Friday, 27 December 2013

Nadal starts season with loss to Ferrer in Abu Dhabi

Nadal starts season with loss to Ferrer in Abu Dhabi
Rafael Nadal began his season with a 6-4, 6-4 loss to fellow Spaniard David Ferrer in the semi-finals of the Mudabala World Tennis Championship exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
It was the world number one's first match since losing in straight sets to Novak Djokovic in the final of the World Tour Finals in London on November 11.
Playing ahead of the official ATP season-opener in nearby Doha next week, Ferrer looked the sharper from the start, breaking in the ninth game to take the first set.
It was more of the same in the second set as Nadal struggled to find his range against an opponent who already had a game under his belt, having defeated Stanislas Wawrinka in the quarter-finals on Thursday.
'I think the fact that I had already played a game on the same surface meant that I was better prepared than Rafa,' said Ferrer.
'I am happy with the state of my game and will look to produce my best tennis for the final.'
The second semi-final, played later on Friday, sees world number two Djokovic go up against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France.
In earlier action, Andy Murray chalked up his first win since returning to action after a three-month injury lay-off by defeating Switzerland's Wawrinka 6-3, 6-4.
The 26-year-old Wimbledon champion had back surgery in September and did not play again until he lost to Tsonga in the quarter-finals of the exhibition tournament on Thursday.
Wawrinka lost to Ferrer on the same day and the match between him and Murray was to decide who would finish fifth in the unofficial three-day tournament that saw Nadal and Djokovic joining in at the semi-final stage.
Murray looked much sharper against Ferrer than he had looked in the second set against Tsonga and had little difficulty in seeing off the challenge of the world number eight.
The world number four got the better of three successive breaks to take the first set and then forged ahead again with a break for 4-3 in the second.
Wawrinka saved a match point on his own serve with a forehand winner, but Murray confidently served out for the victory.
In a courtside interview Murray said: 'I feel pretty good, a lot better than I did a few months ago. I just need to play more matches like this because the intensity's a lot higher than you can get in practice.
'It was good to get two matches against top players. Everyone needs matches at this stage, especially me. It's been a perfect start and hopefully I'll get better.'
Murray will next make the short trip over to Doha where he will play in the AFP season-opener tournament.

Vin Diesel confirmed for Guardians of the Galaxy

Vin Diesel confirmed for Guardians of the Galaxy
Vin Diesel has been confirmed to play Groot in 'Guardians of the Galaxy'.
The 'Fast Furious' actor will be taking on the part of the tree-like alien superhero in the upcoming Marvel space saga, director James Gunn has officially announced on his Facebook page.
He posted a picture of Diesel posing alongside a mask of his leafy character, adding: 'Yep, it is completely official. AND he's amazing. I never knew someone could say 'I AM GROOT' so many different ways and with such feeling (and that sounds like I'm kidding but I'm not!).'
This summer Diesel had hinted at the casting by posting a picture of Groot on his own Facebook page, before swiftly taking it down.
The sentient character gains super strength from absorbing wood and has the ability to control 
trees. However, the role will require little dialogue as Groot's sole line is, 'I am Groot.'
'Guardians of the Galaxy' features Chris Pratt as the Star Lord, Peter Quil, a human pilot who gets involved with a group of mismatched mercenaries who decide to form an intergalactic crime-fighting team. Other cast members include Zoe Saldana, Benicio Del Toro, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, Karen Gillan and Bradley Cooper.
The film is set for release in August 2014.

