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UN to vote today on Syria sanctions despite Russia veto pledge
Pentagon presents new anti-IS plan to Trump
Syria opposition seeks Russian clarity at Geneva talks
Trump meets China's top diplomat amid tensions
Asian markets rise, dollar holds gains ahead of Trump speech
Football: Cup is not a side issue for Manchester City, says Fernandinho
13th ECO summit to be held in Islamabad tomorrow
Ex-Test players to develop young Aussie talent
Karachi: Two terrorists among seven accused arrested
Karachi: 148 Afghan nationals rounded up in crackdown
Shujaabad: Landlord tortures farmers family
'Panama Papers' media consortium becomes independent
Hales called up to England tour after rapid recovery
SpaceX to send two tourists around Moon in 2018
Football: Late Belotti brace stuns Fiorentina

UN to vote today on Syria sanctions despite Russia veto pledge

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UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council is set to vote on Tuesday on a bid by Western powers to ban the supply of helicopters to the Syrian government and to blacklist Syrian military commanders over accusations of toxic gas attacks, despite a pledge by Russia to veto the move.The Security Council showdown - pitting Syrian ally Russia against the United States, France, Britain and others - comes amid U.N.-led peace talks between the warring Syrian parties in Geneva, which began last week.A resolution needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes by the United States, France, Russia, Britain or China to be adopted.Russia has vetoed six Security Council resolutions on Syria since the conflict started in 2011. China joined Moscow in vetoing five resolutions. It was unclear how Beijing planned to vote on Tuesday.Britain and France first circulated the draft resolution to the 15-member council in late December in response to the results of an investigation by the U.N. and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).The international inquiry found Syrian government forces were responsible for three chlorine gas attacks and that Islamic State militants had used mustard gas.British U.N. Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said on Monday that the Security Council needed to send a strong, clear message that the international community means business on preventing the use of these abhorrent weapons.Chlorines use as a weapon is banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention, which Syria joined in 2013. If inhaled, chlorine gas turns to hydrochloric acid in the lungs and can kill by burning lungs and drowning victims in body fluids.Syrian President Bashar al-Assads government has denied its forces have used chemical weapons. Russia has questioned the results of the U.N./OPCW inquiry and long said there was not enough proof for the Security Council to take any action.Russias Deputy U.N. Ambassador, Vladimir Safronkov, told reporters on Friday that Moscow would veto the draft resolution.The draft text seeks to ban the sale or supply of helicopters to the Syrian government because the U.N./OPCW inquiry found Syrian government forces had used helicopters to drop barrel bombs containing chlorine gas.The draft resolution also proposes targeted sanctions - a travel ban and asset freeze - on 11 Syrian military commanders and officials, as well as on 10 government and related entities accused of developing and producing chemical weapons and the missiles to deliver them.

