Aisam, Rojer win Stockholm doubles title

Posted: STOCKHOLM (Agencies) - Top seeds Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi and Jean-Julien Rojer boosted their chance of qualifying for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals on Sunday as they captured their second title of the season. The Pakistani-Dutch duo defeated Swedes Jonas Bjorkman and Robert Lindstedt 6-2, 6-2 in the final of the Stockholm Open.Aisam and Rojer started the week at seventh in the Emirates ATP Doubles Team Rankings, with the top eight teams set to qualify for the season finale in London next month. Aisam and Rojer are looking to qualify for the second year in a row.So many great champions have won this tournament,” said Aisam, who also lifted the trophy in 2011 with Rohan Bopanna. “I have to say Ive been lucky enough to win it twice. It was a great honour to play against Jonas. The club is unbelievable. I love Stockholm and its just great to be back here and win this tournament. Our target was to do well here to qualify for the [Barclays ATP World Tour Finals] and I think after winning this, it looks pretty good.The 41-year-old Bjorkman was contesting his first tournament in nearly five years this week as he came out of retirement in a bid to win the Stockholm title for the fourth time with as many partners. He had first reached the Stockholm final 19 years ago in 1994 and dropped to a 54-43 finals record.Qureshi and Rojer won the title without dropping a set, breaking serve four times in the final as they prevailed in 63 minutes. They added to their success at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament in Miami in April.It was a great final,” said Rojer. “Very nice atmosphere and a beautiful court to play on. We both played a very good match today. It was very exciting to play against Jonas, of course. I thought my partner and I both played very well.The 33-year-old Qureshi improved to a 9-10 finals record, while Rojer, 31, also picked up his ninth ATP World Tour title (9-11 record).

Kerry lauds Pakistan as important US partner Posted: WASHINGTON (AP) - Americas top diplomat says the U.S. relationship with Pakistan could not be more important as the Islamic republic grapples with economic and security woes and regional stability.Secretary of State John Kerry spoke Sunday as he sat down with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who is in Washington this week for talks with the White House.Kerry told journalists the relationship with Pakistan could not be more important and said Pakistan is important to regional stability.Kerry declined to answer questions after brief remarks to reporters at the State Department. But U.S. officials say the Obama administration is posed to release more than $1.6 billion in military and economic aid to help bolster ties with Islamabad that have deteriorated over deadly American airstrikes and the 2011 raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.We have a lot to talk about, and the relationship with Pakistan could not be more important, Kerry said as his meeting with Sharif began. On its own, (Pakistan is) a democracy that is working hard to gets its economy moving and deal with insurgency, and also important to the regional stability.Sharif did not speak during the brief session with reporters.The two men met over dinner, shortly before Kerry planned to head to Europe for peace talks for Syria and between Israel and Palestinian authorities.He will be meeting with foreign ministers in Paris, London and Rome before returning to Washington on Thursday.

US seeks resumed security assistance to Pakistan: official Posted: WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US State Department has asked Congress to resume more than $300 million in blocked security assistance to Pakistan, officials said Sunday amid an upswing in relations.This is part of a long process of restarting security assistance cooperation after implementation was slowed during the bilateral challenges of 2011 and 2012, deputy State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf told AFP.The development came as Secretary of State John Kerry met with Pakistans Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who is making his countrys highest-level official visit to the United States in years.We have a lot to talk about and the relationship with Pakistan could not be more important, Kerry said at the start of the meeting.He called Pakistan a democracy that is working hard to get its economy moving and deal with insurgency and also important to the regional stability.Sharif was elected in May, and Washington has praised his efforts to reduce tensions in South Asia.Relations with the United States have also improved since they plunged to one of their lowest points in 2011 amid the killing of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in a US commando raid in Pakistan, as well as the killing of 24 Pakistani soldiers in a US airstrike.US security assistance was interrupted during that period, although $857 million in civilian assistance continued to flow, Harf said.She said US security assistance would build the capabilities of Pakistans security forces, which is critical to countering violence in the western border regions.And US civilian assistance to Pakistan has delivered real results on the issues most important to Prime Minister Sharif and all Pakistanis: energy, education, and economic growth, she said.

