Friday 23 August 2013

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Lahore: Dacoit killed in encounter with police

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – According to details, a dacoit identified as Ateeq was killed an alleged encounter with police near Grid Station in Sabzazar area on Friday night.The accused had escaped from police custody a day earlier from Cantt Kutchery. According to police, the accused was wanted by police in several cases of murders and robberies. The dead body has been shifted to morgue for autopsy.

Bhakkar clash: Wahdat Muslimeen announce 3-day mourning

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LAHORE (Dunya News) - Majlis Wahdat Muslimeen has announced three-day mourning for 11 people who were killed in rival groups clash in Bhakkar on Friday.Addressing a press conference in Lahore, the office-bearers of Majlis Wahdat Muslimeen strongly condemned the incident and demanded of the government to take action against culprits.They also demanded a judicial inquiry of the incident.

Judges detention case hearing today

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The hearing of the judges detention case will be held today at the form house of the former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf in Chak Shahzad.Notices have been issued to 29 witnesses to appear in the case. Those who were summoned include 24 lawyers and five government officials.The petitioner in the case, Advocate Chaudhry Mohammad Aslam Ghumman hasl also been summoned, however, his son refused to comply the court orders saying his father is out of country.Meanwhile, the investigation officer in the case, Inspector Mubarik Ali has been replaced by SHO Secretariat Qaisar Gilani.

Pro-Morsi rallies in Egypt smaller amid arrests

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CAIRO (AP) - Supporters of Egypts deposed president, who once overwhelmed cities in the hundreds of thousands, changed tactics Friday by demonstrating in scattered, small rallies that avoided confronting a heavy military deployment waiting for them across the country.The low turnout signaled the strain on ousted leader Mohammed Morsis Muslim Brotherhood, as it has trouble drawing large numbers of supporters and faces an increasingly skeptical Egyptian public wary of more bloodshed like that which followed the July 3 military coup that overthrew him.Meanwhile, an intense security crackdown by the military-backed interim government has rounded up much of its leadership.The Brotherhood has committed a strategic error last week by mixing peaceful protests with armed clashes with civilians, said Abdullah el-Sinawi, an Egyptian newspaper columnist and analyst. Many supporters are now staying away fearing that new civilian-on-civilian clashes will erupt.Morsi supporters dubbed the day the Friday of Martyrs, in reference to the several hundred people that died in clashes with Egypts military during raids on street camps this month. Last Friday, vigilantes at neighborhood checkpoints battled Morsi supporters across the capital in unprecedented clashes between residents that killed more than 170 people, including dozens of police officers.Ahead of the protests, soldiers in armored personnel carriers and tanks deployed early Friday across the country on major roads and plazas to stop demonstrators from gathering. But after Friday prayers, Cairo and the rest of Egypt did not see massive crowds on the streets. Instead, small groups of Islamists in the hundreds chanted against the military and held up posters of Morsi on side streets and outside neighborhood mosques.Thousands marched through the streets of Cairos Nasr City district. Some chanted: We are willing to sacrifice our lives and We promise the martyrs that we will end military rule.Mohamed Ahmed, a Morsi supporter, insisted the movement against what the Brotherhood calls an illegitimate coup would continue.Everybody knows there could be a bloodbath. But as long as we are fighting for our rights, with Gods will, we will win, he said as he joined protesters gathering outside a mosque following prayers in Giza, a satellite city of Cairo and home to the famous Pyramids.The protests remained largely peaceful, though a few clashes broke out. Police fired tear gas to stop rival camps from fighting with knives and birdshot in the Delta city of Tanta. One pro-Morsi supporter was killed and 26 were injured, a local medical official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to journalists.Tarek Morsi, a Brotherhood spokesman not related to the deposed president, described the smaller crowds as a way for the 85-year-old organization to adapt to the environment it faces. He said the Brotherhood is accustomed to operating under repression.We decided to adopt a new strategy, to avoid million-man marches and to have instead smaller protests, yet with big numbers, disseminated in different locations across the city to face the security crackdown, the spokesman said. This way the people see us.

