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Martin cards course best 63 in title defense

CASCAIS, Portugal — Pablo Martin of Spain and Gregory Bourdy of France both shot eight-under par 63s to break the course record and lead after the first round of the Portuguese Open.

Defending champion Martin, who became the first amateur to win on the European Tour last year, carded eight birdies on the Oitavos Dunes course as he bids for a repeat, this time as a professional.

He is looking to emulate Aaron Baddeley at the Australian Open in 1999 and 2000 by following a victory as an amateur with a successful defense as a professional.

I like this place it seems, said Martin after grabbing his eighth birdie with a superb seven-iron to within a tap-in putt on the 474-yard last.

Bourdy also captured eight birdies in an 11-hole run from the sixth.

The course record of 64 had been equaled earlier in the day by Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano of Spain, who recorded three birdies in four holes and finished with three more in a row.

Fernandez-Castano is in joint third place with Jose Manuel Lara of Spain and Sweden’s Michael Jonzon on a day of low-scoring.

Simon Khan of England, Francois Delamontagne of France, Alastair Forsyth of Scotland and James Kamte and Charl Schwartzel of South Africa are a further shot back on six-under.

2006 Ryder Cup hero Darren Clarke looked like taking close order when he played his first nine holes in a mere 30 strokes, adding a 25-foot eagle putt on the 16th to four earlier birdies.

But after three-putting three times and also visiting the trees on the sixth, the Northern Ireland player had to settle for a 68.

My game is fine, but I’m wasting shots - any momentum I am getting I am giving back, he said. E-mail to a friend

Copyright 2008 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Indians crash for 76 before lunch

AHMADABAD, India — South African fast bowler Dale Steyn snapped up five wickets for 23 runs as India were dismissed for 76 off 120 deliveries before lunch in a remarkable start to the second Test in Ahmadabad.

It was a stark contrast to the first Test at Chennai, when the bowlers toiled for 25 wickets for 1498 runs over the five days.

It was the first time that India had been all out in the first session of a Test and they managed one run more than their lowest total at home, made against West Indies in 1987.

The Indians elected to bat but South Africa were able to start their first innings before the first interval. They finished the day on 223 for four, with a lead of 147.

Fifth-wicket pair Jacques Kallis and AB de Villers shared an unbroken stand of 106 in 34.1 overs. At stumps Kallis was 60 and de Villiers 59.

Makhaya Ntini, who picked up three wickets in his first four overs, made the first breakthrough as opener Wasim Jaffer (9) fiddled with an outswinging delivery to offer a low catch to skipper Graeme Smith at first slip.

Steyn clean bowled opener Virender Sehwag, who made a triple century in the first test, for six when he edged a sharp delivery on to his off-stump.

Ntini, who finished with three for 18, added to India’s woes by clean bowling V.V.S. Laxman (3) and Sourav Ganguly (0) in the space of three deliveries that had India tottering at 30-4.

Laxman shouldered arms to an inswinging delivery, only to turn back and watch his shattered stumps, while Ganguly edged on an in-cutter.

Rahul Dravid (3) held up his end for 51 minutes and featured in the innings’ highest stand of 26 for the fifth wicket with Mahendra Dhoni (14) before he became the second of Steyn’s victims when he too played a delivery on to the stumps.

Dhoni was caught behind by Mark Boucher off Morne Morkel (2-20), who sent back skipper Kumble without scoring two balls later.

Steyn went on to claim five wickets for the eighth time in his 23-test career by dismissing Harbhajan Singh (1), Rudra Pratap Singh (0) and Shantakumaran Sreesanth (0).

Slumping to 56-8 after a lackluster batting display on a lively pitch, India surpassed their previous lowest total against South Africa, 66, when top-scorer Irfan Pathan (21 not out) put on 20 runs for the ninth wicket with Rudra Pratap Singh, who was among four batsmen who failed to score.

India’s previous lowest against the Proteas at home was 113 in Mumbai seven years ago. E-mail to a friend

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Paris to spotlight rights during torch relay

PARIS, France (AP) — A banner supporting human rights will be draped over Paris City Hall when the Olympic torch relay passes through the French capital on Monday.

Mayor Bertrand Delanoe said City Hall will display the banner because Paris defends human rights all over the world.

Delanoe spoke Wednesday at the announcement of the route for the torch relay, which will start at the Eiffel Tower.

David Douillet, a two-time gold medalist in judo, said torch carriers will wear badges as a distinctive sign celebrating free expression, without saying what will be written on them.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) promised to protest China’s crackdown on demonstrations in Tibet. Robert Menard, the group’s president, condemned China as the biggest prison in the world and said his members would wear T-shirts during the relay with the five rings of the Olympic logo depicted as handcuffs.

