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- Boxing: Pacquiao to fight Bradley in April - reports
- Bilawal to visit Punjab early next year
- 16 dead, 30 wounded in three blasts in northeast Syria: monitor
- Life sentences for British attack plot couple
- Nine dead as Philippine troops clash with kidnappers
- Merkel, Hollande, Putin, Poroshenko renew support for ceasefire in Ukraine
- 'Un-Islamic' vaping catches fire in Malaysia amid govt backlash
- President Mamnoon summons NA session on Jan 1
- Oil tumbles 3% after unexpected US rise in stockpiles
- Major currencies quiet ahead of New Year holiday
- England have taken big strides - Cook
- South Africa add two to squad
- New Zealand to bat first against Sri Lanka
- Bangladesh cricketer charged with assaulting child maid
- Brazil raises minimum wages in economic crisis
| Boxing: Pacquiao to fight Bradley in April - reports Posted: LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao will return to the ring on April 9 in Las Vegas to take on Timothy Bradley for a third time, promoter Bob Arum told US media on Wednesday.While Pacquiao has spoken this year of retiring after an April bout to pursue his political career, Arum told the Los Angeles Times and ESPN that he would not market the bout as Pacquiaos last.It may very well be his last fight, but I wont put myself in the position of selling it as his last fight and then he decides he wants to fight again and I look like a schmuck, Arum told ESPN.A congressman since 2010, Pacquiao announced in October that he would seek a seat in the Philippines senate in 2016.The 37-year-old, who owns a record of 57-6-2 with 38 knockouts, hasnt fought since a May 2 unanimous decision loss to unbeaten Floyd Mayweather in their long-awaited bout that shattered revenue records for the sport.Pacquiao aggravated a shoulder injury in the Mayweather bout and underwent surgery five days later.This week in a question and answer with fans on his Facebook page Pacquiao said his shoulder was 100 percent.Pacquiao and Bradley have met twice before, with the American taking a controversial split decision in a fight many thought Pacquiao had won in June of 2012.Pacquiao avenged the polarizing defeat and regained the World Boxing Organizatin welterweight world title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Bradley in April of 2014.Bradley, 33-1-1 with 13 knockouts, has since regained the WBO welterweight belt and will be coming off a ninth-round technical knockout of Brandon Rios on November 7.  |
| Bilawal to visit Punjab early next year Posted: KARACHI (Dunya News) - Chairman of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will tour Punjab early next year after his party suffered a crushing defeat in local bodies elections in the province, Dunya News reported. The schedule of the chairman PPP’s visit to Punjab has been finalized. Bilawal Bhutto will reach Lahore on January 9 and would hold a consultative meeting with his party’s leadership.The next day, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto is scheduled to attend a mass wedding ceremony. Bilawal Bhutto is schedule to address a meeting of the Lahore High Court Bar Association on January 11.  |
| 16 dead, 30 wounded in three blasts in northeast Syria: monitor Posted: QAMISHLI (AFP) - At least 16 people were killed and 30 wounded by explosions in three restaurants in the northeast of Syria on Wednesday, a monitoring group said, in attacks claimed by the Islamic State group.At least one of the blasts in the city of Qamishli was caused by a suicide bomber, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told AFP.An AFP correspondent in the city said the suicide attack took place in a restaurant in a Christian neighbourhood.Three explosions, one by a suicide bomber inside a restaurant, hit... Qamishli city in Hasakeh province, the Observatorys director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.News agency Amaq, which supports Islamic State jihadists, said the group had claimed responsibility for the attacks on the city, which lies near the border with Turkey and close to Iraq.Dozens of dead and wounded in the bombings by the fighters of the Islamic State in different parts of Qamishli city, it said.Qamishli is under the shared control of the Syrian regime and Kurdish authorities, who have declared zones of autonomous administration across parts of north and northeast Syria.Syrian troops and seasoned Kurdish fighters have coordinated on security in Hasakeh province where IS jihadists have tried to advance.According to the Observatory, all three of the restaurant explosions happened in a zone controlled by regime forces.  |
