Friday 3 July 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

US on alert for terror threat on July 4 holiday

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The United States is ramping up security across the country and urging people to stay alert over the Independence Day holiday weekend over fears of a terrorist threat.The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security and National Counterterrorism Center have all warned of an increased risk of attacks during the long Fourth of July weekend.New York State is ratcheting up its monitoring of celebrations and events on Saturday, expected to draw large crowds to Americas biggest city.We are keenly aware that New York State remains a top target for terrorists, Governor Andrew Cuomo said. As we celebrate with family and friends this Independence Day, I urge all New Yorkers to not only remember the freedoms that we hold dear, but also remain cautious of their surroundings and learn to recognize and report suspicious activity.Other major cities, including the capital Washington, were also on heightened guard, although there were not thought to be any specific threats.Our nation is under threat, our law enforcement, our military are under threat, so we take the threat seriously, ABC News quoted US Park Police Chief Robert MacLean as saying.In Boston, scene of an attack on the citys marathon in 2013 that killed three and left scores wounded, police said security would be high.Were just stepping it up to make sure it can be as safe as possible, Boston Police Commissioner William Evans told The Boston Globe.A lone-wolf attack would be the worst nightmare, he said, adding police were not aware of any specific threats.US authorities will also be on their guard abroad.The State Department had reminded our posts to review their security posture and procedures, spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.The reminder issued by the State Department is routine, done before all major holidays, and is not indicative of any specific security threat, he added.

'Genuine effort' underway to conclude tough Iran talks

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VIENNA (AFP) - The United States and Iran were making a genuine effort to overcome the toughest hurdles still blocking a deal to curtail the Iranian nuclear programme, top US diplomat John Kerry said Friday.As he met once again with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif in the Austrian capital, Kerry insisted that while difficult issues remained they were making progress ahead of a new Tuesday deadline for an accord to put a nuclear bomb out of Irans reach.Iranian President Hassan Rouhanis chief of staff, Mohammad Nahavandian, was meanwhile headed to the negotiations in Vienna, in what the official IRNA news agency called a special mission.We have some tough issues, but theres been a genuine effort by everybody to be serious about this and to understand the time constraints that were working under, Kerry said.Global powers are trying to draw the curtain on almost two years of negotiations, which gathered new impetus after Rouhani took power in late 2013. A deal would end a 13-year standoff with Iran over its suspect nuclear programme.But Kerry is also under pressure to send any deal to the US Congress by July 9 to give them 30 days to review it.If the deal is reached after July 9, the Republican-controlled body will have 60 days to vote to approve or disapprove of the deal.The teams were working very diligently all day in order to maximise progress and with a great sense of purpose, Kerry said.Many of the ministers from the negotiating global powers -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- are due back in Vienna on Sunday.Were all trying very hard in order to be able to move forward and we have made some progress, Zarif said.There are still tough issues to discuss and to resolve but I think, with political will, we will.Ahead of the deadline, the chief negotiators of Iran, the United States and the European Union haggled for six hours until 3:00 am (0100 GMT) early Friday, a senior US official said.It feels like the end, said one western diplomat. The technical work is advancing on the main text, on the appendices.In exchange for scaling back its nuclear programme, Iran is seeking a lifting of painful sanctions.Russias top negotiator Sergei Ryabkov Thursday voiced cautious optimism, saying a complex text and annexes were 91 percent finished.I cant predict how many hours it will take to resolve this situation. But all parties are of the opinion that this matter will be resolved in the coming days, Ryabkov, deputy foreign minister, told Russian news agency TASS.It will be up to the UN watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to verify Iran is sticking to its side of the bargain through enhanced inspections of Irans nuclear facilities.But the P51 also want the IAEA to be able to visit sites where there is no declared nuclear material to probe alleged efforts, before 2003 and possibly since, to develop a nuclear weapon in secret.On Thursday the IAEA chief Yukiya Amano visited Tehran to meet Rouhani, hoping to jumpstart a stalled probe into the so-called possible military dimensions of Irans activities.But after he returned, an IAEA statement suggested there had been no breakthrough.I believe that both sides have a better understanding on some ways forward, though more work will be needed, Amano said.Iran rejects the allegations of a covert grab for a bomb, saying they are based on bogus intelligence provided to a gullible and partial IAEA by the likes of the CIA and Israeli intelligence agency Mossad.Abbas Araghchi, Irans lead negotiator in Vienna, told Iranian media Friday that Tehran was ready to cooperate with Mr. Amano so that it can be proved that these accusations and claims.. are baseless.

