Minggu, 21 Mei 2017
Mount Everest's famous Hillary Step destroyed, mountaineers confirm
A famous feature of Mount Everest has collapsed, potentially making the world's highest peak even more dangerous to climbers.
Mountaineers said the Hillary Step may have fallen victim to Nepal's devastating 2015 earthquake.
The near-vertical 12m (39ft) rocky outcrop stood on the mountain's southeast ridge, and was the last great challenge before the top.
It was named after Sir Edmund Hillary, who was the first to scale it in 1953.
British mountaineer Tim Mosedale confirmed the news of the Step's demise on Facebook after reaching the summit on 16 May.
Speaking to the BBC, he said the loss of the Step was "the end of an era".
"It is associated with the history of Everest, and it is a great shame a piece of mountaineering folklore has disappeared," Mr Mosedale said.
Back in May 2016, pictures posted by the American Himalayan Foundation appeared to show that the Hillary Step had changed shape.
But thanks to the snowfall, it was hard to tell for sure. This year, with less snow, it was clear the Step had gone.
"It was reported last year, and indeed I climbed it last year, but we weren't sure for certain that 'The Step' had gone because the area was blasted with snow," Mr Mosedale wrote on Facebook.
He concluded: "This year, however, I can report that the chunk of rock named 'The Hillary Step' is definitely not there any more."
Mr Mosedale, who is due to go back up Everest later this month, said he believed the Step was most likely a victim of Nepal's 2015 earthquake.
"It could well just be gravity, but I would suspect the earthquake was the cause," he told the BBC.
Mountaineers claim the snow-covered slope will be much easier to climb than the notorious rock-face, but have warned that it could create a bottleneck.
It is a serious worry for those already battling low oxygen and frostbite conditions at the top of the world.
Speaking to the BBC in 2012, British mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington said getting stuck near the Step could be fatal.
"If it's a perfectly fine day, it doesn't really matter too much if you are delayed for say, an hour and a half, two hours on the Hillary Step, which is just short of the summit.
"If the weather is breaking up, that two-and-a-half hour wait can be a matter of life and death."
The routes up Everest from Nepal and Tibet are already very hazardous, the BBC's Richard Galpin reports. Four climbers were killed on Sunday, he says.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39989992
Mountaineers said the Hillary Step may have fallen victim to Nepal's devastating 2015 earthquake.
The near-vertical 12m (39ft) rocky outcrop stood on the mountain's southeast ridge, and was the last great challenge before the top.
It was named after Sir Edmund Hillary, who was the first to scale it in 1953.
British mountaineer Tim Mosedale confirmed the news of the Step's demise on Facebook after reaching the summit on 16 May.
Speaking to the BBC, he said the loss of the Step was "the end of an era".
"It is associated with the history of Everest, and it is a great shame a piece of mountaineering folklore has disappeared," Mr Mosedale said.
Back in May 2016, pictures posted by the American Himalayan Foundation appeared to show that the Hillary Step had changed shape.
But thanks to the snowfall, it was hard to tell for sure. This year, with less snow, it was clear the Step had gone.
"It was reported last year, and indeed I climbed it last year, but we weren't sure for certain that 'The Step' had gone because the area was blasted with snow," Mr Mosedale wrote on Facebook.
He concluded: "This year, however, I can report that the chunk of rock named 'The Hillary Step' is definitely not there any more."
Mr Mosedale, who is due to go back up Everest later this month, said he believed the Step was most likely a victim of Nepal's 2015 earthquake.
"It could well just be gravity, but I would suspect the earthquake was the cause," he told the BBC.
Mountaineers claim the snow-covered slope will be much easier to climb than the notorious rock-face, but have warned that it could create a bottleneck.
It is a serious worry for those already battling low oxygen and frostbite conditions at the top of the world.
Speaking to the BBC in 2012, British mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington said getting stuck near the Step could be fatal.
"If it's a perfectly fine day, it doesn't really matter too much if you are delayed for say, an hour and a half, two hours on the Hillary Step, which is just short of the summit.
"If the weather is breaking up, that two-and-a-half hour wait can be a matter of life and death."
