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Army in National Baseball Cship final
Urs ceremony of Hazrat Bahauddin Zikria concluded
Faisalabad: 5-year-old girl recovered, three arrested
India 72-4 in 1st innings of 2nd Test at lunch
Arab League says Syria withdrew tanks from cities
Iran's navy tests cruise missile as part of drill
Palestinians hope peace efforts can be salvaged
Mubarak trial resumes amid acquittal speculation
Authorities probe fire attacks on 4 NYC sites
Al Qaeda, Taliban seek Pakistani militants' help
Iran shuts border with Pakistan
Embezzlement in polio eradication programme
Fiza Gilani inquires after Arfa Karim
Denmark beat United States at Hopman Cup
Federer, Nadal start season at Qatar Open

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In the first semifinal, played at the Minto Park Lahore, Pakistan Army outplayed Punjab 14-0. The match lasted only for six innings. Army batters Farooq and Muhammad Imtiaz scored 3 each. Earlier, in the last pool match, Police defeated Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 10-1.

Urs ceremony of Hazrat Bahauddin Zikria concluded

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Zikria Conference was held on the third and final day of the Urs in which ulema and other speakers hihglited the teachings of Hazrat Bahauddin Zikria. Speaking on the occasion, sajjada nashin and vice chairman Pakistan Tehrik Insaf, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that Sufism is essential to save the country. He also ruled out any alliance with former president Pervez Musharraf and said that country needs and honest leadership. Meanwhile, Suni Tehrik leader Sarwat Ijaz Qadri has invited Shah Mahmood Qureshi to attent rally in Karachi on January 22.

Faisalabad: 5-year-old girl recovered, three arrested

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According to police, five-year-old Samavia kidnapped from Garden Colony in Faisalabad onSaturday by four accused. The kidnappers have demanded four million rupees as ransome, Police conducted a raid in Batala Colony Police Station area and arrested Gulfam, Rashid and Ali Raza while search is on for fourth accused Bilal. The minor girl was recovered safely.

India 72-4 in 1st innings of 2nd Test at lunch

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Australia s young pace spearhead James Pattinson rocked India with three wickets as Sachin Tendulkar chased his elusive 100th international century on the opening day of the second Test on Tuesday. Pattinson, 21, playing in only his fourth Test match, set the tourists back on their heels with three wickets on the first morning at the Sydney Cricket Ground after India had won the toss. India reached lunch at 72 for four with Tendulkar unbeaten on 21 and Virat Kohli on 12. Tendulkar has been stranded on 99 Test and one-day international centuries since scoring 111 against South Africa in the World Cup in March. Gautam Gambhir was out on the third ball of the Test, nudging an enticing Pattinson outswinger to first slip Michael Clarke for a duck. Rahul Dravid fell to a bat-pad catch to Ed Cowan in Peter Siddle s second over for five off 33 balls. Sehwag had a "life" on 23 when he was dropped by Ricky Ponting at second slip off Ben Hilfenhaus. But Sehwag was out to another splendid Pattinson delivery, nicking to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin for 30 off 51 balls in the 19th over Pattinson, bowling with beautiful shape, tempted Laxman to drive only to edge to Shaun Marsh at third slip for a disappointing two after scores of two and one in Melbourne. It was a rare batting failure for Laxman at the SCG, which statistically is his most productive scoring venue outside of India. The SCG is only the third ground in Test cricket behind Lord s (123) in London and the Melbourne Cricket Ground (104) to stage 100 Tests.

