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Cricket - Sports

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Dunya TV

Dunya TV


Top-ranked Djokovic beaten by Berdych in Rome

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ROME (AP) - Novak Djokovic can't seem to find any consistency on clay courts. And with the French Open less than 10 days away, he will enter Roland Garros on the back of two early defeats.The top-ranked Serb wasted a chance to serve out the match and was beaten 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 by sixth-seeded Tomas Berdych in the Italian Open quarterfinals Friday.In the semifinals, Berdych will face six-time Rome champion Rafael Nadal, who defeated fellow Spaniard David Ferrer 6-4, 4-6, 6-2. While he struggled at times, Nadal appeared sharper than in his three-set win over Latvian qualifier Ernests Gulbis a day earlier.It's the second consecutive week that Djokovic has struggled, having also lost to Grigor Dimitrov in the second round of the Madrid Open after being bothered by a right ankle injury.Djokovic said he had been playing pain free this week.Still, he will need to get his game in shape in a hurry with the French Open, the year's second Grand Slam, starting May 26.I know I can play well on clay and so I shouldn't allow myself to have these drops, and let's hope it won't happen for Roland Garros, Djokovic said of the only major he hasn't won. I'm fine. I just lost my rhythm.Djokovic served for the match at 5-3 in the second set, but Berdych ripped a backhand winner that landed on the line on his first break point and won the final four games of the set.It's a very strange situation, Djokovic said. I played very well and was two points from winning. Then the entire match changed and I was a different player.Also, 36th-ranked Benoit Paire of France routed Marcel Granollers of Spain 6-1, 6-0 to reach his first Masters series semifinal. He'll next face either 17-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer or rising Polish player Jerzy Janowicz, who were playing a night match.In the women's tournament, top-ranked Serena Williams rolled past Spanish opponent Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 6-0 to extend her winning run to a career-best 22 matches.Williams had twice won 21 in a row before, although both of those runs came a decade ago, in 2002 and 2003.I've been pretty consistent, and pretty healthy knock on wood, Williams said. I feel great never felt better.Martina Navratilova established the longest women's win run in the Open Era at 74 matches in 1984.In the other half of the draw, two-time defending champion Maria Sharapova withdrew before her quarterfinal against seventh-seeded Sara Errani due to illness.Williams will next face either two-time Rome winner Jelena Jankovic or Romanian qualifier Simona Halep.Williams' only title here came in 2002, when she beat Justine Henin in the final. That was also the year she won her only French Open title. Last year in Paris, Williams lost in the opening round of a major for the first time, falling to 111th-ranked Virginie Razzano of France.Sharapova said he was struggling with an illness she first contracted last week, when she was runner-up to Williams in Madrid, although she showed no problems Thursday as she beat 16th-seeded Sloane Stephens 6-2, 6-1.I was already a bit off in Madrid and played though it and it came back last night and I got sick again and it's not smart to compete again, said Sharapova, adding that she had a fever after beating Stephens. Obviously with the French Open coming up it is important to make smart decisions.The withdrawal meant that Errani advanced to the semifinals. The Italian's opponent will be either third-seeded Victoria Azarenka or ninth-seeded Sam Stosur.World number three Roger Federer overcame big-hitting Pole Jerzy Janowicz 6-4, 7-6 (7/2) on Friday to set up a Rome Masters semi-final with French upstart Benoit Paire.Federer wrapped up the first set comfortably but in a tighter second set the Swiss was forced into a series of unforced errors by the service game of the giant 23-year-old from Lodz.Janowicz built a 5-4 lead in the second set after hitting two aces.But the Pole, standing at 2.03 metres tall, squandered a chance to level the match when he made two double faults in the 10th game.Federer fought back to level at 6-6 and dominated Janowicz in the tie-break.

Radwanska out of Brussels to aid French Open bid

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PARIS (AFP) - World number four Agnieszka Radwanska has pulled out of next week's Brussels WTA tournament in a bid to protect her injured shoulder ahead of the French Open.The Polish star has been carrying the injury throughout the claycourt season where she lost in the second round in Madrid as well as Rome.I have had some shoulder problems for a while & on clay it's getting a bit worse, Radwanska tweeted.I'm afraid it might get even worse, with RG (Roland Garros) and grass coming up. So I felt I had to pull out. It's upsetting, I wanted to defend my title.The French Open gets underway in Paris on May 26.

