Saturday 12 July 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

UN Security Council calls for Gaza ceasefire

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The UN Security Council urged Israel and Hamas Saturday to end their hostilities in Gaza, calling on both sides to respect international humanitarian laws and stop the loss of life.In a unanimous declaration, the 15-member council called for a deescalation of the crisis that has claimed well over a hundred lives, and urged a return to the calm and restitution of the November 2012 ceasefire.The council expressed serious concern over the protection and welfare of civilians on both sides.It also called for a return to the negotiating table by Israelis and Palestinians with the aim of achieving a comprehensive peace agreement based on the two-state solution.The council issued its declaration amid news that eight more Palestinians were killed in a series of Israeli raids in the Gaza Strip on Saturday.Those attacks raised to 135 the number of Palestinians that medics said have been killed since hostilities flared.Gaza officials said nearly 950 people have been wounded in the strikes.Israel began its bombing, dubbed Operation Protective Edge, on Tuesday in an attempt to halt cross-border rocket fire by militant groups.Gaza militants, meanwhile, have fired approximately 525 mortar rounds and rockets that struck Israel, but with no loss of life.Israeli military officials say another 138 rockets have been intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.Israel has authorized the call-up of 40,000 reservists, and is threatening to initiate a ground operation.

Afghan presidential rivals make breakthrough in poll dispute

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KABUL (AFP) - Afghanistan's two presidential rivals agreed Saturday to a historic deal to audit all eight million votes cast in the disputed election after two days of intense shuttle diplomacy by top US diplomat John Kerry.An audible gasp rippled through a packed press conference at the UN headquarters in Kabul as Kerry made the surprise announcement after hours of waiting, saying that vote-checking would begin within the next 24 hours.Both candidates have vowed to stand by the results of the audit, with the winner to be declared the country's next president, who will immediately begin work to form a national unity government. The details of that are yet to be worked out.The first ballots to be audited will be those gathered already in Kabul, while ballot boxes from all the country's provinces will be brought under high security to the Afghan capital by NATO and Afghan security forces and kept under tight guard.Ghani, Abdullah and Kerry joined hands at the end of a news conference in Kabul and raised them in triumph after securing the breakthrough, which follows a bitter standoff that raised fears of fresh violence along ethnic lines.The deadlock over the run-off vote to choose a successor to outgoing President Hamid Karzai plunged Afghanistan into political crisis and dented US hopes of a smooth transfer of power as Washington seeks to withdraw all its troops by late 2016.Preliminary results of the second-round vote released on Monday put Ghani in the lead, but Abdullah -- who has already once lost a presidential bid in controversial circumstances -- declared himself the true winner, saying massive fraud robbed him of victory.Both candidates have committed to participate in and abide by the results of the largest, most comprehensive possible audit. Every single ballot that was cast will be audited, 100 percent, Kerry told the news conference, which had been delayed by six hours amid last-minute shuttle diplomacy.This is the strongest possible signal by both candidates of the desire to restore legitimacy to the process and to Afghan democracy.The winner will serve as president and will immediately form a government of national unity.But the new count will take time, and Kerry said that outgoing President Hamid Karzai had agreed to delay the inauguration which had been due on August 2.Let there be no doubt in keeping with each of the candidate's requests, this audit will be conducted in accordance with the highest international standards, Kerry said.Former World Bank economist Ghani, who lagged well behind Abdullah in the first round vote in April, urged Afghans to be patient.We will abide by the will of the people. We will not defend any single fraudulent vote, he said.Abdullah, wearing a suit in contrast to Ghani's traditional Afghan dress, said the two sides had reached a technical and political agreement.I hope this is for the benefit of Afghan people, he said.Abdullah's victory claim on Monday inflamed tensions and prompted Washington to warn that violence or taking extra-constitutional means would result in a halt to US assistance to the war-torn country.Karzai, constitutionally barred from serving a third term, has stayed publicly neutral in the lengthy election, but Abdullah supporters have accused him of fixing the vote in Ghani's favour.I welcome and support those announcements and I hope 100 percent audits will take place as soon as possible, he said after Saturday's deal.The head of the UN mission, Jan Kubis, appealed for international observer organisations to send teams as quickly as possible to oversee the audit.There had been fears the election row could escalate into ethnic violence along the lines of the civil war of the 1990s, as Abdullah draws his support from Tajiks and other northern Afghan groups, while Ghani is backed by Pashtun tribes of the south and east.Thirteen years after the 2001 US invasion ousted the hardline Taliban Islamic regime, all sides are keen to maintain the gains made in such areas as literacy rates and women's rights.But Afghan forces know they will increasingly have to stand up to a resilient and bloody Taliban insurgency on their own as international forces withdraw.Washington also wants a signed deal on protecting US forces left in the country until late 2016.Underlining the parlous security situation, as the leaders met in Kabul a roadside bomb in the restive southern province of Kandahar, the Taliban heartland, killed eight civilians.