Arab League says Syria withdrew tanks from cities

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Syria s government has withdrawn heavy weapons from inside cities and freed about 3,500 prisoners but security forces continue to kill protesters even with foreign monitors in the country, the Arab League chief said Monday. Nabil Elaraby said pro-regime snipers also continue to operate in Syria and he demanded a complete cease-fire. But despite the regime s ongoing crackdown, he listed the achievements of the Arab League monitors since they began work. The monitors are supposed to verify Syria s compliance with an Arab League plan to stop the 9-month-old crackdown on dissent. President Bashar Assad agreed to the plan on Dec. 19. But since the Arab League monitors began work last Tuesday, activists say government forces have killed more than 150 people, the vast majority of them unarmed, peaceful protesters. "Yes, there is still shooting and yes there are still snipers," Elaraby told a news conference in Cairo, where the Arab League is based. "Yes, killings continue. The objective is for us to wake up in the morning and hear that no one is killed. The mission s philosophy is to protect civilians, so if one is killed, then our mission is incomplete." "There must be a complete cease-fire," Elaraby said. But he also said tanks and artillery have been pulled out from cities and residential neighborhood, food supplies reached residents and bodies of dead protesters recovered. Rami Abdul-Rahman, who heads the British-based activist group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, confirmed that tanks had withdrawn from Syrian cities. But he said residents reported that the weapons were still a threat. "They can bring the tanks back and use them to fight," Abdul-Rahman told The Associated Press. Elaraby did not say when the heavy weapons pulled out of cities, but Abdul-Rahman said it was on Thursday. The Arab League plan requires Assad s regime to remove security forces and heavy weapons from city streets, start talks with opposition leaders, free political prisoners and allow human rights workers and journalists into the country. Elaraby said Syria has objected to the admission into Syria of three unidentified television networks and that he has been told by the Damascus government that it has issued visas for a total of 150 media outlets. There was no independent confirmation of this. Already, Syrian opposition groups and a pan-Arab group, the Arab Parliament, have been deeply critical of the mission, saying it is simply giving Assad cover for his crackdown. Elaraby said the mission was relying less and less on logistics provided by the Syrian government, but pointed out that employing Syrian drivers was inevitable because they are familiar with the roads. The Syrian opposition has complained that the presence of suspected Syrian regime agents with the observers has discouraged Syrians from approaching them.

Iran's navy tests cruise missile as part of drill

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Iran test-fired a surface-to-surface cruise missile Monday in a drill its navy chief said proved Tehran was in complete control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the passageway for one-sixth of the world s oil supply. The 10-day naval maneuvers, which are scheduled to end Tuesday, were Iran s latest show of strength in the face of mounting international criticism over its nuclear program. Tehran has threatened to close the strait as possible retaliation to new U.S. economic sanctions. The missile, called "Ghader," or "Capable" in Farsi, was described as an upgraded version of one that has been in service before. The official IRNA news agency said the missile "successfully hit its intended target" during the exercise. An earlier version of the same cruise missile had a range of 124 miles (200 kilometers) and could travel at low altitudes. There were suggestions it could counter the U.S. naval presence in the Persian Gulf. There have been conflicting comments from Iranian officials over Tehran s intentions to close the Strait of Hormuz and U.S. warnings against such an ominous move. "The Strait of Hormuz is completely under our control," Iran s navy chief Adm. Habibollah Sayyari said after Monday s test. "We do not allow any enemy to pose threats to our interests." Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the Iranian exercise was a show of strength intended "to deter the world from continuing sanctions against it." Barak said at a party meeting that he doubts Iran would close the strait because that would only bring harsher international sanctions. Israel considers Iran an existential threat due to its nuclear and long-range missile program. Iran is also a major backer of Hamas and Hezbollah militants who are fighting Israel. The West fears Iran s nuclear program aims to develop weapons a charge Tehran denies, insisting it is for peaceful purposes only. President Barack Obama has signed a bill that applies penalties against Iran s central bank in an effort to hamper Tehran s ability to fund its nuclear enrichment program, although the administration is looking to soften the impact of those penalties because of concerns that they could lead to a spike in global oil prices or cause economic hardship on U.S. allies that import petroleum from Iran.

