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Gas pipeline blown up in Quetta
Relations with Israel could help Pakistan, says Musharraf
Musharraf to announce return date on Jan 8
New Zealand hot air balloon crash kills 11
Colourful Three Kings parade held in Poland
Kayani meets Chinas top military leaders
No threat to democracy: Zardari
Pakistans rejection of Indian stance on Sir Creek
Injured Federer, beaten Nadal out of Qatar Open
Del Potro to skip Germany Davis Cup tie
Amir Khan deserves rematch over fight scandal: WBA
Golf: Birdie blitz lifts Oosthuizen into African Open lead
Real Madrid's Ronaldo, Mourinho to skip FIFA gala
Pakistan promises top security for Bangladesh squad
England to miss Bresnan in UAE tour opener

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According to details, some unidentified miscreants blew up an 18-inch gas pipeline in Magazar area of Pat Feeder near Quetta during night between Friday and Saturday, suspending gas supply to some parts of Sindh. Fire broke out after the blast. The gas pipeline authorities said the repair work will be started in the morning. Police have registered a case against unidentified persons and started investigation. It is pertinent to mention here that a similar incident took place in the same area two days ago.

Relations with Israel could help Pakistan, says Musharraf

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In an interview with an Israeli newspaper former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf said that relation with Israel could help Pakistan. According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, former ruler said that I believe in realism and in assessing ground realities. I think it s necessary to understand the changing environment. He said that Israel is a reality and we have to accept it. He said that Pakistan is an ideological state like Israel. Musharraf said that acceptance of Israel could also help to bring Pakistan and India closer. He stressed that Pakistan should hold diplomatic relations with Israel same as various other Muslim countries. He said that Pakistanis are not anti-Jews but anti-Israel due to Palestine crises. Former ruler said that Pakistan would continue to support Palestinian’s demand for independent state. Musharraf said that he took initiative of having meeting between Pakistani former minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri and the then Israeli foreign minister Silvan Shalom in Istanbul.

Musharraf to announce return date on Jan 8

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Pakistan s former military ruler Gen Pervez Musharraf is to announce a date to his return to Pakistan to contest forthcoming elections as a civilian. Musharraf will announce his date of return to Pakistanin a video address in Karachi on January 8 from London where has been living in exile. He is planning to fly back to Pakistan by the end of January, plunging himself into a political crisis amid reports of an early general election and rumours the military is on the brink of mounting a coup. The government and army are at loggerhead trading allegations over a memo allegedly sent to US military chiefs by senior officials asking for support to reduce military influence.

New Zealand hot air balloon crash kills 11

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All 11 people on board a hot air balloon which crashed in New Zealand Saturday were killed, a media report said. Police confirmed there were "multiple deaths", and the Fairfax News website said there were 11 people on board the scenic flight and there were no survivors. The hot air balloon went down near Carterton, a small town just north of Wellington and a popular area for hot air ballooning. Police said there was no immediate indication of what caused the early morning tragedy which occurred in fine weather with minimal wind.

Colourful Three Kings parade held in Poland

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Poles celebrate the Christian holiday of Three Kings with costume parades and nativity plays 12 days after Christmas. The holiday celebrates the day when according to Christian beliefs The Magi, also referred to as the Three Wise Men or Three Kings, visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts. They are regular figures in traditional accounts of the nativity celebrations of Christmas in Poland and are a significant part of the Christian tradition. Banned during Communist times in Poland, the tradition of colourful processions is coming back, with Warsaw s annual procession being the third. "For the kids it s great fun, they can watch a king on a camel, take part in this wonderful procession, so it s great fun and I hope that this will evolve and more Poles will remember about their roots and traditions," said one of the 30 thousand Warsaw residents who came to watch the procession. "In America, just, like, Catholics only do it, they celebrate this day, but in Poland it s everybody here and it s really cool," said Leia, an American living in Warsaw. Not all seemed to enjoy the parade because of the drizzly weather. "I think it s great that we can go outside and there s something for the kids to do. Although my son doesn t seem to be enjoying it very much but, I m sure he will remember it," said Aga Kowalski holding her infant son Stas. In the Polish Catholic Church the Three Kings have been commonly known as Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar. On finding Jesus in the nativity they gave him three symbolic gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Kayani meets Chinas top military leaders

