NAIROBI cheap nike air max 1 , Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Anxiety is reaching the boilingpoint as former world marathon record holder Wilson Kipsang andOlympic champion Eliud Kipchoge left for Germany to complete at theBerlin Marathon on Sunday.


The two might be the hottest candidates to attack the 2:02.57world record set by Dennis Kimetto in 2014 and their commitment toattain this goal leaves many imagining by how far they will raisethe bar.


Throw in former Berlin marathon champion Kenenisa Bekele, formerworld marathon record holder Patrick Makau and Luke Kibet, theformer world marathon champion and it doesn't get much better thanthat.


"I can't wait for the race day. I am looking forward to battleagainst Bekele and Kipchoge. I am better placed than anyone else tobreak the world record. I have done it before and believe I am ableto do it again," Kipsang said on Tuesday in Nairobi.


The world record has been broken in the German Capital a recordsix times, four of those by Kenyans athletes - Paul Tergat, Makau,Kipsang and Kimetto - while Haile Gebreselassie also did ittwice.


But Kipsang also want to be second time lucky on Sunday as heseeks to improve his personal best time. "The journey has started,"said Kipsang. "We are on our way to Berlin marathon with my wifeand son."


Meanwhile, world marathon champion Geoffrey Kirui has backedKipchoge and Kipsang to "obliterate" the world marathon record inBerlin.


"I have confidence that Kipchoge and Kipsang have what it takesto obliterate the record. This is a race where each athlete mustsacrifice and go for it," he said.


Kirui, who was second at the London World championships inAugust, confirmed that he is not planning to contest any moremarathons in 2017.


"I won't run any marathon this year. I want to relax after myworld championships feat," said Kirui, who is planning to run theDelhi Half Marathon on Nov.19.


Kirui was to compete at the Chicago marathon in October, butwill now have to sit it out as he recuperates and watch closely howhis body reacts.


Kirui is careful not to pick up fresh injuries having sat outthe last two season with a knee problem. Enditem


by Stanley Karombo


JOHANNESBURG, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Share prices on theJohannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) closed firmer on Monday trackingthe stronger Asian markets that traded at their highest level inten years.


The South African rand was at R13.29 to the dollar from R13.16,R15.89 to the euro from R15.7, and R17.95 to the British pound fromR17.86.


The all share was up 0.73 percent to 56,050.1 points, buoyed inpart by some larger industrial stocks.


The industrial index was 0.94 percent higher and the financialindex was 1.35 percent stronger. The resources index was 0.53percent higher at 35,250.16 points. The gold index was 3.08 percentlower after gold traded 0.51 percent softer at 1,307.2 dollars perounce.


Among individual stocks on the JSE, Richemont was up 1.71percent to R121.54, Bidvest gained 3.45 percent to R166.84 andNaspers gained 1.09 percent to R2,955.9. Netcare lost 0.69 percentto R23.08.


Among the banks, Standard Bank added 2.75 percent to R161.12,Barclay's Africa gained 2.23 percent to R138.72. FirstRand gained3.18 percent to R54.56 and Nedbank added 2.01 percent toR204.72.


Among the insurers, Discovery gained 2.82 percent to R146, afterearlier reporting a 20-percent increase in full-year dilutedheadline earnings per share. Sanlam climbed 1.89 percent toR68.35.


AngloGold Ashanti was off 3.97 percent to R126.23, and AngloAmerican Platinum lost 0.25 percent to R232.64. Enditem


NEW DELHI, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- India's main opposition Congressparty has expelled eight of its lawmakers in the western state ofGujarat for cross-voting in the recently concluded polls to theUpper House of Parliament (Rajya Sabha).


These eight lawmakers, including former Gujarat Chief MinisterShankersinh Vaghela and his son, had voted for the country's aswell as the country's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s twocandidates in the Rajya Sabha elections, defying a whip by theCongress party.


"We have expelled them for six years as they defied the partywhip and cross-voted. We will take action against them under theanti-defection law also," Gujarat Congress chief Bharatsinh Solankitold the media.


While Ahmed Patel, political adviser to Sonia Gandhi, won theRajya Sabha polls on Congress ticket from Gujarat, BJP chief AmitShah and Indian Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Iraniwon the elections from the ruling party side. Enditem


ISLAMABAD, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's top court on Friday disqualified Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over corruption charges.


A five-member larger bench of Supreme Court in an unanimous decision also ordered the country's anti-corruption body to formally register corruption case against the prime minister in six weeks and decide the case within six months.


The court also disqualified the country's Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, as well as Safdar, the husband of the PM's daughter Maryam Nawaz, according to the order. Safdar is a member of the parliament.


The apex court advised the president to take steps for the election of a new prime minister.


The court ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan to issue a notification and de-notify the prime minister from the seat of the National Assembly, the lower house of the parliament.


The Supreme Court ruled that the prime minister has failed to reveal his assets and that he is no more a trusted man under the provisions in the country's constitution.


Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf, the government lawyer, told reporters that the court has disqualified Sharif forever. He said there is no law to appeal against this verdict.


The court also ordered the National Accountability Bureau to regist.