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Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Parveen Shakir's 19th death anniversary being observed today

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LAHORE (Dunya News) - Parveen Shakir was an Urdu poetess‚ teacher and a civil servant of the Government of Pakistan. Parveen Shakir was born on 24th November 1952 in Karachi.She was highly educated. She received two undergraduate degrees‚ one in English literature and the other in linguistics‚ and obtained MA degrees in the same subjects from the University of Karachi. She also held a PhD‚ and another MA degree in Bank Administration.In 1982‚ Shakir qualified the Central Superior Services Examination. In 1991‚ she obtained an MA degree in Public Administration from Harvard University‚ USA.Shakir started writing at an early age and published her first volume of poetry‚ “Khushbu” in 1976. She subsequently published other volumes of poetry - all well-received “Sad-barg” in 1980‚ “Khud Kalami” and “Inkar” in 1990‚ “Kaf e Aina” besides a collection of her newspaper columns‚ titled “Gosha-e-Chashm” and was awarded one of Pakistan s highest honours‚ the Pride of Performance for her outstanding contribution to literature. The poetry books are collected in the volume “Mah e Tamam” with the exception of “Kaf e Aina”.Shakir started writing at a young age‚ penning both prose and poetry‚ and contributing columns in Urdu newspapers‚ and a few articles in English dailies. Initially‚ she wrote under the pen-name‚ Beena.She was a teacher for nine years before she joined the Civil Service and worked in the Customs Department. In 1986 she was appointed the second secretary‚ CBR in Islamabad.Shakir married a Pakistani doctor‚ Naseer Ali‚ with whom she had a son‚ Syed Murad Ali-but the marriage did not last long and ended in a divorce.On Dec 26th‚ 1994‚ Shakir’s car collided with a bus while she was on her way to work in Islamabad. The accident resulted in her death‚ a great loss to the Urdu poetry world. The road on which the accident took place is named after her.

Munir Niazis 7th death anniversary today

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LAHORE (Dunya News) - Munir Niazi was born in Khanpur, a village near Hoshiarpur, India, on April 19, 1928. He hailed from the famous Niazi tribe. He got primary education from Khanpur and migrated to Sahiwal after creation of Pakistan.Munir Niazi wrote numerous film songs and made his name as the foremost movie songwriter of Pakistan. He also wrote for newspapers, magazines and radio. He launched a weekly Saat Rang from Sahiwal in 1949.His works have been translated into many other languages. For his literary achievements Munir Niazi was awarded ‘Kamal-e-Funn Award for the year 2002 by Pakistan Academy of Letters and the ‘President’s Award for Pride of Performance” in 1992 and ‘Sitara-i-Imtiaz’ in 1998.Munir Niazi died of respiratory illness on 26 December 2006 in Lahore.

England 71 for one at lunch in 4th Test

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MELBOURNE (AFP) - Australia grabbed the wicket of skipper Alastair Cook as their only reward after sending beleaguered England into bat on the opening day of the fourth Ashes Test on Thursday.Australia captain Michael Clarke, with the Ashes already tucked away with an unassailable 3-0 series lead, won the toss and attempted to put the troubled tourists under immediate pressure under overcast skies at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.England got to first hour drinks without losing a wicket but lost Cook three overs later when he nibbled at Peter Siddle and was caught by Clarke at second slip for 27.The tourists, trying to avoid a 5-0 series whitewash, went to lunch at 71 for one with Michael Carberry on 26 and Joe Root not out 11.England generally batted with purpose but Carberry was dropped in the seventh over when he edged Ryan Harris to the slips cordon.Third slipper Steve Smith dived across Clarke but could not take the difficult catch with his outstretched left hand, giving Carberry a life on two.Nearing lunch Carberry also survived a review for leg before wicket on 26 off Harris.Cook was in nice touch early and took eight runs off Mitchell Johnsons opening over and then hit him to the cover boundary in his next over but was disappointed to get out for his fifth cheap score of the series.In the 19 tosses Clarke has had as Australia skipper it was only the fourth time he has put the opposing team into bat.I cant believe Im saying this. Were going to have a bowl first, Clarke said at the toss. Theres enough moisture and grass on the wicket. I think whats made my mind up is more the overhead conditions.England dropped vice-captain Matt Prior and named Jonny Bairstow as wicketkeeper, while Monty Panesar was chosen as the specialist spinner following the shock mid-series retirement of Graeme Swann.Prior, who has played 75 Tests, has not missed a Test since being recalled for England in 2009 but paid for a poor series, averaging just 17.83 and twice missing stumpings of David Warner in Perth when the Australia opener made a second innings century.It is the first time since August 2008 that England have gone into a Test without Jonathan Trott, Prior or Swann.Australia, who have already wrapped up the Ashes following their series-sealing victory in the third Perth Test before Christmas, named an unchanged side for the fourth consecutive Test.

