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Cricket - Sports

Monday, August 31, 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV


Maria Sharapova pulls out of the US Open

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NEW YORK (Agencies) - World number three Maria Sharapova has pulled out of the US Open on the eve of the tournament because of injury.Unfortunately I will not be able to compete in this years US Open, Sharapova said on her Facebook page on the eve of the event. I have done everything possible to be ready but it was just not enough time. To all my amazing fans, I will be back in the Asian swing in a few weeks and look forward to finishing the year healthy and strong.Sharapova withdrew Sunday with a right leg injury, after not having played since Wimbledon.While Williams as the No. 1 seed has a tough quarter to battle through herself, Sharapovas withdrawal means the Russians quarter is wide open.So who will benefit the most? If the seeds hold, that would be world No. 7 Ana Ivanovic, who was slated to meet Sharapova in the quarterfinals.But Ivanovic is a less than reliable performer in womens tennis. The former world No. 1 reached the semifinals at the French Open earlier this year, but has lost before the second week at the majors in six of the last 11 shes played.Australian Daria Gavrilova, 21, was set to meet Sharapova in the first round, and could make a run herself, the youngster already having made strides on the WTA Tour earlier this year. Sharapovas countrywoman, Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 2004 U.S. Open champion, could also use this as a chance for opportunity, though she hasnt been a strong force on the tour for a number of years.Sharapova was set to meet another Russian, Ekaterina Makarova, the No. 13 seed and 2014 U.S. Open semifinalist in the fourth round. Former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic, could also benefit. Shes seeded to meet Ivanovic in the fourth round.Its hard to argue that this greatly affects Serena Williams in one way or another. Yes, Sharapova and Williams were seeded to meet in the semifinals, but Williams has won 17 matches in a row against Sharapova, dating to 2005.Should Williams lose early, however, the beneficiary may be her conqueror. That player would not have to face Sharapova, who has cemented herself as a tough-as-nails competitor, particularly at the majors.It is also a gigantic blow to the tournament itself, as Sharapova is seen as a ticket seller and TV ratings booster. Though her rivalry with Williams is entirely one-sided, the melodrama surrounding their march toward one another in the draw now will be sorely missed at this U.S. Open, which has already been dominated by Serenas quest for the calendar Grand Slam.Daria Kasatkina, who is ranked 133rd in the world, is the lucky loser who replaces Sharapova in the draw.

Djokovic ponders his own Slam possibilities

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Not since Australian legend Rod Laver in 1969 has a man completed a calendar year Grand Slam, but top-ranked Novak Djokovic believes he could be the next man to do it.The 28-year-old Serbian top seed will launch his US Open campaign Monday against Brazils Joao Souza at Arthur Ashe Stadium, where he will serve as the warm-up act before Serena Williams opens the night session.Three-time defending champion Williams is trying to complete the calendar Slam, last accomplished in 1988 by Steffi Graf, and win her 22nd career major title, matching Graf for the Open Era record.I am sending her good vibes. I hope she does it. Shes a true champion and she is impressive.But Djokovic, seeking his 10th career Slam title, is only one match shy of coming to the Flushing Meadows fortnight with the same chance as Williams at a calendar-year Slam sweep.Djokovic lost the French Open final to Swiss Stan Wawrinka after beating Britains Andy Murray in the Australian Open final and before he downed Swiss 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final.I have been close and that gives me enough reason to believe that I can achieve that, Djokovic said of the calendar-year Slam.Im trying to win every Grand Slam I play. I set myself up for high standards because of the results Ive had the last couple of years. Im an ambitious guy and I devote myself completely to the sport.Will that happen or not? I cannot predict and say yes or no, but I can definitely tell you that I give my best.Djokovic can win three Slams in the same year for the second time in his career if he takes the trophy in two weeks. In 2011, he won the US and Australian Opens and Wimbledon but lost to Spanish star Rafael Nadal in Djokovics first trip to the Roland Garros final.That defeat also foiled Djokovics bid for a Novak Slam -- holding all four major trophies at the same time, even though it didnt happen in a single calendar year.Djokovic sees himself as a much different player than he was in 2011 when he won three Slams in an epic season.Im a different person, a different player than I was in 2011 so its kind of hard to compare tennis-wise, Djokovic said. Physically Im stronger and able to endure longer than I did in 2011.As you grow older you are trying to develop your game and get to the highest level possible. I think this season, results-wise, pretty close to 2011. What I achieved in 2011 is hard to repeat, so this season is definitely just behind that one.

Federer likes Open chances but faces early test

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Roger Federer likes his chances of winning the US Open after a resurgent run to the Wimbledon final and aggressive play that produced a tuneup title last week at Cincinnati.But the 34-year-old Swiss star, winner of a record 17 Grand Slam singles titles but none since Wimbledon in 2012, isnt looking past his first opponent when the Flushing Meadows fortnight opens Monday.I feel like I have a good chance but I really cant think further than my first-round opponent right now, Federer said Saturday.My focus needs to be not trying to win the tournament right away. That would be thinking too far ahead. I havent been in the finals in this tournament as of late. I came close but close is not good enough.Federer won five consecutive US Opens from 2004-2008 and reached the 2009 final, losing to Argentinas Juan Martin del Potro in a five-set battle. Since then he has reached every other major final at least once but not in New York.His immediate concern is 33rd-ranked Leonardo Mayer, his first-match foe from Argentina.Federer was surprised to find Mayer had not been seeded. Finding him across the net in match one was one reason Federer saw his draw as especially tough, with Czech sixth seed Tomas Berdych a possible quarter-final rival and either British third seed Andy Murray or French Open winner Stan Wawrinka potentially waiting in the semi-finals.I didnt know he was unseeded. Total shock for me to see I was going to play him. Thats one reason I think its a really tough draw, Federer said.Im really just focused on the first round. Its really tough to be playing Leonardo Mayer so I have to come back to reality after the good week I had last week and go from there.Federer won their only prior meeting 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (9/7) in the second round of the Shanghai ATP Masters event last year.The Shanghai match was one of the toughest ones Ive ever won in my career, Federer said.I like the power he has plus the serve, which makes him tough to control from the baseline. Always got to try to make an athletic match and theres tons of movement, shorten the points on my terms. Hes a challenge. I hope I can play with confidence and use my experience against a player like this.Federer would not commit to the same attacking style he used against Novak Djokovic and Murray at Cincinnati, but holds it out as an option.As the tournament went on I kept up the aggressive play. Im glad it ended well. Well see if I do it here as well, Federer said.Its not that important for me to keep the points short. I feel very comfortable rallying. Ive done that for 10 years. I can be very creative and I think its important for me to use that.Federer has won titles this year at Brisbane, Dubai, Istanbul, Halle and Cincinnati. At Wimbledon, he ripped Murray in straight sets in the semi-finals but lost in four sets to Djokovic in the final.Maybe looking back at Wimbledon I peaked too early against Murray, then didnt quite play as good as I did against Murray against Djokovic, Federer said. Still, Novak causes different problems than Murray does, so maybe its also matchups. I try to save the best for last.My game is going very well. My volleying has been very good lately and very proactive going forward and I think my serve has been unbelievable lately. Its clearly very important that keeps working because its the base of all things. My game is usually great when I move well, which I did in Cincinnati. Thats very good going into the Open.

United's biggest problems exposed in 2-1 loss at Swansea

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MANCHESTER (AP) -- Manchester Uniteds early-season problems at both ends of the pitch were exposed in a 2-1 loss at Swansea on Sunday that ended its unbeaten start in the Premier League.On the day Manchester City spent more than 50 million pounds ($77 million) on another attacking player, its cross-town rival again showed a lack of cutting edge up front to turn dominance and good build-up play into goals.United was comfortable and perhaps should have been more than 1-0 ahead, through Juan Matas 49th-minute strike, when Swansea launched its comeback with two goals in five minutes from Andre Ayew and Bafetimbi Gomis.Gomis winner in the 66th minute capped a brilliant, sweeping team move but should have been kept out by goalkeeper Sergio Romero, who failed to stop a low shot at his near post. Romero is only playing because Uniteds first-choice goalkeeper, David de Gea, isnt being picked while he is linked with a move to Real Madrid.With Europes summer transfer window closing in England on Tuesday, United has two days to resolve its goalkeeper situation and decide whether to sign a new striker to help out Wayne Rooney, who is yet to score in the Premier League since April.I have enjoyed our football, United manager Louis van Gaal said, but you need the result and we lost again.Swansea has no such problems up front. Gomis, who scored for the fourth straight game this season, and summer signing Ayew have netted all seven of the teams goals in the league and that combination is the reason why Swansea is fourth in the standings after four games.United has lost three straight games to Swansea and fell five points behind Man City, which has won all four of its games.In Sundays other match, Southampton claimed its first win of the season by beating Norwich 3-0 thanks to Graziano Pelles goal and a double from Dusan Tadic. Norwich played with 10 men from the 31st minute, when Steven Whittaker was sent off for two bookings with the score at 0-0.United caused Swansea many problems early in the first half, with Mata shooting wide twice, Rooney misjudging an attempted lob after being played through and Memphis Depay having a free kick saved.The opening goal arrived when left back Luke Shaws cross squirmed through to the back post where Mata beat Ashley Williams to the ball and sidefooted a rising shot high into the net. It is only Uniteds third goal in four games.Swansea manager Garry Monk changed his teams shape, went to a diamond in midfield, and Ayew inspired the fightback.First he met Gylfi Sigurdssons cross with a downward header inside the near post in the 61st, then supplied Gomis with a brilliant outside-of-the-foot pass. The striker got between Uniteds two center backs and rolled his finish underneath Romero, who had barely been tested in the opening three games of the season.Today, we lost the game in five minutes, Mata said.United kicked off just as City announced the signing of goalscoring midfielder Kevin de Bruyne from Wolfsburg for a fee that reportedly could cost the league leaders 58 million pounds ($89 million).

