Sunday 19 February 2017

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

SpaceX blasts off cargo from historic NASA launchpad

Posted:

MIAMI (Agencies) - SpaceX on Sunday blasted off its Falcon 9 rocket carrying the unmanned Dragon cargo ship, packed with food and supplies for the six astronauts living at the International Space Station.The white rocket soared into the cloudy, gray skies over Cape Canaveral, Florida.The mission was the first to take off from NASAs historic launchpad 39A, the origin of the pioneering US spaceflights that took astronauts to the Moon in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as the space shuttle missions that ran from 1981 to 2011.The launch was initially planned for Saturday, but was cancelled just 13 seconds before liftoff due to a glitch with the rocket engine.They resolved all the technical issues last night, said NASAs Bob Cabana, director of Kennedy Space Centre.The origin of the problem - a piece of equipment known as the thrust vector control actuator in the second stage - was replaced. Subsequent tests showed it was working fine, a SpaceX spokesman explained.The unmanned spaceship is packed with more than 2,267 kilogrammes of food, gear and science experiments for the astronauts in orbit.It is the 10th such resupply mission for SpaceX, which along with Orbital ATK has a multi-year contract with NASA to send supplies to the International Space Station.The cargo is expected to arrive at the space station on Feb 22, a SpaceX spokesman said.About 10 minutes after the launch, SpaceX refired the engines on the booster portion of the Falcon 9, guiding it down to a controlled, upright landing at a different part of Cape Canaveral.The Falcon has landed once again, a SpaceX spokeswoman said on a live webcast, as loud cheers and applause erupted at the companys mission control center in Hawthorne, California.The touchdown marked the third time SpaceX has managed to stick a landing on solid ground.Other such landings have taken place on floating ocean platforms, as the company perfects its techniques of powering costly rocket parts back to land instead of jettisoning them in the ocean after a single use.SpaceX is also developing a version of its Dragon capsule that can one day carry astronauts to space.SpaceX says the first crew flights will take place in 2018, though a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report out last week predicted that schedule delays and budget cuts would push it back to 2019.SpaceXs chief operating officer Gwynne Shotwell insisted Friday that the company is on target for 2018, saying she was very confident in that deadline.The retirement of the US space shuttle program in 2011 left the United States without any spacecraft for sending people into orbit.Since then, the worlds astronauts have hitched rides aboard Russias Soyuz spaceships, which fit three people at a time.The cost for a single astronauts transport is currently US$82 million, the GAO report said.

Special force for security of judges, 3 member committee formed

Posted:

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - A special force would be introduced for the security of the judges and a 3-member committee was formed for that purpose, reported Dunya News.According to details, former Inspector General (IG) Islamabad police Kaleem Imam, who is director national police bureau now, would be head of the 3-member committee.The committee has 15 days to give suggestions, ideas for the security of the judges. IG Islamabad Tariq Masood is also part of the committee whereas recommendations would also be taken from commandant FC.

Iraq launches assault on IS-held west Mosul

Posted:

AL-BUSEIF (Agencies) - Iraqi forces seized 15 villages from the Islamic State group on Sunday, launching a daunting operation to retake west Mosul which aid groups warned will put civilians in grave danger.Advancing from several directions, the forces moved towards Mosul airport, which lies just south of the city, marking a new phase in Iraqs largest military operation in years.The Islamic State group has put up stiff resistance to defend Mosul, the city where its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed a caliphate straddling Iraq and Syria in 2014.A top army commander then announced that forces led by federal police units retook villages south of Mosul, including Athbah, which leaves them within striking distance of the airport.We launched our operation at 7.00am (12.00pm Singapore time) ... We are heading towards the airport, said Abbas al-Juburi of the interior ministrys elite Rapid Response force.The sky south of Mosul was black with smoke from air strikes and artillery as thousands of forces in armoured convoys worked converged on the airport.Theyre desperate, Ali, a Rapid Response officer, said in the village of Al-Buseif as helicopters flew overhead, tracking the last IS fighters attempting to flee. They will try to cause as many losses as possible, because they know they will die anyway, his colleague Alaa said.The militants overran Mosul and swathes of other territory north and west of Baghdad in 2014, routing security forces ill-prepared to face the assault.The government began the offensive to reconquer Mosul on Oct 17, throwing tens of thousands of forces into the long-awaited counter-attack with air and ground support from a US-led coalition fighting IS in Iraq and Syria.The Joint Operations Command coordinating the fight against IS declared east Mosul fully liberated on Jan 24.But it took Iraqs most seasoned forces - the elite Counter-Terrorism Service - more than two months to clear the eastern side of Mosul.After a pause, federal forces now face what was always billed as the toughest nut to crack: Mosuls west bank, home to the narrow streets of the Old City.West Mosul had the potential certainly of being more difficult, with house-to-house fighting on a larger and more bloody scale, said Patrick Skinner, from the Soufan Group intelligence consultancy.The coalition said it carried out a total of 40 air strikes on Saturday, nine of which struck targets in the Mosul area.The US forces continue in the same role they were in in east Mosul and the coalition forces are in support of this operation, US Defence Secretary James Mattis told reporters while on a trip to the United Arab Emirates.More than half of the 9,000-plus coalition forces deployed in Iraq are American and some were visible on the front line Sunday.Recent incidents in the recaptured east point to the difficulty of ensuring remnants of IS have not blended in with the civilian population.Aid organisations had feared an exodus of unprecedented proportions before the start of the Mosul operation but half a million - a significant majority - of residents stayed home in east Mosul.Their continued presence prevented both sides from resorting to deadlier weaponry, which may have slowed down the battle but averted a potentially much more serious humanitarian emergency in the middle of winter as well as more extensive material damage to the city.The aid community fears a bigger exodus from west Mosul however.We are racing against the clock to prepare emergency sites south of Mosul to receive displaced families, the UNs humanitarian coordinator in Iraq, Lise Grande, said in a statement.Residents of west Mosul have reported very difficult living conditions and warned that they were already low on food, with weeks of fighting expected to lie ahead.Save the Children urged all parties to protect the estimated 350,000 children currently trapped in west Mosul.This is the grim choice for children in western Mosul right now: bombs, crossfire and hunger if they stay - or execution and snipers if they try to run, said the charitys Iraq director, Maurizio Crivallero.Abadi said at the beginning of the year that three more months were needed to rid the country of IS. That timetable already looks optimistic but the Norwegian Refugee Council said civilian lives should be the only priority.The ultimate success of the offensive will be judged not on how many districts and villages are taken back but on how well Iraqi forces and the US-led coalition protect civilians in the coming weeks and months, NRCs Iraq director Wolfgang Gressmann said.The recapture of Mosul would effectively end IS days as a land-holding force in Iraq, with only a pocket around the town of Hawijah and small towns near the Syria border still under its control.An alliance of Arab and Kurdish forces also backed by the coalition is currently advancing on Raqa, the only other major hub the militants still hold in their now crumbling caliphate.

Tickets to be given to those who work in KP, decides PTI

Posted:

PESHAWAR (Dunya News) - Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership announced on Sunday that next time tickets would only be given to those do work in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), reported Dunya News.KP Chief Minister (CM) Pervez Khattak was given this task of preparing for the next general elections and told that they would not give tickets to those who tarnished the image of their party.In 2014, 14 MPAs and 8 MNAs of PTI had made a forward block against Pervez Khattak, which affected the reputation of the party. Imran Khan had taken control of situation himself then.According to sources, PTI is considering giving tickets to 50% new candidates in next elections.

