Roger Federer got one over his old rival Rafael Nadal to win the Shanghai Masters 6-4, 6-3 on Sunday in a showdown between the two best players on the planet.

It was a 94th title for the Swiss legend, drawing him level with the great Ivan Lendl, and closes the gap on world number one Nadal at the top of the rankings as the season reaches its conclusion.

In-form Nadal was ahead in their overall record down the years, with 23 wins to Federer’s 14, but he was up against it almost right away.

Number two Federer put Nadal under the cosh immediately on the Spaniard’s serve, breaking him in the first game — to roars of approval from the majority inside the arena.

The 36-year-old Swiss, fondly known as “Cow” in China for his laid-back personality, had started the better and he rattled through his own service game for 2-0.

Federer, a 19-time Grand Slam champion who had beaten Nadal in their last four encounters, was in full flow under the Qizhong Tennis Center roof, which was closed because of downpours in Shanghai.

Nadal, 31, groaned while lashing many of his shots; Federer was all quiet efficiency.

Somewhere in the stadium somebody rattled a cow bell.

Federer rapidly made it 4-2 with two booming aces in a row, drawing huge cheers from much of the stadium.

In contrast, Nadal — a 16-time Grand Slam winner but who had never won the Shanghai Masters — was labouring through his service games.

He went long on a straightforward forehand but powered an ace to make it 4-3 to the Swiss.

There were suggestions that Federer might not be quite as fresh as his old foe, having been pushed to three sets a day earlier in the second semi-final against Juan Martin del Potro.

The timeless Federer rubbished that notion as he seared his way to a 5-3 first-set lead.

Nadal sent down his fourth ace for 5-4, only for Federer to seal the set with his seventh ace of the match.

There was little between the great rivals in the early exchanges of the second set until the pivotal fifth game.

Nadal, on a great run of form that won him the US Open and China Open in recent weeks, saved the first break point but could not survive the second one to put Federer in reach of a second Shanghai Masters crown.

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The Acting Director General of South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Mohammad Faisal summoned the Indian Deputy High Commissioner (HC) on Sunday to condemn unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian army along the Line of Control (LoC) leading to the martyrdom of two Pakistani children on October 14.

The shelling took place in the Kotli and Nikial sectors. The deceased were identified as Saad, 8, and Humayun, 14. Four others were injured, of who, three were children.

In the meeting, Faisal called for restraint from the Indian regime and to bring  an end to these violations.

Pakistan summons Indian deputy high commissioner over ceasefire violations

Faisal said that the ceasefire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation.

Faisal urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement.

He said India should allow the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions.

In this year, 1,100 ceasefire violations have taken place along the LoC and Working Boundary, according to a Foreign Office statement.

As a result, 47 civilians have been killed and 159 injured.

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Source: Tribune News | Indian Deputy HC summoned over ceasefire violations along LoC

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Sunday accused deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family of creating anarchy in the country to shun accountability over alleged corruption.

“Sharif mafia is trying to avoid conviction over money laundering,” Imran said during a party workers’ convention in Islamabad. “They fear that if convicted, Rs300 billion of the looted wealth stashed abroad will be seized.”

Launching the party’s membership drive, the PTI chief said those in power think they were above the law and the ruling elite will even derail the democracy to save themselves from being held accountable. “The government is refusing to accept the decisions of the Supreme Court,” he said.

We will take to streets yet again, warns Imran

The cricketer-turned politician once against hinted at launching a street movement if “they [Sharifs] put any obstacles” in the way of the NAB courts. “They [Sharif family] are provoking the army and the judiciary just because they had to face the accountability,” Imran said.

The PTI leader lashed out at Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal for criticising the military establishment during the latter’s recent visit to the United States. “The biggest cheat [in the PML-N] is Ahsan Iqbal. He is even bigger cheat than Asif Ali Zardari,” he said, adding that Iqbal started his political career by praising then military dictator Ziaul Haq.

PM Abbasi busy saving Sharif’s skin, says Imran

The opposition politician also slammed the leadership of Pakistan Peoples Party for amassing wealth acquired through illegal means. “Zardari, who used to sell tickets outside Bambino cinema, has stashed billions of rupees abroad.”

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Source: Tribune News | Sharifs trying to avoid conviction for money laundering: Imran

KARACHI: Almost three weeks since the first stabbing incident in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, police have finally claimed to have arrested the prime suspect behind the series of attacks.

