Friday 17 October 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Abbas urges Palestinians to protect Al-Aqsa by 'all means'

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RAMALLAH (AFP) - Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas on Friday called on his people to prevent Israeli settlers from entering Jerusalems flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque and use all means to protect the site.His comments came days after Israeli police clashed with Palestinian protesters demonstrating against Jews visiting the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Islams third holiest site but which is also revered by Jews.It is not enough to say the settlers came, but they must be barred from entering the compound by any means. This is our Aqsa... and they have no right to enter it and desecrate it, Abbas said.The Palestinian president was speaking at a conference in the West Bank town of Ramallah after a spate of clashes this week since a Monday confrontation between Palestinian youths and Israeli police.Abbas insisted that defending Al-Aqsa was tantamount to defending Jerusalem, which the Palestinians are demanding as the capital of their future state.Jerusalem is the jewel in the crown and it is the eternal capital of the Palestinian state. Without it, there will not be a state, he said.It is important for the Palestinians to be united in order to protect Jerusalem, he added.Earlier on Friday, hundreds of Palestinians took to the streets of Gaza in a rally for Al-Aqsa organised by the Islamist Hamas movement.In Jerusalem, the weekly Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa mosque passed without incident after Israeli police barred entry to Palestinian men under the age of 50 to prevent disturbances.The site is the scene of frequent tensions and also houses the Dome of the Rock, an Islamic shrine.It is revered by Jews, who call it the Temple Mount, as the location of the biblical Jewish temples and considered Judaisms holiest place.Non-Muslim visits to Al-Aqsa complex are permitted and regulated by police, but Jews are not allowed to pray at the site for fear it could trigger major disturbances.Jews pray instead at the Western Wall below.Muslims fear Jewish presence on Al-Aqsa is aimed at usurping the site.On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that Israel is committed to maintaining the status quo there.

Shiite-Sunni clashes leave 20 dead in Yemen

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SANAA (AFP) - Shiite rebels sweeping across Yemen clashed with Sunni tribesmen and Al-Qaeda militants on Friday in violence that left 20 people dead, officials said.Twelve Shiite rebels and eight tribesmen died in a battle for control of the predominantly-Sunni provincial capital Ibb which the rebels overran earlier this week, local government officials told AFP.Explosions were heard across the city as the rebels, known as Huthis, came under rocket-propelled grenade fire from tribesmen in the surrounding countryside, witnesses said.The fighting came after hundreds of armed tribesmen demonstrated outside the governors office in the city on Thursday evening demanding the withdrawal of the rebels.Deputy governor Ali al-Zanam said the rebels had told him they advanced into Ibb to confront what they described as security gaps and hunt down wanted Al-Qaeda militants, local media reported.The rebels clashed with Al-Qaeda militants overnight in Baida province further east, leaving dozens of casualties, tribal and security sources said.The rebels have clashed repeatedly with Al-Qaeda in the province since Tuesday.The Sunni extremists have vowed to resist the Shiite rebel advance in the impoverished country, which is located next to oil-rich Saudi Arabia and key shipping routes in the Gulf of Aden.Rival groups are seeking to exploit a power vacuum in impoverished Yemen, which has been in political deadlock since the rebels took control of the capital Sanaa on September 21.The rebels, who were previously based in the northern highlands where Yemens Zaidi Shiite minority is concentrated, have since made significant advances in provinces south of Sanaa.They took the Sunni majority Red Sea port city of Hudeida on Monday, and on Wednesday appeared to have taken control, unopposed, of Dhamar and Ibb provinces, security officials said.The steady expansion of the rebels has increased the threat of an open confrontation with Al-Qaeda.Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for a powerful suicide bombing that killed 47 people at a gathering of Huthi supporters in Sanaa earlier this month.An unknown assailant on a motorbike hurled a grenade at a Huthi post in the capital on Wednesday, killing two people and wounding two others, rebels said.And suspected Al-Qaeda militants executed a local Huthi chief, Khalil al-Riyami, who was apparently captured during Tuesdays clashes in Baida province.The Huthi rebels set up armed protest camps in Sanaa in August, calling for the government to step down and demanding more power in state institutions.Late on Thursday, the rebels began dismantling their protest camps in Sanaa.Protest organisers said in a statement the move was aimed at implemented the terms of a UN-brokered ceasefire agreement, calling on Huthis to withdraw from Sanaa and disarm after the appointment of a new prime minister.On Monday, beleaguered President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi named Yemens envoy to the United Nations Khalid Bahah as his new premier, a nomination the rebels appeared to approve.But leading Huthi protest organiser Khalid al-Madani told supporters in Sanaa that dismantling the protest camps does not mean that the revolt is over.We have now moved on to government and state institutions to uproot corruption, he said.Observers said, however, that the Huthis were dismantling their protest camps amid fear they could come under fresh Al-Qaeda attacks.Al-Qaedas Yemen-based franchise is classified by the United States as the networks deadliest franchise.On Friday it urged Muslims worldwide to support Islamic State group jihadists in Syria and Iraq in the face of attacks by a US-led military coalition.Meanwhile Sanaa residents said the Huthi rebels have widened their deployment across the capital since Thursday, erecting new checkpoints and seizing vehicles that have no number plates, in fear of attacks.The rebels Zaidi sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam, makes up approximately a third of the Sunni-majority countrys population.

