Monday 11 August 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Obama throws support behind Maliki successor in Iraq

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President Barack Obama on Monday urged a quick political transition in Iraq in a rebuke to controversial prime minister Nuri al-Maliki.Obama said that he as well as Vice President Joe Biden called prime minister-designate Haidar al-Abadi to offer support, as US forces conduct air strikes against Sunni Islamist extremists who have swept across Iraq.Stressing his position that there is no American military solution to the Iraq crisis, Obama called Abadi's nomination to replace the controversial Nuri al-Maliki a promising step.The only lasting solution is for Iraqis to come together and form an inclusive government, Obama said, after criticism that Maliki has ruled divisively to advance Iraq's Shiite majority. This new leadership has a difficult task to regain the confidence of its citizens by governing inclusively and taking steps to demonstrate its resolve, he told the press during his vacation in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.Maliki has called the selection of Abadi, a member of his party, a violation of the Iraqi constitution carried out with US support.But Obama said he pledged our support to Abadi and called on him to form a new cabinet as quickly as possible.I urge all Iraqi political leaders to work peacefully through the political process in the days ahead, Obama said.

All quiet in Gaza as 72-hour truce holds

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GAZA CITY (AFP) - A semblance of normal life returned to Gaza on Monday as a 72-hour truce took hold and negotiators sat down in Cairo to seek a permanent end to hostilities.Quiet returned to the enclave following days of Egyptian-brokered mediation to stem violence which has killed 1,940 Palestinians and 67 on the Israeli side since July 8.With no reports of violations on either side since midnight on Sunday, shops and businesses started to reopen and people ventured onto the streets of the war-torn coastal enclave which is home to 1.8 million Palestinians.Outside a UN-run school, a clutch of cars and donkey carts waited to take some refugees back to homes they had fled during the month of fighting.We want to go back to see what happened to our house, said Hikmat Atta, 58, who piled his family into a small cart to visit their home in the northern town of Beit Lahiya.But with the second truce in a week still in its early stages, he was not taking any chances. We're just going back for the day, at night we'll come back here, he told AFP. Palestinian emergency services said that a one-month-old baby girl died on Monday of injuries sustained during the fighting, raising the overall death toll in Gaza to 1,940. In Cairo, Egyptian intelligence mediators threw themselves back into shuttle diplomacy that unravelled after rocket attacks breached the previous 72-hour truce on Friday.They spent Monday locked in talks with the Palestinian delegation and were to relay their demands to Israeli negotiators, who returned to Cairo three days after abandoning the talks when Palestinian rocket attacks resumed on southern Israel.Egypt has urged the warring sides to use the new lull to reach a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire, after efforts to extend a similar truce last week collapsed into a firestorm of violence.Israel insists that the security of millions of its citizens subject to constant fear from Palestinian rocket attacks be guaranteed.Hamas, the de facto power in Gaza, has conditioned its acceptance of any permanent agreement on Israel lifting its eight-year blockade on the enclave.In the case of Israeli procrastination or continued aggression, Hamas is ready with other Palestinian factions to resist on the ground and politically, its exiled leader Khaled Meshaal told AFP in Doha.Israeli Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz warned that without a reasonable outcome to the talks, his country would have to consider sending ground troops back into Gaza. Either there will be a reasonable resolution of the situation in Gaza, or, if the fire resumes, we will have to consider a broadening of the operation, including an expansion on the ground, overthrowing the Hamas authorities and the demilitarisation of Gaza by ourselves, Steinitz told army radio.No-one is very excited by this and there is a price for it. But I think that within a couple of days, it will be decided one way or another.Finance Minister Yair Lapid said the Israeli operation should lead to a diplomatic overture in the form of an international conference attended by Israel, the Palestinians, Egypt, the United States, the European Union and moderate Arab countries like Saudi Arabia.James Rawley, the top UN humanitarian official for the Palestinian territories, said Israel's security concerns must be addressed but warned that without ending the blockade another conflict was likely.Not only will we see very little in the way of reconstruction, but I am afraid that the conditions are in place for us to have another round of violence, he told AFP.Palestinian delegates in Cairo said they would be happy for president Mahmud Abbas's Palestinian Authority to take over the reconstruction of Gaza and execute any agreement reached in Cairo.Israel has no direct dealings with Hamas, whose charter calls for the destruction of the Jewish state.Hamas had refused to extend the last 72-hour lull when it expired on Friday, and Israel accused the Islamist faction of breaching the agreement in its final hours with rocket attacks.The UN says just under three quarters of those killed in Gaza were civilians. Around a third of the civilian victims were children.Turkish aid group, the Humanitarian Relief Foundation, said it would send a new flotilla of ships in a bid to break Israel's eight-year blockade on Gaza. Four years ago, the group sent a six-ship flotilla to Gaza which was stormed by Israeli commandos, leaving 10 Turkish nationals dead and triggering a major diplomatic crisis with Ankara.

