Saturday 7 December 2013

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

PKMAP gains lead in Quetta Metropolitan Corporation polls

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QUETTA (Dunya News) – According to unofficial results, Mahmood Achakzai’s Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party secured 19 seats of 58 in the Quetta Metropolitan Corporation election held on Saturday.Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) remained second with nine seats while independents grabbed 13 seats.Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNM-M) won four seats while Hazara Democratic Party and JUI-S remained successful on three seats each.National Party of Balochistan Chief Minister Dr. Abdul Malik Baloch and Pakistan Tehrik-eInsaf won two seats each while JUI-F, PPP and Muttahida Wahdat-ul-Muslimeen won one seat each.

Hagel given assurances on Afghan security deal

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KABUL (AP) - Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel said Saturday that Afghanistans defense minister reassured him that a security agreement with the U.S. will be signed in a timely manner.Hagel also said he doesnt think more U.S. pressure would be helpful in trying to persuade Afghan President Hamid Karzai to sign the agreement.The U.S. defense secretary had no plans to meet with Karzai during his stopover and it was not immediately clear what impact the visit could have on the standoff.Hagel spoke to reporters after meeting with Defense Minister Bismillah Khan Mohammadi.Karzai tentatively has endorsed the agreement and a council of tribal elders, the Loya Jirga, has said it should be signed by the end of the year, as the U.S. has demanded.Karzai says he wants his successor to decide after Afghanistans April elections. The president has stood his ground in the face of unrelenting pressure from diplomatic and defense officials.The deal would allow U.S. troops to stay in the country after 2014 to do training and some counterterrorism missions.Without a signed agreement, all U.S. troops would leave at the end of next year, along with all foreign forces.Joining Hagel at a briefing, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, said he will keep planning for a post-2014 force.But, Dunford said, if the long-delayed deal is not signed before January, he will have to start planning for other options.Dunford said he was more concerned about the psychological effect of Karzais failure to sign the agreement. The general said uncertainty about the future presence of coalition forces is causing a loss of confidence in Afghanistan, and said he has seen real estate prices go down and signs of hedging behavior.Washington and NATO officials say they want a quick decision on the bilateral security agreement. Military leaders have said they need time to plan and coordinate with allies for the post-2014 mission, which could involve about 8,000 U.S. forces and 6,000 allies troops.Karzai has said he wont sign any agreement that allows continued raids on Afghan homes. Under Afghan law, any agreement must be signed twice once to get it to parliament and, if approved, then by Karzai alone in his capacity as president.During his visit, Hagel also plans to go around the country to see coalition service members.This past week, U.S. Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters in Washington that the White House had not instructed him to plan for an option that would leave no U.S. troops in Afghanistan after 2014. But he cautioned that it is a possibility, given the current impasse.This is Hagels second trip to Afghanistan since he began as defense chief early this year.During his March visit, there were bombings, security threats, political gridlock and wild accusations from Karzai.A suicide bomber targeted the Afghan defense ministry a day before Hagel was scheduled to go there, and the Pentagon chief had to cancel a planned news conference because of a security threat.In addition, Karzai accused the U.S. of colluding with the Taliban.

Bombings and shootings kill 15 in Iraq

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BAGHDAD (AP) - A shooting targeting a row of liquor stores in the capital and other attacks killed at least 15 people across Iraq on Saturday, officials said.Police officials said gunmen in two speeding cars opened fire on the stores in the northern neighborhood of Waziriyah, killing nine people and wounding four others.Islamic extremists have frequently targeted liquor stores in Iraq, but alcohol remains available in most cities.Also, a bomb went off Saturday afternoon at an outdoor market in the northern city of Mosul, killing two shoppers and wounding 15 others.One hour later, police said, two people were killed and seven others were wounded when a roadside bomb exploded on a road frequently used by military convoys in Mishahda village, just north of the capital.In the western city of Ramadi, capital of the Sunni province of Anbar, gunmen shot dead the son of a local leader in a Sunni anti-al-Qaida militia in a drive-by shooting. Police said a friend of the son was killed also in the attack.The militia, known as the Sahwa, had joined forces with U.S. troops at the height of the Iraq war to fight al-Qaida. Ever since then, it has been a target for Sunni insurgents, who call its members traitors.Medical officials confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to media.Todays attacks bring the death toll in Iraq this month to at least 85, according to an Associated Press count. Many deaths may go unreported.

