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Saturday, July 20, 2013

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Protests for Egypt's ousted leader amid tension

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CAIRO (AP) - With the military beefing up security, tens of thousands took to the streets Friday in a determined push for the return to power of Egypts ousted Islamist leader, while Mohammed Morsis opponents staged rival rallies, raising fears of a fresh round of clashes.In the only reported deadly violence Friday, angry residents of the delta city of Mansoura clashed with pro-Morsi protesters. Gunshots and birdshots were fired, though it was unclear by whom, security officials said.The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media, said a 25-year-old woman and a young girl were killed in the late night violence.A local rights activist who was at the hospital, Abdullah el-Nekeity, said three women were killed, including a 17-year-old girl, and 13 other people were injured.El-Nekeity said a mob attacked the pro-Morsi demonstrators with dogs, gunfire birdshots and knives. The marchers fled, some hiding in residences until the police arrived, el-Nekeity said.A statement from Morsis Muslim Brotherhood party said those killed were supporters of the ousted government and blamed hired thugs for shooting them.The army warned it wouldnt tolerate any violence and sent fighter jets screaming over the capital and helicopters hovering over the marches.Publicizing their protests for days, Morsis supporters vowed Friday would be decisive in their campaign to try to reverse the military coup that removed the countrys first democratically elected president after a year in office, following massive protests against him.Unlike other demonstrations held in the evening after breaking the daylong Ramadan fast, the pro-Morsi rallies took place throughout the day.Organized by the Muslim Brotherhood party and dubbed Breaking the Coup, they included marches in Cairos streets, outside military installations and in other cities, including Alexandria and several Nile Delta provinces.The rival gatherings came just days after a new interim Cabinet was sworn in that includes women, Christians and members of a liberal coalition opposed to Morsi, but no Islamists. The Muslim Brotherhood has refused to take part in talks with the interim leadership.The country has been deeply polarized since the ouster of longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak in February 2011, following massive rallies. The divisions only deepened over the July 3 military coup supported by millions who accused Morsi of abusing his power and giving too much influence to his Muslim Brotherhood group.Fridays rallies coincided with the 10th day of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which Egyptians celebrate as the day their armed forces crossed the Suez Canal in the 1973 war with Israel. The surprise assault led to the return of the Sinai Peninsula, which had been occupied by Israel.The occasion was a chance for the rival camps to focus on the military, which was instrumental in removing Morsi. At pro-Morsi gatherings, protesters extolled the virtue of the armed forces but drew a distinction with its leadership, which they accused of treason for turning against Morsi.Waving Egyptian flags and pictures of the ousted leader, they chanted slogans against army chief Gen. Abdel-Fatah el-Sissi. El-Sissi is a traitor they shouted. Morsi is our presidentOrganizers played Morsis old speeches, referring to him as the nations leader and the supreme commander of the armed forces.The problems of the first years could have been solved by dialogue, but the opposition always refused, said 28-year-old Osama Youssef, who traveled to Cairo from the eastern province of Sharqiya to show his support for Morsi. The opposition didnt succeed in getting power through constitutional measures, so it chose to take power by staging a military coup.Sayed el-Banna, a 45-year-old Brotherhood member who came to Cairo from the Delta province of al-Sharqia, said it was important to have many people in the streets.It is to send a message to those in the army who disagree with el-Sissi to stand with us and support us, he said.Meanwhile, several thousand anti-Morsi protesters gathered in Cairos Tahrir Square and outside two presidential palaces to celebrate their gains.The people and the army and the police together against terrorism, declared a banner stung across a stage set up at the presidential palace.Army choppers flying overhead dropped gift coupons and Egyptian flags on the gathering in Tahrir Square and a police choir performed nationalist songs in a party that lasted late into the night.The presence in the streets of the rival sides had raised fears of clashes, and military and police were deployed heavily in areas where the two crowds might collide. In one incident, near the presidential palace, security forces lobbed tear gas at an approaching march by Morsi supporters to prevent it from reaching an area where anti-Morsi demonstrators were holding their own rally.Only minor incidents of violence were reported in the capital. Pro-Morsi supporters and opponents shouted at one another after Friday prayers in the main Al-Azhar Mosque and police detained six Islamist protesters for throwing rocks. Separately, a man was stabbed and hospitalized when a crowd of the deposed presidents supporters questioned his identity and found out he was a policeman in civilian clothing.

