Friday 29 August 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Syria refugees top 3 million, US has no strategy 'yet'

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DAMASCUS (AFP) - The number of refugees from the Syria conflict now tops three million, the UN said Friday, as US President Barack Obama admitted he has no strategy to tackle advancing jihadists.In Geneva, UN refugee agency chief Antonio Guterres said Syria had become the biggest humanitarian emergency of our era after a million people joined the exodus in the past year alone.They have fled the war-wracked country where Islamic State (IS) jihadists have sown panic with atrocities and executions, including of scores of Syrian soldiers and a US journalist this month alone.The scale of the crisis facing the international community deepened after rival Islamists led by Al-Qaeda's Syria affiliate, Al-Nusra Front, seized 43 Fijian UN peacekeepers on the Golan Heights.The latest information we have is that they are safe and I can say now that the negotiations for their release have already begun, Fiji's Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama said in a statement.The militants also surrounded 75 Filipino peacekeepers, sparking a tense standoff for the UN mission that has monitored a Syrian-Israeli armistice on the strategic plateau for decades.Dampening prospects of imminent air strikes in Syria, Obama said he was still developing a comprehensive plan to defeat IS, which has overrun large swathes of neighbours Iraq and Syria.We don't have a strategy yet, Obama said, adding however that he was sending Secretary of State John Kerry to the Middle East to build regional support against IS.The Syria war has killed some 191,000 people since March 2011 but has taken on a new dimension as IS unleashed a brutality that has shocked the world.Britain announced Friday that it has raised the terror level to severe because of concern that jihadists in Syria and Iraq were planning attacks on the West. British Prime Minister David Cameron told reporters there was no doubt in my mind that IS had its sights set on targets in Europe.The White House spokesman said the United States had no plans to follow suit.Washington has launched air strikes in Iraq that have helped Kurdish forces claw back some territory lost to a renewed jihadist offensive earlier this month.This has infuriated the jihadists who posted grisly video footage Thursday of their execution of a Kurdish fighter.The video also shows other captive Kurds warning that they risk the same fate if such cooperation continues, the SITE Intelligence Group monitoring service said.The footage follows a jihadist video showing scores of bodies in the desert that IS boasted were Syrian soldiers it captured and killed.The jihadists have also carried out a spate of executions of civilians from religious minorities in northern Iraq.On Friday, Iraqi aircraft struck jihadists besieging the Shiite Turkmen town of Amerli for more than two months, as government forces readied an offensive, officers said.Amerli residents are in grave danger both because of their Shiite faith, which jihadists consider heresy, and their resistance to the militants, which has drawn harsh retribution elsewhere.Whole communities that had lived for generations in northern Iraq are being forced to flee or face death just for their religious beliefs, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said Friday.His comment came as the International Organisation for Migration said that over 1.6 million Iraqis have been displaced this year, more than 850,000 this month alone.Many of their loved ones were killed or abducted by IS forces. Groups of people were reportedly forced by IS to jump off mountain cliffs, while others were taken away to an uncertain fate, said the IOM emergency coordinator for Iraq, Brian Kelly.A UN-mandated probe has charged that public executions, amputations, lashings and mock crucifixions have become commonplace in jihadist-controlled areas of Syria.As Fiji's premier announced that negotiations were under way to free 43 of his countrymen captured in Syria, Manila said its citizens besieged by rebels were ready to use deadly force to defend themselves.The UN peacekeepers from Fiji were forced to surrender their weapons and were taken hostage, but the 75 Filipino blue helmets held their ground and refused to disarm, the Philippine defence department said.The UN Security Council demanded the unconditional and immediate release of the peacekeepers.Twice last year peacekeepers were detained before being released.Meanwhile, Hollywood star and goodwill ambassador for the UN refugee agency Angelina Jolie made a plea for the end of Syria's three-and-a-half war.Three million refugees is not just another statistic. It is a searing indictment of our collective failure to end the war in Syria, she said.On the ground, regime forces blasted Damascus's eastern district of Jubar on Friday as they sought to retake the strategic rebel-held sector.

