Monday 15 August 2016

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Nine killed in Held Kashmir on Indian Independence Day

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SRINAGAR (AFP) - Nine people including a 16-year old protester and a police commander were killed Monday in Held Kashmir as clashes and gun battles raged across the disputed Himalayan region on Indian Independence Day.The teenage boy was shot dead late Monday following clashes between security forces and protesters in Batmaloo area of the main city Srinagar, hours after two militants were killed in a brief shoot-out a few miles away.The teenager was brought dead to the hospital. He was hit by a bullet, Kaiser Ahmad, a doctor at Srinagars main hospital told AFP.Separately, doctors at another Srinagar hospital said a young protester died of his injuries on Monday, days after he was hit by a bullet, taking the death toll to 58 in the ongoing unrest.Fierce clashes between protesters and Indian troops were reported across the Kashmir valley despite the authorities imposing a round-the-clock curfew.Mobile and internet services were snapped and thousands of armed policemen patrolled the main cities and towns to thwart any violence on Independence Day.Earlier Monday a paramilitary police commander was critically wounded in an ambush in Srinagars Nowhatta locality and later died in hospital while two militants were killed in a shootout following the attack, an officer of Indias Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) told AFP.We have lost a commanding officer. Two militants were also killed in the ensuing gunfight, said Atul Karwal, the forces inspector general in the region.He said nine others were wounded with three, including two local policemen, in a critical condition.The officer could not immediately confirm the identities of the slain militants but said they were non-locals, usually a reference to Pakistani nationals.Authorities have imposed a curfew in large parts of Kashmir, Indias only Muslim majority state, since July 9 during an upsurge in violence sparked by the killing of a top militant commander called Burhan Wani in a gunfight with security forces.Fifty-eight civilians, mostly young men, have been killed in clashes between protesters and security forces, and thousands more injured in the regions worst violence since 2010.In a separate gunfight on Monday, five militants were killed near the Line of Control (LoC) -- the de facto border dividing Kashmir between India and Pakistan -- in the northern Uri sector, the areas police chief said.Imtiyaz Hussain said the militants were spotted by guards after they sneaked over to the Indian side of the heavily militarised border.Two Indian army officers including a commanding officer were also wounded and were evacuated to an army hospital in Srinagar.Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in August 1947 but both claim the territory in full.It is the epicentre of a separatist insurgency, with several rebel groups fighting Indian troops and police as they seek either independence or a merger with Pakistan.Separatist groups traditionally order citizens to observe a shutdown on Independence Day to protest against Indian rule.The states first woman chief minister Mehbooba Mufti called on India and Pakistan to make the LoC irrelevant to bring peace in the region.I appeal to both countries that this line dividing Kashmir should be made irrelevant, Mufti told a thinly attended gathering at a sports stadium in Srinagar.She blamed the Indian leadership for the current crisis in Kashmir and appealed to protesting youths to return to their schools and colleges.The main event at the fortified arena was marred by spectators booing the chief minister after the Indian flag fell to the ground as she tried to hoist it, prompting authorities to order a probe to determine if it was the result of an act of sabotage.Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made no direct reference to the situation in Kashmir in his annual Independence Day speech but made a general appeal for an end to violence, adding that India will never tolerate terrorism.