Syria rebels kill 12 pro-regime militiamen in Homs: NGO

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BEIRUT (AFP) - Syrian rebel fighters killed 12 members of a pro-regime militia during clashes overnight in the central city of Homs, and troops responded by shelling them on Friday, monitors said.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported that, elsewhere, shells hit the Sayyida Zeinab shrine, a Shiite Muslim pilgrimage site on the outskirts of Damascus, killing at least one person.Twelve members of the pro-regime Peoples Committees were killed... during fighting with rebel forces on the outskirts of the Khaldiyeh neighbourhood, the group said.The rebel-held district is one of several regime forces have laid siege to for more than a year.The regime has increasingly used militia groups to bolster its regular forces in battles against rebel fighters seeking to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad.The Observatory, which relies on a network of activists, doctors and lawyers on the ground, said government troops were continuing to shell the neighbourhood on Friday.In Damascus province, meanwhile, the top administrator of the Sayyida Zeinab shrine was killed in shelling of the holy site, the Observatory said.The shelling hit the compound of the shrine, which is home to the mausoleum of Sayyida Zeinab, granddaughter of the Prophet Mohammed and particularly revered by Shiites.In northeastern province of Hassakeh, clashes raged between Kurdish fighters and jihadists from the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Nusra Front and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.The Observatory said a Nusra fighter blew himself up near the headquarters of the Kurdish YPG brigade, which has in recent days pushed jihadist fighters out of the town of Ras al-Ain.In western Tartus, three members of the Communist Labour Party who also belong to the National Coordination Body for Democratic Change -- Syrias internal opposition -- were arrested at a political security checkpoint.The committee, in a statement, identified those arrested as Christian painter Yousef Abdelki, 62, Alawite Tawfiq Omran, and Druze Adnan al-Dibs.The head of the Communist Labour Party, Alawite Abdel Aziz al-Khayer, was arrested in Syria in September 2012.At least 135 people were killed in violence across Syria on Thursday, the group said, adding to its overall toll of more than 100,000 dead since the countrys uprising flared in March 2011.

Iraq: Sunni mosque bombing, other attacks kill 26

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BAGHDAD (AP) - A bomb hidden in an air conditioner that ripped through a Sunni mosque during midday prayers and other attacks killed at least 26 in Iraq on Friday, extending a wave of violence targeting worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan.Suicide attacks, car bombings and other violence have killed more than 200 people since the Islamic holy month of daytime fasting and charity began last week, according to an Associated Press count.The violence is an extension of a surge of attacks that has roiled Iraq for months, reviving fears of a return to the widespread sectarian bloodshed that pushed the country to the brink of civil war after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.Most of those killed Friday were slain while performing midday prayers in the packed Abu Bakir al-Sideeq mosque in the town of Wijaihiya, which is about 80 kilometers (50 miles) northeast of Baghdad.Worshippers and other eyewitnesses said the bomb apparently was planted inside a wall-mounted air conditioning unit to the left of the pulpit. AP television footage of the aftermath showed the interior of the mosque near the bomb site charred black and shrapnel damage peppering the walls.Glass, shoes and other debris littered the blood-soaked red prayer rugs lining the floor.One of those praying inside, 30-year-old Mohammed Faleh, said the blast struck as male worshippers, including children, were kneeling during communal prayers.I stood up to find blood-stained bodies lying on the ground. The Friday prayer turned into a disaster. Whoever left these bombs has no religion, he said.Faleh said security forces found a second bomb left near the mosque that they rendered safe with a controlled detonation.Between 250 to 300 people were inside the mosque when the bombing happened, said Sami Dawoud Salman, a member of the local Sahwa, a group of anti-al-Qaida Sunni militiaman that work alongside government security forces. He said the mosque was unguarded and that the local imam had been unsuccessful in getting increased protection.Im asking the government for a solution. Theres no security, survivor Jassim Dawoud said. Its a disastrous situation.Diyala province, where the attack occurred, was once the site of some of the fiercest fighting between U.S. forces and insurgents in Iraq. It remains a hotbed for terrorist attacks. The area is religiously mixed and witnessed some of the worst atrocities as Shiite militias battled Sunni insurgents for control in the years after the invasion.Terrorism is targeting all sects in Diyala mainly by attacking Sunni and Shiite mosques, funerals and football fields to draw the province into a sectarian conflict. All the victims were civilians, said Diyala provincial councilman Sadiq al-Husseini, appealing for calm. I call on all Diyala residents to show self-restraint.Police and hospital officials said that at least 22 people were killed and more than 50 were wounded in the mosque blast.The U.S. Embassy condemned the mosque attack, saying that the fact it struck a place of worship during Ramadan is especially despicable and cowardly and exposes the nature of those perpetrating these attacks.Attacks outside the restive city of Mosul, 360 kilometers (225 miles) northwest of Baghdad, claimed four more lives. Two women died when mortar shells landed outside their house in nearby village, and a roadside bomb killed a father and son when it struck their car, authorities said.The officials provided details of the attacks on condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to release the information to media.The attacks struck as Irans outgoing president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, wrapped up a two-day trip to Iraq with visits to Shiite Muslim holy cities of Najaf and Karbala south of Baghdad. There was no indication the attacks were related to his trip.Violence across Iraq has risen sharply since a heavy-handed crackdown by security forces on a Sunni protest camp in the northern town of Hawija on April 23. That raid followed months of rallies by Iraqs minority Sunnis against the Shiite-led government over what they contend is second-class treatment and the unfair use of tough anti-terrorism measures against their sect.

