Pakistan to play in SAsian Snooker next month

KARACHI: Pakistan is among the seven countries invited to take part in South Asian Snooker Tournament being staged at Dhaka Club in Bangladesh from July 28 to August 4, Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) announced on Friday.

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Pakistan to play in SAsian Snooker next month

Cosmetic surgery increases in China

SHANGHAI: He Zen’s path to cosmetic surgery was fast and simple.

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Cosmetic surgery increases in China

Bionic British cat gets prosthetic paws

LONDON: Oscar the cat may have lost one of his nine lives, but his new prosthetic paws make him the world’s first bionic cat.

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Bionic British cat gets prosthetic paws

Ivory Coast beats NKorea 3-0, fails to advance

NELSPRUIT: Ivory Coast joined the exodus of African teams from the World Cup here on Friday as they could only beat already eliminated North Korea 3-0 in their Group G match.

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Ivory Coast beats NKorea 3-0, fails to advance

Portugal advance with Brazil after drab draw

DURBAN: Portugal qualified for the second round of the World Cup after battling to an ill-tempered 0-0 draw with five-time champions Brazil in their final Group G game on Friday.

In a match that was hyped as a potential showcase for the “beautiful game”, there was not much samba on display with seven yellow cards brandished in the first-half alone and only a handful of decent attempts on goal.

Brazil, who had already qualified for the last 16 after wins over North Korea and Ivory Coast, dominated possession and looked extremely solid at the back while Portugal looked over-reliant on captain Cristiano Ronaldo up front.

Portugal, on a run of 17 matches without defeat, needed a draw to guarantee going through to the next round ahead of Ivory Coast and arguably had the best chance of a winner in the 60th minute.

A storming run by Ronaldo had Lucio in all kinds of problems and the Brazil skipper was forced into clearing the ball across his own six-yard box into the path of Raul Meireles.

But the Porto midfielder”s close-range dink was tipped around the corner by Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar.

Brazil dominated possession and wasted two excellent chances through Nilmar and Luis Fabiano in the first-half.

In the 30th minute, Nilmar got in at the back post to direct a Fabiano cross at Portugal goalkeeper Eduardo, who did well to turn the ball onto the post and safety.

Fabiano then fluffed a header nine minutes later, getting too much contact on a downward header which bounced wide from a deep Maicon cross.

The industrious Dani Alves had the first attempt of the game, striking a 25-yard shot just wide after a good through ball from Julio Baptista, starting in place of suspended Brazilian playmaker Kaka.

The Portuguese had to wait until the 14th minute to even get close to the Brazilian goal, Duda just failing to latch on to a good cross from Fabio Coentrao, who had the run of the left wing early on.

The South Americans were seemingly happy to sit back and control the ball in the second period, under no real pressure from a muted Portugal attack.

Ronaldo had an early free-kick deflected wide by Pepe and Simao, on as a replacement for Duda, had a smart shot saved by Cesar.

In the 77th minute, Ronaldo got on the end of a Simao through-ball but blasted high and wide under pressure.

Portugal keeper Eduardo was then on hand to palm away a late effort from replacement Ramires to save any blushes amid boos and whistles at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.

Portugal rout North Korea 7-0 in 2nd round

CAPE TOWN: A merciless Portugal tore North Korea to shreds in a 7-0 rout on Monday, putting them within reach of the knockout rounds and eliminating the Asian nation from the World Cup.

With Brazil already qualified from Group G, Portugal now have four points to Ivory Coast”s one, leaving Didier Drogba”s team with only an outside chance of making the round of 16.

North Korea have lost both their games and will head home after their last match against the Africans.

A Raul Meireles strike put Portugal in front with the Porto midfielder pouncing in the 29th minute. But it wasn”t all one-way traffic, with North Korea creating their own chances as they powered forward on the
counter-attack.

The game changed though with three quick second-half goals from Simao, Hugo Almeida and Tiago that left North Korea shellshocked before substitute Liedson banged in the fifth.

Captain Cristiano Ronaldo got the sixth, ending his two-year international goal drought, before Tiago made it seven.

North Korean coach Kim Jong Hun took responsibility for their collapse.

Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz made four changes to the team that drew 0-0 with Ivory Coast, with Tiago replacing the injured Deco and Simao, Almeida and Miguel in for Danny, Liedson and Paulo Ferreira.

The revamped team started brightly on a slippery pitch after persistent rain.

Ronaldo signalled his intentions by unleashing a long-range strike on two minutes that goalkeeper Ri Myong-Guk did well to collect.