| Life sentences for British attack plot couple Posted: LONDON (AFP) - A husband and his former wife convicted of planning a major attack to mark the 10th anniversary of the London suicide bombings were both sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday.Mohammed Rehman, 25, who used the Twitter name Silent Bomber and asked users whether he should bomb a shopping centre or the London Underground train network, will serve a minimum of 27 years.Judge Jeremy Baker ruled that Sana Ahmed Khan, 24, who was Rehmans wife at the time of the crime but who revealed during the trial that the pair had divorced, must serve a minimum of 25 years after being found guilty on Tuesday.On sentencing, Baker said the intended act specifically included a suicide bombing; an act which envisaged martyrdom, a notion specifically resurrected by Islamic State in order to encourage this type of venture.Rehman was arrested in May after posting a tweet saying: Westfield shopping centre or London underground? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.The tweet linked to an Al-Qaeda statement about the July 2005 bombings in which four suicide bombers targeted Londons transport system, killing 52 people.The couple were accused of planning their attack for around May 28.Police seized more than 10 kilogrammes (22 pounds) of urea nitrate, which can be used to manufacture a large bomb, from Rehmans house.Rehman also filmed himself testing explosives in his back garden.Rehman was found guilty of creating the bomb, while his wife funded the project and bought the chemicals, the Crown Prosecution Service said.Their bomb would have caused multiple fatalities if it had been detonated on the London Underground, it said.The intention to carry out some form of terrorism attack was clear, Susan Hemming, head of the CPS counter terrorism division, said following the verdict.The pair had been very close to carrying out an attack. All they required was to purchase the chemicals to make a detonator.  |
| Nine dead as Philippine troops clash with kidnappers Posted: MANILA (AFP) - Philippine security forces clashed with al-Qaeda-linked gunmen believed to be holding foreign hostages on Wednesday, leaving one soldier and eight of the gunmen dead, the military said.The clash occurred near Patikul town on the remote southern island of Jolo, where gunmen from the Islamic militant group Abu Sayyaf are believed to be holding two Canadian hostages along with a Norwegian and a Filipina.Regional mlitary spokesman Major Filemon Tan said that one soldier was killed and four wounded, but did not respond to queries about the status of the hostages thought to be held by the gunmen.Eight of the around 100 attackers were also killed, Tan told reporters, adding that the militants belonged to an Abu Sayyaf faction led by Hajan Sawadjaan. Abu Sayyaf last month released a video of two Canadian tourists, a Norwegian resort operator and a Filipina abducted in another area of the southern Philippines in September, and demanded one billion pesos ($21 million) in ransom.A Dutch bird watcher abducted in the southern Philippines in 2012 is also believed by the military to be held by the same group on Jolo. Founded in the early 1990s with seed money from late Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, Abu Sayyaf gained international notoriety for kidnapping dozens of foreign tourists for ransom in the early 2000s.The group has also been blamed for the countrys worst terrorist attacks, including the bombing of a ferry off Manila Bay in 2004 that killed more than 100 people.It is believed to have just a few hundred gunmen, but thrives in lawless sections of the southern Philippines where Muslim rebels have for decades fought for independence or autonomy.The militant group beheaded a Malaysian hostage last month, weeks after a 74-year-old South Korean kidnapped in January was found dead, apparently from illness, on Jolo.  |
| Merkel, Hollande, Putin, Poroshenko renew support for ceasefire in Ukraine Posted: PARIS (AFP) - The leaders of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine renewed their support for a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday following phone discussions, the French presidency said in a statement.Angela Merkel, Francois Hollande, Vladimir Putin and Petro Poroshenko reaffirmed their commitment to a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, and the concerted withdrawal without delay of heavy weapons, the Elysee Palace said. The leaders spoke for two hours in their first discussions since meeting in Paris on October 2.Tensions have risen recently after a Ukrainian soldier and two civilians were killed in the pro-Russian separatist Donbass region. The four leaders emphasised the need to follow through on the Minsk II peace accords over the coming year, including preparations for local elections in Donbass at the start of 2017.Foreign ministers from the four countries are due to meet to discuss the peace process in greater detail by early February, the Elysee added. The Minsk accords finalised in early 2015 effectively brought hostilities to an end after more than 9,000 people were killed in the civil war that broke out the previous April.However, a ceasefire agreed in September remains fragile and had to be renewed yet again on Tuesday after the recent killings.  |
