Thursday 22 December 2016

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Momentum with Pakistan against weary Aussie bowlers

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MELBOURNE (AFP) - Pakistan say they have the momentum heading into the Boxing Day Melbourne Test after giving Australia a mighty fright during an epic run-chase in the opening clash of the series.The tourists fell just 39 short of a mammoth 490-run target on the fifth and final day of the Gabba Test, led by a magnificent 137 from Asad Shafiq.Steve Smith was a relieved captain as his Australia team fell over the line after the last five Pakistan wickets piled on 230 runs to get within sight of a world-record Test run chase.The gruelling 145-over fourth innings has taken its toll on the Australian bowlers with selectors adding bowling all-rounder Hilton Cartwright to the squad as a precaution while their recovery is assessed.The tourists batting coach, Gary Flower, said the Australians can expect another hard slog on an abrasive drop-in Melbourne Cricket Ground wicket in expected sweltering conditions as Pakistan fight to level the three-match series.The confidence they have gained since that last innings and that momentum will definitely help carry them on into this Test, former Zimbabwean Test batsman Flower said.Its going to be hard work for the bowlers, but if we can get into them early and if the ball starts reversing then Im sure weve got a good chance of making some things happen.Australia dominated the first day-night Brisbane Test up until late on the fourth day, when signs of anxiety crept in as Pakistan edged closer to a miraculous victory before Shafiq was dismissed.I saw a lot of very nervous campers all of a sudden for the first time, Pakistan assistant coach Steve Rixon said.I would have thought they would have turned up thinking, Were just going to win this, its only going to take two good balls and thats it. Well guess what? It wasnt.Pakistan have lost their last 10 Tests in Australia and last won at the MCG in 1981 in the era of Imran Khan, Javed Miandad and Zaheer Abbas.The Australians are confident crack pace pair Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood will back up to bowl at the showpiece event despite each sending down 56 overs in the Brisbane heat with just a weeks recuperation.Theyll be sore, for sure, but it depends on how significant those little things are and the risks associated with it, team sports medicine manager Alex Kountouris said.In general terms we think theyll get through but we wont know until we assess.Zimbabwe-born Cartwright, who was recently included in the Chappell-Hadlee ODI squad to face New Zealand but did not play, has averaged 44.50 across 16 first-class matches.But his 15 first-class wickets have come at an undistinguished 41.93, and he has only four wickets at 74.75 in the current Sheffield Shield campaign.The selectors desire for a batting all-rounder to take a place in the top six means the incumbent number six, Nic Maddinson, could face the axe after his three Test innings of 0, 1 and 4.Team vice-captain David Warner is also overdue and has not posted a Test century since his 122 against the West Indies in Sydney in January for an average of 35 this year, well below his career average of 47.58.Teams:Pakistan (from): Azhar Ali, Sami Aslam, Babar Azam, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed, Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Amir, Rahat Ali, Sohail Khan, Imran Khan.Australia (from): Matt Renshaw, David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (capt), Peter Handscomb, Nic Maddinson, Hilton Cartwright, Matthew Wade, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Jackson Bird, Chadd Sayers.Umpires: Sundaram Ravi (IND) and Ian Gould (ENG).Third umpire: Richard Illingworth (ENG).Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI).