Frantic search as Nicaragua mine collapse traps 20

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MANAGUA (AFP) - Rescue teams in Nicaragua were scrambling frantically Friday to reach at least 20 workers trapped deep underground for more than 24 hours after a cave-in at an unlicensed gold mine.Two workers buried near the surface managed to dig their way out after the collapse early Thursday in the remote village of El Comal in northeastern Nicaragua, according to the local disaster prevention committee.But another 20 are marooned in the mine shaft 800 meters (2,600 feet) underground, said presidential spokeswoman Rosario Murillo, after being briefed by officials coordinating the desperate rescue effort.There had been 28 guiriseros, or informal gold miners, working in the shaft when the mouth of the mine caved in because of a landslide triggered by heavy downpours.Authorities said they were trying to confirm whether any miners had died, noting that the incident happened in a hard-to-reach area with poor communication.Supposedly there are dead but that is not confirmed, said local disaster official Martha Lagos.A local TV station had showed what appeared to be the body of a dead miner being recovered.Police, soldiers and other miners were taking part in the operation, using rescue dogs to help locate the victims.You can hear that there are people alive because we heard voices, Lagos earlier told the website 19 Digital.The accident happened at an artisanal mine near the town of Bonanza, which is perched on the side of a hill, in a region that is home to Nicaragua's biggest gold mines.Desperate relatives initially tried to dig through to the trapped miners but the land was too unstable, news reports said.Word of the collapse only emerged late Thursday because the site is so remote, Lagos said.President Daniel Ortega is following the rescue operation and has suspended an event Saturday to inaugurate a new bridge, his spokeswoman said.Business has boomed over the past decade for Nicaragua's guiriseros as the price of gold has risen from less than $400 an ounce to more than $1,200.They descend into old shafts that have been abandoned by conventional mining companies and look for remaining gold or dig even deeper to find new veins.But the work can be perilous.The scene of Thursday's collapse is very high-risk and only they know the site because as the superficial veins of gold run out, they have to dig deeper and deeper in underground tunnels, said Lagos.Informal gold mining is the main source of employment in Bonanza, where officials estimate there are 6,000 guiriseros.Many of them have migrated there from other parts of the country in a modern-day gold rush.Bonanza's population has jumped in the past decade from around 8,000 people to 40,000, said Lagos.Locals can earn $1,500 to $3,000 a month selling gold to foreign mining companies -- a relative fortune in Nicaragua.Some informal miners work independently, while others are organized into officially authorized cooperatives.Bonanza forms one point of the Central American country's so-called mining triangle in the remote Autonomous North Atlantic Region.The latest accident comes four years after 33 workers were trapped deep inside Chile's San Jose copper and gold mine for more than two months, a drama that captured worldwide attention.It took rescuers 17 days to drill a small shaft to establish contact, and more than two months of painstaking effort to open a passage wide enough to pull them out one by one.

George Galloway badly injured in street attack

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LONDON (Agencies) - Respect MP George Galloway was taken to hospital with a suspected broken jaw on Friday night after being attacked in the street.Police arrested a British man over the incident, which is believed to have been prompted by comments Galloway has made about Israel in past weeks.The 60-year-old was posing for pictures in Notting Hill, London, on Friday evening when a man lashed out at him, his spokesman said. Galloway gave a statement to police after a man aged 39 was arrested.George was posing for pictures with people and this guy just attacked him, leapt on him and started punching him, his spokesman said.It appears to be connected with his comments about Israel because the guy was shouting about the Holocaust. George is badly bruised but OK. He has bruising to his head and face and is in pretty bad shape.Police said Galloway was badly injured and was being treated in a London hospital, but was in a stable condition. The arrested man remains in custody.Last week, the MP was interviewed by police under caution after he was accused of inciting racial hatred by declaring his constituency, Bradford West, an Israel-free zone.In a speech he gave in Leeds on 2 August he said: We dont want any Israeli goods; we dont want any Israeli services; we dont want any Israeli academics coming to the university or the college; we dont even want any Israeli tourists to come to Bradford, even if any of them had thought of doing so.Galloway called the police investigation into him a monumental – and monumentally expensive – waste of police time.

