Israel strike on Syria 'unacceptable': Russia

Israel strike on Syria 'unacceptable': Russia




The strident Russian statement came after the Syrian army accused Israel of launching a strike at dawn on Wednesday targeting its military research centre in Jamraya, near Damascus.Israeli fighter jets violated our airspace at dawn today and carried out a direct strike on a scientific research centre in charge of raising our level of resistance and self-defence," the general command said.The attack came after Israel expressed concerns that Damascus's stockpile of chemical weapons could fall into the hands of Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah group, an ally of Assad's regime, or other militant organisations.The attack came after Israel expressed concerns that Damascus's stockpile of chemical weapons could fall into the hands of Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah group, an ally of Assad's regime, or other militant organisations.

Russian statement explained: "If this information is confirmed, then we are dealing with unprovoked attacks on targets on the territory of a sovereign country, which blatantly violates the UN Charter and is unacceptable, no matter the motives to justify,Israelis are sending a message not just to Hezbollah but also to Assad's forces that they have no wish to get dragged in, but chemical weapons and certain types of missiles are a red line for them, and that regime forces ought to signal, in turn, to Hezbollah that they should proceed with caution.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said, ‘If this information is confirmed, then we are dealing with unprovoked attacks on targets on the territory of a sovereign country, which blatantly violates the UN Charter and is unacceptable, no matter the motives to justify,Relations between Russia and Israel have been improving in recent years as trade and economic ties have grown stronger, says the BBC's Steve Rosenberg in Moscow.Reports claimed that Israeli warplanes bombed a convoy near Syria's border with Lebanon, targeting weapons that were destined for Hezbollah as a warning to Damascus not to arm Israel's enemies in Lebanon.

India vs West Indies Women Cricket World Cup 2013 Live 31-01-2013

India vs West Indies Women Cricket World Cup 2013 Live 31-01-2013






India Women vs West Indies Women Highlights Mumbai 2013. Highlights India Women vs West Indies Women, 1st Match played at Mumbai 2013. Watch ICC Women’s World Cup 2013 1st match highlights below.Watch India Women vs West Indies Women Highlights Today. India Women vs West Indies Women 1st Match will be Played on 31 January 2013 atBrabourne Stadium, Mumbai. Cricket Highlights in High Quality of ICC Women’s World Cup 2013 will be provided during the match. Enjoy India Women vs West Indies Women Highlights.It depends on the board completely to give us a number of matches," Raj said. "As players, whatever amount of games we get to play before the World Cup, we try and make the best of it. As a player, I would definitely want to have more tournaments, more international games to play.Compared to previous World Cups, Raj felt India had a strong opening combination going into the tournament. "One thing I have always felt is that India never had a very good opening pair. That was a concern. This time we have Thirush Kamini who has made a comeback. In both the [practice] games, the openers [Kamini and Poonam Raut] have given us a good start.


There are many people who are pre-occupied with other commitments and cannot devote time to watch the match on TV, there are many television companies that offer live telecast of cricket matches on internet. The live streaming of cricket matches is rapidly becoming a new rage in the online media and is catching up with lot of cricket fans.


Looking at the career statistics of some of the players in the Indian side I am just wondering what for they are there in the Squad," says Avani. "Neither they have good batting average nor good bowling figures. I think BCCI should organize more series for women both domestic and intenational so that real talents can be located and picked up. With the present team I do not have hope of WC inspite of having home advantage." Avani, I think these numbers need to be viewed under a different lens.We had the domestic season and after that we had two camps, one in NCA and the other one in Mumbai. We have prepared really hard and we get into the tournament will full preparation. But again we will take it one match at a time. I personally would not emphasise more on the results, I'd rather go with the process. If everything goes well.


India Women team:
Mithali Raj, Ekta Bisht, Jhulan Goswami, Karu Jain, Thirush Kamini, Harmanpreet Kaur, Sulakshana Naik, Nagarajan Niranjana, Rasanara Parwin, Poonam Raut, Amita Sharma, Shubhlakshmi Sharma, Gouher Sultana.




West Indies Women team:
Merissa Aguilleira, Stafanie Taylor, Shemaine Campbelle, Shanel Daley, Deandra Dottin, Kyshona Knight, Kycia Knight, Natasha McLean, Anisa Mohammed, Subrina Munroe, Juliana Nero, June Ogle, Shaquana Quintyne, Shakera Selman, Tremayne Smartt..