Syrian family among 10 killed in Aleppo air raid: NGO

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ALEPPO (AFP) - Syrian regime forces dumped barrel bombs Monday on a rebel-held area of Aleppo killing 10 civilians, including a family of four, a monitoring group said.An AFP correspondent who later toured the area said the raids also caused heavy destruction in Bab al-Nairab neighbourhood in the old district of Aleppo, Syria's second city.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said five barrel bombs were dropped on the district killing 10 civilians, including a man, his wife and their two children, as well as three other children and a woman.The raids inflicted heavy damage to buildings in Bab al-Nairab where volunteers were sifting through mounds of blood-stained debris to search for survivors, said the AFP correspondent.We are hearing voices but we cannot locate them because of the destruction, a rescuer said, as the body of a man and a teenager were pulled out of the debris.On Saturday, residents and the Observatory reported that 16 people were killed when a regime helicopter dropped a barrel bomb on another rebel-held area of Aleppo.Residents said they had found children torn apart from the force of the attack.The regime has pressed on with its barrel bomb campaign despite a United Nations resolution on February 22 banning their indiscriminate use in populated areas.HRW described barrel bombs as cheaply made, locally produced, and typically constructed from large oil drums, gas cylinders, and water tanks, filled with high explosives and scrap metal to enhance fragmentation, and then dropped from helicopters.

Floods kill 45 in eastern India: official

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NEW DELHI (AFP) - Flooding in eastern India has killed 45 people and displaced more than 300,000 in the past week, a senior official said Monday, adding that water levels were now gradually receding.Residents have been sheltering in relief centres in Orissa since being evacuated from their homes when torrential monsoon rains flooded rivers in mainly northern districts of the state. As of today, 300 to 400 villages are still marooned with a population of about 310,000 (evacuated people) affected, said Pravat Ranjan Mohapatra, state deputy relief commissioner.Mohapatra said 45 lives have been lost since the flooding hit last week, with 3.3 million people in total affected.The IMD (India Meteorological Department) is predicting good weather for the next few weeks. So we hope things will go back to normal in a day or two, he told AFP by phone from the state capital Bhubaneswar. Photos and television footage have shown parents and children crammed into trucks as they flee flooded homes and villages. Some, clutching belongings, are seen wading through thigh-deep water to safety, while others are huddled under makeshift tents on roadsides.The hardest-hit regions have been around the Mahanadi and Baitarani rivers which started to burst their banks last Tuesday.Torrential rains claimed as many as 48 lives last October in Orissa, just a month after a killer storm slammed into the coast -- leaving 18 dead and destroying large tracts of farmland. The strength of the annual June-September downpour is vital to hundreds of millions of Indian farmers and to economic growth. Asia's third-largest economy gets 80 percent of its annual rainfall during the monsoon season.