World has never been 'closer' to nuclear deal: Iran FM

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VIENNA (AFP) - A nuclear deal with Iran has never been closer, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a message Friday, also holding out the promise of greater cooperation to tackle wider global problems.Speaking in English from the balcony of the Viennese hotel hosting the nuclear negotiations, Zarif said at this 11th hour despite some differences that remain, we have never been closer to a lasting outcome.But there is no guarantee, he warned in the message posted on YouTube, saying getting to yes requires the courage to compromise, the self-confidence to be flexible, the maturity to be reasonable.Zarif stressed though that if there is a balanced and good deal then it could open new horizons to address important common challenges.Our common threat today is the growing menace of violent extremism and outright barbarism, the minister said in the four-minute message, in a clear reference to the Islamic State group.The menace were facing -- and I say we because no one is spared -- is embodied by the hooded men who are ravaging the cradle of civilisation. To deal with this new challenge, new approaches are badly needed, he said.Iran has long been at the forefront in the fight against extremism. I hope my counterparts will also turn their focus and devote their resources to this existential battle.Zarif has been leading negotiations with US Secretary of State John Kerry, seeking to nail down a long-sought deal to curtail Irans nuclear programme in exchange for a lifting of biting economic sanctions.Iran has long denied accusations that it has covertly sought to develop a nuclear bomb, insisting its atomic programme is for peaceful purposes only.And Zarif hit out those who stubbornly believe that military and economic coercion can ensure submission.However, he insisted: I see hope because I see the emergence of reason over illusion. I sense that my negotiating partners have recognised that coercion and pressure never lead to lasting solutions but to more conflict and further hostility.But they still need to make a critical and historic choice: agreement or coercion, he added.

Two years after Morsi, Egypt stuck in turmoil

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CAIRO (AFP) - Two years after the army deposed president Mohamed Morsi, Egypt is roiled by brazen Islamic State group attacks in the Sinai Peninsula and a brutal government repression that has killed hundreds.Militant attacks have escalated since then army chief and now President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ousted Morsi on July 3, 2013, after mass street protests against the Islamists single year of divisive rule.This weeks assassination of state prosecutor Hisham Barakat in a Cairo car bombing followed by spectacular IS attacks that killed dozens in the Sinai have underlined the lack of security and stability despite a wide-ranging crackdown.Hundreds have been killed, tens of thousands detained and hundreds more sentenced to death after speedy trials in the crackdown on Morsi supporters.Morsi and several leaders of his Muslim Brotherhood movement have been handed the death penalty.On Friday, a demonstrator was killed by birdshot as police dispersed pro-Morsi protesters in southern Cairo, officials said.Jihadists led by IS have killed scores of troops, mostly in the Sinai, challenging Sisis efforts to restore security and economic stability in the Arab worlds most populous country.On Wednesday, the military deployed F-16 warplanes to bombard IS jihadists who battled troops in a North Sinai town after having launched a surprise dawn attack on several army checkpoints.Dozens were killed in what was ISs boldest attack yet in the strife-torn Sinai, with militants taking over rooftops and firing rockets at troops.The army said in a video of the attack that militants had planted IS flags on some buildings to show that the terrorists had taken over the town, but their attempt was thwarted.On Friday, the Sinai Province, Egypts IS affiliate, said in a statement posted on Twitter that it had hit more than 20 army checkpoints.The army video disputed this, saying 10 checkpoints were attacked.Also Friday, the Israeli military said two rockets fired from the Sinai hit southern Israel, without causing casualties or damage.The Sinai Province group said it fired two Grad rockets at the Jewish state.Attacks in Egypt by insurgents multiplied after Morsis overthrow, with jihadist group Ansar Beit al-Maqdis pledging allegiance to IS last November.There is a complete political failure at all levels amid a return of repression, arbitrary arrests and killings, said activist Mohamed Nabil from the April 6 youth movement that spearheaded the 2011 uprising against president Hosni Mubarak.The crackdown overseen by Sisi initially targeted Morsis supporters -- a police assault on two pro-Morsi camps in Cairo killed hundreds.The crackdown rapidly expanded to include jailing secular activists who had not only revolted against Mubarak but backed Sisi in ousting Morsi.Rights groups accuse the authorities of using the judiciary to suppress dissent.The Egyptian authorities have shown that they will stop at nothing in their attempts to crush all challenges to their authority, said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui of Amnesty International.Barakats murder and Wednesdays IS attacks infuriated Sisi, who called for fast-track executions of those on death row.On Wednesday, the cabinet passed an anti-terror law to achieve swift justice and revenge for our martyrs.Analysts said the government sees most opponents as supporters of the now blacklisted Brotherhood.And because many Egyptians are weary of political tumult and frightened by an upsurge of terrorist attacks within Egypts major cities, they are largely supportive of this crackdown, said Eric Trager of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy think-tank.Sisis other major challenge is the economy.His governments aim is to achieve annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth of seven percent for an economy traditionally driven by tourism.The sector has plummeted, however, with last years 10 million visitors sharply down on 2010 when 15 million tourists were lured by Egypts archaeological sites and Red Sea resorts.Signs of a recovery are visible, but economists said a fundamental change in government thinking is needed.Sisi hosted an international conference in March that attracted investment pledges of more than $36 billion.He is also banking on a $9-billion Suez canal expansion project due to be inaugurated on August 6.However, double-digit inflation and a budget deficit of 12 percent of GDP remain key concerns.