Kerry says Mideast peace talks to resume

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AMMAN (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry said Friday Israeli and Palestinian negotiators will meet in Washington within the next week or so after an agreement on the basis to resume peace talks.The announcement came after he spent four days consulting the Israeli and Palestinian leadership -- and a last-minute helicopter dash to Ramallah in the West Bank.Im pleased to announce that weve reached an agreement that establishes a basis for resuming final status negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis, Kerry told reporters in Amman, Jordan.This is a significant and welcome step forward. The agreement is still in the process of being finalised so we are absolutely not going to talk about any of the elements now.A US State Department official said: They have agreed on the core elements that will allow direct talks to begin.Kerry said Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat and his Israeli counterpart Tzipi Livni would meet him in Washington to begin initial talks within the next week or so.The announcement came at the end of four days of intense diplomacy by the secretary of state as he consulted Israeli and Palestinian leaders from his base in the Jordanian capital.Kerrys last-minute whirlwind diplomacy came after the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah rejected his proposals for a framework to guide the relaunch of peace talks with the Israelis, stalled for nearly three years.The setback to Kerrys peace push came from the governing Revolutionary Council of Abbass own Fatah movement, which demanded changes to the US plan.Talks have stuttered and started for decades in the elusive bid to reach a final peace deal between the Arab world and Israel.But they collapsed completely in September 2010 when Israel refused to keep up a freeze on settlement building in Palestinian territories.Kerry was upbeat in speaking to reporters before he left Amman late on Friday for Washington.In his brief comments, he praised the courage of Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.No one believes the long-standing differences between the parties will be resolved overnight or just wiped away. We know that the challenges require some very tough choices in the days ahead, he said.Today, however, I am hopeful. I am hopeful because of the courageous leadership by President Abbas and Prime Minister Netanyahu. Both of them have chosen to make difficult choices here and both of them were instrumental.Kerry arrived on Tuesday in the Jordanian capital, where he held two rounds of talks with Abbas. He also won endorsement from the Arab League for his proposals to resume talks.His plan would have seen Israel, now ruled by a coalition that has tilted sharply to the right after elections early this year, make only a tacit commitment to slow settlement construction in the occupied territories, not the publicly announced freeze long demanded by Abbas.On Wednesday, the US envoy had expressed cautious optimism that he was making progress.But he acknowledged that there were still differences over the language governing any resumption of talks.It was the top US diplomats sixth visit to the region since he took office in February.

Hamas rejects return to Mideast peace talks

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GAZA CITY (AFP) - The Islamist Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip Friday rejected a return to Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, after US Secretary of State John Kerry announced an imminent resumption of negotiations.Hamas rejects Kerrys announcement of a return to talks and considers the Palestinian Authoritys return to negotiations with the occupation to be at odds with the national consensus, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told AFP.He said that West Bank-based Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas had no legitimate right to negotiate on behalf of the Palestinian people.Ihab al-Ghassin, spokesman for the Hamas government, also told AFP that whoever negotiates on the part of the people who is not chosen by them, represents only himself. The Palestinian people will not accept this.Abbass spokesman had hailed Kerrys late Friday announcement that peace talks would resume in the next week as progress, but said details of the basis for negotiations still needed to be fleshed out.

