Partners Aisam, Bopanna divided by Indo-Pak clash

NEW DEHLI: India’s Rohan Bopanna and his Pakistani tennis doubles partner Aisamul Haq Qureshi insisted on Monday that the World Cup semi-final between their two nations will not shatter their friendship.

Bopanna and Qureshi, who have used their on-court careers to also promote their “Stop War Start Tennis” campaign, hope the clash in Mohali won’t spill over into their ongoing tournament commitments in Miami.

Afridi accuses Indian media

KARACHI: Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi accused the Indian media on Monday of conducting a negative campaign against his team before Wednesday’s eagerly anticpated World Cup semi-final in Mohali.

“There is so much negativity in the Indian media. There is nothing positive to watch on the channels and we are just sticking together as a team and it is just the hotel and ground for us,” Afridi told the Geo News channel.

Fukushima contamination 'well beyond' 30k zone: France

PARIS: Air-borne nuclear contamination has spread “well beyond” the 30-kilometre exclusion zone around Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant, the head of France’s Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) said on Monday.

“Beyond 30 kilometers, it is clear that there are patches of contamination, and that a certain number of products have been polluted,” Andre-Claude Lacoste said at a briefing.

Qatar recognises Libyan rebel body as legitimate

DOHA: Qatar became the first Arab country on Monday to recognise Libya’s rebels as the people’s sole legitimate representative, in a move that may presage similar moves from other Gulf states.

Word of the decision came a day after a senior Libyan rebel official said Qatar had agreed to market crude oil produced from east Libyan fields no longer under the control of leader Muammar Qaddafi.

India cricket visit in national interest: PM Gilani

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said on Monday that his visit to India to watch the World Cup cricket semi-final between the two arch-rivals was in “national interest”.

Gilani accepted an invitation from his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh to attend the match after a meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday.