Lahore: Police finalises security plan for Muharram

Posted: LAHORE (Dunya News) – Police have finalised foolproof security plan in Lahore for Muharram-ul-Haram. According to details, police conducted search operation in the sensitive areas of the city on the instructions of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Punjab.More than 50 people were arrested during search operation conducted under supervision of SPT in different areas of Lahore, including Karbala Gamay Shah, Data Darbar, Badami Bagha and areas located on the bank of River Ravi.

NSA spying threatens to hamper US foreign policy Posted: WASHINGTON (AP) - Secretary of State John Kerry landed in Rome and Paris to talk about Mideast peace, Syria and Iran but was confronted by outrage over the sweep and scope of U.S. snooping abroad. President Barack Obama already has defended Americas surveillance dragnet to leaders of Russia, Mexico, Brazil, France and Germany and was even quizzed about it during his birthday appearance on late-night television.In the short run, Obama and Kerry are trying to quell international anger over classified disclosures by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden. Longer term, Snowdens revelations about NSA tactics that allegedly include tapping up to 35 world leaders cellphones threaten to undermine U.S. foreign policy in a host of areas.In Washington, demonstrators held up signs reading Thank you, Edward Snowden as they marched and rallied near the U.S. Capitol to demand that Congress investigate the NSAs mass surveillance programs.Its the vacuum-cleaner approach to data collection that has rattled foreign allies. The magnitude of the eavesdropping is what shocked us, former French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said in a radio interview. Lets be honest, we eavesdrop too. Everyone is listening to everyone else. But we dont have the same means as the United States, which makes us jealous.The disclosures not only raise the question: Where in the world isnt the NSA? They also sparked debate about whether tapping the phones of allies is a step too far. The question might already be moot. The British ambassador to Lebanon, Tom Fletcher, tweeted this week: I work on assumption that 6 countries tap my phone. Increasingly rare that diplomats say anything sensitive on calls.Diplomatic relations are built on trust. If Americas credibility is in question, the U.S. will find it harder to maintain alliances, influence world opinion and maybe even seal trade deals.Spying among allies is not new. Madeleine Albright, secretary of state during the Clinton administration, recalled being at the United Nations and having the French ambassador ask her why she said something in a private conversation that the French had apparently intercepted. The French government protested revelations this week that the NSA had collected 70.3 million French-based telephone and electronic message records in a 30-day period.Albright says Snowdens disclosures have been very damaging to U.S. policymakers.A lot of the things that have come out, I think are specifically damaging, because they are negotiating positions and a variety of ways that we have to go about business, Albright said at a conference hosted by the Center for American Progress in Washington. I think it has made life very difficult for Secretary Kerry. ... There has to be a set of private talks that, in fact, precede negotiations and I think it makes it very, very hard.The spy flap could give the Europeans leverage in talks with the U.S. on a free trade agreement, which would join together nearly half of the global economy. If we go to the negotiations and we have the feeling those people with whom we negotiate know everything that we want to deal with in advance, how can we trust each other? Martin Schulz, president of the European Parliament, asked.Claude Moniquet, a former French counterintelligence officer and now director of Brussels-based European Strategic Intelligence and Security Center, said the latest NSA flap came at a good time for Europe to have a lever, a means of pressure ... in these negotiations.To Henry Farrell and Martha Finnemore at George Washington University, damage from the NSA disclosures could undermine Washingtons ability to act hypocritically and get away with it.The danger in the disclosures lies not in the new information that they reveal but in the documented confirmation they provide of what the United States is actually doing and why, they wrote in Foreign Affairs. When these deeds turn out to clash with the governments public rhetoric, as they so often do, it becomes harder for U.S. allies to overlook Washingtons covert behavior and easier for U.S. adversaries to justify their own.They claim the disclosures forced Washington to abandon its naming-and-shaming campaign against Chinese hacking.The revelations could undercut Washingtons effort to fight terrorism, says Kiron Skinner, director of the Center for International Relations and Politics at Carnegie Mellon University. The sweeping nature of NSA surveillance goes against the Obama administrations claim that much of U.S. espionage is carried out to combat terrorism, she says.If Washington undermines its own leadership or that of its allies, the collective ability of the West to combat terrorism will be compromised, Skinner said. Allied leaders will have no incentive to put their own militaries at risk if they cannot trust U.S. leadership.The Obama administrations rebuttal to outrage has been that the U.S. is gathering foreign intelligence of the type gathered by all nations and that its necessary to protect the U.S. and its allies against security threats.Kerry discussed the NSA affair in Europe with French and Italian officials. He certainly recognizes that as we look to pursue a range of diplomatic priorities, whether thats working together on global issues like Syria or Iran or TTIP (the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership), it would really be a mistake to let these disclosures get in the way, she said.Most governments have not retaliated, but some countries are pushing back.Germany and France are demanding that the Obama administration agree by years end to new rules that could mean an end to reported American eavesdropping on foreign leaders, companies and innocent citizens.Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff canceled her official state visit to the White House. She ordered measures aimed at greater Brazilian online independence and security after learning that the NSA intercepted her communications, hacked into the state-owned Petrobras oil companys network and spied on Brazilians.Brazil says it is working with other countries to draft a United Nations General Assembly resolution that would guarantee peoples privacy in electronic communications.A European Parliament committee in Brussels approved sweeping data protection rules that would strengthen online privacy and outlaw the kind of data transfers the U.S. is using for its spying program.European lawmakers have called for the suspension of an agreement that grants U.S. authorities access to bank data needed for terror-related investigations.We need trust among allies and partners, said German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose cellphone was allegedly tapped by the NSA. Such trust now has to be built anew.

