Tuesday 6 January 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Smith joins greats with fourth straight Test ton

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SYDNEY (AFP) - Steve Smith joined the greats Wednesday as he plundered Indias bowlers for his fourth century of the series in Australias mushrooming first innings on the second day of the final Test in Sydney.The Aussie skipper became only the third batsman along with the Don Bradman and Jacques Kallis to score tons in four consecutive Tests in the same series.He added his latest 117 to his unbeaten 162 in Adelaide, 133 in Brisbane and 192 in Melbourne in this series.At lunch, Australia were 420 for four with Shaun Marsh not out 14 and newcomer Joe Burns yet to score.Bradman scored his centuries against South Africa at home in 1931-32, while Kallis compiled his hundreds against the West Indies in South Africa in 2003-04.Smith was finally out 20 minutes before lunch when he was caught behind off Umesh Yadav ending his 208-ball knock spiced with 15 fours.He has 698 runs in the series at an average of 139.6, placing him third behind Bradman (715) and Ricky Ponting (706) for most runs in a series against India.Smith is having an extraordinary run and has now scored six centuries in the first innings of his last seven Tests at home.Watson again missed out on what would have been only his fifth Test century when, on a flat SCG wicket, he had another brain snap and hoisted Mohammed Shami straight to Ravichandran Ashwin at deep midwicket for 81.Watson has now scored 24 half-centuries but just four tons into his 56th Test match, with his last Test hundred coming against England in Perth in December 2013.He toiled for 250 minutes and faced 183 balls in putting on 196 runs for the third wicket with Smith.Indias bowlers were finding it hard going on the unresponsive SCG pitch with Shami taking two for 80 off 23 overs and Ashwin getting some turn with one for 98 off 37 overs.India have already lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with Australia holding an unassailable 2-0 lead following wins in Adelaide and Brisbane.The tourists have won only one of their last 22 Tests overseas and have been successful in only one of their 10 Tests at the Sydney Cricket Ground, that sole victory coming 37 years ago.

New Zealand buoyed as Sangakkara falls in wicket spree

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WELLINGTON (AFP) - Four wickets before lunch including the key scalp of Kumar Sangakkara buoyed New Zealands hopes of sealing the series against Sri Lanka Wednesday.The tourists went to lunch on the final day at 110-5, with only faint hopes remaining of reaching the record 390-run target they were set to square the two-match series.With captain Angelo Mathews out on the last ball before the break, Lahiru Thirimanne was left not out 11.For New Zealand Doug Bracewell has two for 23 and Trent Boult two for 39.Sri Lanka resumed the day at 45-1 and quickly lost nightwatchman Dhammika Prasad for six when he edged Boult to Jimmy Neesham at second slip.Up stepped Sangakkara carrying the expectations of Sri Lanka that he would repeat his earlier 203 which gave the tourists a solid 135-run first innings lead in the see-sawing Test.But he fell cheaply to Boult, just as he had twice in the first Test in Christchurch which New Zealand won by eight wickets.This time Sangakkara reached five with two scoring shots before getting the faintest of edges, barely discernable by the hotspot technology, and was caught behind.Wicketkeeper BJ Watling did not appear interested in an appeal at first but New Zealand persisted and after multiple replays the third umpire ruled there was wafer-thin evidence in favour of a dismissal.With their tails up, New Zealand appealed again after Kaushal Silva, on 26, was rapped on the pads by Bracewell.However, it counted against New Zealand when the review showed the delivery was a no ball.Silva progressed to 50 before he was eventually out to Bracewell.In the last over before lunch Mathews was brilliantly caught one-handed in the gully by a diving Kane Williamson.