Obama: Chances for final Iran deal 50/50 or worse

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WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama said Saturday he believes the chances for a comprehensive nuclear agreement with Iran are 50/50 or worse, yet defended diplomacy as the best way to prevent Tehran from acquiring atomic weapons.During a question-and-answer session with a pro-Israel audience, Obama said he wasnt naive about the odds for a successful final agreement between world powers and Iran next year, building on the recent six-month interim deal.If you ask me what is the likelihood that were able to arrive at the end state ... I wouldnt say that its more than 50-50, Obama said. But we have to try.The presidents remark was somewhat startling. Obama has tried to allay the fears of many Israelis and some Americans that his administration last month promised to ease economic pressure too much in return for too few Iranian concessions.The comment nevertheless pointed to the difficult talks that await as the U.S. and its negotiating partners Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia work toward a final pact with Iran next year. The goal is to eliminate the possibility of Iran assembling a nuclear arsenal, even if any deal might let Iran continue enriching uranium at lower levels not easily convertible into weapons-grade material.Obama said the six-month interim agreement halts and rolls back central elements of Irans nuclear program, compelling Tehran to eliminate higher-enriched uranium stockpiles, stop adding new centrifuges and cease work at a heavy water reactor that potentially could produce plutonium. It also provides time to see if the crisis can be averted through negotiation.What we do have to test is the possibility we can resolve this issue diplomatically, Obama said.If at the end of six months it turns out we cant make a deal, Obama said, we are no worse off. U.S. sanctions against Iran will be fully reinstated and even tightened if Iran fails to uphold the agreement, he pledged.Obamas appearance at the Brookings Institution forum appeared directed as much at an Israeli audience as an American one. The discussion was broadcast live on Israeli television, with analysts there viewing it as an effort to patch over Obamas public differences with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.Netanyahu, who will address the same forum Sunday, has called the nuclear agreement in Geneva the deal of the century for Iran. In an appearance Friday, his foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, repeated Israels objections.Obama acknowledged some significant tactical disagreements with Netanyahu, but said U.S. and Israeli bottom-line goals were the same.Secretary of State John Kerry promised close consultation on the next steps with the Jewish state, which includes a visit to Washington next week by Yossi Cohen, Netanyahus national security adviser.We will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon period not now and not ever, Kerry said, according to prepared remarks. I am convinced that we have taken a strong first step that has made the world and Israel safer.Beyond Israel, Sunni Arab countries have expressed concerns about what Americas Iran engagement might mean for the balance of power in the region with Shiite-dominate Iran. Saudi Arabian officials even have talked about their own potential nuclear ambitions.Echoing Obamas effort to reach out to concerned allies, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel renewed a U.S. push for the sale of missile defense technology and other weapons systems to U.S.-friendly Gulf nations to counter the threat of Iranian ballistic missiles.In a speech Saturday in Bahrain, Hagel made clear that any final deal on Irans nuclear program wouldnt end the threat posed by a country the U.S. considers the worlds leading state sponsor of terrorism.On Mideast peace hopes, Obama echoed an optimistic assessment provided by Kerry during a trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories this past week.The president said his administration had spent much time working with Netanyahu to understand Israels security needs as part of any two-state solution.I think it is possible over the next several months to arrive at a framework that does not address every single detail but gets us to the point where everybody recognizes its better to move forward than move backward, Obama said.Still, he said tough decisions await both sides, including the Palestinians understanding that a transition period will be necessary so no situation arises similar to Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip after Israels 2005 military pullout.The Israeli people cant expect a replica of Gaza in the West Bank, said Obama. That is unacceptable.

