Tuesday 11 February 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Football: Mourinho sees limitations as Chelsea stumble

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WEST BROMWICH (AFP) - Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho felt that his team's draw against West Bromwich Albion underlined his controversial claim that the London club are the underdogs in the Premier League title battle.Substitute Victor Anichebe's late equaliser on Tuesday earned West Brom a 1-1 draw that meant Chelsea were forced to settle for a lead of two points, as opposed to four, at the top of the table.Branislav Ivanovic's goal in first-half stoppage time had given Mourinho's team the lead, but their failure to secure maximum points gives both Arsenal and Manchester City, who play on Wednesday, the chance to claim top spot.The Portuguese played down his side's chances in the race to be crowned champions following their recent 1-0 victory over City at the Etihad Stadium, referring to them as the title race's little horse.Asked if Tuesday night's result at The Hawthorns supported his comments, he replied: Yes. A complete team kills this game -- 2-0, goodbye. We didn't.I think it was not very different to the City win because we had a lot of chances to kill the game and we never killed it.We went to the last 10 minutes and City had a couple of shots. The difference between that game and this one is that then we never made one defensive mistake.Here, in the last 20 minutes, we made a couple of defensive mistakes. In the end I think they deserved it because of their efforts.Anichebe, on the pitch 14 minutes as a replacement for Morgan Amalfitano, headed home in the 87th minute to secure a precious point that lifted West Brom out of the bottom three by virtue of goal difference.Mourinho refused to point the finger at individuals, but he admitted that his team, who were without the injured John Terry, had lacked personality.I don't speak about names. We as a team made mistakes, he said. I don't like to individualise and if John is not here, it is not because I don't want, it is because he can't.He is a guy with big personality and it could be different. We accepted for too long their dominance in the last 20 minutes. We made a couple of defensive mistakes and were punished in one.My defensive line started playing too deep. We gave them the ball and waited for them to put it in our box and fight against it. But it is not our game.I think also a bit of a lack of personality. We must have the personality to get out. At the end of the day it is one more point and we have one more than the previous day.West Brom manager Pepe Mel has now drawn all three of his home matches since taking charge of the Midlands club in January, but is still searching for a first win.I am proud of my players, said the Spaniard. It was good to have different halves -- the first was good defence, only two chances for Chelsea.The second good attack and mentality. It was the best performance (of his tenure). This is a good team we were playing.We have a day off then go to Spain for what will be like a pre-season (training camp). If we play as we did in the second half, we will win games.

British scientists plans to create Richard III genome

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LONDON (AFP) - British scientists on Tuesday announced plans to create the complete genome sequence of infamous British king Richard III after his remains were found under a car park in 2012.Geneticist Turi King will lead the £100,000 project ($164,000, 120,000 euros) to produce the first genome sequence from ancient DNA for a named historical figure, the project's co-funders the Wellcome Trust and the Leverhulme Trust said in a statement. It is an extremely rare occurrence that archaeologists are involved in the excavation of a known individual, let alone a king of England, said King.Sequencing the genome of Richard III is a hugely important project that will help to teach us not only about him, but ferment discussion about how our DNA informs our sense of identity, our past and our future, she added.The year-long project, which will attempt to extract DNA from ground-up samples of Richard's bones, could reveal the controversial leader's hair and eye colour, and whether the scoliosis that deformed his spine was genetic.Geneticist and co-funder Alec Jeffreys pitched the idea to King over dinner.We will never have this chance again, wherever he ends up being buried and whenever it ends up happening, King said. We have this unique opportunity now and it seemed a shame not to do it.The skeleton was found during an archaeological dig at a municipal car park in Leicester, central England, in August 2012.DNA from the bones matched that of descendants of the king's sister, while the skeleton had the twisted spine and battle injuries consistent with contemporary accounts, said researchers from the University of Leicester.After his death at the Battle of Bosworth, near Leicester, Richard's body was buried by Franciscan friars, known as Greyfriars, in an unmarked grave. When their monastery was destroyed in the 1530s, all traces of him disappeared.In Richard III, Shakespeare described a villain who murdered his two young nephews to win the throne.Enthusiasts say there is no evidence he killed the young boys, and hope the focus will now shift to the social reforms Richard introduced.A court battle is ongoing to decide whether his remains should eventually be buried in the nearby Leicester Cathedral, or in York, his royal house.

