Wednesday, 31 May 2017

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Under custody accused killed during alleged police torture

Posted:

LAHORE (Dunya News) – An under custody accused was killed in alleged police torture at the Manawan Police Station, Dunya News reported on Wednesday.According to details, accused Saleem and Anayat were under custody of Manawan Investigation Police Wing in connection with kidnapping of 14-year-old girl Mussarat where Anayat died mysteriously.Heirs of the deceased said that police tortured and killed Anayat during investigation. On the other hand, police said that Saleem and Anayat were released after initial investigation after which Anayat’s condition deteriorated.Saleem took Anayat to a local hospital where he died. Police have shifted the dead body to Mayo Hospital for autopsy.

PM Nawaz's sons to appear before JIT today

Posted:

ISLAMABAD (Dunya NewaThe Joint Investigation Team (JIT) formed to probe the Panama Papers evidence has ordered Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz, sons of Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif to appear before the probe committee today (Thursday) over Panama Leaks case.Sources privy to Federal Judicial Academy have reported that Hussain Nawaz would hand over certain documents to the probe committee tomorrow.Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) had ordered formation of a JIT to probe premier’s and his family’s assets in Panama Leaks verdict that was delivered in April.A committee, led by an official of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) was headquartered in Federal Judicial Academy following the orders of filing a report within two months.Hussain Nawaz had appeared before the JIT consecutively on May 29 and May 30. While talking to the media on Tuesday before departing from the academy, Nawaz claimed that the no unlawful activity would be proved against his father or the family.

Complaint seeking registration of case against Nehal Hashmi lodged

Posted:

LAHORE (Dunya News) – According to details, two local lawyers Saqib Gujar and Asin Tarar have lodged a complaint at the Old Anarkali Police Station seeking registration of a case against Nehal Hashmi over his threatening speech.Nehal Hashmi of PML-N during his speech had threatened the members of the joint investigation team (JIT) and Supreme Court judges of dire consequences after their retirement for probing Sharif family in connection with Panama Papers case.Dunya News has obtained copy of the complaint filed in the Old Anarkali Police Station. The complainants have demanded registration of a case against Nehal Hashmi.

Karachi: Rangers chalk out strategy to protect citizens during Ramazan

Posted:

KARACHI (Dunya News) - Sindh Rangers have chalked out new strategy for the protection to citizens in Karachi during the holy month of Ramazan, Dunya News reported.Sindh Rangers have introduced Rangers Police Force which will conduct searches as snap checking in different areas of the city. Rangers Police Force will also perform duty in residential areas and streets.The Rangers Police Force will also set up check posts at all main roads of the city, near mosques and sensitive installations and will also carry out snap checking.

'We're getting better too,' Mortaza warns England

Posted:

LONDON (AFP) - Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza accepted England were a far better side than the one his team knocked out of the 2015 World Cup but insisted the Tigers had improved too ahead of their Champions Trophy opener.Tournament hosts England and Bangladesh launch the Champions Trophy, a mini World Cup featuring crickets leading eight one-day international sides, at the Oval on Thursday.Both teams are set to feature several survivors from Bangladeshs 15-run win at Adelaide which condemned England to a woeful first-round exit from the last World Cup.It was a result that led England to completely revamp their approach to the white-ball game.But it was also an indication of how Bangladesh were more than just a team to be respected in sub-continental conditions, something they emphasised with wins over New Zealand and Ireland in a triangular warm-up tournament in Dublin this month.We just recently beat New Zealand in Ireland, Mortaza told reporters at the Oval on Wednesday.It was some encouragement for Bangladesh after a 2016/17 tour of New Zealand where they were beaten in all formats.We couldnt win any matches, but the thing is, we played really good cricket, said Mortaza. Its just we couldnt finish well, thats it.Mortaza, also Bangladeshs captain in Adelaide, played down the significance of that result by telling reporters at the Oval on Wednesday: Look, it was a long time back. And after then, England is a totally different team. The way they are playing, if you look at the last two years, their performance, they win almost everything. And especially at home, they are a serious side.However, Mortaza added: But we know that we are also a better side; that we are a very improving side.We have some experience. If you look at our side, at least four or five players have been playing cricket together the last 10, 12 years, more than 10, 12 years. That is the most important thing.The other thing also, is that we have some exciting youngsters like Mustafizur and Sabbir Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, those players are also in our side.Bangladesh were shot out for 84 by Champions Trophy title-holders India at the Oval on Tuesday in a crushing warm-up defeat.You know, 84 obviously doesnt look good, said Mortaza. I hope that the batters will understand their role and not to think about much about yesterday (Tuesday).I think we can handle tomorrow (Thursday) especially.

England's Roy gets Morgan backing

Posted:

LONDON (AFP) - England captain Eoin Morgan gave struggling opener Jason Roy a huge vote of confidence on the eve of the Champions Trophy by guaranteeing his place for the tournament.Roy has been out for single-figure scores in four of his last five one-day internationals and hasnt made a fifty in his last 11 innings in all cricket.England launch the Champions Trophy, a tournament featuring the worlds top eight ODI sides, against Bangladesh at the Oval, Roys Surrey home ground, on Thursday.But even if the dashing 26-year-old, who has an ODI strike-rate of over 102 but an average of 36, does not come good against the Tigers, Morgan is determined to stick with him.The decision remains the same throughout the tournament, Morgan told reporters at the Oval on Wednesday. Jason Roy is part of our strong opening partnership with Alex Hales. Hell definitely play.England collapsed to 20 for six in their final pre-tournament one-day international against South Africa at Lords on Monday.Jonny Bairstow spared England total embarrassment in seven-wicket defeat by the Proteas with a fine 51 -- his third fifty in his last four ODIs.Bairstow has also opened in white-ball cricket for Yorkshire and there are many who believe the England Test wicket-keeper is worthy of becoming an ODI regular, even as a batsman only.But Morgan said of Bairstow: He will miss out unfortunately. Its been the case like that for the last couple of years. Hes been very good when hes come in, but each and every one of us within the batting department has had ups and downs over the years.England have made huge progress in ODI cricket since Bangladesh knocked them out of the 2015 World Cup in a dramatic match at Adelaide, with their now dynamic approach leading many pundits to make them favourites for the Champions Trophy.Former Ireland batsman said not chopping and changing had been key to Englands recent white-ball success.One of the strongest parts of reinforcing the way that we play and the freedom in which we play with is backing that up with selection, he explained.Asked if Roys place would be under threat if he didnt come good in the first couple of group games, Morgan replied: I cannot see it (Roys position) changing.Morgan cited Roys role in helping England reach the final of last years World Twenty20 in India -- where they lost to the West Indies in Kolkata -- as proof of how he could come good in a tournament.He hadnt gotten runs in a warm-up game against New Zealand, and then was a huge part of us getting to the final of that T20 tournament, Morgan recalled.If we want our players to play cagey or without freedom, yes, we would change things and probably half of us wouldnt be here.Jason really epitomises the way we play; the aggression in which he plays, he always plays for the team, and he plays in a manner that is dictated with that. Hes a very important part of our side.All-rounder Ben Stokes only bowled five overs during Englands 2-1 series win against South Africa and didnt play the third match at Lords because of a knee injury.Stokes bowled on the outfield during Englands training session at The Oval on Wednesday and Morgan said: We will see how he pulls up tomorrow (Thursday) to see how much he will bowl. But I certainly see him bowling.Morgan, however, having seen Stokes hit a series -winning hundred against the Proteas at Southampton on Saturday, said England would be prepared to play him as a batsman only.Absolutely. Its a very strange injury in that its only in his delivery stride that he feels the pain.So if given he couldnt bowl, I still think hed make great contributions with the bat and in the field.

Shareholders vote for ExxonMobil transparency on climate impact

Posted:

NEW YORK, May 31, 2017 (AFP) - ExxonMobils shareholders voted decisively Wednesday to push the oil giant to test how the fight against global warming could affect its business, handing a victory to environmentalists at a critical juncture for climate policy worldwide.The proposal, backed by 62.3 percent of shareholders, urges Exxon to come clean on what tougher public policies -- in line with the Paris accord on curbing global emissions -- would mean for its portfolio.The advisory vote came as President Donald Trump weighs whether to pull the United States out of the Paris agreement.Exxon chief executive Darren Woods, who praised the Paris accord but argued the shareholder proposal was unnecessary, said the oil giant would consider its policy position in light of the vote.Exxon has for years successfully beaten back previous shareholder votes on climate change, but some leading institutional investors signaled they were considering changing their stance following pressure from activist investors.Environmentalists have argued that Exxons petroleum-dominated portfolio could become uneconomic under tougher climate policies, and the company has not thoroughly analyzed this risk. They call on Exxon to invest more in renewable energy and less in oil.The proposal, submitted by the New York State Common Retirement Fund, seeks an annual assessment of Exxons assets under different policy scenarios, including those that limit temperature increases to under two degrees Celsius, consistent with the 2015 Paris accord.Exxon had argued that its planning already took into account the possibility for stricter climate policies and that oil would remain a vital source of global energy for years to come, even under the toughest policy scenarios.Woods said during his presentation at the meeting, that even under the Paris accords, some $11 trillion in new oil investment would be needed.