Dollar slips in quiet trade

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NEW YORK CITY (AFP) - The dollar drifted lower against other major currencies Friday in quiet trade, with no big economic news for guidance.Around 2200 GMT, the euro bought $1.3142, up from $1.3112 Thursday.The dollar was virtually unchanged against the Japanese currency at 100.50 yen.The euro rose to 132.08 yen from 131.77 yen.A thoroughly uneventful day in forex as traders were clearly more concerned with the sweltering temperature outside their offices rather than the lackluster price action on their screens, said Boris Schlossberg of BK Asset Management.With the dog days of summer fully upon us, the economic calendar offered no support as the data docket was essentially barren.Analysts said the market was looking ahead to the Japanese upper house elections this weekend, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling coalition widely expected to win.The national polls Sunday will elect half of Japan's 242-member upper chamber of parliament. A solid showing would give Abe the legislative muscle to press on with an economy-boosting plan that could include some unpopular reforms.An Abe victory has been mostly priced into the dollar/yen trade, said Christopher Vecchio, currency analyst at DailyFX.While that might mean any further upside in the pair is limited, the quicker round two of Abenomics arrives, the greater the chance of a weaker yen, he said.The dollar weakened against the Swiss currency, trading at 0.9409 franc compared with 0.9447 Thursday.The pound bought $1.5264, up from $1.5228.

Federer struggles to reach Hamburg semi-finals

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HAMBURG (AP) - Top-seeded Roger Federer was taken to the limit on Friday before coming through for a 7-6 (4), 3-6, 7-5 victory over Florian Mayer and a place in the semi-finals of the German Tennis Championships.Federer is playing his first tournament since losing in the second round of Wimbledon.A four-time champion on the clay courts of Hamburg, Federer needed two hours to overcome Mayer. Federer was down 5-1 in the second set, won the next two games but then faltered again. He double-faulted and then produced two straight forehand errors to give up the set.In the third, Federer broke serve twice, only to see the German re-break both times. But with the match on the line, the Swiss former No. 1 raised his game considerably. He broke serve with the loss of a point for a 6-5 lead and served out the match at love, hitting a service winner on match point.He next plays Argentine qualifier Federico Delbonis, who upset 14th-seeded Fernando Verdasco of Spain 6-7 (5), 7-6 (8), 6-4 to make the semi-finals of a tournament for the second time in his career.Fabio Fognini of Italy beat Tommy Haas for the second time in two weeks to also advance to the semi-finals.Fognini prevailed 6-2, 6-4 over the second-seeded home favorite. The 12th-seeded Italian is looking for his second straight title after winning his first tournament in Stuttgart, where he beat Haas in the quarter-finals.Fognini next faces third-seeded Nicolas Almagro of Spain, who came from behind to beat defending champion Juan Monaco of Argentina 4-6, 6-0, 6-3.The fifth-seeded Monaco beat Almagro in the Hamburg semi-finals last year. Almagro was runner-up in Hamburg two years ago, while Monaco beat Haas for the title last year.Delbonis previous semi-final appearance was two years ago, also on clay and also in Germany, in Stuttgart.After fending off a pair of match points in the second set, Delbonis failed to serve out the match at 5-3. He then wasted two match points on Verdascos serve before the Spaniard double-faulted on the third.

Serena eases into Swedish Open semi-finals

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BASTAD (AFP) - World number one Serena Williams extended her unbeaten run on clay this season to 26 matches as she dismantled Spaniard Lourdes Dominguez 6-1, 6-1 and eased into the semi-finals of the Swedish Open on Friday.The American 16-time Grand Slam winner will now play Czech Republic third seed Klara Zakopalova who had little trouble eliminating Dutch hope Richel Hogenkamp 6-2, 6-3.Williams broke her opponents serve three times in each set and was never in trouble on her way into the final four.The second semi-final will pit home favourite Johanna Larsson against Italian Flavia Pennetta after both players won their quarter-final matches in straight sets.The 24-year-old Larsson, who is looking for her first WTA singles title, dropped just three games on the way to a 6-1, 6-2 thrashing of Frenchwoman Mathilde Johansson.Pennetta who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon, and had a career high world ranking of 10 in 2009, also made short work of her French opponent with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over veteran Virginie Razzano.The 31-year-old from Brindisi won the doubles titles in Sweden along with Gisela Dulko in 2009 and 2010 as she chases her first singles title at Bastad and 10th WTA victory.Pennetta and Dulko also teamed up to win the Australian Open doubles crown in 2011.