15 Guantanamo inmates transferred to UAE

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Fifteen Guantanamo Bay detainees have been transferred to the United Arab Emirates, the largest such release in years, the Pentagon announced Monday.The latest transfers bring the remaining population of the detention center down to 61. Since the September 11, 2001 attacks, about 780 inmates have been housed in the US military-run facility.According to a State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, 12 of the men are from Yemen and three are Afghans.The Pentagon has previously struggled to find a third country to take Yemeni detainees, given that they cant go home because of the civil war in their nation.The United States is grateful to the government of the United Arab Emirates for its humanitarian gesture and willingness to support ongoing US efforts to close Guantanamo, the Pentagon said in a statement. Once transferred, former inmates are usually freed subject to supervision and undergoing rehabilitation programs.Amnesty International USA welcomed the announcement as a sign President Barack Obama is serious about closing the controversial facility before he leaves office. Its a significant repudiation of the idea that Guantanamo is going to be open for business for the indefinite future, Naureen Shah, Amnesty International USAs security and human rights program director, told AFP.One of those transferred is an Afghan called Obaidullah, who allegedly had hidden land mines in 2001. He was detained for 14 years without trial.Mondays announcement represents the largest transfer of prisoners under the Democratic Obama administration.The continued operation of the detention facility weakens our national security by draining resources, damaging our relationships with key allies and partners, and emboldening violent extremists, Ambassador Lee Wolosky, the special envoy for Guantanamo closure, said in a statement.The support of our friends and allies -- like the UAE -- is critical to our achieving this shared goal. Obama urgently wants to close the facility before he leaves office at the start of next year but has been continually thwarted by Republican lawmakers.Still, the United States has in recent months accelerated the rate at which detainees who have been approved for transfer are released from the facility.When Obama took office, there were 242 detainees at Guantanamo.Mondays announcement means 19 inmates will remain who have been cleared for transfer.Obama wants to send the rest, deemed to be the most dangerous, for incarceration in the United States -- but that is an extreme long shot given Republican opposition.In February, the president presented Congress with a new closure plan for Guantanamo, which he says serves only to stoke anti-US resentment and fuel jihadist recruitment.Last week, Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte renewed calls to keep Guantanamo open and published an unclassified report on 107 current and former detainees that she said highlighted their terrorist pasts.The more Americans understand about the terrorist activities and affiliations of these detainees, the more they will oppose the administrations terribly misguided plans to release them, she said.To date, just 10 of the detainees face criminal trial, including the 9/11 Five -- led by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed -- who are accused of plotting the September 11, 2001 attacks.Shah said it was important for Obama to push ahead with plans to shutter Guantanamo, or the next administration could start filling its cells with suspected jihadists captured in the campaign against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.We are at an extremely dangerous and pivotal point where if President Obama fails to close Guantanamo then the next administration could bring more detainees there, Shah said.Guantanamo is a US naval base carved out of a remote chunk of land on the tip of southeastern Cuba. The administration of George W. Bush opened a prison there to hold terror suspects.

At least 11 dead, 19 injured in air raid on Yemen hospital: MSF