Suicide bombing in park, attacks kill 36 in Iraq

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BAGHDAD (AP) - A suicide bomber attacked a park in northern Baghdad crowded by cafe- and restaurant-goers Friday night, the bloodiest attack in a day of violence that killed at least 36 people across the country, authorities said.Attacks have been on the rise in Iraq since a deadly security crackdown in April on a Sunni protest camp. More than 3,000 people have been killed in violence during the past few months, raising fears Iraq could see a new round of widespread sectarian bloodshed similar to that which brought the country to the edge of civil war in 2006 and 2007.The suicide bomber struck a park in the Qahira neighborhood of Baghdad late Friday night, an area popular with locals, police said. The bomber detonated his explosives in a crowd of people, killing at least 26 people and wounding 55.Violence has stepped up in strikes on so-called soft targets in Iraq like civilians at coffee shops or those shopping along busy commercial streets.There was no claim of responsibility for Fridays suicide bombing. Sunni extremists such as al-Qaidas Iraq arm that seek to undermine the Shiite-led government are frequently blamed for attacks targeting civilians.Later in the night, gunmen in Baghdads northern Azamiyah neighborhood killed four men walking down a street, an army officer and a medical official said. The motive behind the shooting wasnt immediately clear.Elsewhere in the country, police said gunmen broke into a house of a Shiite merchant at dawn Friday in the northern town of Dujail, killing him, his wife and elderly mother. Authorities said the motive behind that attack wasnt immediately unclear.Dujail, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Baghdad, is a Shiite Muslim town surrounded by Sunni areas.Meanwhile, two police officers said bombs exploded near Sunni mosques in two neighborhoods in Baghdad as worshippers were leaving after Fridays sermon, killing three people and wounding 18.Police officers and medical officials confirmed the casualty figures from the attacks Friday. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release the information to journalists.

US soldier guilty of murder for Fort Hood rampage

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FORT HOOD (AP) - A U.S. Army psychiatrist was convicted Friday in the 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood, a shocking assault against American troops at home by one of their own who said he opened fire on fellow soldiers to protect Muslim insurgents abroad.Maj. Nidal Hasan acknowledged carrying out the attack in a crowded waiting room where unarmed troops were making final preparations to deploy to Afghanistan and Iraq. Thirteen people were killed and more than 30 wounded.Because Hasan never denied his actions, the court-martial was always less about a conviction than it was about ensuring he received the death penalty. From the beginning of the case, the federal government has sought to execute Hasan, believing that any sentence short of a lethal injection would deprive the military and the families of the dead of the justice they have sought for nearly four years.A jury of 13 high-ranking military officers reached a guilty verdict in about seven hours. Hasan had no visible reaction as the verdict was read. After the hearing, relatives of the dead and wounded fought back tears. Some smiled and warmly patted each others shoulders as they left court.In the next phase of the trial, the jurors must all agree to give Hasan the death penalty before he can be sent to the militarys death row, which has just five other prisoners. If they do not agree, the 42-year-old could spend the rest of his life in prison.Hasan said he planned to continue representing himself in the sentencing phase, even though the military judge, Col. Tara Osborn, told him she thought it was unwise to do so. The penalty phase starts Monday.Hasan, a Virginia-born Muslim, said the attack was a jihad against U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He bristled when Osborn suggested the shooting rampage could have been avoided were it not for a spontaneous flash of anger.It wasnt done under the heat of sudden passion, Hasan said before jurors began deliberating. There was adequate provocation that these were deploying soldiers that were going to engage in an illegal war.All but one of the dead were soldiers, including a pregnant private who curled on the floor and pleaded for her babys life.John Galligan, Hasans former lead attorney, said Hasan called him to make sure he heard the verdict, and the pair planned to meet later at Fort Hood.Galligan said the jury did not hear all the facts because the judge refused to allow evidence that helped explain Hasans actions.Right or wrong, strong or weak, the facts are the facts, he said. The jury we heard from only got half the facts.Hasan was left paralyzed from the waist down after being shot in the back by one of the Fort Hood police officers who responded to the rampage. He now uses a wheelchair.The sentencing phase is expected to begin with more testimony from survivors of the attack inside an Army medical center where soldiers were waiting in long lines to receive immunizations and medical clearance for deployment.About 50 soldiers and civilians testified of hearing someone scream Allahu akbar Arabic for God is great and seeing a man in Army camouflage open fire. Many identified Hasan as the shooter and recalled his handguns red and green laser sights piercing a room made dark with gun smoke.Hasan, who acted as his own attorney, began the trial by telling jurors he was the gunman. But he said little else over the next three weeks, which convinced his court-appointed standby lawyers that Hasans only goal was to get a death sentence.As the trial progressed, those suspicions grew. The military called nearly 90 witnesses, but Hasan rested his case without calling a single person to testify in his defense and made no closing argument. Yet he leaked documents during the trial to journalists that revealed him telling military mental health workers that he could still be a martyr if executed.Death sentences are rare in the military and trigger automatic appeals that take decades play out. Among the final barriers to execution is authorization from the president. No American soldier has been executed since 1961.