FIFA to start World Cup ticket sales on August 20

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SAO PAULO (AFP) - Worlds football governing body announced here Friday that it will begin selling tickets for next years World Cup in 12 Brazilian host cities on August 20 via its www.fifa.com website.Some 330 days before the tournament is to open in Sao Paulo, FIFA marketing director Thierry Weil outlined a strategy under which three million tickets will be sold in three phases involving four price categories. In the first phase, tickets will be allocated after a random selection draw period running from August 20 to October 10 and there will be a first come, first served period from November 5 to 28.The same procedure will apply in the second phase where tickets will be awarded after a random draw period from December 8 2013 to Jan 30 2014, followed by a first come, first served period from next Febuary 26 to next April 1. Finally, there will be a last-minute sales phase on a first come, first served basis from April 15 to July 13, the day of the final. Weil said 701,079 tickets will be available for international fans and Brazilians.Another 500,000 will be exclusively reserved for Brazilians, including discount tickets for students, the elderly and low-income people, and 100,OOO complimentary tickets for the government and stadium construction workers. It is only the second time that we give discount tickets for the World Cup, he added, noting that the first time was also in Brazil for the 1950 World Cup. Brazils deputy sports minister Luis Fernandes described the FIFA concessions on discounted tickets as a very important gain that aligns the FIFA sales system with Brazilian law. In the international category, prices start at $90 for group-stage matches except tickets for the opening match which cost $220.The most expensive ticket for the final, scheduled for July 13 in Rios iconic Maracana stadium, will fetch $990. For Brazilian residents the cheapest discount ticket will go for $15 for group matches while the most expensive discount ticket (for the final) will sell for $83. Weil described as a real success last months Confederations Cup, for which 804,122 tickets were sold. The final (won by Brazil against Spain 3-0) was the best game I have ever seen, he told a press briefing. But he stressed that one of the lessons learnt was that stadium delivery needs to be on time.Ricardo Trade, chief executive of Brazils Local Organizing Committee for the World Cup, dismissed suggestions that, as happened for the Confederations Cup, some stadiums might be delivered behind schedule. There is no plan B. Theres nothing to worry about. Well meet the schedule, he told AFP. And Weil said last months street protests across Brazil have not influenced the (ticket) price structure.

Golf: Cabrera takes British Open lead

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GULLANE (AFP) - Angel Cabrera birdied the fourth and fifth holes early in his second round to take the outright lead in the British Open at Muirfield on Friday.With the rest of the 153-strong field struggling to cope with a links course turned fast and furious by more than two weeks of sunshine, the burly Argentine player nudged his way up the leaderboard.Another veteran, in the form of Spains Miguel Angel Jimenez was at three under with two holes to play with Brandt Snedeker on the same number at the turn and overnight leader Zach Johnson matching them after seven holes.Cabrera then missed a short par putt at the tough sixth and it was a four-way tie for the lead out on the course.They were battling the testing sun-baked conditions to stay ahead of a three-way tie for the lead in the clubhouse which grouped Tiger Woods, Lee Westwood and Henrik Stenson.World number one Woods had a 71 to get to two under 140, with Englishman Westwood firing a fine 68 and Swede Stenson a 70.Scotlands Martin Laird had the home fans buzzing with a 71 to stand a further stroke back and well in contention.Luke Donald was heading home after a 72 to stand at 10 over and Rory McIlroy looked set to join him as he was at a horrendous 13 over going down the front nine.

