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Raheel signs death warrants for schoolchildren killers
REUTERS
Signing of death warrants by Pakistan Army Chief Raheel Sharif removes the legal bar on the hangings of the schoolchildren killers.
This removes the legal bar on the hangings of the 4 convicts.
Pakistan Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif on Monday signed death warrants of four militants convicted by military courts for involvement in the deadly attack at an army-run school in north-western city of Peshawar in December.
The mercy appeals of Maulvi Abdus Salam, Hazrat Ali, Mujeebur Rehman and Sabeel alias Yahya were rejected by the President of Pakistan on November 20.
Gen, Sharif signed the black warrants of the four convicts, who were sentenced to death by special military court established after the school attack for speedy trial of militants, the Army said in a statement.
Now, no legal bar on hanging
After the signing of death warrants, there is no legal bar on the hangings of the convicts.
Pakistan lifted moratorium on the penalties in the country after December 16 attack at the army-run school which killed at least 150 people, mostly students.
So far about 300 convicts have been hanged in the country, upsetting local and international human rights groups.
Despite protests, Japan resumes whale hunt in Antarctic
AP
File photo of Environmentalists staging a rally against Japan's whaling in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, South Korea. Japan, on Monday, sent a whale fleet to the Antartic to resume hunting after a year.
The expedition will be the first since the International Court of Justice ruled last year that the hunts were not truly scientific, forcing Tokyo to revise its Antarctic whaling plans.
Japan’s whaling fleet leaves Tuesday for the Antarctic for a three-month, scaled-down hunt, the government said, despite protests from opponents who say Tokyo has not proven that whales need to be killed for research.
Monday’s announcement comes days after Japan submitted its final plan to the International Whaling Commission after the commission’s scientific committee said earlier this year it was not convinced that whales needed to be killed for research on whale stock management and conservation.
The expedition will be the first since the International Court of Justice ruled last year that the hunts were not truly scientific, forcing Tokyo to revise its Antarctic whaling plans. Last year, Japan did go to the Antarctic but its research did not involve killing any whales.
Japan says lethal sampling is indispensable to obtain data on the maturing ages of whales.
Under Tokyo’s revised proposal, it plans to catch up to 333 minke whales, about one-third of what it used to kill, each year over the next 12 years, the Fisheries Agency and the Foreign Ministry said in a joint statement Monday. The plan will be evaluated after six years.
Australia, which brought the International Court of Justice case against Japan, said it might send a boat to shadow the Japanese fleet.
Attorney-General George Brandis told the Senate that Australia was “very disappointed” by the resumption of whaling and had taken the matter up at “the highest levels” in a bid to get Japan to change its mind.
If diplomacy fail, Australia will consider sending a Customs and Border Protection Service patrol boat, Brandis said. He did not say what role such a boat might play, but it would likely try to gather evidence of illegal conduct.
Japan’s actual catch has fallen in recent years in part because of declining domestic demand for whale meat. Protests by the anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd also contributed to the lower catch. The government has spent large amounts of tax money to sustain the whaling operations.
The IWC imposed a commercial ban on whaling in 1986, but Japan has continued to kill whales under an exemption for research.
Davutoglu rules out apology but urges Russia to reconsider curbs
AP
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu speaks during a media conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Monday. Defying calls from Moscow for an apology from his country for the downing of a Russian warplane operating over Syria, he said: “No Turkish Prime Minister or President will apologise ... because of doing our duty,”
Says Turkish military was doing its job defending the national airspace.
Defying calls from Moscow, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Monday that his country would not apologise to Russia for shooting down a warplane operating over Syria, saying the Turkish military was doing its job defending the national airspace.
Amid high tensions that have elicited concerns from the United Nations chief, Mr. Davutoglu also said Turkey hoped Moscow would reconsider economic sanctions announced against Turkish interests in the wake of last week’s incident. The Turkish resort town of Antalya “is like a second home” to many Russian holidaymakers, he said, but refused to yield on Turkish security.
“If they wants talks, so be it”
“No Turkish Prime Minister or President will apologise ... because of doing our duty,” Mr. Davutoglu told reporters after meeting NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels. “Protection of Turkish airspace, Turkish borders is a national duty, and our army did their job to protect this airspace. But if the Russian side wants to talk, and wants to prevent any future unintentional events like this, we are ready to talk.”
Turkey is a member of the NATO alliance.
Ban expresses concern
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told The Associated Press on Sunday that he was deeply concerned about tensions between Russia and Turkey after Turkish F-16s shot down a Russian warplane on November 24.
Russia on September 30 began airstrikes in Syria that it says are focused on fighters of the Islamic State (IS), but which some observers say target other rebel groups and are aimed at bolstering the forces of President Bashar al-Assad. Russia insists that the plane that was shot down did not intrude on Turkish airspace.
“We gave warnings”
Mr. Davutoglu insisted a violation occurred, and said Turkey had repeatedly warned Russia about incursions into its airspace.
“We also made very clear that the Turkish-Syria border is a national security issue for Turkey. So it was a defensive action,” the Turkish PM said. He repeated Turkish assertions that there were no IS fighters in the area.
‘Refugee influx’
“We have been telling our Russian friends that their bombardments against civilians on our border is creating new waves of refugees which do not go to Russia or to any other country but are coming to Turkey,” he said.