Gunmen kill 25 women in Baghdad: police

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BAGHDAD (AFP) - Gunmen killed 25 women and wounded at least eight people Saturday when they stormed two buildings in a residential Baghdad compound reputedly used for prostitution, police and government sources said.Twenty-five women were killed and eight people wounded, among them four men, when gunmen stormed two buildings in a residential compound in Zayouna in east Baghdad, an interior ministry official told AFP.A senior police officer, who said the attackers used silenced weapons, gave the same death toll but reported 11 wounded.Unidentified gunmen stormed building number 43 in Zayouna, killing 10 women and wounding five. They also stormed building number 44, where they killed 15 women and wounded six men, a police colonel said, speaking on condition of anonymity.An AFP correspondent on the scene said police cordoned off the area while eyewitnesses also said several people were arrested in the aftermath of the killings.This is the fate of any prostitution, read a inscription on the door of the one of the raided buildings.Residents said the street's sole access point was manned by police and soldiers.It was not immediately clear who the killers were but similar raids killed 12 people in May 2013 and three women two months later in the same mainly Shiite neighbourhood of the Iraqi capital.Shiite militias have become more active on the streets of Baghdad since Sunni militants led by jihadist fighters took over large swathes of eastern and northern Iraq a month ago.

Football: More misery for Brazil as Dutch take third place

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BRASILIA (AFP) - Brazil's traumatic World Cup ended with more pain on Saturday as they lost 3-0 to a superior Netherlands side in the third-place play-off at the Mane Garrincha National Stadium in Brasilia.Still struggling to digest their record-breaking 7-1 loss to Germany in the semi-finals, Brazil had a similarly disastrous start against the Dutch, with Robin van Persie opening the scoring from the penalty spot inside three minutes.With injured star Neymar watching on from the bench, Daley Blind then capitalised on more calamitous defending to make it 2-0 with 17 minutes played, and Georginio Wijnaldum rubbed salt into the hosts' wounds by adding a third in injury time.Brazil have now lost back-to-back home games for the first time since 1940, and they end the tournament having conceded 14 goals altogether, the most of any side at a World Cup since 1986 and the most ever for a host team.In contrast, Louis van Gaal's Netherlands leave with the consolation of taking third place and end the competition unbeaten, with their semi-final exit against Argentina only coming after a penalty shoot-out.The day had not started well for Holland, who saw playmaker Wesley Sneijder withdraw at the last minute due to an injury suffered in the warm-up, with Jonathan de Guzman replacing him in the starting line-up.Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari had made six changes to his team following the Germany debacle, with one seeing captain Thiago Silva make his return after suspension.The absence of Silva, along with that of Neymar, was a contributing factor in the semi-final humiliation, but the usually inspirational centre-back was at fault as Brazil conceded a penalty with less than two minutes played.Silva was caught the wrong side of Arjen Robben as the winger latched onto a pass from Holland captain van Persie and was left with a clear path on goal.Robben was pulled back by the defender, with the contact starting outside the box and carrying on into the area. Algerian referee Djamel Haimoudi decided to award a spot-kick but controversially opted against showing Silva a straight red card.If Silva was let off the hook, van Persie made no mistake from the spot, lashing his kick high into the top right-hand corner to give goalkeeper Julio Cesar no chance.Once again Brazil's defensive frailties were hopelessly exposed when the Netherlands' second goal arrived in the 17th minute.De Guzman broke in behind Maxwell in the Brazilian left-back position and got to the byeline, from where his cross was headed back out by David Luiz and straight into the path of Blind, who had time to take the ball down 12 yards out and volley home.Fortunately for a fragile Brazilian side, Holland were not quite as relentless in their attacking as the Germans had been in Belo Horizonte, but the hosts never appeared capable of breaking down the opposition defence.While Jo, starting in attack instead of the much-maligned Fred, toiled against van Gaal's well-drilled three-man central defence, Jasper Cillessen saved comfortably from Oscar, the most enterprising Brazilian on the field.At the other end, Julio Cesar got down well to keep out a van Persie volley, but Brazil still needed to become the first side to recover from a two-goal half-time deficit and win a World Cup match.They had little sympathy from the referee as they chased the game, however.When Oscar went down in the box following a Blind challenge midway through the second period, the official booked the little midfielder for diving rather than point to the spot, summing up a desperate end to the tournament for the hosts.Blind injured himself making the challenge, and his replacement Daryl Janmaat was the provider for the third goal, his low ball from the right being swept home by Wijnaldum.