Match Schedule
India vs West Indies
Time: (14:30 local | 09:00 GMT)
Date: Thursday, 31 January, 2013

Greek finance minister eyes 2014 recovery for economy

The office of Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaris said it accepted Rapanos' resignation after receiving a letter from the ailing official, who is 64. Rapanos had been rushed to the hospital Friday after complaining about dizziness and abdominal pains. He was to be released from hospital on Tuesday, but no further details were available.From the markets, there's much more optimism. Deposits are coming back to banks, the government is paying its arrears to the private sector and there is a change in how Europe sees us. So all the leading indicators are positive. We are two-thirds of the way towards our target. So people can have hope.Samaras' government, comprised of his New Democracy conservatives, their long-time socialist rivals PASOK and the small Democratic Left party, has issued a policy statement outlining changes it would like to make to the terms of its international bailout. Those include repealing certain tax hikes, freezing public sector layoffs and extending by two years the mid-2014 deadline for tough austerity measures.


The economy has contracted by a cumulative 24 percent since 2008, according to the country's central bank."Whatever positive we achieve henceforth will be like rain falling in the desert, given that the country will be waking up from a recession of unprecedented duration," Stournaras said.

In a separate speech to a medical conference, Stournaras said Greece would use 16 billion euros to recapitalize banks next week, and another 7.2 billion in the first quarter, after international lenders said they would resume aid payments on Thursday.We voted and agreed with the Eurogroup and the troika that in 2013 and 2014, Greece will have to save 13.5 billion euros in total. About 3 billion euros is to come from revenues. This means we need revenues and the troika does not accept the argument that we will overcome large tax evasion to achieve these revenues. They say that we can try to achieve this and if we manage it then we can look at relaxing demands. So we've submitted proposals that attempt to simplify the tax scale, to include self-employed professionals and farmers, to increase tax on savings and on cigarettes, all of which should bring in 3 billion euros. Whether we like it or not, we have to bring in new revenues.

Banks will be able to boost their portfolios with new, strong bonds from the EFSF (European Financial Stability Facility), without accessing the (central bank's) ELA (emergency liquidity assistance) mechanism," Stournaras told the conference.Everyone has red lines. I have to balance three things, though. Firstly, I have to respect the fact that there is a three-party coalition in which everyone has an opinion. I have to listen to what they say carefully. Secondly, there's the troika, who are our lenders and who have their demands before they disburse loans. Thirdly, my conscience and the oath I took as finance minister and the member of a government that has to succeed. This is not an easy task. Results suggest that we've succeede

Australia vs West Indies kick of Time on cricket (01-02-2013) Friday.

Australia vs West Indies kick of Time on cricket (01-02-2013) Friday.







West Indies tour of Australia 2013 will begin on Friday, February 1, 2013 in Australia.West Indies tour of Australia 2013 will consist of 5 ODI matches to be hosted by Australia in February 2013,Many people are busy in their offices, colleges, waiting in long queues and elsewhere, have an opportunity to access live cricket action from their latest gadgets.There are several TV companies that are offering live telecast of cricket matches on internet. The live streaming of cricket matches is rapidly becoming a new rage in the online media and is catching up with lot of cricket fans.Many TV companies that are offering live telecast of cricket matches on internet. The live streaming of cricket matches is rapidly becoming a new rage in the online media and is catching up with lot of cricket fans.
Several TV companies are offering live telecast of cricket matches on internet, and watching this online is a safe bet if one is not near the television.

Michael Clarke looks hungry to make history this time. He is determined to make the first odi decisive in his team’s favour. Windsor Park is an unfamiliar venue for Australians but West Indian team knows all the nook and corners of this place and this is a slight advantage for them. West Indies should be hoping to depend upon Dominician spinner Shane Shillingford, who know the conditions better than any other West Indian player.West Indies become the third team to tour Australia this summer after South Africa had earlier played three Tests and Sri Lanka were involved in an entire series. They were on a month-long break and the players utilised that time featuring in the Caribbean T20 tournament back home,It will be interesting to see how they get back into the ODI mode, which is ostensibly different from T20 in this day and age. With one new ball from each end and changed fielding restrictions, things will get difficult for West Indies and how they adapt to these new conditions will go a long way deciding which way this series goes.




