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Nusrat Bhutto leaves behind legacy of political struggle
Respect mandate of people, Gilani tells PML-N
Death toll from Yemen violence rises to 20
Scientist: Satellite must have crashed into Asia
7 Filipino workers, soldiers killed in new attacks
Euro crisis rescue deal takes shape
Tens of thousands in Hungary protest govt policy
Obama to send Biden to mourn Saudi crown prince
Religion claims its place in Occupy Wall Street
Latif slams PCB for Kaneria 'murder'
SAfrica beat Australia by 80 runs to level series
Tipsarevic, Cibulkova win Kremlin Cup titles
Monfils wins Stockholm Open title
Italian sport in shock after death of Simoncelli
Malaysian MotoGP called off after collision

Nusrat Bhutto leaves behind legacy of political struggle

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Begum Nusrat Bhutto waged almost a decade long political struggle for revival of democracy, restoration of Constitution and upholding of fundamental rights of Pakistani people in the face of brutal dictatorship. Begum Nusrat Bhutto was born on September 21, 1929, former first lady of Pakistan, widow of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) founder Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and mother of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. Nusrat Ispahani was an Iranian from Kurdistan Province, by heritage and daughter of a wealthy Iranian businessman who settled in Karachi, then British India before partition. Nusrat met Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in Karachi where they got married, which was Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s 2nd marriage. As First Lady from 1973-77, Nusrat Bhutto functioned as a political leader and accompanied her husband on a number of overseas visits. In 1979, after the trial and execution of her husband, she and her daughters were imprisoned and placed under house arrest by the then regime of late dictator Zia-ul-Haq. However, due to health concerns she was later permitted to leave the country for London, where she was later joined by her daughters Benazir and Sanam. She became leader of the PPP during her London exile and although she was chairperson of the party for life, her daughter Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto later replaced her. After returning to Pakistan in the late 1980s, she served several terms as an MP to the National Assembly from the family constituency of Larkana in Sindh. Also, during the administrations of her daughter Benazir, she became a cabinet minister. She then used to live with her daughter’s family in Dubai and suffered from the effects of a stroke and Alzheimer’s disease. An Iranian Kurd by origin tracing her ancestry to the legendary Islamic hero, statesman and a great soldier Salahuddin Ayubi, Nusrat Bhutto was surfeit with compassion, grit, dauntless determination and courage from the days of her childhood. And her dynamism, love and care for humanity blossomed her into a young lady who would strive, seek and not yield at a challenging time when loads and loads of trains packed with refugees from India were pouring into Karachi in the aftermath of partition of the sub-continent. As a self-less member of the Women’s National Guard, she rendered herself day and night into the relief operation of the millions of the uprooted refugees, feeding them, providing them shelter and succor. Her marriage to Shaheed Zulifikar Ali Bhutto was also a great turning point in her life. Despite the fact that as the wife of Pakistan’s most dynamic foreign minister, she had to travel with him far and wide, but she did not allow any strain on her responsibilities as a perfect mother. Her total devotion in bringing up their children is perhaps the reason that all of their children were highly educated. Twice Begum Bhutto was elected member of the National Assembly, remained a senior minister and also a constant source of inspiration for her daughter former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, masses and PPP workers especially. She had been proud of Pakistanis by representing her country at various international forums and her contribution as the chairperson of the Red Crescent had gone a long way in improving the country’s image. She has also received various international awards for her immense contribution to the greatest good of the largest number especially workers, women and children. Begum Nusrat Bhutto had always been a fighter. She fought the battle for the empowerment of the people in the streets against dictatorship.