Tunisian Abu Iyadh, reported dead in Libya, is Qaeda veteran

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TUNIS (AFP) - Abu Iyadh, the founder of Tunisias main jihadist group Ansar al-Sharia reported Friday to have been killed in a US air strike in Libya, is a veteran of Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.Real name Seifallah Ben Hassine, and listed as a global terrorist by the United States, he was killed in mid-June, The New York Times reported.A US official told the daily that Ben Hassine died in a strike that targeted Mokhtar Belmokhtar, a top Al-Qaeda-linked militant believed to have masterminded a deadly attack on an Algerian gas plant in 2013.The interior ministry in Tunis, contacted by AFP on Friday, said it had no information on his death.Despite having said Tunisia was a land for preaching in and not for jihad, Abu Iyadhs group is accused of having committed several acts of violence in the North African country.Freed under a general amnesty three months after the 2011 revolution, he founded Ansar al-Sharia which was initially tolerated under a government headed by the moderate Islamist movement Ennahda.But the 49-year-old has been accused of having organised an attack by members of his group on the US embassy in Tunis in September 2012.He has since been on the run.Ben Hassine had been on a United Nations blacklist since 2002 over his links to Al-Qaeda.His release in Tunisia, where he had been jailed in 2003, followed the ouster of secular dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.In August 2013, the government accused him of masterminding the killings in February and July that year of leftist leader Chokri Belaid and MP Mohamed Brahmi, as well as attacks on Tunisian security forces.The then head of Tunisian national security, Mustapha Ben Kamel, said Ben Hassines aim was to create chaos in Tunisia, to take power and declare the first caliphate in North Africa.Ben Hassine allegedly fought alongside Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan in 2001 before travelling to Pakistan and then Turkey where he was arrested and extradited, according to The New York Times.He was co-founder in 2000 of the Tunisian Fighting Group in Afghanistan.This group organised the suicide bombing by assailants posing as journalists with a camera bomb who killed Ahmad Shah Massoud, leader of the resistance to the Taliban.His murder on September 9, 2001, came just two days before the Al-Qaeda plane attacks against the Twin Towers and the Pentagon in the United States.Ben Hassine is a native of Menzel Bourguiba in northern Tunisia. He became involved in 1980 in a movement which later became Ennahda.Arrested in Turkey in 2003, he was extradited to his native country where a military court sentenced him to 43 years in prison.In 2012, while he was still on the run after the US embassy attack, he goaded police by preaching in a mosque in central Tunis.Despite the presence of a large number of security forces, a dense crowd of his supporters hid him among their number to evade the police cordon.