Turkey PM reshuffles cabinet amid graft scandal

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ANKARA (AFP) - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan replaced nearly half his cabinet in a dramatic reshuffle late Wednesday after a spreading graft scandal forced the resignation of three top ministers and threatened the premier's own hold on power.Erdogan announced on television he had replaced those three ministers -- for the interior, economy, environment -- as well as his EU affairs minister, and reshuffled the justice, transport, family, sports and industry portfolios, and one of his four deputy prime ministers' posts.The reshuffle was decided in a closed-door meeting with President Abdullah Gul, who had said since Tuesday that it was imminent.There was no indication the characteristically defiant prime minister was himself contemplating stepping down, as demanded by anti-government protesters -- and by the environment minister who resigned, Erdogan Bayraktar.Yet the corruption scandal is rapidly becoming a major challenge to Erdogan's 11-year grip on power in Turkey, a NATO member and significant emerging economy.His image was already badly bruised in June when he ordered a heavyhanded crackdown on anti-government protests sparked by plans to raze an Istanbul park.Another protest took place in Istanbul on Wednesday demanding Erdogan's ouster, but police used tear gas to disperse the estimated 5,000 demonstrators after some skirmishes. Protests were also reported in Ankara and Izmir.The probe into the corruption, which has seen recent police raids, focus on allegations of numerous offences including accepting and facilitating bribes for construction projects and illegally smuggling gold to Iran. Erdogan himself has sought to define the corruption scandal as a conspiracy plotted by international powers. He insists his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) party has a clean record and has responded to the investigation by sacking dozens of police chiefs.Observers see the probe as the result of a rift between Erdogan and a former major ally, Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim cleric who lives in the United States and whose movement wields considerable influence in Turkey's police and judiciary. Gulen, who denies being behind the graft investigation, is thought to be at odds with Erdogan, a conservative and Islamic-leading leader, after the government moved to shut down a network of Gulenist schools -- a major source of revenue for his group.Gulenists were previously key backers of the AKP, helping it to win three elections in a row since 2002. The growing row could have an impact on March 30 local elections and on presidential elections in August that many believed Erdogan was keen to enter.The scandal hit a politically critical level when the sons of the previous interior and economy ministers were among two dozen people to be charged in the wide-ranging bribery and corruption probe, which has also ensnared close government allies and top businessmen, including the chief executive of state-owned Halkbank. The environment minister's son was also detained last week, but has not been formally charged and has been released pending trial.On Wednesday, the respective fathers -- economy minister Zafer Caglayan, interior minister Muammer Guler and environment minister Bayraktar -- announced their resignations.Both Caglayan and Guler have rejected the bribery accusations against their sons.But Bayraktar raised the stakes by calling Erdogan to follow suit by resigning -- the first time the popular prime minister has faced such a challenge from a minister in his own party.I believe the prime minister should also resign, Bayraktar told the private NTV television, alleging that the vast majority of construction projects mentioned in the investigation were carried out with the premier's approval.A big majority of construction plans in the investigation dossier were carried out with the approval of the prime minister, he said.As Bayraktar was speaking live, the channel its feed, raising a stir on Twitter, where critics slamming it as censorship.In his reshuffle later on, Erdogan named Idris Gulluce as his new environment minister; an interior ministry undersecretary, Efkan Ala, his new interior minister; and Nihat Zeybekci his economy minister.Emrullah Isler became a deputy prime minister, replacing Bekir Bozdag who became justice minister.Meanwhile, in an apparent widening of the graft investigation, prosecutors in Ankara said they had opened a probe into the national rail authority over corruption claims in public tenders. No arrests have yet been made, the prosecutor's office said. The tensions have clearly hurt the already slowing Turkish economy, pushing the national currency to record lows against the US dollar.The lira weakened to 2.0907 against the dollar at Wednesday's close. The Istanbul stock market plummeted by 4.2 percent to 66,096.56.

