on Friday it will look at Raikkonen, Ricciardo and the other Toro Rosso driver, Jean-Eric Vergne, as a replacement. Vettel came from Toro Rosso, which is also owned by Red Bull.Coming off the back of a bad couple of races, I expected to be strong here and I was more motivated than ever, Ricciardo said. However, if I'd been told I could be sixth this afternoon, I would have been surprised. We were very close to Di Resta in fifth, but we can be happy with this position.Raikkonen will start eighth and Alonso ninth, his worst place on the grid this year.We can consider this the worst Saturday of the season so far, having never finished so far down, Alonso said. But now we must react immediately to try and return to the form we showed at the start of the year. We definitely expected a lot more here, because this is a track that suits our car's characteristics better than others.Raikkonen also said his team has work to do.It's not ideal, but it is what it is, Raikkonen said. We'll go into the race wanting to get a better result than we did in qualifying. Usually this is what happens for us and hopefully that is the case again tomorrow.It was also disappointing qualifying for Button, whose McLaren team has all but given up on challenging for the drivers' championship this season. The 2009 champion just missed out on Q3 by 0.05 seconds and will start 10th while Ferrari's Felipe Massa, who crashed in practice on Friday, settled for 11th.  |
| Couples in front at Senior Players Posted: PITTSBURGH (AP) - Fred Couples birdied three of the final five holes for a 3-under 67 and a two-stroke lead after the third round of the Senior Players Championship on Saturday.Couples completed a 62 in the morning in the rain-delayed second round and had a 15-under 195 total at Fox Chapel.Kenny Perry was second in the Champions Tour major. He finished off a 63 in the morning and backed it up with another 63 in the afternoon. Duffy Waldorf was third at 11 under after rounds of 67 and 66.First-round leader John Huston briefly pulled into a tie with Couples early in the third round, but bogeyed the final two holes for a 68 to join Mike Goodes (65) at 10 under.The 53-year-old Couples appeared ready to run away with the tournament on Friday, when he streaked to 7 under through 11 holes of the second round before a torrential downpour halted play for the day.The deluge cooled Couples off a bit. He two-putted from 60 feet on the par-3 third when he returned to the course on Saturday then rolled in five straight pars before finishing his round off with a birdie on the par-4 ninth for an 8-under 62.The score matched the lowest ever in one of the Champions Tour' five majors. Several players have reached the mark in the tour's 34 seasons, with Olin Browne being the last in the second round of last year's Senior Players.It's a number Perry nearly matched twice in the span of six hours. Perry played the last six holes of the second round Saturday morning in 4 under including an eagle on the short par-4 seventh to get within six shots of the Couples after 36 holes.He kept coming when he teed off one group in front of the leaders Couples and Huston in the afternoon, putting together seven birdies against no bogeys to set a tournament record for the best score over 36 holes. Perry's combined total of 14-under 126 in the second and third rounds is two better than the 128 Jack Nicklaus posted in 1990 when the tournament was held in Dearborn, Michigan.Perry briefly created a three-way logjam with Couples and Huston when he birdied the 12th and Couples three-putted the 10th green for bogey.The missed opportunity seemed to wake Couples up. Frustrated he couldn't take advantage of the soft conditions that led to Perry's assault on the par-70 layout, Couples birdied Nos. 14 and 15, then capped his round with a splendid pitch from in front of the left bunker on the par-5 18th, allowing him to roll in a birdie to give him a two-shot cushion over Perry.It's familiar territory for Couples, who is searching for his third major title since joining the Champions Tour in 2010. He won the Senior Players in 2011 at Westchester Country Club in New York and the Senior British Open last year.  |
| Marcel Kittel wins 1st stage of Tour de France Posted: BASTIA (AP) - The first stage of the 100th Tour de France ended in chaotic scenes with riders crashing and a bus parked on the finish line until moments from the end on Saturday.German rider Marcel Kittel escaped the mayhem to win the first ever stage on Corsica, beating Russian sprinter Alexander Kristoff in a sprint finish.This is by far the greatest day in my whole life, Kittel said. I hope I can sleep, I'm going to be pretty excited about tomorrow.What happened behind them was far more incidental.The decision was initially taken late on to shorten the flat stage by three kilometers (two miles) because a bus from the Orica Greenedge team was stuck on the finish line. But organizers managed to move the colossal vehicle just in time.This was a really unfortunate situation, Greenedge sporting director Matt White said. The bus was led under the finish gantry, and we took it for granted that there was enough clearance.Kittel was lucky to avoid the crash to win the flat 213-kilometer (132-mile) trek from Porto Vecchio to Bastia in just under 5 hours. Kristoff and third-place Danny van Poppel clocked the same time.It feels like I have gold on my shoulders, Kittel said about wearing the yellow jersey. I didn't know about the bus. I'm glad they were able to move it.Because of the unforeseen circumstances, all 198 riders got the same time.We