Monday 9 December 2013

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

SC to resume hearing of missing persons case today

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – A three-member bench of the Supreme Court (SC), headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, will resume the hearing of missing persons case today.During previous hearin on Monday, the authorities of defence ministry pleaded the court to grant more time for production of two missing persons as they were residing in a far flung area. They assured the court that these missing persons would be produced in the court on Tuesday.Upon this, the Chief Justice said that the court orders should have been implemented. The defence ministry authorities told the court that they were trying their best to produce the missing persons.The CJP said that the court orders that should be implemented. He said that the court was not an army that the decision could be implemented at gun point.The bench said a person was held from a city and then the authorities were excusing that they did not know about his presence.The CJP asked the authorities to clarify that which law permitted this.Attorney General Munir A Malik told the court that military can hear the criminal cases as per the new legal reforms.The Chief Justice said that this law was made for the internal affairs of the army not for the common citizens and even this was not about the forced detention.The Attorney General told the SC that this law was implemented on all in the war-hit areas.Upon this, the CJP asked to explain as if this category of persons was arrested as war crime accused.He remarked that there was a difference as these were two separate matters.Attorney General maintained the stance that such ruling should not be adopted that affects operation against terrorism and arrests.The court adjourned the hearing of the case till December 10.

Hagel warns Pakistan leaders over border protests

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ISLAMABAD (AP) – US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel warned Pakistani leaders Monday that if they dont resolve protests stalling some military shipments across the border with Afghanistan, it could be difficult to maintain political support in Washington for an aid programme that has sent billions of dollars to Islamabad, defense officials said.In response, the officials said, Hagel received assurances from the Pakistanis that they would take immediate action to resolve the shipment problem. The officials did not provide details on how that might be done.Just last week, anti-American protests along one of the primary border crossing routes in Pakistan prompted the U.S. to stop the shipments from Torkham Gate through Karachi last week, due to worries about the safety of the truckers. The protests center on the CIAs drone programme that has targeted and killed many terrorists, but has caused civilian casualties.The defense officials said Hagel described a political reality on Capitol Hill that could complicate support for the billions of dollars of aid Pakistan now receives. It was Hagels intent to try and pre-empt any problems with the aid, said the officials who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the private meetings publicly on the record.Hagel had back-to-back meetings Monday with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the new army chief, Gen. Raheel Sharif, in a move to further repair what has been a strained and sputtering relationship between Washington and Islamabad. Defense officials said Hagel is first high ranking U.S. official to meet with the Army chief, who took over at the end of last month.After leaving Islamabad, he flew to Saudi Arabia where he is meeting with Crown Prince Salman, and then to Qatar, where he will speak to troops on Tuesday.During the Pakistan meetings some of the more contentious issues also were raised, including Islamabads opposition to ongoing CIA drone strikes and Washingtons frustration with Pakistans reluctance to go after the Haqqani terrorist network, which operates along the border and conducts attacks on U.S. and coalition troops in Afghanistan. The officials acknowledged that little progress was made other than to agree to continue talking.Sharifs office said in a statement the prime minister and Hagel had in-depth exchanges on a whole range of issues of mutual interest including bilateral defense, security cooperation and Afghanistan. Sharifs office also said the prime minister conveyed Pakistans deep concern over continuing U.S. drone strikes, stressing that drone strikes were counter-productive to our efforts to combat terrorism and extremism on an enduring basis, the statement said.Shireen Mazari, the information secretary for the political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, said in a statement Monday its time for the government to speak forcefully to the U.S. to demand an end to the drone attacks. The party is leading the protests.Pakistan has called the drone strikes a violation of the countrys sovereignty, but the issue is muddied by the fact that Islamabad and the military have supported at least some of the strikes in the past.Following their meeting in Rawalpindi, Hagel and Sharif echoed each others desire to work to strengthen the countries ties. The top military men discussed the defense relationship between the two countries and regional stability, according to the Pakistani army chiefs office.Hagels warning to the Pakistanis about the supply route reflects what has been a growing frustration among U.S. lawmakers with Pakistan in recent years.The Pakistani government blocked the supply crossings for seven months following U.S. airstrikes that accidentally killed two dozen soldiers on the Afghan border in November 2011. Pakistan finally reopened the routes after the U.S. apologized.The rift largely led the U.S. to sever most aid to Pakistan for some time, but relations were restored in July 2012. Since then the U.S. has delivered over $1.15 billion in security assistance to Pakistan. Some of the items include advanced communications equipment, roadside bomb jammers, night vision goggles and surveillance aircraft.Since July 2012, relations between Washington and Islamabad have been improving. Sharif met with President Barack Obama and Hagel in late October in Washington.The last Pentagon chief to visit Pakistan was Robert Gates in January 2010.Hagel flew to Pakistan from Afghanistan, where he visited U.S. troops but declined to meet with President Hamid Karzai, who has rankled the U.S. by refusing to sign a security agreement before years end.