Rui Costa wins 19th stage of Tour de France

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LE GRAND-BORNAND (AP) - Rui Costa won the mountainous 19th stage of the Tour de France with a solo breakaway on the final climb, while Chris Froome stayed in yellow as expected attacks never materialized on Friday.Costa secured his second stage win of the race after catching Frenchman Pierre Roland about a quarter of the way up the fourth and final major ascent of Col de la Croix Fry.A lot of Portuguese fans have supported me through this Tour and I want to thank them, Costa said through a translator.German veteran Andreas Kloeden was second, 46 seconds behind, and Belgian Jan Bakelants was 1:44 back in third.Froome and his main Tour rival Alberto Contador were still some distance behind Portugals Costa when he clinched his third career Tour stage win.The 204.5-kilometers (127-mile) trek featured two HC climbs and two Category 1 ascents between Bourg-dOisans and Le Grand-Bornand in the snow-capped peaks of the Alps.Contador was tipped to attack Froome on the long downhill finish, but perhaps because of the rainy conditions, the attack never came.Froome and Contador rolled over the line together, several minutes behind Costa, and Froome maintained his lead of 5:11 over the Spaniard.For us the objective was to stay on the wheel (of the other contenders), Froome said. The team did a huge amount of work today. There are still 125 kilometers to go tomorrow.He is two days away from becoming the second British rider to win the race after Bradley Wiggins last year.I didnt want to attack in the downhill, Contador said. A lot of people like me and when they see me attacking downhill they get scared.He has only Saturdays 20th stage from Annecy to Annecy-Semnoz to claw back his large deficit to Froome, who will likely look to stay safe so that he can match Wiggins feat on Sunday.It all depends on how my legs are tomorrow, Contador said. It depends how I feel.Colombian climber Nairo Quintana is 5:32 behind in third overall.Froome was not attacked up the first of the two big HC climbs to Col du Glandon. They are known as HC, Hors Categorie, because they are considered so tough they are beyond classification.Canadian Ryder Hesjedal and Spaniard Jon Izaguirre opened up a lead of more than seven minutes over the yellow jersey group once they went over the top of Glandon.As Hesjedal and Izaguirre reached the second HC of Col de Madeleine, the peloton was 10 minutes behind. Hesjedal forged ahead before being caught and overtaken by Frenchman Pierre Rolland.The stage then undulated through the valleys and up several big hills, including the Category 1 climbs of Col de lEpine and Col de la Croix Fry, then ended with a sharp descent to the ski resort of Le Grand Bornand in south-eastern France.Rolland maintained his lead up lEpine zooming up the 7.3 kilometers (4.5 miles) in just under 19 minutes.The main pack was still about 10 minutes back when Rolland approached the last climb. Three of Froomes Sky teammates found the going too hard, however. Peter Kennaugh, Ian Stannard and Geraint Thomas drifted off.Costa, who won Tuesdays medium-mountain stage, charged after Rolland up Fry, a climb of about 11 kilometers (7 miles).Meanwhile, Froome sat on Contadors wheel. The Spaniard had Saxo-Tinkoff teammates Michael Rogers and Roman Kreuziger to help him.There was a moment when I wanted to attack and thought about it, but then I thought it was best to reach the finish line with Roman, Contador said.With the rain becoming heavier, Costa reached the top and prepared for a long and slippery descent of some 13 kilometers (8 miles). Costas other stage win was up to Super-Besse ski station in 2011.

Physicists unveil results helping explain universe

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GENEVA (AP) - After a quarter-century of searching, scientists have nailed down how one particularly rare subatomic particle decays into something else a discovery that adds certainty to our thinking about how the universe began and keeps running.The worlds top particle physics lab said Friday it had measured the decay time of a particle known as a Bs (B sub s) meson into two other fundamental particles called muons, which are much heavier than but similar to electrons. It was observed as part of the reams of data coming from CERNs $10 billion Large Hadron Collider, the worlds largest atom smasher, on the Swiss-French border near Geneva.The rare sighting at the European Center for Nuclear Research, known by its French acronym CERN, shows that the so-called standard model of particle physics is coming through with flying colors, though it describes only 5 percent of the universe, said Pierluigi Campana, who leads one of the two main teams at CERN involved in the research.Campana called the results an important development that helps confirm the standard model, a theory developed over the past half century to explain the basic building blocks of matter.It applies to everything from galaxies and stars to the smallest microcosms, showing how they are thought to have come into being and continue to function. The results were formally unveiled at a major physics conference in Stockholm.Also at the conference, an international team of scientists based at Japans Proton Accelerator Research Complex announced they have documented muon neutrinos transforming into electron neutrinos a previously unknown third way that neutrinos can spontaneously change identity. Neutrinos are subatomic particles that are very hard to detect because they have extremely low mass and rarely interact with matter.That breakthrough is a big deal, said one of the neutrino collaboration leaders, University of California at Irvine physicist Henry Sobel, because explaining the matter-antimatter asymmetry in neutrinos may shed light on why everything from tiny forms of life to stars are made of matter, but there is almost no antimatter left in the universe. That remains one of the biggest mysteries of the universe since the Big Bang nearly 14 billion years ago should have created equal amounts of matter and antimatter.But researchers also have been looking for this particular rare decay from the Bs particle for a long time.This is a process that particle physicists have been trying to find for 25 years, said Joe Incandela, leader of the second CERN team involved in the subatomic particle research. He called it a rare process involving a particle with a mass that is roughly 1,000 times smaller than the masses of the heaviest particles we are searching for now.The standard model also predicted a new subatomic particle discovered last summer. The long-sought Higgs boson creates what scientists call a sticky energy field that acts as a drag on other particles and gives them mass, without which particles wouldnt hold together and there would be no matter.The newest research shows that only a few Bs particles per billion decay into pairs of muons, which was along the lines of what was predicted under the standard model. But because the Bs particles decay helps confirm an old theory, some scientists also expressed a bit of disappointment they had not found something completely unexpected or new.This is a victory for the standard model, said Joel Butler of the United States Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, near Chicago. But we know the standard model is incomplete, so we keep trying to find things that disagree with it.