Syria army says Aleppo retaken after evacuation

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ALEPPO (AFP) - The army said Thursday it has retaken full control of Syrias devastated second city Aleppo, scoring its biggest victory against opposition forces since the civil war erupted in 2011.The announcement came after a landmark evacuation deal that put an end to a ferocious month-long offensive waged on east Aleppo by government forces and allied militia.An army statement said the general command announces the return of security to Aleppo after its release from terrorism and terrorists, and the departure of those who stayed there.It came shortly after state television reported that the last convoy of four buses carrying rebels and civilians had left eastern Aleppo and arrived in the government-controlled Ramussa district south of the city.Ahmed Qorra Ali, an official with the rebel group Ahrar al-Sham, confirmed that the last convoy has left the rebel-controlled area.Earlier, the Red Cross said more than 4,000 fighters had left rebel-held areas of the city in the final stages of the evacuation.The loss of east Aleppo is the biggest blow to Syrias rebel movement in the nearly six-year conflict, which has killed more than 310,000 people.It puts the government in control of the countrys five main cities: Aleppo, Homs, Hama, Damascus, and Latakia.Syrias conflict began with anti-government protests in March 2011 but spiralled into a civil war after a brutal government crackdown on dissent.It has drawn in proxy powers and attracted foreign jihadists, but successive attempts to negotiate a political end to the conflict have failed.President Bashar al-Assads victory in Aleppo is a boon for his allies in Moscow and Tehran and a defeat for the oppositions backers, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and some Western states.Because of the intensity of these global rivalries -- particularly between Russia and the United States -- the international community struggled for years to respond to the bloodshed in Syria.The liberation of Aleppo is not only a victory for Syria but also for those who really contribute to the fight against terrorism, notably Russia and Iran, state news agency SANA quoted Assad as saying before the army announcement on Thursday.The evacuation had been hampered by heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures.Overnight between Wednesday and Thursday, in one of the last stages of the evacuation, more than 4,000 fighters were evacuated in private cars, vans, and pick-ups from eastern Aleppo, said Ingy Sedky, the spokeswoman in Syria for the International Committee of the Red Cross.She said about 34,000 people had left rebel areas of Aleppo under the evacuation plan.The United Nations said it had deployed observers to monitor the final evacuations, under a Security Council resolution adopted on Monday.Jens Laerke, spokesman for the UN humanitarian agency, said 31 staff had been assigned for monitoring at Ramussa.Its been a very difficult night. The weather is really harsh, and people are leaving in hundreds of private vehicles at different levels of disrepair, he told AFP.Heavy snowfall from Wednesday, which blanketed Aleppo and the surrounding countryside, had hampered the evacuations.The bad weather, including heavy snow and wind, and the poor state of vehicles... mean things are moving much more slowly than expected, Sedky said.Rebel forces, who seized east Aleppo in 2012, agreed to withdraw after a month-long army offensive that drove them from more than 90 percent of their former territory.The deal was brokered by Russia, which launched air strikes in support of Assads regime last year, and Turkey, which has supported some rebel groups.As part of the Aleppo evacuation deal, it was agreed some residents would be allowed to leave Fuaa and Kafraya, two Shiite-majority villages in northwestern Syria that are under siege by the Sunni Muslim rebels.About 1,000 people have been able to leave the villages in recent days.The evacuation of Aleppos rebel-held sector is a pivotal moment in a war that has triggered a major humanitarian and refugee crisis.As well as a major strategic gain for Assad, the withdrawal has, however, given fresh impetus to international efforts to end the conflict.Russia, Iran and Turkey agreed this week to guarantee Syria peace talks and backed expanding a ceasefire, laying down their claim as the main powerbrokers in the war.Repeated attempts at peace have failed, but UN envoy Staffan de Mistura has said he hopes to convene fresh talks in Geneva in February.Formerly the beating heart of Syrias commercial and cultural industries, Aleppo had been split since July 2012 between rebels in the east and the government in the west.East Aleppo became a powerful symbol for Syrias opposition, which set up its own administration to run schools, electricity and water there.Opposition fighters lobbed rockets into government-held territory, and regime forces battered the east with air strikes and artillery.It was Moscows military intervention in support of Assad that marked a major turning point.Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said Thursday the Russian air force has killed 35,000 fighters in Syria since it began in September last year.Turkey launched its own campaign in Syria in late August in support of pro-Ankara rebels, with the aim of ousting Islamic State group jihadists as well as Kurdish militia from areas near its border.Turkish air strikes killed at least 47 civilians including 14 children on Thursday in the IS-held town of Al-Bab, which Turkish forces have been seeking to capture for weeks, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said.The raids came a day after 14 Turkish soldiers were killed by jihadists around Al-Bab -- Ankaras biggest loss of the campaign so far.Prime Minister Binali Yildirim vowed to press on, saying: Turkey is in the midst of a great struggle -- our fight against terror continues both in our country and outside our borders.