Tennis: Bullish Federer aiming for more hardcourt success

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CINCINNATI (AFP) - A weekend title defeat in Canada did not dent the growing hopes of resurgent Roger Federer as the world number three keeps to a steady pace in his buildup for the US Open starting in a fortnight.The Swiss, who turned 33 last week, said that his 7-5, 7-6 (7/2) weekend finals loss in Toronto to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was a disappointment but also a huge chance to gather more information on the current state of his improving game, which is bolstered by a fearsome new racquet.While the Swiss missed out on his third title of the season after playing in seven finals, he did start putting the pieces in place as he begins as second seed at this week's final pre-grand slam tune-up, the Cincinnati Masters.I'm overall pretty happy that I made the finals in my first tournament back on hard courts, Federer said after going down to Tsonga. I had a few tough matches which clearly gave me a lot of information.I know what I need to work on the next few days and next few weeks, which is good to know what I need to do other than feeling lost. I wish I could have played a bit better in the final, but the facts were that it was tough for me. There were things I could have done better, but overall it was a positive week. I go away from this feeling good about my chances and also at the US Open and for the rest of the season. It's another good tournament for me, which I'm happy about.Federer will be bidding to win his sixth trophy in Cincinnati -- where the women are also competing. After a first-round bye he starts in the second round with the winner from Canadian Vasek Pospisil and Czech veteran Radek Stepanek.Toronto protagonists made their way quickly to Cincinnati for the week of polish on the hardcourt, with Tsonga flying out of Canada on Sunday night with his team to be ready for Monday practice in Ohio.Federer also had a late afternoon session in the steamy heat which always characterises the week in the Midwest.On court in the first round, Spanish 16th seed Tommy Robredo advanced over American Jack Sock 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 while a pair of Germans advanced.Philipp Kohlschreiber beat Jeremy Chardy of France 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 and Benjamin Becker surprised Ivo Karlovic 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 to end a six-match losing streak against the giant Croat.In women's opening-round matches, American teenager Taylor Townsend beat Czech Klara Koukalova 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 while 19-year-old Madison Keys put out Alize Cornet of France 6-2, 6-4.Elina Svitolina of the Ukraine defeated Lauren Davis of the US 6-3, 6-2; China's Zhang Shuai beat British qualifier Heather Watson 6-3, 2-6, 7-5.

World Cup record holder Klose retires from international football

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BERLIN (AFP) - German striker Miroslav Klose, the all-time World Cup top scorer, announced his retirement from international football on Monday.The 36-year-old leaves the German national team as a World Cup winner after last month helping Joachim Loew's side to their first global crown since 1990 when they defeated Argentina 1-0 in the Rio-hosted final.The Lazio frontman picked up his 16th goal, in what was his fourth World Cup, to surpass Brazilian Ronaldo as the tournament's leading scorer. Klose, who won two German titles with Bayern Munich following spells with Kaiserslautern and Werder Bremen, said he had fulfilled a childhood dream with the title in Brazil and lived unforgettable moments with the national team, according to a statement released by the German football federation. The success of the team stood and always stands for me in the highest place, Klose said. With the national team I achieved our greatest goal, a goal which we had together within the squad. In addition, I achieved personal goals and those who know me know that I am very ambitious, but I am a striker and the task of a striker is to score goals.Therefore the records never concerned me, but it was always about giving my best for the team.The Polish-born marksman scored five goals at the 2002 World Cup, where Germany were beaten 2-0 by Ronaldo's Brazil in the final, five in 2006 on home soil, four in 2010 at South Africa and two in 2014.He broke the World Cup record for goals in July when he found the target for his 16th strike during the 7-1 semi-final rout of Brazil. He is one of just three players, alongside Pele and Uwe Seeler, to score in four World Cups, and finishes his Germany career as the country's all-time leading scorer with 71 goals in 137 appearances. Loew was quick to heap praise on Klose, saying: For Miro it was always an honour to be called up into the national team. He's given everything for Germany.I have the biggest respect for his decision and for his incredible career in the national team, which will be a tough one to better.Federation president Wolfgang Niersbach said Klose was not only an exceptional player but also an absolutely exemplary man.With his 71 goals for the national team and his 16 goals in the World Cup, he has established two phenomenal records that will ensure him a place of honour in the history books.Klose kicked off his international career against Albania on March 24, 2001, going on to enjoy a 13-year career with the Mannschaft, only Lothar Matthaus having won more caps (150).