Palestinians hope peace efforts can be salvaged

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The chief Palestinian peace negotiator said Monday his first meeting with Israelis in more than a year will be a last-ditch effort to salvage the peace process and warned that the Palestinians would explore alternatives if no progress is made. Saeb Erekat said he was holding out hope for Tuesday s meeting in Jordan, but acknowledged his expectations were low as he reiterated his long-standing demand for an Israeli freeze on settlement construction. Without a breakthrough, he warned, the Palestinians will be forced to examine alternatives to peace talks at the end of the month. Those could include again trying for recognition at the U.N. "The Jordanian efforts are the last-minute efforts to salvage the situation," Erekat warned. Erekat is set to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu s peace envoy, Yitzhak Molcho, at Tuesday s meeting. It is the first time the sides are meeting since negotiations collapsed in September 2010. Officials say the meeting is not a formal negotiating session. Instead, it is aimed at finding enough common ground to resume negotiations. The meeting is taking place under the auspices of the Quartet, an international group that mediates Mideast peace efforts. The Quartet, consisting of the U.S., European Union, Russia and the United Nations, has been trying to revive talks for months with the goal of forging a peace deal by the end of this year. The Palestinians want to establish an independent state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip. Israel captured all three areas in the 1967 Mideast war, though it withdrew from Gaza in 2005.

Mubarak trial resumes amid acquittal speculation

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The trial of Hosni Mubarak resumed Monday amid speculation that a recent acquittal of policemen tried in the killings of protesters could be a prelude to the dismissal of charges against the ousted Egyptian leader. Mubarak is charged with complicity in the killing of more than 800 protesters during the uprising that toppled his 29-year regime last year. The 83-year-old ailing Mubarak was brought by helicopter to the Cairo courthouse from a hospital where he is held in custody. He was then taken into the defendants  cage on a gurney, wearing dark sunglasses and covered by a green blanket. Another Cairo court on Thursday acquitted five policemen of charges of killing five protesters in the capital s el-Sayedah Zeinab district during the Jan. 25-Feb. 11 uprising. The court said three of the defendants were not at the site of the killings while the other two fired on protesters in self defense. The ruling angered families of the victims. Activists demanded that the killers be brought to justice and complained that similar cases are languishing in courts in several Egyptian cities. On trial with Mubarak are his two sons, Gamal, his one-time heir apparent, and Alaa, along with the ousted leader s former security chief and six top police commanders. The Mubaraks face additional corruption charges in the same case. The trial began Aug. 3 but has since been bogged down in procedural matters, including a demand by lawyers for the victims that the presiding judge, Ahmed Rifaat, be removed. That request alone took a separate court about three months to rule on. Monday s hearing was adjourned until Tuesday, when the court is due to hear from the prosecution. The acquittal of the police officers in el-Sayedah Zeinab and the relatively long time the Mubarak trial is taking before even starting to deal with the core of the charges against him have led many activists to brand the proceedings a farce, organized by the generals who took over power when the longtime leader was ousted.

Authorities probe fire attacks on 4 NYC sites

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While members of an Islamic cultural center gathered for a Sunday evening dinner, a Molotov cocktail hurled by an unknown assailant and made from a Starbucks bottle burst and shattered against the center s main entrance. Another was thrown at the sign for the center s school. It was one of a string of suspected arson attacks that police were investigating on Monday as possible bias crimes and trying to determine whether the incidents were linked. No arrests have been made. Structural damage to the Imam Al-Khoei Foundation was minimal, but some members of the center were emotionally shaken, the assistant imam said. About 80 worshippers were there when the firebomb was set off at 8:44 p.m., the third in the series of suspected arson attacks in Queens on Sunday night. "We were very surprised," assistant Imam Maan Al-Sahlani said. "This has never happened here before." The decades-old foundation is among the foremost Muslim institutions in New York, with branches around the world, he said. Named for one of the most influential Shiite scholars, it promotes work in development, human rights and minority rights as a general consultant to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. The center also has a full, accredited school that resumes Tuesday after holiday break, and some parents were concerned about the attack, Al-Sahlani said. The sprawling complex has two minarets rising high with the Van Wyck Expressway as a backdrop. On Monday, the concrete overhang outside the main entrance was blackened from smoke damage and there was minor damage to the area near the sign, as yellow police tape fluttered. But Al-Sahlani, 36, dressed in traditional clerics  robes, said the center was working with authorities and trying to move forward. Worshippers prayed and milled around, and the front doors were wide open.

