Sunday 12 January 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Eid Milad-un-Nabi (PBUH) preparations in full swing

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LAHORE (Dunya News) - Preparations are underway to commemorate Eid Milad-un-Nabi (PBUH) with zeal and fervor across the country.Faithful have decorated public and private buildings, roads, bazaars and markets across the country tastefully with colourful lights, buntings and flags to celebrate Eid Milad-un-Nabi (PBUH) which falls on Tuesday.Numbers of programs including ‘Naat Khawani’ are being organized by different organizations to mark the day with a befitting manner.Foolproof security measures have been made on the routes of Milad processions which will be taken out in different cities to mark the day.

Iraq violence kills 34 as bloodshed surges

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BAGHDAD (AFP) - Violence in Iraq killed 34 people Sunday, including eight who died in clashes and helicopter fire west of Baghdad and more than a dozen in car bombs in the capital.The bloodshed is the latest in a months-long surge of unrest, with more than 6,800 people killed last year and over 400 dead already this month, which comes ahead of April general elections.Militants attacked Iraqi soldiers in the Abu Ghraib area west of the capital, after which at least one helicopter opened fire.The violence killed at least eight people and wounded 17, but accounts of the incident differed.One security official said all of the dead and wounded were civilians killed by helicopter fire, while a second said the casualties may also include militants, and that the toll was for the entire engagement.A medical official said the majority of the dead and wounded were civilians, but that soldiers were also killed.In the Allawi area of Baghdad itself, a car bomb targeting army recruits gathered at a taxi and bus station killed nine people and wounded at least 17.The attack followed a suicide bombing targeting army recruits in the capital on Thursday that killed 23 people.Militants opposed to the Iraqi government frequently target security forces with bombings and shootings.In the Kadhimiyah area of Baghdad, another car bomb exploded in a main square, killing five people and wounding 16, while a roadside bomb in the Mansur area killed one person and wounded at least four.And south of Baghdad in the town of Latifiyah, security forces killed two militants and arrested two dozen others.Violence also hit areas north of the Iraqi capital on Sunday.A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-rigged vehicle in the town of Tuz Khurmatu, killing five people and wounding 36, an official said.In Tikrit, gunmen killed a major in the SWAT forces and his guard, while gunmen in Mosul killed a tribal leader and a cleric, both of whom had backed anti-government protesters.And a cameraman and his driver were wounded in Mosul by a magnetic sticky bomb attached to their car, the latest in a series of attacks on journalists in Mosul.Five journalists were killed in the last three months of 2013 in Mosul, a mostly Sunni Arab city that remains one of the most dangerous areas in Iraq, with militants frequently carrying out attacks and reportedly extorting money from shopkeepers.Iraq has come in for repeated criticism over shortcomings in media freedom, and ranks first in the Committee to Protect Journalists' Impunity Index, which tracks unsolved murders of journalists.Violence in Iraq has reached a level not seen since 2008, when the country was emerging from a period of brutal sectarian killings.More than 440 people have been killed in fighting and attacks so far this month, according to AFP figures based on security and medical sources.

Turkish PM signals judicial reform will go ahead

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ISTANBUL (AFP) - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan signalled on Sunday that his government would go ahead with controversial reforms curbing judges' powers amid a deepening corruption scandal.The commission put (the proposals) to vote yesterday (Saturday) and decided that they were not against the constitution, Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul.Fierce scuffles erupted on Saturday ahead of a second round of debate on the government-led proposals in parliament's justice commission, with politicians throwing punches, water bottles and even an IPad.The reforms proposed by Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) would give the justice ministry more control over the appointment of judges and prosecutors.But the country's top judicial body the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) has criticised the proposals for being unconstitutional and opposition parties have demanded that the reforms be dropped.On Saturday, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said if political parties reached a consensus, the proposal could be abandoned.But the Turkish premier vowed that the reforms would go to the parliament floor having been discussed in the justice commission.Turkey plunged into turmoil on December 17 when police rounded up dozens of people including sons of former ministers and top businessmen suspected of corruption and bribery.Erdogan has lashed out at a judicial coup, accusing prosecutors running the case of plotting to undermine his government.

