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Monday, June 24, 2013

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

South Africa: Nelson Mandela in critical condition

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JOHANNESBURG (AP) - Nelson Mandelas health has deteriorated and he is now in critical condition, the South African government said Sunday.The office of President Jacob Zuma said in a statement that he had visited the 94-year-old anti-apartheid leader at a hospital Sunday evening and was informed by the medical team that Mandelas condition had become critical in the past 24 hours.The doctors are doing everything possible to get his condition to improve and are ensuring that Madiba is well-looked after and is comfortable. He is in good hands, Zuma said in the statement, using Mandelas clan name.Zuma also met Graca Machel, Mandelas wife, at the hospital in Pretoria and discussed the former leaders condition, according to the statement.Zuma was accompanied on the visit by Cyril Ramaphosa, the deputy president of the countrys ruling party, the African National Congress.Mandela, who became South Africas first black president after the end of apartheid in 1994, was hospitalized on June 8 for what the government said was a recurring lung infection.In the statement, Zuma also discussed the governments acknowledgement a day earlier that an ambulance carrying Mandela to the hospital two weeks ago had engine trouble, requiring the former president to be transferred to another ambulance for his journey to the hospital.There were seven doctors in the convoy who were in full control of the situation throughout the period. He had expert medical care, Zuma said. The fully equipped military ICU ambulance had a full complement of specialist medical staff including intensive care specialists and ICU nurses. The doctors also dismissed the media reports that Madiba suffered cardiac arrest. There is no truth at all in that report.Zuma appealed to South Africans and the rest of the world to pray for Mandela, his family and the medical team that is attending to him.On April 29, state television broadcast footage of a visit by Zuma and other leaders of the African National Congress to Mandelas home. Zuma said at the time that Mandela was in good shape, but the footage the first public images of Mandela in nearly a year showed him silent and unresponsive, even when Zuma tried to hold his hand.Mandela was jailed for 27 years under white racist rule and was released in 1990. He then played a leading role in steering the divided country from the apartheid era to democracy, becoming South Africas first black president in all-race elections in 1994.As a result of his sacrifice and peacemaking efforts, he is seen by many around the world as a symbol of reconciliation.

Attacks kill at least 11 people in Iraq

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BAGHDAD (AP) - Suicide bombers and shootings in northern and central Iraq were among attacks across the country that left eleven dead on Sunday.They were the latest incidents in a wave of violence that has claimed more than 2,000 lives since the start of April. Militants, building on Sunni discontent with the Shiite-led government, appear to have grown stronger in central and northern Iraq.The commander of the armys 12th Division, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Khalaf, said the assault on the police station near the town of Hawija started with a gunman on foot opening fire on the guards. A suicide bomber with an explosives belt then blew himself up in the reception area, and a suicide car bomber rammed his vehicle into the building, Khalaf said. Three policemen were killed and five others wounded.Hawija, a former insurgent stronghold, is about 240 kilometers (150 miles) north of Baghdad. The predominantly Sunni town and surrounding areas have been tense since April, when Iraqi security forces launched a deadly crackdown on a Sunni protest there in which 23 people, including three soldiers, died.In the nearby city of Tuz Khormato, 210 kilometers (130 miles) north of Baghdad, two parked car bombs went off in the early morning in a residential area, killing one civilian and wounding 27 others, a police officer said.Also Sunday, a mortar round hit a motel in central Baghdad, killing three civilians and wounding nine others, police said.At night, gunmen, carrying guns fitted with silencers opened fire on a group of people standing in the street in Baghdads northern Qahira neighborhood, killing four and wounding two others, said two police officials.Qahira neighborhood was the scene of a deadly suicide attack inside a Shiite mosque last week. At least 34 people were killed in that attack.Two medical officials confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release information to reporters.