Valentino Rossi wins British MotoGP

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LONDON (AFP) - Valentino Rossi of Italy moved to the top of the world championship standings with his fourth victory of the season when he triumphed in the British MotoGP at Silverstone on Sunday.On a rain-drenched track, Rossi, on a Yamaha, finished ahead of two Ducati-riding compatriots, Danilo Petrucci, who picked up the best result of his career, and Andrea Dovizioso.A master of rainy conditions, Rossi rode a near-perfect race as his main rivals lost ground in the title race.The days biggest loser was defending world champion Marc Marquez of Spain, who started off in pole position but came a cropper and was unable to complete the race after coming off his bike eight laps from home.Starting from sixth place on the grid, Rossi drew on all the experience and grit which has taken him to nine world titles.With the race delayed by rain, Rossi, who had already shown himself fastest in the warm-up, took just two laps to work his way into the lead and never looked back.He admitted that Marquezs misfortune acted as an incentive to relax a little. When I saw Marc fall, I slowed down a bit, he said. I was just hoping that Petrucci didnt risk everything to get back on terms.Rossis Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo of Spain managed to keep Rossi in his sights in the championship race by finishing fourth after the two had started the day level on points.

Cycling: Dumoulin takes stage and overall lead in Vuelta

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MADRID (Reuters) - Dutchman Tom Dumoulin won the ninth stage of the Vuelta, prevailing in a punishing uphill finish to claim the overall leaders red jersey on Sunday.The Giant-Alpecin rider attacked in the final climb, a 4km ascent with an average gradient over 10 percent, and pipped Chris Froome inside the final 100 metres after the Briton had also attacked.Team Sky rider Froome, the Tour de France champion, was second ahead of Spains Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha).Colombian Estabena Chaves (Orica-GreenEDGE) was dropped in the final climb and now lies third overall, 59 seconds behind Dumoulin.Rodriguez is second, 57 seconds off the pace, while Froome, who regained some ground he had lost two days ago, moved up to seventh 1:17 behind Dumoulin after 168.3 km between Torrevieja and El Poble Nou de Benitatxell.Slovakian Peter Sagan, who won the points classification at the Tour de France, did not start the stage after he sustained deep bruises when he was knocked down by an organisers motorbike on Saturday.If I had crashed alone or with another rider, I would have considered that to be part of the sport, the Tinkoff-Saxo rider said.However, being hit by a motorbike of the race organisation shouldnt be acceptable. The safety of the riders should be an absolute priority and all vehicle drivers involved in a race must be more attentive. I really hope this incident is the start of a series of necessary changes in the way races are organised.

Kenyan Kiprop retains 1,500 title with late surge

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BEIJING(Reuters) - Kenyas Asbel Kiprop won the world 1,500 meters title for the third time on Sunday, the 2011 and 2013 champion producing a late charge from 12th place to first in the last half-lap to take gold on Sunday.The tall and leggy Kiprop, 26, strode majestically to the finish and clocked 3 minutes 34.40 seconds, running the final lap in 51 seconds as his rivals battled and stumbled behind him to the line.Kiprop won Kenyas seventh gold medal of this world championships, his team mate Elijah Manangoi took the silver in 3:34.63 and Moroccos Abdelaati Iguider threw himself across the line to secure the bronze in 3:34.67.The opening two laps of the final were run at a steady pace, but Kiprop dropped right to the back of the pack in a display of supreme confidence in his ability to out-kick his rivals.Silas Kiplagat and Timothy Cheriuyot appeared to be running to Kenyan team orders as they set the pace, running 59 seconds for each of the first two laps.At the bell, American Matt Centrowitz was the first to make a dash for glory.Kiprops game of patience continued, the pre-race favorite only moving past four or five rivals down the back straight as one of his biggest threats, Taoufil Makhloufi, Algerias London 2012 Olympic gold medalist, took the lead with 200 meters left.Makhloufi went from the lead to finishing out of the medals in the last 15 meters as Kiprop and Managois late-rush took the big prizes.I am so proud of myself to become part of this exclusive club of three-times world champions, Kiprop told reporters.But I would dearly love to defend the title a fourth time in London in 2017.Kiprop is officially recognized as the 2008 Olympic champion, though he was denied his moment of glory in this same Birds Nest Stadium because Rashid Ramzi won the race but was subsequently disqualified for a doping offense.It was a good race and it was also very special, Kiprop said.I became Olympic champion here in Beijing but I have never been on the top of the podium.

Obama invites PM Nawaz for October visit

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama has invited Pakistans prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, for a meeting at the White House on Oct. 22, the U.S. National Security Council said on Sunday.The invitation came during a visit to Islamabad on Saturday and Sunday by National Security Adviser Susan Rice to meet with Sharif and senior officials, the NSC said in a statement.Ambassador Rice commended Pakistan’s support for recent talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban, underscored the U.S. commitment to an Afghan-led peace process, and urged Pakistan to intensify its efforts to counter terrorist sanctuaries inside its borders in order to promote regional peace and stability, the NSC said.A senior U.S. official said on Saturday that the meeting was intended to advance our mutual interests and address areas of concern, particularly terrorist and militant attacks emanating from Pakistani soil.Rice also met with civil society leaders and ...commended their work in support of human rights, development, and civil liberties in Pakistan and affirmed continued strong U.S. support for their invaluable efforts, the NSC statement said.

Saudi executes Pakistani for drug trafficking

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RIYADH (AFP) - Saudi authorities executed a Pakistani man on Sunday for attempting to smuggle drugs into the ultra-conservative kingdom, the interior ministry said.Up to 129 people have been executed in Saudi Arabia so far this year, including the latest execution, compared with 87 for the whole of 2014, according to AFP tallies.Mohammed Sharif was arrested while attempting to smuggle heroin into the country hidden in his stomach, the ministry said in a statement published on the SPA state news agency.He was executed in the Quwaiya district, near Riyadh.Most people sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia are beheaded, but sometimes executions are carried out by firing squad.Amnesty International on Tuesday appealed for a moratorium on executions in Saudi Arabia, criticising the kingdoms deeply flawed judicial system.Under Saudi Arabias strict Islamic legal code, drug trafficking, murder, armed robbery, rape and apostasy are all punishable by death.Amnesty says Saudi Arabia is one of the worlds most prolific executioners, along with China, Iran, Iraq and the United States.

12 May target-killers arrested, 2 traffic police officers dead

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KARACHI: (Dunya News) – 3 target-killers involved in 12 May (2007) and Chakra Goth tragedies and attacks on police in Karachi have on Sunday been arrested. On the other hand, 3 including 2 traffic police officers were killed in firing incidents in Nipa Chorangi and Nazimabad. All the suspects belong to a political party, reported Dunya News.According to police, unidentified men shot 2 traffic police officers dead in Nipa Chorangi. The murdered were identified as Sher Muhammad and Nizamuddin. Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah has taken strict notice of the incident and demanded immediate report. 1 person died in firing incident in Nazimabad while 2 others were injured.Malir 2 Investigation Police arrested 3 target-killers and presented them before the media. The arrested target-killer revealed that he is an official of a political party in Ibrahim Haideri. He told that firing on police bus was opened in Chakra Goth after clash with Jiye Sindh and a political party official Raees Mama assisted in this attack.The arrested target-killer revealed that he has killed 5 so far including political opponents. He also admitted firing at buses on the arrival of former Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry in Karachi on May 12, 2007.Target-killer Zaeem Qadri confessed robbing jewelry shops and handing Rs. 2.7 million to Hamid Piya for purchase of weapons. These weapons were used for fighting the political opponents.SSP Investigation Malir 2 Malik Altaf Hussain said that after the confessions by the arrested suspects, their companions are also being arrested.