Two death row prisoners hanged at Multan Jail

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MULTAN (Dunya News) – Two terrorists of a banned organization, Ahmed Ali alias Sheesh Nag and Ghulam Bashir alias Doctor were hanged to death at the Multan Jail on early Wednesday morning after their mercy appeals were rejected by President on January 3, 2015.Ahmed Ali alias Sheesh Nag had gunned down three people on Railway Road in Multan on January 7, 1998 while Ghulam Bashir alias Doctor had killed six police officials including DSP Allahnawaz in Multan on October 10, 1999.Tight security arrangements were made around the jail on the occasion with troops of Pakistan Army in complete control of the security.Nine militants convicted of terrorist attacks have been hanged so far as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif lifted a six-year moratorium on death penalty on December 17, 2014 for those convicted for terrorism a day after the deadly attack on Army Public School in Peshawar that left 150 persons including mostly children dead.

Tennis: Listless Williams goes down

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PERTH (AFP) - World number one Serena Williams complained of tiredness after being trounced by Canadian Eugenie Bouchard at the mixed teams Hopman Cup on Tuesday.Williams was humbled by the sixth-ranked Bouchard in straight sets as Canada upset the tournament favourites 2-1.Williams went down one set against 12th-ranked Flavia Pennetta in her first outing in Perth on Monday but was rejuvenated by a mid-match coffee and went on to beat the Italian.However, there was to be no coffee-inspired miracle against the sixth-ranked Bouchard, who doubled-faulted five times in her first two services games and yet cruised to an emphatic 6-2, 6-1 win over the 18-time Grand Slam singles champion.Errors flowed off the Williams racquet during her match with Bouchard and the 33-year-old said she hadnt been feeling at her best since arriving in Perth on Saturday.I dont know whats wrong with me, I am so tired, its so weird, she said when asked if she was suffering from jet lag.I cant get my body to move and I feel like I have no energy.It is a little frustrating because I know I can play 2000 times better.But Williams said she wasnt overly concerned by the issue.Im so fit, I can run 10km, I dont know how to describe it, she said.I have to figure it out, hopefully I can do better in my next match.Williams certainly played with renewed vigour in the later mixed doubles rubber.In beating Williams for the first time, Bouchard rebounded strongly from the disappointment of Canadas opening tie, when she was beaten 6-0, 6-4 by the Czech Republics in-form Lucie Safarova.The 20-year-old was delighted with the rapid improvement in her game.My goal was to be more active with my feet, try and go for my shots a bit more and be more aggressive, she said.I think I did that well, I know she (Williams) definitely didnt play her best but I am happy I stayed with it.World number 56 Vasek Posposil secured the tie for the Canadians with an unexpected straight sets win over 18th-ranked John Isner, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) that was sealed with an ace.The Americans won the dead mixed doubles rubber 6-3, 7-5.The result threw Group A at the tournament wide open, with Canada, the USA and the Czech Republic all in contention for Saturdays final.The Czech pairing Lucie Safarova and Adam Pavlasek are the only unbeaten nation in the group, after a clean sweep against Italy earlier on Tuesday.If the pair beat the USA on Thursday, they are certain to advance to the final, but if they lose both, Canada and the Americans can qualify for the playoff.The Czechs put themselves in the box seat for the final when they beat the Italians.After Safarova notched her second win over a higher-ranked opponent in as many matches in the womens singles against Flavia Pennetta, 7-5, 6-3, the little-known Pavlasek stunned Fabio Fognini in their singles match to secure the tie for the Czechs.The 239th-ranked Pavlasek fought back from a set down to beat the world number 19, 3-6, 7-5, 6-1.The Italians forfeited the dead mixed doubles rubber, with Fognini ruling himself out due to a heat-related illness.It was the biggest win in my career and its just amazing that I can play with the top players and I was happy for it, Pavlasek said.This is the first time Ive ever played someone in the top 20.I have to play every point that I can and I still felt good after the first set and I won the match.Pavlasek said a berth in the final would be a significant incentive for the Czechs when they faced the United States on Thursday.

