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Monday, May 11, 2009

Iran releases jailed US journalist

Iran has released an American-born journalist jailed for spying for the United States after a court reduced her sentence.Roxana Saberi was sentenced to eight years in prison last month, but Monday's ruling saw that cut to a two-year suspended sentence."I'm okay. I don't want to make any comments but I am okay," she said shortly after walking out Of Tehran's Evin prison. She was then then driven away by her father.Barack Obama, the US president, welcomed what he called a "humanitarian gesture" by Iran."He was relieved to see that Roxana Saberi has been released," Robert Gibbs, the White House spokesman, said."We know this has been a trying time for her family and friends and he looks forward to welcoming her home to the United States."We want to continue to stress that she was wrongly accused, but we welcome this humanitarian gesture."

8 killed in Darra Adam Khel suicide attack

Six people including one FC official were killed in a suicide attack at FC checkpoint in Darra Adam Khel. Two others security men sustain injuries in the blast.According to sources, a suicide bomber blew up himself at FC check post in Sabina police station jurisdiction. Five passersby and one FC official were killed in the blast. Security forces have cordoned off the area.Meanwhile, a huge blast heard outside Degree College. Police have reached the scene and started investigations.

Chelsea crushes Arsenal, Manchester United closer to title

While Manchester United got a big step toward its 18th Premier League title after a comfortable win over Manchester City (2-0), Chelsea demolishes Arsenal (4-1) and ended the Red's 21-match unbeaten league run.Manchester United strolled to a 2-0 defeat of Manchester City on Sunday to return to the top of the Premier League and closer to a record-equalling 18th title.Cristiano Ronaldo's deflected free kick and a superb strike by Carlos Tevez on the stroke of halftime made it a comfortable afternoon at Old Trafford for United who moved three points clear of second-placed Liverpool.United are on 83 points and have three games left to play to Liverpool's two. Four points from their matches at Wigan Athletic on Wednesday and at home to Arsenal next Saturday would mean they are uncatchable.Chelsea made sure of finishing at least third with a 4-1 victory against their fellow Champions League semi-final losers Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.After United's thrilling Champions League win against Arsenal in midweek they rarely needed to get out of second gear to overcome a disappointing City side. "We didn't play well," United boss Alex Ferguson told Sky Sports. "I think we got a horrible game but City didn't look like scoring."

Today in IPL

Deccan Chargers will face Rajasthan Royals in Indian Premier League (IPL) today.Deccan Chargers won five and lost four matches so far in the tournament. It stands at number four on points table with 10 points.Rajasthan Royals stands at third place with 11 points after grabbing victory in five matches and losing four.

Team Standings IPL2009

MPWLNRRRP
Delhi9720+0.3314
Chennai10631+1.2213
Rajasthan10541-0.1111
Hyderabad9540+0.1310
Punjab10550-0.4510
Mumbai10451+0.449
Bangalore10460-0.448
Kolkata10181-1.113

Delhi trounce Kolkata, regain top spot

The Delhi Daredevils bowlers paved the way for a seven-wicket Indian Premier League thumping of strugglers Kolkata Knight Riders Sunday as they reclaimed top spot in the table.Kolkata were restricted to 123-8 at chilly Wanderers after they lost the toss and were sent in to bat and Delhi cruised home, reaching 125-3 with 17 balls to spare. Openers David Warner, who made 36 off 23 balls, and 18-run Gautam Gambhir got Delhi off to a good start in the chase with a 53-run first-wicket partnership.While Gambhir, Warner and Tillakaratne Dilshan were removed within three overs, South African AB de Villiers and Dinesh Karthik combined to carry them home. The pair put on an unbroken 56 runs for the fourth wicket with De Villiers making 40 from 32 deliveries and Karthik contributing 17. 

Mumbai beat Bangalore by 16 runs

Mumbai Indians at last won a match after three successive defeats in the second edition of the Indian Premier League when they defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by 16 runs here on Sunday.Chasing 157 runs, Bangalore could make 141 runs for the loss of seven wickets in the allotted 20 overs.Mark Boucher was the only batsman who fought bravely against the accurate bowling from Mumbai. He remained not out on 48 which he made from 33 balls with one four and two sixes.For Mumbai, Harbhajan Singh claimed two wickets for 15 runs while Dhawal Kulkarni and Lasith Malinga took one wicket each.