PML-Q not to participate in elections until resignation of ECP members

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q) on Sunday announced they will not participate in by-polls until the Election Commission members resign and urged other parties also to review their decisions, Dunya News reported.The PML-Q said that the irregularities by the Election Commission have been mentioned in the judicial commission’s report forty times, adding that ECP’s playing with the mandate has been exposed.The leadership of the opposition party demanded that new members of the ECP be appointed after consultation with the opposition parties once the existing members step down.

China, US, Pakistan agree to restore peace process in Afghanistan

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ISLAMABAD: (Dunya News) – China, United States of America (USA) and Pakistan have on Sundya agreed to restore Afghan peace process. Western diplomacy in this regard has intensified in order to convince Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, reported Dunya News.According to Dunya News sources, US Advisor for National Security and German Foreign Minister’s visits were also part of the same diplomacy. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Afghan president will soon talk one-on-one and Afghan peace process is expected to restart in September.Sources told that the US has been informed about the elements sabotaging the peace process. Afghanistan and Pakistan have also handed the evidence of Indian intelligence agency RAW’s involvement in terrorism. Sources also told that there are RAW sympathizers in Afghan intelligence agency NDS.

Security institutions arrest 4 terrorists in Lahore, 3 in Faisalabad

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – The security institutions have taken into custody at least four terrorists in Lahore and three in Faisalabad, while another three suspicious persons were also held, Dunya News reported.According to details, the investigation with the Indian agent arrested a few days ago from Lahore led to the arrests. Indian agent Ilyas alias Pervez confessed to conveying crucial information to the other side of the border.The security institutions raided areas surrounding Wagah and took at least four suspected terrorists into custody while in Faisalabad, the police and intelligence agencies carried out search operation in Chiniot Bazar and other areas and arrested at least six including three suspected terrorists.According to sources, all three terrorists arrested in Faisalabad were involved in attacks on security forces in Waziristan.

Peshawar's Nazim-elect robbed right after getting elected

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PESHAWAR (Dunya News) – Peshawar’s Nazim-elect Arbab Asim Khan was robbed of Rs 70,000 while he was being congratulated by the supporters after getting elected, Dunya News reported.The Nazim-elect who has vowed to change the condition of Peshawar was welcomed also by pickpockets who managed to infiltrate workers and supporters and robbed Khan off while hugging and congratulating him, all without Khan’s noticing.Khan had ATM cards, identity card and Rs 70,000 in his wallet. He said he was meeting with workers when he fell victim to pickpocketing.Asim Khan appealed to the pickpockets to ‘kindly’ return driving license and national identity card.

Raheel Sharif, Susan Rice agree to continue peace efforts in region

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RAWALPINDI: (Dunya News) – US Advisor on National Security Susan Rice on Sunday met Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif and agreed to continue efforts for peace in the region. The two dignitaries discussed mutual security and regional situations, reported Dunya News.Susan rice, who is on visit to Pakistan, had a 2-hour long important meeting with General Raheel Sharif and discussed the regional security situation with him.According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) department, Susan Rice said on this occasion that Pakistan army made genuine efforts against terrorism and also admired Pakistan army’s sacrifices in the war against terror. ISPR told that both the officials agreed on continuing efforts for stability in Afghanistan and peace in the region.

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Sunday, August 30, 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV


Egypt court hands Al-Jazeera reporters three years in jail

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CAIRO (AFP) - An Egyptian court sentenced three Al-Jazeera reporters to three years in prison on Saturday, in a shock ruling that sparked international condemnation.Canadian Mohamed Fahmy and Egyptian producer Baher Mohamed were in court for the verdict, while Australian journalist Peter Greste was tried in absentia after being deported early this year.The court said they had broadcast false news that harmed Egypt.Several co-defendants, accused of working with Al-Jazeera, received similar sentences.Canada called for the immediate return of Fahmy, while Qatar-based Al-Jazeera denounced the verdict as an attack on press freedom.Its a dark day for the Egyptian judiciary, Giles Trendle, the English channels acting managing director, told reporters in Doha.Rather than defend liberty and the free and fair media, the Egyptian judiciary has compromised its own independence.The retrial was ordered early this year after an appeals court overturned an initial sentence of seven years in prison, saying the prosecution had presented scant evidence.Dangerous precedentFahmys lawyer, London-based Amal Clooney, told reporters she would press the presidency for a pardon.Its a dangerous precedent in Egypt that journalists can be locked up simply for reporting the news and courts can be used as political tools, she said.Al-Jazeeras head of litigation, Farah Muftah, said in Doha the ruling would be appealed once the judge publishes the basis for his sentencings.Relatives and supporters were dismayed.Im shocked. Terribly shocked. We waited for an acquittal and then found ourselves stuck again in the case. This is illogical, Fahmys brother Adel said.Greste described the jail terms as devastating.We did nothing wrong. The prosecution presented no evidence that we did anything wrong and so for us to be convicted as terrorists on no evidence at all is frankly outrageous, he said.The journalists were arrested in December 2013, months after the military overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Morsi and launched a deadly crackdown on his supporters.At the time, Qatar, which owns Al-Jazeera, was supportive of Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood movement.Judge Hassan Farid said Saturday that it was clear the reporters were not journalists and had broadcast false news while operating without a permit.Mohamed received an additional six-month sentence for possessing a bullet he picked up while covering protest violence.Fahmy and Mohamed, who were released on bail in February at the start of the retrial, were taken into custody.Lynne Yelich, Canadian minister of state for foreign and consular affairs, called on Egypt to use all tools at its disposal to resolve Mr Fahmys case and allow his immediate return to Canada.The trial has become an embarrassment for President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who as army chief ousted Morsi from the presidency in 2013.Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said she was dismayed by the outcome and the United States said it was deeply disappointed and concerned.We urge the government of Egypt to take all available measures to redress this verdict, which undermines the very freedom of expression necessary for stability and development, State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.British Minister for Middle East and North Africa Tobias Ellwood said the sentencings would undermine confidence in Egypts progress towards strong long-term stability based on implementing the rights granted by the Egyptian constitution.In the initial trial, two British Al-Jazeera reporters who had left the country were tried in absentia and sentenced to 10 years in prison.A European Union statement called Saturdays sentences a setback for freedom of expression in Egypt.Politicised trialSisi has said he wished the Al-Jazeera journalists had not been put on trial. He may pardon them if he chooses.Fahmy, who gave up his Egyptian citizenship in hopes of being deported as Greste was in February, said ahead of the verdict that the trial was politicised.If justice is to be served we should be acquitted as impartial journalists, said Fahmy, who formerly worked for CNN.The three were accused of having supported the Brotherhood in their coverage. However, during the trial, the prosecution failed to find fault in their reporting.The technical committee that was appointed by the judge gave the court a report stating that none of our reports were fabricated, Fahmy said.Al-Jazeeras Arabic channel had been supportive of Morsi and Islamists, but Fahmy, Greste and Mohamed worked for its English-language news channel.Fahmy said they were shocked to discover during their trial that the broadcaster was unlicensed, when a prosecutor presented evidence to that effect.

Exiled Yemen president says fighting Huthis to stop 'Iran expansion'

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KHARTOUM (AFP) - Yemens exiled President Abedrabbo Mansur Hadi said on Saturday that his forces were battling Shiite Huthi rebels across the country to check Iranian expansion in the region.Hadi was speaking as he made a short visit to Sudan, which was seen as being close to Iran before it joined a Saudi-led coalition against the Yemeni rebels in April.We are currently leading a war based on stopping Iranian expansion in the region, Hadi said at a press conference with his Sudanese counterpart Omar al-Bashir.Iranian expansion is present now in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Hadi said.His comments came as coalition warplanes launched strikes against the Iranian-backed rebel positions in Yemen and reinforcements reached pro-government troops preparing for an anticipated push towards the capital Sanaa, military sources reported.Hadi said rebel forces had been pushed back in recent weeks.Now there are few provinces where battles are still going on. There is fighting in Taez, and Ibb and Hodeida and Marib, he said.He arrived in Sudan on Saturday afternoon to meet Bashir for talks. Sudan had previously been seen as close to Iran, whose warships used to make stops in Sudanese ports.But last September, Sudan shut Irans cultural centre in Khartoum and joined the coalition against the Huthis in March.With air support from their coalition allies and freshly trained troops, supporters of the exiled president had pushed the rebels from the second city of Aden and four other southern provinces and are fighting to control the third city of Taez.In March, Huthi rebels and troops loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh advanced on Aden, where Hadi had taken refuge after escaping house arrest in Sanaa.Hadi later fled to Riyadh, which assembled an Arab coalition that mounted a fierce air campaign against the rebels.At the press conference, Bashir also promised to give assistance to Yemenis studying in the capital and that Sudanese doctors were in Aden treating civilians wounded in the conflict.