Rallying: Motorcyclist Michal Hernik dies during Dakar Rally

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CHILECITO (AFP) - Polish motorcyclist Michal Hernik died on Tuesday during the Dakar Rally, organisers said.The KTM rider, competing in the race for the first time, was killed during the third stage from Villa Carlos Paz and Chilecito in Argentina.He was found lifeless at 4.03pm local time around 300 metres from the track, the organisers statement said.Stage director Etienne Lavigne said the 39-year-old was found without his helmet but that his bike showed no signs of having been involved a crash.Organisers had been searching for Hernik by helicopter after his tracker had stopped sending a signal from 2.37pm and he had failed to turn up at the stage finish by 3.16pm.His was the fifth death on the gruelling off-road race since it was moved to South America in 2009 due to the unstable safety situation across the Sahara Desert.It was the 24th death since the rally began in 1979.

Rallying: Terranova keeps Mini momentum at Dakar Rally

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CHILECITO (AFP) - Orlando Terranova maintained the Mini teams winning streak at the Dakar Rally on Tuesday as the Argentine claimed his second stage win to move third overall in the standings led by teammate Nasser Al-Attiyah.After crashing at the end of the special on Monday, Terranova bounced back on his home soil producing a strong effort in the second part of the special during the 542km third stage from San Juan to Chilecito.Al-Attiyah, the 2011 champion and winner of Mondays stage, finished fifth in Tuesdays stage which included 284km of specials.South Africas Giniel de Villiers, picked up his third podium finish in three days, ahead of another Toyota driven by Saudi Arabias Alrahji Zayed, to stay second overall.Terranova pulled back almost two minutes on Toyotas de Villiers, the 2009 winner, and more than four minutes on Qatari Al-Attiyah in the overall standings.Spaniard Carlos Sainz, winner in 2010, finished fourth at 4min 6sec to move up to fourth overall, while fellow Peugeot veteran Stephane Peterhansel, finished seventh, nine minutes off the pace, to sit 16th overall at 1hr 12min.In the motorbike section, Austrias Matthias Walkner, was a surprise winner of his first Dakar stage, ahead of KTM teammate and reigning champion Marc Coma and overall race leader Joan Barreda Bort of Spain.I made some little mistakes because it was a little bit dangerous today with many stones and it forced you over the limit, but overall it was quite good, said Walkner.Its my first rally and I hope I can enjoy it.Overall Hondas Barreda Bort leads ahead of Portuguese teammate Paulo Goncalves and Walkner. Coma sits fourth at 10min 50sec.It was really dangerous because we were on river beds with a lot of stones and broken up tracks all day, said Barreda Bort.Now we go to Chile and there will be different stages and a different feeling so we will see there.Some 34 vehicles failed to start on Tuesday after falling victim to Mondays longest stage, among them the 4x4 of French duo Catherine Houles and Sandrine Ridet, the only 100 percent female team in the event.However for Japanese veteran Sugawara Yoshimasa, 73, the race continues as he looks to continue his 33rd Dakar adventure in Wednesdays fourth stage from Chilecito in Argentina to Copiapo in Chile.

Kurds kill 24 jihadists in Syria's Kobane: monitor

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BEIRUT (AFP) - At least 24 Islamic State jihadists were killed in clashes with Kurdish fighters Tuesday in the Syrian town of Kobane, where a battle has raged for almost four months, a monitoring group said.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the IS militants died in firefights and ambushes by Peoples Protection Units (YPG) in eastern sectors of Kobane.Seven YPG fighters were also killed as well as two civilians who died in IS raids, said the Britain-based group.The group, which relies on a network of activists and medics on the ground for its information, said Monday the Kurdish fighters now control 80 percent of the border town.IS launched an assault on Kobane in mid-September and came close to overrunning the town, which is also known as Ain al-Arab.But Kurdish fighters, backed by US-led air strikes, have been able to gradually recapture territory in the small town, which is strategic because of its location on the border with Turkey.

US-led strikes may have killed civilians: Pentagon

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US military is investigating several incidents in which civilians may have been killed in coalition air strikes against Islamic State jihadists in Iraq and Syria, officials said Tuesday.The comments marked the first time the US military has acknowledged that the air war may have exacted a toll on civilians.US Central Command, which is overseeing the air campaign, initially looked into 18 cases and concluded 13 were not credible but five merited further review, including one that occurred as recently as December 26, defense officials told AFP.What I know is that Central Command is investigating several (of) what they believe to be credible allegations of civilian casualties, Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby told reporters.This is something we always take seriously. We are very mindful of trying to mitigate the risk to civilians every time we operate, everywhere we operate.His comments marked a shift as the Pentagon had insisted for months they had not confirmed any instance of civilian deaths from the bombing raids.Human rights organizations, however, have previously reported that dozens of civilians have been killed in the US-led air strikes, mainly in Syria. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in October that 32 civilians were killed after the first month of coalition strikes in Syria, as well as 467 fighters from the Islamic State group.It would be highly unlikely that there would be no civilian casualties at this stage in the air campaign, said one US defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity.But the American military was not on the ground in Syria and had a relatively small presence in Iraq, so it was difficult to say definitively how many civilians may have been killed in the air war so far, the official added.New York-based Human Rights Watch also has voiced concern over allegations of civilian dead or wounded in the air war, demanding an investigation into whether the US military has violated the laws of war in the strikes.As of mid-December, commanders said more than 1,300 air strikes had been carried out in Syria and Iraq. The vast majority of the raids have been conducted by US fighter jets, bombers and drones.Air strikes against the IS group in Iraq began on August 8 and were extended into Syria on September 23.

Kerry to visit India ahead of Obama trip

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to India this week to join a key investment forum and pave the way for an upcoming visit by US President Barack Obama, an official said Tuesday.Kerry will Saturday attend a global investors summit being held in Ahmedabad, in western Gujarat, the home state of new Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki announced.It is the first time that the United States will join the Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit as a partner country, Psaki said.It is a biennial summit first launched in 2003 to attract foreign investment to the area bordering Pakistan.The move comes as the United States is still trying to repair relations with India after a very public diplomatic spat erupted in late 2013 and plunged ties to their lowest level in early 2014.The secretary will join leading US business executives and innovators at the summit to highlight the critical role that US technology plays in supporting sustainable economic growth across India, Psaki told reporters.The trip would also boost trade and investment between the two countries, she said.Obama is due to be chief guest at Indias Republic Day parade on January 26 -- a display of military might and ethnic diversity. He will be the first sitting US president to visit India twice.In November, Delhi and Washington also settled a bitter row over food subsidies that had threatened to derail a WTO pact to ease global trade barriers.Two-way trade between the US and India currently stands at $100 billion and the countries aim to boost the figure to $500 billion but have set no deadline.Psaki told reporters that Kerry might add other countries to his first diplomatic trip of 2015, but said these would be announced later.Modi, a Hindu nationalist who swept to power in May elections, had long been barred entry to the United States because of his links to anti-Muslim violence in Gujarat in 2002, in which more than 1,000 people died.He was chief minister when the savage riots broke out and, although he has never been found guilty of wrongdoing, the failure of his administration to confront the violence left a legacy of distrust and suspicion.

Nine dead after violence in western Mexico

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MEXICO CITY (AFP) - Nine people were killed in clashes between the army and gunmen in the restive western Mexico state of Michoacan as security forces made 44 arrests, officials said Tuesday.The violence flared in the town of Apatzingan, situated in the troubled region of Tierra Caliente, former stronghold of the Knights Templar criminal gang, federal commissioner Alfredo Castillo told reporters.Soldiers and federal police were deployed early Tuesday to disperse around 40 armed men near Apatzingan, Castillo said.Two police were injured and one man was killed after being struck by a vehicle during an initial confrontation, Castillo said.Forty-four men from an unidentified militia were arrested while 13 weapons and 23 vehicles were seized by authorities.A further eight people were killed in a second confrontation with gunmen as police attempted to move the seized vehicles to a depot, Castillo said. Violence has gripped Tierra Caliente since 2013, when armed militias formed to combat the influence of the Knights Templar gang.After the death or arrest of Knights Templar leaders following a crackdown by authorities in May, the government reached an agreement with vigilante militias to demobilize and be transformed into rural police forces under the supervision of federal authorities. Tuesdays violence followed clashes on December 16 between two rival former vigilante groups which left 11 dead and saw 37 arrests.