CNN fires comedian over decapitated Trump photo

Posted:

NEW YORK (AFP) - US television network CNN on Wednesday fired a comedian from its annual New Years Eve coverage after she provoked outrage for being photographed holding up a prop depicting Donald Trumps bloodied severed head.The US president castigated Kathy Griffin saying she should be ashamed of herself for the grisly-looking photograph. My children, especially my 11 year old son, Barron, are having a hard time with this. Sick he tweeted.The photo in questionGriffin, 56, who had co-hosted CNNs annual New Years Eve coverage for the last decade, apologized on Tuesday and said she had asked the celebrity photographer Tyler Shields to remove the picture from the internet.But it was not enough to save her job with CNN.CNN has terminated our agreement with Kathy Griffin to appear on our New Years Eve program, its communications division announced on Twitter.The network had said earlier it was evaluating its New Years Eve coverage and called the picture disgusting and offensive.First Lady Melania Trump also criticized the outspoken Trump critic, who has twice won Emmys for her reality show My Life on the D List.As a mother, a wife, and a human being, that photo is very disturbing, the presidents wife said in a rare statement.When you consider some of the atrocities happening in the world today, a photo opportunity like this is simply wrong and makes you wonder about the mental health of the person who did it, she added.In a 31-second video posted to social media late Tuesday Griffin said: I beg for your forgiveness. I went too far. I made a mistake and I was wrong.Trumps eldest son Donald Jr, who runs the family business in New York, and Mitt Romney, the defeated 2012 Republican presidential nominee, were among those conservatives who slammed the photograph.Our politics have become too base, too low & too vulgar, but Kathy Griffins post descends into an even more repugnant & vile territory, Romney tweeted.Even Trump critics vented disapproval.It is never funny to joke about killing a president, tweeted Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of Trumps former election rival Hillary.I think she was thinking she was making some artistic statement, but that image has no place in our political dialogue, Al Franken, Democratic Senator from Minnesota and a former comedian on long-running television show Saturday Night Live, told MSNBC.The Secret Service said it would look into the incident, posting on Twitter that threats against protectees receive the highest priority of all of our investigations.Squatty Potty, a Utah-based bathroom products company, suspended an advertising campaign featuring Griffin, calling the picture deeply inappropriate.

Malaysia Airlines plane turns back after 'bomb threat'

Posted:

SYDNEY, May 31, 2017 (AFP) - A Malaysia Airlines flight was forced to return to Melbourne airport Wednesday after a passenger tried to force his way into the cockpit claiming he had a bomb, officials said.Malaysian Deputy Transport Minister Abdul Aziz Kaprawi said the passenger, who he identified as a Sri Lankan national, appeared to have been drunk and was overpowered by the planes crew and later arrested by airport security in Melbourne.It is not a hijack. One disruptive passenger tried to enter the planes cockpit, he told AFP.The passenger... claimed to have a bomb. But it was not a bomb but a powerbank, Aziz said.Everyone on board is safe... He was taken out of the plane handcuffed by Australian security officers.Kuala Lumpur-bound Flight MH128 departed Melbourne at 11:11pm (1311 GMT) on Wednesday but turned back shortly afterwards when a man allegedly threatened those on board, Australian police said.It is alleged that a man tried to enter the cockpit and threatened the safety of passengers and staff, Victoria state police said in a statement, but added that he did not gain entry to the cockpit and was subdued.Passengers are currently exiting the plane and speaking to investigators, police said.A passenger sitting in business class, who identified himself as Andy, told Melbourne commercial radio station 3AW the man threatened to blow the plane up.The staff were saying Sit back down sir, sit back down sir. He goes No, Im not going to sit back down, Im going to blow the plane up, Andy told 3AW.The staff screamed out I need some help, I need some help. So I jumped up, undid my buckle, and approached him.Andy said the man ran to the back of the plane, where two other men grabbed and disarmed him of a giant black thing and put hog ties on him.Malaysia Airlines said the passengers would be put up at hotels and offered another flight.The incident came just months after Canberra called off the search for missing flight MH370 carrying 239 passengers and crew, after a vast underwater hunt off Australias west coast failed to find the plane.MH370 disappeared in March 2014, while another passenger jet, MH17, was shot down in July of the same year while flying over Ukraine in twin tragedies to hit Malaysias national carrier.

A real scorcher: NASA probe to fly into sun's atmosphere

Posted:

MIAMI (AFP) - A new NASA mission aims to brush by the sun, coming closer than any spacecraft in history to its scorching heat and radiation in order to reveal how stars are made, the US space agency said Wednesday.After liftoff from Kennedy Space Center in Florida in July 2018, the Parker Solar Probe will become the first to fly directly into the suns atmosphere, known as the corona.The plan for the unmanned spacecraft is to orbit within 3.9 million miles (6.3 million kilometers) of the suns surface.Temperatures in that region exceed 2,500 Fahrenheit (1,377 Celsius), for which the spacecraft is equipped with a 4.5-inch-thick (11.43 cm) carbon-composite shield.Roughly the size of a small car, the probe will make seven flybys of the sun over a seven-year period, in what NASA described as a mission of extremes.Traveling at a speed of 430,000 mph, the spacecraft will move fast -- like going from New York City to Tokyo in less than a minute.Scientists hope its data will improve forecasts of solar storms and space weather events that affect life on Earth, satellites and astronauts in space.Time for a visitThe spacecraft will measure plasma waves and high-energy particles, and carry a white light imager to capture images of the structures through which it is flying, according to Nicola Fox, mission project scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland.We will brush closely by it, she said at an event in Chicago to unveil the mission, which NASA has touted as promising to provide humanitys closest-ever observations of a star.You can learn so much from looking out the window, Fox said. You can see the sun is shining, you can see the birds are singing. But until you actually go out, you have no idea quite how hot it is out there or how windy it is, or what the conditions are like.I think we have really come as far as we can with looking at things and now it is time to go up and pay it a visit, she added.A 20-day launch window for the spacecrafts liftoff atop a Delta IV Heavy rocket opens July 31, 2018.Re-named after astrophysicistInitially called Solar Probe Plus, the mission was renamed after the astrophysicist Eugene Parker, 89, professor emeritus at the University of Chicago.He published the first paper to describe solar wind -- the high-speed matter and magnetism constantly escaping the sun -- in 1958.This is the first time NASA has named a spacecraft for a living individual, said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASAs Science Mission Directorate in Washington.Its a testament to the importance of his body of work, founding a new field of science that also inspired my own research and many important science questions NASA continues to study and further understand every day.Parker, who is days away from his 90th birthday, described the mission as very exciting.One would like to have some more detailed measurements of whats going on in the solar wind, he said.Im sure that there will be some surprises, he added. There always are.

Modi urges Spanish firms to invest in India

Posted:

MADRID (AFP) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday urged Spanish firms to invest in India, saying the fast-growing countrys massive infrastructure programme offered them many opportunities.India is an enormous country and it offers many opportunities to Spanish firms in all sectors, he said before holding talks with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in Madrid.The two countries notably signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of cyber security during Modis visit as well as a prisoner exchange agreement.Spanish firms are well positioned to take advantage of a massive infrastructure programme which his government has launched, Modi said in an interview published in Spanish business daily Expansion.India plans to build six large ports, 250 new airports and 27,000 kilometres (16,800 miles) of highway, and modernise 400 train stations by 2025, he said.The country has also bet strongly on renewable energy.As a signatory to the Paris Agreement on climate change, India is committed to ensuring that at least 40 percent of its electricity will be generated from non-fossil-fuel sources by 2030.Spanish firms are global leaders in sectors that are a priority for us. We want to attract tourism, infrastructure, energy and defence firms, he told the newspaper.After holding talks with Rajoy, Modi met with the heads of top Spanish firms behind closed doors to encourage them to explore investment opportunities in India, the worlds fastest-growing major economy.Renewable energy groups Abengoa and Gamesa, infrastructure firm Acciona, train maker Talgo, state-owned shipbuilder Navantia and technology company Indra were among the firms represented.Modi, who arrived in Spain late on Tuesday from Germany, his first stop on a four-nation Europe tour, also met with King Felipe VI before departing for Russia.His tour also leads him to France -- but not to former colonial power Britain.Britain, which is set to leave the EU by 2019, wants to boost trade with India, which is meanwhile also trying to revive stalled, decade-old trade talks with the EU.Spain is Indias seventh largest trading partner in the European Union.Two-way trade totalled 4.72 billion euros ($5.27 billion) in 2016, an 8.5 percent increase over the previous year, of which Spanish exports made up nearly 1.26 billion euros.The number of Spanish firms that operate in India has risen to over 230 currently from just 70 in 2008.Our bilateral relations are becoming more and more intense. I hope this visit spurs deeper ties between our two countries, Rajoy said.It was the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Spain since the late Narashima Rao travel to the country in 1992.

