Sunday 15 December 2013

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Oil prices edge higher ahead of US Fed meeting

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SINGAPORE (AFP) - Oil prices edged higher in Asian trade Monday as investors focused on the US Federal Reserve's policy meeting this week for clues about its long-awaited stimulus pullback.New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for January delivery, was up six cents at $96.66 in mid-morning trade while Brent North Sea crude for January gained 68 cents to $109.51.Investors mainly are waiting to hear the (Fed policy committee's) assessment of the strength of the US economy, and how that will affect plans for the ... stimulus programme, David Lennox, resource analyst at Fat Prophets in Sydney, told AFP. Analysts are waiting to see if the central bank will announce on Wednesday a cut to its $85 billion-a-month stimulus package following a string of upbeat economic data including a sharp fall in the unemployment rate. A so-called tapering of the programme would likely boost the greenback, making dollar-priced oil more expensive for countries using other currencies, dampening demand.European benchmark Brent gained support after armed protesters in crude producer Libya on Sunday refused to lift a months-long blockade of vital oil terminals in the eastern part of the country. A tribal chief last week had said that the blockade would be lifted on December 15. The protests, as well as blockades of fuel deliveries by the Berber minority, have slashed Libya's output to about 250,000 barrels per day, from normal levels of nearly 1.5 million.

SC to hear thumb verification case today

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ISLAMABAD (Online) - A three-member bench of Supreme Court (SC) headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani will hear the case of thumb verification in four constituencies filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) today (Monday).As per cause list issued by SC, under the supervision of CJP and Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk, 2 separate benches have been constituted for the hearing of important cases in federal capital.Along with the petition of PTI regarding thumb verification, SC will also hear the cases EOBI scandal, Balochistan insurgency, Kamran Faisal mysterious death, Jinnah Avenue firing incident, salaries of lady health workers and Manchar lake pollution case. Two benches headed by Justice Jawad S. Khawaja and Justice Saqib Nisar will hear the cases in Lahore, while 2 benches under the supervision of Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and Justice Arif Khilji will conduct the hearing of cases in Karachi.

Senate, NA sessions to resume today

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - The National Assembly (NA) and Senate will resume their sessions at Parliament House Islamabad today (Monday) after two days break.The Senate will meet at 03:30 pm while National Assembly will meet at 04:00 pm.The National Assembly will have further discussion on prevailing law and order situation in the country besides taking calling attention notices and carrying out legislative business.The upcoming seventh session of the NA is likely to discuss in length the Rawalpindi tragedy, the recent drone strikes in KPK, price hike and other important matters.The upcoming session is also likely to witness a heated debate on several issues as the main opposition parties are all set to raise privatisation of public sector entities, conditions of the IMF loans and the fresh hike in power tariff.

Yemen parliament bans drone attacks

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SANAA (AFP) - Yemens parliament passed on Sunday a law banning drone strikes, Saba news agency said, days after one such attack reportedly hit a wedding motorcade and killed civilians.Lawmakers have voted to ban drone strikes in Yemen, Saba reported after a parliamentary meeting.The US military operates all unmanned aircraft flying over Yemen in support of Sanas campaign against Al-Qaeda, and has killed dozens of militants in an intensified campaign this year.Saba said lawmakers Sunday stressed the importance of protecting all citizens from any aggression and the importance of preserving the sovereignty of Yemeni air space.On Thursday a drone attack in Rada, in the central province of Bayda, killed 17 people, mostly civilians, in a wedding motorcade, triggering protests in the impoverished Arabian peninsula country.The Supreme Security Committee, headed by President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi, issued a statement Friday insisting that the strike had targeted a car belonging to a leader of Al-Qaeda.In the car were top leaders who plotted several terrorist attacks against the armed forces, police, civilians and vital government installations, it said.The statement did not give a death toll for the strike, nor refer to any civilian casualties or acknowledge that the attack was launched by a US drone.Security sources and witnesses said two missiles were fired, and that mostly civilians had died.Amnesty International said confusion over who was behind the raid exposes a serious lack of accountability for scores of civilian deaths in the country.Even if it turns out that this was a case of killing based on mistaken identity or dodgy intelligence, whoever was responsible needs to own up to the error and come clean about what happened in this incident, said Philip Luther, Amnestys Middle East and North Africa director.Relatives of the dead staged protests to denounce the killings and demanded an official apology as well as compensation.Hundreds of people also blocked the road between Rada and Sanaa at Fridays funeral of 13 people but reopened a day later after reaching agreement on compensation with local military authorities.If the government fails to stop American planes from... bombing the people of Yemen, then it has no rule over us, tribal chief Ahmad al-Salmani told AFP on Saturday.Two of the dead whose names were released -- Saleh al-Tays and Abdullah al-Tays -- had figured in the past on Yemeni government lists of wanted Al-Qaeda suspects.But most of those killed were civilians of the Al-Tays and Al-Ameri - which are part of the large and heavily armed Qayfah tribe.Yemen is the ancestral home of Osama bin Laden and the home base of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which the United States views as the global jihadist networks most dangerous franchise.