Cavendish claims fourth win at Giro, Wiggins out

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CHERASCO (AFP) - Mark Cavendish claimed his fourth win of the 96th Giro d'Italia on Friday after sprinting to victory in the 13th stage, at 254 km the longest of the race, from Busseto to Cherasco.Italian Vincenzo Nibali remained in the race leader's pink jersey with Australia's Cadel Evans in second place at 41secs.Earlier, top favourite Bradley Wiggins and defending champion Ryder Hesjedal pulled out of the race due to illness.Cavendish, a former world champion from the Isle of Man, took his 13th win from five editions on the Giro on Thursday.A number of teams, including Australians Orica-GreenEdge, whose top sprinter is Matt Goss, had hoped to stop the Manxman dominating again on one of the last remaining chances for the non-climbers.However their top finisher was Goss's lead-out man, Brett Lancaster, who finished in fourth, ahead of Italian Elia Viviani.After Viviani's Cannondale team had taken over the fast pace-setting in the final kilometre Cavendish began his sprint early but held on to keep Italian Giacomo Nizzolo and Slovenian Luka Mezgec off his wheel at the finish line.Earlier, a seven-man breakaway enjoyed a lead of nearly 14 minutes after escaping from the peloton at the 21km mark.However efforts by Goss and Cavendish's respective teams soon ate into their sizeable advantage, with Spaniard Pablo Lastras the last rider from that escape to be caught with 15km to race by a small counter-attacking group.Italian Giampaolo Caruso managed to attack solo from the new lead group with around 6.5 km remaining but was reeled in with 1.5 km left of the 4km home straight.Cavendish, who turns 28 next week, now has 14 Giro wins, 23 Tour de France wins and three stage wins from the Tour of Spain.On Saturday's 14th stage the race heads into the high mountains for a 168 km run between Cervere and Bardonecchia, with the finish line at the end of a 7.3 km ascent to Jafferau, where Belgian legend Eddy Merckx prevailed on the Giro's last visit, in 1972.

Wrestling federation to debate major changes

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MOSCOW (AP) - Wrestling's governing body is preparing for what could be the match of its life, holding a special congress in Moscow to discuss changes to modernize the sport and keep its place in the Olympics.Saturday's meeting of the federation, known by the acronym FILA, comes four months after the IOC executive board recommended that wrestling be dropped from the sports program of the 2020 Olympics.Wrestling has a chance to regain its place by beating out seven other sports vying for one available spot.All those sports are to make their case to the IOC at a meeting later this month in St. Petersburg. The other candidates are sport climbing, squash, wakeboarding, karate, wushu, roller sports and a combined baseball-softball bid.The final decision will be made by the IOC in September.

Atletico Madrid stun Real to win Spanish Cup

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MADRID (AP) - Miranda's extra-time goal completed Atletico Madrid's dramatic 2-1 comeback win against Real Madrid to win the Copa del Rey on Friday, with Cristiano Ronaldo and coach Jose Mourinho being sent off for the losing team.Ronaldo headed Madrid in front in the 14th minute, but Radamel Falcao set up Diego Costa to level for Atletico in the 35th.After Madrid had gone close by hitting the goal frame three times, Atletico claimed its first win over Madrid in 14 years when Brazilian defender Miranda headed in Jorge Koke Resurrecion's cross in the eighth minute of extra time.Mourinho was sent off for protesting in the 76th.Ronaldo received a straight red card for kicking Gabi Fernandez in the face in the 114th, setting off a sideline scuffle between the benches.

