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Wednesday, August 12, 2015

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Tennis: Djokovic starts US Open buildup with Montreal win

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MONTREAL (AFP) - Top-ranked Novak Djokovic began his preparation for the US Open by defeating Thomaz Bellucci 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) Tuesday, advancing to the third round of the ATP Montreal Masters.The Serbian top seed made his first appearance since winning Wimbledon more than a month ago. He also created a bit of personal history with his 250th win at the Masters 1000 level.Djokovic is riding a win steak in the elite series, winning the last five he has contested dating to Paris Bercy last November. He remains undefeated in his last 27 matches at the Masters.Djokovic will now wait for a winner from American Jack Sock and 14th seed Grigor Dimitrov. Sock beat Adrian Mannarino 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (7/5) while Dimitrov eliminated Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-4, 7-5.It was a very intense match for both players, Djokovic said of his fourth win over Bellucci and his first on hardcourt in the series. There was a lot of tension and a very high quality.Im happy to have earned the win, I played well on the big points.In the first round, holder Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the French 10th seed, opened his campaign with a defeat of Borna Coric 6-4, 6-4 while Czech Lukas Rosol upset South African 12th seed Kevin Anderson 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7-4)Belgian 13th seed David Goffin put out American Steve Johnson 6-2, 6-2. John Isner, the number 16 and a finalist last week in Washington, struggled past Germanys Benjamin Becker 6-4, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3.Australian Nick Kyrgios began his hardcourt run with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 victory over Fernando Verdasco under the watchful eye of new mentor Lleyton Hewitt.Kyrgios, the world No. 41, is working alongside Australias double grand slam winner in an informal capacity, with the 34-year-old elder statesman of the current Aussie game happy to help out the 20-year-old youngster.But Kyrgios said the arrangement remains flexible and fluid, with Hewitt also attending to his own business on court as he goes into the final months of a career due to end early in 2016 after playing in his last Australian Open.Hes not my coach. Lets clear that up now, said Kyrgios after his victory in 95 minutes over Spains Verdasco in a first-time meeting featuring 15 aces off the Aussie racquet.Hes more of a mentor. Lleyton is very kind to take time away from his family and his career to help me and Thanassi (Kokkinakis). We dont know how long it will last but it is a great help.Kyrgios has not played since losing his only singles rubber in Davis Cup play last month after finishing a turbulent Wimbledon fortnight which was marred by outbursts and controversy from his side.Kyrgios called his win over Verdasco acceptable.I was pleased to get a win over a quality opponent, he said before moving into a second-round clash with French Open champion Stan Wawrinka. Im really happy with myself.The courts here are bouncy and lively. I knew I had to take control even if I didnt serve that well.Im pleased with how I finished in the third set. I competed well and thats the main thing.Stan is playing unbelievable tennis. Hes got a big everything -- forehand, backhand. Ill go out there, play my game and see how it goes.

Tennis: Serena rallies to reach Toronto third round

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TORONTO (AFP) - World number one Serena Williams rallied to advance to the third round of the WTA Rogers Cup on Tuesday by defeating Italys Flavia Pennetta 2-6, 6-3, 6-0.It was the 725th career match triumph for Williams, who withdrew from last weeks Stanford event with a right elbow injury.Williams, winner of the past four Grand Slam events, took 98 minutes to capture her first match since winning at Wimbledon, and as she did during much of her title run in London, she did it after dropping the first set.In the first set, Williams connected on only 44 percent of her first serves, won just 7 of 12 first serve points and only 2 of 15 on her second serve. She was broken four times, twice more than Pennetta.She held at love to open the second set but surrendered a break to fall behind 2-1 before storming back to win 11 of the last 12 games and roll to her seventh victory in as many starts against Pennetta.Williams became the only player to reach the third round at the US Open hardcourt tuneup event thanks to rain that washed out all but two matches on Monday. Her next match will be Thursday.Williams could complete a calendar-year Grand Slam with a victory at the US Open, which begins August 31, and claim her 22nd career Grand Slam title, matching Steffi Grafs Open Era record total.This week, Williams hopes to win in Toronto for a third time in a row after 2011 and 2013 titles in the Canadian event, which exchanges venues every year with a mens event being played this week in Montreal.

