Obama says Al Qaeda now more active in Iraq

Posted: WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama pledged Friday to help combat an increasingly active Al Qaeda in Iraq but stopped short of announcing new commitments of assistance sought by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.Al-Maliki came to the White House requesting additional aid, including weapons and help with intelligence, to fight insurgent violence that has spiked in Iraq since American troops left in 2011.Unfortunately Al Qaeda has still been active and has grown more active recently, Obama said at the end of a nearly two-hour meeting. So we had a lot of discussion about how we can work together to push back against that terrorist organization that operates not only in Iraq, but also poses a threat to the entire region and to the United States.Al-Maliki declined to discuss the details of his request for U.S. assistance but said the meeting was very positive.We talked about the way of countering terrorism, and we had similar position and similar ideas, he said.Obama said the best way to honor those killed in the Iraq war would be to bring about a functioning democracy. Al-Malikis critics have accused him for years of a heavy-handed leadership that refuses to compromise and, to some, oversteps his authority against political enemies. But Obama only praised the prime minister for working to include Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds.The main theme was that the United States wants to be a strong and effective partner with Iraq, and we are deeply invested in seeing an Iraq that is inclusive, that is democratic and that is prosperous, Obama said. And I communicated to the prime minister that anything that we can do to help bring about that more hopeful future for Iraq is something that we want to work on.Al-Maliki described Iraqs democracy as nascent and fragile but vowed to strengthen it. It only will allow us to fight terrorists, al-Maliki said through an interpreter.Obama said he was encouraged that Iraqi lawmakers set April 30 as the date for national elections, the countrys first since March 2010. He said an election will show Iraqis that when they have differences, they can express them politically, as opposed to through violence.The United States already provides military aid to Iraq, the legacy of an unpopular war that cost Americans nearly 4,500 troops and more than $700 billion. The White House said among equipment the U.S. has sent since pulling troops out are military planes, helicopters, patrol boats and a surface-to-air missile battery.Al-Malikis visit with Obama was their first meeting since December 2011, when the Iraqi leader came to Washington six days before the last American troops left Iraq. At the time, Obama pledged the U.S. would remain committed to the government they left behind, and helped create.The troop withdrawal came after al-Malikis government refused to let U.S. forces remain in Iraq with the legal immunity that the Obama administration insisted was necessary to protect troops. Obama had campaigned for the presidency on ending the nearly nine-year war in Iraq and took the opportunity offered by the legal dispute to pull all combat troops out.Sunni Muslim insurgents who had been mostly silenced under the U.S. presence lashed out once the American forces had left, angered by a widespread belief that Sunnis have been sidelined by Iraqs Shiite-led government. Indiscriminate violence has continued to rise, with the UnitedNations saying Friday that 979 Iraqis were killed last month alone 852 civilians and 127 were security forces and nearly 2,000 more injured.The terrorists found a second chance, al-Maliki said in a speech Thursday at the U.S. Institute of Peace. He said the violence has been fueled by the civil war in neighboring Syria, although he acknowledged that homegrown insurgents are to blame for the vast number of car bombs, suicide bombings and drive-by shootings that have roiled the nation.The two leaders also said they discussed regional issues, including Syria and Iran. But al-Maliki said the main purpose of his visit was to enhance the Iraqs relationship and postwar agreement with the United States.

IAEA chief sees Iran easing conditions to cooperate Posted: WASHINGTON (AFP) - The head of the UN atomic watchdog said Friday that Irans new leadership has indicated a willingness to address concerns regardless of progress in parallel talks with world powers.The International Atomic Energy Agency said this week that it held productive talks with President Hassan Rouhanis government, which come as Iran conducts separate negotiations with the United States and five other nations over its nuclear program.In a break with Irans past statements, Yukiya Amano, director general of the IAEA, said that Rouhanis team has not tied cooperation with the Vienna-based agency to the political talks -- in which Tehran is seeking relief from crippling US-led sanctions.I can tell you that after the coming of President Rouhani, we have had a number of contacts with them.. but we havent heard this linkage, Amano said at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington.Asked whether this marked a significant change, Amano said: I think so. There is some substance in the new proposal by Iran.Rouhani, who swept to power in June on promises to repair Irans troubled economy and ease its political isolation, has called for a quick agreement to end concerns that the clerical regimes uranium work is aimed at building a nuclear bomb.The IAEA, which meets again in Tehran on November 11, and the six major powers, which meet Iran again in Geneva on November 7-8, have declined to describe Irans proposals in public while negotiations are underway.For the IAEA, one sticking point is the agencys hope of investigating allegations that Iranian scientists conducted experiments aimed at developing a nuclear arsenal before 2003 and possibly since.Iran has denied the charges, saying that purported evidence comes from faulty intelligence by the likes of the CIA and Israels Mossad that Tehran has not been allowed to see.Amano said that the IAEA would like to clarify the present and past activities of Iran but declined to say whether he expected Tehran to be allow a more intrusive probe.While President Barack Obamas administration has voiced guarded optimism about reaching a peaceful settlement with Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denounced Rouhani as a wolf in sheeps clothing and not ruled out a military strike.