US imam gets 25 years prison for Taliban support

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MIAMI (AP) - An elderly Muslim cleric in South Florida has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for funneling tens of thousands of dollars to the Pakistani Taliban.U.S. District Judge Robert Scola imposed the sentence Friday on 78-year-old Hafiz Khan, who was convicted in March of four terror support-related charges. Federal prosecutors recommended a 15-year sentence and Khan faced a maximum of 60 years.Trial evidence showed Khan arranged to send about $50,000 over a three-year period to Pakistan. Prosecutors argued the money helped finance violent attacks against both U.S. and Pakistani targets. Khan told the judge Friday the money was for family, friends and a religious school he founded.Khan was imam at a Miami mosque before his 2011 arrest.

Suicide car bomb kills 2 Yemeni soldiers

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SANAA (AP) - A Yemeni security official said a suicide car bomb killed two soldiers Friday at a checkpoint in the countrys south amid rising military cooperation with the U.S.The official said another six soldiers were wounded in the attack, with the bomber blowing up his explosives-rigged car after he was stopped at a checkpoint at the entrance to the city of Shibam, in Hadramawt province. The official spoke on condition of anonymity following official guidelines.Washington considers al-Qaidas Yemeni branch to be one of the worlds most dangerous terrorist groups.Two drone attacks killed six suspected militants of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, as the Yemeni branch is known, in Hadramawt earlier this month.President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi told police cadets on Thursday that the U.S. drones have been carrying out attacks in accordance with an agreement to combat terrorism signed by the United States and former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh after the Sept. 11 attacks.Cooperation (with the U.S.) in the field of combating terrorism is not a secret as we take part in the operation room in Djibouti and we have officers in Bahrains operation room with other world countries, he said.The president said the U.S. drone attacks have widely curtailed al-Qaida activities.He said news about civilians killed in drone attacks were exaggerated, while referring to an air strike in 2009 in Abyan province that killed many civilians. Hadi said it was caused by a cruise missile and not a drone but did not elaborate.Hadi said he has asked the Obama administration to help Yemen acquire drone technology to allow the country to carry out its own attacks.He said the recent airstrikes and military operations killed at least 40 terrorists from al-Qaida, including several senior members. He said Yemeni security have also foiled car bomb attacks including ones involving two cars each laden with seven tons of explosives.