MQM not to accept minus Altaf formula: Rizvi

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KARACHI (Online) - Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Haider Abbas Rizvi has said that conspiracies are being hatched for minus-Altaf formula like it was did in the past.Abbas Rizvi said: “We said yesterday and reiterate today too, we are not going to accept minus-Altaf formula.”He added that propaganda campaign against Altaf Hussain was not new instead it was being done for centuries.The MQM leader said that the party would stick to its stance.

Attacks including car bombs kill 22 in Iraq

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BAGHDAD (AFP) - Attacks including a car bomb near a cafe and another at a police station killed 22 people in Iraq on Monday, as the country struggles to curb rampant violence.Unrest has reached a level this year not seen since 2008, when Iraq was just emerging from a period of brutal sectarian killings, and the surge in violence has raised fears the country is falling back into all-out conflict.In the deadliest attack on Monday, a car bomb exploded near a cafe in Buhruz, a Sunni-majority town in the religiously and ethnically mixed Diyala province northeast of Baghdad, killing 11 people and wounded 22, police and a doctor said.Militants have attacked dozens of cafes in Iraq in recent months and have repeatedly targeted other crowded areas, such as markets and mosques, despite the near-ubiquitous presence of security forces.Another car bomb exploded near a police station in the Tarmiyah area north of Baghdad, killing three police and wounding nine others.In the Suwaib area of the capital itself, a roadside bomb killed two Sahwa anti-Al-Qaeda fighters and wounded at least two others, and gunmen armed with silenced weapons killed a shop owner in the Bayaa area.South of Baghdad, another roadside bomb killed at least two people and wounded at least eight near a market in the Besmaya area, while a blast in Madain killed at least one soldier and wounded two.And in northern Iraq, a roadside bomb killed a taxi driver in the town of Tuz Khurmatu, while gunmen shot dead a policeman in the city of Mosul.The attacks came a day after a series of bombings across Iraq, including 14 blasts in and around Baghdad, killed 39 people and wounded more than 130.It took just eight days for this months death toll to surpass that for the entire month of December last year, according to AFP figures based on security and medical sources.Officials have blamed the violence on Al-Qaeda-linked militants emboldened by the civil war in neighbouring Syria, but analysts and diplomats also say the government has not done enough to address underlying domestic grievances fuelling the violence.Members of the countrys Sunni minority, who complain of discrimination at the hands of the Shiite-led government, have held demonstrations for almost a year.Unrest spiked after security forces stormed a Sunni Arab protest camp north of Baghdad in April, sparking clashes that killed dozens of people.The government has made some concessions aimed at placating Sunni Arabs, including freeing prisoners and raising the salaries of anti-Al-Qaeda fighters. It has also trumpeted security operations against militants.But the daily attacks have shown no sign of abating, and violence has killed more than 6,300 people since the beginning of the year, according to AFP figures.