US war veteran freed by N. Korea back on home soil

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SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - A clearly relieved American war veteran freed by North Korea after more than a month in detention arrived home in the United States Saturday where he was greeted by his family.Merrill Newman, 85, made a brief statement after landing at San Francisco airport, saying he was delighted to be back after his release on humanitarian grounds by the communist state, which said the American had cited his sincere repentance.It has been a great homecoming, and I am tired, but can be with my family now, said the Korean War veteran, his wife and son by his side.Thank you all for the support we got.The official Korean Central News Agency said earlier that Newmans age and health condition had been factors that led to his release.Having been deported to Beijing, Newman boarded a commercial flight and landed in San Francisco around 9:00 am (1700 GMT).Newman, who has a heart condition, was plucked off a plane in October as he was leaving Pyongyang following a tourist visit.His release coincided with US Vice President Joe Bidens visit to the DMZ, the demilitarized zone that has split the Korean peninsula since the 1950-1953 Korean War, the worlds last Cold War frontier.The DPRK (Democratic Peoples Republic of North Korea) today released someone they should never have had in the first place, Mr. Newman, Biden said earlier after laying a wreath at the war memorial in Seoul.Its a positive thing theyve done, added Biden, on the last stop of a three-country Asia trip.Biden also urged Pyongyang to free another US citizen, Kenneth Bae, a 45-year-old tour operator arrested a year ago and sentenced to 15 years hard labor on charges of seeking to topple the government.Newmans family said he was detained on October 26 shortly before take-off from the North Korean capital. Bidens office said the vice president had spoken to him by telephone.I offered him a ride home on Air Force Two, but as he pointed out, theres a direct flight to San Francisco, so I dont blame him, Id be on that flight too, Biden told reporters.Baes family welcomed Newmans release and said in a statement: We believe that our Kenneth should also come home soon.Dongguk University professor Kim Yong-Hyun, a North Korea expert in Seoul, said Pyongyang had freed Newman in a bid to facilitate dialogue with Washington. Biden said he had no direct role in securing his release.North Korea knows that the detention of a sick, old man will aggravate relations with the United States, Kim told AFP.Last week, Pyongyang for the first time officially admitted holding Newman, saying he was detained for hostile acts after entering the country under the guise of a tourist.Authorities in the reclusive country had accused him of committing crimes both as a tourist and during his participation in the Korean War six decades ago.The North also claimed that Newman masterminded espionage and subversive activities during the war and was involved in the killing of North Korean soldiers and innocent civilians.