IS 'burns Turkish troops alive' after Ankara vows no let-up

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ISTANBUL (AFP) - The Islamic State jihadist group has released a video purportedly showing two captured Turkish soldiers being burned alive, after Ankara vowed to fight terror in Syria in response to 16 of its troops being killed in battle.The 19-minute video, showing two uniformed men being hauled from a cage before being bound and torched, was posted on jihadist websites and was supposedly shot in the IS-declared Aleppo Province in northern Syria.Speaking in Turkish, the killer of the two men criticises Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and calls for destruction to be sowed in Turkey.The shocking images recall the killing of Maaz al-Kassasbeh, a Jordanian fighter pilot, who was captured by the jihadists when his plane went down in Syria in December 2014, and was later burned alive in a cage.The IS-linked news agency Amaq said last month that the jihadists had kidnapped two Turkish soldiers, and the Turkish army separately said it had lost contact with two of its men.The videos release comes a day after 16 Turkish soldiers were killed by IS fighters in Ankaras biggest loss so far in its unprecedented incursion into Syria.They were killed in a succession of attacks around the Syrian town of Al-Bab on Wednesday that included three suicide car bombings.The heavy toll showed the intensifying battle for the town, which Turkish forces have been seeking to capture for weeks in the biggest test of their four-month incursion into Syria.Turkish troops entered Syria on August 24 in support of pro-Ankara Syrian rebels, with the aim of ousting IS jihadists as well as Kurdish militia from the border area.At least 38 Turkish soldiers have been killed in the operation, which the Turkish government has dubbed Euphrates Shield.Speaking earlier Thursday, Erdogan vowed no let-up in the ongoing campaign.Yes, maybe we will have to lay martyrs to rest, he said in a speech in Ankara.But we are determined to preserve their memory and protect what they left us and continue this struggle.Turkey, he said, is engaged in its most serious struggle since the war of independence that led to the creation of the modern state in 1923. Turkish television showed distraught relatives of the dead dealing with the news and putting national flags outside their homes.The earlier stages of Turkeys campaign proceeded with lightning speed and the border town of Jarabulus was taken on the first day of the offensive.But the army has suffered increasing casualties in the fight for Al-Bab -- 25 kilometres (15 miles) from the border.Defence Minister Fikri Isik told parliament on Thursday that 1,005 IS jihadists and 299 fighters affiliated to the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) had been killed in the operation so far.Ankara considers the YPG a terror group, even though it works together with the United States as an ally in the fight against IS. The army said the latest clashes erupted around a weapons depot that had been used by IS for the last two years.Al-Bab lies 35 kilometres northeast of Aleppo, which is now under control of government forces in the biggest defeat for rebels in the civil war.Turkey has been a key backer of the rebels and insists the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad is the only way to bring peace to Syria.But Ankara has stayed out of the most recent battle for Aleppo and worked with Assads key ally Russia to broker evacuations from the city.Turkish air strikes on Al-Bab meanwhile killed at least 47 civilians including 14 children and nine women, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.There was no immediate response from the government to the claim.Turkey has also been hit at home by the bloodiest attacks in its modern history, which it blames on jihadists and Kurdish militants.The government is also carrying out a wide-ranging crackdown following an attempted coup in July, which it says was orchestrated by the group of an exiled cleric, Fethullah Gulen.