Tennis: Halep, Kerber toppled, valiant Venus falls at US Open

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The US Open women's draw was blown open Friday as world number two Simona Halep, sixth seed Angelique Kerber and two-time champion Venus Williams tumbled out of the third round.Two players at opposite ends of the tennis age spectrum authored the upsets of the day.Croatian Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, a former phenom now a 32-year-old veteran who had to fight through qualifying, shocked second-seeded Halep, the French Open runner-up, 7-6 (8/6), 6-2.And 17-year-old Swiss Belinda Bencic toppled Germany's Kerber 6-1, 7-5.The reward for the 121st-ranked Lucic-Baroni is a fourth-round meeting with 13th-seeded Italian Sara Errani, who thwarted Williams 6-0, 0-6, 7-6 (7/5).It's incredible, amazing, I feel goofy, said Lucic-Baroni, who reached a Grand Slam fourth round for the first time since making it to the 1999 Wimbledon semi-finals as a 17-year-old.Her life went into freefall after she revealed she was abused by her father, Marinko, and in recent seasons her career has been a struggle to support herself, train and find a way to re-establish herself on tour.Every painful moment has been worth it, said Lucic-Baroni, who rallied from 2-5 down to steal the first set then dominated in the second -- sealing the match with back-to-back aces.I knew what I had to do and I was able to do it, said Lucic-Baroni, who broke down in tears later reflecting on her journey. I worked so hard for this.Bencic, the 2013 Wimbledon and French Open junior champion, now ranked 58th in the world, earned a meeting with former world number one Jelena Jankovic for a place in the quarter-finals.After dropping the lopsided first set, Kerber appeared poised to knot the match, but she couldn't convert three set points.Bencic, coached by former Swiss great Martina Hingis' mother Melanie Molitor, seized her chance.It's amazing that after last year I played juniors here, and this year I'm in the fourth round, Bencic said. So it's incredible.The last Grand Slam of the year has now lost four of it's top 10 women's seeds, after the second-round departures of Agnieszka Radwanska and Ana Ivanovic.Former champion and fifth seed Maria Sharapova was trying to buck the upset trend later Friday when she took on big-hitting German Sabine Lisicki under the floodlights on Arthur Ashe Stadium court.Before that, men's second seed Roger Federer was to resume his quest for a sixth US Open title against big-serving Australian Sam Groth.Errani's triumph over 19th-seeded Williams wasn't strictly speaking an upset, but the 13th-seeded Italian had to dig deep to notch her first career victory over the American after three defeats.I know that was a really tough match, even if I won the first set 6-0 she's an amazing player, Errani said.And as she expected, five-time Grand Slam champion Williams battled back, racing through the second set to set up a third that turned into a slugfest.Williams twice came back from a break down in the third, then broke Errani to serve for the match at 5-3.She couldn't hang on, however, surrendering her serve as they battled to the tiebreaker, in which Errani took a 5-2 lead only for Williams to battle back to 5-5 before at last succumbing.Errani was infected by the electric atmosphere in the Ashe stadium, even though she knew the frantic fans were for her opponent.To go 5-all in the tiebreak I heard the crowd, she said. Never hear the crowd like that strong. I was shaking for the crowd. Was unbelievable good. I think I will remember forever that moment.China's Peng Shuai, showing no sign of a let-down after her second-round win over Radwanska, dispatched another seeded player in number 28 Roberta Vinci 6-4, 6-3.Ninth-seeded Jankovic, whose only Grand Slam final appearance was a runner-up finish at Flushing Meadows in 2008, was never in danger in a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Sweden's Johanna Larsson.The surprises on the women's side overshadowed men's second-round action.Fourth-seeded David Ferrer reached the third round without lifting his racquet when unpredictable Aussie Bernard Tomic withdrew with a hip injury.Wimbledon semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria continued his best-ever US Open with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Dudi Sela, improving his career record against the Israeli to 3-0.Croatia's 14th-seeded Marin Cilic, 18th seed Kevin Anderson of South Africa, 19th seed Feliciano Lopez and 20th seed Gael Monfils all advanced on cue.Cilic belted 37 winners in a 7-6 (7/2), 6-2, 6-4 victory over qualifier Illya Marchenko to set up a meeting with Anderson, who knocked out Jerzy Janowicz 6-7 (6/8), 6-2, 6-1, 6-3. The two last met in the ATP Delray Beach final, where Cilic grabbed one of his two titles of 2014.

Football: Dortmund survive late scare to beat Augsburg

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BERLIN (AFP) - Borussia Dortmund bounced back from defeat on the opening day of the Bundesliga season to run out 3-2 winners at Augsburg on Friday with Marco Reus, Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Adrian Ramos all on target.Jurgen Klopp's side needed to survive a late scare at the SGL Arena, however, as Augsburg trimmed back a three-goal deficit before the final whistle ended their hopes of completing a remarkable comeback.Dortmund were beaten 2-0 at home by Bayer Leverkusen last Saturday after conceding the opening goal with just nine seconds played, the result putting a dampener on their hopes of seriously challenging Bayern Munich for the title.In Bavaria, Klopp brought goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller and centre-back Neven Subotic back into his starting line-up, while summer signing Ciro Immobile was dropped to the bench at the expense of Kevin Grosskreutz.And Dortmund were almost out of sight after scoring twice in the opening quarter of an hour.First, Reus played a one-two with Grosskreutz and beat Marwin Hitz in goal with a lovely finish, and then a Reus corner from the right was headed home by Greek defender Papastathopoulos.Colombian striker Ramos, a summer buy from Hertha Berlin, came off the bench in the 73rd minute and scored his first goal for his new club five minutes later, tapping home after Hitz had parried out Henrikh Mkhitaryan's shot.Augsburg, who lost 2-0 at Hoffenheim on the opening weekend, reduced the arrears in the 82nd minute through burly Argentine striker Raul Bobadilla and his fellow substitute Tim Matavz headed in another goal with a minute remaining, but it proved too little, too late for Markus Weinzierl's side.Champions Bayern Munich go to Gelsenkirchen to face Schalke 04 on Saturday evening in the pick of the weekend's matches.

