Monday 20 March 2017

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Tennis: Federer in full flight heading into Miami

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INDIAN WELLS (AFP) - Roger Federer keeps saying hes still on the comeback trail, but hes covering ground faster than he ever imagined.The Swiss, sidelined much of 2016 with a knee injury, soared to a fifth ATP Indian Wells Masters title on Sunday to go with the 18th Grand Slam crown he claimed at the Australian Open in January.And now that hes back at number six in the world, Federer is reassessing his goals for 2017.This was not part of the plan, to win Australia and Indian Wells, Federer said after his 6-4, 7-5 victory over fellow Swiss Stan Wawrinka in the Indian Wells final.The goal was to be top eight by after Wimbledon, so Im there much, much faster.I will make the plan for the remainder of the season, especially for the clay, after Miami, and then see also what the goals are because the goals are clearly changing after this dream start.Federer emerged from a daunting quarter in Indian Wells that also included world number two Novak Djokovic and 14-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal as well as former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro and rising talents Nick Kyrgios and Alexander Zverev.Kyrgios sent Djokovic packing, and the Serbian star has since withdrawn from this weeks tournament in Miami saying an elbow injury hes carried for months had worsened.Federer wiped the floor with Nadal in Indian Wells just two months after his thrilling five-set win over the Spaniard in the Australian Open final.Wawrinka was the only player who managed to break Federers serve in the California desert, but eventually even he could only stand back and admire his superstar compatriots majestic progress to the title.The way hes playing is just so beautiful, Wawrinka said of the 35-year-old Federer. Everything looks perfect. Hes moving amazingly well. He has amazing touch. Hes doing everything you can do on the tennis court.Federer captured his 90th career title. Although he said it was too soon to start thinking about the milestone of 100, he certainly goes into Miami a strong favorite with Djokovic as well as injured world number one Andy Murray out of the second Masters event of the year.He has leapfrogged Nadal to sixth in the world rankings. Whether he can move past Wawrinka, Djokovic and Murray and regain the number one ranking is a question that Federer, in his current incarnation, isnt too worried about.Sure Id love to be number one again, he said. But anything else other than world number one for me is not interesting. So thats why the rankings is not a priority right now.Instead, hes focused on approaching each tournament he plays with energy and eagerness, something he admits was missing when he turned up in Dubai and lost to 116th-ranked Evgeny Donskoy.I just wasnt 100 percent prepared, unfortunately, because of the injury I was carryng after Melbourne, he said. I was still tired. I was lacking energy.At Indian Wells, he said, the preparation was complete and the energy was good, and he anticipated the same for Miami.I think Im going to be fine on that front just because Im feeling too good on the court and Im having too much fun, Federer said. Winning creates a lot of good energy.But I know how hard it is to win back-to-back Indian Wells and Miami titles.Thats why I go to Miami knowing its going to be really difficult, added Federer, who is showing renewed talent for making the difficult look oh so easy.

Golf: Tiger 'trying everything' to play at Masters

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Tiger Woods still feels he has a chance to compete for a fifth Masters triumph in two weeks but his back remains an issue, the golfer said on Monday.The 14-time major champion has not played since withdrawing from last months Dubai Desert Classic with ongoing back spasms.Woods is promoting a new book about his first triumph at Augusta in 1997 and when asked on televisions Good Morning America show if he would compete at the National this year he said, God, I hope so. Im trying. Im trying everything I can do to be able to get back and play. I love that event. It has meant so much to me in my life.Woods said while his spirit is willing, his body remains an issue when it comes to being able to train well enough to prepare for the rigors of four rounds at a major event, something he has done only twice since the 2013 PGA Championship.I know that the mind is sharp, I just need to get the body willing to do it, Woods said. Thats the hard part is getting the prep time in.Woods became the first black golfer to win a major and the youngest champion in Masters history at age 21 with the landmark victory in what was then an Augusta National course record. The tale is the subject of his new book: The 1997 Masters: My Story.Woods, 41, has won the Masters four times but could miss the tournament for the third time in four years.It has so much history and meaning to me that Id love to get back, Woods said.Woods told USA Today he would attend the Champions Dinner at Augusta National in two weeks at Augusta National even if he does not tee off with the field two days later.I do have a chance, Woods told the newspaper. Im working on my game. I just need to get to a point where I feel like Im good enough and Im healthy enough to do it.Ive been practicing. I havent been playing (rounds)... Its building, but I still have a little ways to go.Woods missed the 2014 Masters with a back injury and missed all of the 2015-16 season following back surgery. He made his comeback last December after a 15-month hiatus at the Hero World Challenge, then missed the cut at Torrey Pines in January before pulling out at Dubai after an opening 77.Woods, who has not won a major title since the 2008 US Open, has not made the cut in a major since the 2015 Masters, where he finished 17th.Two weeks ago, Woods said he would be unable to play in last weeks Arnold Palmer Invitational due to ongoing rest and rehabilitation on my back and said then he had no timetable for his return but treatments were going well.Woods, second on the all-time major wins list to the 18 of Jack Nicklaus, has won 79 career PGA titles, three shy of Sam Sneads all-time record.