Pentagon presents new anti-IS plan to Trump

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The Pentagon presented the White House with possible new battle plans Monday to defeat the Islamic State group, after President Donald Trump demanded top brass find additional ways to destroy the jihadists.A pillar of Trumps campaign was to quicken the fight against IS, which despite losing thousands of fighters still controls parts of northern Syria and Iraq, and he berated Barack Obamas administration for taking too long to do so.Trump had claimed to have a secret plan to defeat the brutal extremists, but never disclosed what this might be. He repeatedly pledged to bomb the hell out of them and even threatened to kill family members of suspected IS fighters.Shortly after taking office, the new president gave the Pentagon 30 days to review progress to date and develop a comprehensive plan to totally obliterate IS.A US-led coalition has been bombing the jihadists in Iraq and Syria since late summer 2014, while also deploying Western commandos to train and advise local forces.The initial draft of the review is now complete, and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis presented the findings to Trumps top national security advisors.The options outlined in the classified document are preliminary and need to be further refined, said Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis.It is about the rapid defeat of ISIS, Davis said.Were going to continue to have a dialogue with our chain of command going forward and developing this plan.The proposals will likely outline the possibility of sending more US troops to the Middle East and could see the Pentagon taking a more aggressive stance in other key areas.This is not about Syria and Iraq, its about a trans-regional threat, General Joe Dunford, who chairs the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a Washington audience last week.In this particular case, were talking about ISIS, but its also Al-Qaeda and other groups that present a trans-regional threat.Dunford stressed the importance of renewed military action coming alongside diplomatic and political efforts.All of us who have participated in these conflicts over the last 15 years realize that anything we do on the ground has to be in the context of political objectives or its not going to be successful, Dunford said.The review includes input from across the government, including its spy agencies, State Department and Department of Homeland Security.Since the coalition effort to defeat IS began, the jihadists have lost much of the ground they once held, and tens of thousands have been killed in air strikes and ground combat.In Iraq, they are clinging to the last parts of their former bastion Mosul as Iraqi security forces backed by Western air power push them from the city.The fight is more complex in civil war-torn Syria, where Russia is conducting its own air campaign to prop up President Bashar al-Assad.A key question is whether America will arm Syrian Kurdish forces to lead the fight to retake Raqa -- a move sure to infuriate ally Turkey, which considers the Kurdish fighters terrorists -- or whether the United States should send in more combat troops.Currently, only about 500 US troops are in Syria, mostly special operations forces working behind the frontlines to train local Kurdish and Syrian Arab fighters.Because Obama was elected in 2008 on the promise of ending US conflicts in the Middle East, he was loath to put US forces in combat.The anti-IS review is also a significant first test for the relationship between Trump and Mattis.Trump has so far given the Pentagon chief broad leeway on shaping US military policy, even though the retired Marine Corps general has pushed back against much of Trumps more blustery rhetoric, including his professed support of torture and claim that America should seize Iraqs oil.

Syria opposition seeks Russian clarity at Geneva talks

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GENEVA (Reuters) - The main opposition group at Syrian peace talks in Geneva wants to meet Russian envoys to discuss what it says are Moscows broken ceasefire promises, a move diplomats say aims to put pressure on the Russian-backed Syrian government delegation.Russia has sought to revive diplomacy since its air force helped the Syrian army and allied militias defeat rebels in Aleppo in December, President Bashar al-Assads biggest victory in six years of war.Despite the announcement of a ceasefire, a weekend of bombings and air strikes in Syria has rattled the talks that began in Geneva last week.The Russians did not fulfil a ceasefire agreement despite the promises from the highest levels of the Russian delegation, Mohammed Alloush, a negotiator and member of the Jaish al-Islam rebel group, told Reuters.After a two-hour meeting with U.N. mediator Staffan de Mistura, the head of the opposition delegation Nasr al-Hariri said he had submitted two documents protesting against the grim humanitarian situation and violations of the ceasefire.Hariri said he believed Moscow was shifting its stance but that he wanted to see constructive support on Tuesday.He pressed for practical support that manifests itself in backing for the political process and the demands of the Syrian people by putting pressure on the (Syrian) regime to engage seriously in this process.Two diplomats said an eventual meeting was likely to include Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov and Middle East director Sergei Vershinin.Russia, Turkey and Iran have sponsored parallel talks, in the Kazakh capital Astana, where they reinforced the ceasefire. It paved the way for a resumption of U.N.-led mediations after a 10-month hiatus.Ahead of Thursdays opening ceremony, Moscow had called for the government to silence the skies, but violence has continued and the warring sides have traded blame while appearing no closer to actual negotiations.De Mistura said a militant attack in Homs on Saturday was a deliberate attempt to wreck the talks.The opposition wants to see the Russians to tell them to put pressure on the government or else this process will lead nowhere, said a Western diplomat.He said the Syrian government chief negotiator Bashar al-Jaafaris refusal to discuss anything beyond countering terrorism at a weekend meeting with de Mistura was a clear indication that Damascus was not committed.De Mistura, who is treading carefully to keep the talks alive, has so far talked to the two sides separately as he tries to forge an understanding of how to proceed in future rounds.He wants to get the two sides to accept an agenda that would be based on Security Council resolution 2254, focusing initially on a new constitution, U.N.-supervised elections and accountable governance.Russia and the United States were the prime movers behind the last peace talks, which halted as the war heated up. The United States is now taking a diplomatic back seat, leaving Moscow as the main power broker.