Iran says it won't seek seat at Syria talks at all cost

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BEIRUT (AFP) - Irans foreign minister said in Beirut on Sunday that his country is not seeking an invitation to a January 22 peace conference on Syria at all costs.If we receive an invitation without any preconditions, we will participate in the Geneva 2 peace conference, but we wont act in order to receive an invitation, said Mohammad Javad Zarif.UN chief Ban Ki-moon last week sent invitations to 30 countries to attend the conference, but did not include Iran, the main regional backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assads regime.US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are to meet on Monday in a bid to decide Irans role in ending the nearly three-year conflict.Speaking in the Lebanese capital on Sunday, Zarif also said Iran would welcome any official meeting with Saudi Arabia, which supports opponents of Assad in the Syrian civil war.We try to have brotherly ties with this country... because we believe that if our relationships strengthen, it will have a positive effect on the stability, security and peace in the entire region.The minister also welcomed Lebanons efforts to stop the main terrorist responsible for a bomb attack outside the Iranian embassy in Beirut that killed 25 people on November 19.Majid al-Majid, a Saudi who was suspected to be the head of the Abdullah Azzam Brigades which claimed the attack, died in Lebanese custody this month.The embassy attack came amid rising tensions in Lebanon over the role of the Iran-backed Shiite movement Hezbollah in the war in neighbouring Syria.

Bomb scare forces Turkish plane emergency landing

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CASABLANCA (AFP) - A Turkish Airlines plane bound for Brazil was forced to make an emergency landing in Morocco on Sunday following a bomb scare, an airport official said.The plane landed at Casablanca Airport after taking off from Istanbul following the discovery of a suspicious mobile telephone, the official told AFP.A security check was carried out at the airport before the plane -- an Airbus A340 with 229 passengers on board -- was allowed to continue on its journey to Sao Paolo.

Football: Thrills, spills as City, Liverpool climb table

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LONDON (AFP) - Manchester City took over at the top of the Premier League table after winning 2-0 against Newcastle United in a tempestuous encounter at St James' Park on Sunday.Edin Dzeko and Alvaro Negredo claimed City's goals, but the match's defining incident occurred mid-way through the first half when Newcastle midfielder Cheick Tiote had a goal contentiously ruled out for offside.Referee Mike Jones decided that Yoan Gouffran had impeded City goalkeeper Joe Hart as Tiote's shot flashed past him, but the home fans jeered the decision and Newcastle manager Alan Pardew harangued Jones at half-time.It was City's sixth consecutive league win and lifted them above Chelsea at the summit, although they will lose their hold on first place if Arsenal win at Aston Villa on Monday.It was a very difficult game and it's a very big result as we know it's a tough place to come and win, said City manager Manuel Pellegrini, who also lost Samir Nasri to what he described as a serious knee injury.Pellegrini played down a touchline row between himself and Pardew in the angry aftermath of Tiote's disallowed goal and said that Jones had made the correct call.Nothing important was said on the touchline between me and Alan Pardew, but I think it's impossible for the referee to handle a game when every time he gave a decision against Newcastle there were complaints, he said.It was an offside goal as they were interfering with Joe Hart and the referee made that call.Pardew, whose side remain in eighth place, said that Jones had not adequately explained his decision to rule out Tiote's goal.I'm not thrilled with the referee's answer when I've asked for an explanation as I don't quite get how he can disallow a goal of that quality on the technical point he is using, he said.Joe Hart is nowhere near it. It goes through a crowd of City players who are impairing his view. It's a massive call on a very technical point.Bidding to avenge a 4-0 defeat at City on the season's opening weekend, Newcastle began at a high tempo, but it took the visitors less than eight minutes to make the breakthrough.David Silva released Aleksandar Kolarov with an incisive pass down the inside-left channel and the Serbian left-back delivered a low cross that was clipped home by Dzeko.The controversy arrived in the 34th minute when Tiote thrashed a superb shot past Hart from the edge of the box, only for Jones to disallow the goal after consulting his assistant, Stephen Child.Hart kept Newcastle at bay in the second half, saving well from Yohan Cabaye and Loic Remy, before City midfielder Nasri had to be stretchered off following a wild, knee-high foul by Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa.After Fernandinho had hit the bar with a header, Negredo sealed victory for City in the fifth minute of stoppage time when he ran the ball into the net after seeing an initial attempt blocked by Tim Krul.There was controversy, too, as Liverpool beat Stoke City 5-3 in an enthralling match to return to the top four and claim their first league victory at the Britannia Stadium at the sixth attempt.A fifth-minute Ryan Shawcross own goal and an opportunistic Luis Suarez effort put the visitors 2-0 up, only for Stoke to draw level before half-time through Liverpool old boys Peter Crouch and Charlie Adam.Crouch reduced the arrears with a deft header from a Marko Arnautovic cross, before Adam drove a rasping drive past Simon Mignolet from outside the area.However, after Marc Wilson had been penalised for felling Raheem Sterling, much to the disgust of the Stoke supporters, Steven Gerrard restored Liverpool's lead from the penalty spot in the 51st minute.Daniel Sturridge made his return from a seven-week injury lay-off as a substitute and he neatly teed up Suarez for his second goal -- and 22nd of the campaign -- with 19 minutes to play.Jonathan Walters gave Stoke hope by squeezing a shot past Mignolet in the 85th minute, but Sturridge beat Jack Butland at the second attempt two minutes later to finally put a breathless game to bed.I thought we were brilliant today, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers told Sky Sports.We made mistakes defensively, which wasn't so good, and we'll assess that, but to come here and get five goals and put in the effort and the work that we did was fantastic.

