Thursday 22 August 2013

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Contempt notice to Imran: SC reconstitutes bench

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ISLAMABAD (Online) - The Supreme Court has reconstituted a bench to conduct proceedings in contempt of court notice against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Thursday.The three-judge new SC bench, headed by Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and comprising Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Aijaz Afzal, will resume hearing of the case on August 28.According to sources, the SC reconstituted the above bench due to Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry’s engagements in Quetta next week.The earlier bench which was hearing the contempt case against Imran Khan was headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and comprised Justice Jawwad S Khwaja and Justice Shaikh Azmat Saeed as members.

Egypt's ousted leader Mubarak under house arrest

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CAIRO (AP) - Wearing a white T-shirt and flashing a smile, Hosni Mubarak was transferred from prison Thursday to a Nile-side military hospital where he will be under house arrest, a reversal of fortune for the former president who was ousted by a popular uprising and is on trial for complicity in the killing of protesters in 2011.The release of the 85-year-old Mubarak comes amid a sweeping crackdown against the Muslim Brotherhood, which rose to power after the revolution only to see their Islamist president toppled by a military coup last month.The latest twist of Mubarak's fate mirrored the country's rocky transition, with the longtime autocrat released from prison even as his democratically elected successor remained jailed at an undisclosed location. The release threatened to stoke tensions in the deeply divided country, reeling from violence and the unsettled politics that followed the military coup against Mohammed Morsi.Many feared the decision to let Mubarak out of prison at such a tense time would serve as a rallying cry for Morsi's supporters against the country's interim leaders.But there was little immediate reaction from the pro-Morsi camp, which called for street protests Friday against the July 3 coup, despite a sweeping arrest campaign that has seen hundreds of its leaders imprisoned.On Thursday, nearly 80 Brotherhood members were taken into custody, including the group's spokesman, Ahmed Aref.Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi ordered Mubarak placed under house arrest as part of emergency measures imposed last week after security forces forcibly dismantled two pro-Morsi protest camps, triggering a wave of violence that has killed more than 1,000 people.The decision came after anti-Morsi groups called on the interim leadership to use the emergency measures to keep Mubarak locked up, arguing that his release posed a threat to national security.The decision to place the ex-president under house arrest instead of letting him go free appeared designed to ease some of the criticism and to ensure that Mubarak is in court next week, where a retrial in the killing of protesters in the 2011 uprising could place him back behind bars. He also is being investigated in at least two other corruption cases.Footage on private TV stations showed the helicopter transporting Mubarak from Tora prison landing at a military hospital in the southern Cairo suburb of Maadi. Surrounded by armed troops in camouflage uniforms, he lay on a gurney, his hands grasping his head as he was placed in an ambulance for the short drive to the hospital.Wearing sunglasses, a white T-shirt, khakis and white loafers, the former leader smiled briefly before disappearing inside the vehicle. As the ambulance drove away, guards, some with their guns drawn, ran after it, apparently fearing it might be targeted for attack.A short time later, about two dozen protesters gathered on one of Cairo's main flyovers near Tahrir square, the epicenter of the protests that forced Mubarak from office. Wrapped in white shrouds and smeared with red paint representing the blood of those killed by security forces, they acted out a mock trial for the former leader.We demand the retrial of the killers of the revolutionaries, read a banner hung nearby. Another called for Mubarak, Morsi and military leaders to be tried in revolutionary courts.Ibrahim Tamim, a member of the April 6 youth group that helped spearhead the uprising against Mubarak, said the mock trial was a reminder that retribution for victims of the uprising had not been realized and that people should not celebrate Mubarak's release or Morsi's fall.We are trying to remind people that the failure of the Muslim Brotherhood regime does not make Mubarak's regime good, said Tamim, wearing a face mask of one of the victims of the uprising.Another youth group planned a rally Friday outside the country's high court to protest Mubarak's release. Activists and rights groups said the release is a reminder that none of the judicial reforms demanded by those who led the popular revolts against Mubarak and Morsi have been enacted.Most of the regime officials, including Mubarak, tried for the killing of hundreds of protesters in the early days of the uprising have been released, as lawyers cited shoddy procedures and weak prosecutions and court cases.Mubarak was held for several weeks of his two-year detention at the same military hospital where he is now under house arrest. His lawyers cited bad conditions in the prison facilities and prison authorities renovated the ward where he was later kept.Security officials said authorities wanted Mubarak taken to the International Medical Center, a military facility on the desert road between Cairo and the Suez Canal city of Ismailia, because it is easier for police to protect due to its distance away from crowded areas.But Mubarak insisted that he stay at the military hospital in Maadi because he was comfortable with the medical staff there, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.Since his ouster, Mubarak's supporters have released conflicting details about his health, including that he suffered a stroke, a heart attack and at times went into a coma. His critics called these an attempt to gain public sympathy and court leniency.His wife, Suzanne, has been living in Cairo and keeping a low-profile, occasionally visiting Mubarak and their two sons in prison.Outside the prison where Mubarak was held, a few dozen of his supporters gathered to celebrate his release.I am here to sincerely wish and congratulate our president, Hosni Mubarak, because without him we are truly nothing, said Mostafa Mohsein, a supporter who was among a dozen who raised Mubarak's pictures and chanted outside Tora prison.From the day that he left us, the country has been completely lost. We can't work or do anything. The country is in a state of decline.