Boko Haram kills nearly 200 in 48 hours of Nigeria slaughter

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KANO (AFP) - Boko Haram carried out a fresh wave of massacres in northeastern Nigeria on Friday, locals said, killing nearly 200 people in 48 hours of violence President Muhammadu Buhari blasted as inhuman and barbaric.The militants have staged multiple attacks across restive Borno state since Wednesday, gunning down worshippers at evening Ramadan prayers, shooting women in their homes, and dragging men from their beds in the dead of night.A young female suicide bomber also killed 12 worshippers when she blew herself up in a mosque in Borno. While there was no immediate claim of responsibility, Boko Haram has used both men and young women and girls as human bombs in the past.President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the latest wave of killings... describing them as most inhuman and barbaric, the presidency said in a statement.The bloodshed is the worst since Buhari came to power in May, vowing to root out the insurgency that has claimed more than 15,000 lives.Up to 50 armed men on motorbikes stormed the village of Mussa in the latest atrocity on Friday, shooting villagers and burning their homes, survivor Bitrus Dangana told AFP.They killed six people in the village and they chased the inhabitants into the bush, firing at them... 25 people were killed in the bush, he said.Another survivor, Adamu Bulus, confirmed 31 people had been murdered.It was the fourth time that Boko Haram had attacked the village in the past year, local youth worker Sunday Wabba told AFP, describing how they killed everyone on sight.News of the massacres first emerged on Thursday, when survivors told of raids on three different villages in Borno state the previous evening that left at least 145 people dead and many houses burnt to the ground.On Friday, fresh details of the killings emerged from a resident of Kukawa, near lake Chad, the worst-affected village.Baana Kole told AFP that he and others had managed to escape into the bush where they spent the night, before returning to bury the dead, only to find that the militants had laid mines everywhere.Some residents who hid in trees saw them planting the mines and alerted us when we returned to the village and started burying our dead, he said.So many dead bodies are still in Kukawa lying unattended. We had to abandon them because we could not carry them with us.Less than 24 hours later, a girl blew herself up in a mosque in Malari village, more than 150 kilometres away from Wednesdays attacks.The bomber was a girl aged around 15 who was seen around the mosque when worshippers were preparing for the afternoon prayers, Danlami Ajaokuta, a vigilante assisting the military against Boko Haram, told AFP.People asked her to leave because she had no business there and they were not comfortable with her in view of the spate of suicide attacks by female Boko Haram members.She made to leave but while the people were inside the mosque for the prayers she ran from a distance into the mosque and blew herself up, he added -- an account corroborated by resident Gajimi Mala.Early Friday morning, as people were sleeping, Boko Haram militants dragged men out of houses in Miringa village and shot them for escaping forced conscription.They picked 13 men from selected homes and took them to the Eid prayer ground outside the village where they opened fire on them, resident Baballe Mohammed said, adding 11 died and two managed to escape.He and another resident said the victims had been targeted because they had fled their home village after Boko Haram tried to force them to join their ranks.The armed group has intensified its campaign of violence since Buhari came to power on May 29, launching raids, explosions and suicide attacks that have claimed over 450 lives.The spike in violence has sparked concern that earlier victories claimed by the armies of Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon in the region are being eroded.The four countries -- all of which border Lake Chad, a focal point of Boko Haram unrest -- launched offensives against the militants early this year as it became apparent that the armed group was making big gains in Nigeria.They managed to push the militants out of captured towns and villages, but the recent attacks highlight that Boko Haram is not defeated.A new regional fighting force comprising 8,700 troops from Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Benin is due to deploy at the end of the month.

