Tuesday 18 July 2017

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

US and Iran in tit-for-tat sanctions over missiles

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US and Iran traded tit-for-tat sanctions on Tuesday over the Islamic republics ballistic missile programme, just hours after Washington admitted Tehran was complying with a landmark nuclear deal signed two years ago.After the US announced its new sanctions, Iran hit back, calling them worthless and illegal and announcing its own sanctions against American people and entities that have acted against the Iranian people and other Muslim peoples of the region.The Americans... want to weaken the capabilities and strength of the Islamic regime, said General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, who heads the Revolutionary Guard Corps aerospace wing and missile programme.We propose reciprocal actions with a high cost.Irans parliament also voted to authorize extra funding for the missile programme and the Revolutionary Guards foreign operations wing, the Quds Force, which Washington accuses of fomenting unrest across the region.The heightened tensions came after President Donald Trump was forced to back off from a key campaign promise to withdraw from a 2015 nuclear accord with Tehran, which eased sanctions in return for limiting its ability to produce material for atomic weapons.Trump had described it as the worst deal ever and accused Iran of continuing to back terrorism in the Middle East. But on Monday, the White House admitted that the Islamic republic was sticking to the nukes agreement.It noted, however, that while Iran might be meeting its requirements on paper, it was unquestionably in default of the spirit of the accord.In announcing the new sanctions against 18 individuals and entities in Iran, the State Department said it remains deeply concerned about Irans malign activities across the Middle East which undermine regional stability, security, and prosperity.It cited Irans support for Lebanon-based Hezbollah, the Islamic movement Hamas, Syrian President Bashar al-Assads regime and Huthi rebels in Yemen fighting a US-backed coalition led by Saudi Arabia.The Pentagon has also repeatedly voiced concern over a string of high-profile incidents in waters off Iran involving Iranian vessels.It has accused the Revolutionary Guard of conducting risky maneuvers around US warships in the Gulf, some of which resulted in the Americans firing warning shots.These sanctions target procurement of advanced military hardware, such as fast attack boats and unmanned aerial vehicles, and send a strong signal that the United States cannot and will not tolerate Irans provocative and destabilizing behavior, said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.Washington is also concerned about the fate of Xiyue Wang, a 37-year-old Chinese-American researcher at Princeton University who was recently sentenced to 10 years in Iranian prison.While the US complained about Irans defiance of the spirit of the nuclear accord, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said he would make his own complaints about US non-compliance when representatives of the five nuclear powers -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- plus Germany meet in Vienna on Friday to take stock of the deal.Zarif accused the Trump administration of failing to lift sanctions in line with the deal, in an effort to poison the international atmosphere.I think the international community has read this very loud and clear and continues to deal with Iran without much attention to this theater which is being played, the top Iranian diplomat added.Zarif said he had no communication with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, in stark contrast to his predecessor John Kerry, with whom Zarif negotiated the groundbreaking nuclear deal.It doesnt mean there cant be. The possibilities for engagement... have always been open, said Zarif in New York, where he was attending a UN development forum.He said he was willing to discuss Wangs case on humanitarian grounds, but stressed that Irans courts were independent of the government.Trump and his top security officials have always taken a tough line on Iran: his defense secretary, Jim Mattis, fought Iranian-backed militias during the US occupation of Iraq while serving as a Marine general, and memories are still fresh of Hezbollahs attack on the Marine Corps barracks in Lebanon in 1983.

