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Monday, July 15, 2013

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Wave of bombings, shootings kill 38 in Iraq

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BAGHDAD (AP) - A wave of coordinated blasts that tore through overwhelmingly Shiite cities shortly before the breaking of the Ramadan fast and other attacks killed at least 38 in Iraq on Sunday, the latest in a surge of violence that is raising fears the country is sliding back toward full-scale sectarian fighting.Insurgents have been pounding Iraq with bombings and other attacks for months in the country's worst eruption of violence in half a decade. The pace of the killing has picked up since the Muslim holy month Ramadan began Wednesday, with daily mass-casualty attacks marring what is meant to be a month of charity and peaceful reflection.Violence in Iraq has risen to its deadliest level since 2008, with more than 2,800 people killed since the start of April. The spike in bloodshed is growing increasingly reminiscent of the widespread sectarian killing that peaked in 2006 and 2007, when the country teetered on the brink of civil war.Insurgents often increased attacks during Ramadan in the years following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. Pious Muslims go without food, drink, smoking and sex in the daytime during the holy month, when feelings of spiritual devotion are high.Sunday's explosions struck shortly before the evening iftar meal that ends the daylong fast during Ramadan.In the deadliest attack, at least eight people were killed and 15 were wounded in the southern port city of Basra when a car bomb and then a follow-up blast went off near an office of a Shiite political party, according to two police officers. Basra is a major oil industry hub 550 kilometers (340 miles) southeast of Baghdad.Another car bomb exploded among shops and take-away restaurants in central Kut, 160 kilometers (100 miles) southeast of Baghdad. The provincial deputy governor, Haidar Mohammed Jassim, said five people were killed and 35 wounded.Police reported additional car bomb explosions that left four dead in a commercial street in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, five near an outdoor market in Nasiriyah and six near a Shiite mosque in Musayyib, and more than 60 wounded in total.All of those attacks hit mostly Shiite communities.Another blast, this one caused by a roadside bomb, struck late Sunday in a commercial street in the southern Baghdad neighborhood of Dora, killing four people and wounding 16 others, according to police and hospital officials.It was the second night in a row a deadly bomb went off in the largely Sunni district.There has been no claim of responsibility for the recent wave of attacks, but Sunni extremists, including al-Qaida's Iraq branch, are believed to be responsible for much of the killing. They frequently target Shiites, security forces and civil servants in an effort to undermine the Shiite-led government in Baghdad.Sunni insurgents may also be responsible for the attacks in Dora, hoping that the bombings will spark a sectarian backlash. But Shiite militias remobilizing and sending fighters to confront mostly Sunni rebels in neighboring Syria also could be to blame.Earlier in the day, police said gunmen killed two soldiers in an assault on their security checkpoint in the restive city of Mosul, 360 kilometers (225 miles) northwest of Baghdad.Hours later, a roadside bomb killed a municipal council member and his son in a town near Mosul. Gunmen in another area just south of Mosul also sprayed a security checkpoint with bullets, killing two policemen.Hospital officials confirmed those casualty tolls. Officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to release the information to reporters.Also on Sunday, a spokesman for Iraq's prime minister said that outgoing Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad plans to visit Iraq later this week. It will be the Iranian leader's second visit to neighboring Iraq while in office.Iraq's Shiite-led government has strengthened ties with Tehran since the toppling of dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003. The closeness rankles Sunnis. Many in their ranks believe Baghdad is too friendly with the Shiite powerhouse, the main regional backer of Syria's embattled President Bashar Assad.Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's spokesman, Ali al-Moussawi, said Ahmadinejad plans to arrive for a visit to Iraq on Thursday. He said Ahmadinejad would meet with senior Iraqi officials and visit Shiite holy shrines in Najaf and Karbala during the two-day visit.Ahmadinejad, who leaves office in August, visited Iraq for the first time in March 2008.

