Pak News Wire

England, India battle for tri series final spot today

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/829623/england-india-battle-for-tri-series-final-spot-today/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/829623-NG-1422541478-297-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			PERTH: India and England clash today in Perth with the winners taking their place in the tri series final against Australia in the shadow of the looming World Cup. The hosts are enjoying extra time to prepare for Sunday’s final at Perth’s WACA ground while the tourists go at each other again. England thrashed India by nine wickets in their last encounter and ran Australia close in their second meeting last week in Brisbane. And that has put captain Eoin Morgan in a confident mood ahead of the World Cup, which England kick off against Australia in Melbourne on February 14. Morgan says he fancies another crack at Australia before the big event. “The opportunity to play Australia on Sunday is huge,” he said. Learning how to live with lengthy breaks before important matches could prove critical for the World Cup, which carries on till March 29, added Morgan. “Having too much cricket on your mind can sometimes create an issue. The less the guys have to think about it, the better. “And the more we can get used to time off going into the World Cup, it would be really useful.” For India, hamstrung batsman Rohit Sharma, who hasn’t played since scoring 138 against Australia at the MCG on Jan 18, will again be missing. But Sharma, who trained in Perth yesterday, could be fit for the final if India get through. India are winless in the series so far, but skipper MS Dhoni feels his team are slowly building after comprehensively losing the Test series to Australia. Opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan has suffered a poor tour and is under pressure to hold his place for the World Cup after averaging just 17 across 11 innings in Test, one-day and warm-up matches. But Dhoni is backing the 29-year-old to find some form today. “Form is something people don’t really see — it’s an abstract,” claimed Dhoni. “You can come into form and go out of form very quickly. “You just have to spend that 10 to 12 minutes of quality time in the middle, and everything will fall into place.”   Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.

England, India battle for tri series final spot today

PERTH: India and England clash today in Perth with the winners taking their place in the tri series final against Aus...

Malaysia officially declares passengers and crew ‘presumed dead’

Malaysia officially declares passengers and crew ‘presumed dead’

The government of Malaysia makes the loss of MH370 official, but the search for the missing plane will go on.

Amla, Rossouw set up big win for South Africa

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/829594/amla-rossouw-set-up-big-win-for-south-africa/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/829594-SA-1422532508-246-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			CENTURION: Hashim Amla and Rilee Rossouw both hit centuries for the second time in the series to set up a 131-run win for South Africa in the fifth and final one-day international at SuperSport Park on Wednesday. Amla made 133 and Rossouw powered his way to 132 in a South African total of 361 for five in an innings reduced to 42 overs because of rain. West Indies were bowled out for 230 in reply with left-arm pace bowler Wayne Parnell taking four for 42. The win completed a 4-1 series victory for South Africa in the last match both teams will play before travelling to Australia and New Zealand for the World Cup. Amla and Rossouw punished a lacklustre West Indian bowling attack as they equalled their own South African record for any wicket by putting on 247 for the third wicket. They set the mark with a first wicket stand in the second match in Johannesburg when both also hit hundreds and provided a platform for AB de Villiers to hit the fastest century in one-day international history. De Villiers was rested for Wednesday’s game, along with all four of South Africa’s first-choice specialist bowlers. West Indian captain Jason Holder sent South Africa in to bat and initially it seemed a good move as the batsmen struggled to time the ball on a pitch which had spent most of the day under the covers as steady drizzle delayed the start by two-and-a-half hours. Amla took his total for the series to 413 for twice out, scoring his 133 runs off 105 balls with 11 fours and six sixes. The left-handed Rossouw took 60 balls to reach his fifty but then cut loose, needing only another 23 balls to post his second international century and only 15 more before he was caught on the boundary off Andre Russell after an innings which included nine fours and eight sixes. Russell took three wickets but conceded 85 runs in eight overs, including 28 in one over during the batting power play. Russell sent down three no-balls and five wides, two of which were out of reach of wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin and went to the boundary. The West Indies got off to the worst possible start when Kyle Abbott had Chris Gayle caught behind off the first ball of the innings, with Gayle chasing a delivery which was initially called wide by umpire Sundaram Ravi. South Africa successfully sought a review which showed Gayle had edged the ball. Narsingh Deonarine and Dwayne Smith put on 77 for the second wicket and Marlon Samuels and Denesh Ramdin added 91 for the fourth wicket before Parnell sparked a collapse.   Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.