Trump fumes as US health care reform bid collapses

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - An angry President Donald Trump railed Tuesday against dissenters in his party who dashed his months-long effort to dismantle his predecessors landmark health care law, as moderates balked at the latest Republican plan to scrap Obamacare.With several efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) now squashed, the Senates top Republican said he would forge ahead with what could be a last-gasp vote -- on a new plan to kill off most of the 2010 reforms of Trumps predecessor without a replacement at the ready.Four Republicans had lined up against Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells earlier health overhaul, flatlining it in the chamber, where the party could afford only two defectors in order to get the measure passed.McConnell announced a fresh effort aimed at repealing Obamacare now and crafting a replacement later. But that too ran into opposition from at least three Republicans who refused to support repealing the law without a suitable fix at the ready.The Republican leader nonetheless prepared to force a vote to see where his members stood on the repeal-only measure.Thats a vote I think were very likely to have in the very near future, McConnell told reporters.No date was given, but number two Republican John Cornyn said he expected it this week.The dramatic implosion effectively means that Trump, who marks his first half-year in office Thursday, has no major legislative victory in hand, squandering months of political capital.Trump fired off a morning tweet storm complaining about how he was let down by Democrats and a few Republicans opposed to the repeal.He had campaigned relentlessly on a pledge to abolish most of the ACA, proclaiming at an October campaign rally that it would be so easy to immediately repeal and replace the law.But he has run into the uncompromising reality of American politics: even with a presidents party enjoying a majority in both chambers, crafting and passing landmark legislation can be perilous in the US Congress.The White House insisted that success remained within reach, with deputy spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders saying we are not done with the health care battle.But Trump said he was disappointed, and repeatedly offered that now it would be easier to just let Obamacare fail.He also stressed he wanted nothing to do with the blame for the collapse.Were not going to own it. Im not going to own it. I can tell you the Republicans are not going to own it, he said.Well let Obamacare fail and then the Democrats are going to come to us looking to work on a solution.McConnells new bid would repeal much of Obamacare outright, but with a two-year delay of implementation, in order to allow Congress time to craft a replacement.A straight repeal bill passed Congress in 2015. That was during Obamas presidency, and Republicans knew they would pay no political price for their votes, as Obama vetoed the measure.It is no longer a dress rehearsal, and some Republicans are clearly concerned they would be on the hook for any ensuing disruption to the health care system.Two years ago, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office warned that simply repealing Obamacare would essentially kick 18 million people off health care in the first year compared to current law, a figure that would balloon to 32 million by 2026.That is far worse than the 22 million that the CBO forecast would lose coverage under the latest repeal-and-replace legislation.With a number of Senate Republican moderates voicing concern about how the latest bill could adversely impact millions of people insured through Medicaid, the health coverage programme for the poor and the disabled, McConnells bid floundered.I cannot vote to repeal Obamacare without a replacement plan that addresses my concerns and the needs of West Virginians, Senator Shelley Moore Capito said in a statement.Her state has significant numbers of residents on Medicaid.Another Republican opposed to the new plan, Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, acknowledged that McConnell had the nearly impossible task of coralling enough votes from his caucuss rival conservative and moderate factions.The majority leader is trying to keep all the frogs in the wheelbarrow, and its a tough job, Murkowski said.While Democrats celebrated, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer extended an olive branch to his Republican rivals and encouraged them to work with Democrats to improve Obamacare.Its time to move on. Its time to start over on health care, he said.Meanwhile a bipartisan group of 11 governors urged the Senate to immediately reject the repeal-only effort and work with state executives on bettering the current system.The best next step is for both parties to come together and do what we can all agree on: fix our unstable insurance markets, said the governors, who included Ohios John Kasich, a 2016 Republican presidential hopeful, and Democrat Terry McAuliffe of Virginia.

China's Xi reaffirms commitment to peace in the Middle East

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BEIJING (AFP) - China will host a symposium between Israel and the Palestinians later this year, an official said Tuesday, as president Xi Jinping vowed to ceaselessly contribute towards peace in the region.Despite depending on the volatile Middle East for oil supplies, Beijing has long taken a backseat in its disputes.But China has stepped up its diplomatic engagement in the region in the past year, including offering to host talks on the Syrian conflict.In a meeting with his Palestinian counterpart Mahmud Abbas on Tuesday, Xi reaffirmed Chinas support of a two-state solution, with an independent, fully sovereign Palestinian state, bounded by the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital.During closed door talks, Xi said China will set up a trilateral dialogue mechanism and later this year host a peace symposium to help resolve the dispute, vice minister of foreign affairs Zhang Ming told reporters.Xi called the Palestinian people true good friends, partners, and brothers of China, stating his country would unswervingly promote China-Palestine bilateral relations and ceaselessly move the Middle East peace process forward.Abbas, on his fourth state visit to the country, said he hoped to see China play a greater role in the Middle East peace process.He presented Xi with a golden medal of honour.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also met with Xi on a visit to Beijing in March, with the Chinese leader calling for peace between Israel and the Palestinians as soon as possible.Netanyahu said Israel was willing to see China play a bigger role in Middle East affairs, according to state media.Trade between China and Israel has flourished since diplomatic ties were established in 1992.Chinas total investment in Israel exceeds six billion dollars, and Israeli-designed technologies are used across the worlds second largest economy.The two countries began free trade negotiations last year.