Golf: Oosthuizen retains title in Durban

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DURBAN (AFP) - Defending champion Louis Oosthuizen retained his title at the Volvo Golf Champions event in his native South Africa on Sunday after shooting a final-round 68 for a 12-under-par total.Oosthuizen started the day in fourth place, two shots adrift of overnight leader Tommy Fleetwood, but an eagle at the eighth at the Durban Country Club got him into contention.He then birdied four of the last six holes to finish a shot clear of compatriot Branden Grace and two ahead of Dutchman Joost Luiten and Fleetwood.The Englishman was undone by three bogeys in five holes on the front nine.Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champion, has now won on the European Tour in five successive seasons and has started the season with a win on home soil for the fourth year running.It means a lot. There's something about this golf course that I love. It's great in front of the home crowd to get my first win of the season and hopefully I can build on this and get a few more, he said.I felt really comfortable today, especially on the back nine. Once I stood over my second on 17, I saw Branden had made birdie on 18 and I knew it was crucial for me to get within 10 feet to give myself a proper birdie opportunity and I hit it really close.At 18, I just wanted to get it past the pin to chip back into that green. I got that right and hit a really a good shot.He added: It puts pressure on you defending your title but you always know that you played well last year and you just try to do the same the next year.Grace was left to rue a first-round of 74 which left him with a lot of catching up to do, although he came mighty close after a final-day 68 which featured just one bogey.I thought I played some superb golf today. I let a couple slip out there which was unfortunate but if you had told me my first event I would start off with a second place, I would have taken it, he said.Meanwhile, it was also a good day for Irishman Padraig Harrington, who has not won on the European Tour since his 2008 US PGA triumph, but who shot a 67 to finish tied fifth.

Rallying: Sainz, Barreda claim Dakar 7th stage

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UYUNI, Bolivia (AFP) - Former winner Carlos Sainz won the seventh car stage of the Dakar Rally on Sunday with his fellow Spaniard Joan Barreda claiming the motorbike section.After Saturdays rest day the gruelling rally resumed for the cars with a timed 533 kilometre circuit around Salta in Argentina.The bikes and quads finished their days racing across the Bolivian border in the nearby town of Uyuni.Thousands of spectators, including the countrys President Evo Morales, descended on the town built alongside the largest salt lake in the world to watch the Dakars first ever visit to Bolivia.Barreda, on board a Honda, is placed second in the overall motorbike standings, over 38 minutes behind his compatriot Marc Coma (KTM), with another Spanish rider, Jordi Viladoms (KTM), in third at over one hour and a quarter.Despite his performance on Sunday, Sainz is way off the pace in the auto standings - almost two hours back in sixth - which are led by another Spaniard, Nani Roma (driving a Mini), ahead of Frances Stephane Peterhansel (Mini) and South Africas Giniel De Villiers (Toyota).Sainz, at the wheel of a SMG buggy, was notching up his 27th career Dakar stage win, coming in clear of Qatars Nasser Al-Attiyah and Peterhansel, who became acquainted with the local wildlife during the days racing.Finding our way around wasnt too difficult, but that didnt mean opening the course was easy, as we came across herds of llamas a couple of times and had to brake hard and then drive carefully while they got out of the way.We scared them away for the other drivers and it cost us some time, because when you go down to 50 kmh, at this altitude it takes a while before you get back to 160 said the former double world rally champion.Fourth-placed and overall leader Roma reflected: We didnt have a bad day, in spite of a puncture and having to drive in the dust behind Giniel De Villiers for several kilometres before getting past him.Were comfortable in the lead and well take the race day by day but without risking everything.Mondays eighth stage finishes in Calama in Chile, the third and final country visited in the 2014 Dakar.

