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Pakistan PM urges ‘new beginning’ with India
Pakistan PM urges ‘new beginning’ with India (AFP) / 13 August 2013 Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has called for a “new beginning” in relations with India in comments published Tuesday, amid high tension over the disputed region of Kashmir. Clashes in recent weeks across the heavily militarised Line of Control (LoC), which divides the Himalayan territory between India and Pakistan, have raised the temperature between the neighbours. Sharif said it was vital India and Pakistan became “good friends”, in remarks published Tuesday by the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), the state news agency. “Let us make a new beginning. Let us sit together to resolve all outstanding issues in a friendly manner and in a peaceful atmosphere,” he said in comments on Monday. India’s army on Tuesday accused Pakistan of firing across the LoC late on Monday in the latest confrontation. Pakistan and India have fought three wars since independence in 1947, two over Kashmir. A deadly flare-up along the LoC in January derailed peace talks that had only just resumed after a hiatus sparked by the 2008 Mumbai attacks. “We must become good friends. Hold each other’s hands. We must sit together with open and clean heart,” Sharif said, adding that Pakistan had “a lot of love and affection” for the Indian people. Sharif has stressed his desire for better relations with India since his election in May. But tensions have flared in the Kashmir valley since the killing last week of five Indian soldiers, which India blamed on the Pakistani army. Pakistan accused India of killing a civilian during firing on Monday and summoned its envoy in Islamabad to register a protest. The picturesque Himalayan territory is divided between India and Pakistan by the UN-monitored LoC, but both countries claim it in full. Continue reading
England wins 4th test, clinches 3rd straight Ashes
England wins 4th test, clinches 3rd straight Ashes (AP) / 13 August 2013 With shadows lengthening across the Riverside ground and time rapidly running out, Alastair Cook tossed the ball one final time to the man who had put his England team on the brink of winning a third straight Ashes series. Stuart Broad didn’t let his captain down. Steaming in from the Lumley End backed by roars of the crowd, Broad sent down another fierce delivery that Australia tail-ender Peter Siddle lofted harmlessly to mid-off, where James Anderson took a simple catch. England had won the fourth test — and confirmed its dominance over its greatest cricketing rival in the process. “We’ll enjoy what is a very special day,” Cook said, “and one that I’m going to look back on with huge fondness.” A day of 15 wickets and high tension at Chester-le-Street will forever be remembered for Broad’s devastating bowling performance. Set a victory target of 299 on day four, Australia collapsed from 168-2 to 224 all out in just shy of two hours in a final session Monday that saw nine wickets fall in total. Broad took six of them, finishing with 6-50 and career-best overall figures of 11-121. And, of course, the man-of-the-match award. England won by 74 runs to take a 3-0 lead in the five-match series. The final test is at The Oval starting Aug. 21, where Australia is looking simply to save face. “We got outplayed, Stuart Broad bowled a couple of outstanding spells and as soon as we lost Chris Rogers (for 49, to make it 109-1), we found it difficult,” Australia captain Michael Clarke said. “We’ve got to play better than that,” he added. “We need some time to let this sink in.” Retaining the urn, which they did after the drawn third test at Old Trafford last week, was one thing. But winning a third Ashes series in succession for the first time since the so-called “Botham’s Ashes” of 1981 really is something to savour for a team that lost eight on the bounce between 1989 and 2003. Despite their improvement over the past two weeks, the Australians’ winless streak in tests moved to eight — a sorry record for such a proud cricket nation. England, whose unbeaten run in tests stretches to 11, lost the final five wickets of its second innings for the addition of 96 runs to the overnight 234-5. That meant it stayed in the driving seat in a fluctuating test. Ryan Harris took four wickets to claim a career-best 7-117 — becoming the first Australian since Shane Warne in 2001 to take so many victims in one Ashes innings — but agricultural knocks of 45 from Tim Bresnan and 30 not out from Graeme Swann proved crucial in taking the game away from the tourists. Even so, things looked rosy for the Australians when Rogers and David Warner put on an opening stand of 109 — the team’s best first-wicket partnership of the series. Rogers edged Swann to Trott at first slip but Warner stayed in the groove, upper-cutting Broad for four and smashing Swann over extra cover for the only six of the match. Even when Usman Khawaja (21) was trapped lbw to Swann to make it 147-2, Clarke