White House reveals additional Trump-Putin discussion

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin had an additional, previously undisclosed chat at this months G20 summit in Hamburg, the White House acknowledged on Tuesday.After a brief greeting at the start of the two-day summit and a two-hour bilateral meeting with their foreign ministers on July 7, Trump and Putin also chatted over dinner on the final night of the summit, an official said.There was a couples-only social dinner at the G20, a White House official told AFP. Toward the end, the president spoke to Putin at the dinner.The disclosure has raised questions about what the pair talked about, who was present and why the meeting was not previously mentioned.The Trump administration has been besieged by allegations that the presidents closest advisors colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election.Trumps eldest son Donald Jr recently released emails showing he held a meeting during the campaign with Kremlin-connected figures, hoping to get dirt on his dads election rival Hillary Clinton.Trump late Tuesday took to Twitter to blast the suggestion that there was anything improper about his dinner chat with Putin.Fake News story of secret dinner with Putin is sick. All G20 leaders, and spouses, were invited by the Chancellor of Germany. Press knew he declared.The Fake News is becoming more and more dishonest Even a dinner arranged for top 20 leaders in Germany is made to look sinisterA second White House official denied there was a second meeting between Trump and Putin, describing a brief conversation at the end of a dinner. The insinuation that the White House has tried to hide a second meeting is false, malicious and absurd, the official said.At the dinner, President Trump was seated between Mrs. Abe, wife of the Prime Minister of Japan, and Mrs. Macri, wife of the President of Argentina. Mrs. Trump was seated next to President Putin.During the course of the dinner, all the leaders circulated throughout the room and spoke with one another freely. President Trump spoke with many leaders during the course of the evening. As the dinner was concluding, President Trump went over to Mrs. Trump, where he spoke briefly with President Putin.The White House also rejected concerns that Trump was not with any other US officials and used Putins translator.Each couple was allowed one translator. The American translator accompanying President Trump spoke Japanese. When President Trump spoke to President Putin, the two leaders used the Russian translator, since the American translator did not speak Russian.

No respite for tens of thousands of Canadians fleeing wildfires

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MONTREAL (AFP) - Tens of thousands of people who fled wildfires in western Canada were unable to return home Tuesday as the massive blazes raged on.Officials said that 155 fires were still burning in British Columbia province, where the flames have already consumed more than 327,000 hectares (808,000 acres) of forest and uncultivated land.Of the active blazes, 15 present a real threat to communities, said British Columbia fire spokesman Kevin Skrepnek.Although small numbers of people have been able to return to their homes, around 46,000 people remain displaced by the inferno.Some 1,000 residents of Cache Creek, around 100 kilometers (60 miles) west of Kamloops, were able to return home 11 days after they were first evacuated, but under warning they may have to flee again at short notice.Residents need to be reminded that the village of Cache Creek remains on evacuation alert, local authorities said in a statement. While the Ashcroft fire continues to remain active, residents must be prepared to leave at any time.Families who returned home were set to receive about Can$ 600 ($475 US) in aid from the Red Cross, said Transport Canada official Robert Turner.In Kamloops itself, a town of some 100,000 people 350 kilometers northeast of Vancouver, volunteers and emergency services were preparing to receive thousands of evacuees.Food and water were being handed out underneath canvas awnings, while evacuees were offered counseling or help filling out compensation forms.Hundreds of cots were set up in a large sports hall for the displaced, some of whom were arriving from as far away as Williams Lake, 300 kilometers to the northwest.Around 3,000 firefighters and 220 helicopters and fire-fighting planes are battling the blaze, with reinforcements due to arrive from other parts of the country.On the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains, the fires forced the partial closure of some of Canadas most prized national parks, such as Banff in the province of Alberta, which is visited by some four million tourists every year.Part of Banff National Park has been closed to the public since Monday.Like California far to the south, British Columbia, on Canadas Pacific coast and bordering the US, is prone to forest fires. But this years fires are close in scale to those of 2003 when more than 50,000 people had to flee their homes.California itself has suffered widespread fires in recent days, with a lighting strike near Yosemite National Park sparking a blaze that destroyed more than 26 square kilometers (10 square miles) of forest.