Giant Antarctic glacier beyond point of no return

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PARIS (AFP) - Antarctica's Pine Island Glacier, one of the biggest single contributors to world sea-level rise, is melting irreversibly and could add as much as a centimetre (0.4 inches) to ocean levels in 20 years, a study said Sunday.The glacier has started a phase of self-sustained retreat and will irreversibly continue its decline, said Gael Durand, a glaciologist with France's Grenoble Alps University.Durand and an international team used three different models to forecast the glacier's future based on the grounding line, which is the area under water where the ice shelf -- a sea-floating extension of the continent-covering ice sheet -- meets land.This line has receded by about 10 kilometres (six miles) in the past decade.The grounding line is probably engaged in an unstable 40-km (25-mile) retreat, said the study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change.A massive river of ice, the glacier by itself is responsible for 20 percent of total ice loss from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet today.On average, it shed 20 billion tonnes of ice annually from 1992-2011, a loss that is likely to increase up to and above 100 billion tonnes each year, said the study.This is equivalent to 3.5-10 millimetres (0.14-0.4 inches) of global average sea-level rise over the next 20 years.The global mean sea level rose by 3.2 mm in 2010 -- itself a near-doubling from the rate of two decades earlier.The European Space Agency said last month that the West Antarctic ice sheet was shedding ice at a much faster rate than before -- currently at about 150 cubic kilometres (36 cubic miles) per year.Climate scientists are keeping a worried eye on the mighty ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica, as continued losses could threaten vulnerable coastal cities with dangerously high sea levels.Last year, the United Nations' climate science body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projected sea levels would rise between 26 and 82 centimetres (10.4 and 32.8 inches) by 2100.

Caffeine stirs memory: study

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PARIS (AFP) - A jolt of caffeine can boost memory, according to a study published Sunday that provides a scientific motive for students slurping coffee, tea or energy drinks when cramming for exams.A team at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, found that caffeine enhances certain memories for at least a day after they were formed.Evidence for caffeine as a memory booster has been anecdotal until now.This is because the process of registering memories -- say, reading a book ahead of an exam -- may happen in conditions where the person is eager to absorb and retain information.This makes it hard to distinguish between someones natural alertness and that derived from caffeine.To strip out this confounding factor, a team led by Michael Yassa, an assistant professor of psychological and brain science, tried a different tack.They asked 73 volunteers to look at images of a number of objects -- for instance, a plant, a basket, a saxophone, or a seahorse.Afterwards, half of the group were given a 200 milligramme dose of caffeine -- roughly equivalent to two cups of strong espresso -- and the others a dummy pill known as a placebo.Saliva samples were taken one, three and 24 hours later to measure caffeine levels.The following day, both groups were asked to look at another set of pictures.Some of the images were the same, others were new, and a few were similar -- for instance, a basket as before, but this time with one handle instead of two.Both groups did well at distinguishing between old and new pictures, the researchers said.But those on caffeine were much sharper at identifying the similar items in the lineup.The test sought to discern the effect of caffeine on the hippocampus, a part of the brain that distinguishes between patterns -- requiring both short- and long-term memory.If we used a standard recognition memory task without these tricky similar items, we would have found no effect of caffeine, Yassa said.However, using these items requires the brain to make a more difficult discrimination -- what we call pattern separation, which seems to be the process that is enhanced by caffeine in our case.The study, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, could be valuable in the study of brain cell health.Caffeine is associated with healthy longevity and may have some protective effects from cognitive decline like Alzheimers disease, said Yassa.These are certainly important questions for the future.