Kerry: Some NSA surveillance reached 'too far' Posted: WASHINGTON (AP) - Secretary of State John Kerrys remark that some National Security Agency surveillance reached too far was the first time a high-ranking Obama administration official acknowledged that U.S. snooping abroad might be seen as overzealous.After launching into a vigorous defense of surveillance as an effective counterterror tool, Kerry acknowledged to a video-conference on open government in London that in some cases, I acknowledge to you, as has the president, that some of these actions have reached too far, and we are going to make sure that does not happen in the future.There is no question that the president and I and others in government have actually learned of some things that had been happening, in many ways, on an automatic pilot because the technology is there, Kerry said, responding to a question about transparency in governments.Kerry was responding to questions from European allies about reports in the past two weeks that the National Security Agency had collected data on tens of millions of Europe-based phone calls and had monitored the cell phones of 35 world leaders, including that of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.The State Department said Friday his remarks were in sync with what President Barack Obama has already said on the controversial spying practices. But Obama has said the administration was conducting a review of surveillance practices and said that if the practices went too far they would be halted.Kerry first joked with British Foreign Secretary William Hague, whom he said should also answer the question about surveillance because otherwise, would it mean that Britain did not do its own surveillance abroad? The joke was a subtle jab at the U.S. position that allies spy on each other routinely.Kerry said in the wake of 9/11, the United States and other countries realized they were dealing with a new brand of extremism where people were willing to blow themselves up, even if it meant civilians would be killed.There are countless examples of this, Kerry said, citing the Sept. 21 Al Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabab attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya, which killed at least 67 people.So what if you were able to intercept that and stop it before it happens? Kerry asked. We have actually prevented airplanes from going down, buildings from being blown up and people from being assassinated because weve been able to learn ahead of time of the plans.Asked if Kerrys comments were off-the-cuff or part of a formal administration response to irritated allies, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Kerry was reiterating the same comments administration officials have been conveying all week. However, Obama has said that just because the technology exists to conduct certain kinds of surveillance, it doesnt mean the U.S. should use it.I think that we wouldnt be having a review if we didnt think we should look at these programs. Thats exactly what were doing, Psaki said. She said Kerry was conveying what we all feel, which is that this warrants taking a close look at, evaluating our appropriate posture as it comes to heads of state, how we coordinate with our allies, addressing concerns expressed by our allies, working with them, taking into account their input as well and seeing if we can strengthen our cooperation moving forward.In an interview on Monday with Fusion, Obama said intelligence capabilities have continued to develop and expand in recent years.Thats why Im initiating now a review to make sure that what theyre able to do doesnt necessarily mean what they should be doing, Obama said.Internationally, there are less constraints on how our intelligence teams operate, but what Ive said and I said actually even before the Snowden leaks is that its important for us to make sure that, as technology develops and expands, and the capacity for intelligence-gathering becomes a lot greater that we make sure that were doing things in the right way and that are reflective of our values, Obama said.