The routes up Everest from Nepal and Tibet are already very hazardous, the BBC's Richard Galpin reports. Four climbers were killed on Sunday, he says.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39989992
IPL: Mumbai Indians beat Rising Pune Supergiant by one run to win title
Indian Premier League final, Hyderabad:
Mumbai Indians 129-8: K Pandya 47, Unadkat 2-19, Zampa 2-32, Christian 2-34
Rising Pune Supergiant 128-6: Smith 51, Rahane 44, Johnson 3-26, Bumrah 2-26
Mumbai Indians won by one run
Scorecard
A superb final over from Mitchell Johnson saw Mumbai Indians beat Rising Pune Supergiant by one run to win a thrilling Indian Premier League final.
With Pune needing 11 runs, Johnson conceded a four off his first ball but then removed Manoj Tiwary and Steve Smith with consecutive deliveries.
Captain Smith hit 51 to give Pune a chance after their chase had faltered.
But Johnson's 3-26 and Jasprit Bumrah's 2-26 helped Mumbai defend 129 to become the first side to win three IPL titles.
Mumbai's previous victories came in 2013 and 2015.
After electing to bat first in Hyderabad, Mumbai fell to 8-2 and then 79-7, before Krunal Pandya's 47 off 38 balls, supported by late-order hitting from Johnson (13 off 14) saw them post 129-8.
In reply, Ajinkya Rahane struck 44 off 38 balls before he was removed by Johnson to leave Pune on 71-2 after 12 overs.
They added just 29 runs in the next five overs thanks to expert bowling from Lasith Malinga and Bumrah, who had former India captain MS Dhoni caught behind for 10.
A straight six from Australia captain Smith off Bumrah's penultimate delivery in the 19th over seemed to steer the match back Pune's way, only for Johnson to hold his nerve as Dan Christian was run out attempting a desperate third run off the final ball.
Mumbai's total was the lowest score successfully defended in this year's tournament.
England wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler scored 272 runs in the tournament for Mumbai, while all-rounder Ben Stokes starred for Pune with a maiden Twenty20 century and 12 wickets, but neither was playing in the final after being recalled for the upcoming one-day international series against South Africa.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/39993746
Mumbai Indians 129-8: K Pandya 47, Unadkat 2-19, Zampa 2-32, Christian 2-34
Rising Pune Supergiant 128-6: Smith 51, Rahane 44, Johnson 3-26, Bumrah 2-26
Mumbai Indians won by one run
Scorecard
A superb final over from Mitchell Johnson saw Mumbai Indians beat Rising Pune Supergiant by one run to win a thrilling Indian Premier League final.
With Pune needing 11 runs, Johnson conceded a four off his first ball but then removed Manoj Tiwary and Steve Smith with consecutive deliveries.
Captain Smith hit 51 to give Pune a chance after their chase had faltered.
But Johnson's 3-26 and Jasprit Bumrah's 2-26 helped Mumbai defend 129 to become the first side to win three IPL titles.
Mumbai's previous victories came in 2013 and 2015.
After electing to bat first in Hyderabad, Mumbai fell to 8-2 and then 79-7, before Krunal Pandya's 47 off 38 balls, supported by late-order hitting from Johnson (13 off 14) saw them post 129-8.
In reply, Ajinkya Rahane struck 44 off 38 balls before he was removed by Johnson to leave Pune on 71-2 after 12 overs.
They added just 29 runs in the next five overs thanks to expert bowling from Lasith Malinga and Bumrah, who had former India captain MS Dhoni caught behind for 10.
A straight six from Australia captain Smith off Bumrah's penultimate delivery in the 19th over seemed to steer the match back Pune's way, only for Johnson to hold his nerve as Dan Christian was run out attempting a desperate third run off the final ball.
Mumbai's total was the lowest score successfully defended in this year's tournament.
England wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler scored 272 runs in the tournament for Mumbai, while all-rounder Ben Stokes starred for Pune with a maiden Twenty20 century and 12 wickets, but neither was playing in the final after being recalled for the upcoming one-day international series against South Africa.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/39993746
Trump visits Israel amid tight security
US President Donald Trump is visiting Israel and the Palestinian territories, as he continues his first foreign trip.
He flies in from Saudi Arabia, a key US ally, where he gave a speech to Arab and Muslim leaders at a summit.
Mr Trump will hold talks with both Israeli and Palestinian leaders during the course of his two-day stop.