Iran nuclear deal will 'fuel terrorism': Netanyahu

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FLORENCE (AFP) - The deal to curb Irans nuclear programme will bolster Tehrans ability to fund global terrorism by providing the Islamic state with billions of dollars in sanctions relief, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Saturday.Iran will get hundreds of billions of dollars from sanctions relief and investments to fuel its aggression and terrorism in the Middle East and North Africa and beyond, Netanyahu -- who is bitterly opposed to the deal agreed by Iran and world powers in July -- said during a visit to the Italian city of Florence.The Israeli leader is on a tour of Italy -- his first major overseas visit since being re-elected in June.Speaking ahead of a meeting Saturday evening with his Italian counterpart Matteo Renzi he compared the threat posed by the Islamic State jihadist group with the far more serious threat...posed by another Islamic state, the Islamic state of Iran and specifically its pursuit of nuclear weapons.Israel was not opposed to Iran having a civilian nuclear program, he said, but the deal hammered out in the Swiss city of Lausanne would allow Tehran to keep and extend a formidable infrastructure that is completely unnecessary for civilian nuclear purposes but is entirely necessary for the production of nuclear weapons, Netanyahu declared.Iran denies trying to develop nuclear weapons, insisting its atomic programme is peaceful.

Burkina bars ex-leader's party candidate from presidential vote

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OUAGADOUGOU (AFP) - Burkina Fasos Constitutional Council on Saturday provisionally cleared 16 candidates for presidential elections in October, but declared the nominee of ousted president Blaise Compaores party ineligible.Eddie Constance Konboigo, head of Compaores Congress for Democracy and Progress party, was among six candidates barred from running, along with Gilbert Noel Ouedraogo of the ADF/RDA grouping that was allied to the former strongmans administration.Compaore was toppled October 2014 and fled into exile in Ivory Coast after a popular uprising triggered by his attempt to extend his 27-year rule.Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in protests that were brutally suppressed, leaving several dead.A transitional government is running the country until presidential and legislative elections, the first round of which take place on October 11.Konboigo called the decision a move to exclude his party based more on politics than the law.We dispute the decision of the Constitutional Council ... We will denounce it but we will comply, he continued, calling the youth of his party to avoid confrontation.The final list of presidential candidates will only be published after the deadline for appeals runs out on September 6. Only those candidates who made the provisional list can contest the candidacy of a rival.The Council had also declared 52 people ineligible to run for parliament over their support for Compaores bid for a third term.

Colombian president tours tense border city

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CUCUTA (AFP) - Colombias President Juan Manuel Santos visited a tense border city Saturday amid an escalating row with neighboring Venezuela that triggered deportations and the exodus of thousands of Colombians back home.I am here to make sure our fellow Colombians get the services they need, Santos said as he began the tour of Cucuta, a far northeastern city of about 700,00 with close business ties to Venezuela and which has been on edge.The crisis erupted on August 19 after Venezuelas President Nicolas Maduro closed the border and then declared a state of emergency following an incident in which three Venezuelan soldiers were shot and wounded by two assailants on a motorcycle.The two countries recalled their respective ambassadors as tensions rose.Maduro has said 3,000 troops were being deployed to search high and low for Colombian paramilitaries, whom he has blamed for last weeks shooting.Since then, 1,097 Colombians have been summarily deported from Venezuela and several thousand more Colombians have fled for home, fearful of being targeted as well.Santos stopped at a filling station in Cucuta -- where people waited in line for hours to get gasoline -- to reassure them that supplies would not be interrupted.Mayor Donamaris Ramirez said that before the row, 90 percent of locals bought their gasoline at informal filling stations run by smugglers who get cut-rate subsidized fuel from oil-rich Venezuela.Now motorists across the city have to rely on gasoline stations, resulting in queues as long as seven hours, fanning discontent.In Washington, State Department expressed concern Friday and urged both countries to resolve the dispute diplomatically.In a statement late Friday, Santos vowed to continue conducting foreign relations with firmness, but with dialogue and diplomacy.We are now concentrating on attending to the humanitarian needs that this situation has generated, he said.Venezuela is mired in a deepening economic crisis, made worse by a plunge in oil prices, its main source of hard currency.Widespread shortages, roaring inflation and rampant crime have undermined support for Maduro, whose ruling party faces legislative elections in December.

Brazil ex-president Lula makes political comeback

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SAO BERNARDO DO CAMPO (AFP) - Brazils popular ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva declared on Saturday that he is returning to the bruising political frontlines to defend his successor, the embattled Dilma Rousseff.Our opponents talk about me from morning until night... Well, its harder to kill a bird if he keeps flying. Thats why I started flying again, Lula, 69, said at a rally in Sao Paulo state, a day after admitting he could even seek the presidency again in 2018.Well, now I am going to speak. I am going to talk. I am going to give interviews and I am going to make people uncomfortable, Lula added.On Friday he said that he did not want to see his ruling Workers Party lose power after 12 years.I am sure that our rivals are heading out to undo what we achieved in improving peoples lives, he told the rally.I have broad shoulders and I have been beaten up plenty in my life. Lets see if our rivals give our beloved Dilma a little break and start being bothered by me again, Lula said, alongside former Uruguayan president Jose Mujica.Lula was in office from 2003 to 2010 and was the countrys first democratically elected leftist leader.He spent generously on social programs to reduce the number of Brazilians living in poverty and the economy boomed to the worlds seventh largest.On his heels, Rousseff has been re-elected, but her popularity is at a staggering low of eight percent, with the economy in recession and her government rocked by corruption scandals.Rousseff herself has not been accused but she chaired the board at Petrobras between 2003 and 2010, when much of the alleged corruption was flourishing.Prosecutors estimate that $2.1 billion in bribes were paid as part of the scheme.Lula is being investigated in an unrelated influence-peddling probe, but has not been charged.

Coalition pounds Yemen rebels, sets sights on capital

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ADEN (AFP) - Warplanes from the Saudi-led coalition hit Yemen rebel positions Saturday as reinforcements reached pro-government forces preparing for an anticipated advance towards the capital, military sources said.Apache helicopters struck a base occupied by rebel forces near Bayhan, in the southern province of Shabwa, hours after fighter jets targeted a convoy of the Iran-backed Huthi rebels in the area, a military source said.Warplanes also pounded arms depots in the rebel-held capital Sanaa, according to witnesses.Bayhan borders the eastern province of Marib, where military reinforcements have arrived from neighbouring Saudi Arabia to bolster forces loyal to exiled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, military sources said.Armoured vehicles have crossed the Wadia border point in Hadramawt province, heading to Marib, where loyalists are preparing a large offensive, a military official told AFP.The coalition has also deployed eight Apache helicopters that will be based at the Safir oil fields, the official said.The operation, aimed at driving the Huthis out of Marib and pushing west towards the capital, will begin in the next few days, the official said requesting anonymity.Bolstered by coalition air power and newly trained troops, Hadi loyalists have driven rebels out of Yemens second city Aden and four other southern provinces and are now fighting for control of the third city of Taez.In March, Huthi rebels and troops loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh advanced on Aden, where Hadi had taken refuge after escaping house arrest in Sanaa.Hadi later fled to Riyadh, which assembled an Arab coalition that mounted a fierce air campaign against the rebels.

Karachi: Police action kills 1 terrorist, 2 target killers arrested

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – East Investigation Police’s action on late Saturday night killed 1 terrorist while 2 target killers were arrested. The clash occurred in Karachi’s area of Baldia Etihad Town. The arrested target killers were involved in the killing of 24 individuals.Police say the target killers M alias Jimmy and Kamran alias Kami belong to a political party.

Farooq Sattar, spouse walk down the ramp in fashion show

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Farooq Sattar on Saturday walked down the ramp along with his wife in a fashion show, Dunya News reported.The couple gathered a lot of praise from the audience. The fashion show took place at the Expo Center where beauty and health brands from Pakistan and abroad showcased their products.MQM leader took to the ramp upon insistence from his wife and bagged a lot of praise and appreciation from the audience.The participants of the show termed it a pleasant surprise after seeing this side of the MQM leader. They took several photos and applauded for the couple.

PTI unveils dancing baba

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(Web Desk) – Who says Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is political party for young only. Party worker aged 70 , named Bashir Bhutto, was spotted dancing at a political rally as he danced to the beat at a rally held in Lahore.Awami Tehreek’s veteran party supporter Raja Nadeem also rose to prominence with his performances during the sit-ins in Islamabad.Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) Chacha Sabir is another party veteran who is known for his rhythmic dancing as he shakes his neck rapidly, to the amusement of onlookers and party workers alike.Clad in the colors of their party, all of the above mentioned party workers are the soul of a political rally and their participation puts color in every event.