| 'Un-Islamic' vaping catches fire in Malaysia amid govt backlash Posted: KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - At Malaysian e-cigarette outlet Vape Empire, customers kick back and puff out thick, aromatic clouds of vapour in funky flavours like Horny Mango and Creamy Suckerz Banana Anna.Vaping is soaring in popularity in Malaysia, the largest e-cigarette market in the Asia-Pacific region, but authorities are threatening to ban the habit for health reasons -- a move that has sparked anger from growing legions of aficionados.Backing a ban, Malaysian religious leaders this month declared a fatwa on the un-Islamic habit, but it remains to be seen whether the decree will dampen enthusiasm.The business is growing very fast because there are many people trying to convert from tobacco smoking to vaping, Vape Empires co-founder Muhammad Sharifuddin Esa said, adding that his business has expanded to 57 locations since it opened just two years ago.The pastime has proved a particular hit in the moderate, Muslim-majority nation, where other vices such as alcohol and drugs are especially frowned upon.Now several Malaysian states say they may impose a ban from January 1 and have threatened to stop issuing new merchants licences -- a potential blow to a sector worth an estimated 2.8 billion ringgit ($650 million) last year, according to reports.The industry, which is expected to grow by more than 13 percent year-on-year to 2025, is currently unregulated, and many say forbidding e-cigarettes -- already outlawed in Thailand and Singapore for health reasons -- is a big mistake.The government must regulate and not ban, because vaping is the future, Sharifuddin said. Research on health risks remains split and like Malaysia, few countries have introduced national legislation to regulate the sector. The devices function by heating flavoured nicotine liquid -- or e-juice -- into a vapour that is inhaled, much like traditional cigarettes but without the smoke.Some experts warn vaping can produce cancer-causing formaldehyde and one US study said vaping is up to 15 times more harmful than traditional tobacco smoking. The World Health Organization has called on governments to ban the sale of e-cigarettes to minors. But other research suggests vaping is safer than smoking cigarettes and manufacturers tout them as harmless aids to quit tobacco.Enthusiasts in Malaysia say banning the habit doesnt make economic sense. Vaping communities are fighting for their rights because the vape scene actually brings profits to the country, said Muhammad Imman, marketing manager of the colourfully named Fcuking Flava vape shop, one of thousands that have popped up across the country.Marketers cater to local tastes, selling e-juice flavoured with snake fruit, lychee and even durian, the notoriously pungent Southeast Asian fruit. The juices are marketed like single-malt whiskies or perfumes, as seen at a recent vaping convention in Kuala Lumpur, their creators extolling organic and other premium ingredients.Aficionados gather daily in Malaysias vape shops, sometimes for cloud chasing competitions to see who can produce the biggest vapour puffs and to show off vape prowess by blowing rings into the foggy air.Some agree there is a greater need for quality control to keep dodgy DIY e-juice from entering the market and to ensure e-cigarette devices arent used for smoking drugs like marijuana.A growing number of amateur merchants have emerged across the country, where about a million people smoke e-cigarettes, a five-fold surge since last year, according to the Malaysia E-Vaporizers and Tobacco Alternative Association (MEVTA) activist group. Making e-juice is a simple process that involves mixing readily available ingredients -- water, flavouring, nicotine and other easy-to-access chemical compounds.On a Kuala Lumpur street recently, a vendor set up a table arrayed with a range of flavours, from guava to lychee on sale for about 30 ringgit ($7). Mine are the best, he boasted to passing office workers.But some bottles looked old and reused, and he was tight-lipped on the e-juices origin.Other more mainstream Malaysian manufacturers have struck deals to distribute their goods elsewhere in Asia and as far afield as Europe, as Malaysian flavours become popular overseas.The habit doesnt appear to be losing steam at home, especially among former smokers. I actually have reduced the level of nicotine when I vape, said officer worker Nicolas Chan, speaking between puffs on his lunch break.I feel better and have more energy after quitting cigarettes and starting to vape.  |
