Thursday 5 September 2013

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Kerry to meet Abbas on Monday in London: US

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry will meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in London on Monday to discuss the direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians, US officials said Thursday.Kerry, who has met with Abbas numerous times over the past five months, will next see him at the end of a September 6-9 trip that will also take him to Lithuania and France, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.In London, Kerry will discuss with Abbas a range of issues including the ongoing, direct, final status negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians, Psaki told reporters.Direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians resumed on July 29, after Kerry shuttled between Jerusalem, the West Bank and Amman for several months seeking to end a three-year stalemate in the negotiations.The two sides have since met three times in August and in early September in Jerusalem.In line with Kerrys desire to keep the details of the negotiations secret in order to give the process a chance to work, little has leaked about the talks.But Palestinian officials have complained about the lack of direct US involvement, even though Kerry has appointed veteran diplomat Martin Indyk to act as the US go-between to the talks.Ahead of the first bilateral meetings in Jerusalem on August 14, Israel announced plans to build more than 2,000 Jewish settler homes on Palestinian territory, in a move that angered Palestinian negotiators.One senior Palestinian official said Wednesday that the talks have so far proved futile.Until now there has been no progress, the Palestine Liberation Organizations Yasser Abed Rabbo told Voice of Palestine radio, after several weeks of meetings between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators.Despite our decision to take part in talks, were now seeing what we expected -- that there is little hope for their progress, in fact that hope is non-existent and negotiations are futile, he said.Kerry will also meet with Arab League officials in Paris to update them on the state of the talks, Psaki said.Another State Department official, who asked not to be named, said Kerry would also meet soon with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but no date had yet been set.In Vilnius, Kerry will meet with senior Lithuanian government officials to discuss a range of issues, including regional cooperation, and energy diversification.He will also meet with the EU foreign ministers in informal session, at which the crisis in Syria is likely to top the agenda. Kerry will travel to France on Saturday before heading to London on Monday.

Murray falls as Wawrinka reaches US Open semis

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Defending champion Andy Murray was ousted from the US Open on Thursday, falling to Swiss ninth seed Stanislas Wawrinka 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 in a quarter-final shocker at Arthur Ashe Stadium.Wawrinka reached his first Grand Slam semi-final by stunning the reigning Olympic and Wimbledon champion, booking a Saturday last-four date against either world number one Novak Djokovic or Russian 21st seed Mikhail Youzhny. Spanish second seed Rafael Nadal and French eighth seed Richard Gasquet will meet in Saturday's other semi-final.It feels amazing for sure, especially after that match against the defending champion, Wawrinka said. It was a crazy match for me to beat him in three sets.Relentless pressure from Wawrinka, who is deeper than 17-time Grand Slam champion compatriot Roger Federer in a Slam for the first time in his career, led to a Murray meltdown that doomed his repeat dreams.He played great. That was the hardest part about the match, Murray said.He just hit the ball extremely well. I didn't create a break point chance. He served well. He hit a lot of lines, was going for big shots, and he played too well.A grim-faced Murray set a record for hustling to the interview room, arriving before Wawrinka could even leave the court after the match, the 26-year-old Scotsman's stoic visage a sign of his unhappiness.I would have liked to have played a little bit better, Murray said. It's a shame I had to play a bad match today.For only the second time in 146 Grand Slam matches, Murray failed to manage even a break point against an opponent, and it came on a day when Wawrinka ignored the wind to fire 45 winners, three times Murray's total.The first set was not really easy. It was very windy. We were trying to find the game, Wawrinka said. To get that gave me a little bit of confidence for sure.I was trying to focus on what I did, playing solid and aggressive, to go for taking the match and not let him come back.The 28-year-old Swiss lost in the quarter-finals of three prior Slams, including this year at the French Open, but became only the third man from his nation to reach a Slam final four, joining Federer and Marc Rosset.Murray had won eight of 13 prior matches with Wawrinka, but his defeats included a third-round loss at the 2010 US Open.Murray saved the first five break points of the match in the 10th game of the first set, errant backhands by the Swiss standout helping his cause.But Murray swatted a forehand long on Wawrinka's sixth break chance to drop the set, smashing his racquet on the court a moment later in frustration.That 5-4 game in the first set was important game, Murray said. I had a chance to close it out. He had quite a few chances. I made a few mistakes.Murray saved a break point in the second game of the second set and held in the fourth, but after losing the first point of the sixth set he screamed at himself, I'm serving like a donkey.After netting a backhand two points later, Murray was down triple break point and Wawrinka broke him at love with a backhand winner, then held at love to 5-2, capping a run of 12 points in a row, and again to claim the second set.Murray, with seven career comebacks from two sets down, screamed as he sat down after the set, staring at the court, talking to himself and shaking his head as music blared from the stadium loudspeakers.He double-faulted away a break to hand Wawrinka a 2-1 lead in the third set and the Swiss ripped a forehand winner -- his 42nd of the match -- past Murray for a break and a 5-2 lead on the way to victory after two hours and 15 minutes.Wawrinka is only 2-12 against Djokovic, including fourth-round losses at last year's US Open and this year's Australian Open, and 2-3 against Youzhny, who won a 2010 US Open quarter-final in five sets in their most recent meeting.Djokovic, 26, seeks his 14th consecutive Grand Slam semi-final since losing to Jurgen Melzer in the 2010 French Open quarter-finals, his run second only to Federer's 23 in a row ending at the 2010 Australian Open.Bidding for his seventh US Open semi-final in a row and a fourth consecutive trip to the final, Djokovic has not dropped a set in the New York fortnight.Youzhny, 24, is 0-10 all-time against world number one. He seeks his third trip to the US Open semi-finals after 2006 and 2010.