WikiLeaks: Snowden going to Ecuador to seek asylum

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WASHINGTON (AP) - Admitted leaker Edward Snowden circled the globe in evasion of U.S. authorities on Sunday, seeking asylum in Ecuador and leaving the Obama administration scrambling to determine its next step in what became a game of diplomatic cat-and-mouse.The former National Security Agency contractor and CIA technician fled Hong Kong and arrived at the Moscow airport, where he planned to spend the night before boarding an Aeroflot flight to Cuba. Ecuadors Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said his government received an asylum request from Snowden, and the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks said they would help him.He goes to the very countries that have, at best, very tense relationships with the United States and do not value press freedoms whatsoever, said Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., adding that she feared Snowden would trade more U.S. secrets for asylum.This is not going to play out well for the national security interests of the United States, she added.The move left the U.S. with limited options as Snowdens itinerary took him on a tour of what many see as anti-American capitals. Ecuador in particular has rejected the United States previous efforts at cooperation, and has been helping WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, avoid prosecution by allowing him to stay at its embassy in London.Snowden helped The Guardian and The Washington Post disclose U.S. surveillance programs that collects vast amounts of phone records and online data in the name of foreign intelligence, but often sweeping up information on American citizens. Officials have the ability to collect phone and Internet information broadly but need a warrant to examine specific cases where they believe terrorism is involved.Snowden has been in hiding for several weeks in Hong Kong, a former British colony with a high degree of autonomy from mainland China. The United States formally sought Snowdens extradition from Hong Kong but was rebuffed; Hong Kong officials said the U.S. request did not fully comply with their laws.In a statement, the Justice Department said it would continue to discuss this matter with Hong Kong and pursue relevant law enforcement cooperation with other countries where Mr. Snowden may be attempting to travel.A State Department official said the United States was in touch through diplomatic and law enforcement channels with countries that Snowden could travel through or to, reminding them that Snowden is wanted on criminal charges and reiterating Washingtons position that Snowden should only be permitted to travel back to the U.S.The White House would only say that President Barack Obama had been briefed on the developments by his national security advisers.Russias state ITAR-Tass news agency and Interfax cited an unnamed Aeroflot airline official as saying Snowden was on the plane that landed Sunday afternoon in Moscow. The report said he intended to fly to Cuba on Monday and then on to Caracas, Venezuela.U.S. lawmakers scoffed, and warned that all countries helping Snowden to evade trial were hurting their relationship with the U.S.The freedom trail is not exactly China-Russia-Cuba-Venezuela, so I hope well chase him to the ends of the earth, bring him to justice and let the Russians know therell be consequences if they harbor this guy, said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.Upon his arrival, Snowden did not leave Moscows Sheremetyevo Airport. One explanation could be that he wasnt allowed; a U.S. official said Snowdens passport had been revoked, and that special permission from Russian authorities would have been needed.Its almost hopeless unless we find some ways to lean on them, said Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y.With each suspected flight, efforts to secure Snowdens return to the United States appeared more complicated if not impossible. The United States does not have an extradition treaty with Russia, but does with Cuba, Venezuela and Ecuador. Even with an extradition agreement though, any country could give Snowden a political exemption.As we have seen of late, I think 10 percent of Snowdens issues are now legal, and 90 percent political, said Douglas McNabb, an expert in international extradition and a senior principle at international criminal defense firm McNabb Associates.The likelihood that any of these countries would stop Snowden from traveling on to Ecuador seemed unlikely. While diplomatic tensions have thawed in recent years, Cuba and the United States are hardly allies after a half century of distrust.Venezuela, too, could prove difficult. Former President Hugo Chavez was a sworn enemy of the United States and his successor, Nicolas Maduro, earlier this year called Obama grand chief of devils. The two countries do not exchange ambassadors.U.S. pressure on Caracas also might be problematic given its energy exports. The U.S. Energy Information Agency reports Venezuela sent the United States 900,000 barrels of crude oil each day in 2012, making it the fourth-largest foreign source of U.S. oil.Assanges lawyer, Michael Ratner, said Snowdens options arent numerous though.You have to have a country thats going to stand up to the United States, Ratner said. Youre not talking about a huge range of countries here.That is perhaps why Snowden first stopped in Russia, a nation with complicated relations with Washington. U.S. lawmakers warned those relations would grow more perilous if Moscow does not cooperate.Russian President Vladimir Putin is aiding and abetting Snowdens escape, said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

At least 13 dead in bus crash in Montenegro

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PODGORICA (AP) - At least 13 people were killed and 32 were injured when a bus carrying Romanian tourists swayed off a bridge and plunged into a deep ravine in central Montenegro on Sunday, police said.Montenegro Interior Minister Rasko Konjevic said the bus with 46 people on board crashed some 30 kilometers (18 miles) north of the capital, Podgorica. He said the bus was traveling from Romania to Montenegros Adriatic coast.Police said the bus plunged from a bridge over the Moraca river during a rain storm and crashed some 40 meters (130 feet) into the ravine. A helicopter was used in the rescue operation mounted by Montenegro police.Konjevic said sadly, this death toll could climb further because seven of the passengers were seriously injured.The winding road that leads from Serbia in the north through the Moraca canyon and then to the seacoast is notorious for traffic accidents because it is narrow and slippery in wet weather conditions.