Football: Messi ready for 'most important match'

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RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) - Argentina captain Lionel Messi declared on Saturday that he and his team-mates were ready for the most important match of our lives against Germany in Sunday's World Cup final.Tomorrow, we will play the most important match of our lives for our country, the Barcelona superstar wrote on his official Facebook page.My dreams and my hopes are being fulfilled due to the hard work and sacrifice of a team that has given everything from match one.We knew it was possible. Our people, the Argentineans, they have carried us here. But the dream is not over yet. Tomorrow we want to win and we are readyArgentina will be appearing in their first World Cup final since 1990, when as defending champions a side captained by Diego Maradona lost 1-0 to West Germany in Rome.Argentina won their first World Cup as hosts in 1978, beating the Netherlands 3-1 after extra time in Buenos Aires, before regaining the trophy in 1986 with a 3-2 win against West Germany in Mexico City.With four goals, Messi is Argentina's top scorer at the World Cup. He has also been named on the shortlist for the Golden Ball, awarded to the tournament's outstanding player.

Tennis: Hewitt to play Karlovic for Newport title

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NEWPORT (AFP) - Australian third seed Lleyton Hewitt advanced to his third consecutive final at the ATP Hall of Fame Championships by routing US seventh seed Jack Sock 6-1, 6-2 Saturday.Former world number one Hewitt, who lost to John Isner in the 2012 final and to Frenchman Nicolas Mahut in last years title match, will try for a third time charmed crown Sunday against Croatian second seed Ivo Karlovic at the $474,000 grass-court tournament.Karlovic, 35, beat Australian Samuel Groth 6-4, 6-4 in the other semi-final.Hewitt, 33, seeks his 30th career ATP title and his second of the season after a Brisbane crown in the first week of the year.Hewitt, ranked 43rd, was 7-0 in career grass-court finals before falling the past two years at Newport.Sock struggled from the start in his first ATP singles semi-final, which only lasted an hour. The 21-year-old American, who never forced a break point, was coming off a run to the Wimbledon mens doubles crown last week alongside Vasek Pospisil.Karlovic reached his third final of the year, having lost to Japans Kei Nishikori at Memphis in February and German Philipp Kohlschreiber in May at Dusseldorf.Karlovic, who fired nine aces to oust first-time ATP semi-finalist Groth after 65 minutes, has not won an ATP title since claiming the fifth of his career last July in Colombia, which ended a win drought of more than five years.He would jump from 31st to 28th in the ATP rankings by winning the title.Karlovic is 4-1 in career meetings with Hewitt, most notably eliminating the Aussie defending champion in the first round at Wimbledon in 2003. Hewitt turned the tables by beating Karlovic in the first round of the 2009 French Open.