Washington state suspends death penalty, cites flaws

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The governor of Washington state on Tuesday announced a moratorium on the death penalty, describing the use of capital punishment as flawed.The Democrat chief of the Pacific northwest state, Jay Inslee, said he had taken the decision after ruling that executions in the state were being carried out unequally.There are too many flaws in the system, Inslee said in a statement. And when the ultimate decision is death there is too much at stake to accept an imperfect system.Nine individuals are currently on death row at Washington's Walla Walla State Penitentiary, where the last execution took place in 2010.Inslee stressed the death sentences of the nine men were not being commuted, nor were they being pardoned.I don't question their guilt or the gravity of their crimes. They get no mercy from me, he said.This action does not commute their sentences or issue any pardons to any offender. But I do not believe their horrific offenses over-ride the problems that exist in our capital punishment system.Effectively Inslee's decision means if a death penalty comes to his desk, he will issue a reprieve.A statement said the moratorium decision was taken after months of careful review which had left Inslee convinced the death penalty was being used unevenly.I'm not convinced equal justice is being served, he said. The use of the death penalty in this state is unequally applied, sometimes dependent on the budget of the county where the crime occurred.Since Washington's existing death penalty laws were put in place in 1981, 18 of the 32 people sentenced to death have had their sentences commuted to life in prison while one was set free.A total of 18 US states and the nation's capital Washington, in the District of Columbia, have abolished the death penalty while seven others have declared a moratorium.With my action today I expect Washington state will join a growing national conversation about capital punishment, Inslee said.

Prince William's wife Kate dazzles in queen's diamond

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LONDON (AFP) - Prince William's wife Catherine dazzled onlookers at a dinner for London's National Portrait Gallery on Tuesday with a diamond necklace borrowed from the queen.The Duchess of Cambridge was wearing a dark Jenny Packham dress, but it was the Cartier diamond known as the Nizam of Hyderabad, given to Queen Elizabeth II in 1947 for her wedding to the Duke of Edinburgh, that had tongues wagging.Other guests at the gala dinner -- the duchess's first official engagement of the year -- included Elizabeth Hurley, rocker Bryan Adams and artist Grayson Perry.The duchess said she was delighted to be able to support the gallery.The gallery's achievements are exceptional, she told guests.They hold the most extensive collection of portraits in the world, and their unique and brilliant exhibitions never fail to inspire us all.

UN chief warns of 'partition' in Central Africa

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - UN chief Ban Ki-moon warned Tuesday that the strife-torn Central African Republic could split into two as he urged the global community to do more to prevent further atrocities there.The sectarian brutality is changing the country's demography, Ban Ki-moon told reporters.The de facto partition of the C.A.R. is a distinct risk.The impoverished former French colony descended into chaos last March after rebels overthrew the government, sparking deadly Christian-Muslim violence that has uprooted a million people.The international response does not yet match the gravity of the situation, Ban said. We must do more to prevent more atrocities, protect civilians, restore law and order, provide humanitarian assistance and hold the country together.There are currently some 5,400 African Union-led MISCA troops on the ground and the force is expected to reach 6,000 by March.France has deployed 1,600 troops, while the United States is providing logistical support.The European Union, meanwhile, has promised to deploy 500 troops to the capital Bangui at the beginning of March.The international response must be robust -- with a credible deployment of force, he said.I ... continue to urge the international community to support the AU and MISCA at this time, he added as he called on the EU to accelerate the deployment of its military operation.The call comes a day after Ban spoke with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on boosting the number of European and African troops.Ban said he would follow up with Fabius later Tuesday.Edmond Mulet, the UN's assistant secretary general for peacekeeping operations, would travel to the Central African Republic this week to consult with AU representatives on possibly transforming MISCA into a UN peacekeeping operation, Ban said.But even if that change looks increasingly necessary, it would take time for it to happen, he added.Also Tuesday, French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian called on the deployed international forces to put an end to brutal attacks by the country's militias -- by force if needed.

