ADELAIDE: West Indies middle order batsmen Dwayne Bravo and Shivnarine Chanderpaul steered their team to a respectable total on the opening day of the second Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval.

Bravo posted his third Test century before falling for 104, while Chanderpaul scored 62 runs.

Both added 116 runs for the fourth wicket, which steadied the visitors from an uncertain 84 for three to 336 for six at stumps after skipper Chris Gayle won the toss and elected to bat.

Bravo struck 12 boundaries and a six in an aggressive knock, and rode his luck through a streaky 10-minute period in the final session, and Chanderpaul?s fighting four-hour knock of 62 ended controversially when he was adjudged caught behind off Watson?s bowling,

For Australia, all rounder Shane Watson took two wickets in the final session, Doug Bollinger was the early destroyer with a couple of scalps, and Mitchell Johnson and Nathan Hauritz claimed a wicket each.

Earlier in the first session, the West Indies lost three wickets ? openers Adrian Barath (three), Gayle (26) and Ramnaresh Sarwan (28).

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US military deaths in Afghanistan region at 852 Washington Post 4, 2009, at least 852 members of the US military had died in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan as a result of the US invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001 … and more »

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WELLINGTON: Pakistan were all out for 239 in their second innings of second Test match against New Zealand, setting for Black Caps a difficult target of 405 runs with two days to follow, Geo news reported on Saturday morning.

Watchful skipper Muhammad Yousuf and Hefty Umar Akmal contributed 83 and 52 runs respectively to prevent Pakistan from collapse in their second innings.

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MUMBAI: India opener Virender Sehwag said on Friday he was not disappointed after failing to score a world record third triple-century by seven runs.

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LAHORE

THE Supreme Court of Pakistan on Friday expressed annoyance over the Punjab Police? efforts to cover up the murder of an accused in cust

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KUALA LUMPUR: Palm oil climbed to the highest level in six months after analysts predicted prices may increase 20 percent in the first half of next year as drought disrupts supplies and demand grows in China and India, the biggest users.

The cooking oil advanced 3.4 percent to 2,562 ringgit ($758) a metric ton, the highest price since June 4. Prices may soar to 3,000 ringgit a ton by March, said Dorab Mistry, director of Godrej International Ltd., one of India?s biggest edible oil buyers. He previously predicted 3,000 ringgit by the end of 2010. His forecast compared with 2,493 ringgit at the end of morning trading in Kuala Lumpur.

Palm oil, used in cooking and as an alternative fuel, advanced 50 percent this year as investors bought commodities as a haven from a declining dollar. Vegetable oils climbed about 20 percent in November from a year earlier, the first gain this year, according to the UN Food Agriculture Organization?s Food Price Index. The gauge rose to a record last year after concerns over food shortages spurred exporters to curb shipments.

?We must fear for crude palm oil production in 2010,? Mistry said at a conference in Bali. ?I expect palm oil prices to rise at the fastest pace in relation to all other vegetable oils. The spread between soybean oil and palm oil will undoubtedly narrow.?

The premium for cash Argentine soybean oil over Indonesian palm oil will narrow to $50 a ton by April next year, from about $150 now, he said.

Output in Malaysia, the second-largest producer, may drop to 17.5 million tons this year from last year?s record 17.7 million tons, Mistry said. Tree stress and dry weather from the developing El Nino has created a ?pessimistic outlook? for output in the second half of 2010, he said.

Ocean temperatures in the Pacific are ?increasingly consistent with past El Nino events,? the Australian Bureau of Meteorology said on Nov. 25. These conditions will persist into the first quarter of 2010, the bureau said.

India imported a record 8.7 million tons of vegetable oils in the year ended Oct. 30, the Solvent Extractors? Association said Nov. 16. Palm oil accounted for 80 percent.

China?s soybean imports in December may exceed the June record of 4.71 million tons, the China National Grain Oils Information Center said in a statement today. Chinese soybean purchases in the 12 months to July may exceed a previous forecast of 41 million tons, Thomas Mielke, chief executive of Oil World, said in Bali yesterday.

Palm oil for February delivery on the Malaysia Derivatives Exchange increased as much as 4.8 percent in intraday trading, the most since Aug. 3. ?Market sentiment was influenced by the bullish forecasts coming out? of the Bali conference, said Ryan Long, a trader at OSK Investment Bank in Kuala Lumpur. The gains ?triggered a massive short-covering spree,? he said.