Cameroon soldiers kill 107 Boko Haram fighters: defence ministry

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YAOUNDE (AFP) - Cameroon said Friday its army killed 107 Boko Haram fighters in ferocious combat this week in its north, in a claimed success against the Nigeria-based Islamist guerrilla group.The fighting of rare violence occurred in two areas in the north on Wednesday and Thursday and also resulted in the deaths of eight soldiers, the defence ministry said in a statement read on state radio.It was not possible to independently verify the information or the toll.The ministry said that, late Wednesday, heavily armed Boko Haram members travelling in armoured vehicles crossed over the border from Nigeria into the towns of Amchide and Limani, sparking fierce battles with Cameroonian soldiers.After a pause, fighting resumed on Thursday and the Cameroonian troops pushed the Boko Haram units back across the border, it said.A tank, a pick-up truck and a Peugeot car packed with ammunition and explosives were destroyed by the soldiers, it said.Several light and heavy arms were seized, it said. Calm has returned and our defence forces are in control of the border areas, it said.Cameroon shares a border of more than 2,000 kilometres (1,200 miles) with Nigeria, where Boko Haram has been waging a bloody insurgency since 2009 in which 10,000 people have died.

Ebola death toll soars to 4,555 out of 9,216 cases: WHO

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GENEVA (AFP) - More than 4,500 people have died in the deadly Ebola outbreak that began in west Africa at the beginning of the year, fresh World Health Organization figures showed Friday.The UN health agency said that 4,555 people had died from Ebola out of a total of 9,216 cases registered in seven countries, as of October 14.A toll dated just two days earlier had put the death toll at 4,493 out of 8,997 cases.Fridays announcement came as Western countries scramble to ward off a feared global spread of Ebola -- one of the deadliest viruses known to man.The WHO splits the seven affected countries into two groups. The first is comprised of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone -- by far the worst affected nations.Liberia is the worst-hit of all, with 4,262 cases and 2,484 deaths, as of October 13.Sierra Leone meanwhile counted 3,410 cases as of October 14, 1,200 of whom had died.Guinea, where the epidemic originated in December, had seen 1,519 cases and 862 deaths as of October 14.The second group counts countries with far fewer cases, including Senegal, which was declared Ebola-free by the WHO Friday.That declaration could be made after the benchmark of 42 days passed without any new cases since Senegals single, non-fatal Ebola case in August.The second group also counts Nigeria, which has seen 20 cases, including eight deaths, and which looks set to be declared Ebola-free next Monday.In addition now, the second group includes Spain, where a nurse has been confirmed to have contracted the disease from a missionary she cared for and who died from Ebola after returning from Liberia.And it counts the United States, where two nurses have fallen ill after caring for a Liberian man, Thomas Eric Duncan, who died on October 8 after becoming the first Ebola case diagnosed in the country.Health workers continue to pay a heavy price for their efforts with 239 deaths out of 423 cases across the countries. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, hit by a separate strain of Ebola from the one raging in west Africa, the WHO said there have been 68 cases and 49 deaths up to October 9.

All set for PPP public meeting at Mazar-e-Quaid today

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KARACHI (Online) – Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) will demonstrate its political prowess today at Mazar-e- Quaid in a mammoth public meeting to be addressed by party chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.Security arrangements have been given final shape for the public meeting in the face of high threat level as over 30000 policemen have been deployed to ensure security and safety of people. Parking for vehicles have been set up at the distance of 2 kilometres from public meeting venue. Four central passages have been carved out for entry into public meeting ground. Police officer equal to the rank of DIG will be in charge of every entry point. Screening of public meeting venue and localities around it has been conducted several days before and ban has been imposed on flying drone cameras in the public meeting under security plan. At least 100 police mobiles equipped with cameras held by Sindh police are also being linked to security van through wireless.

