Friday 27 September 2013

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Dunya TV

US troops won't get paid during shutdown: Pentagon

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US military's nearly 1.4 million troops will stay on the job in the case of a government shutdown but they will not get paid, the Pentagon said Friday.And if Congress fails to agree on a new budget measure by the close of the fiscal year on Monday, September 30, roughly half the Defense Department's nearly 800,000 strong civilian work force would be placed on unpaid leave, top officials said.The war effort in Afghanistan and other high-priority missions would not be affected but most training and a range of maintenance work would be cancelled if Congress remains deadlocked, according to the Pentagon's top financial officer Robert Hale.We wouldn't be able to do most training, we couldn't enter into most new contracts, routine maintenance would have to stop, he told reporters.Defense officials outlined how the military would operate under a shutdown as a deeply divided Congress argued over rival spending bills, with the clock ticking on the Monday deadline.Military personnel will not be paid until such time as Congress makes appropriated funds available to compensate them for this period of service, Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter wrote in a memo describing contingency plans for a shutdown.The prospect of military service members and civilian employees having to temporarily forego pay due to acrimony in Congress could exact a high political price for some lawmakers, who often go to great lengths to cultivate the support of soldiers and workers at military bases.With half of all civilian workers facing unpaid leave under a shutdown, the remaining 400,000 civilian employees would continue to work in areas deemed essential but they too would not be paid during the lapse, Hale said.There also was a ghoulish provision under the law that will delay any payments of death benefits to military families who lose loved ones during the government shutdown, Hale said.However, employees involved in transporting the remains of war dead and arranging funeral services for fallen troops would continue their work.Carl Levin, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called the possible government closure unconscionable and urged Republicans in the House to pass a proposed budget bill that has already cleared the Senate.A shutdown would require our troops to go into combat while receiving only an IOU, put hundreds of thousands of DoD (Department of Defense) civilians on furlough without pay, and could even delay death benefits to the families of troops who fall in combat, Levin said.The Pentagon released a long list of services deemed vital that would continue during a shutdown, including medical care, mess halls, child care, legal offices, logistics, training, department schools and some accounting sections.Warships patrolling the Mediterranean, including those deployed for potential military action against Syria, would remain in place, and most of the naval fleet's operations would not be disrupted.I think most of the ships at sea would stay there, Hale said.All training for the National Guard and reserves would be cancelled unless it was directly related to operations in Afghanistan or other missions considered critical to national security.Work on contracts with defense companies could continue if funds have already been allocated.Hale called the potential shutdown one more blow to the morale of our civilian workforce, adding that morale is already low after automatic budget cuts forced furloughs for some civilian Pentagon employees.The Defense Department placed more than 600,000 civilian workers on unpaid leave for several days due to the budget cuts, which are also the result of a political impasse in Congress.The last time the US government closed its doors was in 1995.

