Ronaldo: Madrid can conquer Europe & Spain in 2014

The Portuguese forward is confident that La Decima is within the Blancos' reach this season and discussed Sepp Blatter's recent comments about him

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo is confident that the club can do the double by winning the Champions League and finishing first in Spain in 2014.

A tenth European Cup has eluded the Blancos since their last triumph in the competition in 2002, while they have stuttered in their Liga start this season and trail leaders Barcelona by six points after 14 matches.

Ronaldo, who was absent due to injury as Carlo Ancelotti's men recorded a 4-1 win over Galatasaray on Wednesday, has faith that the squad can usurp Barcelona and Bayern Munich's respective domestic and continental crowns.

"I think we can win both La Liga and the Champions League," the Portugal international, 28, told magazineFourFourTwo.

Ronaldo, a frontrunner for the upcoming Ballon d'Or award, was recently embroiled in a public spat with Fifa president Sepp Blatter over comments the latter made comparing the ex-Manchester United attacker to Barca star Lionel Messi.

In his comments, Blatter also referred to Ronaldo as a "commander" for Madrid, but the Santiago Bernabeu star believes that the Spanish capital-based club has many authoritative figures in the squad.

"I’m not sure commander is the right word," he added. "We have a lot of leaders in the team - not just on the field but off it too."

Bale: Free kick against Galatasaray one of my best-ever goals

After continuing his fine form with a stunning effort from distance, the Real Madrid man backed his side for a long Champions League run

Real Madrid star Gareth Bale says his free kick against Galatasaray has to rank as one of the best goals of his career to date.

The Welshman’s set-piece found the corner from over 30 yards out to set Carlo Ancelotti’s men on the way to a 4-1 victory despite playing most of the match with 10 men after defender Sergio Ramos’ sending-off.

Bale has now netted five goals in seven games and was in positive mood when he reflected on Madrid’s victory at the Bernabeu, which sends them through to the Champions League knockout stages as Group B winners.

"I am very satisfied by the game and the goal I scored,” the 24-year-old said to Marca.

“I have been working on free kicks in training and I have been fortunate that this one has come off so well.  It is one of the best goals of my career. 

“For me, there are no limits to what we can achieve in the competition. We have a good chance to win the Champions League this year.

"We showed character and camaraderie to play like we did when we were a man down.”

Bale’s team-mate Asier Illarramendi was delighted with Madrid’s second-half performance, saying they adjusted perfectly after Ramos received a red card after 26 minutes.

The former Real Sociedad midfielder said: "When we are left with one man less the team will always suffer a little and that was the case here, especially at the end of the first half. 

“But at half-time we talked about a few things and in the second we pressed them much higher and we played a lot better. 

“We put three in the middle with Isco and Bale up top and we have done superbly. I am very happy with the result. "

Los Blancos’ next game is a home clash against Valladolid on Saturday evening in the Primera Division.

Neymar chokes in the Champions League

11/27/2013

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Neymar has still not scored in the Champions League. It seemed like Tuesday's game against Ajax was the perfect day for him to break his duck, but things did not go according to plan. Although he forced the penalty to make it 2-1 and caused the sending-off of Veltman, the Brazilian was unable to shine as bright as he would have wished without Messi on the field of play.

With the Argentinian out of action, it was hoped that Neymar would step up and take on the leading role in the Barça attack. However, that has yet to happen. In fact, it seems like his performances are trailing off after a good start to the season. Since Messi has been absent, we have not seen the best of Neymar.

He barely got into the game in the first half against Ajax. Van Rhijn tied down Neymar and kept him isolated on the left flank. The Brazilian played much more of a role in the second half. He won the penalty for Barça's only goal and could have put his side level in the 56th minute, but Cillessen managed to get just enough of a touch on the ball when the Brazilian tried to chip him. It was not Neymar's night and his European drought continues.