Football: FIFA threaten to ban Nigeria over disputed elections

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ABUJA (AFP) - World football governing body FIFA has warned Nigeria could be banned by Tuesday if an elected executive committee led by Chris Giwa does not vacate the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) office by midnight Monday.In a letter dated Friday, August 29 and signed by FIFA secretary general Jerome Valke, FIFA warned Giwa and his executives to stop parading themselves as NFF officials.FIFA said they do not recognise the executives election from Tuesday, although the global footballing body said that it appears the ministry of sports has recognised them.We will not recognise the outcome of the above mentioned elections and should there still be persons claiming to have been elected and occupying the NFF offices at midnight on Monday 1 September 2014, we will bring the case to the appropriate FIFA body for sanctions, which may include the suspension of the NFF, read the letter addressed to NFF secretary general Musa Amadu.Giwa and his executives took office on Wednesday and the following day paid a courtesy call to sports minister Tammy Danagogo, who promptly endorsed their election.The immediate consequence of a FIFA ban on Nigeria would be the African champions forfeiting two 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers fixed for September 6 against Congo in Calabar and September 10 against South Africa in Cape Town.The crisis caused by the purported election has meant league matches will not be played across the country as scheduled this weekend after referees, club managers and players announced a boycott until the situation is resolved.Two months ago, Nigeria was suspended by FIFA following direct government interference in the running of the game in the country when a court sacked the elected NFF executive committee led by Aminu Maigari and the sports minister appointed a civil servant to head the NFF.In Fridays letter, FIFA accepted the decision of the majority congress where 39 of the 44 members resolved at an ad hoc general assembly for executive committee elections to now take place on September 4.

Badminton: Rampant Lee rolls on, Sindhu makes history

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COPENHAGEN (AFP) - Top-ranked Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia continued his charge towards an elusive first world championship title by coasting into the semi-finals of the men's singles in Copenhagen on Friday while rising Indian star P.V. Sindhu won through to the last four of the women's draw.Lee, twice a runner-up at the world event, displayed his class by shredding apart Chinese sixth seed Wang Zhengming to record a comprehensive 21-8, 21-11 victory.The Malaysian aligned impeccable defence with ruthless efficiency as he capitalised on the opportunities that came his way to make light work of his opponent, a former world junior champion, and stay on course for a title showdown with China's world number two Chen Long.I used yesterday to prepare for the game today and everything went to plan, said Lee, who was rarely tested in his last-16 clash with Ireland's Scott Evans on Thursday.It's true I tried to shorten the points and avoid long rallies. That was the plan. Now I'm just looking forward to tomorrow (Saturday), added the top seed, who will face Danish 14th seed Viktor Axelsen, a 21-14, 21-14 winner over Taiwan's Chou Tien-chen, for a place in the final.Earlier Chen clawed his way past South Korean seventh seed Son Wan-ho 21-14, 12-21, 21-17 to keep China firmly in contention to win a seventh consecutive singles title.In the third game when I was 11-9 down I had to change things, said Chen, whose last title came at January's Korea Open.During that time it was dangerous. If I play the way I was I do think I can lose. But I told myself I can't give up because maybe the condition of my opponent also changes.I was confident once I got it to 14-all though.Chen will play fifth seed Tommy Sugiarto in the semis after the Indonesian laboured his way past 37th-ranked Dutchman Eric Pang 22-20, 21-19.Indian teenager P.V. Sindhu made history as she stunned China's All-England champion Wang Shixian 19-21, 21-19, 21-15 to reach the last four and become the first player from her country to win multiple world championship medals.Sindhu, who doesn't turn 20 until next July, won bronze a year ago in Guangzhou and is guaranteed at least bronze in Denmark after disposing of second seed Wang in an 85-minute marathon.I'm very happy. It was a really long match, said the 11th seed, who saved three match points in the previous round against South Korea's Bae Yeon-ju. I was trailing 16-12 in the second set and made a very good comeback. I played really well and I hope to go much further, added Sindhu, who will face Carolina Marin next after the European champion assured Spain of a first ever world championship medal by defeating Taiwanese eighth seed Tai Tzu-ying 19-21, 21-19, 21-11.World number one Li Xuerui reached the semi-finals after her stroke play proved too much for the other leading Indian, seventh seed Saina Nehwal.China's Li, seeking to avenge her painful defeat in the 2013 final, swept past Saina 21-15, 21-15 to move a step closer to adding to the Olympic crown she won at London 2012.The first set was pretty comfortable. In the second set some of my tactics weren't well executed and that allowed Saina to get close, but I eventually adjusted and pulled (the victory) off, said the 23-year-old, who will face Japan's Minatsu Mitani for a shot at the title.That was after 16th seed Mitani, conquerer of defending champion Ratchanok Intanon in the last 16, caused another upset as she rallied to edge South Korean fifth seed Sung Ji-hyun 9-21, 21-18, 22-20.