Oil gains to near $96 as investors eye US economy

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NEW YORK (AP) - The price of oil rose to near $96 a barrel on Friday ahead of the release of Conference Board's index of leading indicators for the U.S. economy.By early afternoon in Europe, benchmark oil for June delivery was up 45 cents to $95.61 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 86 cents on Thursday.The Conference Board's index attempts to gauge what's coming over the next several months investors will watch it for clues about the strength of the recovery in the world's largest economy.Analysts, however, say the upward momentum in oil prices may be limited amid signs that the U.S. and European economies still face considerable challenges.Applications for U.S. unemployment aid rose last week by 32,000 to a seasonally adjusted 360,000, the highest in six weeks, the Labor Department said this week. A report on housing was neutral, while manufacturing in the mid-Atlantic region fell.That data came on top of confirmation that the 17-nation euro region remained in recession after contracting for a sixth-straight quarter in the January-March period.Several forces should keep the region in recession, including continued fiscal austerity, poor credit conditions in peripheral economies and weak external demand, analysts at Capital Economics said in a market commentary.The U.S. is the only major advanced economy to have achieved steady growth since 2009. The latest data have been mixed, but the fundamentals look strong enough to sustain a solid, if unspectacular, recovery.Oil prices are likely to be limited also by a stronger dollar, which makes crude more expensive for traders using other currencies, and reports showing U.S. stockpiles of crude are near all-time highs.It is questionable whether the oil prices will be able to defy a stronger U.S. dollar for any length of time in view of the oversupplied market, said a report from analysts at Commerzbank in Frankfurt. It is estimated that OPEC is producing approximately 1 million barrels of crude oil per day more than is needed at present.Brent crude, a benchmark for many international oil varieties, was up 71 cents to $104.49 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.

Dollar surges, backed by positive US data

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The dollar marched higher Friday against other major currencies, buoyed by improvement in US data and signs that the Federal Reserve is not bothered about deflation.At 2100 GMT the euro was trading at $1.2834, down from $1.2881 late Thursday. The dollar rose to 103.19 yen, from 102.25, while the euro pushed to 132.44 yen from 131.74.The British pound fell to $1.5176 from $1.5266, and the dollar pushed to 0.9716 Swiss francs from 0.9647 francs.Friday's gains came on the heels of a rise to 83.7 of the University of Michigan index of consumer sentiment, the highest number since 2007. Also, the Conference Board's index of leading US economic indicators jumped by 0.6 percent in April.Also encouraging dollar buyers were comments from John Williams, head of the San Francisco branch of the Federal Reserve and close in thinking to Fed chief Ben Bernanke.In a speech late Thursday Williams said that the Fed could begin tightening monetary policy -- by cutting asset purchases -- as soon as this summer.Then, if all goes as hoped, we could end the purchase program sometime late this year, he said.Even so, he added to stem worries of a radical tightening, the stance of monetary policy would still be extremely stimulatory.Williams also suggested the Fed was not worried about deflation, after a series of data this week showed a clear fall in producer and consumer prices.He said he expects prices to rebound, but not so much that inflation will reach the two percent longer-run target over the next few years.As of yet, policymakers seem rather apathetic to the low inflation readings. Apparently even lower numbers are needed to capture their attention, said University of Oregon economist Tim Duy.

Pakistan beat Scotland by 96 runs

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LONDON (AFP) - Pakistan cruised to a 96-run victory over Scotland in Friday's limited overs international in Edinburgh despite the record-breaking efforts of Majid Haq.Scotland spinner Haq went into the clash at the Grange level with John Blain on 41 one-day international wickets and he shattered that record as he dismissed three Pakistan batsmen to move himself clear on 43.However his efforts were in vain as Pakistan, who won the toss and chose to bat, made 231 for seven and then bowled out Scotland for just 135.Pakistan were using the fixture as a warm-up for their Champions Trophy campaign, which begins against the West Indies at the Oval in London on June 7.And the tourists enjoyed some useful batting pratice as captain Misbah-ul-Haq top-scored with 83 not out, while opener Imran Farhat made 49.Saeed Ajmal and Junaid Khan both took three wickets for Pakistan as Scotland were skittled up in reply.Nasir Jamshed went for 20 before Scotland's Haq claimed his first wicket of the day when Josh Davey caught Mohammad Hafeez at backward point.Farhat moved to the brink of a half-century, only to be bowled by spinner Matt Machan when he miscued an attempted slog.Haq claimed the wickets of Asad Shafiq for seven and Umar Amin for three, before Kamran Akmal fell lbw to Neil Carter for 12.Misbah and Ajmal steadied the boat with a 51-run partnership for the seventh wicket, but the latter fell for 28 when he misjudged a scoop shot off Iain Wardlaw and the ball skidded into his stumps.The match had been Northamptonshire batsman Kyle Coetzer's first as Scotland skipper after he was named Gordon Drummond's replacement earlier this week.And he led by example as he top scored for the home side with 32.But in the end it proved to be a simple job for Pakistan to rattle through Scotland's lower order, with Rob Taylor falling at the death as Ajmal claimed another lbw.The teams will meet again in the second leg of their one-day international double-header on Sunday.