“And Turkey, after every bombardment, [is] receiving more and more tens of thousands of refugees from Syria,” Mr. Davutoglu added. “Turkey is a country paying the price of this crisis.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday called for sanctions against Turkey including bans on some Turkish goods and extensions on work contracts for Turks working in Russia. The measures also call for ending chartered flights from Russia to Turkey and for Russian tourism companies to stop selling vacation packages that would include a stay in Turkey.
Ahead of Paris climate meet, China battles its worst smog of the year
REUTERS
High-rise buildings are seen during a heavily polluted day in Beijing, on Monday.
More than 200 expressways closed, residents advised to stay indoors.
More than 200 expressways were closed and residents were advised to stay indoors as China grappled with the worst smog of the year, ahead of the Paris climate meet on Monday.
Shandong province issued a yellow alert on Monday morning as visibility in parts of the region dropped below 200 metres. The heavy smog is likely to continue in the morning, according to the provincial meteorological centre.
Warning to public
The public have been warned to take protective measures when engaging in outdoor activities and those who suffer from respiratory diseases are advised to stay indoors.
“The grim alert came ahead of the Paris climate meet where China is expected to make a strong case,” Environment Minister Chen Jining said on Sunday adding that China has achieved the pollution reduction targets for major pollutants.
When Xi is in Paris
Chinese President Xi Jinping is in Paris to attend the inaugural session of the Climate meet stated to be the most crucial in clinching a global climate deal amid strong differences between the developed and developing countries.
China is the top polluter along with the U.S. in green house gases. Last year, the two reached an agreement to take ambitious action to limit greenhouse gases.
“Pollution reduction targets met”
Mr. Chen said China had reached the pollution reduction targets for major pollutants outlined in its 12th Five-Year Plan, six months ahead of schedule.
He, however, said a substantial improvement of the environment would only be possible if pollution was reduced by a further 30 to 50 per cent.
Much of northern China shrouded
Smog has shrouded much of northern China including Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Shanxi and Shaanxi.
China has a four-tier colour-coded weather warning system with red representing the most severe weather followed by orange, yellow and blue. For its part Beijing on Sunday issued its highest smog alert of the year, upgrading it from the yellow of the past two days to orange, second only to red.
Smog will hang for 2 more days
The municipal weather centre said humidity and a lack of wind would mean the smog will linger for another two days, before a cold front arrives on Wednesday.
On Sunday, the reading for PM 2.5, airborne particles smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter, hit 274 micrograms per cubic meter in most parts of the capital.
What orange alert means
Under the orange weather alert mechanism, industrial plants are required to reduce or shut down production; construction sites should stop the transportation of materials and waste while heavy-duty trucks are banned from the roads.
The municipal environment watchdogs have reinforced checks of discharge from coal-fired plants and outdoor barbecues.
Obama, Xi tout close U.S.-China climate coordination
REUTERS
U.S. President Barack Obama shakes hands with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping during their meeting at the start of the climate summit in Paris on Monday.
Yet, U.S. President acknowledges persistent differences with the Chinese President over cyber-security and maritime security.
President Barack Obama on Monday touted close U.S. cooperation with China on climate change as vital to world efforts for slowing global warming, even as he acknowledged persistent differences with China’s President Xi Jinping over cyber-security and maritime security.
“Our leadership on this issue has been absolutely vital,” Mr. Obama said.
Invokes hot-button issues
Yet the U.S. President invoked hot-button issues that have long vexed U.S.-China relations as he and Mr. Xi opened their meeting. The U.S. has complained bitterly about cyber-attacks against it emanating from China, and Mr. Obama has spoken out regularly against China’s assertive moves in disputed waters in the East China Sea and South China Sea.
Yet, he said the U.S. and China had developed a “candid way of discussing these issues,” adding that he hoped to build on that tradition during his meeting with Mr. Xi.
Climate change a huge challenge: Xi
The Chinese leader described climate change a huge challenge. Speaking through a translator, he called for the U.S. and China to build a new model of cooperation, using diplomatic language long preferred by Beijing.
Mr. Obama’s meeting with Mr. Xi at the opening of the two-week Paris conference was designed to underscore the need for all nations to come together on a strong agreement to combat climate change. China emits about 30 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gases and the U.S. about 16 per cent.
Pressuring rich and developing nations
Both countries have sought to use their cooperation on the issue to ramp up pressure on developed and developing countries alike to pledge ambitious cuts. In a joint announcement last year, Mr. Obama pledged to cut U.S. emissions up to 28 per cent over the next decade, while Mr. Xi announced China would cap its growing emissions by 2030 or sooner.
As the conference kicked off, the U.S. State Department announced early on Monday that the U.S. was pledging $51 million to a global fund to help poorer countries adapt to climate change. The U.S. contribution joins pledges from Germany, Canada, Italy and others to total $248 million. The Obama administration didn’t specify where the U.S. dollars would come from.
Trying to drown out his critics
While in Paris, Mr. Obama also is trying to drown out his critics at home who say his energy plan is unattainable and could be wiped away by his successor.
More day-night Tests touted after Adelaide success
Adelaide (Australia), Nov 30, 2015, (AFP)
More pink-ball day-night Test matches are planned after the spectacular success of the historic trailblazer at the Adelaide Oval, which won plaudits from fans and players.