EU 'ready to do more' if Syria polio fears confirmed Posted: BRUSSELS (AFP) - The European Union said Saturday it was ready to increase assistance to the World Health Organisation (WHO) if an outbreak of polio is confirmed in war-ravaged Syria.UN agencies are stepping up efforts to vaccinate children in Syria against a host of diseases and the WHO has received reports of 22 cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), possibly caused by the poliovirus.If so these would be the first cases in Syria since 1999.The situation is extremely worrying given the present security situation and the problems with access to those who will need to be vaccinated, said the EUs Humanitarian Affairs Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva.The European Union is prepared for such an eventuality, she said in a statement, noting that the 28-nation bloc has committed 13.5 million euros ($18.6 million) to the WHO since the beginning of the Syrian crisis and we stand ready to do more if needed.Overall, the EU has offered around two billion euros in aid since the conflict in Syria first erupted in March 2011.The commissioner said she was in contact with the WHO epidemiology surveillance unit based in Amman, awaiting news on the cases.The EU hopes that we can nip this potential polio resurgence in the bud and spare the Syrian people from yet another source of suffering, she said.The highly infectious disease affects mainly children under five and can cause paralysis in a matter of hours. Some cases can be fatal.

Tens of thousands flee India flooding; 39 dead Posted: NEW DELHI (AP) - Days of torrential rains have unleashed floods in southeast India that have killed dozens of people and forced the evacuation of more than 70,000 others from hundreds of low-lying villages.As of Saturday, 39 people had died in flood-related incidents in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa states since the rains began Monday, according to officials quoted by the Press Trust of India. Many drowned when swept away by surging waters or were killed when weakened walls collapsed onto them.Hundreds of villages were inundated and crops were being ruined in the so-called Rice Bowl of India. Railway services have been suspended along routes where tracks were submerged or damaged.Residents of Indias high-tech hub of Hyderabad were wading through knee-deep water surging through the streets.The local Disaster Management Department said evacuated residents were sheltering in 178 camps, while relief workers in boats and helicopters were working to help or rescue hundreds of thousands stranded by floods that have swamped both coastal and inland regions along rivers.Both Andhra Pradesh and Orissa were hit two weeks ago by a powerful cyclone that prompted authorities to evacuate nearly a million people. Cyclone Phailin destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes, many of them simple huts made of mud, wood and thatch, while causing hundreds of millions of dollars in crop damage.Indias Meteorological Department on Saturday forecast the rains to continue for at least another day.

7 killed in prison riot in Mexico's gulf coast Posted: MEXICO CITY (AP) - State security officials say seven inmates have died in a prison riot in Mexicos Gulf coast state of Tamaulipas bordering Texas.Tamaulipas security chief and state attorney general say the inmates were killed with makeshift knives in a fight in one cellblock in the coastal city of Altamira, about 300 miles south of Brownsville, Texas. Officials said in a statement Saturday that the riot occurred about 6 a.m. local time.Two people were injured and nine were arrested, the statement said.The victims ranged in age from 20 to 59, and were serving time for federal and state crimes.Officials said nine inmates were responsible for starting the fight because of problems they had with the victims.Thirty-one prisoners died in a riot in the same prison early last year.

