Jovetic double sees Fiorentina sink Liverpool

Liverpool’s Champions League hopes took a blow as teenage Montenegro international Stevan Jovetic scored both goals to give Italian side Fiorentina a deserved 2-0 Group E victory. It was Liverpool’s first away defeat in Europe since the semifinal loss at Chelsea in April 2008, and only their ninth away reverse in 38 attempts under manager Rafael Benitez

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Russian president denies Putin has all the power

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev says those who question whether he has power in his country are going by “stereotypes” and “stigmas.” “In our country, where there’s so much red tape, nobody would even lift a finger without me signing a paper first, even if they have different opinions about who’s in charge,” Medvedev told CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS” in an exclusive interview airing Sunday. “That’s an absolutely clear thing for anyone who wants to sort out this issue.” The president was responding to suggestions that he may be serving as a ceremonial facade while all the power remains with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, the former president.

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Hamilton edges Sutil to snatch pole at Monza

Lewis Hamilton gave McLaren Mercedes pole position in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza with a dramatic late lap to beat Force India’s Adrian Sutil by just two-tenths of a second on Saturday. Defending world champion Hamilton took the 15th pole of his career after he clocked a last-gasp time of one minute and 24.066 seconds ahead of Sutil, who was 0.195secs behind.

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Dubious penalty helps England to victory

A controversial penalty from Frank Lampard and a second half strike from prolific substitute Jermain Defoe helped England to a 2-1 friendly victory over Slovenia at Wembley on Saturday. Both sides had chances to go ahead before England striker Wayne Rooney went down dramatically in the penalty area on the half hour mark

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Iran’s supreme leader issues warning to opposition

Iran’s supreme leader warned the political opposition Monday not to "direct the society toward insecurity." “You are being tested. And failing this test will not only mean your failure, it would also mean your fall,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in his remarks to leaders, according to text released by the government-run Islamic Republic News Agency.

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Iran’s Rafsanjani, in Speech, Shies Away from Confrontation

Iranians have been waiting for weeks to hear from former President Ayatullah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. At the height of the demonstrations on Tehran’s streets, when hundreds of thousands of people called for a do-over of the June 12 presidential election officially won by incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, many Iranians have wondered if Rafsanjani, one of the Islamic Republic’s most powerful men and a leading supporter of defeated presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi, would mount a challenge to Ahmadinejad’s main patron, the Supreme Leader Ayatullah Khamenei. So when word spread that Rafsanjani would deliver the keynote address at Friday prayers July 17 at Tehran University, one of the country’s highest-profile platforms, many opposition supporters hoped his speech would provide new impetus to the protest movement

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British Airways seeks emergency funding

Troubled British Airways plans to raise nearly a billion dollars of emergency cash funding as it tries to survive the current economic downturn, the airline said Friday. The news is an indication of bad times at BA, which is facing the threat of summer strikes by ground staff. Earlier this month, its pilots accepted a pay cut in exchange for the promise of shares to help the airline save money

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