Christmas Day terror plot foiled in Australia: police

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SYDNEY (AFP) - A significant Islamic State-inspired Christmas Day terror plot targeting central Melbourne has been foiled after a series of arrests in raids across the city, police said Friday.Victoria Police chief commissioner Graham Ashton alleged those detained planned to use explosives, knives and guns to attack busy locations including Melbournes Flinders Street train station, Federation Square and St Pauls Cathedral.Over the last fortnight... we have had to conduct a criminal investigation relating to the formation of what we believe was a terrorist plot, he told a news conference. We believe that there was an intention to conduct what we call a multi-mode attack, possibly on Christmas Day.The attack that we will allege was being planned, we believe was going to involve an explosive event, the use of explosives, and we gathered evidence to support that.Police believe the plotters were planning to also use other weapons including knives and guns.The targets of the alleged attack are all in the same area in the heart of the city, and only a short distance from the Melbourne Cricket Ground where up to 100,000 people are expected to attend the Boxing Day Test between Australia and Pakistan.Of the seven arrested on Friday morning, five remain in custody. All had been under surveillance for weeks.Ashton said four of them were Australian-born, of Lebanese background, with the fifth an Egyptian-born Australian citizen, all in their 20s.Certainly these are self-radicalised, we believe, but inspired by ISIS and ISIS propaganda, he added, referring to the jihadist group.If this had got under our guard this would have been a significant attack, we believe. No doubt about that.He added: A substantial number of people could have been injured in the attack, from what weve seen. Certainly potential for quite a number of people to be injured or killed in this attack.The foiled plot comes with security on heightened alert in Australia after a truck drove into a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 people in an attack claimed by the Islamic State.On Wednesday in the capital Canberra, a van laden with gas cylinders exploded outside the headquarters of an Australian Christian lobby group, although police said it was not being treated as terror-related.Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said a potential disaster had been averted in Melbourne and praised police and security services.This is one of the most substantial terrorist plots that have been disrupted over the last several years, he said in Sydney.We are approaching the Christmas season, a time when we come together in peace and love, with our families. These terrorists sought to disrupt it. They have been thwarted. They are in custody. They are no longer a threat to Australians security.Twelve terror attacks have now been prevented on home soil in the past two years, according to Australian officials. But four have taken place, including the murder of a Sydney police employee last year.Counter-terror police have made a large number of arrests since late 2014, with the youth and depth of radicalisation of many of those detained a growing concern.

Attacks near IS-held Mosul in Iraq kill 34

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BAGHDAD (AFP) - Mortar fire and car bombs killed more than 30 people including aid workers near Mosul Thursday as Iraqi forces battled to seize the city from the Islamic State group.A triple car bombing on a market killed at least 23 people in Gogjali, a few kilometres (miles) east of Mosul, the army said.Gogjali was retaken by pro-government forces on November 1, two weeks into a massive operation to oust IS jihadists from their last stronghold in Iraq.Since launching the operation against IS on October 17, Iraqs elite counter-terrorism service has advanced into Mosul from the east, but progress has since slowed.A terrorist attack in the form of three car bombs at a market in Gogjali killed 15 civilians and eight police, a coordination centre for the forces battling IS said in a statement.IS said three of its suicide bombers carried out the attack.Mortar fire also killed 11 people including four aid workers as civilians gathered to receive assistance in Mosul city, the United Nations said.According to initial reports, four aid workers and at least seven civilians queueing for emergency assistance in eastern Mosul city have been killed by indiscriminate mortar fire, UN humanitarian coordinator in Iraq Lise Grand said in a statement.Within the last 48 hours, there have been two separate incidents that also wounded up to 40 people, she said.People waiting for aid are already vulnerable and need help. They should be protected, not attacked, Grande said.The killing of civilians and aid workers violates every humanitarian principle.Iraqi forces pushing towards Mosul on the southern front have yet to enter the city, and another advance from the north has stalled.To the west, forces from pro-government paramilitary groups are close to the town of Tal Afar, between Mosul and the border with Syria.However, areas taken from the jihadists are still exposed to deadly artillery attacks, bombs and gunfire.Mondays attacks in Gogjali and Mosul came a day after Human Rights Watch said IS was indiscriminately attacking civilians who refused to retreat along with the jihadists in Mosul.Residents said (IS) members told them in person, by radio, and over mosque loudspeakers that those who stayed behind were unbelievers and therefore valid targets along with the Iraqi and coalition forces, the rights group said.The jihadists have targeted civilians with mortars, explosives and gunfire, HRW said.Amnesty International said Thursday that children are being killed and wounded as well as witnessing horrific violence during fighting for the city.Children caught in the crossfire of the brutal battle for Mosul have seen things that no one, of any age, should ever see, the rights groups Donatella Rovera said.I met children who have not only sustained horrific wounds but have also seen their relatives and neighbours decapitated in mortar strikes, torn to shreds by car bombs or mine explosions, or crushed under the rubble of their homes, she said.Some 100,000 people have fled since the Iraqi operation against IS began, and aid organisations have said they fear it could result in the displacement of more than a million people.The government has encouraged civilians in Mosul -- where a million or more people may still live -- to stay in their homes if possible.That could help prevent a potentially catastrophic wave of displacement.But it also hampers Iraqi forces progress and exposes civilians to significantly more danger than they would face in camps.IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad beginning in June 2014.Iraqi forces supported by a US-led coalition and Iran-backed militias have since regained much of the territory the jihadists took.But the war has taken a significant toll, and commanders have said jihadists have offered stiffer resistance than expected, prompting fears that the operation could drag on.