NASA closer than ever to finding Earth's 'twin'

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MIAMI (AFP) - NASA is closer than ever to finding a twin for the Earth, astronomers said Tuesday, announcing the discovery of eight new planets that circle in the habitable zones of their stars.Two of the eight are the most Earth-like of any known planets found so far outside our solar system, astronomers told the 225th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Seattle, Washington.The pair are likely to have hard, rocky surfaces in addition to being an orbiting distance from their stars that is neither too hot nor too cold for water and possibly life to exist, astronomers said.The discovery doubles the number of known planets that are close in size to the Earth and believed to be in the so-called Goldilocks zone of the stars they orbit. We are now closer than we have ever been to finding a twin for the Earth around another star, said Fergal Mullally of the Kepler Science Office.These candidates represent the closest analogs to the Earths own system found to date. The worlds were found with the help of NASAs planet-hunting Kepler mission, a space telescope which has scoured more than 150,000 stars for planets beyond our solar system since its launch in 2009.The latest trove of candidate planets found by Kepler and announced Tuesday was 554, bringing the total potential planets to 4,175.Scientists have recently verified the existence of the 1,000th planet found by Kepler.Three of the newly validated planets are located in their distant suns habitable zone, the range of distances from the host star where liquid water might exist on the surface of an orbiting planet, NASA said in a statement.Of the three, two are likely made of rock, like Earth.While it is intriguing to consider the possibility of life existing on another planet like ours, the two best candidates are so far away that learning more about them presents a big challenge.The first, Kepler-438b is 470 light-years from Earth. It circles its star once every 35 days. Kepler-438b has a diameter that is 12 percent bigger than Earth, and maintains a 70 percent chance of being rocky, researchers said.The other, Kepler-442b, is 1,100 light-years away, and orbits its star once every 112 days.Kepler-442b is about a third larger than Earth, and experts say there is a three in five chance it is a rocky planet.We dont know for sure whether any of the planets in our sample are truly habitable, said second author David Kipping of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.All we can say is that theyre promising candidates.

Oil hits new 5.5-year lows as Saudis defend stance

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Oil prices tumbled Tuesday to fresh 5.5-year lows as Saudi Arabia blamed weak global economic growth and said it will stick to its guns on production policy.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for delivery in February sank $2.11 to $47.93 a barrel, a low last witnessed in late April 2009.Brent North Sea crude for delivery in February dived $2.01 to $51.10 per barrel, the lowest level since early May 2009.The market is still worried that there are no signs that the supply glut will start falling, Nordea Markets analyst Thina Margrethe Saltvedt told AFP.James Williams of WTRG said the weakness in the market could take prices below $40 a barrel.Basically, there are continuing concerns about OPEC not cutting back, particularly Saudi Arabia, and US production continuing to grow, he said.Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Salman, in a speech on behalf of ailing King Abdullah Tuesday, said weak growth was to blame for the price fall, which has sliced deeply into the income of the worlds largest exporter.This development is not new in the oil market, and the kingdom has in the past dealt with it firmly and wisely, he said, adding that Saudi Arabia will maintain its same approach towards the market.That appeared to confirm Riyadhs determination to defend its market share rather than reduce output, even if that pushes prices lower.On Monday Saudi Arabia reportedly cut its European and US export prices in order to maintain market share.