Test cricket got a pulsating makeover as Australia claimed a thrilling three-wicket win over New Zealand in the first Test in the game's 138-year history to be played under lights.
Thirty-seven wickets tumbled in three days as the pink ball dominated the bat, in stark contrast to the run-laden low-attended first two Tests in Brisbane and Perth.
The crowds loved the experience with a total attendance of 123,736 fans thronging into Adelaide Oval over the three lively days. The opening day gate of 47,441 was the biggest at the Adelaide Test since the famous 1932-33 'bodyline' series.
Host broadcaster, the Nine Network, was also beaming with 3.19 million prime-time TV viewers across the nation watching Sunday's last day, far more than normal for the third day of a Test.
Rival skippers Steve Smith and Brendon McCullum were in unison about the success of the initiative.
"The whole Test match was a great innovation, it was a great spectacle, and to get 120,000 people through the gates in three days is absolutely amazing," said Australia's Smith.
McCullum enthused: "It's a great concept. Overall, it's a roaring success -- 120,000 people turning up over three days. People are voting with their feet. I think it's here to stay, which is great."
The glowing praise appeared to justify Cricket Australia's bold initiative and is emboldening them to flag the prospect of two more day-night Tests when South Africa and Pakistan tour next year.
The national body see day-night cricket along with the luminous pink-ball as the panacea to arrest dwindling interest in the traditional five-day format.
Based on the initial evidence, day-night Tests look set to become part of global cricket schedules for years to come. Fans want more The South Australian Cricket Association is already negotiating to host another day-nighter against Pakistan in Adelaide next December, while South Africa are expected to get their first experience of pink ball cricket in Brisbane in the traditional home season opening Test.
"I don't see why not, right time, place and conditions and the fans are calling out for it," CA chief executive James Sutherland said of the chances of the Gabba getting a pink-ball Test.
"The Gabba is a good option and have upgraded their lights, and I would have thought a balmy Test would be a pretty good place to watch cricket."
Prior concerns over the durability and visibility of the pink ball prompted Adelaide ground staff to produce a grassy pitch and square to ensure the newly-designed ball stayed in shape longer.
There were no major problems with the ball and not once was it changed during the three days of play.
McCullum felt there was a "touch too much" grass on the strip and said it was something to keep in mind for the next day-night Test.
"As pink-ball cricket evolves we'll see the pitches won't have quite as much grass on them," he said.
"It's meant to allow Tests to be played at night and it's not meant to differ or change how Test cricket is played. Under lights the pink ball responded a little bit much."
Australia coach Darren Lehmann agreed but fully supported the day-night Test concept.
"Maybe a little less grass, as a batter at night it was quite difficult," Lehmann said, but added: "It was exciting. It's great to see a contest between bat and ball."
Ashwin zooms to 2nd, de Villiers slips in ICC Rankings
Dubai, Nov 30, 2015, (PTI)
Riding on his stupendous performance in the ongoing home series against South Africa, Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin today rose to a career-high second in the ICC Test rankings for bowlers even as A B de Villiers lost his top spot in the batsmen standings. Ashwin claimed 12 for 98 in the third Test in Nagpur to spin his side to a 124-run victory and India could move as high as second place in the ICC Test Championship if they win the fourth Test which starts on Friday.
Ashwin's ascent from the fifth position means that James Anderson and Yasir Shah drop to joint third on 846 points, while Stuart Broad fell to fifth, the ICC said in a statement. Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood, who produced man of the match figures of nine for 136 in the inaugural day/night Test, soared 10 places to 10th.
Other bowlers to head in the right direction during the Nagpur and Adelaide Tests include Amit Mishra (up two to 31st) who joins Imran Tahir (up by 14 places to 35th) in making career-high gains, while Black Caps bowler Doug Bracewell is one place and a single point further back in 36th after gaining four places.
Australia captain Steven Smith and England's Joe Root have regained joint pole position in the rankings for Test batsmen after de Villiers has dropped two places to third. The South Africa middle-order batsman now trails the duo by nine points, but a strong showing in New Delhi could see him regain top billing.
Murali Vijay is the top ranked India batsman in 12th position, while his captain Virat Kohli has moved up one place to 16th and there were also gains for Shikhar Dhawan (up one to 32nd) and wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha (up 10 to a career-high 92nd). JP Duminy also moved up three places to 40th after scores of 35 and 19 in a low scoring match. There is one change in the top five all-rounders as Mitchell Starc has moved up to a career-high fifth position.
Meanwhile, in the ICC Test Championship Australia have moved into second position on 109 points following their 2-0 series win.
An India victory in the fourth and final Test in New Delhi, meanwhile, would see Kohli's men move into second place on 110 points. In that scenario, the Proteas' advantage at the top would be cut to just four points, with Australia dropping to third and Pakistan to fourth place.
A foot injury early in the year derailed her plans but ace Indian shuttler P V Sindhu is happy to make a successful comeback with a good performance at the Denmark Super Series Premier and a third successive Macau Grand Prix Gold title.
The two-time World Championship bronze-medallist finished runners-up at Denmark Open, her maiden Super Series final appearance, and then clinched her first trophy of the season at the Macau Open yesterday.