(There is) a contradiction between the International Olympic Committee and human rights, said Menard, adding that not enough has been done by France’s Olympic Committee (CNOSF) to pressure the IOC over China.

The French Olympic Committee did not want us to reach an understanding with us (over Tibet), said Menard, who was wearing the handcuffs T-shirt. We will take action the day of the procession.

CNOSF president Henri Serandour backed Delanoe’s banner initiative and called the procession a message of peace, but urged RSF not to disrupt the relay because respect must be shown to the athletes carrying this torch.

About 80 athletes will carry the torch over a 28-kilometer (17.4-mile) route that snakes round the Trocadero, down the Champs-Elysees toward City Hall, then crosses over the river Seine to the left bank past the National Assembly, before ending at the Charlety track and field stadium.

Protests in Tibet last month then spread to other parts of China. The Chinese government said 22 people died in the violence and crackdown, but Tibetan exiles claim about 140 people were killed.

The violence has cast a spotlight on China’s human rights record in the Himalayan region, and shattered the Chinese government’s hopes for a peaceful run-up to the Olympics in August.
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Chinese civil rights activist sentenced for subversion

BEIJING, China (AP) — An outspoken Chinese civil rights activist who dedicated himself to chronicling the plight of other dissidents was given 3-1/2 years in jail Thursday, his lawyer said.

Lawyer Li Fangping said that Hu Jia has 10 days to appeal the sentence, but that a decision on an appeal has not yet been made.

Hu, 34, had pleaded not guilty on charges of inciting subversion of state power at his trial last month. Li said then that he expected a 5-year sentence to be handed down.

Li said Hu appeared calm and poised at the sentencing at the Beijing No. 1 People’s Intermediate Court.

He said the court said the evidence against Hu included Internet articles he had written and two interviews he gave to international media.

Hu has been a vocal critic of China’s human rights record for years. An impassioned AIDS and environmental activist, he was confined to his Beijing apartment in a complex called Freedom City for more than 200 days before he was taken away by security agents on December 27.

Li said earlier this month that Hu’s indictment cited the comments he made during interviews with foreign media and articles he wrote that were posted on Boxun.com, a U.S.-based Chinese-language Web site that is banned in China.

Boxun.com, based in the U.S. state of North Carolina, carries reports and essays on a wide range of issues rarely seen in the Chinese state media, from corruption cases to calls for greater democracy.

Hu’s case has gained international attention, with U.S. and European officials repeatedly raising it in meetings with Chinese officials.

Premier Wen Jiabao avoided mentioning Hu by name when questioned about the case in a news conference last month and denied that Beijing was rounding up government critics ahead of the Olympics.

China is a country ruled by law, and all these issues will be dealt with in accordance with law, Wen said. As far as the critics’ view that China is trying to arrest dissidents before the Olympics, there is no such issue at all.

Beijing routinely uses the nebulous charge of subversion to imprison dissidents for years.
found here.

Chinese civil rights activist sentenced for subversion

BEIJING, China (AP) — An outspoken Chinese civil rights activist who dedicated himself to chronicling the plight of other dissidents was given 3-1/2 years in jail Thursday, his lawyer said.

Lawyer Li Fangping said that Hu Jia has 10 days to appeal the sentence, but that a decision on an appeal has not yet been made.

Hu, 34, had pleaded not guilty on charges of inciting subversion of state power at his trial last month. Li said then that he expected a 5-year sentence to be handed down.

Li said Hu appeared calm and poised at the sentencing at the Beijing No. 1 People’s Intermediate Court.

He said the court said the evidence against Hu included Internet articles he had written and two interviews he gave to international media.

Hu has been a vocal critic of China’s human rights record for years. An impassioned AIDS and environmental activist, he was confined to his Beijing apartment in a complex called Freedom City for more than 200 days before he was taken away by security agents on December 27.

Li said earlier this month that Hu’s indictment cited the comments he made during interviews with foreign media and articles he wrote that were posted on Boxun.com, a U.S.-based Chinese-language Web site that is banned in China.

Boxun.com, based in the U.S. state of North Carolina, carries reports and essays on a wide range of issues rarely seen in the Chinese state media, from corruption cases to calls for greater democracy.

Hu’s case has gained international attention, with U.S. and European officials repeatedly raising it in meetings with Chinese officials.

Premier Wen Jiabao avoided mentioning Hu by name when questioned about the case in a news conference last month and denied that Beijing was rounding up government critics ahead of the Olympics.

China is a country ruled by law, and all these issues will be dealt with in accordance with law, Wen said. As far as the critics’ view that China is trying to arrest dissidents before the Olympics, there is no such issue at all.

Beijing routinely uses the nebulous charge of subversion to imprison dissidents for years.
found here.