Monday 6 March 2017

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

New Trump travel order remains a Muslim ban: US rights groups

Posted:

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US civil rights groups on Monday roundly slammed President Donald Trumps revised immigration order as a Muslim ban in all but name, and vowed to keep fighting it in court.The Trump administration has conceded that its original Muslim ban was indefensible. Unfortunately, it has replaced it with a scaled-back version that shares the same fatal flaws, said Omar Jadwat, director of the American Civil Liberties Unions Immigrant Rights Project. The only way to actually fix the Muslim ban is not to have a Muslim ban, Jadwat said in a statement. Instead, President Trump has recommitted himself to religious discrimination, and he can expect continued disapproval from both the courts and the people. The New York Immigration Coalition called the revised ban, which halts new visas for people from six majority-Muslim countries, a mask for the same old hatred, fear and incompetence.This is just one more example of the presidents concerted effort to divide this country and instill panic and fear in immigrant, refugee and Muslim communities, said NYIC director Steven Choi.Human Rights Watch said the changes to the original January 27 order, which fell afoul of the US constitution because it appeared to overtly target Muslims, are merely cosmetic.President Trump still seems to believe you can determine whos a terrorist by knowing which country a man, woman or child is from, said the groups US immigration researcher Grace Meng.Rabbi Jack Moline, president of the Interfaith Alliance, said they expect as well to battle the revised order in court.Even in its slightly revised form, President Trumps Muslim ban violates constitutional principles and undermines Americas standing in the world, Moline said.We must be clear that discriminating against millions of people on the basis of their religion does nothing to make Americans safer.The United Farm Workers of America, a union fighting a separate Trump effort to expel millions of mostly Latino undocumented immigrants, branded the new travel ban a grievous affront to the fundamental values that make America an exceptional nation.

Trump signs revised travel ban, exempts Iraqis

Posted:

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President Donald Trump signed a revised ban on travelers from six Muslim-majority nations Monday, scaling back the order to exempt Iraqis and permanent US residents.With his first attempt frozen by federal courts, Trump signed a second order halting new visas for Syrians, Iranians, Libyans, Somalis, Yemenis and Sudanese citizens.The White House said Trump -- who is embroiled in controversy over his aides links to Russia -- signed the order behind closed doors Monday morning.The new order is meant to address legal problems. It explicitly exempts Iraqis, legal permanent residents and valid visa holders.Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, one of three cabinet members rolled out to present the order in Trumps absence, described it as a vital measure for strengthening national security.Attorney General Jeff Sessions added that it provides a needed pause allowing a review of how America deals with travelers from countries of concern.Three of these nations are state sponsors of terrorism, Sessions said, referring to Iran, Sudan and Syria.He added that others had served as safe havens for terror operatives.Critics questioned the composition of the list, which includes citizens from countries that have never been involved in terror attacks in the United States.They accused Trump of covertly pursuing his controversial and possibly illegal campaign promise of a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.The question of Trumps intent is likely to dominate new legal challenges that are already being flagged by organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union.President Trump has recommitted himself to religious discrimination, and he can expect continued disapproval from both the courts and the people, said Omar Jadwat, director of the ACLUs Immigrant Rights Project.Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said the measure should be repealed, adding: A watered down ban is still a ban.Trumps first order had sparked a legal, political and logistical furor. There was chaos at major airports and mass protests while several district courts moved to block its implementation and lawmakers expressed opposition.The troubled rollout also dominated the first weeks of the new administration, leaving many with the impression that it was badly planned and badly implemented.Polls show that American public opinion is deeply divided on the issue. Most indicate a slight majority of voters opposed, with strong support among Trumps political base.The Republican president criticized a court order suspending the ban as a very bad decision, very bad for the safety and security of our country. The rollout was perfect.But he has now stepped away from a promise to challenge the matter in the courts. The second order repeals the first, spelling the end of any pending legal proceedings.Whatever the legal outcome, Trumps new ban is likely to polarize opinion further and be immensely popular with his core supporters.Iraqs inclusion in the first order prompted outrage in that country, including from Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.It risked scuttling cooperation between Baghdad and Washington in fighting the Islamic State group.The US and Iraqi militaries are currently fighting side-by-side in northern Iraq, trying to wrest the city of Mosul from jihadist control.The Iraqi foreign ministry on Monday expressed its deep satisfaction with the new order, and described it as an important step in strengthening relations between Baghdad and Washington.But the revised travel ban is also likely to sow further confusion about US immigration policies.On Monday, Nigeria advised its citizens against all but essential travel to the United States, citing the lack of clarity on new immigration rules.In the last few weeks, the office has received a few cases of Nigerians with valid multiple-entry US visas being denied entry and sent back to Nigeria, said special adviser to the president Abike Dabiri-Erewa.According to a report released Monday by travel data firm Forwardkeys, travel from the United States to the Middle East has also fallen sharply, with bookings for departure in the next three months falling 25.4 percent behind the equivalent time last year.But the ban is likely to help Trump divert attention from rolling crises on his ties with Russia.Since US intelligence publicly accused Russia of trying to swing the November election in Trumps favor, questions have swirled about whether some in Trumps campaign colluded with Moscow.The last week has seen his attorney general recuse himself from election-related investigations, after it emerged he met the Russian ambassador in Washington twice during the campaign.It has also seen Trump level unsubstantiated allegations that former president Barack Obama ordered a wiretap on the now presidents phone.