2nd ODI: Pakistan clinch series with thrilling one-run victory

Pakistan's Shahid Afridi (L) celebrates the wicket of South Africa's Quinton de Kock during the second One Day International (ODI) Cricket Match between Pakistan and South Africa at the St Georges Cricket Ground in Port Elizabeth on November 27, 2013. PHOTO: AFP

PORT ELIZABETH: Pakistan held on to clinch a spectacular one-run victory in the rain hit second One Day International against South Africa in a nail-biting thriller that went down till the very last ball, ESPNCricinfo reported Wednesday.

The PCB chairman was quick to tweet his congratulations to the team’s fighting spirit.

The win was not easy to come for Pakistan who had set South Africa a daunting 263 run target to chase. The Proteas also looked set to achieve the target with skipper AB de Villers and Hashim Amla calmly standing their ground against all that the Pakistani bowlers threw at them.

The South African captain unleashed his famous striking ability against veteran bowlers like Saeed Ajmal as easily as he punished youngsters like Anwar Ali.

With the match restricted to 45-overs a side, South Africa found themselves in the ascendancy in the 39th over, requiring just 36 runs off 38 balls. Captain de Villiers was batting strongly on 74 runs off 45 deliveries, while his batting partner, opener Hashim Amla, was on 87 runs off 117 balls and eyeing another century. But Junaid, who had been smacked for two successive boundaries off successive balls by de Villiers at the beginning of the over, manage to seduce the South African captain to go for another fancy shot and was caught by Afridi at deep square leg.

With a well-set Amla on the crease and hitters like JP Duminy, David Miller and Ryan McLaren available, the hosts managed to keep the momentum going and needed 11 runs from the last two overs.

In desperation, Misbah threw the ball to Saeed Ajmal.

Ajmal’s strangling spin stifled South Africa as the spinner conceded just two runs off five balls, and got the wicket of a nervy Amla, 98. The over helped pull things back in Pakistan’s favour a little.

With nine required from the last six balls, Junaid was tasked with bowling the last over. The left-arm pacer stuck to the time-tested strategy of pacy full-length balls that the Proteas failed to put away.

Duminy was caught brilliantly by Anwer Ali off the second ball of the over. Incoming batsman David Miller though failed to score a boundary in any of the next three balls, that left South Africa needing six runs off the last ball for his team to win.

Junaid hurled another fast yorker. The delivery missed the bat, the wicket, as well as the keeper’s gloves to head straight for the boundary. Junaid finished with figures of three wickets off nine overs, having conceded 42 runs.

In the end, South Africa could only manage 261 runs in response to their opponent’s 262, and lost the first bilateral home series to Pakistan.

Ahmed Shehzad was awarded Man-of-the-Match for his 102 that helped set up Pakistan’s victory.

Having already won the first match in Cape Town on Saturday by 23-runs, Pakistan clinched the three match series 2-0. The last match of the series will be played at the Centurion on Saturday.

Pakistan’s innings

Earlier, Pakistan rode opener Ahmed Shehzad’s brilliant century to post a daunting target of 263 runs.

Rain had delayed start of play, forcing umpires to reduce the match to 45 overs a side.

After South Africa won the toss and sent Pakistan in to bat, Steyn struck with Nasir Jamshed’s wicket in the very first over.

Vice captain Mohammad Hafeez once again gifted his wicket to Dale Steyn yet again, in what happens to be his 15th dismissal off the pacer in 20 matches.

In stark contrast, Ahmed Shehzad unfurled a lovely array of shots to complete the third ODI century of his career consisting eight fours and two majestic sixes. He was run-out on 102 runs from 112 balls.

Sohaib Maqsood scored 42 runs while captain Misbahul Haq continued his dry streak with a score of 12. Under pressure all rounder Shahid Afridi managed only 11 runs.

At this point, Umar Akmal came out in a punishing mood and blasted 42 runs from just 30 deliveries with the help of four fours and two sixes.

He was helped by Bilawal Bhatti, who struck three boundaries in one Dale Steyn over. On the last ball of the over, though, Steyn got the better of of Bhatti to send him back to the pavilion for 21 runs.