Anderson bowls England back into first Test

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LONDON (AFP) - James Anderson took his 300th Test wicket and then ended a bold counter-attack by New Zealand's Ross Taylor as England fought back in the first Test at Lord's.The two players lit up a Lord's bathed in artificial floodlight to counter the overhead gloom of Friday's second day, which ended with New Zealand 153 for four in reply to England's first innings 232 -- a deficit of 79 runs.Anderson took the first three wickets to fall, reducing the Black Caps to seven for two before dismissing Taylor for a scintillating 66.I'm quite happy I've got it out of way the early and can move on now and think about something else, Anderson told reporters after stumps.The 30-year-old, in his 81st match at this level, did not have long to wait for his 299th Test wicket after taking the new ball.One ball after Hamish Rutherford had cover-driven him for four, Anderson squared him up with an outswinger and England captain Alastair Cook, diving to his right, held an excellent low catch at first slip.Anderson struck again when Peter Fulton, the tourists' other opener, nicked a good length ball low to second slip Graeme Swann as the Lancashire seamer became only the fourth England bowler after Fred Trueman, Bob Willis and Ian Botham to take 300 Test wickets.New Zealand were now in dire straits, with Anderson's purple patch yielding two wickets for no runs in 17 balls.Taylor, however, responded with the innings of the match so far, stroking 13 boundaries -- only eight fewer than England managed in their entire innings.He was especially severe on Stuart Broad, cutting and cover-driving the fast bowler for two fours in as many balls.However, a partnership of 93 with Kane Williamson (44 not out) ended when Taylor was lbw to Anderson to leave the tourists 100 for three.I think the way they batted they were timid but at seven for two the momentum was back with them, said Taylor.I didn't intend to counter-attack, I just wanted to be positive and play as straight as possible. When you have that positive intent the looser balls come into your area.Anderson should have had a fourth wicket when Williamson, on 23, edged a full length ball but wicket-keeper Matt Prior, diving to his right, dropped a low one-handed chance.New Zealand did lose another wicket when fast bowler Steven Finn, on his Middlesex home ground, had Dean Brownlie lbw for 23 following a review of Australian umpire Steve Davis's original not out decision.They are all important wickets, said Anderson. Finny's wicket at the end of the day was very important for us because they were starting to build a partnership and we needed to get back in the game.That's done that and now we know we've got a chance tomorrow (Saturday) morning if we bowl well to make further inroads.Kiwi captain Brendon McCullum was one not out when the umpires finally decided the light was no longer playable and drew stumps.Taylor's was the first fifty of the match following an England innings where Jonny Bairstow top-scored with 41.Tim Southee, who removed Joe Root and Prior with successive deliveries, led New Zealand's attack with four for 58 after England, who continued to find scoring difficult, resumed on 160 for four.Southee made the breakthrough after an hour Friday with a bad ball that Root, on 40, obligingly glanced down the legside to wicket-keeper BJ Watling. Prior had frustrated New Zealand with an unbeaten hundred that ensured a draw and a 0-0 result in a three-match series when the teams last met in Auckland in March.But he was lbw first ball Friday to Southee.Stuart Broad survived the hat-trick but was soon plumb lbw for nought to left-arm seamer Neil Wagner. Bairstow was last man out, caught and bowled by Southee after nearly three hours' resistance.