The president has called an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement "the ultimate deal", but has been vague about what form it should take.
He has said he prefers to leave it to both sides to decide between them in direct talks.
At a summit in Riyadh on Sunday, Mr Trump called on Arab and Muslim leaders to take the lead in combating Islamist militants, urging them to "drive them out of this earth".
He singled out Iran, saying it had "fuelled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror" in the region for decades.
Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif later hit back on Twitter, suggesting the US was milking Saudi Arabia for billions of dollars in newly-signed arms deals.
In his speech, Mr Trump also stated again that he believed peace between Israelis and Palestinians was possible.
The US president has been widely seen as considerably more supportive of Israel than his predecessor, Barack Obama. He has taken a softer position on the contentious issue of Israeli settlements, suggesting that their expansion rather than their existence might hamper the search for peace.
More than 600,000 Jews live in about 140 settlements built since Israel's 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, land Palestinians claim for a future state. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.
The president has also sent mixed signals on the issue of Jerusalem, pledging to move the US embassy there from Tel Aviv, angering Palestinians and delighting Israelis.
However he has since stalled, with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson recently telling NBC News that Mr Trump was weighing it up.
Israel regards the whole of Jerusalem as its capital, while the Palestinians claim the east as their capital. The international community does not recognise Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem and maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv.
There has been some consternation in Israel in the run-up to Mr Trump's trip over remarks made by administration officials.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected Mr Tillerson's suggestion that moving the embassy might harm the peace process, while a US Consulate official caused outrage by saying the Western Wall, one of Judaism's holiest sites, was "not in your [Israel's] territory but part of the West Bank".
The White House later said the official's comments "do not represent the position of the United States".
Mr Trump's trip also comes days after it was reported that the president had leaked to Russia's foreign minister classified intelligence information said to have come from an Israeli source. The incident has raised questions about the confidentiality of secret intelligence passed to the US by its closest Middle Eastern ally.
A huge security operation is under way for Mr Trump's visit, during which he will hold separate meetings with Mr Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem the following day.
The agenda for the rest of Mr Trump's trip
Mr Trump's eight-day trip will also take in Brussels, the Vatican, and Sicily.
The president's visit has been overshadowed by his political difficulties at home, namely the fallout over his sacking of FBI chief James Comey.
He flies in from Saudi Arabia, a key US ally, where he gave a speech to Arab and Muslim leaders at a summit.
Mr Trump will hold talks with both Israeli and Palestinian leaders during the course of his two-day stop.
The president has called an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement "the ultimate deal", but has been vague about what form it should take.
He has said he prefers to leave it to both sides to decide between them in direct talks.
At a summit in Riyadh on Sunday, Mr Trump called on Arab and Muslim leaders to take the lead in combating Islamist militants, urging them to "drive them out of this earth".
He singled out Iran, saying it had "fuelled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror" in the region for decades.
Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif later hit back on Twitter, suggesting the US was milking Saudi Arabia for billions of dollars in newly-signed arms deals.
In his speech, Mr Trump also stated again that he believed peace between Israelis and Palestinians was possible.
The US president has been widely seen as considerably more supportive of Israel than his predecessor, Barack Obama. He has taken a softer position on the contentious issue of Israeli settlements, suggesting that their expansion rather than their existence might hamper the search for peace.
More than 600,000 Jews live in about 140 settlements built since Israel's 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, land Palestinians claim for a future state. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.
The president has also sent mixed signals on the issue of Jerusalem, pledging to move the US embassy there from Tel Aviv, angering Palestinians and delighting Israelis.
However he has since stalled, with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson recently telling NBC News that Mr Trump was weighing it up.
Israel regards the whole of Jerusalem as its capital, while the Palestinians claim the east as their capital. The international community does not recognise Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem and maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv.
There has been some consternation in Israel in the run-up to Mr Trump's trip over remarks made by administration officials.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected Mr Tillerson's suggestion that moving the embassy might harm the peace process, while a US Consulate official caused outrage by saying the Western Wall, one of Judaism's holiest sites, was "not in your [Israel's] territory but part of the West Bank".
The White House later said the official's comments "do not represent the position of the United States".