Trump meets China's top diplomat amid tensions

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump held his first face-to-face meeting with a member of Chinas leadership on Monday at a time of tensions between Washington and Beijing, and the White House said the Chinese visit was a chance to discuss shared security interests.State Councillor Yang Jiechi, Chinas top diplomat, was taken to see Trump briefly after talks with new US National Security advisor, H.R. McMaster, and Trumps son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said.After the meeting ended, I believe the state councillor was taken (and) had an opportunity to say hi to the president before he left, Spicer told a regular briefing.This was an opportunity to begin that conversation and talk to them on shared interests of national security,” he said of the meetings with Yang.Yang, who outranks Chinas foreign minister, is the first top Chinese official to visit the White House since Trump took office on Jan 20.His visit to Washington followed a phone call between Yang and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson last week, during which the two affirmed the importance of a constructive US-China relationship.It was the latest step by the worlds two largest economies to try to put relations back on an even keel after a rocky start following Trumps election victory.Trump has been a strong critic of Beijing, accusing China of unfair trade policies, criticising its island building in the strategic South China Sea, and accusing it of not doing enough to constrain its neighbour North Korea.Trump incensed Beijing in December by talking to the president of Taiwan and saying the United States did not have to stick to the one China policy, under which Washington acknowledges the Chinese position that there is only one China, of which Taiwan is a part.Trump later agreed in a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping to honour the one China policy in a diplomatic boost for Beijing, which vehemently opposes criticism of its claim to self-ruled Taiwan.Chinas state news agency Xinhua quoted a researcher at a government-backed Chinese think tank as saying a discussion of when and where Trump and Xi would meet first would be on the top of the agenda during Yangs visit.In an interview with Reuters on Thursday, Trump pressed China to do more to rein in North Koreas nuclear and missile programmes, saying Beijing could resolve the issue very easily if it wanted to.China dismissed Trumps remarks on Friday saying the crux of the matter was a dispute between Washington and Pyongyang.China has repeatedly called for a return to negotiations between Pyongyang and world powers.Plans for renewed contacts with North Korea in the United States were cancelled last week after the US State Department denied a visa for the top envoy from Pyongyang, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.

Asian markets rise, dollar holds gains ahead of Trump speech

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HONG KONG (AFP) - Tokyo led a rebound in Asian markets Tuesday as the dollar held on to the previous days gains while investors keenly await Donald Trumps speech to a joint session of Congress.Ahead of the much-anticipated address later Tuesday the new US president hinted he would make a big announcement on infrastructure policy, raising hopes he will deliver on a key campaign promise.Traders will also be looking for detail on tax reform -- another major pledge -- which this month he said would be phenomenal.Global markets and the dollar have surged since Trumps election win in November on expectations his planned measures will fire the US economy and fuel inflation, forcing the Federal Reserve to lift interest rates.While analysts say there is a worry the advance may have gone too far and investors are beginning to row back, with the dollar feeling the pinch, Trumps speech is growing in importance.President Trumps big address naturally has attracted a lot of anticipation in markets. There is a strong chance that it could be the catalyst for the next leg higher for the US dollar, bonds and stocks, Greg McKenna, chief market strategist at CFD and FX provider AxiTrader, said in a note.But there is also room for disappointment.The dollar got a shot in the arm Monday when the head of the Dallas Fed Robert Kaplan said he thought borrowing costs should be lifted sooner rather than later.His comments fuelled speculation the Fed could hike as soon as next month and come days before the central banks head, Janet Yellen, and her deputy Stanley Fischer are due to talk at the end of the week.The greenbacks improvement from Mondays levels around 112 yen provided support to Japans exporters, helping the Nikkei end the morning 0.7 percent higher.The gain came despite Japan logging its first fall in factory output for six months, which highlighted the ongoing struggle the countrys leaders face in trying to turn around the worlds number three economy.Hong Kong edged up 0.1 percent after a three-day losing streak and Shanghai added 0.3 percent. Sydney gained 0.5 percent, Seoul was 0.3 percent higher and Wellington put on 0.5 percent.The gains follow yet a 12th successive record close on Wall Street, with constructors benefiting from an expected surge in spending by the Trump administration.- Key figures around 0230 GMT -=================================Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.7 percent at 19,238.74 (break)Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 0.1 percent at 23,937.91Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.3 percent at 3,237.88Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0583 from $1.0587Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2434 from $1.2440Dollar/yen: DOWN at 112.60 yen from 112.70 yenOil - West Texas Intermediate: UP 10 cents at $54.15Oil - Brent North Sea: UP six cents at $55.99 per barrelNew York - Dow: UP 0.1 percent at 20,843.19 (close)London - FTSE 100: UP 0.1 percent at 7,253.00 (close)