would've preferred a nice finish like the one we'd planned. But in exceptional situations, you have to take exceptional decisions, race events director Jean-Francois Pescheux said by telephone. We're not going to stop the riders, and ask (them) what decision we should take.Kittel would have faced stiffer competition if more than a dozen riders hadn't fallen close to the end, among them two-time former champion Alberto Contador and sprinter Peter Sagan. They got back up, with Contador's left shoulder cut and bruised.I knew that Mark and Andre (Greipel) were no longer in contention and it was a good chance for us, said Kittel, who also finished the day with the best sprinter's green jersey.British sprinter Mark Cavendish was stuck behind those who fell and could not challenge for his 24th stage win on a day he was hoping to wear the prestigious yellow jersey for the first time.I'm lucky I didn't come down, Cavendish said. What caused the problems was changing the finish. Like, we heard on the radio with literally 5K to go that the sprint was in 2k and then a K (kilometer) later, they were like 'No, it's at the finish.' It's just carnage.Francaise Des Jeux team manager Marc Madiot was furious.The president of the (race jury) didn't do his job, he said. When we (managers, riders) make a mistake we get a fine. Well, he should get a huge fine.Cavendish's Omega Pharma-Quick Step teammate Tony Martin fell and was taken to hospital after losing consciousness, while Contador had a bad day, too.Returning from a doping ban which also cost him his 2010 Tour victory, the Spaniard grimaced in pain as he crossed the line.I am fine, Contador said through a translator. Someone didn't brake in front of me.Johnny Hoogerland, who sustained cuts to his legs on the 2011 Tour after being hit by a Tour car, was sent tumbling after hitting a crash barrier near the end. He was helped back onto his bike and able to continue.Last year's Giro d'Italia winner, Ryder Hesjedal, tumbled moments later but continued.With the finish line in sight and as the nerves jangled, some 20 riders hit the tarmac.It was just a complete disaster, Greipel said.It proved to be an incident-packed day from the outset.Before the stage, French Sports Minister Valerie Fourneyron met with a delegation of riders unhappy about pre-race media reports that they thought focused too heavily on doping stories.  |
| England to stage inaugural Test Championship Posted: LONDON (AFP) - England and Wales will stage the inaugural World Test Championship in June and July of 2017, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced Saturday following the conclusion of its annual conference in London.The World Test Championship will replace the Champions Trophy, recently won by India this month after they beat hosts England by five runs in the final at Birmingham's Edgbaston ground.India will stage the second edition of the Test Championship in February/March 2021.We are delighted to confirm the exciting schedule of events through to 2023, ICC chief executive David Richardson said in the statement.The ICC Champions Trophy in England and Wales was highly acclaimed and appreciated by all.However, the principle of one pinnacle global event for each of the three formats (Test, One-Day and Twenty20) over a four-year cycle is a good one and, as such, the ICC board has agreed to replace the Champions Trophy with the ICC World Test Championship, the former South Africa wicketkeeper added.Now that the ICC World Test Championship has been confirmed, we'll work on the playing conditions and qualification criteria, and will submit these to the ICC board for approval in due course.The ICC had planned to stage the first Test Championship in England this year but existing commercial agreements meant it had to stage a one-day international tournament instead, hence the last edition of the Champions Trophy.Saturday's announcement regarding the World Test Championship was part of a package of global events due to take place between 2015-2023.However, the ICC raised doubts about Bangladesh's suitability to stage next year's World Twenty20.The IDI (ICC Development International) board reviewed an inspection report by the ICC venue consultant on the venues for the ICC World Twenty20 Bangladesh 2014 and expressed its concern regarding the progress of construction and improvements to playing facilities in Cox's Bazar and Sylhet.The board noted that a further inspection and report is scheduled for August, after which a final decision will be taken on the venues for the event.Among the changes to playing conditions agreed this week was a revised policy on when umpires need to change the ball in an international match.The issue became a hot topic during the Champions Trophy after England were accused by former captain Bob Willis of ball-tampering after the ball was changed by umpires Aleem Dar and Billy Bowden when the hosts were in the field against Sri Lanka at The Oval.Afterwards England one-day coach Ashley Giles insisted the side's behaviour had been above board while the ICC said nothing in the umpires' match report warranted further action on their part.Under the new condition there will be a formal introduction of a two-step process when the umpire believes the condition of the ball has been changed but there is no eye witness to identify which player changed the condition of the ball: i) Replace the ball and give the captain a first and final warning. ii) award a five-run penalty to the batting team, replace the ball (with the batsman to choose) and report the captain under the ICC code of conduct.The