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SANAA (AFP) - An Arab coalition air raid hit a Yemeni hospital on Monday, killing at least 11 people and injuring more than 19, just 48 hours after strikes that killed children, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said.In a statement issued in Paris, MSF said a blast partially destroyed the hospital at Abs, located in the rebel-held province of Hajja.The explosion immediately killed nine people, including an MSF staff member, while two more patients died while being transferred to another clinic, it said.MSF expressed outrage at what it described as the fourth attack on one of its facilities in less than a year.Once again, a fully functional hospital full of patients and MSF national and international staff members, was bombed in a war that has shown no respect for medical facilities or patients, Teresa Sancristoval, for MSFs Emergency Unit in Yemen, said in the statement .The GPS coordinates of the hospital were repeatedly shared with all parties to the conflict, including the Saudi-led coalition, and its location was well-known, MSF added.The coalition has been battling Iran-backed rebels since March 2015 in support of Yemens government, after the insurgents seized Sanaa before moving into other parts of the country.Earlier this month, the coalition acknowledged shortcomings in two out of eight cases it has investigated of UN-condemned air strikes on civilian targets in Yemen.On Monday, it promised to probe another attack that MSF said killed 10 children over the weekend at a school in the rebel-held northern province of Saada.Sancristoval lamented that nothing seems to be done to make parties involved in the conflict in Yemen respect medical staff and patients.Without action, these public gestures are meaningless for todays victims. Either intentional or a result of a negligence, this is unacceptable.Residents in Abs said coalition jets, which have been striking rebel military targets in the town for several days, hit the hospital and caused casualties.Rebel sources said the coalition struck a first-aid building beside the facility.Abs is adjacent to the town of Harad, on the border with Saudi Arabia, and from where rebels have repeatedly shelled areas on the kingdoms side of the frontier, causing both civilian and military deaths.A border guards corporal became the latest Saudi casualty Monday, the interior ministry said in Riyadh.Harad itself is seeing fierce fighting and is frequently a target of heavy coalition air strikes.Pro-government military sources, who are fighting alongside coalition forces in Harad, said military vehicles had taken rebel casualties to the Abs hospital before Mondays air strikes.London-based watchdog Amnesty International described the hospitals bombardment as a deplorable act that has cost civilian lives, including medical staff.Todays air strike appears to be the latest in a string of unlawful attacks targeting hospitals highlighting an alarming pattern of disregard for civilian life, Amnestys deputy director Magdalena Mughrabi said, demanding an investigation.The raid comes less than 48 hours after MSF accused the coalition of killing 10 children in Saturdays strikes on a Koranic school in Saada.The coalition denied targeting a school, saying instead that it bombed a camp at which rebels train underage soldiers.United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon condemned the attack and called for a swift investigation.The secretary general notes with dismay that civilians, including children, continue to bear the brunt of increased fighting and military operations in Yemen, a UN statement said.Hours later, a 14-member investigative team made up of several coalition states and Yemen, promised to conduct an independent probe into the allegations.The team has already investigated claims of attacks on a residential area, hospitals, markets, a wedding and World Food Programme (WFP) aid trucks.It found the coalition guilty of mistakenly hitting a residential compound and an MSF-run hospital, but accused the rebels of having used the hospital as a hideout.The latest strikes come as the coalition said it would allow humanitarian flights into Sanaas international airport from Monday, after a closure of several days due to renewed hostilities around the rebel-held capital.Sanaa international airport will be reopened to United Nations flights and those of other agencies from Monday, a coalition statement said. It had been closed since last Tuesday, when the coalition resumed air strikes around Sanaa following the breakdown of UN-brokered peace talks between the Yemeni government and rebels.The United Nations says that more than 6,400 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Yemen since last March.