The 20-year-old from Hyderabad has now set her eyes on the Indonesia Masters Grand Prix Gold starting December 1.
"It was a great win. I am really happy for the victory. My immediate target now is Indonesia," Sindhu told PTI.
"It was a hat-trick of titles at Macau and overall it was a good performance. Mitani is a good player. I lost to her at the Japan Open but I am happy I could beat her.
"I could have finished it off in the second game but I played two smashes into the nets at crucial moments and it was very disappointing. However, in the third game, I took a lead and maintained it," she added.
Asked about the conditions in the stadium, Sindhu said: "I think judging a shuttle is different everywhere, so there is a drift but you have to be used to it. We can't complain as I think it is same for all."
Asked about the season ahead, Sindhu said: "In January, I am starting with the IBL and then there are so many tournaments like the Syed Modi, Indian Open etc. Also being an Olympic year, each and every tournaments will be important. I wish to improve more and perform well."
It was a rollercoaster ride for Sindhu this season as she lost a lot of time after suffering a navicular stress fracture in her left leg, which kept her out of action for a few months from important events such as the All England Championship and India Open.
Once back, she faced early exits at Australia, Indonesia and Chinese Taipei. She did notch up a win over Olympic champion Li Xuerui but faltered against Mitani at Japan.
However, she fought back again with a place at the Denmark final.
Talking about the season gone by, Sindhu said: "Season has been fine. After coming from injury, it has not been that great but I have been playing well. Touch wood, I m completely fine now. Recently in Denmark I played the final, it was my first super series final and also winning Macau was great.
"What hurts most is whenever I am leading and then I lose the match, it is disappointing and there are so many such matches.
"Injuries are part of life, we can't decide on that. I could not play for 3-4 months. It was really very difficult. I think patience is the key. When you are injured, you need to strengthen yourself very well to make a comeback very confidently. It takes some time but I am happy that I am back now," she added.
New Zealand seek ICC clarification on DRS 'clanger'
Adelaide, Nov 30, 2015, (AFP)
New Zealand have contacted the International Cricket Council seeking answers over a contentious review that went against them at a crucial time in the fluctuating day-night Test against Australia, coach Mike Hesson said today. Hesson is still fuming over the much-criticised decision by TV umpire Nigel Llong on Saturday's second day to turn down a Decision Review System (DRS) referral for a catch off Australia's Nathan Lyon.
Lyon survived after the "Hot Spot" thermal imaging revealed a mark on the back of his bat before he had scored.
It was a major let-off for Australia, in trouble at 118 for eight and still trailing the Kiwis first innings total by 84 runs in a low-scoring Test.
Lyon was walking off the ground believing he was out before returning to continue batting and join in a record Australian trans-Tasman series 74-run ninth-wicket stand with Peter Nevill to deliver his side a vital 22-run first innings lead. Australia won the low-scoring Adelaide third Test by three wickets on the third day Sunday to clinch a 2-0 series victory.
"It was excellent, wasn't it? I think everyone at the ground saw what unfolded," Hesson told reporters.
"It's been spoken about a lot. We've certainly made a representation to the ICC and at present we're still awaiting an acceptable response."
Hesson said he had contacted match referee Roshan Mahanama but did not comment on what his side was specifically demanding from the ICC.
"There's been official representation from New Zealand Cricket, and from the team management as well," he said. "We're going through the proper channels and we're awaiting a response."
But Hesson was clear about his views on Llong and the DRS.
"I don't think there's anything wrong with the technology at all. The technology has got a bit of a bad rap. We've put our case forward and we are awaiting a response."
Hesson said his side would "never know" whether the disputed decision could have changed the result.
"The game carried on and took a number of other twists and turns after that, so it's something that I can't answer. But it certainly had an impact," he said.
ICC chief executive Dave Richardson told the Sydney Daily Telegraph he was adamant Llong followed correct "process", and in the end it boiled down to a "judgement call".
"That's not appropriate for me to comment on. I'm sure people have already made their mind up about that already," he said. "Sometimes a decision can be quite crucial in the context of a match.
"No issues (with the process). I was watching it on television when it happened and I think the process was OK," he added.
"Umpiring decisions are mostly up to the umpire's judgement and you can't be guaranteed which way it's going to go in individual instances."
Nothing wrong with pitches, stop cribbing: Shastri
New Delhi, Nov 30, 2015, (PTI)
Livid with the criticism that pitches for the ongoing series against South Africa are not sporting enough, Indian Team Director Ravi Shastri said there is nothing wrong with Test matches folding up in three days and the critics should "stop cribbing". "Nothing wrong with it (pitches produced for the Test series). I would hope the one in Delhi is absolutely the same. I have no qualms about it," Shastri told 'ESPNcricinfo'.
India have taken a 2-0 lead in the four-match series, the second game of which was a washout.
The series has been marred by a controversy on the tracks, dubbed excessively spin-friendly, even though the visiting side has not complained about them. The final match of the rubber is scheduled from December 3 here.
Shastri also rejected concerns about Test matches ending inside three days.
"Nothing wrong with that. It (Nagpur) was a Test match that was moving all the time.
You compare this Test to the Test match in Perth, I would pay money for a ticket for this game, yaar. To hell with the five days. You go and sit for the last two days there."