US carrier group patrols in tense South China Sea

Posted:

BANGKOK (Reuters) - A United States aircraft carrier strike group has begun patrols in the South China Sea amid growing tension with China over control of the disputed waterway and concerns it could become a flashpoint under the new US administration.Chinas Foreign Ministry on Wednesday warned Washington against challenging its sovereignty in the South China Sea.The US navy said the force, including Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, began routine operations in the South China Sea on Saturday. The announcement was posted on the Vinsons Facebook page.The strike groups commander, Rear Admiral James Kilby, said that weeks of training in the Pacific had improved the groups effectiveness and readiness.We are looking forward to demonstrating those capabilities while building upon existing strong relationships with our allies, partners and friends in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, he was quoted as saying by the Navy News Service.Friction between the United States and China over trade and territory under US President Donald Trump have increased concerns that the South China Sea could become a flashpoint.China wrapped up its own naval exercises in the South China Sea on Friday. War games involving its own aircraft carrier have unnerved neighbours with which it has long-running territorial disputes.China lays claim to almost all of the resource-rich South China Sea, through which about US$5 trillion worth of trade passes each year.Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also claim parts of the waters that command strategic sea lanes and have rich fishing grounds, along with oil and gas deposits.The United States has criticised Beijings construction of man-made islands and build-up of military facilities in the sea, and expressed concern they could be used to restrict free movement.

Suppressing free press is 'how dictators get started': US Senator McCain

Posted:

MUNICH (Reuters) - US Senator John McCain, defending the media against the latest attack by President Donald Trump, warned that suppressing the free press was how dictators get started.The Arizona Republican, a frequent critic of Trump, was responding to a tweet in which Trump accused the media of being “the enemy of the American people”.The international order established after World War Two was built in part on a free press, McCain said in an excerpt of an interview with NBCs Meet the Press that was released in advance of the full Sunday morning broadcast.I hate the press. I hate you especially, he told interviewer Chuck Todd from an international security conference in Munich. But the fact is we need you. We need a free press. We must have it. Its vital.If you want to preserve - Im very serious now - if you want to preserve democracy as we know it, you have to have a free and many times adversarial press. And without it, I am afraid that we would lose so much of our individual liberties over time. Thats how dictators get started, he continued.They get started by suppressing free press. In other words, a consolidation of power. When you look at history, the first thing that dictators do is shut down the press. And Im not saying that President Trump is trying to be a dictator. Im just saying we need to learn the lessons of history, McCain said.US Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat from New Hampshire, told the conference on Sunday she was also concerned about Trumps comments.The real danger is the president’s criticism of the media, Shaheen told the conference. A free press ... is very important to maintaining democracy, and efforts on the part of a president to undermine and manipulate the press are very dangerous.The comments from US lawmakers followed Trump’s tweet and came days after the president held a raucous news conference at which he repeatedly criticised news reports about disorder in the White House and leaks of his telephone conversations with the leaders of Mexico and Australia.German Chancellor Angela Merkel emphasised the importance of a free press at the conference on Saturday, saying, I have high respect for journalists. Weve always had good results, at least in Germany, by relying on mutual respect.

Suicide bomb in market in Somalia capital kills 39

Posted:

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - A car bomb ripped through a market in Mogadishu on Sunday, killing 39 people and injuring around 50, a local official said, days after Somalia elected a new president.The car was driven by a suicide bomber, said Ahmed Abdulle Afrax, the mayor of Wadajir district where the bombing happened.We carried 39 dead bodies and there were many others injured, Dr Abdikadir Abdirahman, director of the Aamin Ambulance Service, told Reuters.Madina hospital took in 47 injured people, Dr Mohamed Yusuf, the manager, said.Witness Abdulle Omar said the market was destroyed.I was staying in my shop when a car came in into the market and exploded. I saw more than 20 people lying on the ground. Most of them were dead, he said.Al Shabaab, the Islamist insurgent group that is fighting the U.N.-backed Somali government, did not immediately claim responsibility.Al Shabaab has been able to carry out increasingly deadly bombings despite losing most of its territory to African Union peacekeepers supporting the Somali government.This month Somalia elected a new president, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, a dual U.S.-Somali citizen and former prime minister.Civil war has riven Somalia since 1991. Aid agencies warn that a severe drought has placed large swathes of the country at risk of famine.

