Wednesday, 15 January 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Musharraf may not appear before court today

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Former president Pervez Musharraf is unlikely to appear today (Thursday) before the special court to face high treason charges against him, his lawyer said on Wednesday.Musharraf’s lawyer Ahmad Raza Kasuri said the doctors have not yet declared his client fit. He said Musharraf could not take mental pressure due to his current state of health. “At present, Musharraf is not a normal person and I cannot say exactly if he will appear before the court because he is sick and under observation,” the lawyer said.Last week, the court ordered Musharraf to appear before it on January 16 to face charges of high treason after reviewing a medical report from the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology in Rawalpindi, where he was admitted with heart problems January 2.“It is clear that the accused has failed to obey and comply with the order of this court,” the court had said.

Iraq attacks kill 73 as gunmen make gains in Anbar

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BAGHDAD (AFP) - A wave of attacks in Iraq, including car bombs in Baghdad, killed 73 people on Wednesday as militants took more territory from security forces in crisis-hit Anbar province.The twin setbacks for authorities, grappling with Iraq's worst period of unrest since the country emerged from a sectarian war that killed tens of thousands, come just months before a parliamentary election.UN chief Ban Ki-moon and other diplomats have urged Iraq's leaders to seek political reconciliation to resolve nationwide violence and the standoff in Anbar.But Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has ruled out dialogue with militants as his forces have launched wide-ranging security operations.However the operations, which authorities say have led to the death or capture of several militants affiliated with the Al-Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), have not stopped the bloodshed.Nine car bombs hit civilian targets in majority-Shiite or confessionally mixed neighbourhoods of the capital, killing 37 people.One of them struck a packed market in the Shaab neighbourhood, while another detonated outside a restaurant on Sanaa Street, killing five peoples, an AFP journalist reported.The windows of nearby shops were shattered, the restaurant's ceiling partially caved in and blood and mangled vehicle parts scattered across the street.The Baghdad carnage could have been much worse, with police saying they managed to arrest four would-be suicide bombers, all allegedly Arabs of foreign nationalities, with explosives-rigged vehicles that were eventually disabled by security forces and military engineers.They did not provide more details about the thwarted attackers, who were nabbed in four different Shiite neighbourhoods of the capital.A suicide bombing at a funeral in Buhruz, in religiously mixed Diyala province north of Baghdad, killed 16 people and wounded 20, officials said.The funeral was for a member of the Sahwa, the Sunni tribal militia who sided with the US military against their co-religionists in Al-Qaeda from 2006, helping turn the tide against the jihadists.They are often targeted by Sunni militants who regard them as traitors.In and around the main northern city of Mosul, 13 people were killed, nine of them soldiers, while seven employees of a brick factory were shot dead in Muqdadiyah, 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of Baghdad.

US House passes bipartisan $1.1 trillion spending bill

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a $1.1 trillion spending bill for fiscal year 2014, capping months-long negotiations and marking a truce in three years of fiscal battles plaguing Washington.The measure, which funds federal government under the budget framework hammered out by Democrats and Republicans last month, passed 359-67, in a strong show of bipartisanship that belies the intense bickering that has marked recent debates over how -- and how much -- to fund government.It now heads to the Senate, where it is expected to pass this week before being signed into law by President Barack Obama.It was very, very difficult, but we did it, said House Democrat Barbara Lee, stressing that the compromise agreement gets us out of this cycle of government by crisis.It also eliminates the threat of a government shutdown this month, similar to the one that paralyzed Washington for 16 days in October when Congress failed to agree on a budget.And with nearly three-quarters of Republicans voting for the bill, it marks a rejection of the faction of Tea Party conservatives and activists staunchly opposed to virtually any increased spending.Groups like Heritage Action, the political arm of the conservative Heritage Foundation think-tank, urged lawmakers to oppose the bill for blowing past spending levels set by the Budget Control Act of 2011.Jenny Beth Martin, who co-founded Tea Party Patriots, noted how the 1,582-page monstrosity was introduced two nights earlier and was rushed to a vote before Congress can read it.The high-stakes spending bill sets discretionary limits line by line for each federal agency until September 30, when fiscal year 2014 ends.In addition to the discretionary $1.012 trillion, the measure includes $92 billion for foreign contingency operations, mainly the war in Afghanistan, and $6.5 billion for extraordinary expenses linked to natural disasters.But the bill comes with a caveat that could prove a sticking point with Kabul. It halts aid to Afghanistan unless the country signs on to a new bilateral security agreement.It also essentially blocks any new spending on the presidents health care reforms known as Obamacare, but it funds pre-kindergarten initiatives like Head Start to a surprisingly high level of $8.6 billion, a reported 13 percent over current funding.This bill is not perfect, I hate to tell you, but it is a good one, said veteran congressman Hal Rogers, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee who steered the spending negotiations.Republicans hailed the deal for slashing discretionary spending for the fourth year in row.And by placing the power of the purse back in the hands of Congress and away from the executive branch, our representative Democracy is functioning the way our founders had intended, number three House Republican Kevin McCarthy said in a statement.Despite the savings trend, overall federal expenditures were set to rise slightly in 2014 as the deal erases painful and automatic spending cuts that were due to kick in on January 1 for the next two years.The discretionary budget only represents about a third of federal public spending.It does not include mandatory spending, such as the Medicare insurance program for the elderly and Social Security, set to reach $2.196 trillion in 2014, according to Congressional Budget Office estimates.Overall, the deficit which reached 4.1 percent of gross domestic product in 2013 is set to drop over the next decade. The CBO said it would fall to 2.3 percent of GDP in 2015.But despite the federal savings, US borrowing authority is expected to reach its limit by early March. That debt ceiling will need to be raised by Congress if the US Treasury is to pay its bills, setting up a potential fiscal showdown in Washington.