Shastri said those complaining about the pitches should understand that it is the lack of technique which is troubling batsmen, not the tracks.
"It just goes to show that with the amount of one-day cricket being played, the tendency to graft, the tendency to spend long hours at the crease is diminishing. It's only when you play on tracks like this that you realise that you got to spend time at the crease.
"And when you saw Hashim (Amla) and Faf (du Plessis) batting yesterday, you thought there was nothing in the pitch. It just goes to show there was an era earlier who would play on these pitches and people would get hundreds. Because they were prepared to go through the grind," he said.
The former Indian captain said batsmen who had the patience to apply themselves could have even scored hundreds on these very tracks.
"I think if someone had applied himself he would have got 80-odd, 90-odd, even a hundred. The way (Murali) Vijay was playing he would have got a hundred," Shastri said.
"(The pitch was) absolutely not (a problem). It's on both sides. Par for the course on this wicket was 275 or 250, which was more than enough. If you get up and reach there (to the pitch of the ball) and there is a surface like that you can play on it. You have to stop cribbing and get on with the job at hand.
"For example, Bangalore was a fantastic track. I'm disappointed we are not 3-0 up. On a good track we bowled out South Africa and we were 80 for no loss. We really had a chance to dominate the next four days. People won't talk about that," he added. Shastri also rubbished suggestions that there was uneven bounce in the Nagpur pitch.
"Where was inconsistent bounce? It was fine. It was only later on by the end of the second or the third day when the ball started keeping low. And you tell me which batsman got out to a ball that kept low barring a tail-ender that Mishra (got) in the second innings? (On du Plessis' dismissal in the second innings) What a shot that was. In those circumstances that shot you avoid," he said.
He endorsed the views of captain Virat Kohli and R Ashwin who had said India never complained about conditions abroad, while also hitting out at those criticising Indian pitches, which he thought were unfairly targetted.
He reiterated that Indians never complain about the pitches when they travel abroad. "When we go overseas we don't have any choices. Why would you complain? I don't see anyone complaining, it's only some of them who have never played the game who are complaining.
"Let them (former Australian cricketers) sit in Australia and talk about their pitches. Tell them not to waste their time about Indian tracks. Come and play here," he asserted.
The former batsman asked how could a pitch, which offers seam from day one, can be considered better than the one which aids spin.
"What happened in Nottingham when the game got over in two days? Where did you see breaking up into a nice wicket and fifth day turn? This (Nagpur Test) at least went for more than three days.
"Which rule tells me that a ball can't turn on day one? Where does it tell me in the rulebook it can only swing and seam? Here, at times, I think unless you play on these tracks you won't know how to play on these tracks," he said.
"It's how you adapt and adjust. Sometimes a ball turns on day one but then it flattens out on day two and three. Who says that you should get 400 on a track? I have always believed par for a first-innings score is 300-250."
Rashtriya Military School (RMS) boys and St Francis Xavier High School girls clinched the overall titles after the fourth and final leg of the 27th Deccan Athletic Club’s Weekend meet, sponsored by Deccan Herald and Prajavani, at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium here on Sunday.
RMS collected 8865 points to finish on top while St Francis Xavier garnered 4725 points. On the final day, Sharwin Pinto of St Joseph’s Indian High School egded past Vedant Banerjee of Bishop Cotton Boys’ School in 11.7 seconds to clinch the gold in the boys’ 100 metres in the U-16 category.
Vedant, winner in three previous legs, was declared the best in the U-16 boys’ 100 metres event. In long jump, Banerjee won two silvers and one bronze.
Lovely Leon continued his excellent form to bag a grand double in the boys’ U-13 100M and long jump. Leon won the 100M for the fourth straight time in 11.9 seconds and triumphed in long jump with a leap of 5.15 metres. He finished the competition with eight golds.
In the girls’ U-15 section 100M, Evangeline Sharon B of Bishop Cotton Girls’ School clocked 12.9 seconds to take home the gold. She finished ahead of HH Preethi Chand of Sophia High School (13.1) while Mihika Gonsalves (13.4) of St Francis High Xavier Girls’ High School came third.
Results: Boys: U-16: 100M: Sharwin Pinto (St Joseph's Indian High School) 11.7, 1; Vedant Banerjee (Bishop Cotton Boys School) 11.8, 2; Sanil SK (Bishop Cotton Boys’ School) 11.9, 3.
800M: Aman Koushal (Rashtriya Military School) 2:25.5, 1; Sarvesh Kumar (Samarthanam High School) 2:25.8, 2; Aryan Singhania (Bishop Cotton Boys’ School) 2:28.9, 3.
3000M: Sarvesh Kumar (Rashtriya Military School) 10:37.9, 1; Om Kumar (National Public School, Banashankari) 10:43.1, 2; Aman Koushal (Rashtriya Military School) 10:50.1, 3.
110M hurdles: Yogesh (Rashtriya Military School) 19.2, 1; Sanjay Kumar (Rashtriya Military School) 19.3, 2; Jayant Kumar (Rashtriya Military School) 19.4, 3.
Long Jump: Yashas BR (St Joseph's Indian High School) 5.65M, 1; Koushal Singh (Rashtriya Military School) 5.29M, 2; Jayant Kumar (Rashtriya Military School) 5.22M, 3.