Market bombing, spate of attacks kill 44 in Iraq

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BAGHDAD (AFP) - Attacks, including bombs that exploded in a market near a church in Baghdad, killed at least 44 people across Iraq on Wednesday, officials said.The bloodletting comes as Iraq suffers its worst violence since 2008, when it was just emerging from a brutal period of sectarian killings.Two roadside bombs exploded in a popular market in Dura, killing 35 people and wounding 56, interior ministry spokesman Saad Maan told AFP, referring to a religiously mixed south Baghdad area.Militants frequently attack places where crowds gather, including markets, cafes and mosques, in an effort to cause maximum casualties.Security officials had initially said that a car bomb targeted the St. John church in Baghdad in addition to the market blasts, but Maan, along with a priest from the area and the Chaldean patriarch, all later denied this.The attack was against a... market and not a church, Maan said, while adding that the targeted area is a mix of Muslims and Christians.Archdeacon Temathius Esha, an Assyrian priest in Dura, and Chaldean Patriarch Louis Sako both also insisted that the church was not the target.The US embassy in Baghdad, however, issued a statement condemning attacks in Dura that targeted Christians celebrating Christmas.Other attacks on Wednesday left nine more people dead.North of Baghdad, a bomb exploded under the bleachers at a football pitch, killing four people, among them two police, and wounding 11.Another bombing in south Baghdad killed at least one person and wounded at least three, while gunmen killed three police near Tikrit, north of Baghdad, and bombs on the road between Kirkuk and Tuz Khurmatu, also north of the capital, killed one person and wounded seven. Experts say widespread discontent among Iraq's minority Sunni Arab community is a major factor fuelling the surge in unrest this year.But although the government has made some concessions aimed at placating Sunni Arabs, including freeing prisoners and raising the salaries of Sunni anti-Al-Qaeda fighters, underlying issues remain unaddressed.The bloody 33-month civil war in Syria, which has bolstered extremist groups, has also played a role in the intensifying violence, with the Al-Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant carrying out attacks on both sides of the border.Defence ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari told AFP that aerial photographs and other information pointed to the arrival of weapons and advanced equipment from Syria to the desert of western Anbar and the border of Nineveh province, referring to Sunni-majority areas bordering Syria.This has encouraged Al-Qaeda-linked militants to revive some of their camps that were eliminated by security forces in 2008 and 2009, Askari said, adding that aerial photos showed 11 militant camps near the border with Syria.Iraqi security forces have launched an operation against militants dubbed Avenge the Leader Mohammed, named for a divisional commander who was killed during a raid targeting militants.The defence ministry said in an online statement issued Wednesday that security forces had killed 11 militants in a three-day period, and captured weapons and equipment.But military operations launched earlier this year aimed at combatting the relentless violence appear to have done little to curb the daily attacks.It took just the first eight days of this month for the death toll to exceed 144 -- the number of people killed in all of December last year. And more than 6,700 people have been killed in Iraq since the beginning of 2013, according to AFP figures based on security and medical sources.

Egypt Brotherhood vows protest despite 'terror' listing

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CAIRO (AFP) - A leader of the Muslim Brotherhood vowed that the movement would keep up protests after Egypt's military-installed government designated it a terrorist group on Wednesday.The protests will continue, certainly, Ibrahim Munir, a member of the group's executive council who is in exile in London, told AFP, adding the move was illegitimate.This is an attempt to frame the Brotherhood, Munir said of the decision, taken a day after a suicide bombing of a police headquarters in the city of Mansoura killed 15 people, in an attack claimed by an Al-Qaeda-inspired militant group.The interim government blamed the movement for the bombing and said on Wednesday that it had decided to declare the Muslim Brotherhood movement a terrorist organisation.