Syria peace envoy: No talks without opposition Posted: DAMASCUS (AP) - The international envoy to Syria called on the divided opposition Friday to overcome differences and agree to attend peace talks with President Bashar Assads government, warning the negotiations cannot go forward without them.Lakhdar Brahimi, who wrapped up his five-day visit to Damascus, appeared uncertain about prospects for the meeting expected to take place later this month in Geneva.The deeply fractured Syrian opposition groups are split on whether to attend the talks. They also disagree over conditions for taking part from demands that Assad steps down right away to guarantees that he would not be part of a negotiated solution for the countrys future. The opposition is also split between Damascus-based groups, who have said they will attend without preconditions, and the exiled opposition, which is more hard-line.The government has rejected demands that Assad step aside, saying he will stay at least until the end of his term in mid-2014, and will then decide whether to seek re-election. Assad also has said he will not negotiate with armed rebels.The Syrian national opposition, armed and unarmed, have all been invited to form a convincing delegation, Brahimi said in Beirut after arriving from Syria. I am counting on the Syrian people and those who claim to represent the Syrian people to realize the danger of the situation and for all sides to seek to save Syria and to save their country.In New York, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told reporters the aim was to convene the talks within the month of November.U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said a great deal is being done to try to unite the opposition.Everybody knows that this is difficult, he said.Nesirky said Brahimi will meet U.S. and Russian officials in Geneva on Nov. 5 for further discussions. They then will be joined by the other permanent members of the Security Council Britain, China and France, he said. The U.S. and Russia have been pushing for a peace conference in November.The Syrian opposition is made up of different factions, many of them politicians based in exile the majority of whom are part of the main umbrella group, the Syrian National Coalition. The rebels themselves are a mix of various groups, from the mainstream Free Syrian Army to the extremist but powerful and effective Al Qaeda-linked groups. Thats made negotiations difficult.The push for peace talks came as Syrian troops captured a strategic northern town Friday after weeks of intense battles, pushing rebels from a sprawling military complex believed to store chemical weapons.The capture of Safira follows recent victories by government forces mainly around the capital Damascus and the embattled northern province of Aleppo where the town is located. Earlier this month, troops captured the nearby town of Khanaser, opening a key road linking the central heartland with Aleppo.Rebels had been in control of Safira for more than a year.Government forces also have pushed rebels further from the desert road used to send supplies to government-held areas in the north.The main aim of the offensive was to secure the Defense Factories and the second to secure the road used to send army supplies, said an Aleppo-based activist who goes with the name Abu Raed.The battle over the Defense Factories is over, said the man, suggesting it would not be possible for rebels to attack the complex after government troops captured Safira.More than 120,000 people have been killed so far in the war, now in its third year, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Observatory, a Britain-based watchdog that closely monitors the war through a network of activists in the country. The U.N. said in July that 100,000 Syrians have been killed, and has not updated that figure since. Millions of Syrians have fled their homes because of the fighting.

Gunman kills 1 at LA airport, injures 2 others Posted: LOS ANGELES (AP) - A gunman with a semi-automatic weapon shot three people, killing a federal security agent, at the Los Angeles airport Friday, officials said, and a suspect was in custody. Flights were disrupted nationwide.Los Angeles police Assistant Chief Earl Paysinger said the unidentified suspect apparently was injured following an exchange of gunfire with officers.Officials told a press conference they saw no further threat Friday to the nations third largest airport, which is a major gateway for flights to Asia, Australia and New Zealand.Los Angeles Airport Police Chief Patrick Gannon said the gunman entered the terminal, pulled an assault rifle from a bag and began shooting at a screening checkpoint before entering the terminal. He said the lone shooter approached a security agent who was checking passenger documents and opened fire.As you can imagine, a large amount of chaos took place in this entire incident, Gannon said. Officers took the gunman into custody after a shootout.Some passengers were evacuated, while others were locked down in airport restaurants and lounges. The airport was being swept as part of precautionary measures, and the bomb unit was on the scene.Tim Kauffman, a spokesman for the American Federation of Government Employees in Washington, confirmed that a Transportation Security Administration officer was killed. He said the unions information came from their local officials in Los Angeles.Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center said it received three male victims from the LAX Airport shootings. One arrived in critical condition and two are listed in fair condition.Interim Los Angeles Fire Chief Jim Featherstone said paramedics treated seven people at the scene, and six were taken to hospitals.The gunshots were reported at Terminal 3, which is home to Virgin America and other airlines.Air traffic was affected nationwide as the Federal Aviation Administration grounded flights that had not yet departed for LAX.Witness Brian Keech told The Associated Press he heard about a dozen gunshots from inside a security gate at the terminal.Ben Rosen said he heard gunfire erupt and saw people start running in all directions and others crouching. He lay on the ground. Police, with their guns drawn, shouted, This is not a drill, hands up.It was scary Ive never experienced anything like this before, Rosen said.Airport security staff evacuated terminals, including onto to the tarmac. Hundreds of people remained gathered outside next to airplanes.LAX air traffic controller Michael Foote said his colleagues in the control tower saw passengers spilling from the terminal onto the tarmac, evacuating the building, getting out as fast as they could.Flight tracking site FlightAware.com said that as of 11 a.m. local time, there were 12 flight cancelations and 132 flight delays in Los Angeles.

