Sri Lanka elects to bat in 2nd test vs. Bangladesh

Sri Lanka elects to bat in 2nd test vs. Bangladesh

CHITTAGONG: Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews won the toss and elected to bat first in the second test against Bangladesh at Chittagong on Tuesday.

 

Sri Lanka made two changes, with Ajantha Mendis and Nuwan Pradeep taking the places of bowlers Rangana Herath and Shaminda Eranga. Herath has a knee injury while Eranga has a thigh strain, with both flying back to Sri Lanka on Tuesday.

 

Bangladesh made three changes to its team, with Imrul Kayes returning after a long absence from the team, and Mahmud Ullah and Abdur Razzak also coming in to replace Marshall Ayub, Robiul Islam, and Rubel Hossain.

 

Sri Lanka won the first test by an innings and 248 runs.

 

Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Shamsur Rahman, Imrul Kayes, Mominul Haque, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Nasir Hossain, Mahmud Ullah, Abdur Razzak, Sohag Gazi, Al-Amin Hossain.

 

Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Kithuruwan Vithanage, Dilruwan Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Praddep, Ajantha Mendis.

US cautions against move to stage military coup in Thailand

US cautions against move to stage military coup in Thailand

WASHINGTON: The United States on Monday warned against moves to stage a military coup in Thailand and said it was "concerned that political tensions" are challenging the Southeast Asian nation's democracy.

 

"We certainly do not want to see a coup or violence ... in any case of course. We are speaking directly to all elements in Thai society to make clear the importance of using democratic and constitutional means to resolve political differences," state department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said after disrupted weekend elections.

Lahore toy factory gutted by late-night fire

Lahore toy factory gutted by late-night fire

LAHORE: A plastic toy-making factory Monday night was gutted after a fire, sparked by an electric short-circuit, turned into an inferno before the fire brigade could even reach the spot, Media reported.

 

Reports say a small industrial unit located on Brandreth Road caught fire late in the night.

 

Punjab’s celebrated emergency responder, Rescue 1122, spun into action as soon as it received the distress call.

 

According to officials, six fire tenders took part in the operation.

 

No casualties were reported in the incident, however merchandise/machines worth millions went went up in smoke.

 

Moreover, contiguous buildings were also evacuated as a safety measure.

 

An electric short circuit for which faulty wiring could be held responsible had sparked the blaze, said a Rescue 1122 official.

 

"Abundance of inflammable material like plastic and other chemical substances proved a perfect fuel to the fire. That is why it spread even faster than jungle fire", he added.

 

The rescuers controlled the fire after hours of firefighting as the flames had made their way up to the third floor of the building leaving behind charred remains of what once was an interior of a factory.

Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman found dead in apartment: report

Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman found dead in apartment: report

NEW YORK: Award-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead in his apartment in New York City on Sunday, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a

law-enforcement official.

The New York Police Department is investigating, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is to determine the exact cause of death, the newspaper reported.

Hoffman won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the 2005 biographical film Capote, and received three Academy Award nominations as Best Supporting Actor.

Sindh CNG pumps shut for 24 hours

Sindh CNG pumps shut for 24 hours

KARACHI: CNG stations across Sindh including Karachi have been shut at 8:00 AM for 24 hours, Media reported.

 

According to Sui Southern GAS Company (SSGC), the CNG supply would remain suspended from 8:00 AM Monday to 8:00 AM Tuesday.

 

The spokesman said CNG closure schedule could be changed after further decline in cold wave. At this time, CNG supply is to be closed for 2-3 days a week in order to ensure gas provision to domestic consumers.

Umar Akmal released on bail

Umar Akmal released on bail

LAHORE: Test cricketer Umar Akmal, who was charged for allegedly assaulting a traffic warden following a heated argument, has been released on bail, Media reported.

Umar Akmal was produced before the duty magistrate on Sunday morning. The magistrate accepted the cricketer’s bail plea after payment of bond worth Rs 1 lakh.

Police said the incident happened near Firdous Market when Umar Akmal violated a traffic signal and then not only had a heated argument with the traffic warden but also threatened him.

Talking to media, Umar Akmal’s counsel said that all invoked provisions in the FIR are bailable, adding that it was all done as per plan.

He said that when Akmal went to police station for having a FIR registered against the traffic warden, he was forced to remain in the police station for five hours.

According to Umar Akmal he told the traffic warden that he had to get to a function and was already late, after which the warden not only abused him but also assaulted him. Akmal added that his face had been injured in the altercation.

Witnesses said the argument between Umar Akmal and the warden started when Umar refused to show the car documents to the warden.

According to police, Akmal had torn the uniform of the traffic warden and there was no mark on his face to support his claims of being assaulted.