| President Mamnoon summons NA session on Jan 1 Posted: ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - President Mamnoon Hussain has approved the Prime Ministers advice for summoning of the next session of National Assembly on Friday, (January 1, 2016) at 3:00 p.m. in the Parliament House.According to the sources, an ordinance regarding the privatization of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will be presented by the government in the National Assembly for approval.On the other hand, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has submitted a resolution in the Senate for the cancellation of ordinance regarding the privatization of PIA. The resolution has been tabled by PPP parliamentary leader Saeed Ghani.  |
| Oil tumbles 3% after unexpected US rise in stockpiles Posted: NEW YORK (AFP) - Oil prices sank Wednesday after an unexpected rise in US commercial crude stockpiles reinforced worries about the prolonged global oversupply.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for February delivery tumbled $1.27, or 3.4 percent, to $36.60 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, erasing the prior days brief rebound.Brent North Sea crude for delivery in February, the international benchmark, fell $1.33 (3.5 percent) to $36.46 a barrel in London, not far from its 11 year low of $36.11 on December 22.The US Department of Energys weekly report showed Wednesday that the nations commercial crude stockpiles had resumed their upward trend following a one-week decline.Stockpiles rose by 2.6 million barrels to 487.4 million barrels in the week ending December 25, instead of the 2.5-million-barrel fall expected by analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News.Inventories remained near record levels and were up 26.5 percent from a year ago.Stockpiles of gasoline and distillates such as heating fuel and diesel rose more than expected. And a build of supplies at the Cushing, Oklahoma hub, the delivery point for Nymex WTI futures, also dented market sentiment.The data, combined with slightly rising US crude production, is yet another reminder that the supply glut could take a long time to clear which may mean even lower oil prices in the near term, said Fawad Razaqzada at Forex.com.Prices have fallen by almost 70 percent since 2014 amid the persistent global oversupply.Razaqzada forecast a rebound in the late 2016.The second half of the year could see WTI rise as some of the weaker oil producers in the US are forced out of the market amid the persistently weaker prices, he said.When and at what price level will oil bottom out is a million-dollar question, but for now at least theres still no end in sight for this protracted bear trend in crude.  |
| Major currencies quiet ahead of New Year holiday Posted: NEW YORK (AFP) - Key currencies were little-changed Wednesday ahead of the long New Year weekend, with little economic news to provoke traders in a quiet market.There was no significant movement in the major currency pairings: at 2200 GMT the euro-dollar was at $1.0932 and the dollar-yen at 120.52 yen.The pound and Chinese yuan also steadied after losses against the dollar earlier this week.Movements among major currencies were at a minimum, a reflection of light holiday markets, said Joe Manimbo, senior market analyst at Western Union Business Solutions.Sterling steadied after slumping to new eight-month lows on Tuesday, he added.But he noted that underlying sentiment remained sterling-negative for the pound due to uncertainty over Britains tenure in the European Union and falling expectations that the Bank of England will follow the Federal Reserves cue with an interest rate hike in the coming months.  |