Gunmen kill four policemen in Peshawar Posted: PESHAWAR (Dunya News) – According to details, some unidentified gunmen riding on motorcycle opened fire at a police checkpoint at Dala Zack Road and killed two ASIs and two Constables on the spot.The police officials who embraced martyrdom were identified as Malik Amin, Fazal Wahab, Liaquat and Ayub Shah.Heirs of the deceased cops staged a protest after the incident and blocked GT Road for all kind of traffic.

Couple shot dead in Lahore Posted: LAHORE (Dunya News) – According to details, Khalid of Chah Miran area of Lahore was going to attend a marriage ceremony in Manga Madi along with his wife Mussarat and a relative Latif.According to police sources, five attackers riding on motorcycles sprayed bullets on their vehicle when they reached on Ring Road, injuring all of them.They were rushed to nearby hospital where Khalid and his wife succumbed to their wounds. Police have termed the killing an act of old enmity.

Federer confesses to mistakes, vows to keep playing Posted: BASEL (AFP) - Roger Federer admitted on Sunday that he made serious errors in his planning which have contributed to a disastrous 2013 campaign but insisted that retirement is not on his agenda.The 17-time Grand Slam title winner has slumped to number seven in the world and eight in the race for the World Tour Finals, and failed to make a final at any of the four majors, a run of disappointments that has led many in the sport to predict the end of the road for the 32-year-old.The Swiss, who split last week with coach Paul Annacone after more than three years, confessed that he could have done things differently.I played matches that I should never have played, said Federer, ahead of his participation in his home Swiss Indoors event which starts on Monday.I should have left in Indian Wells (last March, with back pain) before the quarter-finals against (Rafael Nadal). This summer, I should not have tried to play on clay in Hamburg and in Gstaad.But things always look better in hindsight. I wasnt able to train as I wanted during my seven-week break following Indian Wells, I fell into a negative spiral.Despite his wretched year and seeing rivals Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray carve up the majors, Federer insists that he will keep playing.As long as my body and mind is ready to go to travel, Im happy to be doing what Im doing, Im successful. Ill be playing for some time. That hasnt changed due to a tough six months, he added.Playing at the Rio Olympics is something Id like to achieve. That doesnt mean Im going to end my career there, or earlier or later. Its just an idea.Federer also said that his decision to split with Annacone -- the man who helped Pete Sampras to greatness -- was amicable.We had a great working relationship and a great friendship as well. Thats something I know is going to continue. Were still in touch almost every other day, said Federer.We talked a lot. It was always important to communicate about our feelings and thats what we did after the training block in Dubai.It went really well, but I felt it was best to talk about it and he also thought it was good to have a change and end it there. I think we had a great three and a half years. All I can do is thank him for all his efforts. We got the most out of each other, which was the idea for the relationship.Federer also pronounced himself ready to battle to earn a place in the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London.The Swiss, who has won the year-ender six times, set out his goals for the final two weeks of the regular season as he prepared for a Monday start at the Swiss Indoors which he has won five times.I want to compete for London, but Ive got to win matches to get there, said the player currently standing provisional eighth in the race for the eight-man event.I need to approach this (goal) in the correct way. But Im going to give everything I have to get to London.He said he would not short-change this weeks home tournament which lost Nadal as a drawcard when the Spaniard withdrew with fatigue.The focus is totally on this tournament. Ill take it step by step in Basel and in Paris. Im starting to focus on the first match (Frances Adrian Mannarino) and I hope it goes well.With only one trophy in 2013, the season is shaping up as the worst in more than a decade for the former world number one.I knew my trajectory this season -- OK at the beginning, then difficult and not so bad recently. But today I feel ready, physically and mentally. In Basel, Im playing at home. Its an advantage which I intend to exploit.