Football: Cup is not a side issue for Manchester City, says Fernandinho

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MANCHESTER, United Kingdom (AFP) - Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho insists the FA Cup remains a priority for his side despite their bid to advance in the Champions League.Last weeks thrilling 5-3 victory over French side Monaco has left Pep Guardiolas side in a strong position to advance to the quarter-finals in a competition in which the coach has excelled throughout his career.But before the return leg, City must face second tier side Huddersfield Town in an FA Cup fifth round replay, with a place in the last eight of that competition at stake.And Fernandinho insists City are keen to add to their five successes in the FA Cup, the last one coming under Roberto Mancinis leadership six years ago.If we win we are in the quarter-finals and after that we can be at Wembley, Fernandinho told the clubs website.Its extremely important because the FA Cup its a beautiful competition and we want to go as far as possible.The support of our fans in the FA Cup will be very important. For us the aim is to be in the final.City flew to Abu Dhabi for a spell of warm weather training immediately after the Monaco victory, returning to Manchester on Monday.- Looking so confident -==========================Guardiola is likely to rest key players, ahead of Sundays Premier League visit to bottom side Sunderland, for the replay although, given the depth in his squad, City are certain to field a strong line-up.Fernandinho, 31, has proved particularly important for Guardiola this season as he has rotated his squad with the Brazilian used in a number of positions, including both full-backs spots as well as a variety of midfield roles.No matter what position I play, the aim is always to have possession of the ball, create supremacy, to allow the team to feel that we have more players in the midfield -- to help create more passes and chances, he said.I dont know what position I will be playing from now on. I will try to play as often as possible as a midfielder, but for me the most important is the teams victory and try to achieve a good position on the Premier League table.Huddersfield remain in contention for automatic promotion from the Championship, despite a weekend draw at Barnsley.Manager David Wagner has also been rotating his squad and is likely to do so again for the visit to Premier League opponents.We are looking so confident and so strong at the minute that I am not concerned about the fact that we have another match, said the German, who was assistant to his close friend Jurgen Klopp at Borussia Dortmund.Its another opportunity to test ourselves against a very good opponent.The players who came in for the first match gained a lot of confidence from the performance. They are very hungry to play again and show that they deserve a chance.We are not concerned about the number of matches. We played Tuesday when Barnsley were at home lying on the sofa, yet we were the team pushing right to the end to try and win it.It was good to see how we were fitness wise. It was a strong performance from the whole group and there is a really positive feeling in the dressing room.

13th ECO summit to be held in Islamabad tomorrow

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - The 13th Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit would be held in Islamabad tomorrow (Tuesday), reported Dunya News.There would be fool proof security as more than 6000 security personnel would be on duty. All the offices in Islamabad and Rawalpindi would be closed after 1 pm on 28 February and would remain closed on 1 March.Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan chaired a meeting in which it was decided that there will be two VIP routes for the guests and a bomb disposal squad would clear the route for them from airport to red zone.Rangers personnel would also look after the security situation in the area. The Kashmir highway would be closed for general public till night of 1 March for security reasons.Foreign Minister of Afghanistan, presidents of Azerbaijan, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Prime Ministers Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, and Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan will represent their countries at the ECO summit.

Ex-Test players to develop young Aussie talent

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SYDNEY (AFP) - Former Test stars Ryan Harris and Matthew Elliott were Tuesday appointed to nurture young Australian talent, with the pairs first assignment an under-19 series against Sri Lanka.Fast bowler Harris and batsman Elliott beat off competition from 38 other applicants to be picked as high performance coaches at the National Cricket Centre, entrusted with developing the countrys future stars.We have undertaken a thorough process to find the best coaches to mentor Australias emerging talent and we are extremely excited to have both Matthew and Ryan joining, said Cricket Australia executive general manager Pat Howard.Both have come through the Cricket Australia coaching pathway ... and have a strong understanding of the challenges that lie ahead in developing Australian cricketers to be ready for first-class and international cricket.Former high performance coach Graeme Hick has since been appointed as the Australia team batting coach, while the second coaching role is newly created.The pair start work next week. Their first assignment will be leading Australias under-19 side in a home series against Sri Lanka in April, with Elliott to coach the team and Harris his assistant.