Williams sisters reach semis of US Open doubles

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NEW YORK (AP) - Venus and Serena Williams have knocked out the top-seeded women's doubles team at the U.S. Open to advance to the semifinals.The Williams sisters beat defending champions Roberta Vinci and Sara Errani of Italy 6-3, 6-1 to move two wins away from their 14th Grand Slam tournament title.Their victory in Armstrong Stadium finished less than an hour after Americans Bob and Mike Bryan had their quest for the calendar Grand Slam halted next door in Arthur Ashe Stadium. The Bryans fell 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to Leander Paes of India and Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic.Serena Williams, looking for back-to-back singles titles, plays her semifinal on Friday against Li Na.The sisters play their next doubles match against Czech pair Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka.

Formula One: Alonso happy to stay with Ferrari

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MONZA (AFP) - Spanish two-time world champion Fernando Alonso declared on Thursday that he hopes to be behind the wheel of a Ferrari until at least 2016 as he seeks to quash rumours of a potential departure ahead of the Italian Grand Prix. The 32-year-old, who won back-to-back world titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006 and counts 32 GP victories to his name in a career that began in 2001, had been linked with a move to Red Bull or a potential sabbatical year, but has now said he wants to stay with the Italian outfit. There were rumours about Red Bull and rumours about a sabbatical year, there were so many rumours, said the driver who comes into the weekend second in the driver standings and 46 points behind triple world champion Sebastian Vettel of Germany. I still have a contract for three and a half years with Ferrari and I have the intention to respect that and even extend it, he continued. I want to finish my career with the best team in the world, in other words Ferrari.We are not at the moment picking up the results we want but we are working extremely hard. Next year, there will be completely new rules which may allow a number of teams to diminish the domination of Red Bull over the past two years. We have a lot of hope for next season, he continued in reference to the new V6 turbo hybrid engines which will come into competition in 2014. Alonso's continued relationship with Ferrari was also enhanced with the news that Australian Daniel Ricciardo is set to take the second driver's seat at Red Bull with his compatriot Mark Webber on his way out. The Oviedo native also believes that this weekend's action at Monza may be decisive in whether he can claw his way back into contention in the standings against Vettel. We only closed the gap in Silverstone when he retired, he said. We need to change this situation and we will be happy finishing in front of him here in Monza and in Singapore.And finishing in front of Seb means being on the podium minimum. We know how strong he is and how competitive Red Bull will be.If we cannot finish in front of him and keep losing points we need to start thinking of the 2014 project because it will only be six or seven races remaining with a massive points gap.These are two important races for sure.