Respect mandate of people, Gilani tells PML-N

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Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Sunday said that Pakistan had got many achievements on the foreign front, saying its foreign policy was successful. “Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s unconditional support to Pakistan against foreign aggression, India’s vote to Pakistan in the UN Security Council and country’s renewed role in the European Union (EU) reflect the effectiveness of our foreign policy,” he said during a press conference after a meeting with PML-Q leadership at Zahoor Elahi House here. Regarding Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s recent statements, the Prime Minister said Shahbaz Sharif was merely tarnishing the image of his own fraternity through baseless allegations of corruption but others could also level similar allegations against Shahbaz Sharif, adding that PML-N’s corruption mantra could not deceive people any more. With reference to accountability of PML-N, Gilani said there was a fine line between accountability and revenge and Nawaz Sharif used Saif-ur-Rehman for political vendetta and victimization during his tenure, adding that PPP had not tried to be ‘bitter’ against opponents for their past mistakes. With reference to PML-N rally against the Federal Government, the Prime Minister said that Shahbaz Sharif should keep Punjab in the mainstream politics, but his actions were isolating the province politically. The people were fed up with ransacking politics, he added. He said PML-N’s recent agitation against the government was merely aimed at proving itself a genuine opposition party and dissipating Imran Khan’s impact in Punjab. Regarding Shahbaz Sharif’s statement to reject elections under President Asif Ali Zardari, he said Shahbaz Sharif’s statement was unconstitutional and undemocratic, especially when the Sharifs had publicly pronounced not to resort to unconstitutional actions for the sake of democracy. He said an independent Election Commission (EC) was working in the country and the members of the EC were elected through consensus and consultation of the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly. A notification of the Constitution of EC will be issued soon, he added. The Prime Minister said it was amazing why PML-N was bent upon unconstitutional steps when constitutional options were available and added that PML-N should exhibit political maturity. “It is not sure whether the Sharifs will be part of the anti-government rally on October 28 or not,” he said. When asked about his reconciliatory role to bring PML-N out of political estrangement, the Prime Minister said it was yet to be seen whether his role would be required, stressing the general elections were far away and would be held in 2013. Rejecting the idea of any role for the army in politics, Gilani said: “Don’t drag the army into politics. The army is a disciplined institution and it has nothing to do with politics of the country.” About US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s recent visit, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani said there had been marked improvement in dialogue with the US, adding that the country believed in Pak-US relations based on mutual respect and mutual interest. Regarding PML-Q’s support of Southern Punjab province, the Premier said he was thankful to the PML-Q leadership for supporting the cause of Southern Punjab province, adding that PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif had also recently announced to support the cause of a new province but it was yet to be seen what stance the PML-N would adopt when the Bill would be presented in the assembly. With reference to PML-N not wooing PML-Q, he said politics was all about opportunities and PPP had extended a hand of reconciliation to PML-N, adding that PML-Q had emerged as the largest political party of the country after PPP in the 2008 elections. Rejecting the idea that PPP had eased the cause of PML-Q Senior Leader Moonis Elahi’s release, the Prime Minister said Moonis Elahi’s release was the victory of the free judiciary in the country, adding that the PPP government respected all the decisions of the judiciary in letter and spirit. About Opposition’s objection to appointment of Chairman NAB, he said the President was constitutionally empowered to appoint the Chairman NAB but the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition were consulted by strictly following the rules, adding that the objections raised by the opposition were uncalled for. Talking about the motives behind PML-N agitation, the Premier said the increasing popularity of Imran Khan’s PTI, the expected landslide PPP victory in the March 12, 2012 Senate Elections and the first-ever 5th budget by a political government in the country were irking PML-N and that was why it wanted to derail political system. He said PML-N should respect mandate of the people as we did in Punjab despite some reservations, adding that the people would elect only those parties to power in the next general elections, which had a better manifesto. On the question of PTI as emerging political power, the PM said people are the real power and the political parties with better manifesto and past service will emerge successful. He said all institutions were working within their constitutional parameters and any allusions to the judiciary were absolutely unfounded.  Regarding PPP-PML (Q) alliance in March 2012 Senate elections, Gilani said PPP had won Senate elections unopposed in the Punjab, Sindh, Islamabad and KPK, adding that it would consult PML-Q in the upcoming Senate elections. Earlier, the Prime Minister visited Zahoor Elahi House and held a meeting with PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujat Hussain and Senior Leader, Federal Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi. Gilani felicitated the Chaudhrys on the release of Chaudhry Moonis Elahi and discussed prevailing political situation in the country. Punjab Governor Sardar Latif Khan Khosa, PML-Q leaders Kamil Ali Agha, Syed Mushahid Hussain, Chaudhry Zaheer ud Din were also present in the meeting.