Anti-IS assaults gain ground in Iraq and Syria

Posted:

MOSUL (AFP) - Iraqi forces advanced in west Mosul and fighters in neighbouring Syria seized a key supply route to Raqa Monday, as twin US-backed offensives gained ground against the Islamic State group.Supported by the US-led anti-IS coalition, Iraqi government forces and a Kurdish-Arab alliance in Syria are battling to push the jihadists from Mosul and Raqa, the last two major urban centres under their control.Intense fighting in recent days has forced tens of thousands of people from their homes, raising fears for many more civilians still trapped in areas of ISs so-called caliphate.In Iraq, security forces advanced towards a compound of jihadist-held government buildings and a bridgehead, on the second day of a renewed push in west Mosul.The operation to retake west Mosul began on February 19, but had slowed amid several days of bad weather until a fresh drive began on Sunday.A senior Iraqi commander said that interior ministry forces, backed by artillery and air support, were advancing in three west Mosul neighbourhoods with the aim of taking the compound.AFP reporters in west Mosul witnessed intense clashes, with heavy automatic weapons fire and clouds of black smoke billowing over the city.Lieutenant Colonel Abdulamir Mohammedawi of the interior ministrys elite Rapid Response Division told AFP its forces were advancing in the Al-Dawasa and Al-Danadan areas to liberate the government buildings and secure a route for families to leave.Its sights were also set on the nearby Al-Hurriyah Bridge, he said, but Rapid Response had not yet reached it.Mosul is divided by the Tigris River, and while the series of bridges crossing it have either been damaged or destroyed, they would provide a link between the Iraqi government-held east and IS-held west Mosul if they can be repaired or otherwise bridged.Iraqi forces recaptured the western side of the fourth bridge, which is south of Al-Hurriyah, at the end of February.Iraqs Joint Operations Command also announced Monday that the elite Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) had recaptured Al-Sumood, an area it had targeted as part of the push launched the day before.The fighting in west Mosul has sparked an exodus from that side of the city, pushing more than 50,000 people to flee, the International Organization for Migration said.The operation to retake Mosul was launched on October 17, with a number of forces taking part but CTS and Rapid Response ultimately playing the leading roles in the advance.In Syria, US-backed forces on Monday cut off a key supply route between IS stronghold Raqa and the groups territory in Deir Ezzor province.The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters, seized control of the only major road linking Raqa along the Euphrates valley to Deir Ezzor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said.The route... linking Raqa to Deir Ezzor was cut this morning, an SDF commander confirmed.Activists and the Observatory said, meanwhile, that IS has imposed an Afghan-style dress code in Raqa to help its fighters blend into the civilian population.Abu Mohamed, an activist with the Raqa is Being Slaughtered Silently group, said the aim was to make it harder for airplanes and the Kurdish forces... to distinguish between civilians and Daesh (IS).Anyone who does not comply faces prison and a fine, he told AFP.The SDF began its offensive against Raqa in early November and has since seized swathes of territory in northern Syria from the jihadists.Last month its forces made a major incursion into Deir Ezzor, an oil-rich province almost completely held by IS, to encircle and besiege the jihadists in Raqa which is located further west.The SDF alliance, dominated by the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG), has benefited from air support, equipment and training provided by the US-led coalition that has been carrying out air strikes against IS in Syria and Iraq.IS is under pressure on multiple fronts, not only Mosul and Raqa, but in other parts of northern Syria where it is facing offensives from government forces and Turkish-backed rebels.Around 66,000 people have fled the fighting in north Syria in recent days, UN humanitarian agency OCHA said.IS, which emerged from the chaos of Syrias civil war to seize large parts of the country and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, has lost much of the territory it once claimed.