36 people killed in Aleppo air raid: Syrian monitor

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BEIRUT (AFP) - At least 36 people, including 15 children, were killed in regime air raids on rebel districts of the northern city of Aleppo on Sunday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.They were killed when regime forces unleashed an aerial attack using explosive-laden barrels over six districts in eastern Aleppo, including Sakhur, Ard al-Hamra and Haydariyeh, said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman.Fifteen children, an 18-year-old boy and a woman were among 36 people killed, he said, updating an earlier toll and warning the number could rise because many people were wounded, some in critical condition.The Aleppo Media Centre (AMC), an activists network on the ground, reported several air attacks on rebel-held areas of the city.Once Syria's commercial capital, Aleppo has suffered massive destruction since a rebel offensive in July last year.The city is now divided into pro- and anti-regime areas, and according to the AMC, the regime uses its air force near daily to target rebel districts.An AMC activist in the city, Mohammed al-Khatieb, said in a message posted on Facebook that the raids were unprecedented.Everyone is looking up at the skies and watching the planes. But there's nothing to be done, he said.Barrel bombs were dropped on some 10 neighbourhoods of the city, Khatieb later told AFP, adding: Many people have been killed.The bombings came a day after the Syrian Red Crescent delivered food and medicine to Aleppo central prison, which has been under rebel siege for eight months.Earlier this week, the government announced an amnesty on humanitarian grounds for scores of prisoners held on criminal charges.Fifteen prisoners have already been freed, escorted out of jail by volunteers, according to the Observatory, while 341 others are waiting to be released.In Adra, northeast of Damascus, at least 32 civilians have been confirmed dead since Wednesday when Islamist rebels launched an offensive aimed at capturing the key entrance into the capital, said the Observatory.The group, which had earlier reported a toll of 28, added that at least four of the dead were women, and that most of the fatalities belonged to President Bashar al-Assad's Alawite sect.Reports have also surfaced of dozens of people missing from Adra, said the Observatory, which relies on a network of doctors, activists and lawyers on the ground for its reports.The army has vowed to crush Islamist rebels in the industrial town, which has seen fierce fighting for five days.Most of the country's Alawites -- whose religion is an offshoot of Shiite Islam -- support Assad, and many members of other minority groups fear a Sunni Islamist victory in the Syrian conflict.More than 126,000 people have been killed in Syria since March 2011, and millions more have fled their homes.