Iraq forces push into Old Mosul as thousands trapped

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BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraqi forces battled Islamic State group fighters on Monday to push into Mosuls Old City where thousands of civilians remain trapped under jihadist rule.The citys historic centre is home to the Al-Nuri mosque, where IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in July 2014 proclaimed an IS caliphate in jihadist-controlled territory in Iraq and neighbouring Syria.The forces have recaptured several neighbourhoods from IS since starting the push for west Mosul last month, but the battle for the Old City, with its warrens of alleyways, was always expected to be tough.Located on the west bank of the River Tigris which divides the city, the densely populated old centre is difficult for armoured vehicles to navigate and any use of heavy weapons there risks putting civilian lives in danger.Iraqi forces on Monday aimed to press forward to enter the Old City from the Iron Bridge in an area rocked by heavy fighting the previous day, the commander of the Rapid Response Divisions 2nd Brigade told AFP.The offensive has resumed in the same area as yesterday... which is made up of large buildings, markets and narrow streets where the enemy is hiding, Brigadier General Mahdi Abbas Abdullah said.Several buildings have been retaken from the jihadists on the edge of the Old City in the past few days, Iraqi authorities have said.But the fighting for ISs last major urban stronghold in Iraq puts civilians who remain in the Old City in terrible danger, an aid coordinator for the United Nations has warned.People fleeing are telling us that its very difficult to enter or leave the Old City, the UNs humanitarian coordinator in Iraq, Lise Grande, said in a statement on Sunday.Families are at risk of being shot if they leave and they are at risk if they stay, she said.Its horrible. Hundreds of thousands of civilians are trapped and they are in terrible danger.Iraqi authorities launched the offensive to retake the city on October 17 last year, with the support of the US-led coalition that has been carrying out strikes against IS in Iraq and Syria since 2014.Recapturing Iraqs second city would be a major blow to IS following months of jihadist losses in both countries.Iraqi forces launched the drive to retake west Mosul on February 19, after seizing the citys eastern side the previous month.More than 180,000 people have fled west Mosul, the Iraqi government said Monday.About 111,000 have sought shelter in 17 nearby camps and reception centres while many others have stayed with relatives, the ministry of displacement and migration said.The Iraqi government says it can accommodate a further 100,000 displaced people in camps, but the United Nations says the numbers could rise way beyond that.Humanitarian agencies are bracing for the possibility that an additional 300,000-320,000 civilians may flee in coming weeks, the UNs aid coordination agency OCHA said.Grande said aid groups had spent months preparing for the Mosul operation.But the truth is that the crisis is pushing all of us to our limits.The aid operation for western Mosul is far larger and far more complex than in the east, she said.The main difference is that tens of thousands of families stayed in their homes in the east, she said. In the west, tens of thousands are fleeing.If the number of people leaving the city increases faster than we can construct new plots, the situation could deteriorate very quickly, she added.Mosul had an estimated population of two million before IS overran it in a lightning June 2014 assault.Also on Monday, a car bombing in a bustling business district in the west of the capital Baghdad killed at least 15 people, an interior ministry official said.The attack was claimed in an online statement by IS, which gave a toll of 23 dead, the US-based SITE Intelligence Group reported.