Tennis: Kyrgios wins one for Lleyton in new partnership

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MONTREAL (AFP) - Nick Kyrgios began his US Open hardcourt run with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 victory over Fernando Verdasco Tuesday under the watchful eye of new mentor Lleyton Hewitt at the ATP Montreal Masters.Kyrgios, ranked 38th, is working alongside Australias double grand slam winner in an informal capacity, with the 34-year-old elder statesman of the current Aussie game happy to help out the 20-year-old youngster.But Kyrgios said that the arrangement remains flexible and fluid, with Hewitt also attending to his own business on court as he goes into the final months of a career due to end early in 2016 after playing in his last Australian Open.Hes not my coach. Lets clear that up now, said Kyrgios after his victory in 95 minutes over Spains Verdasco in a first-time meeting featuring 15 aces off the Aussie racquet.Hes more of a mentor. Lleyton is very kind to take time away from his family and his career to help me and Thanassi (Kokkinakis). We dont know how long it will last but it is a great help.Kyrgios has not played since losing his only singles rubber in Davis Cup play last month after finishing a turbulent Wimbledon fortnight which was marred by outbursts and controversy from his side.But the Australian may have regained some calm after a few weeks at home in the Southern Hemisphere winter of Canberra.I came from a place where its really cold right now, he said of the Australian capital, where reading this week drop below freezing at night. Ive been practising indoors.Conditions here are tough, and the humidity doesnt help, he said on a day when play was delayed for two hours by rain. Ive never sweated so much as I did today.Kyrgios called his win over Verdasco acceptable: I was pleased to get a win over a quality opponent, he said before moving into a second-round clash with French Open champion Stan Wawrinka. Im really happy with myself. The courts here are bouncy and lively. I knew I had to take control even if I didnt serve that well.Im pleased with how I finished in the third set. I competed well and thats the main thing.Stan is playing unbelievable tennis. Hes got a big everything - forehand, backhand. Ill go out there, play my game and see how it goes.In other first-round matches, 13th seed David Goffin started with an easy 6-2, 6-2 defeat of American Steve Johnson while 14th seed Grigor Dimitrov beat Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-4, 7-5 under leaden skies.Jack Sock of the US accounted for Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (7/5) and Russian Mikhail Youzhny advanced past Serb Viktor Troicki 6-3, 7-5. Spains Roberto Bautista Agut defeated Janko Tipsarevic 6-3, 6-4.Richard Gasquet, the French 11th seed pulled out before his opening match and was replaced by lucky loser Nicolas Mahut.Top seed Novak Djokovic and number two Andy Murray were due to open later on a day still under threat from rain.