Prices may reach 2,950 ringgit by June if crude oil trades at $75 a barrel, James Fry, managing director of LMC International Ltd., said in Bali today.

?Palm oil seems to be reinforcing its leading role as the main player in the world vegetable oil market, doing much more than others to determine prices,? Fry said. ?There is a feedback on prices from crude oil.?

The commodity will be supported early next year by lower- than-expected soybean supply before coming under pressure as the South American harvest gets under way from March, Mielke said.

?January-February soybean supplies are tight as stocks are still low,? he said yesterday.

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WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said that the United States has joined with the people of Pakistan in deep concern about the threats posed by al-Qaeda and its extremist allies.

?We condemn the violence that has been inflicted on innocent Pakistani people in the recent months with bombings and other brutal assaults targeting civilians, military and other important aspects of the country and society. We are committed to Pakistan?s security, stability and sovereignty,? Hillary said.

In a message to the Pakistanis, she said President Obama?s strategy reflected the American nation?s commitment to building a broad partnership with the Pakistaniis, based on common values and a shared commitment to democratic rule, robust economic development, the defeat of militants and terrorists who are hiding along Pakistan?s western border, and the safety and security of all the Pakistanis.

?We have requested a significant increase in economic development assistance, including through the landmark Kerry-Lugar-Berman legislation. We are launching initiatives to help strengthen Pakistan?s infrastructure, especially in energy and water, so the Pakistanis can have the resources required in homes, schools and businesses,? she said.

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KARACHI: The local equities market witnessed volatility on Friday, as the benchmark KSE-100 Index depleted by 87 points to close at 9,009.

The stock market opened with positive numbers on screens but the deadly blast in Rawalpindi led the Index into the red zone. However, the Index sustained the level of over 9,000 points.

The trade volume stood at 100 million shares.

DS Industries was today?s star performer in terms volume which lost paisas 7 to close at Rs3.78.

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WELLINGTON: Pakistan proved crease occupation was possible on the Basin Reserve today as captain Mohammad Yousuf and Umar Akmal adopted contrasting approaches to build an imposing lead on day three of the second cricket test against New Zealand in Wellington.

At lunch Pakistan were 180 for three, an overall lead of 345. Yousuf, the steadying influence was not out 50 from 130 balls.

Umar, who arrived with only 30 minutes left in the session, was more adventurous slamming 39 from 21 — a previously economical Daniel Vettori was the 19-year-old’’s prime target.

Vettori’’s last three overs leaked 29 as Umar smoked two sixes and a quartet of fours to liven up an otherwise painstaking session.

Sixteen wickets tumbled yesterday — including New Zealand’’s full complement for 99.

Pakistan were in no danger of emulating that collapse as Yousuf and Misbah patiently carried the score from 64 for two and the lead from 229.

With plenty of runs, wickets and time at their disposal Pakistan never had to push the boundaries today — until Umar took guard.

Indeed only five were recorded during the 31 overs before Umar set about mangling Vettori’’s figures.

He had a miserly analysis of 18 overs for 23 including 10 maidens — then Umar showed scant respect for the world’’s leading left arm spinner and went on the attack from the outset.

Umar gave a half chance when a a slug down the ground just evaded Vettori’’s clutches, his timing was sweeter two balls later when he hoisted the captain over the fence at long off.

Yousuf rarely opened his shoulders in partnership with Misbah or Umar, adding just three boundaries today as we advanced from 10.

He gave Daryl Tuffey a glimmer of hope when he hooked to fine leg on 15, but the ball escaped Iain O”Brien and crossed the rope.

Soon after Yousuf absorbed a glancing blow on the chest when attempting to sway outside the line of a Tuffey bouncer but otherwise Pakistan’’s most experienced batsman looked at ease.

O”Brien finally broke a stubborn 77-run stand between Yousuf and Misbah when the latter’’s thick edge was easily caught by Brendon McCullum. He made 33 from 110 balls.

The pick of New Zealand’’s pace attack, O”Brien had three for 57 from 18 overs.

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LAHORE: PPP central leader Naheed Khan has said that Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani should not have said that Baitullah Mehsud was involved in the

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