Gilbert wins 12th Vuelta stage, Nibali keeps lead

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TARRAGONA (AP) - World champion Philippe Gilbert won the 12th stage of the Spanish Vuelta on Thursday, and Vincenzo Nibali retained the leader's jersey.Gilbert, a Belgian riding for BMC, caught Edvald Boasson and moved past him in the final meters (yards) to cross first ahead of the pack in the 164-kilometer (102-mile) stage from Maella to Tarragona on the Mediterranean coast.Gilbert's first stage win of the season comes before he will have a chance to defend his title at the world road race championships in Florence, Italy, this month.I think this year has been very hard for me and I am very happy to win my first victory, said Gilbert. I want to thank everybody that has trusted me all this season, and my family, of course. It's special for me because I have some family here in Catalonia.Gilbert won in 4 hours. Boasson of Norway crossed second after appearing to have the win in his grasp. Argentine Maximiliano Richeze finished third.The relatively flat ride didn't cause any major changes at the top of the overall classification.Nibali lost two seconds of his lead, seeing it reduced to 31 seconds over Nicolas Roche. Alejandro Valverde and Christopher Horner are tied for third overall at 46 seconds behind.Friday's 13th stage remains in the northeastern region of Catalonia for a second straight transition stage, a 169-kilometer (105-mile) route from Valls to Castelldefels.The three-week race then heads back into the mountains for a trilogy of stages in the Pyrenees that could prove decisive.After losing time in Wednesday's individual time trial, Joaquim Rodriguez said he needs to attack in the mountains to have a chance, as he's already 2 minutes, 33 seconds off Nibali's pace.It's clear I am not having my best race, said Rodriguez. I hope that the motivation of riding at home helps me. To come back I will have to shake the race up.The 68th Vuelta ends in Madrid on Sept. 15.

No time frame for Karachi operation: Pervez Rashid

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Talking to media in Islamabad on Thursday, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Pervez Rashid said that no timeframe can be given for operation in Karachi and added that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif consulted all the political parties to improve the situation and restore peace.He said that said all political parties have reached consensus to initiate action against criminals to improve law and order in Karachi.He said that the political parties in and outside the Parliament, people from across Pakistan, business community, federal and provincial governments, civil society, media are on the same page on the Karachi issue and desire restoration of durable peace in the city.To a question he said it was the prerogative of the provincial government to change inspector general (IG) of Police and the chief secretary.

NAB chief appointment: Govt, Opp failed to reach consensus

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Opposition leader in the National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif here on Thursday.According to sources, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Pakistan People’s Party leader Raza Rabbani were also present during the meeting, which took place to discuss names for the appointment of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman.Names of Sardar Raza and Rehmat Jafri came under discussion during the meeting. The sources said that the PPP had reservations over the name of Rehmat Jafri suggested by the PML-N, while the ruling party PML-N was opposing the name of Sardar Raza Khan proposed by the PPP. They hinted that some more names might come to fore after dropping the aforesaid nominees.

Miranshah: US drone strike kills 6

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MIRANSHAH (AFP) - A US drone fired two missiles into a compound in northwest Pakistan early Friday killing at least six people, officials said.The attack took place in Dargah Mandi, about 10 kilometres (six miles) from Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan tribal district, along the Afghan border.It was a US drone strike. Six people were killed, the death toll may rise, one security official in Miranshah told AFP. A second security official in Peshawar confirmed the attack and death toll.The area where the drone strike hit is a stronghold of the Al Qaeda-linked Haqqani network. The official in Miranshah told AFP that all those killed were Haqqani fighters.The official in Peshawar said the identities of those killed were not yet clear.US drone attacks are deeply unpopular in Pakistan, but Washington views them as a vital tool in the fight against Taliban and Al Qaeda militants in the lawless tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan.The Pakistani government has repeatedly protested against drone strikes as a violation of its sovereignty and there has been a decrease in their use.During a visit to Islamabad at the start of August, US Secretary of State John Kerry suggested that drone strikes targeting Taliban and Al-Qaeda operatives in Pakistan could end very soon as the threat of militancy recedes.

