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PML-N public rally in Gujranawala today
772nd urs of Hazarat Bahauddin Zikria starts today
4 children burnt alive in Lahore
Nepal elephants play soccer in festival
First mass pillow fight breaks out in Beijing
Karachi: CNG stations, public transport on strike today
Bomb attacks kill 4 civilians, 2 ISAF members
Iran to test-fire missile in strategic waterway
Al Qaeda trying to recruit fighters in Libya: report
Security in Lahore put on high alert after Quetta blast
Euro rises against dollar in thin trading
Djokovic, Ferrer to clash in Abu Dhabi final
South Africa squad for Sri Lanka ODIs nemed
Indian stars under fire after MCG debacle
Brother of MPA gunned down in Karachi

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Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will hold a public meeting in Gujranwala today against governemt’s corruption, ongoing loadshedding and price hike. PML-N leader Hamza Shahbaz has been supervising the arrangements for the public meeting to be held at Jinnah Stadium, Gujranwala. The PML-N workers have decorated the city with party flags and banners. PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, Chief Minister Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif and other party leaders will address the meeting.

772nd urs of Hazarat Bahauddin Zikria starts today

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Former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will inaugurate the three-day urs of Hazrat Bahauddin Zikria today with bath to the shrine. Pilgrims from Sindh and all over the country are reaching Multan to participate in the urs. Arrangement have been made to accommodate the pilgrims in the Govt Walayat Hussain College, Govt Alamdar College and Haji Camp while 700 police officials have been deployed for security reasons.

4 children burnt alive in Lahore

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According to sources, fire broke out in the house of police constable Sarfaraz during night between Fariday and Saturday, killing four children and critically injuring wife of the police constable. The sources informed that Sarfaraz went to his office after locking his wife and children in the house. Fire brigade brought the fire under control after a hectic effort. The affected family members were shifted to the nearby hospital where condition of the wife of constable Sarfaraz is stated to be critical.

Nepal elephants play soccer in festival

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Nepal s elephants used all four legs and their trunks to play soccer on the last day of a three-day festival aimed at boosting the country s tourism industry. Sauraha town, located at the gateway of Chitwan National Park, hosted the game for the fourth year. The elephants, between the ages of four and five, though large and bulky, nimbly manipulated the ball, to the cheers of both local residents and tourists. Teams of four elephants used a regular sized ball, blocking passes, kicking the ball and nudging it with their trunks, pushing each other for control of the play. The game concluded with a score of 2-1, with the Lions Club team beating defending champions Kist Bank. The Chitwan Elephant Festival aims to attract visitors to the conservation forests some 170km (105.6 miles) south of the capital, Kathmandu.

First mass pillow fight breaks out in Beijing

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Chinese youngsters charged at each other with their weapons of choice -- soft, fluffy pillows -- in Beijing one night before New Year s Eve on Friday. In the first "Super Pillow Fight Party" in the Chinese capital, a hundred students and young white-collar workers slammed pillows at laughing friends and complete strangers alike. Some even jumped on each other s backs for a full-on tackle. The organiser of the Beijing "Super Pillow Fight Party" said she hoped the event could help stressed-out people to let off some steam. "We organized this event mainly because now the pace of living is getting faster and people are feeling more pressure. We hope through creative events, we can help more people to release stress and become happier," said Ye Zi of The Creative Party Network. Shanghai had already seen at least five massive pillow wars, with some arming more than a thousand people with the fluffy weapons. But for Beijingers, the chaotic scene of hundreds of pillows flying in the air was new.

Karachi: CNG stations, public transport on strike today

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According to the All Pakistan Petrol and CNG Dealers Association chairman Abdul Sami Khan, all the CNG station in Karachi will remain shut today in protest against imposition of Rs 5 levy on CNG sector. He further said that there will be no sale of diesel on petrol pumps today. However, the sale of petrol will remain open.

Bomb attacks kill 4 civilians, 2 ISAF members

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A roadside bomb killed four civilians in southern Afghanistan Friday during a day of violence which also saw the deaths of two ISAF service members and an attempted suicide bombing. "Four male civilians were killed and one injured when their vehicle hit a Taliban-planted mine in Trinkot city this morning," said Gulab Khan, a police chief from the Uruzgan province. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but roadside bombs are frequently planted by Taliban-led insurgents fighting a decade-long war against NATO-led foreign troops and Afghan government forces. "Those responsible for this shameful attack must be held to account for their actions against the people of Afghanistan," said ISAF commander General John Allen. In a separate incident in the same city police shot dead a man wearing a suicide vest. "A suicide bomber and his accomplice were on a motorbike and wanted to target a local police commander," Khan said. "They were identified by police who opened fire and killed them. Nobody else was hurt." Meanwhile the International Security Assistance Force announced the deaths of two service members in separate IED (improvised explosive device) attacks, both also in the volatile south of the country. The nationalities were not released in line with policy. The deaths bring the toll for foreign troops in 2011 to 565. The attacks followed another roadside bomb attack on Thursday which killed a local police commander in the southern province of Kandahar. The Taliban claimed responsibility. "Last night a police vehicle hit a roadside mine in Spin Boldak district. As a result a border police commander was killed and two of his bodyguards were injured," said provincial police chief General Abdul Razeq.

