Sunday 20 April 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Abdullah widens lead in Afghan presidential poll

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KABUL (AFP) - Former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah is well ahead of his main rival in Afghanistans presidential election, officials said Sunday after half of the ballots were counted, though a run-off vote still looks likely next month.The Independent Election Commission (IEC) announced that Abdullah was in the lead with 44.4 percent followed by former World Bank economist Ashraf Ghani with 33.2 percent of the votes counted so far from the April 5 election.If no candidate gains more than 50 percent, a second-round election between the two leading names is tentatively scheduled for May 28.Hundreds of serious fraud allegations are being investigated after the eight-candidate election to succeed Hamid Karzai, who has ruled Afghanistan since the Islamist Taliban regime was ousted in 2001.We knew and believed in ourselves that we would be leading other candidates by a huge margin, Abdullah said after the partial results gave him an 11 percentage-point lead, adding that his campaign had concerns about cheating.We have filed our complaints with the Election Complaints Commission, he said. We want to assure the people of Afghanistan we will defend and protect their votes.The 2009 election, when Karzai retained power, was marred by massive fraud in a chaotic process that shook confidence in the multinational effort to develop Afghanistan and also started a sharp decline in relations with the US.Ghani on Saturday also pointed to alleged fraud, in one sign that the final result could be disputed.There is still vagueness, and the point is that these votes are still changing, he said after the latest batch of results. Fraud is not allowed in law at all, and it is not acceptable.Ghani would be a serious contender in a head-to-head run-off as he is more favoured by Pashtuns, the countrys largest ethnic group, than Abdullah, who gains much of his support from Tajiks.With 3.45 million votes now counted, the overall turnout is set to be nearly seven million voters from an estimated electorate of 13.5 million -- well above the 2009 turnout.The figures are partial, and the result is changeable, Ahmad Yousuf Nuristani, the IEC chief, warned, adding that only votes that had cleared fraud tests had been counted.The eventual winner will have to lead the fight against a resilient Taliban insurgency as US-led combat troops leave Afghanistan this year, and must also strengthen an economy that is reliant on declining aid money.A week ago, the first 10 percent of the vote was announced with Abdullah collecting 41.9 percent and Ghani on 37.6 percent.Both leading candidates have expressed confidence they will win the election in the first round, but they also vowed to fight on if a run-off is necessary.Abdullah, who came second to Karzai in 2009, has signalled that he may be open to constitutional changes that could allow for a power-sharing deal before the run-off.Ghani has also alluded to possible negotiations, but it is uncertain how any new system could accommodate the two rivals or how long it would take to implement.Karzai, who is constitutionally barred from serving a third term, has dominated Afghanistans violent post-Taliban era and is set to play an influential role behind the scenes in the next administration.He pledged to stay neutral in the election, but was widely thought to have backed former foreign minister Zalmai Rassoul, who performed poorly with just 10 percent of the results announced on Sunday.Abdullah was a close friend and adviser to Ahmad Shah Massoud, a revered anti-Taliban leader who was assassinated two days before the September 11, 2011 attacks on the United States.Polling day was hailed a success by Afghan officials and foreign allies as the Taliban failed to launch a major attack despite threats to disrupt a process it dismisses as a US plot to install a puppet government.