Golf: Watson trusting Tiger on Ryder Cup health report

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LOUISVILLE (AFP) - Tom Watson will decide on making injured Tiger Woods a captain's pick for the US Ryder Cup team largely on trusting the 14-time major winner to evaluate himself.The 64-year-old leader of the American squad that will try to recapture the trophy from Europe in six weeks at Gleneagles, Scotland, said Monday he will rely upon Woods to admit if his nagging back injury is too painful for him to participate in the biennial match-play event.I think it really directly comes from Tiger, how he assesses himself, Watson said.The main thing is I can't really assess his medical condition and I honestly can't assess how he's playing. It really is going to be having to come from information from Tiger himself.So can Watson trust such a source, who has admitted he dearly wants to play on the US side?Absolutely, Watson said.I trust Tiger to give me the straight skinny. I trust him inherently.Woods, who has not won a major since the 2008 US Open, withdrew from a World Golf Championships event eight days ago with back pain and battled through it again in the second round of the PGA Championship last Friday before missing the cut.Woods said the injury is unrelated to the back surgery he underwent March 31 to ease a pinched nerve that sidelined him for nearly four months, but that does not mean it will heal in time for Woods to play at Gleneagles.I will continue to speak with Tiger over the next three weeks to monitor his situation, Watson said. Obviously he has not been playing well, but I think it has been a result of his injury and his coming back from back surgery.Watson says he would give Woods a captain's pick if he were healthy and playing well but even though he is neither, Watson said, I would be a fool not to consider him.The most important thing is his health, Watson said. Right now, his health is not good And whether that can change in the next three weeks, as I said, I'll monitor the situation.It's about his physical capability. Right now, he can't go.Watson says that Woods made clear his desire to play on the US team, a desire likely heightened by the US loss on home soil in 2012 to a last-day rally by Europe at Medinah. Tiger said that to me in our conversation, 'I want you to pick me,' Watson said.Because Woods has not qualified for the season-ending US PGA playoffs, he likely will have a six-week layoff before the Ryder Cup.Watson said he couldn't answer when asked if it was imperative for Woods to play in the next few weeks, but made it clear that the 69-time PGA winner, three shy of Sam Snead's all-time wins record, offers more than shotmaking for the Americans.He is Tiger Woods and he brings a lot to the team, if he has the ability to play and he's healthy, Watson said.He brings something to the team in a big way. He has been really good in the team room of recent and he's a factor with the players. I know that for a fact. He's a very positive influence on the players.

Oil prices mixed as market eyes Iraq, US supplies

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Oil prices finished mixed on Monday as traders kept watch on turmoil in Iraq, while anticipating another drop in US crude-oil inventories. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for September delivery advanced 43 cents to $98.08 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.European benchmark Brent oil for September delivery fell 34 cents to $104.68 a barrel in London. Iraq remained in focus as President Fuad Masum accepted the nomination of Haidar al-Abadi to serve as the next prime minister in an effort to replace the much-criticized Nuri al-Maliki.The shakeup came after Iraq's Kurdish forces on Sunday reclaimed two towns from Islamic State fighters, buoyed by US air strikes that began last week, aimed at stemming the jihadist advance .Andy Lipow, head of Houston consultancy Lipow Oil Associates, said the US air strikes have raised hopes the Kurds will be able to turn around and push back the jihadists.Brent, which is more closely tied than WTI to international developments, suffered as there were no significant oil outages in Iraq, analysts said.Evidently, the majority of market participants still do not expect any supply outages in Iraq, said a note by Commerzbank.We see no justification for the complacent attitude of players on the oil market given the geopolitical tensions and anticipate a rising oil price.Lipow attributed the strength in WTI to anticipation that this week's government inventory report will again show high refinery utilization as plants continue to keep gasoline output high to slake lofty summer-driving demand.US commercial crude inventories have fallen more than 22 million barrels over the last six weeks, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