Dubai pitches worry Misbah after crushing Sri Lanka defeat

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DUBAI (AFP) - Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq expressed his disappointment at not getting turning pitches to play up to his teams strength after suffering a heavy defeat by Sri Lanka in Dubai on Sunday.Pakistan went down by nine wickets in the second Test to concede a 1-0 lead in the three-match series after the first Test ended in a draw in Abu Dhabi.That defeat was largely due to the ineffectivenesss of Pakistans main weapon Saeed Ajmal, with the off-spinner having bagged only five wickets to show in the two Tests.Ajmal went wicketless in his 49 overs in the second innings of the first Test.In contrast he took 18 when Pakistan beat Sri Lanka 1-0 in a three-Test series in United Arab Emirates in 2011.Misbah admitted that the pitches were disappointing.Obviously, we are not getting support as per our strength (of spinners) and that is a worry for us, said a visibly upset Pakistan captain, whose team also lost to South Africa at the same pitch three months ago.Obviously groundsmen are preparing pitches but as far as satisfaction, its not there because we have not given instructions of such flat tracks.Maybe the groundsmen want to make (our) kind of pitch but they are not able to do that. It is surprising that there was no break here on the pitch, not even on the fifth day and its surprising.Pakistan lost a crucial toss and were bowled out for a paltry 165 in their first innings on a pitch that helped seamers.Sri Lanka gained a big 223-run lead with experienced batsman Mahela Jayawardene notching 129.Pakistan fought hard to score 359 in their second innings but Sri Lanka knocked off the meager 137-run target for the loss of one wicket for their biggest win over Pakistan in 45 Tests.Once we lost the crucial toss, as there was lot of moisture on the pitch, we could not really get back in the Test match, admitted Misbah, who scored 97 in the second innings.Misbah blamed faltering batsmen.I think the batsmen should have applied themselves more. You could see that there was some seam but still we played some indisciplind shots and that put us in trouble, said Misbah.Pakistan now need to win the third and final Test starting in Sharjah from Thursday to avoid losing their first-ever series in United Arab Emirates.Victorious Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews acknowledged that the Dubai pitch was helpful for batsmen.Apart from the first day, this was a regular Dubai wicket. The spinners werent that successful on this wicket, it became a bit slow, but still good for the batsmen, as usual, said Mathews, who hit 157 not out to draw the first Test.Mathews said the win was pleasing.Thats what cricket is about. You need to keep fighting. I thought we did exactly that in the first Test. This is a wonderful victory with the help of the whole team, said Mathews.Mathews contended that Pakistan remained a dangerous team.The Pakistan team is an very good one and against this team you have to play positive cricket because if you give them even a little opportunity they will trample all over us. We played well throughout and won the difficult moments, said Mathews.Mathews praised man-of-the-match Jayawardene.He made a huge impact and we all hope that hell get better and better and I am sure hell play the next match as well, said Mathews of the batsman who played with stitches on his left hand.

Iran nuclear deal to take effect on Jan 20, confirms White House

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The White House confirmed Sunday that a nuclear agreement with Iran will take effect from January 20, but US President Barack Obama said he was under no illusions how hard it would be reach a comprehensive resolution.Beginning January 20th, Iran will for the first time start eliminating its stockpile of higher levels of enriched uranium and dismantling some of the infrastructure that makes such enrichment possible, a statement from the White House said.Tehran earlier on Sunday gave the same start date for the landmark agreement that the Islamic republic clinched with world powers.Under the deal reached in November, Iran agreed to curb parts of its nuclear drive for six months in exchange for receiving modest relief from international sanctions and a promise by Western powers not to impose new measures against its hard-hit economy.Western nations and Israel have long accused Iran of pursuing a nuclear weapons capability alongside its civilian program, charges denied by Tehran.Obama added in the White House statement: With todays agreement, we have made concrete progress. I welcome this important step forward, and we will now focus on the critical work of pursuing a comprehensive resolution that addresses our concerns over Irans nuclear program.I have no illusions about how hard it will be to achieve this objective, but for the sake of our national security and the peace and security of the world, now is the time to give diplomacy a chance to succeed.