Federer begins quest for 8th Wimbledon title

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LONDON (AP) - As he has six previous times, Roger Federer will start at Wimbledon today (Monday) as the defending champion, stepping onto Centre Court for the first match of what he hopes will be another two-week stay at the All England Club.Its an honor reserved for the mens titleholder. That scheduling perk is also where any hint of preferential treatment for Federer comes to a halt. Due to the way the draw came out, Federer could have to defeat Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray before even getting to the final.Im ready for the challenge, Federer said Sunday. I like tough draws. I dont shy away from them.Federers quest for a record-setting eighth Wimbledon title begins at 1 p.m. London time (1200 GMT) Monday against 47th-ranked Victor Hanescu of Romania.Murray also plays Monday, wrapping up the days action on Centre Court against Germanys Benjamin Becker. Nadal, who comes in with a stretch of nine straight appearances in tournament finals since returning from his knee injury, plays Belgiums Steve Darcis on Court 1.Sitting back watching it all will be top-seeded Novak Djokovic, who is on the opposite side of the draw and, on paper, has the easiest path to the final, with No. 4 seed David Ferrer the most highly seeded roadblock on his side of the bracket.I think its going to be a great Monday for tennis, Djokovic said with a smile.Hes the 11-10 favorite at the London bookmakers and will open Tuesday barring rain, which is not in the forecast for most of the first week.Third-seeded Federers tough draw, to say nothing of his age (31) and his less-than-inspiring 2013 season, makes him something of a longshot this time around at Wimbledon, listed at 9-1, behind fifth-seeded Nadal (9-2), second-seeded Murray (7-2) and Djokovic.Then again, grass is considered Federers best surface and the lone tournament he has won this year came earlier this month on grass at Halle, a tune-up event that Federer has won six times.I do believe grass, the more you play on it, the more you learn about it, Federer said. Today I know what it takes, which is a good thing. The excitement is the same. Still hungry and wanting to win and wanting to prove how good I can play.Sounding at times like a fan of Murrays during his 45-minute news conference, conducted in English, French and German, Federer conceded that as he entered his final against the Scot last year, he wondered if it was, in fact, Murrays time to finally break through at a major. Federer fought off Murray for a four-set victory to extend his record Grand Slam tournament haul to 17.Murray then came back three weeks later at Wimbledon and beat Federer in the Olympic gold-medal match. The Scot then beat Djokovic in the final at the U.S. Open later last summer to finally win his first Grand Slam.I was happy with the way I played, but I was happy with the reaction that Andy showed, as well, Federer said of the aftermath of last years Wimbledon final. Because in previous years, the one time I beat him in the Australian Open final, he went on a sort of a bit of a disappointing run after that. That wasnt the case after Wimbledon (last) year. He actually got much stronger. Thats why he increased his chances now by winning big tournaments.He may not be favored, but Murray certainly will be the fan favorite. No British man has won the Wimbledon singles titles since Fred Perry in 1936.Murray said the way he lost to Federer at Wimbledon last year playing aggressively, not sitting back waiting for things to come to him put him in a better frame of mind for the rest of the season and his eventual breakthrough.A combination of that final and the way I played in it, and also having the Olympics to look forward to, I think that was the period that changed me ... changed my mindset a bit, he said.Like Federer, Murray finds himself on the tough side of the draw. Nadals seven-month absence because of a left knee injury dropped him down the rankings and accounted for his No. 5 seed here, the lowest hes been seeded since his Wimbledon debut in 2003, when he was unseeded. Nadal is one spot behind Ferrer, even though he beat his fellow Spaniard in straight sets in the French Open final.I am No. 5 in the world today, so the rankings say it is no longer a discussion, Nadal said. It Is completely fair that I am No. 5.Nadal, a two-time Wimbledon champion, faces a possible quarterfinal matchup against Federer. Then, the winner of that could face Murray.I have no issue with the seeding, Murray said. Id rather Rafa and Roger were on the other side of the draw, but theyre not. And then, you just deal with that. Hopefully Ill be able to put myself in a position where that becomes relevant, because that would mean getting to the semifinals, and Id love to be there.