Football: Argentina, France take FIFA ranking honours

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ZURICH (AFP) - Lionel Messis beaten Copa America finalists Argentina end the year top of FIFAs world rankings while France, defeated in the Euro 2016 final, were named mover of the year.Argentina finish 2016 out in front of arch rivals Brazil to inherit the team of the year title from Belgium, displaced from the FIFA summit by the Edgardo Bauza-coached Albiceleste in April.In all the Argentinians won 10 of their 15 games, with one of their three losses coming in the continental showpiece on penalties to Chile in June.France too lost their own continental showpiece in extra time to Portugal on home soil but were named mover of the year after gaining the most ranking points with 13 wins out of 17 games.FIFA top 10 rankings on Thursday:1. Argentina2. Brazil3. Germany4. Chile5. Belgium6. Colombia7. France8. Portugal9. Uruguay10. Spain.

Football: Roma pounce on Napoli gaffe with Chievo win

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MILAN (AFP) - A first-half free-kick from Stephan El Shaaraway sent Roma on their way to a precious 3-1 win over Chievo that moved them to within four points of Juventus on Thursday.With Juventus in Super Cup action in Doha this Friday against AC Milan but facing a relatively easy fixture with Crotone on their return, both Roma and Napoli were keen to stay on their tails in the final fixtures of 2016.El Shaarawy was given a rare start by coach Luciano Spalletti and the former Milan forward paved the way for a classy win with an incisive free kick on the stroke of half-time that levelled Jonathan De Guzmans 37th minute opener.His goal was a decisive factor for us, Spalletti later told Sky Sport. Roma were superb after the break and Edin Dzeko fired the hosts into a 52nd minute lead with his 13th goal of the campaign.The Bosnian is now just one behind Serie A leader Mauro Icardi, who hit a brace for Inter Milan in a 3-0 win over Lazio on Wednesday.Dzeko spurned several chances to tie and perhaps surpass Icardi in the later stages, before Diego Perotti put the result beyond doubt with a penalty on the stroke of full-time.Romas 11th win of the campaign tightened their grip on second spot and, although Juventus will be expected to restore their seven-point advantage when they face Crotone in their catch-up fixture in early February, the Giallorossi have stolen a march on Napoli.The lads were brilliant tonight, from the first minute to the last, gushed Spalletti.There was a slight risk after our defeat (to Juventus) last week but the lads went out and showed how much they wanted the points.A last-gasp penalty from Manolo Gabbiadini saw Napoli grab a share of the spoils in a 3-3 draw at Fiorentina that nonetheless saw them drop two precious points.Napoli remain third but are seven points behind Juventus, three behind Roma and one ahead of Lazio. AC Milan are fourth at one point further behind, but also have a catch-up game, away to Bologna, in February. After two consecutive defeats for Fiorentina, Napoli had a decisive swagger after a beautiful strike from Lorenzo Insigne flew over the head of Ciprian Tatarusanu and into the far corner of the Fiorentina net on 25 minutes.There was a hint of offside, and Fiorentina coach Paulo Sousa later hit out at the decision: It happens, but all of us have to improve and we also have to help the referees to get better.We did well to fight our way back, but we deserved to win.But then Federico Bernardeschis 52nd minute free-kick deflected off Jose Callejons elbow to wrong-foot Pepe Reina in the Napoli net. Napoli looked to be back in command when Dries Mertens flicked a Faouzi Ghoulam cross past Tatarusanu in the 68th minute to restore the visitors one-goal advantage, the Belgian remarkably