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Pakistan and China Fridy vowed to strengthen their comprehensive and all-dimensional relationship, especially in the defense sector. Conveying their strong solidarity with Pakistan, Chinese civilian and military leaders have told the visiting Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, that China will always stand by its close and trusted strategic partner Pakistan. China has started its calendar of high level visits in 2012 with the visit of General Kayani. Chinese media has especially highlighted the importance of the visit in the backdrop of recent regional and international developments. On Friday General Kayani had three separate meetings with State Councilor Dai Bingguo; General Chen Bingde, PLA Chief of General Staff, and Chen Qiufa, Administrator, State Administration for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (SASTIND). General Chen Bingde told General Kayani that Pakistan-China friendship is as strong as steel. It is a relationship conducive to peace and stability in the region, he said. General Chen said that the armed forces,governments and people of the two countries are proud of this all-weather relationship. Endorsing this assessment, General Kayani said that the time-tested strategic relations between Pakistan and China have the support of the people of two countries. Both Pakistan and China have gone through different phases in their history but their friendship and strong bonds have been a constant factor. General Kayani said that the relationship between the two armed forces is solid which has been strengthened by frequent high-level visits, joint exercises and enhanced technological cooperation. General Kayani said that the joint exercises between the armed forces of the two countries have demonstrated a high degree of professional compatibility and interoperability. General Chen said China will give unwavering support to Pakistan.

No threat to democracy: Zardari

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President Asif Ali Zardari said he sees no threat to democracy but no matter what happened the PPP will not disappoint the nation. This he said while chairing a meeting of Senators and MNAs of PPP here at Aiwan-e-Sadr Friday night. Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani was also present in the meeting. Briefing about the meeting, Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar said that the meeting renewed the PPP s commitment to strengthen democracy and the democratic institutions in the country and to continue to resisting any attempt that sought to undermine democracy and civil institutions. The President said that we are aware of our obligation to fulfil our commitments with the people who have never been heard and would take all measures that promise to fulfil the aspirations of people of the country. The President said that the PPP has initiated a consultative process with its political partners and allies on matters of creation of new provinces as well as Senate elections. He said that appropriate legislative measures would soon be undertaken for creation of Seraiki province in consultation with coalition partners. The President had already held a consultative meeting with Parliamentary leaders of allies’ parties Friday, the Spokesperson Farhatullah Babar said. He said that the Government has decided to hold by-elections to all the vacant seats at the earliest completing the Constitutional requirements in this regard. The Prime Minister, while addressing the participants, said that our decision to support a private-member bill which makes it binding upon all the public servants to declare their assets as the parliamentarians do was a major step to ensure across the board accountability of all. However, efforts made in this regard in the past were foiled on tenuous ground, he said. He said that declaration and publication of assets of all those drawing salary from public exchequer was a historical step that will be pursued to its logical conclusion and any attempt to subvert it will be exposed and resisted. The Prime Minister said that the Government has also lifted ban on Government jobs. The President said that the leadership was aware of the challenges facing the country and that is why it has decided to hold dialogue with all the political parties and leaders for strengthening democracy in the country and to take the country out of the present challenges. Discussing power and energy crisis, the President said that power and energy challenges were amongst the greatest challenges that continue to haunt the people of the country and the Government was taking all possible measures to address these issues. The Prime Minister recounted various decisions taken during the recent Cabinet meeting to address power and energy crisis. He said that funds for Thar Coal project have been released and expressed the hope that the Government would overcome the power crises. The President called upon all the Parliamentarians to reach out to the people and hold rallies and public gatherings at divisional levels.  Later, the parliamentarians of the Party spoke on various political issues facing the country. Ms. Farzana Raja also gave a run down of the progress made by Benazir Income Support Programme.

Pakistans rejection of Indian stance on Sir Creek

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Pakistan’s strong challenge to India’s position on the Sir Creek estuary border dispute has been posted on the United Nations website, saying Islamabad does not recognise the New Delhi-promulgated baseline system. The challenge is contained in a Dec 6 letter addressed to Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon by the Pakistan Mission to the United Nations in New York. India’s notifications enumerating its claims in regard to Sir Creek were placed on the website of the UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea in May and November 2009. The 96-km estuary separates India’s Gujarat state from Pakistan’s Sindh province. The Indian claims “impinge upon Pakistan’s territorial limits in Sir Greek area and encroach upon its territorial waters, which are within its sovereign jurisdiction,” the letter tells the UN chief. “This encroachment by India in Pakistan’s limits is a grave violation of international principles and established practices and clear violation” of relevant article of the UN Law of the Sea Convention. The articles state that the system of straight baseline may not be applied by a State in such a manner as to cut off the territorial sea of another state form the high seas of Exclusive Economic Zones. “While the Government of Pakistan reserves its right to seek suitable revision of this notification, any claim India makes on the basis of Indian Notification to extend its sovereignty and jurisdiction on Pakistani waters or extend its internal waters, territorial sea, Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf is therefore not acceptable to Pakistan,” the letter added.