TV presenter among 19 killed in Iraq attacks

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MOSUL (AFP) - Gunmen murdered a female TV presenter in northern Iraq on Sunday, making her the sixth journalist killed in less than three months, while other attacks left 18 dead, officials said.Nawras al-Nuaimi was shot near her home in Mosul, Al-Mosuliyah TV said, and was the fifth journalist killed in the city since October.Mostly Sunni Arab Mosul is one of the most dangerous cities in Iraq, with militants frequently carrying out attacks and reportedly extorting money from shopkeepers.In the deadliest single attack Sunday, bombs exploded near a Turkmen Shiite familys house in the Khanaqin area of Diyala province, killing a man, his wife and their three children, police and a doctor said.And bombings mainly targeting Shiite areas in and around Baghdad killed at least nine people and wounded 27.In the northern province of Kirkuk, gunmen killed two people and wounded a third, while three blasts in the Tuz Khurmatu area of nearby Salaheddin province killed two people and wounded three.The killing of Nuaimi was just the latest deadly violence targeting journalists in Iraq.On December 5, Kawa Ahmed Germyani, the editor-in-chief of Rayal magazine and a correspondent for Awene newspaper, was gunned down in front of his mother in Kalar, a town in Sulaimaniyah province in the autonomous Kurdistan region.Following that killing, media rights watchdog Reporters Without Borders said it was worried about the very dangerous climate for journalists both in Iraqi Kurdistan and the rest of Iraq, and about the impunity enjoyed by their attackers and killers.Germyanis death came after that of Alaa Edwar, a Christian journalist working for the Nineveh al-Ghad television network, who was shot dead in Mosul in November.And Al-Mosuliyah cameraman Bashar Abdulqader Najm and two journalists from the Sharqiya television channel -- correspondent Mohammed Karim al-Badrani and cameraman Mohammed Ghanem -- were killed in Mosul in October.Iraq has come in for repeated criticism over shortcomings in media freedom, and ranks first in the Committee to Protect Journalists Impunity Index, which tracks unsolved murders of journalists.Bloodshed in the country has reached a level unseen since 2008, when Iraq was emerging from a period of brutal sectarian conflict.More than 6,450 people have been killed in violence since the beginning of the year, according to AFP figures based on security and medical sources.

Bachelet elected Chile president for 2014-2018 term

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SANTIAGO (AFP) - Socialist Michelle Bachelet was swept back into office Sunday as Chile's next president, electoral officials said, as her rival recognized the win.Bachelet, 62, would take office March 11 to succeed conservative billionaire President Sebastian Pinera. She had served as Chile's first woman president back in 2006.It is clear at this point. She won. And we congratulate her. Later on, I will go speak with her personally, rival Evelyn Matthei told reporters.The national electoral board said Bachelet earned 62.59 percent of the vote against Matthei's 37.40 percent, with 56 percent of votes tallied.Bachelet's contest with Matthei marked the first time in Latin America that a presidential runoff was held between two women.More than 13 million Chileans were eligible to vote Sunday, but this year's race marked the first time that voting in a presidential election was voluntary in Chile. In the first round, which resulted with Bachelet winning 47 percent of the vote to 25 percent for Matthei, more than 50 percent of voters did not bother to cast ballots.Bachelet has focused on greater social justice in a country that has the highest per capita income of any Latin American country.She has proposed increasing taxes to raise $8.2 billion for the state coffers. She wants everyone, not just the rich, to have access to free post-secondary education.Bachelet also hopes to quickly move on sweeping reforms that most Chileans want, which include overhauling the constitution, a legacy of the era of dictator Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990).She plans to bring Chile in line with a wave of social liberalism sweeping once conservative Latin America, which include legalizing abortion and opening discussions on same-sex marriage.During her first term, Bachelet reformed the pension system, improved health and social services, and focused on the well-being of Chile's working class and elderly.Her presidency coincided wit a boom in global demand for copper, Chile's top export.

Lebanese soldier, 4 attackers killed in assaults on army

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BEIRUT (AFP) - A Lebanese soldier and four attackers were killed in two separate assaults late Sunday on army checkpoints in the southern city of Sidon, the military said in a statement.At 9:15 p.m. (1915 GMT) today (Sunday) an armed man approached an army checkpoint in the north of Sidon, and launched a hand grenade towards it, injuring two soldiers, the army statement said.Troops manning the checkpoint fired back at the attacker, leading to his death, it added.Then at 10:20 p.m. (2020 GMT), three armed men in a four-by-four vehicle approached a second army checkpoint at another location in the southern city.One of them blew himself up with a hand grenade he was holding, killing him and a soldier, said the army, adding that another soldier was wounded in the attack.Then troops at the checkpoint opened fire at the other armed men and killed them, the military added.The army gave no details on the identities or nationalities of the attackers, but said the military police has opened an investigation into the incidents.A security source in Sidon, southern Lebanons largest city, meanwhile told AFP on condition of anonymity that the attacks were likely coordinated.AFPs correspondent in Sidon said the army deployed vehicles along the citys main roads as it stepped up security.Sidon is located some 40 kilometres (25 miles) south of Beirut.The majority Sunni city was the scene of fierce battles in June that pitted the army against fighters loyal to a radical cleric, Ahmad al-Assir, who has since been on the run.Assir is fiercely opposed to the powerful Shiite movement Hezbollah and its ally in Damascus, President Bashar al-Assad.The June battle claimed the lives of 18 Lebanese troops and 11 fighters, and ended when the army seized control of Assirs compound in the city.