Death toll from Yemen violence rises to 20

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The death toll from fierce clashes and shelling that erupted in the wake of a UN call for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down has risen to 20, officials and medics said on Sunday. The violence Saturday began at dawn with intense shelling of the Hasaba district, home to tribal chief Sheikh Sadeq al-Ahmar who opposes Saleh, where explosions were heard throughout the day and into the evening. Intense street battles followed between troops loyal to Saleh and rival forces throughout the capital Sanaa, leaving at least 20 people dead, and dozens of others wounded, according to the latest tally by medics and government officials. Medics said at least four of the casualties were civilians, including an employee of the private Yemeni TV channel. They added that at least six armed tribesmen loyal to Sheikh Sadeq were also killed in Saturday s violence. A government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said five pro-Saleh soldiers were killed and dozens of others were wounded in battles with armed tribesmen and rival forces loyal to dissident General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar who defected in March. The general and tribal chief, once staunch allies of Saleh, have declared their support for the nation-wide anti-government protests that erupted in January. In recent weeks, armed confrontations between rival forces and militias have intensified, raising fears that Saleh s continued refusal to resign will push the impoverished country to an all-out civil war. Mohsen, who said his First Armoured Division lost five soldiers in Saturday s clashes, accused Saleh of ordering his sons and relatives, who command Yemen s elite forces, to wage an attack.

Scientist: Satellite must have crashed into Asia

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A defunct German research satellite crashed into the Earth somewhere in Southeast Asia on Sunday, US scientist said but no one is still quite sure where. Most parts of the minivan-sized ROSAT research satellite were expected to burn up as they hit the atmosphere at speeds up to 280 mph (450 kph), but up to 30 fragments weighing a total of 1.87 tons (1.7 metric tons) could have crashed, the German Aerospace Center said. Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts, said the satellite appears to have gone down over Southeast Asia. He said two Chinese cities with millions of inhabitants each, Chongqing and Chengdu, had been in the satellite s projected path during its re-entry time. "But if it had come down over a populated area there probably would be reports by now," the astrophysicist who tracks man-made space objects said. Calculations based on data made available to scientists by the US military indicate that satellite debris must have crashed somewhere east of Sri Lanka over the Indian Ocean, or over the Andaman Sea off the coast of Myanmar, or further inland in Myanmar or as far inland as China, he said. The satellite entered the atmosphere between 0145 GMT to 0215 GMT Sunday (9:45 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. Saturday EDT) and would have taken 15 minutes or less to hit the ground, the German Aerospace Center said. Hours before the re-entry, the center said the satellite was not expected to land in Europe, Africa or Australia. There were no immediate reports from Asian governments or space agencies about the fallen satellite. The satellite used to circle the planet in about 90 minutes, and it may have traveled several thousand kilometres (miles) during its re-entry, rendering exact predictions of where it crashed difficult. German space agency spokesman Andreas Schuetz said a falling satellite also can change its flight pattern or even its direction once it sinks to within 90 miles (150 kilometres) above the Earth. Schuetz said the agency was waiting for data from scientific partners around the globe. He noted it took the US space agency NASA several days to establish where one of its satellites had hit last month. The 2.69-ton (2.4 metric ton) scientific ROSAT satellite was launched in Cape Canaveral, Florida, in 1990 and retired in 1999 after being used for research on black holes and neutron stars and performing the first all-sky survey of X-ray sources with an imaging telescope.