US bans domestic trade of elephant ivory

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States banned the domestic trade of elephant ivory on Tuesday as part of a new drive to help African countries stem the rising threat to wildlife from poachers.The White House administrative action prohibits all commercial imports of African elephant ivory, including antiques, and all commercial exports, -- except for bona fide antiques and certain other items.The outlawed ivory trade is mostly fueled by demand in Asia and the Middle East, where elephant tusks and rhinoceros horns are used in traditional medicine and to make ornaments.Poaching has risen sharply in Africa in recent years where, besides targeting rhinos, gangs have slaughtered whole herds of elephants for their tusks.This ban is the best way to help ensure that US markets do not contribute to the further decline of African elephants in the wild, the White House said in a statement.It said federal departments and agencies would immediately take actions to, among other things, clarify what constitutes an antique.To qualify as an antique, an item must be more than 100 years old and meet other requirements under the Endangered Species Act. The onus will now fall on the importer, exporter, or seller to demonstrate that an item meets these criteria.Other measures include limiting to two the number of African elephant sport-hunted trophies that can be imported by an individual each year. The crackdown on ivory is a key aspect of a new national strategy for combating wildlife trafficking, also unveiled Tuesday, that has been in the works for some time.During a trip to Tanzania last year, President Barack Obama signed an executive order for a $10 million program to reduce the practice in Africa.That led to the setting up of a task force to develop the strategy to crack down on the lucrative trade -- estimated to be worth between $7 and $10 billion a year.The United States will continue to lead global efforts to protect the world's iconic animals and preserve our planet's natural beauty for future generations, the White House said.Senior administration officials said the United States is one of the world's largest markets for wildlife products, both legal and illegal.Much of the trafficking in ivory and other wildlife products either passes through or ends up in the United States and so we are committed to putting an end to the illegal trade in elephant ivory and also other wildlife products, one official told reporters on a conference all.Another said that, under the ban, it would be legal to own items made from ivory and gift these to your children or children -- but it would not be legal to sell them.We are facing a situation where rhino horn is worth more than its weight in gold. Elephant ivory is going for as much as $1,500 a pound, the official said.So we believe that an outright ban on domestic trade in ivory and rhino horn is appropriate because it will help us be more effective in law enforcement and it will demonstrate a US leadership worldwide.We can't ask other consumer nations to crack down on their domestic trade and markets unless we're prepared to the same here at home.The official said there are less than half a million elephants on the African continent today and estimates are that we are losing as many as 35,000 elephants per year.

Ghana president calls for changes over currency pressure

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ACCRA (AFP) - Ghana needs to make fundamental changes to its economy if it is to protect its currency and allow its markets to continue growing steadily, President John Dramani Mahama said on Tuesday.West Africa's second-largest economy has attracted international interest in recent years because of its promising oil reserves, relative political stability and high growth rates.But a weakening currency and concerns that fluctuations in global prices of major export commodities such as gold and cocoa have raised fears of a slow down.The cedi exchange rate has dropped to a record low, as investors ran shy of emerging markets after the US Federal Reserve scaled back its stimulus programme.That prompted Ghana's central bank last week to imposed new controls on the movement of foreign currency, including restricting the size of withdrawals.Mahama told foreign journalists in Accra that the currency's struggles were a sign that it was time to restructure the way Ghana trades.One of the visions of this government is to change the structure of the economy and to create more pillars for the economy to stand on so that we don't have a situation where a narrow band of primary commodities that you depend on which are subject to fluctuation on the international market, lose value, and then you have a bust, he said.Ghana is the world's second-largest producer of cocoa and Africa's second-largest producer of gold.Oil production began in 2010 and the country now pumps about 100,000 barrels per-day from offshore fields. The price of gold, dropped 28 per cent last year, however, adding to pressures from a ballooning deficit and a downgrade of Ghana's outlook and credit rating by international lenders.New oil money and a buoyant economy has seen the construction of new office blocks and residential high-rises in Accra -- the price for many of which are quoted in dollars, as at hotels. But Mahama said that practice had to stop. We need to build confidence in the cedi as a currency because that's our currency, he said. All transactions locally should be in cedis and we must think about price of goods and services in cedis.As part ot the revamp, investors needed to be encouraged to set up factories and processing plants to refine cocoa, bauxite and other raw materials that Ghana imports in order to increase its value.The opportunity exists for Ghana to make a game change and take itself out of this situation where (we) are buffeted by rough winds in a cyclic manner because of the structure of our economy, he said.Razia Khan, head of African research for Standard Chartered bank, said the central bank measures would help the cedi in the short-term but the high deficit would eventually put pressure on the cedi to start sliding once again.The foreign exchange changes don't pose an existential threat to the Ghanaian economy but if Ghana can't get its debt ratios under control, then that poses a significant threat to the future, she told AFP. If the government is unable to honour its obligation, there's going to be a time when it's going to cut back on debt, on spending which could harm the country's economic growth.