Triple Jump: Yashas BR (St Joseph's Indian High School) 12.31M, 1; Koushal Singh (Rashtriya Military School) 11.70M, 2; Sharwin Pinto (St Joseph's Indian High School) 11.44M, 3.
High Jump: Rahul Raghu (Vidya Niketan School) 1.56M, 1; Harsh Kaliya (Rashtriya Military School) 1.53M, 2; Vishal Dubey (Rashtriya Military School) 1.50M, 3.
800M: Rajshekar L (New St Mary’s High School) 2.24.8, 1; Pushparaj (Sacred Heart High School) 2:25.0, 2; Himanshu (Rashtriya Military School) 2:42.3, 3.
3000M: Rajshekar L (New St Mary’s High School) 10:50.2, 1; Vikranth (Rashtriya Military School) 11:23.1, 2; Himanshu (Rashtriya Military School) 11:25.4, 3.
80M hurdles: Aakash S (Deccan International School) 15.1, 1; K Manju (New St mary’s High School 15.3, 2; Deepak Komar (Rashtriya Military School) 15.4, 3.
Long Jump: Lovely Leon (Bishop Cotton Boys’ School) 5.15M, 1; Priyanshu (Rashtriya Military School) 4.92M, 2; Daniel Mathew (Bishop Cotton Boys’ School) 4.75M, 3.
Triple Jump: Daniel Mathew (Bishop Cotton Boys’ School) 10.29M, 1; Shaurya Appiah (Vidya Niketan School) 10.25M, 2; Prithvi H (St Francis School) 9.52M, 3.
Shot Put: Naraharikripa Mehta (Vidya Niketan School) 8.93M, 1; Deepak Singh (Rashtriya Military School) 7.69M, 2; Prashanth C (Sri Kumaran Children Home) 7.22M, 3. Overall: Boys: Rashtriya Military School: 8865 Points.
Girls: U-15: 100M: Evangeline Sharon B (Bishop Cotton Girls’ School) 12.9, 1; HH Preethi Chand (Sophia High School) 13.1, 2; Mihika Gonsalves (St Francis High Xavier Girls’ High School) 13.4, 3.
800M: Jahnavi BG (Soundarya Primary School) 2:43.2, 1; Anugna A (New St Mary’s High School) 2:45.2, 2; Priyanka V (Sacred Heart High School) 2:47.2, 3.
1500M: Jahnavi BG (Soundarya Primary School) 5:31.6, 1; Meena Iyer (Sri Kumaran Children Home) 5:35.4, 2; Priyanka V (Sacred Heart High School) 5:45.1, 3.
100M hurdles: Tejasswini G (St Francis Xavier Girls’ High School) 18.8, 1; Tejashwini G (Cathedral High School) 19.0, 2; Sindhu Saravanan (Sacred Heart High School) 19.2, 3.
Long Jump: HH Preethi Chand (Sophia High School) 4.76M, 1; Mihika Gonsalves (St Francis Xavier Girls’ High School) 4.70M, 2; Evangeline Sharon B (Bishop Cotton Girls’ School) 4.52M, 3.
High Jump: Tarunya Prasad (Bishop Cotton Girls’ School) 1.28M, 1; Malawika (Deccan International School) 1.25M, 2; Harika Brameshan (St Francis Xavier Girls’ High School) 1.15M, 3.
Shot Put: Aadya Thammaiah (Sophia High School) 7.10M, 1; Niharika Vaz (Bethany High School) 6.84M, 2; Preksha H (Deccan International School) 6.39M, 3.
U-12: 100M; Neole Anna Corneio (St Francis Xavier Girls’ High School) 1; Mlanu Thangmma (Sophia High School) 14.0, 2; Ahana Bojanna (Vidya Niketan School) 14.1, 3. 800M: Priyanka (New St Mary’s High School) 2:42.4, 1; Aishwarya L (New St Mary’s High School) 2:45.4, 2; Hruthika (New St Mary’s High School) 2:54.8, 3.
1500M: Priyanka (New St Mary’s High School) 5:33.4, 1; Aishwarya L (New St Mary’s High School) 5:33.5, 2; Shloka Murthy (Sri Kumaran Children Home) 5:54.6, 3.
60M hurdles: Joette Sachel D’Souza (St Francis Xavier Girls High School) 13.7, 1; Purva Smitha VS (St Francis Xavier Girls High School) 14.1, 2; Sahana Kashyap (Vidya Niketan School) 15.2, 3.
Long Jump: Ahana Bojanna (Vidya Niketan School) 4.07M, 1; Rithu Shree N (Cluny Convent High School) 3.94M, 2; ML Anu Thangamma (Sophia High School) 3.90M, 3.
Triple Jump: Bipasha Thammaiah (Sophia High School) 8.88M, 1; Disha Alige (Cluny Convent High School) 8.84M, 2; Rithu Shree N (Cluny Convent High School) 8.80M, 3.
High Jump; Spoorthy K Chengappa (Vidya Niketan School) 1.20M, 1; Niharika M Reddy (Vidya Niketan School) 1.15M, 2; Vaishnavi Ravi (St Francis Xavier Girls’ High School) 1.00M, 3.
