ON BOARD: US President Bush said that President Asif Ali Zardari has asked him not to discuss extremism with him.Talking to newsmen on board while traveling to Kabul from Baghdad, President Bush said President Zardari told him that his wife was victim of terrorism; therefore, there is no need to tell him about extremism.
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KHAIRPUR: As many as five people have reportedly been killed while scores others received injuries as a passenger bus collided with a trailer in Tandomasti near Khairpur on Monday.Rescue teams have arrived on the scene while the injured are being shifted to nearby hospitals, rescue sources said.
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KARACHI: Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) in light of the decision of Sindh High Court has announced to remove the lower capping of stock prices at Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) from tomorrow.A meeting of SECP, KSE administration and National Clearing Company (NCC) was held here on Sunday.NCC sources told Geo News that under the decision of SHC two members of KSE will not have to submit cash to settle mark to market losses on December 15 and 16. However, the requirement of paying cash margin will be binding on all other members.It is still not clear if the decision of SHC relates to all the settlements under CFS financing or only the two members have been given some time.
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KUALA LUMPUR: Pakistan tasted a humiliating defeat when Japan outplayed them by 17 goals in the Junior Women Asia Cup Hockey Tournament here on Sunday.In the second match of their pool, Pakistan women junior hockey team looked helpless before the strong team of Japan.Japan dominated the entire match as they scored three goals in the first half and 14 in the second half while Pakistan could not make any goal throughout the match.Pakistan junior hockey team had defeated Thailand 2-1 in their first match on Saturday.They will play their next pool matches against hosts Malaysia on December 17 and China on December 18.
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KARACHI: The Balochistan Bears after a sensational contest defeated Sindh Dolphins by one wicket here at the National Stadium on Sunday.Batting first, Sindh Dolphins made 312 runs for the loss of five wickets in the allotted 50 overs.Captain Shahid Afridi playing aggressively smashed 114 from only 54 balls with 10 fours and seven sixes.Among other main scorers, Khurram Manzoor scored 83 and Naumanullah 54 while Danish Kaneria playing for Balochistan Bears claimed two wickets.In reply, Balochistan Bears despite not getting a good start displayed fine fight back and achieved the target on the last ball of the match.Saeed Anwar top scored with 97 while Kamran Hussain made breezy 45 runs.For Sindh Dolphins, Tanveer Ahmed got two wickets whereas Shahid Afridi and Anwar Ali took one wicket each.
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DUNEDIN: Defiant West Indies tail-ender Jerome Taylor scored a maiden century on the fourth day of a rain-shortened first Test here Sunday to virtually extinguish New Zealand’’s slim hopes of victory.The West Indies finished with 340 in reply to New Zealand’’s 365 and the home side were 44 for two in their second innings at the close after Daren Powell took two late wickets with consecutive balls.Taylor finished with a quickfire 106 in a 173-run partnership with Shivnarine Chanderpaul before being dismissed by New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori, who destroyed the rest of the tail to end with six for 56.Scoring at a run a ball, Taylor hit the bowlers all over University Oval to belie his previous highest Test score of 31 and an average of 13.66 from 33 innings.The opening bowler hit 17 fours and three sixes in his innings before edging left arm spinner Vettori to wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum.After finally getting Taylor’’s scalp Vettori trapped Powell with his next ball and in his next over substitute fielder Sean Eathorne took a brilliant diving catch at long off to give the skipper his fifth wicket.Chanderpaul was Vettori’’s last victim, bowled for a patient 76 from 198 balls after playing the anchor role.Pace bowler Kyle Mills, only brought into the side at the last moment to replace injured all-rounder Jacob Oram, did most of the damage to the top order, finishing with three for 64.New Zealand fancied their chances of a big first innings lead before Chanderpaul and Taylor came together when the West Indies were looking fragile at 173 for six.Their partnership swung the momentum back the West Indies” way, although there is only the slimmest chance of a result Monday after the loss of the second day and Saturday’’s first session because of rain.Captain Chris Gayle did the early damage for the West Indies, appearing on track for his first Test century since 2005 before falling on 74 after attempting a rash pull shot off pace bowler Iain O”Brien.The ball skied to fine leg, where James Franklin made a straightforward catch to end Gayle’’s dashing 103-ball innings, which included 11 fours and one six.The experimental video referral system was a centre of attention again, with third umpire Rudi Koertzen overturning Amiesh Saheba’’s decision to turn down an appeal against Xavier Marshall for a bat-pad catch off Vettori’’s bowling.