Oil prices rise on positive US data, Ukraine crisis

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Global oil prices rose Friday as solid data lifted prospects for demand in the United States and tensions escalated between Ukraine and major energy producer Russia.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for October delivery pushed higher for the fourth straight day, leaping $1.41 to $95.96 a barrel.Brent North Sea crude for October added 73 cents to settle at $103.19 a barrel in London trade.Despite the gains, oil prices finished lower for the month, with the WTI losing 2.3 percent and Brent down 2.7 percent.A series of mostly encouraging data on the US economy this week appeared to signal more potential demand in the world's largest oil consumer.The government's upward revision of gross domestic product growth in the second quarter, to an annual rate of 4.2 percent from the prior estimate of 4.0 percent blew the socks off people... all of a sudden it smells like gasoline demand, said Phil Flynn of Price Futures Group.Strong GDP data in the United States is a sharp contrast to the economic struggles in Europe that are only going to get worse if there are more sanctions on Russia.The United States has said it is weighing new sanctions against Russia because of its involvement in Ukraine, where pro-Kremlin separatists have been fighting against Kiev's rule since April. NATO warned Russia on Friday over what it described as a blatant violation of Ukraine's sovereignty after the West accused Moscow of direct involvement in the escalating conflict.Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly denied Moscow is fueling the conflict or putting any troops on the ground in the former Soviet state.

Solid US data lifts dollar vs. euro, yen

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The dollar rose against the euro and the yen Friday as traders appeared to look past a disappointing US consumer spending report to focus on mostly brighter economic data.A small, unexpected fall in US consumer spending in July -- the first drop in six months -- made little impression on the market. US data has been mostly upbeat this week, in contrast to persistent weakness in the eurozone economy.The US dollar is seeing long-term sentiment start to build as economic data has improved considerably over the past few weeks, said Christopher Vecchio, currency analyst at DailyFX.The euro sank to its lowest level in almost a year -- $1.3134 -- after weak eurozone inflation data raised speculation about whether the European Central Bank would take fresh easing steps at its monetary policy meeting next Thursday.Eurozone annual inflation slowed to 0.3 percent in August, official data showed, raising concerns about deflation risk.The ECB is focused on stopping disinflation and trying to convince us all that deflation is not a threat. But this downshift in inflation clearly is not good news for the ECB or for its no-deflation-risk argument, said Robert Brusca, chief economist at FAO Economics.Kathy Lien of BK Asset Management said that the ECB's meeting could even trump the impact of Friday's US jobs report in its impact on the euro/dollar trade.In no way shape or form is the ECB ready to roll out quantitative easing, but given recent economic reports, particularly from Germany, the case for additional stimulus is growing, she said.