Wozniacki back to winning ways in Luxembourg Posted: LUXEMBOURG, Oct 20, 2013 (AFP) - Caroline Wozniacki claimed her first title in over a year at the Luxembourg Open on Sunday as the top seeded Dane defeated German teenager Annika Beck 6-2, 6-2.It was Wozniackis first title since the Kremlin Cup in Moscow last year, and came on a weekend when boyfriend Rory McIlroy finished second in the Kolon Korean Open.And former world number one golfer McIlroy indicted that the two are still very much an item, despite recent reports of a break-up, referring to her as my girl in a tweet after her Luxembourg success.McIlroy send out a tweet praising Wozniacki on the 21st title.21 luxembourg mygirl @CaroWozniacki, the Northern Irish golfer tweeted.Neither confirmed the rumoured split, and Wozniacki still uses a photograph of herself and McIlroy as her Twitter profile picture.She tweeted after her win.Thank you for all the support this week Great to win a title this year 21.Wozniacki, ranked ninth, who beat this years Wimbledon runner-up Sabine Lisicki in the semi-finals, gave 57th-ranked Beck no opening in their first meeting.This result in Luxembourg is going to give me a lot of confidence, the 23-year-old.Wozniacki, an alternate for the season-ending WTA Championships which starts in Istanbul this week, had seen a slump in form with her best result this season being runner-up in Indian Wells.Beck said she had learnt a lot in a week that saw her reach her first WTA final, her best previous run was to the semi-finals in Katowice last April.The 19-year-old said she had really enjoyed this week full of lessons for the future.

Dimitrov beat Ferrer to win Stockholm Open Posted: STOCKHOLM (AP) - Seventh-seeded Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria won his first ATP tour title on Sunday by beating top-seeded David Ferrer of Spain 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the Stockholm Open final.The 22-year-old Dimitrov broke the No. 3-ranked Ferrers serve three times to finish off the match in 2 hours, 10 minutes and defeat the Spaniard for the first time in four matches.It is a dream come true, said Dimitrov, who has trained in Sweden.Dimitrov started the year by reaching his first career final in Brisbane, but arrived in Stockholm on a four-match losing streak.

Tottenham beat Aston Villa 2-0 in EPL Posted: BIRMINGHAM (AP) - Man of the moment Andros Townsend and Roberto Soldado both scored as Tottenham restated its Champions League credentials with a 2-0 win at Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday.Following a shock 3-0 home defeat to rival West Ham, the London club claimed its fifth league win of the season to move to fifth in the standings, three points behind leader Arsenal.The opening goal was important to bring confidence and we really played well in the second half, Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas said. We deserved to go 2-0 up. It was the right response after the defeat by West Ham and it is good to see us near the top.Townsend scored in his England debut last week in a 4-1 win over Montenegro before impressing in a 2-0 victory over Poland that secured a place at next years World Cup.The 22-year-old winger scored his first Premier League goal for Tottenham as Spurs broke the deadlock against the run of play in the 31st minute.Soldado doubled the lead in the 69th with a clean finish from Paulinhos clever pass.Andros Townsend had a great game. He didnt start well but really picked up after his goal. He is a great threat. (With) his pace and ability to beat a man, he takes the team forward, Villas-Boas said.The game started under heavy rain and Aston Villa had the upper hand in the early stages as Spurs looked sloppy and struggled to keep possession.Villas first chance came after 20 minutes when Ashley Westwood produced a good save from goalkeeper Hugo Lloris before Andreas Weimann fired a dipping volley from long-range that ended wide.Tottenham then took the lead after both Lewis Holtby and Soldado failed to touch Townsends cross that went straight into the goal at the far post.The match was interrupted for a few minutes after assistant referee David Bryan was hit on the back of the neck by a flare thrown from the crowd just after the goal. The black smoke delayed the restart of the match but Bryan was able to continue.Townsend had another chance to score three minutes later but saw his shot from the edge of the box blocked.Just before halftime Townsend almost doubled his teams lead with a low shot that Guzman did well to keep out with a one-handed save.Tottenham missed another chance in the 49th as Guzman made another superb save to push away Paulinhos effort.Substitute Christian Benteke gave some extra strength to Villa but the powerfully-built Belgium forward headed over the bar from Leandro Bacunas cross.Spurs responded with an impressive collective move concluded by Soldado, who burst into the area to latch onto Paulinhos delicate pass and calmly score.