Kerry to lead US team to Syria peace talks

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Secretary of State John Kerry will lead the US delegation to key talks next week aimed at bringing together the Syrian regime and the opposition for the first time since the war erupted, a US official said Wednesday.Intense preparations are under way ahead of the UN-led January 22 talks which open in the Swiss city of Montreux, with the Syrian opposition still to decide whether to attend or not.Were operating under the assumption that they will go. I dont want to venture to guess what would happen if they dont, said deputy State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf.US ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, was again meeting with the exiled opposition in Istanbul to try to persuade them to join the negotiations with a vote due on Friday, she said.The value would be greatly diminished, lets all be honest here, that if they dont go it would be, because its in their interest to go, Harf said.Its not just that its in our interest; its that its in their interest and the Syrian peoples interest that they go.But elements of the fractured opposition have balked at sitting down at the negotiating table with representatives of the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad after three years of brutal conflict which has left more than 130,000 dead.Kerry spoke Wednesday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov by telephone after face-to-face talks in Paris on Monday.Lavrov and Kerry discussed the preparations for the international peace conference on Syria and the measures aimed at easing the humanitarian crisis in the country, the Russian ministers office said in a statement.Harf said a lot of behind-the-scenes meetings were already taking place to create a climate to give the peace conference -- which aims to put in place a process for a transitional government to replace Assad -- more of a chance of success.The talks will build on a June 2012 deal struck in Geneva setting out a path towards the transitional government.The talks will also focus on getting aid groups access to areas badly hit or under seige in the conflict, as well as seeking a ceasefire.Harf also said that Kerry would travel from Montreux to the Swiss city of Davos to address the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum about his drive for a Middle East peace deal.

Car bomb kills 26 in north Syria, mostly rebels: NGO

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BEIRUT (AFP) - A car bomb in northern Syria killed at least 26 people on Wednesday, most of them rebels, a monitoring group said.The bomb struck the Aleppo province town of Jarablos, scene of fierce fighting in recent days between the jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, and rival rebels.Among the dead were three civilians, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP it was likely the incident was a suicide attack staged by ISIL, adding that it came after jihadists lost turf to rival rebels in the town.Activists in Aleppo province said there had actually been two car bomb attacks within minutes of each other in Jarablos.Two car bomb attacks struck Jarablos, one near the agriculture school, the other near the prison, said Nazeer al-Khatib, a citizen journalist with grassroots network Shahba Press.Both sites were being used by rebels fighting ISIL as bases, said Khatib.Previously under ISIL control, Jarablos has come under a heavy offensive by moderate and Islamist rebels since Monday night.It is important because it is located on the Turkish border, with a frontier post.Since January 3, the Islamic Front, the Syrian Revolutionaries Front and the Mujahideen Army have waged a fierce offensive against ISIL in several areas of northern Syria.While local rebels have advanced against ISIL in Aleppo and Idlib provinces, the jihadists have recaptured total control of Raqa province to the east.On January 6, ISIL commander Abul Baraa warned rebels the group would stage suicide attacks against them should they not cease their offensive.He was killed earlier Wednesday in a rebel attack in Idlib province.Once allied with ISIL in the fight to topple President Bashar al-Assad, rebels turned against it because of its quest for hegemony over opposition areas and its horrific abuses.