Pakistan among most dangerous countries for journalists: report

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QUETTA (AFP) - Pakistan remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists, media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in its annual report released Wednesday, with the restive province of Baluchistan a hotspot for violence.Seven reporters were killed in the line of duty in 2013, the report said, blaming the government's unwillingness to administer justice.By comparison, ten journalists were killed in Syria, eight in the Philippines and seven in Somalia.Placing Pakistan as the 158th country out of 180 on its Press Freedom Index, the report noted: The government appears powerless in the Taliban... and the military establishment, which is known as a 'state within a state' among many international observers.Four of the deaths occurred in Baluchistan in southwestern Pakistan, which is wracked by Islamist violence and a long-running ethnic separatist insurgency.Cameraman Imran Shaikh and his colleague Saif ur Rehman were among those killed after rushing to cover a bomb which hit the provincial capital of Quetta in January 2013.Both men died after being hit by a second blast that occurred ten minutes after the first.Shaikh's widow, Shazia Bano, told AFP the family lived in constant threat, but he continued his work regardless.He was not scared and used to say that it is our job and we have to do it... I used to force him to quit his job as journalist but he replied, what I should do if I quit?While Shaikh and Rehman were caught up in militant violence, other journalists fall victim to the powerful interests linked to the government or intelligence agencies.Riaz Baloch, another Baluch journalist who published a story about a pro-government figure linked to a car theft operation, told AFP he was kidnapped, tortured, and detained for nearly 60 days.They took me to mountains... where I was subjected to severe torture and I was asked ... why I published the news.Pakistan's constitution theoretically protects freedom of speech, and the media is seen as having taken great strides in recent years.But certain subjects, particularly criticism concerning the all-powerful army and spy agencies, remain taboo.Last year Pakistan was placed 159 out of 179 countries in the index, with nine journalists killed.

Moin Khan appointed Pakistan cricket coach

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LAHORE (AFP) - Pakistan on Tuesday appointed former captain Moin Khan as the head coach of the national team, replacing Australian Dav Whatmore whose two-year contract expired last month.Khan, 42, was shortlisted along with another former captain and ex-coach Waqar Younis by a four-man committee which included former captain Javed Miandad, Intikhab Alam and Wasim Akram earlier this week.The decision came after a lengthy management committee meeting under the chairmanship of Najam Sethi who replaced Zaka Ashraf on Monday.The decision came as a blow to Younis who was regarded as favourite to regain the post he left in 2011 but Ashrafs sacking led to him not being selected.Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief operating officer Subhan Ahmed told reporters Khan will coach the team for this months Asia Cup and next months World Twenty20 -- both to be held in Bangladesh.Khan has been appointed head coach on the recommendations of the coach committee and since we have no cricket until October this year we will review his contract after the two tours, said Ahmed, the fourth member of the coach committee.Khan said his top priority is to help the team defend the Asia Cup title it won in 2012.Its a big honour to coach the team, Khan told AFP. Its a also a big responsibility and I would like the fans to support me.The first task is to win the Asia Cup, said Khan under whom Pakistan won the first of two Asia Cup titles in 2000. We will do our best to lift the performance.Khan played 69 Tests and 219 one-day internationals for Pakistan in the 1990s and 2000s. He has also coached the Pakistani and Indian domestic teams but never an international team.Khan has been team manager since July this year. Former paceman Zakir Khan, a director in the PCB, takes over as manager for the two tours.Pakistan had former Australian batsman Whatmore as head coach from March 2012 to last month.Former opening batsman Shoaib Mohammad meanwhile has been appointed as fielding coach to replace Englishman Julian Fountain whose contract also expired last month.Another former captain Zaheer Abbas was appointed chief cricket consultant and will accompany the team on tours, said Ahmed.Abbas, known as Asias Don Bradman, will be in charge of batting.Former captain Aamir Sohails appointment as chief selector last week was declared null and void, with former Test batsman Azhar Khan taking his place.Bowling coach Mohammad Akrams contract is also renewed for another two years, said Ahmed