England and Bangladesh aim to banish batting blues

Posted:

LONDON (AFP) - England and Bangladesh will look for a return to form from their top-order batsmen when they launch the Champions Trophy at the Oval on Thursday.On Monday, across London at Lords, England collapsed to 20 for six in five overs -- the worst start in one-day international history -- against the South Africa new-ball duo of Kagiso Rabada and Wayne Parnell.It certainly was a wake-up call in the fact that you need to be able to adapt in different circumstances, England captain Eoin Morgan told reporters at the Oval on Wednesday.Even in June, early morning cloud cover that aids swing is often a key part of English cricket conditions.At Lords, a green-tinged pitch did not find favour with Morgan but even on more placid surfaces the issue of how best to bat under grey skies, which can often set in all day in England, remains.England were already an unbeatable 2-0 up in the three-match series against South Africa and although Morgan was glad the reverse had come before the Champions Trophy rather than during the tournament, it remains a worry.Bangladesh highlighted the issue of under-performing openers in dramatic style by collapsing to 84 all out in reply to Champions Trophy title-holders Indias 324 for seven in their final warm-up match at the Oval on Tuesday.Defeat by 240 runs was certainly not what they wanted.You know, 84 obviously doesnt look good, said Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza.You have to think what the mistake was, so I think we can handle tomorrow especially.- Huge upward curve -=======================The Champions Trophy opener is set to feature several survivors on both sides from Bangladeshs 2015 World Cup win over England, when a hundred from Mahmudullah and aggressive seam bowling propelled the Tigers to a memorable success at the Adelaide Oval.That defeat knocked England out of the World Cup and led them to adopt a far more aggressive approach to the one-day game that, blips like Monday apart, has served them well in the intervening two years.Since then, weve been on a huge upward curve, and weve been tremendously lucky in the fact we have had a group of players that have bought into a way of playing and enjoyed it, and executed extremely well, said Morgan.At no stage have we second-guessed ourselves or the direction that were going in, and thats very powerful as a group I think.But Mortaza said Bangladesh had it in them to spring a surprise.The thing is that we all know that on a given day we can beat anybody. But we have to start well.He added: England are a very good side. Joe Root, Jason Roy, obviously captain Eoin Morgan is in good form, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler.But again, its cricket and anything can happen in the game. So you never know.Bangladesh come into the Champions Trophy bolstered by warm-up wins over New Zealand and Ireland in Dublin this month.Whatever you have done in the past gives you a little bit of confidence, but then you have to start again, said Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusinghe, the former Sri Lanka batsman.So whatever we do first against England, we need to start well and thats what we are focusing on.

Iran TV uses green screen to bypass headscarf rules

Posted:

TEHRAN, May 31, 2017 (AFP) - For Iranian viewers sitting down for this years primetime historical drama during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, there was a shock: you could see womens hair.The directors trick: popping across the border to neighbouring Armenia to film women without headscarves in front of a green screen and then super-imposing them into the background of Iranian scenes.This is a technical achievement for our cinema and television that can be of service in future, director Jalil Saman said in Wednesdays Haft-e Sobh newspaper.The month of Ramadan, which started on Saturday, is always a showcase for high-profile TV serials and this year it is Samans Nafas (or Breath), about a nurse being dragged into the revolutionary tumult of the late 1970s, that has garnered the most attention.Iranian TV can show foreign films with unscarved women -- although too much leg or cleavage gets blurred out or hidden behind a digitally inserted object such as a lamp.But local programmes must normally abide by strict rules in which no female hair can be shown, even for historical dramas or scenes set in a family home where real-life women do not cover their heads.Saman said it would have been absurd to show everyone in a headscarf since the show is set before the Islamic revolution of 1979 when women were free to wear whatever they wanted.Shows set during that period are usually ruined, he told Haft-e Sobh, because they cannot show how things really looked.They give the impression that Islam was followed more before the revolution than today, he said.We have only shown a part of how it was before the revolution but some cannot even tolerate this.Saman said he was refused permission by the censors to use actresses in wigs, a trick used for several high-profile shows in the past.The other popular option -- having women in hats with scarves wrapped around their ears and neck -- was ridiculous he added.So instead Saman turned to green screening, in which actresses are filmed in front of a green background that can be digitally removed and the character inserted into other scenes.Iranian film-makers must obtain three separate authorisations: for the script, filming and release.But the authorities admit that a majority of Iranians now own a satellite dish -- even though they are technically illegal -- beaming in uncensored programming from all over the world.It is part of the steady erosion of strict Islamic rules -- in practice, if not in theory -- that has also seen headscarves pushed further and further back, especially in wealthier parts of Tehran.President Hassan Rouhani won a resounding re-election victory this month, promising a further easing of social restrictions, although he faces considerable opposition from the clerical establishment.

Ukraine doctor pioneering 'three-parent' babies

Posted:

KIEV (AFP) - A 34-year-old woman tried to have a baby for 15 years before she turned to a pioneering doctor in Ukraine and a groundbreaking but ethically disputed three-parent procedure.She became the mother of a healthy baby boy in January at a private clinic in Kiev using a process called pronuclear transfer that inserts the couples genes into a donors egg.The procedure had been previously used to treat serious genetic diseases.But doctor Valeriy Zukin become the first to use it to help two separate infertile couples have children in this way.There are patients whom we cannot help to have their own genetically-related baby unless we use this method, the 60-year-old told AFP at his Nadiya clinic.Some two million women across the globe use in vitro fertilisation (IVF) to get pregnant every year.But Zukins treatment targets a tiny percentage of women whose embryos suffer from a disorder called embryo arrest that can either stunt development or kill them.The difference in the method Zukin uses is that a womans egg is first fertilised with her partners sperm.Then its nucleus is transferred to a donors egg that has been stripped of its own nucleus.The egg is thus almost entirely made up of genetic material from the couple -- plus a tiny amount (about 0.15 percent) from the female donors DNA.Need for cautionNot everyone however shares Zukins enthusiasm.Ukraines conservative clerics argue that the technique breaches ethical norms.A child can only have two parents and the presence of a third person -- and especially the DNA of a third person -- is morally unacceptable, Father Feodosiy of the dominant Ukrainian Orthodox Church told AFP.It violates the sanctity of the marriage between woman and man.Other religions have also weighed in on the issue with the Roman Catholic Church opposing the move because it would involve the destruction of human embryos as part of the process. The Church of England has said ethical concerns have not been sufficiently addressed.Even some scientists have reservations.They warn against jumping to early conclusions about how successful the method would be if it were to be applied to the general population.We cannot talk about its wide use yet, Larysa Tumanova, a professor at Kievs Institute of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, told AFP.First, we have to monitor the newborns health until they turn at least three, she said.Other experts point out that the three-parent technique -- a different form of which has also produced a baby in Mexico -- was initially being developed for those at very high risk of passing on serious genetic diseases.Line of hopeful mumsZukin strongly defends the work at his clinic.We explain the essence of the method to each patient, he says. We report possible risks.And there is currently a line of hopeful mothers ready to pay the 12,000 euros ($13,100) it takes to undergo the pronuclear transfer procedure.We have patients from Poland, the Netherlands, Denmark, France, Israel, Portugal and Brazil, he says.Zukin thinks between 10,000 and 20,000 women a year could potentially be candidates for using the method to conceive -- a figure large enough to seek out a foreign partnership that could study how best to use this technique.His health centre is now working with Chinas Shanghai University to determine the genetic causes of abnormalities in embryo development at an early stage.I hope that through joint efforts, we will be able to find in a more targeted way those whom this method will help, Zukin says.

Daniyal questions relaxation given to Imran Khan

Posted:

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – PML-N leader Daniyal Aziz has on Wednesday questioned the relaxation given by Supreme Court to PTI Chairman Imran Khan, reported Dunya News.While talking to media after the hearing of party funding case against PTI Chairman, Daniyal Aziz let it be known that Imran will have to utter hundreds of lies in order to cover for one lie.He was of the opinion as to why there has been no JIT inquiry against Imran Khan as yet despite of the fact that PTI Chairman has been declared as most wanted by the court.Daniyal also revealed that Imran Khan has also been indulged in contempt of court.PML-N leader Tallal Chaudhry expressed at the occasion that Imran Khan should atleast stick to his own words.He professed that on one side, Imran Khan says that giving evidence is Sharif’s family duty while on the other hand, when Hanif Abbassi files a petition, Imran backtracks while expressing that it’s not his job to come up with evidence.Tallal also accused that Imran is indulged in money laundering and tax evasion.
Posted by at No comments:

Tuesday, 30 May 2017

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Lahore: 6 suspects arrested in police search operation

Posted:

LAHORE (Dunya News) – At least six suspects were taken into custody during police search operation in Shafiqabad area of Lahore on Tuesday, Dunya News reported.Police carried out search operation in the localities near Bund Road. Police also used biometric device for the identification on the residents during house-to-house search.Police arrested six suspects from the area who failed to produce any identity document. The arrested persons were shifted to police station for further investigation.