Kompany report buoys Guardiola after Cup stalemate

Posted:

Huddersfield (AFP) – Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola insisted Vincent Kompany had not suffered a serious injury setback after the captain missed Saturday’s goalless FA Cup draw at Huddersfield Town.The Belgian centre-back, who has played just six times this season because of a series of injury problems, had been expected to figure against the Championship side but was not on the City team-sheet.Guardiola, however, played down concerns about Kompany’s fitness, although it is unclear whether he will figure in Tuesday’s Champions League game at home to Monaco.“Two days ago, he felt something in his leg. It is not a big, big issue,” said Guardiola, who stressed he was content to face Huddersfield again in a last 16-replay.“I knew the game that we had to play,” the Spaniard said. “In the first half we had our chances, the (Huddersfield) goalkeeper was brilliant.“In the second half maybe we played a bit better but we didn’t create many chances.“So many teams in the Premier League are out (of the FA Cup) and we have another chance (February 28) at home, we will try to quality.“A big compliment to the team, I know how difficult it is with the pitch, they are so aggressive, they are so dynamic.“We will play a replay for the first time in my life and we will try to qualify,” the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager added.– ‘Identities’ –Guardiola defended his decision to make eight changes to his starting line-up for Saturday’s game at the John Smith’s Stadium, saying the replay will not affect his plans for a training camp in Abu Dhabi, where City’s owners are based, next week.“With this schedule, with a lot of games, we have Monaco, they (players) deserve to play,” Guardiola explained. “We are coming back on Saturday. We are going to be two or three days there to see our chairman.“By midday we will be in Manchester. Now our focus is on the Champions League game.”Guardiola also refused to comment on an incident that saw a plastic bottle thrown from the main stand towards City substitute Raheem Sterling as he warmed up.Meanwhile Huddersfield manager David Wagner said his second-tier side had chances to beat City, although he too was happy with a replay.“If you ask me did we have some chances, yes, we had two or three,” he said. “But City had some very good opportunities as well and they were the better team but we shouldn’t be surprised.“I am very proud and very happy the players stuck in their identities. We tried to play our game. Of course if we play one of the best teams in the world they will create some chances.“We wanted to show we are one of the fittest teams in the competition and we are aggressive and brave enough and all of this we have proved today.“We now have a rematch. That makes me happy because I love to see my players playing matches, one game more or less, who cares? We are still in the competition.”

Explosion near Bogota bullring kills one, injures at least 30

Posted:

BOGOTA (Reuters) - An explosion near Bogotas bullring killed one and injured at least 30 people, most of them police officers as they prepared for anti-bullfighting protests in Colombias capital on Sunday, the mayors office said.Details of the cause of the blast were not immediately available, but media images showed a police officer in a shredded uniform walking with support from his colleagues, as well as debris in the road, broken glass and damage to apartment buildings close by.Another person was gravely injured, the mayors office said on its Twitter account.Hundreds of protesters have gathered weekly to demonstrate against bullfighting in Bogota, which resumed last month for the first time in four years.The ban was lifted by the constitutional court which said it was part of the national heritage, prompting weekly clashes with police.

Rodgers wants pitch fit for champions at Celtic

Posted:

Glasgow (AFP) – Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers watched his side beat Motherwell to claim their 20th league victory in a row before slamming the state of the pitch at his club’s Parkhead ground.A first-half penalty from in-form French forward Moussa Dembele and a James Forrest goal helped Celtic to a 2-0 win that extends their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership to 27 points over Aberdeen, who visit Kilmarnock on Sunday.The champions have won all 16 domestic matches they have played at home this season, but after comfortably seeing off Mark McGhee’s side Rodgers raised concerns about the pitch and how it affects their playing style.And the former Liverpool boss revealed he would be asking the Celtic board for a new playing surface in the summer.“I thought the players did remarkably well, considering the level of the pitch was poor,” Rodgers, whose side are unbeaten in 31 domestic fixtures, said.“Motherwell came and I thought they did very well. On the back of losing seven goals (against Aberdeen in midweek) you are always going to come here against a team that can attack and score goals and sit deep and block out the spaces.“Whenever you do that then you rely on the speed of the game — the combinations, the quick play.“But our players are having to deal with a real difficult pitch and technically they are having to make sure of their touch before they get it under control. They can’t play it first time as it’s very difficult.“So I think how they deal with the game on a difficult pitch and how creative they are is huge testament to them. Some of our football was very good in what is — although it might not look it — a very difficult surface.“I think it is an old pitch here, so we need to modernise the field.“It is a concern for me when you are trying to entertain supporters and play a level of game, the pitch is vital.“You are looking for fast football and speed in your game. I think we showed in pre-season through to the early months of this season the level of the game that we are looking to play.“We actually go away to some grounds and play better because the pitch is better and obviously this here slows us down. We will get it sorted I’m sure, but it’s not something that will be done in the short-term.”The Celtic manager even blamed the only booking of the game — a nasty challenge by Motherwell’s Ryan Bowman who caught Kieran Tierney’s leg with his studs — was down to the bobbly surface of the Parkhead pitch.“Again, I think it was a result of the pitch,” Rodgers said.“The ball pops up for Kieran, and the player is coming in and he makes the challenge on the back of that.“If the ball rolls down nicely to him then he’s getting tackled on his foot.“It didn’t look very good but I’ll give the benefit of the doubt to the player that he didn’t mean it.”