Kerry jetting back to Israel, West Bank

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Secretary of State John Kerry will return to Israel and the West Bank this week just days after his last visit, a US official said Monday, denying he was trying only focused on an interim Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.Amid intense diplomatic activity, Kerry will leave again for Israel on Wednesday, five days after he landed back from Jerusalem and after spending most of the weekend meeting in Washington with Israeli leaders.This is an important time in the negotiations, and he felt it was important to return to the region, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters, adding Kerry would spend two days in Israel and Ramallah for talks.But she denied reports that Kerry and the administration of President Barack Obama were seeking some kind of interim framework ahead of a full accord.Just to be absolutely clear, we are not focused on an interim deal, we are focused on a final deal, Psaki told reporters, while adding there of course will be a process to getting there.All sides remained committed to a nine-month timeframe set out earlier this year when Kerry succeeded in bringing the two sides back to the negotiating table after a three-year stalemate.Kerry will leave Wednesday for his ninth overnight stay in Israel since he became secretary of state in February, on a trip which will also take him to Vietnam and the Philippines.Psaki refused however to lay out all the steps that could be possible to get to a final status agreement, and Im not going to lay out what the options are.Obama and Kerry both addressed the Saban Forum organized by the Brookings Institution over the weekend in Washington which gathered some of Israels top leaders.It is essential, in my judgment, to reach for a full agreement and to have a framework within which we can try to work for that, Kerry told the forum.Such a basic framework will have to address all the core issues - borders, security, refugees, Jerusalem, mutual recognition, and an end of claims.And it will have to establish agreed guidelines for subsequent negotiations that will fill out the details in a full-on peace treaty.Obama also warned the forum that, in the event of a final agreement, the Palestinians would have to accept Israel would need a transition period to ensure that the West Bank did not become a security threat akin to Hamas-ruled Gaza.Bidding to keep the peace process on track, Kerry met Monday in Washington with Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erakat and his Israeli counterpart Tzipi Livni.Over the weekend he also held his first talks with Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, since the latter returned to his post after a corruption scandal.

Floods kill 11 in northeastern Brazil, 6 missing

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BRASILIA (AP) - Brazilian authorities say 11 people have died and six are reported missing following a flood in northeastern Bahia state.Officials with Bahias Civil Defense emergency response agency say intense rains overnight Saturday to Sunday in the town of Lajedinho caused the floods, which destroyed some 70 houses. Around 200 people have taken shelter in schools and a local gym.Emergency response personnel were searching the flooded buildings for survivors, the missing and other possible victims Monday.Brazils northeast is in the grips of the worst drought in a century, so the sudden downpour was particularly unexpected.Lajedinho Mayor Antonio Mario Lima says about 4.7 inches (12 centimeters) of rain fell in a few hours. Thats the equivalent of two months of normal rainfall in the region.

Yemen: US drone strike kills 3 Al Qaeda suspects

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SANAA (AP) - A Yemeni security official says a U.S. drone strike in southern Yemen has killed three Al Qaeda suspects.The official says Mondays strike hit the suspects moving vehicle in Hadramawt province and set it on fire.The official says the bodies were found charred inside the vehicle and the suspects identification wasnt possible. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasnt authorized to speak to media.It was the first drone strike since the brazen Al Qaeda attack on Thursday on the Defense Ministry compound in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, which killed 56 people.Yemens Al Qaeda branch had claimed responsibility for last weeks attack, saying the ministry complex housed drone control rooms and American experts.The U.S. considers Yemens Al Qaeda branch to be among the most active in the world.

Canada plans claim that would include North Pole

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TORONTO (AP) - Canadas foreign minister says the country intends to extend its seabed claims in the Arctic to include the North Pole.Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said Monday that the government has asked scientists to work on a future submission to the United Nations claiming that the outer limits of its continental shelf include the pole.Canada last week applied to extend its seabed claims in the Atlantic, including some preliminary Arctic claims.Countries including the U.S. and Russia are increasingly looking to the Arctic as a source of natural resources, including oil and gas, and shipping lanes.Canadas claim was submitted to the U.N. Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.No government currently has sovereignty over the North Pole.