Australia v West Indies ODI matches:

1st ODI: February 1 at Perth
2nd ODI: February 3 at Perth
3rd ODI: February 6 at Canberra
4th ODI: February 8 at Sydney
5th ODI: February 10 at Melbourne

Only T20I: February 13 at Brisbane.

Jose Aldo vs Frankie Edgar Kick Of Time on UFC fights (02-02-2013) Saturday.

Jose Aldo vs Frankie Edgar Kick Of Time on UFC fights (02-02-2013) Saturday.






February 2nd in Las Vegas, and the annual Super Bowl event has a pretty damn good main card Of course, the main event will see UFC featherweight champion defending his title against former lightweight champ Frankie Edgar.Members receive online access to both the Wrestling Observer and Figure Four Weekly newsletters and growing archives, Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer three times per week, the popular Bryan and Vinny Show twice per week, additional radio shows including Figure Four Daily with Alvarez, Mike Coughlin's Five Star Radio, the Dr. Keith Lipinski Show, The Adam and Mike Big Audio Nightmare,

In the headliner, Jose Aldo defends his UFC featherweight title against Frankie Edgar. Former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans meets Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in the co-main event, while heavyweight contenders Alistair Overeem and Antonio Silva collide on the main card, as well.Jose Aldo looks to defend his crown against former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, who moves down to featherweight for the first time in his career and looks to become the third-ever UFC fighter to capture belts in two different weight classes.UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo looks to defend his title once again. Standing in his way this time is the biggest test of his career to date, Frankie Edgar. Edgar, a former UFC Lightweight champion, will be making the move down to 145 pounds for the first time in his career. He will be looking to be the 3rd guy to hold belts in two classes, trying to match the achievement of Randy Couture and BJ Penn.


Date: February 2, 2013
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Venue: Mandalay Bay Events Center





Jose Aldo vs Frankie Edgar
Alistair Overeem vs Antonio Silva
Rashad Evans vs Rogerio Nogueira
Jon Fitch vs Demian Maia
Ian McCall vs Joseph Benavidez
Gleison Tibau vs Evan Dunham
Jacob Volkmann vs Bobby Green
Tyron Woodley vs Jay Hieron
Edwin Figueroa vs Francisco Rivera

Oldham Athletic stun Liverpool in FA Cup

Oldham  Athletic stun  Liverpool in FA Cup








Defeat for Liverpool and Spurs took the number of Premier League casualties losing to lower division opponents in the last 32 to five following defeats for Norwich City, Queens Park Rangers and Aston Villa.
Oldham, languishing in 19th place in League One, were irresistible in front of their own fans at Boundary Park, going ahead with a Matt Smith header in the second minute.

Fabio Borini made his first start since suffering a fractured foot in October in an attacking Liverpool side that also boasted Raheem Sterling, Daniel Sturridge and Suarez, who captained the side with Gerrard on the bench. Oldham were without their own captain as Dean Furman is representing South Africa at the African Cup of Nations, so the armband was handed to Liverpool fan James Wesolowski.On a day when Chelsea had to come from behind to draw 2-2 at Brentford and Tottenham lost 2-1 to Leeds, it was left to Liverpool to uphold the honour of the Premier League. But Brendan Rodgers's expensively-assembled side found themselves a goal down within two minutes.However, they were overshadowed in the opening exchanges by superb combination play between Smith and his strike partner Robbie Simpson, who bullied Liverpool centre-backs Sebastian Coates and Martin Skrtel.They made their mark, sometimes literally, and 23-year-old Smith showed his intentions as early as the third minute with a well-taken goal.
Liverpool failed to kick on, though, and Oldham took the lead on the stroke of half-time. Keeper Brad Jones should easily have gathered a low Wabara cross but could only fumble as Smith pounced to tap in with the goal gaping.



Worse was to follow for Liverpool three minutes after the restart when Wabara met Carl Winchester’s cross with a powerful header to send the home fans delirious.Reds boss Brendan Rodgers responded by throwing on Gerrard for Andre Wisdom and Stewart Downing for forgotten man Fabio Borini, who failed to make an impression in a rare start.Norwich and QPR had all been accounted for by lower-league opposition but the third-tier Latics claimed arguably the biggest scalp of the round with a 3-2 triumph

Liverpool crashing out of the competition at Boundary Park. Premier League sides Aston Villa, Norwich and QPR had all been accounted for by lower-league opposition but the third-tier Latics claimed arguably the biggest scalp of the round with a 3-2 triumph thanks to a Matt Smith’s brace and Reece Wabara’s header. Luis Suarez had equalised for the visitors after they fell behind to... Read more...