Golf: Rose, home hope Warren lead Scottish Open

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ABERDEEN (AFP) - England's Justin Rose will need to overcome what promises to be a patriotic home crowd if he is to capture the Scottish Open at Royal Aberdeen on Sunday.Rose will tee-up in the final round alongside Scotland's Marc Warren after both players completed the third round tied at 10-under par for a one-shot lead.Rose, the highest-ranked player in the field at number six, grabbed six birdies, including three in succession from the 10th hole, in a five under par 66.And Rose knows only too well the task he faces if he is to capture a first Scottish Open and his seventh European Tour victory.This is a special tournament for Marc and the other Scots which they can take a lot of inspiration from so I'm sure the home crowd will be wanting to see a Scot pick up the trophy, said Rose.We'll see. It's never easy finishing off a golf tournament, whether you've done it five times or never before.Warren, who let slip victory in the event two years ago at Castle Stuart in Inverness, bogeyed the last hole in a four under par 67.The Scot, who is ranked 156 places lower in the world than Rose, had raced to the top of the board early in his round with five birdies over his opening 10 holes.While he also birdied the 13th, the 33-year old Glaswegian dropped a shot at 14 and then the last.Rose, who won his last event at the Quicken Loans National, is now favourite to capture a rare European Tour and PGA Tour back-to-back title success, but Warren knows he will have near full crowd support as he strives to end a seven-year winless drought and capture only a second European Tour event.Overall it was a good day's work despite dropping a couple of shots there near the end of my round, said Warren.I played really well over the front nine and controlled what I was doing and it just got a bit scrappy towards the end.But after going so close to winning two years ago I am really looking forward now to the last round.He added: If I were to win it would be great because for the Scots this event is like a fifth Major, and outside of the four Majors it doesn't get any bigger for us.There are seven players all within five shots of the lead including Sweden's Kristoffer Broberg who posted a three under par 68 to be in third place at nine under and two clear of England's Tyrrell Hatton who shot a 66.Broberg, Hatton and Scotland's Craig Lee (66), who shares fifth place at six under par, are on target to secure the three places into next week's British Open at Royal Liverpool. Double Major winning Rory McIlroy rediscovered his form to sign for a three under par 68 to end the round tied in 13th place at three under, and a day after recording his highest European Tour score in 51 weeks.McIlroy will now look ahead to the British Open, a year after he crashed out of the Muirfield Open with scores of 79 and 75.It's important for me going now into tomorrow's last round thinking to myself that I have shot 64 and 68 on this golf course, which is two really good scores, he said.Friday was just one of those days where nothing really went right. I couldn't get any momentum.So it would be nice to shoot another good one tomorrow and head to Hoylake with a bit of confidence.Tied with McIlroy is American Rickie Fowler (68) while defending champion Phil Mickelson capped his round of 70 with an eagle at the par five sixth hole, and his second eagle this week at the same hole.Mickelson is a shot behind McIlroy and Fowler at two under par.

Motorcycling: Marquez clinches German MotoGP pole

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SACHSENRING (AFP) - Spanish world champion Marc Marquez will start his bid for a perfect nine out of nine start to the season in pole posiiton after Saturday's qualfying.Marquez, on a Honda, will start from the front of the grid for the seventh time this campaign after an almost faultless session at the Sachsenring circuit.It also included a lap record for the course, eclipsing the previous best set by Australia's former world champion Casey Stoner back in 2008.Factory Hondas filled the first three places in qualifying, as another Spaniard, Dani Pedrosa, took second, nearly 0.3sec behind Marquez, with Germany's Stefan Bradl third.Yamaha took the next three slots on the grid, the best performanmce coming from Aleix Espargaro, on an NGM Forward Racing Yamaha, who had clocked the fastest times in both of Friday's practice sessions.World championship leader Marc Marquez was clearly much more at his ease in qualifying than he had been on Friday, when he struggled to finish second behind Espargaro, after shrugging off a painful crash in the day's first session.Marquez hurt his neck in the crash which was caused by a problem with the gears on his all-conquering machine, but showed no ill-effects on his way to pole on Saturday.Marquez is chasing a ninth win in nine races on Sunday with the flying Spaniard on course to have the title wrapped up in record time.The Honda rider has a 72-point lead in the championship with team-mate Pedrosa and Italy's Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi, both of whom have just signed new deals with their respective teams, locked in second spot.Marquez, 21, already has a successful track record at the Sachsenring having won on his last four visits -- in the 125 class in 2010, in Moto2 in 2011 and 2012 and in his first MotoGP last year. Victory on Sunday will mean he would have won every race across the opening half of the season.In a stunning season, the defending champion has already become the 13th most successful rider of all-time in terms of wins, having celebrated his 40th victory at Assen two weeks ago. He now targets a 25th podium in the elite class having become the first rider to claim eight straight wins since the top category was introduced at the start of 2002.Only six other riders in history having won eight or more MotoGP races in a single season -- Mike Hailwood, Giacomo Agostini, Mick Doohan, Rossi, Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo.

