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Monday, May 4, 2009

Pakistan take fifth game

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Kamran Akmal was in supreme form today

PAKISTAN WIN BY 7 WICKETS! Kamran Akmal and Misbah rose to the challenge of chasing down the highest total of the tournament magnificently.The two senior players got stuck into a depleted Aussie attack and continued batting positively despite losing early wickets. They ran extremely well between the wickets, and were able to counter everything the Aussies had to throw at them, winning in the end with three overs to spare.Australia take the series 3-2, but the boys in green will take a lot of heart from this win.

Team Standings IPL2009

MPWLNRRRP
Hyderabad6420+0.738
Punjab7430+0.098
Delhi6420+0.088
Bangalore8440-0.208
Chennai7331+0.947
Mumbai7331+0.767
Rajasthan7331-1.037
Kolkata8161-1.183

Bangalore cruise to devastating win

Some explosive hitting by Jacques Kallis and Robin Uthappa helped Bangalore Royal Challengers thump Mumbai Indians by 9 wickets at the New Wanderers Stadium.Kallis and Uthappa punished the bowlers all over the park, as Mumbai Indians were clearly struggling under the lights. Chasing 150 runs, Bangalore Royal Challengers cruised to the much-deserved victory in 18.1 overs. Opener Jacques Kallis slammed his 3rd fifty while Uthappa hit his maiden fifty to keep Bangalore Royal Challengers always on top against Mumbai Indians. Kallis' fifty included five fours and two hits over the fence. He alongwith Robin Uthappa also stitched a 50-run partnership to keep Mumbai frustrated. Zaheer Khan struck early to remove Wasim Jaffer for 7 runs. Earlier, Sanath Jayasuriya (52) and Dwayne Bravo (50) helped Mumbai Indians set 150-run target for Bangalore Royal Challengers. Dwayne Bravo and Abhishek Nayar (29) added 66 runs together for the fifth wicket to lift Mumbai after a shocking start. Electing to bat first Mumbai Indians managed 149/4 in 20 overs. Sanath Jayasuriya slammed his 4th IPL fifty to lead Mumbai Indians' fightback after early wickets against Royal Challengers. Jayasuriya completed 50 runs in 39 balls which included six fours and a six. He alongwith Dwayne Bravo played sensible cricket to get Mumbai back on track. Mumbai Indians lost skipper Sachin Tendulkar (11) and Ajinkya Rahane (0) early against Bangalore Royal Challengers as they got off to a shaky start at the New Wanderers Stadium. Debutant Dillon du Preez got off to a sensational start by claiming Tendulkar and Rahane in a successive deliveries. du Preez then got rid of JP Duminy for 1 run to jolt Mumbai Indians. Mumbai Indians captain Sachin Tendulkar won the toss and decided to bat first against Bangalore Royal Challengers in the 28th match of the IPL

Kings XI steal last ball thriller

Cool Mahela Jayawardene (52) and Irfan Pathan (19) helped Kings XI Punjab steal a thriller by 6 wickets against Kolkata Knight Riders at St George's Park.Chasing 154 runs to win, Pathan held his nerve to finish the match off the last ball as Kings XI Punjab needed one run off the last delivery and Ajit Agarkar was all generous with a yorker on the legs. Kings XI Punjab scored easily against Kolkata Knight Riders as fielding blunders and dropped catches by the Knight Riders helped their cause. Fluent Simon Katich contributed 34 runs before being dismissed by Brad Hodge. Wriddhiman Saha took a stunning catch at the deep mid-wicket. Katich smashed three fours and a six in his 34-run innings. Kings XI Punjab lost openers Kumar Sangakkara (0) and Sunny Sohal (25) after a shaky start against Kolkata Knight Riders at St George's Park. Ishant Sharma got rid of Sangakkara early in the first over but Sunny Sohal hurled some lusty blows before being snapped by Ajit Agarkar. Sohal's 25-run innings was studded with three shots over the fence. Earlier, Brad Hodge (70), with his second IPL fifty, steered Kolkata Knight Riders to a respectable total of 153/3 in 20 overs against Kings XI Punjab. Some sensible hitting by Hodge and a crucial partnership with Ganguly helped Knight Riders to a fighting total. For Punjab Piyush Chawla claimed 2 wickets for 27 runs while Yusuf Abdullah got one. 