Karachi: 17 accused nabbed during police operation

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – At least 17 accused were taken into custody during police operation in different parts of Karachi on Tuesday, Dunya News reported.According to details, police conducted a search operation in Orangi Town area and apprehended an operative of a banned outfit. SP Orangi informed media that arrested accused, Qari Abdus Salam, was a close associate of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Ameer.Police also arrested two street criminals during an operation in Gulberg area. Police sources said that arms and a stolen motorcycle was recovered from their possession.Police have apprehended at least 14 persons from different areas of the city. The arrested persons were also questioned about the killing of PSP worker.

Oil tanker turns turtle near Rahim Yar Khan

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RAHIM YAR KHAN (Dunya News) – An oil tanker turned turtle due to rain at the National Highway in Zafarabad area near Rahim Yar Khan on Thursday, Dunya News reported.According to a Motorway Police spokesperson, the oil tanker containing 40,000 litres of oil was going to Mahmood Kot from Karachi. No casualty was reported in the incident.The Motorway Police have sealed the entire area to avert Ahmadpur Sharqia-like tragedy. Motorway Police have also diverted all the traffic to alternative routes.

Gujranwala: Roof collapse injures three

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GUJRANWALA (Dunya News) – At least three persons were injured when roof of a dilapidated house collapsed in Baghbanpura area of Gujranwala on Tuesday night due to ongoing monsoon rains, Dunya News reported.According to details, roof of the house of labourer named Aslam situated in Baghbanpura area of Gujranwala caved in, burying Aslam, his daughter Fatima and son Arsalan under the debris.Rescue teams reached to spot and retrieved the injured from the rubble and shifted them to Civil Hospital. Rescue sources said that all the injured were in stable condition.

River Chenab in medium flood

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LAHORE (Dunya News) - River Chenab was in medium flood on Tuesday night due to the ongoing monsoon rains in catchment areas and the water level soured up to 250,000 cusecs.A red alert has been issued for the villages in Gujranwala, Sialkot, Narowal and Gujrat districts as water level is expected to rise due to heavy rains.According to Flood Forecasting Division (FFD) water inflow at Head Marala was 250,000 cusecs and outflow was recorded at 180,000 cusecs. Water inflow at Head Khanki touched the mark of 137,000 cusecs and outflow was 133,000 cusecs.On the other hand, water inflow at Head Qadirabad has been recorded at 125,000 cusecs and outflow was recorded at 111,000 cusecs.The FFD has also predicted that flood torrent of 300,000 cusecs is expected to pass through River Chenab by Wednesday night.

PBC calls for countrywide strike today to seek PMs resignation

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) has called for a countrywide strike today (Wednesday) to press for the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in wake of the report of the Supreme Court-appointed Joint Investigation Team (JIT), probing the Panama papers case.Addressing a press conference with Punjab Bar Council office bearers in Lahore on Monday, PBC Vice Chairman Ahsan Bhoon said that lawyers believe in democracy and expressed confidence that the Supreme Court will take the Panama case to its logical conclusion.He said that the legal fraternity in particular and the people of Pakistan in general, expect disqualifivation of the Prime Minister, Chief Minister Punjab and the Federal Finance Minister and their accomplices by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in the light of JIT report.Ahsan Bhoon also urged the Supreme Court to disqualify those nominated in the Panama Papers probe. Bhoon also called for action against all those who submitted fake documents in the apex court in the Panama case.He said that legal fraternity has always been staunch supporter for upholding the rule of law, supremacy of constitution, independence of judiciary and strengthening of democratic system in the country and it will fully support the Supreme Court and will not hesitate to foil any attempt on the part of ruling party to influence and undermine the dignity and prestige of the apex court.