US warned Israel against annexing West Bank: minister

Posted:

JERUSALEM (AFP) - Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Monday that the United States has warned that annexing the West Bank would lead to an immediate crisis with President Donald Trumps administration.Lieberman, speaking before his first trip to Washington since Trump took office, sought to push back against those in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus coalition calling for a declaration of Israeli sovereignty over all or part of the occupied territory.He said annexation would provoke a crisis with Washington and result in steep costs for the Israeli government since it would be required to provide services to Palestinians in the West Bank.We have received a very clear, direct message from the United States stating that the application of Israeli law in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) would provoke an immediate crisis with the new administration, Lieberman said before a parliamentary committee.His office said he would leave Israel Monday night for Washington, where he would meet Vice President Mike Pence, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and hold other meetings.Some 2.6 million Palestinians live in the West Bank, which Israel occupied in 1967.The latest call for annexation came on Sunday, when lawmaker Miki Zohar from Netanyahus Likud party said in a television interview that the two-state solution is dead.Zohar advocated a single state, but said that Palestinians in the West Bank should not be allowed to vote in Israeli parliamentary elections.Others have made similar calls, including Education Minister Naftali Bennett who heads the religious nationalist Jewish Home party.Bennett advocates annexing most of the West Bank, and has said he hopes support from Trumps presidency will spell the end of the idea of a Palestinian state.In his comments on Monday, Lieberman also laid out an economic argument against annexation, saying Israel immediately will be required to spend 20 billion shekels ($5.4 billion/5.1 billion euros) on various social services.The defence minister, who heads the rightwing Yisrael Beitenu party, advocates a two-state solution based on territorial and population exchanges.Netanyahu says he still supports a two-state solution, though he has also pushed for settlement expansion in the West Bank.He has found himself seeking to hold together his governing coalition -- seen as the most rightwing in Israeli history -- while managing international relations, including with the United States.The US is Israels most important ally, providing it with more than $3 billion in defence aid annually.Some Israeli politicians have pushed for the immediate annexation of Maale Adumim, an Israeli settlement of some 37,000 people in a strategic location east of Jerusalem.However, a bill to annex the settlement has been postponed by the cabinet to an unclear date.

22 Yemeni rebels killed in strikes, clashes: officials

Posted:

ADEN (AFP) - At least 22 Shiite Huthi rebels were killed Monday in an air strike by pro-government Arab coalition warplanes as well as clashes in western Yemen, officials said.The strike on a military base in the city of Bajil, northeast of provincial capital Hodeida on the Red Sea, killed 16 rebels, said a medical official and a military source.The raid by warplanes from the Saudi-led Arab coalition wounded 23 others, the sources in Hodeida said.To the south, clashes between the rebels and loyalists near the city of Mokha left six insurgents dead, according to the same sources who said their bodies were taken to a morgue in Hodeida.Troops loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi took Mokha on February 10 and announced they aimed to push north and take the countrys main Red Sea port of Hodeida next.Allied with forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, the Iran-backed Huthis control most of Yemens 450-kilometre (280-mile) Red Sea coast, the capital Sanaa and much of the northern highlands.The Arab coalition mounted a military campaign against the rebels in March 2015 when insurgents closed in on Hadi in his refuge in the southern city of Aden.More than 7,500 people have been killed in the conflict since then, according to the United Nations.