Insurgent attacks across Iraq kill at least 24

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BAGHDAD (AP) - Insurgent attacks across Iraq, including a suicide bombing targeting a Shiite wedding party, killed at least 24 people Thursday, authorities said.Attacks have been on the rise in Iraq since a deadly security crackdown in April on a Sunni protest camp. More than 3,000 people have been killed in violence during the past few months, raising fears Iraq could see a new round of widespread sectarian bloodshed similar to that which brought the country to the edge of civil war in 2006 and 2007.Violence also has stepped up in strikes on so-called soft targets like civilians at coffee shops or shopping along busy commercial streets. On Thursday night in the northern town of Dujail, a suicide bomber detonated an explosives belt in the midst of a wedding party for a Shiite family, killing nine civilians and wounding 27, a police officer said.Dujail, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Baghdad, is a Shiite Muslim town surrounded by Sunni areas. Tensions between the two branches of Islam have grown as Sunnis feel locked out of the country's Shiite-dominated government.In another bloody attack, a suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden fuel tanker into a military barrack in Iraq's western Anbar province. The attack killed at least nine soldiers and wounded 11, a police officer said.A former insurgent stronghold, Anbar province is one of the areas where militants have intensified their attacks to undermine government efforts to increase security.Also Thursday, gunmen in two cars killed a local leader for pro-government, anti-al-Qaida Sunni militia in Madain, as well as two of his guards, another police officer said. Another guard was wounded, the officer said.Madain is about 25 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of Baghdad.Sunni militiamen, or Awakening Councils, fought al-Qaida during the country's brutal sectarian war. Many of its fighters were former al-Qaida members and are seen as traitors by the insurgents.In the northern city of Mosul, a bomb went off next to a police patrol, killing two police officers as gunmen shot dead a tribal sheik in another attack, police said.Mosul is about 360 kilometers (220 miles) northwest of Baghdad.Medical officials confirmed all of the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly to journalists.There was no claim of responsibility for Thursday's attacks. Sunni extremists such as al-Qaida's Iraq arm that seek to undermine the Shiite-led government are frequently blamed for attacks targeting civilians.

Iran official says sanctions can't change policy

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TEHRAN (AP) - Iran's new foreign minister says that Western sanctions can't force Iran to change its policy on its nuclear programme, though the administration of the country's new president is taking a new approach in reaching out to the West.Mohammad Javad Zarif told Iranian state television in an interview aired Thursday night that the new government of President Hasan Rouhani won't give up Iran's nuclear rights in negotiations with world powers.Western sanctions over targeting Iran's oil and banking sectors have savaged the country's economy.Zarif is set to lead Iran's nuclear talks with the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany. However, he told state television no final decision has been made about who will lead the talks.