Tennis: Murray, Ferrer stay in the running for year-end finals

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VIENNA (AFP) - Andy Murray and David Ferrer tightened the duel for spots in the ATP year-end final with a pair of wins into the semi-finals of the Austrian Open on Friday.Murray, seeded second and the heavy crowd favourite in his debut at Viennas Stadthalle, played it safe against German Jan-Lennard Struff in a 6-2, 7-5 win.Spains top seed Ferrer limited the damage from the lethal serve of Ivo Karlovic as he defeated the sixth-seeded Croatian 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, holding Karlovic to 17 aces.Ferrer won the first set in 44 minutes from two unforced Karlovic errors and secured a break in the seocnd set for what proved to be a winning margin. He has now won three of four matches in the series,Ferrer stands provisional ninth in the race for one of three remaining places at the World Tour Finals, one spot ahead of Murray.Murray will Saturday face Viktor Troicki, who took a big step in his return from tennis exile as he beat Thomaz Bellucci 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (2/7), 6-2 to reach his first semi-final since 2011.Ferrer will take on fourth seed Philipp Kohlschreiber, a winner over Benjamin Becker 6-4, 7-6 (7/3).Murrays only wobble against the 52nd-ranked Struff came as the Scot trailed 3-1 in the second set, but Murray quickly put that right and returned to 3-all.The former Wimbledon champion ran out the winner after less than 90 minutes with a love game.I expected a tough match from him, even if I didnt know a lot about his game, said Murray, provisional tenth in the race to London which will be decided this weekend and over the remaining two weeks of the ATP season.He was hitting big. I had to play well to win and fight to get through. My game was more consistent than in the previous round, I was able to change up the rhythmHe was playing high-risk tennis but he made a couple of mistakes which helped me. I still was not able to hit a lot of winners.Number 127 Troicki has crawled back up the rankings after returning in July from a one-year ban for delaying a post-match blood test in 2013.The 28-year-old made his return with just 20 ranking points remaining thanks to a wild card from Gstaad organisers.He reached the quarter-finals in Switzerland and did the same last month in Shenzhen, China.A Beijing wild card produced a first-round win, with Troicki capitalising on success from qualifying to carve his way through the Vienna event upon his debut.The Serb last played a semi-final at Moscow, 2011.Its great to win, said the player who was stoutly defended during his ban by world number one and good friend Novak Djokovic.Ive not played a semi-final in a long time.My comeback has been tough but I always knew it would be like this: you have to come from the bottom if you want to arrive at the top.Troicki said that while he tries to bury bitter memories of the sanction he received after being informed - erroneously as it turned out - that he could postpone a blood test by 24 hours due to feeling poorly in April, 2013, in Monte Carlo, the episode remains distasteful to him.That you didnt do anything wrong and you are being punished is the worst feeling, he said. One year is a long time in any sport.They told me at the tribunal hearing that if I had just taken something illegal in my body I would have gotten a lesser sentence. As it turned out, 12 months was the minimum punishment for missing a test.And the International Tennis Federation lawyers were trying to get me banned for two years.But its over now. Inside myself I know I was clean and not trying to do anything wrong. I had good lawyers but you feel like you dont have any chances (in the hearing).

