GROS ISLET, Saint Lucia: Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara won the toss and elected to bat against England in the first semi-final of the World Twenty20 here at the Beausejour Stadium on Thursday.

England made one change to the side that beat New Zealand by three wickets here on Monday to cement their place in the last four.

Star batsman Kevin Pietersen, who missed that match to attend the birth of his son in London, replaced stand-in Ravi Bopara.

Sri Lanka, last year’’s losing finalists, made one change from the team that knocked India out of the tournament in a five-wicket win here on Tuesday, with spinner Ajantha Mendis replacing seamer Thilan Thushara.

This match was the first time the teams had met in this tournament.

Defending champions Pakistan play Australia in Friday’’s second semi-final, also at Beausejour, with the final taking place at Barbados’’s Kensington Oval on Sunday.

Teams
England: Michael Lumb, Craig Kieswetter (wk), Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood (captain), Eoin Morgan, Luke Wright, Tim Bresnan, Michael Yardy, Graeme Swann, Stuart Broad, Ryan Sidebottom

Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene, Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara (captain/wk), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Chamara Kapugedara, Chinthaka Jayasinghe, Angelo Mathews, Thissara Perera, Suraj Randiv, Lasith Malinga, Ajantha Mendis.

Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK) and Simon Taufel (AUS), TV umpire: Steve Davis (AUS)
Match referee: Alan Hurst (AUS).

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Islamabad

If properly performed, autopsies can be of tremendous teaching value, not only for pathologists but also for the treating and managin

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ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the secretaries of ministries of Law and Justice, Interior and the Chairman of National Accountability Bureau to appear before it on Friday and apprise it over certain queries regarding implementation of its December 16, 2009 verdict on annulling the National Reconciliation Ordinance.

A larger bench comprising Justice Nasir ul Mulk, Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed, Justice Jawwad S. Khawja, Justice Tariq Parvez and Justice Rehmat Hussain Jafferi resumed hearing of a suo motu case taken on its previous orders.

Justice Nasir ul Mulk asked Attorney General of Pakistan Maulvi Anwar ul Haq about the presence of Law Secretary and said his resignation had not been accepted yet and he should be here to answer certain queries pertaining to Swiss cases.

The government then accepted the resignation of Secretary Law after the SC summoned him.

A notification has also been released in this regard. The federal secretary law tendered his resignation last Friday.

Justice Mulk observed that since he had mentioned in his statement that there was no further need to correspond with the Swiss authorities over these cases, therefore, he should have attended today’’s proceedings.

To bench’’s query the AG informed the court that the Law Secretary was recuperating from surgery and was unwell besides, he had tendered resignation.

Additional Attorney General for Pakistan K.K. Agha submitted a 96-page fact finding report of a special committee formed over promotion of Ahmed Riaz Sheikh, former FIA official and an NRO beneficiary.

The bench told him that he should have filed the report earlier.

Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed also questioned further progress on the implementation of the NRO decision and said who would be responsible for its implementation.

On last hearing, the Secretary of Law and Justice Division had submitted a statement in which he said that the chapter of Swiss cases had been closed and no communication was required with the Swiss government for their re-opening.

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NOWSHERA: A close aide to the Swat Taliban chief Maulana Fazlullah was arrested by law-enforcement agencies and the security forces in a joint action

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Karachi

A petition has been filed in the Sindh High Court (SHC) against the alleged kidnapping of a businessman by the personnel of law enforce

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KARACHI: Pakistan’’s total liquid foreign reserves have risen to 15.3574 billion dollars, showing an increase of 397 million dollars, according to the central bank.

The SBP spokesman, Wasimuddin talking to Geo News said, on May 7, 2010 the foreign reserves held by State Bank amounted to dollars 11.5524 billion. Whereas the net foreign reserves held by banks other than SBP were Rs 3.805 billion.

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Karachi

The former Chairman Department of International Relations, University of Karachi (KU) and renowned analyst on European Diplomacy, Prof.

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LAHORE

INCREASING incidents of crime against property, kidnapping for ransom, corruption in Lahore Police officials ranging from constables to

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BUREWALA: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that sacrifice of slain PPP leader Benazir Bhutto will not go waste, as her assassin will not be allowed to escape.

Addressing a public rally in Burewala Thursday, he urged all state bodies to work within the given parameters. ?We will take along all political parties,? said Gilani.

The mission and manifesto of public representatives will be implemented, he said, adding the 1973 Constitution given by Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto has also been restored.

The premier said the government has honored the pledge it had made about restoration of 1973 Constitution to its original form.

?President Zardari served 14 years in prison and I served five,? he added.

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Karachi

The Karachi Bar Association (KBA) has issued a call to strike and boycott court proceedings on May 12 (Wednesday), the day when Chief

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