UN chief calls for swift probe of attack in Syria

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UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday called on the Syrian government to allow a U.N. team now in Damascus to swiftly investigate an alleged chemical weapon attack outside the capital that killed at least 100 people.U.N. deputy spokesman Eduardo del Buey said Ban remains deeply troubled by the alleged attack on the eastern suburbs of Damascus on Wednesday and believe it needs to be investigated without delay.Syrian anti-government activists accused President Bashar Assad's regime of carrying out an attack using toxic gas and have reported death tolls ranging from 136 to 1,300. Even the lowest figure would make it the deadliest alleged chemical attack in Syria's 2 1/2-year civil war.The government has denied that it used chemical weapons, calling the allegations absolutely baseless.Del Buey said the secretary-general takes positive note of the U.N. Security Council meeting Wednesday that backed his initial call for a thorough, impartial and prompt investigation.He said the secretary-general has been in touch with world leaders since Wednesday and is sending U.N. disarmament chief Angela Kane to Damascus to press for a U.N. investigation.Under the terms of an agreement with Syria negotiated by Kane and chief weapons inspector Ake Sellstrom in July, the U.N. team can investigate three previous incidents of alleged chemical weapons use.A new agreement would need to be negotiated for the 20-member team to be able to go to the Damascus suburb of Ghouta.The U.N. team is scheduled to investigate an alleged chemical weapons attack that happened March 19 on the village of Khan al Assal outside the city of Aleppo, which was captured by the rebels last month. The government and rebels blame each other for the attack. The sites of the two other incidents to be investigated are being kept secret for security reasons.More than 35 countries signed a letter to the secretary-general Wednesday requesting the U.N. experts to launch an urgent investigation ... as expeditiously as possible into Wednesday's incident as well.Del Buey said the secretary-general is sending a formal request to the Syrian government to grant permission and access to the Ghouta area to the U.N. chemical weapons experts.He expects to receive a positive response without delay, del Buey said.U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson, who briefed the Security Council on Wednesday, expressed hope that the Syrian government will give the team access to the site as soon as possible, though he cautioned that because of fighting the security situation right now does not allow such access.This represents, no matter what conclusions are, a serious escalation with grave humanitarian consequences and human consequences, Eliasson stressed.The secretary-general reiterated his call for an immediate cessation of hostilities so that humanitarian assistance can be urgently delivered to the area of the latest incident, del Buey said.U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said President Barack Obama has directed the U.S. intelligence community to urgently gather additional information on Wednesday's incident, saying the videos and photos shock the conscience and go beyond the pale.At this time right now, we are unable to conclusively determine CW (chemical weapons) use, but we are focused every minute of every day since these events happened yesterday on doing everything possible within our power to nail down the facts, she said.As part of this effort, she said, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has been coordinating and cooperation with his counterparts around the world.

Murray could face Djokovic in US Open semifinals

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NEW YORK (AP) - Defending champion Andy Murray could face top-seeded Novak Djokovic only in the U.S. Open semifinals, while Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer who have never played each other at Flushing Meadows might meet in the quarterfinals.Murray earned his first Grand Slam championship by beating Djokovic in the 2012 U.S. Open final, then added a second by beating the No. 1-ranked Serb in the Wimbledon title match last month. But there can't be a rematch in New York in the final, thanks to Thursday's draw.Play at the year's last Grand Slam tournament begins Monday.In addition to No. 2 Nadal against No. 7 Federer, a 17-time major champion who has his lowest seeding at the U.S. Open since he was 13th in 2002, the other possible men's quarterfinals are 2011 champion Djokovic vs. 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro, No. 3 Murray vs. No. 5 Tomas Berdych, and No. 4 David Ferrer vs. No. 8 Richard Gasquet.Federer, who owns five U.S. Open titles, and Nadal also were set up for a possible quarterfinal at Wimbledon this year, but that never materialized: Nadal lost in the first round, and Federer in the second.The potential women's quarterfinals at the U.S. Open are No. 1 Serena Williams against No. 8 Angelique Kerber, No. 2 Victoria Azarenka against No. 7 Petra Kvitova, No. 3 Agnieszka Radwanska against No. 5 Li Na, and No. 4 Sara Errani against No. 6 Caroline Wozniacki.The woman who originally was seeded third in the tournament, 2006 champion Maria Sharapova, withdrew Wednesday because of a right shoulder injury.Williams' 16 Grand Slam titles include four at the U.S. Open, including last year. Her first-round opponent will be 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone. Williams could play 15th-seeded Sloane Stephens of the United States in the fourth round; Stephens won their Australian Open quarterfinal in January.Williams' older sister, 2000-01 U.S. Open champion Venus, is unseeded and was drawn to play No. 12 Kirsten Flipkens, a Wimbledon semifinalist last month, in the first round next week.Djokovic and 2010 U.S. Open champion Nadal, who recently overtook Murray at No. 2 in the rankings, could meet only in the final. They've already met in five Grand Slam championship matches, including in New York in 2010 and 2011.One intriguing earlier matchup for 12-time major title winner Nadal could come in the fourth round, when he might have to play 6-foot-10 John Isner, a big-serving American who is seeded 13th and pushed the Spaniard to five sets at the French Open two years ago.Nadal was drawn to play another American, 21-year-old Ryan Harrison, in the first round.Djokovic, who has reached at least the semifinals at the U.S. Open each of the past six years, could face 25th-seeded Grigor Dimitrov in the third round. Dimitrov surprisingly beat Djokovic on clay at the Madrid Masters in May, although Djokovic won their matchup less than a month later at the French Open.In the second round, Djokovic might play Lukas Rosol, the man who upset Nadal at Wimbledon while ranked 100th in 2012, or Benjamin Becker, who defeated Andre Agassi at the 2006 U.S. Open in the American's last professional match.