Cycling: Kadri wins 8th Tour de France stage

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GERARDMER (AP) - In a solo breakaway, Blel Kadri gave France its first stage winner at the Tour de France in the entree to the Vosges mountains on Saturday.Meanwhile, Vincent Nibali extended his lead over his biggest rivals except an important one: Two-time champion Alberto Contador.Over two minutes back, an attacking Contador dueled with Nibali to capture second place at the uphill finish of a rainy 161-kilometer (100-mile) ride from Tomblaine to Gerardmer La Mauselaine ski resort. Contador gained only seconds on Nibali, and was still 2 1/2 minutes behind him, but the threat was loud and clear.The overall standings changed after Stage 8, with mostly strong climbers at the top.Kadri, sensing his looming victory in the last kilometer, clasped hands in joy with a staffer of his AG2R Mondiale team, who was alongside him in a team car. He kissed his fingers to the crowd and smiled broadly at the line.Today was my day, and I'm really, really, really happy, he said after his maiden Tour stage win. We work all year for good performances in this race. ... Today it paid off.Kadri emerged from a five-man breakaway that chiseled out a lead of as many as 11 minutes. None of the breakaway riders threatened Nibali's yellow jersey: The highest-placed among them started the stage nearly 26 1/2 minutes back.Contador attacked as he and Nibali passed under the red flag marking one kilometer to go. But the Italian couldn't be shaken hewing right on the Spaniard's back wheel except for Contador's final surge at the line.I'm not explosive, but I held my own, Nibali said. I tried to respond as best I could to his attack ... he moved a lot, I really wanted to stick close to him ... in the last 100 meters he accelerated a lot.The ride featured three mid-grade climbs in the first of three days in the mid-sized Vosges range near the German border.American Andrew Talansky had trouble and lost time in the title chase to other contenders. In the final ascent, he skidded off the wet road and fumbled with help from a fan to repair what seemed to be a problem with his bike. A race medical report said he had multiple contusions.Talansky, the Garmin-Sharp team leader, finished more than two minutes behind Nibali and Contador, and trailed the leader by 4 minutes, 22 seconds in 16th place overall. He started the ride in eighth, 2:05 down.Overall, Nibali led Astana teammate Jakob Fuglsang of Denmark in second by 1 minute, 44 seconds. Australia's Richie Porte of Team Sky, who finished fourth on Saturday, was 1:58 back in third. Spain's Alejandro Valverde was fifth, 2:27 adrift, and Contador was sixth, 2:34 behind.The breakaway five chiseled out their maximum lead with about 50 kilometers (30 miles) left, and the pack began to accelerate. With around 25 kilometers left, the lead dwindled to 4 1/2 minutes. France's Sylvain Chavanel pressed the pace among the five in front, then Kadri overtook him, pedaling alone up the final climb.There were fewer crashes than in recent days. Before the stage, Swiss rider Mathias Frank, the leader of the IAM Cycling team, withdraw because of broken left femur in a crash on Friday. Frank, who was runner-up in the Tour de Suisse last month, underwent surgery in Geneva on Saturday.The toughest ride in the Vosges will come on Monday when cyclists face seven ascents, including an uphill finish to the storied ski resort La Planche des Belles Filles. The pack faces six ascents on Sunday with a 170-kilometer (106-mile) ride from Gerardmer to Mulhouse.