7 Filipino workers, soldiers killed in new attacks

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The series of violent events has complicated already-shaky peace talks between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the largest of at least four insurgent groups fighting for Muslim self-rule in the resource-rich but impoverished region. Armed men killed four plantation workers and a militiaman and wounded eight other civilians in an ambush in Sumisip town on Basilan island after dawn Sunday, army chief Lt. Gen. Arturo Ortiz said, adding Moro rebels were the main suspects in the attack. Suspected Muslim guerrillas also ambushed troops in Lanao del Norte province Sunday, killing two soldiers and wounding four others. The army earlier reported that three soldiers had died in the attack in Lanao del Norte s Sultan Naga Dimaporo town, but later clarified that one soldier was still fighting for his life in a hospital. In a third attack, about 80 to 120 suspected Muslim rebels, apparently starving, ransacked stores and stole poultry and water buffaloes in remote Talusan town in Zamboanga Sibugay province Saturday then withdrew to an abandoned school in a mountainous outskirts of the town, army spokesman Maj. Harold Cabunoc said. The rebels left the school before army troops arrived in the area, Cabunoc said. Zamboanga Sibugay police chief Ruben Carriaga said the rebels may have staged the attacks in Talusan to divert the attention of military and police forces that have surrounded a separate group of 80 Muslim rebels and outlaws in the nearby town of Payao. Police wanted to arrest seven of the gunmen in Payao for various crimes, including kidnappings for ransom, but they resisted and have been sporadically clashing with government forces in recent days, Carriaga said. Rebel spokesman Von Al Haq said Moro Islamic Liberation Front men had nothing to do with the attacks in Basilan and Zamboanga Sibugay. He said he was trying to verify if his comrades staged the Lanao del Norte assault. The rebel group ordered all its fighters Saturday to halt all assaults, he said.

Euro crisis rescue deal takes shape

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EU leaders closed in on a broad agreement to resolve the euro crisis and pressed Italy to slash its debt mountain to reassure jittery world markets. A summit of EU leaders came together on plans to boost the firepower of the eurozone rescue fund -- the European Financial Stability Facility -- and backed plans to recapitalise banks who would be hit by a massive write-down of Greek debt. They also agreed to explore a re-opening of the core European Union treaty to cover closer eurozone integration although non-euro states remain wary about moves that might leave them out. For that reason, the bloc was forced to bring all 27 member states back for a second meeting on Wednesday to finalise a response to the debt crisis. The second summit in four days was originally meant only to involve the 17 nations that share the euro single currency. Speaking alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel at a joint press conference, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said "a quite broad agreement is taking shape on the reinforcement of the EFSF." Merkel said a French idea for the fund to acquire a banking licence was dead and buried, leaving a mix of plans to use the EFSF to offer insurance to eurozone bond holders, and moves to create a  fund within the fund  that would be topped up by some of the main emerging nations. The "leveraging" of the EFSF comes alongside a deal being negotiated with banks for them to accept a 50 percent write-off on Greek debt, in exchange for a new bailout by the EU and the International Monetary Fund. All of the outline decisions reached so far over a frenetic three-day series of high-level talks in Brussels need to be ratified by the 27 member at the full summit that EU president Herman Van Rompuy called for Wednesday. Italy emerged as a new source of concern, with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi under intense pressure to cut his country s deficit and debt. "We have to reassure investors and reassure other states," Van Rompuy said. He underlined: "Clearly, we are asking for a major effort on the part of the Italian authorities." Italy is carrying debts of 1.9 trillion euros -- equal 120 percent of what the eurozone s third-largest economy produces in a year and way above the EU limit of 60 percent. Germany s Merkel urged "credible" cuts in the debt as part of efforts to save the eurozone. "Italy is a great economic force but Italy also has a very high level of debt and it must be reduced in a credible way over the coming years," she said. "That s what we expect of Italy." In return, Europe will boost the firepower of the 440-billion-euro EFSF set up last year after Greece s first EU-IMF bailout to defend the euro single currency.