Snow, ice, deep-freeze hit large swath of US

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MEMPHIS (AP) - A late fall cold snap that has gripped much of the U.S. is being blamed for a handful of deaths and has forced people to deal with frigid temperatures, power outages by the thousands and treacherous roads.Weather forecasters say the powerful weather system has Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic states in its icy sights next.Temperatures in Montana and South Dakota were more than 20 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (29 degrees below zero Celsius) during the day Saturday while much of the Midwest was in the teens and single digits F (around minus 17 to minus 7 Celsius). Wind chill readings could drop as low as 50 below zero F (46 below zero C) in northwestern Minnesota, weather officials said.Icy conditions were expected to last through the weekend from Texas to Ohio to Tennessee, and Virginia officials warned residents of a major ice storm likely to take shape Sunday, resulting in power outages and hazards on the roads.In California, four people died of hypothermia in the San Francisco Bay area and about a half-dozen traffic-related deaths were blamed on the weather in several states.More than 100,000 customers in the Dallas area were without power Saturday, with about 7,000 in Oklahoma and thousands more in other states.Some 400 departing flights from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport had been cancelled in the morning, the airport said. About 3,330 passengers had stayed overnight in the terminals.Icy, treacherous sections of Interstate 35 north of Dallas were closed for hours at a time over the last day as tractor-trailers had trouble climbing hills, wrecks occurred and vehicles stalled, authorities said.Jody Gonzalez, chief of Denton County Emergency Services, said about 200 people were in shelters in the Sanger area after getting stuck on the highway.Texas Department of Transportation spokeswoman Michelle Releford said road graders and more sand and salt trucks were being sent to try to ease the ice problems.Freezing rain and sleet are likely again Saturday night in Memphis, Nashville and other areas of Tennessee before the storm starts surging northeast.Im not afraid of the ice and snow, Im afraid of the other drivers who dont know how to drive in it, said Memphis attorney Sam Chafetz, who was going home early to enjoy some bourbon-soaked sweet potatoes left over from the Thanksgiving holiday.In Virginia, state Emergency Management spokeswoman Laura Southard said the storm had the potential to be a historic ice event.This forecast is very concerning to us, Southard said Saturday. Ive worked multiple disasters, but Ive never worked an ice storm with a forecast like this. Its just really important for everybody to take extra precautions.The weather forced the cancellation of countless events, including Sundays Dallas Marathon, which was expected to draw 25,000 runners, some of whom had trained for months, and the St. Jude Marathon in Memphis, expected to include 20,000. However, the college football game between Central Florida and Southern Methodist in ice-covered Dallas went on in front of a sparse crowd.Meanwhile, around 7 inches (18 centimeters) of snow fell in northeast Arkansas and the Missouri boot heel, according to the National Weather Service in Memphis, and 8 to 9 inches (20 to 23 centimeters) fell in parts of southern Indiana. The storm dumped a foot (30 centimeters) of snow and more in some areas of Illinois, with police scrambling to respond to dozens of accidents.Ice accumulated on trees and power lines in Memphis and the rest of West Tennessee after layers of sleet fell throughout the region Friday but most roads were passable Saturday. Law enforcement reported an increase in traffic crashes, and scattered power outages affected more than 3,000 people, emergency and utility officials said.Residents were told to prepare for a few days without power, prompting them to rush to stores to stock up on groceries, buy electricity generators and gas up their cars.

Australia declare, set England 531 runs to win

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ADELAIDE (AP) - Australia captain Michael Clarke didnt want to leave anything to chance in securing victory in the second Ashes test, declaring before play Sunday with a lead of 530 runs, two days to play and rain on the forecast.Australia declared on its overnight second-innings total of 132-3 just before play on day four, setting England 531 to win.David Warner remained unbeaten on 83. England has not scored more than 180 runs in its first three innings of the series, and has never scored more than 400 runs in the fourth innings to win a test match. No team has scored more than 418 in a winning fourth-innings chase in test cricket.Australia won the first test by 381 runs in Brisbane and is determined to take a 2-0 lead before heading to Perth for the third test.Mitchell Johnson, the main destroyer for Australia with nine wickets in the first test and seven in the first innings in Adelaide, struck an early blow again when he had England captain Alastair Cook (1) out hooking on Sunday morning.England was 1-1 after nine balls, with dark clouds looming over the Adelaide Oval and forecasts of rain on the way.Cooks squad arrived in Australia only three months after wrapping up a 3-0 Ashes win on home soil and chasing a fourth consecutive Ashes series win for England for the first time since the 1800s.