Football: Barcelona beat Sevilla 5-4 to win UEFA Super Cup

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TBILISI (AFP) - Barcelona added the UEFA Super Cup to their treble win of trophies last season despite blowing a 4-1 lead with a stunning 5-4 win over Sevilla thanks to Pedro Rodriguezs extra time winner. Two magnificent free-kicks from Lionel Messi plus goals from Rafinha and Luis Suarez looked to have Barca well on course to claim their fourth trophy of the year after Ever Banega had given Sevilla a shock early lead.However, Jose Antonio Reyes reduced the arrears before a Kevin Gameiro penalty and a debut strike from Yevhen Konoplyanka forced the game into an extra 30 minutes.Barca werent to be denied, though, and, in what could be his last game for the club, Pedro pounced on the rebound after Beto had denied Messi his hat-trick.Pedro had been controversially left out of the starting line-up despite the absence of Neymar due to the mumps as he appears set for a move to Manchester United after Barca technical secretary Robert Fernandez admitted he has asked to leave the club.He deserves it, Messi said of Pedros match-winning contribution.The players and the club dont know what he is going to do. It is his decision, but whatever he does we wish him the best.Sevilla made the brighter start and Javier Mascherano was lucky to avoid further punishment after being adjudged to have brought down Reyes on the edge of the area.The punishment was still to come for the European champions, though, as Banega clinically curled the resulting free-kick past the helpless Marc-Andre Ter Stegen with an effort his international teammate Messi would have been proud of.Unfortunately, for Unai Emerys men the lead lasted only four minutes as Suarez was blocked by Grzegorz Krychowiak and Messi delicately chipped the ball over the wall into the top corner.The four-time World Player of the Years next set-piece was even more spectacular as he this time fired a free-kick in off the inside of the post to move level with Cristiano Ronaldo as the all-time leading scorer in European competitions with 80.Suarez passed up a huge chance for the third when he fired straight at Beto two minutes before half-time but made immediate amends by collecting the rebound to tee up Rafinha to slot home.Sevillas hopes of a comeback appeared to be over when a shocking pass from Benoit Tremoulinas was intercepted by Sergio Busquets and turned home by Suarez.Yet, they were given a lifeline when Reyes turned home Vitolos excellent cross at the far post to reduce the arrears.Jeremy Mathieu then pulled down Vitolo inside the area and was also lucky only to see a yellow card before Gameiro fired home the spot-kick.And a remarkable comeback was complete when two substitutes on their debut combined for the equaliser as Konoplyanka tapped home Ciro Immobiles low cross.Pedro was finally introduced three minutes into extra time and just as in the Super Cup six years ago against Shakhtar Donetsk he grabbed the winner by firing into the roof of the net after Beto had parried Messis follow-up effort from another dangerous free-kick.Sevilla still had two great chances to force an incredible match into a penalty shootout but both Coke and Adil Rami fired off target as a relieved Barca hung on.

During mass extinction, no species safe: study

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PARIS (AFP) - Dominant species spread across the globe are just as vulnerable during a mass extinction event as more fragile ones confined to a single locale, according to a study published Tuesday.As Earth enters the sixth such concentrated annihilation of life over the last half-billion years, this could be bad news for humans, the researchers say.The last major wipeout occurred 66 million years ago when a giant asteroid put a relatively quick end to the age of dinosaurs after their spectacular 150 million-year run. By comparison, humans have been around for about one tenth of one percent of that time. Outside of these moments of planetary upheaval -- each of which decimated 50 to 95 percent of life forms -- species tend to disappear at a steady background rate that has varied remarkably little. During the previous big five extinction, however, that rate increased by at least 100-fold. And thats about where we are today.Rates of extinction amongst modern animal groups are as high, if not higher, than those we see in the fossil records during times of mass extinction, comments Alexander Dunhill, a professor at the University of Leeds, and lead author of the study.Most mass die-offs were associated with climate change, itself triggered by some cataclysmic event -- a massive, continental-scale rupturing of volcanoes in the case of the Triassic-Jurassic juncture 200 million years ago.Organisms are unable to adapt quick enough to rapidly changing conditions and thus become extinct, Dunhill said.Looking at the fossil record of land-living animals around the Triassic-Jurassic event -- in which 80 percent of species ceased to exist -- Dunhill and colleague Matthew Wills asked whether geographically far-flung creatures fared better.The answer, published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communication, was no. Wider geographical range conferred greater resilience ... throughout most of the Triassic and Jurassic, the study concludes.However, this insurance weakened towards the end of the Triassic, and was imperceptible during the mass extinction itself. Thus, the age of giant amphibious reptiles and crocodile-like creatures gave way to the dinosaurs, which in turn yielded to small mammals and birds when their time was up.Will the same rule apply to species alive today, including our own? There are disquieting parallels, Dunhill said.The volcanic effusion 200 million years ago spewed vast amounts of CO2 and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, causing rapid -- and deadly -- global warming. In effect, we are creating the same conditions today via human activity, only on a more rapid timescale, he said.Adding to that, human-caused habitat destruction and general exploitation of the natural environment is also a major driving force of extinction today.Humans may be more resourceful and resilient than any creatures to have slithered, walked or swum across the planet.You could say that we have altered our habitat so much that we may well be exempt from such evolutionary process, Dunhill said.But most of the worlds population is still heavily dependent on the natural world for food, water and energy, he added. Massive and rapid upheavals in the natural environment will certainly impact humans in a negative way.