Japan's PM warns China on use of force Posted: WASHINGTON (AFP) - Japan is ready to counter China if it resorts to force in the pursuit of its geopolitical interests, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in an interview published Saturday.Ive realized that Japan is expected to exert leadership not just on the economic front, but also in the field of security in the Asia-Pacific, Abe told the Wall Street Journal, speaking after a series of summits this month with regional leaders.He said Japan had become too inward-looking over the past 15 years, but as it regains economic strength wed like to contribute more to making the world a better place.The Journal said he made clear one way Japan would contribute would be countering China in Asia.There are concerns that China is attempting to change the status quo by force, rather than by rule of law. But if China opts to take that path, then it wont be able to emerge peacefully, Abe said.So it shouldnt take that path, and many nations expect Japan to strongly express that view. And they hope that as a result, China will take responsible action in the international community.For more than a year, relations between Beijing and Tokyo have been chilled by a territorial dispute in the East China Sea where China claims a small, uninhabited archipelago administered by Japan under the name of Senkaku. Beijing calls it Diaoyu.One of Abes first decisions as prime minister has been to increase Japans defense budget for the first time in 11 years.Tokyo also plans to hold a large air and sea exercise in November to strengthen the islands defenses, and as a display of might intended for the Chinese.

Kashmiris observe Black Day today Posted: SRINAGAR/MUZAFFARABAD (Online): Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) and the world over will observe on Sunday 27th October‚ as Black Day against the Indian aggression and illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir.The ‘Day’ aims to convey to the international community that the Kashmiris reject the Indian illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir.It was on 27th October in 1947 when Indian troops landed in Srinagar and forcibly occupied Jammu and Kashmir in total disregard to the partition plan of the Subcontinent and against the aspirations of the Kashmiris.Every year, the day is marked as Kashmir Black Day by total strike. Different functions, protest demonstrations and anti-India rallies are taken out in the occupied territory, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and also in the world capitals. This year too, the Kashmiris are observing October 27th as the Black Day to demonstrate to the world that they will never yield to Indian repression.Other accomplices in this greatest human tragedy were Maharaja Hari Singh, the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir and Cyril Radcliff, head of the Boundary Commission. In blatant violation the Partition Plan against the popular will of Kashmiri Muslims, India announced the accession of Jammu and Kashmir under a controversial Instrument of Accession. Though Jammu and Kashmir was a Muslim majority state and had a natural tendency to accede to Pakistan in view of its geography, people’s aspirations, culture, and religion. Right from the day one, the people of Kashmir did not accept India’s illegal occupation and started an armed struggle with the total support of the public in 1947.The armed men from tribal areas entered into Jammu and Kashmir to support people’s movement, India on January 1, 1948, approached the UN Security Council to address the matter. The UN Security Council through its successive resolutions impliedly nullified Indian occupation of Kashmir declaring it as a disputed territory.It approved a ceasefire, demarcation of the ceasefire line, demilitarisation of the State and a free and impartial plebiscite to be conducted under the supervision of the World Body. Although the ceasefire and demarcation of the ceasefire line were implemented but demilitarisation of the occupied territory and a free and impartial plebiscite under the UN supervision remain unimplemented till date and the Kashmir dispute keeps on lingering.As a result of the demarcation, about 139,000 square kilometers area of Jammu and Kashmir remained with India while 83,807 square kilometers constituted the territory of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Indian rulers announced till 1957 that they would provide the Kashmiris the right to decide their future. The promise still remains unfulfilled and the struggle for Kashmiris inalienable right to self-determination continues.After the failure of all peaceful means to settle the Kashmir dispute, the Kashmiris started a massive uprising in 1989 to end the status quo and secure their right to self-determination.This public movement gathered momentum with the passage of time and forced India to come to the table of negotiations with Pakistan in 2004. The dialogue process between the two countries continues till date but without yielding substantive results with regard to the resolution of Kashmir dispute. The reason is India’s non-seriousness and its intransigence on the dispute. Since initiation of the peace process, New Delhi has been missing no opportunity to halt it on one pretext or the other.The continued Indian State terrorism, particularly since 1989 -- when Kashmiris stepped up their liberation struggle -- has made the life of Kashmiri people miserable.The occupation forces enjoying unbridled powers under the protection of draconian laws like Armed Forces Special Powers Act and Disturbed Areas Act in the occupied territory have broken all records of human rights violations. During the last 24 years alone, the trigger-happy forces have martyred 93,935 Kashmiris, widowed nearly 23,000 women, orphaned 107,461 children, and molested or gang raped more than 10,000 Kashmiri women.Thousands of innocent youth have been subjected to disappearance in custody and their whereabouts remain untraced. Besides these cruelties, the occupation authorities have usurped all kinds of freedom and frequently impose restrictions on the people and pro-liberation leadership to suppress the sentiment of dissent in the territory.India is hell bent upon changing the demographic composition of the territory and convert Muslims into a minority. These are the reasons that Kashmiris observe 27 October as Black Day. The observance is aimed at drawing the world attention towards the miseries of Kashmiri people and to appeal the international community to take cognizance of the urgency of resolving the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the Kashmiris aspirations.It is also meant to sending a loud and clear message to India that Kashmiris reject its illegal occupation of their homeland and that they are determined to continue their struggle till getting rid of Indian subjugation.