Egypt vote a two-man race between ex-army chief, leftist

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CAIRO (AFP) - Egypt's presidential election next month is set to be a contest between ex-army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and leftist Hamdeen Sabbahi, after nobody else entered the race by Sunday's cut-off.The lack of other candidates means the poll will be held over one round on May 26 and 27, with Sisi expected to easily win after he led the ouster of divisive Islamist president Mohamed Morsi last July.Sisi's campaign submitted almost 200,000 signatures backing his candidacy, well over the 25,000 required endorsements.Sisi's support dwarfed Sabbahi's, who gathered around 30,000 signatures. They were the only two candidates to submit the endorsements before Sunday's deadline.Every candidate can now appeal against the other. We have two who requested candidacy, electoral committee official Abdel al-Aziz Salman told a news conference.The final list of candidates will be confirmed on May 2.Sisi, who resigned from the army last month to contest the election, is riding a wave of popularity for ending the divisive presidency of Morsi after days of mass protests.But Morsi's supporters accuse Sisi of leading a coup against the country's first elected and civilian president after only a year in office.The Islamist's supporters continue almost daily small protests, while militants have unleashed a deadly campaign against policemen and soldiers.Sabbahi, who had supported Morsi's overthrow, had placed third in the 2012 election that Morsi won.He has since styled himself as a revolutionary opposed to the powerful military's role in politics.

Eight killed as skydivers' plane crashes in Finland

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HELSINKI (AFP) - A small airplane taking a group of skydivers for an Easter Day jump crashed on Sunday in Finland, killing eight people, police said.The Comp Air 8 plane went down in the town of Jamijarvi in western Finland.There were 11 people on board. Three of them, including the pilot, jumped to safety before the plane crashed, police said.The survivors have been hospitalised but their lives are not in danger. All the skydivers were residents of the area, police said.Witnesses said the plane appeared to run into engine trouble and fell rapidly.The Jamijarvi airport is a popular spot with amateur skydivers.

Attack on Hamid Mir: PM orders judicial inquiry

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has decided to constitute a three-member judicial commission to probe into the attack on senior journalist Hamid Mir.Chief Justice will be requested to nominate members for the Commission.The government has also announced 10 million rupees prize for those providing information about the attackers.Hamid Mir was attacked shortly after arriving in Karachi on Saturday. He was shot six times and is currently in hospital.

Football: Liverpool close on title, Everton sink United

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LONDON (AFP) - Liverpool moved closer to a first league title since 1990 with a 3-2 win at Norwich City on Sunday that sent them five points clear in the Premier League.Quick-fire early goals from Raheem Sterling and Luis Suarez put the visitors in control at Carrow Road, before Gary Hooper replied for fourth-bottom Norwich in the 54th minute.Sterling appeared to have made the points safe with a deflected shot minutes later, but a late Robert Snodgrass header obliged Liverpool to endure a nervy last 10 minutes.It was Liverpool's 11th consecutive league victory and means that they are guaranteed to qualify for next season's Champions League, but Brendan Rodgers's side now have a bigger prize in their sights.They need seven points from their remaining three games to win the league and can eliminate Chelsea from the title race by winning at home to Jose Mourinho's side next weekend.It was massive, Rodgers told Sky Sports.We said before the game, every victory at this stage of the season, whether you're top, middle or bottom, is important, and I thought we showed great courage today.We will go into the next three games looking to perform well. We want to continue to fight and now look to Chelsea next week, where it will be an incredible atmosphere at Anfield.Chelsea's shock 2-1 defeat at home to Sunderland on Saturday, coupled with Manchester City's draw against the same side in mid-week, had given Liverpool a huge opportunity to stamp their authority on the title race.They went ahead in the fourth minute when Sterling scored from 25 yards with a fine shot that took a slight deflection off Michael Turner.Sterling then teed up Suarez to add a second goal in the 11th minute, making the Uruguayan the first Liverpool player to score 30 league goals in a season since Ian Rush in 1986-87.Norwich pulled a goal back nine minutes into the second half when Hooper tapped home after Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet miscued an attempted punch.Sterling restored Liverpool's two-goal cushion in the 62nd minute with a shot that took a cruel deflection off Bradley Johnson, but Snodgrass's 77th-minute header set up a nail-biting denouement.Arsenal kept their noses in front of Everton in the race for the fourth and final Champions League qualifying berth with a comfortable 3-0 win at future FA Cup final opponents Hull City.Arsenal welcomed Mesut Ozil back from a hamstring injury and he played a part in the 31st-minute move that led to Aaron Ramsey drilling the visitors in front.In response, Hull midfielder Jake Livermore drove a low shot against the post, only for Lukas Podolski to emphatically volley home Arsenal's second goal just before half-time from Ramsey's chested lay-off.Podolski claimed his second goal in the 54th minute, tucking away the rebound after Hull goalkeeper Allan McGregor had blocked from the irrepressible Ramsey.We kept a clean sheet and we scored three goals, and overall I believe the performance was good, said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.It's in our hands. Do we win our games? So let's just focus to win the games. We have a great desire to do it and I think we can, but it's down to the quality of the performance in every game.The victory provisionally put Arsenal four points clear of fifth-place Everton, but Roberto Martinez's side trimmed their lead back to a point with a clinical 2-0 defeat of Manchester United.It was United manager David Moyes's first visit to Goodison Park since he left to succeed Alex Ferguson last year and it was to prove a chastening one, as his side fell to their 11th defeat of a dismal campaign.Leighton Baines, a one-time United target, put Everton ahead from the penalty spot in the 28th minute after Phil Jones had blocked a shot with his hand and Kevin Mirallas added a second goal shortly before half-time.What I was pleased with was that the team showed a real focus in wanting to win the game, said Martinez.We were very fresh. The squad is ready and that's pleasing.Defeat for United means that last season's champions can no longer qualify for the Champions League, after 18 successive seasons in the competition.Asked if it hurt, Moyes told a TV reporter: It does, because it's part of this club and we want to be in it. We'll do everything we can to get ourselves back in it as quickly as we can.