The match was not without its controversy. Anwar Ali was adjudged out in one of Steyn’s overs for ‘obstructing the field’, the act of intentionally changing direction as a way to block a fielder’s throw.

Steyn ended the innings with a career-best bowling figures of taking six wickets while conceding 39 runs.

Earlier, Pakistan had named an unchanged squad from the side that one the first match in Cape Town by 23 runs on Sunday.

South Africa made two changes with all-rounder Ryan McLaren and left-arm swing bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe replacing Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel.

Teams

Pakistan: Misbahul Haq (captain), Nasir Jamshed, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Sohaib Maqsood, Umar Akmal (wkt), Shahid Afridi, Bilawal Bhatti, Anwar Ali, Saeed Ajmal, Junaid Khan.

South Africa: AB de Villiers (captain), Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Jacques Kallis, JP Duminy, David Miller, Ryan McLaren, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Imran Tahir

FBI agent missing in Iran now longest US hostage

Christine Levinson (R), wife of former FBI agent Robert Levinson, watches as her son Daniel Levinson displays a web print of his father's picture to journalists while attending a news conference at Switzerland's embassy in Tehran December 22, 2007. PHOTO: REUTERS

WASHINGTON: Retired FBI agent Robert Levinson on Tuesday became the longest-held hostage in US history, with his family and US officials appealing to the new Iranian leadership for help in finding and releasing him.

Mystery shrouds the fate of Levinson, who disappeared on March 9, 2007 on Iran’s Gulf island of Kish while reportedly investigating cigarette counterfeiting in the region.

“To whoever is holding Bob, I ask again for your mercy. Please let him go to reunite with his family,” his wife Christine wrote on the website HelpBobLevinson.com set up by the family to press for his release.

“No one would have predicted this terrible moment more than six and a half years ago when Bob disappeared. Our family will soon gather for our seventh Thanksgiving without Bob, and the pain will be almost impossible to bear,” she added.

But in her message she urged her husband to stay strong and said he has a new month-old grandson.

“We can’t wait for you to meet him. We love you and will never stop working to bring you home safely.”

Levinson has now been held longer than the former AP Beirut bureau chief Terry Anderson, who was kidnapped in Lebanon in 1985 and held for 2,454 days by Hezbollah militants.

Virtually no news has filtered out about Levinson, now 65, since his capture other than a hostage video of him received by the family three years ago and a few pictures sent to the family in 2011.

The photos show him shackled in what appears to be an orange jumpsuit with a shaggy, gray beard and unkempt hair, holding a cryptic sign saying “4th year. You cant or you don’t want….?”

The ongoing detente between Iran and the United States, however, has raised the family’s hopes that the new Iranian government of President Hassan Rouhani may be prepared to help win his release.

“Given the negotiations between the United States and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program, we particularly hope that officials can use their ongoing contact to resolve my father’s case,” Dan Levinson writes on the website.

“Doing so would show the world that our two countries can work together to resolve our differences and would demonstrate Iran’s willingness to help an average American family’s plight.”

In a statement Tuesday the White House renewed its commitment to seeking Levinson’s safe return.

“We respectfully ask the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to assist us in securing Mr Levinson’s health, welfare, and safe return,” the statement added.

While the recent talks in Geneva between world powers and Iran focused solely on the Iranian nuclear program, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the US had “repeatedly” raised Levinson’s case in bilateral talks.

President Barack Obama had even mentioned him – along with other detained Americans Amir Hekmati and Saeed Abedini – during his landmark phone call with Rouhani in September, she added.

China internet users call for action against Japan in airspace spat

China internet users call for action against Japan in airspace spat. PHOTO: FILE

BEIJING: Chinese internet users are calling for tough measures to enforce China’s new airspace defence zone over waters disputed with Japan, with many saying only war will teach Japan not to mess with Chinese sovereignty.

China published coordinates for an East China Sea Air Defence Identification Zone over the weekend and warned it would take “defensive emergency measures” against aircraft that failed to identify themselves properly in the airspace.