Dollar gains as Ukraine, Iraq conflicts boil

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The US dollar headed higher against the euro and yen Monday as the Ukraine and Iraq conflicts festered and traders remained on the watch for significant economic signals for the market.The dollar gained steadily, to $1.3383 per euro, with the euros weakness underscored by ongoing worries over a possible Russian military incursion into eastern Ukraine.Today might not be the day for sustained heavy trading, as a lack of developments along any of the major conflict points in the world right now has paralyzed market participants with anticipation, said Christopher Vecchio, a currency analyst at DailyFX.A similarly devoid economic calendar out of the United States for the first two days of the week also looks to weigh on volatility still.

South Africa in control despite Nyumbu five-for

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HARARE (AFP) - John Nyumbu became the second Zimbabwean to record a five-wicket haul on Test debut but South Africa still put themselves in the driving seat on day three of the one-off Test on Monday.Nyumbu sank to his knees and pointed to the heavens after taking figures of 5 for 157 in a South African total of 397 all out, which gave the tourists a lead of 141 on first innings.Morne Morkel then dismissed opener Hamilton Masakadza before Zimbabwe reached stumps on 28 for one in their second innings, still trailing by 113 runs.Only fast bowler Andy Blignaut had taken five wickets on Test debut for Zimbabwe, but Nyumbu chipped away throughout the day to add the scalps of Faf du Plessis, Dale Steyn and JP Duminy to the two wickets he had picked up on Sunday.Du Plessis was out for 98 shortly before the lunch interval after a 264-ball innings, ending a 119-run stand with Quinton de Kock for the fifth wicket.De Kock also missed out on a century when he chipped left-arm spinner Sean Williams to midwicket to depart for 81, having showed the most intent out of the South Africans.His dismissal prompted extreme caution from the batsmen who followed, as JP Duminy and Vernon Philander added 42 runs in 27 overs before Philander was bowled by Williams on the stroke of tea.It was important for us to make sure we got as close to 400 as we could and the only way you could do that was to spend time in the middle, said Du Plessis.Although South Africa lifted their scoring rate at the beginning of the final session, their overall run-rate of 2.5 per over was the slowest they had recorded in a first innings against Zimbabwe.It doesn't always have to look pretty. This is one of those specific situations where you do the work, you do the hard yards, Du Plessis said.People don't see it as flashy and it doesn't look like the number one team in the world, but it's what we know we need to do.Duminy added a further 63 with the tail after Philander's departure, but was last man out for 55 when he was caught at slip off Nyumbu.That left the Proteas with 13 overs to bowl at the hosts, and Morkel made the only impression when he bounced out Masakadza for 19.Vusi Sibanda reached stumps unbeaten on eight, while nightwatchman Donald Tiripano had one.