Female suicide bomber kills 12 in Nigeria mosque: witness, vigilante

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KANO (AFP) - A young female suicide bomber killed 12 worshippers when she blew herself up in a mosque in northeastern Nigeria, a witness and a vigilante aiding the military against Boko Haram said Friday.The bomber was a girl aged around 15 who was seen around the mosque when worshippers were preparing for the afternoon prayers, vigilante Danlami Ajaokuta said of Thursdays attack in Malari village, adding 12 had died and seven were injured.People asked her to leave because she had no business there and they were not comfortable with her in view of the spate of suicide attacks by female Boko Haram members.She made to leave but while the people were inside the mosque for the prayers she ran from a distance into the mosque and blew herself up, he added -- an account corroborated by resident Gajimi Mala.There was no immediate claim of responsibility but Boko Haram has used both men and young women and girls as human bombs in the past, and Borno state where the attack took place has been the hardest hit by the insurgency.The attack comes just a day after Boko Haram militants gunned down at least 145 people in three Borno villages, shooting Muslim worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan in the bloodiest day of attacks since new President Muhammadu Buhari came to power.

IS in Egypt claims rocket attack on Israel

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CAIRO (AFP) - The Islamic State jihadist groups affiliate in Egypt claimed responsibility for a rocket attack from the Sinai Peninsula into southern Israel on Friday.Three Grad rockets were fired at Jewish positions in occupied Palestine, the Sinai Province group said in a statement on Twitter.An Israeli military spokesman said earlier that two rockets fired from Sinai exploded inside Israeli territory without causing casualties.The IS-linked group said the rocket fire was in retaliation for alleged Israeli support for Egypts armed forces on Wednesday when the jihadists attacked army checkpoints in northern Sinai.Egypts military deployed F-16 warplanes to bombard IS jihadists who battled troops after launching their surprise dawn attack.Dozens were killed in what was ISs boldest attack yet in the strife-torn Sinai.

Solar Impulse lands in Hawaii, completing historic flight

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KAPOLEI (AFP) - The Solar Impulse 2 aircraft completed a historic flight in its quest to circle the globe without consuming a drop of fuel, touching down gracefully in Hawaii on Friday after the most arduous leg of its journey.The sun-powered plane, piloted by veteran Swiss aviator Andre Borschberg, took 118 hours -- about five days -- to make the voyage from Japan to Hawaii and landed shortly after dawn at Kalaeloa Airport on the main Hawaiian island of Oahu.Just landed in Hawaii with @solarimpulse For @bertrandpiccard and I, its a dream coming true, Borschberg tweeted triumphantly after completing the most perilous part of the around-the-world odyssey.Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard have been alternating the long solo flights and Japan to Hawaii -- where it was Borschberg in sole control -- was the eighth of 13 legs.Difficult to believe what I see: Si2 in Hawaii But I never had doubts that @andreborschberg could make it tag-team copilot Piccard wrote on Twitter.This flight to Hawaii is not only an aviation historic first, but also a historic first for energy and cleantechs.The experimental plane landed a little after 1600 GMT, and Borschberg, all smiles, emerged a short time later from the cockpit, later adorning a traditional Hawaiian flower lei and holding a celebratory bottle of champagne. Sunlight glimmered on the horizon as the Solar Impulse ground crew burst into cheers and applause upon completion of the groundbreaking flight.The 4,000-mile leg (6,500 kilometers) from Nagoya, Japan to Hawaii was not only the worlds longest solar-powered flight both in terms of flying time and distance, it also set the record for longest solo flight by time.The whole trip from Japan to Hawaii took four days and 22 hours, with the Swiss aviator taking catnaps of only 20 minutes at a time to maintain control of the pioneering plane. Borschberg easily beat the previous longest solo endurance flight, by Steve Fossett, who flew for 76 hours and 45 minutes in 2006 in the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer. Fellow pioneering aviator and Virgin Group founder Richard Branson tweeted his congratulations to Borschberg and his team.Congrats @SolarImpulse, beating @Virgin GlobalFlyer record non-stop solo flight without refuelling. Huge step forward, Branson wrote.The flight tested its exhausted pilot to the maximum, in what his team described as difficult conditions. Traveling at altitudes of more than 9,000 meters (29,500 feet), Borschberg at times had to use oxygen tanks to breathe and experienced huge swings in temperature throughout.Alone throughout the entire flight and utterly self-reliant in the unpressurized cockpit, Borschberg was equipped with a parachute and life raft, in case he needed to ditch in the Pacific.Mission organizers described the journey as having taken pilot and aircraft to the limits of their endurance.Borschberg, born in Zurich, is no stranger to adventure -- 15 years ago, he narrowly escaped an avalanche, and then in 2013 he was involved in a helicopter crash that left him with minor injuries. The pilot, who is also a yoga enthusiast, has worked as an army pilot and supervised the construction of the first Solar Impulse plane. In 2010, for the first time in history, he flew 26 hours straight using only solar energy. Borschberg didnt let the tiny cockpit of the Solar Impulse 2 plane stop him from practising yoga, transforming his tiny bench into a yoga mat and using specialized postures custom-tailored for him by his personal yogi.Yoga is a great support for this flight above the Pacific: it positively affects my mood and mindset, Borschberg tweeted Thursday with a photo of himself in a pose. The plane will now be flown across the United States and eventually, if all goes according to plan, land back in Abu Dhabi next March, where it started its journey earlier this year. The next leg will be piloted by Piccard and will fly 2,920 miles from Hawaii to Phoenix. Solar Impusle 2 has 17,000 solar cells and on-board rechargeable lithium batteries, allowing it to fly through the night.Its wingspan is longer than that of a jumbo jet but it weighs only 2.3 tonnes -- about the same as a car.