Ronaldo, Messi, Ribery up for Ballon d'Or

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PARIS (Dunya News) - Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Franck Ribery are in the running for the Ballon dOr.FIFA announced the shortlist Monday after voting rules changes made Ronaldo the favorite after helping Portugal qualify for the World Cup last month.FIFA gave voters national team captains and coaches, plus selected journalists two extra weeks to choose from 23 candidates, and even change preference.Ronaldos hat trick against Sweden helped lift his tally to 67 goals for Portugal and Real Madrid in 2013.Messi, who has won the last four player of the year awards, scored 45 goals for Argentina and Barcelona before being injured.Ribery was already named Europes best player for helping Bayern Munich win the Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup last season.The award ceremony is Jan. 13.Ribery had been the favorite until FIFAs surprising announcement to re-open voting the morning after Portugals playoff victory in Stockholm.Speculation about FIFAs motives was fuelled by a bizarre public spat weeks earlier between Ronaldo and FIFA President Sepp Blatter.Blatter offended the 2008 award winner with comments and mimicry when addressing students at Oxford University in England.Contrasting Messis humble, low-key personality with Ronaldos apparent vanity, Blatter then stood to act out what he described as the Portugal wingers commander in the field stature.Ronaldo responded in a barbed statement on his Facebook page and celebrated a goal in his next match with a mock military salute gesture.The Portuguese government got involved to defend its national hero, and the dispute seemed to confirm to Madrid fans and media that FIFA is biased toward Barcelona, even though Ballon dOr ballots are cast independently.Messi has won the world player award each year since 2009, and three times Ronaldo has been runner-up. In the 2010 award, Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta completed an all-Barcelona podium.In January 2012, Ronaldo and then-Madrid coach Jose Mourinho skipped the gala ceremony in Zurich despite being on the shortlists, citing a clash with preparation for a Copa del Rey match.Ronaldo attended last January and impressed with his gracious attitude despite losing again to Messi.Messi was runner-up when Ronaldo won his first and only award for 2008 after helping Manchester United win the Champions League title.Ronaldo did not win a trophy in 2013 despite an astonishing, prolific scoring rate of better than one goal per game.His World Cup playoff displays could be key, having scored all of Portugals goals in a 4-2 aggregate victory over Sweden.Messi scored 45 goals in 46 games but his playing year was ended by his third injury, a left hamstring problem sustained in a league match.The Ballon dOr was created by France Football magazine in 1956 and, three years ago, merged with FIFAs world player of the year award, which had been presented since 1991.The finalists for the womens world player award are Abby Wambach of the United States, five-time winner Marta of Brazil and Nadine Angerer of Germany.The ceremony will also give awards to the best coaches in mens and womens football.The mens list is headed by Alex Ferguson, who retired as Manchester United manager in May after more than 26 years.