Mr Trump's trip also comes days after it was reported that the president had leaked to Russia's foreign minister classified intelligence information said to have come from an Israeli source. The incident has raised questions about the confidentiality of secret intelligence passed to the US by its closest Middle Eastern ally.
A huge security operation is under way for Mr Trump's visit, during which he will hold separate meetings with Mr Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem the following day.
The agenda for the rest of Mr Trump's trip
Mr Trump's eight-day trip will also take in Brussels, the Vatican, and Sicily.
The president's visit has been overshadowed by his political difficulties at home, namely the fallout over his sacking of FBI chief James Comey.
- Monday-Tuesday, 22-23 May: Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, before visiting the West Bank on Tuesday
- Wednesday 24 May: Rome and Brussels. Mr Trump will meet Pope Francis, then Belgian officials
- Thursday, 25 May: A Nato summit in Brussels
- Friday, 26 May: Sicily, for a meeting of G7 members
Source :http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-39973197
Label: crime, freedom, news, sport, war
Sabtu, 20 Mei 2017
NBA star Enes Kanter's passport cancelled by native Turkey
An NBA basketball player from Turkey, Enes Kanter, has been stopped at a Romanian airport, after Turkey cancelled his passport.
Kanter, an Oklahoma City Thunder star, posted a video on Twitter saying this was due to his political views.
He blamed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who he called "a bad, bad man", and a "dictator".
Kanter, who turned 25 on Saturday, was later allowed to fly to London. It is unclear what documents he was using.
"They've been holding us here for hours," Kanter said in his video. "The reason behind it is, of course, my political views."
He posted a similar message in Turkish.
Romanian border police confirmed facts related to Mr Kanter's story, but did not speculate over the reasons.
In a statement - accompanied on social media by a photo of the sports star with police - border officials said he was detained at around 13:00 (12:00 GMT) after arriving on a plane from Frankfurt.
His passport was not valid, having been cancelled by "the issuing state", it said, and they could not allow him to enter Romania. But he was not under arrest.
He left at around 17:00 on a flight bound for London, it said.
When mentioning President Erdogan, Kanter told his audience: "You guys know him by, you know, he has attacked the people in Washington."
He was referring to a controversial clash between protesters and men apparently linked to Mr Erdogan's security detail during the Turkish leader's recent trip to the US.
Kanter is a supporter of Fethullah Gulen, the US-based cleric blamed by the Turkish president for inciting a failed coup in 2016.http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39987275
Turkey has demanded the preacher, who runs a network of schools in Turkey, be extradited, but the US has said it will only do on the basis of evidence.
In August 2016, Kanter cut ties with his family after his father publicly disowned him in the Turkish press.
Since the failed coup, suspected Gulenist supporters have been purged from jobs in Turkey. Many have been arrested.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39987275
Kanter, an Oklahoma City Thunder star, posted a video on Twitter saying this was due to his political views.
He blamed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who he called "a bad, bad man", and a "dictator".
Kanter, who turned 25 on Saturday, was later allowed to fly to London. It is unclear what documents he was using.
"They've been holding us here for hours," Kanter said in his video. "The reason behind it is, of course, my political views."
He posted a similar message in Turkish.
Romanian border police confirmed facts related to Mr Kanter's story, but did not speculate over the reasons.
In a statement - accompanied on social media by a photo of the sports star with police - border officials said he was detained at around 13:00 (12:00 GMT) after arriving on a plane from Frankfurt.
His passport was not valid, having been cancelled by "the issuing state", it said, and they could not allow him to enter Romania. But he was not under arrest.
He left at around 17:00 on a flight bound for London, it said.
When mentioning President Erdogan, Kanter told his audience: "You guys know him by, you know, he has attacked the people in Washington."
He was referring to a controversial clash between protesters and men apparently linked to Mr Erdogan's security detail during the Turkish leader's recent trip to the US.
Kanter is a supporter of Fethullah Gulen, the US-based cleric blamed by the Turkish president for inciting a failed coup in 2016.http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39987275
Turkey has demanded the preacher, who runs a network of schools in Turkey, be extradited, but the US has said it will only do on the basis of evidence.
In August 2016, Kanter cut ties with his family after his father publicly disowned him in the Turkish press.