Karunaratne, Yasir light up final Test

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PALLEKELE (AFP) - Sri Lankas Dimuth Karunaratne hit a century amid another rich haul by Pakistani leg-spinner Yasir Shah as the decisive third and final Test began on a rousing note in Pallekele on Friday.The hosts, sent in to bat after Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq won the toss for the third time in a row, stuttered to 272-8 in their first innings by stumps on the opening day.Left-handed Karunaratne anchored the innings with a dogged 130, his second Test century following the 152 against New Zealand in Christchurch last December.Yasir ended the day with four for 77, taking his tally in the series to 21 wickets, the most by a Pakistani bowler in a three-Test rubber in Sri Lanka.Yasir enabled Pakistan to keep the runs in check despite conditions favouring the batsmen on the evenly-paced pitch after the initial moisture on the wicket had dried up under the hot sun.The series is locked 1-1, with Pakistan having won the first Test by 10 wickets before Sri Lanka drew level with a seven-wicket victory in the second match.Pakistans bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed said Yasir turned the game around after the seamers had wasted the new ball.Frankly, we did not use the new ball well but we recovered through Yasir, who bowled beautifully from the start, said Mushtaq, himself a former leg-spinner.If he continues to perform like this, Pakistan is bound to prosper. It will be really tough to play him in the fourth innings. We are lucky to have a genuine match winner.Karunaratne said the life in the pitch should help Sri Lanka when Pakistan bat, but added the team missed the calming influence of Kumar Sangakkara.We depended a lot on Sanga all these years, he said. When he batted, the runs kept flowing. We missed him here. I thought we played well but we gave too many wickets in the last session.Sangakkara, the worlds leading current run-getter in Tests, opted out of the match since he had committed to play just the first two Tests against Pakistan and two more against India in August before retiring.Opener Kaushal Silva, who had scored 125 in Galle and 80 in Colombo, was caught behind for nine off left-arm seamer Rahat Ali, who was picked alongside Ehsan Ali and Imran Khan in a new-look pace attack.The left-handed pair of Karunaratne and Upul Tharanga put on 91 for the second wicket on either side of lunch to lift the score to 106 for one, before three wickets fell for 31 runs.Yasir had Tharanga, who replaced Sangakkara for the match, caught at slip for 46 before he removed Lahiru Thirimanne (11) and skipper Angelo Mathews (three) in successive overs to mistimed drives.Jehan Mubarak, recalled to the Test side after almost eight years, helped Karunaratne add 67 for the fifth wicket before he was stumped off Yasir for 25.Azhar Ali, who had taken two wickets with his part-time spin bowling in 43 previous Tests, doubled his tally with the wickets of Karunaratne and Dhammika Prasad off successive balls.Karunaratne was stumped as he attempted a big heave and Prasad holed out to Yasir at deep square-leg to reduce Sri Lanka to 248-7.Both sides made four changes each for the decider with Pakistan bringing in batsman Shan Masood along with the fresh pace attack.Sri Lanka recalled two left-handers in Tharanga and 34-year-old Mubarak, who played the last of his 10 Tests in December 2007 -- before any of his current teammates had made their debut.The hosts also left out veteran left-arm spinner Rangana Herath and injured fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera.SCOREBOARD Sri Lanka 1st innings:D. Karunaratne st Sarfraz b Azhar 130K. Silva c Sarfraz b Rahat 9U. Tharanga c Younis b Yasir 46L. Thirimanne c sub (Azam) b Yasir 11A. Mathews c sub (Azam) b Yasir 3J. Mubarak st Sarfraz b Yasir 25D. Chandimal lbw b Rahat 24D. Prasad c Yasir b Azhar 0T. Kaushal not out 17S. Lakmal not out 1Extras: (lb3, w3) 6Total: (for eight wickets, 86 overs) 272Fall of wickets: 1-15 (Silva), 2-106 (Tharanga), 3-133 (Thirimanne), 4-137 (Mathews), 5-204 (Mubarak), 6-248 (Karunaratne), 7-248 (Prasad), 8-264 (Chandimal).Bowling: Rahat 19-2-74-2 (w1), Ehsan 14-3-37-0 (w1), Imran 15-3-46-0 (w1), Yasir 31-4-77-4, Azhar 7-0-35-2. Toss: Pakistan.Umpires: Ian Gould (ENG) and Paul Reiffel (AUS).TV umpire: Sundaram Ravi (IND).Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG).

