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Thursday, March 15, 2012

Asia Cup 2012: Pakistan beat Sri Lanka

Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets on Thursday to virtually book their place in the final of the Asia Cup one-day tournament in Dhaka. Umar Akmal scored 77 runs and Misbah-ul-Haq 72 while Suranga Lakmal took two wickets as Pakistan overhauled the victory target in 39.5 overs for the loss of 4 wickets. Earlier, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 188 after electing to bat against Pakistan. Kumar Sangakkara (71) and Upul Tharanga (57) hit half-centuries for Sri Lanka, while paceman Aizaz Cheema took four wickets and off-spinner Saeed Ajmal took three for Pakistan in the day-night match.



 TeamsMatWonLostTiedN/RPtsNet RRForAgainst
 Pakistan220009+0.730451/89.5429/100.0
 India110004+1.000304/50.0254/50.0
 Bangladesh101000-0.420241/50.0262/50.0
 Sri Lanka202000-1.068442/100.0493/89.5

"Indispensable" and "Essential" UK’s PM David Cameron an official visit


Obama and Cameron were to hold one-on-one Oval Office talks, likely to be dominated by the showdown with Iran and strategic problems in Afghanistan, and hold a press conference and then join in the pageantry of a state dinner. The president and first Lady Michelle Obama welcomed the British leader and his wife Samantha with full military and ceremonial honors on the South Lawn of the White House on an unseasonably warm March morning. Obama said the long alliance, deepened in World War II, was "essential, it is indispensable to the security and prosperity we seek, not only for our citizens but for people around the world," Obama said. He also joked about one previous occasion when the British came to the White House -- sending a colonial army to burn it down in 1814. "It has now been 200 years since the British came here to the White House under somewhat different circumstances -- they made quite an impression -- they really lit up the place." Obama also tried out British vernacular, telling Cameron he was looking forward to a "good natter" and wanted to keep the US-British relationship in a "top notch" state. Cameron also praised what is popularly known as a "special relationship" between the two countries. "When the chips are down, Britain and America know that we can always count on each other," he said. "We are allies who are not just prepared to say the right thing but to do the right thing and do it in the right way," he said. The talks are likely to be dominated by the confrontation with Iran over its nuclear program, fears that NATO war strategyin Afghanistan may be unraveling and the failure to stop President Bashar al-Assad s crackdown in Syria. Cameron s visit is described as an official one and not a state one, as Britain s head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, who hosted Obama s visit to London last year, is not attending. He and British Prime Minister David Cameron vowed not to "give up" the mission. A string of recent incidents, including a massacre of Afghan civilians by a US soldier on Sunday, and deep public fatigue with the war, have prompted speculation that the pace of troop withdrawals could be speeded up. But Obama, confirming that NATO planned to transition to a support role in Afghanistan in 2013, before a full withdrawal in 2014, said his existing plan -- to bring home an additional 23,000 troops this summer -- still stood. "I don t anticipate at this stage that we re going to be making any sudden additional changes to the plan that we currently have," Obama said at a press conference in the White House Rose Garden with Cameron. Obama promised a "robust" coalition presence in Afghanistan during this year s fighting season to stop the Taliban regaining momentum, but left open the option of looking at the size of the foreign troop footprint after that. Both leaders insisted the painful sacrifices endured by both their militaries had been justified by the rout of Al-Qaeda, which had prevented terror plots against their countries.

Swiss bus accident


28 people, including 22 children, returning from a skiing holiday died in a bus accident in Sierre in the Swiss canton of Valais, the Swiss news agency SDA-ATS reported Wednesday. The children were travelling from Val d Anniviers and were returning to Belgium. The bus carrying the passengers was registered in Belgium, the news agency said. The bus was travelling towards Sion, and hit a wall on Tuesday night in the motorway tunnel running from east to west and exiting at Sierre. Valais cantonal police initially reported only injuries. The bus was carrying 52 passengers from the cities of Lommel and Heverlee in Flanders. The news agency said two drivers were killed in the accident. Four Valais hospitals were treating the injured, SDA-ATS reported.

Earthquake shook northern Japan


A strong earthquake shook northern Japan on Wednesday evening, and a small tsunami was forecast for part of its Pacific coast. A tsunami of about a half-meter was forecast for Hokkaido island s central and eastern Pacific coast, and for Aomori and Iwate prefectures. Iwate prefecture, or state, was heavily damaged by last year s earthquake and tsunami. Thousands of aftershocks have shaken the region since then, nearly all of them of minor or moderate strength. The epicenter was about 146 miles (235 kilometers) south of Kushiro, Japan, on Hokkaido island. It was a relatively shallow 16 miles (26 kilometers) below the ocean floor. The quake was not felt in Tokyo, more than 450 miles (730 kilometers) away. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said there was no threat of a Pacific-wide wave.

Screening of Afghan forces


The alliance said step will prevent insurgents from infiltrating the army after a spate of killings of foreign troops by Afghan colleagues. An updated counter-infiltration plan designed by military commanders was adopted by NATO ambassadors Tuesday on a request from France in the wake of the killing by a recruit of four French troops in January. Nearly one in five NATO soldiers killed this year has died at the hands of their supposed allies -- six of them Americans who were killed by Afghan colleagues after the burning of holy Qrans at a US base.