Hundreds protest in New York over Zimmerman acquittal

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NEW YORK CITY (AFP) - Hundreds protested in New York on Sunday against the acquittal of neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman, a day after his trial for killing unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin ended in Florida.Many who gathered in Union Square brandished signs bearing a portrait of Martin and some, despite the sweltering July heat, wore hoodie sweatshirts, as the 17-year-old did the night he was killed in February 2012.I am appalled, said Carli VanVoorhis, a 21-year-old hairdresser. The man was armed, the kid was not, and the man with the gun got away, she said. If we say it was not a racial issue, we would be lying.The crowd -- chanting no justice, no peace -- was largely made up of black citizens, but there were whites and hispanics present as well.One sign demanded to Jail racist killers, not black youth, while many others declared We are all Trayvon. The whole damn system is guilty.We have a big problem with race, and another problem is guns, said one speaker, Rodney Rodriguez.If Zimmerman didn't have a gun, he couldn't have killed Trayvon Martin.Another protester, Derreck Wilson, 46, said the group had come to say in a peaceful way why we are angry. We are angry, scared and anxious.It's cathartic, he said.We all have the same desires. I want to be able to have my son to come home, added Wilson, who came to the protest from the traditionally African-American neighborhood of Harlem.Rhada Blank also came from Harlem with friends.When the verdict was announced, she said she thought about leaving the United States permanently.I was sick to my stomach when I heard the verdict, I felt ashamed, she said. I don't feel good about being American today. I think we have a lot of work to do.As far as people think we've gone, with the decision of electing (President Barack) Obama, this verdict shows we haven't moved beyond race, said the former teacher who now writes for the theater.People have not moved beyond their fears, she lamented. That decision echoed what many people are feeling in that country. There is a fear of the black male.The case has, since the beginning pitted those who think the 29-year-old neighborhood watchman -- son of a white father and a Peruvian mother -- killed Martin in self-defense, and those who think it was a murder sparked by racist assumptions.The killing has also resonated with those who call for stricter gun laws, including New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who issued a statement Sunday against what he called shoot-first laws.Sadly, all the facts in this tragic case will probably never be known. But one fact has long been crystal clear: 'shoot first' laws like those in Florida can inspire dangerous vigilantism and protect those who act recklessly with guns, Bloomberg said, reiterating his calls for eliminating them.The tragic death of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed child attempting to walk home from the store, will continue to drive our efforts, Bloomberg added.

18 killed in stampede at boxing match in Indonesia

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JAKARTA (AP) - Police say at least 18 people have been killed in a stadium stampede after spectators rioted to protest a local boxer's loss in a championship match in eastern Indonesia.Lt. Col. Gede Sumerta Jaya said Monday the victims were trampled as about 1,500 spectators scrambled out the stadium when a riot broke out just before midnight Sunday.The local boxer lost on points in the championship match for the Bupati Cup, or Regent Cup, at Kota Lama Sport Stadium in the Papua province town of Nabire.Jaya said the riot began after the boxer's supporters threw chairs at the judges. He said 12 of the dead were women, and at least 47 other spectators were injured and hospitalized.Police and soldiers were deployed to stop the fighting.