ruling will take effect at the start of October.Meanwhile the ICC also promised to enhance its much criticised anti-corruption and security unit.The subject of corruption in cricket has been back in the headlines following several arrests made during this year's Indian Premier League (IPL) and, more recently, former Pakistan captain Salman Butt's belated admission of spot-fixing in England in 2010 -- an offence for which he remains banned from cricket.In the wake of recent events, the ICC and its member boards will further strengthen and tighten our anti-corruption codes and other integrity regulations, pertaining to international and domestic events and develop methods for better information sharing across jurisdictions, Richardson said.In a bid to maintain the primacy of Test cricket, the ICC agreed that all 10 full members play a minimum of 16 Tests in each four-year cycle.The rapid rise of Afghanistan, who've starred on the World Twenty20 stage, continued Saturday as they became the ICC's 37th Associate Member nation, joining the ranks of those countries immediately below Test level.The ICC also announced that a player wishing to revert back from eligibility for a Test nation to his original associate, for example from England to Ireland, will have his re-qualification period cut from four years to two.  |
| Altaf Hussain quits party leadership Posted: LONDON (Dunya News) - Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain on Sunday quit the party leadership and handed over all powers to MQM coordination committee.In a statement issued from London, Altaf said that if Dr Imran Farooq murder case presented in the court then he will fight the case himself and accept the court verdict.  |
| Ricky Ponting to do commentary during Big Bash T20 League Posted: Sydney (Web Desk) - The former Australian Test and One-day captain will embark on his new role with TEN after he retires from the game in October.Having made his One-day International and Test debut at just 20 years of age, Ponting captained Australia from 2004 until 2011.The most successful Australian captain of all time, with 48 victories in 77 Tests, Ponting is also the second highest run-scorer in Test history, Australias leading run-scorer in Test and One Day International cricket, and has scored the most international centuries by an Australian batsman.In addition to his extraordinary cricketing achievements, Ponting and his wife Rianna have raised more than $10 million since 2002 to help Australians and their families beat cancer.In 2008, they established the Ponting Foundation to provide focus to their fundraising efforts.Network Ten Chief Executive Officer, Hamish McLennan, said: We are honoured that Ricky has agreed to join our new cricket commentary team.Ponting said: Im very excited to be joining Network Ten and being part of their commentary team this summer. I cant wait for it all to start in December.Network Ten Head of Sport, David Barham, added: I have long admired Rickys remarkable contribution to our country through cricket.His sportsmanship, professionalism, leadership and reputation are second to none. We are thrilled to have Ricky join our team.The Big Bash League will be broadcast live on TEN from December 2013.  |
| Afghanistan granted ICC Associate membership Posted: LONDON (Web Desk) - Afghanistan were granted the Associate membership of the International Cricket Council at the governing bodys annual conference in London on June 28 (Friday).The announcement follows a request made by the Asian Cricket Council last year, in lieu of the giant strides the country has taken in the development of the game at all levels.The elevation means Afghanistan, who have risen from an affiliate to associate membership in just 12 years, will receive an annual funding of US$850,000.Along the way, Afghanistan have also been beneficiaries of ICCs Target Assistance and Performance Programme (TAPP), an initiative aimed at assisting the lower ranked Full Members and higher ranked associate and affiliate countries, entitling them to a grant of US$ 422,000 to develop cricket at the grassroots level.From playing in division five alongside teams such as Botswana, Japan and Nepal in the ICC World Cricket League in 2008 to competing with the likes of Ireland, Scotland and Netherlands in the ICC Cricket World Cup qualifier a year later, the countrys rise has been meteoric.Despite missing out on the 2011 World Cup on account of an inferior net run rate to Kenya, the sides progress has largely been based on the array of talent on offer coupled with the initiatives taken by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) to promote the game.Afghanistan made their One-Day International debut against a Test-playing nation when they played Pakistan at Sharjah in February 2012.Although, they went down by seven wickets, their performance was encouraging. That, many believe, has been brought about by the ACB, who have made giant strides in transforming the existing administrative and coaching structure within the country.Weve developed a lot of players in our squads who have come through the ranks at the Under-19 level. Weve also developed some skilled coaches, said Shahzada Masoud, the Afghanistan Cricket Board chairman, in an interview to Wisden India.Masoud believes support from the Full Members is vital for their development. We want the Full Members from the Asian Block to help us with technical support, such as coaches, umpires, scorers, video analysts, trainers, etc, said Masoud.If we have these, we can train our own in provinces, villages and these will be very