Brazil nightclub fire kills hundreds, dozens injured from smoke inhalation

Brazil nightclub fire kills hundreds, dozens injured from smoke inhalation






Witnesses said a flare or firework lit by band members started the blaze in Santa Maria, a university city of about 225,000 people, though officials said the cause was still under investigation."The band that was onstage began to use flares and, suddenly, they stopped the show and pointed them upward," she said. "At that point, the ceiling caught fire. It was really weak, but in a matter of seconds it spread.Guitarist Rodrigo Martins told Radio Gaucha that the band, Gurizada Fandangueira, started playing at 2:15 a.m. "and we had played around five songs when I looked up and noticed the roof was burning"Rodrigo Moura, identified by the newspaper Diario de Santa Maria as a security guard at the club, said it was at its maximum capacity of between 1,000 and 2,000, and partygoers were pushing and shoving to escape.

Santa Maria Mayor Cezar Schirmer declared a 30-day mourning period, and Tarso Genro, the governor of the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, said officials were investigating the cause of the disaster.The newspaper Diario de Santa Maria reported that the fire started at around 2 a.m. at the Kiss nightclub in the city at the southern tip of Brazil, near the borders with Argentina and Uruguay.

some 300km west of the state capital of Porto Alegre.
Luiza Sousa, a civil police official in Santa Maria, told Reuters news agency the blaze started when a member of the band or its production team ignited a flare, which then set fire to the ceiling.Major Gerson da Rosa Ferreira, who was leading rescue efforts at the scene for the military police, said the victims died of asphyxiation or from being trampled, and there were as many as 500 people inside the club when the fire broke out.Gabriel Elizondo, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Brazil said the nightclub, which is near a college campus, was full of teenagers and people in their 20s. “Images that we’ve seen indicate people [were] just trying to scramble to get out of the building,” Elizondo said by phone.The death toll could be as high as 130, the reporter said.Hundreds of people have been taken to hospital.

Fire services are looking for other victims. We can't give an exact number of victims. People started panicking and ended up treading on each other," fire chief Guido de Melo told local media.

India Women v West Indies women kick off time on cricket 31/01/2013

India Women v West Indies women kick off time on cricket 31/01/2013







West Indies cruised to an easy victory in the first ODI in Mumbai, We have done very well against them in recent years and as a team we strongly believe we can beat them in this series as well," Aguilleira said. "We always enjoy playing at home and we are especially comfortable in St Kitts, where we will start the series. Warner Park has been a good hunting ground for us, so that's the perfect place to get going. We look forward to a good series as we prepare for the World Cup in India.
"This will form the official send-off for the West Indies players and management before they depart for India on Tuesday. We have seen our team develop very well in the last three years and we have full confidence that they will do us proud again on the world stage."

Squad:(( Merissa Aguilleira (capt), Stefanie Taylor (vc), Shemaine Campbelle, Shanel Daley, Deandra Dottin, Kycia Knight, Anisa Mohammed, Subrina Munroe, Juliana Nero, June Ogle-Thomas, Shakera Selman, Tremayne Smartt, Shaquana Quintyne.))

India's captain and opener, Mithali Raj, top scored with 27 as her side got to 95 for 5. In the previous match, India's total of 101 proved highly inadequate, with West Indies chasing it down with eight wickets and four overs to spare. It was a different story this time though, as the opening partnership of Jhulan Goswami - who was miserly - and Amita Sharma claimed five wickets. It also helped the visitors effected two top-order run outs. In the end, only three West Indies batsmen got into double figures and the innings included four ducks, as the hosts were edged out by three runs: they finished on 92 for 9 in their 20.

India had started well, with openers Raut and Anagha Deshpande adding 45. At 71 for 1, it seemed India would post a competitive score but Mohammed struck twice in consecutive overs, and came back to inflict two more blows to the middle order. Supported by Taylor, who starred in an all-round performance by also picking up two wickets, Mohammed ensured West Indies were set a target not too difficult to chase.