Bangladesh deploys military in election countdown

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DHAKA (AFP) - Tens of thousands of troops were to be deployed across Bangladesh Thursday in a bid to contain deadly political violence ahead of elections which are being boycotted by the opposition.With Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina determined that the January 5 general election goes ahead despite claims that it will be a farce, troops are being sent to nearly every corner of the country at the end of its deadliest year for political violence since independence.The deployments are expected to further infuriate the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party which called for a mass march on the capital Dhaka beginning on December 29 in a bid to scupper the polls.Election Commission spokesman S.M. Asaduzzaman said that troops would be deployed in at least 59 of the country's 64 districts.They'll be used as a striking force if there is any violence and they will patrol important areas, streets and highways, he told AFP.While a small number of troops has already begun taking up positions, an army spokesman confirmed the mass deployment would begin Thursday. He did not say how many troops will be deployed but local media put the number at around 50,000.The BNP and its leader Zhaleda Zia has condemned the military deployment, saying it would pit the armed forces against the people. The BNP is at the head of an 18-party opposition alliance which has refused to take part in the polls after Hasina blocked their demands to stand down and let a neutral caretaker government oversee the contest.Two other left-wing parties have also pulled out of the election as has a faction led by former dictator Hussain Muhammad Ershad, who had been an ally of Hasina's ruling Awami League.The boycotts have highlighted the growing political polarisation in a country that won its independence from Pakistan in 1971.While Bangladesh has had a deeply troubled history since independence, with more than a dozen coups, this year has been the bloodiest since it broke free from its former rulers in Islamabad.Protests over the polls and over the death sentences handed down to Islamists convicted of war crime during the 1971 independence conflict have left at least 268 people dead since January.A constable was burned to death in a petrol bomb attack on a police vehicle Tuesday night while two more people succumbed to their burn injuries Wednesday.Much of the violence has been blamed on supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami, the country's largest Islamist party which has been barred from fielding candidates on January 5. Three rounds of UN-brokered last-minute talks between the government and opposition have failed to resolve the dispute between the Awami League and the BNP whose leaders despise each other.The United States, European Union and the Commonwealth countries have announced they will not send observers to the elections, seriously denting its credibility. Strikes and blockades have crippled the economy, affecting millions of poor farmers and the urban middle class in the impoverished South Asian nation.

18 dead as migrant boat capsizes off Turks and caicos: govt

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MIAMI (AFP) - Eighteen suspected illegal migrants died Wednesday when their boat capsized off the Turks and Caicos islands in the Caribbean, the government of the British overseas territory said.The incident occurred in the early hours of Christmas Day as the boat, which had been intercepted by police, was being towed into dock at Providenciales, the government said in a statement. Thirty-two people were rescued and taken to an immigration detention center, said the statement, which was carried on the Twitter and Facebook accounts of the territory's governor.Search efforts were ongoing, and a US Coast Guard helicopter was scrambled to assist the TCI authorities in locating any additional bodies, it said.The government did not specify the nationality of the victims, but the local Turks and Caicos Sun newspaper said on its website that they were Haitian.Police are still searching for the handful of people who reached shore and fled the scene, and their investigations into the incident continue, the statement said.The British-dependent island chain is located about 150 miles (240 kilometers) north of Haiti, and about 550 miles southeast of Miami.Migrants from Haiti often undertake perilous journeys aboard precarious and often overcrowded boats headed for the Bahamas or the United States.In May 2007, more than 60 migrants were killed when their vessel capsized off Turks and Caicos. In July 2009, 15 Haitian migrants died and nearly 70 others were never found after a boat carrying up to 200 people struck a reef and capsized off the islands.Last month, about 30 Haitian migrants died after an overloaded freighter overturned in the Bahamas, the US Coast Guard said. About 110 others were rescued in rough seas.

US drone attack kills 4 in Miranshah

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MIRANSHAH (Dunya News) - A US drone strike targeting a compound killed at least four people in Pakistani tribal region near the Afghan border on Wednesday night.The strike took place in the town of Machis near Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristan tribal region, a stronghold for Taliban and Al Qaeda.The US drone fired two missiles on a house, killing four people. The identities of those killed in the strike were not immediately known.North Waziristan is one of Pakistan’s seven semi-autonomous tribal regions which Washington considers to be a major hub of Taliban and Al Qaeda militants plotting attacks on the West and in Afghanistan.The government criticises drone strikes as a violation of sovereignty and counterproductive to anti-terror efforts. But ties with Washington have nevertheless improved this year after lurching from crisis to crisis in 2011 and 2012.