Man United slump to 1-0 loss to Newcastle

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MANCHESTER (AP) - Manchester United slumped to back-to-back home defeats in the Premier League for the first time in 11 years by losing 1-0 to Newcastle on Saturday, deepening the troubles facing the champions in David Moyes first season in charge.Yohan Cabayes 61st-minute goal earned Newcastle its first win at Old Trafford since 1972 and ensured United has picked up just two points from its last four games to slip way off the pace in its title defense.Without the suspended Wayne Rooney, United lacked inspiration and creativity in another lackluster performance that will severely test the patience of fans who are intent on giving Moyes time after replacing Alex Ferguson in the offseason.They understand theres a big transition going on here, Moyes said. I dont think they or me expected us to have lost five games by this time of the season, but I think they understand there is a change going on.After Wednesdays 1-0 home loss to Everton, Moyes former club, United slumped to ninth place in the standings 12 points behind leader Arsenal with its title defense already appearing in tatters. Moyes side could be even further adrift come Sunday night after Arsenal hosts Everton.Fears are even growing that a top-four spot, and therefore Champions League qualification, may be difficult to secure and this setback will hardly convince supporters that the immediate future is bright.Because we are Manchester United, we have to be better, Moyes said. Play better, pass it better, create more chances.Dissent festered throughout Old Trafford as United labored, often resorting to long, hopeful balls forward. Robin van Persie back after a month out with groin and toe problems lacked sharpness, although he had a goal disallowed in the 73rd minute for offside, and Rooneys absence was keenly felt.Newcastle deserved its win, though. Its ball retention was far superior to the champions and its defense, which often has been suspect this season, stood firm as a late rally from United after Cabayes goal failed to materialize.We wont get the headlines because for poor old David, its a disappointing result for them. But we deserve the headlines, said Newcastle manager Alan Pardew, whose side has also beaten Chelsea and Tottenham this season.Newcastle came into the game off a sobering 3-0 defeat at Swansea, which ended its four-match winning run, but grew in confidence as the match wore on and almost took the lead late in the first half when right back Mathieu Debuchy nipped in behind Patrice Evra and had a low shot saved by David de Gea.Tom Cleverley had spurned an early opening for United, stabbing a weak shot at Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul, but the hosts looked flustered and passes were misplaced with alarming regularity. One from Van Persie toward Adnan Januzaj went straight into touch and the groans from the crowd were audible.Moyes stood in his technical area with his hands in his pockets for much of the first half but he was almost jumping in celebration in the 52nd when Javier Hernandez, filling in for Rooney, ran onto Van Persies pass and drew a smart save from Krul.The crowd found its voice and United responded, with Evra heading goalward from a corner only for the ball to hit the post and rebound onto the arm of Vurnon Anita. No penalty was given, though.Newcastle was coming under pressure but broke out to take the lead in the 61st when Evras poor header set Moussa Sissoko free down the right and he crossed for fellow Frenchman Cabaye to sidefoot a finish into the bottom corner.Van Persie had a header ruled out, but Newcastle saw the victory out with surprising ease, sparking a smattering of jeers and boos from United fans.The best thing the club can do is stick by him in these difficult days, Pardew said.

Stoke upset Chelsea 3-2 with late goal

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STOKE (AP) - Substitute Oussama Assaidi scored in the last minute as Stoke dented Chelseas title drive with a 3-2 win in the Premier League on Saturday.Assaidi won the game with an impressive strike from outside the area into the top right corner after being set up by Stephen Ireland.Chelsea led with a ninth-minute opener from Andre Schurrle at the Britannia Stadium before Peter Crouch equalized in the 42nd and Ireland put Stoke ahead in the 50th.Schurrle equalized with his second goal in the 53rd before he was substituted by Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho.

Man City held 1-1 at Southampton in Premier League

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SOUTHAMPTON (AP) - Pablo Osvaldos superb individual goal earned Southampton a 1-1 draw with Manchester City on Saturday, denying the visitors a win that would have lifted them into second place in the Premier League.Sergio Aguero scored his 12th goal of the campaign to put City ahead in the 10th minute and on course for a second straight away win in four days.But City was overrun at times by Southampton, who deservedly claimed a point to end a run of three successive losses when Osvaldo beat two players before curling home a classy finish in the 42nd.City dropped a place to fourth, five points off leader Arsenal having played a game more.