Paris Masters: Nadal to face Ferrer in semi-finals Posted: PARIS (Agencies) - Rafael Nadal ended home interest in the Paris Masters with a 6-4 6-1 quarter-final win against the last Frenchman standing, Richard Gasquet.Top seed Nadal, appearing at the indoor event for the first time since 2009, was made to work hard during a tight opening set.The boyhood rivals -- born a fortnight apart in June 1986 -- exchanged early breaks before Nadal made his move by breaking again to love in the seventh game.The Spaniard went on to close out the first set in 34 minutes and dominated thereafter, breaking three more times to improve his career record against Gasquet to 12-0.World No.1 Nadal will play his countryman David Ferrer in the last four after the defending champion came from a set down to defeat Tomas Berdych 4-6 7-5 6-3 in the last match of the day.Sixth seed Berdych served up a treat to take the opening set 6-4 courtesy of a solitary break but Ferrer responded immediately to move 3-0 up at the start of the second.Berdych rallied to level at 4-4, only to then surrender his delivery when 6-5 down and serving to stay in the set.World No.3 Ferrer broke again for a 3-1 advantage in the decider and went on to close out victory in two hours and four minutes.Nadal leads the head-to-head with Ferrer 20-4 and won their most recent encounter, this years French Open final, in straight sets.

Vinci faces Panova in opener of Fed Cup final Posted: CAGLIARI (AP) - Roberta Vinci will take on Alexandra Panova and Sara Errani will face 18-year-old Irina Khromacheva on the opening day of the Fed Cup final between Italy and Russia.Russia has traveled to Italy without any of its stars, who instead will play in the Tournament of Champions. Its highest ranked player is Alisa Kleybanova, who at No. 183 is ranked 95 places below Italys fourth player, Karin Knapp.Khromacheva, Panova and Margarita Gasparyan have never before played for their country.Flavia Pennetta and Knapp will face Kleybanova and Gasparyan in the doubles.The best-of-five series starts Saturday.

Barca down Espanyol thanks to Sanchez strike Posted: MADRID (AFP) - Barcelona extended their lead at the top of La Liga on Friday as they overcame stiff resistance from Espanyol to win the Catalan derby 1-0 at the Camp Nou.Alexis Sanchez scored the only goal of the game midway through the second-half when he tapped home Neymars pinpoint cross to score for the third consecutive game.However, it was another frustrating evening for Lionel Messi as he failed to score for a fourth consecutive La Liga match.Barca now lead second-placed Atletico Madrid by four points and Real Madrid by nine with both sides from the capital having played a game less.Our circulation of the ball was a bit slow in the first-half, but Espanyol also only had one chance, said Barca boss Gerardo Martino.In the second-half we were more dynamic and it was also hard for the opponent to be chasing the ball for the full 90 minutes.And despite a slightly flat performance overall, Martino was delighted to round off a busy week with a 100 percent record.In the past six days we have played three games, including a Clasico and a derby and deserved to win all three. We scored six goals and conceded just one and even that was in stoppage time.Our play hasnt always been excellent, but we have played in the Barcelona way and deserved to win the games.The hosts were almost back to full strength after resting a host of first-team regulars for the 3-0 win over Celta Vigo in midweek as Gerard Pique, Javier Mascherano, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Neymar all returned, whilst Martin Montoya deputised for the injured Adriano at left-back.However, the toll of five games in 13 days appeared to affect the Spanish champions as their build-up play was laboured in the first-half and they caused Espanyol very few problems.Kiko Casilla was forced into an early save from Alexis Sanchez after nice work by Iniesta and Messi.But it was the visitors who had the best chance of the half when Victor Sanchez sneaked in behind Dani Alves and Victor Valdes had to race from his line to turn the midfielders effort behind.Barca did come to life just before the break as Iniestas volley from the edge of the area was parried by Casilla before Alves struck the post from similar range.The pattern continued after the restart with Espanyol happy to sit 10 men behind the ball and wait for Barca.Martinos men nearly made the breakthrough on 54 minutes when Casilla produced a fine save to turn away Messis flicked header.Neymar then bent a stunning effort inches wide of Casillas left-hand post as the pressure built from Barca.And it was the Brazilian who finally unlocked the Espanyol defence as his wonderful low cross between the legs of two defenders left Sanchez with the simplest of finishes at the back post to register his seventh goal of the season.Messi saw a free-kick fly just wide with nine minutes remaining as Barca went in search of the goal that would kill the game off.Substitute Pedro Rodriguez ought to have doubled the advantage when he fired into Casillas legs two minutes from time, but Barca held on to register their 10th clean sheet in 17 games this season.