Spain defeat Nigeria 3-0 to reach semifinals

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FORTALEZA (AP) - World Cup winners Spain defeated Nigeria 3-0 with two goals from Jordi Alba and another from Fernando Torres on Sunday to set up a semifinal showdown with Italy in the Confederations Cup.Although the final score was emphatic, it could have been much closer if Nigeria had accepted some of their many clear chances in the first half. At times Spain looked vulnerable to the African champions fast breaks.Thursdays rematch in Fortaleza will be a chance for Italy to get even for a humiliating 4-0 loss to Spain in last years European championship final.Alba scored in the third minute to set the wide-open tone for the match. The goal capped off a series of one-touch passes with Pedro backheeling a clever ball to Andres Iniesta, who found Alba. His low shot beat keeper Vincent Enyeama.Torres scored with a header in the 62nd minute, and Alba picked up his second in the 88th as Nigeria sought to score.With this win, Spain extended its unbeaten string to 25 matches. But it was on the defensive more than usual against the young Nigerian side particularly in the first half.Nigeria played fast-flowing football in the first half creating about as much possession, just as many chances and regularly beat the World Cup winners to loose balls.Only poor finishing let Nigeria down, with Joseph Akpala and Sunday Mba coming close several times before the break.Spains striker Roberto Soldado could also have had two, but for sprawling saves by Nigerian keeper Vincent Enyeama.Spains Cesc Fabregas also hit the post.Nigerias Gambo Muhammad missed an open goal in the second half with Spanish keeper Victor Valdes out of position, a prime example of the teams poor finishing.The match settled down in the second half with Spain keeping more possession. Nigeria also settled into a less physical game, perhaps tiring from the heat and high humidity in the tropical northeast of Brazil.Torres goal settled matters.Three minutes after coming on, he scored with a diving header from a cross from Pedro. Four minutes later the Chelsea striker was in alone again, but lofted a close-up shot high over the crossbar.Alba got his second in the 88th, dribbling around keeper Enyeama and scoring into an empty net.Nigeria heads home with mixed results. It arrived late from Africa for the first match after a threatened strike over disputed bonus payments. The African champions won only one match in the Confederations Cup, beating tiny Tahiti 6-1. Nigeria also lost 2-1 to Uruguay.Spain will be hoping for better fortune in this semifinal. Four years ago it reached the semifinals but was beaten by the United States.Spain has won the last two European championships and the 2010 World Cup and is trying to add the Confederations Cup title, the only major title it lacks.

Chile, Croatia win at Under-20 World Cup

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BURSA (AP) - Ten-man Chile came from behind to beat Egypt 2-1 in the Under-20 World Cup while Croatia upset Uruguay 1-0 on Sunday.Chile started strong in the Group E clash but the African champions struck first. Hassan Ahmed won the ball inside the South Americans half and slid a through ball to Mahmoud Kahraba who slotted home in the 10th minute. Chile drew level in the 25th when Nicolas Castillos right-foot shot deflected off Egypt captain Rabia Ramy and looped into the net.Egypt had the better chances in the second half but it was Chilean substitute Christian Bravo who made the difference. He controlled a pass from Bryan Rabellos knock-down, moved across the penalty area and fired a right-foot shot into the far corner of the net.In Group F, Croatia missed an early penalty but still beat Uruguay, considered one of the favorites to advance.After a listless first 20 minutes, Croatia had the first opportunity when Dario Canadija received a ball behind the defense but was clipped by Gaston Silva. Marko Livajas penalty kick hit the inside of the post and then goalkeeper Guillermo De Amores, before being cleared.Livaja made up for the miss in the 41st when his pass deflected off Manchester Uniteds Guillermo Varela and into the path of Ante Rebic who scored.Uruguay wasted several good chances in the second half, including Diego Rolans diving header that forced a one-handed save out of Oliver Zelenika and an overhead kick from Giorgian De Arrascaeta that he couldnt keep down.Its final chance came when Diego Laxalt cut the ball back to substitute Nicolas Lopez whose close-range shot hit the post.In the other Group F match, Uzbekistan downed New Zealand 3-0 through the inspired play of midfielder Abbosbek Makhstaliev who scored one goal and set up another in the Group F match.The Asian runner-ups scored when Maxime Crocombe sent the ball to Igor Sergeev, whose shot was blocked by Crocombe. Makhstaliev was able to tap in the rebound in the 14th minute. Makhstaliev then passed to Sergeeve, who scored in the 53rd. The Uzbeks added a third in the 67th whenDiyorjon Turapovs shot was deflected off midfielder Tim Payne and over the goalkeeper.England plays Iraq in the other Group E match.