Tens of thousands in Hungary protest govt policy

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Speakers from several civic groups, united by the "I don t like the regime" motto, condemned a wide range of government measures, from restrictive media polices to changes in the tax system hurting the poor. Balazs Denes, head of the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, said the weak opposition parties in parliament, up against Orban s two-thirds majority, were also responsible for the problems affecting Hungarian democracy. A spokesman said Hungary s "alternative president" will be elected at the next rally on March 15. Sunday s demonstration was held on the 55th anniversary of Hungary s 1956 revolution against Soviet rule.

Obama to send Biden to mourn Saudi crown prince

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The United States will send a delegation led by Vice President Joe Biden to Saudi Arabia to offer condolences for the death of Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, the White House said Sunday. US President Barack Obama announced the visit of the delegation to ailing Saudi King Abdullah in a telephone call on Sunday, during which he also expressed his "personal condolences" to the king over his half-brother s death. Obama "praised Crown Prince Sultan s many contributions over the past five decades, including his critical role in building the strong and enduring partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia," the White House said. "The president informed the King that a senior delegation, which will be led by Vice President Biden, will travel to Riyadh to pay condolences during the official mourning period." The Saudi royal palace announced Sultan s death on Saturday. The crown prince, aged 80 according to government records, served as the oil kingpin s defense minister for nearly five decades and had been in the United States since mid-June for medical treatment. He was operated on in July. A half brother of King Abdullah, Sultan spent long periods abroad for undisclosed medical treatment. A Western diplomat, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said Sultan had been hooked up to life support systems at New York Presbyterian hospital and was declared "clinically dead" more than a month ago. Obama had earlier expressed "great regret" over the death of the prince and called him a "valued friend" of the United States.

Religion claims its place in Occupy Wall Street

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Downtown Dewey Square is crammed with tents and tarps of Occupy Boston protesters, but organizers made sure from the start of this weeks-old encampment that there was room for the holy. No shoes are allowed in the "Sacred Space" tent here, but you can bring just about any faith or spiritual tradition. A day s schedule finds people balancing their chakras, a "compassion meditation" and a discussion of a biblical passage in Luke. Inside, a Buddha statue sits near a picture of Jesus, while a hand-lettered sign in the corner points toward Mecca. The tent is one way protesters here and in other cities have taken pains to include a spiritual component in their occupations. Still, Occupy Wall Street is not a religious movement, and signs of spiritually aren t evident at all protest sites. Clergy emphasize they are participants in the aggressively leaderless movement, not people trying to co-opt it. Plus, in a movement that purports to represent the "99 percent" in society, the prominent religious groups are overwhelmingly liberal. Religion might not fit into the movement seamlessly, but activist Dan Sieradski, who s helped organize Jewish services and events at Occupy Wall Street, said it must fit somewhere. "We re a country full of religious people," he said. "Faith communities do need to be present and need to be welcomed in order for this to be an all-encompassing movement that embraces all sectors of society." Religious imagery and events have been common since the protests began. In New York, clergy carried an Old  Testament-style golden calf in the shape of the Wall Street bull to decry the false idol of greed. Sieradski organized a Yom Kippur service. About 70 Muslims kneeled to pray toward Mecca at a prayer service Friday. A Chicago group, Interfaith Worker Justice, has published an interfaith prayer service guide for occupation protests nationwide. Clergy who support the protests say they are a natural fit with many faiths, because they share traditional concerns about economic injustice. They also point to history, including the anti-slavery and civil rights movements. "Every movement for social change that has really made a difference has included the power of God, the power of the spirit and the power of people of conscience," said the Rev. Stephanie Sellers, one of the Episcopalian "protest chaplains" praying with protesters at different sites. In Boston, Marty Dagoberto said the Sacred Space was also created in an unforced way, after he suggested the idea at Occupy Boston s first general gathering. He said the space helps promote a spirit of calm and unity crucial to bringing change. "I feel like it s really important for us to stay rooted in love, simply put," Dagoberto said. Religious elements haven t sprouted up as visibly in other Occupy Wall Street movements nationwide, said Elizabeth Drescher, a lecturer on Christian spirituality at Santa Clara University, who has visited the occupations in Santa Cruz and St. Louis. She said some protesters are wary because they don t recognize the authority of institutions, including religious ones, and are generally looking for clergy to be "ministering but not proselytizing." She recalled a conversation with an Occupy Santa Cruz protester while a man in a clerical collar picked up trash. Imam Al-Hajj Talib Abdur-Rashid, who helped organize Friday s Muslim prayer service in New York, believes religious groups have already amplified the movement s power. He sees his involvement as a duty, because so many in his congregation are affected by the nation s economic woes. "If Moses or Jesus or Mohammed were alive in this day and time they d be out there guiding and inspiring and teaching these young people," he said.