Karachi: Two terrorists among seven accused arrested

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Police conducted an operation in SITE Area on Monday and arrested two terrorists of a banned outfit, Dunya News reported.The arrested terrorists were identified as Sahibzada and Usman. Two hand grenades and other ammunition was also recovered from their possession. Police sources said that the arrested terrorists were operatives of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan-Swat and members of Yasir Swati group.Police also arrested three accused during operation in Gabol Town area and recovered arms, one motorcycle and cash from them. Separately, two street criminals were taken into custody during operation in Soldier Bazar.On the other hand, some unidentified persons opened fire and killed 19-year-old Jahanzeb in Baldia Raeesgoth area.

Karachi: 148 Afghan nationals rounded up in crackdown

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Police arrested at least 148 Afghan nationals, residing illegally in Karachi, during a massive crackdown against foreigners in different parts of the city on Monday, Dunya News reported. The crackdown was launched on the directives of Inspector General (IG) Sindh.At least 59 Afghan nationals were taken into custody during an operation in Karachi East. One Afghan national and 35 other suspects were apprehended from Karachi South.Police also detained 88 Afghan nationals from Karachi West. Case under Foreign Act has been registered against the arrested Afghan nationals.

Shujaabad: Landlord tortures farmers family

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SHUJAABAD (Dunya News) – According to details, an influential landlord along with his seven armed accomplices entered the house of a poor farmer, Imam Bakhsh, in Wazirwala area of Shujaabad on Monday.The landlord and his armed accomplices stormed into the house of Imam Bakhsh and subjected his family members to torture after spraying red chilies in their eyes. Two women, Nasreen and Safia, were wounded in the attack and were shifted to Civil Hospital.According to Imam Bakhsh, the landlord wanted to buy his house and on refusal demolished the boundary wall of the house to occupy it forcefully.The armed attacker escaped from the scene when police arrived. The residents of the area staged a protest against the landlord and demanded his arrest. The SHO of the concerned police station has said that stern action would be taken against the culprits.

'Panama Papers' media consortium becomes independent

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The investigative reporting alliance known for uncovering the massive Panama Papers scandal has become an independent entity, a move that may help it expand globally, the group said Monday.The Washington-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists has been spun off the nonprofit Center for Public Integrity, according to statements from both organizations.The ICIJ gained notoriety last year by publishing leaked documents from Panama that linked some of the worlds most powerful leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, British prime minister David Cameron and others to unreported offshore companies.As of February 24, ICIJ is a fully independent nonprofit news organization, still headquartered in Washington and still committed to doing the best cross-border investigative reporting in the world, its statement said.We believe this new structure will allow us to extend our global reach and impact even farther and build on the lessons weve learned and the successes weve enjoyed.The statement added that investigative journalism remains an important endeavor and that today, more than ever, some stories are too big, too complex and too global to be tackled by lone-wolf investigative reporters or even individual news organizations.The centers in-house staff totals less than 15, but works with nearly 200 affiliated journalists from more than 60 countries, and on occasion with journalists from other news organizations.We are fortunate to be living in a golden era of information that can empower and strengthen investigative journalism, the statement said.We believe investigative reporting ought to be taking better advantage of technology and the new abundance of information. Despite all the problems that mainstream journalism faces these days, we see this as a time of opportunity.The New York Times reported last year that the ICIJ was being constrained by a financial squeeze at the Center for Public Integrity.CPI was founded in 1989 and won a Pulitzer Prize in 2014 for its report on how doctors and lawyers, working at the behest of the coal industry, helped defeat the benefits claims of miners suffering from black lung disease.