important for our development.The country now boasts of ten coaches with level-two qualifications certified by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). In addition, they also have on board Umesh Patwal, a Mumbai-based coach, who is their batting consultant. Developing home-bred coaches is top priority, said Masoud. If theyre highly skilled, they can bring that down at the player level.Despite access to facilities in Afghanistan being limited, the team has been well supported by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), who have facilitated training and organised matches.In March this year, Afghanistan played limited-overs matches against Pakistans second team in their lead-up to World Cup 2015 qualifying rounds in the United Arab Emirates, a country which has been their base since 2010.Sharjah has been a happy hunting ground for us, said Masoud, which recollecting Afghanistans famous chase of 494 in a day against Scotland in 2010. But the problem in playing in Sharjah is it is very expensive for us, especially given the lodging and training facilities. Pakistan works out to be a lot cheaper.Weve basic facilities back home unlike other countries. That is why were reliant on Global Cricket Academy in Dubai, but all that comes at a cost, which is why it is very important to develop facilities back home.The ACG has signed an MoU with the education ministry to make cricket a part of the school curriculum, a move that Masoud believes has generated tremendous interest. The number of schools that have signed up under the initiative is very encouraging.Weve seen massive growth and a lot of them look up to national cricketers for inspiration. (MS) Dhoni is a big star, people just love him here. They keenly follow the IPL, and even we had two-three players playing in the Bangladesh Premier League, so the signs are good.Apart from the growth the sport has seen at the school level, Masoud believes nothing would match the experience of top-flight cricket, in getting more people to pursue it at a professional level.Last year during the ICC Annual conference, we requested the Australian board to play us in a fixture during their series against Pakistan in UAE and they readily agreed. The match was televised and the entire country was glued to the game.We lost the game but we showed how good we can be if given a chance. Of course, the people do demand for televised matches of Full Members.People dont mind seeing the team lose, but they want to watch their heroes. Weve had a couple of such matches. We are looking forward to more such opportunities. Were happy to play with Indias A team. As youre aware, cricket schedule is choc-a-block, so the board is in talks with several boards to organise more matches.  |
| Reko-dik: Canadian company seeks international arbitration Posted: KARACHI (Online) - Canadian High Commissioner Greg Giokas has announced that Canadian company, which invested $ 400 million in Reko-dik project, has decided to refer to international arbitration.Talking to journalists during his visit to Karachi Chamber of Commerce, he said that Canadian Investment Company had worked in Pakistan for long over mining gold and copper ores, but was ‘disappointed’ at attitude of federal and provincial governments; hopeful of a ruling in its favor in international arbitration.He said that due to this state of affairs, the Canadian investors were reluctant to invest in Pakistan; however there was still a strong possibility of joint collaboration between two countries in agriculture and Railways, and referring to recent demand of Pakistan railway engine(s), he said that Canada Pacific Railways could float its bid in this regard.Expressing his regrets that trade volume between two nations was quite low, he cited this weakness as a prime reason for lack of any free trade agreement between two; while he also stressed that in order to fully enjoy the fruits of free trade agreement a mutual cooperation, understanding between two nations was imperative.“(Besides), talks held regarding provision of investment security (FIPA) also failed to materialize” he regretted, adding that a round table conference under the auspices of Canadian High Commission, in collaboration with Faisalabad Agriculture University was also held, during which endeavors of joint collaboration in agro-field was deliberated.He also announced that Canada had provided Pakistan with $ 20 million for anti-polio drive, $170 million for educational and $ 3 million for electoral reforms.The Canadian High commission also held it utterly important for reaching out to international markets which surfaced as important states regarding regional trade with Pakistan.He also stressed on Pakistan to concentrate on energy, infrastructure and transportation, while the traders would have to play their due effective role for mutual grade between two.  |
| Grenada to punish offensive online comments Posted: Grenada (AP) - Legislators in Grenada have approved a bill that makes it a crime to offend people through websites such as Facebook and Twitter.The measure was approved as part of an electronic crimes bill passed late Friday in the tiny eastern Caribbean island.According to the bill, a complaint about offensive online activity would be filed with police. A judge would then decide if the message was offensive.The bill also makes it a crime to distribute child pornography, imposing fines of up to $111,000 and a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.The legislation imposes penalties on other online activities such as electronic stalking and identity theft.  |