DG Khan: Four killed in car, truck collision

Posted:

DERA GHAZI KHAN (Dunya News) – A collision between a speeding car and a truck claimed four lives in Muslim Bagh area near Dera Ghazi Khan on Monday, Dunya News reported.According to details, four friends were going on a holiday trip from Dera Ghazi Khan to Quetta on their car which collided with a truck in Muslim Bagh area due to over-speeding, killing them on the spot.Those who died in the accident included Jamshaid and Asghar and were residents of Dera Ghazi Khan.

Lahore: Light rain turns weather cold

Posted:

LAHORE (Dunya News) – Lahore and its adjacent area received light rain on night between Monday and Tuesday which turned the weather cold, Dunya News reported.According to Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), weather in Lahore will remain cloudy and rain is expected at scattered places in the next 24 hours.The minimum temperature in Lahore is expected at 15°C while the maximum temperature is predicted at 23°C for the next 24 hours.

Tharparkar: Poverty, shortage of fodder force mass exodus

Posted:

THARPARKAR (Dunya News) – The residents of different areas of Tharparkar, including Mitthi, Islamkot, Diploo and Chhachhro, are migrating towards other parts of Sindh due to draught, poverty and shortage of fodder, Dunya News reported.Families including women and children along with livestock can be seen on the main Umarkot-Chhachhro highway to find a destination. Thar has been completely dry so far. And even if it rains it will have zero impact on the dying crop, and the livestock in the area. As a result severe draught, the families are now moving towards other parts of Sindh

Karachi: Report on security risks to shrines prepared

Posted:

KARACHI (Dunya News) – The law enforcement agencies have prepared a comprehensive report on the security risks faced by shrines and tombs in different parts of Karachi, Dunya News reported on Monday.The 18-page report indentified 200 shrines and tombs in the city which are facing security risks. According to details, out of 200 shrines and tombs, 71 are situated in District East, 48 in District South, five in District West, 48 in District Central and 25 in Malir.It was also revealed in the report that some of the shrines and tombs in the city are under the control of drug peddlers while use of cannabis and hashish is common at some places.The report also recommended that action be taken against the drug peddlers at certain shrines. It was also recommended that security arrangement should be made in and around all shrines in the city on Thursdays.

Football: Hazard and Costa restore Chelsea's 10-point lead

Posted:

LONDON (AFP) - Eden Hazards dazzling goal inspired Chelsea to a 2-1 victory at West Ham United on Monday as Antonio Contes side restored their 10-point advantage in the Premier League.Hazard finished off a lightning counter-attack in the 25th minute and Diego Costas 49th league goal for Chelsea rubber-stamped victory before Manuel Lanzini belatedly replied in stoppage time.I think we played a good game, Chelsea manager Conte told Sky Sports.We controlled the game. Its a pity for the goal we conceded at the end. To give away a clean sheet at the end is not good.We must improve in this situation. But Im pleased. We showed great concentration and commitment and will to win.With Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City having won at the weekend, this was a test of Chelseas nerve, but their assured display suggested there will be few bumps on the road to the title.Hazard, in particular, brimmed with self-belief, at one point using his back to play a showy pass to NGolo Kante, while Costa took his tally for the season to 18 goals in all competitions.West Ham had won 2-1 when the sides last met in the League Cup in October, but Lanzinis late strike gave the final score at London Stadium a slightly misleading gloss for the home side.Chelsea are where they are for a reason, said West Ham manager Slaven Bilic, whose team remain 11th in the table.To beat them, you need them to make mistakes, not the other way round.Andy Carrolls return after a month out with a groin injury gave Bilics men a welcome attacking focal point and they looked for the towering striker at every opportunity.Robert Snodgrass and Lanzini curled a succession of testing crosses into the Chelsea box, but the visitors withstood the aerial onslaught before taking the lead in ruthless fashion.All it took was a misplaced Mark Noble pass to set Chelsea off, with Kante intercepting the loose ball before ferrying a pass down the left touchline to Hazard, who moved it infield to Pedro.No sooner had he released the ball than Hazard was darting in behind the West Ham defence.Pedros pass found the Belgian and he nudged the ball wide of advancing goalkeeper Darren Randolph before steering a shot into the vacant net for his 11th goal of the season.In a troubling moment, an irate male West Ham fan in a black anorak and jeans vaulted the advertising hoardings and attempted to confront Hazard as he celebrated, but was held back by stewards.It took until the 40th minute for West Ham to muster an attempt worthy of the name, Lanzini swapping passes with Noble and blazing over.They were fortunate to reach the interval only a goal behind after Chelsea spurned three clear-cut chances in rapid succession.Hazards cross was completely missed by Costa, Victor Moses saw an effort blocked by a stretching Aaron Cresswell and Pedros follow-up was palmed away by Randolph.Costa atoned for his miscue five minutes into the second half by doubling Chelseas lead, guiding the ball into the net with his knee after Cesc Fabregass corner had glanced off Pedro Obiangs head.Marcos Alonso threatened to kill West Ham off for good moments later when he danced past Jose Fonte and dinked a shot wide.But it proved the precursor to the hosts strongest period of the match.Carroll curled in an effort that brushed the roof netting, Snodgrass worried Thibaut Courtois with a cross-shot and Fonte headed wide moments after Moses had blocked from Sofiane Feghouli.Conte stiffened his midfield in response, sending on Nemanja Matic for Pedro and switching to a 5-3-2 configuration.The switch succeeded in snuffing out the hosts revival and although Lanzini halved the arrears with a low drive, after Randolph had saved from Costa at the other end, victory never looked in doubt.

Football: Ronaldo, Bale back for Champions League clash

Posted:

MADRID (AFP) - Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale were named Monday in Real Madrids Champions League squad for the last-16 second-leg tie against Napoli after missing the weekend win over Eibar.Four-time Ballon dOr winner Ronaldo was sidelined with an injury which coach Zinedine Zidane described as nothing serious. Also back in the squad for Tuesdays clash is Welshman Bale after completing a one-match ban.Both were absent from Saturdays 4-1 victory at Eibar in which Karim Benzema and James Rodriguez were outstanding, giving Zidane a selection headache.The Real coach left a host of other first-team regulars on the bench at Eibar.Yet, not for the first time Real looked more balanced and dominant without many of their star players.Reigning European champions Real lead Napoli 3-1 going into the second leg in Italy and tipped as favourites for a quarter-final berth.Meanwhile, Zinedine Zidane has warned Napoli there will be no let up for 90 minutes when Real Madrid look to seal their seventh successive qualification for the Champions League quarter-finals.After a 3-1 defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu last month, Napoli host the 11-time European champions Tuesday dreaming of causing a major upset and securing their first berth in the last eight of Europes premier club competition. Zidane has fond memories of the San Paolo stadium having played against Napoli during a five-year spell with Juventus.But although he expects a difficult game, the former World Cup winner said Real expect one result only.It will be a difficult game, the same as it always is in the Champions League, Zidane told a packed conference in Naples on Monday.Its never easy here. Ive played here in the past. The fans always get behind the team, which is really great, but it also spurs us on as well.Were more than ready. Weve come here to win, not to try and manage the game. Well suffer, but were motivated.Credited with playing the most attractive football in Italy, Napoli made a bright start to the first leg thanks to Lorenzo Insignes audacious long-range strike in the opening minutes.But goals by Karim Benzema, Toni Kroos and Brazilian midfielder Casemiro offered a stark reminder of Reals European pedigree.Zidanes men are firmly in control and if Napoli are to go through on away goals, the Serie A side will have to do what no team has managed since Wolfsburg beat Real in a quarter-final first leg nearly a year and 46 games ago -- keep a clean sheet against the reigning Champions League winners.A fast start with an early goal -- and an all-round tight defensive display -- would ideally be required from the hosts.But Zidane appears to have covered all the bases. Obviously they will play with a lot of intensity at the start of the game. But Napoli are a team that knows how to play in different ways, added the Frenchman.Theyre strong on the counter-attack and they use the flanks well. Tomorrow its crucial we start well. But we also have to have intensity for 90 minutes.I want us to leave everything out on the pitch and play good football, but also use our heads. Zidane rested most of his key players for a 4-1 league win at Eibar at the weekend when, not for the first time, his Galacticos looked more balanced and dominant without many of their big stars, including Cristiano Ronaldo (injury) and Gareth Bale (suspension).Karim Benzema and James Rodriguez were outstanding in the win, giving Zidane a potential selection headache after he named Ronaldo and Bale in his matchday squad on Monday.Maurizio Sarris men are hoping a stadium packed to the rafters performs as their 12th man. Azzurri captain Marek Hamsik said earlier: Theres still everything to play for. I cant wait to get on the pitch and soak up the atmosphere. It will be a great night, for us and for Naples.We have to believe we can hurt them. Theyre a team filled with star names, but we have to take the game to them.But for the worlds most decorated football team, Napolis legendary home support is likely to make little difference.Obviously Napoli are going to be fired up, were in Italy and theyre playing at home, added Zidane.But its a game of football. Its 11 players versus 11, and our motivation is intact.

Tennis: Murray tightens grip on world no.1 ranking

Posted:

PARIS (AFP) - Andy Murray tightened his grip on top spot in the latest ATP world rankings released Monday following his Dubai Tennis Championships win.Murray, 29, beat Fernando Verdasco in straight sets in the final while his rivals both suffered setbacks. Number two Novak Djokovic slipped up on the hard courts of Acapulco, where he was beaten in the quarter-finals by Nick Kyrgios, while Stan Wawrinka, in third place, fell at the first hurdle in Dubai against lowly Bosnian Damir Dzumhur.Latest rankings:1. Andy Murray (GBR) 12,040 pts2. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 9,8253. Stan Wawrinka (SUI) 5,1954. Milos Raonic (CAN) 5,0805. Kei Nishikori (JPN) 4,7306. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 4,4157. Marin Cilic (CRO) 3,590 8. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) 3,480 9. Dominic Thiem (AUT) 3,37510. Roger Federer (SUI) 3,30511. Gael Monfils (FRA) 3,28012. David Goffin (BEL) 3,24513. Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 2,92514. Tomas Berdych (CZE) 2,83515. Lucas Pouille (FRA) 2,42116. Nick Kyrgios (AUS) 2,255 17. Roberto Bautista (ESP) 2,19018. Jack Sock (USA) 2,06019. Richard Gasquet (FRA) 1,92020. Alexander Zverev (GER) 1,895.

Asian Games: Indonesia faces 'huge' challenges, says OCA

Posted:

JAKARTA (AFP) - The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) warned Monday that Indonesia faces huge challenges to prepare for the 2018 Asian Games, criticising a lack of coordination between different bodies organising the event.Jakarta was awarded the games in 2014 after the original host Vietnam withdrew due to financial problems, but the late decision meant the Indonesians had four years to prepare instead of the usual six.Officials insist everything will run smoothly but fears are mounting of a repeat of the 2011 Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia, when some venues werent ready on time and two people died in a stampede at the football final.After a three-day visit by an OCA delegation to check on preparations, the organisations director general Husain Al-Musallam said there was some progress, particularly in the city of Palembang, which is co-hosting the games with Jakarta.But he added: The challenge in front of the organising committee is huge.He said the challenge they have is the cooperation between themselves, between the different departments.He said the bodies involved in organising the worlds biggest multi-sport event after the Olympics -- from those building the venues, to the broadcasters, to those who install the lights -- were not talking to each other.The official said he thought that venues would be ready on time, but was still concerned about the lack of coordination.However Gatot Dewa Broto, secretary of Indonesias sports ministry, insisted there was no issue.We dont have any problem with coordination, he told AFP, adding that President Joko Widodo personally leads regular cabinet meetings to discuss preparations for the Asian Games.He added authorities were pushing to ensure major venues in Jakarta were ready by the end of October, in time to hold a series of test events. The OCA also announced Monday that the maximum number of sports at the forthcoming Asian Games would be 42 and the maximum number of events would be 484. The number could be reduced and cricket, paragliding and jetski may be axed depending on a number of issues related to the sports Asian federations, the OCA said.The 18th Asian Games will run from August 18 to September 2 next year. Indonesia last staged the event in 1962, in Jakarta.

Former world champion Fury says will fight again in May

Posted:

LONDON (Reuters) - Britains former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has said he will make a comeback against an unnamed opponent in May, even though he is under a provisional suspension from the sport.Breaking news. Return of the MAC. May 13th, working on an opponent, more news to follow, he tweeted on Monday.The 28-year-old has not fought since beating Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko to become world champion in November 2015, subsequently pulling out of a rematch twice.He vacated his WBO and WBA belts last year, revealing he was seeking medical help, after telling Rolling Stone magazine that he had taken cocaine to help his depression.Furys licence was suspended pending further investigation by the British Boxing Board of Control.He was also charged with a rule violation by UK Anti-Doping after a urine sample from February 2015 showed traces of the banned stimulant nandrolone. He has denied any wrongdoing.A provisional UKAD suspension was lifted on appeal but Fury faces an anti-doping tribunal, though no date has been set.

Bangladesh skipper targets new Galle run fest

Posted:

GALLE (AFP) - Skipper Mushfiqur Rahim urged Bangladeshs batsmen to fill their boots again when they begin their Test series against Sri Lanka today (Tuesday) on a ground where they made history last time round.Bangladesh scored 638 in their first innings of the 2013 match in the southern city of Galle, their highest total in their 17-year Test history -- holding the hosts to a rare draw in the process.Mushfiqur became the first Bangladeshi to score a double century and Mohammad Ashraful struck 190 in that match as the Test minnows took a surprise first-innings lead after Sri Lanka had declared on 570-4.It was the first time Sri Lanka had failed to win a Test against Bangladesh, although Bangladesh later managed another draw against the islanders in Chittagong in 2014.Mushfiqur said the wicket being used for this weeks Test may not quite yield the total of 1,613 runs scored over the course of the five days in 2013. But it should still be a pleasure to bat on.The heat might help break down the wicket faster but if the batsmen apply themselves, there are plenty of runs available, he told reporters on the eve of the first Test.It is probably a bit different than the 2013 Test but it is still a nice wicket to bat on, although I think there will be something for the quicks in the first two days.Mushfiqur said he had fond memories of Galle but added that Sri Lankas line-up would bear little resemblance to the 2013 team, with the exception of veteran spinner Rangana Herath who will captain the hosts.It is always a nice feeling to have achieved something as an individual and a team but it is a new game, and it looks like a new Sri Lanka attack apart from Rangana, he said.Herath, who is captaining the hosts in place of regular skipper Angelo Mathews, said confidence was sky high in the Sri Lankan camp after their last home series ended in a 3-0 victory over AustraliaAlso we have done well in Galle historically, said Herath of a venue where Sri Lanka have won their last three Tests. Herath said the absence of Mathews, who returned home early from the recent tour of South Africa with an injury, was a big blow but the hosts were in confident mood having prepared as well as we could.After the match in Galle, the sides play a second and final Test in Colombo before embarking on a series of ODI and Twenty20 contests.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)