Amla, Rossouw set up big win for South Africa

CENTURION: Hashim Amla and Rilee Rossouw both hit centuries for the second time in the series to set up a 131-run win...

Map: Camps from Netherlands to Poland

Map: Camps from Netherlands to Poland

Michelle Obama’s outfit in Saudi Arabia not ‘inappropriate’ after all

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/829588/michelle-obamas-outfit-in-saudi-arabia-not-inappropriate-after-all/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/829588-MichelleObamaSaudi-1422533670-826-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			After widespread criticism and reports that her uncovered head was blurred in a state television broadcast of the meeting between US president Barack Obama and Saudi Arabia’s new king, it turns out that Michelle Obama was neither the first female US official nor the first western official to bare her hair in the kingdom. In fact, her attire was in keeping with US diplomatic protocols, long since established, according to <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jan/28/michelle-obama-saudi-arabia-visit-headscarf" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>. Michelle Obama wore a pair of slacks and a blue top with her hair uncovered. This was in stark contrast to Saudi women who are required to cover from head to toe. <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/0-LINE-1420726462.jpg" /> <a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/828875/saudi-officials-deny-blurring-images-of-michelle-obamas-uncovered-head/" target="_blank">RELATED POST: Saudi officials deny blurring images of Michelle Obama’s uncovered head</a> <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/0-LINE-1420726462.jpg" /> Though the office of the first lady declined to comment, the White House principal deputy press secretary, Eric Schultz, said at a press briefing, “The attire the first lady wore on this trip is consistent with what first ladies in the past have worn – First Lady Laura Bush, what Secretary Clinton wore on her business to Saudi Arabia, Chancellor Merkel on her business to Saudi Arabia and including other members of the United States delegation at the time.” Saudi Arabia requires women to war an abaya and cover their hair. Foreign female visitors to the kingdom are generally recommended to abide by the traditional dress code, though often they do not, particularly when they visit the country as part of a foreign delegation. According to the UK foreign office, “Women should observe the strict Saudi dress code and wear conservative and loose-fitting clothes.” While the US State Department website states,  “Women who choose not to conform to this dress code face a risk of confrontation by the Mutawwa [Commission of the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice] and possible detention and arrest.” In pictures of the same visit to Saudi Arabia, neither Nancy Pelosi nor Condoleezza Rice can be seen wearing head scarves (and neither did any of the female members of the 27-person-strong delegation including White House senior advisor Valerie Jarrett and national security adviser Susan Rice), mirroring what previous high-ranking members of the US administration have done in the past. <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/ricesaudi-e1422533765360.jpeg" /> Saudi King Salman, left, greets former US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice. PHOTO: AFP <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/nancyafp-e1422534054795.jpeg" /> King Salman shakes hands with US House minority leader Nancy Pelosi. PHOTO: AFP On several visits to the kingdom during her time as US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton did not wear a headscarf either. Angela Merkel forwent a head covering during her visit to the kingdom in May 2010, while former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh’s wife, Gursharan Kaur, did not cover her hair and bore a forearm during a 2013 visit. <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/merkelsaudi-e1422534212703.jpeg" /> German chancellor Angela Merkel stands next to King Abdullah during a welcoming ceremony in Jeddah. PHOTO: AFP  “It really is not required for western women to wear a headscarf when they are in a Muslim country,” Anita McBride, the former chief of staff to Laura Bush, told CBS News. “They could do it, certainly it is a sign of respect but it’s not a requirement, and having traveled to Saudi Arabia myself, and with Mrs Bush, the only time she put a headscarf on was when it was given to her as a gift by a group of breast cancer survivors who made it for her.” The first lady came under scrutiny by many in the Muslim world for not doing the same in Saudi Arabia. On the contrary, on a trip to Indonesia with her husband in 2010, Michelle Obama wore a headscarf to a mosque in Jakarta. <img alt="" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/MICHELLE.jpg" /> Michelle Obama in Indonesia. PHOTO: AFP

Michelle Obama’s outfit in Saudi Arabia not ‘inappropriate’ after all

After widespread criticism and reports that her uncovered head was blurred in a state television broadcast of the meet...

MH370 passengers, crew officially ‘presumed dead’

MH370 passengers, crew officially ‘presumed dead’

The government of Malaysia has officially declared the loss of Malaysia Airlines flight 370 an accident and all of its passengers and crew p...