Football: Messi winner maintains Barca's title hopes

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MADRID (AFP) - Barcelona maintained their slim chances of retaining their La Liga title as they came from behind to beat Athletic Bilbao 2-1 at the Camp Nou on Sunday.Aritz Aduriz's opener five minutes into the second-half had Barca on course for a fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions.However, the Catalans showed fine spirit to respond as two goals in as many minutes from Pedro Rodriguez and Lionel Messi handed them all three points.Victory lifts Barca into second place, two points ahead of Real Madrid having played a game more, but still four points adrift of leaders Atletico Madrid with four games remaining.Defeat for Athletic also hots up the race for fourth place as the Basque side now lead Sevilla by just three points with the two sides set to meet next weekend.After a difficult 10 days which saw his side eliminated from the Champions League, lose the Copa del Rey final to Real Madrid and see their title chances dented by defeat at Granada last weekend, Barca boss Gerardo Martino hailed his players resolve.In the first half I was thinking it would be one of those days because it is not normal that a team has so many chances and doesn't score.They kept playing and with a lot of heart in a difficult situation. More than just playing good football, which they always do, they showed a lot of courage and heart.And Javier Mascherano insisted they have to keep the pressure on Atletico and Real to ensure they remain in a position to take advantage of any slip ups in the final month of the season. We need to cling on to the little chance we have, there is no point in the two teams above us slipping up if we don't win our games, he told Canal Plus.We are missing a lot of chances. Once again we had to come from behind, but that is the attitude that we have to show. We played well albeit we found it difficult to score.Barca had the majority of the chances early on as Pedro wasted the first opening of the game as he placed his shot too close to Gorka Iraizoz before the Athletic goalkeeper also smothered an effort from Messi.It was the visitors who nearly went in front in spectacular style on the half hour, though, as Aduriz sent a stunning overhead kick crashing off the inside of the post and Jose Manuel Pinto reacted well to parry Markel Susaeta's follow-up effort.Barca were shocked into action by that scare and should have been in front moments later when Alexis Sanchez turned Pedro's low cross on to the crossbar.Iraizoz then made two more comfortable saves from Pedro and Sanchez to keep the scores level at the break and things got even better for Athletic five minutes after the restart when Aduriz's low strike this time found the bottom corner of the net.Barca then laid siege to the Athletic goal as Pedro again shot straight at Iraizoz when clean through before Messi also wasted a great chance when he pulled his shot wide of the target.The hosts did finally find a way through 18 minutes from time in somewhat fortunate circumstances as Sanchez's intended shot fell perfectly into the path of Pedro to tap home his 19th goal of the season.Two minutes later Barca had turned the game on its head as Messi was felled on the edge of the area by Oscar de Marcos and picked himself up to thump the resulting free kick low into the far corner.Barca should have extended their lead as Javier Mascherano and Cristian Tello wasted great opportunities on the counter-attack.And they were nearly made to pay when Mascherano had to make a last-ditch challenge to prevent Mikel Rico equalising in stoppage time.