Athletics: Sprint stars, Gay, Powell fail drug tests

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LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell, two of the four fastest men in history, sent shockwaves through the blue riband 100m on Sunday when both men failed drug tests.Gay, the 30-year-old American who was world champion in 2007 and the fastest man in the world this year, tested positive for a banned substance and immediately withdrew from next month's world championships in Moscow.Jamaican sprint star Powell, a former 100m world record holder, confirmed that he had tested positive for a banned stimulant at his country's national trials for Moscow.But the 30-year-old strenuously denied any wrong doing.Only Olympic champion and world record holder Usain Bolt (9.58sec) has gone faster than Gay, whose best of 9.69sec he shares with Yohan Blake of Jamaica. Powell is the fourth fastest man of all time with 9.72sec.Gay was informed by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) on Friday of his failed test and on Sunday the USA Track & Field (USATF) said he had pulled out of the world championships.He stated he is withdrawing, said USATF spokesperson Jill Geer.USADA said Sunday that the 30-year-old's B sample has yet to be tested so they would not confirm or deny the failed test.In response to Mr. Gay's statements, USADA appreciates his approach to handling this situation and his choice to voluntarily remove himself from competition while the full facts surrounding his test are evaluated, USADA media relations manager Annie Skinner told AFP.The B sample will be processed shortly, and as in all cases all athletes are innocent unless or until proven otherwise through the established legal process, and any attempt to sensationalize or speculate is a disservice to due process, fair play, and to those who love clean sport.Gay told US media he had made a mistake and been let down by someone else.USATF said they would continue to look towards USADA to help them weed out drug cheats in the sport.USA Track & Field is strongly opposed to doping, and we respect the work that USADA has done as a leading agency globally in the fight against drugs in sport, USATF chief executive Max Siegel said.Gay had run the fastest time in the world this year at June's US trials for the world championships in Iowa. His 9.75sec was the 10th fastest 100m of all time.World record holder Bolt's best time over 100m this season is 9.94sec set in Kingston in June.Gay won the triple of 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay in Osaka at the 2007 world championships while also claiming a 4x100m silver medal at the London Olympics last year.Powell, also 30, took to Twitter to confirm his dope test failure.I will confirm that a sample I gave at the National Trials in June has returned 'adverse findings', he said.The substance oxilofrine was found, which is considered by the authorities to be a banned stimulant.I want to be clear that I have never knowingly or wilfully taken any supplements or substances that break any rules. I am not now nor have I ever been a cheat.Powell held the 100m world record between June 2005 and May 2008.He won two bronze medals in the 100 metres at the 2007 and 2009 world championships. He also had one gold in the 4x100 metre relay in 2009.But he has never managed an individual sprint medal at the Olympics, finishing fifth in the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Olympic 100 metre finals and limping home in eighth place in the final in London last summer.According to media reports, Powell was one of five athletes who failed drug tests at the national trials last month in Kingston.Sherone Simpson, a silver medallist in the women's 100m at the 2008 Olympics, was one of them, according to a report in Britain's Daily Telegraph.The Jamaica Gleaner newspaper claimed the substance taken may have been contained in a food supplement.My team and I will try to do everything we can to get this issue dealt with as best as we can, Simpson told the Gleaner.Thanks to all who have been supporting me, I really appreciate it at this time.Later Sunday, Powell's agent, Tara Playfair-Scott, revealed on Twitter that a man who allegedly supplied the supplements had been arrested in Italy.He has been detained by Italian Law Enforcement in conjunction with this matter. The investigations continue, she wrote.

Mahut beats Hewitt in Newport grass-court final

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NEWPORT (AP) - Nicolas Mahut of France captured the title at the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships on Sunday, beating Lleyton Hewitt of Australia 5-7, 7-5, 6-3.Mahut, a 2007 Newport finalist and a wild-card entrant this week, won his second career ATP title. The other came at 's-Hertogenbosch last month.Mahut advanced to the final by beating American Michael Russell 6-2, 6-2 in a morning semifinal that had been suspended Saturday because of rain after only three points.Earlier in the day, two-time defending champion John Isner's run on Newport's grass court came to an end when he was ousted by No. 4 seed Hewitt 5-7, 6-2, 6-4. The loss ended 13 straight match wins in Newport for the 28-year old Isner, the highest ranked American at No. 19.It's never disappointing losing to a guy like Lleyton Hewitt, especially on this surface, said Isner, who called for the trainer after the first changeover. I was probably eventually going to lose this tournament. It just happened a little earlier than I thought or wanted.The 6-foot-10 Isner said he felt pain in his left knee area, similar to what forced him to retire in his second-round match at Wimbledon last month.It was obviously not as severe because I was able to continue, he said. It was a little bit scary. The more I think about it and the more I talk about it, I think it's an issue with my quad because the pain is directly above my kneecap.But he said it wasn't the reason he lost the match, which was played in bright sunshine under humid conditions, with temperatures in the mid-80s.He handled the conditions much better than me, simple as that, he said. He deserved to win.Trailing 5-2 in the final set, the second-seeded Isner broke Hewitt's serve in the next game before deflecting three match points in the ninth and closing it with an ace to cut the deficit to 5-4.At 40-30 the final game, Hewitt ended the match with a forehand cross-court shot. He raised both hands in the air before waving to his wife, Bec, seated in the first row on the far end of the court.Mahut needed just 63 minutes to beat Russell.Isner's loss spoiled a rematch with Mahut. The pair played the longest match in tennis history when Isner beat Mahut 70-68 in the fifth set at Wimbledon in 2010 a match that lasted 11 hours, 5 minutes.Hewitt won a rematch of last year's Hall of Fame final, won by Isner in straight sets.