Shakeup after Argentine intel scandal

Shakeup after Argentine intel scandal

President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has proposed the dissolution of Argentina's domestic intelligence service, as the country deals...

Co-pilot was flying AirAsia jet as it crashed

Co-pilot was flying AirAsia jet as it crashed

Investigators say things may have gone wrong in a span of just three minutes and 20 seconds.

Israel: Hezbollah kills 2 soldiers

Israel: Hezbollah kills 2 soldiers

New fighting in the Golan Heights led Israel to evacuate civilians Wednesday from the town of Mount Hermon.

Public welfare: CM says govt committed to revamping Health Services

<a href="http://tribune.com.pk/story/829328/public-welfare-cm-says-govt-committed-to-revamping-health-services/"> 				<img alt="" height="120" src="http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/829328-healthcare-1422518272-321-160x120.jpg" width="160" /> 			</a> 			<div>LAHORE:  Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Wednesday that maximum resources would be allocated for the provision of modern healthcare facilities to the people. </div> He was chairing a meeting held to review progress on the Punjab Health Reforms Roadmap. Sharif said the government was committed to revamping the sector and ensuring the provision of quality healthcare to the people. He said ensuring the effective implementation of the roadmap by diligence and hard work was the need of the hour. The chief minister said a target for the provision of round-the-clock healthcare to patients at 700 basic health units (BHUs) by May had been set. Special Monitoring Unit head Aizaz Akhtar briefed those present regarding the targets fixed under the roadmap and progress made. Sharif said the government had prioritised the provision of quality healthcare and medicines at the BHUs. He said a system with checks and balances had been formulated to ensure the effective implementation of the roadmap. Sharif said the effective implementation of the roadmap should be ensured at all costs. He said no stone would be left unturned to ensure the provision of quality healthcare at the BHUs.  Sharif said vacancies for medical officials should be filled transparently. He said action should be taken to remedy unexplained absences at the BHUs. Sharif said efforts should be made to ensure the availability of medicines, presence of staff and the provision of quality services at facilities in accordance with the goals outlined in the programme. The chief minister ordered the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) to introduce a biometric staff attendance system. Sharif said the purchase and distribution of medicines should be digitally monitored. He said it was incumbent to build the capacity of the Health Department to ensure the provision of quality healthcare to the people. Sharif said the provision of quality medicines at BHUs should be ensured with in 45 days. He said the roadmap’s implementation would be regularly monitored at the district level. Sharif said a system would be devised to encourage officials effectively discharging their duties. He said action would be taken against officials guilty of laxity. The chief minister made the Chakwal Health EDO an OSD for failing to effectively discharge his duties regarding the implementation of the roadmap. He said only diligent officials would be allowed to hold important posts. The chief minister stressed the need to improve the performance of the Punjab Rural Support Programme to ensure the provision of quality healthcare in rural areas. Sharif said the reforms being undertaken in the sector would help establish a healthy society. British Department for International Development (DFID) Special Representative Michael Barber said initiatives taken to revamp the sector under the leadership of Sharif were yielding positive results.  He said public health facilities across the province had been improving. Ministers Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman and Begum Zakiya Shahnawaz, Adviser to Chief Minister on Health Khwaja Salman Rafique, former law minister Rana Sanaullah and DFID Pakistan Head Richard Montgomery were also present on the occasion. Published in The Express Tribune, January 29th, 2015.

Public welfare: CM says govt committed to revamping Health Services

LAHORE: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Wednesday that maximum resources would be allocated for the provision o...

Police bullets killed Sydney victim

Police bullets killed Sydney victim

Only one of the Sydney siege victims was shot by the gunman, with the second killed by fragments of police bullets fired when officers storm...

Tourists: So long, Hong Kong!

Tourists: So long, Hong Kong!

Chinese tourists are using social media to select exotic, new vacation destinations. CNN's Andrew Stevens reports.

13 lbs. of ‘vintage’ pot found in van

13 lbs. of ‘vintage’ pot found in van

The owner of a van was having trouble with one of her car doors when she discovered something surprising hidden away. CNN affiliate KRQE rep...

Quest for sunken gold ends mastermind’s arrest

Quest for sunken gold ends mastermind’s arrest

Man: I’ll take lashes for blogger

Man: I’ll take lashes for blogger

CNN's John Vause speaks with Daniel Mark, who along with six others, has volunteered to take lashes on behalf of a jailed Saudi blogger.