Pakistan greats blast Galle Test defeat

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KARACHI (AFP) - Former Pakistan players on Monday criticised the national team's capitulation in the first Test against Sri Lanka, blaming defensive batting on the final day for the seven-wicket defeat.A trademark second innings collapse Sunday meant Pakistan were bowled out for a paltry 180 in Galle after the match looked certain to end in a draw.Sri Lanka knocked off the 99-run target despite bad light and intermittent rain to take a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series.It was disappointing to see Pakistan lose a Test which was heading for a draw and after scoring 451, former captain Rashid Latif told AFP.Younis Khan led the charge in the first innings with a brilliant 177 but Sri Lankan spinner Rangana Herath exploited the last-day pitch with figures of 6-48 to destroy Pakistan's batting.In contrast Sri Lanka notched up 533 for nine declared in the first innings with Kumar Sangakkara hitting a magnificent 221, blunting Pakistani spinners Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman.Latif said neither Rehman nor Ajmal had lived up to expectations.Considering Pakistan's batting frailties, Ajmal and Rehman didn't bowl well (to compensate) and that was the cause of defeat, said Latif, adding the defeat did not augur well for Misbah-ul-Haq's captaincy.I can see Shahid Afridi as captain in the 2015 World Cup if Pakistan lose the Test and one-day series in Sri Lanka, said Latif.The second Test starts in Colombo on Thursday and is followed by a three-match one-day series.Latif criticised Pakistan's policy of employing too many coaches.No matter how many coaches you bring, it cannot improve. All the coaches are job seekers, said Latif, singling out spin coach Mushtaq Ahmed.In May this year the Pakistan Cricket Board appointed former paceman Waqar Younis as head coach and former Zimbabwe opener Grant Flower batting coach.Another former captain, Mohammad Yousuf, criticised the team's go-slow batting which allowed the Sri Lankan spinners to attack.I did not expect such a batting capitulation but it all boils down to the defensive strategy of the captain and that has let the team down, said Yousuf.Pakistani middle-order batsman Azhar Ali took 151 balls for his 41 runs while opener Ahmed Shehzad scored 16 off 74.

Pakistan lodges protest with India over LoC firing

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ISLAMABAD (AFP) - Pakistan on Monday summoned a senior Indian diplomat over a cross border firing incident near the eastern city of Sialkot, which left at least one civilian dead, the foreign ministry said.The Pakistani authorities accused India of a ceasefire violation and registered a formal protest over the incident, which took place on the eve of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to the disputed region.The Deputy High Commissioner of India was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today (Monday) to lodge Pakistans protest over unprovoked Indian firing across the working boundary in Sialkot sector on 10-11 August 2014, a press statement issued by the foreign ministry, said.The firing resulted in one civilian casualty and injuries to three others, the statement added.Earlier, the Indian police also accused Pakistan of injuring four people during firing along their border in Kashmir.India and Pakistan often accuse each other of violating a border ceasefire which has largely held since 2003.Despite the truce, firing along the disputed de facto border called the Line of Control, that separates Kashmir into Indian and Pakistani sectors, has occurred sporadically.Both India and Pakistan claim the region in full and have fought two of their three wars over its control.Since 1989 fighting between Indian forces and rebels seeking independence or merger of the territory with Pakistan has killed tens of thousands, mostly civilians.This was the 54th incident of ceasefire violation by Indian troops since July this year, the foreign ministry said.It was emphasized that such unfortunate incidents were taking place at a time when the leadership on both sides had expressed willingness to improve bilateral relations, which had paved the way for the Foreign Secretary-level talks to resume dialogue.The Indian Police had said overnight firing lasting several hours in the RS Pura sector on the recognised border injured two Indian border guards and two civilians.Pakistani officials on Friday released an Indian border guard arrested for allegedly violating their de-facto border in the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir, officials said.The guard, whom officials named as Satyasheel Yadav, was swept onto the Pakistani side of the River Chenab after a patrol boat he was in capsized on Wednesday.