Tennis: Cilic beats Robredo to enter the semis in Moscow

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MOSCOW (AFP) - US Open champion Marin Cilic cruised comfortably into the Kremlin Cup semi-finals with a confident straight-sets victory over sixth-seed Tommy Robredo of Spain on Friday.The 26-year-old Croat, a career-high eighth in the ATP rankings, fired 10 aces to beat Robredo 6-3, 6-3 to keep alive his chances of making it into the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London.Second-seed Cilic, sixth in the race to London needs to reach the final at this combined ATP and WTA event to increase his tally, and broke Robredos serve for a one-set lead in 31 minutes. The opponents traded breaks early in the second set before big server Cilic moved up a gear to produce two more breaks to win the set and the match in one hour 16 minutes.My match today was a little higher that my first one here, Cilic said.Robredo is very dangerous from the back. Hes a very difficult player to oppose and today I had to play much longer than I expected. Im really happy that I managed to win in two sets.In the match for a place in his fifth final of the season Cilic will face last years runner-up Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan, who continued his heroics on the hard courts of Moscows Olympic venue by beating the 2009 champion Mikhail Youzhny of Russia 1-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-0.In the other semi-final Latvias third seed Ernesto Gulbis, who edged eighth seed Italian Andreas Seppi 7-6 (8/6), 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), will take on Spaniard Roberto Bautista-Agut, seeded fifth here, winner of a match with Lithuanian qualifier Ricardas Berankis 7-5, 6-3.In the WTA section of the event the fourth seed Czech Lucie Safarova advanced into the last four with a straight-sets win 6-4, 7-5 over fifth seeded local crowds favourite Svetlana Kuznetsova.When we were walking on court I remembered that she beat me in Fed Cup here, this years Wimbledon semi-finalist Safarova said. There was a huge will for me to change that memory and I think we played a really good match.Ive played well in my first two matches here and Im looking forward to tomorrow. I hope I can keep improving my play with every match here.In Saturdays second semi-final Safarova will meet Romanias Irina-Camelia Begu, who battled back from a set down to oust Bulgarias Tsvenana Pironkova 1-6, 6-3, 6-2.In the other last four encounter Czech unheralded teenager Katerina Siniakova, who beat Italys Camila Georgi in a three-hour marathon 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-5, will clash with sixth seeded Russias Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, winner of a match against compatriot Vitalia Diatchennko 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.

Golf: Champ McDowell crashes out of World Match Play

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LONDON (AFP) - Defending champion Graeme McDowell crashed out of the World Match Play Championship on Friday after losing by two holes to Hollands Joost Luiten.Northern Irelands McDowell had reached the quarter-finals of the event on his debut in 2011, the final in 2012 and was crowned champion last year, while his opening day victory over Alexander Levy gave him an overall record of 15 wins from 17 matches.But the European Ryder Cup star and former US Open champion, who had already been beaten by Mikko Ilonen on Thursday, will miss out on the knockout stages for the first time in four appearances after another disappointing display against Luiten.Patrick Reed of the United States gained a small measure of revenge for the Ryder Cup defeat by knocking Welshman Jamie Donaldson, who helped Europe retain the trophy at Gleneagles last month.Scotlands Stephen Gallacher had already been eliminated after losing his first two matches, leaving Victor Dubuisson and Henrik Stenson to fly the flag for the victorious European team this weekend.Stenson and Reed will enjoy a re-match of their Ryder Cup singles clash in the semi-finals if they can see off Jonas Blixt and George Coetzee respectively in the last eight, with Dubuisson taking on Mikko Ilonen and Luiten facing Pablo Larrazabal in the other quarter-finals.Henrik will have revenge on his mind but I will too, said Reed, who beat Stenson on the 18th at Gleneagles to finish as the top US points scorer on his debut.I might have the W in the singles but he has the cup and I dont.The best golf of the day came in the match between Blixt and Englands Paul Casey, who both finished 10 under par and went into a sudden-death play-off to decide who finished second to Reed in their group.A par at the first extra hole was enough for Blixt to advance after Caseys approach found water guarding the green.Stenson made sure of his place in the quarter-finals in style by holing his second shot to the 17th to beat 2013 runner-up Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand 2 and 1, while Coetzee advanced despite losing by the same score to the already-eliminated Francesco Molinari.

Athletics: Gatlin dumped from top athlete shortlist

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MONACO (AFP) - US sprinter Justin Gatlin has been ditched from the final shortlist for World Athlete of the Year, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) revealed on Friday.Gatlin, who has twice served doping bans, was a controversial inclusion on the original 10-man shortlist announced on October 3.The prospect of a convicted drugs cheat winning the IAAFs athlete of the year award caused outrage in some quarters.Gatlin, the 2004 Olympic 100m gold medallist and double sprint world champion in 2005, belied his 32 years during an incredible season which saw him record the three fastest times this year in the 100 metres, and the fastest times in the 100m and 200m ever by a man in his 30s.But there will be relief that Gatlin has not made the final shortlist of three names.Qatari indoor high jump world champion Mutaz Essa Barshim, Kenyan Dennis Kipruto Kimetto, the new marathon world record holder, and French pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie, who broke the indoor world record this year, are the three names up for the mens award.New Zealands double Olympic and four-time world shot putt champion Valerie Adams, Ethiopian Genzebe Dibaba, the indoor world record holder over 1500m and 3000m, and Dafne Schippers, the Dutch double European sprint champion and world heptathlon silver medallist, made the womens list.The mens and womens winners will be announced at the World Athletics Gala in Monaco on November 21.