Asian countries agree to $120 billion emergency fund

Finance ministers of the ASEAN members plus China, Japan and South Korea have agreed to set up a crisis fund worth up to 120 billion dollars to help the region fight off a credit crunch and overcome the global financial crisis.Ten Asian countries plus China, Japan and South Korea agreed Sunday to set up a 120-billion-dollar emergency currency pool to boost liquidity and help the region overcome the global crisis.Finance ministers of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) plus China, Japan and South Korea announced the deal after talks alongside the Asian Development Bank (ADB) annual meeting in Indonesia."We are pleased to announce that we have reached agreement on all the main components of the CMIM (Chiang Mai Initiative) and decided to implement the scheme before the end of the year," the ministers said in a joint statement.Japan and China will contribute 38.4 billion dollars each, with China's share including 4.2 billion dollars from Hong Kong. South Korea was the next largest with 19.2 billion dollars.Among the ASEAN countries the biggest contributors were Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, which agreed to provide 4.77 billion dollars each.The ministers were careful to explain the scheme was intended to "supplement" existing international financial institutions amid concerns from some quarters that it is a bid to circumvent the International Monetary Fund (IMF).ASEAN member states were forced to implement unpopular economic reforms in exchange for massive IMF bailouts after the 1997-1998 Asian crash, leading to calls for the creation of a regional crisis fund.But the finance ministers played down any suggestion they were snubbing the IMF and its sister lender, the World Bank, saying the move was only a "natural" step on the path of closer regional economic cooperation.

Taliban Kidnap Security Personnel In Pakistan

Taliban militants have kidnapped 10 security personnel as Pakistan's offensive against the Islamist fighters ran into fierce resistance in the country's troubled north west.More than 50 armed Taliban stormed a local paramilitary headquarters in Upper Dir - a district so far shielded from the military offensive - and snatched 10 people, officials said.It comes as the military continue to pound Taliban positions for a fourth consecutive day of its air and ground assault, unleashed under US pressure after guerrillas advanced to within 60 miles of the capital, Islamabad.US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has appealed to Congress to release funds for military aid in Pakistan, which is central to Washington's strategy to stop the insurgency in neighbouring Afghanistan.Pakistani artillery targeted hideouts in Lower Dir, although the army had earlier said the battle in that district - where 12 militants were reportedly killed on Thursday - had been won.According to army figures, more than 130 militants have been killed in Operation Black Thunder since tanks, fighter jets and helicopter gunships swung into action in the districts of Lower Dir and Buner.

Tropical storm batters Philippines

At least 11 people have been killed after a typhoon caused landslides and swamped farmland in the northeast of Philippines.Nine other people were still missing on Sunday after piles of mud and debris swept into a coastal village in Maganelles, burying 12 houses, officials said.Troops, police and villagers used shovels and their hands to search for missing people feared buried, Bernardo Alejandro, a regional disaster official, told the Associated Press news agency.Nine bodies, including those of two children, have been recovered.

TNSM, Swat Taliban reject Darul Qaza

The Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi (TNSM) and the Swat Taliban have rejected the setting up of Darul Qaza and appointments of Qazis as a unilateral decision of the government, saying Sufi Mohammad was not consulted before the announcement.Talking to media persons, after TNSM Shura’s meeting at its headquarter in Bilal Mosque Amandara, Therik spokesman Amir Izzat Khan said the setting up of Darul Qaza in Malakand was a one-sided decision by the government and TNSM chief was not consulted prior to the announcement in this regard.Amir Izzat, reading a written statement before newsmen, said the government during its first round of talks at Timergara a few days ago had promised to take the TNSM chief Maulana Sufi Mohammad into confidence, stop the military operation in Maidan and Buner and pave the way for a safe and speedy return of displaced people. But, he said, none of these demands were met. The TNSM therefore disowned the establishment of Darul Qaza and appointment of judges as Qazis.There was no mention in the written statement regarding the February 16 peace accord with the government despite reservation over the formation of Darul Qaza.Maulana Sufi Muhammad said on the occasion that ‘delegating powers of Qazis to judges is Ghair-Sharaee,’ adding: ‘we want Sharaee Qazis in accordance with Shariat Muhammadi.’ He said TNSM wanted to transform the present judicial system into Islamic Sharia system.He said Sharia and democracy are totally different systems, adding we consider democracy as Kuffar (infidelity) and believe in system of Quran and Sunnah. He said constitution ofPakistan is Islamic and it was not practically implemented in the country.He said we are still ready for talks and stand by our promise of restoring peace in Malakand if Shariah was implemented in its true spirit. He reiterated that there is no justification of taking arms after practical implementation of Shariah.Meanwhile, Swat Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan told media persons by phone from am undisclosed location that Darul Qaza under the shadows of jets bombing and shelling was not acceptable to them.