Shot Put: Priyanka Ojas Oza (Vidya Niketan School) 6.77M, 1; Niharika M Reddy (Vidya Niketan School) 6.59M, 2; Drisha S Shetty (Vidya Niketan School) 6.01M, 3. Overall Girls: St Francis Xavier Girls High School: 4725.
Great Britain ensured that they added more colour to a memorable day in the history of British sports as they stunned world champions Australia with a 5-2 win in their Pool A game of the Hockey World League Final here at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium on Sunday.
Minutes after Andy Murray had inspired Britain to their first Davis Cup title since 1936, the Dan Fox-led side executed their plans to perfection to record their first win over the Australians in an FIH event since the 1988 Olympics. Britain had beaten Australia in the semifinal then.
Henry Weir was the first one to find the back of the net as he deflected an Ian Sloan cross to beat the Australian goalkeeper Tyler Lovell in the ninth minute. Minutes later, Chris Grassick made it 2-0 with a fierce hit from inside the circle before Jeremy Hayward pulled one back for the Kookaburras from a short corner in the 17th minute.
The early goals had set the tone for what was to come as the British made sure they didn’t let the momentum slip, scoring three more before the final hooter.
Meanwhile in the other game of the day, Belgium rode on a brace from Florent van Aubel to thrash Canada 7-2.
The Belgian side was a class apart as they notched up four early goals in the opening quarter before slotting in another three in the final quarter of the tie.
Dutch test awaits India
After coming up with an improved show against the Olympic champions Germany, the Indian side will be expected to play out of their skins again when they take on the Netherlands in their final group game on Monday.
Starting off on disastrous note against Argentina, the Indians came out all guns blazing against the Germans as they rallied from a goal down to hold the world number three 1-1 on Saturday.
Though the Indians can take heart from the fact that the Germans had just four attempts at the Indian goal as compared to their 12, a misfiring forwardline will the biggest concern for head coach Roelant Oltmans as his side continues its search for the first win of tournament.
Against Germany, India were all over their opponents, out-running and out-muscling them throughout the 60 minutes. Maintaining the same intensity will be Oltmans’ challenge against the defending champions.
Results: Pool A: Great Britain: 5 (Henry Weir 9th minute, Chris Grassick 13th, Ian Sloan 23rd, David Condon 32nd, Phil Roper 49th) bt Australia: 2 (Jeremy Hayward 17th, Matt Gohdes 47th); Belgium: 7 (Sebastian Dockier 9th, Florent van Aubel 12th, 58th, Thomas Briels 13th, Jerome Truyens 14th, Arthur van Doren 50th, Tom Boon 54th) bt Canada: 2 (Mark Pearson 29th, Devohn Noronha Teixeira (29th).
Today’s matches: Pool B: India vs Netherlands (6.30 pm); Germany vs Argentina (8.30 pm).
Cricket Third Test : Hosts notch 3-wicket win to claim series 2-0
Australia claimed a thrilling three-wicket victory over New Zealand inside three days at the Adelaide Oval in the first-ever day-night Test match on Sunday.
Shaun Marsh anchored Australia to the cusp of victory before losing his wicket on 49, and the battling Kiwis set up a tense finish under the floodlights by also dismissing Peter Nevill to leave the home side seven wickets down.
Much to the crowd's relief, Peter Siddle cracked the winning runs with a hobbling Mitchell Starc as his batting partner, to clinch a 2-0 series victory over the gallant Black Caps. Australia won the first Brisbane Test by 208 runs and the second Test at Perth was drawn.
The match was redemption for Marsh, who has struggled to hold down a place in the Australian team with inconsistent batting performances over his four years at Test level. "It was fantastic for Shaun to get an opportunity," said skipper Steve Smith. "He's been batting extremely well and the way he played under pressure with his brother to put a partnership together was really crucial for us at that stage."
The pink ball developed for day-night Tests triumphed over the bat in a fast-paced Test which attracted a total attendance of 123,736. The aim of the experiment is to bring the crowds back to the long form of the game.
"The bowlers have dominated this game and it's great for cricket," Smith said. "I thought it was an outstanding Test match. It was closely fought. We'd dearly have loved an extra few runs today, but it wasn't to be," said Kiwi captain Brendon McCullum. "It's pretty hard to separate the two teams over the last two Test matches."
Earlier, New Zealand lost their last five wickets in the day's first session to be bowled out for 208.
score board
NEW ZEALAND (I Innings): 202 AUSTRALIA (I Innings): 224 NEW ZEALAND (II Innings; O/n: 116/5): Latham c Nevill b Hazlewood 10 Guptill c M Marsh b Hazlewood 17 Williamson c Nevill b M Marsh 9 Taylor lbw Hazlewood 32 McCullum lbw M Marsh 20 Santner st Nevill b Lyon 45 Watling c Smith b Hazlewood 7 Craig c Nevill b Hazlewood 15 Bracewell (not out) 27 Southee c Lyon b M Marsh 13 Boult b Hazlewood 5 Extras (B-6, LB-2) 8 Total (all out, 62.5 overs) 208 Fall of wickets: 1-29, 2-32, 3-52, 4-84, 5-98, 6-116, 7-140, 8-175, 9-192 Bowling: Hazlewood 24.5-5-70-6, Siddle 14-6-35-0, Marsh 14-2-59-3, Lyon 10-1-36-1. AUSTRALIA (II Innings): Warner c Southee b Bracewell 35 Burns lbw Boult 11 Smith lbw Boult 14 Voges c Southee b Boult 28 S Marsh c Taylor b Boult 49 M Marsh c Williamson b Santner 28 Nevill c Watling b Boult 10 Siddle (not out) 9 Starc (not out) 0 Extras (LB-2, W-1) 3 Total (for 7 wkts, 51 overs) 187 Fall of wickets: 1-34,2-62 D, 3-66, 4-115, 5-161, 6-176, 7-185. Bowling: Southee 16-1-58-0, Boult 16-3-60-5, Bracewell 11-2-37-1, Craig 6-0-22-0, Santner 2-0-8-1.