Tennis: Germany, Czech Republic into Fed Cup final

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PARIS (AFP) - Germany reached their first Fed Cup final since 1992 on Sunday where they will face the Czech Republic who will be playing in a third title match in four years.Germany completed a 3-1 victory over Australia in Brisbane while the Czechs, the 2011 and 2012 winners, defeated defending champions Italy 4-0 in Ostrava.The Czech Republic will host the final on November 8-9.Angelique Kerber put Germany into their first final in 22 years -- when Steffi Graf starred in the win over Spain -- with a fighting victory over Samantha Stosur.World number seven Kerber fought back from dropping the opening set to beat former US Open champion Stosur 4-6, 6-0, 6-4 in two hours 14 minutes to give Germany an unassailable 3-0 lead.The Australian pair of Casey Dellacqua and Ashleigh Barty prevented a wipe-out when they claimed the dead doubles rubber 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 10-2 over Julia Goerges and Anna-Lena Groenefeld. It's a very special moment for me and the whole team, Kerber said.It feels great. I played a good match but it was a tough one because Sam was playing also very tough and I have never beaten her before.Germany celebrated their victory by flying back to Europe in their pyjamas.We'll be flying home in pyjamas, that was the deal, Andrea Petkovic told SID, an AFP subsidiary, after the team had previously said they would don nightwear, which were gifts from the Australian team, for the 24-hour flight home via Dubai, if they won.There was also a practical reason for the unusual dresscode.After arriving in Germany, Kerber and Petkovic will fly straight to Stuttgart for the WTA claycourt tournament, which starts on Monday, and will need all the rest they can get for their matches on Tuesday or Wednesday.It was overall reasonably disappointing, especially when you don't get through, Stosur said.I don't know if I can fight any harder than I did in that match.In Ostrava, Petra Kvitova, the world number six and a former Wimbledon champion, saw off 20th-ranked Roberta Vinci 6-3, 7-5 in an hour-and-a-half to hand the Czechs an unassailable 3-0 lead.Klara Koukalova and Andrea Hlavackova then earned the fourth point for the hosts after beating Camila Giorgi and Karin Knapp 6-2, 5-7, 11-9 in the dead doubles rubber.I'm happy we've made it and it will be a pleasure for the whole country to host the final again, said Kvitova, praising her fellow players as a superb team.In the World Group play-offs, where the winners will play in the elite section in 2015, Russia, playing without Maria Sharapova, beat Argentina 4-0 in Winter Olympics host city Sochi.In Barcelona, world number three Agnieszka Radwanska collected three points over the weekend as Poland edged Spain 3-2.Radwanska won both her singles and then teamed up with Alicia Rosolska to beat Anabel Medina-Garrigues 6-4, 6-2 in the deciding doubles.In Quebec City, Canada took an unassailable 3-0 lead over Slovakia when Eugenie Bouchard won her second singles rubber of the weekend by seeing off Jana Cepelova 7-6 (8/6), 6-3.In St Louis, the United States, who won the last of their record 17 Fed Cup titles in 2000, took a 2-1 lead over France when Sloane Stephens eased past Virginie Razzano 6-2, 6-4.