103 killed in Algeria army plane crash

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ALGIERS (AFP) - A military aircraft crashed in Algeria's mountainous northeast on Tuesday killing all 103 people on board, a security source said, in what would be its deadliest air disaster since independence five decades ago.The C-130 Hercules aircraft, which was flying to the city of Constantine crashed in poor weather conditions in Oum El Bouaghi, some 380 kilometres (240 miles) east of the capital, Algerian radio said.The plane was carrying 99 passengers -- soldiers and their families -- as well as four crew members, the source told AFP.There were no survivors, the source added, although army spokesman Lahmadi Bouguern said he could not confirm that all on board had perished.The plane was travelling from the desert garrison town of Tamanrasset in the deep south, and crashed into Mount Djebel Fertas in the Oum El Bouaghi region, official media quoted Colonel Bouguern as saying.Preliminary reports indicated that poor weather was to blame, with heavy snow and strong winds sweeping the region in recent days.The crash reportedly took place just as the aircraft began its descent into Constantine, when the plane lost contact with the control tower.Military and civilian personnel were deployed for a search and rescue operation, with hospitals in Constantine and nearby Ain M'Lila placed on alert in case there were any survivors, the independent El Watan newspaper reported.Tamanrasset, in the far south of Algeria, near the border with Mali, is the main base for the country's southern military operations.Extra troops and equipment have been stationed there in recent months as part of efforts to beef up surveillance of Algeria's frontiers with Mali and Libya, following a deadly hostage-taking by Islamist militants at a desert gas plant in January last year.The city lies 1,500 kilometres (930 miles) from Constantine, and was the site of the last major plane crash in Algeria, in March 2003.In that disaster, an Air Algerie passenger plane crashed on take off, after one of its engines caught fire, killing all but one of 103 people aboard, among them several French nationals.The sole survivor, a young Algerian soldier, was left in a critical condition.In December 2012, two military jets conducting routine training operations collided in mid air near Tlemcen, in Algeria's northwest, killing the pilots of both planes.A month earlier, a twin-turboprop CASA C-295 military transport aircraft, which was carrying a cargo of paper for the printing of banknotes in Algeria, crashed in southern France.The plane was carrying five soldiers and a representative of the Algerian central bank, none of whom survived.