Tennis: Vinci beats Errani in 'friendly Palermo final

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PALERMO (AFP) - Roberta Vinci won the Palermo Open on Sunday with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory over her close friend and defending champion Sara Errani as the two Italians produced an entertaining finale to the WTA event. Errani, who also won at Palermo in 2008 and teamed up with Vinci to win a the doubles crown in 2011, dropped the first set 6-3 before bouncing back to level the match by the same score and sending it to a deciding frame. However the 30-year-old Vinci held her nerve to close out the match 6-3 for her 10th WTA title and is now on the verge of breaking into the world's top ten players. Her best individual result at a Grand Slam was in 2012 when she reached the quarter-finals of the US Open but the Taranto native has teamed up with her off-court chum Errani to win doubles's titles at the 2012 French Open and US Open before they made it a hat-trick of major wins at the 2013 Australian Open.They were also both on the Italian team that won the 2009 and 2010 Fed Cups with victories on both occasions over the United States.

Marc Marquez wins German MotoGP

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HOHENSTEIN-ERNSTTHAL (AP) - Marc Marquez of Spain won his second race of the season at the German MotoGP on Sunday and grabbed the championship lead.The Honda rider took advantage of the absence of two countrymen who were ahead of him in the standings defending champion Jorge Lorenzo and previous leader Dani Pedrosa. Both were hurt in practice and could not race Sunday.Marquez started from pole and took the lead for good on the sixth lap. Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow of Britain finished 1.5 seconds behind and nine-time champion Valentino Rossi of Italy, who led briefly at the start of the race, was 9.6 seconds back in third.The start wasn't that good but I was able to recover, although I didn't expect to control the race that well, Marquez said.Marquez now leads the championship series by two points over Pedrosa.Pedrosa sustained a hairline fracture in his collarbone in Saturday's crash in practice and was declared unfit to race. Lorenzo crashed Friday and required surgery to repair a damaged titanium plate inserted in his shoulder after he broke his left collarbone two weeks ago at the Assen GP in the Netherlands.Marquez dropped to fourth at the start but was in front by the end of the sixth lap.Rossi, who won the Assen race, was in the lead briefly before being passed by Germany's Stefan Bradl before the first lap was over. The Italian nearly lost control of his Yamaha early in the race.I thought more would be possible but I struggled with rear grip and Marc and Cal were faster, Rossi said.Crutchlow got past Rossi halfway into the 30-lap race.I didn't have rear grip, I think like Valentino, for the first 10 laps or so, said Crutchlow, who had crashed heavily twice on Friday and raced with injuries to his arms, hands and left leg.Crutchlow became the first British rider since Barry Sheene in 1982 to collect four podium finishes in one season.Marquez' victory capped a perfect day for Spanish riders. Jordi Torres won the Moto2 race and Alex Rins led a Spanish sweep of the podium in the Moto3.