Kvitova, Halep advance to semifinals in New Haven

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NEW HAVEN (AP) - Defending champion Petra Kvitova advanced to the semifinals of the New Haven Open, beating Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 on Thursday.Romania's Simona Halep also advanced with a 6-1, 7-6 (6) win over Russia's Ekaterina Makarova.Rain delayed the start of play in both matches by more than 90 minutes, and each included hour-long rain delays during play.Halep will play the winner of Thursday night's quarterfinal match between four-time New Haven champion Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark and rising American star Sloane Stephens.Kvitova will face either Russia's Elena Vesnina or the Czech Republic's Klara Zakopalova.

United, Chelsea meet in battle of heavyweights

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MANCHESTER (AP) - Lingering uncertainty over Wayne Rooney's future hovers over Monday's Premier League match between title contenders Manchester United and Chelsea, with the two clubs still fighting to secure the striker's services.United has stuck to its not for sale stance over the unsettled Rooney following two bids from the London club, but Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho's declaration that he will lodge a third offer for the England international has added further intrigue around the game at Old Trafford.Rooney, who indicated toward the end of last season that he wanted to leave United, isn't guaranteed to start Monday as he remains short of full match fitness but his body language will be scrutinized if he plays any part in the first major showdown of the new season.The visitors will be looking to demonstrate to Rooney that they are the new force in English football following the much-heralded return of Mourinho and their perfect start to the campaign, which has seen them record wins over Hull and Aston Villa to go to the top of the early standings.United also began well, beating Swansea 4-1 away in David Moyes' first competitive match in charge of the Premier League champions.In Mourinho's first spell at Chelsea, they obviously got off to a few good starts and we didn't manage to catch them, veteran United midfielder Ryan Giggs said. It has obviously been well documented that we have got a tough start, but we started well with a good win at Swansea on Saturday and hopefully we can carry that on.After Chelsea, United plays Liverpool and Manchester City across its next three games so a loss on Monday will pile the pressure on Moyes.And he'll be given no respite from Mourinho, who isn't giving up in the chase for Rooney in the remaining days of the transfer window. The Portuguese coach insisted Wednesday, though, that a new offer won't be made before Monday's match.We did (bid for Rooney) before and we will do later, but I think this period from the ethical point of view is a period when we are going to be quiet and just thinking about that game, Mourinho said.The title race this season is expected to be fought out by United, Chelsea and City, and all three looked in sharp form in the opening days of the season.City, with its new and improved forward line, appeared to be able to score at will in its 4-0 thrashing of Newcastle on Monday and a visit to promoted Cardiff on Sunday shouldn't pose too many problems.One of our main targets for this season is to win the title back, City right back Pablo Zabaleta said. We know how difficult it is. It is still a long way to go but we are very positive. We have a very strong squad.Cardiff and fellow promoted clubs Hull and Crystal Palace failed to score a goal between them on the opening weekend, showing how tough the step-up will be from the second-tier League Championship.While it gets no easier for Cardiff this weekend, Hull will fancy its chances of picking up its first points of the season in a home match against Norwich and Palace travels to Stoke on Saturday after opening up with a 1-0 loss at home to Tottenham.Also Saturday, it's: Fulham vs. Arsenal; Aston Villa vs. Liverpool; Everton vs. West Bromwich Albion; Newcastle vs. West Ham; and Southampton vs. Sunderland.Tottenham hosts Swansea in Sunday's other game.

