Canada, China duos win figure skating titles
February 13, 2012 by Trend PK
Filed under World News
COLORADO SPRINGS: Reigning Olympic ice dance champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir and two-time world junior pairs champions Sui Wenjing and Han Cong of China took titles at the Four Continents Championships.
Canadians Virtue and Moir, who won Olympic gold on home ice in Vancouver in 2010, edged Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White — reigning world champions and 2010 Olympic runners-up — in the free dance to claim the overall title.
Virtue and Moir won the free dance 111.24-107.25 over the US duo, defending Four Continents champions and winners of Saturday’s short dance, to claim the overall title by 182.84-179.40 in the high-altitude mountain venue.
“It was a great performance,” Moir said. “We felt really strong. It was kind of a test for us up here with the altitude, and we were definitely feeling it.”
Americans Davis and White were pleased with their effort if not their result.
“I could not be prouder of the way we fought through both programs. We really worked through it,” White said. “We wanted to work on expression, and we did that. I felt like our elements were pretty good.”
Sui and Han captured their first international senior-level pairs title by winning Sunday’s free skate final after taking the short programme on Saturday.
The Chinese couple scored 135.08 points in the free skate to win the overall crown with 201.83 points to 185.42 for US champions Caydee Denney and John Coughlin. Americans Mary Beth Marley and Rockne Brubaker were third on 116.47.
“This is our first time to win a senior competition and we’re happy and excited. Maybe tonight we can’t sleep,” Han said.
“Late in the program there were a little nerves, but we adjusted. The throws were successful and we’re very pleased.”
Sui and Han plan to defend their world junior crowns as well as compete in next month’s World Championships at Nice, France.
“We’re excited for this chance,” Han said. AGENCIES
Kerber upstages Bartoli to win Paris Open
Angelique Kerber of Germany won the WTA Paris Open on Sunday by defeating France s Marion Bartoli 7-6 (7/3), 5-7, 6-3 in the final.
The world number 27, who conquered top seed Maria Sharapova in Friday s quarter-finals, became the first German champion at the event since Steffi Graf in 1995.
It was the 24-year-old s first win on the main WTA circuit, her previous best being a runner-up finish in Bogota in 2010.
Prior to coming to Paris, she had never beaten a top-10 player.
It was the first time in five attempts that the 27-year-old Bartoli, the second seed, had reached the final in her home tournament.
“It s incredible,” said Kerber. “I don t know what to say. The match was so tough but I fought on all the big points. It s been a fantastic week.”
Bartoli was in tears by the time of the post-match presentations.
“I pushed myself all the way but it was not enough,” she said after the 2hr 39min final.
SC allows Gilani to take his car inside courts premises
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was allowed to take his car inside Supreme Court premises when he arrives for hearing in contempt case today.
In an earlier development the apex court had barred Gilani from taking his car inside court’s premises.
Pakistan People’s Party’s secretary information Qmar Zaman Kaira moved an application in the court that security risks have increased due to hearing of missing persons case by the Supreme Court.
Interior Minister also wrote a letter to registrar of the Supreme Court, asking him to grant permission to prime minister to bring his car inside the Supreme Court building.
Coalition partners accompany Gilani to SC
Pakistan People’s Party core committee and government’s coalition partners held separate meetings in Islamabad in connection with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s appearance in the Supreme Court in contempt case.
They observed that Supreme Court building came under PML-N workers attack during Nawaz Sharif tenure but no one was convicted on contempt carges. They were of the view that Gilani might be first prime minister of Pakistan to be convicted on the contempt of court charges.
The meetings also discussed the options that in case of sentence, the notification to de-seat Prime Minister would be sent to Election Commission via Speaker National Assembly.
According to a core committee member, Supreme Court has issued 20 to 22 passes and some cabinet ministers and leaders of the coalition parties will accompany Prime Minister Gilani to the court.
SC to hear missing prisoners case today
Seven prisoners have been brought to the Supreme Court on the court order.
The three-member Supreme Court (SC) bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry will resume hearing of missing prisoners case today.
The court, during previous hearing, had directed the officials of sensitive agencies to produce the 11 missing prisoners from Adiala Jail on February 13.