Bayliss says no turning back for 'bold' England

Posted:

LONDON (AFP) - England coach Trevor Bayliss has insisted that the tournament hosts will stick with their aggressive approach during the Champions Trophy despite a chastening defeat by South Africa.Baylisss men suffered a seven-wicket loss at Lords on Monday in their final one-day international before they launch the Champions Trophy against Bangladesh across London at the Oval on Thursday.The reverse was notable for England slumping to 20 for six in the first five overs -- the worst start by any side in ODI cricket history.Several batsmen tried to hit their way out of trouble against Kagiso Rabada and Wayne Parnell despite accurate bowling from the new-ball duo made more dangerous by cloudy skies and a green-tinged pitch.Afterwards, England captain Eoin Morgan was critical of the strip prepared at his Lords home ground.But overcast conditions, which aid swing bowling, are beyond anyones control and it may be that batsmen need to play themselves in a bit first in such circumstances, as Englands Jonny Bairstow did while top-scoring for the hosts with a fifty at Lords.Australian coach Bayliss, however, was keen Mondays reverse does not lead to a policy change given Englands impressive white-ball revival in the two years since a defeat by Bangladesh sealed their first-round exit from the 2015 World Cup.I havent seen a team win a global tournament playing defensively, said Bayliss.Its always a team that backs itself and plays bold cricket, the former Sri Lanka coach added. From that point of view the message wont change.Bayliss has also emphasised the need for consistency in selection, but that will be put to the test as England ponder whether to stick with struggling opener Jason Roy, who plays at the Oval for Surrey, or give Bairstow a shot at the top of the order instead.Englands stunning slump against South Africa featured Roys fourth single-figure score in his last five innings.By contrast, Bairstow has now scored three fifties in his last four ODI innings yet still is not an England white-ball regular.He has opened in limited overs cricket at county level, making 174 for Yorkshire against Durham this month.Bayliss, summing up Englands dilemma, said: Do you back someone whos been important to us in the last couple of years, or do you go to someone that is in form?Thats a decision we have got to make.Turning to Roy, he admitted: You worry about anyone that is out of runs.But hes been important to us in the last two years, the way he plays at the top of the order, so for us to do well in this tournament, one of the things we will need is Jason playing well.Having said that, the way Jonny is playing -- and he has shown to us this year he can play at the top of the order - were in a good position with someone who is ready and raring to go.Meanwhile Bayliss reckoned there was little to be gained from asking Roy to rein himself in.Jason is probably one of the guys who you say, If the ball is there you hit it, whether thats first or second ball, he said.Sometimes some of those players can get into a bit of a rut and start thinking about too much, rather than just keeping it nice and simple and just see the ball and hit it.England have never won a major global ODI event but Bayliss was cautiously optimistic about their Champions Trophy prospects.Weve got a chance, he said.Im not saying were outright favourites, there are a lot of good teams that can beat anyone on their day.

England trio to pioneer bat sensors in Champions Trophy

Posted:

LONDON (AFP) - England trio Jason Roy, Alex Hales and Ben Stokes will be among the players from around the world pioneering new bat sensors during the upcoming Champions Trophy, it was announced Tuesday.Technology giant Intel has developed a sensor, placed on top of the bat handle, that provides previously unseen precise details about a players bat speed and angle of back lift.The aim is to both provide more information to television audiences and, longer term, develop a coaching aid.Former England captain turned cricket broadcaster Nasser Hussain told a news conference at The Oval: How many times have we spoken about people having fast hands or great bat speed?But what does that mean? Weve never quantified it.Hussain, speaking ahead of the Champions Trophy opener between England and Bangladesh at The Oval on Thursday, said he would have benefitted had this technology been available in his career.When I first played for England, I had never really seen myself on television. I remember playing in Jamaica, getting out and walking through the hotel lobby and Geoffrey Boycott shouting at me Hussain, youll never get any runs with that open bat face.Something like this can show you the exact angle of your bat.Hussain said Roy, going through a run drought that has yielded four single figure scores in his last five one-day international innings, might gain from the new system.Take Jason Roy, struggling a little bit at the moment. Say this technology had been in place for two or three years, he could have a net tomorrow, play normally, and then take the data from two years ago and say is everything Im doing with my bat exactly the same as it was? and if you know it was, you know thats not the issue.Hussain added: There will be traditionalists thinking is this relevant?.But if it gives you that one percent to improve the game, someone will be using it.Other innovations at the Champions Trophy include the use of high-technology drones to provide more in-depth pitch analysis and a virtual reality system that allows fans to experience what its like to face the worlds best bowlers.International Cricket Council chief executive David Richardson, speaking alongside Hussain, welcomed the developments by saying: If the technology is available to enhance and amplify the cricket experience, over the years weve shown a real willingness to trial and support it.Our long-term vision is to make cricket the worlds favourite sport and really theres only one way to achieve this -- to keep the fans engaged and interested in the game.The former South Africa wicket-keeper added: Thats all about offering the fans premium content and embracing technology.

Sindh CM directs K-Electric to improve power generation system

Posted:

KARACHI (Dunya News) - Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has directed the K-Electric to improve power generation and supply system in Karachi.He also expressed his anger over prolonged power outages in Karachi. Sindh CM professed that such prolonged outages are not a fair thing to do on behalf of the federal government.Murad Ali Shah expressed that even 20 percent of K-Electric system is operational.We already warned that if K-Electric doesn’t improve its performance, problems will be created in Ramazan, Shah expressed.Murad Ali Shah also inaugurated the biggest Pediatric Emergency in Sindh government hospital Korangi.

Khalid Latif calls off boycott of PSL spot-fixing hearing

Posted:

LAHORE (Dunya News) – The suspended cricketer in PSL spot-fixing scandal has decided to call off the proceedings of PSL spot-fixing hearing.Meanwhile, the Anti-Corruption Tribunal of Pakistan Cricket Board has also approved the request of suspended cricketer to adjourn the proceedings till June 14.As per details, Khalid had emailed the tribunal while requesting that they should be allowed to advance their defence from June 14.Moreover, a statement issued by PCB Anti-Corruption Tribunal revealed that the tribunal had carefully deliberated on the matter and henceforth granted the request of the cricketer.It is worth mentioning here that Khalid Latif boycotted the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) anti-corruption tribunal earlier in May.The cricketer refused to appear before the PCB’s anti-corruption tribunal after a harsh exchange of words with the PCB’s legal counsel.

Babar Azam only Pakistani in top 10 of ICC ODI rankings

Posted:

DUBAI (Dunya News) – Babar Azam is the only cricketer from Pakistan to feature in the top 10 of the ICC Players Rankings for ODIs as he was ranked seven in the batsmans chart.The latest ODI rankings were dominated by South African cricketers.South African captain AB de Villiers topped the chart of ODI batsmen’s ranking as he was three points ahead of power hitter David Warner who ranked number 2 with 871 points.Indian skipper Virat Kohli is at number 3 position with 852 points.In the bowlers’ ranking, it was also another South African who topped the chart as only 23 points separate the top three bowlers - Rabada (724 points), Imran Tahir (722) and Mitchell Starc (701).

French player banished after Roland Garros TV kiss storm

Posted:

PARIS (AFP) - A French tennis player who tried to kiss a television reporter against her will during a live broadcast at Roland Garros was banished from the tournament on Tuesday for his reprehensible behaviour.Maxime Hamou, 21, grabbed Eurosport journalist Maly Thomas around the neck and shoulders while she interviewed him following his first round defeat on Monday.It was frankly unpleasant. If it hadnt been live on air, I would have punched him, Thomas told the French edition of the Huffington Post.Hamou, the world number 287, was subsequently banished from the Roland Garros site by organisers.The tournament directors have decided to cancel the accreditation of Maxime Hamou following his reprehensible behaviour with a journalist on Monday, said a Roland Garros statement.Source:EUROSPORTA Eurosport spokesman told AFP that Hamous actions were highly inappropriate.We sincerely regret the incident that occurred during yesterday evenings interview between Maly Thomas and Maxime Hamou. The behaviour of the interviewee was highly inappropriate and we do not condone such conduct in any way, the spokesman said.Maly is a highly respected journalist and we are pleased that a full apology is being offered. We apologise to any viewers who may have been affected.The incident echoed West Indies cricket legend Chris Gayles behaviour with a female reporter after a match in Australia in January, 2016.Gayle opted to ignore questions on the game from Network Ten journalist Mel McLaughlin and instead told her: Your eyes are beautiful, hopefully we can win this game and then we can have a drink after as well. Dont blush, baby.WATCH:

Khalid Latif calls off boycott of PSL spot-fixing hearing

Posted:

LAHORE (Dunya News) – The suspended cricketer in PSL spot-fixing scandal has decided to call off the proceedings of PSL spot-fixing hearing.Meanwhile, the Anti-Corruption Tribunal of Pakistan Cricket Board has also approved the request of suspended cricketer to adjourn the proceedings till June 14.As per details, Khalid had emailed the tribunal while requesting that they should be allowed to advance their defence from June 14.Moreover, a statement issued by PCB Anti-Corruption Tribunal revealed that the tribunal had carefully deliberated on the matter and henceforth granted the request of the cricketer.It is worth mentioning here that Khalid Latif boycotted the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) anti-corruption tribunal earlier in May.The cricketer refused to appear before the PCB’s anti-corruption tribunal after a harsh exchange of words with the PCB’s legal counsel.