More than 30 Syrian rebels killed in IS suicide blast

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BEIRUT (AFP) - The Islamic State jihadist group on Monday claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed more than 30 Syrian rebel fighters in a blast near the Turkish border.IS, in a statement published on Twitter and the messaging service Telegram, said a suicide bomber detonated an explosive belt among rebels getting ready to fight the Islamic State.The blast on Sunday night struck the Atme border crossing between Turkey and the northern Syrian province of Idlib, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.The monitoring group said the anti-regime fighters were travelling by bus to Turkey then back into Syria towards the rebel bastion of Azaz, in Aleppo province.The attack killed 32 rebels as they were entering Turkey, the Britain-based Observatory said, updating an earlier toll on Sunday evening of 15. Its head Rami Abdel Rahman said the toll could rise further as other fighters remained critically wounded. ISs statement said the attack left nearly 50 rebels dead, charging they took orders from the US-led coalition fighting IS in Iraq and Syria. IS has tried to advance on rebel territory in Aleppo province -- particularly the towns of Azaz and nearby Marea -- for several months.A major jihadist offensive in May saw IS encircle Marea, but rebels pushed back the assault the following month after receiving ammunition from the coalition. More than 290,000 people have been killed since Syrias conflict erupted in March 2011.

Curfew to be enforced in Milwaukee after weekend unrest

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MILWAUKEE (AFP) - A nighttime curfew for teens in the US city of Milwaukee will be more strictly enforced from Monday in the wake of two nights of violence over the fatal police shooting of a black man. Police in the Midwestern city faced off with protesters in the citys Sherman Park neighborhood on Saturday and again on Sunday after the death of 23-year-old Sylville Smith, who officials say was armed. The death angered residents, as it echoes a series of deadly police incidents involving mainly African American suspects. In the weekend clashes, cars and businesses were set on fire, and gunshots, rocks and bottles were aimed at police. Fourteen people were arrested Sunday and three police cars were damaged, according to officials.There were groups of young people in particular, who were traveling in the streets, Mayor Tom Barrett told a news conference Monday. Those people, in my mind, were deliberately trying to damage a great neighborhood, in a great city. The curfew for minors under the age of 18 begins at 10:00 pm, Barrett said.Were going to make sure that there is peace and order restored in this neighborhood, he told reporters. Protests first erupted Saturday, when a crowd of about 200 turned violent following the shooting of Smith, who was in a car with another individual when he was stopped by two police officers. Smith and the other person fled on foot. A black police officer then shot and killed Smith after he failed to drop a gun, according to authorities.Officials said police body camera video, not yet released to the public, clearly shows that Smith had a gun and had turned around to face the officer when he was shot. Seven police officers were injured in a second night of violence Sunday that stretched into the early hours of Monday. On Sunday, there were 30 instances of shots fired, police chief Edward Flynn said. Officers did not return gunfire all night, in a show of tactical and strategic restraint, he said. Bullets struck an armored police vehicles windshield, and a rock broke through a police car windshield, sending glass fragments into the eyes of two officers, the chief said. Another officers riot helmet received a graze wound to the back of it, probably from a firearm, Flynn said, adding that the officer had not suffered serious injuries. Some 125 members of the Wisconsin National Guard had been activated and placed on standby early Sunday, but Barrett said they were not deployed.The Milwaukee officer who shot Smith was now staying with relatives out of town for fear of his safety, Flynn said. The officer has been placed on administrative leave, as is standard in such situations.

Our position on Kashmir not changed: US

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WASHINGTON (Dunya News) - WASHINGTON (Dunya News) - Director, Press Office at US Department of State, Elizabeth Trudeau, while briefing the newsmen in Washington on Moday said that our position on Kashmir has not changed.Elizabeth Trudeau said that it is for Pakistan and India to determine the pace, scope and character of any discussions on Kashmir. “The pace, the scope, the character of any discussions in Kashmir is for the two sides to determine,” she said.She further stated that US will support any and all positive steps that Pakistan and India can take to forge closer relations.Regarding current violence in the Indian-held Kashmir, Elizabeth Trudeau said that we are aware of the clashes. We remain concerned about the violence and we encourage to all sides to make efforts for finding a peaceful resolution.

Qandeel murder case: Police decide to arrest Mufti Qavi

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MULTAN (Dunya News) - Mufti Abdul Qawi’s name was made part of the Qandeel murder case on the statement of her father after which police have seized two mobile phones of the cleric and sent them for forensic tests in Lahore.Police sources said that would be arrested very soon and after the polygraph test it could be ascertained, if he was involved or otherwise in the case.

Money recovered from corrupt officers handed over to Sindh govt

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KARACHI (Dunya News) - All officers who confessed to corruption are not only holding key positions in Sindh but some of them have been promoted to the next grade, Dunya News reported on Monday.It is interesting to not here that National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has recovered Rs 1.8 billion from corrupt officers and handed it over to Sindh government but instead of taking any action against corrupt officers, the Sindh government has promoted four officers to next grade.NAB has also handed over a list of 180 officers to Sindh government who have voluntarily returned the money.

Oil continues rise on hopes of production freeze

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Oil prices continued to rise on world markets on Monday, lifted by remarks from a Russian official who hinted at a possible production freeze in cooperation with OPEC.In New York, a barrel of West Texas Intermediate for September delivery rose $1.25 to close at $45.74.North Sea Brent for October delivery was up $1.38 at $48.35 per barrel on the Intercontinental Exchange in London.In an interview with the Saudi newspaper Asharq al-Awsat, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak was quoted as saying that his country was working with Saudi Arabia to achieve oil market stability.The remarks followed statements last week from Saudi Arabias oil minister, who said a meeting of oil producers next month could yield an agreement on stabilizing prices.The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is due to convene an informal meeting in Algeria toward the end of September. Russia, one of the worlds top producers of oil, is not an OPEC member but has been open about consultations with the group on dealing with weak crude prices. Over the week-end we continue to hear constructive comments about some type of production freeze, said Matt Smith of ClipperData.Even though it seems unlikely... the market is still pricing it in and we see prices moving slightly higher.