De Kock, De Villiers steer South Africa to series win

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HAMBANTOTA (AFP) - South Africa rode on aggressive hundreds from Quinton de Kock and AB de Villiers to beat Sri Lanka by 82 runs in the third and final one-day international on Saturday.Left-hander De Kock smashed a 127-ball 128 while skipper De Villiers hit a fiery 71-ball 108, making a century off just 66 balls, as South Africa posted their highest total against Sri Lanka of 339-5 in windy conditions at Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium in Hambantota.The Proteas then restricted the hosts to 257 in 44.3 overs for their first-ever one-day series win on the island by 2-1.South Africa had won the first one-day in Colombo by 75 runs while Sri Lanka claimed the second by 87 at Pallekele.Sri Lanka, who needed their record one-day chase, had promised a positive chase by smacking 57 in the sixth over with Kusal Perera (37) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (30) but a middle order slump saw them lose Dilshan, Kumara Sangakkara (36) and Mahela Jayawardene (two) in the space of just six runs.When Lahiru Thirimanne went for 22 to make it 151-5, Angelo Mathews (58) and Ashan Priyanjan (30) put up some resistance during their 83-run stand but the target proved too much for the hosts.For South Africa paceman Ryan McLaren took 3-37 while Jean-Paul Duminy and Morne Morkel grabbed two wickets apiece.De Villiers, who lost a one-day series in Sri Lanka 4-1 last year, was delighted with the victory.I am very happy over the win, he said. It's our first series win here so we will celebrate it tonight.Sri Lanka skipper Mathews was left to rue missed chances.It was very depressing, said Mathews. We were pretty flat on the field, let go a few chances and didn't bowl well so we didn't deserve to win.Earlier De Kock put on 118 for the first wicket with Hashim Amla (48) and another 116 for the second with De Villiers as South Africa improved on their previous highest total of 317-6 against Sri Lanka at Centurion in 2002.De Kock, dropped at 38 off Sachithra Senanayake, reached his fifth one-day hundred with a sharp single off 108 balls.The talented left-hander holed out at mid-off in the 41st over but not before bettering South Africa's highest individual one-day score against Sri Lanka made by Boeta Dippenaar (125 not out) at Adelaide in 2006.In all De Kock hit 12 fours and three sixes but was overshadowed by his skipper who smashed 11 boundaries and four sixes.De Villiers was in a punishing mood, dancing and moving at the pitch with consummate ease to stroke his way to the third fastest one-day century by a South African behind Mark Boucher's 44-ball effort and his own 58-ball century in the past.De Villiers hit two boundaries and then took a single off Mathews to complete his 17th one-day hundred.In between Jacques Kallis missed out, trapped leg-before for just four to end a disappointing series with five runs, leaving a big question mark on his survival until next year's World Cup.Sri Lanka had packed the side with five spinners, bringing in Rangana Herath but De Villiers and De Kock negated that spin factor with sublime batting.Ace home paceman Lasith Malinga went for 85 runs in his 10 wicket-less overs.The teams now play a two-Test series starting at Galle from July 16.