Up and down England disturb Bayliss

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NOTTINGHAM (AFP) - Englands frustrating inconsistency is becoming a major concern for coach Trevor Bayliss. The teams 340-run thrashing by South Africa in the second Test at Trent Bridge on Monday led to scathing criticism from several former England captains.Michael Vaughan said the way Baylisss men batted betrayed a lack of respect for the demands of the five-day game.It was also Englands sixth defeat in their last eight Tests and continued a trend under Bayliss where a thumping win -- England beat South Africa by 211 runs in the series opener at Lords as Joe Root enjoyed a victory in his first Test as captain -- is followed immediately by a huge loss.England are now 1-1 with two to play ahead of next weeks third Test at The Oval, with a revitalised South Africa keen to maintain an impressive away record that has seen them lose just one of their previous 19 series on foreign soil.With doubts persisting about their top-order batting, Australian coach Bayliss knows England must find a way to be able to back-up wins if they are to avoid a rollercoaster defence of the Ashes Down Under later this year.Weve had a fairly honest discussion (in the changing room), he said. It is a concern.Bayliss added the players themselves had to do a fair amount of soul-searching.If you win one, I put the questions to them. Is it the way we approach the game in that second one? Do we think we dont have to do anything different?Well go away over the next few days but when we get together again Im sure well sit down and have another discussion about it.Keaton Jennings, Alastair Cooks 11th opening partner at the top of the England order since former captain Andrew Strauss retired, has struggled against his native South Africa so far this series.In-form Surrey batsman Mark Stoneman could be given a debut on his Oval home ground, with Jennings dropping down to three and Gary Ballance, if fit following a finger injury, moving from three to five.With South Africa having deployed four quicks and just the one spinner, Keshav Maharaj, to good effect at Trent Bridge, England may follow a similar path by omitting left-armer Liam Dawson and retaining off-spinner Moeen Ali.Hussain has said England selection should be about more than looking at county figures, citing Ballances struggles since his latest Test recall as a case in point.Selection is not just about saying Gary Ballance has 1,000 first-class runs so Gary Ballance plays, Hussain insisted.But Bayliss has little else to go on, apart from the opinions of his fellow selectors regarding Stoneman -- who as with several players prior to their England debuts during his time in charge -- he has yet to see play.I havent seen Stoneman bat live, said Bayliss, a state of affairs that suggests England ought to look again at their schedule if they are to get full value from their coachs ability to assess a cricketer.Its happened before -- if we select a guy and I havent seen him, youve always in the back of your mind got a little bit of ... Well, is he or isnt he?Youve just got trust the other selectors and some of the senior players we might speak to about who is the next guy in line or what type of a player he is.Thats just the nature of the beast at the moment, with the way international cricket is.Meanwhile Bayliss disputed criticism from Geoffrey Boycott that England, whose two innings combined at Trent Bridge amounted to fewer than 100 overs in total, had been too attacking with the bat.Bayliss said it was important players remained positive whether their natural game was attacking or defensive but he added: The one thing we have -- and we certainly admit -- is that whichever way your way is, weve got to do it better.

England's Ballance out of third Test

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LONDON (AFP) - England batsman Gary Ballance has been ruled out of next weeks third Test against South Africa with a broken finger, the England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed Tuesday.Ballance suffered the injury when hit on the left index finger by a short ball from fast bowler Morne Morkel while making just four on Mondays fourth and final day at Trent Bridge, where England collapsed to 133 all out in a 340-run mauling in the second Test.Gary Ballance has been ruled out of the third Investec Test against South Africa at the Kia Oval starting July 27 after fracturing his left index finger, said an England and Wales Cricket Board statement issued Tuesday.The Yorkshire left-hander saw a hand surgeon in Leeds on Tuesday. He will continue to be monitored by the England medical team and could still be available for selection in the fourth Test starting next month at Emirates Old Trafford, the statement added.Ballance, however, would have been under pressure to keep his place at The Oval in any event.He has averaged a meagre 21.25 in four innings so far this series, with a top score of 34, in what is the Zimbabwe-born batsmans third crack at Test cricket.England coach Trevor Bayliss was highly critical of his teams performance in Nottingham, describing it as a shocker as the top order, including Ballance at number three, again came under scrutiny.Bayliss confirmed, however, that opener Keaton Jennings was likely to retain his place despite notching only three runs in two innings against the Proteas at Trent Bridge, where South Africa levelled the four-match series at 1-1.One of the things weve tried to do since Ive come in is try to give those guys a bit longer to show what they have got, said Bayliss.It still hasnt worked, to be honest.Keaton, for example, at the top of the order ... if were consistent with our selections, he should get some more goes, the Australian added, with England now having lost six of their last eight Tests.The likes of Mark Stoneman, Tom Westley and Haseeb Hameed are under consideration to take Ballances place when England name their third Test squad later this week.The last selection meeting we had before this series started, players like Stoneman and Westley were spoken about at length, said Bayliss.Obviously, (so was) Hameed -- who is a little out of form this year. So those types of guys, they are on the edge.Englands quest for an opening batsman to partner Alastair Cook has been well documented; the former skipper has had 11 partners at the start of an innings in five years since the retirement of Andrew Strauss.