MPs resignations: Altaf endorses Raabta Committee decision

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KARACHI (Dunya News) - Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain has endorsed the Raabta Committee decision of tendering resignation from Senate, National Assembly and Sindh Assembly in protest against Rangers operation in Karachi.The decision was taken during MQM Raabta Committee meeting simultaneously held in London and Karachi on late Tuesday night and presided by party chief Altaf Hussain.The MQM party members of Senate, National Assembly and Sindh Assembly will submit their resignations to the MQM parliamentary leader.The MQM parliamentarians will tender their resignation in phases. National Assembly members will resign today then from Senate and Sindh Assembly.

Australia's Haddin heading home early

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LONDON (AFP) - Australia wicket-keeper Brad Haddin is returning home early from the Ashes tour of England for family reasons, a team spokeswoman said Tuesday.Haddin was not expected to play in next weeks fifth and final Test at The Oval, having lost his place in the side to Peter Nevill.The cricket.com.au website said Haddin, 37, had left London on Tuesday as the rest of the squad arrived in Northampton on Tuesday for a first-class fixture that starts in the Midlands town on Friday.A Cricket Australia spokesperson confirmed Haddins exit, asking the media respect the privacy of Haddin and his family.Haddin played the first Test of the series in Cardiff, where he dropped Joe Root on nought before the England batsman went on to make 134 in a 169-run win, and was not at his best with the bat either.He then missed, at his own request, Australias 405-run victory in the second Test at Lords to spend time with his ill daughter in a London hospital.Haddins daughter Mia reportedly suffers from neuroblastoma -- a rare form of cancer that occurs in children aged five years or younger.Nevill, Haddins understudy at New South Wales, impressed on his Test debut at Lords and then retained his place for Australias defeat at Edgbaston (eight wickets) and at Trent Bridge (an innings and 78 runs) which saw England take an unbeatable 3-1 lead in the five-match Ashes series.It was a move that proved highly controversial, with several former Australia players, notably Matthew Hayden, saying Haddin should have been recalled at Edgbaston if the teams family first policy meant anything, while there were reports in the Australian media that Haddins treatment had unsettled other squad members. Australia coach Darren Lehmann said leaving out Haddin at Edgbaston was the hardest decision of his career, while on-tour selector Rodney Marsh -- one of Australias greatest wicket-keepers -- said Haddins recent form meant team chiefs didnt have an option other than to retain the 29-year-old Nevill. We certainly care about Brad and his family, Lehmann said after the third Test. Were really close as a group. Weve talked about it openly. That would be the hardest decision Ive had to make as a coach, or even as a player. We all love Hadds. The players love Hadds. Hes a ripper bloke - one of the best blokes Ive ever coached, brilliant person, great family.Haddin retired from one-day internationals after playing in Australias World Cup final win over New Zealand in Melbourne in March.Although he has made no formal statement about his Test future, Tuesdays announcement effectively spells the end of a 66-match career of 270 dismissals (262 caught, eight stumped) and 3,266 runs, including four hundreds, at an average of 32.98.

Jonassen leads Australia recovery in women's Ashes Test

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LONDON (AFP) - Jess Jonassen marked her Test debut for the Australia womens side with an unbeaten 95 as her side recovered to 268 for eight on the first day of their one-off Ashes Test against England at Canterbury on Tuesday.England pace bowler Anya Shrubsole took four wickets either side of lunch, including the prize scalp of in-form Australia captain Meg Lanning (three) as the tourists, who had been 66 without loss, slumped to 87 for four.They were 95 for five but Jonassen, a 22-year-old Queenslander, batted for just over four hours to bring her side back into the game.Jonassen, happy just to be awarded the traditional baggy green cap that Australia reserves for its Test players, both male and female, said: To get my baggy was really nice. Im just happy to contribute and to be not out at the end of the day, never thought that would happen.I had a few good partnerships out there and it kept me on track.As for her long innings, she added: (It was) mentally draining more than anything. Ill go on the physio table tonight and hopefully get a good nights rest and Ill be ready to go again tomorrow.Meanwhile Shrubsole said the match was in the balance, adding fellow bowlers Katherine Brunt and Laura Marsh deserved more success. I think its turned out even-stevens at the end of the day, she said. We were really happy to take eight wickets, but Ill admit we found their ninth-wicket partnership a little frustrating.Credit must go to Jess, because she batted really well and I felt Katherine bowled brilliantly for us, particularly with the new ball, with very little reward. And Laura bowled well.This is a multi-format Ashes, in contrast to the mens version which saw England take an unbeatable 3-1 lead in a five-match series with victory by an innings and 78 runs in the fourth Test at Trent Bridge last weekend.Australias women are currently four points to two in front after the one-day international leg of the series, but there are four points out of a remaining 10 on offer to the winners of the lone Test.