Pound slumps against euro, dollar

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The British pound slumped to a fresh three-year low against the euro Monday and edged lower on the dollar, as signs of weakness mounted in the British economy.At 86.80 pence on the euro, the pound was at its weakest level since August 2013. Meanwhile sterling fell to $1.2883, just barely above its $1.2798 post-Brexit vote level that marked a three-decade low against the US greenback.The currencys fall came as data from Britain showed London residential rents fell for the first time in six years in July, amid worries the June 23 vote to exit the European Union was already having an impact on the economy.The rental data came on the heels of numbers showing home prices fell for the second straight month.In the month of August, the British pound has been the weakest currency and the trend continued today, said Kathy Lien of BK Asset Management.The main reason why the currency is weak is because investors are worried about this weeks UK economic reports. Even if the formal moves to leave the European Union will not be taken by the government until next year, Lien said, the damage has been done and consequences are just beginning to appear.

Younis returns to top five in ICC rankings after double ton

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LONDON (AFP) - Pakistans Younis Khan is back among the worlds top five batsmen following his commanding double century against England at The Oval.Younis returned to fifth position in the standings when the latest edition of the International Cricket Councils Test batting ranking published Monday after his 218, his sixth double century at this level, set up Pakistans 10-wicket win in the fourth Test at The Oval on Sunday, a result which saw them draw the four-match series with England at 2-2.The 38-year-old veteran started the series in fifth position but dropped out of the top 10 following a run of low scores before his Oval heroics.Australia captain Steven Smith continues to head a list where Englands Joe Root and New Zealands Kane Williamson are still second and third respectively.Meanwhile James Anderson, Englands all-time leading wicket-taker, remains top of the Test bowling rankings.Top 10 ICC Test Player Rankings at August 15 after the Tests at The Oval, St Lucia and Bulawayo (rank, change in ranking, player, team, rating points,average, highest rating):Batting:1 (-) Steven Smith (AUS)………..904…….58.41…….936 v ENG, Lords 20152 (-) Joe Root (ENG)…………….878…….54.86…….917 v AUS, Trent Bridge 20153 (-) Kane Williamson (NZL)……873……..51.29……893 v AUS, Perth 20154 (-) Hashim Amla (RSA)……….860……..51.45……907 v PAK, Abu Dhabi 20135 (7) Younis Khan (PAK)……...845…….53.72…….880 v SRI, Lahore 20096 (-1) Adam Voges (AUS)………824…….79.55…….824 v SRI, Galle 20167 (-1) AB de Villiers (RSA)……...818…….50.46…….935 v AUS, Port Elizabeth 20148 (3) Ajinkya Rahane (IND)……785……49.00……..785 v WIS, St Lucia 20169 (5) Ross Taylor (NZL)………..772……48.66……..871 v WIS, Hamilton 201310= (-3) Alastair Cook (ENG)…..770…….47.31……..874 v IND, Kolkata201210= (-1) David Warner (AUS)…..770…….48.82……..880 v NZL, Perth 2015Bowling:1 (-) James Anderson (ENG)……870…….28.28………884 v SRI, Durham 20162 (-) R. Ashwin (IND)…………….858……..25.21………876 v WIS, Antigua20163 (1) Dale Steyn (RSA)………...841……..22.53………909 v WIS, Centurion 20144 (-1) Stuart Broad (ENG)………836………28.52………880 v RSA, Johannesburg 20165 (-) Yasir Shah (PAK)………….806……….27.48………878 v ENG, Lords 20166 (-) Ravindra Jadeja (IND)…….781……….23.42………789 v RSA, Delhi 20157 (-) Mitchell Starc (AUS)……….767……….27.88………767 v SRI, Galle 20168 (-) Rangana Herath (SRI)…….766……….29.43……….851 v PAK, Colombo (SSC) 20149 (-) Trent Boult (NZL)…………..756……….28.96……….825 v ENG, Lords 201510 (-) Josh Hazlewood (AUS)…..755……….25.29……….792 v WIS, Hobart 2015