Is 3-hour entry test enough to judge 12-year education: Discussion on Badal Dou

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LAHORE: (Dunay News, Web Desk) – The panel on Dunya News program ‘Badal Dou’ on Saturday discussed why the entry test is necessary/unnecessary in judging a student for higher education. Host Iftikhar Ahmad questioned the panelists if a 3-hour entry test was the right criteria to judge 12-year education of a student. Punjab’s Minister for Education Rana Mashhood told that the entry test system was introduced in 1998 in order to counter the ‘cheating mafia’ and also to match the standard of the international universities, reported Dunya News.The panel included provincial minister for Higher Education and Schools Education Punjab Rana Mashhood, Vice Chancellor ZAB Medical University Professor Dr. Javed Akram, Registrar King Edward Medical College Professor Dr. Atif Kazmi and former Chairman Lahore Board Dr. Ejaz Qureshi. The panel raised quite valid points for and against entry test system and a great discussion helped the people to understand the issue better. Education Minister Rana Mashhood said that Punjab government introduced entry test system in 1998 in order to counter the ‘cheating mafia’ and also to provide the universities with an opportunity to compete on international level. He told that the government was under pressure from international institutions about the validity of the degrees awarded by Pakistani universities and therefore, it was important to introduce the entry system in order to fight the rote learning and cheating mafia as well. He later told in the program that the government is going to make a law against tuition mafia as well.We are making law against tuition mafia as well, says Education Minister Punjab Rana Mashhood. EntryTestOrBoardExams— Dunya News (@DunyaNews) August 29, 2015 Dr. Ejaz Qureshi seconded Rana Mashhood on the reason of introducing entry test system. He said that it was necessary to introduce the entry test system back then because the international institutions were not ready to accept Pakistani institutions’ degress.We introduced entry tests in 1998 because intl institutions werent accepting our universitys degrees: Ejaz Qureshi EntryTestOrBoardExams— Dunya News (@DunyaNews) August 29, 2015 It is pertinent to mention here that last year a committee had been set up to discuss if the entry test should continue or the universities should rely solely on board examination only. Some of the members of the committee suggested ending entry test system. However, the chairman of Higher Education Commission opined that the entry into higher education institutions should be standardized because board examination system is not standardized.Higher Education Commission chairman said that entry into higher education institutions must be standardized. EntryTestOrBoardExams— Dunya News (@DunyaNews) August 29, 2015 When the host asked Rana Mashhood whether the majority members of that committee had agreed on ending entry system or not, the provincial minister said that there was a mixed result.Did majority members of a committee in Sep 2014 agree to end Entry Test, asks Iftikhar, denies Rana Mashhood EntryTestOrBoardExams— Dunya News (@DunyaNews) August 29, 2015 However, Iftikhar Ahmad repeatedly asked if 3-hour entry test was the right criteria to judge 12-hour education of a student. “What if that student is under pressure on that particular day? Does it mean that his 12-year education was useless?”, asked Ahmad. Atif Kazmi responded to this question, saying that if a student can’t perform in a 3-hour entry test because of pressure, how can we count on him/her doing a medical surgery?If a student cant perform in 3-hour Entry Test, how can he/she perform in a medical operation, responds Atif Kazmi EntryTestOrBoardExams— Dunya News (@DunyaNews) August 29, 2015 Dr. Javed Akram raised some very valid points during the discussion. He said that the government must be appreciated for curbing cheating mafia in Punjab but the entry test is still there despite the fact that cheating has been curbed. “It means that the problem still persists”, he added.Dr. Javed Akram says govt is appreciated for ending cheating but entry test is still there, means problem persists EntryTestOrBoardExams— Dunya News (@DunyaNews) August 29, 2015 However, students have to compete on the international level, continued Dr. Akram, and the toughest challenge they face among the Asian students in universities abroad comes from the Indian students. He said that the government comes under pressure due to this competition at the international level.Students have to compete on intl standards and this brings the govt under pressure, says Dr. Akram. EntryTestOrBoardExams— Dunya News (@DunyaNews) August 29, 2015 Dr. Atif Kazmi said that even the BISE system is not standardized. A Lahore Board topped may not be equally good in the Sargodha Board examination. He also said that the students from suburban centers and rural areas perform better mainly because they have almost no distractions. Their TV and internet consumption is way below the students of Lahore or Rawalpindi, he said. He suggested to include Aptitude Test into Entry Test as well and said that 50% marks of the Entry Test should be allocated to Aptitude Test.Even the BISE system isnt standardized. A Lahore Board topper may not be topper in Sargodha Board, says Atif Kazmi EntryTestOrBoardExams— Dunya News (@DunyaNews) August 29, 2015 The panel agreed on the following points after a long discussion and brainstorming:Dr. Ejaz Qureshi wrote a differential note:

Lawyers end protest after Rangers assure to probe Haider Shah's murder

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – The lawyer community on Saturday protested against killing of a fellow lawyer Haider Shah in presence of police and ended it upon assurance from Rangers to probe the murder, Dunya News reported.According to details, Shah was shot dead in a broad day light in presence of the police. The police officials present at the moment ran for their own lives instead of intervening.Shah, former Joint Secretary Amir Haidar Shah was shot dead by terrorists near Hassan Square yesterday.The lawyer community initiated a strike and staged a sit-in protest against the government outside Rangers head office.The lawyers had boycotted the proceedings in the city court, Malir Court and subordinate courts. They locked down the doors of the city court causing postponement of several hearings.Meanwhile, a condemnation motion against murder of Shah and other lawyers was passed in the Karachi Bar Association’s General Body session.

Silence of international community on Indian aggression akin to rubbing salt on wounds: Raza Rabbani

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KASUR (Dunya News) – Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani said on Saturday that the silence of international community on Indian aggression akin to rubbing salt on wounds. He stated that Indian should be well aware of the befitting reply in case of aggression, reported Dunya News.Talking at a press conference of 258th urs of Baba Bulleh Shah, Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani condemned the aggression by Indian security forces. He said that the silence of international community at a time when India is pursuing aggressive tactics is like ‘rubbing salt on wounds’.Senator Raza Rabbani said that Kasur incident shows that the society has become socially and morally bankrupt adding that no condemnation is enough for the incident. He said that the culprits behind the incident should be hanged and a law should be passed in Senate to protect the rights of children.

'Free Candy' Van Upsets Sacramento Residents

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NATOMAS (Web Desk) -- The sad truth is that the vans parents actually have to worry about will probably never be this conspicuous.Parents in Natomas, California, were worried earlier this week following reports of a suspicious van driving the streets of the Sacramento suburb. The white van had Free Candy painted in red on its side, along with handprints and smears leading to its rear doors. It also had no rear license plate.It just felt like they were trying to attract kids, and it just gave me a creepy feeling, Dominique Bellow told KOVR. She said her son took a photo of the vehicle after seeing it around town.I didn’t know what was going on so I just wanted to get evidence in case anything happened, 12-year-old Lawrence Bellow said.As it turns out, the van was a joke-on-wheels bound for this years Burning Man arts festival. Theres a tradition of Burning Man attendees driving art cars to the weeklong party, which takes place in the Nevada desert.The decorated vehicles can get pretty outrageous, but it appears that some people just didnt see the dark humor in the Free Candy van.Dilapidated vans with Free Candy painted on the side are also an Internet meme.

Thousands join demo welcoming refugees to Germany's Dresden

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DRESDEN (AFP) - Thousands of people took to the streets of the German city of Dresden on Saturday to welcome refugees, an AFP journalist at the scene said, following a string of violent anti-migrant protests in the region.Led by protesters holding a huge banner that read Prevent the pogroms of tomorrow today, the crowds held the peaceful march through the eastern city under the watch of police in riot gear.Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here, they chanted.Police said 1,000 people joined the protest, which was called by the Anti-Nazi Alliance, while organisers put the numbers at 5,000.Dresden is the stronghold of the anti-Islam PEGIDA movement, whose demonstrations drew up to 25,000 at the start of the year.The eastern state of Saxony, which counts Dresden as its capital, has suffered a series of ugly anti-migrant protests, with the government saying Friday it was sending police reinforcements to the state.Heidenau, a town of around 16,000 inhabitants near Dresden, has become the focus of Germanys struggle to absorb a vast wave of asylum seekers that is expected to reach a record 800,000 this year.Several dozen people were injured in clashes last weekend between police and far-right protesters opposed to the opening of a new refugee centre in the town.Chancellor Angela Merkel was booed by far-right activists as she visited the centre this week, with about 200 people shouting traitor, traitor at her.Merkel said there would be zero tolerance for vile anti-migrant violence.Public opinion is largely behind her, with 60 percent of Germans polled by public broadcaster ZDF saying that Europes biggest economy is capable of hosting the asylum-seekers.