Ferdinand and Hodgson join FA commission Posted: LONDON (AP) - England coach Roy Hodgson and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand have agreed to join the Football Associations commission to improve the state of English football.The appointments came a day after the FA was accused by one of its board members of letting down so many black and ethnic minority people after setting up an all-white commission.FA chairman Greg Dyke said the body had been in touch with Ferdinand for some time but needed to make sure he had enough time to participate in the debate.On Saturday, board member Heather Rabbatts, who was born in Jamaica and is of mixed race, criticized the lack of diversity on the commission.Ferdinand, who has retired from international football but still plays for Manchester United, is the first non-white member of the panel.Rios vast experience as a player developed through West Hams successful youth system, winning Premier League and European titles with Manchester United and representing England at World Cups means he has a huge amount to offer to the debate, Dyke said. As a current player with forthright views and opinions on the game, we can look forward to Rio providing significant insight and experience.Hodgson found himself at the heart of a media storm this week after making a joke about a monkey at halftime during Englands 2-0 World Cup qualifying win over Poland. Hodgson, who has apologized for his remarks, said he made the joke to encourage his players to pass the ball more to Andros Townsend, who is black.Dyke is also counting on Hodgsons experience to help the FA build long-term success for the national team.It is important Roy can offer his views as the current manager of the national team and share the knowledge he has gained when working for many years in a number of countries, Dyke said. I wanted the international fixtures to be completed before announcing this to avoid any distractions for Roy at such an important time.

PM Nawaz Sharif arrives in Washington Posted: WASHINGTON (Online): Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif arrived in Washington on Sunday night on a four-day official visit to the United States for talks with President, Barack Obama on a host of issues.A White House spokesman said President Obama and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will hold talks on Wednesday.They will discuss ways to strengthen bilateral trade and economic cooperation‚ counter-terrorism efforts by Pakistan and its effects on its economy‚ will also be discussed during the talks.The two sides will avail the opportunity to deliberate on regional peace and security issues.Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will also interact with key senior US Administration officials and Congressional leaders on the Capitol Hill.Earlier, talking to newsmen in London‚ Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif reiterated that drone attacks are against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Pakistan and he would discuss the issue again with the American leaders during his visit to the United States.He said Pakistan raised its concern in the UN General Assembly and the world appreciated it.The Prime Minister said our stand regarding the drone attacks is clear and there is no duplicity in our policy.About talks with Taliban he stressed the need for serious efforts and the efforts should also be made from the other side. He said all parties agreed to talks with Taliban and we start talk but then violence erupts and things get off track.On Kashmir‚ the Prime Minister said in his US visit in July 1999‚ he had clearly told President Clinton that if the US intervened‚ Kashmir issue could be resolved.Nawaz Sharif said that President Clinton promised‚ but then things changed. He said India and Pakistan both are nuclear powers and the region is a nuclear flash point. He said though India did not want such intervention‚ but the world powers should get involved to resolve the issue.Replying a question about civil nuclear technology‚ the Prime Minister said it is Pakistans legitimate right to benefit from it and he would take up the issue with the US leaders.Talking about post-NATO pull-out situation in Afghanistan‚ the Prime Minister said Pakistan had its own place and role to play.The Prime Minister said he would also attend trilateral conference on Afghanistan with President Hamid Karzai and Prime Minister David Cameron in UK during his upcoming visit to the UK. He said we will try to restart our efforts for peace in Afghanistan.