Mickelson wins Scottish Open after playoff

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INVERNESS (AP) - Phil Mickelson birdied the first playoff hole to beat Branden Grace and win the Scottish Open on Sunday, ending his 20-year wait for a victory in Europe.After three-putting the 72nd hole to miss out on a win in regulation, Mickelson produced a superb pitch from 45 yards that landed within a foot of the 18th pin, leaving Grace a 25-footer to match him.Grace's putt rolled by the hole and the 43-year-old American was able to celebrate a 48th professional victory worldwide, with his wife and three children watching on.I almost let it slip away but to come out on top feels terrific, Mickelson said.Mickelson was using the tournament to hone his links game ahead of next week's British Open at Muirfield and he looks in great shape to challenge for a first claret jug and a fifth major title.He should tee off on Thursday as No. 5 in the world and 500,000 pounds ($740,000) richer.Mickelson and Grace shot 3-under 69s in the final round to finish on 17-under 271 and overhaul overnight leader Henrik Stenson, who bogeyed three of his last six holes for a tie for third with unheralded Dane J.B. Hansen on 15 under.Mickelson had to dig deep to earn his first win on European soil since a capturing a title in Paris on the European Challenge Tour in 1993.When Mickelson drove into the rough on the first hole, topped his second shot and then three-putted, he dropped four shots behind Stenson, who started in a manner befitting his nickname The Iceman in the toughest conditions of the week.After three calm and sunny days, the wind had picked up off the Moray Firth coastline and made the Castle Stuart course much more challenging. Only five players shot lower than 70.Mickelson was in more trouble when his chip from just off the third green came up short and rolled back down the hill to his feet. He was now five shots off the leader.Urged on by a Scottish crowd that has really taken to the American a long-time supporter of this tournament and a lover of Scotland and its links courses he birdied the next three holes and then picked up shots at Nos. 11, 12 and 14 to take the sole lead, after briefly sharing it with Stenson and Hansen.With the two Scandinavians dropping shots coming home, Grace became Mickelson closest challenger, but the American only needed to par the 72nd for victory.He reached the green serenely in three but slid a putt five feet by the hole, and again back up.I was so mad at myself after mentally losing my focus, said Mickelson, who embraced his family before returning back up the 18th hole where he was forced to wait to tee off again after organizers had removed the tee markers, clearly confident Mickelson would finish the job the first time around.Mickelson held his nerve in the playoff, though, with his approach shot bringing roars of approval from fans in the grandstands.The people here in Scotland have treated us so well, he said. I've really enjoyed my time here.He now hopes to take his form into Muirfield.Although I did a lot of things well, I have certainly things to work on, he added. Today was great for us to have this type of weather.Hansen briefly held the lead midway through the last round although he had looked quite unlikely to be there. He found the bushes twice on the second fairway forcing him to take two penalty drops and then chipped short of the green with his sixth to wind up with a quadruple-bogey nine.No one has ever won on the European Tour after making that score in his final round and he couldn't alter that stat, despite reeling off seven birdies on his next eight holes.Like Stenson, he faded away in the run home.

Magical Afridi earns Pakistan big win against WIndies

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GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) - All-rounder Shahid Afridi returned to international cricket with a blistering half century and a career-best 7-12 as Pakistan recorded a thumping 126-run victory over West Indies in the first one-day international on Sunday.Afridi, recalled after missing last months Champions Trophy due to poor form, scored 76 off 55 balls to pilot Pakistan to 224-9. Afridi then skittled West Indies out for 98 in 41 overs to record the second-best ever bowling figures in one-day internationals after Sri Lankas Chamina Vaas 8-19 against Zimbabwe in 2001.It was also West Indies lowest ever ODI total against Pakistan.West Indies had Pakistan on the mat at 47-5 before Afridi and captain Misbah-ul-Haq (52) featured in a 120-run stand against some inconsistent bowling which saw the home team bowling 23 wide balls.The second one-day international of the five-match will be played at the same venue Tuesday.It was the most difficult pitch on which I have ever played, Misbah said. The ball was seaming and stopping, but it was Afridis day, the way he batted and bowled.West Indies never looked to threaten Pakistans total from the onset once 7-foot-1-inch fast bowler Mohammad Irfan clean bowled Johnson Charles with a low full toss and had Darren Bravo caught behind down the legside.Chris Gayle, who wanted to make his 250th ODI appearance a memorable one, was run out in a mix-up with Marlon Samuels for just one run as West Indies slumped to 7-3 in five overs.Lendl Simmons and Samuels batted at a snails pace before Afridi started the slide in the 23rd over.Afridi had Simmons stumped and trapped captain Dwayne Bravo leg before wicket off the next delivery. He went on to claim the wickets of Kieron Pollard, Samuels and Kemar Roach in his opening spell of eight overs before he returned to finish off the innings by claiming the last two wickets of Sunil Narine and Holder.I just try to keep it simple, sometimes I get good turn off the pitch and if I dont get turn I try to bowl straight ones for leg before wicket decisions, Afridi said.Afridi also reached 350 wickets in ODIs to become the third Pakistan to achieve the feat after Wasim Akram (502) and Waqar Younis (416).Earlier, Afridi dominated Pakistans record-breaking sixth wicket stand against West Indies of 120 runs off 113 balls with Misbah holding the innings together with a sedate 52 off 121 balls.Afridi holed out in the deep in the 39th over which helped West Indies to hit back but its bowlers were guilty of giving away too many extras which swelled Pakistans total.Holder broke through early after Dwayne Bravo won the toss and put Pakistan in to bat at Providence Stadium hosting its first international match after two years.Ahmed Shehzad (5) and Mohammad Hafeez (1) were clean bowled while attempting to leave Holders incoming deliveries but Nasir Jamshed (6) was unlucky to be adjudged leg before wicket by umpire Joel Wilson as the television replays suggested the ball was missing the off stump.Asad Shafiq was brilliantly caught behind by makeshift wicketkeeper Johnson Charles after West Indies opted to leave out regular keeper Dinesh Ramdin for at least first two games of the five-match series.Pakistan stuttered at 23-4 and it could have been 24-5, but umpire Wilson again erred when he could not hear a clear edge off Umar Akmals bat that would have earned Holder his fifth wicket.However, West Indies did not have to wait long as Akmal got a leading edge off Roach and was caught by Dwayne Bravo at mid-on after struggling to score 19 runs.Afridi then revived Pakistans innings with Misbah, who gave the flamboyant all-rounder most of the strike.The introduction of spinners Narine and Samuels eased the pressure on the batsmen as both spinners bowled a dozen wide balls among them and gave away 56 runs between them off six overs.Afridi raised the 100-run stand with a flat six off Samuels over long on before he holed out off a slower delivery from Pollard.Misbah raised his half century off 119 balls with only one boundary but added some valuable runs with Pakistans tailenders to take the teams beyond the 200-run mark.The Pakistan captain was caught behind in the 48th over when he got a thick edge off Bravo, who also conceded 14 runs in his last over with No. 10 Asad Ali hitting a big six over mid-wicket.