Dollar firms vs euro as stocks, oil markets slide

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The dollar gained against the euro on Tuesday as investors flocked to the traditional safe-haven currency amid another day of turmoil on financial markets.Another sharp fall in crude-oil prices roiled US and European stock markets, leaving the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average down 0.7 percent after a nearly two percent drop on Monday.The US bond market, considered a haven in times of uncertainty, rallied sharply as investors piled in, sending the yield on the closely watched 10-year Treasury bond down to 1.94 percent from 2.04 percent late Monday.It was the first time the 10-year yield was below 2.0 percent since October. The euro sank to $1.1892 in late trade, down from $1.1933 a day ago, staying in the range of nine-year lows.Tough sledding for markets continued Tuesday as oil fell below $50 and some worried that Greece may have one foot out of the eurozone, said Joe Manimbo of Western Union Business Solutions.Under such a risk-off backdrop, traditional safe harbors outperformed, boosting the price of US Treasurys, gold and the yen. Manimbo warned of potential risks to the strong greenback, depending on the tone of the Federal Reserves minutes of its last policy meeting, due for release Wednesday, and Fridays December jobs report.

Khan's marriage rumors causes stir in world media

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LAHORE: (Web Desk) – World media is abuzz with the marriage rumors of cricketer turned politician Imran Khan with former BBC Weather girl Reham Khan these days. Once one of the most sought after international celebrity Imran Khan has never really been away from the limelight. Ever since he adopted Cricket as a career, his personality has been a subject of great interest for the world. From being nominated the sexiest sportsman during Kerry Packer series to being in scandals with Indian and Hollywood heroines and from becoming the only Pakistani captain to have lifted the World Cup for his nation to making the celebrated Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, Imran Khan has been media’s favorite subject.His marriage with Jemima Goldsmith was also an international affair. Daughter of a multi-billionaire British royal family-member was being married to the biggest star Cricket had ever seen. His marriage with Reham, 20 years after his first one, has also become a massive event.While social media and media in Pakistan have been discussing nothing but the ‘suspected couple’ for the last several hours now, international media has also shown great interest in these rumors. In fact it was UK’s Daily Mail that first broke the news when no Pakistani media channel was ready to air the rumor, partly because nothing was confirm and partly because there was their colleague Reham also involved in the matter who has been hosting shows at different TV channels.Hello Daily News magazine followed the lead. It also confirmed the rumors saying that Imran Khan had admitted while leaving London for Pakistan at Heathrow Airport.OK Magazine also okayed the news later on..Daily Telegraph also shared the news after his departure from Heathrow Airport on Monday. Although he had only said that his marriage was not a crime, the media seemed to be almost 100 percent sure about what was the case..Mirror was the next to file the story and also suggested that Imran’s sisters were not happy about his marriage with Reham Khan.Imran then started to make headlines in Asia as well. Middle East media also gave the news prominent space. Khaleej Times quoted from Chairman PTI’s press conference on Tuesday that he will be sharing ‘good news’ next week about his marriage.Times of Oman went as far as sharing a column on its website about the political ramifications Khan’s remarriage might cause..Khan has always been a popular figure for Indian bollywood heroines. His scandal with Indian actresses remained popular throughout his career. How could Indian media stay quite on a matter so concerned with them? Times of India thus reported..No matter how big a politician or a philanthropist Imran becomes, Cricket will always remain his first and foremost reference. NDTV website, therefore, gave this news a prominent space on its sports page.

Petersen retires from international cricket

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CAPE TOWN (AFP) - South African Test opening batsman Alviro Petersen announced his retirement from international cricket after the third Test against the West Indies on Tuesday.Petersen, 34, scored 2093 runs in 36 Tests at an average of 34.88.He hit five centuries and eight half-centuries, with a highest score of 182 against England in Leeds in 2012. He also played in 21 one-day internationals and two Twenty20 internationals.He said he would continue to play franchise cricket in South Africa and county cricket in England.
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