Queiroz: Ronaldo was destined to become the Michael Jordan of football

Queiroz: Ronaldo was destined to become the Michael Jordan of football
Former Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz believes Real Madrid attacker Cristiano Ronaldo was destined to become one of the best players in the history of the game from a young age.
Queiroz - who is now Iran national team manager - coached Ronaldo during his time in charge of Portugal between 2008 and 2010 and two spells as assistant manager to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.
The 60-year-old has now stressed that he had no doubt that the forward would establish himself as a modern-day great - even likening him to Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan, who is widely considered to be the best basketball player in history. 'Ronaldo is the most complete player I have ever coached in my life. In terms of fitness, ability, technical, tactical,' Queiroz said.'One day at United, I don't remember when, I said he would be the Michael Jordan of football.
'I can see in the last two years Cristiano growing up a lot, but he had everything. He had a little bit of Brazil legend Ronaldo, Figo - the speed, heading. He's fantastic at shooting with both feet, free-kicks, dribbling, passing.'
Queiroz then went on to discuss the 2014 World Cup and he expects Ronaldo, who has scored 29 goals in 23 appearances for Real this season, to have a major impact in Brazil.
He continued: 'I think he is more mature now, more experienced. Four years in a player's career is a lot and it can make a huge difference.
'I think this will be his third appearance in terms of World Cup participation, so he will be able to manage the performance much easier.'
Portugal will have to deal with Germany, Ghana and USA in Group G

Morsi supporter killed in Cairo clashes

Morsi supporter killed in Cairo clashes
Students supporting Egypt's ousted President Mohammed Morsi clashed with locals in Cairo, the interior ministry said. Police said one protester was killed.
In a statement released Friday, the ministry added that seven supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood had been arrested after police fired tear gas at protesters.
Violence escalated late on Thursday night when Morsi's supporters blocked a main roadway outside their university in the eastern Cairo district of Nasr City. That angered local residents, state television reported, citing a police spokesperson.
Both sides exchanged birdshot gunfire, causing fatal wounds to the student, the police official added.
More protests to come
Supporters of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood vowed to continue protesting, despite the government declaring the organization a terrorist group.
An off-shoot of the Brotherhood called for massive street protests, dubbed 'a week of rage,' starting Friday to protest the government's decision.
'Let's begin with full force and peacefulness, a new wave of majestic anti-coup action,' the Brotherhood-led Anti Coup Alliance said in a statement.
Egyptian law states that terrorist-related charges carry the death penalty.
Thursday's protests came hours after a bomb blew up a bus in northern Cairo. Five people were wounded, prompting condemnation from US Secretary of State John Kerry.
US State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said Kerry 'expressed concern' that the Muslim Brotherhood had been declared a terrorist organization in a call with his Egyptian counterpart Nabil Fahmy.
Hundreds of people have been killed across Egypt since July when Morsi, the country's first ever democratically-elected president, was ousted by the army.

Ensnared ‘Billa’ begging pardon for lapping up ‘milk’: Zardari

Ensnared ‘Billa’ begging pardon for lapping up ‘milk’: Zardari
LARKANA: Referring to former military ruler Gen (Retd) Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman and ex president of the country, Asif Ali Zardari, Friday said that an ensnared ‘Billa’ (tomcat) was begging pardon for his wrongdoings, Geo News reported.
“We never asked that ’Billa’ (Gen (Retd) Musharraf) to return home. Now trapped, he should not be allowed to escape without having to face the music for ousting a democratic government and his eight years of dictatorial rule”, said he speaking at a rally held in connection with the sixth assassination anniversary of former prime minister and his wife Shaheed Benazir Bhutto.
He said that vested interests always take advantage of political dissonance in the country.
“When political powers are pitted against each other the 'Billa' (tomcat) laps up all the milk. Unfortunately this is going on since the creation of Pakistan in 1947”, he added,
He was allusively mentioning how Gen (Retd) Musharraf seized the power, calling it milk metaphorically, through a military coup d'état in 1999.
Saying that it was the government’s test to bring the perpetrator to task, Zardari underscored that this ‘Billa’ should not be spared, come what may.
He made it clear that PPP wanted to back the government against that [extremist] "mindset."
"Extremist elements are systematically subjecting the nation to Talibanization, for which abject poverty is one of the contributing reasons", Zardari said.
He said his prayers were with Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif for his success in bringing about peace in Pakistan but the government alone just could not do each and everything.
"We will have to stand by the government to make its successful, said he.
The, PPP leader, also said that he did not want to resort to “midterm” or “short-term” solutions.
"I do not want a long march in Islamabad. The government will have to bring all the other parties on board in its fight against that militant mindset", said he