| England have taken big strides - Cook Posted: DURBAN (AFP) - England captain Alastair Cook hailed the performance and potential of his team after they completed a crushing 241-run win over South Africa on the fifth day of the first Test at Kingsmead on Wednesday.It took England only 80 minutes to take South Africas remaining six wickets for the addition of 38 runs, with man-of-the-match Moeen Ali setting the tone by dismissing batting kingpin AB de Villiers with the third ball of the day. He followed up with two more wickets and had match figures of seven for 116.Cook said a key factor had been batting solidly in bowler-friendly overhead conditions on the first day after being sent in.It was an interesting toss, the overheads were suggesting you want to bowl first but the pitch was quite dry, said Cook.We would also have bowled first. It was a matter of getting through that first day. The way Nick (Compton) played really set up the first innings. From that moment on, the guys bowled particularly well to take 20 wickets and we scored enough runs in the second innings.Cook said a convincing win against a strong South Africa A team in the build-up to the Test had given the players a lot of confidence. It was particularly pleasing to back up our form under pressure in a Boxing Day Test match.With only a two-day turnaround before the second Test starts in Cape Town on Saturday, Cook said it was important to recover well and to avoid complacency. It can turn very quickly. They have world-class players so we cant get too carried away. But it would be nice to get our noses ahead again and to continue to put pressure on South Africa.Despite his fifth-ranked side defeating the current Test number ones, Cook said it was too early to predict a period of ascendancy for England. But he said: The guys have taken big strides forward as a team over the last eight months or so. Its a good side to captain, theres a good balance, the guys are happy and they seem really hungry.Potentially this team can do some really good things. Theres so much talent in this side. But it will take relentless hard work and good results over a long period of time.South African captain Hashim Amla, meanwhile, admitted that his teams batting had been most disappointing, especially following a poor performance on a similarly good batting pitch in the final Test in Delhi earlier this month during a losing series in India.Amla said his teams lack of batting form was a confidence thing and acknowledged that his own lack of runs was a concern.As captain you want to lead from the front not being in the runs is most disappointing from me. Its a developing team but certainly from my perspective getting runs on the board is most important.Amla admitted that regaining form and confidence could only come from scoring runs. If you get the runs you get the confidence. You can be doing everything well in the nets and working behind the scenes but its got to materialise with some sort of runs on the board, especially in the big games.Amla said he still enjoyed being captain but ducked questions about possible changes in the team. I try and leave those things to the selectors. I can only give my opinion.He hinted, however, that Quinton de Kock, who has been added to the squad, could come into the side for the second Test as a wicketkeeper-batsman, enabling AB de Villiers to play as a batsman only. ABs workload has been great than we expected, he said.South African coach Russell Domingo admitted: We didnt play half as well as we can.Domingo denied there was a lack of harmony in the camp. From what Im aware, its a happy camp. The players are not happy with their performances but they are all supporting the captain.Domingo acknowledged that there was bound to be criticism. Theres a lot that went wrong but we need to keep the team tight and keep the noise out.  |
| Posted: DURBAN (AFP) - The South African selectors on Wednesday added wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock and fast bowler Chris Morris to their squad for the second Test against England starting in Cape Town on Saturday.The additions were announced after South Africa suffered a 241-run defeat in the first Test at Kingsmead.Following our performance and injuries in the first Test, we have recognised the need to bolster the squad, said Linda Zondi, the convener of selectors.Apart from taking the gloves to reduce the workload of star batsman AB de Villiers, the left-handed De Kock could strengthen South Africas fragile batting. De Kock hit a century for the Titans franchise against the Cape Cobras in a first-class match at the weekend.Morris was picked as cover for Dale Steyn, who suffered a shoulder injury in Durban. Steyn remains in the squad but is unlikely to play. Kagiso Rabada is probably next in line if Steyn is ruled out.South African squad: Hashim Amla (captain), Dean Elgar, Stiaan van Zyl, AB de Villiers (wkt), Faf du Plessis, Temba Bavuma, JP Duminy, Kyle Abbott, Dale Steyn, Dane Piedt, Morne Morkel, Rilee Rossouw, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Kagiso Rabada, Chris Morris.  |