Trump hosts Iraqi leader, says Mosul mission 'moving along'

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - President Donald Trump said the operation against the Islamic State group in Mosul is moving along, as he hosted Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi at the White House on Monday.In a meeting on the 14th anniversary of the US invasion, Trump questioned whether the United States should have pulled combat troops out of the country.We should never ever have left, he said, after previously having supported the withdrawal.We will figure something out. I mean we have to get rid of ISIS, he added, using an alternate acronym for the IS group. Were going to get rid of ISIS.The Iraqi authorities launched an offensive in October to retake the northern city of Mosul from the IS group with the support of US-led coalition air strikes.Government forces retook the east side of Mosul in January before setting their sights on the more densely populated west of the city, the last major urban center the IS group holds in Iraq.Trump shied away from any substantive discussion in public, but the presence of his top economic aide at a meeting in the cabinet office indicated that energy and economic ties would also be on the agenda.Secretary of State Rex Tillerson -- a former ExxonMobil executive -- made a rare public appearance at the White House.During brief comments in the Oval Office, Abadi joked that he had nothing to do with wiretapping Trump Tower.Haider al-Abadi said that the new US administration appears more focused on the fight against terrorism than its predecessor.Abadi met Trump at the White House on the 14th anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq and two days before a major Washington ministerial meeting on the way ahead in the war against the Islamic State group.Afterward, Abadi said he expected US assistance to the Iraqi forces fighting to drive Islamic State fighters from the northern city of Mosul to accelerate under Trump more quickly than would have happened under Trumps predecessor, Barack Obama.I think this administration wants to be more engaged in fighting terrorism. I sense a difference in terms of being head-to-head with terrorism, Abadi told an audience at the United States Institute for Peace.The Iraqi authorities launched an offensive in October to retake Mosul from the IS group with the support of US-led coalition air strikes.Government forces retook the eastern part of Mosul in January before setting their sights on the more densely populated west of the city, the last major urban center the IS group holds in Iraq.Trump shied away from any substantive discussion in public, but the presence of his top economic aide at a meeting in the cabinet office indicated that energy and economic ties were also on the agenda.US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson -- a former ExxonMobil executive -- made a rare public appearance at the White House.

Britain to launch EU exit process on March 29

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LONDON (AFP) - Britain said Monday it will launch the process of leaving the European Union on March 29, setting a historic and uncharted course to become the first country to withdraw from the bloc by March 2019.Nine months after the stunning referendum vote for Brexit, Prime Minister Theresa Mays government will finally trigger Article 50 of the EUs Lisbon Treaty next week, starting a two-year departure.We are on the threshold of the most important negotiation for this country for a generation, said Brexit minister David Davis.The European Commission said immediately that it was ready to begin negotiations, although a source in Brussels said it would take four to six weeks to arrange a summit to agree a common EU position.Britain is one of the oldest and largest members of the 28-nation bloc, and its departure has raised fears for the EUs future as eurosceptic movements gain support across the continent.London has repeatedly said it wants to maintain good relations with its European allies, but major battles await, in particular over budget contributions, immigration and future trade ties.Britain has said it wants to agree its divorce and a new relationship with Europe within the two years.We are going to be out there, negotiating hard, delivering on what the British people voted for, May said on Monday.But lawmakers have warned that her government must prepare for the risk they might fail -- and for Britain to crash out of the EU with no agreement in place.The prime minister has long said she would start the Article 50 process by the end of this month.Britains ambassador to the EU, Tim Barrow, on Monday informed the office of EU President Donald Tusk that it would do so on March 29, Mays spokesman told reporters.We wish the talks to begin promptly, but we fully respect that the 27 (other EU nations) will want to agree their position in advance, the spokesman said.The notification of Article 50 will take the form of a letter to Tusk, likely outlining Britains key objectives, followed by a statement by May to MPs in the House of Commons.Tusk said he would issue draft guidelines for the negotiations within 48 hours, and officials said EU leaders are then likely to meet at a special summit in early May to approve them.Everything is ready on this side, Margaritis Schinas, the spokesman for European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker, told a briefing.Britains path will be set just days after the EU celebrates the 60th anniversary of its founding Treaty of Rome on March 25.Jeroen Dijsselbloem, president of the finance ministers of the 19-country euro currency area, said he wanted realism from Mays government.I hope for realism on the sequence of things, realism on the price that it is going to cost, realism on the complexity and thus the timespan that will be necessary, because those are the things that I have missed so far from the British side, he said.London says the Brexit process is irreversible once Article 50 is triggered, although experts have said there is no legal ban on member states changing their minds before leaving the EU.Mays preparations were wrong-footed last week when Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who opposes Brexit, announced plans to hold a new independence referendum in a bid to keep its EU ties.The prime minister has said that now is not the time, and is expected to visit Scotland as part of a pre-Brexit tour of Britain that began on Monday in Wales and will also take in Northern Ireland.Mays plan to withdraw Britain from Europes single market has also provoked concern in Northern Ireland, by raising the prospect of the return of customs posts with EU member Ireland to the south.Davis said ministers would seek a Brexit deal that works for every nation and region of the UK and indeed for all of Europe -- a new, positive partnership between the UK and our friends and allies in the European Union.Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to stay in the EU in the June 23 referendum, while England and Wales voted to leave, resulting in a UK-wide vote of 52 percent for Brexit.