Irfan returns for Pakistan ODI series against Sri Lanka

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ISLAMABAD (AP) - Fast bowler Mohammad Irfan was recalled by Pakistan on Friday for the five-match one-day international series in Sri Lanka next week after recovering from a stress fracture in his pelvis.Irfan was injured during the Cricket World Cup and missed the quarterfinal against Australia. He also missed the historic home series against Zimbabwe, and the 3-0 whitewash at the hands of Bangladesh.Wahab Riaz was not included in the 16-man squad for the series beginning on July 11, but chief selector Haroon Rashid said if the left-arm fast bowler recovered from a hand injury, he could be flown in for the last two ODIs.The selectors also included rookie Bilal Asif as cover for offspinner Mohammad Hafeez, whose bowling action will be retested in Chennai, India.Hafeez was again reported for a suspect bowling action during the first test victory against Sri Lanka last month, and faces a one-year ban if his bowling action is not cleared in Chennai.Bilal Asif has also shown that he is a powerful hitter in the lower order, and a handy offspinner who could fill the gap in case Mohammad Hafeezs action is not cleared, Rashid said.The series begins at Dambulla, followed by matches at Pallekele, Colombo (twice), and Hambantota.Pakistan ODI Squad: Azhar Ali (captain), Ahmed Shezad, Mohammad Hafeez, Mukhtar Ahmed, Asad Shafiq, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Sarfraz Ahmed, Yasir Shah, Bilal Asif, Immad Wasim, Anwar Ali, Mohammad Irfan, Ehsan Adil, Rahat Ali.

Starc takes six before Australia stumble

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LONDON (AFP) - Mitchell Starc took six wickets and captain Michael Clarke scored a fifty but Australia did not have things all their own way on Fridays third day of four against Essex at Chelmsford in their final warm-up match before next weeks first Ashes Test.Essex resumed on 299 for three, following Tom Westleys excellent 144, with skipper Ravi Bopara unbeaten on 86.Former England all-rounder Bopara went on to make 107 in a total of 414, with left-arm fast bowler Starc taking six for 51 as he ran through the tail.Clarke, out for a duck in Australias first innings 562, made 77 after his side had slumped to 76 for four before the tourists reached stumps on 212 for eight, a lead of 360 runs.Earlier, Bopara delighted his home crowd by going to a hundred off 165 balls, including 13 fours, before former New Zealand all-rounder Jesse Ryder (10) clipped medium-pacer Mitchell Marsh to backward square leg.The morning drinks break saw a minutes silence observed in memory of the victims of the Tunisia terror attack.When play resumed, Starc ensured Essexs first innings did not last long, ending the home sides effort when he knocked over Tom Moores stumps. Australias David Warner fell cheaply, bowled by Jamie Porter for four, before fellow opener Chris Rogers, looking to regain his Test place after being ruled out of the 2-0 series win in the Caribbean because of concussion, was caught behind off Matt Salisbury for 32.Adam Voges and Shane Watson both exited for single figure scores before Mitchell Marsh cut Salisbury into his own stumps on 37.Clarke looked in good touch until bowled by spinner Aron Nijjar, having faced 131 balls including six fours and two sixes.