Golf: Els wins BMW International Open

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MUNICH (AP) - Ernie Els of South Africa won the BMW International Open by one shot on Sunday for his 28th European Tour title.After sharing a three-way lead overnight, Els shot a third straight 3-under 69 in the final round to finish 18-under 270 on the Eichenried Golf Club course.Thomas Bjorn of Denmark (69) was second at 17 under and Frenchman Alexander Levy (71) finished another stroke off the pace in third for his best finish.Els, a two-time winner at both the U.S. Open and British Open, led after the first and second rounds.To keep the lead all the way through is quite a lot of pressure so its been a good week, said Els, the first South African and also the oldest player to win the BMW International Open in the competitions 25th edition.Im a very young 43-year-old. Theres not a younger 43-year-old, I promise, he joked.When you get to my age, when you get a win, its a wonderful feeling. Hopefully it gives me the confidence that I needed, said Els, who tied for fourth at the U.S. Open.Els had started level with Levy and Swedens Alex Noren, but the Swede had two bogeys and fell out of contention while Els, Levy and Bjorn each made three birdies from their nine holes out.Bjorn was tied for the lead with Els when a double bogey on the 14th hole, coming after a bogey on the 11th, effectively ended the Danes chances despite six birdies and a strong finish.I fought all the way to the end, Bjorn said. When you go up against Ernie, youve got to take it 18 holes to the end and I didnt quite do it today.The 42-year-old Bjorn finished runner-up at the Lyoness Open in Austria two weeks ago.Ill keep carrying on and fighting hard until I win a golf tournament, Bjorn saidEls had also stumbled with a bogey on the 11th.I just tried to stay steady. I hit the ball on the greens and tried to 2-putt and thats kind of what I did, Els said.The 22-year-old Levys dreams of a first title disappeared with four bogeys in his last nine holes.Noren (72) finished tied for fourth with home favorite and 2008 winner Martin Kaymer (69) and Austrias Bernd Wiesberger (68).Defending champion Danny Willett of England (72) ended with an eagle for a share of 18th.

Gay wins 200 at nationals with season-leading time

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DES MOINES (AP) - Tyson Gay completed the 100-200 sprint double Sunday at U.S. track championships, winning the 200 meters in 19.74 seconds Sunday and holding off Isiah Young.Its the fastest time in the world this season. Gay beat Justin Gatlin in the 100 on Friday in a season-leading time of 9.75.Kimberlyn Duncan upset Olympic champion Allyson Felix in the womens 200. Duncan finished in 21.80, with Felix 0.05 seconds behind. Jeneba Tarmoh was third.Gay built a lead after the curve and then fended off the hard-charging Young, who finished in 19.86. Curtis Mitchell was third and Wallace Spearmon, a three-time U.S. outdoor champion, wound up fourth.His hip fully healed, Gay looked sharp throughout nationals, setting up a matchup with Usain Bolt at the world championships in Moscow this summer.

Man-made particles affect hurricane frequency: study

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PARIS (AFP) - Higher levels of air pollution reduced the frequency of North Atlantic hurricanes and other tropical storms for most of the 20th century, a study said Sunday.Adding to evidence for mankinds impact on the weather system, the probe found a link between these powerful storms and aerosols, the scientific term for specks of matter suspended in a gas.Aerosols can occur in natural form -- as dusty volcanic plumes, clouds or fog -- but are also man-made, such as sooty particles from burning coal or oil.The study focused on particles from North America and Europe that were generated mainly from burning fossil fuels.Researchers from the UK Met Office created weather simulations covering the period 1860 to 2050.They found that tropical storms were much less frequent during periods when emissions of man-made aerosols increased over the North Atlantic.Increases in anthropogenic emissions (particularly of aerosols) through most of the last century is found to have reduced hurricane activity, co-author Ben Booth told AFP.The cooling impact of man-emitted aerosols may have had a more important regional impact on climate than we previous appreciated.Aerosols reflect solar rays and change the brightness of clouds, which affects how much of the Suns heat is projected onto the surface of the sea, the authors suggest.Ocean warmth provides the raw energy for tropical storms, which in extreme conditions can brew into destructive hurricanes.Conversely, the study found that measures since the 1980s to tackle pollution and improve air quality reduced levels of aerosols -- and in turn ramped up hurricane activity.The clean-up of industrial aerosols in the last 20 years, while being beneficial for human health and linked to a recovery of African Sahel rains since the 1980s droughts, may have contributed to increases in Atlantic hurricane activity, Booth said by email.The authors said their study, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, is the first to demonstrate a link between aerosols and Atlantic tropical storms.The research team postulates that in the future, it will be Earth-warming greenhouse gases, much longer-lasting than aerosols, that will exert the most influence on tropical storm frequency.Previous work published in Nature Climate Change had said that while the number of tropical storms was not projected to increase in future, their intensity was.The hurricane season runs from June to November. For 2013, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has predicted 13 to 20 named storms, seven to 11 hurricanes and three to six major hurricanes.