Iraq attacks including nine suicide bombings kill 49 Posted: BAGHDAD (AFP) - Twin bomb attacks Sunday on a Baghdad cafe killed dozens of people in one of nine suicide attacks across Iraq, which is suffering its worst violence in five years.Nationwide a total of 49 people were killed across Iraq, where a surge of violence this year, including sectarian attacks, has raised fears of a relapse into bloodshed that peaked in 2006-2007.The deadliest attack -- a roadside bomb followed by a suicide bombing -- hit a cafe in the Shiite-majority Al-Amil area of south Baghdad, killing at least 34 people and wounding 50 others, security and medical officials said.The roadside bomb drew people to the scene outside the cafe, after which a suicide bomber detonated explosives, police said.Emergency personnel quickly cleaned the site of the explosions, leaving almost no evidence of the attack, while police commandos cordoned off the scene, an AFP journalist said.Militants have repeatedly targeted cafes in Baghdad and elsewhere in Iraq this year, along with other areas where crowds of people gather, including markets, mosques and football fields.Also on Sunday eight suicide bombers struck Rawa, a town located northwest of Baghdad near the Syrian border, killing eight people and wounding 28.The dead included three members of the local council for the Rawa area of Anbar province, three police, a child and another person, while 28 people were wounded, Doctor Wael Fawzi told AFP.Police Captain Mohammed Ahmed al-Rawi said two suicide bombers on foot and another driving an explosives-packed vehicle attacked local police headquarters. Another bomber struck an army checkpoint at the towns entrance.Meanwhile three bombers on foot and a fourth in a vehicle attacked the local administrative headquarters while officials were meeting inside, local council member Suhaib al-Rawi said.Militants, including those linked to Al-Qaeda, frequently target Iraqi security forces and other government employees.In September militants attacked two police stations and a local officials house in Rawa and in the nearby town of Aana, killing eight people.Also on Sunday, a roadside bomb and a car bomb exploded near the convoy of a police officer north of Baghdad, killing six people and wounding seven.And a man who sold meat from a stand south of the Iraqi capital was shot dead, while a roadside bomb in the Ghazaliyah area of west Baghdad wounded six people.Violence worsened sharply this year after security forces stormed a Sunni protest camp in northern Iraq on April 23, sparking clashes in which dozens died.Analysts say the Shiite-led governments failure to address the grievances of Iraqs Sunni Arab minority -- which complains of political exclusion and abuses by security forces -- has driven the surge in unrest.The authorities have made some concessions aimed at placating the protesters and Sunnis in general, such as freeing prisoners and raising the salaries of Sunni anti-Al-Qaeda fighters, but the underlying issues remain unaddressed.With the latest attacks, more than 480 people have been killed so far this month, and almost 5,200 since the beginning of the year, according to AFP figures based on security and medical sources.A study released this month by academics based in the United States, Canada and Iraq said nearly half a million people have died from war-related causes in Iraq since the US-led invasion of 2003.

Arab League chief backs Saudi on UN Council move Posted: CAIRO (AFP) - Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi Sunday backed Saudi Arabias rejection of a seat on the UN Security Council, saying the diplomatic body had failed in its responsibility towards the Arab world.Arabi told reporters that Saudi Arabia was right to object to the Security Councils management methods and the fact that it failed in its responsibility to secure international peace, which it is not doing at all.He said Arab states, including Palestine and Syria, were the worst affected by the Security Councils weakness in the last six decades.His remarks come a day after Arab nations urged Saudi Arabia to reverse its decision to reject a seat on the 15-nation Security Council.Arab ambassadors to the UN said it was crucial for Saudi Arabia to represent the Arab and Muslim world on the council at this important and historical stage, specifically for the Middle East region.Saudi Arabia won a prized two-year seat on the Security Council on Thursday, but a day later Riyadh said it would not take it up because of the world bodys double standards on Syria and other Middle East hotspots.Work mechanisms and double-standards on the Security Council prevent it from carrying out its duties and assuming its responsibilities in keeping world peace, the Saudi foreign ministry said, calling for reforms of the council.The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu supported Saudi Arabia in a statement Sunday hoping Riyadhs refusal to take its seat would accelerate the reform process at the Security Council by strengthening its transparency and representativeness.Ihsanoglu said the 57-member pan-Muslim body he presides has a direct and vital interest in reforming the Security Council and demands a representation in the body that suits their demographic and political weight.Many diplomats and analysts have said the Saudi protest was a message to the United States that it wanted a tougher stance on Syria and was angry that Washington had opened contacts with Tehran, a staunch ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assads regime.