Football: Roma rout Torino to keep title dream alive

Posted:

ROME (AFP) - Edin Dzeko struck his 19th Serie A goal and Francesco Totti came off the bench with an assist as Roma kept their scudetto hopes alive with a 4-1 win over Torino on Sunday.Romas 18th win of the campaign saw Luciano Spallettis men leapfrog Napoli, 3-1 winners at Chievo, and return to second spot to sit seven points behind leaders Juventus.Napoli, nine points behind Juventus, are six points ahead of both Inter Milan and Atalanta with Lazio and AC Milan boosting their European hopes with wins over Empoli and Fiorentina respectively.We were great tonight, Spalletti told Premium Sport. After our win at Villarreal we risked struggling to get into this game, but instead we showed our true qualities.Fresh from hitting his second successive Europa League hat-trick in Romas 4-0 romp at Villarreal, Dzeko got Roma off the mark on 10 minutes after collecting Radja Nainggolans pass to coolly beat Hart at his far post from the edge of the area.With 19 goals in 25 games, Dzeko is tied with Gonzalo Higuain at the top of the scoring charts after the Argentina striker struck once in Juventuss 4-1 win over Palermo on Friday.A former teammate of Dzekos at Manchester City, Hart was in for a busy night in the Torino goal.A Nainggolan volley was straight at Hart but he was powerless against Mohamed Salahs superb volley from Dzekos failed attempt to control in the area.Salah hit the far upright and Dzeko fired just over after the restart.Torino fought back, Sasa Lukics volley coming close and Wojciech Szczesny forced to stop Marco Benassi down low.But all thoughts of a comeback were ended by Leandro Paredess stunning long-distance volley that sneaked inside Harts near post.- Running up stairs -Totti was applauded when he replaced Kevin Strootman on 82 minutes, prompting a tactical change by Spalletti.It was enough for Maxi Lopez, sidelined by coach Sinisa Mihajlovic for several weeks for being overweight, to fire an angled drive past Szczesny into the far bottom corner for a late consolation.But when 40-year-old club captain Totti controlled a high ball in the area to lay off for Nainggolan, the Belgian unleashed a powerful curling drive that gave Hart no chance.Spalletti added: We need more leaders like Totti in this squad.

Last-gasp Messi penalty rescues poor Barcelona

Posted:

BARCELONA (AFP) - Barcelona needed a last minute Lionel Messi penalty to see off lowly Leganes 2-1 as a poor week for the Spanish champions continued on Sunday.Barca were thrashed 4-0 by Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday to leave their Champions League hopes hanging by a thread and had to rely on Messi for snatching all three points from another below par display.The Argentine opened the scoring after just four minutes, but Leganes enjoyed the better of the chances and levelled 19 minutes from time through Unai Lopez.However, Messi ensured Barca did move back up to second in La Liga and close to within a point of leaders Real Madrid, who have two games in hand, from the spot after Neymar had been chopped down inside the area.We knew it would be a difficult game given what we have come from and what happened in the Champions League, Barca boss Luis Enrique told Spanish TV station Movistar.It is clear that in some moments we lacked confidence, but I think the team turned around a difficult game in any way we could.This time it was a penalty, but, given how we are at the moment, that is more than welcome.Leganes remain just two points above the relegation zone as their winless run extends to 13 games.Barca looked set for an easy night when Luis Suarez found space in behind the Leganes defence and his pinpoint cross with the outside of his right foot picked out Messi to tap home early on.Instead, Barca were thankful to a series of brilliant saves by Marc-Andre ter Stegen for keeping Leganes at bay.The German denied former Liverpool winger Nabil El Zhar in a one-on-one before flying low to his left to parry El Zhars follow-up effort.El Zhar came close again with the last action of the first-half as this time his shot from the edge of the area was deflected and forced Ter Stegen into a fine reflex stop.However, for all his good work, Ter Stegen was at fault when Leganes did deservedly level as Lopezs effort from the edge of the area flew in between his legs.The equaliser was met with a chorus of boos by the lowest La Liga attendance at the Camp Nou this season.And there was an even angrier reception for the much maligned Andre Gomes when he was replaced by Andres Iniesta moments later.For me jeering a player on your own team makes no sense, added Enrique.And Ter Stegen called for unity among the Barcelona faithful.We need the fans, above all at home, to support us.We can win or lose together, but the most important thing is that we are united.Leganes had held out with relative ease until Neymar took matters into his own hands with a driving run into the area before he was wiped out by Martin Mantovani.Messi stepped up and fired into the top corner, but tellingly the Argentine didnt celebrate leaving his displeasure with Barcas performances over the past week clear.Leganes still had a late chance to level as El Zhar sent another fierce effort flying inches wide.Earlier, Villarreal kept their hopes of Champions League football next season alive as Samu Castillejos 93rd minute winner secured a vital 1-0 win at Real Sociedad.Just a second win of 2017 takes sixth-placed Villarreal to within two points of Sociedad and six of Atletico Madrid in fourth.Valencia moved seven points clear of the relegation zone with a much-needed 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao.Nani opened the scoring early on before on-loan Juventus striker Simone Zaza broke down in tears after netting his first goal since May.

PSG frustrated by Toulouse after Champions League exploits

Posted:

PARIS (AFP) - Paris Saint-Germain missed the chance to eat into Monacos lead at the top of the French Ligue 1 table after being held to a 0-0 draw by Toulouse at the Parc des Princes on Sunday.At the same venue where they had blown away Barcelona five days earlier, winning 4-0 in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, Unai Emerys side could not break down mid-table opposition.Edinson Cavani struck the woodwork in the second half for the defending champions but Toulouse held out as PSG failed to score in a game for the first time since the start of December.The draw extends Paris unbeaten run in all competitions to 13 games going back to before Christmas but it also means they end the weekend still three points behind leaders Monaco.The principality side needed a Bernardo Silva equaliser in the second half to come from behind and draw 1-1 at struggling Bastia on Friday, while Nice are only behind PSG on goal difference thanks to their 1-0 win at bottom club Lorient on Saturday.Wylan Cyprien scored the only goal for Nice, who held on after having Mario Balotelli sent off in the second half.We have missed an opportunity today. We need a little more energy and desire to win matches like this, said Emery, whose team lost 2-0 in Toulouse earlier in the season.The team has made a lot of progress but there are still things we need to work on and improve.Emery made five changes to the PSG team from the Barcelona game but was without Angel Di Maria, the Argentine struggling with a muscle injury after scoring twice against the Catalans.Here the home side had almost all the possession and chances, but teenage Toulouse goalkeeper Alban Lafont saved from Lucas Moura early on before Cavani battered a rising shot just wide.Marco Verratti was brought off the bench after the break to pull the strings and PSG camped in the Toulouse half but Cavani struck the frame of the goal from close range after Lafont had saved the Uruguayans initial attempt.Marquinhos then threw himself at a Lucas corner only to see his header blocked on the line, and PSG will now hope to get back to winning ways when they go to great rivals Marseille next week.Montpelliers defender Nordi Mukiele (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against Saint Etienne on February 19, 2017Corentin Tolisso put Lyon ahead at the Parc OL but goals from Julio Tavares and Lois Diony had Dijon leading until the hosts came roaring back late on.Tolisso netted again with a speculative effort from 20 yards to make it 2-2 with 10 minutes left and Lacazette then put Lyon in front with a penalty in the 84th minute before Nabil Fekir wrapped up the win at the death.The result strengthens Lyons grip on fourth spot as they sit four points clear of Saint-Etienne, Marseille and Bordeaux with a game in hand.We didnt give up and we showed great character. It is a victory that can help to unite us even more as a team, said Lyon coach Bruno Genesio.Meanwhile Saint-Etienne lost 2-1 at Montpellier despite taking an early lead through Kevin Monnet-Paquet, and Les Verts also finished the game with 10 men after Jorginho was sent off early in the second half.Christophe Galtiers side host Manchester United in the second leg of their Europa League last-32 tie on Wednesday with their hopes of progress all but over after losing 3-0 at Old Trafford in the first leg.Francois Kamano, Nicolas Pallois and Gaetan Laborde scored as Bordeaux beat 10-man Guingamp 3-0.