Oil little changed near $108

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NEW YORK (AP) - Benchmark crude for August delivery rose 1 cent to close at $108.05 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Oil gained $2.10 a barrel this week.Signs of an improving U.S. economy have helped push the price of oil to the highest level in 16 months. On Friday, oil rose to $109.32, the highest price since March 1, 2012, before pulling back.Oil has jumped 15 percent since June 21, when it traded at $93.69, and has pulled up the price of gasoline along with it. Gasoline futures have gained 13 percent in the same period.Oil prices have gained support from improved hiring and manufacturing activity in the U.S. A sharp drop in the nations crude oil supply, signaling an increase in demand, has also boosted energy prices.Recent gains by West Texas Intermediate, or WTI, the U.S. benchmark oil grade traded on the Nymex, have erased the spread to the Brent contract traded in London from over $13 in April. Brent crude, the benchmark for many international types of oil, was down 63 cents to finish at $108.07 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.Analysts say the U.S. benchmark appears overpriced at the current level, but caution against betting on a near-term drop.Jim Ritterbusch, president of Ritterbusch and Associates, calls levels above $106 a mispriced high considering that U.S. demand growth is a modest 0.5 percent while U.S. crude production is up 15 percent year over year. But he says thats no guarantee the price will decline.

Pakistan, West Indies 3rd ODI ends in a tie

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GROS ISLET (AFP) - Pakistan wicketkeeper Umar Akmal missed a run-out opportunity and the West Indies last-wicket pair of Kemar Roach and Jason Holder scrambled two runs off the final ball to tie the third one-day international Friday. Responding to the tourists total of 229 for six, and requiring 15 off the final over to win, Holder smashed a four and a six over cover off medium-pacer Wahab Riaz to keep the home sides unlikely prospects alive, resulting in the last ball drama that leaves the series level at 1-1 going into the fourth match at the same venue on Sunday.West Indies middle-order batsman Lendl Simmons and Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq, the joint top-scorers with 75 runs each in the thrilling encounter, also shared the Man of the Match award.However, Misbah found it difficult to accept how his team could not have won the match after reducing the Caribbean side to 205 for nine in the 49th over.Its really, really disappointing, but I have to say the way Holder played at the end he took the game away from us, said an incredulous Misbah.In that last over there were too many full deliveries to the tailenders, but hats off to them, they played well.In his usual calm, unruffled manner, Misbah had compiled his runs to steady the Pakistan innings after the early loss of both openers while Akmal swatted an unbeaten 40 off 31 deliveries, dominating an unbroken seventh-wicket partnership of 52 off 26 balls with Wahab (19 not out) to give the tourists a fighting chance on a pitch offering considerably more pace and bounce than for the first two ODIs in Guyana.Holder and Dwayne Bravo took two wickets apiece but skipper Bravos decision to persist with himself in the final overs proved costly, his last three overs being plastered for 40 runs.It was a bewildering decision given that Marlon Samuels had bowled only three overs in conceding just four runs and was not utilised at the end.This was a match we should have won after the bowlers had done such a good job, a disappointed Bravo insisted.Once again the batting let us down. It should never have gotten down to the bowlers having to save us.Pakistans left-arm seamers made early inroads into the West Indies batting line-up and it took Simmons effort together with a painstaking 46 from Samuels go keep the home side within reach of the target.However, with spinner Saeed Ajmal taking three wickets in the space of two overs and Junaid Khan joining in with two scalps himself, the West Indies looked to have frittered away their opportunity in losing five wickets for 27 runs.Big-hitting from Sunil Narine during a very brief cameo revived flagging hopes and then it came down to that decisive final over as the senior members of the Pakistan squad deliberated with their captain over who should bowl the final over.Choosing Wahab was always going to be a gamble, as he had already conceded the most expensive over of the innings when belted for 15 runs during the batting powerplay.Maintaining a full length gave Holder the opportunity to smash the telling boundaries after a couple of singles, leaving three runs for victory and two to tie off the final ball.A sliced drive to third-man guaranteed at least one but he should have been run out by at least half the length of the pitch in coming back for the second tying run, only for Akmal to fail to collect the return.