Two unarmed US B-52 bombers on a training mission flew over the disputed waters on Monday night EST without informing Beijing while Japan’s two biggest airlines also flew through the zone on Wednesday. The area, about two thirds the size of Britain, covers the skies over uninhabited islands at the heart of a bitter territorial dispute between China and close US ally Japan. The resulting war of words between Beijing, Tokyo and Washington following the announcement has only deepened the intense dislike many Chinese have of Japan, due largely to what China feels is Japan’s lack of contrition at its brutal occupation of part of China before and during World War Two.

With strict government controls generally preventing people from taking to the streets to express their anger – though there were torrid anti-Japan protests last year – Chinese have flocked to the Twitter-like Sina Weibo service to make their voices heard.

“You little Japanese are shameless. Our military ought to fiercely strike you down, attacking until you admit the error of your ways and until you give our land back to us,” wrote a Weibo user who identified himself as Hong Zaixing.

“We must attack them – I’m willing to sign up,” wrote Hong Yindou. Others said that China should suspend all economic links with Japan.

“Boycott Japanese goods, kill the thieves,” wrote “snakes watching ants”. “The best method would be to cut off all economic exchanges with Japan. Within a year they would collapse,” added “Jilisi hot”.

China’s Defence Ministry said it monitored the B-52s’ flight, adding that it had the ability to “effectively manage and control” the zone, but made no threat of retaliation. Some Weibo users said stronger action was needed. “Lodging protests won’t get you anywhere. We must take real action. Nobody is scared of protests,” wrote “gongzhuai521″.

Retired Major General Luo Yuan, one of China’s most outspoken military figures, wrote on his Weibo account that China had to enforce the zone with force if necessary. “It must be enforced to the full, and no country must think that they can harbour the idea of leaving things to chance,” he wrote. “If they refuse to comply, and act wilfully despite advice to the contrary … China’s armed forces will take emergency defensive measures

Bomb blast near India nuclear plant kills six: Police

Home-made bomb accidentally exploded overnight in village near Kudankulam power plant in southern state of Tamil Nadu. PHOTO: FILE

NEW DELHI: A bomb blast near India’s biggest nuclear power plant killed six people, police said Wednesday, sparking a probe into whether the explosion was linked to protests against the facility.

The home-made bomb accidentally exploded overnight in a village near Kudankulam power plant in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, destroying three homes and causing injuries, the district police chief told AFP.

“The bomb exploded accidently inside a house. Six people died and three more are seriously injured,” police superintendant Vijayendra Bidari said.

“Some anti-nuclear activists were living in this village. This house was being used as a bomb-making facility. We are investigating from all angles,” he said.

The coastal village is some four kilometres from the Russian-built plant which opened in October after delays and often violent protests by locals fearing a radiation leak.

A senior official at the Department of Atomic Energy said the plant was safe and functioning normally, the Press Trust of India said.

Television footage showed at least three homes collapsed from the force of the blast in Idinagarai Tsunami colony, part of Idinthakarai village, from where most of the protests in recent years have stemmed.

The People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy, which has been spearheading protests against the plant, denied its supporters were involved in the explosion, local media reports said.

Some residents were stockpiling small, crude bombs because they were embroiled in a feud with others in the village, according to the Times of India. The bomb exploded while the villagers were assembling it.

Opponents of the plant, located on the coast devastated by the 2004 Asian tsunami, say it is built in a seismically sensitive area and are concerned about a Fukushima-style disaster.

The plant – the plans for which were first drawn up in 1988 – is designed to help meet a surging demand for electricity in Asia’s third-largest economy where power blackouts are frequent.

It is one of many that India hopes to build as part of its aim of generating 63,000 megawatts of nuclear power by 2030 – part of a planned near 15-fold rise from current levels, according to the Nuclear Power Corp.

The project attained “criticality” – the point when a nuclear chain reaction becomes self-sustaining – in July and started pumping electricity months later.