Match scheduled:
India vs England
Time: 09:00 GmT
Local Time: 14:30
Thusday: 31 Jan 2013

Euro 2020: Pros and Cons of Hosting Tournament in 10 Cities

Euro 2020: Pros and Cons of Hosting Tournament in 10 Cities






The players receive limited training time and clock up thousands of air miles to combat on the field. Many believe the further into the tournament teams go, the more zombie-like they'll become, creating a final between two exhausted sets of players.Some travelling fans consider the European Championships as a holiday. They save up, travel and don't just go for one game, but for three, four even five in a two-week period. It's a wonderful way to soak up a major tournament while combining it with a family occasion, but has that opportunity gone now.

The English Football Association has already stated its ambition for London’s Wembley Stadium to host the semi-finals and final of Euro 2020, while rival bids are expected from Berlin, Istanbul, Madrid and Rome. PA Sport reports that two cities with smaller-capacity stadiums will be among the 13 chosen as Euro 2020 hosts in an effort to broaden the reach of the tournament. UEFA is believed to have given the go-ahead to two host cities with a stadium capacity as low as 30,000, while 10 stadiums will have a 50,000 minimum capacity and four of those hosting the quarter-finals will need grounds holding at least 60,000 fans. The stadium that hosts the two semi-finals and final will have to be able to seat more than 70,000. A general age limit of 72 at the time of election/appointment was also deemed appropriate for members of all FIFA bodies. The 76-year-old Sepp Blatter is currently engaged in his fourth mandate as FIFA president.Platini added: “We are just thinking about it. I have said 12 or 13 host cities, it could be 24 or 32. In these days of cheap air travel anything is possible.
“It is the political decision that needs to be made. We wouldn’t have to build stadiums or airports. That could be important in an economic crisis.Platini confirmed a final decision would be taken in January or February next year.


Turkey, Wales and the Republic of Ireland have also formally declared an interest in hosting Euro 2020. Platini confirmed a final decision would be taken in January or February next year.
"This matter will be discussed very seriously," he added. "We will have a great debate about 2020 and discuss the pros and cons. "It's an idea I feel really passionate about, it will be a lot easier from a financial perspective.

Dublin is amongst the cities tipped to host group games.
Infantino said: "The matches of the Euro will be split into 13 packages - 12 cities who will have three group stage matches and one knock-out round match and one city will host the two semi-finals and final.

Andy Murray beats Roger Federer to advance to Australian Open final

Andy Murray beats Roger Federer to advance to Australian Open final




Friday at the Australian Open, when Andy Murray was finally able to beat Roger Federer in a Grand Slam in a five set match that most won't soon forget. Murray won 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-7 (2-7), 6-2, with the last set being a bit of a letdown after the comeback that Federer mounted in a fourth set that seemed all but over for the four-time Australian Open champion,

IT was some controversy in that 12th game of the fourth set when Federer appeared to glare and say something to Murray when the Scotsman stopped momentarily behind the baseline during the rally.
Murray ignored it after winning the point, but conceded serve in that game and lost the ensuing tiebreaker before regrouping in the fifth set.
While Murray came into the match with a 10-9 career advantage, Murray had never beaten Federer in their three previous meetings at majors - finals at the 2008 U.S. Open, 2010 Australian Open and last year at Wimbledon.

Federer, who had not lost a set through five rounds at Melbourne Park this year, had the first service break - on his fourth break point - to lead 2-1. It came in unusually cool summer conditions in Melbourne - breezy and temperatures of only 16 Celsius (60 Fahrenheit) during most of the match.

The crowd was initially evenly split between Federer and Murray supporters - and at times, they were competing to be heard. At one point in the second set, a group of Murray fans wearing white shirts with blue letters spelling his nickname ''Muzza'' stood to chant Murray's name, while a group of Federer supporters with Swiss flags on their cheeks and shirts chanted Federer's name,
Earlier Friday, top-seeded Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci of Italy won the first title of 2013 at Melbourne Park, beating the unseeded Australian pair of Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 for the women's doubles championship.Federer was in command of the fourth set, serving at 4-2 after a break of Murray and it seemed a fifth set was inevitable, but at 0-30 Murray fought back and broke Roger.

There were no service breaks or even break-point chances in the second set, resulting in the tiebreaker that Federer dominated early to take a 4-1 lead. But Murray fought back to level at 5-5 before Federer secured a set point with a cross-court return of Murray's smash attempt. The Swiss star clinched the tiebreaker and the 58-minute second set when Murray hit a forehand long on the next point.

Federer outplayed Murray at stages of the match, but the 25-year-old Scotsman appeared to have the legs and stamina over the 31-year-old Federer in the fifth set, including a service break to clinch the tense match.