Golf: Pornanong wins Dubai Ladies Masters

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DUBAI (AFP) - Thailands world number 47 Pornanong Phatlum ended her year on a high when she produced sensational golf over the closing stretch of the Majlis course to beat American world number three Stacy Lewis by one shot in the 500,000 euros Dubai Ladies Masters Saturday.Pornanong, who celebrated her 24th birthday on Wednesday, the opening round of the season-ending championship of the Ladies European Tour, made it a memorable week by closing with a six-under par 66.Birdies on the last two holes helped her tally 15-under par 273 for the tournament, one shot better than Lewis, who could only par the last two holes.The win was worth 75,000 euros for Pornanong, who had started the day two shots behind Lewis.Spains Carlota Ciganda (71), winner of the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit last year, was alone in third place at seven-under par 281, with Italys Diane Luna (73) finishing in fourth a further two shots behind.Feng Shanshan of China, winner last year, and British veteran Laura Davies were tied for fifth at three-under par 285.Charley Hull, the 17-year-old English phenomenon, won the Rookie of the Year award as she finished tied for eighth at two-under par 286.Her nearest rival, compatriot Holly Clyburn, who needed to finish much better than Hull, made a quadruple bogey on the 18th hole and slumped to 79 on Saturday.Things seemed to be going exactly as per plans for Lewis as she made a birdie on the par-5 10th hole - her fourth of the day - to go to 15-under par.At that stage, she enjoyed a three shot lead over Pornanong with no one else in sight.It was then that Pornanong started playing her best golf.On the par-5 13th, she made a 10-footer birdie putt, and then on the next hole, she hit a superb 4-iron to seven feet for another birdie.Both players dropped shots on the par-3 15th hole and parred the 16th, and it was down to the last two.On the 17th, Lewis hit her second shot to six feet, but Pornanong replied with hers to within three feet.As the American was making her birdie putt, she got distracted by a camera going off in the crowd, and pulled her effort.Pornanong made hers to draw level at 14-under par.On the par-5 18th, Lewis hit her tee shot into the rough and went on to make a gutsy par from there, but the young Thai almost holed her third shot, before cleaning up the two-footer.I am so excited and happy. This win is going to give me a lot of confidence, said Pornapong, who has been playing on the LPGA Tour for the past couple of years.I really did not think I have to beat Stacy, or anything like that. All I wanted to do was play well. And I am a lot more experienced to handle the pressure now after playing with all these great players on the LPGA Tour.A disappointed Lewis, for whom it was the 11th straight finish inside the top-eight since July this year, said: Its been a really good year. Its had its highs and lows. Ive played some really consistent golf.These last few months have kind of left a sour taste on it, just kind of losing a couple of tournaments right at the end.But if anything, that leaves me with stuff to work on in the off?season and just shows that theres always room to get better.

Woods keeps 2-shot lead on tough day at Sherwood

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THOUSAND OAKS (AP) - Tiger Woods birdied two of his last three holes to salvage an even-par 72 in the wind and keep his two-shot lead over Zach Johnson in the World Challenge on Saturday.The score looked routine. The third round was not.Wind that pushed away some light rain at the start of the round created havoc in the foothills of Sherwood Country Club. Woods hit a tee shot in the water and three-putted from about 6 feet on a par 5. But he finished strong and was at 11-under 205.Johnson also finished two birdies, including a 20-footer on the 18th for a 72.Bubba Watson three-putted the 18th for a 69 and was four shots behind. No one else was closer than six shots of Woods.