Vettel fastest in second practice amid new tire concerns

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SPA (AP) - Pirelli faces renewed fears from drivers that its tires might be shredding again after Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso had punctures in Fridays second practice at the Belgian Grand Prix.Vettel posted the fastest time but the three-time defending champ had to withdraw with about 20 minutes of the session remaining when his right rear tire popped and the loose rubber flapped around as he made his way back to the pits. Alonso, who finished seventh in the second practice, sustained a puncture to the same tire on his Ferrari.Pirelli faced scathing criticism following repeated incidents of tire failure in previous races, with near-farcical scenes at the Spanish GP where they shredded like confetti, turning the race into a pit-stop procession, and at the British GP where tires blew up on several cars.That led to the threat of a boycott from alarmed drivers before the German GP and prompted Pirelli to revert back to the 2012 construction twinned with their 2013 compounds in Budapest. The modified tires held firm at the Hungarian GP last month, but Spa is a tougher track because its long, steep corners create more pressure.It is a worry for the sport because we have to go out and find what it is, Pirellis head of motorsport Paul Hembery said Friday. He later met with FIA race director Charlie Whiting to discuss the situation.Given that both punctures happened on turn 14, Hembery thinks outside factors such as debris could have played a factor, but he also said other drivers tires had surface cuts, too.It looks on the Red Bull as though something has been rubbing on the surface, Hembery said. On the Ferrari there are two quite clear holes through the top of the tread. Theres not a lot we can do about that.But that explanation did not satisfy Red Bulls Mark Webber, who was second in the afternoon practice.We need answers and debris is not the answer, Webber said.Alonso was more diplomatic saying: I dont think its a similar problem to what we saw in Silverstone, maybe more of a random set of circumstances, but all the same, it needs careful analysis.Vettel had earlier clocked 1 minute, 49.331 seconds, which was .059 quicker than Webber and .818 faster than Lotus driver Romain Grosjean.Other than (the puncture), it was a positive day, Vettel said. This morning was tricky with a few rain drops and the track was slippery. Its a lot colder here than Hungary, but thats Spa and part of this circuit.Alonso was fastest in the first practice but when the sun came out and dried the track in the afternoon, the Red Bulls set the early pace while he was held up by traffic.We had a pretty good run today but theres still some performance to find and we need to get the car a bit better balanced, Webber said. It was good to have stable conditions this afternoon.Moments after Vettels puncture, Dutch driver Giedo van der Garde lost control coming out of a turn and slid across the track into the crash barriers. He climbed out unharmed but there was damage to the right of his Caterham.Hamilton also had a difficult afternoon, finishing 12th. He asked mechanics over race radio: Is my dashboard telling me the right time? Because the cars all over the place.Earlier, Van der Garde and Caterham teammate Charles Pic got in each others way at the Bus Stop chicane and went off track. When Pic returned, he drove into the path of Vettel, who broke hard to avoid contact.In the overcast morning, Alonso gave struggling Ferrari a boost.The two-time former champion is without a win in five races and has disappointed in qualifying all season, failing to even place on the front row. But the Spaniard clocked a best lap of 1:55.198. Vettel was sixth quickest.They set their best times when the track was at its driest, and many drivers stayed in their garages as the rain started to fall again late in the session.Hamilton, who won the last race in Hungary, was 15th.

Champion Petra Kvitova back in New Haven finals

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NEW HAVEN (AP) - Defending champion Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic beat countrywoman Klara Zakopalova 6-0, 6-1 on Friday to return to the finals of the New Haven Open.Kvitova, who had fought through three, three-set matches en route to the semifinals, dominated her friend in a meeting that lasted only 50 minutes.I played my game, finally today, she said. I played aggressively. I can improve my serve. I had some double faults again, so I can still improve.That might be hard for Zakopalova to believe. Kvitova won 53 of the 76 points in the match.Zakopalova earned only three points in the second set before holding serve and closing to 5-1 with her only game win. She finished with 10 points in the set.Kvitova ended things on her serve, striking an ace on the final point.She just played fantastic tennis today without any mistakes, Zakopalova said. I think everything was working for her, so I have to just congratulate her, wish her good luck because she was the better player today, for sure.Kvitova leads the WTA Tours top 100 players with 29 three-set matches this season. She didnt let this one get close, with each set lasting 25 minutes.Thats helpful, for sure, before (Saturdays) final, she said. I hope that helps me to have more time for rest, not be on the court pretty long. So thats the good thing.The 31-year-old Zakopalova has not beaten a top-10 player since 2011, but goes into the U.S. Open seeded No. 31. She upset eighth-seeded Dominika Cibulkova, and beat Monica Puig and Elena Vesnina before losing to Kvitova.I have to forget this match because it doesnt matter who is on the other side, she said. So it gives me a lot of confidence, this tournament, for sure. I played a great three matches. I hope its going to work for me in the US Open.Kvitova, ranked No. 9 in the world, will face the winner of Friday nights second semifinal between four-time New Haven champion Caroline Wozniacki and Romanian Simona Halep.Wozniacki is 23-1 in New Haven. Her only loss came last year when she had to retire from a semifinal match against Russias Maria Kirilenko, who lost to Kvitova in the final.Kvitova, the 2011 Wimbledon champion, has never won the same tournament in consecutive years. She would like to add that feat to an already impressive resume.I have one more new motivation then, she said.