Merritt wins 400 metres in Stockholm meet

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STOCKHOLM (AP) - World Champion LaShawn Merritt won the men's 400 metres at the DN Galan Diamond League meet Thursday, clocking 44.69 seconds to beat Luguelin Santos of the Dominican Republic.Merritt finished well clear of Santos, who was 0.56 seconds behind, and Pavel Maslak of the Czech Republic in third place.I still feel like I'm in top form, Merritt said after his first big race since the world championships in Moscow.World Champion Svetlana Shkolina of Russia won the women's high jump at 1.98 metres, beating countrywomen Anna Chicherova and Mariya Kuchina into second and third.

Wiesberger, Gonzalez share lead in Gleneagles

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GLENEAGLES (AP) - Bernd Wiesberger of Austria and Ricardo Gonzalez of Argentina took full advantage of ideal scoring conditions to shoot 7-under 65s Thursday to share a one-shot lead after the first round of the Johnnie Walker Championship.The 27-year-old Wiesberger capped his round with three closing birdies as he looks to make amends for losing out in a five-man play-off two years ago on the PGA Centenary course set to host next year's Ryder Cup.I didn't make a lot of mistakes, Wiesberger said. I had troubles the last couple of weeks driving the ball, and coming off major championships where you have to be very precise off the tee, I felt I had a bit more margin of error here.Gonzalez is a four-time Tour winner, but has gone four years without a victory and fallen to 352nd in the world rankings.Six players, including the English trio of Oliver Fisher, Ross Fisher and Mark Foster, were a shot behind. The other three were Spain's Ignacio Garrido, Australia's Brett Rumford and Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee.The 41-year-old Garrido is also looking for a career revival, with the last of his two Tour wins dating back to 2003.Six under par is good anywhere and especially around Gleneagles, Garrido said. Today was a day to shoot such a score as the wind wasn't blowing that hard, and also be among the first out on fresh greens is always an advantage.Five players were a further shot back, including 27-year old tour rookie Kristoffer Broberg of Sweden, who won four times last season on the secondary Challenge Tour.European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley was among those on 4 under, along with Northern Ireland's Michael Hoey, who is playing his first event since capturing the Russian Open last month.Itlay's Francesco Molinari, the highest ranked player in the field at No. 42, shot a 69.

Oil rises as China, Europe factories ramp up

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NEW YORK (AP) - Oil had its first gain of the week Thursday, driven by a rebound in manufacturing in China and Europe.U.S. benchmark oil for October delivery rose $1.18 to close at $105.03 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.Oil fell $3.61 a barrel, or 3.6 percent, over the first three days of the week mostly due to expectations that the Federal Reserve will start phasing out its monetary stimulus, possibly starting next month. The manufacturing data overrode those concerns, at least for a day.The eurozones purchasing managers index, a key gauge of growth in both the manufacturing and services sectors, rose to 51.7 points in August from 50.4 in July, according to financial information company Markit. It was the highest reading since June 2011 and supported expectations that the eurozones recovery from recession is gaining momentum.As for China, HSBC Corp. said the preliminary version of its monthly purchasing managers index for Chinese manufacturing rose to 50.1 for August, a sharp improvement from Julys figure of 47.7.Elsewhere, North Sea Brent, the benchmark for international crudes, rose 9 cents to $109.90 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.