In a major breakthrough in the case of 13 women being stabbed by a knife-wielding motorcyclist, the police say they arrested a suspect, Muhammad Waseem, who was allegedly involved in several stabbing cases in Punjab as well.

Waseem was arrested by a special police team of the Karachi police lead by District Korangi SSP Captain (retd) Haider Raza who managed the arrest with the assistance of the Sahiwal police.

“I am going to share the good news that we have finally arrested Waseem,” confirmed SSP Raza while talking to The Express Tribune. “But we have yet to officially initiate interrogations. In an unofficial initial interrogation he denied his involvement,” revealed the police officer.

Karachi women arm themselves against ‘knifeman’

The police claim to have arrested Waseem from Mandi Bahuddin, Punjab and said it will take a day or two to bring him to Karachi for official interrogations.

“The Lahore police also suspect him of being involved in two similar recent incidents that occurred in Lahore,” the SSP said. “If the Lahore police do not book and arrest him in a case we will take him into custody bring him to Karachi immediately.”

The police plan to bring him to Karachi via road and that will take at least a couple of days.

The reason why the police are so sure of his involvement in the cases in Karachi is because of Waseem’s involvement in over 200 similar cases in Chicha Watni and over 35 cases in his hometown of Sahiwal during 2013 and 2014. He was arrested by the Sahiwal police in 2015 but was later released in 2016 due to lack of evidence. Since then he had been missing.

The Sahiwal police had also taken his brother and friend into custody in order to obtain information to trace and arrest Waseem when the Karachi police approached the Sahiwal police following the series of attacks on women in Karachi.

Another woman stabbed in Karachi as ‘knifeman’ remains at large

“Similar incidents have so far occurred in Chicha Watni, Sahiwal, Karachi and Lahore,” said SSP Raza. “The Karachi and Lahore incidents are the recent ones,” he explained. The police suspect that Waseem might have been involved in dodging the police and stabbing women in Lahore on October 11 after he became aware that the Karachi police were looking for him.

The police, however, are not even sure whether he is actually involved in the stabbing cases in Karachi.

“We are not sure whether he is involved in the Karachi incidents or not,” the SSP admitted. “But at least we can clear him [if he wasn’t involved] and can focus on searching for the other guy with complete concentration.”

So far at least 13 women have been injured in several incidents in parts of District East – Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Dalmia, Rashid Minhas Road, Pehlwan Goth and PIB Colony – while a dozen cases have also been registered since the incidents began on September 25. The police issued the suspected attacker’s picture with brief details multiple times, seeking the help of the public in apprehending the attacker. They also announced reward money of Rs1 million for citizens who help the police trace and arrest the suspect.

Knife-wielding motorcyclist forces women to stay home in Karachi

The style of the attacker depicted in the media shows that he may have a personality disorder, remarked the chairperson of the psychiatry department of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Professor Dr Muhammad Iqbal Afridi.

According to him, generally people who attack people in such ways don’t have any particular motives or objectives and actually take pleasure in hurting others.

Dr Afridi remarked that such people are labeled ‘psychopaths’ in older literature, whereas they are called dis-social by the World Health Organisation and ‘antisocial’ in the United States.

“Examination of such people should be done by a psychiatrist,” he said, adding that the suspect must be placed in a rehabilitation programme for treatment before his eventual release as allowing such people to move about in society as they can harm people if their mental conditions are left untreated.

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Source: Tribune News | Suspected serial attacker arrested in Mandi Bahuddin

Pakistan were thrashed 3-1 on Sunday by India in the 2017 Asia Cup Group A match at Dhaka’s Maulana Bhashani Hockey Stadium.

India played aggressive hockey in the third quarter to add to their one goal lead and go 3-0 up to make a comeback impossible for Pakistan.

Chinglen Kangujam opened the scoring for India in the 17th minute courtesy a field goal.

Pakistan hockey team pummels Bangladesh 7-0

Ramandeep Singh doubled the lead in the 44th minute, while Harmanpreet Singh added another in the 45th minute through a penalty corner.

For Pakistan, at the start of the fourth quarter, Ali Shan was able to clinch one back but Greenshirts were not able to break India’s defence after that.

This was India’s fifth consecutive win against Pakistan in all tournaments.

Earlier, Pakistan beat Bangladesh 7-0 and scored a 2-2 draw against Japan in their first two group matches.

India top Group A with nine points, with three wins from as many matches.

Pakistan and Japan are tied on four points, while Bangladesh lost their three matches to end on the last spot in the group.

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Source: Tribune News | Pakistan thrashed 3-1 by India in Asia Cup