Brilliant McCullum sets T20 Blast record

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LONDON (AFP) - New Zealand captain Brendon McCullums explosive hitting saw him set a new record in the English T20 Blast competition on Friday with a blistering 158 not out off 64 balls for his countty Warwickshire.The 33-year-old flayed the Derbyshire attack, bringing his century up off 42 balls and his final total equalled a previous score he hit for Kolkata Knight Riders in the first-ever IPL match in 2008 -- that one coming off 73 balls.McCullums innings -- which included 11 sixes and 11 fours -- is the second highest T20 score ever, behind West Indian batsman Chris Gayles 175 in the Indian Premier League in 2013.McCullum, who recently signed a one-year extension to his contract with the national side despite fears over a persistent back problem, broke the previous mark of 153 set by Luke Wright for Sussex in 2014.

Australia's Faulkner facing drink-driving charge

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LONDON (AFP) - Australia all-rounder James Faulkner accepted Friday he had made an error of judgement after being charged with drink-driving by Greater Manchester Police while playing for English county side Lancashire.The 25-year-old has been released on bail and now faces a court hearing in Manchester on July 21.Cricket Australia, who have charged the World Cup winner under its own code of conduct, returned a blood alcohol reading of approximately twice the UKs legal limit. The first disciplinary action Faulkner has faced is to be dropped from Fridays Twenty20 Roses clash against Yorkshire.I cant excuse my actions and understand that I have let people down, Faulkner said in a Cricket Australia statement. My decision to drive was an error in judgement. I apologise unreservedly and accept any penalty handed to me by Cricket Australia and the relevant authorities.CA performance director Pat Howard said: It is clear that he made a very poor decision to get behind the wheel of a car after drinking and that decision had potential to cause serious harm to him and others.It is also clear that he is very disappointed and embarrassed by his actions given his position as a role-model to young people.This is a very real wake-up call for James and all other Australian cricketers around the importance of responsible decision making. I have expressed my extreme disappointment and have informed him of the consequences under English Law and Cricket Australias own regulations.

Train accident: LT. Col. Aamir Jadoon, family laid to rest

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ABBOTABAD: (Dunya News) – Lieutenant Colonel Aamir Jadoon has on Friday been laid to rest along with his wife, son and a daughter. He was laid to rest with complete army protocol, reported Dunya News.Funeral prayers of Lt. Col. Aamir Jadoon and his family were offered twice. The funeral prayer offered in the Frontier Force Regiment Center was attended by Corps Commander Mangla Lieutenant General Halal and Commandant PMA Kakul. The funeral prayer was again offered in Nawaan Shehr, Aamir Jadoon’s native town, and it was attended by his relatives and the locals.Flowers were spread on his grave on behalf of the Chief of Joint Staff Committee and Army Chief. An army squad gave the martyr a salute.Lt. Col. Aamir Jadoon was commissioned into Pakistan army through 97 PMA Long Course and belonged to 107 Engineering Battalion. He was going from Punnu Aqil to Kharian and was going to be stationed at Swat after 25 days.Large number of locals attended the funeral as 4 people belonging to the same family were martyred in the accident. Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KP) Sardar Mehtab Abbasi also expressed grief.Relatives said that Lt. Col. Aamir Jadoon was a very social person. He not only took care of the relatives but also the natives. Aamir had three brothers and a sister. All three brothers are also army officers.
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