Monfils starts slow, gains Winston-Salem final

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WINSTON-SALEM (AP) - Frances Gael Monfils overcame early struggles to beat Alexandr Dolgopolov 7-6 (11) 6-3 Friday in the semifinals of the Winston-Salem Open.Monfils, ranked No. 43 in the world, lost serve twice early and went down 4-0 in the first set to Dolgopolov. He even received treatment on his left hip during the side exchange before rallying.After the injury break, Monfils broke Dolgopolovs serve twice to force the tiebreaker and win the first set. He then added two more service breaks in the second set to advance to a tournament final for the third time this season.Monfils will now face the winner of Fridays second semifinal at the Wake Forest Tennis Center between American Sam Querrey at No. 29 the highest ranked player remaining in the tournament and Austrias Jurgen Melzer.

Gonzalez takes 1-shot lead at Gleneagles

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GLENEAGLES (AP) - Ricardo Gonzalez shot a second straight 7-under 65 Friday to take a one-shot lead after the second round of the Johnnie Walker Championship.The 352nd-ranked Argentine birdied three of his opening seven holes before finishing with five successive birdies to surge to 14-under 130 on the PGA Centenary course that is hosting the Ryder Cup in 2014.Bernd Wiesberger of Austria, who shared the overnight lead with Gonzalez, was alone in second after carding a 66.The 43-year-old Gonzalez is a four-time winner on the European Tour, but his last victory came in 2009. Since then, both his parents have passed away, and the Argentine said he wants to secure another victory as a tribute to them.The last two years have been very difficult personally, Gonzalez said. So if I win I would like to dedicate it to my mother and father, thats my target this week.Mark Foster, who lost in a playoff at Gleneagles in 2011, added a 67 to an opening-round 66 to sit in a tie for third place with fellow Englishman Tommy Fleetwood (65).Brooks Koepka of the United States was fifth, four shots behind, after making a second-hole eagle to go with four birdies in a round of 66. The 23-year-old Koepka is assured of full European Tour membership in 2014 after winning three times this year on the secondary Challenge Tour.Englands Paul Waring equaled the Centenary course record with a 63, but is only in a tie for 19th place on after a 75 on Thursday.

Toronto mayor defeats Hulk Hogan in arm-wrestling

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TORONTO (AP) - Torontos larger-than-life mayor took down wrestling star Hulk Hogan in a friendly arm-wrestling match Friday to kick off an annual pop culture convention.The 14-time world wrestling champion, in a T-shirt and his trademark bandana, entered the room to applause and his old wrestling theme music, while Mayor Rob Ford strutted in to Eye of the Tiger. Ford ripped off his jacket and tie, untucked his dress shirt and rolled up his sleeves.Big man, oh, thats all you got? Hogan asked Ford, who weighs in at 307 pounds (139 kilograms) as the pair locked hands.Not only am I going to rip this arm off, Im going to take your job while Im at it, brother. Mayor Hogan, he added.A sweating Ford seemed to struggle at first. But after 20 some seconds of trash talk and stalemate, he slammed Hogans arm down.I own this town Ford said.Hogan grimaced. That was a setup, he said, without a hint of irony.The only reason he beat me is because hes younger, the 60-year-old Hogan said of the 44-year-old mayor, whom he nicknamed Fantastic Ford.It was like wrestling a friggin grizzly bear, Ford said of the 302-pound (136-kilogram) wrestler.The event took place at Fan Expo Canada, a convention celebrating diverse pop culture genres.Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, was in Toronto for an uncensored question-and-answer session at the expo.Ford most recently made world news over allegations that he appeared in a video smoking crack cocaine. The video has not been released publicly.When asked if he thought the alleged video of the mayor was real, Hogan responded, Im hungry.Ford said Hogan has been his hero since he was a little guy. He tweeted after the match, I own this town @HulkHogan Thanks for being such a great sport.The wrestler also took to Twitter: Just arm wrestled Mayor Ford from Toronto, had a great time brother.