US suspends 34 nuclear missile officers over exam cheating

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US military has suspended 34 officers in charge of launching nuclear missiles for cheating on a proficiency test, Air Force leaders said Wednesday.The scandal at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana marked the latest in a series of damaging revelations dogging the countrys nuclear force, including a separate probe into illegal drugs that came to light last week.There was cheating that took place with respect to this particular test, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James told a news conference.Some officers did it. Others apparently knew about it, and it appears that they did nothing, or at least not enough, to stop it or to report it.She called the cheating absolutely unacceptable behavior but insisted that the nuclear weapons had been safe all along.And very importantly, I want you to know that this was a failure of some of our airmen. It was not a failure of the nuclear mission, said James.Officials said it was the largest scale cheating scandal ever in the nuclear force, as it implicated roughly 20 percent of the Malmstrom bases 190-member launch officer corps.The Air Force also stripped the officers of their security clearances over the allegations.The cheating came to light as criminal investigators were looking into alleged illicit drug possession by some officers at Malmstrom and other bases.Two of the officers implicated in the cheating also are linked to the separate drug case, which involves 11 airmen at six bases, officials said.The Air Force has come under growing scrutiny over a spate of setbacks linked to the nuclear force, amid persistent reports of low morale among the troops assigned to the mission.The work is seen by many airmen as a less promising career involving monotonous shifts.In a recent embarrassing incident, the head of the 20th Air Force, Major General Michael Carey, who oversaw the countrys land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, was sacked in October after he went on a drunken bender in a work trip to Russia.The two-star general was drunk through much of his official four-day visit to Russia, insulting his hosts and cavorting with suspect women, according to an inspector generals report.As a result of the cheating case, all launch officers in the missile force have been ordered to take the proficiency exam again and the testing will be completed by Thursday, said James.People at every level will be held accountable if and where appropriate, said the Air Force chief of staff, General Mark Welsh.The four-star general said he and James planned to visit all missile bases in the coming days and deliver a stern message that there is nothing more important to the nation than the integrity and the trustworthiness of the people who defend it and that anyone who doesnt understand that should find another line of work.Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel was deeply troubled to learn of these allegations, his spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said in a statement.Hagel, who visited a missile base in Wyoming last week, strongly supports the aggressive steps the Air Force is taking in response and will be following the issue closely, Kirby said.But the Air Force chief said the nuclear mission was not in jeopardy and that cheating on one exam did not cast doubt on the integrity of the whole organization.He said that there are multiple tests and outside inspections and all these checks and balances.He also said new leaders had just been put in place in the missile force.Newly appointed officers had recently taken over at the 20th Air Force, three missile wings under that command and the Air Forces Global Strike Command, Welsh said.

Dense fog blankets Lahore

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LAHORE (Dunya News) - Dense fog descended on the city on Wednesday night, causing closure of Allama Iqbal Airport.The thick fog badly disrupted the schedule of national and private airlines after which the airport had been closed. All departing flights were delayed and the incoming flights were diverted to other airports.