Al Qaeda, Taliban seek Pakistani militants' help

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Prominent Al Qaeda and Afghan Taliban fighters asked Pakistani militants in a pair of rare meetings to set aside their differences and step up support for the battle against US-led forces in Afghanistan, militant commanders said Monday. The meetings were held in Pakistan s tribal region in November and December at the request of the Afghan Taliban s leadership council. They could indicate the militants are struggling in Afghanistan, or conversely, that they want to make sure they hit US forces hard as the Americans accelerate their withdrawal this year. That could give the Taliban additional leverage in any peace negotiations. "For God s sake, forget all your differences and give us fighters to boost the battle against America in Afghanistan," senior Al Qaeda commander Abu Yahya al-Libi told Pakistani fighters at a meeting on Dec. 11, according to a militant who attended. Pakistani militants have long been split over where they should focus their fighting. The Pakistani Taliban have concentrated on toppling their own government, although they have sent some fighters to Afghanistan. Other Pakistani groups based in the tribal region have almost exclusively directed their attacks against foreign forces in Afghanistan. The Pakistani Taliban, an umbrella organization set up in 2007 to represent roughly 40 insurgent groups, has also been split by infighting over turf and leadership positions after commanders were killed by the Pakistani military and US drone strikes. The group has fractured into more than 100 smaller factions, a process that some analysts have suggested would take a toll on militants fighting in Afghanistan by making it increasingly difficult for them to find recruits, as well as restricting territory in Pakistan available to them. Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud attended the two meetings on Nov. 27 in Wana, the main town in South Waziristan, and Dec. 11 in the Datta Khel area of North Waziristan, Pakistani Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan said. Other prominent Pakistani militant leaders who attended included Mehsud s deputy, Waliur Rehman, and two commanders who have focused on fighting in Afghanistan, Maulvi Nazir and Gul Bahadur, Ehsan said. Also there was Sirajuddin Haqqani, an Afghan militant based in North Waziristan who leads one of the most feared groups fighting in Afghanistan. The Afghan Taliban fighters at the meetings included Zabiullah Mujahid, a well-known spokesman, and Maulvi Sangin, who claims to have custody of US Army Pvt. Bowe R. Bergdahl, captured in Afghanistan in 2009. The four Pakistani commanders and Haqqani agreed to form a council to resolve differences, said two Pakistani Taliban commanders who attended the meetings. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. A pamphlet handed out in North Waziristan over the past two days announced the formation of the five-member committee, saying it was established in consultation with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the name given to the country by the Taliban. It called on Pakistani militants to coordinate with each other and "avoid unwarranted killings and kidnappings for ransom." "If any holy warrior is found involved in an unjustified murder or crime, he will be answerable to the committee and could face Islamic punishment," said the pamphlet. Al-Libi, the Al Qaeda commander, asked the Pakistani militants to provide additional fighters to the Afghan Taliban in March, when the snow melts from the passes connecting Pakistan and Afghanistan and the spring fighting season begins. Ehsan, the Pakistani Taliban spokesman, said the militants agreed, but that did not mean the group would end its fight against the Pakistani government. "We will continue our jihad against Pakistani security forces," Ehsan pledged.

Iran shuts border with Pakistan

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Iran has shut its border with Pakistan as three Iranians were taken into custody by Pakistani authorities on Sunday over alleged cross-border attack, killing one Pakistani citizen, British media reported. The Iranians reached Mazan Sar Mashkail, in Washuk district, three kilometres (1.8miles) inside Pakistan where they opened fire on a vehicle they were chasing, according to security officials in Balochistan province. All three personnel of Iranian border security force were taken into custody for their penetration inside Pakistan and killing a Pakistani national on our soil," Saeed Ahmad Jamali, Deputy Commissioner of Washuk district said. A Pakistani national was killed and his brother was wounded by gunshots in the incident, he added. Talks between Pakistan and Iran are expected to be held today to discuss reopening of the border and release of Iranian officials.