Nation observing Defence Day today

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ISLAMABAD (Online) - The Defence Day would be observed today (Friday) 6th September with renewed pledge and commitment for the defence of the country.The day will start special prayers for the sovereignty solidarity and integrity of the country.On this day in 1965 Pakistan's valiant Armed forces and the entire nation stood united to foil the nefarious designs of the enemy who had dared cast an evil eye on the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country.The Day will dawn with Quran Khawani in all the main Mosques for the souls of martyrs. Special prayers will also be offered for the solidarity prosperity and integrity of the country and liberation of occupied Muslim territories including Kashmir and Palestine. Floral wreaths will be laid on the graves of martyrs to commemorate their sacrifices.

NASA aims for moon again to probe thin atmosphere

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CAPE CANAVERAL (AP) - NASA is headed back to the moon, this time to explore its thin atmosphere and rough dust.The robotic spacecraft LADEE will fly to the moon by way of Virginias Eastern Shore.Liftoff is set for late Friday night from NASAs Wallops Flight Facility.Weather permitting, the soaring Minotaur rocket should be visible along much of the East Coast as far south as South Carolina, as far north as Maine and as far west as Pittsburgh.LADEE short for Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer will be the first spacecraft to be launched into outer space from Wallops. And it will be the first moonshot ever from Virginia in 54 years of lunar missions.The unmanned Minotaur rocket consists of converted intercontinental ballistic missile motors. A peace treaty between the United States and Russia specifies the acceptable launch sites for those missile parts; Wallops is on that short list.All but one of NASAs approximately 40 moon missions most memorably the manned Apollo flights of the late 1960s and early 1970s originated from Cape Canaveral. The most recent were the twin Grail spacecraft launched two years ago this weekend. The lone exception, Clementine, a military-NASA venture, rocketed away from Southern California in 1994.Scientists involved in the $280 million, moon-orbiting mission want to examine the lunar atmosphere yes, thats right, the moons atmosphere.Sometimes, people are a little taken aback when we start talking about the lunar atmosphere because, right, we were told in school that the moon doesnt have an atmosphere, said Sarah Noble, NASA program scientist.It does. Its just really, really thin.The atmosphere is so thin and delicate, in fact, that spacecraft landings can disturb it. So now is the time to go, Noble said, before other countries and even private companies start bombarding the moon and fouling up the atmosphere.Just last week, China announced plans to launch a lunar lander by years end.Theres evidence Mercury also has a tenuous atmosphere, where, like our moon, the atmospheric molecules are so sparse that they never collide.Some moons of other planets also fall into that category, as do some big asteroids.Earths moon is relatively close, and by studying its atmosphere, scientists will learn about similar atmospheres in places farther afield, Noble said.Scientists also are eager to measure the lunar dust and see whether the abrasive, equipment-clogging particles actually levitate right off the surface.None of the previous moon missions focused exclusively on the atmosphere and dust.It will take LADEE the size of a small car coming in under 1,000 pounds (453 kilograms) one month to get close enough to the moon to go into lunar orbit, followed by another month to check its three scientific instruments. Then the spacecraft will be maneuvered from 30 miles (48 kilometers) to 90 miles (145 kilometers) above the lunar surface, where it will collect data for just over three months.The mission will last six months and end with a suicide plunge into the moon.NASA is inviting amateur astronomers to keep an eye out for any meteoric impacts on the moon once LADEE arrives there on Oct. 6. Such information will help scientists understand the effect of impacts on the lunar atmosphere and dust environment.Hitching a ride on LADEE is an experimental laser communication system designed to handle higher data rates than currently available. NASA hopes to eventually replace its traditional radio systems with laser communications, which uses less power and requires smaller transmitters and receivers, while providing lightning-fast bandwidth.NASA was hot on the lunar trail when it announced the LADEE mission in 2008. But the effort to return astronauts to the moon was canceled by President Barack Obama in 2010.The latest target destinations for human explorers: an asteroid, then Mars. The debate continues as to whether the moon is a more practical starting point.The Air Force Minotaur V rocket was built by Orbital Sciences Corp. The Virginia-based company is scheduled to make its first-ever supply run to the International Space Station in just two weeks, using its own Antares rocket. Wallops will host that launch as well.