Since the failed coup, suspected Gulenist supporters have been purged from jobs in Turkey. Many have been arrested.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39987275
Selasa, 16 Mei 2017
Maria Sharapova: French Open decides against giving former champion a wildcard
Maria Sharapova will miss the French Open after tournament officials decided not to give the two-time champion a wildcard.
The Russian, 30, was ranked too low to gain direct entry as she continues her return from a 15-month drugs ban.
"There can be a wildcard for the return from injuries - there cannot be a wildcard for the return from doping," French Tennis Federation chief Bernard Giudicelli Ferrandini said.
The French Open begins on 28 May.
Sharapova had been hoping to receive a wildcard either into the main draw or the qualifying tournament.
"I'm very sorry for Maria, very sorry for her fans," added Giudicelli Ferrandini.
"They might be very disappointed, she might be very disappointed, but it's my responsibility, my mission, to protect the high standards of the game played without any doubt on the result."
Early Rome exit ends Wimbledon main-draw hopes
Sharapova returned to action without a ranking last month and has since risen to 211 in the world after receiving wildcards in Stuttgart, Madrid and Rome.
That will be enough to at least earn a qualifying spot at Wimbledon next month.
Sharapova needed to reach the semi-finals of the ongoing Italian Open to qualify for Wimbledon's main draw but retired in the second round on Tuesday when leading Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 4-6 6-3 2-1.
"I apologise for having to withdraw from my match with a left thigh injury," she said. "I will be getting all the necessary examinations to make sure it is not serious."
Sharapova will now have to wait until 20 June to discover whether she is among the wildcards at the All England Club.
The former world number one has not played a Grand Slam since she tested positive for heart disease drug meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open.
That brought an initial two-year ban, later reduced to 15 months after the Court of Arbitration for Sport found she was not an "intentional doper".
Analysis
BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller
The ongoing fight against doping is more important than the line-up for the French Open - that was the message from the French Federation's president.
It is a brave and principled decision, which will upset some fans and broadcasters. Ratings may suffer, but Roland Garros will ultimately be stronger for it.
How could the public take the sport's anti-doping message seriously if one of the Grand Slams had invited a player who was not ranked high enough because of time served for a doping offence?
Sharapova has, in contrast, earned her place in qualifying for Wimbledon, even though injury has now deprived her of the chance to play herself into the main draw.
And assuming she is fit, she is likely to want to play at least two warm-up events.
The Lawn Tennis Association has already offered her a wildcard into the WTA event in Birmingham. If Sharapova also wants to play the week before, she has Nottingham and the Dutch town of Rosmalen to choose between.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/39932614
The Russian, 30, was ranked too low to gain direct entry as she continues her return from a 15-month drugs ban.
"There can be a wildcard for the return from injuries - there cannot be a wildcard for the return from doping," French Tennis Federation chief Bernard Giudicelli Ferrandini said.
The French Open begins on 28 May.
Sharapova had been hoping to receive a wildcard either into the main draw or the qualifying tournament.
"I'm very sorry for Maria, very sorry for her fans," added Giudicelli Ferrandini.
"They might be very disappointed, she might be very disappointed, but it's my responsibility, my mission, to protect the high standards of the game played without any doubt on the result."
Early Rome exit ends Wimbledon main-draw hopes
Sharapova returned to action without a ranking last month and has since risen to 211 in the world after receiving wildcards in Stuttgart, Madrid and Rome.
That will be enough to at least earn a qualifying spot at Wimbledon next month.
Sharapova needed to reach the semi-finals of the ongoing Italian Open to qualify for Wimbledon's main draw but retired in the second round on Tuesday when leading Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 4-6 6-3 2-1.
"I apologise for having to withdraw from my match with a left thigh injury," she said. "I will be getting all the necessary examinations to make sure it is not serious."
Sharapova will now have to wait until 20 June to discover whether she is among the wildcards at the All England Club.
The former world number one has not played a Grand Slam since she tested positive for heart disease drug meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open.
That brought an initial two-year ban, later reduced to 15 months after the Court of Arbitration for Sport found she was not an "intentional doper".
Analysis
BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller
The ongoing fight against doping is more important than the line-up for the French Open - that was the message from the French Federation's president.
It is a brave and principled decision, which will upset some fans and broadcasters. Ratings may suffer, but Roland Garros will ultimately be stronger for it.