Govt committee briefs PM after meeting Taliban committee

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The negotiations process has reportedly picked up the pace as both government and Taliban committees informally met in Islamabad on Tuesday. Afterwards, government committee members briefed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in which committee member Irfan Siddiqui said that reports received from Taliban are satisfactory. Taliban committee patron Maulana Samiul Haq said that those involved in recent explosions are trying to shatter all hopes.Government and Taliban negotiations committees held an informal meeting at the residence of Major (r) Amir and members including Maulana Samiul Haq, Professor Ibrahim, Maulana Yousaf Shah, along with government committee members Irfan Siddiqui, Major (r) Amir and Rustam Mohmand were in attendance.Maulana Yousaf Shah informed about the discussion with Taliban Shura that took place last week. He said that Taliban want to negotiate with open minds.Government committee member Irfan Siddiqui said that the suggestions and demands came forward during the negotiation meetings will be discussed during next session. He further said that if the committees went forward with the same spirit, more solid and positive steps could be taken.Taliban committee member Maulana Samiul Haq said that details acquired from Taliban have been delivered to the government committee without creating problems that can sabotage the negotiation process. Samiul Haq further advised a ceasefire from both sides. He further said that those involved in recent explosive attacks are shattering the hopes adding that Taliban have distanced themselves from those attacks.The government committee met with the Prime Minister and took him into confidence over the developments amid meetings with Taliban. The meeting with Prime Minister included Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar.Earlier, addressing a news conference on Monday, Maulana Samiul Haq had said that negotiations with Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in North Waziristan have so far been positive and encouraging.He said nothing will be kept secret from the nation, however details cannot be made public at this stage to save the dialogue process. He said our desire is to bring an end to bloodshed and revive peace through the dialogue process.Taliking to media on Monday, Professor Ibrahim said that Taliban have responded positively to the government’s initiative. He said that Taliban also want to hold the talks in a sincere way.Professor Ibrahim said that positive results were expected from the process of peace talks. He expressed the hope that unrest will end and peace will restore in the country. Professor Ibrahim said that the nation would receive good news soon.

Toll from Peshawar's Shama Cinema blasts reaches 13

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PESHAWAR (Dunya News/AFP) – At least 13 people were killed and several others got injured in three simultaneous hand grenade explosions in Shama Cinema in the capital of troubled Khyber-akhtunkhwa province, Dunya News reported on Tuesday.The blasts took place inside cinema hall where more than 60 people were watching a movie.Police and rescue officials rushed to the site following the incident and surrounded the area while the injured people were shifted to Lady Reading Hospital where an emergency has been imposed.According to rescue sources, all the injured have been evacuated and shifted to hospital while the law enforcement agencies and Bomb Disposal Squad launched search operation and cleared the cinema.According to Dunya News, ten deceased had been identified and their dead bodies were being shifted to their hometowns.Peshawar Police Chief Ijaz Ahmed said owners had been informed of the threats and asked to increase security.He said that all the owners had been directed to install CCTV cameras.Talking to Dunya News, ANP leader Senator Zahid Khan said that the government wanted to negotiate with militants but the terrorists were busy in targeting the civilians.President Mamnoon Hussain, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif strongly condemned the bomb blasts in a cinema in Peshawar.They expressed deep grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives and directed for provision of best possible medical facilities to the injured.MQM chief Altaf Hussain also condemned the blasts in Peshawar’s cinema and termed it as cowardly act of terrorists.Tuesdays attack bears striking similarities to one on the citys Picture House cinema on February 2, when two grenades were thrown into the auditorium. Five people were killed and 31 injured.The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) umbrella group denied responsibility for Tuesdays attack, as they denied the earlier one, but it will nevertheless fuel skepticism about the talks chances of success.There are fears that the movement, a fractious coalition of militant groups, could be splintering over the talks initiative, undermining the process.As news of Tuesdays cinema attack was emerging, the heads of the government and TTP negotiators held a press conference giving a positive account of their meeting.Lead government negotiator Irfan Siddiqui said they hoped to make positive movement in the coming days.Haq, whose fellow negotiators met TTP leaders over the weekend, said the Taliban had shown a great deal of prudence and maturity.Both sides have proposed a ceasefire to make the atmosphere for talks more conducive, he said.There has been widespread scepticism about the chances of success, particularly since regional deals have quickly broken down in the past.Nearly 7,000 people have been killed in the TTP insurgency since it began in 2007, according to an AFP tally.The start of 2014 has seen a surge in militant violence with more than 130 people killed.