Iraq: Maliki's eight years in power

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BAGHDAD (AFP) - Here are the main dates of the eight years in power of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Iraq, whose president on Monday appointed Haidar al-Abadi as his successor:--2006--- April 22: Newly-re-elected President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, announces that he asked Maliki, a Shiite, to form the next government, replacing Ibrahim Jaafari, who was contested by Sunnis and Kurds.- May 21: A national unity cabinet is sworn in, dominated by Malikis United Iraqi Alliance which won most seats in parliamentary election.- October 11: Parliament approves a law allowing the countrys 18 provinces to hold referendums to merge themselves into larger federal regions with a measure of self-government.The law was opposed by some in the minority Sunni community, who feared that their group would be left only with a rump territory in the barren west and centre of the country.--2007--- August 14, 2007: At least 400 are killed in the most deadly attacks since the overthrow of dictator Saddam Hussein in the US-led invasion of 2003, targeting members of the ancient Kurdish-speaking Yazidi religious sect in the northern province of Nineveh. Al-Qaeda is blamed.In spite of the deployment of some 155,000 US soldiers, since the blowing up of a revered Shiite shrine in Samarra, north of Baghdad, on February 22, 2006, Iraq goes through a bloody sectarian war that costs tens of thousands of lives up until 2008.--2010--- March 7: Parliamentary elections marred by sectarianism. Shiites vote for Malikis State of Law Alliance and the United Iraqi Alliance, while Sunnis vote for the secular Iraqiya bloc of Iyad Allawi. Neither side has enough seats to form a government. - November: Political leaders announce a deal on the ethnic and sectarian make-up of the three main posts -- president, prime minister, and speaker of parliament.Talabani is re-elected president and Maliki named prime minister.- December 20: A government of national unity is set up, and completed in February, with Maliki holding the three vacant security porfolios on an interim basis.--2011--- February 3: The start of protests calling for improved public services, more jobs and less corruption and for broader political reforms.- December 18: US troops complete their withdrawal, ending nearly nine years of occupation, leaving country mired in a political crisis.A day later an arrest warrant is issued for Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi, who takes refuge in Kurdistan. Iraqiya bloc briefly boycotts the cabinet.--2012--- December 23: The start of major protests, particularly in the Sunni province of Anbar, demanding Malikis ouster and accusing him of monopolising power and discriminating against Sunnis.--2013--- April 23: Start of a week of clashes in Hawijah in northern Iraq between security forces and anti-government protesters allegedly infiltrated by militants that leave more than 240 dead.According to the NGO Iraq Body Count, 2013 was the deadliest year since 2008, with 9,475 civilians killed.--2014--- January 2-4: Iraq loses control of Fallujah and parts of Ramadi in Anbar province to Al-Qaeda-linked fighters, after security forces cleared an anti-government protest camp in December.- April 30: Maliki wins the most seats in the first general election since US troops departed, but his State of Law alliance falls short of an overall majority.- June 10: Hundreds of Sunni Arab militants, led by radical jihadists, seize Iraqs second biggest city Mosul as government forces take flight. They go on to seize broad swathes of territory in the north and the west. On August 8, US jets strike jihadist positions.- August 11: President Fuad Masum tasks Abadi with forming a government, moments after he was selected as nominee for prime minister by the National Alliance bloc.

ICC Test players ranking: Sangakkara on top, Younis in top ten

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DUBAI (Dunya News) – After the Galle Test ICC has announced the Test players ranking on Monday.Veteran Sri Lankan batsman Kumara Sangakkara tops the batsmen ranking after hitting the double ton in the recent Test against Pakistan. Sangakkara grabbed the first position from South African AB De Villiers.Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews has improved in rankings and become the 5th best Test batsman in the world while the Pakistani captain Misbah ul Haq declined in the rankings and placed himself at the 8th position due to his disappointing performance at the Galle Test against Sri Lanka.Former captain Younis Khan played the fine inning of 177 runs against Sri Lanka that rewarded him the position in the top ten of world’s best Test batsmen.Azhar Ali has been promoted two places while Asad Ali advanced to one place.Sri Lankan left arm spinner has been promoted to number six while star spinner Saeed Ajmal declined three places to 8th position.In Test all-rounder ranking, Indian Ravichandaran Ashwin ruled the rankings.

Iraq president nominates new PM, spurns Maliki

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BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraqi President Fuad Masum on Monday tasked deputy parliamentary speaker Haidar al-Abadi with forming a government during a brief ceremony broadcast on state television.The country is now in your hands, Masum told Abadi, who moments earlier was selected as nominee for prime minister instead of incumbent Nuri al-Maliki by the Shiite National Alliance parliamentary bloc.Abadi, a member of Malikis Dawa party who is viewed as close to the two-term premier, was communications minister in the interim government following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, after spending much of the dictators rule in exile.He was elected to parliament in 2006, chaired the finance committee and became deputy parliament speaker earlier this year.
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