IOC to remind athletes against protests in Sochi

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LAUSANNE (AP) - The IOC is finalizing a letter to Olympic athletes reminding them to refrain from demonstrations or political gestures during the Winter Games in Sochi, including any protests against Russias law banning gay propaganda.The International Olympic Committee executive board is expected to approve the instructions at its meeting in Lausanne on Tuesday. The letter will then be sent to the national Olympic committees that are sending athletes to the Sochi Games, which run from Feb. 7-23.The memo will focus on Rule 50 in the Olympic Charter, which states: No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.We will give the background of the Rule 50, explaining the interpretation of the Rule 50 to make the athletes aware and to assure them that the athletes will be protected, IOC President Thomas Bach said in an interview with The Associated Press.I know from my own experience, this is key, added Bach, a former Olympic fencer who won a team gold medal for West Germany in 1976. As an athlete you do not want to be confronted in the Olympic Village or the Olympic Stadium with any kind of political controversies.The IOC letter comes amid continuing Western criticism of Russias human rights record and the recently enacted law which bans promotion of nontraditional sexual relations to minors. The issue has raised questions over what would happen to athletes who wear a pin or patch or carry a rainbow flag to show their support for gay rights.The charter says the IOC can take action against even expel athletes who violate Rule 50, but the committee has said the rule would be interpreted and applied sensibly and proportionately.This is about the principles, Bach said. The principle is to protect the Olympic athletes to be drawn into political controversies. Then, you always have to decide on a case-by-case basis.Bach, who was elected IOC president three months ago, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi in October. He said Putin assured him there would be no discrimination against any athletes or spectators at the games.With regard to the law, he was as clear as he could be, Bach told the AP.The IOC leader met a week ago in Paris with Russian gay rights activists.This meeting for us was to listen but also to explain where our responsibility is on the one hand and, on the other hand, where our influence ends, Bach said. They understood the position now even better and they appreciated having this conversation. We agreed we will keep in contact.With the opening ceremony less than two months away, overall preparations for the Sochi Games will be among the top items on the agenda for Tuesdays board meeting. Local organizing committee chief Dmitry Chernyshenko is scheduled to report by video conference.They will be ready, Bach said. There is still some work to do. They know they are under pressure. The last 100 days are almost always the most pressing ones. I have full confidence that they will be ready.The IOC board will also hear from Brazilian organizers of the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, whose preparations have been dogged by construction delays and concerns over water pollution. Rio organizing chief Carlos Nuzman, an IOC member, is in Lausanne to deliver the update in person.The board will also consider the status of Indias national Olympic committee, which amended its constitution Sunday to avoid becoming the first country expelled from the Olympic movement since South Africa was kicked out more than 40 years ago for its apartheid policies.Facing an IOC ultimatum, the Indian body agreed to prohibit officials charged with a crime from running for elections. The Indian association was suspended last December for electing tainted officials, notably secretary-general Lalit Bhanot, who spent 10 months in jail on corruption charges related to the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.It will be the first IOC board meeting chaired by Bach, who has been on a whirlwind global tour that included meetings with several world leaders.Also scheduled Tuesday is a ceremonial handover of the keys to the IOC headquarters from former president Jacques Rogge to Bach. The event takes place at the renovated Olympic Museum, which reopens later this month after nearly two years of work.After Tuesdays meeting, Bach is taking the executive board on a four-day retreat to the Swiss town of Montreux for a brainstorming session to review a wide range of issues, including possible changes to the sports program, bidding process and age limit.

Swansea draws 1-1 with Hull in Premier League

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SWANSEA (AP) - Chico Flores equalized in the second half to cancel out Danny Grahams first goal since January and give Swansea a 1-1 draw against Hull in the Premier League on Monday.Graham had not scored since leaving Swansea for Hull this year, but gave his new team the lead by meeting a cross at the far post to slot into the net in the eighth minute.Hull then kept Swansea at bay with ease until the hour mark when Jonjo Shelveys driven ball hit Flores and flew in to give the Spaniard his first Premier League goal, although replays showed the ball had come off his arm.Hull could have had a penalty but referee Martin Atkinson missed a handball by Swansea defender Dwight Tiendalli as he blocked Alex Bruces header.

F1 to award double points for last race

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PARIS (AP) - Formula One will award double points for the last race of the season from next year, while drivers will be given permanent numbers as part of a series of rule changes announced on Monday.Governing body FIA said in a statement that doubling the points for drivers and teams in the last race on the calendar will maximize focus on the Championship until the end of the campaign, as it becomes less likely that the title will already be decided.This year, Sebastian Vettel locked up his fourth straight drivers title with three races to go.Drivers will also be allowed to choose a number to put on their cars for their entire career, unlike the current system where last years team placings determine the numbers. The reigning champion will still be given No. 1.A cost cap for teams will also be introduced from 2015.