Oil prices up again as investor anxiety eases

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Oil prices Friday rose for a second consecutive day following strong gasoline demand data in the US, as investor sentiment steadied in global equity markets.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for delivery in November added a modest five cents to $82.75 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.European benchmark Brent oil for December delivery advanced 34 cents to $86.16 a barrel in London. Analysts said the market continued to take a hopeful reading from Thursdays US energy inventory data, which showed gasoline inventories fell 4.0 million last week.We saw yesterday that demand is very strong, especially gasoline, with more people driving and shopping, said Carl Larry, head of consultancy Oil Outlooks and Opinions.We were a little oversold and now the economy looks a bit more stable.Fridays move came as equity markets in Britain, France and Germany all gained at least 1.8 percent as investors snapped up bargains following a sharp drop earlier in the week. US equity markets were also solidly higher.A broader rally of higher-risk investments has swept up the crude complex with it, said Matt Smith, analyst at Schneider Electric.Since mid-June, US oil prices have fallen about 22 percent and Brent about 25 percent amid concerns of a glut. The drop in oil prices has helped push gasoline prices in the US down to a national average of $3.14 per gallon compared with $3.36 last year, according to the American Automobile Association. Lower gasoline prices often lead to higher consumption.

Dollar gains as eurozone concerns linger

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The dollar Friday climbed against other currencies following dovish comments from US and British central bankers and continued concern about the eurozone.The dollar rose against the euro and yen for a second day running as global financial markets steadied, in part in response to soothing commentary from central bankers.On Thursday, James Bullard, head of the St Louis branch of the Federal Reserve, suggested the US central bank could extend its bond-buying program rather than winding it down, as had been expected.Then on Friday, Andrew Haldane, chief economist of the Bank of England, said recent economic weakness implied the need for a back foot, or slower, approach to raising rates.Kathleen Brooks, a research director for Europe and Britain at Forex.com, said the dovish commentary, coupled with eurozone uncertainty, could lift the greenback.If Eurozone sovereign fears rise once more, loggerheads at the ECB could hurt market sentiment, and European assets in particular, she said.This may sound odd, but if Fed members stick to their dovish mantras then it could benefit the US dollar, Brooks said. If volatility continues to recede, US Treasury yields may move higher, as the markets breathe a sigh of relief, which may also be dollar positive.

Azam, Sohail hit centuries in Australia warm-up game

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SHARJAH (AFP) - Babar Azam and Haris Sohail hit hundreds for Pakistan A as Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon took two wickets in a warm-up match in Sharjah on Friday.Azam, who turned 20 on Wednesday, was 114 not out to stake claims for a Test place whith another hopeful Haris Sohail batting on an unbeaten 103 as Pakistan A reached 306-3 at close on the third of the four-day match at Sharjah stadium.That gave Pakistan A an overall lead of 338 after Australia declared their first innings at the overnight total of 273-8. Pakistan A had made 305-8 declared in their first essay.Azam, who led Pakistan in the Junior World Cup in Australia in 2012, hit nine boundaries and three sixes during his stylish display after openers Ahmed Shahzad (59) and Shan Masood (19) gave the home team a sound 62-run start.Sohail, who is in Pakistans initial squad of 19 for the Tests, has so far hit nine fours and three sixes.Australian bowlers had another good work out with Lyon standing out.Lyon, who will spearhead Australias spin attack in the two-match Test series starting in Dubai from October 22, removed Masood and Israr Ullah off consecutive deliveries to finish with 2-49.Shahzad was run out after hitting eight boundaries in his second half-century of the match, a much needed boost for Pakistans struggling batting which saw them lose the preceding three-match one-day series 3-0.Australia also had the consolation of all-rounder Mitchell Marsh bowling seven overs without showing signs of the hamstring injury that forced him to miss the limited over series.Marsh is also likely to fill in as fifth bowler in the Test series.Lyon said Australia were happy with the practice.Were pretty happy, said Lyon. This game is really about an opportunity for all the players in our squad (before the Test).Azam hoped his hundred would earn him some recognition.Scoring a hundred is always a great honour and to have done it against a team like Australia is even bigger, said Azam. Its my aim to score runs and play for Pakistan seniors.The second Test starts in Abu Dhabi from October 30.Brief scores:Pakistan A 305-8 dec (Asad Shafiq 108 not out; S. OKeefe 3-76) and 306-3 (Babar Azam 114 not out, Haris Sohail 103 not out; N. Lyon 2-49) Australia 273-8 dec (A. Doolan 104, S. Smith 58).