Federer to face del Potro in Swiss Indoors final Posted: BASEL (AP) - Roger Federer earned a rematch with Juan Martin del Potro for his hometown Swiss Indoors title by beating Vasek Pospisil in a tense semifinal on Saturday.Federer tested his home fans nerves before advancing to his eighth straight Basel final with a 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-5 win against the 40th-ranked Canadian.The third-seeded Federer started strongly then faltered when serving for the match at 5-3 in the second set, and fell behind 3-1 in the decider before rallying in front of a capacity 9,200 crowd at St. Jakobhalle.Watching is actually worse than playing itself, said Federer, describing the atmosphere as a roller-coaster ride. Its almost nice to be part of it even though, in the moment, it could have been easier.Earlier, defending champion del Potro also let the second set slip away against an unseeded opponent before beating Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.Federer is a five-time champion at Basel and seeks to reclaim the title taken by the fifth-ranked Argentine last year.Its always a pleasure for me, the top-seeded del Potro said of playing Federer. I know all the people are waiting for that final and it would be like a rematch for him.With victory on Sunday, the sixth-ranked Federer will also secure his place at the ATP Finals in London in just over a week, closing his most difficult season beset by back injuries and shocking defeats to lower-ranked opponents.Federer improved his season record to 40-13, his fewest wins since he posted a 49-21 mark in 2001, the year he turned 20.In a dramatic third set, wayward groundstrokes from Federer allowed Pospisil to break for a 3-1 lead.I was maybe a bit down, a bit tough with myself at the beginning of the third, Federer said. I think that is also why I got broken. It had nothing to do with actual playing.Federer reclaimed the break immediately, but had to fend off another break chance for Pospisil before holding at 4-4.At 5-5, Federer wasted three break chances before finally leading in the set when Pospisil fired a forehand long.Federer clinched victory with a powerful service winner and raised both arms in triumph after the two hour, 40-minute effort.Any winning match is a good thing right now. Its not like I have overplayed this year, he said.Del Potro has a 4-13 career record against Federer, though he has won their past two meetings, both on indoor hard courts at Basel and London a year ago. He also clinched his only Grand Slam title, the 2009 U.S. Open, against the Swiss star.Asked about Federers comments this week that he needed to improve, del Potro suggested: It doesnt matter what he says its Roger Federer and he is playing in his hometown.Del Potro also spent more than two hours on court and acknowledged some lapses with his play.I was frustrated because of missing my forehands and making a lot of double faults, he said.Still, del Potro refocused quickly after giving up a 4-3 lead with a service break in the second set, as 65th-ranked Roger-Vasselin won three quick games to level the match.Del Potro, who had three straight-sets victories to reach the semifinals, raced to a 4-0 lead in the third and converted his first match point when Roger-Vasselin returned a powerful serve long.