Formula One: Hamilton wins Chinese Grand Prix

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SHANGHAI (AFP) - Lewis Hamilton won the Chinese Grand Prix comfortably ahead of his team-mate Nico Rosberg Sunday as Mercedes tightened their grip on the season with their third one-two finish in a row.The British former world champion got away smoothly from pole position and finished 19 seconds ahead of Rosberg, with Ferrari's Fernando Alonso third in front of the two Red Bulls.Despite winning three races in a row for the first time in his career, Hamilton still trails Rosberg by four points in the title race as he seeks his second world championship.Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo held off his team-mate and reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel for fourth spot with the Force India of Nico Hulkenberg coming home in sixth.I can't believe how amazing the car is. I was able to look after the tyres and then I was racing myself, said Hamilton on the podium after the race.I'm really happy Nico's up here with us. It's great points for the team.In dry conditions, Hamilton got away cleanly from pole position at the start and by lap six he already had a four-second cushion on the field.Behind him Vettel moved up from third past his team-mate Ricciardo, as did Alonso who got a flying start in the Ferrari.The early drama came behind as Felipe Massa in the Williams dived past Nico Rosberg's Mercedes and banged his left rear wheel against Alonso's car.Rosberg, seemingly mesmerised by Massa's overtaking manoeuvre, then touched wheels with the other Williams of Valtteri Bottas on his outside but came through unscathed.It took Rosberg two laps to get back past Massa and when the first round of pit stops began on lap 12, the Williams crew could not remove Massa's damaged rear left. By the time they finally replaced it, Massa had been relegated to last place and the Brazilian eventually finished way down in 15th.Alonso stopped a lap earlier than Vettel in what proved a masterstroke as, with his rubber up to race temperature sooner, he got past the four-time world champion.Ricciardo pitted after 15 laps, dropping him behind Rosberg.Rosberg and Vettel became engaged in a wheel-to-wheel battle for third place on lap 23 from which the Mercedes driver emerged in front. Their fight enable Ricciardo to close on his team-mate and Vettel was asked to move over, as he had in Bahrain, to let the quicker Ricciardo through.But Vettel this time was having none of it. Tough luck, he said of Ricciardo's position over team radio, and he defended his fourth place only to be passed a couple of laps later. By lap 33 of the 56 Rosberg had Alonso in his sights and was told to push hard to catch the Spaniard over team radio.Alonso responded by pitting, leaving the familiar sight of two Mercedes at the head of the field for the third race in a row until Rosberg himself stopped for a second time.Vettel was having a frustrating afternoon and with badly grained tyres suffered the ignominy of at one point being passed by the Caterham of Kamui Kobayashi, much to the Red Bull driver's disgust.Hamilton made his second and final stop on lap 38 and emerged from the pit lane with a 13-second cushion over Alonso. Rosberg was flying, however, and after setting the fastest lap he re-took second place by easily passing Alonso on a straight.With four races out of 19 gone, Mercedes already have a stranglehold on the constructors' standings with 154 points, 97 more than second-placed Red Bull.

Boxing: Champion Klitschko eyes Joe Louis heavyweight record

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BERLIN (AFP) - Wladimir Klitschko says he plans to box on for another decade in his bid to break Joe Louis's record as the longest reigning world heavyweight champion.The 38-year-old Klitschko, who has been world champion since 2006, defends his WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO belts in Oberhausen, Germany, on Saturday against Australian challenger Alex Leapai.Leapai, 34, has a 30-4-3 career record since turning professional in 2004, while Klitschko is 61-3 with 51 knock-outs and his last defeat is now a decade ago.Klitschko has said he has no plans to retire and wants to break US boxing legend Louis's record of 12 years as a world heavyweight champion, having been unbeaten between 1937 and 1949, with the Ukrainian needing to fight on for four more years time until 2018, when he will be 42.I just turned 38, but that's only a number, Klitschko told German daily Die Welt on Sunday.I am still extremely hungry and better than ever. A few years ago, I thought I couldn't improve, but my mission is still a long way from over. I want to box on for ten more years.I feel the combination of experience, athletic-ability, technique and strategy makes me the complete professional.Ukraine-born Klitschko admits it is challenging to prepare for his 65th professional fight with his brother Vitali in the thick of their country's volatile political situation in Kiev.It's a bizarre situation, said Wladimir.My body has been training at the camp in Austria, but my mind is often with my brother and our compatriots in Ukraine.