Murray takes BBC award, sorry for voice

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LONDON (AFP) - Andy Murray, the first British man in 77 years to win Wimbledon, claimed the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award on Sunday and then apologised if he sounded boring.Murray, 26, had defeated Novak Djokovic in straight sets in July's Wimbledon championship match for his second career Grand Slam title.The Scot had won the US Open in 2012 as well as the Olympic title.In Sunday's awards, he beat British and Irish Lions rugby union player Leigh Halfpenny who finished second and horse-racing jockey AP McCoy who was third.Murray received the trophy from tennis legend Martina Navratilova at his training base in Miami.No matter how excited I try to sound my voice always sounds boring -- that's just my voice, I'm sorry I'm very excited right now Thank you very much everyone, said an emotional Murray.Thanks to Martina Navratilova for giving this to me. She's possibly the greatest tennis player of all time.I've got a few people to thank - my family first. They've supported me since I was a kid, making a lot of sacrifices for me. I couldn't have done it without you. My team have been with me for a long time and I also couldn't have done it without them.And finally I'd like to thank all the public who voted, for giving me so much support over the last couple of years. It has made a huge difference. I know sometimes I'm not the easiest person to support but I've had a lot of pressure on me for a long time. I'm glad I managed to do it.

Football: Ronaldo opens his own museum

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MADRID (AFP) - Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo officially opened a museum dedicated to his own achievements in his birthplace of Madeira, Portgual on Sunday.The museum contains a number of trophies, medals and memorabilia from throughout the 28-year-old's career, including the Ballon d'Or he won for being the world's best player in 2009.And after being named alongside Franck Ribery and Lionel Messi as the three finalists for this year's award, Ronaldo said that the museum contained plenty of space for another Ballon d'Or.We have left space to put more trophies, he told Madrid sports daily AS.It is a very special and beautiful day for me. I hope that it is for Madeira as well.All the trophies that I have here are special, but I wouldn't want to pick out any one in particular because, although some are more important than others, they all have a special meaning.