China's yuan devaluation rattles forex market

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Chinas unexpected sharp currency devaluation Tuesday shook the foreign-exchange market, boosting the dollar and stirring concerns about a delay in the Federal Reserves plan to raise interest rates.Chinas central bank devalued its yuan currency Tuesday by nearly two percent against the US dollar, as authorities said they were seeking to push market reforms in a one-time move.The dollar strengthened against most major rivals except for the euro, which rose slightly against the greenback, gaining a lift from Greeces agreement with its creditors for a third bailout.The Peoples Bank of China (PBoC) said Tuesday it would now base the fixing on the previous days close and other factors, a new method of calculating the daily price. Previously the central bank would allow the yuan, also known as the renminbi, to vary by up to two percent of the central rate.The dramatic move surprised markets and led to a wave of selling on US and European equity bourses, as well as across many commodity exchanges.The PBoCs decision to loosen the dollar-yuan trading band will have far-reaching implications, said Christopher Vecchio, currency analyst at DailyFX.Look no further than the fact that the PBoC released an explanation of its monetary policy decision in English: the PBoC is well-aware the world is watching Chinese economic and financial markets, and is doing all that it can to maintain control over a spiraling situation.Forex.com analyst Fawad Razaqzada said that the market has interpreted the move as a sign that the health of the Chinese economy is probably worse than even what the official data suggests.Analysts wondered about the devaluations impact on the timing of the Fed plan to raise its near-zero federal funds rate this year, dependent on whether the economy is strong enough to withstand a rate hike.Chinas currency move laid down another potential obstacle to an imminent Fed rate hike. Not everyone is on board with the notion the Fed would boost rates at its coming meeting in mid-September, with (the) economy continuing to flash mixed signals, said Joe Manimbo, senior market analyst at Western Union Business Solutions.

Oil prices skid on China currency move

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NEW YORK (AFP) - US oil prices sank to their lowest level in more than six years Tuesday after a surprise currency devaluation in China raised worries about the worlds second-biggest economy.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for delivery in September fell $1.88 to $43.08 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the lowest level since March 2009.European benchmark Brent oil for September delivery fell $1.23 to $49.18 a barrel in London.Chinas central bank devalued its yuan currency Tuesday by nearly two percent against the US dollar, as authorities said they were seeking to push market reforms, in the context of a slowing economy.The move surprised markets and led to a wave of selling on US and European equity bourses, as well as across many commodity exchanges.The market has interpreted the move as a sign that the health of the Chinese economy is probably worse than even what the official data suggests, said Forex.com analyst Fawad Razaqzada.Obviously the move by China to devaluate its currency is severely affecting the market generally, said John Kilduff, founding partner at Again Capital.China is obviously key to the demand story as we look forwards, Kilduff added.Traders are also jittery that fresh petroleum data in coming days will show a worsening global supply glut. These include Wednesdays weekly oil-inventory report from the US Department of Energy.There are concerns demand numbers will be lame and that data will show excess supply, said Bob Yawger of Mizuho Securities.

UNICEF expresses solidarity with victims of Kasur child abuse case

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LAHORE: (Dunya News) – United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has on Tuesday contacted Pakistan government on Kasur child abuse case and has expressed solidarity with the victims, reported Dunya News.According to details, UNICEF Regional Director Philip Corey contacted Pakistan government for details on Kasur case and expressed solidarity with the children. He said that we will have to highlight how children can be saved from sexual abuse.Philip Corey said that UNICEF is ready to work in collaboration with Pakistan officials at regional and national level in order to fight child abuse. He expressed hope that the government will bring the culprits to justice in Kasur child abuse case.