Oil rises on US supply, economic data

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NEW YORK (AP) - Prices for crude oil and natural gas moved in opposite directions after the U.S. government issued weekly supply reports for both fuels.Benchmark oil for October delivery gained $1.14, or 1.1 percent, to close at $108.37 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. But natural gas futures fell 10.8 cents, or 2.9 percent, to $3.575 per 1,000 cubic feet (28.32 cubic meters).As the market waited to see if Congress will approve a U.S. military strike against Syria, the main focus was on market fundamentals and the release of U.S. economic data.Oil was showing a slight gain in the morning but rose further after the government said that supplies of oil and gasoline each fell by 1.8 million barrels in the week ended Aug. 30. The drop in gasoline supplies was greater than expected, and refinery usage increased, both signs perhaps of solid demand for fuel at the end of the summer driving season.On the economic front, the Labor Department released data Thursday showing applications for U.S. unemployment benefits fell to 323,000 last week, near their lowest level in 5 years and in line with trends indicating fewer layoffs and steady net job gains.Elsewhere in the oil market, Brent, the benchmark for international crudes, was up 18 cents to $115.09 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.Brent has risen sharply recently due to fears of a U.S. intervention in Syria, even if the scale of the attack is now expected to be low. President Barack Obama continued to press skeptical U.S. lawmakers to give him the authority to use military force, even as he attended an economic summit in St. Petersburg, Russia.Natural gas dropped after the Energy Department said supplies rose by 58 billion cubic feet to 3.188 trillion cubic feet. That was a bigger increase than expected and comes as the summer cooling season draws to a close.While the short term 1-2 week temperature view still looks bullish, the temperature factor will be diminishing in importance with the official arrival of fall in a couple of weeks, wrote Jim Ritterbusch, president of energy consultancy Ritterbusch and Associates, in a note to clients.

Dollar climbs after ECB's dovish stance

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NEW YORK CITY (AFP) - The dollar pushed higher Thursday, gaining nearly one cent on the euro, after European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi stressed he was very cautious about any recovery in the eurozone.With the added support from encouraging US data on jobs and services sector growth, traders pushed harder into the greenback, helping send US bond yields to fresh 26-month highs.At 2100 GMT, the euro was at $1.3117, a six-week low, down from $1.3207 late Wednesday.The dollar breached the 100-yen level to hit 100.12 yen, up from 99.73 a day earlier, while the euro sagged against the Japanese currency, trading at 131.35 yen, down from 131.72 yen.The ECB kept euro interest rates on hold after news that the single currency zone had pulled out of an 18-month recession.But rather than encourage optimists, Draghi stressed the looming risks, noting that the ECB's policy board had discussed not a rate rise but a further cut, though there was not consensus behind the move.The ECB stands ready to act should the situation suddenly deteriorate again in face of, for example, geopolitical risks related to the situation in Syria, or economic risks from deterioration in emerging markets, Draghi said.I am very, very cautious about recovery. I can't share the enthusiasm, he said.The ECB has been uncomfortable with the rise in market interest rates and this concern is the reason why Mario Draghi is using forward guidance to reduce volatility and to contain the market's overreaction to the recovery, said Kathy Lien of BK Asset Management.In contrast, the news was positive in the United States, where the ISM purchasing managers index for the services sector showed a pickup in growth almost all around, and two indicators of the health of the jobs market came in positive.All eyes will be then on Friday's release of jobs data for August, which could give a clearer indication of whether the Federal Reserve will begin slowing its bond-buying program.Today's hesitant rallies in the US dollar, stocks and Treasury yields tell us that investors are still unsure about whether there is enough reason for the Federal Reserve to taper asset purchases in September, said Lien.Their concerns are valid, she said, but with each upside surprise in US data, the market's apprehension slips away.The British pound slipped against the greenback, to $1.5586 from $1.5625, while the dollar rose to 0.9449 Swiss franc from 0.9352.