Serena battles past Jankovic to make WTA final Posted: ISTANBUL (AP) - Even when she hits a wall, Serena Williams cant be stopped.An exhausted Williams managed to hang on to beat Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 on Saturday and will play Li Na in the final of the WTA Championships.Li Na advanced to her first WTA Championships final by sweeping past 2011 winner Petra Kvitova 6-4, 6-2, setting up a showdown between the two oldest players in the tournament.Williams was in obvious discomfort throughout the match, moving poorly on court, walking slowly and holding her face in a towel during changeovers.Last night I was in my hotel and I was lying down, and I just hit a wall. I literally felt like I just hit a wall, Williams said.I was so tired just even standing. I think I played a lot of tennis this year, so I dont know. After a while I just felt like a big rush of air just come out of me, and I really had to pull myself through that match. I dont know how I did it.Jankovic, who said she was battling a cold herself, was unable to take advantage of Williams weakness and the American is one win from her fourth WTA Championship and 11th title of the year. Williams has won 77 of 81 matches this year.Jankovic wasnt convinced Williams tiredness was genuine.For some reason, every time she starts losing, she starts serving slower or not running for certain balls. Thats something that, you know, as a player you have to pay attention to. Its not the first time when we played that shes doing this, Jankovic said.But, when its an important moment, a huge serve comes up, so you have to be on alert every time. You never know if shes going to come slow or a really fast one.Shes the No. 1 player in the world, and she plays so well. Shes by far the best player.But I think, winning or losing, you have to be up there and be a good sportsman.Jankovic also pointed out that Williams had won all of her previous matches in straight sets and Jankovic had spent a total of five hours, 41 minutes on court, more than two hours more than Williams. Williams also had Friday off, while Jankovic played.Williams wasted a match point and failed to serve out the match at 5-2 and Jankovic won two straight games. Williams squandered two more match points before finally closing it out with a smash.In the third set, it was 5-1 for her, and I was one point away to level it to 5-all, and she hit that ace which was such a great angle, and unfortunately I lost 6-4 in the third, said the seventh-seeded Jankovic, who is back in the top 10 after three years.While hitting 40 winners, Williams had the identical number of unforced errors. Jankovic had 22 winners and 22 unforced errors.By reaching the final, Li made sure of rising to a career-high No. 3 ranking, a jump of two places and the highest ranking for an Asian woman.Li said she started the year with the goal of making it into the top three.I catch my goal, lucky or happy in the last tournament I make it, so pretty good ending for 2013, the Chinese said.Like Williams, Li is unbeaten in four matches, after failing to advance from the group stage in the previous two years. But she is 1-9 against Williams in previous matches.Williams, 32, and Li, 31, are the two oldest players in the elite, eight-woman tournament, while the fifth-seeded Kvitova is the youngest at 23.Right now Im on E (empty), Li said. Im going to try to put some gas in the tank tonight, go to the gas station and fill up and try. And I think I will be ready. I have to be. I have no choice.Im really proud that I was even able to stay out there today. And, you know, tomorrow is the final, so everyone gets pumped up.Were both in our 30s and both playing the best tennis of our career. Were still getting better.Making her eighth appearance in the event, Williams is looking to become the first player to successfully defend the title since Justine Henin in 2007. Henin was also the last to win 10 titles in a season, in 2007.And she is the first woman player to make $10 million in a single season; as a runner-up she will have collected $11.3 million, as champion, $12.3 million.