Danish nurse charged with fourth patient murder

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COPENHAGEN (AFP) - A 30-year-old nurse in Denmark was charged with a fourth count of murder on Tuesday following a series of suspicious patient deaths on her ward, a court heard on Tuesday.The woman has been in custody for almost six months, and the Nykobing Falster district court in southern Denmark extended her detention for four weeks as police continue to investigate the case.The woman was detained on March 1 following three deaths during her night shift on February 28 at the Nykobing Falster provincial hospital.Prosecutors on Tuesday charged her with a fourth murder that allegedly took place in 2012.The woman, whose name has not been disclosed, has denied all charges and immediately appealed her continued detention.According to media reports, unusually large amounts of stesolid and morphine were alleged to have been found in the bodies of some of the deceased.The Danish Broadcasting Corporation quoted defence attorney Jorgen Lange as telling the court that there had not been an unusually high level of use of the two drugs on the ward in question.Being accused of something you havent done is horrible. There are a lot of rumours about all sorts of things and my life has been destroyed. My family is suffering a lot, not least my 7-year-old daughter, the accused woman told the court, tabloid B.T. reported.According to other media reports, police are investigating a further 10 deaths and want the nurse held in custody to prevent her from contacting witnesses.Prosecutor Jeanette Andersen meanwhile argued to the court that an unusual number of deaths happened during the accuseds duty, the Danish Broadcasting Corporation reported.She said the nurse was employed at the hospital in 2009 when there were 87 deaths at the ward.In 2011 there were 95 deaths and in 2012, when the nurse stopped working in October of that year, there were 75 deaths.In the following two years when the nurse was not at the ward, 51 people died.

MH17 probe finds 'probable' BUK missile pieces at crash site

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THE HAGUE (AFP) - Investigators probing the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 said Tuesday they had found fragments probably from a Russian-made BUK missile at the crash site in eastern Ukraine.International and Dutch investigators are examining seven considerable fragments of some size... probably from a BUK (surface-to-air) missile system, said Dutch public prosecutor Fred Westerbeke.A joint statement from prosecutors and the Dutch Safety Board (OVV) said the fragments were secured during a previous recovery mission (at the crash site) in eastern Ukraine and are in possession of the criminal investigation team and the Dutch Safety Board.Flight MH17 was shot down on July 17 last year, during heavy fighting between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists. All 298 passengers and crew were killed.Ukraine and many in the West have accused pro-Russian rebels of shooting down the plane, saying they may have used a BUK missile supplied by Russia.Russia and the rebels deny any responsibility and point the finger at Ukraines military.Investigators said it was not yet clear whether the apparent missile pieces found were related to the attack.Its too early to say that the fragments we found were, for instance, from the BUK rocket that possibly shot down MH17, prosecutor Westerbeke told state broadcaster NOS.But the investigation was really getting closer to finding out who was behind the attack, he said.- Realistic scenario -The statement from the OVV and the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) said the fragments can possibly provide more information about who was involved in the crash of MH17. QUOTESThe Joint Investigation Team carrying out the criminal probe has representatives from the Netherlands, Ukraine, Australia, Malaysia and Belgium -- the countries worst affected by the crash.The JIT will internationally enlist the help of experts, among others forensic specialists and weapon-experts, it said.Dennis Schouten, deputy head of the association of MH17 victims relatives, told AFP that the announcement was in line with expectations.This was already one of the most realistic scenarios, he said.Dutch authorities completed recovery of debris and bodies from the crash site in April this year, having previously been hindered by ongoing fighting.All but two of the dead have so far been identified using DNA samples, dental records and personal effects.- Soil samples -Dutch experts returned to war-ravaged eastern Ukraine in June and took soil samples from a field from where the suspected surface-to-air missile may have been fired.Both the Russian and Ukrainian militaries have BUK missiles in their arsenal, and the systems Russian manufacturer said in June that based on publicly available photographs of the wreckage the plane was likely shot down by one of its missiles.The Boeing 777 was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was blown out of the sky.Two-thirds of the victims were Dutch, many of them children starting their summer holidays.International air investigators, comprising representatives from the Netherlands, Ukraine, Malaysia, Australia, Britain, the United States and Russia are currently meeting in The Hague to discuss a draft report from the Dutch Safety Board into what caused the crash.Russia last month vetoed a bid at the United Nations Security Council to set up an international tribunal to try those behind the downing of the aircraft.Countries involved in that bid are now looking at other means to carry out a prosecution, although no suspects have yet been publicly identified.The OVV is to release its final report into what, but not who, downed the aircraft in October.Air investigators are also probing the decision-making process that allowed civilian airliners to fly over a war zone where several Ukrainian military aircraft had previously been shot down by separatists at high altitude.