Football: United primed for fixture frenzy, says Moyes

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KINGSTON UPON HULL (AFP) - Manchester United manager David Moyes believes that his squad are ready for the rigours of the festive period as they prepare for Thursday's Premier League trip to Hull City.After suffering consecutive home defeats against Everton and Newcastle, United have improved with a run of four wins in three different competitions.They now face back-to-back away matches after Christmas, with a trip to Norwich City following their game at the KC Stadium.United then host Tottenham Hotspur on January 1, but although Moyes acknowledges that the schedule is not ideal, he is growing in confidence about his group's ability to cope.Away games are always much harder than the home games and you have to make sure that we go and do the job right, said the Scot, whose side approach Thursday's game in eighth place in the table.We've done the job quite well away from home this season so far, so we'll try to keep it going, keep the away form up and hopefully pick up some points.It's felt like we've had to use the squad over the last month as well and we've had it most of the season.But everyone at United is used to it. We look forward to the games and we've got a big squad and they'll all be used over this period.Moyes has hinted that Robin van Persie and Michael Carrick could return from respective thigh and Achilles problems over the festive period.Captain Nemanja Vidic has also recovered from illness and a calf problem, while striker Danny Welbeck is fit despite suffering a knock to his knee in the 3-1 win over West Ham United at the weekend.However, midfielder Marouane Fellaini will be out for six weeks following surgery to his wrist.Hull have only conceded three goals in their eight home matches and Moyes will not be taking Steve Bruce's side lightly as a result.That's a great record for Hull. You've either got to score plenty of goals or not concede goals -- it's one or the other, he said.I'm sure for Steve, if they've got a good base and they're hard to beat it's something you can build on and hope you get the odd goal that wins you the games. It'll be a tough game.Bruce believes it is only a matter of time before United become a force to be feared under Moyes.United have struggled for consistency in the first half of their first season without Alex Ferguson at the helm, but the former United captain says that that was always to be expected.It would have been difficult, whoever had taken over, Bruce said.Sir Alex must be in every closet, behind every door you open. Whoever had taken over would've have needed a bit of time.Thankfully, they've shown what kind of club they are, giving David a six-year-deal.They will give him time and rightly so. It is never easy to follow somebody like Sir Alex, with the record he's got.Bruce, who won three Premier League titles and three FA Cups during nine years at Old Trafford, said he was pleased to see former Everton manager Moyes given the chance to take charge of the defending champions.He's an outstanding manager, David, and it's just a matter of time before things click into place, said the Hull coach.He'll have to put his own stamp on it, like anyone in management. You need your own stamp on things.He's proved over the years what a good manager he is. He's a football man and all of us in the game, us British ones at least, are delighted the big, top job has gone to somebody like David, because he deserves it.Bruce is expected to keep faith with the same team that started in Hull's last three games -- 1-1 draws at West Bromwich Albion and Swansea City, either side of a 0-0 draw at home to Stoke City.

Mourinho tells Chelsea to keep looking up

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LONDON (AFP) - Jose Mourinho has urged Chelsea to enjoy the moment and make sure they overtake at least one of their Premier League title rivals in Thursday's traditional Boxing Day fixtures.Swansea City are the visitors to Stamford Bridge on a day that also sees leaders Liverpool travel to Manchester City, who are in third place.Just two points separate the top five, with Arsenal second, Chelsea fourth and Everton fifth.The best way to get the first objective, which is top four and Champions League (qualification), is to be close in the title race, so let's enjoy the moment, Mourinho said.I know Swansea are a good team with good players and a certain style of play, but we are two points behind and two title contenders are playing each other. It is important for us to win.Chelsea drew 0-0 at Arsenal on Monday, the day after Swansea had been beaten 2-1 at home by Everton.It is a bit more difficult for us because we played on Monday and our opponents played on Sunday, so they had one more day to rest -- and one more day is a lot, Mourinho added.But I hope Stamford Bridge is there for us. When I say Stamford Bridge I mean Stamford Bridge with noise, because last Boxing Day Chelsea were 11 points behind the leaders -- Chelsea were out of the title race -- and we are there now.We are two points behind both leaders, so we have reasons to keep going.Mourinho has not tasted a traditional English festive period of hectic fixture scheduling since 2006, having enjoyed winter breaks in Italy and Spain since then while in charge of Inter Milan and Real Madrid.I love it, he said. I don't play, of course, so for the players it is more difficult than it is for me, but I always feel very proud to be working on Boxing Day and giving the people what they want.My wife and my kids, they are fantastic. They understand completely that I love to do it. They are in England, they are not with the Portuguese family.They miss their family, but they know that I have to do it and I am very happy to do it.Swansea's hopes of recording a first victory in six Premier League games have been hit by the loss of forward Michu for six weeks.The Spain international requires surgery on an ankle problem and the blow comes shortly after winger Nathan Dyer suffered a serious ankle injury at Norwich City.It's not good news, said manager Michael Laudrup.Unfortunately he will need an operation. It can be done in the next week and he should be back playing in around a month and a half.The growing injury problems mean Laudrup is reconsidering his approach to the January transfer window.What has happened in the last couple of weeks has changed things, the Dane admitted.We will probably do something now in January and try to add something that we don't have in certain positions. The numbers are a bit down and that is risky for the last four months of the season.Ben Davies, the Swansea left-back, has been rewarded for his impressive form with a contract extension that will keep him at the club until 2017.The 20-year-old said: It wasn't a difficult decision and it's always great to sign a new deal and commit my future to the club.