Pakistan to face Sri Lanka in 3rd ODI today

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DAMBULLA (Agencies) - Sri Lanka and Pakistan clash in the third and final One-Day International (ODI) at Dambulla on Saturday. The game is set to be the series decider with the both teams winning a game each so far.The hosts beat Pakistan in the second One-Day International (ODI) by 77 runs at Hambantota. It looked all bleak for the Lankans when Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez took Pakistan to a commanding position after losing an early wicket. But they pulled things back in no time and went on to win the second ODI by a considerable margin.The Sri Lankan pacers are not in song at the moment as they were not much of help in this series so far. Lasith Malinga looks wayward as he has struggled to get his line and length, being the spearhead of the Lankan pace attack. Nuwan Kulasekara too did not have much of an impact on the Pakistani batsmen either. It was the spinners who did their job for the hosts in the second ODI.Rangana Herath and Seekkuge Prasanna came in handy with their orthodox spin and took wickets at crucial moments. Sri Lankan openers have left them in a spot of bother as they failed abjectly in the series so far. Their middle order cannot be questioned when they have the likes of the mighty trio Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews. If one fails the other delivers. Mathews and Jayawardene have rescued the Lankan innings twice in this series and they both have been in good form, which can trouble the Pakistanis at any moment in the match Thisara Perera was adjudged the man of the match for the second ODI as he came up with an all-round performance.Pakistan’s middle-order conundrum continues to bother them as they have failed miserably in both the matches, including their skipper, Misbah-ul-Haq. Umar Akmal, considered to be one of the natural stroke-makers in the game, failed when he was required to deliver. The run rate is definitely a matter of concern for the Pakistani middle-order. They cannot expect Fawad Alam and Sohaib Maqsood to finish things off in every game. The experienced Younis Khan was not available for the second game as he flew back to Pakistan to attend the funeral of his nephew. Sharjeel Khan stepped in his place and opened the innings along with Shehzad, but failed to leave a mark.Pakistan definitely missed the presence of their spin maestro, Saeed Ajmal in both the ODIs. Misbah, in fact said it in the post-match presentation that they missed Ajmal in the kind of the track they played at Hambantota. The pacers have been patchy. Wahab Riaz has been the pick of their seamers. Junaid Khan and Mohammad Irfan have struggled to get their basics correct.Both the teams have enough reinforcements to make it into a classic final. The fans can only hope that rains will not hamper the classic final between these two Asian cricketing giants.

South Africa beat Zimbabwe despite Utseya hat-trick

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HARARE (AFP) - Prosper Utseya became just the second Zimbabwean to take a hat-trick in a one-day international but South Africa still pulled off a 61-run victory in Friday's triangular series clash.Utseya sparked a remarkable collapse as he claimed the wickets of Quinton de Kock, Rilee Rossouw and David Miller with consecutive deliveries before finishing with career-best figures of 5 for 36.However a last-wicket partnership of 36 between Aaron Phangiso and Imran Tahir carried South Africa to a total of 231, which proved more than enough when Ryan McLaren and Dale Steyn took three wickets apiece to bowl Zimbabwe out for 170 in 38.3 overs.South Africa had been cruising at 142 without loss in the 25th over after being put in to bat when Utseya turned the innings on its head, with Hashim Amla the first to go as he was stumped for 66 off the offspinner's bowling.De Kock departed for 76 in Utseya's next over before Rossouw and Miller fell first ball, sparking wild celebrations as the 29-year-old Utseya joined Eddo Brandes on the list of Zimbabweans with an ODI hat-trick.At the time I was bowling a lot slower because I knew that I was on top and I had, I think, four guys around the bat, said Utseya.When JP Duminy was trapped lbw by Utseya in the 31st over of the innings, South Africa had lost five wickets for 13 runs in 39 balls, with Utseya making the most of the considerable turn on offer by taking all five.Fellow offspinner John Nyumbu got in on the act thereafter, dismissing Faf du Plessis, Ryan McLaren and Dale Steyn, before Phangiso and Tahir carried the Proteas to a more respectable total.I wouldn't say I was confident that it was enough because I do think we were 50 or 60 runs short, said Hashim Amla, who captained South Africa in the absence of an ill AB de Villiers.But with these sort of totals you have to make it defendable.Zimbabwe twice threatened to pull off what would have been a memorable upset.After Tino Mawoyo was run out in the third over, Sikandar Raza Butt and Hamilton Masakadza played a series of adventurous shots against the fast bowlers before Phangiso bowled Masakadza and Tahir removed Raza for 35.Then Sean Williams and Malcolm Waller looked comfortable as they added 46 for the fifth wicket, only for Steyn to break the partnership when he had Waller caught at deep square-leg off a top edge.McLaren went on to dismiss Williams for 46 and pick up a couple of lower-order wickets, while Steyn grabbed the wickets of Elton Chigumbura and Brian Vitori.Had we scored 300 or 350 and won the game, the intensity in the field wouldn't have been as good, said Amla.So in the context of the game, we take a lot of confidence from that.