Martin Kobler: German pacifist fights rebels in DRC

Martin Kobler: German pacifist fights rebels in DRC
It's midday in December in the village of Bweremana in eastern DRC. Some 4,000 former milita fighters stand on a football pitch in the blazing sun, together with their families. They are waiting for Martin Kobler, head of the world's largest UN military mission: the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO). It comprises some 20,000 UN troops. Kobler arrives by helicopter and walks towards the rebels who have just surrendered. His manner is friendly. 'Good day, I am Martin Kobler, head of MONUSCO. And who are you?'
For almost 20 years various rebel groups have terrorized the people of eastern Congo. The rebels are fighting to seize control of a region rich in minerals. MONUSCO has been in the country for 14 years. For most of that time it achieved little and its reputation was poor. But for four months now MONUSCO has had a new intervention force of 3,000 troops with a more robust mandate and, with Martin Kobler, a new man at the helm. Kobler has called on the rebels to surrender. Whoever does not comply will face the weapons of the intervention brigade.
Former rebels have little to eat, nothing to do
The men and women in Bweremana who have surrendered are accommodated in a camp some 50 kilometres (31 miles) from Goma, capital of the province of North Kivu. They stand patiently in line and answer Kober's questions politely.
There are problems in the camp. The hygiene situation is poor, the former rebels have little to eat and nothing to do. Residents of the village where the camp is located are angry. An elderly woman seizes the opportunity to address Kobler directly. 'Since the rebels came to our village, there's a shortage of food,'she complains. 'As they don't get enough to eat, they go into the fields and steal our harvest and destroy the fields. If that continues, there soon won't be enough for us.' Kobler nods and assures her: 'That is why we are here. We have heard that there are problems and we want to help.'
In Bweremana the German diplomat talks for an hour with former rebels, villagers and the only doctor. He listens to the report of the commander of the Congolese army FARDC (Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo) who is in charge of the camp. It is important for Kobler that the ex-rebels should be integrated into society as quickly as possible. He knows that previous demobilization efforts often failed because of a lack of work, food and prospects for the rebels. He wishes to avoid this and prevent the ex-rebels picking up their weapons again.
'Every problem has a solution'
Born in 1953 in Stuttgart, Kobler studied law and Asian philology in Bonn and Indonesia before becoming a diplomat. Together with his wife, he worked in Egypt, India and the Palestinian Territories. He then spent time with UN peace missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition to German, English and French, he speaks fluent Indonesian and Arabic.
In August 2013 Kobler took up his new post as Special UN Representative for Congo and head of MONUSCO. He describes himself as an optimist. For him 'there is no problem without a solution.'
In his first four months at the helm, Kobler has given MONUSCO a thorough shake-up and has transformed it from a powerless spectator to a force to be taken seriously. He does not gloss over MONUSCO's past problems. 'I read here in the paper that MONUSCO is now more popular but still has to work hard to win people's trust. That is good news for the end of the year. It's also the motto for 2014 – to convince you all that we are doing an important job,' he told DW. One way of doing this is to move mission personnel. Kobler plans to relocate 1,000 posts from the capital Kinshasa to the east of the country.
Zero tolerance for war crimes
Kobler's first major success, together with the Congolese army, was the victory in November over the region's largest militia, M23. Kobler describes himself as a pacifist and is opposed to the use of weapons. But he knows:' We have to demonstrate our presence and use deterrent measures.'
Before Kobler's visit to the east in December 2013, 20 people were brutally murdered in two villages in North Kivu. There were cases of sexual violence. Kobler lost no time in sending human rights experts from MONUSCO to examine the massacre. Their task is to write a report that precisely documents events and can be used in court. For Kobler, such brutality is unacceptable.
Sexual violence and the use of child soldiers top Kobler's list of unacceptable crimes. 'These are war crimes,' he says. 'Perpetrators must be punished. With our new mandate, we will pursue this robustly and will also act and react militarily.'
Bringing MONUSCO closer to people
Kobler spent two days touring easterm DRC shortly before Christmas, protected by heavily armed UN soldiers. His schedule was packed as he wanted to talk to soldiers from MONUSCO and the Congolese army, decorate UN soldiers for their services, and hear from the military and administrative authorities in the northern town of Dungu. It is Kobler's first visit to this part of the country, on the border with South Sudan and close to the Central African Republic, two other trouble spots in the region.
He takes time to talk to his soldiers and staff who are serving far from their families and fighting Joseph Kony, rebel leader of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). As photo after photo is taken of him standing with individual soldiers, Kobler smiles as genuinely as he did the first time the camera clicked. Despite the packed program, he makes time for personal contact, so that people realize that the MONUSCO he heads is different from the past, that it is close to people. In the past the civilian population in the region around Dungu often stood unprotected against LRA fighters who were marauding through the region. Kony is sought by the International Criminal Court (ICC), accused of numerous atrocities.
Kobler suddenly orders his convey to stop outside a school. His arrival surprises teachers and pupils alike but they are quick to improvise. The children sing a song, Kobler sits down next to a small boy and tries to talk to him. Many of the children here have suffered at the hands of the LRA. A 13 year-old boy tells Kobler that his family fled. He himself was beaten, the rebels killed his brother.
Pacifist who knows when to use force
The convoy drives on but it's not long before Kobler calls for another stop outside some simple huts. Again he meets people who fled from the LRA, this time an elderly couple and two young men. They want to return to their home villages when the LRA has been defeated. 'We are doing our best,' Kobler assures them.
He has declared war on the rebel militias in eastern DRC, one after another. Whoever surrenders voluntarily will be helped to reintegrate into society. Those who refuse will be fought offensively. Kobler knows how important it is for people to have a perspective. Before he climbs into the helicopter to leave Bweremana, he calls to the FARDC commander:'Give these people something to do!'
For many people in DRC, Martin Kobler is a hero, a man who will bring the MONUSCO mission to a successful conclusion. Kobler knows the country is still far removed from peace and stability. This is what he will fight for, on all fronts. A pacifist at heart, he is still prepared to give the order to shell a rebel position – in order to end 20 years of violence in Congo