Embezzlement in polio eradication programme

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According to sources, 7,500 containers, which keep the polio vaccine cool, were disappeared from Quetta, Gila Abdullah and Pashin in Blochistan putting in danger the first polio vaccination campaign in 2012 in Balochistan. The sources informed that the containers are imported and each container, worth thousand of rupees, can accommodate at least 100 polio vaccine bottles. Polio vaccine worth millions of rupees is feared to be destroyed with the disappearance of containers. Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner qQuetta, Tariq Mangal, has said that an inquiry into disappearance of containers has been ordered. The sources said that 77 cases of polio were reported in 2011 in Quetta, Qila Abdullah and Pashin.

Fiza Gilani inquires after Arfa Karim

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Fiza Batool Gilani, daughter of Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, on Monday visited Combined Military Hospital (CMH) to inquire after Arfa Karim Randhawa, the youngest Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) in the world. Speaking on the occasion, Fiza Batool Gilani appealed to the nation to pray for an early recovery of Arfa, adding that she was the pride of Pakistan. She said that Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani had given a message for Arfa that all sorts of assistance and availability of doctors would be ensured for her best treatment. She hoped that Arfa would recover soon. Arfa’s father, Amjad Karim, a retired colonel, expressed satisfaction over treatment being provided to her. He said Arfa was handling a NASA project before she fell ill. Doctors, who are treating Arfa, said the best possible healthcare was being provided to her, adding that she could not be shifted to any other place for treatment as she was on ventilator.

Denmark beat United States at Hopman Cup

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Caroline Wozniacki and Frederik Nielsen have beaten Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Mardy Fish 7-5, 6-3 in mixed doubles to give Denmark a 2-1 win over the United States at the Hopman Cup on Monday. Fish had given the US an early 1-0 lead after beating Nielsen 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 in men s singles, but Wozniacki, who arrived only four hours earlier on a flight from Thailand, beat Mattek-Sands 7-6 (4), 6-2 to level at 1-1 before the Danish pair combined to win the decider. Women s singles are usually played first under the tournament format, but officials delayed that match to allow the top-ranked Wozniacki more time to practice on the Burswood Dome hardcourts.

Federer, Nadal start season at Qatar Open

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Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are eyeing a confidence-boosting victory at the season-opening Qatar Open but much of the talk Monday was swirling around Novak Djokovic who is not here but is already showing signs of the dominance that made him such a force in 2011. The No. 1-ranked Djokovic wrapped up his first title in Abu Dhabi on Saturday and afterward stated that he was feeling better than he did at this time last season. That does not bode well for the second-ranked Nadal and third-ranked Federer who were often on the losing end as the 24-year-old Serb won three Grand Slams on his way to amassing a record of 70 wins and six losses. Nadal, who lost to Djokovic in the US Open and Wimbledon finals in 2011, said players expect the Serb to dominate again this season. "Everybody thinks that Djokovic will be difficult to beat, no?" Nadal said. "Not just myself." The 25-year-old Spaniard, who is the tournament s top seed, has a first-round match Tuesday against Philipp Kohlschreiber while Federer faces a tricky encounter against Nikolay Davydenko of Russia whom he beat in the final last year. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France plays Malek Jaziri of Tunisia while Gael Monfils faces Rui Machado of Portugal. Federer, too, couldn t avoid questions about Djokovic, who beat the Swiss in the Abu Dhabi exhibition tournament last week. He lost to Djokovic in the Australian Open and US Open but exacted some revenge in ending Djokovic s 43-match winning streak at the French Open semifinals. "He was definitely the most consistent player of this last year, and he looks like he s in good shape again for this upcoming season," Federer said. Federer said his strong finish last season a 17-match winning streak that culminated in a record sixth title at the year-end championships in London has given him hope that he can do well this year. Early in the first round Monday, there were no upsets as the seeded players all advanced. Fifth-seeded Viktor Troicki of Serbia, beat Lukas Rosol of the Czech Republic 6-4, 7-6 (4) while sixth-seeded Alex Bogomolov Jr. of Russia came from a set down to beat Filippo Volandri of Italy 5-7, 6-4, 6-2. Eighth-seeded Andreas Seppi of Italy beat Lukasz Kubot of Poland, 6-2, 6-3.

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Cricket - Sports

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

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