Shahid Afridi announces international retirement

Posted:

SHARJAH (Agencies) - Legendary Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi on Sunday announced his retirement from international cricket, ending an illustrious and sometimes controversial 21-year career.The 36-year-old star had already quit Tests in 2010 and ODI cricket after the 2015 World Cup but still skippered the Pakistan Twenty20 team at the 2016 world championships in India.He stepped down as captain after the tournament although he retained slender hopes of continuing his career in the sports shortest format as a player.I have said goodbye to international cricket, said Afridi after smashing a 28-ball 54 in a Pakistan Super League match for Peshawar Zalmi in Sharjah.I am playing for my fans and will continue to play this league for another two years but its goodbye from international cricket. Now my foundation is important for me. I have played with seriousness and in a professional way for my country.Nicknamed Boom Boom, Afridi had been a fan favourite since he burst onto the scene in 1996, striking a 37-ball one-day century against Sri Lanka in only his second match to set a world record that was unbeaten for 18 years.He became known as a leg-spin bowling all-rounder in the second half of his career and was instrumental in Pakistans early successes in Twenty20, including their 2009 victory.After stopping short of retirement following Pakistans first round exit at the 2016 World Twenty20, Afridi had wanted to play a farewell Twenty20 match against West Indies in United Arab Emirates in September.But selectors, with one eye on the future, did not pick him in the squad.His blistering breakthrough century in Nairobi in 1996 was only surpassed by New Zealands Corey Andersons 36-ball hundred against West Indies at Queenstown in 2014.South African AB de Villiers then bettered the record further with a 31-ball century, also against the West Indies, at Johannesburg in 2015.Afridis rapid-fire century in Kenya made him an instant hit with the crowds who expected fireworks every time he strolled to the crease.Sometimes he delivered but too often for some, his death or glory approach brought his downfall.Afridis maverick style also brought him a one-Test and two-match ODI ban after he was charged with using his foot to tamper with the pitch during a Test against England in Faisalabad in 2005.He was also banned for two Twenty20 internationals after he was shown on television biting the ball during a one-day international against Australia at Perth in 2010.Afridi finishes his international career having played just 27 Test matches which yielded 1,176 runs with a highest score of 156 and 48 wickets.He played 398 one-day internationals with 8,064 runs, a highest score of 124 while taking 395 wickets with his leg spin.His Twenty20 international CV saw him play 98 matches with 1,405 runs and a career-leading 97 wickets.

Lahore: 3 killed as speeding car turns turtle

Posted:

LAHORE (Dunya News) – According to details, a car having a race with another car turned turtle at the Ferozepur Road in Lahore on Sunday, killing a passersby on the spot and injuring three persons riding in the vehicle.The injured were shifted to General Hospital where two car riders, Adnan and Mubeen, also succumbed to their wounds. Police have shifted the dead bodies to mortuary for autopsy and launched an investigation.On the other hand, fight broke out between two groups after a heated debate during a cricket match in Sundar area. One of the groups opened indiscriminate firing due to which two persons, Waheed and Naveed, were wounded.The injured were shifted to Jannah Hospital where doctors said that their condition is out of danger.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)