Swimming: Sprinter Leveaux retires from swimming

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PARIS (AFP) - Olympic sprint relay champion Amaury Leveaux announced his retirement from swimming on Monday, saying he had achieved his career goals.I have all the medals I need and done everything I want to in swimming, said Leveaux who was part of the French 4x100 metres freestyle relay squad that won Olympic gold in London in 2012 and world championship gold at Barcelona this year.I have discussed it with my partner and my family and took some time to think it over. It is the right time to say stop.The 28-year-old Frenchman had already said in November that he intended on taking a year out from competition.Leveaux also took Olympic silver in the 50 metres sprint and in the 4x100 metres freestyle relay at the 2008 Beijing Games. He still holds the 100 metre freestyle short course world record.

US passenger awakens in locked, dark plane

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HOUSTON (AP) - A passenger who fell asleep while flying to Los Angeles said he awoke to discover himself alone and locked inside a dark, empty plane in Houston.Tom Wagner said he was supposed to change planes Friday at George Bush Intercontinental Airport. But no staff noticed he was still sleeping in a window seat at the rear of the flight from Louisiana before they closed up the jet.Wagner, 51, called his girlfriend who asked the airline to rescue him.I looked down the aisle, there was nobody on the plane, Wagner said Monday from California, where hes visiting his sister. It was locked up. Lights were off. No motors running. It was like it was secured for the night.As the captain of an oil platform supply boat in the Gulf of Mexico, Wagner said he is no stranger to bumps and other movement while he sleeps, so it was no surprise that the landing bounce didnt wake him.Thats the norm for me, Wagner said. A little jolt wouldnt bother me.Wagner said he didnt panic.I had a little smile: Ive got to get off here, he said.But first, I had to use the bathroom, he said. I was walking around, had to find the bathroom in the dark.Told he was fortunate the restroom door also wasnt locked, he replied: They would have had a mess to clean up.Then he picked up his cellphone and called his girlfriend, whom he described as kind of a joker.She started laughing.Get me off this plane Wagner implored. Stop laughing. Its getting cold.She called United Airlines in Lafayette, Louisiana, where Wagner had boarded United Express Flight 4245 on Friday evening to make a connection in Houston, and was told there was no way he was stuck on that plane.Back on board, Wagner started walking around.This is crazy stuff, he told himself.He reached the front of the aircraft.I grabbed the (entrance door) lever, Wagner said. I thought: I better not do that. Let them get me of the plane. So many things go through your head.Moments later, a couple of maintenance workers coincidentally opened the door and found Wagner there to greet them.What are you doing on this plane? he said they demanded. Wheres your badge?So he explained that he was a passenger who had been sleeping, and that he awoke to discover the lights off, the doors closed and everybody gone.One of the workers got on his radio and Wagner was escorted to the terminal. By then, hed missed his connection to Los Angeles, although his checked bags made it. He spent the night at a motel near the Houston airport.Regional carrier ExpressJet, operating the flight for United, said in a statement that it apologized to Wagner for the inconvenience and that the airline was investigating what happened.Wagner, whose adventure first was reported by Houston television station KTRK, said the airline gave him a $250 voucher and picked up the motel bill.

Oil falls slightly; natural gas soars on weather

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NEW YORK (AP) - The price of oil fell slightly Monday, the first decline in seven trading sessions.Benchmark U.S. crude for January delivery slipped 31 cents to $97.34 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Oil had gained $5.35 a barrel, or 5.8 percent, over the previous six trading days.Meanwhile, natural gas rose above $4.20 for the first time since May 28, on the likelihood that homeowners turned up the heat to try to shake off the effects of two wintry storms that plowed across the country. Forecasts are for colder than normal temperatures in the Midwest this week.Natural gas futures rose 12 cents, or 2.9 percent, to $4.23 per $1,000 cubic feet.U.S. drivers who braved the rough conditions in many areas paid an average of $3.26 a gallon for gasoline. That's down 9 cents from this time a year ago.Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, dropped $2.22 at $109.39 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.
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