Hales eager to forge Cook partnership

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NOTTINGHAM (AFP) - Alex Hales said Friday he was looking forward to establishing a one-day international opening partnership with Alastair Cook despite all the calls for the England captain to quit limited overs cricket.Former England off-spinner Graeme Swann, labelled a so-called friend by Cook earlier in the week, reiterated Friday his calls for the skipper to quit one-day internationals.Englands 133-run defeat by world champions India in the second of a five-match one-day series in Cardiff on Wednesday led tall-rounder great Ian Botham to write off the teams chances at next years World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.One consolation for England was that Hales marked his ODI debut by top-scoring for the team with 40 and sharing a fifty stand with Cook.Everyones entitled to their opinion but the guys in the dressing-room are 100 percent behind Alastair, said Nottinghamshire batsman Hales at his Trent Bridge home ground, where the third of a five-match one-day series with India takes place on Saturday.If you look at his record in one-day cricket its a pretty good one, said Hales of Cook, who has a one-day strike rate of nearly 80 in ODI cricket.All the guys are backing him to lead from the front as we look to bounce back in this series.Hales added: Weve just played one game and we got off to a pretty good start with a fifty partnership. Hes a very technically sound guy and hes the right guy at the top of the order. If we both play our natural games, I hope that partnership will come together nicely, said Hales, who has a strike rate of nearly 100 in domestic limited overs cricket.Haless previous England appearance at Trent Bridge saw him score 99 in a Twenty20 international against the West Indies two years ago.Hales, who scored Englands first century in crickets shortest format against Sri Lanka at the World Twenty20 in March, said he was looking forward to representing his country again in Nottingham.Im expecting a very good wicket. Usually the one-day wickets we play on here at Notts are outstanding batting tracks and Im expecting a high-scoring game.Asked about the mood in the England camp after Wednesdays crushing defeat, the 25-year-old Hales said: Were not hiding from the fact it was a poor team performance all round.But we spoke about it, wiped the slate clean.Reflecting on his first experience of facing Indias attack, Hales said: They were just very cunning. Once I got past 30, they were one step ahead of me. So its up to me to put that right, and have that game smartness heading into tomorrow (Saturday).They set smart fields, had a guy at gully a lot of the time to stop that easy one down to third man.The 6ft 5in Haless call-up to Englands 50 overs per side team has capped a notable recovery for the powerful batsman, who started the season on-loan at Worcestershire after averaging jut 13.94 in the first-class County Championship for Nottinghamshire last season.Its a dream come true and all the better particularly after how last season went in first-class cricket, said Hales.Ive had to work really hard to show people I can be more than just aTwenty20 slogger.And with Australia-born Sam Robsons position as Cooks opening partner in Test cricket being called into question, Hales said he still had ambitions to play five-day cricket for England.Its always been my dream to play Test cricket, he said. Im ready to work hard and earn that spot, I hope.Hales added he had been encouraged by the Test performances of several attacking opening batsmen. David Warner, Chris Gayle, Virender Sehwag, those guys are attacking opening batsmen.I think there is space for it. But its going to come with a lot of hard technical work, and thats up to me.

PAT postpones final decision on PTIs request

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) has delayed his final decision on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan’s request.Addressing to participants of ‘Inqilab March’, Dr Tahirul Qadri said that the enemy (government) wanted to divide PTI and PAT. He said that PTI and PAT were standing with each other until the fulfillment of their demands.Qadri ordered his followers not to leave the protest venue without his permission. He hoped that all the issues would be resolved till Saturday evening.PAT chief also urged workers’ of PAT, PML-Q, PML-Awami, and other allies to participate PTI sit-ins, starting from today (Saturday) in four cities of the countries.Earlier, PTI vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi urged PAT workers to show patience and wait for one day more.While addressing to ‘Inqilab March’ participants, Qureshi said, “We are here to request you on behalf of Imran Khan to show little patience and wait for some more time.”