hitting his eighth goal in just three games.Later, Mertens hit out at the state of Fiorentinas pitch.Unfortunately my goal wasnt enough. We played fairly well on a pitch that was in terrible condition. Usually its fine, but tonight it was horrible.Its a shame, we had chances to win this game.But Napolis joy was short-lived. Bernardeschi hit a ferocious strike that went in off the inside of the far post just a minute later and when Mauro Zarate met a Bernardeschi chip with a crisp right-foot volley on 82 minutes the hosts looked to have snatched the win.Napoli grabbed a share of the spoils when Gabbiadini, who came off the bench minutes earlier, stepped up to beat Tatarusanu from the spot following a Carlos Salcedo foul on Mertens in the area.

CM Sindh reviews arrangements made for Zardari's return

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KARACHI (Dunya News) - Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah visited Old Terminal of Karachi Airport soon after his return from Dubai to reviews the arrangements made in connection with Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Zardaris return to Pakistan.Talking to media on the occasion, Murad Ali Shah said that this will not be a public rally, I will be a huge gathering to welcome PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari who is expected to reach Karachi today (Friday) after one and a half year.He further informed security and parking arrangements for the participants of the PPP gathering have been finalized. He also informed media that Shahra-e-Faisal will not be closed for traffic.

Hafizabad: Woman, two daughters dunned down

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HAFIZABAD (Dunya News) - According to details, some unidentified gunmen entered a house in village Sadiqabad in Sukheke area of Hafizabad on Thursday and shot dead a woman and her two daughters.The deceased were identified as Manzooran Bibi and her daughters Kiran and Tanvir Bibi. Manzooran’s husband Nazar Mahmood was not at home at the time of incident.Motive behind the crime is still not known. Police have reached the spot and registered a case and started investigation. No arrest has so far been made.

Shikarpur: 4 killed, 20 injured in coach, truck collision

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SHIKARPUR (Dunya News) – At least four people were killed and 20 other sustained injuries when a passenger coach collided with a truck coming from opposite direction near Shikarpur on Thursday, Dunya News reported.According to details, a passenger coach going to Karachi from Jaccobabad collided with a truck near Khanpur Bypass in Shikarpur. The coach caught fire after the accident resulting in death of four passengers, including a minor, and wounding 20 other.Fire brigade and rescue teams reached the spot and brought the fire under control. Rescue teams shifted the dead and injured to a nearby hospital. The hospital sources said that the condition of several wounded persons is stated to be critical.

Mother, daughter die in Lahore house fire

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LAHORE (Dunya News) - According to police sources, fire broke out at the house of a man named Mazhar in Chungi Amarsaddhu area of Lahore on Thursday which engulfed the entire building very quickly.Police and rescue teams reached the spot and brought the fire under control. Mazhar, his wife Saima and three daughters, three-year-old Iman, five-year-old Manahil and eight-year-old Kainat, were critically injured in the blaze.Rescue teams shifted the injured to General Hospital where Saima and Iman succumbed to their wounds. Kainat informed police that her mother and father exchanged harsh words over some issue after which her mother set the house on fire. Police have started investigation.