Graf: Serena can set career major title record

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NEW YORK (AP) - Steffi Graf's career ended with 22 Grand Slam singles titles at age 30 because of injuries. The tennis great doesn't see anyone stopping Serena Williams from becoming the career leader in major titles, if she stays healthy.Williams earned her 17th major title at the U.S. Open this month, and Graf believes Williams will surpass career leader Margaret Court (24).She's got a lot of tennis left in her, Graf said Friday in a phone interview with The Associated Press. I can easily see her pass all of our records. I don't see the competition catching up to her at all.Williams, who turned 32 on Thursday, is one major championship away from matching the 18 titles held by Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.Her body has been holding up really well, said Graf, who was hindered by knee injuries. She's so strong and has such a powerful game. She has a chance to overpower her opponents, and she's shown that over and over.The versatile Graf used her powerful forehand and exceptional footwork to win seven Wimbledon titles, six French Opens, five U.S. Opens, and four Australian titles.She's the only singles player male or female to win the calendar year Golden Grand Slam. This year marks the 25th anniversary of her winning all four Grand Slam titles and the gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.In her final season in 1999, Graf beat a 17-year-old Williams in Sydney and lost to her at Indian Wells. Those meetings were memorable.You can feel a strong energy and determination, Graf said. That can be definitely intimidating playing against her. You know there's a force on the court. Obviously, she tries to take points over, then you feel pressure to be aggressive.Even in her young age, she and her sister (Venus), they just had a really strong presence on the court.On Friday, Williams was guaranteed to finish the year with the No. 1 ranking for the third time in her career. Graf achieved that feat a record eight times.She won 107 singles titles, finishing third on the WTA list after Navratilova (167) and Evert (157).Graf captured an astounding seven of eight majors from 1988-89 in her prime. If Serena wins two majors each in the next three years, she would pass Graf by the end of the 2016 season.We'll see how mentally and physically she's able to preserve herself over the next few years, Graf said. I don't think anybody's ever played that far, that kind of tennis, at her age. I'll be curious to follow her.Graf noticed the improved play of Williams this season.I thought she really put it together well in her matches this year determined, focused, Graf said. She's seemed to have found an inner calm on the court.These days, the 44-year-old Graf and husband Andre Agassi are busy raising 11-year-old Jaden and 9-year old Jaz, who enjoy baseball and dance.They're really active, I guess they've caught that from their parents, she said, laughing. Jaden has been playing baseball for about five years, he plays club ball, loves it. He's got a really intense schedule. When I look back at my tournaments at that age, he surpasses that easily.Jaz, the last three years, she's really loving dance, hip-hop. It's been fun seeing her branch out into something that might not be as natural for her. But she's coming out of her shell and really enjoying it.Instead of tennis, Graf now relishes lower-impact biking, Pilates and yoga.For me, working out is essential, she said. It's something, not only physically I need. I need it for my state of mind. It helps me to take some time for myself and organize my thoughts, and it gives me energy again.Graf attended a Longines Women Who Make A Difference event in New York on Thursday night and promoted her foundation Children for Tomorrow, which works with youth traumatized by war.Agassi's College Preparatory Academy, which began in Las Vegas, has expanded to 25 charter schools nationwide, including another school in Detroit and two schools opening in Florida, she said.It's really personal and really important to us, and we share that intimately, Graf said before flying back to their home in Nevada. It's the future of the country. It's giving kids a chance, with education, to make their own choices later in life.It's pretty moving when you see some of the responses of the parents.

Tennis: Big-serving Berdych in Thailand Open semis

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BANGKOK (AFP) - World number six Tomas Berdych battled his way into the semi-finals of the Thailand Open Friday, slamming 20 aces in a hard-fought victory over Lu Yen-Hsun.The top seed was made to sweat for his 7-6 (9/7), 6-4 win against his Taiwanese rival, who has lost all 10 of his career quarter-finals.Credit to the opponent, said the big-serving Czech, playing in Bangkok for the first time in half a decade.Sometimes I felt like I was in PlayStation. He was hitting so fast, so low and making so many winners. It was a tough match and I'm happy to go through. He played well. It proves how tough tennis is these days.Top seed Berdych needed a string of aces to claim his victory in just over one and three-quarter hours, coming back from a break down in the opening set.He only lost serve once while breaking his opponent three times.Berdych last won a trophy in October in Stockholm and remains the only member of the ATP top 10 without a 2013 win.He now faces world number 14 Gilles Simon, who overcame a back injury and jet lag to struggle past Dutchman Igor Sijsling.The Frenchman, seeded fourth and winner of the Bangkok event in 2009, called for the trainer after the opening game of the final set, but recovered to take the match 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.My back is not in a great shape now. The injury is a bit of everything, said Simon, who is bidding to reach his third Thailand final, having lost to compatriot Richard Gasquet last year.I'll just take treatment and hope to be fit for Saturday. I have to be 100 percent if I want to win.Simon claimed victory in just under two-and-a-half hours with his eighth ace of the match after saving a slew of break points from the attacking Sijsling.He won the opening set in 54 minutes, prevailing in a battle of classy ground strokes between the two men.Sijsling rallied to claim the second set and looked to be in control early in the third when Simon was forced to take his on-court treatment.But Simon regained his composure with a break for 4-3 and took victory three games later on his second match point.In the day's other quarter-final matches, French defending champion Richard Gasquet staged a fightback to overcome Russian fifth seed Mikhail Youzhny 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 with six breaks of his opponent. In the last four he will take on Canadian third seed Milos Raonic, who fired 19 aces in a 58-minute rout of Spain's Feliciano Lopez 6-4, 6-3.I think I played very well tonight. Mikhail was very strong and played very, so it is a great win for me, said Gasquet, who sits ninth in the race for a spot in the eight-man ATP World Championships in London in November.I will hopefully do the same tomorrow and go out there and play my game, and try my best.The tie between the tournament's second and third seeds will be a re-match of their US Open fourth round meeting less than a month ago.Gasquet edged Raonic in five sets in New York.