Sethi says he will try to resolve problems at PCB

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ISLAMABAD (AP) - The newly appointed acting chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board said Sunday he will try to lead the organization out of crisis in a transparent manner and will attend next weeks annual board meeting of the International Cricket Council.Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appointed prominent journalist Najam Sethi to the post on Sunday after the Islamabad High Court ordered the government to replace PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf last month.My job is to resolve all the problems of cricket board in a transparent manner like election, selection and then go back home, Sethi said in Lahore.Sethi said he met with Sharif two days ago and the prime minister wanted him to represent Pakistan at the ICC meeting and also fulfill the orders of IHC judge Shaukat Aziz Siddique.The judge had stopped Ashraf from working as PCB chairman last month and termed his election as polluted in a petition filed by a former official of the Rawalpindi region. Siddique also ordered the government to appoint an acting chairman, who could represent Pakistan at the ICC meeting in London.It was mandatory (to attend ICC meeting) because it has never happened in history that a countrys representative on the ICC board did not attend the meeting, said Sethi, who will be accompanied by PCB chief operating officer Subhan Ahmed at the ICC meeting.Sethi, who is a prominent political analyst in both print and electronic media in Pakistan, also served as caretaker chief minister in the Punjab province before Pakistans general elections in May.His appointment came as a surprise after the governments counsel last week informed the court that former captain Majid Khan, cricket commentator Chishtie Mujahid and the former chief of the Federal Bureau of Revenue Mumtaz Haider Rizvi were shortlisted for the post. That list was reportedly passed to Sharif, who was to announce the winning candidate.Last year the ICC issued a deadline of June 2013 for all the countries to run their cricket boards along democratic lines and under minimum interference from governments.But Sethi said the ICC has softened its stance because the games governing body realizes there are complexities surrounding the governance of cricket in countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh.ICC had given guidelines to conduct elections in a democratic way, but now they realize there are problems at grassroots democracy in countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan, he said.Previously they took a hard line but now they have softened their stance. We will go listen to them and then we will discuss it here with the courts, government and then take the decision.Sethis agenda also includes approval of the team selected for next months tour of the West Indies where Pakistan will be playing five one-day internationals and two Twenty20s.More than 95 per cent of the work has been done and theres not much time left. I will be meeting with the selectors and see what they have recommended before going for the ICC meeting.

Dhoni hails India's champion spirit

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BIRMINGHAM (AFP) - India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni praised the mental resilience of his side after they beat England by just five runs in a thrilling Champions Trophy final at Edgbaston on Sunday.England, still to win a global one-day international tournament after what was their fifth defeat in a final, were 110 for four come the 18th over chasing 130 after India made 129 for seven in a match reduced by rain from 50 to 20 overs per side.But Ishant Sharma, having been struck for six and bowled successive wides, took two wickets in two balls to remove Eoin Morgan (33) and Ravi Bopara (30) after they rescued England from the depths of 46 for four with a stand of 64.That started a collapse that saw four wickets lost for three runs in eight balls with tailender James Tredwell unable to hit the six off the final delivery of the match that would have given England victory.Its important to be positive. I said lets look for a good start, thats something thats very critical, dont look at the result, explained Dhoni when asked what he told his team when they took the field in defence of a modest total.The first and foremost thing was dont look up, God is not coming to save you, you have to fight it out, added the wicketkeeper-batsman , one of just three survivors along with Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina from the India team that beat Sri Lanka in a Mumbai final to win the 2011 World Cup.Were the number one ranked team, lets play like that.This win against the tournament hosts, albeit in front of a capacity Edgbaston crowd dominated by India fans, meant the World Cup holders, in what is set to be the last Champions Trophy before its replacement by a World Test Championship, won all five of their matches after a pair of warm-up victories.Even the warm-up games for us are important because if we lose one then people start saying we cant play overseas, said Kohli, who top-scored for India with a rapid 43.The guys winning seven games out of seven and showing their character like we did, everyones really really happy.England needed 20 to win off 16 balls with six wickets standing only to choke in a manner more usually associated with South Africa.Clearly from there you would back yourself to win more times than you would lose in that situation, but it shows how quickly games can change in Twenty20 when you lose a couple of wickets, said dejected England captain Alastair Cook.Asked if this was his worst day on England duty, the opener replied: As a captain, yeah.Its a tough pill to swallow at the moment. We had high hopes coming in today of achieving something special.We got close. Im proud of the way the lads have fought from being under a fair bit of pressure in this tournament.Cook was unusually vocal in his criticism of Australian television umpire Bruce Oxenford for giving out Ian Bell stumped by Dhoni off left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, the man-of-the-match for his 33 not out and two for 24.It was a close call but Oxenford ruled in Indias favour and a disbelieving Bell, on his Warwickshire home ground, was out for 13 with England in trouble at 46 for four.I thought it was a poor decision, said Cook. I only saw the replay a couple of times on the Belly one. Maybe he (Oxenford) saw a different angle to the one we saw.It loomed pretty clear that he was in.But hes paid to make those decisions. If hes made the decision...its an umpires game isnt it?