SpaceX supply capsule berths at ISS

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The unmanned Dragon capsule from the private US firm SpaceX successfully berthed at the International Space Station Sunday on its third trip carrying supplies and equipment to the orbiting lab.NASA television broadcast live images of the crew inside the ISS as the capsule was installed on the Earth-facing port of the Harmony module, a US-built utility hub, at 1406 GMT.It said the capsule, which berthed with the help of a long robotic arm, took place 260 miles (418 kilometers) above Brazil.Hours earlier, the 17.6-meter (57.7-foot) arm reached out and captured the gumdrop-shaped capsule from space at 1114 GMT.Capture complete, congratulations to the entire team, said the Japanese station commander, Koichi Wakata, who was in charge of operating the mechanical arm along with American Rick Mastracchio.Were excited, a smiling Wakata added.Astronauts were dressed casually in polo shirts as they carried out the Easter Sunday procedure, whose next steps include pressurizing the vessel between the capsule and ISS.Once this is completed, the capsules goodies, including food, new space suits, components to replace those aboard the ISS and equipment for 150 scientific experiments, can be unloaded.NASA said it expects the hatch will be opened in what will be early Monday morning in the United States.SpaceX has a $1.6 billion contract with NASA for a series of future supply missions.This marks the California-based companys third commercial resupply mission and fourth visit to the ISS.After three delays, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted off with the Dragon capsule from Cape Canaveral in Florida on Friday afternoon.The mission had originally been scheduled for mid-March but did not go ahead because of technical issues.The Dragon capsule is due to deliver 2.2 tonnes of cargo, including the equipment for 150 scientific experiments.One of the experiments will be the Vegetable Production System, or Veggie, which would allow the production of salad-type crops to safely feed the astronauts.Another experiment seeks to determine why an astronauts immune system weakens in microgravity.NASA is also sending an experiment system that can more rapidly transmit data using a laser communication system, in a first from space.In all, SpaceX is due to complete 12 missions for the US space agency.SpaceX became the first commercial entity to reach the space station with its Dragon cargo ship in May 2012 in a trial run.Owned by Internet entrepreneur Elon Musk, the companys first cargo mission took place in October that year.The last mission involving a Dragon capsule was completed in March 2013.