Pakistan's Misbah makes Bangladesh plea

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LONDON (AFP) - Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has warned of the damage that could be done to Bangladesh cricket should England call off their upcoming tour of the country.England are due to fly to Bangladesh on September 30 for three one-day internationals and two Test matches.But there been concerns about the viability of the fixtures, the first leg of an England tour programme that features a subsequent Test series in India, ever since 29 people were killed in a terror attack in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, last month.Pakistan have not played a Test series on home soil since an armed attack on Sri Lankas team bus in Lahore in 2009 saw six players injured, as well as the deaths of six policemen and two civilians.England coach Trevor Bayliss and assistant Paul Farbrace, then both holding equivalent positions with Sri Lanka, were on the bus at the time. Misbah, while accepting the legitimacy of security concerns, knows full well how debilitating it has been for fans in cricket-loving Pakistan not to have seen their own heroes in international action and fears what a similar situation might do to the game in fellow Asian nation Bangladesh. Its their (Englands) decision but if a team is not playing at home, its really not good for cricket, said Misbah after leading Pakistan to a 10-wicket in the fourth Test against England at The Oval on Sunday that saw his side draw the four-match series 2-2. People in Bangladesh love cricket. They have a craziness for it. If they are deprived of hosting cricket, it could be a big loss for them.Since 2009, the United Arab Emirates has become Pakistans adopted home and Misbah, whose side are now in witch a chance of becoming the worlds number one-ranked Test team, said not playing on home soil for so long had been emotionally draining.Sometimes people think its really easy for us playing in the UAE. They think the wickets suit us and we win there, he said.But just living every day away from your country, without your family and friends, and playing every game away from Pakistan, is really difficult. Its mentally tough.I can only see my mother once a year. I only see my sister once a year. Some of my friends, I could not see for three or four years because of these commitments. We are out of the country all the time.Farbrace insisted on Friday that no decision on whether to go ahead with the Bangladesh tour would be made until England team security advisor Reg Dickason had reported back from a fact-finding trip.Australia cancelled their senior mens team tour of Bangladesh in October for security reasons and then withdrew their side from the Under-19 World Cup in the country at the start of this year.

Pakistan fined for slow over-rate at Oval

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LONDON (AFP) - Pakistan have been fined for a slow over-rate in the fourth Test against England at The Oval, the International Cricket Council announced Monday.Match referee Richie Richardson, the former West Indies captain, imposed the fine after Misbah-ul-Haqs side, who won by 10 wickets on Sunday to draw the four-match series 2-2, were ruled to be one over short of their target of 158 overs when time allowances, which include third umpire referrals, drinks breaks and injuries, were taken into account.Under the ICC code of conduct, players are fined 10 percent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, with the captain fined double that amount.Consequently, Misbah, who accepted the punishment handed down by Richardson, has been fined 20 percent of his match fee.If Pakistan commit another minor over-rate breach in a Test within 12 months of this offence with Misbah as captain, it will be deemed a second offence by Misbah and he will face a suspension.