Car bomb kills 23, injures dozens in Baghdad

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BAGHDAD (Agencies) - At least 23 people have been killed and dozens injured in a car bomb explosion that hit a southern Baghdad district, Reuters reports, citing police and medical sources.The blast rocked a busy commercial street in the mainly Shia Amil neighborhood, leaving more than 45 people injured, the news agency said, citing its sources.The Iraqi capital is frequently targeted by jihadists from various extremist groups, including Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL), which is now being pushed by the US-assisted Iraqi Army from the city of Mosul.Baghdad had already been hit by a series of smaller bomb attacks since the beginning of the month, local media reported. On Sunday, a roadside bomb explosion killed one soldier and injured two others in the western part of the city.Similar incidents occurred in the city on March 16 and 17, in which two civilians died and six were injured in total.No one has yet claimed responsibility for the Monday attack, although IS was behind previous bombings in Baghdad.The incident comes as Iraqi forces assisted by the US continue to battle extremists in Mosul. In January, the eastern part of the city was declared “fully liberated” and the fighting has now shifted towards the more densely-populated western neighborhoods.Some 600,000 people are reportedly trapped in western Mosul. Almost 100,000 Iraqis have been displaced by the fighting in the days since February 25, according to the latest estimates of the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the total number could reach 450,000.

Plane crash-lands in S.Sudan, at least 37 injured

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JUBA (AFP) - At least 37 people were injured when a passenger jet crash-landed in South Sudans northwestern city of Wau on Monday, government and airport officials said.There were 40 passengers and five crew members on board the South Supreme Airlines plane that had taken off from the capital Juba, said the airlines manager Gabriel Ngang.State Information Minister Bona Gaudensio said an ambulance had brought the passengers from the airport to the hospital, and most of them were released shortly after.We had 37 passengers taken to the hospital and so after they were given first aid we have released 31 of them and we will release the rest tomorrow, Gaudensio told AFP.He could not account for the remaining eight people who had been on board, but claimed there were no deaths in the accident.Paul Charles, an engineer at Wau airport, and local radio journalist Lawrence Yunisen both told AFP that some passengers -- not counted among the injured -- had managed to flee the burning plane unscathed.Charles said the weather in the region had not been good when the plane attempted to land.Visibility was not good up to now and (the plane) was landing from the east to west, then it just crashed (off) the runway. The pilot I think was not seeing the runway well, he said.Some of the people got out by themselves, some of them were pulled. Only the back part of the plane remains but the rest was burned, he added.Video images obtained by AFP showed firefighters battling to put out the blaze as thick black smoke billowed from the aircraft. The plane was completely burned out except for the tail, which clearly displayed the insignia of South Supreme Airlines, a local carrier.In November 2015, 36 people were killed when a Soviet-era Antonov plane crashed just after take-off from Juba. Two survivors were pulled from the twisted metal hulk but one later died.South Sudan has been gripped by civil war since 2013, and the country is also in the midst of a man-made famine due to the conflict.