Latif slams PCB for Kaneria 'murder'

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Former captain Rashid Latif on Sunday accused Pakistan s cricket chiefs of "murdering" leg-spinner Danish Kaneria by refusing to let him play despite being cleared of a spot-fixing allegation in Britain. The 31-year-old and fellow Essex bowler Mervyn Westfield were arrested last year on claims of spot-fixing during a Pro40 one-day match against Durham in 2009. Kaneria was later released without being charged but Westfield faces criminal proceedings. Kaneria appeared before an integrity committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in August but was not cleared. He then filed a petition in court in a bid to force the PCB to allow him to play again for his country. "All around the cricketing world they preserve their players, however in Pakistan the ideology is just the opposite as the PCB is destroying Kaneria s career," said Latif, adding he was "amazed" at Kaneria s treatment. "He is the most successful spinner of the country, hence should be treated with respect," said Latif. "I would say it s an economical murder of a player who has served the country very well and is still eager to continue." Sindh High Court last week directed the PCB to bring the transcript of the police investigation against Kaneria to court before it could make a decision. Kaneria, who has taken 261 wickets in 61 Tests -- the most by any Pakistani spinner -- is allowed to play in domestic events only.

SAfrica beat Australia by 80 runs to level series

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Jacques Kallis and Morne Morkel stood out as South Africa scored a convincing 80-run win in the second one-day international against Australia at St George s Park on Sunday. The win levelled the three-match series at one-all. Kallis hit 76 in a South African total of 303 for six and Morkel bowled with pace and accuracy to take four for 22 as Australia were bowled out for 223 in reply. Kallis became the third batsman, after India s Sachin Tendulkar and Australia s Ricky Ponting, to reach fifty on 100 occasions in one-day internationals. South Africa made a bad start when captain Hashim Amla was out off the first ball of the match, pushing a simple catch back to opening bowler Doug Bollinger. But Kallis and Graeme Smith (57) put their side on top with a second wicket stand of 142. Smith and Kallis were out in quick succession but left-handers JP Duminy (56) and David Miller (59) regained the initiative for South Africa with a fifth wicket partnership of 107. Australia s run chase got off to a bad start when Ponting and Michael Clarke were out cheaply but David Warner and Michael Hussey gave the tourists some hope with a third wicket stand of 71. Opener Warner made a career-best 74, surviving a straightforward chance to Amla at mid-on when he was on 26, but after a rapid start he was pegged back by the South African bowlers and needed 97 balls to make his runs. Hussey survived two stumping chances to Mark Boucher off Johan Botha before he was run out for 37 off 62 balls.

