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  • Riyadh (AFP) - 12/13/2017 - 12:26

    Palestinians have right to east Jerusalem as capital: Saudi king

  • Moscow (AFP) - 12/13/2017 - 10:53

    Kremlin welcomes 'constructive' US position on N. Korea talks

  • Istanbul (AFP) - 12/13/2017 - 10:17

    Abbas warns 'no peace or stability' without Jerusalem as Palestinian capital

  • Istanbul (AFP) - 12/13/2017 - 10:10

    Erdogan urges world to recognise East Jerusalem as 'capital of Palestine'

  • Sanaa (AFP) - 12/13/2017 - 09:53

    Strikes kill 12 in rebel-run Yemen prison camp: rebel TV

  • Istanbul (AFP) - 12/13/2017 - 09:48

    Israel a state of 'occupation' and 'terror', Erdogan tells Islamic leaders

  • Montgomery (United States) (AFP) - 12/13/2017 - 04:38

    Alabama Democrat Jones projected to win US Senate race

  • United Nations (United States) (AFP) - 12/13/2017 - 01:37

    UN envoy says North Korea agrees on need 'to prevent war'

  • Seoul (AFP) - 12/12/2017 - 23:28

    Kim vows to make N.Korea 'world's strongest nuclear power': KCNA

  • Washington (AFP) - 12/12/2017 - 22:45

    US ready for North Korea talks 'without preconditions'

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    Brazil court to rule on Lula jail sentence Jan 24

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    Liberia presidential runoff set for Dec 26: election panel

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    Venezuela's ex-oil boss under investigation for graft

  • Paris (AFP) - 12/12/2017 - 16:33

    'We're losing the battle', Macron tells Paris climate talks

  • Paris (AFP) - 12/12/2017 - 16:26

    With fossil fuel subsidies, humanity investing in 'own doom': UN chief

  • Moscow (AFP) - 12/12/2017 - 16:19

    Russia suspends diplomatic presence in Yemen

  • London (AFP) - 12/12/2017 - 15:43

    Ireland-based Ryanair pilots to strike on December 20

  • Brussels (AFP) - 12/12/2017 - 13:44

    Stoltenberg reappointed as NATO chief until 2020: statement

  • Paris (AFP) - 12/12/2017 - 13:28

    World Bank to stop financing oil, gas projects from 2019

  • Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - 12/12/2017 - 13:22

    Two Palestinians killed in Gaza, Israel denies claim of attack

  • Juba (AFP) - 12/12/2017 - 12:54

    S.Sudan clashes leave more than 170 dead: lawmaker

  • Paris (AFP) - 12/12/2017 - 12:00

    Macron calls for 'much stronger mobilisation' on climate

  • Phnom Penh (AFP) - 12/12/2017 - 11:23

    EU pulls support for Cambodia poll after opposition dissolved

  • Tehran (AFP) - 12/12/2017 - 10:18

    Magnitude 6.2 quake hits southeastern Iran: seismological centre

  • Vienna (AFP) - 12/12/2017 - 09:51

    Explosion at major Austrian gas hub, 'several' hurt

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    France's Unibail-Rodamco to buy Australia's Westfield: statement

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    Trump wants Congress to fix 'lax' immigration after NY attack

  • Sydney (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 23:10

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    Brexit deal shows UK can leave EU in 'smooth and orderly' way: May

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    China fails to block UN meeting on North Korea human rights

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    Four hurt in New York explosion, none life-threatening

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    Man held over jihadist murders of French police couple

  • Cairo (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 15:11

    Putin calls for Mideast talks to resume, including on Jerusalem

  • Los Angeles (AFP) - 12/11/2017 - 14:55

    'The Shape of Water' leads Golden Globe nominations with seven

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    Putin orders partial withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria: agencies

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    India's Congress party names Rahul Gandhi president

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    Recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital 'makes peace possible': Netanyahu

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    EU's Mogherini condemns 'all attacks on Jews everywhere'

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'Fed up' Root urges damaged England to stand up in crucial Test

AFP/File / WILLIAM WEST England captain Joe Root admits he is "fed up" talking about off-field issues, and said it was time for his teammates to prove why they have been chosen

Captain Joe Root has challenged his England team to stand up and keep the Ashes series alive in Thursday's crucial third Test against Australia in Perth.

Root, who admits he is "fed up" talking about off-field issues, said it was time for his teammates to prove why they have been chosen to play.

The tourists are on the precipice, trailing Australia 2-0 in the five-Test series, battling to avoid another heavy defeat that would hand back the Ashes urn to Steve Smith's team.

To keep the series alive Root's men must not lose at the WACA Ground where England last won in 1978.

"It's time to stand up," Root said Wednesday. "These are the games that when you get them right, they really hit home with people.

"And that's what people want to see -- in the face of adversity, people stand up and really put in those big performances and prove why they have been selected to play for England.

"That's the opportunity that's in front of this group, to go and win here at the WACA for the first time in a long time, by playing well for longer. If we get that right, there is no reason we can't be sat here at 2-1 next week."