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CHENNAI: The first Test match between India and England being played here at the Chidambram Stadium has entered into decisive stage on Sunday.India ended the fourth day’’s play at 131 for one in their second innings after being set 387 to win by England captain Kevin Pietersen, a target never achieved before on Indian soil.Virender Sehwag smashed a quick fire 83 off 68 balls as India made a spirited start in their chase of a history-defying target after England declared their second innings at 311-9 soon after tea. England total revolved around Andrew Strauss” second century in the match and 108 from Paul Collingwood.The aggressive Sehwag plundered 11 boundaries and four sixes in a whirlwind opening stand of 117 with Gautam Gambhir, whose own contribution in the partnership was 29.England broke through six overs before close when Sehwag was given leg-before by umpire Daryl Harper while trying to sweep off-spinner Graeme Swann.Gambhir was unbeaten at stumps on 41 and Rahul Dravid was on two, with India needing a further 256 runs from 90 overs on the final day to take the lead in the two-Test series.The highest fourth innings total to win a match on Indian soil is 276-5 by the West Indies at New Delhi’’s Ferozeshah Kotla ground during the 1987-88 season.Left-handed Strauss, who made 123 in the first innings, scored 108 to become only the second Englishman after Graham Gooch to score two centuries in a Test against India.Strauss emulated West Indian Everton Weekes, Duleep Mendis of Sri Lanka and Gary Kirsten of South Africa, the current India coach, in scoring two hundreds in a Test on Indian soil.Strauss and Collingwood, who came together on Saturday evening with England struggling at 43-3, hammered 214 for the fourth wicket.
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ISLAMABAD: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown Sunday said that three-quarters of the most serious terror plots investigated by British authorities had links to Al-Qaeda in Pakistan, although he stressed terrorism was a “global problem.”After holding talks with President Asif Ali Zardari in the wake of Mumbai attacks he said time for talks is over and now it is time to act.President Zardari on the occasion urged India to share information and assured that Pakistan government is ready to take further action against militant forces.He termed the air intrusion by Indian aircrafts as technical mistake.The British Prime Minister addressing a press conference along with President Zardari pledged to help Pakistan “break the chain of terror”.He said Britain would work with the government in Islamabad to ensure that terrorists were denied safe havens in Pakistan, pledging six million pounds (nine million dollars) to help it tackle militancy.”Through these measures we hope to do more to break the chain of terror that links the mountains of Afghanistan and Pakistan to the streets of the UK and other countries around the world,” Brown said at a press conference with Zardari.Brown said his meeting with Zardari had reassured him of Pakistan’’s determination to act against those responsible for what he called a “human tragedy on a terrible scale.”Brown said the two nations must work together to “do everything in our power to cut off terrorism” and stressed that Pakistan was itself a victim of terrorism, having suffered 50 suicide attacks this year alone.”I think it’’s right that we have to help Pakistan to root out terrorism in its own country… all of us suffer when terrorists are active and are able to impose their will,” he said.At least one British national died in last month’’s attacks on India’’s financial centre, and Brown said he had asked Zardari to allow British police to question Pakistani suspects if they wanted to do.”I asked (Indian Prime Minister) Manmohan Singh this morning if he would allow the British police, if they chose to so do, to interview the person arrested as one of the suspects… I have similarly asked President Zardari,” he said.”We all have an interest in discovering what lies behind the Mumbai outrages.” Pakistan has arrested a number of suspected militants in the wake of the attacks, including two leaders of the banned militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, while the lone surviving gunman, a Pakistani national, is being held in India.Brown, who left Pakistan after the press conference, met Zardari hours after Islamabad said India had twice violated Pakistani air space on Saturday, drawing a swift denial from New Delhi.Pakistan said Indian jets had flown over the Pakistani-administered part of Kashmir and the eastern city of Lahore, where Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which India accuses of involvement in the Mumbai attacks, is active.Zardari said the Indian fighter jets only “slightly entered Pakistani soil.”Pakistan has arrested key leaders of LeT and shut down a charity accused of being a front for the group, freezing its assets and detaining dozens of members.But it says it will not hand over any suspects to India, saying New Delhi has not yet provided any evidence implicating Pakistanis in the attacks.
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ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has said that Pakistan land would not be allowed for hatching terrorism and added that Pakistan was ready to extend full cooperation in investigation of the Mumbai attacks in the interest of the region. President Asif Ali Zardari in a meeting with the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown told this here. He said that the blame game was spoiling the peace of the region.British prime minister on this occasion said that the tension or fighting was not in the interest of any one and the Pak-India leadership will overcome the situation with acumen.
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ISLAMABAD: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown arrived in Pakistan Sunday for talks aimed at calming tensions with India as Islamabad accused its neighbour of violating its airspace, drawing a swift denial.Soon after arrival, Brown held an important meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari. Sources said that after the meeting, President Zardari would address a press conference at noon. Brown traveled here from New Delhi, where he earlier held talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on security in the wake of the devastating attacks on Mumbai, which New Delhi has blamed on “elements” in Pakistan.Relations between India and Pakistan have plummeted in the wake of the devastating assault on India’’s financial capital.
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