India beat England, wins Champions Trophy

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BIRMINGHAM (AP) - India cemented its status as the king of one-day cricket but needed to win what was effectively a Twenty20 international to do so.With 16 balls remaining in a tense Champions Trophy final reduced to 20 overs per side because of persistent rain, England needed 20 runs as it chased down a revised target of 130 under floodlights at Edgbaston.The English imploded, though, losing four wickets in the space of eight balls to fall short by five runs and miss out on a first global 50-over title.As fireworks exploded into the sky, Indias players danced jigs of delight in front of a near-90 percent Indian crowd who could easily have been in Mumbai or Delhi. In a central English city with a big Indian population, they had just added the Champions Trophy to its 2011 World Cup title.This means a lot, said emotional India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. To beat England in a 130-odd game was very difficult.Playing in the shadow of a match-fixing scandal back home and with a team supposedly in transition, India was given next to no chance coming into a tournament it had never won.But they breezed in to the final with four straight wins and something of a swagger, and will have been viewed as the favorite when a flurry of showers shortened the match to a T20.However, India made just 129-7 after play finally started following the delay of nearly six hours, Virat Kohli making what proved to be a vital 43 and sharing a 47-run stand with Ravindra Jadeja. Ravi Bopara took 3-20 with his unassuming medium pace and England required less than 6.5 an over in its chase.Just like they did in 2004 when they lost the Champions Trophy final to West Indies in the gloom of The Oval, the English let it slip.Clearly from there, you would back yourself to win more times youd lose in that situation but it shows how quickly games can change in T20 when you lose a couple of wickets.After being reduced to 46-4 after nine overs, Eoin Morgan (33) and Bopara (30) led a valiant recovery in the face of some hostile field placings and spin bowling. Their partnership of 64 turned the tide Englands way with three overs left. Then it all went wrong.In a dramatic third-last over, Ishant Sharma bowled two wides in his first three balls but exacted major revenge by removing Morgan and Bopara in successive balls. He only narrowly missed snaffling a hat trick when a rising delivery skimmed past Tim Bresnans chin.Big-hitting Jos Buttler was then bowled first ball by Jadeja and Bresnan was run out for 2 two balls later when he crept out of the crease after botching a sweep. Four wickets had gone in eight balls for the addition of three runs and England needed 15 off the last over by Ravichandran Ashwin, who had been a thorn in its side with his slow left-armers.Stuart Broad and James Tredwell could only manage nine, and India lifted the soon-to-be-defunct trophy for the first time, having shared it with Sri Lanka after a 2002 final that was washed out.We have seen in the IPL and T20 format that 130 runs can be a very difficult target to achieve, Dhoni said. I said (at the turnaround) that God is not coming to save us. If you want to win this trophy, you will have to fight this out. We are the No. 1-ranked side. Lets show that they have to fight for these 130 runs.With the Indian fans still in raptures, Indias players adorned in white blazers lifted the trophy with a backdrop of sparklers, ticker-tape and the popping of champagne corks.It felt like a major release, possibly born from the pressure the players were under in the specter of a corruption scandal that has engulfed the IPL over the past month.They had to fight for the title.For the first time this tournament, Indias batting lineup which hadnt gone below No. 4 in four straight wins struggled in the face of some tight bowling, particularly from Bopara.The allrounder removed Shikhar Dhawan voted the player of the tournament for 31, soon after the dangerous opener had sent a lofted uppercut for six over backward point in one of the shots of the tournament, and then Suresh Raina (1) and Dhoni (0).Thankfully for India, Kohli and Jadeja got the team out of a hole and England crawled into it.Cook was aggrieved at Ian Bells dismissal a stumping by Dhoni that needed the say-so of the third umpire.I thought it was a poor decision, said a visibly angry England captain.There was also an overthrow to the boundary by Tim Bresnan that added four crucial runs to Indias total.England should still have made 130, though. It will take a while for the English to recover but they havent got that time. The Ashes are just around the corner.