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Saturday, August 29, 2015

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Tennis: Out of the ordinary Coric has Nadal in sights

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NEW YORK (AFP) - When Borna Coric decided to invest in a tattoo on his right bicep, his mother condemned his teenage impulse as stupid.But should the highly-rated Croatian defeat Rafael Nadal for the second time in under a year at the US Open on Monday, Mrs Coric might just agree with her sons choice of inked words: There is nothing worse in life than being ordinary.Coric, the second youngest player in the top 100, was ranked outside the world 300 at the end of 2014.Now the 18-year-old heads for the seasons concluding Grand Slam event at Flushing Meadows ranked at 35 and poised to hand two-time champion Nadal yet another reason to wish for 2015 to end quickly.Coric has already enjoyed success in New York, winning the junior tournament in 2013.In the senior ranks, he defeated Nadal at Basel in October in what proved to be the Spaniards last match of 2014 before he shut down his season to have his appendix removed.It wasnt a fluke result as Coric then swept past Andy Murray on his way to the Dubai semi-finals in February where it took Roger Federer to stop him.Corics rise up the rankings has also caught the eye of world number one Novak Djokovic who invited him to hit over the winter.John McEnroe predicted Coric will be in the world top 10 within three years.Im happy that I have that kind of pressure and all the people expecting from me, said the Croatian.And obviously it is pressure, you know, but there is going to be for the next 10 or 15 years, so I need to deal with it and just take it as advantage.Earlier this year, Coric hired former Australian Open winner Thomas Johansson as his coach while ex-Wimbledon champion and compatriot Goran Ivanisevic acted as his mentor in his early days.Borna is going to be very, very good, Ivanisevic told atpworldtour.com.He is very strong mentally for his age, he is fast, and probably the player he is most similar to in style is Djokovic. Big occasions do not worry him.Coric made the second round in New York 12 months ago after coming through qualifying.At the French Open this year, he enjoyed his best run so far at a Grand Slam when he reached the third round, seeing off vastly experienced Sam Querrey and Tommy Robredo on the way.He made the second round at Wimbledon, playing two five-setters against Sergi Stakhovsky and Italys Andreas Seppi.Victory over 14-time major winner Nadal on Monday would be comfortably his biggest win and it is not the mission impossible it may have seemed two years ago when the Spaniard captured his second US Open.Nadal is enduring his worst slump in a decade after being dethroned as French Open champion and seeing his ranking slip to 10, his lowest since 2005.But win or lose, Coric knows time is on his side, time to gather even more tattoos.I like the tattoos, so I said, Why not? Im 18 now so I can do whatever I want, he said.So what did his mother say when she saw it?That Im stupid.

Golf: Spieth misses Barclays cut to lose No. 1 ranking

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EDISON (AFP) - Jordan Spieths reign as world number one came to an abrupt end on Friday after a missed cut at the Barclays ensured Rory McIlroy would return to top spot.The Masters and US Open champion had toppled McIlroy from the number one ranking two weeks ago with a runner-up finish to Jason Day at the PGA Championship.But in his first tournament since then, he endured two difficult days at Plainfield Country Club, where he followed up a first-round 74 with a 73 on Friday to miss the cut by five strokes with a seven-over total of 147.Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson was the halfway leader of the $8.25 million tournament, the first leg of the US PGA Tour playoffs.Watson rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt at the 18th to cap a two-under 68 for a seven-under total of 133.He separated himself from a quartet of players on 134 that included British Open champion Zach Johnson, who had five birdies without a bogey in a 65.Johnson was joined at six-under by Swedens Henrik Stenson (66) and Americans Tony Finau (69) and Jason Dufner (68).But it was Spieth in the spotlight as the 22-year-old Texan tried to rebound from a first round that marked his worst score in relation to par all season.He had confidently vowed to bounce back, but couldnt gain any traction as he followed a first-hole birdie with back-to-back bogeys at the fourth and fifth. Another birdie at the sixth was promptly followed by two more bogeys at the seventh and eighth.Spieth rallied briefly with birdies at 10 and 11, but ended up with a double-bogey seven at the par-five 12th where he incurred a penalty for stepping on his ball while he was looking for it in a grassy hazard.Tough week, said Spieth, who was already certain to miss the cut when he capped his round with a bogey at 18.As a result, McIlroy -- who skipped this weeks tournament -- will return to number one in the world when the rankings are updated on Monday.Spieth and McIlroy are both scheduled to tee it up next week at the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston as the playoffs progress toward the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta, where a $10 million playoff bonus will be up for grabs.I dont know exactly what Im going to do from here as far as how I get prepared for next week, Spieth said, welcoming the Friday start to next weeks event. I have some time to figure it out.Spieth has fashioned one of the great seasons in golf with his first two major victories. He missed a playoff at the British Open by one stroke to finish with a share of fourth before his runner-up finish to Day in the final major of the year.He has also won two other US PGA Tour titles, and hadnt missed a cut since the Players Championship in May -- one of just two prior missed cuts in 2015.When he tees it up next week, Spieth said, hell be thinking about winning the playoffs -- and letting the number one ranking take care of itself.That ranking, its great once you reach it but its not something that Im going to live and die on each week, he said. In my mind, its just about trying to win the FedEx Cup at this point.Spieth went into the Barclays atop the FedEx Cup standings, although Watson could overtake him with a win. With the Tour Championship counting the most toward grabbing the bonus, Spieth said he was far from out of it.Billy Horschel won the FedEx Cup after missing the cut in the first event last year and Im in a better position to win the FedExCup than he was at the time, Spieth said. So why cant I do it, you know?

Athletics: Schippers scorches Beijing, Merritt misses golden send-off

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BEIJING (AFP) - Dutch sprinter Dafne Schippers ran into the history books after scorching to world 200m glory on Friday, but there was no golden send-off for Aries Merritt before next weeks kidney transplant.Schippers, the 100m silver-medallist, clocked an electrifying 21.63sec, the fourth fastest time in history, as she lunged at the line to beat Jamaicas Elaine Thompson, who timed a personal best of 21.66sec -- the fifth fastest time ever.It was a remarkable win for Schippers, 23, who eclipsed the European record of 21.71sec set by Marita Koch in 1979 and matched by fellow East German Heike Drechsler in 1986.Only Americans Marion Jones and world record-holder Florence Griffith-Joyner have run the 200m faster than Schippers, who won hepathlon bronze at the Moscow worlds two years ago.But Schippers was quick to distance herself from doping allegations that plagued Koch, Drechsler, Jones and Flo-jo.I know Im clean and I work very hard for it, said Schippers. I do all the dope controls and I dont want to say more than that.The Dutchwoman added: Im very happy with my time and the European record. I hoped coming here for the gold medal and a time under 22 seconds.I did it but I cant believe it.However, there was no golden send-off for Merritt in the mens 110m hurdles, his final race before returning Saturday to the United States for a kidney transplant.The Olympic champion and world record holder won bronze behind two-time European champion Sergey Shubenkov of Russia and Jamaican Hansle Parchment.It means the world to me to be back here and to get a medal, said Merritt, who will receive a kidney from his sister on Tuesday after being diagnosed with a rare disease in the wake of the 2013 worlds in Moscow.I am looking forward to my kidney transplant. My sister will give me one and this is why she did not come to Beijing -- she didnt want to endanger the transplantation.The evenings two other medal events were shared between Jamaica and the US, Danielle Williams winning the 100m hurdles for the former and Tianna Bartoletta crowned long jump world champion thanks to a final effort of 7.14 metres.The first gold medal of the day broke a win drought for hosts China as Liu Hong led Lu Xiuzhi to a one-two in the womens 20 kilometres walk.Liu timed 1:27.45 for gold with Lu on her shoulder. Ukraines Lyudmyla Olyanovska took bronze at 28sec.Elsewhere American Ashton Eaton sat in pole position of the gruelling multi-discipline decathlon.The world record-holder and defending champion, also reigning Olympic and two-time world indoor champion, timed 10.23sec in the opening 100m before leaping a best of 7.88m in the long jump, both leading performances.Eaton, whose Canadian wife Brianne Theisen Eaton claimed silver behind Jessica Ennis-Hill in the womens heptathlon, then managed a best of 14.53m in the shot put, 2.01m in the high jump and a scintillating 45sec dead for the 400m to leave him on 4,703 points overnight.Canadian Damian Warner sat in second with 4,530 points, with Germanys Rico Freimuth third (4,406), with Saturdays second day of action comprising the 110m hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and final strength-sapping 1500m.I was just trying to have fun said Eaton. Its all about having fun.

Motorcycling: Lorenzo tops British MotoGP times

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SILVERSTONE (AFP) - World championship pace-setter Jorge Lorenzo continued where he left off in the Czech Republic last week when he set the fastest time Friday in practice for the British MotoGP.The Yamaha rider, who tops the series courtesy of having more wins than teammate Valentino Rossi despite the two being locked on 211 points, clocked 2min 02.338sec.That was 0.033sec better than two-time champion Marc Marquez on a Honda while nine-time world champion Rossi was down in 10th spot, 0.989sec off the pace.Britains Bradley Smith, on a Yamaha Tech3, was a surprise third fastest, 0.193sec behind Lorenzo.Lorenzo, a three-time winner at Silverstone, nipped ahead of Rossi in the world championship last weekend after winning the Czech MotoGP for his 38th career victory at the elite level.The feeling has been good from the beginning. I didnt expect to improve so much in the afternoon session on my first run, but my lap time was suddenly a second quicker and was fast enough for me to stay in first position, said Lorenzo, a five-time winner in 2015.We still need to improve our pace a little bit, because the track is very cold and this made the tyre go down a little bit after every run. The car racing at Silverstone is making the asphalt very bumpy, especially on braking, and I think its a bit slower compared to last year, but the bikes seem to be faster, making the lap times similar.Rossi admitted his afternoon session had been compromised by a lack of rear grip on his Yamaha.Here in Silverstone the weather is always a big question mark and just like everybody else we would prefer all practice sessions to be dry, but that might not be possible because the weather is becoming worse, said the Italian.Fortunately Im in the top ten, so its not a big problem if we have a wet practice tomorrow, but we all hope for a dry session so we can improve the setting.Rossi has a best finish at Silverstone of third last year since the race was switched from Donington Park in 2010.