Pakistan qualifies for Asia Cup semi-final after beating India

Sohail Abbas (C) celebrates with Waseem Ahmed 
after scoring Pakistan's winning goal 

Sohail Abbas found his scoring touch just in time to lead Pakistan into the Asia Cup semi-final field hockey with a 3-2 win over India in a Group B match in Malaysia Sunday.The Pakistanis had five penalty corners but Sohail was on target with only one attempt and that turned out to be the winner.Pakistan had earlier on Saturday drawn 1-1 with China and needed a win to book their semi-final place.Pakistan coach Shahid Ali Khan said that the recall of the four players from Europe made the difference in the match.‘Sohail, Salman Akhbar, Waseem Ahmad and Rehan Butt gave us experience and were influential in the win. We needed the full points and credit to the players in achieving it,’ he said.The match was an absorbing encounter with a lot of goal-scoring chances at both ends.Pakistan took the initiative from the start. They had the ball in the back of the net in the fourth minute but Tariq Aziz’s effort was ruled out by South African umpire Jon Wright.Prabhjot Singh gave India the lead in the 16th minute after a botched penalty corner attempt.

Russia expects to sign nuclear pact with Japan

Russia is seeking Japanese investment in a list of some 200 projects, including energy proposals. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin told media he expects to sign a nuclear power pact with Japan during his visit here this week.Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has told Japanese media his country expects to sign a nuclear power pact with Japan during his visit here this week, reports said Sunday.In an interview with Japanese media in Moscow, Putin said he would also present a list of economic cooperation projects during his three-day visit beginning on Monday.Various government-level agreements will be signed between Tokyo and Moscow as well as between private entities during his visit, he said, adding that a nuclear cooperation pact is also "expected to be signed". Japan and Russia are in the final phase of talks over a pact to promote the non-military use of nuclear power, such as for electricity generation.The pact will pave the way for Tokyo to entrust Moscow with uranium enrichment and allow Japan to export nuclear power plant technology to Russia, Kyodo News said.Calling Japan an "important partner in promoting exchanges based on cutting-edge technologies," Putin said other potential projects would embrace sectors such as automobiles, energy, aerospace, communications, chemicals and steel, according to the Nikkei business daily.

Malik says operation will go on till elimination of last terrorist

Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik said operation in northern areas will lasts till the elimination of last terrorist.Talking to media after reaching back home from US, Malik said 700 militants have been killed and 20 security personnel martyred and 20 injured so far in Malakand operation.He said Pakistan made an aid appeal to international community for the affectees of Swat operation. Our top priority is to rehabilitate displaced persons.Replying to a question about Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, interior minister said he does not know how Dr. Aafia reached Afghanistan. Pakistani Ambassador to US Hussain Haqani had requested the US official to send Dr. Aafia back home. He said joint surveillance of Pak-Afghan border and formation of joint force is not possible. 

Thousands Flee War-Torn Pakistani Valley as Curfew Lifts

Tens of thousands of civilians, many on foot or donkey-led carts, took advantage of a lifted curfew to flee Pakistan's embattled Swat Valley, while the army said it had killed 400 to 500 militants in its battle against the Taliban.The hemorrhaging of residents Sunday from a scenic valley that once attracted hordes of tourists threatened to greatly exacerbate an existing internal refugee crisis for a nuclear-armed nation already facing economic, political and other woes.The army offensive has garnered praise from the U.S., which wants Pakistan to root out havens on its soil where Taliban militants can plan attacks on American and NATO forces across the border in Afghanistan. In an interview aired Sunday, Pakistan's president urged international support for the fight and insisted the army had enough troops in the northwest to handle the threat.As they left Swat's main town of Mingora, some residents cursed the situation and condemned the Taliban, while others blamed Pakistani leaders for bowing to the West. "Show our picture to your master America and get money from him," some taunted.The desperate Swat residents were trying to leave any way they could — on motorbikes, animal-pulled carts, rickshaws or foot. A ban on civilian vehicles entering the valley complicated the exodus for those without cars. Some chided an Associated Press reporter for slowing them down by asking questions."We are going out only with our clothes and a few things to eat on the long journey," said Rehmat Alam, a 40-year-old medical technician walking out of Mingora with 18 other relatives. "We just got out relying on God because there is no one else to help us."Fighter jets and helicopter gunships have pounded Swat and surrounding districts over the past few days after Taliban fighters in the valley moved out and tried to impose their reign in other areas, including a stretch just 60 miles from the capital, Islamabad.The army's nine-hour suspension of the curfew Sunday could signal a more intense operation now that more civilians have left. Army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said 400 to 500 militants had been killed since the operation's launch last week.