Motorcycling: Marquez quickest in Aragon practice

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MADRID (AFP) - Championship leader Marc Marquez posted the quickest time in Friday's combined free practice ahead of Sunday's Aragon MotoGP.The 20-year-old MotoGP rookie took the free practice honours on his Honda, clocking a best lap of 1min 48.987sec.Next best was Germany's Stefan Bradl and Marquez's teammate Dani Pedrosa, the winner last season, in third.Yamaha's defending champion Jorge Lorenzo, quickest in the morning's first session, came in fourth.Today, I didn't feel as good as I did in the test that we did here after the Barcelona GP, as there was less grip in these two practice sessions, Marquez told www.motogp.com.He added: Anyway, it's the same for everyone. In general the feeling that we have is pretty good and I worked on various things with the bike today.However, we can still improve our setup. We hope to take that step forward tomorrow and we shall see if the grip level improves, as that would make things so much easier for everyone.Lorenzo, and his teammate, seventh-placed Valentino Rossi, know they have work to do to challenge their Honda rivals.We hoped to improve the bike from the morning but we couldn't do it, said Lorenzo.I have a worse feeling than when we were here for the test. We have to keep working to improve the bike and the pace.With five wins under his belt Marquez has a 34 point lead in the world championship standings over Lorenzo and Pedrosa.

Golf: Woods named PGA player of year

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH (AFP) - Tiger Woods was on Friday named as PGA Tour player of the year, while American Jordan Spieth was named rookie of the year.It is the 11th time that the 37-year-old Woods has won the award, with this latest acknowledgement coming at the end of a season in which he has won five times in 16 Tour starts.Woods, who has still not won a major since the 2008 US Open, won at the WGC-Cadillac Championship and the WGC Bridgestone Invitational as well as at the Players Championship.Its been an incredible year to have won five times, Woods said. Fantastic year all around. Its an incredible feeling to be voted by your peers and have that respect. Its very humbling.Woods has 79 career Tour victories and is now just three shy of Sam Sneads all-time record of 82.He pipped Matt Kuchar, Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott and Henrik Stenson to the award.Meanwhile, the 20-year-old Spieth became the youngest player to win on the Tour in more than 80 years when he triumphed at the John Deere Classic when still 19.He had nine top-10 finishes in all and has shot up the world rankings to 21st.Its a tremendous honor, Spieth said.

Ukraine punished by FIFA over fans' racial abuse

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KIEV, Ukraine (AP) - FIFA has ordered Ukraine to play its next World Cup qualifier in an empty stadium after its fans hurled racist abuse during its match against San Marino.FIFA said in a statement Friday that several racist and discriminatory incidents were apparently perpetrated by local supporters during the match, in particular by displaying neo-Nazi banners and by making monkey noises and gestures as well as Nazi salutes.FIFA also said there several incidents involving pyrotechnical devices that violated safety regulations.Ukraine, which won the Sept. 6 match 9-0, was also fined 45,000 Swiss francs ($50,000).The sanction means Ukraine will host Poland on Oct. 11 in an empty stadium for a game that could be crucial in deciding the top two spots in Group H, which also includes England.

Golf: Woods named PGA player of year

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH (AFP) - Tiger Woods was on Friday named as PGA Tour player of the year, while American Jordan Spieth was named rookie of the year.It is the 11th time that the 37-year-old Woods has won the award, with this latest acknowledgement coming at the end of a season in which he has won five times in 16 Tour starts.Woods, who has still not won a major since the 2008 US Open, won at the WGC-Cadillac Championship and the WGC Bridgestone Invitational as well as at the Players Championship.It's been an incredible year to have won five times, Woods said. Fantastic year all around. It's an incredible feeling to be voted by your peers and have that respect. It's very humbling.Woods has 79 career Tour victories and is now just three shy of Sam Snead's all-time record of 82.He pipped Matt Kuchar, Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott and Henrik Stenson to the award.Meanwhile, the 20-year-old Spieth became the youngest player to win on the Tour in more than 80 years when he triumphed at the John Deere Classic when still 19.He had nine top-10 finishes in all and has shot up the world rankings to 21st.It's a tremendous honor, Spieth said.