Study: Fuels from corn waste not better than gas

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WASHINGTON (AP) - Biofuels made from the leftovers of harvested corn plants are worse than gasoline for global warming in the short term, a study shows, challenging the Obama administration's conclusions that they are a much cleaner oil alternative and will help fight climate change.A $500,000 study paid for by the federal government and released Sunday in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Climate Change concludes that biofuels made with corn residue release 7 percent more greenhouse gases in the early years compared with conventional gasoline.While biofuels are better in the long run, the study says they won't meet a standard set in a 2007 energy law to qualify as renewable fuel.The conclusions deal a blow to what are known as cellulosic biofuels, which have received more than a billion dollars in federal support but have struggled to meet volume targets mandated by law. About half of the initial market in cellulosics is expected to be derived from corn residue.The biofuel industry and administration officials immediately criticized the research as flawed. They said it was too simplistic in its analysis of carbon loss from soil, which can vary over a single field, and vastly overestimated how much residue farmers actually would remove once the market gets underway.The core analysis depicts an extreme scenario that no responsible farmer or business would ever employ because it would ruin both the land and the long-term supply of feedstock. It makes no agronomic or business sense, said Jan Koninckx, global business director for biorefineries at DuPont.Later this year the company is scheduled to finish a $200 million-plus facility in Nevada, Iowa, that will produce 30 million gallons (114 million liters) of cellulosic ethanol using corn residue from nearby farms. An assessment paid for by DuPont said that the ethanol it will produce there could be more than 100 percent better than gasoline in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.The research is among the first to attempt to quantify, over 12 Corn Belt states, how much carbon is lost to the atmosphere when the stalks, leaves and cobs that make up residue are removed and used to make biofuel, instead of left to naturally replenish the soil with carbon. The study found that regardless of how much corn residue is taken off the field, the process contributes to global warming.I knew this research would be contentious, said Adam Liska, the lead author and an assistant professor of biological systems engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I'm amazed it has not come out more solidly until now.The Environmental Protection Agency's own analysis, which assumed about half of corn residue would be removed from fields, found that fuel made from corn residue, also known as stover, would meet the standard in the energy law. That standard requires cellulosic biofuels to release 60 percent less carbon pollution than gasoline.Cellulosic biofuels that don't meet that threshold could be almost impossible to make and sell. Producers wouldn't earn the $1 per gallon subsidy they need to make these expensive fuels and still make a profit. Refiners would shun the fuels because they wouldn't meet their legal obligation to use minimum amounts of next-generation biofuels.EPA spokeswoman Liz Purchia said in a statement that the study does not provide useful information relevant to the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions from corn stover ethanol.But an AP investigation last year found that the EPA's analysis of corn-based ethanol failed to predict the environmental consequences accurately.The departments of Agriculture and Energy have initiated programs with farmers to make sure residue is harvested sustainably. For instance, farmers will not receive any federal assistance for conservation programs if too much corn residue is removed.A peer-reviewed study performed at the Energy Department's Argonne National Laboratory in 2012 found that biofuels made with corn residue were 95 percent better than gasoline in greenhouse gas emissions. That study assumed some of the residue harvested would replace power produced from coal, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but it's unclear whether future biorefineries would do that.Liska agrees that using some of the residue to produce electricity, or planting cover crops, would reduce carbon emissions. But he did not include those in his computer simulation.Still, corn residue is likely to be a big source early on for cellulosic biofuels, which have struggled to reach commercial scale. Last year, for the fifth time, the EPA proposed reducing the amount required by law. It set a target of 17 million gallons (64 million liters) for 2014. The law envisioned 1.75 billion gallons (6.6 billion liters) being produced this year.The study says it will be very hard to make a biofuel that has a better greenhouse gas impact than gasoline using corn residue, which puts it in the same boat as corn-based ethanol, said David Tilman, a professor at the University of Minnesota who has done research on biofuels' emissions from the farm to the tailpipe.Tilman said it was the best study on the issue he has seen so far.

BCCI proposes panel to probe IPL scandal

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NEW DELHI (AFP) - The Indian cricket board on Sunday decided to recommend to the Supreme Court a three-man panel to probe a spot-fixing scandal that hit the Indian Premier League, an official said.The Supreme Court had last week asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to provide details of how it planned to conduct a fresh probe into the scandal, or face investigation by a court-appointed tribunal.BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel declined to reveal the names in the proposed panel, saying they will be handed to the court at the next hearing on Tuesday.But the Press Trust of India and TV channels said the panel will comprise former captain and commentator Ravi Shastri, Jai Narain Patel, an ex- chief justice of the Kolkata Hight Court, and R.K. Raghavan, who earlier headed the federal Central Bureau of Investigation.Lawyers for the BCCI will put forward the three names on Tuesday, hoping the court will accept the proposal to prevent an outside agency from interfering in the case.The apex court had last week rejected N. Srinivasan's plea to reinstate him as BCCI chief, saying he had effectively turned a blind eye to allegations of wrongdoing in the IPL.The court said Srinivasan -- who is due to take over as chairman of the International Cricket Council in July -- was among 13 people listed in a damning report by a previous court-appointed panel.The court did not disclose the other names, saying allegations against the 13 were unsubstantiated and needed to be probed further.The court last month ordered Srinivasan to stand aside, installing batting Indian great Sunil Gavaskar as interim BCCI head, charged with overseeing the ongoing IPL Twenty20 tournament.The court said Srinivasan's presence as BCCI head would prevent a fair investigation into the allegations.The panel's report, sections of which were released in February, concluded that Srinivasan's son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan -- who was the team principal of the Chennai Super Kings -- could be guilty of illegal betting on IPL games.The Super Kings are owned by India Cements, whose managing director is Srinivasan. The team is captained by India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.International news organisations, including Agence France-Presse (AFP), have suspended their on-field coverage of matches hosted by the BCCI since 2012 after the board imposed restrictions on picture agencies.