Hales called up to England tour after rapid recovery

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LONDON (AFP) - England opener Alex Hales should play a role after all in Englands tour of the West Indies after earning a call-up only a month after he had been omitted because of a right hand fracture.The 28-year-old Nottinghamshire batsman -- who has 11 Tests and 40 One Day Internationals under his belt -- suffered the injury during Januarys disastrous tour of India.However, having been left out when the original squad was announced on January 27th he has been summoned after a scan confirmed he has sufficiently recovered although he will still have to undergo rehab when he gets to the West Indies to ensure he is fully fit.Hales, who last year made Englands highest individual ODI score -- 171 against Pakistan at his Trent Bridge home ground -- will rejoin his international team-mates three days before the first match in Antigua on March 3.Hales tweeted: Antigua tomorrow. Cant wait to get back amongst itAlex Hales arrives tomorrow evening local time, the ECB confirmed. He will continue his rehab with us until the medical and coaching teams deem he is fit enough to join the squad officially.England are due to play a three match ODI series against the West Indians, two games in Antigua and one in Barbados.

SpaceX to send two tourists around Moon in 2018

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MIAMI (AFP) - SpaceX said Monday two private citizens have paid money to be sent around the Moon late next year, in what would mark the furthest humans have ever traveled to deep space.The United States has not sent astronauts to the Moon since NASAs Apollo missions of the 1960s and 70s.We are excited to announce that SpaceX has been approached to fly two private citizens on a trip around the moon late next year, said a statement by CEO Elon Musk.This presents an opportunity for humans to return to deep space for the first time in 45 years and they will travel faster and further into the solar system than any before them.The tourists, who were not named, have already paid a significant deposit, Musks statement added.Health tests and training are to begin later this year.Other flight teams have also expressed strong interest and we expect more to follow. Additional information will be released about the flight teams, contingent upon their approval and confirmation of the health and fitness test results, Musk said.The tourists will ride aboard the California-based companys Crew Dragon capsule, which is scheduled for its first unmanned test flight later this year.It is based on the design currently used to send cargo to the International Space Station, with upgrades to allow for human transport.The capsule will launch atop SpaceXs Falcon Heavy rocket, which is scheduled for its first test flight this summer.The rocket will be the most powerful vehicle to reach orbit after the Saturn V moon rocket, Musk said.At five million pounds of liftoff thrust, Falcon Heavy is two-thirds the thrust of Saturn V and more than double the thrust of the next largest launch vehicle currently flying.

Football: Late Belotti brace stuns Fiorentina

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MILAN (AFP) - Italy striker Andrea Belotti made amends for missing a second-half penalty for Torino with a late brace that secured a share of the points in a 2-2 draw at Fiorentina in Serie A Monday.In a clash helpful to both sides chances of qualifying for Europe next season, Fiorentina raced to a two-goal lead before half-time after Riccardo Saponara, in the eighth minute and Nikola Kalinic, with a 38th minute header, beat Joe Hart in the Torino net. Hart was otherwise heroic in a one-sided first half that saw the England keeper save at the feet of Kalinic then Borja Valero in the opening minutes, then deny Cristian Tello later on as the hosts piled on the pressure.Those stops proved crucial in a more balanced second half, in which Fiorentina added to their current woes by throwing away a two-goal lead for the second game in succession.When Carlos Salcedo fouled Lucas Boye, Torino were handed a lifeline, only for Belotti to sky his spot kick just after the hour.But the Italy front man was soon performing his trademark rooster celebration -- running away with his hand to his head imitating a rooters crown -- after reducing arrears only three minutes later by firing a loose ball in the area past Ciprian Tatarusanu.Five minutes from the end, Belotti was left unmarked at the back post to collect Daniele Basellis cross past the Fiorentina keeper to claim his 19th goal of the campaign, pulling level with leader Edin Dzeko of Roma.Fiorentina, who were whistled off the park by unhappy fans at the Artemio Franchi, remain in eighth place at six points behind AC Milan, who sit 19 points off leaders Juventus.Torino are ninth, five points adrift of Fiorentina.Juventus, aiming for a record sixth consecutive scudetto, boast a seven-point lead over second-placed Roma, who saw Radja Nainggolan hit a spectacular brace in a 3-1 win at Inter Milan on Sunday to keep the title race alive.The win was all the more important after Napolis title bid was dented by a 2-0 defeat at home to Atalanta on Saturday which left Maurizio Sarris men in third place, 12 points off the pace.Atalanta are fourth, one point ahead of Lazio and three ahead of Inter.