Football: Valbuena returns to France, signs for Lyon

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LYON (AFP) - France international playmaker Mathieu Valbuena has signed for Lyon just a year after moving to Russia, the French Ligue 1 club said on Tuesday.The 30-year-old left Marseille 12 months ago to join Dynamo Moscow for 7 million euros ($7.75 million) on a three-year deal, but now he is back in his homeland as he bids to win a place in the France squad for Euro 2016.Valbuena has signed a three-year deal worth five million euros ($5.5 million) with Lyon, who won the last of their consecutive seven-time French league titles in 2008.The player passed a medical in Lyon on Tuesday morning and was later officially unveiled.I dont regret anything with Dynamo Moscow where everything went well the first season but for my second year the sporting objectives were no longer in line with what I wanted, said Valbuena after Dynamo were sidelined from the Europa League by UEFA for breaking financial fair play rules.We know Lyons level after a very good 2015 season and also qualifying for the Champions League. All that played a role in my decision, said Valbuena, who began his career at Libourne before moving to Marseille in 2006, spending eight seasons at the Velodrome.He won the French title with the southern giants in 2010, the same year he made his France debut -- he has since scored seven goals in 48 appearances for the national team.Valbuenas salary was not revealed but it will not be close to the six million euros a year he earned in Moscow.The 1.67m player - nicknamed Petit vlo (little bicycle) due to his small stature - is Lyons fourth recruit after defenders Jeremy Morel (Marseille), Rafael (Manchester United) and striker Claudio Beauvue (Guingamp).Im delighted to join Lyon. I arrive with a lot of humility and ambition to win titles, to bring experience, said Valbuena.I was keen to return to France and with the interest shown by Lyon I jumped at the chance.Valbuena, who has scored seven goal in 48 appearances for Les Bleus, was looking for a higher profile with Lyon with an eye to the European championship at home.Obviously a European Championship or a World Cup is something very important. The French team, Ive never denied it is my engine, he saidIts something very important to play for your country.I didnt hesitate a single second to return with so many objectives for this year which looks like being very exciting.Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas admitted that he had been looking to sign Valbuena since the 2014 World Cup.Hes the boy for us. Im very happy hes here and I have a feeling that things will go well, said .

Explosion in Quetta leaves 2 dead, 5 wounded

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QUETTA (Dunya News) – At least two persons including one security official were killed while another five were wounded in an explosion at Gawalmandi Chowk in Quetta on Tuesday, Dunya News reported.The law enforcement institutions and rescue officials rushed to the blast site as soon as they received the information.Those wounded were rushed to the hospital where they are being given medical treatment. The security institutions have cordoned off the area and begin investigation.The bomb disposal squad has also started gathering evidence from the explosion site. The preliminary investigation shows that at least five kilogram of explosive was used in the explosion and that it was carried out through time device.The police officials said the motive behind the attack was to spark a panic among the people.Balochistan Home Minister later reached the hospital to visit those wounded and said while talking to the media that purpose of the attackers was to sabotage Independence Day celebrations.Chief Minister Balochistan Dr Abdul Malik Baloch strongly condemned the incident and directed the security officials to beef up security across the city.

Posted by IMRAN ALI SOOMRO (DARVESH) at 8/12/2015 07:12:00 AM

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