Oil prices slip on improving Syria, Iran outlook

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Oil prices slipped Friday amid easing tensions between the West and Syria and Iran and as traders watched a US political battle over looming budget and debt deadlines.New Yorks West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for November closed at $102.87 a barrel, down 16 cents from Thursdays closing level.Brent North Sea crude for delivery in November, the European oil benchmark, dropped 58 cents to $108.63 a barrel in London trade.Oil prices have trended lower recently amid signs of diplomatic progress in resolving the Wests concerns about Irans nuclear program and Syrias chemical weapons.WTI snapped a five-day losing streak Thursday but the gain was modest, 37 cents, and the futures contract continued its slide.Overall, we view the direct fundamentals as more consistent with a further cycle of long liquidation as diplomatic progress on both Syrias chemical weapons and Irans nuclear program reduces threat to uninterrupted oil supplies, said Tim Evans of Citi Futures.Markets awaited the outcome of a UN Security Council vote Friday night on a UN resolution that provides for the destruction of Syrias chemical weapons arsenal.The market is focused on short term today and on what will happen with this resolution, said Daniel Flynn of The PRICE Futures Group.Investors had earlier feared that a possible US-led strike on Syria in retaliation for its alleged use of chemicals against its own people would spark a wider conflict in the crude-rich Middle East.Traders also kept an eye on Washington, where fierce political battles over the budget and the debt ceiling raged.Congress must strike a budget deal by midnight Monday or cause a partial shutdown of the federal government on Tuesday, the start of the 2014 fiscal year.The US Senate passed a temporary budget bill Friday and sent it to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives as the showdown entered the final stretch.A two-week government shutdown would shave 0.3 percent points off growth in the worlds biggest economy, according to Macroeconomic Advisors, weighing on energy demand.Of greater concern to market analysts, however, was the looming debt ceiling deadline.Congress needs to raise the nations legal borrowing limit by October 17, according to the US Treasury, or the United States could be forced to default on its debts for the first time in history.

Lawyer dismisses 'vague' Rauf allegations

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LAHORE (AFP) - Asad Raufs lawyer Friday rubbished a Mumbai police chargesheet which declared the Pakistani Test umpire wanted accused, saying his client will not go to India.Mumbai police last week presented a chargesheet alleging Rauf was involved in an Indian Premier League (IPL) betting scandal which surfaced in May this year and ended in life bans for two Indian players, including Test paceman Shanthakumaran Sreesanth.The International Cricket Council (ICC) withdrew Rauf from the Champions Trophy in June before removing him from the Elite Umpire panel pending an inquiry by the world governing body.Raufs legal adviser, Syed Ali Zafar, said: We have not officially received any chargesheet from Mumbai police, we came to know whatever was reported in the media.Rauf is a well-known, professional and a competent Pakistani umpire.We think Mumbai police is doing his character assassination and its a conspiracy against him, Zafar, flanked by Rauf, said at a press conference.Whatever is being reported in the press is all false and I strongly deny it on behalf of Rauf. At the moment we dont want to give any importance to it and it doesnt have any legality.Zafar said his client will not go to India to answer the vague allegations.As far as Rauf is concerned he has full confidence on Indian courts but he has no faith in Mumbai police and at the moment we are not confident to go to India, said the lawyer.Rauf added: I was an employee of the ICC and I am answerable to them.ICCs anti-corruption (unit) has investigated the matter, I have provided them all the bank accounts. Its been three months now and ICC has not contacted me, said Rauf.Rauf has officiated in 48 Tests, 98 one-dayers and 23 Twenty20 internationals.

France to sanction Google over privacy rules

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PARIS (AP) - France says it will fine Google 300,000 euros ($402,180) for breaking rules on data privacy.The French agency that regulates information technology says Google Inc. hadn't satisfactorily responded to its June decision giving the company three months to be more upfront about the data it collects from users.In a statement Friday, France's National Commission on Computing and Freedom, known as CNIL, says Google hasn't made requested changes including specifying to users what it uses personal data for, and how long it's held.CNIL says it will now launch formal sanction proceedings.Google spokesman Al Verney said Our privacy policy respects European law and allows us to create simpler, more effective services. We have engaged fully with CNIL throughout this process and will continue to do so going forward.