Injured Federer, beaten Nadal out of Qatar Open

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Top-seeded Rafael Nadal was hustled out of the Qatar Open in the semi-finals on Friday, joining second-seeded Roger Federer at the Doha exit door after the Swiss star pulled out with a back injury. French Open champion Nadal lost 6-3, 6-4 to Gael Monfils, the world number 16 from France. The result guaranteed a French winner of the Qatar Open for the first time since Nicolas Escude eight years ago, for Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also reached the final when Federer s hopes were scuppered by a bad back. Federer s decision to pull out before a ball was hit was only the second time in his career that he had been forced into such a decision. For Monfils, it was only the second time in 10 attempts that he had got the better of Nadal. Curiously the other occasion was on this same court three years ago before Nadal went on to win the Australian Open. Monfils suggested that, at the age of 25, he still has the time and the mentality to make a challenge to the leaders. Nadal followed quite well his new emphasis of heavier attacks from nearer to or inside the baseline, but was frequently prevented from getting full value from them. Inevitably the loss will continue the questions about the world number two s preparation for the 2012 season. Problems with his shoulder, a new and heavier racquet, and only five days off-season training have not created maximum confidence. Having played two matches in pain, Grand Slam record-holder Federer preferred to give himself the best chance of appearing in decent shape for the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, the Australian Open, starting at Melbourne in 10 days  time. "Although it s not very good it s not crazy bad," Federer said. "I have had bad backs on the past, but this is not very good, otherwise I would definitely be playing. "It s only the second time I have pulled out from a tournament, and I have never pulled out during a match. It s a sad moment for me, the tournament, and the fans, but health comes first." Federer was "optimistic" he would be fit for the Australian Open, where he will be trying to win the title back from Novak Djokovic. "I feel that without play and with the right treatment, I will get through it in the next few days," he said.

Del Potro to skip Germany Davis Cup tie

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The coach of Juan Martin Del Potro says the former US Open champion will skip Argentina s Davis Cup series next month in Germany. Franco Davin told Friday s La Nacion newspaper that Del Potro, plagued by injuries the last several years, was bowing out because of concern over the physical effects of playing on the clay surface selected by Germany. Argentina lost to Spain in last month s Davis Cup final. Without Del Potro, Argentina is likely to field a team that includes David Nalbandian, Juan Monaco, Juan Ignacio Chela and Carlos Berlocq in the World Group first round contest.

Amir Khan deserves rematch over fight scandal: WBA

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The head of the World Boxing Association says Amir Khan deserves a rematch against Lamont Peterson after fresh questions were raised about the legitimacy of the American s victory in their light-welterweight title fight. The WBA is studying images of an unidentified man accused by Khan of interfering with the judges and leaning over WBA supervisor Michael Welsh during the fight in Washington on Dec. 10. WBA vice president Gilberto Jesus Mendoza says the man in question is unknown to his organization and that "there were a lot of things that make this fight controversial," adding that it would be the "right decision at the moment" if a rematch is ordered. Khan lost the fight on a split decision after being docked two points for pushing.

Golf: Birdie blitz lifts Oosthuizen into African Open lead

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Former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen returned a birdie-saturated 62 on Friday to surge into a two-stroke lead after the second round of the Africa Open. It was a welcome return to top form by the 2010 Open winner, who has not finished first in a European Tour event since lifting the Africa Open trophy after a play-off here 12 months ago. Oosthuizen, a 29-year-old native of Western Cape town Mossel Bay, admitted before the first tournament on the 2012 Road to Dubai teed off that he might be distracted as his wife is expecting their second child. But there was no holding him back as he atoned for a modest opening 69 with a round that included one eagle and nine birdies, and was just one stroke outside the course record set by compatriot Richard Sterne. South Africans Tjaart van der Walt (second-round 64), former Major winner Retief Goosen (68), first-round leader Thomas Aiken (69) and Jaco Ahlers (68) share second place on 133 at the par-73, 6,190-metre East London Golf Club. Swede Magnus Carlsson (65) is alone on 134, one stroke ahead of Englishmen Tommy Fleetwood (66) and Danny Willett (68) and Scots Alastair Forsyth (66) and Craig Lee (67).