Lahore: Man killed resisting mobile snatching

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LAHORE: (Dunya News) - A young man was gunned down during a mobile snatching incident that took place in Nizam Block area here on Sunday.According to Dunya News reports, one 24-year-old Farhan on his way to a market was robbed of his mobile phone by two men. They opened fire as the slain man pleaded for the return of sim card.Police have registered FIR and begin the investigation.Street crimes are on the rise nationwide with an increase in mobile snatching incidents.

Orbital Sciences cargo ship arrives at space station

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CAPE CANAVERA (Reuters) - Orbital Sciences Corp, one of two companies hired by U.S. space agency NASA to make supply runs to the International Space Station, delivered its first cargo ship on Sunday, a NASA TV broadcast showed.Space station flight engineer Mike Hopkins used the outposts 60-foot-long (18 meter) robotic arm to pluck a Cygnus freighter capsule from orbit at 6:08 a.m. EST as the two ships sailed 264 miles over the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar.A big sigh of relief for Orbital, said astronaut and NASA TV commentator Catherine Cady Coleman from Mission Control in Houston.About two hours later, Hopkins latched the capsule, which is about the size of a small bus, to a docking port on the space stations Harmony module.The capsule is loaded with 3,221 pounds (1,461 kg) of food, equipment, science experiments and supplies for the station, including computers and replacement parts for NASAs spacesuits.Several commercial payloads also are aboard the Cygnus freighter, including a CubeSat launcher owned by Houston-based NanoRacks. CubeSats are 4-inch-sided, standardized, relatively inexpensive spacecraft. They produce their own power, transmit signals and are used for a variety of scientific purposes. Individual CubeSats can be configured to fly together.The launcher will be operated from Japans Kibo module, which includes a small airlock, robotic arm and external platform. The Japan Aerospace and Exploration Agency already operates a similar CubeSat launcher.The Cygnus capsule is scheduled to remain docked to the outpost for about 45 days, and will be unpacked, then refilled with trash and items no longer needed aboard the station.Astronauts will then use the stations robot arm to remove the capsule and release it into orbit so it can drive itself into the atmosphere for incineration.Orbital Sciences and privately owned Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, have NASA contracts worth a combined $3.5 billion for a total of 20 cargo flights to the space station, a $100 billion research complex owned by the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan and Canada.Orbital Sciences made a successful test flight to the station in September. On Thursday, the Virginia-based company launched the first of eight paid missions for NASA. SpaceX meanwhile is preparing for its third cargo run on February 22.NASA hired the companies following the retirement of the space shuttles in 2011. The U.S. space agency also is managing a heated three-way competition between SpaceX, Boeing Co and privately owned Sierra Nevada Corp, to develop spaceships to fly astronauts.NASA hopes to break the Russian governments monopoly on station crew taxi flights by 2017.Rides on Russian Soyuz capsules currently cost the United States more than $60 million per person. The price will rise to more than $70 million in 2016.NASA meanwhile is developing a heavy-lift rocket and capsule for future human missions into deep space, such as the moon and Mars beyond the stations orbit.