Man United fight back to beat Stoke 3-2 in EPL Posted: MANCHESTER (AP) - Substitute Javier Hernandez completed Manchester Uniteds second-half comeback against Stoke on Saturday, securing a 3-2 victory for the Premier League champions.Peter Crouch stunned Old Trafford with a goal after four minutes and, although United striker Robin van Persie equalized in the 43rd minute, Marko Arnautovic restored Stokes lead on the stroke of half time from a free kick.Wayne Rooney drew United level again in the 78th when he headed in Van Persies corner, and Hernandez nodded the hosts in front two minutes later.United provisionally remains in eighth place eight points behind leader Arsenal.But for the fine goalkeeping of David De Gea, Stoke could have gone further ahead in a first half in which United was nervous and guilty of a series of uncharacteristic defensive mistakes.The first came after four minutes. Stoke left back Erik Pieters took advantage of too much space afforded him on his favored flank, beating Chris Smalling to cross for Crouch, who bundled the ball past De Gea at the second attempt.Mark Hughes men continued to counterattack with purpose, and went close to adding a barely believable second goal after 13 minutes when Crouch beat Jonny Evans to reach Jonathan Walters cross from the Stoke right, but spooned over the bar from close range.Inevitably Van Persie was at the forefront of Uniteds attempted fightback, twice finding dangerous balls into the box blocked by the impressive Robert Huth, while Rooney, anonymous for the first 20 minutes, drilled a speculative shot wide from long range.The visitors went close again when Crouch nodded a fine ball forward from Steven Nzonzi into the path of the unmarked Walters, whose shot from eight yards was brilliantly saved by De Gea.Nani was not far away at the other end but a second wasted opportunity from the Portugal winger sent the first boos of frustration ringing round Old Trafford.Taking full advantage of Uniteds fragile back-line, Stoke continued to ooze confidence and De Gea had to be on hand again to save a low shot from Arnautovic just past the half-hour mark.Uniteds next chance fell to Rooney, who twisted a powerful effort from outside the box which was tipped over by Asmir Begovic, matching the heroics of his opposite number.The champions finally drew level two minutes before the break when Rooneys header from Patrice Evras cross was kept out by Begovic but the Bosnia goalkeeper could only flap the ball into the path of Van Persie, who buried it from 10 yards.As if to underline their fearlessness, Stoke responded by going straight up the other end and restoring their lead within a minute, Arnautovic sending a delicious 30-yard free kick into the top corner after being fouled by Smalling.After the first-half excitement, the game calmed down at the start of the second, with Stoke understandably sitting deeper and largely coping with what United could throw at them, including Van Persies free kick that hit the wall from a dangerous position.Jonathan Walters mis-hit a good opportunity for Stoke after a cross from the left by substitute Marc Wilson, and as home frustration grew Hernandez was booked for a bad challenge on Huth.It fell to Rooney to ease that frustration 12 minutes from time when he applied the deftest of flicks to Van Persies corner to draw United level, and Hernandez sealed Uniteds quick-fire comeback by heading the winner two minutes later.

Suarez hat trick as Liverpool beat West Brom 4-1 Posted: LIVERPOOL, England (AP) - Luis Suarez scored his fourth hat trick for Liverpool in a 4-1 English Premier League demolition of West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.The Uruguay international struck in the 12th and 17th minutes, before grabbing his third 10 minutes after the interval at Anfield.James Morrison grabbed one back for West Brom from the penalty spot before a spectacular long-range lob from Daniel Sturridge made it 4-1 to Liverpool.Liverpool is two points behind leader Arsenal.Having had to play catch-up with strike partner Sturridge in the goalscoring stakes as a result of his 10-match suspension carried over from last season, Suarez is definitely back to full speed.For his first goal he went past Claudio Yacob before nutmegging West Brom captain Jonas Olsson so perfectly the defender was still turning round as the forward beat Boaz Myhill with an angled shot.Shortly after, Liverpool owner John Henry tweeted Luis. Magician.By the end of the game there were plenty more superlatives to use and that was not even taking into account a superb overhead kick by Suarez with 10 minutes to go which crashed against the bar.All this against a side with the third-best defensive away record in the league.Suarezs second and third goals both came from headers, one almost from the edge of the penalty area, to make it 36 goals in his last 46 matches and 57 in 101 Liverpool appearances overall.Having laid off the ball to Aly Cissokho, Suarez continued his run to meet the on-loan Valencia defenders first-time cross with a bullet header from at least 16 yards out.As he raced away to celebrate, even Suarez, not renowned for his aerial prowess, looked slightly surprised that he had scored with his head from that distance.In the 55th, Steven Gerrard swung in a free kick from the left and Suarez jumped to flick a head and divert the ball into the far corner for his hat trick.With 25 minutes to go, West Brom substitute Morrison converted from the spot after Aly Cissokho was adjudged by the assistant referee to have fouled Billy Jones.Sturridge ensured the afternoon ended on a high note with a delightful 20-yard chip in the 77th.