Scientists explore deepest trough in Caribbean Sea

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SAN JUAN (AP) - The man whose research team discovered the wreckage of the Titanic has now turned his attention to the deepest trough of the Caribbean Sea.Dr. Robert Ballard was aboard a 211-foot (64-meter) research vessel with dozens of other scientists to probe the Cayman Trough this week and collect samples of organisms they say might reveal how life might exist on other planets.On Thursday, the team was using remotely operated vehicles that have so far captured a dumbo octopus, named for its two ear-like fins; a sea cucumber with an unidentified appendage; and various invertebrates living around hydrothermal vents that can reach temperatures of more than 400 Celsius (752 Fahrenheit).Scientists have collected nearly 100 chemosynthetic shrimp, which can convert carbon molecules into organic matter by using inorganic molecules rather than sunlight for energy, and two worms living near the vents, Katy Croff Bell, chief scientist of the Nautilus Exploration Program, said in a phone interview from the ship.The team also explored an underwater mountain that had never been dived before and discovered areas of underwater landslides, she said.That's the whole mission of the Nautilus, to get out, create maps of the sea floor and look to see where there are interesting geological features, which typically lead to biological life as well, Croff Bell said.She said the scientists planned to launch the first exploration of a ridge located near two tectonic plates inside the trough that are moving apart and forming new earth.Previous expeditions to the region led to the discovery in 2010 by British researchers of the world's deepest known hydrothermal vents, as well as several new species.The current exploration of the Cayman Trough, which plunges to a depth of more than 25,000 feet (7,600 meters), ends next week. The Nautilus will then return to port in September to avoid potential hurricanes before heading to the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico in October.There scientists hope to explore earthquake-triggered underwater landslides along the island's north coast to determine their frequency and magnitude as well as whether such slides are capable of unleashing a tsunami.They plan to visit the islands of Montserrat and Grenada to look at underwater landslides as well. Researchers also will analyze an active underwater volcano just north of Grenada named Kick 'em Jenny that hasn't been explored in the past 10 years, Croff Bell said.Small earthquakes occur frequently in the region, although the last tsunami occurred in October 1918 following an earthquake that struck off Puerto Rico's northwest coast and killed 116 people, including 40 from a tsunami.

England 32-0, trail Australia by 460 in Ashes

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LONDON (AP) - England reached 32-0 at stumps on Thursday, trailing Australia by 460 on day two of the fifth test at the Oval.Alastair Cook and Joe Root are the not out batsmen on 17 and 13 respectively, having batted through a tricky period after Australia declared on 492-9.Earlier Steven Smith brought up his maiden test century with a six, smashing Jonathan Trott back over his head to reach the landmark before he finished on 138 not out, from 241 balls, a knock including two sixes and 16 fours.I probably wouldn't have played quite that type of shot if it had been another bowler, Smith said. But Jonathan Trott is a part-timer who doesn't bowl very often. I had a chat with Hadds (Brad Haddin) and said what do you think about hitting him over his head? He said just keep a clear mind. It was a good chance that I saw to get it out of the way. It's a great feeling to get a hundred in a test match.James Anderson was England's best bowler with 4-95.Rain had delayed the start of play until 2:30 p.m. local time (1330 GMT).Conditions were gloomy and with the ball swinging around, nightwatchman Peter Siddle added only five to his overnight score before he was clean bowled by a superb ball from Anderson.It was an isolated success for the hosts, who wasted a referral when an Anderson delivery flicked Brad Haddin's thigh pad.The bowler didn't even appeal, but at wicketkeeper Matt Prior's insistence the call was reviewed, with the crowd audibly groaning when the footage confirmed Aleem Dar's decision.Having selected five specialist bowlers, England resorted to Trott's occasional medium pacers, with captain Alastair Cook either unable or unwilling to bowl Swann, or risk bringing back debutant Simon Kerrigan after the mauling he received on day one.England's bowling coach David Saker blamed a sodden outfield for their reluctance to use the spinners.Once the ball got wet it limited who we could throw the ball to and what we could do with it, he said. The second spinner could come into it and hopefully he will. We still believe we can win the match from where we're sitting. If Simon Kerrigan bowls us to victory on the fifth day it'll be a feel good story for everyone.Smith was nearly out first ball on Wednesday when he started his knock with a shocking air shot to Anderson, but he passed his previous best test score of 92 when he cut the same bowler through gully and brilliantly drove Trott's first ball of the 113th over into the stands, for his first test century in 23 innings.Trott responded by removing Haddin four balls later, bowled by a ball he dragged on to his stumps.James Faulkner's debut innings was brief but entertaining. He hit Stuart Broad for three fours in the first over after tea before he holed out to Chris Woakes and was caught on the boundary by Trott.Australia began the evening session on 397-6 and scored 95 runs in 11.5 overs before the declaration.Mitchell Starc scored at a run a ball for 13 before he was bowled by Swann and Ryan Harris continued the attack with a six from Swann, swept over cow corner.In Swann's next over, the 126th, Harris hit him into the Vauxhall End but his cameo ended when he holed out to Anderson, who ran for 30 yards before catching him at mid-off for 33 from 27 balls.Clarke sent Nathan Lyon out to partner Smith, but declared just one ball later, leaving England to face a tricky period before stumps.Fauklner nearly claimed a wicket with his first delivery but Root's edge fell just short of the slips and Australia's bowlers failed to cause the openers any serious problems before bad light stopped play for the day.