Strauss wants Pietersen fit for Ashes

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LONDON (AFP) - Former England captain Andrew Strauss said Friday it was important for the sides Ashes prospects that star batsman Kevin Pietersen regained full fitness.Pietersen is currently sidelined with a knee problem and in his absence England struggled to 232 all out in the first innings of the first Test against New Zealand at Lords.Strauss retired from all cricket following a 2-0 series defeat by South Africa last year where Pietersen was dropped from the team for sending text messages critical of his captain to Proteas players.But Strauss, who succeeded Pietersen as England captain, always insisted the texts had not hastened his retirement.And on Friday, in an interview with Sky Sports at Lords, the former opening batsman said Pietersen was the best player hed played with.The vast majority of the time hes very easy to manage because he works really hard, hes very professional in the way he goes about his business, Strauss said.And we all know what he brings. As far as Im concerned hes the best player Ive ever played with, in terms of sheer talent, in terms of the ability to take the game away from the opposition -- hes outstanding, added Strauss, set to join five other ex-England captains in the Sky commentary box for the Ashes.But you know what youre getting with someone like Kevin, obviously. He has got a big ego, and he likes to be the centre of attention and thats always going to rub some people up the wrong way.But that is one of a challenges of captaincy -- bringing a disparate group of people together and making sure they all have a common purpose.Former opening batsman Strauss added: I think weve seen in this Test how much he (Pietersen) can change the tempo -- I think were missing him in this game...Its important for England hes fit.Three-times an Ashes-winner, Strauss led England to a 3-1 series victory the last time crickets oldest rivals met in Australia in 2010/11.In July, England will begin their bid for a third Ashes triumph in a row -- something they last managed back in the 1950s.However, Strauss said an England team now captained by his former opening partner Alastair Cook would have their work cut out against Australias pacemen.They have got a really a really good bowling attack -- it will be interesting to see how Mitchell Starc goes over here.But the area where they are weakest, youd say, is their batting.Some of these guys havent played much in England before and there are a lot of left handers in there.England off-spinner Graeme Swann will be licking his lips at the possibility of playing these guys on turning wickets.Its going to be closely contested series - Ashes always are and this one will be no different.

ME peace impossible sans Palestinian unity: Turk PM

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Middle East peace will prove impossible without Palestinian unity, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Friday, suggesting Ankara could help reconcile the Fatah and Hamas parties.The process of unity between Fatah and Hamas, this has to be achieved, Erdogan told a Washington think tank during a visit to the United States.If this reconciliation is not achieved, then I dont believe that a solution or result will come out of the Israeli-Palestinian discussions.And he revealed he had told Tony Blair, the special envoy for the Quartet of nations shepherding the talks, that Hamas has to be around the table for peace to emerge in the Middle East.He was speaking after he met on Thursday with US President Barack Obama and confirmed that he plans to visit the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip as well as Fatahs West Bank stronghold next month despite US opposition.The dual stops mean Erdogan would meet with the Hamas rulers of Gaza as well as with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, likely in Ramallah.Turkey, I think there is a lot that we can do because we can talk to Hamas, we can talk to Fatah... We want them to get together, to agree to each other, Erdogan told the Brookings Institution, speaking through a translator.If a reconciliation between the two Palestinian sides were reached I think that the talks with Israel would be moving forward more swiftly, he added.Washington has urged Erdogan to postpone any visit to the Gaza Strip, saying it would be a distraction from its efforts to revive the moribund Middle East peace process.As weve said consistently, we oppose engagement with Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization which remains a destabilizing force in Gaza and the region, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters.We urge all parties who share our interest in the creation of a Palestinian state to take steps that promote the resumption of peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel.Hamas and the more moderate Fatah have been estranged since the Islamic militants won a sweeping election victory to take control of Gaza in 2007.Erdogans announcement that he would also visit the West Bank appeared aimed at soothing US anger that he would meet with militant Hamas leaders in Gaza.Washington has stood fast in its support of Abbass Palestinian Authority as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.Since Secretary of State John Kerry took office in February there has been a renewed effort by Washington to galvanize international efforts to kick-start the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks stalled since late 2010.Kerry is returning to the Middle East region next week and is expected to make his fourth visit to Israel in three months.The Turkish prime minister also insisted that Israel has to withdraw to the 67 borders to mark the outlines of a future Palestinian state and demonstrate that it truly believes in a two-state solution.As long as Israel does not accept Palestine as a state, there is not much to talk about in terms of trying to achieve peace, he said, adding: I hope that common sense prevails and this problem in the Middle East is resolved.