Radd-ul-Fasaad: Security forces conduct IBOs in Swat, Waziristan

Posted:

RAWALPINDI (Dunya News) - Security Forces recovered huge quantity of arms and ammunition during intelligence based operations in Swat and Waziristan on Tuesday, according to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).These raids were conducted inPunga Kali village in South Waziristan Agency as well as Idak village in North Waziristan Agency. Also, intelligence-based operations were carried out in Roringar valley, Matta village in Swat and Jatgram village in Nehag Darra.The recovered weapons include SMGs,14.5 anti-aircraft gun,12.7 Guns, 303 rifles, 7 mm,12 bore rifles, pistols, IEDs along with detonators and ammunition of various calibres of different weapons.

Riyad Mahrez wants to leave Leicester

Posted:

LONDON (AFP) - Riyad Mahrez, one of the inspirations behind Leicester Citys fairytale Premier League title triumph, has told the club he wants to leave, he said in a statement released on Tuesday.Out of the huge admiration and respect I hold for Leicester City Football Club I wanted to be totally honest and transparent with them and have therefore informed the club that I feel now is the time for me to move on, Mahrez said in a statement sent to various media outlets.Mahrez, 26, was one of the stars of Leicesters 2015-16 title win and shone as they reached the Champions League quarter-finals this season, but with the club having finished 12th in the table, he now wants to move on.A source close to Mahrez told AFP the Algeria winger would only leave Leicester for a big club and had not yet received any offers.Mahrez, voted the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) Player of the Year last season, said the timing of his departure had been agreed with chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha last year.I had a good discussion with the chairman last summer and we agreed at that time that I would stay for another year in order to help the club as best as I could following the transition of winning the title and in the Champions League, Mahrez said in his statement.However, I am fiercely ambitious and feel that now is the time to move on to a new experience.Ive always enjoyed a good relationship with the chairman and everyone at the club and I hope I have been able to repay the faith shown to me by my performances and commitment on the pitch during my time here.Leicester signed Mahrez from French second-tier side Le Havre in January 2014 and he played an important role in their 2014-15 Championship promotion campaign.The slippery left-footed winger produced a series of stunning displays last season, scoring 17 goals and forming a devastating attacking tandem with Jamie Vardy as Leicester pulled off a sensational 5,000-1 title win.His form dipped this season as Leicesters form slumped, which led to the sacking of manager Claudio Ranieri, but he did find the net four times in the Champions League.Ive had the four best seasons of my career at Leicester and have loved every moment, Mahrez added.I feel immense pride to have been a part of what we have achieved during my time at the club, culminating in becoming Premier League champions.The relationship I share with the club and our amazing fans is something I will treasure forever and I truly hope they will understand and respect my decision.To date, NGolo Kante is the only member of Leicesters title-winning team to have left the King Power Stadium, the France midfielder having moved to Chelsea last year.

Earth is a jewel, says astronaut after six months away

Posted:

PARIS (AFP) - Observing Earth from 400 kilometres (250 miles) away has made astronaut Thomas Pesquet aware of the planets fragility as never before, he told AFP from the International Space Station days before heading home.While on terra firma politicians argued over a pact to preserve Earths climate for future generations of humans, the Frenchman had six months to contemplate the planet from an unfamiliar vantage point.There are things that one understands intellectually, but which one doesnt really get, the 39-year-old said via video link, gently floating around in the zero gravity of space.When it comes to global warming, we talk of two degrees (Celsius) or four degrees -- these are numbers which sometimes exceed human understanding.But to see the planet as a whole... to see it for yourself... this allows you to truly appreciate the fragility.Throughout the interview Pesquet drifted in a room full of machines, gadgets and wires -- the French and European Space Agency flags stuck to a wall behind him.Until you see it from far away, one doesnt really appreciate how thin the atmosphere is, to what extent we are capable of destroying the planet -- to what extent we need to protect it, he insisted.Pesquet, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy and American Peggy Whitson arrived on the ISS on November 20 for a six-month mission.Since then, Donald Trump has replaced Barack Obama in the White House with promises of pulling America out of a hard-fought global pact to limit global warming.A jewelThe goal, outlined in the 2015 Paris Agreement, must be achieved partly by curbing greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels -- an industry with a strong voice in US politics.These gases accumulate in the same atmosphere Pesquet observed from afar, and act almost like a blanket to trap the Suns heat on the surface.Pesquet and Novitskiy are scheduled to return to Earth on Friday.He will be a bit sad to leave, the Frenchman said, deftly twirling a microphone between his fingers with the aid of weightlessness.But at the same time, he will be happy to hug his girlfriend, see family and friends, go to the beach, walk in the mountains, and feel a breeze on his face.The food in space, he said, is not great, and going to the toilet is more camping than five star.I feel ready to go home, Pesquet declared. My suitcase is ready.Pesquet, Frances 10th ISS astronaut, has become a bit of a social media celebrity at home, with more than 550,000 followers on Twitter where he frequently posted photographs of Earth from space.The planet is truly a jewel, he said on Tuesday. We must not take it for granted.

Case filed against local for misbehaving with assistant commissioner

Posted:

UMARKOT (Dunya News) – A case was filed against two locals as they were allegedly involved in misbehaving with Assistant Commissioner Samaro.As per details, Assistant Commissioner Sohail Ahmad Somroo wrote a letter to SHO of Samaro Police Station to file a case against local on the charge of misbehaving with him.Meanwhile, search operations have also been started for the arrest of criminals.Copy of the letter recieved by Dunya NewsWhile talking to Dunya News, SSP Umarkot Usman Bajwa revealed that the moment assistant commissioner arrived at the shop to check the price lists, Shahnawaz (alias) Soono started misbehaving with him.The provincial interior minister Sohail Anwar Sial also took notice of the matter as he ordered immediate actions to be taken in this regard.Meanwhile, police have also speeded up operations in this regard.

Separate dais for PML-N after PTI leaves Daniyal Aziz high and dry

Posted:

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Leaders of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) addressed a press conference on Tuesday using a rostrum, exclusive to them, after a clash with members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) yesterday who walked off with their dais leaving Daniyal Aziz high and dry.Naeemul Haq of PTI addressed the press on Monday in the federal capital and as he concluded his brief, workers of PML-N shifted the dais to backseat of his four-wheel drive. Daniyal Aziz, leader of PML-N who was to address next seemed troubled.PTI worker moves the dais to Naeemul Haqs four-wheeler on MondayHowever, to counter the presumably awkward situation, workers of the ruling party arranged a separate rostrum for today’s press conference with PTI bringing a dais as well.Leaders of PTI and PML-N have been delivering quips and ragging one another in press talks for the past years, first over PTI chiefs anti-rigging statements and now over developments surfacing regarding Panama Leaks probe.However, clash over dais yesterday was the first of its kind through the course of their rivalry.

India: Elephant visits betel shop daily to eat special 'paan'

Posted:

(Web Desk) – People in India as well as Pakistan share a common habit of eating betel leaf, popularly known as ‘paan’. However, an elephant was discovered in India who visits a betel shop daily to get his daily dose of paan.The elephant, named Madi, lives in Madhya Pradesh and is known for such unique behaviour. Madi loves paan and likes eating it after the meal. The shop owner told that Madi frequently walks up to his favourite shop to eat the special paan.Caretaker of the animal told media that Madi has been consuming paan for the past 14 years. The elephant is fond of the unique taste of paan from this particular shop. The shopkeeper prepares a special jumbo-sized paan for Madi daily for which the elephant travels all the way to his shop.WATCH: An elephant in MPs Sagar is fond of eating paan (betel leaf). Elephant walks to shops everyday to have specially prepared paans. pic.twitter.com/tcWMa2yysC— ANI (@ANI_news) May 28, 2017 As it can be seen in this video, Madi the elephant walks to the betel shop where the local shop owner has already prepared special paan in large size for him. The shopkeeper rolls the betel leaf in order to place it in his mouth, just like any paan lover would prefer to eat it. The shop owner then touches his trunk and lets him go back.