Chris Cairns challenges ICC over fixing claims

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WELLINGTON (AP) - Former test all-rounder Chris Cairns has sent a defiant message to the International Cricket Council, challenging its anti-corruption investigators to approach him directly if his name has been linked to match-fixing.Cairns was named in media reports this week as one of three former New Zealand players at the center of an investigation into match and spot-fixing being conducted by the ICC anti-corruption and security unit.The Star-Times newspaper published on its front page on Sunday an article written by Cairns in which he describes allegations he has been involved in fixing as sickening and says his new career as a media commentator was potentially in ruins.After a newspaper revealed this week that ACSU members had been in New Zealand over the past four months investigating the possible involvement of New Zealanders in match and spot-fixing, the ICC issued a statement confirming the existence of an investigation. The statement said the ICC has indeed been working closely over the past few months with its colleagues in the domestic anti-corruption units of member boards to investigate these and related matters.Former test opening batsman Lou Vincent immediately issued a statement saying he was one of the players under investigation and said he was co-operating fully with the ACSU.Cairns later said he was shocked to find he had been named and said he had not been contacted by ACSU investigators or notified of any inquiry. In his article on Sunday, Cairns said no-one from the International Cricket Council or New Zealand Cricket has approached me about this investigation.My position is that I have always said and continue to say that I will fully co-operate with all inquiries and that if it is alleged against me that I have match-fixed, this is wholly, completely and totally untrue, accepting of course that if allegations are made they must be fully and properly investigated.Cairns said he was subject to trial by media and innuendo.Of course I want this garbage to stop and stop quickly, he said. But I never hid on the cricket field and Im not hiding now. Im proud of my reputation and proud of my family name. My accusers know my name even if I dont know theirs.My name is Chris Cairns, former Black Cap and proud holder of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Hello International Cricket Council. I am not a cheat and you know where to find me.