Eight 'suspect' packages found at Athens postal centre

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ATHENS (AFP) - Greek police said they found eight suspect packages on Monday addressed to global economic institutions, after a domestic militant group sent mail bombs to the IMF and German finance ministry last week.The packages, intended for officials at European countries were located at the Greek postal services main sorting centre north of Athens, a police statement said.A police source later said the packages were intended for officials at the Eurogroup and other global economic institutions.Last week, a mail bomb sent to the International Monetary Funds offices in Paris exploded and injured a secretary. A second bomb sent to the German finance ministry was intercepted by security.The investigation so far suggests that both the IMF and the German finance ministry bombs were sent by a far-left group called the Conspiracy of Fire Nuclei, which police thought they had mostly dismantled in 2011.A source close to the investigation in Paris last week said the mail bomb consisted of two tubes of black powder and a makeshift electric trigger.A second Greek police source on Monday said the eight additional packages had been scanned and found to contain a similar mechanism.To make the packages more likely to be opened, the perpetrators listed Greek economic officials and academics as the senders.Last week, the names of two senior officials in Greeces conservative New Democracy party were used as the alleged senders -- deputy leader Adonis Georgiadis and party spokesman Vassilis Kikilias, formerly a police minister himself.The Berlin package was intended for German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, and was discovered a day before he was due to host his new US counterpart, Steven Mnuchin.Greek authorities last week said package screening procedures at Athens airport were state of the art, while a spokesman for the airports security company said the small quantity of gunpowder contained in the packages was hard to trace.Conspiracy of Fire Nuclei, which is considered a terror organisation by Washington, sent mail bombs to foreign embassies in Greece and to European leaders in 2010.The outfit, which has links to the Italy-based Informal Anarchist Federation (FAI), has only claimed last weeks German finance ministry hit.Many Greeks blame Germany and the IMF for imposing years of public-sector cuts and policy overhauls in exchange for bailout packages needed to prop up the debt-ridden country.Police say the name Conspiracy of Fire Nuclei had been used as a cover by urban militants carrying out minor arson attacks against car dealerships and police vehicles since the middle of the last decade.In 2011, several of its members, many of them very young, were convicted of participating in a criminal organisation and given long prison sentences.Three years later, the group announced its return and has since been committing sporadic attacks.The organisation denounces capitalism and consumerism, as well as police repression and worker exploitation.

Pakistan Day parade: Full dress rehearsal to be held today

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - A full dress rehearsal for the Pakistan Day parade will be held in the federal capital Islamabad today (Tuesday), Dunya News reported.Contingents of the three armed forces and paramilitary forces will take part in the march past in the full dress rehearsal while par gliders of armed forces will perform free fall jumps.Fly past of fighter aircraft of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is also part of full dress rehearsal.Strict security measures are in place in twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi to avoid any untoward incident. Entry of heavy traffic will remain suspended till 1:00pm today. The route from Zero Point to Faizabad Road will be closed from 6:00am to 1:00pm.Mobile phone service will also remain suspended in different parts of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Karachi: 8 foreigners nabbed in police operation

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Police conducted an intelligence based operation in Rizvia area of Karachi on Monday and apprehended at least eight foreigners, Dunya News reported.Police sources said that the arrested persons were Afghan nationals. Police have also registered case against then in Foreign Act and started investigation.Separately, police recovered at least 4,000 litres of smuggled oil from passenger coach and arrested driver and conductor of the coach. Police sources said that the oil was smuggled from Iran.