Bangladesh face humiliating defeat at the hands of India in CT warm-up

Posted:

LONDON (Dunya News) - Bangladesh seemed to have lost the plot as their batsmen threw away their wickets in chase of mammoth target of 325 runs against India.The Bangladeshi batsmen had no answer for the extraordinary Indian bowling as the wickets fell one after another in quick succession.Indian pace attack Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Umesh Yadav bowled brilliantly as the first six wickets fell when the score was just 22 runs.Both the bowlers shared six wickets as both got three wickets each.Bangladeshi batsmen who were batting so aggressively against Pakistan proved to be a huge disappointment as three of the batsmen in the early line up failed even to open their accounts.To make things even more worse, hardly any of the batsmen except Mushfiqur Rahim entered the double figures.At one stage, Bangladesh were 47 for 7 as the partnership between Mehedi and Sunzamul Islam of thirty runs proved to the biggest of the match.Bengal tigers were completely whitewashed in all formats of the game by the Indian side as the whole team got out for 84 runs and hence faced a humiliating defeat by 240 runs against the mighty Indian side.Earlier, Bangladeshi skipper Shakib Al Hasan won the toss and asked India to bat first at Kennington Oval.It was Rubel Hussain who provided his side with the early breakthrough as he cleaned up Rohit Sharma on the very first ball of the second over.Both Karthik and Dhawan removed the pressure that was created after the early two wickets and carried on the innings smoothly. An appeal for leg before wicket against Dhawan was turned down by the umpire in the twelfth over.Sunzamul Islam provided the breakthrough as he removed Dhawan who was caught by Mehedi. Dhawan departed after scoring 60 runs as India lost their third wicket.Karthik also reached to his fifty in the twenty sixth over.After playing a superb knock, the dangerous Karthik got retired out after scoring valuable 94 runs in the 35th over. Hardik Pandeya was introduced to the crease in the 36th over.Taskin got some punishment from Pandeya as a boundary of the first ball followed by a huge one for six of the third ball resulted in fetching 12 runs of the forty first over.Pandya was turning out to be a nightmare for the Bangla bowlers specifically in the depth over as he was playing with an aggressive style while frustrating the Bangladeshi side in the process of doing so.The impressive all-rounder scored a crucial knock of 80 runs of 54 balls and helped his side scoring 324 runs in the warm up match prior to the Champions Trophy.
Posted by at No comments:

Monday, 29 May 2017

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Hussain Nawaz to reappear before JIT today

Posted:

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Joint Investigation Team (JIT) formed to investigate Panama Leaks has ordered son of Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif, Hussain Nawaz to reappear today (Tuesday) citing that he neither answered the questions nor put forth the record.The JIT has stated that he is needed to reappear on Tuesday to meet the prerequisites of what provision of justice entails in the issue. Premier’s son has been ordered to submit record and record statement during his appearance before the JIT today.According to the notice issued, Hussain Nawaz was served the final notice on May 25 to make an appearance on May 28. However, he is not cooperating in the probe despite shortage of time, according to the JIT.On April 20, Supreme Court (SC) had released its reserved verdict after around a four-month-long trial over Panama Leaks.Earlier today, the apex court rejected Nawaz’s reservations and stated that no member of the JIT, constituted to probe Sharif family’s offshore assets, would be altered.The special bench of the apex court comprising Justice Ejaz Afzal, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijazul Hassan heard the case on Monday.According to details, SC further directed Panamagate JIT to continue probe as per law and reiterated to take the much hyped case to its logical end. Expressing exasperation over objections, SC inquired whether Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif would appoint members for probing the Panama Leaks Case.

Heatwave likely to persist in most parts of country

Posted:

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - According to Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the ongoing heatwave in most cities across the country will continue for the next two days.Most plain areas of the country are currently under the grip of severe heatwave. Met office has said that Heatwave in parts of Sindh, South Punjab and Balochistan is predicted to continue for next two days.Meanwhile, Turbat remained the hottest place in the country during the past 24 hours with temperature rising up to 53°C.

Pakistan Coast Guards foil bid to smuggle narcotics

Posted:

PASNI (Dunya News) - Pakistan Coast Guards conducted an operation in Pasni, Blochistan on Monday and seized 2600 kilograms of narcotics from a truck, Dunya News reported.According to details, Pakistan Coast Guards on intelligence reports conducted an operation near Badook Check Post in Pasni and recovered 2600 kilograms of hashish from the secrete chambers of a truck. At least two accused were also arrested.A spokesman of Pakistan Coast Guards informed media that the seized hashish, worth Rs three billion in the international market, was being smuggled from Quetta to Gwadar.

South Africa pursue great obsession

Posted:

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) - South Africas quest for a major international cricket trophy has become enough of an obsession for star batsman and one-day international captain AB de Villiers to put his Test career on hold.When he announced in January that he was cutting back on Test cricket, De Villiers, 33, said the main goal for the rest of his career was to win the 2019 World Cup in England.But a victory in the Champions Trophy, also in England, would go a long way to relieving the pressure that has built on South African teams during 19 years of near-misses and outright failures in global events -- pressure that has seen South Africa labelled chokers because of their tendency to perform well in limited overs cricket but crumble in one-off knockout games.Gary Kirsten, South Africas coach during their previous Champions Trophy campaign, in England in 2013, confronted the issue head-on by discussing the perception with his players, rather than having it as an unseen or unspoken elephant in the room.South Africa reached the semi-finals but Kirsten, who had already announced he did not plan to renew his contract, acknowledged they choked when they were beaten by the hosts.South Africa were the first winners of the Champions Trophy, then known as the ICC Knockout, in Bangladesh in 1998.Since then, six further knockout/Champions Trophy tournaments have produced four semi-final appearances, all of which ended in defeat.During that period, four World Cups and six World Twenty20 tournaments have seen a further four semi-final defeats to go along with semi-final and quarter-final defeats in their two pre-1998 World Cups.In several tournaments South Africa have been impressive in the group stages before falling at the penultimate hurdle.There is additional pressure for South Africa this year because they were ranked as the number one team in one-day international cricket when they arrived in England for a three-match series against the hosts leading into the Champions Trophy.Following successive 5-0 clean sweeps at home against Australia and Sri Lanka last season, as well as a 3-2 series win away against New Zealand, De Villiers said: If we play the type of cricket we have played in the past couple of years I believe that no-one can stop us.Our biggest strength is the balance in the squad. We cover all the bases when it comes to spin, seam and proper pace bowling.South Africa have three of the top six players in the ICC one-day rankings, headed by De Villiers at number one, with Faf du Plessis and wicketkeeping prodigy Quinton de Kock in fifth and sixth places.Leg-spinner Imran Tahir is the top-ranked bowler while fast bowler Kagiso Rabada is fifth.Encouraging for South Africa is the emergence of all-rounders such as Chris Morris and Andile Phehlukwayo, picked primarily for their bowling ability but who have shown big-match temperament as lower-order batsmen in tense run chases.While the playing squad is reasonably settled, there is uncertainty over the future of Russell Domingo, who has been the coach since Kirsten quit in 2013.Domingos contract, which has already been extended twice, ends in August after a Test tour of England.Cricket South Africa has started a process to fill the post and Domingo has not indicated whether he intends to apply to keep his job.Given their history in big tournaments, the ability to rise to the occasion in knockout games could be the biggest challenge for South Africa.

Aussies ready to let loose 'big four' pacemen

Posted:

SYDNEY (AFP) - Australia are relishing the prospect of uniting their big four pace attack for the first time at the Champions Trophy -- and sending a message to England ahead of the Ashes.Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and James Pattinson are all fit and poised to bowl together given conducive conditions at the tournament in England and Wales.In Australia they are seen as potentially the most potent pace quartet since the mighty West Indies teams of the 1970s, 80s and 90s.Injuries have prevented the strike bowlers from playing together in the same Australian squad and coach Darren Lehmann is licking his lips at the opportunity to let them loose.Its the first time weve had the big four available, Lehmann said.It would be great to see them go at it and see how they go. Theyre quality players and weve got a quality squad.Injury-bedevilled Cummins is finally fit and playing consistent cricket for the first time in his career after overcoming a series of back stress fractures, while Pattinson has returned from shin and back injuries.Starc, who has recovered from a foot injury that cut short his India Test tour in March, said he was excited by the prospect of combining with his fellow speedsters at the Champions Trophy.Weve had our issues with injury but Pattys (Cummins) only just turned 24 - Im 27 and Im the oldest - so weve still got plenty of time to wreak havoc on batsmen around the world, Starc said ahead of his departure for England.Hopefully that starts with the Champions Trophy and then onwards to the Ashes (in Australia) later in the year.Former Test batsman Adam Voges, playing English county cricket with Middlesex, said anything was possible for Australia if the foursome can stay fit and available.If theyve got all four to choose from then it is going to be incredibly exciting to watch, maybe not to face, Voges said. Its a luxury Australia hasnt had for a while.Australias participation at the Champions Trophy has been clouded by an acrimonious stand-off in pay talks between the players union and Cricket Australia with a looming June 30 expiry of their current financial deal.Lehmann has conceded the bitter dispute will be a distraction for Australia, but he has played down any potential boycott of the Ashes, as suggested by some players.Another pressing issue for Lehmann will be where big-hitting Chris Lynn fits into the batting line-up, if at all.Lynn was in devastating form for Kolkata Knight Riders at the top of the order in this years Indian Premier League, scoring 295 runs at an average of 49.16 and a strike rate of 180.98.First, hes got to get selected in the eleven and the captain (Steve Smith) will tell him where hes going to bat, Lehmann said.Weve had discussions. Hes an excitement machine.The experienced David Warner and Aaron Finch open the innings at one-day level, but with neither Shaun Marsh nor Usman Khawaja selected in the squad, Lynn looks as close as he ever has to getting his chance at an extended opportunity.Australia, grouped with New Zealand, England and Bangladesh, get their Champions Trophy campaign under way against the Black Caps at Edgbaston on June 2.The Australians are bidding for an unprecedented third Trophy after winning back-to-back in 2006 and 2009.