Australia look to redeem in ODI against England

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LONDON (AP) - After slumping to a 3-0 defeat in the Ashes series, Australia wants to salvage something from a wretched tour by beating England in the five-match one-day international series starting on Friday.It would be good to leave the U.K. with a couple of wins under our belt, Australia captain Michael Clarke said on Thursday, ahead of the first ODI at Headingly in Leeds.Australia can at least count on a better record in one-dayers lately than tests. The Aussies have won six of their last nine major ODI series, drawing two others and losing only one, in England last year, 4-0.But in that period they have also lost their World Cup and Champions Trophy titles, and Clarke insisted he remained the man to lead the test and ODI teams.I have no intention of giving up on ODIs, Clarke said, despite his chronic back problems.When youre captain, you are accountable, especially when you arent performing well and your team is losing, he admitted on the pressures he feels as captain of a struggling outfit.When it was suggested his job was in doubt after a gloomy English summer, he responded: Winning this series has nothing to do with my captaincy.England captain Eoin Morgan says his team is using the series to build for the 2015 Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. While the introduction of the likes of Ben Stokes, Boyd Rankin, and teenager Jamie Overton make England understrength, they could be part of the 2015 team.The series is a stepping stone for a young, talented and exciting team Morgan said.He didnt fear an Ashes hangover because the newcomers brought excitement, but added, We really need to turn up.Ive never had a dull series against Australia. I think everybody is aware of the responsibility on their shoulders.The teams warmed up with wins on Tuesday, England beating Ireland and Australia defeating Scotland.

Turkey beefs up military presence along Syrian border

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ANKARA (AFP) - Turkey has beefed up a military presence along its southern border with Syria in anticipation of strikes on the regime in Damascus, local media reported Thursday.A 20-vehicle convoy with a tank contingent was deployed to the border area of Yayladagi in Hatay province on Wednesday, and was followed by 15 more vehicles Thursday, Turkish news agency Dogan reported.Syrias northwestern border with Turkey is one of the few areas on the frontier still in the hands of President Bashar al-Assad, according to the agency.The move is just the latest in a series of reinforcements deployed by the Turkish army to the 900-km (560-mile) long border with the war-torn country.State-run news agency Anatolia said an already enlarged troop presence on the southern border would also be reinforced.Tanks and heavy artillery were moved to the border in early 2012, a few months into the conflict, and NATO Patriot missiles have also been deployed to the area, which would be used in the event of a green light for strikes.Turkey, a NATO member that broke off a previously warm relationship with Syria, is home to more than 500,000 Syrian refugees who have fled a civil conflict that is now well into its third year.Ankara supports a multilateral intervention against the country after an August 21 chemical attack near Damascus that left hundreds dead, which the West has accused Assads regime of perpetrating.Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated Tuesday that his country would support any coalition willing to intervene against the Syrian regime.

Elephant born for 1st time using frozen sperm

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VIENNA (AP) - Vienna's Schoenbrunn Zoo is reporting the first live birth of an elephant through artificial insemination using frozen sperm.Zoo veterinarian Thomas Voracek calls the birth of the female calf on Wednesday evening a milestone.It's relatively common for elephants to be impregnated using artificial insemination, but Voracek said Thursday that using frozen sperm successfully is an important contribution to the preservation of the species. That's because the method allows sperm to be used over a longer period.The zoo says the sperm came from Steve, a wild bull elephant at the Phinda game reserve in South Africa's Kwazulu-Natal province. The baby's mother, Tonga, has been at the zoo in Vienna since 1998.
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