Britain raises terror threat level on Iraq, Syria fears

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LONDON (AFP) - Britain raised its terror threat risk level to severe on Friday because of fears over the situation in Iraq and Syria, meaning an attack is thought to be highly likely.The move following the killing of US journalist James Foley, apparently by a man speaking with an English accent who belonged to the jihadist group Islamic State (IS).While there was no intelligence to suggest that an attack was imminent, Prime Minister David Cameron said there was no doubt in my mind that IS had its sights set on targets in Europe.What we are facing in Iraq now with ISIL (IS) is a greater and deeper threat to our security than we have known before, he told a press conference just after the threat level was raised.We are facing a terrorist organisation not being based in a country but seeking to establish and then expand its own terrorist state.The increase in the threat level comes ahead of a NATO summit being hosted by Camerons government in Wales from next Thursday.The threat level is now at the second highest level out of five possible categories and is at its highest since July 2011.Cameron said he was to give a statement to parliament on Monday about planned new laws cracking down on British would-be jihadists.These include removing passports more easily from people suspected of wanting to travel to fight in Iraq and Syria or returning from there.- Fears over Syria-bound fighters -IS posted a video last week in which a masked militant with a London accent is seen executing Foley, who had been missing since his capture in northern Syria in 2012.There is growing concern in Camerons government that, as well as travelling to fight abroad, British passport holders heading to Iraq and Syria could return to commit attacks on British soil.More than 500 Britons have travelled to Syria or Iraq to fight with jihadists in the last few years, according to the intelligence services.Ministers are also under pressure to step up action to prevent the radicalisation of young Muslims in Britain.Anti-terrorism police this week urged Britons to identify aspiring terrorists among family members, friends and neighbours.British police made 69 arrests in the first half of 2014 on suspicion of offences including travelling abroad for terrorist training, preparing acts of terrorism and fundraising for terrorist activity.Police said they would be increasing the number of visible patrols as well as implementing other unspecified security measures from Friday.Britain has ruled out sending ground troops into Iraq to combat the threat from jihadists, but it is sending equipment including ammunition from third party countries to Kurdish peshmerga fighters.Cameron spoke a year to the day since losing a vote in parliament on British military action in Syria after a chemical weapons attack.Analysts say the memory of that damaging defeat is part of the reason why Britain has been hesitant to involve its military more closely in northern Iraq.

Germany sounds Ukraine alarm as EU mulls next move

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MILAN (AFP) - Germany warned Friday that the Ukraine crisis was spiralling out of control, as European Union foreign ministers grappled with how to respond to what some termed a Russian invasion.The situation in Ukraine is entering a new dimension, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told reporters on the sidelines of talks with his EU counterparts in Milan.All our hopes of de-escalation have been disappointed and the situation is showing signs that it is now out of control.The foreign ministers were meeting on the eve of a summit of EU leaders which will consider further sanctions against Moscow and steps to support Ukraine in the hope of heading off a direct confrontation between Russian and Ukrainian troops.That prospect has begun to look like an explosive possibility following NATOs announcement this week that 1,000 Russian troops are fighting alongside pro-Moscow separatists in Ukraine -- a depiction of events that is disputed by the Kremlin.Acknowledging that international sanctions approved to date have had little impact on Russian President Vladimir Putin, most of the ministers appeared to regard further measures as inevitable, although it was unclear whether Saturdays summit would approve new steps immediately or simply instruct officials in Brussels to prepare them.Swedens Carl Bildt said Russia had to be sent a clear message that its incursions into its neighbours territory were unacceptable.This is the second invasion of Ukraine in a year. We have to call a spade a spade and stop playing around, Bildt said.Echoing a recurring theme in Milan, Bildts Danish counterpart Martin Lidegaard said the EU now needed to rethink its entire relationship with Russia.We think it calls for a reaction that Russia is now with troops on Ukrainian ground, Lidegaard said.In the short term we have to look at further sanctions and in the longer term we have to look at measures to reduce our energy dependency on Russia.His comments came as Russias energy minister warned that the crisis in Ukraine could lead to a disruption of Russian gas supplies to Western Europe this winter -- an outcome that would have serious implications for a number of EU states.Dutch minister Fran Timmermans admitted it was not certain if the EU leaders would be able to agree on new sanctions. Im not sure but this (the presence of Russian troops in eastern Ukraine) cannot remain unanswered, he said.- Polish apples -The strongest calls for tough action came from EU states that were once communist satellites of the Soviet Union.Lithuanias Linas Linkevicus urged EU leaders to consider all possible support to the Ukrainian government, including the provision of military material.We are not talking about sending soldiers and, by the way, Ukraine is not asking for that, he stressed.His Estonian counterpart Urmas Paet added: There has been no real impact of sanctions. Noone likes it but we have to move forward with further measures.Radoslaw Sikorski said Poland would be looking to its EU partners for proposals to stop Putin making further encroachments and to save Ukraine in its current form, describing in a tweet the situation as war.The Polish minister distributed a basket of his countrys apples -- now banned from Russia as part of Moscows counter-sanctions against the West -- to reporters.President Putin says they are poisonous, he said. I can assure you they are delicious -- if you want to show what you think of his (Putins) policies, eat a Polish apple
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