Australia crashes to 128 all out, England on 31-3

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LONDON (AP) - England off-spinner Graeme Swann dominated a bizarre second day of the second Ashes test with 5-44 as Australia was bundled out for just 128 at Lords on Friday.But just as the tourists appeared to be heading towards a second straight defeat in the five-match series, fast bowler Peter Siddle led a spirited fightback with the wickets of Alastair Cook (8), Jonathan Trott (0) and Kevin Pietersen (5) as England was reduced to 31-3 at stumps. Siddle was 3-4 from five overs.Joe Root was 18 not out and nightwatchman Tim Bresnan was yet to score. Root had also enjoyed some fortune when he edged Shane Watson between wicketkeeper Brad Haddin and first slip Michael Clarke when on 8. Seemingly, Haddin should have attempted a routine catch.England, which racked up 361 in its first innings, still led by 264 runs because of its significant first innings lead. Australia lost the first test by 14 runs in Nottingham.The pitch offered considerable turn for Swann but in hot and sunny weather on a dry and flat surface, conditions still favoured batting despite 16 wickets falling in the day, as celebrities such as Mick Jagger, Russell Crowe, David Cameron and Elizabeth Hurley watched from the sidelines.Im not going to count my chickens as Australia will fight as we saw with those three late wickets, Swann said. I really dont know why 16 wickets fell in the day. It was a mixture of some good bowling and some outrageous fortune.From a personal viewpoint I was already on the honors board for five wickets I took against Pakistan (in 2010) but that game was tainted, so its pleasing to get up there again here.Cook and Trott each played on to Siddle, while the unpredictable Pietersen played a casual, loose drive to Chris Rogers at point just 20 minutes from the close to give the Australians some cheer at the end of what had been a bitterly disappointing day for them.It was a bad day, we didnt bat well full stop, Australia coach Darren Lehmann said. The big thing for us is making more runs - its that simple. The top order failed again and we need to make sure we are learning from our mistakes.It was more one-day batting than test batting. Eight of the 10 were self-inflicted. We have to get it right quickly.However, he still believed Australia was in contention.Youve always got a chance. Its a funny game, cricket, he said. Ive seen big totals chased down and it is a good wicket. Its certainly not a 128 wicket.Australias demise began with the fall of Watson for a top score 30, to the last ball before lunch. He was lbw to Bresnan and wasted one of his teams two reviews in the process. Lehmann said it was Rogers idea to use the review.Rogers, playing on his home ground and where he is captain of county team Middlesex, was lbw to Swann for 15, though in farcical circumstances.Swann bowled an ugly waist-high full-toss which the left-hander tried to pull towards the Tavern Stand only to miss his connection and be struck in the mid-rift.Umpire Marais Erasmus ruled the ball was dipping sufficiently to hit the stumps. Rogers opted not to utilise his teams remaining review. If he had, he would have been reprieved as replays showed the ball missing leg stump.Im not sure there has been a worse piece of cricket in test history, Swann joked afterwards. Im sure he was as embarrassed as I was.That was 50 for two, which became 53 for three when Phil Hughes attempted a smear through cover at a wide Bresnan delivery, only to be given caught behind for 1.He immediately reviewed his dismissal but third umpire Tony Hill upheld the original decision through lack of evidence to the contrary - there was no obvious mark on hot-spot but there was a slight noise.Usman Khawaja was dropped on 7 by Trott at slip off Swann, who had his revenge when the left-hander irresponsibly tried to hit him over long-off only to find Pietersen at mid-off. That was 69 for four.Steve Smith prodded a Swann off-break to Ian Bell at short-leg to make it 86 for five, while Australia captain and the teams talisman Clarke was trapped lbw by Stuart Broad for 28. It was 96 for seven with the needless run out of Ashton Agar for 2.Siddle, Haddin and Ryan Harris followed after tea, with the latter hitting Swann to Pietersen at mid-on to hand the spinner his five-wicket milestone.An aggressive last-wicket partnership of 48 earlier boosted Englands first innings total. Broad (33) and Swann (28 not out) clubbed the precious runs in just 40 deliveries. Their effort undermined the excellent bowling display from Harris, who claimed five for 72 to secure his name on the famous Lords honours board.Bell hit 109 for the second straight match after England won the toss on Thursday. He steered his team out of early trouble when it had crashed to 28 for three.

Posted by IMRAN ALI SOOMRO (DARVESH) at 7/20/2013 07:16:00 AM

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