Football: City march into FA Cup round four

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MANCHESTER (AFP) - Sergio Aguero marked his comeback with a goal as Manchester City swept past second-tier Blackburn Rovers with an emphatic 5-0 victory in their FA Cup third-round replay on Wednesday.Held 1-1 at Ewood Park in the initial tie, City took control of the replay at a rain-soaked Etihad Stadium thanks to a brace of goals either side of half-time from Alvaro Negredo.Edin Dzeko added a third before Aguero scored only 50 seconds after his introduction as a 72nd-minute substitute, following a month on the sidelines with a calf injury.Dzeko brought up Citys 99th goal in all competitions this season to make it 5-0, leaving Blackburns Championship counterparts Watford with plenty of food for thought ahead of their trip to the Etihad in the fourth round.City manager Manuel Pellegrini made eight changes to the team that won 2-0 at Newcastle United on Sunday and his new-look side initially struggled to make inroads.Dzeko snatched at a handful of early chances and a free-kick within shooting distance offered Blackburn an opportunity to strike at the other end, only for Ben Marshall to curl his shot straight at Costel Pantilimon.Belatedly, City began to muster more of a threat, with Javi Garcia forcing Blackburn goalkeeper Paul Robinson into a sprawling save from long range and Jesus Navas bending an inviting cross across goal.Blackburn had largely succeeded in keeping their opponents at arms length, but with the respite of the half-time interval within touching distance, City struck.Navass pass found the overlapping Fernandinho and the Brazilians whipped cross enabled Negredo to claim his 20th goal of the season with a firm downward header.Pellegrini introduced Aleksandar Kolarov for Fernandinho at half-time and the first thing the Serbian did was create Citys second goal with a superb searching pass from halfway that Negredo lifted past Robinson.The timing of Negredos second goal was every bit as cruel as his first, but Blackburn briefly threatened to make a game of it.In the space of a minute, Joshua King headed over and then forced Pantilimon into a save at his near post, before Jason Lowe shot narrowly wide.The flurry passed, however, and Dzeko made the game safe in the 67th minute when he swept a shot high into the net at the near post from Navass low cross.Aguero came on for Negredo and needed only two touches to make his mark, trapping a lay-off from Dzeko and swivelling before planting a low shot in the bottom-right corner with his left foot.Dzeko added a fifth with 11 minutes remaining, finishing at the near post after the irrepressible Navas drove yet another excellent cross into the box from the right.

Football: Madrid cruise past Osasuna into Cup quarters

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MADRID (AFP) - Real Madrid secured their place in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey with a 2-0 win away to Osasuna on Wednesday to progress 4-0 on aggregate.Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated winning his second Ballon d'Or earlier in the week with the opening goal, but he had Andres Fernandez to thank as the Osasuna 'keeper parried the Portuguese's long-range free-kick through his own legs and into the net.Angel di Maria then wrapped up victory on the night with a neat finish from Jese Rodriguez's cross to set up a meeting with Espanyol in the last eight.Real boss Carlo Ancelotti had made six changes to the side that beat Espanyol in La Liga at the weekend as Gareth Bale dropped to the bench.However, there was to be no scares as Ronaldo killed the tie as a contest when his dipping free-kick proved too hot for Andres to handle on 21 minutes.Alvaro Cejudo was then unlucky not to take Osasuna in level at the break as he struck the post with a low left-footed drive before seeing Iker Casillas turn behind a similar effort moments later.Madrid were in complete control after half-time, though, and Di Maria doubled their advantage with a side-footed finish after a determined run down the right by Jese.Bale was introduced for Ronaldo with half an hour remaining, but once again the Welshman failed to impress as the visitors settled for what they had in the latter stages.And Madrid even finished the game with 10 men when Manchester United target Fabio Coentrao needlessly picked up a second yellow card six minutes from time.Espanyol needed two goals in the last 10 minutes to overcome second division side Alcorcon 4-2 on the night to go through 4-3 on aggregate.Athletic Bilbao also set up a meeting with holders Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals with a 2-1 aggregate win over Real Betis.Meanwhile, Barcelona's opponents in the next round should they see off Getafe on Thursday will be Levante after they overcame Rayo Vallecano 1-0.

Rallying: Barreda wins Stage, Coma stays in lead

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ANTOFAGASTA (AFP) - Spanish motorcyclist Joan Barreda won his third stage of this years Dakar Rally on Wednesday, the 689km -- 631 of it timed -- 10th stage from Iquique to Antofagasta in Chile.The 30-year-old Honda rider, who finished second in the two previous stages, remains second in the overall standings almost 45 minutes behind his compatriot Marc Coma, who was fifth on the day.Barreda, winner of four stages last year, finished in front of Portuguese veteran Helder Rodrigues while five-time Dakar winner Cyril Despres of France was third.Despres chances of a sixth win evaporated when he had engine trouble in the fourth stage and he lies sixth overall, almost two and a half hours in arrears with the race due to finish on Saturday.