New Zealand seeks new cricket selection manager

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WELLINGTON (AP) - New Zealand Cricket says national selection manager Kim Littlejohn will not reapply for his job when the position is advertised later this week.Australian Littlejohn was a contentious appointment to the position two years ago because he came from a background in lawn bowls and baseball. He was sought by New Zealand's director of coaching, former Australia coach John Buchanan, who hoped to implement a more statistics-based approach to selection.New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White said Littlejohn had done a good job but the new appointee would be someone with more cricketing knowledge and experience at first-class and international level; someone with a strong knowledge of the New Zealand cricket environment.

Chris Froome wins stage 15 of Tour de France

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MONT VENTOUX (AP) - British rider Chris Froome showed why he remains the overwhelming Tour de France favorite by winning Sundays grueling 15th stage up to Mont Ventoux to extend his lead over main rival Alberto Contador.Froome attacked about two-thirds of the way up the mammoth 21-kilometer (13-mile) Ventoux, and his brutal acceleration was too much for two-time former champion Contador. The Spaniard dropped back and finished about 1 minute, 40 seconds behind. Colombian Nairo Quintana was second, 29 seconds behind.This is massive. Everyone wanted to win this stage today, on Bastille Day, being on top of Mont Ventoux, Froome said. It really was an epic stage today.The win means Froome effectively made up the time he lost on Fridays sprint stage, when Contador caught him out with a surprise attack.My objective today was to take a bit of time in the general classification, but I didnt think I could win the stage, Froome said. I thought Quintana would win it. But then his legs started to go in the last two kilometers.Ventoux is one of the most famed climbs in the Tours 110-year history. Britains Tom Simpson collapsed and died on it during the 1967 Tour.Froome raised his right arm in the air when he clinched his second stage win of the race after winning a mountain stage in the Pyrenees on stage 8 with a similarly effective attack.It was incredible today, incredible.This is the biggest victory of my career, Froome said. This climb is so historical. It means so much to this race, especially being the 100th edition.I really cant believe this.He now leads Dutchman Bauke Mollema by 4 minutes, 14 seconds and Contador by 4:25.It wasnt really about sending (Contador) a message but Im obviously going to take as much time as I can, Froome said. Im really happy to have this advantage now.The longest stage of the race took riders over 242.5-kilometers (151 miles) from Givors in the winemaking Rhone Valley and ended in the Provence region.A nine-man breakaway group led early on, including sprint champion Peter Sagan, who has a massive lead in the green jersey competition for sprinters, and French veteran Sylvain Chavanel.Touted as one of cyclings showmen, Sagan lifted his front wheel and did a wheelie, followed by a salute to the crowd in a rare moment of frivolity on a bitterly hard day.Froome said he needed five or 10 minutes on the oxygen mask after the stage.The small group of front-runners split open on Ventoux, leaving Chavanel alone in front.Andy Schleck, the 2010 Tour champion, was dropped straight away while the 36-year-old Cadel Evans, the 2011 winner, then faded along with Chavanel.It was a terrible day for me, Evans said.With about 15 kilometers (9 miles) to go. Froome, meanwhile, only had two Sky teammates Australian Richie Porte and Britains Peter Kennaugh to help him.Then Quintana surged ahead. He attacked Froome four times on the last climb in the Pyrenean mountains on stage 9 up to Bagneres-de-Bigorre, but could not beat him.It proved to be the same story this time.We talked a little bit. I was just trying to motivate him, Froome said. I was telling him Come on man, keep pushing. But in the last 2k he just couldnt really hold the wheel anymore.At one point, Contador still had three teammates with him but Froome would lose Kennaugh shortly after, leaving just Porte.Then the yellow jersey group blew wide open. Suddenly, Froome and Porte were alone with Contador.With seven kilometers to go, Froome launched a devastating attack on Contador rocketing up the slope as fans threw water over him and others lit orange flares or waved British flags close to his face.