Football: Five-star Liverpool swamp sorry Spurs

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LONDON (AFP) - Luis Suarez scored twice as Liverpool moved back into second place in the Premier League with a crushing 5-0 defeat of Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on Sunday.Jordan Henderson, Jon Flanagan and Raheem Sterling were also on target, with the victory taking Brendan Rodgers's side above Chelsea on goal difference and to within two points of leaders Arsenal.Suarez's double continued his outstanding scoring run and the striker has now scored 17 Premier League goals this season, while Liverpool took their tally to 14 goals in the last three games.The impressive one-sided win confirmed Liverpool's credentials as title contenders, while defeat brought an end to Tottenham's recent recovery after they had fallen to successive defeats against Newcastle United and Manchester City.Now five points adrift of the top four and eight points off first place, the focus will again be trained on manager Andre Villas-Boas, who also saw midfielder Paulinho sent off for a high challenge on Suarez.The fact that Suarez has now scored two more Premier League goals than Tottenham have managed altogether highlights Spurs' weaknesses up front, but this defeat exposed frailties in all departments.Spurs actually succeeded in keeping Suarez quiet for the opening 15 minutes of the game but once he caught sight of the home goal, Villas-Boas's side found the Uruguay forward impossible to handle.Installed as captain in the absence of Steven Gerrard, who is expected to be out for around six weeks with a hamstring problem, Suarez almost wrong-footed Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris with an improvised shot that drifted narrowly wide.But that proved to be a temporary let-off for the home side, with Suarez making no mistake after Henderson's reactions proved to be quicker than those of Michael Dawson, the Spurs centre-back.Dawson appeared to have cut out Suarez's threaded pass but he was dispossessed by Henderson, who picked out Suarez as the striker burst into the Spurs area.A neat side-step took the Reds skipper around Kyle Walker, before he slotted home a side-foot finish.The goal highlighted the difference between the two teams, while Liverpool's greater pace and incisive passing exposed the gaps in the Tottenham defence.Liverpool were unaffected by Gerrard's absence in central midfield, while Sterling was giving Spurs left-back Kyle Naughton a torrid time.The visitors' failure to convert a number of chances meant Tottenham retained hope of recovery.But with the Spurs defence in disarray, more chances were always likely to come Liverpool's way and they finally made it 2-0 in the 40th minute.Lloris produced two fine saves to deny first Henderson and then Suarez, before Henderson again reacted well and drilled home the second rebound.Villas-Boas clearly needed to make changes and he responded by replacing Naughton with Zeki Fryers at half-time, and no doubt instructed his players to match Liverpool's greater industry and movement.The response was positive, with Roberto Soldado firing over immediately after the restart.That, though, proved to be a brief moment of promise for the home side and the woodwork denied Liverpool four minutes later when Mamadou Sakho headed against the post.Any hope of a Tottenham recovery disappeared in the 63rd minute when Paulinho challenged Suarez for a bouncing ball, planting his studs in the Uruguayan's ribs and earning a straight red card.Flanagan compounded the home side's misery with a first-time shot from Suarez's cross before the Liverpool captain scored his second in the 84th minute when he chipped Lloris from outside the area after being played through by Luis Alberto.Sterling completed the rout in the 89th minute after being sent clear by Suarez.

Golf: Garcia takes Thai Championship

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BANGKOK (AFP) - Spain's Sergio Garcia cruised to his first title of the year with a four-shot win at the Thailand Golf Championship on Sunday.Looking relaxed, the Spaniard fired a four-under 68 on the final day of the $1 million Asian Tour event, giving him a dazzling 22-under par finish of 266 for the tournament. It was his 21st career victory and his fourth Asian Tour title.Starting the day four shots behind, runner-up Henrik Stenson came within two shots of Garcia mid-way through the round. But that was as close as it got for the Swedish star, who matched Garcia's 68 for the round to end on an overall 270.France's Alexander Levy clinched third place with a final-round 69, to end four strokes behind Stenson at the Amata Spring Country Club.Defending champion Charl Schwartzel was among a quartet of players who shared fourth place. He hit his second consecutive 67, but was unable to recreate his 2012 masterclass.Joining the South African on a tournament 275 were England's Justin Rose who also could not dent Garcia's lead, Yuki Kono of Japan and India's Anirban Lahiri.Chapchai Nirat was Thailand's best finisher in joint eighth place with America's Rickie Fowler.It was great to win in my last tournament of the year, said Garcia, who sank six birdies and dropped two shots in his final round. The win is expected to move him up into a top-10 world ranking.With the in-form Stenson his main challenger on the final day, Garcia said he knew he could not afford too many slip-ups.Henrik has been playing so well lately, I could not afford to slip up, Garcia said, admitting he stuttered briefly on the last three holes of the front nine before recovering with a hat-trick of quick birdies on the back leg.With just two holes to go he knew all he had to do was keep the ball out of the water to ensure victory.I hope I can carry this form into next season, he said.The Spaniard said his girlfriend, who was his caddie for the event, played a big part in his success, but he confirmed he would return to his regular caddie next season.Runner-up Stenson praised Garcia's performance.Sergio just played so well, he said. Being four shots back I needed something really good to happen, but I missed a couple of good birdie opportunities.The Swede said that when Garcia notched three straight birdies on the back nine he knew it was done and dusted.US Open Champion Justin Rose said he struggled to recover from a bad start.While he failed to win in Thailand, Rose said he had enjoyed the fun tournament in the Thai sun. But I will be happy to put down my clubs for a few weeks. I've had an amazing year.