IMF sees global growth, deflation risks rising

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - lnternational Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde said Wednesday that growth in the global economy was picking up, but warned of the rising risks of deflation.Momentum strengthened in the latter half of 2013, and should strengthen further in 2014 -- largely due to improvements in the advanced economies, Lagarde said in a speech at the National Press Club in Washington.The IMF managing director, however, declined to put numbers on the growth rate ahead of next week's update of the Fund's official forecasts.But she pointed out that global growth, five years after the financial crisis, remains below its potential of about four percent a year, resulting in a tame risk of inflation worldwide.With inflation running below many central banks' targets, we see rising risks of deflation, which could prove disastrous for the recovery, she said.Global growth is still too low, too fragile, and too uneven.Lagarde stressed that the 188-nation IMF can play an especially valuable role in fostering cooperation and coordination in the interconnected world.We need to continue to adapt and to reflect the changing dynamics of the global economy and our membership. That is why we need the continued support of our entire membership, she said, stressing the word entire.Lagarde was peppered with questions from the audience about the US Congress's exclusion of an IMF funding measure that had been proposed by the Obama administration in a budget compromise reached late Monday.Without the funding measure, the United States, the IMF's largest stakeholder, will continue to block key IMF quota and governance reforms approved in 2010.The reform includes doubling the IMF's quotas, increasing its crisis-lending capacity; giving more voice to underrepresented dynamic emerging-market countries; and reducing the European representation on the executive board.Lagarde said she hoped that Congress's decision is a question of timing and not a question of a determination to exclude the IMF.She argued that the Washington-based IMF is a positive force in the global economy, promoting financial stability, and the United States, the world's largest economy, benefits from that.The commitment to complete the reform was by the end of 2012, and two years later its prospects remain unclear as vital US support is lacking.I hope that sensible and commonsense judgment will prevail, she said.As a lead economy, as the key partner at the table, the United States of America are bound to support the institution.

Oil prices rise on US inventory data

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LONDON (AFP) - Global oil prices rose Wednesday on news of a much bigger-than-expected drop in US crude stockpiles, indicating firm demand in the world's biggest economy.New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in February jumped $1.70 to $94.29 a barrel.Brent North Sea crude for February gained 79 cents to $107.18 in late London deals.The US Department of Energy said commercial crude inventories fell by 7.7 million barrels in the week ending January 10. That compared with analyst expectations for a decline of 800,000.US inventories showed a fall of 7.66 million barrels over the past week, well outside expectations... which should keep a floor under prices in the short term and has helped pull prices sharply higher, said Michael Hewson, chief analyst at traders CMC Markets.Global economic growth is set to rise this year, supporting demand for crude oil.The World Bank on Tuesday raised its growth forecasts for the global economy, but warned of potential volatility in capital flows as the United States withdraws its stimulus.In its latest Global Economic Prospects report, the World Bank said that both high-income and developing countries appeared to be finally turning the corner five years after the global financial crisis.Global economic growth was estimated to hit 3.2 percent this year, accelerating from a 2.4 percent annual pace in 2013.

Dollar rises on Solid US economic data

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The dollar Wednesday advanced against major currencies after solid US economic data reinforced expectations that the US Federal Reserve will continue to scale back its stimulus program.Near 2300 GMT, the euro dipped to $1.3606 from $1.3677 late Tuesday.The dollar advanced to 104.59 Japanese yen from 104.20.The euro declined to 142.29 Japanese yen from 142.52.The dollar also rose against the British pound and the Swiss franc.Analysts cited a report by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York that showed its general business conditions index of manufacturing activity in New York state reached its highest level in more than a year.The Labor Department reported that its producer price index rose 0.4 percent, slightly above estimates.Those two reports came on the heels of better-than-expected data on December retail sales.The reports reinforced expectations of steady Fed tapering this year, a narrative with the potential to rouse meaningful dollar gains, said Joe Manimbo, senior market analyst at Western Union Business Solutions.The euro took a hit after German economic data showed gross domestic product in Europe's biggest economy grew by just 0.4 percent in 2013, down from 0.7 percent a year earlier and the slowest rate since 2009.While 2014 is likely to see Germany grow much faster, the overall outlook for the 18-member bloc remains weak, said Omer Esiner, chief market analyst at Commonwealth Foreign Exchange.As a result, risks to the euro remain largely biased to the downside.The British pound fell to $1.6369 from $1.6438.The dollar advanced to 0.9088 Swiss franc from 0.9022.