PM urges US to end drone strikes in Pakistan

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NEW YORK (Web Desk) - Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has urged the US to cease drone strikes in Pakistan’s territory.Addressing the United Nations General Assembly session on Friday, Mian Nawaz Sharif says Pakistan stands ready to reengage with India in a substantive and purposeful dialogue.The PM urged the United Nations to play a critical role in disputes resolution and must continue to remain attentive to the issue of Jammu and Kashmir and full realization of the right to self-determination of its people.Nawaz said the suffering of the people cannot be brushed under the carpet‚ because of power politics.He called upon the international community to give an opportunity to Kashmiris to decide their future peacefully‚ in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions.The PM said the issue of Jammu and Kashmir was presented to the Security Council in January 1948 and yet the issue remains unresolved after nearly seven decades.He said he has an aspiration for regional peace and stability. He said he shared this vision with leaders in our neighborhood.Nawaz Sharif pointed out that shortly after assuming office‚ he received a message of goodwill from the Indian Prime Minister. Mian Nawaz Sharif said he invited the Indian Prime Minister to engage with Pakistan to address all outstanding issues between the two countries. He said Indian Prime Minister's response was positive.He said the two countries have wasted massive resources in an arms race which could have been used for the economic well being of the people. He said we still have that opportunity and the two countries can prosper together and the entire region would benefit from our cooperation.The PM said Pakistan stands ready to re-engage with India in a substantive and purposeful dialogue and looks forward to meeting his Indian Prime Minister in New York to make a new beginning.Mian Nawaz Sharif said he was committed to working for a peaceful and economically prosperous region. This is what our peace want.About Afghanistan‚ Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said Pakistan supports an inclusive‚ Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process‚ leading to national reconciliation. Mian Nawaz Sharif said during his visit to Pakistan‚ he assured President Hamid Karzai that Pakistan does not wish to interfere in Afghanistan's internal affairs and its has no favorites in that country.He said Pakistan encourages UN efforts for the stabilization of Afghanistan. We will work together withd Afghanstan for regional and economic cooperation that would establish and reinforce regtional trade‚ energy and communications corridors.He added that a manifestation of our solidarity with the Afghan people has been our willingness to hist millions of Afghan refugees in Pakistan for many decades.The PM said as a country that has suffered grievously for the past many years‚ Pakistan condemns terrorism‚ in all its forms and manifestations. In the past5 12 years‚ it has given huge sacrifices‚ in blood and resources. We have lost forty thousand precious lives of men‚ women and children including eight thousand defense and security personnel.He said there have been colossal damages to social and physical infrastructures as well. Our economy has been denied the opportunity to grow fully. This must change now.The PM said he has tried to forge national consensus on a cohesive policy to eliminate terrorism from our soil. We are resolved to oppose the forces of terrorism‚ by all means at our disposal. At the same time‚ we have offered dialogue to end violence‚ wean young extremists off extremism‚ and integrate all segments of our society into the national mainstream. He‚ however‚ said dialogue should not be seen as a sign of weakness or a tool of appeasement.Nawaz Sharif said the war against terrorism must be waged within the framework of international law.He said the use of armed drones in the border areas of Pakistan is a continued violation of our territorial integrity. It results in casualties of innocent civilians and is detrimental to our resolve and efforts to eliminate extremism and terrorism from Pakistan.Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said he has urged the United States to cease drone strikes so that we could avert further casualties and suffering.

Ashes spinner Panesar handed suspended ban

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LONDON (AP) - England spinner Monty Panesar has been given a suspended ban until the end of the 2014 cricket season for potentially threatening and intimidating behavior.Panesar was disciplined by the England and Wales Cricket Board for two incidents while playing for Essex against Worcestershire in the County Championship this month.Panesar breached ECB directive 3.2, stating he did not conduct himself fairly and properly on the field.The action comes less than two months after Panesar received a fixed penalty notice from police for urinating on bouncers outside a nightclub in Brighton.

RBS to float 314 branches as standalone bank

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LONDON (AFP) - Royal Bank of Scotland said Friday it will float 314 branches as a standalone bank in about two years, after reaching a 600-million deal with investors including the Church of England.Edinburgh-based RBS said in a statement that it would re-launch the branches under its dormant Williams & Glyns bank brand, which will then be floated on the London stock market.The bailed-out British lender, which is 81-percent owned by the government, has been forced to sell the branches by the European Commission in return for state support. A deal to sell the outlets to Spanish giant Santander collapsed last year.The consortium -- led by private equity firms Corsair Capital and Centrebridge Partners -- will pay 600 million ($967 million, 713 million euros) for a bond that will convert into no more than a 49-percent stake in the W&G branches, once they are spun off.The consortium also includes the Church Commissioners for England, who manage the assets of the Church of England.We are delighted to be working in partnership with these investors to establish a new challenger bank for UK customers, said RBS chairman Philip Hampton.Williams & Glyns will play an important role in the UK banking landscape and will be an excellent new addition to the market, with a particular strength in small business banking -- a sector that is so crucial to the UKs economic recovery.Much has been done already in building the standalone business, and todays announcement provides more certainty for our customers and employees ahead of a flotation.RBS was required to reduce its branch network as part of EC penalties after it received a vast 45.5-billion bailout at the height of the global financial crisis.The announcement comes after rival state-rescued lender Lloyds Banking Group relaunched 631 of its British branches as a standalone bank under its old TSB brand.LBG -- which also received a huge bailout amid the global financial crisis -- plans to float the TSB business on the London market next year, after it also failed to offload the branches.Earlier this month, the British government earned 3.2 billion from selling six percent of Lloyds, in a deal which cut its overall holding to about 32.7 percent.