England are facing the spectre of repeating the 5-0 series humiliation on their last tour to Australia where Jonathan Trott returned home after the first Test, Graeme Swann retired and following the tour coach Andy Flower resigned.

Root admitted he was sick and tired with the team's off-field alcohol-related incidents, which began before the tour when Ben Stokes was banned from international cricket while authorities probe his alleged involvement in a fight outside a nightclub.

Scandals involving Jonny Bairstow and Ben Duckett have further harmed the touring team's reputation.

- Take it in stride -

"I'm fed up talking about stuff that's not cricket," Root told travelling English media earlier in the day.

AFP / Greg Wood England captain Joe Root said the team needed to be "making sure we get things right on the field" if they wanted to avoid an Ashes whitewash

"We have to make sure we perform well this week and win. Get people talking about the cricket.

"This is a very professional group of players that goes about things in the right way. But we've had two incidents that have been blown up and made a big deal of. They could have been avoided.

"That's the annoying thing, as you know, but a lot of people back home probably don't, the stories are not a fair reflection of this team. But a lot of the stuff that’s being spouted is giving ammunition."

He said it was frustrating and the team had to be "smarter".

Root, who has only been captain for nine Tests, added that he knew it would be a challenging role and there would be issues outside cricket, "but not to this extent".

"You have to take it in your stride and learn from it -- I've learned a lot," he said.

"I want to be concentrating on making sure we get things right on the field. That's my job as captain. I'm trying to develop a team that over a long period can achieve success and do special things.

"One of this group's big strengths is we do look after each other. The lads have done some stupid stuff but we care about each other. We're in it together and we are only going to get back into this series if we stick together."

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'Fed up' Root urges damaged England to stand up in crucial Test

AFP/File / WILLIAM WEST England captain Joe Root admits he is "fed up" talking about off-field issues, and said it was time for his teammates to prove why they have been chosen

Captain Joe Root has challenged his England team to stand up and keep the Ashes series alive in Thursday's crucial third Test against Australia in Perth.

Root, who admits he is "fed up" talking about off-field issues, said it was time for his teammates to prove why they have been chosen to play.

The tourists are on the precipice, trailing Australia 2-0 in the five-Test series, battling to avoid another heavy defeat that would hand back the Ashes urn to Steve Smith's team.

To keep the series alive Root's men must not lose at the WACA Ground where England last won in 1978.

"It's time to stand up," Root said Wednesday. "These are the games that when you get them right, they really hit home with people.

"And that's what people want to see -- in the face of adversity, people stand up and really put in those big performances and prove why they have been selected to play for England.

"That's the opportunity that's in front of this group, to go and win here at the WACA for the first time in a long time, by playing well for longer. If we get that right, there is no reason we can't be sat here at 2-1 next week."

England are facing the spectre of repeating the 5-0 series humiliation on their last tour to Australia where Jonathan Trott returned home after the first Test, Graeme Swann retired and following the tour coach Andy Flower resigned.

Root admitted he was sick and tired with the team's off-field alcohol-related incidents, which began before the tour when Ben Stokes was banned from international cricket while authorities probe his alleged involvement in a fight outside a nightclub.

Scandals involving Jonny Bairstow and Ben Duckett have further harmed the touring team's reputation.

- Take it in stride -

"I'm fed up talking about stuff that's not cricket," Root told travelling English media earlier in the day.

AFP / Greg Wood England captain Joe Root said the team needed to be "making sure we get things right on the field" if they wanted to avoid an Ashes whitewash

"We have to make sure we perform well this week and win. Get people talking about the cricket.

"This is a very professional group of players that goes about things in the right way. But we've had two incidents that have been blown up and made a big deal of. They could have been avoided.

"That's the annoying thing, as you know, but a lot of people back home probably don't, the stories are not a fair reflection of this team. But a lot of the stuff that’s being spouted is giving ammunition."

He said it was frustrating and the team had to be "smarter".

Root, who has only been captain for nine Tests, added that he knew it would be a challenging role and there would be issues outside cricket, "but not to this extent".

"You have to take it in your stride and learn from it -- I've learned a lot," he said.

"I want to be concentrating on making sure we get things right on the field. That's my job as captain. I'm trying to develop a team that over a long period can achieve success and do special things.

"One of this group's big strengths is we do look after each other. The lads have done some stupid stuff but we care about each other. We're in it together and we are only going to get back into this series if we stick together."

AFP/File / WILLIAM WEST England captain Joe Root admits he is "fed up" talking about off-field issues, and said it was time for his teammates to prove why they have been chosen

Captain Joe Root has challenged his England team to stand up and keep the Ashes series alive in Thursday's crucial third Test against Australia in Perth.

Root, who admits he is "fed up" talking about off-field issues, said it was time for his teammates to prove why they have been chosen to play.

AFP / Greg Wood England captain Joe Root said the team needed to be "making sure we get things right on the field" if they wanted to avoid an Ashes whitewash

"We have to make sure we perform well this week and win. Get people talking about the cricket.

"This is a very professional group of players that goes about things in the right way. But we've had two incidents that have been blown up and made a big deal of. They could have been avoided.

13 Dec 2017

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