Root 'can't believe' Vaughan blast after South Africa shocker

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NOTTINGHAM (AFP) - Joe Root was stunned by former England captain Michael Vaughans assertion that his side had failed to respect Test cricket during their thumping 340-run defeat by South Africa at Trent Bridge.Ashes-winning skipper Vaughan, now a commentator with BBC Radios Test Match Special, made his stinging comments as England lost seven first-innings wickets for 62 runs to be bowled out in little more than 50 overs for 205 in reply to the Proteas 335.Roots 78 was the only fifty in a meagre total that left England well behind in the game.The England batting has been appalling, said Vaughan, who played alongside Roots father Matt at the Sheffield Collegiate Club in Yorkshire and has been a friend of the family since Joe was a boy.Maybe its a lack of respect about what the game is, said Vaughan, one of the leading Test batsmen of his era.They look like they are playing a Twenty20 game. They have this approach of attack, attack, attack. There is no thought or feeling of seeing off a bowler or wearing a team down.Englands second innings was even worse, with Roots men bowled out for just 133 in pursuit of a world-record target of 474 with more than a day to spare on Monday as South Africa levelled the four-match series at 1-1.This was Englands sixth defeat in their last eight Tests and Root, in charge for just the most recent two, was taken aback by mentor Vaughans comments.I think thats very unfair -- I cant believe hes actually said that.We pride ourselves on winning series like this, and unfortunately weve played poorly this week, Root added.But the Yorkshireman accepted his side ought to be able to bat in different styles according to the match situation, whatever the individual preferences of particular players.We need to make sure we learn quickly ... (so that) if we are in a similar situation (in the third Test) at The Oval, for example, we play it slightly smarter, said Root.Part of Test cricket is trying to find a balance of both (attack and defence) -- and even if its not your strength, you build it into your natural game, he added.You have periods where you can absorb a bit of pressure and find the right moment to apply it when chances come along.We are capable of doing it and have done it previously, but this wasnt a very good example of it.Meanwhile the 26-year-old Root, who led England to a 211-run series opening win at Lords in his first Test as skipper, said this huge loss had been a chastening experience.I definitely feel older -- its been a tough week, he conceded.South Africa responded very well from Lords -- and especially with the bat, we didnt assess the situation well enough in the first innings.After that, we couldnt find a way to get back into the game.The star batsman added: Were a side that doesnt like giving anything away, and unfortunately today that wasnt a fair representation of how good we are as a team.By contrast, just about everything went right for Roots opposing captain Faf du Plessis, who did not play at Lords following the birth of his first child.Pretty much from the toss through to the last ball we bowled, we were in control of the Test match, said du Plessis.England number three batsman Gary Ballance, out for just four on Monday, was due to have an X-ray on his left index finger after being struck by a Morne Morkel short ball.

Punjab Revenue Minister Ata Manika resigns

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Ata Manika has resigned from his position of Punjab Revenue Minister. He had sent his resignation to Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif last Friday and awaits formal approval.The provincial cabinet suffered from a major setback as the important Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader expressed dissatisfaction with the ruling party. He said in a tête-à-têtethat he was given dysfunctional departments.Manika said, “The (Punjab) government kept me against the wall for the past four years.”He complained that he was only able to meet the Punjab CM twice in his whole tenure despite efforts. While talking about the resignation, he told his family and friends consistently pressurised his to make the call since the very start.CM Secretariat tried to stop the reports of resignation and forced me to take it back, Manika said.

No intention to dissolve assemblies, PM assures Ijaz-ul-Haq

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif met the former state minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Zia (PML-Z) Chairman Ijaz-ul-Haq in the capital on Tuesday.He assured Haq that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had no intention of dissolving the assemblies, adding that everyone should accept the verdict of Supreme Court in Panama case.Sources told that the two exchanged opinion on the existing political unrest, including the report of Joint Investigation Team (JIT) for Panama case. “Everyone should accept the court’s orders and we have no intention to dissolve the assemblies,” PM said.PML-Z Chairman suggested that all political parties should wait for the Panama case final verdict. He said, “Supreme Court should address the objections of all parties, democracy has to prevail.”Meanwhile,the Supreme Court (SC) bench clarified that the Sharif family has to prove the money trail here or in trial court, during the second say of Panama case hearing after JIT report.Sharif family lawyer Khawaja Harris responded saying neither the JIT report is authentic nor its probe was fair.
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