Neymar leads Barcelona to 2-1 win over Madrid Posted: BARCELONA (AP) - Neymar scored in his first clasico and set up Alexis Sanchez for an exquisite decider as Barcelona beat fierce rival Real Madrid 2-1 at Camp Nou in the Spanish league on Saturday.With Lionel Messi oddly quiet, Neymar opened in the 19th minute from close range after receiving Andres Iniestas pass as the Brazil striker outshone fellow newcomer and adversary Gareth Bale.Scoring a goal in a clasico is very special, Neymar said. Its a game that everyone wants to play. It was like a dream come true.While Neymar has lived up to his 57-million-euro transfer this summer, questions over the wisdom of Madrids 100 million euros payout for Bale will continue after he failed to produce a shot on goal before being replaced by Karim Benzema with half an hour to go.Benzema went on to hit the woodwork as Madrid threatened to equalize before Alexis took Neymars pass and sealed the victory in the 78th with a brilliant chipped shot.Substitute Jese Rodriguez got Madrids consolation goal in injury time after a lightning counterattack.Neymar followed in the footsteps of former Brazilian standouts Romario and Rivaldo, who scored in their first matches for the Catalan club against Madrid. And his playmaking echoed Ronaldinhos assist in his first clasico.Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino, also making his clasico debut, was careful not to overpraise Neymar, while also giving credit to Messi for his work in defense.The transcendence of this game and the goal he scored magnified the level of his performance, Martino said about Neymar. But I think he has had better games than tonight. As far as what (Messi) did for the team to recover the ball, I give him a superlative mark.Also, Celta emphatically broke a four-game losing streak with a 5-0 rout at Malaga. Levante rolled to a 3-0 win at home over Espanyol, and Granada won 1-0 at Elche.Madrid had improved in its recent visits to Camp Nou, including a 3-1 win in the Copa del Rey last February, but Barcelona restored its home dominance over its traditional rival for the league crown.The victory was Barcelonas ninth to go with one lone draw in the league this season, lifting it a provisional four points clear of Atletico Madrid which hosts Real Betis on Sunday.Madrid was left a full six points adrift of the pacesetters and with reawakened doubts over the direction of the team under new coach Carlo Ancelotti after losses to both of its league challengers. It lost 1-0 to Atletico last month.

Vettel claims 3rd straight Indian GP pole Posted: GREATER NOIDA (AP) - Sebastian Vettel will start from pole position at the Indian Grand Prix, shoring up the Red Bull drivers bid for an almost inevitable fourth straight Formula One title.Vettel only needs to finish fifth or better Sunday to wrap up the championship with three races remaining, and bettered his own lap record to claim his third straight pole at Buddh International Circuit. The German has won both previous Indian GP races, leading every lap.He clocked 1 minute, 24.119 seconds to beat his nearest rival by 0.7 seconds.Nico Rosberg will share the front of the grid after finishing second, with fellow Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton third and Red Bulls Mark Webber fourth.Its a very good result for the team with Mark sitting in fourth behind those guys, Vettel said.Red Bull can also make it the fourth straight double of drivers and constructors titles if Ferrari fails to outscore it by more than 19 points.Felipe Massa starts from fifth, while Ferrari teammate Fernando Alonso could only manage eighth.Im starting 8th so I have to recover this position somewhere in the race, Alonso said of his chance of a podium finish. The soft tires may last with good conditions ... but if the soft are a disaster tomorrow, people in front will have problems.Romain Grosjean, who was expected to challenge for the podium, was eliminated in the first round of qualifying after Lotus gamble on sticking with medium tires backfired. The Frenchman will start from 17th on the grid.We just missed the cut-off time, everyone went quicker than we thought, Grosjean said. Today, for some reason, the medium (tires) were not quick enough. Its a decision we took together, we were confident we could do enough with them but we got it wrong.Vettel and Webber chose differing tire strategies for qualifying, with Vettel electing to use the quicker but fragile soft compound for the third round and race start, and Webber preferring the medium compound.Which works out to be the right strategy, well find out tomorrow. But the race is long and well have plenty of time to make up, Vettel said. In the end I think the strategy shouldnt determine the result that much.Vettel has dominated since arriving in India, leading all three practice sessions.The cars been very strong since Friday morning, Vettel said. We didnt have to adjust that much.Rosberg said Mercedes had pushed his car to its limits to make him as competitive as possible.Up to now its been successful, he said. On a knifes edge all the time, but for now its worked and it seems were a step forward from where we were in recent races.Hamilton, while happy with qualifying, was pessimistic of his chances of challenging the Red Bulls.Im really happy with the result and the lap time I was able to get. ... Well try and push these guys as hard as possible in the race obviously, he said.Theyre in another world, but well try and stay ahead of the rest.Force India failed to qualify in the top 10 for its home race, with Paul Di Resta and Adrian Sutil eliminated in the second round in 12 and 13th respectively.The start of the morning third practice session was delayed by 20 minutes after organizers deemed the haze over the track would prevent the races medical helicopter from flying.Seasonal atmospheric conditions have produced dense morning mists at Greater Noida, with similar conditions forecast for Sunday.Massa said visibility was not an issue for the drivers.For us its fine, I think for the helicopter it was a problem.