came in, hit three quick fours and ensured the momentum was still with the tourists. Then it all went wrong. Warner edged a beauty from Bresnan to wicketkeeper Matt Prior to go for 71, and Broad bowled Clarke (21) with a pearler off the seam. The crowd came to life. England’s fielders suddenly chirped up. “Cooky threw me the ball and said, ‘Spice it up a bit,’” Broad said. “I got a good partnership going with Tim Bresnan, we tried to hit the deck as hard as we could and we managed to do it.” Steve Smith (2) dragged a 90 mph delivery from Broad onto his own stumps as he attempted a pull and the paceman then trapped Brad Haddin lbw for 4. He wheeled away in celebration, puffing his cheeks and with his eyes bulging. In 55 minutes, the whole middle order had been removed. So had Australia’s hopes of squaring the series. “He really charged in,” Cook said of Broad. “When everything clicks and he’s bowling in the high 80s with the control Broady has, it’s incredibly hard to bat. “Words can’t justify how good a spell of bowling that was.” Then it was just a case of wrapping up the tail. Harris (11) was plumb lbw to Broad, who then bowled Nathan Lyon for 8 to bring up his second five-fer of the match. With darkness descending and spectators straining their eyes, England was allowed an extra half-hour to take the last wicket — and they needed 16 minutes of the allotted time. In that crazy final session, Australia lost nine wickets for 104 runs, with Broad hitting one of those purple patches he is known for. “The guys are very proud in that dressing room,” Broad said. “There’s a group in there who have won three (series) from three, and there is a real hunger in there that you want to achieve more.” That’s something the bruised and battered Australians won’t want to hear. They will have their chance for revenge in the return series Down Under starting in November. Continue reading
Nurseries must get nod for evening shift
Nurseries must get nod for evening shift Ahmed Shaaban / 12 August 2013 Nursery schools are not usually permitted to receive small children in the evening but a few exceptions have been allowed by the Ministry of Social Affairs. Moza Salem Al Shoomi, Director of the Child Department at the ministry, said some families had approached the ministry requesting nurseries to keep their young children till late in the evening. “All these applications are normally rejected, but some specific requests are allowed.” A nursery could never substitute a child’s own family who needed to take the responsibility and bring him or her up properly. “A child may not be kept away from his/her mother for over eight hours a day.” Al Shoomi said some requests for the same had been allowed, but only till 6pm, after being convinced of certain situations like the mother having to work late into the evening in a private institution. “However, the ministry’s approval is needed in advance, and the charges for the same may never exceed those paid in the morning shift according to the number of requested hours.” According to the set rules, all nurseries are only open from 7am to 2pm. “Of course, those given permission to receive young children in the evening may only be open till maximum 6pm.” “Also, no children above the age limit (five years) can be received in the evening period. “No activity other than the listed ones should be practised during the evening time, and the nursery building may only be used for the purpose it was built for. The nursery management shall be held responsible for all activities.” Al Shoomi warned that the evening permit issued for some nurseries would be revoked in case the management proved to have flouted the set conditions or been warned by the ministry inspectors. “All nurseries must be off on Fridays and Saturdays every week, and no nursery is allowed to take an extra day off,” she said, noting that it was very critical for all nurseries to abide by all official holidays and weekends. Meanwhile, the ministry issued a warning letter against a nursery and ordered it to be put under strict surveillance after a child was found to be harmed. “We have received 18 family complaints against nurseries in the first half of the year, and this reflects an increasing awareness among families of the nature of nurseries’ work.” She added that a little child had a hand broken while playing in one of the nurseries operating in the country this year. “Though the incident is normal, it has been one of the most harmful to young children at the nurseries here.” The complaints were mostly about the absence of headmistresses, failure to take due care of children, accepting children above the age limit, operating without a licence, charging of extra fees, expelling children for not paying fees, letting workers in during nursery hours and lack of competent cadre. “While the ministry issued licences for 29 new nurseries from January to June this year, 119 applications for opening new nurseries were rejected for not meeting the conditions.” – ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
