India beat Pakistan by six wickets

India's captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, center, flanked by teammates Virat Kohli, right, and Suresh Raina, left, celebrate their win in the Asia Cup cricket match against Pakistan in Dhaka. -AP Photo

DHAKA: India defeated Pakistan by six wickets in the Asia Cup one-day tournament in Dhaka on Sunday.
Virat Kohli smashed a 148-ball 183 as India achieved the stiff 330-run target with 13 balls to spare in the day-night match, the first between the two teams since the World Cup semi-final at Mohali last March.
Pakistan made it to the final despite the defeat, finishing with nine points from three games, while India (eight points from three games) and Bangladesh (four points from two games) are still in contention.
Bangladesh need to win their final league match against Sri Lanka on Tuesday to knock India out.
Nasir Jamshed (112) and Mohammad Hafeez (105) earlier hit centuries as Pakistan scored a challenging 329-6 after electing to bat.
Brief scores:
Pakistan 329-6 in 50 overs; India 330-4 in 47.5 overs

Iran says will hit back at any attack by Israel, US

In this photo released by an official website of the Iranian supreme leader's office on Tuesday, March 20, 2012, Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivers a message for the Iranian New Year in Tehran. -AP Photo

TEHRAN: Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned on Tuesday his country would hit back at any attack by the United States or Israel, firming tensions in the showdown over Tehran’s nuclear programme.
“We have said that we do not have atomic weapons and we will not build any. But if there is any attack by the enemies, whether it be United States or the Zionist regime, we will attack them at the same level as they attack us,” he said in live televised speech to mark the start of the Iranian new year.
The comments reinforced Iran’s position as it faces off against the West over its nuclear activities, and as it confronts Israeli and US threats of possible military action.
Khamenei, who was speaking in the western city of Mashhad, said Iran had a divine right to retaliate if struck.
“The Koran states that if an enemy attacks you first, the enemy will certainly be defeated,” he said.
“This is God’s law. We are not thinking of attacks and aggression, but we are attached to the existence and identity of the Islamic republic.”

Strong, long 7.6 quake shakes Mexico City

Workers and resident gather at the Angel de la Independencia square after evacuating buildings during a 7.9 earthquake in Mexico City on Tuesday. – Photo by AP

MEXICO CITY: A strong, long 7.6 earthquake with an epicenter in Guerrero state shook central southern Mexico on Tuesday, swaying buildings in Mexico City and sending frightened workers and residents into the streets.
The US Geological Survey set the intensity at 7.6 and said the epicenter was 11 miles underground. Mexico’s National Seismological Survey said the temblor had an epicenter southwest of Ometepec and was felt strongly in Oaxaca.
Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard’s Twitter account said the water system and other ”strategic services” were not experiencing problems.
”I have problems with pressure, I felt I was going to faint,” said Rosa Maria Lopez Velazquez, 62, outside a mall in Mexico City.
There were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries. Telephone service was down in the city and throughout the area where the quake was felt.

Operation to continue till purging Karachi of extortionists: Malik

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Interior Rehman Malik said on Tuesday that the operation against the extortionists would continue in Karachi till the complete elimination the criminal activity.
Speaking to media representatives outside the Parliament House, the interior minister said the police and the Rangers had started the joint operation in various areas of the metropolis and made arrests in this connection on the complaints of people.
He said a one-point strategy had been chalked out at a high level meeting in consultation with the Sindh chief minister, home minister and other stakeholders to arrest all the criminals involved in extortion and other street crimes.
Steps were being taken on the directives of President Asif Ali Zardari who has taken a serious notice of the complaints of extortion in Karachi, he added.
Malik said that government’s top priority was to redress the grievances of the public in general and traders in particular against the extortionists.
He said the biggest challenge for the government was target killings in Karachi which had been controlled to a great extent and now it would control the extortionists as well.
The minister said the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) respected its coalition partners and would redress the concerns of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), particularly with respect to extortionists in Karachi.

Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka to face Pakistan in Asia Cup final

Bangladeshi cricketers celebrate after winning the match during the one day international Asia Cup cricket match between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on Tuesday

DHAKA: Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan smashed brisk half-centuries as Bangladesh qualified for the Asia Cup final to face Pakistan with a remarkable five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in Dhaka on Tuesday.
Tamim celebrated his 23rd birthday with a 57-ball 59 and Shakib hit a 46-ball 56 as the hosts achieved the rain revised target of 212 with 17 balls to spare in the day-night match, watched by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Bangladesh’s victory — only their third over Sri Lanka in 30 one-day internationals — sees them through to meet Pakistan in the final on Thursday.
Pakistan topped the league with nine points from three matches, followed by Bangladesh (8/3), India (8/3) and Sri Lanka (0/3).
The hosts made it to the final as they beat India in the league match.
Bangladesh were struggling at 40-3 following two wickets from paceman Nuwan Kulasekara before Tamim and Shakib put on 76 for the fourth wicket to raise their team’s hopes.
Tamim was caught by Lahiru Thirimanne at point while attempting to cut off-spinner Sachithra Senanayake after hitting nine fours in his third successive half-century.
The hosts suffered another setback when Senanayake dismissed well-set Shakib, trapped leg-before after hitting seven fours.
But Nasir Hossain (36 not out) and Mohammad Mahmudullah (32 not out) added 77 runs for the unfinished sixth-wicket stand to steer their team home, much to the delight of a capacity crowd at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium.
Bangladesh earlier put in a disciplined bowling performance to restrict Sri Lanka to a modest total, with paceman Nazmul Hossain (3-32) and left-arm spinners Abdur Razzak (2-44) and Shakib (2-56) being the main wicket-takers.
Nazmul rocked Sri Lanka in his sharp six-over opening spell, removing skipper Mahela Jayawardene (five), Tillakaratne Dilshan (19) and Kumar Sangakkara (six) to send the tourists reeling at 32-3.
Chamara Kapugedera (62) and Thirimanne (48) steadied the innings with an 88-run stand for the fourth wicket, but were not allowed to score freely by the Bangladeshi bowlers.
Upul Tharanga was the other main scorer, scoring a 44-ball 48 with one six and five fours.
Fast bowler Mashrafe Mortaza was the other bowler to impress, conceding only 30 runs in his tight 9.5 overs.
Thirimanne hit just three fours in his 73-ball knock before he was stumped off Razzak, the ball rolling on to the wickets after hitting wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahim’s pad.
Kapugedera struck only four boundaries in a 92-ball knock for his eighth half-century in one-dayers before falling to a low catch in the covers by Shakib off Razzak.

Commission directs Husain Haqqani to appear on March 26

ISLAMABAD: The Memo Commission constituted, pursuant to the order of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, that Mansoor Ijaz has concluded his evidence and that Husain Haqqani has not carried out the admission or denial of documents.
The commission observed that Haqqani has repeatedly been indulged to comply and granted him three opportunities to complete the exercise, said a press release issued on Tuesday.
However, in the interest of justice, a fourth and last opportunity was granted to Haqqani to complete the admission and denial of all documents, to be produced by 5 p.m. London time (10 p.m. Pakistan time) on Wednesday, March 21, 2012.
In case of a failure to comply by the said date and time, it will be presumed that its is an admission by Haqqani.
The Commission further observed that Haqqani said before the Supreme Court he would return to Pakistan on four days notice and appear before the Commission to record his evidence.
The Commission directed that the recording of Haqqani’s evidence will commence on Monday, March 26, 2012 at 9:00 a.m. (Pakistan time) at the premises of the Islamabad High Court.
In case Haqqani has any security concerns, it shall be conveyed to the Attorney General who is directed to ensure that he is provided with complete security.

US supports ‘mutual respect’ with Pakistan: Nuland

The Pakistani parliamentary commission had also demanded an end to American drone strikes inside the country and is seeking an unconditional apology for the Nato attack that killed 24 soldiers in Pakistan

WASHINGTON: The United States on Tuesday said it supported calls by Pakistan for mutual respect but held off a formal response to a parliamentary demand for an apology over a deadly air raid.
Pakistani lawmakers earlier on Tuesday called for taxes on Nato convoys and demanded an apology for the November raid near the border that killed 24 soldiers, plunging relations between the war partners to a new low.
State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters that the United States would not comment in-depth on the long-awaited Pakistani report on US relations until it comes up for debate in parliament next week.
But she said: “We also have always considered that our relationship should be grounded on the basis of mutual respect and common interest.” “We believe that we have a lot to do together, not only in combating terrorism and creating more security, but in strengthening and promoting economic prosperity, democratic development inside Pakistan and in strengthening Pakistan as a good neighbor throughout the region,” she said.
The United States sent its condolences over the November air strikes, but stopped short of an apology.
Nato expressed regret over what it called a “tragic unintended incident.” Pakistan closed its Afghan border after the air strikes, the latest deterioration in a relationship that came under new scrutiny after US forces found and killed Osama bin Laden living inside Pakistan in May.