Iran to test-fire missile in strategic waterway

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Tehran said it will test-fire missiles in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, a move likely to stoke tensions with Washington already running high over Iran s threats to close the strategic oil waterway if sanctions are enforced. "Shorter- and longer-range, ground-to-sea, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles will be tested on Saturday," the ISNA news agency quoted Iran s navy spokesman, Commodore Mahmoud Mousavi, as saying on Friday. Iran, which has been carrying out war games in the Strait of Hormuz over the past week, has said that "not a drop of oil" would pass through the strait if Western governments follow through with planned additional sanctions over its nuclear programme. The US State Department said on Thursday that Iran s threat to close the waterway, through which more than a third of the world s tanker-borne oil passes, exhibited "irrational behavior" and "will not be tolerated." The naval manoeuvres launched by Iran in the strait on December 24 have so far included mine-laying and the use of aerial drones, according to Iranian media. Analysts and oil market traders have been watching developments in and around the Strait of Hormuz carefully, fearing that the intensifying war of words between arch foes Tehran and Washington could spark open confrontation. With tensions over the straight simmering, Iran-rival Saudi Arabi announced that it had signed a deal to buy 84 new US fighter jets in order maximise defence capabilities in the oil-rich kingdom. On Thursday, the US said the $30 billion (23 billion euro) deal sent a "strong message" to the Gulf region, where Riyadh has voiced concerns about Tehran s efforts to boost its influence. In addition to buying the new aircraft, Saudi Arabia will be able to modernize 70 existing planes while procuring munitions, spare parts, training and maintenance contracts, US officials said. Two US warships had entered a zone where Iran was conducting its war games, but a US naval spokeswoman said the ships were travelling as part of a pre-planned, routine operation and were not deployed as a show of strength.

Al Qaeda trying to recruit fighters in Libya: report

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Al Qaeda has sent seasoned militants to Libya in a bid to recruit a fighting force after the fall of Moamer Gaddafi s regime, CNN reported Friday, but US officials played down the threat. The militants include a veteran operative who was once detained in Britain as a terror suspect and who was allegedly sent to Libya on the orders of Al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri, the television news channel reported, citing a Libyan source briefed by Western officials. The operative, who arrived in Libya in May, has since recruited some 200 fighters in the country s east and Western intelligence agencies are tracking his efforts, CNN said. Another operative, with European and Libyan passports, was arrested en route to Libya from the Afghanistan-Pakistan region in "an unnamed country," according to CNN. Following the collapse of Gaddafi s regime in the face of an armed rebellion and a NATO-led air campaign, Western governments have voiced concern about violent extremists trying to exploit instability in the country or getting their hands on surface-to-air missiles. But US officials say Al Qaeda remains severely weakened from American operations and that there are no signs the network has made major advances in Libya in the wake of Gaddafi s death. "It is way too early for people to suggest that Al Qaeda is going to establish a firm foothold in Libya," said one US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "They have a long ways to go to win the hearts and minds of the Libyan people," the official told AFP, saying Libya was unlikely to serve as fertile ground for Al Qaeda. "It is entirely conceivable they would reject out of hand any attempt by Al Qaeda or other extremist groups to shape their future." However, a US diplomatic cable from 2008 published earlier this year by the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks portrayed the eastern Libyan town of Derna as a bastion for extremists. Al Qaeda in Iraq drew heavily from Libyans from the eastern area, according to documents found in Iraq.

Security in Lahore put on high alert after Quetta blast

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According to DIG operations Ghulam Mahmood Dogar, instructions have been issued to all the SPs to increase patrol in their respective areas after bomb blast in Quetta of Friday. He further informed that police officials posted on all the entrance points to the city have been instructed to wear bullet proof jackets while checking the vehicles. He said that officials present in the Police Lines have also been put on high alert.

Euro rises against dollar in thin trading

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Trading is slower than usual Friday heading into the New Year s holiday. Stock and bond trading will be closed on Monday in observance of New Year s Day. The euro rose to $1.2974 in midday trading from $1.2938 late Thursday. The euro had fallen as low as $1.2857 Thursday, its lowest point since Sept. 2010. The euro is down about 3 percent against the dollar so far this year. The single currency has fallen as European leaders failed to solve the region s debt crisis. In other trading, the British pound rose to $1.5532 from $1.5395. The dollar fell to 77.17 Japanese yen from 77.65 yen and to 0.9380 Swiss franc from 0.9415 Swiss franc.