Windies bowler Roach shrugs off car crash

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BRIDGETOWN (AFP) - West Indies fast bowler Kemar Roach escaped serious injury when his BMW car flipped over several times on a rain-lashed Bridgetown road, local media reported Sunday.The 25-year-old suffered a head injury and was taken to hospital, the Barbados Today online newspaper claimed.But Roach insisted he had not been seriously hurt.Sorry To Scare My Friends, Family And Fans But Im Straight Thanks For The Love BlessUp, he wrote on Twitter.Roach has played 23 Tests and 61 one-day internationals but has not featured for the West Indies in nearly a year.

76th death anniversary of Allama Iqbal today

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) -- The 76th death anniversary of national poet Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal is being observed in the country today (Monday), Dunya News reported.Rich tributes are being paid to the poet who is widely referred to as poet of the east and is credited with sparking the pan-Islamic thought among Muslims of the subcontinent.Allama Iqbal is being remembered to acknowledge his services towards Muslims’ right to self-determination that is said to have led to the creation of Pakistan.Allama Muhammad Iqbal was Born in Sialkot on November 9, 1877. He is also recognised as national poet, and known as Muffakir-e-Pakistan, Shair-e-Mashriq and Hakeemul Ummat. He is also considered one of the most important figures in literature with literary works in both Urdu and Persian languages. Asrar-e-Khudi, Payam-i-Mashriq, Bang-i-Dara, Bal-i-Jibril, Zarb-i Kalim and Armughan-e-Hijaz were amongst his best works.Various social, political and cultural organizations will hold special programmes to pay homage to the poet. He passed away in Lahore on April 21, 1938.

Bilawal to visit Lahore: PPP writes to Punjab govt for security

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Punjab chapter wrote to Punjab government for adequate security for upcoming visit of former president Asif Ali Zardari and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto to Lahore, Dunya News reported.According to reports, PPP Punjab wrote to Inspector General (IG) Punjab Police, Home Secretary Punjab and various superiors of government informing that Zardari and Bilawal will visit Lahore next week to participate in various activities and to meet party workers.Party leadership demanded Punjab government to provide foolproof security for the period of top leadership’s visit.Reportedly, PPP leadership demanded Bilawal and Zardari be provided security at Bilawal House Bahria Town, adjacent roads and other areas as well as to the reception ceremonies.According to Dunya news, IG Punjab Khan Baig contacted Bilawal Bhutto’s security officer and assured complete and foolproof security to PPP chairman upon his visit to Punjab.It merits mentioning here that PPP’s top leadership has avoided Punjab visit due to security threats. Bilawal Bhutto has previously canceled Punjab visit a number of times for similar reasons.It merits mentioning here that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto claimed last month that he received threats from the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.Received threat letter from LEJ. Will hold Punjab govt responsible 4 LEJ attacks if Sharif cont 2 give them protection & refuse2 take action, Bilawal tweeted on Thursday night.The chief minister of Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif, had immediately taken notice of Bilawal’s tweet and ordered the inspector-general of Punjab to contact the PPP leader and look into the threats sent to him.
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