English Premier League: Liverpool wins 3-1 against Blackburn

MANCHESTER: Liverpool defeated Blackburn 3-1 to maintain a 1-point lead in English soccer’s Premier League over Chelsea, which won at Bolton 2-0.Xabi Alonso, Yossi Benayoun and Steve Gerrard scored in the final 22 minutes to give Liverpool the away win. Nicolas Anelka and Deco had the goals as Chelsea set a record with its 11th consecutive away win in the top flight.Manchester United got a late goal in beating Sunderland 1-0, while Arsenal also won 1-0 over Wigan. Hull came from behind to beat Middlesbrough 2-1, Stoke rallied to tie Newcastle 2-2 and Fulham and Manchester City tied 1-1.Alonso broke the deadlock at Blackburn’s Ewood Park with...

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India has right to self-defense: Obama

WASHINGTON: President-elect Barack Obama said every nation had the right to self-defense but declined to say whether India could pursue Pakistan-based extremists accused of orchestrating the Mumbai attacks."If a country is attacked, it has a right to defend itself," he said in an interview aired Sunday on a foreign TV channel in reply to a question whether India could go in hot pursuit of militants over the Pakistan border.Obama, who has reserved the right to strike Pakistan-based militants if the government in Islamabad is unwilling or unable, called for a "strategic partnership" with all of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan against terror."So far (Pakistani) President (Asif Ali) Zardari has sent the right signals. He has indicated that he understands this is not just a threat to the United...

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Rice denies 48-hour deadline for Pakistan to take action

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday that Pakistan must act quickly to arrest suspects linked to the deadly attacks in India to help ensure there are no follow-on assaults.Interviewed on a foreign TV channel, Rice said she stressed during her visit to Pakistan last week how important it was for Islamabad to act quickly but denied there was a 48-hour deadline to take action."The important thing is that Pakistan act and that these people are brought to justice and that any information that they may have is put to use in making sure follow-on attacks don't happen," Rice said.Rice echoed remarks from Pakistan's foreign office denying Islamabad had agreed to a 48-hour timetable to take action against Pakistanis accused of involvement in the Mumbai attacks.The Washington...

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