Tigers claim army shelling killed over 2,000 civilians

The cornered Tamil Tigers on Sunday accused Sri Lanka of killing up to 2,000 civilians in an artillery barrage. The army dismissed the claim as Tamil propaganda.Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels on Sunday accused the government of killing more than 2,000 civilians in 24 hours of artillery attacks, but the military denied the allegations.The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said in a statement posted on the Tamilnet website that the army had unleashed a devastating offensive on the small coastal patch of land that the rebels still control."More than 2,000 innocent civilians have been killed in the last 24 hours," Tamilnet quoted S. Pathmanathan, the rebels' chief arms smuggler, as saying.The website said 257 bodies had been brought to a makeshift hospital that was overwhelmed with hundreds of injured casualties.Many of the dead were "found in bunkers and inside the tarpaulin tents," it said.The military dismissed the claims as propaganda, and said the guerrillas themselves had carried out the attack using mortars "to tarnish the image of the security forces in the eyes of the public nationally and internationally."Sunday's conflicting claims were characteristic of the war, in which independent reporting is impossible as journalists are banned from travelling freely in the area.A British television news team was expelled from Sri Lanka on Sunday after it broadcast allegations of poor treatment of the 200,000 Tamils who are being held in state-run camps after fleeing the fighting.

Suicide attacks hit Afghan province

At least nine people, including four police officers, have been killed in suicide attacks near a police station in Afghanistan southern province of Helmand, officials have said.The first attack happened when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives near police vehicles outside the station, Abdul Raziq, a district police chief, said.The second attacker struck as security forces rushed to the scene."There were two successive suicide attacks in Girishk town against a police convoy that I was in," Raziq said. "The second bomber detonated  as we - the police and army soldiers - responded to the first attack.""Both suicide attackers were on foot. I managed to survive the attack."

Seven troops killed in FARC ambush

Seven soldiers were killed and four others wounded overnight in an ambush by leftist FARC guerrillas in southwestern Colombia, according to officials. The FARC remains the largest guerrilla group operating in Colombia.Seven soldiers were killed and four others wounded overnight in an ambush by leftist FARC guerrillas in southwestern Colombia, a senior regional official told AFP on Sunday.Government secretary Fabio Trujillo of Narino, the Colombian department bordering Ecuador, said the attack on an army patrol by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels took place overnight Saturday into Sunday in rural Samaniego municipality.The ambush occured at almost the same time as an explosive device was triggered near the Samaniego police quarters, slightly wounding two officers, Trujillo added.The two attacks were the work of guerrillas belonging to FARC's Mariscal Sucre front, which with the National Liberation Army (ELN) has a "strong" presence in the region, Trujillo said.On Saturday, two more military personnel were killed and two others wounded in the same department in an attack against a river patrol.President Alvaro Uribe condemned the latest ambush, telling journalists in Medellin, 400 kilometers (250 miles) northwest of Bogota, that the FARC were "terrorists who cowardly attack with explosives."Founded in 1964, the FARC remains the largest guerrilla group operating in Colombia, with some 7,000 to 8,000 fighters in its ranks.

Chad army 'defeats' rebel forces

Chadian government forces have defeated Sudan-based rebels and forced their retreat back towards the border, a French military source has said.The comments on Sunday came a day after Chadian ministers said that army troops had won their battle over fighters from the Union of Resistance Forces (UFR), five days after they entered the country."I think we can say that we are in the final phase Sunday … It is a clear victory for Deby [Chad's president]. The rebels are beating a retreat," the French source said from Libreville."There has been a reconcentration of [rebel] columns in the southeast, along the border," he said.