Ukrainian man smears Polish president with egg attack

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KIEV (Reuters) - A Ukrainian man smeared Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski with a broken egg when he visited the site of a 1943 massacre of Poles in neighbouring Ukraine on Sunday, police said.The attack followed a move by the Polish parliament last week to recognise the massacre by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) during World War Two as ethnic cleansing bearing the hallmarks of genocide.The move upset Ukrainian nationalists who view the UPA as heroes and freedom fighters.On Sunday, Komorowski visited the western Volyn region and attended mass at a Catholic church.As he emerged from the church a young man from the crowd tapped his shoulder with his hand in which he was holding a crushed egg, police said in a statement.The 21-year-old man, a resident of Ukraines southern Zaporizhia region, has been detained and faces hooliganism charges and up to three years in prison, they said.It was unclear whether the man belonged to any of Ukraines nationalist groups, the largest of which, Svoboda (Freedom) won dozens of seats in parliament last year, becoming a major political force.Svoboda has criticised the Polish parliaments decision but said it would not seek to disrupt Komorowskis visit.The territory of Volyn was long disputed by Poland and Ukraine. Historians believe tens of thousands of people died in the massacre during the wartime Nazi occupation.Seventy years later, public opinion in Ukraine remains split on the insurgent movements which co-operated with the Nazis in hope of driving out the Soviet government and creating an independent Ukrainian state.In the last days of his presidency in 2010, former Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko awarded wartime nationalist leader Stepan Bandera the title Hero of Ukraine.The award was annulled by a court under his successor, current President Viktor Yanukovich.

It was a defeat with dignity: Clarke

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NOTTINGHAM - (AP) Australia captain Michael Clarke could have been forgiven for cutting a disconsolate figure at Trent Bridge on Sunday, after watching his side lose the first Ashes test by just 14 runs against England.Instead, Clarke felt Australia had proved a point to the pundits who had predicted England would walk the series 5-0.I hope we get a bit of respect by the way weve played, Clarke said. People whove written us off, I think we might have showed enough to change their minds. I think our boys should hold their heads high.The tourists were just 15 runs away from winning the test and also breaking the record for the highest successful run chase by a last wicket test pairing.Brad Haddin and James Pattinson put on 65 for the final wicket, taking their team from 231-9 to 296. As the run chase failed, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mushtaq Ahmed still hold the record with a 57-run partnership in Pakistans victory over Australia in 1994.Australias pursuit was thwarted when Haddin was given out for 71 after a referral. Australias optimistic use of the Decision Review System proved pivotal in this game as, having wasted their two referrals, they were unable to overturn Aleem Dars call when he gave Stuart Broad not out in Englands second innings when the batsman was on 37.Broad went on to score 65 having stood his ground, despite having clearly edged the ball to Clarke.Clarke said he, rather than Dar, was to blame.If Id used my reviews better, Id have had an opportunity to correct it when there was a howler, Clarke said. I dont think the test was decided on one DRS decision.There were plenty of times when we could have done things better. Well learn from that.The tense finale drew comparisons with the second Ashes test at Edgbaston in 2005, when England had seemed to be on course for a comfortable win, only for Brett Lee and Michael Kasprowicz to put on 59 for the final wicket.Australia needed just three runs to win when Kasprowicz gloved Steve Harmison behind to Geraint Jones to seal a win that instantly became part of Ashes folklore.Clarke was the only player to have played in both games and he said Sundays action was harder to take.I cant remember Edgbaston well, Clarke said. Well, I can, but I just dont want to. I was a youngster then but it probably does hurt you more when youre captain and you care so much about the guys around you. I guess part of my job now is to make sure the boys are up and ready for whats happening in four days time.England takes a 1-0 into the second test at Lords, which starts on Thursday.