Tipsarevic, Cibulkova win Kremlin Cup titles

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Top-seeded Janko Tipsarevic beat defending champion Viktor Troicki 6-4, 6-2 in the first ever all-Serb ATP final to win the Kremlin Cup on Sunday, while Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia won her first career WTA title, rallying to beat Kaia Kanepi of Estonia 3-6, 7-6 (1), 7-5 for the women s crown. Tipsarevic, who won his first career title in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, earlier this season, broke Troicki twice in the second set and served for the match to love. Not waiting for Tipsarevic to come to the net to shake hands, Troicki jumped over the net and embraced his friend. Later they broke tradition and held a joint press conference. The eighth-seeded Cibulkova is the first women s player to win a maiden title in Moscow since the tournament started in 1994. The 20th-ranked Slovak had advanced to the final in three previous tournaments including last week in Linz, Austria, where she lost to Petra Kvitova. "This is the first time I ve won my title, this is kind of my premiere," Cibulkova said. "I ve played great tennis through the whole of the week." Kanepi broke Cibulkova in the fourth game of the first set to go 4-1 up and was close to breaking her again at 5-all in the second to serve for the match, but she smashed a volley wide in front of an empty court. The Slovak then dominated the tiebreaker to stay in the match. She broke decisively in the 11th game of the third set and sealed the win on her first match point when Kanepi returned wide.

Monfils wins Stockholm Open title

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Top-seeded Gael Monfils won his first title of the year Sunday after defeating Jarkko Nieminen 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 in the Stockholm Open final. The win is 25-year-old Monfils  fourth title on the ATP tour and he said he was surprised to win his first tournament since picking up a knee injury. "After Bangkok I haven t practiced that much, mostly been in rehab for my knee," he told local news agency TT after the game. "The key today was that I managed to keep up my concentration." The 10th-ranked Monfils won 38 of 54 first serve points against the Finn. Both players came into the match with poor results in finals and appeared nervous at the start of the match. Nieminen became the first player to hold serve in the fifth game. Nieminen, who played his third Stockholm Open final at the Royal Tennis Hall, played attacking tennis to win the second set but Monfils rolled through the decider.

Italian sport in shock after death of Simoncelli

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Simoncelli nicknamed Sic or SuperSic died of chest, head and neck injuries after he lost control of his Honda at turn 11 four minutes into the race, and swerved across the track, straight into the path of American rider Colin Edwards and Valentino Rossi of Italy. He was 24. Rossi, a good friend of Simoncelli s, was clearly distraught and was unable to say anything in the immediate aftermath of the accident. He left a short message on Twitter later Sunday. "Sic for me was like a younger brother, as strong on the track as he was sweet in life," Rossi wrote. "I still can t believe it. I will miss him a lot." In Italy, there was a minute s silence before all football matches and players wore black armbands as a tribute to the young rider. "Today is one of the saddest days of my presidency," said Gianni Petrucci, president of Italian sport s governing body CONI. "The tragic death of Marco Simoncelli has deeply upset and shaken me. Honda teammate Casey Stoner said after the crash that he feared for Simoncelli. "As soon as I saw the footage it just makes you sick inside," the newly crowned MotoGP champion said. "Whenever the helmet comes off that s not a good sign." Stoner said later: "I am in shock and saddened by the loss of Marco. When these things happen they make you remember how precious life is and I m very upset. I m close to Marco s family, I can t imagine what they re going through." Spanish rider Dani Pedrosa said the accident would remind everyone of the dangers of the sport. "When things like this happen. there s little to say, nothing else matters," Pedrosa said. "These are things that shouldn t happen. But this is the sport and sometimes we forget how dangerous our sport is. Simoncelli was a very strong racer."

Malaysian MotoGP called off after collision

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Marco Simoncelli lost control of his Honda at turn 11, but his bike regained partial grip and pulled him back across the track, straight into the path of Edwards and Rossi. Simoncelli s helmet was ripped off in the incident and he was motionless on the track after the collision. He had been fourth at the end of lap one. Edwards also fell but escaped serious injury, while Rossi was able to return to the pits. The race was red-flagged and organizers announced later it would be canceled to focus on treating Simoncelli.

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Sunday 23 October 2011

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