Djokovic, Ferrer to clash in Abu Dhabi final

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David Ferrer stunned fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal in straight sets on Friday to set up a final showdown with world number one Novak Djokovic at the $250,000 three-day exhibition tournament here. Ferrer took advantage of a below-par Nadal, winning 6-3, 6-2, after Djokovic had earlier demolished Swiss Roger Federer 6-2, 6-1 at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship. Two-time defending champion Nadal blamed a shoulder injury as the world number two trailed from the outset going 5-0 down in the first set. "I was not in my best condition. I had a little trouble with my shoulder in the last month, but David was fantastic," said Nadal. "Rafael has not been able to practice much because of his shoulder," said Ferrer. "But I played very consistent and was happy with my match." Earlier Djokovic showed no signs of the back and shoulder injuries which hampered his final months of last season as he took just 44 minutes to dispatch world number three Federer. "Definitely an incredible performance. Lots of confidence if I continue playing like this," said Djokovic, the winner of three Grand Slam and five Masters titles for a 70-6 winning record last season. "I expected him to be very strong again next year, and he s going to be tough to beat," Federer said. Fifth-ranked Ferrer said he was relishing another clash with the world s top player whom he has a 5-6 record against and handed a rare defeat in the ATP World Tour finals in London last month. "It will be very difficult. Novak is number one in the world. I will do my best to make a good match against him," warned the Spaniard.

South Africa squad for Sri Lanka ODIs nemed

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Wicketkeeper Mark Boucher was one of three players dropped on Friday when South Africa named their squad for next month s one-day internationals against Sri Lanka. Boucher, 35, who holds the world record for most test dismissals (540), batsman David Miller and leg-spinner Imran Tahir have paid the price for the limited-overs series defeat at home to Australia in October. Dean Elgar, a left-handed batsman and part-time spinner, and all-rounder Rory Kleinveldt were called up as Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced a 14-man squad for the first two games of January s five-match series against Sri Lanka. Kleinveldt, 28, is in line for his ODI debut after two Twenty20 internationals while Elgar, 24, impressed in South Africa s domestic limited-overs competition. The team will be led by wicketkeeper-batsman AB de Villiers for the first time since he was appointed as ODI captain. "Elgar fully deserves his opportunity," CSA selection convener Andrew Hudson said in a statement. "He was the leading run-scorer in the (domestic) one-day cup and also had the best average. In addition he gives us very useful bowling options as a left-arm spinner. "Kleinveldt played an important role with the ball in helping the Cobras to win the one-day cup and he also has a lot of potential as a lower-order power hitter." The first game of the series takes place in Paarl on Jan. 11 with the final match scheduled for Jan. 22 in Johannesburg. South Africa squad: Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, AB de Villiers (captain), JP Duminy, Francois du Plessis, Dean Elgar, Jacques Kallis, Rory Kleinveldt, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Graeme Smith, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

Indian stars under fire after MCG debacle

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Indian media on Friday lashed out at the country s famed batting line-up for letting the team down in the opening Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Chasing a 292-run target on Thursday, India failed to cope with Australia s pace attack as they were shot out for 169 despite the batting experience of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Venkatsai Laxman and Virender Sehwag. "Melbourne Meltdown" said a Times of India headline after the tourists  122-run defeat. "Those expecting India s much-vaunted batting line-up to give Australia a run for their money were disappointed when Dhoni and Co surrendered without even putting up a semblance of a fight," the paper wrote. Australian fast bowlers James Pattinson, Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle all struck it rich on a seamer-friendly track, grabbing 19 of the 20 Indian wickets to lead their side to a crushing victory. "Mauled in Melbourne" the Hindustan Times said on its front page and "Bat-erred India fall apart" on its sports page. "The chase was always going to be an uphill task, considering the recent barren run which has seen the famed batting line-up not cross the 300-run mark in the last 10 away innings," said the paper. The Hindu newspaper also blamed the batsmen for defeat, saying the "famed batting line-up fails to deliver". Ravi Shastri, former India all-rounder and now a noted TV commentator, said the Indian batsmen needed to show grit to bounce back in the four-Test series. "India need runs from all their main batsmen. Now that bowlers look the part, batters have no business to let them down," he wrote in the Times of India. "I wouldn t be surprised if this completely turns out to be a bowlers  series. If so, then every run saved or made would count. India have the skills. All they need is resolve," he wrote. Former India paceman Javagal Srinath said the tourists could fight back. "Saddled with the reputation of being poor starters overseas, India did precious little to rectify the anomaly in the Melbourne Test," he wrote in the Hindustan Times. "Barring England, where nothing went right for them, India have bounced back after first-Test losses. There is no reason, given the experience and quality of the India batting, why they can t do so again in Sydney." The second Test starts in Sydney on January 3.

Brother of MPA gunned down in Karachi

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According to details, some unidentified persons opened fire on the car of Dr Salim Kharal, head of Pathology Department of Jinnah Hospital near Punjab Chowrangi in Karachi, critically injuring him. He was rushed to Jinnah Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The deceased Dr Salim was brother of PPP MPA Naeem Kharal. According to police the firing occurred on resistance in a dacoity attempt. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qail Ali Shah took strong notice of the incident and asked IG Sindh to submit report.

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Cricket - Sports

Saturday, December 31, 2011

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