Pakistani Army Says Taliban Violated Peace Deal in Swat

Pakistan's military on Sunday accused the Taliban of "gross violation" of a peace accord covering a large segment of its northwest after several acts of violence over the weekend.The allegations came as the northwest province's government said it was fulfilling its end of the deal by establishing an Islamic appellate court for the area, though a cleric mediating the pact rejected the panel.The developments underscored the ambivalence in Pakistan's government over how best to tackle militancy in its regions bordering Afghanistan. It is a topic that will come up when Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari meets with President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai during a visit to Washington later this week.Under the peace deal struck in February, the government agreed to impose Islamic law in the Swat Valley and surrounding areas that make up the Malakand Division. The pact appeared to embolden the Taliban in Swat, who soon entered the adjacent Buner district.Critics including the U.S. have cast the peace deal as a surrender. It is of particular concern to American officials, who worry Swat will turn into a haven for militants near Afghanistan, where U.S. and NATO troops are battling an increasingly virulent insurgency.Over the past week, the Pakistani military has gone on the offensive to push the Taliban out of Buner, just 60 miles from Islamabad. An army statement Sunday said 80 militants had been killed so far along with three soldiers. An important local commander was believed to be among the dead militants, the statement said.The dangerous nature of the area makes independent verification of the army statement near impossible.Pushing the Taliban out of Buner does not mean the army is willing to try to oust them from their Swat Valley stronghold, even though its statement on Sunday took a harsh stance toward the weekend incidents in Swat.The army accused militants of looting a bank and said security forces discovered at least three explosives-laden vehicles apparently intended for suicide attacks.

Confirmed cases of H1N1 virus passes 800

The number of known swine flu cases worldwide topped 800 on Sunday, with another 66 cases confirmed in the United States, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.The number of confirmed U.S. cases jumped from 160 to 226 by Sunday morning, and the number of states with confirmed cases grew from 22 to 30, the CDC reported. Only one U.S. case has been fatal.The latest CDC figures bring the number of confirmed worldwide cases to 853.The World Health Organization reported 787 cases of swine flu, known to scientists as influenza A (H1N1), before the latest U.S. numbers. The WHO said the virus has been confirmed in 17 countries and has contributed to 20 deaths, 19 of them in Mexico.The higher number of cases is a result of ongoing tests on previously collected samples from Mexico, not new reported and confirmed infections, the WHO said.

Swine flu 'in decline' in Mexico

Swine flu in Mexico, the epicentre of the world outbreak, has peaked, the Mexican health minister has said.Jose Angel Cordova said the virus, blamed for at least 19 deaths in Mexico, appeared to have peaked between 23-28 April."The evolution of the epidemic is now in its declining phase," Mr Cordova told a news conference.World Health Organization officials said authorities should remain vigilant as the virus could return.Asked about Mr Cordova's comments, WHO official Gregory Hartl said the current "round of activity" could have peaked.But he added: "We cannot lower our guard. There is a high possibility that this virus will come back, especially in colder periods."

French navy captures suspected Somali pirates

Crew members on board the French naval frigate Nivose captured 11 suspected Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Kenya on Sunday, according to a reporter on board the Nivose.The French navy on Sunday captured 11 suspected Somali pirates armed with two assault rifles and an RPG in the Indian Ocean, an AFP correspondent on board the French frigate Nivose reported.The suspects were onboard two skiffs and a "mother-ship" more than 500 nautical miles off the Kenyan coast.They were spotted by the French frigate's crew shortly before 0500 GMT and attacked it, apparently mistaking the warship for a merchant vessel.The Nivose moved into the sun to maintain its cover and when the pirates were close enough, dispatched its outboards and a helicopter to nab the attackers.

Colombo says shelling images 'fake'

Sri Lanka's military has accused the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam of fabricating images that purported to show the aftermath of a deadly army attack on a hospital in the conflict zone.The photographs, first published on a website, depicted what Tamil separatist sources said was an artillery hit on a makeshift hospital in Mullivaikal on Saturday.The pro-LTTE website alleged that government sources had killed 81 people after two consecutive days of shelling.But Al Jazeera's David Chater, reporting from Colombo on Sunday, said Sri Lankan military experts "have analysed the pictures and claim they were deliberately posed for propaganda purposes"."Their analysis: 'Not a single scratch mark on the fridge with a body lying at its base, unbroken glass bottles and no pellet marks on the walls, a bottle remains steady on the stretcher, all after the claimed shelling'," he said."The message, the government says, is clear: The foreign media have been taken for a ride by the Tamil Tigers."