Athletics Delhi Half Marathon : Lalita sets course record to clinch top spot among Indians
Birhanu Legese of Ethiopia and Kenya’s Cynthia Limo overcame stiff competition in the men’s and women’s elite fields to emerge winners of the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon here on Sunday.
Legese sprinted past fellow Ethiopians in the final 200 metres to shatter his own personal best by a whopping 25 seconds. His winning time of 59:20 was 14 seconds slower than the course record but that had a lot do with six runners running closely right till the end.
Another Ethiopian Mosinet Geremew finished a second slower than the men’s champion while the final podium position went to world record holder Zersenay Tadese, whose race was hampered after another competitor accidentally stepped on his shoe at the 8km mark.
Kenyans swept the women’s elite field with Limo finishing just ahead of Helah Kiprop and Genet Yalew. Only a fraction of a second separated the top two with both Limo and Kiprop ending with identical times of 1:08:35. Both elite men and women got richer by USD 27,000.
“It is my first time in Delhi and I have come up with a personal best. It is even more satisfying considering the top six was so close,” Legese said.
World record holder Tadese did well to come third after the shoe incident and the satisfaction was visible on his face. “I am happy to have finished the race that way I have, after stopping at the 8km mark. It was unfortunate, somebody caught me, I had to stop,” said the Eritrean.
Women’s event winner Limo said: “I finished fourth last time so I can’t ask for anything more. I will be back next year to defend the title. Delhi has been a good host.”
It was a carnival atmosphere on the streets of Delhi with more than 30,000 people coming out to be part of the running feast. The flag-off venue, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, saw the Delhiites from all walks of life turn up in hordes.
Among the Indian runners, Nitendra Singh Rawat and Lalita Babar topped the timesheets in the men’s and women’s category. Rawat produced a time of 1:04:41, four seconds faster than second placed Gopi T. Mohd Yunus, was another second behind in third place. Lalita raced to the finishing line in 1:10:52, way ahead of current national record holder in marathon O P Jaisha, who managed a time of 1:11:34. Sudha Singh came third clocking 1:11:46.
All three of them bettered the course record of 1:17:12 set by Kavita Raut in 2008. The Indians in either category got Rs 3 lakh for their exploits.
Nico Rosberg wrapped up the Formula One season on a winning high in Abu Dhabi on Sunday with team mate and triple world champion Lewis Hamilton second in a record 12th one-two finish of the year for dominant Mercedes.
The German's third win in a row, from a sixth successive pole position, dashed Hamilton's hopes of a 44th career victory in car 44 on the 44th anniversary of the founding of the United Arab Emirates.
The Briton, who clinched the title in Texas last month with three races to spare, finished 8.2 seconds behind after an attempt at a different strategy failed to produce the desired result.
The win was the 16th in 19 races for Mercedes. "Austin (in Texas) was a tough weekend and since then I've just come back a lot stronger," said Rosberg from the podium after spraying the sparkling rosewater used instead of the usual champagne.
"I'm excited about how the end of the season went and next year -- it can come any moment, it could start tomorrow if it were up to me, no problem. I don't need any holidays."
Hamilton had asked over the team radio with 15 laps to go whether he could go to the end having made only one pitstop to Rosberg's two but was left in no doubt that such a move would not work.
He then pitted on the next lap, any hopes of a wheel-to-wheel battle over the final laps effectively disappearing into the night as he did so.
"In hindsight, once Nico had pitted I probably would have backed off a little bit and gone a bit longer...As that didn't work out, the stop, going too long was probably not the right thing to do, but we gave it a try," he said. Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen took third place ahead of team mate Sebastian Vettel, who started 15th, for only the Finn's third podium appearance of the season.
Rosberg's win was his sixth of the season, 14th of his career, and a hat-trick first for the German who had never before managed to win three races in a row. Hamilton ended the championship with 10 victories, one fewer than in 2014, but he took more poles and fastest laps than anyone else.
"It's always tough to race Lewis, he's doing an awesome job," said Rosberg. "So it's an even better feeling to win. It's a great battle internally all the time, that's what I race for and I look forward to more next year."
Mexican Sergio Perez finished fifth, with Australian Daniel Ricciardo sixth for Red Bull and splitting the Force India cars with Germany's Nico Hulkenberg seventh.
Brazilian Felipe Massa took eighth place for Williams, ahead of Frenchman Romain Grosjean in ninth in his final race for Lotus.