Half of British pilots fall asleep during flights

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LONDON (AFP) - More than half of Britains airline pilots have fallen asleep in the cockpit and a third have woken up to find their co-pilot asleep, according to a new survey.The poll of 500 pilots commissioned by the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) also found that 43 percent believed tiredness had compromised their ability to fly a plane at least once a month for the last six months.Some 56 percent admitted they had fallen asleep during a flight and 29 percent said they had woken up to find the other pilot had also dozed off, according to the ComRes poll.The survey comes after it emerged that both the captain and co-pilot of an Airbus A330 plane fell asleep at the same time while it was on autopilot during a flight by an unnamed British operator on August 13.The Civil Aviation Authority said one of the pilots had reported that the pair had only five hours sleep each for the previous two nights.Nearly half of the pilots questioned by the BALPA -- 49 percent -- identified tiredness as the biggest threat to flight safety, while a third said their airlines culture discouraged them from reporting their tiredness.Media reports said the airline involved in the August incident was Virgin Atlantic, but the company said: No safety reports have been received about pilots falling asleep simultaneously whilst in control of an aircraft.The BALPA survey comes ahead of a vote in the European parliament on Monday on proposals to set out maximum working hours for pilots and other airline staff.BALPA has described the changes as dangerous, saying they could require pilots to stay awake for 22 hours at a stretch.This would give pilots a level of tiredness that is the equivalent of being four times over the legal alcohol limit for flying, the group claimed.Tiredness is already a major challenge for pilots who are deeply concerned that unscientific new EU rules will cut UK standards, said BALPAs General Secretary Jim McAuslan.Among other limits, the new regulations would mean European pilots would be unable to fly or wait at an airport on standby for more than 16 hours.While this is a lower limit than that currently in place in some EU countries -- such as Spain, where they can fly and be on standby for up to 26 hours at a stretch -- it is higher than the current British limit of 14 hours.The European Commission denied that the proposals would reduce safety standards.Any impression that is being given that the proposals would weaken those rules is false and irresponsible, a spokeswoman said.Safety is the first priority for the EU. We agree that pilot fatigue is a very serious issue, she added.The changes would also ban airlines from forcing cabin crew to take their in-flight rest in economy class seats.

IMF expresses concern over Tunisia's situation

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The International Monetary Fund on Friday expressed concern over the political and security situation in Tunisia, which has delayed the disbursement of financial aid to the country.The current political crisis and recent security developments, as well as the deteriorating economic situation among Tunisias main trading partners, are having an impact on economic activity, the IMF said in a statement.The countrys fiscal imbalance, and trade and investment flows are all deteriorating, the Fund warned, as the country continues to struggle to rebound after the uprising that toppled a decades-old dictatorship in January 2011 and ignited the Arab Spring.Economic growth, at an annual 3 percent pace in the first half, was slower than forecast, the Fund said in a report after a mid-September mission to Tunis.The short-term risks are on the downside, and vigorous measures -- including in the implementation of reforms -- are essential, notwithstanding the constraints associated with political developments.In June the IMF approved a $1.74 billion, two-year standby loan for Tunisia to help stabilize government finances as it implements needed reforms of state finances and the financial system.An initial disbursement was made under the program at the time. But the Fund has not carried out a first audit of progress under the loan-supported program, which had been scheduled to be concluded by September 15.In its statement Friday, the IMF said the review mission is planned for November.But the Fund stressed that immediate and urgent efforts are required to get the countrys budget and external deficits under control and to strengthen a weak banking sector.Speeding up government reforms will help boost growth and generate jobs, it said.
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