Australia add Smith to Ashes squad as Clarke cover

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BIRMINGHAM (AFP) - Australias ongoing concerns about the fitness of captain Michael Clarke saw them add Steve Smith to their tour squad on Sunday for the Ashes Test series in England.Star batsman Clarkes longstanding back problem means he hasnt played a competitive match since an ill-fated tour of India in March where Australia lost a Test series 4-0.Clarke did not feature at all in the title-holders group stage exit from the Champions Trophy, won by India in a dramatic five-run victory over England in a rain-affected final at Edgbaston on Sunday.Smith will join the 16-man squad on Monday, ahead of Australias first-class tour opener against Somerset this week, and remain until at least the second Test at Lords.But while his hopes of playing in the Ashes increased, those of Fawad Ahmed receded after it was revealed the Pakistan-born leg-spinner would return from the UK to Australia on Monday in order to complete his citizenship.Australia are effectively missing two batsmen at present with Clarke injured and opener David Warner suspended until the start of the first Test in Nottingham on July 10 following his bar-room attack on Englands Joe Root earlier this month.In a statement issued by Cricket Australia, John Inverarity, the national selector, said: The NSP (National Selection Panel) advises that Steve Smith has been added to the Australian Ashes squad until the beginning of the Second Test when it will be reviewed.Given David Warner is unavailable for the upcoming tour games against Somerset and Worcestershire and while Michael Clarke continues to make good progress from a back injury, we feel further batting cover is required, former Australia batsman Inverarity added.Smith has played seven Tests and was a member of the Australian side that lost the most recent Ashes 3-1 on home soil in 2010/11.He made 133 for Australia A in their win over Ireland last week but managed just 10 and nought in Bristol this week.Ahmed managed just two wickets from two tour matches for Australia A, against Ireland and Gloucestershire, and returned figures of none for 80 Sunday in a match attended by Inverarity and Australia Test coach Mickey Arthur.The 31-year-old played three Sheffield Shield games for Victoria late last season and took 16 wickets at 28.37, bringing him to the notice of Australian selectors and retired leg-spin great Shane Warne.But only last week Inverarity, speaking to the BBC, said that if Ahmed played in the Ashes, the pressure on him will be extraordinary.And the fact Sunday saw Australia also add teenage spinner Ashton Agar to their Ashes squad, albeit as a development player, was a further blow to Ahmeds hopes of making his Test debut in England.Fawad Ahmed will return to Australia tomorrow (Monday) while he goes through the processes required of him to become an Australian citizen and remains a player of interest to the National Selection Panel, Inverarity said in Sundays CA statement.Ashton Agar is to accompany the Ashes Squad until the beginning of the Second Test as a development player.England will be bidding for a third straight Test series win over Australia -- something they last managed in the 1950s -- when the five-match Ashes series starts at Nottinghams Trent Bridge ground.

Senior minister to go to China, Ukraine with dead bodies

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ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - The Interior Ministry announced to send senior minister of Pakistan to China and Ukraine as a mark of respect along with bodies of mountaineers who were murdered by unknown assailants near Diamar area.According to media reports, five bodies have, so far, not been identified while six have been identified, adding one mountaineer from China and one from Nepal been reportedly sustained injuries.Army personnel have recovered the bodies; forces took two eyewitnesses and 25 native porters into custody for investigation.According to last received information, dead bodies of two Chinese citizens have been shifted to mortuary after post mortem.Interior Minister Ch. Nisar Ali Khan received the 10 dead bodies of the tourists and innocent victims of the trekking expedition, killed in terrorist attack atNanga Parbat Base in Northern Areas yesterday, here at the Air Marshal Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi. The ambassadors of China and Ukraine and higher officials of Nepalese and Russian Embassies were present to receive the dead bodies.On the occasion, the Minister conveyed his condolences to the senior dignitaries of the respective embassies and said that the objective behind this attack appeared to tarnish the image of Pakistan and to discourage tourism in Pakistan.He said that so far the identified dead bodies included 2 Chinese nationals, 1 Nepalese, I Chinese American while 6 were unidentified. The Minister said that a joint investigation team would investigate the matter to bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice.The Minister also informed that the Prime Minister has passed special instructions to facilitate the conveyance of the dead bodies to their native countries and that a Minister would accompany the dead bodies to their destinations. The Minister also praised the role of the Armed Forces in the recovery of the dead bodies.

Posted by IMRAN ALI SOOMRO (DARVESH) at 6/24/2013 07:14:00 AM

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