MQM boycotts re-polling in NA-250

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KARACHI(Dunya News):-MQM leader Raza Haroonsaid such demands are absolutely illegal and unconstitutional and have nothing to do with the democratic culture.He added that unseen forces had planned to snatch our mandate by violent tactics but it is undeniable reality that MQM is a democratic party and even state operation could not suppress it..While addressing a press conference in Karachi on Friday, he said that our party workers and leaders were harassed by different tactics but masses rejected such machinations.He added that some parties were given free hand while our supporters were threatened in order to watch the interests of some unseen forces.“It is regrettable to say that terrorists targeted our offices and rallies, killing more than 80 people including men, women and children in the name of so-called Jihadi vision”, he said.While lashing out on the Election Commission, Raza Haroon said that it is very strange that Election Commission has ordered recounting of votes in Karachi while the reality is that rigging was committed across the country.

Khan uges UK govt to take notice of Altaf's statement

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LAHORE (Dunya News): Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf Chief Imran Khan urged the British government to take notice of Muttahida Qaumi Movement Chief Altaf Hussain’s speech in accordance with British laws.Talking to British High Commissioner Adam Thomson at Shaukat Khanam Memorial Hospital (SKMH), Imran Khan said that Altaf Hussain violated British law in his ‘inflammatory speech.’The British High Commissioner inquired after the health of Imran Khan during his visit to SKMH.On Wednesday, the British High Commissioner had stated that Pakistan should take serious notice of Altaf Hussain statement regarding the separation of Karachi. The MET police on the same day issued a statement that they had received several complaints regarding the MQM chief, however not investigation had been initiated yet.

Fuel adjustment: Rs5.80 per unit hike in power tariff approved

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - According to notification, NEPRA has permitted power distribution companies to collect monthly fuel adjustment charges for 8 months, August 2013-March 2013.The power distribution companies would recover fuel adjustment charges of August-November 2012 in June 2013.Fuel adjustment of December 2012, that is Rs 1.33, would be collected in July and Rs 1.55 per unit fuel adjustment of January 2013 would be received in August and Rs 0.63 of February would be recovered in September whereas, Rs 1.33 per unit fuel adjustment of March would be collected in October this year.NEPRA has issued notification in this regard.It is worth mentioning here that Islamabad High Court had maintained stay order for last eight months against the collection of fuel adjustment charges but the stay order expired last month and power distributing company has become active for collection fuel adjustment charges in a very strange manner.

Prague commuters for love in dating cars

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PRAGUE (AFP) - Prague underground commuters looking for love will soon be able to try their luck at romance in designated dating cars, a transport spokesman said Friday.People meet there, pass by each other, and if they like one another they can start a relationship, Filip Drapal, spokesman for the Ropid company involved in the project, told AFP.The special cars are part of a drive to make public transport more popular.We are planning a campaign to show people things they can do on public transport, Drapal said.So along with reading or studying, bored commuters will soon be able to flirt or pick up a date.The Prague Love Train, which will promote a laissez-faire approach rather than strict speed-dating rules, is due to launch at the end of the year.Drapal said the company was now deciding which of a trains five cars would be most suitable, the number of trains to include and what kind of signage to display.Were planning a poll of passengers. The carriage will be marked, and there will be information on the platform and inside the carriage, in foreign languages too.Passengers take some 1.5 million rides a day on the Prague subways three lines. The capital is home to 1.25 million people.Drapal said no one will be forced to flirt in the special cars, but some passengers are still concerned.When Im in a rush, I enter the first open door I see. I should watch out now and make sure no one starts seducing me, said Petr Voracek, quoted by the DNES daily.As a notorious metro catcher Im afraid I might become the butt of gossip, added Karolina Vranova.What if someone sees me in the carriage and tells my boyfriend?

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