Root, Anderson turn match in Englands favour

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NOTTINGHAM (AFP) - Englands Joe Root and James Anderson rewrote the record books with a Test record last-wicket stand but a docile Trent Bridge pitch threatened to have the last word in their series opener with India.The pair put on 198, with Root making 154 not out and Anderson a Test-best 81, to take England to 496 on the fourth day in reply to Indias first innings 457.However, India were 167 for three in their second innings at stumps, a lead of 128 runs.Virat Kohli was eight not out and Ajinkya Rahane, looking in fine touch, 18 not out.I think overnight we both just thought that we could actually annoy the Indians today and stay out there a little bit, the 31-year-old Anderson, playing his 95th Test, told Sky Sports.Obviously we didnt think anything like this could happen. I wouldnt say it was easy but it was such a slow pitch that you knew there was only a few ways you could get out.Just when India were on the verge of making a draw all but inevitable, they lost two well-set batsmen with the score on 140.First innings century-maker Murali Vijay (52) was caught behind by wicketkeeper Matt Prior of the bowling of off-spinner Moeen Ali.Next ball Cheteshwar Pujara (55) cut at fast bowler Liam Plunkett and Ben Stokes, at backward point, grabbed the catch at the second attempt after the ball hit his chest.Root insisted England now had a chance, albeit slim, of winning the first of this five-Test series.Obviously were going to have to bowl well tomorrow (Sunday), get some early wickets, but if we do you never know, said Root, whose innings was his third score in excess of 150 in 18 Tests.Meanwhile, Andersons knock was the third-highest score by any Test No 11 after Australian Ashton Agars 98 against England at Trent Bridge last year and Tino Bests 95 for the West Indies, also against England, at Edgbaston in 2012.The England duos stand surpassed the previous tenth-wicket Test record of 163 -- shared by Agar and Phil Hughes in Nottingham last year.It was the second century last-wicket partnership of this Test after Bhuvneshwar Kumar (58) and Mohammed Shami (51 not out) had put on 111 in Indias first innings.And it meant this match was also the first in 137 years of Test cricket where both sides had seen their last-wicket duo share hundred stands and both number elevens -- Shami and Anderson -- had made fifties.As India began their second innings, Vijay, who made 146 in the first innings, should have been out for nought when he edged England spearhead Anderson but Prior failed to get anything on the low chance.But Ali, taking the pitch out of the equation, struck in his first over to have the disbelieving Shikhar Dhawan caught and bowled off a full toss for a run-a-ball 29.England, after losing six wickets for 68 runs in the face of accurate bowling from Kumar and Ishant Sharma on Friday, resumed on 352 for nine.Root was 78 not out and Anderson 23 not out.But Indias seamers were unable to generate the same reverse swing theyd managed on Friday.Left-handed batsman Anderson was the initial aggressor on Saturday with a flurry of boundaries worthy of a top-order batsman.Then Roots two fours through the offside in as many Shami deliveries saw the 23-year-old to a hundred in 186 balls including 12 boundaries.Anderson had so nearly batted England to a draw last time out against Sri Lanka at Headingley before being caught off a rising delivery off the penultimate ball of the match.It was from such a delivery that Anderson gave a chance on 45 when he fended at Shami only for Vijay to drop the low gully catch.Anderson, whose previous best at this level was 34, completed a maiden Test fifty by pulling Shami for his 11th four in just 61 balls.He eventually edged Kumar (five for 82) to Dhawan at first slip to end a near four-hour innings.

Terrorism is whole nation's problem: Qaim Ali Shah

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SUKKUR (Dunya News) – Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah said on Saturday that Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has confidence on the Sindh government, adding that if MQM will lodge First Information Report (FIR) against any individual or institution over extrajudicial killings, the provincial government will take action on it, Dunya News reported.Addressing media at the airport, Shah said that Sindh government has MQM’s confidence and support regarding the ongoing targeted operation in Karachi. He said that Sindh government asked federation to supply the much needed modern weaponry and armours for the law enforcement instead of funds.He further said that nationalists are making the matter of internally displaced persons (IDPs) of North Waziristan an issue for no reason, adding that a check post has been established to enter Sindh. He said any displaced person carrying Pakistan identity card will be allowed to enter and will be put in camps and that if anyone has address of their relatives in Sindh, will be escorted there.He further said that some IDPs are also caught on suspicion who are being held in prisons, adding that terrorism is the problem of whole country and not of a province or district.

Gaza toll at 135 on day five of Israeli strikes

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GAZA CITY (AFP) - Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip killed 30 people Saturday, including two severely handicapped women in a care facility, medics said.The violence brought the toll on the fifth day of the conflict to 135, with nearly 950 people wounded, according to Gaza emergency services spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra.In the latest strikes, eight people were killed in raids on Gaza City, central El-Bureij and northern Jabaliya. They included a woman aged 25, and a 16-year-old, Qudra said. Earlier, six men were killed in the Sheikh Radwan district of western Gaza City, Qudra said.Aged from 21 to 58, they were sitting outside homes in the area when the strike hit, witnesses said.Neighbours told AFP two nephews of former Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniya were among them and named them as Nidal and Alaa al-Malash.Their deaths followed an early morning strike that killed two women at a charitable association housing the disabled in Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza.The women, Suha Abu Saada and Ola Washahi, both had severe mental and physical handicaps, association director Jamila Alaywa said.Four others were wounded in the attack -- three residents and a helper, she said.Another three people were killed in eastern Gaza City and three in an attack on the western side of town.Earlier, Qudra announced the deaths of eight other Palestinians in raids that hit targets including a bank, two mosques and the houses of Hamas officials. Israel's military said at least one of the mosques was being used to store weapons.Israel began Operation Protective Edge on Tuesday in an attempt to halt cross-border rocket fire by militant groups.Gaza militants have fired approximately 525 mortar rounds and rockets that struck Israel, while another 138 rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defence system, the army said on Saturday.It is the deadliest violence since November 2012, with a growing number of rockets fired at Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and even as far north as Hadera, 116 kilometres (72 miles) away.No Israelis have been killed.One Israeli soldier was severely wounded in a mortar attack Thursday, and another man very seriously injured when a rocket hit a petrol station in the southern port city of Ashdod on Friday.Two soldiers were lightly wounded along the border with Gaza when Palestinians fired an anti-tank missile.Israel has authorised the call-up of 40,000 reservist troops, and threatened to escalate to a ground operation.