ICC fines Lehmann for criticizing England player

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DUBAI (AP) - Australia coach Darren Lehmann has been fined for comments in a radio interview in which he accused England player Stuart Broad of blatant cheating.Tensions during the Ashes series have been simmering since the first test when Broad refused to walk after edging a ball from rookie spinner Ashton Agar to Australian captain Michael Clarke at first slip. He went on to share an important partnership that helped England clinch a tight result, and has since defended his decision to stand his ground and await the umpire's decision despite knowing he was out. The umpire was unsighted and didn't give him out, and the Australians had run out of referrals to the TV umpire.The International Cricket Council announced early Friday it had fined Lehmann 20 percent of his match fee Australian media reported the figure to be around $3,000 after he pleaded guilty to the charge of publicly criticizing and making inappropriate comments about a player.Lehmann made the comments in a lighthearted interview with an Australian commercial FM radio network when he encouraged fans to give it to (Broad) right from the word go for the whole summer when the return Ashes series starts in November. England retained the Ashes at home with two tests to spare, and had a 3-0 lead ahead of the ongoing fifth test at The Oval.Lehmann is renowned for his relaxed, straight-talking manner. The ex-test batsman was rushed into the national coaching job last month, immediately before the Ashes series, after Mickey Arthur was suddenly fired.His comments about Broad were heavily criticized in England, and former England captain Nasser Hussain questioned whether the fast bowler's safety would be put at risk because of Lehmann's remarks.These boys go out on an evening, they don't sit in their hotel room, Hussain said on Sky Sports News. That's more likely where Broad will have to be careful because after these words, there might be some Aussie out there that, after having a few beers on an evening, wants to have a little go at Broad.Under the ICC code of conduct, chief executive David Richardson had five days to decide whether to lay a charge against Lehmann, who could have appeared before a hearing if he'd disputed the charges.Whilst noting the context and nature of the comments made, showing mutual respect for one's fellow professionals including for coaches, players and match officials is a cornerstone of how we play the game, Richardson said.

ECP announces re-polling on 18 polling stations of NA-5, NA-27

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ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced re-polling on 18 polling stations of NA-5 Nowshera-I and NA-27 Lakki Marwat after reports that women were not allowed cast their votes.By-elections in 41 national and provincial assembly constituencies concluded as per schedule on Thursday. Women were reportedly stopped to cast their votes during by-polls in NA-5 Nowshera-I and NA 27 Lakki Marwat constituencies of national assembly in Kyber Pakhtunkhwa.The ECP took notice of the reports and announce re-polling at nine polling stations each in NA-5 Nowshera and NA-27 Lakki Marwat constituencies. However, the ECP will announce date for re-polling in 18 polling stations in these two constituencies later.Earlier, Peshawar High Court took the notice after the reports that in some constituencies of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa local Jirgas and Ulema had stopped women from casting their votes.Taken notice of the reports, PHC Thursday ordered that election results of the constituencies where women were forced to stay away from polling process should not be announced.
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