15 Iraq soldiers Killed in pre-dawn attack: officials

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MOSUL (AFP) - A pre-dawn assault Tuesday on an army camp guarding an oil pipeline in northern Iraq left 15 soldiers dead, security and morgue officials said.The soldiers were killed near Hamam al-Alil, in the northern province of Nineveh, one of the most violent parts of the country, with provincial capital Mosul as well as surrounding areas suffering near-daily attacks.The style of the attack, targeting a station housing security forces guarding an important piece of infrastructure, mirrored that of a similar shooting in the northern town of Tuz Khurmatu on Sunday in which six policemen were killed.The latest bloodshed is part of a protracted surge in violence that has sparked concerns Iraq is slipping back into the all-out conflict that plagued it in 2006 and 2007, with government figures showing that more than 1,000 people were killed last month alone.

Polio returning to Kabul after 13 years

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KABUL (AFP) - Afghanistan has launched an emergency polio vaccination campaign in Kabul after a girl contracted the disease, the citys first case since the Taliban were ousted in 2001.The three-year-old from a nomadic family living on the northeastern edge of the city was diagnosed after being admitted to hospital in neighbouring Pakistan, a spokesman for the Afghan public health ministry said Tuesday.The spokesman, Kaneshka Baktash Turkistani told AFP it was not clear whether the girl had contracted the virus in Kabul or Pakistan.The highly contagious polio virus remains endemic in both countries, but Kabul city has not had a reported case since the Taliban regime was ousted by a US-led invasion more than a decade ago.Turkistani said the Pakistani authorities had informed his ministry of the incident.After this, we launched an emergency polio campaign in Kabul and luckily so far, we have not found any other cases of polio, he said.Besides Afghanistan and Pakistan, Nigeria is the only other country in the world where polio, a disease that paralyses children, is still endemic.Due to massive internationally-backed efforts the number of cases has dropped significantly in Afghanistan in recent years, with most reported from the insurgency-hit south.Despite targeting health workers associated with the government, Taliban insurgents have allowed polio vaccination teams to visit their areas in recent years, a move that authorities say has helped to contain the disease.This contrasts sharply with the situation in Pakistan, where militants have branded polio campaigns as cover for espionage and routinely attack vaccination teams.

Dengue deaths nearly tripled in Malaysia in 2013

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KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - Deaths from dengue fever have nearly tripled in Malaysia this year compared to the same period in 2013, sparking a stepped-up campaign to control the mosquitos that spread the virus.As of this week, 22 people had died from dengue in 2014, compared to eight deaths over the same stretch last year, Health Minister S. Subramaniam told AFP on Tuesday.While still early in the year, at the current pace the numbers would surpass 2010, the deadliest year on record, when 134 people died from an illness that the World Health Organisation calls one of the fastest-growing viral threats globally, especially in the tropics.A total of 11,879 cases had been reported as of Monday, up nearly four-fold from the same period in 2013.I think the number of cases will increase, Subramaniam said.We urge the public to play their role. The spike in cases is putting a strain on our medical services, he said, calling on Malaysians to eliminate mosquito breeding sites such as standing water and garbage piles.More than 43,000 cases were reported in 2013, with 92 deaths, up from 35 dead the year before.Every three to four years, we witness a peak in the cycle, Subramaniam said.Dengue fever is a flu-like illness marked by symptoms including nausea, headache, and severe muscle and joint pain that gives rise to its nickname break-bone fever.In severe cases, it can cause internal bleeding, organ impairment, respiratory distress and death.Dengue is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which can pick up the virus from an infected human and transmit it to the next person it bites.According to the World Health Organisation, the disease may be infecting up to 50-100 million people each year.There is no vaccine, so prevention focuses on mosquito control.Malaysian authorities have stepped up a nationwide campaign to fumigate or eliminate mosquito breeding hotbeds in standing water, garbage dumps and construction sites.This includes what authorities have called the first large-scale use in Malaysia of the biological agent bacillus thuringiensis israelensis, or BTI, a naturally-occurring bacterium used in insect control.The government also has ordered local clinics in dengue hot spot areas -- which have been concentrated in and around the capital Kuala Lumpur -- to extend their operating hours to accommodate the roughly 2,000 new cases emerging weekly.Hot spot residents also are being advised to wear long sleeves and use mosquito repellent.Researchers estimate around three billion people live in regions of the world susceptible to dengue.
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