Rain affects fourth day of 4th Ashes Test
Melbourne: Rain played the spoilsport after Australia scored 103/2, trailing by 61 runs on the fourth day of the fourth Ashes Test against England here on Friday.
David Warner (40) and skipper Steven Smith (25) were at the crease when play was abandoned for the day.
After putting up 327 in its first innings, Australia got off to a steady start in the second innings as opener Cameron Bancroft (27) and Warner forged a 50 run partnership before Bancroft was dismissed by Chris Woakes.
Usman Khawaja (11) then joined Warner in the middle but failed to rise to the occasion as he was sent packing by James Anderson after adding a few more runs to the board.
Then Australian skipper Smith joined in the middle and stabilised the innings with Warner.
Earlier, England were bowled out at the overnight score of 491. Anderson was dismissed by Pat Cummins on the very first ball of the day and opener Alastair Cook remained unbeaten at 244.
For Australia, Cummins scalped four wickets while Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon took three wickets each
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Officials say Qatar has decided to suspend its mediation efforts on Gaza
Deir Al-Balah (Gaza Strip), Nov 9: Qatar has decided to suspend its key mediation efforts between Hamas and Israel, officials said Saturday.
However, Qatar is highly likely to return to the efforts if both sides show “serious political willingness” to reach a deal on the war in Gaza, according to one official with Egypt, the other key mediator.
A diplomatic source briefed on the matter said both Israel and Hamas, along with the United States, were informed after the decision was made. The source added that “as a consequence, the Hamas political office no longer serves its purpose” in Qatar.
Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
A senior Hamas official said they were aware of Qatar's decision to suspend mediation efforts, “but no one told us to leave.”
The announcement comes after growing frustration with the lack of progress on a cease-fire deal.
“After rejecting repeated proposals to release hostages, (Hamas) leaders should no longer be welcome in the capitals of any American partner. We made that clear to Qatar following Hamas' rejection weeks ago of another hostage release proposal,” a US senior administration official said.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. The Israeli prime minister's office had no comment.
Meanwhile, three separate Israeli strikes killed at least 16 people, including women and children, in Gaza on Saturday, Palestinian medical officials said, and Israel announced the first delivery of humanitarian aid in weeks to hungry, devastated northern Gaza.
There continued to be no end in sight to Israel's campaigns against Hamas in Gaza or Hezbollah in Lebanon, where Israel's military said that it struck command centres and other infrastructure overnight in Beirut's southern suburbs.
One of the strikes in Gaza hit a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City's eastern Tufah neighbourhood, killing at least six people, the territory's Health Ministry said. Two local journalists, a pregnant woman and a child were among the dead, it said. The Israeli army said the strike targeted a members belonging to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, offering no evidence or details.
Seven people were killed when an Israeli strike hit a tent in the southern city of Khan Younis where displaced people were sheltering, according to Nasser Hospital. It said the dead included two women and a child. The Israeli army didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
And Palestinian medical officials said an Israeli strike hit tents in the courtyard of central Gaza's main hospital, including one serving as a police point. At least three people were killed and a local journalist was wounded, Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in Deir al-Balah said. It was the eighth Israeli attack on the compound since March.