Bajaur Agency attack: Pakistan lodges strong protest with Afghanistan

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ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - Pakistan has strongly condemned the terrorist attack on a Bajaur Scouts vehicle at Ghakki Pass in Bajaur Agency on Saturday, launched from across the border in Afghanistan.An officer and two soldiers embraced Shahadat in the attack, while two soldiers were critically injured.A strong protest has been lodged with the Afghan side in Islamabad and Kabul. It has been reiterated that Afghanistan should eliminate the terrorist sanctuaries and not allow its territory to be used against Pakistan.A statement issued by Foreign Office says at a time when a monumental effort is underway through operation “Zarb-e-Azb” to eliminate all terrorists and their hideouts, Afghanistan’s cooperation remains essential for the success of our counter-terrorism endeavors.Militants killed at least three Pakistani soldiers in an attack early Saturday on a border post in the restive northwestern tribal belt, officials said.Around two dozen militants armed with sophisticated weapons crossed from the Afghan province of Kunar to launch the pre-dawn ambush in Bajaur district, Pakistani officials said.Militants from across the border ambushed a check post. Two security personnel and an officer embraced martyrdom in the attack, a security official in Bajaur told AFP by telephone.One sepoy (soldier) and a civilian were also wounded, the official added.A senior government official said the militants were forced to flee after troops retaliated.No group has yet claimed responsibility but both officials said Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants were involved in the attack.It might be in retaliation for the Pakistan military offensive in North Waziristan, the government official told AFP.Pakistan s armed forces have been waging a massive offensive in North Waziristan, a tribal district south of Bajaur, for the past three-and-a-half weeks to eradicate hideouts militants have used to launch attacks across the restive nuclear-armed country.The army says it has killed 400 insurgents in the course of the operation there.Maulana Fazlullah, current head of the TTP which rose up against the Pakistani state in 2007, is believed to be possibly hiding across the border in Kunar.

Five dead along with a prayer-leader in Karachi Target killing

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KARACHI: (Dunya News) Incidents of target killing continue to haunt the ‘city of lights’ as five more men died today (Saturday).One of the deceased was a prayer-leader in a mosque. According to Dunya News reporter, terrorists broke into a mosque located in Fatima Society area of Safura Goth and opened fire. Imam (prayer-leader) of the mosque died on the spot. The deceased was named as Maulana Muhammad Liaquat. Atmosphere in the area remained strained after the incident.In another report, a mechanic died in a firing incident near Water Pump. According to the Johar Abad Police the murdered was identified as Manzar Abbas.A distorted dead body has also been found from Steel Town Link road. The dead body has not been recognized as yet.Another unfortunate incident took away life of a boy in Orangi Town.Meanwhile, two dacoits were killed in a police encounter on I.I. Chandrigarh Road. The two dacoits were looting people during the Sehri (morning meal during Ramzan) timings. The incident took place in the jurisdiction of Araam Baagh Police Station.Though the month of Ramzan has set in and it is considered as a holy month, there does not seem to be an end to crime in Karachi city. Earlier today, it was reported by Dunya News that twenty four (24) cases of extortion have been registered in the city since the start of Ramzan.Four days ago Dunya News had also received CCTV footage in which an Additional Sub Inspector of Karachi Police was seen being murdered in a target killing incident.Despite the ongoing operation in Karachi city, so far 1685 incidents of target killing have taken place. Kidnapping for ransom and extortion cases add further to the crime scene of Karachi. The largest city and financial hub of the country remains soaked with blood during the Holy Month of Ramzan as well.
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