Pakistan, Sri Lanka 3rd Test starts today

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SHARJAH (AFP) - Pakistan are desperate for a helpful pitch to get them a series-levelling win against Sri Lanka in the third and final Test starting in Sharjah on Thursday.Captain Misbah-ul Haq was frustrated over two previous unresponsive pitches, the first in Abu Dhabi where Sri Lanka batted resolutely to salvage a draw, and then in Dubai where a first-day seaming pitch undid Pakistan's batting and later blunted their bowling.Sri Lanka, helped by their new-look pace attack and a fighting century from old campaigner Mahela Jayawardne recorded their biggest-ever win of nine wickets over Pakistan to take a 1-0 lead.The lack of spin on those pitches nullified Pakistan's match-winning bowler Saeed Ajmal and he has taken only five wickets in two Tests so far.The look of the Sharjah stadium pitch suggests it will only turn on the last two days.Sri Lanka posted a big 413-run total when the two teams last played at the venue in November 2011 in a match which Pakistan only saved because of heavy rain on the final day on their way to a 1-0 series win.Misbah admitted Pakistan's chances of levelling the series largely depend on the pitch.In my opinion this looks a good pitch and I think you get spin on the pitches here and the team which plays better and show patience will have more chance, he said.I think pitches here are like that, but there are strange results here, said Misbah whose team has lost four of their last 13 Tests against Sri Lanka with only one win and eight draws.Pakistan will be forced to bring in a bowler in place of paceman Bilawal Bhatti who injured his hamstring during the second Test.He will be replaced either by fast bowler Mohammad Talha or left-armer Abdul Rehman, if Pakistan decide to play with two spinners.Pakistan are also likely to tinker with their top-order batting with opener Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez --- who both failed in Dubai -- making way for Shan Masood or Azhar Ali.Sri Lanka have no such problems, hoping Jayawardene recovers from a finger injury which hampered his batting in the second Test.Skipper Angelo Mathews said he hoped the pitch will help the spinners.It's not going to be any way close to what we had in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, looks like its going to be spin and some reverse swing, said Mathews who registered his first overseas win as captain in Dubai.After the Dubai win we are very confident going into the third Test, but we have to start it all over again.Besides the series win target, the sixth-placed Sri Lanka will replace Pakistan (currently fifth) in the Test rankings if they win 2-0 in the series.The teams will also try to give their coaches -- Dav Whatmore of Pakistan and Graham Ford of Sri Lanka -- a winning farewell as both leave their posts after the match.

MCC backs under threat Teat Championship

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SHARJAH (AFP) - Some of cricket's greatest players have urged officials to persist with the threatened World Test Championship (WTC).The International Cricket Council intends to stage the inaugural edition of the proposed tournament in England in 2017, with the top four sides in the game's longest format vying for the trophy.ICC chiefs have repeatedly insisted that such a Championship would help give a boost to the five-day game, which is struggling to attract crowds outside of showpieces such as Ashes contests between England and Australia.Administrators had planned to launch the WTC in 2013 only to discover that existing commercial agreements obliged them to stage a limited overs tournament instead, hence the 'final' edition of the one-day Champions Trophy in England last year.The WTC was pushed back to 2017 but recent reports have indicated it is still failing to attract broadcast and commercial interest, leaving the ICC contemplating continuing with the Champions Trophy instead.However, the world cricket committee of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the owners of London's Lord's Cricket Ground and the global guardian of the sport's laws or rules, believes this would be a mistake.The, group chaired by former England captain Mike Brearley and whose members include India's Rahul Dravid, Australia's Steve Waugh and South Africa's Shaun Pollock as well as ICC chief executive David Richardson -- said even a cut-down Test Championship featuring just the two top-ranked teams would be better than abandoning the concept completely.The MCC World Cricket committee is a strong supporter of the proposed World Test Championship, and urges the ICC to ensure that such a tournament -- or at least a final -- takes place in 2017 and beyond, said a statement issued by the MCC committee on Wednesday following a two-day meeting in Abu Dhabi.The committee understands the commercial sensitivities and logistical issues surrounding the proposed World Test Championship, but feels that a solution must be found. Whilst the committee would ultimately like to see the currently-proposed four-team knockout competition proceed, it believes that a scaled-down version involving the top two teams in either a one-off Test Final or Test Series would still provide a context that the longest form of the game currently lacks in comparison to one-day and T20 cricket.The committee believes that Test cricket could suffer if the concept was dropped.Meanwhile the committee called for greater funding of the ICC's anti-corruption and security unit.And it also said plans to develop cricket in China, where the sport has started to put down roots, having formed part of the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, were not unrealistic.To further this aim, the statement announced plans for a tour of China by MCC Women in October, playing matches and running coaching sessions in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.
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