Smith: South Africa on the right path Posted: DUBAI (AP) - South Africa captain Graeme Smith says his No. 1-ranked test side is not good enough yet to be compared with the great Australia and West Indies teams.Smith scored a double century and led the Proteas to an innings-and-92-run win over Pakistan in the second test with a day to spare to level the two-match series on Saturday.Pakistan won the first test, also inside four days, to end South Africas 15-test unbeaten run since 2011.Weve still got a lot we need to do before we can even be compared to great teams that dominated for many, many years, Smith said.The victory protected the Proteas record of not losing a test series away from home for seven years since it lost in Sri Lanka 2-0 in 2006.That record away from home is an extremely proud one to have, Smith said. I dont think many teams ... can travel as well as we do and be able to perform in all the conditions, the pressures, the environments that you face on the road.From our perspective, we really want to dominate, we want to play good cricket, and set a standard and I think we are long way from doing that, but certainly we are on the right path.Their 11th win in the last 16 was tainted, however, by ball tampering by Faf du Plessis, who was docked 50 percent of his match fee, a punishment which was described as lenient by former Pakistan test cricketers Shoaib Akhtar and Rashid Latif.When asked whether his teams victory was spoiled by du Plessis, Smith said No.On the positive side, the 34-year-old Pakistan-born legspinner Imran Tahir made an impressive return to tests for South Africa after a return of 0-260 against Australia at Adelaide 11 months ago.Tahir took 8-130 in the match, but his 5-32 made a difference in the first innings as Pakistan was bowled out for 99 in just under three hours on the first day.I think he showed immense amount of character to bounce back ... and it epitomizes the type of group we have, Smith said. Theres a real K-factor there, I think all of us enjoyed Immys success in certainly the first innings and today.

Boxers laud removal of head guards Posted: PARIS (AFP) - The decision to get rid of head guards in amateur boxing has paid rich dividends at the World Amateur Boxing Championships, the president of the sport Wu Ching-kuo told AFP.The 67-year-old -- who has revolutionised amateur boxing since he took over the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) seven years ago -- said he was delighted that the change had not led to any serious injuries.There were 430 bouts in all and only very minor cuts, he told AFP by phone from Almaty where the championships came to a close on Saturday.These minor cuts were largely because in previous championships the boxers were used to pushing with their heads as they had the head guards as protection.There was one minor cut in Fridays semi-finals but not one bout was stopped because of a bad cut.All the spectators really enjoyed the spectacle, and more importantly the trainers, the boxers and the medical staff were all satisfied with the new measure.All in all a very positive thing to have done.Wu, who among other things has successfully introduced womens boxing to the Olympics, said the new scoring system at the championships had also proved to be a roaring success.There were few controversial decisions like those which had often blighted previous world championships and Olympic Games.There was only one protest in all the championships, said the Taiwanese chief, an architect by profession.That is because now computers select which three of the five judges are going to have their scores counted at the end of the bout.They dont know until the bout is over. This prevents any form of manipulation and I would say the scoring system is perfect.Wu has also convinced the Cubans to join his World Series of Boxing AIBAs professional competition after decades of embracing amateurism.He said that he had also been very happy to see boxers that the AIBA had helped to get to the championships perform well, including Costa Ricas David Rodriguez, who got his countrys first ever medal with bronze in the light flyweight category.He was part of the Road to Dreams programme where we wanted to help those from emerging countries and poor ones who dont have the funds or the facilities and we put this in place in 2007, said Wu.We fund their travel and three weeks of intensive training at the host city of the championships and it is very moving to see them succeed - not just the Costa Rican but I think there were 60 of them here and several got to the last eight.Amid all this rejoicing Wu took time out on Friday to inaugurate the Academy, a 20,000 square-metre complex near Almaty which will serve to house and educate trainers, medical staff, judges and boxers from all round the world on rule changes and also be a place where they can train.Wu also insisted that he had got over his finishing last behind German Thomas Bach in Septembers election to replace outgoing International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge.The three months of electioneering taught me a lot, he said.Once it was over I went back to being friends with Thomas Bach.My philosophy is dont look back, look to the future.