Real Madrid's Ronaldo, Mourinho to skip FIFA gala

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FIFA player of the year candidate Cristiano Ronaldo and coach Jose Mourinho will skip Monday s awards gala because of team commitments, Real Madrid said Friday. Neither Portuguese nominee nor players Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos will be in Zurich because the team is traveling to Malaga for the return leg of their Copa del Rey series on Tuesday. Former Madrid players Zinedine Zidane and Emilio Butragueno will represent the Spanish club. Ronaldo, who won the award in 2008, is up against Barcelona pair Lionel Messi and Xavi Hernandez for the individual prize after scoring 53 goals last season. Mourinho is vying for a second straight coach of the year award with Barcelona counterpart Pep Guardiola and Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson. Mourinho, a former Chelsea and Inter Milan coach, does not expect to win the prize, anyway. "(Guardiola) deserves it," Mourinho said Friday. "I just hope they don t take too long to get it to Pep because I won it (...) and I m still waiting to receive it."

Pakistan promises top security for Bangladesh squad

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Pakistan cricket authorities have received assurances from the government that top-level security will be provided to Bangladesh during their April tour of the country. International cricket has been suspended in Pakistan since terrorist attacks on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in March 2009 left eight people dead and wounded seven visiting players and their assistant coach. It is hoped that a incident free Bangladesh tour will revive international matches in Pakistan. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf said he met interior minister Rehman Malik in Islamabad on Thursday and got assurances of fool-proof security in case Bangladesh team tours. The tourists are likely to play three one-day internationals. "I am sure after a successful tour by the Bangladesh team, we will be able to convince more teams to tour Pakistan and we have got assurances from the interior ministry for stringent security arrangements," Ashraf told reporters. Ashraf had vowed to bring international teams to Pakistan since becoming the chairman in October last year. Malik, who toured Dhaka last month where he invited the Bangladesh team for a short tour, said the team will be given "box security". "In a box security the visiting team would travel in bullet-proof and bomb-proof vehicles and we have allowed the PCB to arrange two bullet and bomb-proof buses," Malik told reporters in Islamabad on Thursday. Malik said the PCB will also have a security officer appointed to oversee the arrangements for the foreign teams. "To ensure coordination regarding security, a new post of security manager is being created in the PCB and the official will be responsible to coordinate with provincial governments, police officials, PCB and the federal government," said Malik. Malik said his ministry will make a committee, comprising the interior secretary, FIA director-general and national crises management cell director-general, to finalise the arrangements. Rangers and Frontier Constabulary will provide security cover to the Bangladesh team who are expected to play matches in Lahore and Karachi. Bangladesh last month announced it will send a delegation to oversee security arrangements which will submit a report to the government and only after clearance on security will the tour be possible.

England to miss Bresnan in UAE tour opener

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England will be without paceman Tim Bresnan in their opening three-day tour match against an ICC Combined XI starting here from Saturday, one of two side games before the three-Test series against Pakistan. The 26-year-old paceman, who still has soreness in the elbow which was operated on last month, is likely to be fit for the second warm-up match before the first Test starts here from January 17. "Bresnan has still got a bit of swelling in his elbow as a reaction to his operation, so he s not quite ready yet," Andrew Strauss, the England captain, said on Friday. "We re aiming for the second warm-up game with him." England play a Pakistan Cricket Board XI in the second side match, also to be played in Dubai, from January 11-13. Bresnan took 16 wickets in the three Tests he played against India at home last year -- a series which lifted Strauss s men to number one in Test rankings. Lanky pacemen Chris Tremlett or Steven Finn can fill in Bresnan s place although Tremlett also has an eye infection, which Strauss believed would not hinder his bowling. The ICC (International Cricket Council) will be led by Ireland skipper William Porterfield and is comprised of players from Associate countries. Strauss said: "We want to get the intensity right right from the start and that is going to be the challenge for us. Obviously getting used to these conditions is important as we have to find ways to take wickets, if the wicket is flat," said England captain. England will be playing in United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the first time in a series shifted here over security fears in Pakistan. "It is very important to get as much cricket as possible prior to that first Test match but to a certain extent there is likely to be some changes between the two games. "It has always been our philosophy we got to get the starting eleven as prepared as possible before the first Test match," said Strauss whose team will play their first Test since beating India 4-0 in August last year. The second Test will be played in Abu Dhabi (January 25-29) and the third in Dubai (February 3-7). The Tests will be followed by four one-day and three Twenty20 internationals.

PoliticusUSA

Cricket - Sports

Saturday, January 7, 2012

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