Football: Ibrahimovic voted top Swede for fifth time

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STOCKHOLM (AFP) - Star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was Swedens most popular sportsman in 2013 for the fifth year in a row, according to a poll by local newspaper Aftonbladet published Wednesday.It makes you feel alive, Ibrahimovic told Aftonbladet.The 32-year-old Paris Saint-Germain player received 58.7 percent of the vote.This means that youve done something right and that you keep doing it, he said.You try to make everybody have a good time and remember you for what you did on the field.In second, third and fourth places came three Swedish cross-country skiers -- Charlotte Kalla (45.7 percent), Johan Olsson (13.4 percent) and Marcus Hellner (12.0 percent).

Sports: Bartoli, Parker L'Equipe's French sportspeople of year

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PARIS (AFP) - Wimbledon womens singles champion Marion Bartoli and NBA star Tony Parker were named female and male sports person of the year by French sports newspaper LEquipe on Wednesday.Bartoli, 29, topped the womens section with 886 points following her stunning success at Wimbledon beating German Sabine Lisicki, her first - and only - Grand Slam crown at the 47th attempt, a record in the womens game for those who have finally captured such a lofty honour.Two skiers downhill world champion Marion Rolland (522pts) and giant slalom world champion Tessa Worley (520pts) finished second and third but not much consolation given both have been ruled out of Februarys Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, because of injury.Parker, 31, got the nod with 805 points principally on the back of his inspirational performances in Frances being crowned European champions in Slovenia in September.Parker, who plays guard for the San Antonio Spurs, beat Judoka legend Olympic and six-time world champion Teddy Riner (555 pts), who won the award last year.Triple jump outdoor world champion Teddy Tamgho (403 pts) was third while French playmaker Franck Ribery (375pts), a pivotal member of the Bayern Munich side that swept the German title, the German Cup and the Champions League last season, was fourth.

Turkish lira, stocks sink as ministers resign over graft probe

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ISTANBUL (AFP) - The Turkish lira hit a fresh low and stocks plunged by 2.8 percent on Wednesday after three cabinet ministers stepped down over a high-level corruption scandal that has rattled the government.Interior Minister Muammer Guler and Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan, whose sons have been charged over bribery allegations, were the first to announce their resignations, followed by Environment Minister Erdogan Bayraktar, whose son was also caught up in police raids but has not yet been charged.Bayraktar upped the stakes by calling on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to follow suit, the first time the premier has faced such a challenge from within his own ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).Erdogan has described the probe as a smear campaign against his government and has responded with a purge of the police force.In response to the escalating crisis, the lira weakened to 2.0849 against the dollar in afternoon trading, from 2.0650 at the close on Tuesday.Already under heavy pressure this year in expectation of the US Federal Reserves decision to taper stimulus, the Istanbul stock market dropped by 2.8 percent to 67,067,50.Central bank chief Erdem Basci said on Tuesday to combat volatility on the currency market it would step up its provision of liquidity by injecting daily at least 450 million dollars per day until December 31.As a leading emerging economy, Turkey has been one of the main beneficiaries of the Feds stimulus as US investors sought higher returns abroad.

Waqar praises 'best all-rounder' Kallis

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ABU DHABI (AFP) - Former Pakistan fast bowler and coach Waqar Younis described Jacques Kallis as one of the world's leading all-rounders after the South African star announced his retirement from Test cricket.Kallis, 38, said Wednesday that the second Test between South Africa and India, starting in Durban on Thursday, would be his 166th and final appearance although he will continue to play one-day internationals.I think one cannot ask for more from a human body than Kallis's -- runs, wickets, catches. He has done everything with distinction, Waqar told AFP.He was one of the best all-rounders of this generation and I don't think his records and achievements will be surpassed in the near future. He has achieved that with quality and he should be proud of himself. He has a big fan following around the world. He is a complete academy for the newcomers to learn from. It was a privilege to play against him and watch him over the years.Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews said Kallis will be missed.I have played against him in a couple of matches, said Mathews after his team lost to Pakistan in the fourth one-day international in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.He was one of the best all-rounders the game has seen, so he will be remembered and of course, missed.
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