Ricardo Carvalho also had an early chance, rattling the post with a header, as Portugal set about their task with vigour.

The opportunities were coming thick and fast as Portugal used wingers Simao on the right and Ronaldo on the left effectively

North Korea finally got a shot at goal on 10 minutes with defender Cha Jong-Hyok whipping a 30 yard piledriver just past the upright.

As the rain returned, the Koreans were starting to look handy and far more aggressive than when they lost 2-1 to Brazil, surging forward to threaten the Portgual goal.

The Cholima were certainly not intimidated and could have taken a shock lead when captain Hong Yong-Jo”s shot was parried by Eduardo, only for Mun In-Guk to head the rebound over the bar.

The Portuguese came out after the break pushing hard for the second goal which inevitably came on 53 minutes with Meireles slicing open the Korean defence with a pass to Athletic Madrid”s Simao who slotted the ball past Ri.

North Korea were in disarray and let their guard down again three minutes later when Fabio Coentrao beat his man on the left and sent a lovely cross to Hugo Almeida who made no mistake with a powerful header.

Portugal were rampant and the fourth goal came soon after when Ronaldo picked out Tiago in the box and he clinically side-footed home before Liedson volleyed in the fifth with nine minutes left.

Ronaldo made the most of a lucky bobble to get the sixth in the 87th minute before Tiago rubbed salt in the Korean wounds with a late deft header.

Asian stocks up after China currency announcement

SHANGHAI: Asian stock markets rose Monday as investors took heart from China’s announcement over the weekend that it was ending its currency’s two-year peg to the dollar, though there was no immediate change in the yuan’s exchange rate.

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Asian stocks up after China currency announcement

Brazil dent African hopes, beat Ivory Coast

JOHANNESBURG: Brazil dented more African hopes in the World Cup Sunday by outclassing Ivory Coast to sweep into the second round, while European torment increased with an unseemly rebellion in the French camp.

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Brazil dent African hopes, beat Ivory Coast

Drogba to start against Brazil

JOHANNESBURG: Ivory Coast captain Didier Droga will start Sunday”s World Cup Group G clash against Brazil despite suffering from a broken arm.

The Chelsea striker broke his right arm in a World Cup warm-up match against Japan on June 4 and will play with a controversial protective cast.

He played 30 minutes of his country”s opening match against the Portuguese and Ivory Coast coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has said Drogba looked sharp in training.

The inclusion of the 32-year-old is the only change Eriksson has made from the side which held Portugal to a goalless draw while Lille”s Gervinho drops to the bench.

Brazil coach Dunga has kept the same team which beat North Korea 2-1 and his forward line boasts Real Madrid”s Kaka and Robinho of Santos.

Brazil
Goalkeeper: Julio Cesar – Maicon, Lucio (capt), Juan, Michel Bastos – Felipe Melo, Gilberto Silva, Kaka, Elano – Robinho, Luis Fabiano
Coach: Dunga (BRA)

Ivory Coast
Goalkeeper: Boubacar Barry – Guy Demel, Kolo Toure, Didier Zokora, Siaka Tiene – Emmanuel Eboue, Yaya Toure, Ismael Tiote – Aruna Dindane, Didier Drogba (capt.), Salomon Kalou
Coach: Sven-Goran Eriksson (SWE)

Referee: Stephane Lannoy (FRA)

Brazil lead Ivory Coast 1-0 at halftime

JOHANNESBURG: Brazil lead the Ivory Coast 1-0 at half-time in their World Cup Group G clash on Sunday thanks to a wonderful finish by Sevilla”s Luis Fabiano.

Chelsea star Didier Drogba started for the Ivory Coast, despite the broken right arm he suffered in a pre-World Cup friendly, but it was Dunga”s side who finished the first 45 minutes in the lead after some Brazilian magic.

With the Soccer City stadium pitch looking tired for only its fourth game of the World Cup, the match got off to a slow start with neither team stamping their authority on the game.

The Brazilians opened the scoring with typical flair when Kaka slotted a pass between two Ivory Coast defenders for Luis Fabiano who blasted his shot high into the net past Elephants” goalkeeper Boubacar Barry on 25 minutes.

Ivory Coast left-back Siaka Tiene then earned a yellow card for a foul on Brazil”s Elano on 31 minutes to compound his side”s problems.

The Elephants finished the half on the attack with Portsmouth forward Aruna Dindane testing Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar.

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