| New Zealand to bat first against Sri Lanka Posted: NELSON (AFP) - New Zealand won the toss for the third one-day international against Sri Lanka and opted to bat first at Saxton Oval in Nelson on Thursday. Kane Williamson returns from injury to lead New Zealand as one of three changes in the line up. Regular skipper Brendon McCullum is being rested after hurting his back in a fielding mishap in the second match, Tim Southee comes in for Matt Henry and Adam Milne replaces Ish Sodhi.Sri Lanka have made one change with Nuwan Pradeep coming back into the side in place of Sachithra Senanayake.New Zealand have convincingly won the first two matches in Christchurch after losing the toss and batting second. A win in Nelson will give them an unbeatable lead in the five-match series to go with their 2-0 Test sweep earlier in the month. Teams: New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Tom Latham, Kane Williamson (captain), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Mitchell Santner, Luke Ronchi, Doug Bracewell, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Mitchell McClenaghan.Sri Lanka: Tillakaratne Dilshan, Lahiru Thirimanne, Danushka Gunathilaka , Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews (captain), Milinda Siriwardana, Chamara Kapugedera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Nuwan Pradeep, Dushmantha Chameera, Jeffrey Vandersay. Umpires: Billy Bowden (NZL), Michael Gough (ENG).TV umpire: Richard Illingworth (ENG).Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM).  |
| Bangladesh cricketer charged with assaulting child maid Posted: DHAKA (AFP) - Bangladesh police have charged national cricketer Shahadat Hossain with assaulting an 11-year-old girl he employed illegally as a maid.Police said Hossain, who has played 38 Tests for Bangladesh, and his wife Nritto Shahadat were formally charged on Tuesday with assault and torture.The allegations against Shahadat and his wife were proved in our primary investigations, police Inspector Shafiqur Rahman told AFP.The 29-year-old cricketer, who denies any wrongdoing, was suspended from all forms of the game on September 13 over the allegations. He and his wife went into hiding after police raided their house in September following a complaint from the young girl.Police said one of her hands had been burnt with a hot cooking paddle, while other injury marks were also found on her body. Television footage showed her looking frail and thin with swollen black eyes.Hossain, who has also played 51 one-day internationals for Bangladesh, handed himself in to police in October after his wife was arrested.On Wednesday he told AFP the allegations were false and had ruined his career.I am innocent. Everyone who knows me will testify to that, he said, in his first interview since his arrest in October.Hossain said the allegations were part of a conspiracy to destroy his career.A mans dignity relies on his professional career. It seems to me that mine is being ruined, he said.Hossain and his wife face up to 14 years in jail if they are convicted.  |
| Brazil raises minimum wages in economic crisis Posted: RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) - Brazils crisis-hit government said Wednesday it will raise the minimum wage by more than the rate of inflation in the new year, despite the delicate state of its public accounts.The office of leftist President Dilma Rousseff said in a statement the minimum wage would rise by 11.67 percent to 880 reais a month -- still equivalent to only about $227.That was higher than this years forecast inflation rate of 10.57 percent, which is aggravating hardship in the worlds seventh-biggest economy.The federal government is continuing its policy of valuing the minimum wage, which will have a direct impact on nearly 40 million workers and pensioners, the presidency said.The hike however puts further pressure on Brazils troubled public finances. The government has calculated it will weigh on the budget to the tune of about $743 million.Figures released on Tuesday showed the government accounts headed deeper into the red last month.The country posted a primary budget deficit of about $5 billion in November, up sharply from $3 billion in October, the central bank said.Brazil is struggling through a deep recession and a political crisis that has sparked impeachment proceedings against Rousseff.The government expects the economy to contract 3.1 percent this year and 1.9 percent next year.Congress authorized a budget deficit of up to two percent of GDP this year to try to kick-start the economy.But it has set a target of a 0.5-percent surplus for next year, after a political battle that led to the resignation of finance minister Joaquim Levy this month.  |
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