Gene therapy scores big wins against blood cancers

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MARILYNN MARCHIONE (AP) In one of the biggest advances against leukemia and other blood cancers in many years, doctors are reporting unprecedented success by using gene therapy to transform patients blood cells into soldiers that seek and destroy cancer.A few patients with one type of leukemia were given this one-time, experimental therapy several years ago and some remain cancer-free today. Now, at least six research groups have treated more than 120 patients with many types of blood and bone marrow cancers, with stunning results.Its really exciting, said Dr. Janice Abkowitz, blood diseases chief at the University of Washington in Seattle and president of the American Society of Hematology. You can take a cell that belongs to a patient and engineer it to be an attack cell.In one study, all five adults and 19 of 22 children with acute lymphocytic leukemia, or ALL, had a complete remission, meaning no cancer could be found after treatment, although a few have relapsed since then.These were gravely ill patients out of options. Some had tried multiple bone marrow transplants and up to 10 types of chemotherapy or other treatments.Cancer was so advanced in 8-year-old Emily Whitehead of Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, that doctors said her major organs would fail within days. She was the first child given the gene therapy and shows no sign of cancer today, nearly two years later.Results on other patients with myeloma, lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, or CLL, will be reported at the hematology groups conference that starts Saturday in New Orleans.Doctors say this has the potential to become the first gene therapy approved in the United States and the first for cancer worldwide. Only one gene therapy is approved in Europe, for a rare metabolic disease.The treatment involves filtering patients blood to remove millions of white blood cells called T-cells, altering them in the lab to contain a gene that targets cancer, and returning them to the patient in infusions over three days.What we are giving essentially is a living drug, permanently altered cells that multiply in the body into an army to fight the cancer, said Dr. David Porter, a University of Pennsylvania scientist who led one study.Several drug and biotech companies are developing these therapies. Penn has patented its method and licensed it to Switzerland-based Novartis AG. The company is building a research center on the Penn campus in Philadelphia and plans a clinical trial next year that could lead to federal approval of the treatment as soon as 2016.Talking with the researchers, there is a sense of making history ... a sense of doing something very unique, said Hervé Hoppenot, president of Novartis Oncology, the division leading the work.Lee Greenberger, chief scientific officer of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, agreed.From our vantage point, this looks like a major advance, he said. We are seeing powerful responses ... and time will tell how enduring these remissions turn out to be.The group has given $15 million to various researchers testing this approach. Nearly 49,000 new cases of leukemia, 70,000 cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and 22,000 cases of myeloma are expected to be diagnosed in the United States in 2013.Many patients are successfully treated with chemotherapy or bone marrow or stem cell transplants, but transplants are risky and donors cant always be found. So far, gene therapy has been tried on people who were in danger of dying because other treatments had failed.The gene therapy must be made individually for each patient, and lab costs now are about $25,000, without a profit margin. Thats still less than many drugs to treat these diseases and far less than a transplant.The treatment can cause severe flu-like symptoms and other side effects, but these have been reversible and temporary, doctors say.Penn doctors have treated the most cases so far, 59. Of the first 14 patients with CLL, four had complete remissions, four had partial ones and the rest did not respond. However, some partial responders continue to see their cancer shrink a year after treatment.Thats very unique to this kind of therapy and gives hope the treatment may still purge the cancer, said Porter. Another 18 CLL patients were treated and half have responded so far.Penn doctors also treated 27 ALL patients. All five adults and 19 of the 22 children had complete remissions, an extraordinarily high success rate, said Dr. Stephan Grupp at the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia.Six have since relapsed, though, and doctors are pondering a second gene therapy attempt.At the National Cancer Institute, Dr. James Kochenderfer and others have treated 11 patients with lymphoma and four with CLL, starting roughly two years ago. Six had complete remissions, six had partial ones, one has stable disease and its too soon to tell for the rest.Ten other patients were given gene therapy to try to kill leukemia or lymphoma remaining after bone marrow transplants. These patients got infusions of gene-treated blood cells from their transplant donors instead of using their own blood cells. One had a complete remission and three others had significant reduction of their disease.Theyve had every treatment known to man. To get any responses is really encouraging, Kochenderfer said. The cancer institute is working with a Los Angeles biotech firm, Kite Pharma Inc., on its gene therapy approach.Researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center will report on 13 patients with ALL; the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center will report on about two-dozen patients with ALL or lymphoma, and Baylor University will give results on 10 patients with lymphoma or myeloma.Patients are encouraged that relatively few have relapsed.Were still nervous every day because they cant tell us whats going to happen tomorrow, said Tom Whitehead, 8-year-old Emilys father.Doug Olson, 67, a scientist for a medical device maker, shows no sign of cancer since gene therapy in September 2010 for CLL he had had since 1996.Within one month he was in complete remission. That was just completely unexpected, said Porter, his doctor at Penn.Olson ran his first half-marathon in January and no longer worries about how long his remission will last.I decided Im cured. Im not going to let that hang over my head anymore, he said.

Czech premier not happy to attend Mandela funeral

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PRAGUE (AP) - Many world leaders have said they wouldn't miss Nelson Mandela's funeral for anything, but Czech Prime Minister Jiri Rusnok isn't among them.Rusnok's conversation with Defense Minister Vlastimil Picek in parliament on Friday was broadcast by the Czech public television news channel.When Picek reminded him that President Milos Zeman might be unable to fly due to a knee injury, Rusnok reacted with a vulgar term.Addressing his companion by the Czech equivalent of dude, Rusnok said: I'm dreading that I will have to go. He complained that he had other plans, a lunch and a dinner, and that a South Africa trip would be too long.The recording became widely popular in local media Saturday and on Internet.I apologize for those words, Rusnok said in a statement sent to The Associated Press by his spokeswoman Jana Jaburkova on Saturday. It was not right to use such terms in connection with the death of Nelson Mandela.Rusnok said it would be difficult for him to find time for unexpected events in his busy December schedule. He said it will be decided in next few days who will represent the Czech Republic at Mandela's Dec. 15 funeral.Mandela visited Prague in 1992 to meet with then-President Vaclav Havel who had led the 1989 Velvet Revolution that ended 40 years of communism in his country. The two leaders had both spent years in prison for opposing repressive regimes before becoming presidents. They reportedly became good friends.
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