New Zealand's Taylor tires of runner-up tag

Posted:

WELLINGTON (AFP) - Ross Taylor is matter-of-fact when he reviews his career and previews New Zealands Champions Trophy hopes: is this the year he adds a world title to his list of credentials?The elder statesman of New Zealand cricket, known for poking out his tongue on reaching a century, has stamped his mark on the game over 11 illustrious years at the top.Taylor has stroked a New Zealand record 17 one-day centuries, is one behind the countrys Test best with 16, and with no plans to retire before the 2019 World Cup he has the New Zealand records for the most runs in both formats firmly in his sights.But his status as one of New Zealands greats does not count as much as team records for Taylor who lists any time its a world tournament as his cricket priority.Leaving a legacy of being second is not something the 33-year-old wants.In 87 years of international cricket since New Zealand played their first Test in 1930, the only tournament they have won was when they beat India in the 2000 Champions Trophy final.Since Taylor joined the side six years later the trophy cabinet has been bare, he notes, when asked to name his career highlights ahead of his fourth Champions Trophy tournament in England and Wales.Beating Australia 3-0 in the Chappell-Hadlee in 2007, the last World Cup (when New Zealand made the final for the first time) was pretty special and making the final of the (2009) Champions Trophy was a highlight, he said.Taylor senses this New Zealand side can put the runners-up tag to bed despite being only fourth in the ODI rankings behind South Africa, Australia and India and just ahead of England.But a tough draw means they have to start strongly, he said.The players have played together for so long now we know each other so well. Our depth is probably our strength, he said, comparing the 2017 squad to teams past.But we need to start well. We have two hard matches straight up against Australia and England and if we dont start well the tournaments over.And if this tournament doesnt work out then Taylor said his next target was the 2019 World Cup and after that, well see.The right-handed number four batsman has come a long way since his debut when he was run out for 15 in a ODI against the West Indies in 2006.He did not make the 2006 Champions Trophy side but was included as cover under the title of assistant manager and featured in the record books for running out Umar Gul when on the field as 12th man in a pool game against Pakistan.Back home a month later he belted an unbeaten 128 against Sri Lanka and he has been a permanent member of the New Zealand side ever since.As for poking out his tongue on reaching 100, that is done at the request of his daughter Mackenzie.Although only five, Mackenzie is a knowledgable critic of her father and when Taylor was recently going through a poor patch of form she told him: Dad, I think now you should poke your tongue out if you get to 50.

Sangakkara falls short of record-equalling century

Posted:

LONDON (AFP) - Kumar Sangakkara just missed out on a record-equalling feat when he failed to get to three figures for Surrey against Essex at Chelmsford on Monday.The Sri Lanka star was bidding to become just the fourth player in the history of cricket to score hundreds in six successive first-class innings.But he was dismissed for 84 when he chipped the ball back to occasional spinner Tom Westley in a First Division County Championship match.That meant there was no place in the record books for Sangakkara, alongside Englands CB Fry, Australias Don Bradman, arguably crickets greatest batsman, and South Africas Mike Procter, all of whom made hundreds in six consecutive first-class innings.Fry achieved the feat back in 1901 for Sussex and the Rest of England, Bradman in 1938/39 when playing for South Australia and his own DG Bradman XI and Procter in 1970/71 when representing Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in South African first-class cricket.Had he got to his century on Monday, it would also have been the 100th hundred across all formats of left-hander Sangakkaras illustrious career.Last week the 39-year-old said he intended to retire from first-class cricket at the end of the English summer.In that case hes certainly bowing out in style, with 853 runs in red-ball cricket at an average of just over 106 so far this season.Sangakkaras last six first-class innings have seen him score 136 against Lancashire, 105 against Warwickshire, 114 and 120 against Middlesex -- in a match where his portrait was unveiled in the Lords pavilion -- and 200 and 84 against Essex.It had looked at one stage that Sangakkara might not even get the chance to equal the record, with bad light leading to a stoppage of more than an hour on Monday when he was 79 not out.His latest Championship innings saw Sangakkara face 107 balls, including 12 fours.The four-day match itself ended in a draw, a result that saw Essex maintain their one-point advantage over Surrey at the top of the table.Surrey and Essex meet again next week at Guildford, southwest of London, in what could be a key match in deciding the destiny of the Championship title.

SHO suspended for performing duty without uniform

Posted:

KARACHI (Dunya News) – After the news of SHO Gul Hassan Abbasi performing his duty without uniform made waves, the provincial interior minister suspended the mentioned officer, adding that nobody would be allowed to violate the law at any cost.The interior minister added that weather or any kind of excuses would not be accepted in this regard.It so happened that ten workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) along with the party’s District West president, Advocate Attaullah Khan, were apprehended on Sunday by the SITE-A police as they were protesting outside the K-Electric (K-E) office in SITE’s Metroville area.According to PTI senior leader Haleem Adil Sheikh, the arrests were a form of oppression against the masses in Ramazan.Haleem Adil Sheikh revealed that when he arrived at the police station he was shocked to see SHO Gul Hassan Abbasi out of uniform, sitting on his seat wearing only a vest and shalwar.

Dramatic video shows migrants rescued from burning boat

Posted:

MADRID (AFP) - More than 30 migrants were rescued at the weekend off the coast of Spain after their rubber speed boat caught fire, forcing them into the water in a dramatic moment caught on camera and broadcast Monday.The video tweeted by EU border agency Frontex shows the 34 migrants travelling on board a black boat Sunday when flames suddenly erupted at the back near the engine, and rapidly spread through the small vessel.The migrants, most of whom appear to be wearing life jackets, jump into the water according to images caught on camera by a Portuguese air force plane helping Frontex with maritime surveillance, which threw them a small lifeboat and notified Spanish coastguards.Dramatic footage of Portuguese @fap_emfa airplane saving 34 migrants after their boat caught on fire off Spanish coast. Frontex Op. Indalo pic.twitter.com/z9fOZBm0YM— Frontex (@Frontex) May 29, 2017 Some were able to scramble onto the lifeboat while others held onto their sinking vessel, the coastguards said in a statement.A helicopter and several boats were dispatched to the area southwest of Alboran Island between Morocco and Spain.Tomas Garcia, a manager at the coastguard centre in Spains southeastern Almeria province who has 24 years experience coordinating rescues was quoted as saying in the statement that this was one of the most complex his centre had seen.A fisherman sailing in the area also helped in rescue efforts.The migrants, whose nationalities were not disclosed, were finally taken safe and sound to the port of Motril in southern Spain.

One Indian Sikh donated for party, says Imran Khan

Posted:

WEB DESK – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan has completely rejected the allegations made against him in the foreign funding case, adding that there are there no chances of his disqualification in the mentioned case whatsoever.Imran Khan let it be known in an exclusive interview with Dunya News program “On the Front” in which Kamran Shahid, the program host raised the question of any possibility of disqualification in the two cases being heard by the Supreme Court against him.In response, the PTI Chairman expressed that his disqualification in Bani Gala residence case is impossible as there is no tax evasion in that case.As far as foreign funding case is concerned, Imran Khan revealed that a member of Sikh community who married a Pakistani citizen donated $500 alongside his spouse donated in lieu of party funds.While rejecting the claims made by his opponents regards to Jewish funding, Imran Khan professed that a Pakistani citizen working in a company owned by Jews, actually donated money to the party.The funds have ironically been labeled as funding by Jews, reveals Imran Khan. .@ImranKhanPTI talks about the foreign funding case and chances of his disqualification IKonDunya pic.twitter.com/CfFEad4wte— Dunya News (@DunyaNews) May 29, 2017

Cities may be 8 degrees Celsius hotter by 2100: study

Posted:

PARIS (AFP) - Under a dual onslaught of global warming and localised, urban heating, some of the worlds cities may be as much as eight degrees Celsius (14.4 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer by 2100, researchers warned Monday.Such a temperature spike can have dire consequences for the health of city-dwellers, robbing companies and industries of able workers, and put pressure on already strained natural resources such as water.The projection is based on the worst-case-scenario assumption that emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gases continue to rise throughout the 21st century.The top quarter of most populated cities, in this scenario, could see the mercury rise 7 C or more by centurys end, said a study in the journal Nature Climate Change.For some, nearly 5 C of the total would be attributed to average global warming.The rest would be due to the so-called Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, which occurs when cooling parks, dams and lakes are replaced by heat-conducting concrete and asphalt -- making cities warmer than their surrounds, the researcher said.The top five percent (of cities per population) could see increases in temperatures of about 8 C and larger, study co-author Francisco Estrada of the Institute for Environmental Studies in the Netherlands told AFP.Estrada and a team used different projections of average planetary warming, combined with the UHI effect and potential harms, to estimate the future costs of warming on cities.The median city, right in the middle of the range, stands to lose between 1.4 and 1.7 percent of GDP per year by 2050 and between 2.3 and 5.6 percent by 2100, they concluded.For the worst-off city, losses could reach up to 10.9 percent of GDP by 2100, wrote the team.UHI significantly increases city temperatures and economic losses from global warming, they added.This meant that local actions to reduce UHI -- such as planting more trees or cooling roofs and pavements, can make a big difference in limiting warming and minimising costs.Cities cover only about one percent of earths surface but produce about 80 percent of gross world product and account for around 78 percent of energy consumed worldwide, said the researchers.They produce more than 60 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions from burning coal, oil and gas for fuel.The worlds nations agreed in Paris in 2015 to the goal of limiting average global warming to two degrees Celsius over pre-Industrial revolution levels by curbing greenhouse gas levels in Earths atmosphere.For the latest study, researchers used data from the worlds 1,692 largest cities for the period 1950 to 2015.