Cycling: Lindeman wins Vuelta stage as Froome struggles in the mountains

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ALTO DE CAPILEIRA (AFP) - Dutch rider Bert Jan Lindeman won Fridays seventh stage of Spains Vuelta at La Alpujarra summit during a first stage in the mountains which proved gruelling for Britains Chris Froome.The Lotto-Jumbo rider withstood the searing Andalusian heat, powering ahead of Belarusian Ilia Koshevoy of Lampre and Italys Fabio Aru of Astana at the line.Frances Jerome Cousin of Europcar finished fourth after taking a tumble in the final straight while en route to victory.Colombian Johan Esteban Chaves of Orica-GreenEdge holds the leaders red jersey, gaining valuable time on Tour de France winner Froome, who crossed the line some 27 seconds behind the favourites.Skys Froome is bidding for a Tour-Vuelta double but fell outside the top ten in the overall standings and is now 12th at 1min 22sec after the first test at altitude. The summit finish favoured the breakaway group with five riders including Lindeman building up a 13-minute lead on the peloton at one point with the Dutch rider proving the strongest and most cunning in the final race for the line.For me, its unexpected to win on our arrival in the mountains, with so many riders targeting the overall standings, said Lindeman.The 26-year-old cleverly let his rivals tire themselves out by repeatedly attacking before he broke through with the decisive acceleration.Its never easy, said Chaves, 25.It was a long day with sweltering heat. Im very happy, each extra day in the red jersey is an important day.I feel good, my legs are very good. To be with the best is an honour for me.Froomes title rivals -- Fabio Aru (Astana), Nairo Quintana, Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) - all profitted from the Britons difficulties.27 seconds is a considerable amount of time against an important rival, said Quintana, second in the Tour de France this year behind Froome.Saturdays eighth stage will leave Andalusia with the 182.5km run from Puebla de Don Fadrique to Murcia largely set to favour the sprinters despite a category three climb to cross twice in the final 40km.

Australia regain Women's Ashes

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LONDON (AFP) - Australia regained the womens Ashes with a 20-run win over England in the second Twenty20 international at Hove on Friday.Victory gave Australia an unbeatable 10-4 points lead in the multi-format series, which concludes with a now dead rubber Twenty20 in Cardiff on Monday.England captain Charlotte Edwards elected to field after winning the toss and then saw her side restrict Australia to a seemingly meagre 107 for seven in 20 overs.But England in reply collapsed to 87 all out -- their lowest score in a Twenty20 international -- with recalled seamer Rene Farrell taking three for 17 to win the player-of-the-match award.Ellyse Perry and Farrell both took two wickets in an over as England slumped to 28 for five after their six-over power play.Experienced England batsmen Edwards and Sarah Taylor both fell for eight and the hosts never recovered from seeing two of their best players fall so cheaply.England came into this match with their confidence boosted by a seven-wicket win in the first Twenty20 at Chelmsford on Wednesday.Australia, the reigning 50-over and Twenty20 world champions, had previously won the one-off Test and two of the three one-day internationals.England knew they needed to win all three Twenty20 matches to level the overall score at 8-8 and so retain the Ashes by virtue of holding them prior to this series.But having done well in the field at Hove, they panicked with the bat as Australia, well led by 23-year-old captain Meg Lanning, won their first Ashes in England since 2001.Its nice to get our hands back on those Ashes, said Lanning. Everyone stepped up and players like Ellyse Perry and Rene Farrell led the way -- they were superb.Its an amazing feeling to win the Ashes in England, especially after such an all-round performance against a quality England side.A dejected Edwards said her side had been beaten by the better team.Its disappointing, but Australia completely outplayed us in the series and they deserve to win the Ashes, she said.I thought we did brilliantly with the ball and we should have chased 108, but we just werent good enough.We havent batted well throughout the series, really, and losing the Ashes will hurt for a while. But 2016 is a big year for us, including the T20 World Cup, and I think we have the players to bounce back.

Year-long Mars isolation experiment starting in Hawaii

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MIAMI (AFP) - Six people are about to shut themselves inside a dome in Hawaii for a year, in the longest US isolation experiment yet aimed at helping NASA prepare for a pioneering journey to Mars.The crew includes a French astrobiologist, a German physicist and four Americans -- a pilot, an architect, a doctor/journalist and a soil scientist.They are based on a barren, northern slope of Mauna Loa, living inside a dome that is 36 feet (11 meters) in diameter and 20 feet (six meters) tall.In a place with no animals and little vegetation around, they will close themselves in on Saturday, marking the official start to the 12-month mission.The men and women have their own small rooms, with space for a sleeping cot and desk, and will spend their days eating foods like powdered cheese and canned tuna, only going outside if dressed in a spacesuit, and having limited access to the Internet.So what kind of person wants to spend a year of their life this way?Crew member Sheyna Gifford described the team as six people who want to change the world by making it possible for people to leave it at will, she wrote on her blog, LivefromMars.life.Crew architect Tristan Bassingthwaighte said he will be studying architectural methods for creating a more habitable environment and increasing our capability to live in the extreme environments of Earth and other worlds, according to his LinkedIn page.Hoping to learn a lot he added.Any astronauts that go to Mars are facing a trip that would last far longer than the six months that humans typically spend at the orbiting International Space Station.NASAs current technology can send a robotic mission to the Red Planet in eight months, and the space agency estimates that a human mission would take between one and three years.With all that time spent in a cramped space without access to fresh air, food, or privacy, conflicts are certain to occur.The US space agency is studying how these scenarios play out on Earth -- in a program called Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) -- before pressing on toward Mars, which NASA hopes to reach sometime in the 2030s.The first HI-SEAS experiment involved studies about cooking on Mars, and was followed by a four-month and an eight-month co-habitation mission. NASA is spending $1.2 million on these simulations, and has just received funding of another million for three more in the coming years according to principal investigator Kim Binsted.That is very cheap for space research, she told AFP by phone from Hawaii.It is really inexpensive compared to the cost of a space mission going wrong.Binsted said that during the eight-month co-habitation mission, which ended earlier this year, conflicts did arise.She said she could not go into detail about the nature of them, without breaching confidentiality of the crew.But the crew was able to work through their problems, she said.I think one of the lessons is that you really cant prevent interpersonal conflicts. It is going to happen over these long-duration missions, even with the very best people, she told AFP.But what you can do is help people be resilient so they respond well to the problems and can resolve them and continue to perform well as a team.Binsted said the first scientific results from the missions should be made public about a year from now.Jocelyn Dunn, a crew member from the previous eight-month mission, said she came to love the inside jokes among the crew, doing daily workouts, and learning to cook things like bagels and pizza dough with the ingredients on hand.I guess I got a taste of marriage, albeit a hexagon of relationships rather than a dyad, she wrote on her blog.Then, just days after the mission ended in mid-June, she described the joy of being on Earth again, eating fresh vegetables, using a knife to cut meat, swimming, and drinking soda and champagne.I couldnt believe how much I had missed the flavors and textures of a juicy steak, she wrote.

Oil prices pump out big two-day rally

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Crude oil prices scored big gains for a second straight day Friday, capping a wild week as traders seemed to view the recent nose-dive as overdone.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for October delivery jumped $2.66 (6.3 percent) to finish at $45.22 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent North Sea crude for October, the European benchmark, closed at $50.05 a barrel in London, a leap of $2.49 (5.2 percent) from Thursdays settlement.Over the week, WTI gained 11 percent, its strongest weekly increase in four and a half years, after the contract slid Monday to its lowest close in six and a half years, at $38.24 a barrel. Brent was up about 10 percent, its best gain since 2009.Both contracts had soared by about 10 percent on Thursday, rebounding from six-year lows, after news the US economy grew at a better-than-expected annual rate of 3.7 percent in the second quarter.On the supply side, the rebound was supported by Shells shutdown Thursday of two key pipelines in Nigeria, curtailing a large amount of crude for export, because of leaks and sabotage.Its just incredible, said Phil Flynn of Price Futures Group. The reason why oil prices have come back is were feeling the sell-off was overdone.Most of the sell-off wasnt about demand destruction but fears of future demand destruction, he said.Crude fell below $40 a barrel on Monday as investors worried that Chinas slowing growth and stock market turmoil would grind the global economy to a standstill, he said.But now, you look at the economic data thats coming from both Europe and the US, those fears that the China slowdown is having a big impact on the global economy are probably overstated.Other experts pointed to the global oversupply as a continuing weight on the market, where prices have fallen about 50 percent since the mid-2014 peaks. The petroleum markets remain highly volatile, with traders required to act first and evaluate later, said Tim Evans of Citi Futures.Evans noted that oil traders appeared more impressed with the Shanghai stock markets 4.8 percent gain Friday, rather than its nearly eight percent loss over the week.Whats far from clear is whether, or to what extent, the underlying fundamentals have improved.