Messi in Argentina squad for friendlies Posted: BUENOS AIRES (AP) - Lionel Messi has been included in a strong Argentina squad for friendly matches against Ecuador and Bosnia-Herzegovina.Argentina, which qualified first in its group for next years World Cup, named a 22-man team Friday that includes its top four forwards: Messi, Angel Di Maria, Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain.Argentina faces Ecuador on Nov. 15 at East Rutherford, New Jersey, and plays Bosnia on Nov. 19 in St. Louis, Missouri. Ecuador and Bosnia have both qualified for the World Cup.Squad: Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (Monaco), Mariano Andujar (Catania).Defenders: Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City), Facundo Roncaglia (Fiorentina), Hugo Campagnaro (Inter Milan), Federico Fernandez (Napoli), Nicolas Otamendi (Porto), Ezequiel Garay (Benfica), Jose Maria Basanta (Monterrey), Marcos Rojo (Sporting Lisbon), Lucas Orban (Bordeaux).Midfielders: Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Ever Banega (Valencia), Lucas Biglia (Lazio), Angel Di Maria (Real Madrid), Ricardo Alvarez (Inter Milan), Erik Lamela (Tottenham).Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Sergio Aguero (Manchester City), Gonzalo Higuain (Napoli), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Paris Saint-Germain), Rodrigo Palacio (Inter Milan).

Squash: Shorbagy causes another World Championships upset Posted: MANCHESTER (AFP) - Mohamed El Shorbagy, the young Egyptian who caused a World Championship upset in the 2012 semi-finals, pulled another surprise out of the hat in this years quarter-finals on Friday.El Shorbagy did that by beating James Willstrop, the third-seeded former world number one from England, by three games to one, resisting a dangerous fourth game surge by the Yorkshireman which had started noisily to engage a partisan home crowd.And it was Willstrop whom El Shorbagy beat in 2012 in Doha, carrying him to a final in which he came only three points from becoming a long odds world champion.Its not over yet, El Shorbagy said after a 12-10, 11-6, 2-11, 11-6 triumph in which he came back from 7-9 down with four points in a row, concluding the match on a penalty point.I am just hoping I can do a little bit better, he added, meaning better than last year, rather than better than ending with a semi-final place this year. I just want to go three points further than before.To do that he will have to beat the winner of Gregory Gaultier, the second-seeded Frenchman, and Daryl Selby, the 13th seeded Englishman.But El Shorbagy has already enlisted some home support for that tussle - firstly by generous words about his opponent, and secondly by advertising the strength of his English connections.I just want to congratulate James, the canny 22-year-old said. He will be having a baby in a few days time. Going backwards and forwards between Leeds and here each day - no-one can do that.I want to congratulate him on playing as well as he did. He had so much going on in his head.He got a round of applause for that, and another for telling them that he has lived in England for eight years and for requesting their support. He already has that of Jonah Barrington, the Anglo-Irish winner of six British Open titles who coaches him on the phone and who, Shorbagy claims, knows exactly what is going on inside my head.It was a match of unpredictable phases. Willstrop fell below his usual standards of accuracy in the first two games, and then risked many more attacks in the third game and built some momentum from them.He continued to progress more patchily in the fourth, during which Shorbagy needed a ten-minute tome out to flow the blood from a cut on his knee which, if repeated, would have caused him to forfeit that game.But the fine forehand drop which took Willstrop to 9-7 and within sight of a deciding game, was his last flourish. At that stage I went for it, said Shorbagy.I just had to because he was playing so well. I knew I had to win that game - I didnt want a fifth game, he said.He was though helped by Willstrop, who uncharacteristically put a drop shot down, then played a cross court which was comfortably cut off, before playing a drive too close to his own body on match point and conceding the fateful penalty stroke.