How could the public take the sport's anti-doping message seriously if one of the Grand Slams had invited a player who was not ranked high enough because of time served for a doping offence?
Sharapova has, in contrast, earned her place in qualifying for Wimbledon, even though injury has now deprived her of the chance to play herself into the main draw.
And assuming she is fit, she is likely to want to play at least two warm-up events.
The Lawn Tennis Association has already offered her a wildcard into the WTA event in Birmingham. If Sharapova also wants to play the week before, she has Nottingham and the Dutch town of Rosmalen to choose between.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/39932614
Label: actor, artist, family, sport
Minggu, 14 Mei 2017
Lewis Hamilton on pole position in Spain ahead of Sebastian Vettel
Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton edged out Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel to take pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix.
Hamilton failed to improve on his final run, but his first lap was good enough to beat Vettel by 0.051 seconds.
A mistake by the German in the final corner could have been crucial as Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas took third ahead of Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen.
Home hero Fernando Alonso produced an exceptional effort to take seventh place for McLaren-Honda.
Sunday's race is live on 5 live sports extra and the BBC Sport website - with coverage from 11:30 BST.
Hamilton bounces back
Hamilton's superb effort was exactly what he needed after a difficult weekend last time out in Russia, where he finished fourth.
He set the pace in final qualifying with a one minute 19.149 seconds lap, and was just 0.025secs slower on his second run.
That gave Vettel a chance, but he locked up into the last chicane and missed out by just 0.051secs.
Hamilton's pole also owed a lot to a major upgrade the team brought to the race, with a narrower nose cone and major aerodynamic changes around the front of the car.
It was the team's first big upgrade of the season and seemed to have cancelled out two upgrades Ferrari brought to Russia and this race, which were smaller individually but seem to have been worth about the same amount overall.
Vettel rewarded for going with his gut
Vettel still had reason to be thankful - after a last-minute engine change before qualifying, he was told to stop the car on track by his engineer on his first lap of qualifying.
Vettel questioned the decision, asking: "Are you sure?" He was told to try to bring the car back to the pits. But a change of engine settings got the car running properly and Vettel was able to continue.
Bottas was just 0.224secs behind Hamilton despite missing three-quarters of final practice in the morning because of an engine change, edging out Raikkonen by 0.066secs.
Alonso shows his class after Friday embarrassment
Red Bull were fifth and sixth, with Max Verstappen beating team-mate Daniel Ricciardo by nearly half a second and providing evidence that an aerodynamic upgrade had closed the gap to the top two teams.
Verstappen was just 0.557secs off pole position - about half the deficit Red Bull have had over the first four races of the season.
But their progress was overshadowed by Alonso's superlative effort in beating both Force Indias and Felipe Massa's Williams, cars with a Mercedes engine that has at least 100bhp more than McLaren's Honda.
His performance suggests McLaren might be strong at Monaco, which raises doubts about the wisdom of their best asset missing the race and being replaced by Jenson Button, whose motivation to return to F1 after his retirement is being questioned by sources close to the team and driver.
However, Alonso said he had "zero regrets" about missing Monaco.
Alonso said: "Zero regrets. I will race the Indy 500, one of the best or the biggest race in the world.
"There are six cars - two Mercedes, two Ferraris, two Red Bulls - that will be unbeatable for the next couple of races. So to fight for P7 in Monaco? No thanks."
Palmer mystified
Jolyon Palmer - the other British driver on the grid - qualified 17th, knocked out in the first session in which he was just under 0.4secs slower than team-mate Nico Hulkenberg, who is 13th on the grid.
"Yesterday felt good," Palmer said. "Today I have struggled. I don't really know why. I just didn't have the pace at all."
What they said
Hamilton: "First Q3 lap was very, very good. The last lap was not quite as good. I was up by 0.2secs I think, but I didn't finish it that way.
"I didn't make a mistake, but it is very gusty out there and sometimes you brake in the same place and the car stops really well or locks up and I braked and the car really stopped [too quickly]. But it was enough to keep me ahead."
Asked whether his mistake was the difference, Vettel said: "I'm afraid it was, yeah. Always the last chicane is a tricky one for me. The second run was really good up to that final chicane."