US sends Hellfire missiles to Iraq

US sends Hellfire missiles to Iraq
BAGHDAD: The U.S. has sent Hellfire air-to-ground missiles to Iraq´s air forces, which is using them in an ongoing campaign against the country´s branch of al-Qaida, officials in Washington and Baghdad said Thursday.
Two Iraqi intelligence officers and a military officer said that 75 Hellfires arrived on Dec. 19 and more will be shipped in the future. They said the missiles are being used now by four Iraqi King Air propeller planes during a large-scale military operation in the western desert near the borders with Syria.
An intelligence official said that the missiles were proven "successful" and were used to destroy four militant camps. Jen Psaki, a spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department, confirmed the missile shipment and also said that the United States was planning on sending ScanEagle drones."
The United States is committed to supporting Iraq in its fight against terrorism through the Strategic Framework Agreement," she said, referring to a 2008 pact between the two nations.
"The recent delivery of Hellfire missiles and an upcoming delivery of ScanEagles are standard foreign military sales cases that we have with Iraq to strengthen their capabilities to combat this threat. "Hellfires are widely used by U.S. forces in their campaign against al-Qaida, often targeting militant hideouts or vehicles.
Iraq launched its operation in the largely desert province of Anbar followed the weekend killing of a senior military commander, a colonel and five soldiers in an ambush.
Al-Qaida is believed to have made use of the war in Syria, which borders Anbar, to rebuild its organization in Iraq. Hard-line fighters are believed to shuttle between the two countries.
According to U.N. estimates, more than 8,000 people have been killed since the start of the year in Iraq