Golf: Kuchar and English romp to Shootout win

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NAPLES (AFP) - Matt Kuchar and Harris English combined to shoot 14-under-par 58 on Sunday for a record-setting victory in the Franklin Templeton Shootout.Kuchar and English went into Sundays final round of the unofficial event for two-man teams with a four-stroke lead and finished on 34-under-par 182.Their 54-hole scored matched the 34-under-par 182 tournament record set in 1990 by Fred Couples and Raymond Floyd when the event was staged at Sherwood Country Club in California.It improved the low 54-hole score since the event moved to Tiburon Golf Club, which was a 33-under-par 183 by Brad Faxon and Scott McCarron in 2001.The seven-stroke margin of victory also broke the tournament record of six strokes set in 1989 by David Duval and Fred Couples.It was nice to come here and perform well, said Kuchar. We made a boatload of birdies. It was a fun three days for sure.South Africas Retief Goosen and teammate Freddie Jacobson of Sweden shot 61 on Tiburon Golf Clubs Gold Course to take second place on 27-under 189.The english duo of Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood fired a 59 and grabbed third at 26-under.Chris DiMarco and Billy Horschel placed fourth at 24-under, one stroke ahead of last years champions Kenny Perry and Sean OHair, who had led after Fridays opening round.Kuchar and English took charge in Saturdays better-ball format and never wavered in Sundays scramble.In addition to their 12 birdies, the duo highlighted their round with an eagle at the par-five 17th.English split the fairway off the tee and Kuchar landed the second shot within 10 feet of the pin, with English converting the eagle putt.Harris hit a great drive, only had 200 to the front, I think it was 217 to the hole into a little bit of wind, Kuchar said. I had a hybrid club that in those conditions needs to be hit well. I hit it perfectly and knew that when I hit it was going to turn out good, went to probably eight feet for eagle.Again, it was another hole I didnt have to putt. Harris poured another one right in the middle.English said he was looking forward to a short Christmas vacation with his family, before the US PGA Tours 2013-14 season resumes in Hawaii in January.

Broad hopeful on injury and Ashes

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PERTH (AFP) - England paceman Stuart Broad said Sunday he hoped to overcome a foot injury to play a further part in his countrys campaign to retain the Ashes, and refused to concede it was doomed.Broad was struck on the right foot by Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson on the third day of the third Test, as the match and series looked to be sliding away from the beleaguered English on another scorching Perth day.He did not take to the field during Australias second innings, and headed instead to a local hospital for scans on his foot after briefly trying to test the injury by bowling in the nets.Broad, who had his 2010-11 Ashes campaign in Australia curtailed by injury, arrived for the press conference at the end of the days play on crutches, but still none the wiser about the full extent of the problem.The 27-year-old said he would not bowl during the Australian second innings, but was willing to bat in Englands second innings if needed.He said he hoped to be fit for the fourth and fifth Tests in Melbourne and Sydney.Something showed up on the X-ray, but it was a bit inconclusive, so I had to have an MRI, he said.We are just waiting on those results.I am desperate to play a part in the rest of this Ashes series.Broad was hopeful that the extended break before the fourth Test, which starts on December 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, would work in his favour.Broad is Englands leading wicket-taker in the series, his haul of 14 double that of Jimmy Anderson.His injury capped a horror day for the English, with Australia leading by 369 runs with seven wickets in hand and two days to play.It was a bad one, there is no hiding away from that, Broad said.Australia will claim the Ashes for the first time since 2007 with victory in Perth, but Broad said the cause was not yet lost.We have had numerous Tests over the last four years that we have saved that we had no right to save, he said.There is a lot of belief in that changing room and there is a lot of guys with great Test records in that changing room that havent delivered so far but are due to.

Lahore: MWM leader Allama Nasir Abbas gunned down

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – According to details, some unidentified attackers riding on a motorcycle opened fire at Allama Nasir Abbas’s car near FC College, killing him on the spot. His guard and driver remained unhurt in the attack.The attackers managed to escape from the spot after the incident. Police have started investigation.TNFJ and Tahafuz-e-Azadari have announced to observe three-day mourning on Allama Nasir’s killing.
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