Smith, Marsh tons give Australia slender lead

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COLOMBO (AFP) - Centuries from Steve Smith and Shaun Marsh raised Australian hopes of avoiding a whitewash in the final Test against Sri Lanka Monday before the visitors were pegged back by their bogeyman Rangana Herath.Smith and Marsh compiled a record 246 runs for the second wicket, putting Australia on track for a decisive lead in reply to Sri Lankas first innings total of 355, before Herath put the brakes on with a six wicket haul.Australia were eventually all out for 379, a lead which was cut to just two by close of play as Sri Lanka reached 22 at stumps, albeit with the loss of opener Dilruwan Perera who was lbw to Mitchell Starc for eight.Dimuth Karunaratne was unbeaten on eight, alongside Kaushal Silva who has so far made six at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground in the final match of the series. Australia are trailing 0-2.Pretty evenly balanced at the moment, really important that we can get a few early wickets in the first session tomorrow and keep them to as low a total as possible, Shaun Marsh said at the close-of-play press conference.Herath -- who took a hat-trick in the last Test and 10 wickets in the first match of the series -- again brought the hosts back into contention by taking six for 81.The 38-year-old ran through the Australian tail despite struggling with a groin injury that he picked up while batting for Sri Lanka.He just shows so much guts and fight. And for an older guy to show that, it just ignites the fight within the younger group, said Sri Lankan coach Graham Ford.The example that he sets makes the coach and leaderships job all the much easier.He takes on the quicks and after his nasty incident comes on to bowl and makes a couple of brilliant diving stops off his own bowling. And if you have got the old man throwing like that, then yougsters have no excuses.Herath got good support from the medium-pacer Suranga Lakmal, who struck with the second new ball in the second session to get the wicket of Marsh and break the dangerous partnership.Marsh, who had hit his 19th boundary off the previous delivery, was bowled on 130 after he chopped Lakmals good-length delivery onto his stumps.Ausralian skipper Smith, who hit 10 fours and a six during his 119-run knock, departed after being stumped off Herath, with the third umpire ruling in favour of the bowler in a close decision.The marathon partnership between Smith and Marsh was the highest second-wicket stand between the two countries.It was hard work for sure. Really enjoyed today. Had a big partnership with the captain and obviously I am really happy, Marsh said.The pair ensured that Australia did not lose a wicket in the first session as the visitors took lunch on 235 for one.Marsh, who was drafted into the Australia side because of his long experience of Asian conditions, survived a dropped catch on 67 early in the morning against Herath but soon took control.He brought up his hundred with an inside edge off Dilruwan Perera that went for a boundary and celebrated by hugging his skipper at the other end.Smith, who resumed the day on 61, reached his 15th Test century to improve on his previous best of 55 in the series.Mitchell Marsh, who registered his second Test half-century, contributed a useful 53 to help Australia surpass Sri Lankas first innings score.

England face 'tough decisions' says Bayliss

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LONDON (AFP) - England coach Trevor Bayliss has accepted tough decisions will need to be made when the selectors pick the Test squad for the upcoming tour of Bangladesh and India.The most pressing problem that England face following Sundays 2-2 series draw at home to Pakistan concerns their top order batting.While England captain Alastair Cook and number three Joe Root scored a combined 935 runs at an average of 66.78 over the four Tests, the rest of the top five -- Alex Hales, James Vince and Gary Ballance -- managed 498 runs at 22.63 between them.Baylisss preference is to make sure players have time to prove themselves, but following Englands 10-wicket loss at The Oval on Sunday, he made it clear that his patience with Englands underperforming specialist batsmen was not limitless.Theyve definitely had a decent run at it, said Bayliss.Weve probably got around a month before we get together and discuss the next Test series, so there will be some tough decisions to be made, the Australian added.Hales has yet to score a century in 11 Tests and has a meagre average of 27.At The Oval, he managed just 18 runs in the match, dropped a routine catch and annoyed the England management by getting himself fined after confronting the third umpire about his first-innings dismissal to a controversial low catch. However, no one in county cricket has yet made an overwhelming case to take over one of Englands problem batting positions.There doesnt seem to be anyone crying out to be selected above anyone else, added Bayliss.Theres a number of guys weve seen score some runs earlier this season, under a bit of scrutiny when their names are mentioned about the possibility of getting into the team.Some of them have dropped off.Bayliss added: I think I heard Cookie say the two or three guys weve got in the team have been very good players over the last two or three years, experienced players at county level, and they have found it tough to jump up to this level.They have shown bits and pieces, but I think it just proves that the jump between first-class cricket and Test cricket is a big one.With Bayliss also coaching Englands one-day side he has few chances to watch any of the contenders himself by attending county fixtures.Certainly, Ill be trying to get there when I can, he said.There might be a chance in the next few days, but youve got to be lucky enough that whoever you are going to watch is actually batting or bowling on that day, he said.Meanwhile England are due to announced on Tuesday their squad for a five-match one-day international series against Pakistan starting next week.Few changes are expected from the side that defeated Sri Lanka earlier in the season but the Durham duo of all-rounder Ben Stokes and paceman Mark Wood could return from injury.Stokes has been sidelined with knee and calf injuries this season while Wood has undergone two ankle operations since last playing for England in a Test against Pakistan in Dubai in October.Eoin Morgan, Englands ODI captain and wicket-keeper Jos Buttler have been out of action recently with hand injuries, but they are both understood to be fit for selection.
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