China auto market likely to sustain momentum in another strong year

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SHANGHAI/DETROIT (Reuters) - The worlds biggest auto market will likely sustain the momentum it regained in 2013, helped by an anticipated array of economic stimulus measures and robust demand for cars in smaller cities of Chinas interior regions, according to industry executives and analysts.The new year should mark a second year of double-digit growth for China after sales expansion rates slumped in 2011 and 2012 to 2.45 percent and 4.33 percent, respectively. In the previous 10 years, auto demand in China often surged 30 to 40 percent annually.Those hyper growth days are over, but last year the Chinese market rebounded convincingly. In 2013, sales in China rose 13.9 percent to 21.98 million vehicles, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).We believe clearly for anybody working in the automobile industry, if theres one place to be, its China, Hubertus Troska, head of Daimler AGs Greater China operations that include Mercedes-Benz, told reporters in Beijing on Thursday, describing growth in 2013 as being quite strong.If things continue well, theres a good chance that the automobile market in China will grow again double-digit this year, said Troska, who is also a member of Daimlers management board.The revived strength of Chinas auto market, which will be a popular topic of conversation at this weeks Detroit auto show, is a relief to global automakers whose business is still impaired by sluggish demand in Europe and an anticipated slowdown in growth in the United States this year.Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE), for example, had forecast vehicle demand in China to grow at annual rates of between 5 and 7 percent over the next five years. Jochem Heizmann, head of Volkswagens China operations, said he believes the German automaker might have been too conservative.As demand appears poised to expand much faster, we could sell more (cars) if we have more capacity, Heizmann told reporters in Guangzhou in late November.LMC Automotive forecasts an increase of 11 percent this year in Chinas overall automobile market for passenger cars and commercial vehicles - a forecast echoed by Shanghai-based consulting firm Automotive Foresight. IHS Automotive, another consulting firm, predicts demand to grow 9 percent.CAAM said Chinas overall demand for automobiles will likely grow 8 to 10 percent this year.WHATS DRIVING DEMANDThe main support for auto sales, experts say, will likely come from continued strong economic growth in Chinas interior provinces, as opposed to the previous decade and a half when the bulk of growth was generated in the countrys coastal provinces.Another supportive factor is a series of fresh stimulus measures seen likely to be implemented this year by Chinas new leadership under President Xi Jinping.Those factors, combined with steady personal income growth backed up by falling vehicle prices, will help ensure a second straight year of double-digit growth, according to Yale Zhang, head of Automotive Foresight.The market is going to grow most definitely more than 10 percent again this year, he said.The Chinese market should be able to comfortably overcome demand-sapping pressures such as auto sales restrictions now being implemented in a growing number of big cities, Zhang and others said. Those sales caps in cities including Shanghai and Beijing are aimed at cutting air pollution and congestion.Among global automakers, Volkswagen, General Motors Co (GM.N) and Ford Motor Co (F.N) are likely to benefit most from a second year of relatively strong growth. Volkswagen, GM and Ford market some of Chinas best-selling cars, such as the Volkswagen Lavida, the Buick Excelle, and the Ford Focus.THE JAPAN FACTORThe future for Japanese automakers in China, by contrast, remains clouded. Japanese brands led by Nissan Motor Co Ltd (7201.T), Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) and Honda Motor Co Ltd (7267.T) are seen unlikely to benefit fully from Chinas renewed strength because of lingering political tensions between Beijing and Tokyo that have fanned anti-Japan sentiment and depressed their sales in China.Sales on a month-by-month basis recovered to pre-crisis levels for many Japanese brands toward the end of last year. Toyota for instance forecast 20 percent growth in China sales to about 1.1 million vehicles this year, compared with year-on-year growth of 9 percent in 2013.Still, some industry executives and analysts doubt a convincing reversal of fortunes for Japanese automakers. The main source of worry comes from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abes visit last month to the Yasukuni war shrine that is seen by critics as a symbol of Japans wartime aggression, which infuriated China and South Korea and prompted concern from the United States about deteriorating ties between the North Asian neighbors.The political tension will likely continue, said He Caiman, deputy secretary general of the Guangzhou Association of Automobile Manufacturers, citing Abes Yasukuni visit. For Japanese automakers, this is the biggest risk to their growth, and something out of anyones control.Already, the collective Japanese share of Chinas passenger car market fell to 16.6 percent in 2013 from 23 percent in 2011, according to LMC Automotive, following the flare-up of anti-Japanese sentiment triggered by the territorial dispute in late 2012. That year, Japans share fell to 19.2 percent.To reverse the trend, Japanese brands are gearing up for a big new product blitz this year after spending much of the past year and half on the sidelines.Nissan, for instance, plans to launch production of upscale Infiniti brand cars in China and launch the redesigned X-Trail SUV this year while also adding new models under the Venucia brand it jointly runs with Dongfeng Motor Group Co Ltd (0489.HK). Toyota, meanwhile, late last year launched the redesigned Rav4 SUV, as well as the redesigned Yaris and Vios - a trio of key strategic cars aimed at entry-level buyers, a group that is multiplying in China.This is our year to jump forward. Our biggest fear is Chinas retaliation in response to Abes recent visit to Yasukuni, a senior Beijing-based Toyota sales executive said. Its usually tit for tat.Honda, meanwhile, is expected to launch the significantly redesigned Fit this year, along with other new models, which a Honda official said are likely to include a compact SUV and a full-size minivan.Japanese brands are going all-out to appeal to almost every segment of the Chinese consumer diasporas, said Namrita Chow, a Shanghai-based analyst for IHS Automotive.
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