Australia coach Lehmann wins contract extension

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SYDNEY (AFP) - Ashes-winning Australian coach Darren Lehmann was Friday handed a one-year contract extension, with senior officials hailing his influence on the team.Since assuming the role from the sacked Mickey Arthur in June last year, Lehmann has steered Australia to seven Test wins out of 13, with two drawn and four lost.His contract with Cricket Australia was due to end in mid-2016, but he has won an extra year.We have been extremely pleased with the results Darren has achieved with the team since he came on board, CAs performance manager Pat Howard said in a statement.He has helped create an excellent team environment that has seen players thrive. We want that to continue so we used the winter period to work through an extension to his current contract.Importantly it provides continuity for the team and certainty for Darren heading into a critical period for Australian cricket.Lehmann was thrust into the spotlight a few weeks before Australias 2013 Ashes series in England began when he was appointed to replace Arthur.The 44-year-old former Test batsman said he was proud of his achievements so far, which have included a five-nil Ashes triumph over England last summer and a 2-1 win in South Africa in March.I have thoroughly enjoyed the time I have had in the job and am proud of what we have achieved so far, he said.I want to continue with the work we have done on and off the field with the team, as I feel we are heading in the right direction.I will be judged by results, he added. If the team is not performing, then I am answerable.Australia begins a two-Test series against Pakistan in Dubai on October 22.

Abandoned cricket tours

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LONDON (AFP) - Fridays dramatic announcement that the West Indies tour of India was being cut short because of a pay dispute involving their players was not the first time a major international cricket series had come to an unexpected end.Below AFP Sport looks back at several other tours that ended abruptly in unusual circumstances.West Indies in England 1939:The outbreak of the Second World War saw the last seven matches of the tour cancelled, with the West Indies party boarding a boat in Scotland to sail back to the Caribbean.England in Pakistan 1968/69:Political and student unrest dogged the tour throughout but it seemed the series would be played out to a finish when the teams arrived in Karachi for the third and final Test. However, a riot on the third morning saw the match abandoned and the series tied at 0-0 when Englands Alan Knott was 96 not out -- four short of what would have been his maiden Test century.India in Pakistan 1984/85:The assassination of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi sparked 13 days of national mourning and saw the final three matches cancelled.Sri Lanka in Pakistan 2008/09:Sri Lanka were travelling in their team bus on the way to the second Test in Lahore when terrorists opened fire, injuring six members of the Lankan tour party. Sri Lanka went home and no major international matches have since taken place in Pakistan because of security fears.West Indies in India 2014:A protracted pay dispute between the West Indies players and their own board eventually saw Indian officials announce the end of the tour after Fridays fourth one-day international amid suggestions from their Caribbean counterparts it might still continue.

Khurshid Shah apologizes for calling 'Mohajir' word an abuse

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KARACHI: (Dunya News) – Opposition Leader in National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah has apologized for calling the word ‘Mohajir’ (immigrant) an abuse, Dunya News reported. Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Rabita Committee had expressed strong reservations against the statement in a press conference today (Friday). The issue has again forced MQM and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) into an adversarial situation. Rabita Committee has said that the statement was an attempt to incite ethnic hatred and had demanded an apology from Khurshid Shah.Earlier, while talking to media in Karachi, Khurshid Shah had said that MQM should stop using the term ‘Mohajir’ for them as immigrants live in camps. He said that MQM will not be allowed to go back to India. Responding swiftly to this statement, MQM leader Haider Abbas Rizvi, while holding a press conference along with Rabita Committee, said that Khurshid Shah must take his words back and apologize for the statement.Haider Abbas Rizvi said that 2 million immigrants migrated to Pakistan and sacrificed their lives and belongings to live the dream of Pakistan. He said that immigrants live in 80 percent of Sindh while feudal lords rule the soil. He said that Khurshid Shah’s statement has hurt feelings of the millions of immigrants living in Pakistan.Khurshid Shah reappeared before media after Rabita Committee’s press conference and clarified his statement. He said that he was himself an ancient immigrant into the Sindh’s soil. He said that he was sorry if his statement had hurt someone’s feelings.
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