Oil prices sink on US stockpiles, rising dollar Posted: NEW YORK CITY (AFP) - New York oil prices fell Friday to the lowest level since June on surging US crude stockpiles and the dollar's sharp gains after the eurozone reported worryingly low inflation data.New York's main contract West Texas Intermediate light sweet crude for delivery in December fell $1.77, closing at $94.61 a barrel.In London, Brent North Sea crude for December fell $2.93 to $105.91 a barrel.Sucden brokers analyst Kash Kamal said traders and investors are still focused on the apparent US glut of crude, with commercial reserves piling up steadily since the beginning of October.The prices got no support from the rise in China's official manufacturing purchasing managers' index, which showed a slight gain in the pace of growth in the sector.The announcement that Libya will reopen its 110,000 barrels a day Al-Harriga oil terminal on Monday at the latest also appeared to remove some of the support for Brent.Light Libyan crude is used by refiners in Europe and the sharp cuts to production forced by several months of protests had driven up prices for alternatives like Brent.Output had been slashed to as little as 300,000 barrels a day from 1.5 million-1.6 million before the showdown began.Two days of sharp gains by the dollar, raising the cost of oil and other currencies, also could be behind the fall in futures prices.Eurozone data showing inflation falling to a near-stall pace of 0.7 percent in October raised expectations that the European Central Bank will cut its base interest rate, softening the euro.The euro, which traded around $1.3750 on Wednesday, fell below $1.3500 on Friday.

Euro sinks as low inflation points to possible rate cut Posted: NEW YORK CITY (AFP) - The euro fell sharply against the dollar for a second day Friday amid rising speculation that the European Central Bank (ECB) could move to cut interest rates to counter falling inflation.At 2100 GMT, the euro was at $1.3482, down from $1.3579 late Thursday. It was above $1.3750 in Wednesday's trade.The euro also lost ground to the yen, falling to 133.10 yen from 133.60.The dollar rose to 98.69 yen from 98.37.The sharp drop in eurozone consumer price inflation to 0.7 percent in October means that a European Central Bank interest rate cut from 0.50 percent to 0.25 percent is now a very real possibility at its 7 November policy meeting, Howard Archer, chief european economist at IHS Global Insight, said in a market note.Archer said the decision could be put off to wait for fresh data on growth and inflation from its staff, but argued the rate cut -- which would put the benchmark euro rate at the same level as the Fed's key dollar rate -- would come by year-end.An interest rate cut could also exert some welcome downward pressure on the euro, which hit a 23-month high against the dollar earlier in October, which is not helpful for eurozone export and recovery prospects, he added.The British pound fell to $1.5923 from $1.6033, while the dollar rose to 0.9117 Swiss franc from 0.9069 franc.

Pakistan beat South Africa by 66 runs in second ODI Posted: DUBAI (AFP) - Pakistan won the second day-night international against South Africa by 66 runs in Dubai on Friday, to level the five-match series at 1-1.Pakistan were bowled out for 209 in 49.4 overs with Ahmed Shehzad top-scoring with 58 while Ryan McLaren (4-34) and Mornke Morkel (3-38) shared the bowling honours.South Africa could not cope against Pakistan's slow bowlers as they were dismissed for 143 in 40.4 overs. McLaren top-scored with 29 not out.South Africa won the first one-dayer in Sharjah by one run.The remaining matches will be played in Abu Dhabi (November 6 and 8) and in Sharjah (November 11)).

Atletico inks Godin to 3-year extension to 2018 Posted: MADRID (AP) - Atletico Madrid has given Diego Godin a three-year contract extension that keeps the Uruguay defender at the club until 2018.Godin has been a permanent piece of Atletico's defense since joining from Villarreal in 2009. The 27-year-old helped Atletico win last season's Copa del Rey to go with a pair of European Super Cups and the Europa League trophy in 2012.Atletico is also chasing its first Spanish league title since 1996 and sits one point behind leader Barcelona after 11 rounds.Godin says the team's success this season comes from unity and hard work and the club's confidence in all of the players.

US doesn't want peace in Pakistan: Imran Posted: ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan has said that the US does not want peace in Pakistan.Talking to media on the occasion of wedding of PTI’s Secretary General Jehangir Tareen’s daughter, the PTI chief condemned US drone attack in Miranshah that killed TTP chief Hakimulllah Mehsud and four others.“It has proved that US doesn’t want peace in Pakistan,” he added.Imran Khan said that PTI would pass a resolution from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly against drone strikes. “If attack occurs during peace talks, KP government will block NATO supply,” he announced.Imran Khan further said that he would also present a resolution in the National Assembly against drone strikes.Imran Khan said that PTI’s Core committee would make decision about the drone issue on Saturday.KPK Chief Minister Pervez Khattak said that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa needed peace. He condemned attack on Taliban leadership.PTI president Javed Hashmi said when issue of peace process is discussed it is sabotaged by drone attacks.KPK Speaker Asad Qaisar said that after approval by the Core Committee, session of the House would be called to submit resolution to suspend NATO Supply.