Pak-Afghan border at Torkham will reopen today

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The Torkham border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan will re-open at 7:00am today (Tuesday), Dunya News reported. Pakistan sealed the Torkham and Chaman crossings on February 16, after a string of suicide attacks killed more than 100 people across the country.Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ordered the two main border crossings, Torkham and Chaman, to Afghanistan to be re-opened on Monday, after their closure last month following a series of terrorist attacks by militants operating from across the frontier.In a statement, the Prime Minister said that recent incidents of terrorism in Pakistan have been traced back to anti-Pakistan elements in Afghanistan. However, the decision to re-open the border is being taken as closure of the border for a long time in the backdrop of religious, culture and historical ties between the two countries would not be in the interest of the people and the economy.The decision to re-open the border is being taken as a goodwill gesture, he added. Nawaz hoped that the Afghan Government would take measures to address the reasons for which the borders were closed.He further stated that Pakistan has reiterated time and again that durable peace in Afghanistan is imperative for peace and security in Pakistan. He said thatIslamabad would continue to collaborate with Kabul to eradicate the menace of terrorism from the two countries.Pak-Afghan border crossings were abruptly closed last month after a series of attacks Pakistan blames on militants sheltered in Afghanistan.

Lahore: Police arrest 47 suspects during search operation

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Police conducted search operation in different parts of Lahore on Monday during which 47 suspects were taken into custody, Dunya News reported.Police carried out search operation in Wahdat Colony, Khan Colony area of Naseerabad, Ichhra and Liaquatabad areas of Lahore during which identity documents of the resident were checked. Biometric device was also used in the identification process. Police detained at least 47 persons who failed to produce any identity document.The arrested persons were shifted to different police stations. Police soured said that the search operation in the city was carried out to maintain law and order situation.

Punjab police get 4500 new uniforms

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LAHORE (Dunya News) - The process to change Punjab police uniform started on Monday with Lahore cops getting 4500 new uniforms, Dunya News reported.Sources said that the process to change Punjab police uniform will be completed on March 30 in different phases. In the first phase, a total number of 4500 uniforms were provided to Lahore police.The proposal to change police uniform was submitted in 2012 in which it was said that police officials face difficulties to perform their duties while wearing black shirts during summer.The special committee constituted by IG Punjab has unanimously chosen olive green coloured uniform to replace the older one.

Be brave and smile, ECB tell England players

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LONDON (AFP) - Englands new Test captain Joe Root and One Day counterpart Eoin Morgan must provide crowd pleasing cricket and bear a sunny disposition so as to attract new players to the game, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said Monday.The ECB is taking steps to significantly boost the number of players at grassroots level -- which has stagnated over the past five years -- and the England cricket team is seen as a useful weapon in that regardTom Harrison, chief executive of the ECB, said the England cricketers and their director of cricket former England skipper Andrew Strauss knew what was expected of them.Andrew Strauss and the England team are very clear that part of their responsibility is playing brave cricket -- this commitment to playing an exciting formula of cricket every time they go on the park is linked to (the participation strategy).Joe Root and Eoin Morgan understand their responsibility to play exciting cricket for future generations to connect with and for fans to get behind.Harrison, who has been in the post since January 2015 and installed Strauss at the expense of Paul Downton, said even if England were to lose if they went down fighting the reaction would be kinder.Its a very deliberate strategy, said Harrison.It doesnt work every time but we understand youre more likely to be forgiven for having a bad day if youve tried everything to win a game as opposed to trying not to lose it, which is a key difference.Ever since Andrew took the job as director of cricket he saw the link between successful England teams, and I mean successful by approach as much as results, was key.Harrison, who played cricket for Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, said the days of England trying to grind out a one-off Test victory are over.People like the fact the team is taking calculated risks, at very competitive limits, but also with a smile on their faces, he said.

Quetta: Mine blast near FC check post injures three

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QUETTA (Dunya News) – A mine blast near a Frontier Constabulary (FC) check post in Marwara area of Quetta on Monday injured three FC personnel, Dunya News reported.Sources said that the injured FC personnel were immediately shifted to hospital for treatment.A heavy contingent of security forces reached the spot after the explosion and cordoned off the area. The security forces also launched a search operation in the area to arrest the culprits.
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