Alonso, who is missing the next race in Monaco to race in the Indianapolis 500, said: "Maybe running the ovals I learned how to go quick in the straights. It was a good qualifying for us and P7 is a gift.
"Today was a beautiful day, a beautiful qualifying in which we were finding tenth after tenth. Then surprisingly we made it into Q3, and we had another very good lap.
"The important thing is tomorrow, to try to get a few points."
Source : http://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/39908130
Hamilton failed to improve on his final run, but his first lap was good enough to beat Vettel by 0.051 seconds.
A mistake by the German in the final corner could have been crucial as Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas took third ahead of Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen.
Home hero Fernando Alonso produced an exceptional effort to take seventh place for McLaren-Honda.
Sunday's race is live on 5 live sports extra and the BBC Sport website - with coverage from 11:30 BST.
Hamilton bounces back
Hamilton's superb effort was exactly what he needed after a difficult weekend last time out in Russia, where he finished fourth.
He set the pace in final qualifying with a one minute 19.149 seconds lap, and was just 0.025secs slower on his second run.
That gave Vettel a chance, but he locked up into the last chicane and missed out by just 0.051secs.
Hamilton's pole also owed a lot to a major upgrade the team brought to the race, with a narrower nose cone and major aerodynamic changes around the front of the car.
It was the team's first big upgrade of the season and seemed to have cancelled out two upgrades Ferrari brought to Russia and this race, which were smaller individually but seem to have been worth about the same amount overall.
Vettel rewarded for going with his gut
Vettel still had reason to be thankful - after a last-minute engine change before qualifying, he was told to stop the car on track by his engineer on his first lap of qualifying.
Vettel questioned the decision, asking: "Are you sure?" He was told to try to bring the car back to the pits. But a change of engine settings got the car running properly and Vettel was able to continue.
Bottas was just 0.224secs behind Hamilton despite missing three-quarters of final practice in the morning because of an engine change, edging out Raikkonen by 0.066secs.
Alonso shows his class after Friday embarrassment
Red Bull were fifth and sixth, with Max Verstappen beating team-mate Daniel Ricciardo by nearly half a second and providing evidence that an aerodynamic upgrade had closed the gap to the top two teams.
Verstappen was just 0.557secs off pole position - about half the deficit Red Bull have had over the first four races of the season.
But their progress was overshadowed by Alonso's superlative effort in beating both Force Indias and Felipe Massa's Williams, cars with a Mercedes engine that has at least 100bhp more than McLaren's Honda.
His performance suggests McLaren might be strong at Monaco, which raises doubts about the wisdom of their best asset missing the race and being replaced by Jenson Button, whose motivation to return to F1 after his retirement is being questioned by sources close to the team and driver.
However, Alonso said he had "zero regrets" about missing Monaco.
Alonso said: "Zero regrets. I will race the Indy 500, one of the best or the biggest race in the world.
"There are six cars - two Mercedes, two Ferraris, two Red Bulls - that will be unbeatable for the next couple of races. So to fight for P7 in Monaco? No thanks."
Palmer mystified
Jolyon Palmer - the other British driver on the grid - qualified 17th, knocked out in the first session in which he was just under 0.4secs slower than team-mate Nico Hulkenberg, who is 13th on the grid.
"Yesterday felt good," Palmer said. "Today I have struggled. I don't really know why. I just didn't have the pace at all."
What they said
Hamilton: "First Q3 lap was very, very good. The last lap was not quite as good. I was up by 0.2secs I think, but I didn't finish it that way.
"I didn't make a mistake, but it is very gusty out there and sometimes you brake in the same place and the car stops really well or locks up and I braked and the car really stopped [too quickly]. But it was enough to keep me ahead."
Asked whether his mistake was the difference, Vettel said: "I'm afraid it was, yeah. Always the last chicane is a tricky one for me. The second run was really good up to that final chicane."
Alonso, who is missing the next race in Monaco to race in the Indianapolis 500, said: "Maybe running the ovals I learned how to go quick in the straights. It was a good qualifying for us and P7 is a gift.
"Today was a beautiful day, a beautiful qualifying in which we were finding tenth after tenth. Then surprisingly we made it into Q3, and we had another very good lap.
"The important thing is tomorrow, to try to get a few points."
Source : http://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/39908130
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