The court has also summoned secretary defence to appear before the court today. The counsel for the sensitive agencies, Raja Irshad informed the court during previous hearing that four of the 11 prisoners taken into custody from Adiala Jail have died while four are under treatment at the Lady Reading Hospital and remaining three are under detention in Para Chinar.
Lahore: CNG stations closed for 64 hours
According to Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) load management plan, the CNG stations in Lahore, Sheikhupura, Gujranwala, Sahiwal and Multan regions will remain shut for 64 hours.
The CNG stations will remain closed from 6:00am today to 10:00pm on Wedneday. On the other hand, gas supply to textile industry in Lahore, Muridke and Sheikhupura regions has been resumed for two days.
Senate polls: MQM finalises list of nominees
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement has awarded party tickets to eight candidates for upcoming Senate elections.
According to details, Mustafa Kamal, Kunwar Naved Jameel and Kunwar Khalid Younus were awarded tickets to contest Senate polls on general seat and Barrister Farogh Naseem and Umar Sherzai were given tickets for technocrat seats while Nasreen Jaleel and Naila Latif was nominated for women’s seats.
It was also decided to award minority seat ticket to Arif Mashi. The party sources said that discussion with Pakistan People’s Party on Senate polls will continue.
DR Congo president’s aide killed in plane crash
A close aide to DR Congo President Joseph Kabila was killed and the country s finance minister seriously injured in a plane crash on Sunday in the east of the country, the president s office said.
The statement identified Kabila s aide as Augustin Katumba Mwanke, 48, considered a key member of Kabila s entourage, who had the ear of the president.
Finance Minister Augustin Matata Ponyo was in a serious condition, while Sud-Kivu governor Marcellin Tshisambo had suffered fractures in both legs, said an airport official.
The plane overshot the runway at Bukavu airport, the president s office said.
“There were three killed: two American crew members and one passenger,” Mwanke, a Bukavu airport official told AFP on condition of anonymity, adding that there had been eight passengers on the aircraft.
Mwanke and the pilot “died on the spot,” a source at the presidency said.
The twin-engine Gulfstream 200 had flown in from the capital Kinshasa via Goma and apparently missed its landing at Bukavu airport, in the vast country s east.
“It touched down only halfway down the runway and went skidding into a ditch beyond the runway. The plane is damaged,” the airport official said.
India arrests Samjhauta Express bomber
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has made another arrest in the 2007 Samjhauta Express twin blasts case. Kamal Chauhan (28) was arrested by agency sleuths from Depalpur town in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Chauhan had allagedly planted a bomb in the trans-border train along with another accused Lokesh Sharma, already under arrest.
This is the third arrest in the case. Swami Aseemanand is also in custody for his involvement in the case.
Sources said Chauhan had also participated in “meetings” in Gujarat and Nagpur, where the conspiracy was hatched. The NIA would now produce Chauhan before the special NIA court in Panchkula on Monday, sources said.
On June 20 last year, the NIA had filed a chargesheet against Swami Aseemanand, Sunil Joshi (now dead), Lokesh Sharma, Sandeep Dange alias Parmanand, Ramchandra Kalsangra alias Ramji alias Vishnu Patel (still absconding) for hatching a criminal conspiracy, which resulted in blasts in the train near Dewana railway station in Panipat district on February 28, 2007. It resulted in the death of 68 persons.
A majority of those killed in the blast were Pakistanis. The agency is also investigating the role of Sadhvi Pragya Thakur and RSS leader Indresh Kumar in the blasts.
The NIA had already announced cash rewards for information leading to the arrest of the three key suspects. A reward of Rs 10 lakh each was announced for information leading to the arrest of Dange and Kalsangra.
Gilani arrives in SC to face contempt case
The apex court has allowed Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to take his car inside the Supreme Court premises.
In an earlier development, the apex court had barred Gilani from taking his car inside court’s premises.
A seven-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk and comprising Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmani, Justice Ijaz Afzal Khan, Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry, Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Athar Saeed will hear the case.
The apex court is all set to frame charges against Gilani in contempt of court case.
Various leaders including Firdous Ashinq Awan, Khurshid Shah, Qamaruz Zaman Kaira, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Asfandyar Wali Khan are also present in the court to express solidarity with PM Gilani.
The security around the SC building is high alert.