LG heads polls: PTI to kick out members who voted for PML-N

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has decided to take strict action against party councilors who voted for PML-N candidates during Punjab LG heads elections held on Thursday, Dunya News reported.According to a statement issued by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Central Information Secretary Naeem-ul-Haq, all those PTI members who voted for PML-N in Faisalabad and elsewhere will be kicked out of the party immediately.Naeem-ul-Haq said that the PTI councilors who voted against our candidates or in favour of opposition candidates have no future in the party. He further said that strict action would be taken against those who joined hands with PML-N in Punjab LG heads elections.

PSP to show political strength in Hyderabad today

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HYDERABAD (Dunya News) - Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) will hold a public meeting at the historical Pakka Qilla in Hyderabad at 4:00pm today (Friday), Dunya News reported.The PSP chairman Mustafa Kamal and central leadership of the party will address the gathering. The venue of the PSP has been decorated with party flags while thousands of chairs have been placed for the party workers. A 40 feet wide and 40 feet log stage has been prepared for party leaders.PSP chairman Mustafa Kamal and other party leaders visited the venue on Thursday night to review the arrangements for the public meeting.Talking to Dunya News programme ‘Dunya Kamran Khan Kay Sath’, Mustafa Kamal said that the PSP would announce its roadmap and future strategy during today’s public meeting.

Asif Zardari will reach Pakistan today

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Former President and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari will return to Pakistan today (Friday) after one and a half year of self-exile, Dunya News reported.The PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari will arrive at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport from Dubai on a special plane at 3:00pm.Several welcome camps have been established across the metropolis for the party workers to give a deserving welcome to Asif Ali Zardari on his return to Pakistan.The PPP has completed all arrangements to show political strength of the party on the occasion. Party members have been advised to reach Karachi Airport’s old terminal at 1:00pm while the ex-president is expected to reach at 3:00pm.Asif Zardari will address a big public meeting of party workers soon after his arrival and then leave for Bilawal House by a helicopter.

Cook named as captain of ICC team of year

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LONDON (AFP) - Alastair Cook was on Thursday named as captain of the International Cricket Council Test team of the year despite speculation over his future as England skipper.Cook, who has led England to only one win in their last eight matches, was selected to head the ICC side picked by former Test greats Rahul Dravid, Gary Kirsten and Kumar Sangakkara for the sports world governing body.The trio based their decisions on player performances between September 14, 2015 and September 20, 2016, a period not covering Englands 4-0 drubbing to India, Cooks fourth straight loss as captain.Cooks England lost a three-Test series 2-0 to Pakistan in October 2015. Overall in the period he led England in 14 matches, with six wins, three draws and five losses.He has been picked alongside Joe Root, wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes.Root has become the focal point of the batting order in recent years and averages 52.80 in his Test career while Yorkshire team-mate Bairstow broke a 16-year record for the most Test runs in a calendar year by a wicketkeeper in 2016.Stokes performances with bat and ball have helped him to establish himself as Englands first-choice all-rounder.There was no place in the XI for India skipper Virat Kohli, who sits second in the ICC Test batting rankings, while number one batsman in the world and Australia captain Steve Smith is the 12th man in the squad.Opener David Warner, Adam Voges and Mitchell Starc are the three Australians chosen by the committee, with Kane Williamson picked from New Zealand.Spinner Ravi Ashwin, who helped India to a 4-0 victory over England, is Indias sole representative while Sri Lankan left-arm spinner Rangana Herath and seamer Dale Steyn of South Africa complete the line-up.The ICC also announced that Ashwin had been voted as its Cricketer of the Year for 2016.
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