Oil rises more than $1 a barrel

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NEW YORK (AP) - The price of oil rose for a second straight day Friday, but still posted a drop for the week.U.S. benchmark oil for October delivery gained $1.39, or 1.4 percent, to close at $106.42 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Oil rose $1.18 a barrel Thursday. Even with the two days of gains, oil fell $1.04 a barrel this week.Oil rose after the U.S. government said that Americans cut back sharply in July on their purchases of new homes, a sign that higher mortgage rates may weigh on the housing recovery. Traders apparently saw the weak data as an indication that the Federal Reserve may need to wait before slowing down its bond-buying program.Risk premiums linked to the political crisis in Egypt and labor conflicts at key Libyan ports used to ship oil exports also supported crude oil prices.Egypt controls the Suez Canal and the Sumed pipeline, crucial transport routes between the Middle East and the Mediterranean Sea through which around 4.5 million barrels of oil and refined products are shipped daily.North Sea Brent, the benchmark for international crudes, gained $1.14 to $111.04 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.

IMF head: Weak nations still need central bank aid

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JACKSON HOLE (AP) - The head of the International Monetary Fund cautioned the worlds major central banks Friday not to withdraw their unconventional support for weak economies too soon.IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said Friday that stimulative policies are still needed in key regions, especially Europe and Japan, which have struggled with prolonged weakness.She was addressing the Federal Reserves annual conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.Lagarde said central banks must carefully develop strategies for scaling back their efforts to keep borrowing rates low. Any pullback should be determined by the strength of individual economies, she said.Her comments come as the Fed is signaling that it could slow its bond purchases later this year if the U.S. economy continues to improve. The Feds bond buying has helped keep U.S. interest rates near record lows.Unconventional monetary policy is still needed in all places it is being used, albeit longer for some than for others, Lagarde said in her speech to the conference.The anticipation of a slowdown in Fed bond buying has unsettled U.S. stock and bond markets and sent interest rates up. Rising U.S. rates have, in turn, triggered turmoil in some emerging economies, such as Turkey, India and Indonesia. Officials in those countries have tried to halt declines in the value of their currencies as investors have shifted money into higher-yielding investments elsewhere.Lagarde took note of the market declines that have followed Fed Chairman Ben Bernankes signal in June that the Fed could begin slowing its bond purchases later this year if the U.S. economy strengthens further.She said finance officials should prepare contingency plans in case market turbulence worsens.Some investors think the Fed could announce at its next meeting in September that its reducing its bond purchases. But comments from Fed officials at Jackson Hole suggested some disagreement within the central bank over the proper timing for a slowdown to begin.Dennis Lockhart, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, suggested in an interview with CNBC that he might be ready to endorse a bond-buying slowdown in September. But James Bullard, president of the St. Louis Fed, said he thought the economy remains too uncertain for a pullback next month.I dont think we have to be in any hurry, Bullard said in a separate interview with CNBC. I think we want to take our time and assess what is going on.Bullard is a voting member of the Feds interest rate panel this year. Lockhart takes part in discussions but doesnt have a vote this year. Their remarks mirrored the divided opinion that was evident in the minutes of the Feds July meeting released this week.In her speech, Lagarde said the support being provided by major central banks is buying time for nations to implement key economic reforms.Push ahead with deeper reforms to lay the foundation for durable and lasting growth, Lagarde said. Do not waste the space provided by unconventional monetary policies.For example, she said troubled nations in Europe must repair their financial systems before credit can start flowing normally again.Lagarde said some emerging market countries have taken steps to prepare for the shocks that could occur as the United States and other major economies withdraw their extraordinary support and borrowing rates rise to historically normal levels. But she said more work would be needed.She said the IMF will provide support where possible, including emergency loans to countries that need them.
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