Dollar up as Fed's Fischer keeps September rate rise alive

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The dollar picked up strength Friday after Stanley Fischer, the Federal Reserve vice chair, said a rate hike is still possible in September.Speaking on the sidelines of the Feds central banking symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Fischer acknowledged that the turmoil rooted in China had raised some questions about the economic situation, even if US data remains good.The change in the circumstances which began with the Chinese devaluation is relatively new and we are still watching how it unfolds. So I wouldnt want to go ahead and decide right now, he said in a CNBC interview.We are dealing with something which happened about 10 days ago, particularly the change in the circumstances. Weve got a little over two weeks before we make the decision and weve got time to wait and see the incoming data and see what exactly, what is going on now in the economy.Fischers comments gave the dollar a push to $1.1188 per euro, compared to $1.1239 late Thursday.The greenback also rose to 121.52 yen and to $1.5399 against the pound.The recovery of major equity markets at the end of the week eased some of the stress among traders worldwide, but worries remained over how Chinas slowdown and continuing pressures on the yuan would spill through the global economy.After having slipped against the dollar between Tuesday and Thursday, the yuan pulled back up 0.2 percent Friday to 6.3896 per dollar, roughly the same level it held after the currency was modestly devalued just over two weeks ago.

Smith grateful for Ireland 'work-out' ahead of England series

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BELFAST (AFP) - Australia captain Steven Smith described his sides rain-affected victory over Ireland as a good work-out ahead of the five-match one-day international series against England which starts next week.The squad now head to Cardiff for a lone Twenty20 international against England in the Welsh capital on Monday, but Smith was happy all the boys got what they needed from the game in Belfast.Australia, in their first ODI since beating New Zealand in the World Cup final in Melbourne in March, posted 222 for six in a first innings cut short by rain to 40.2 overs.Man-of-the-match David Warner made 84 and Joe Burns, on his ODI debut, 69 as the openers put on 139 for the first wicket before Ireland, crickets leading non-Test nation, fought back with the ball.Further rain interruptions left Ireland with a revised target of 181 in 24 overs.They were going well with Ed Joyce (44) and Niall OBrien (45) adding 86 for the third wicket, but after off-spinner Glenn Maxwell broke the stand Australias fast bowlers swept Ireland aside, with the hosts eventually dismissed for 157.It was a frustrating day going on and off but Davy Warner and Joe Burns on debut played really nicely, said Smith in his first match as full-time Australia captain following the retirement of Michael Clarke after the 3-2 Ashes defeat by England.In the middle order, we lost a few wickets in clumps which was disappointing but Im not reading too much into that. It was our first game of white ball cricket since the World Cup final.And with the ball, I thought we were pretty good. Nathan Coulter-Nile with the new ball hit good areas and Pat Cummins looked like he was bowling with good pace.Stuart Thompson, who scored 24 off 16 balls, including two sixes off Maxwell, would agree.One delivery from the 22-year-old Cummins broke Thompsons bat as he attempted a pull shot.At the end of that over, the 19th, Ireland needed just 46 more runs to win but Mitchell Starc, the worlds number one ranked ODI bowler, and Cummins were just too good for the Ireland lower-order.Smith surprised most observers by choosing to bat first.Its another ODI and we wanted to win this game and batting first, posting a good total and then putting them under pressure was the best way, said Smith.It looked like it was going to be a slow wicket but I wanted us to get a good hit. It was nice for a few guys to spend time in the middle and I think we got everything we wanted out of this game.Smith added: Ed Joyce and Niall OBrien got a partnership going but I always thought we were just one wicket away from cracking it open and it turned out to be that way.Ireland captain William Porterfield was happy with his sides performance, particularly in taking six wickets for 75 runs after Australias impressive opening stand, but admitted the world champions quality was evident at the finish.I thought we played quite well and came back strongly in both innings, Porterfield said.It is one of the harder periods in 50-over cricket to take wickets, through the middle period, so that was really pleasing against such quality opposition and then to come back from losing two early wickets, Ed and Niall set us up for a big finish.But their class showed in the end.Ireland, in their latest example of giant-killing, beat the West Indies at the World Cup only to be denied a place in the quarter-finals by the Test side on net run-rate.Porterfield said the only way for Ireland to record similar wins was to play the top teams more often.We have only played two one-dayers since the World Cup and we have only three more planned before the start of next season, he explained.That is frustrating because the more fixtures we start getting, we will start winning. It becomes easier the more regularly you play.

Taylor's car antics leave owner stumped

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LONDON (AFP) - Former Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor was discovered asleep in someone elses car after Nottinghamshires victory over Durham in English county crickets One-Day Cup on Tuesday.Michael Whitaker, 45, from West Bridgford, Nottingham, was leaving for work on Wednesday when he found someone lying in his unlocked Chevrolet Matiz. It turned out to be the 29-year-old Taylor, now a batsman with Midlands county Nottinghamshire.Neither myself, the police or Brendan knew what to do, Whitaker told the Nottingham Post newspaper. I dont think he knew where he was but he was very apologetic and it quickly became clear that it was very innocent.Whitaker added: Realising who it was made it even funnier because how often do you find an international cricket star asleep in your car? Nottinghamshire Police said: We attended the scene but the car had not been broken into and no offences had been committed. The man in the car was extremely apologetic and even offered to get the car valeted. Neither Taylor nor Nottinghamshire have commented.

News of increase in nuclear arsenal baseless: FO

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Spokesperson Foreign Office said on Friday that the news of increase in Pakistan’s nuclear stockpile is baseless. Pakistan is committed to maintaining a minimum amount of nuclear stockpile, reported Dunya News.Reacting to a report by an American agency, Foreign Office stated that Pakistan’s nuclear program is peaceful and responsible whereas Pakistani endeavors to keep its nuclear stockpile at a minimal number.The spokesperson said that Pakistan had given a number of suggestions regarding establishment of peace in the region but India ignored them.Signing nuclear agreements is prelude to regional instability, said the Spokesperson.

Jihadist hacker killed in US air strike was recruiter: Pentagon

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - A jihadist hacker who was killed this week in a US air strike in Syria was actively recruiting Islamic State sympathizers to carry out lone wolf attacks in the west, the Pentagon said Friday.Colonel Patrick Ryder, a spokesman for the US Central Command, said Junaid Hussain was specifically targeted in an air strike that killed him August 24 in Raqqa, Syria.He declined to confirm reports that a drone was used to kill Hussain, but he said the British-born jihadist and propagandist was the sole casualty of the air strike.He was involved in actively recruiting ISIL sympathizers in the West to carry out lone wolf style attacks, Ryder said, using an alternative acronym for the Islamic State group.Hussain was believed to be behind a number of cyber attacks, including on Central Command websites and Twitter accounts.Ryder said he was responsible for releasing personally identifying information of approximately 1,300 US military and government employees and specifically sought to direct violence against US service members and government employees.This individual was very dangerous, said Ryder. He had significant technical skills.Still, a US defense official said that as a hacker Hussain was not in the top ranks.The information he posted about US military personnel was cobbled together from open sources on the Internet, and were not obtained by penetrating Pentagon computers, the official said.In 2012, he was sentenced to six months in prison in Britain for illegally gaining access to former British prime minister Tony Blairs address book and publishing information from it.He was also cited by two gunmen who attacked an exhibit featuring cartoon images of the Prophet Mohammed on May 3 in Garland, Texas.In Twitter messages just before the attack, which was repelled by police, the assailants called on people to follow Hussain, who reportedly responded on Twitter after the shooting: Allahu Akbar 2 of our brothers just opened fire.

US oil rallies second day; WTI up 6.3%

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NEW YORK (AFP) - US oil prices surged higher for a second straight day Friday, with the US benchmark contract gaining 6.3 percent.West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for October delivery jumped $2.66 to finish at $45.22 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. On Thursday WTI prices rocketed 10.3 percent, rebounding from more than six year lows.

Lahore on red alert after major terror attack warnings

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LAHORE: (Dunya News) – Intelligence reports have on Friday warned of major terror attack in Lahore. Important political personalities and installations of Punjab may be targeted. Security has been tightened in the provincial capital, reported Dunya News.According to intelligence sources, a major terror attack may strike the provincial capital of Punjab. There are intelligence reports of 5 terrorists entering Lahore from North Waziristan. Security has been tightened around all the important installations of the city.

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