Protesters demand electricity as temperatures soar in Ramazan

Posted:

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AFP) - Violent protests erupted in Pakistan Monday as crippling electricity cuts left hundreds of thousands of people without power in soaring temperatures during the first two days of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.At least one person was killed and eight wounded in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after police opened fire on hundreds of people protesting at the cuts by trying to set a power station ablaze, officials said.The protesters first tried to torch the electricity power station and then they attacked a police station, Zafar Ali Shah, a senior government official in Malakand district, told AFP, adding that the demonstrators also attacked government buildings, offices and vehicles.Malakand: Two killed in Levies firing on anti-load shedding protestersProtesters later blocked a main highway linking Malakand and the Swat valley to the rest of the country, Shah added, saying that authorities are negotiating with local leaders to defuse the demonstrations.In the provincial capital Peshawar some 800 protesters took over two power stations, demanding government employees continue the electricity supply without interruption.Pakistan has for years been struggling to provide enough power for its nearly 200 million citizens. Its chronic energy crisis sees daily power outages which are amplified in the summer heat.Residents in Peshawar said they face cuts for six to eight hours a day, while rural areas can receive electricity for as little as three to four hours a day.Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has vowed to solve the crisis by 2018, when elections must be held.On Monday he said that minimum load-shedding should be carried out during Ramadan, during which millions of devout Pakistanis abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset.Temperatures in Pakistan touched near-record highs over the weekend.On Sunday angry residents burned tyres in the roads in the sweltering port city of Karachi after a massive power outage in southern Pakistan.Water distribution -- already unreliable in the megacity of some 25 million people -- is reliant on the electricity supply, leaving thousands unable to drink, cook or wash ahead of the first day of fasting.Authorities said the power outage extended to more than a dozen districts in the southern province of Sindh of which Karachi is the capital, where temperatures topped 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).

3rd ODI: South Africa beat England by seven wickets at Lord's

Posted:

LONDON (AFP) - South Africa beat England by seven wickets to gain a consolation win the third one-day international at Lords on Monday.But England took the three-match series 2-1 despite being well-beaten in a match where only 60 overs out of a scheduled 100 were bowled.England collapsed to 20 for six in five overs after being sent into bat in overcast conditions after South Africa captain AB de Villiers won the toss, with new-ball duo Kagiso Rabada and Wayne Parnell, who eventually shared seven wickets between them, doing the damage.Jonny Bairstow top-scored with 51 in an innings where the only other batsmen to make it to double figures were tailender Toby Roland-Jones, who made 37 not out on his ODI debut, and David Willey (26).South Africa openers Hashim Amla (55) and Quinton de Kock (34) put on 95 for the first wicket before JP Duminy (28 not out) and de Villiers (27 not out) completed the rout.This series served as a warm-up for the Champions Trophy, a tournament featuring the worlds top eight ODI sides.Hosts England launch the Champions Trophy against Bangladesh at The Oval on Thursday, with South Africa playing Sri Lanka at Surreys headquarters on Saturday.Completed scoreboard in the third one-day international between England and South Africa at Lords on Monday:EnglandJ. Roy c Amla b Rabada 4A. Hales c Amla b Rabada 1J. Root lbw b Parnell 2E. Morgan c de Kock b Parnell 8J. Bairstow st de Kock b Maharaj 51J. Buttler c du Plessis b Rabada 4A. Rashid c du Plessis b Rabada 0D. Willey c Duminy b Parnell 26T. Roland-Jones not out 37J. Ball b Maharaj 7S. Finn c de Villiers b Maharaj 3Extras (lb2, w8) 10Total (all out, 31.1 overs) 153Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Roy), 2-7 (Root), 3-15 (Morgan), 4-15 (Hales), 5-20 (Buttler), 6-20 (Rashid), 7-82 (Willey), 8-134 (Bairstow), 9-143 (Ball), 10-153 (Finn)Bowling: Rabada 9-1-39-4 (2w); Parnell 8-0-43-3 (6w); Morkel 4-0-15-0; Maharaj 6.1-0-25-3; Morris 4-0-29-0South AfricaQ. de Kock b Ball 34H. Amla b Roland-Jones 55JP Duminy not out 28F. du Plessis c Buttler b Ball 5AB de Villiers not out 27Extras (lb1, w6) 7Total (3 wkts, 28.5 overs) 156Did not bat: D Miller, C Morris, W Parnell, K Maharaj, K Rabada, M MorkelFall of wickets: 1-95 (Amla), 2-95 (De Kock), 3-101 (Du Plessis)Bowling: Willey 4.5-0-43-0 (1w); Ball 10-0-43-2 (5w); Finn 7-1-35-0; Roland-Jones 7-2-34-1Result: South Africa won by seven wicketsSeries: England win three-match series 2-1Toss: South AfricaUmpires: Rod Tucker (AUS), Michael Gough (ENG)TV umpire: Chris Gaffaney (NZL)Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)Previous ResultsMay 24: 1st ODI, Headingley (d/n): England won by 72 runsMay 27: 2nd ODI, Southampton: England won by two runs

Nearly 300,000 evacuated as cyclone approaches Bangladesh

Posted:

DHAKA (AFP) - Bangladesh has evacuated nearly 300,000 people as Cyclone Mora barrelled towards its southeastern coast at speeds of more than 85 kilometres (53 miles) per hour, officials said Monday.The cyclonic storm was 385 kilometres from the port city of Chittagong and likely to make landfall early Tuesday, meteorologists said.Evacuation efforts were ongoing, with nearly 300,000 people already shifted to cyclone shelters, disaster management authority spokesman Abul Hashim said.We are targeting zero casualties and we will try our best to evacuate more than a million before the landfall, he told AFP.Meteorologist Abdur Rahman said estimated wind speeds were between 89 to 117 kilometres per hour, with torrential rain and thunder expected across the South Asian nation.The met office warned coastal districts could face flooding as a result of storm surges along the seafront.We have advised the ports to hoist great danger signal number 10, Rahman said.The local administration has called in all fishing vessels from the sea and advised them to remain anchored, while the Chittagong port authority has postponed activities.Bangladesh is routinely hit by bad storms between April and December that cause deaths and widespread property damage.In May last year, Cyclone Roanu hit the southern coast of Bangladesh leaving 20 people dead and forcing half a million to flee their homes.Flash floods and excessive rain led to landslides in hilly areas, which caused most of the casualties.But this time we are more prepared, Hashim said.

Tiger Woods arrested on suspicion of drunk driving

Posted:

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Golf superstar Tiger Woods was arrested Monday in Florida on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to records from the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office.The 14-time major champion was booked into the Palm Beach County jail on Monday at 7:18 am (1118 GMT) after he was arrested by police in Jupiter, Florida.He was released on his own recognizance at 10:50 am according to the documents, with a mugshot posted online showing a tired-looking and unshaven Woods.Woods, 41, hasnt played competitive golf since pulling out of the Dubai Desert Classic in February after one round because of back pain.He had spinal fusion surgery on April 20 -- his fourth surgery in three years to treat his troublesome back which has limited him to three tournament starts worldwide in the past two years.Woods wrote on his website last week that since his latest procedure he was feeling better than he had in years and remained committed to returning to competitive golf.My surgeon and physiotherapist say the operation was successful. Its just a matter of not screwing up and letting it fuse, Woods wrote.Im walking and doing my exercises, and taking my kids to and from school. All I can do is take it day by day. Theres no hurry.But, I want to say unequivocally, I want to play professional golf again.Woods made his comeback in December after missing all of the 2015-16 season.But his return quickly ran aground as he withdrew from the PGA Tour event in Los Angeles in February, the Honda Classic and the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March.He even cancelled a planned press conference at the Los Angeles tournament saying doctors had advised him to limit all activities.He pulled out of the Masters in early April, missing the first major of the year on the 20th anniversary of his epic 1997 victory at Augusta National that marked his first major title and signalled a new era in the game.Woods, once widely expected to surpass Jack Nicklauss record of 18 major championships, hasnt won a grand slam title since the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines.Injuries havent been the only disruptions to his on-course career.In November of 2009 a car accident outside his Florida home led to revelations of a series of infidelities that wrecked his marriage.Amid lurid tabloid headlines Woods took a break from professional golf that lasted until the 2010 Masters.
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)