Israeli leader vows to keep weapons from Hezbollah

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JERUSALEM (AP) - Israels prime minister insisted Sunday that he will not allow dangerous weapons to reach Lebanons Hezbollah militants, following reports that Israel recently carried out an airstrike in northern Syria against a shipment of advanced missiles.The airstrike in Latakia reportedly targeted Russian Yakhont anti-ship missiles, one of the types of advanced weapons that Israeli officials have previously said they would not allow to reach Syria. It would be the fourth known airstrike against Syria this year.Asked about the reports on the CBS-TV show Face the Nation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to confirm or deny Israeli involvement in the latest airstrike.My policy is to prevent the transfer of dangerous weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon and other terror groups as well. And we stand by that policy, he said, according to a transcript of the interview provided by CBS.Israel has been carefully watching the Syrian conflict since it erupted in March 2011. While it has been careful not to take sides in the civil war, Israel has repeatedly said it would take action to prevent what it calls game changing weapons, including chemical weapons and advanced guided missiles, from reaching Hezbollah or other hostile militant groups. Syrias President Bashar Assad is a key backer of Hezbollah.In January, Israeli aircraft destroyed what was believed to be a shipment of advanced Russian anti-aircraft missiles in Syria that were bound for Lebanon.In May, a pair of Israeli airstrikes near Damascus targeted advanced Iranian ground-to-ground missiles also thought to be headed for Hezbollah. Israel has never confirmed involvement in any of the airstrikes.Following the May attack, Syrian President Bashar Assad vowed to retaliate if Israel struck his territory again. Assad has not commented on the latest alleged airstrike.Yakhont missiles are powerful anti-ship weapons launched from the shore that are difficult to defend against.They travel at twice the speed of sound close to the surface of the water, making it hard for radar to detect them. Israel sees them as threatening its military and commercial installations along the coast, including its offshore natural gas reserves.Hezbollah used a less-advanced Iranian surface-to-sea missile to hit an Israeli warship during a monthlong 2006 war. That attack killed four Israeli sailors.

Man breaks world record by catching baseball dropped from helicopter

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EDWARD A. LELACHEUR PARK (Web Desk)- A helicopter took off from the field at Edward A. LeLacheur Park, the home of a minor league baseball team in Massachusetts, in order to set a new world record for the highest elevation a baseball has ever been caught from before.Making the attempt was Zack Hample, a baseball collector who has caught more than 6,800 major league baseballs in his life at more than 50 US Major League Baseball (MLB) stadiums since 1990.Hample wore full catchers gear for safety, as the ball was travelling at 95mph when it reached the ground.After seemingly losing sight of the ball several times, Hample leaned back and made the catch successfully, topping the previous world record of 822 feet (254m).The stunt was part of his season-long BIGS Baseball Adventure, a sponsored trip around Major League Baseball that sees the company donate $500 to a charity every time he catches a game-used ball at an MLB stadium.Thus far Hample has hung on to a ball at 22 of the 30 MLB Stadiums and raised $20,000 USD for Pitch in for Baseball, a charity that gives baseball and softball equipment to deprived communities around the world.

Posted by IMRAN ALI SOOMRO (DARVESH) at 7/15/2013 07:28:00 AM

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