UN envoy on Syria to visit Iran next week: report Posted: TEHRAN (AFP) - UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi will visit Tehran next week for talks to prepare for a proposed peace conference on Syria, Iranian state media reported on Sunday.The official IRNA news agency reported that Brahimi would arrive in Iran on Saturday to prepare the ground for Syrian peace talks that could be held in Geneva next month.Separately, Mehr news agency quoted Irans deputy foreign minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, as saying Brahimi would travel to Tehran early next week and visit Iranian officials.Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi said Sunday the talks would be held on November 23, but Brahimi, who was speaking at the same Cairo news conference, refused to set a date.Brahimi is in Egypt on the first leg of a Middle East tour aimed at drumming up support for the peace initiative.The veteran troubleshooter has said he would also travel to Qatar, Turkey, Iran, Syria and then Geneva for talks with Russian and US representatives.The United States and Russia have been trying to organise the conference on the heels of a landmark deal they agreed for Syria to destroy its chemical weapons by mid-2014.The so-called Geneva 2 conference was first announced last year, but it has been repeatedly postponed amid wrangling among the Syrian opposition, and a dispute over which countries, including Iran, should participate.

Egypt police, protesters clash at Cairo university Posted: CAIRO (AP) - Egyptian anti-riot police fired tear gas Sunday at hundreds of supporters of the countrys ousted Islamist president, besieging them inside a prestigious Muslim institution after stone-hurling protesters cut off a main road.Sundays clashes marked the second day of unrest at Al-Azhar University, Sunni Islams most prominent center of learning. Many supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsis Muslim Brotherhood are students at Al-Azhar, a stronghold of the group. The campus is also near where Islamists had a sprawling protest camp that security forces raided in August, leaving hundreds dead and sparking days of unrest.The students protest started with a march inside campus, where protesters hurled stones at the administrators offices, smashing windows and breaking doors, said Ibrahim el-Houdhoud, deputy head of the university. He told satellite news channel Al-Jazeera Mubashir Misr that he warned protesters against leaving campus and clashing with security forces.The protesters however ignored the advice, marching out of the main gates to hold prayers for the dead honoring students killed in earlier clashes between security forces and protesters in July.The protests come amid heated debate over a new law that would place tougher restrictions on demonstrators, which includes imposing heavy fines and possible jail time on violators.Morsi was overthrown by the military July 3 after millions took to the streets to demand he step down. Since then, Cairo has seen non-stop demonstrations by his supporters demanding his return. A military-backed crackdown has left hundreds dead and seen thousands arrested.Ousting Morsi escalated militant attacks in Egypt, especially in the volatile Sinai peninsula. Egypts interior minister escaped an assassination attempt when a car bomb targeted his convoy near his residence in Cairo last month.Egypts official news agency MENA reported that two members of Central Security Forces were injured Sunday when their bus came under attack near border town of Rafah in northern Sinai. Militants attacked the bus with automatic weapons and fled the scene. The soldiers were heading to their camp in Rafah.There also have been attacks against Coptic Christian churches. On Sunday night, gunmen on motorcycles opened fire on a group of people at a Coptic church holding a wedding in Cairo, killing one woman and wounding 10, security officials said. Officials said they did not have an immediate motive for the shooting, which happened in Cairos Waraa neighborhood.The officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they werent authorized to speak to journalists.