Thursday 10 July 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Obama tells Netanyahu US willing to broker Gaza ceasefire

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President Barack Obama on Thursday told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he was worried fierce fighting with Hamas in Gaza could escalate, and offered US help to broker a ceasefire.Obama spoke to the Israeli leader after Israeli warplanes pounded the Palestinian enclave but did not stop militants firing rockets at cities inside the Jewish state, and as global concern over rising Palestinian casualties mounted.The president expressed concern about the risk of further escalation and emphasized the need for all sides to do everything they can to protect the lives of civilians and restore calm, the White House said in a statement.The United States remains prepared to facilitate a cessation of hostilities, including a return to the November 2012 ceasefire agreement.The 2012 deal, brokered by former secretary of state Hillary Clinton and Egypt, ended eight days of Israeli airstrikes on Hamas targets in a previous showdown.The White House statement said that Obama told Netanyahu that he understood Israel had a right to defend itself and that he condemned rocket attacks by Hamas and other militant groups launched from Gaza.Obama expressed sympathy for the deaths of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank that triggered new tensions between the Jewish state and Palestinians and praised Israel for swiftly making arrests in the case of a Palestinian youth apparently killed in reprisal for the incident.Obama also expressed concern over the case of a Palestinian-American teenager allegedly beaten in police custody.The two leaders also discussed the effort to conclude a deal on curtailing Iran's nuclear program by an approaching July 20 deadline. Netanyahu has previously expressed deep skepticism of the US approach toward Iran.

Israeli raids kill 32 on third day of Gaza campaign

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GAZA CITY (AFP) - Israeli strikes on Gaza killed at least 32 people Thursday as an air war entered its third day, with most of the bloodshed in the southern city of Khan Yunis, medics said.The latest bloodshed raised to 83 the overall number of Gazans killed since Israel launched Operation Protective Edge early on Tuesday to halt cross-border rocket fire by militant groups.Most of the deaths occurred in Khan Yunis, with a strike at about 1:00 am (2200 GMT on Wednesday night) hitting a cafe where football fans were watching the World Cup semi-final between Argentina and Holland.Nine people were killed and at least 15 wounded, emergency services spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said.An hour later, Israeli warplanes struck two houses elsewhere in the city, killing four women and four children.Another strike on the city killed a 19-year-old man and his 75-year-old father.A four-year-old child who was also injured in one of the strikes on Khan Yunis died of her injuries during the day.In central Gaza, a man was killed in an air strike on Nusseirat refugee camp.In Zeitun, east of Gaza City, a missile killed a man on a motorbike in the late afternoon.In Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, another man was killed by a missile riding his motorbike hours later.Another man was killed in a strike on the northern town of Jabaliya.Hours earlier, a strike on a car elsewhere in Jabaliya killed three men, all of them members of Islamic Jihad's armed wing, the Al-Quds Brigades, a fellow militant told AFP.The army also identified them as Islamic Jihad militants involved in firing rockets at Israel.It named one as Allaa Abd al-Nabi and said he played an active part in the current escalation and was responsible for firing long-range rockets over the border.Earlier, a strike on a car in the west of Gaza City killed a 35-year-old man and two others.And in the north, a five-year-old boy was killed when an Israeli missile struck the town of Beit Lahiya.Medics said a 22-year-old man died of injuries sustained in northern Gaza, without specifying when.Another man who was badly wounded in a raid east of Gaza City a day earlier also died of his wounds, taking Wednesday's toll to 30 people.On Tuesday, the first day of the operation, 21 people were killed.The army said it had hit more than 300 targets overnight, raising the total number of strikes just over 48 hours to 750, in Israel's largest military operation in Gaza since November 2012.On Tuesday, 117 rockets fired by Gaza militants struck Israel, and 29 were intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-missile system.Another 90 rockets hit Israel on Wednesday, 24 of which were intercepted.On Thursday, over 120 rockets struck Israel, while another 24 were intercepted, army figures show.There have been no Israeli deaths so far, although medics said one woman died on Thursday, a day after falling while running for cover.Hamas has launched waves of rockets across central Israel that have triggered sirens in cities as far from Gaza as Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa.

Kerry in Kabul on key mission to calm election turmoil

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KABUL (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Afghanistan Friday on a key mission to try to quell tensions over disputed presidential polls, which have triggered fears of violence and ethnic unrest.Kerry, who landed on a pre-dawn, unannounced visit, had earlier said Afghanistan faces a critical moment as Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani wrangle to take up the reins while international forces withdraw following more than a decade of war.Preliminary results from a second round run-off have put Ghani in the lead, but Abdullah, who has already once lost a presidential bid, has declared himself the true winner, saying massive fraud robbed him of victory.The election stand-off has sparked concern that protests could spiral into ethnic violence and even lead to a return of the fighting between warlords that ravaged Afghanistan during the 1992-1996 civil war.Without backing either candidate, Kerry was to meet Friday with outgoing President Hamid Karzai as well as both presidential hopefuls, UN officials and possibly members of the independent election commission.He will be pressing both candidates to accept a thorough audit of results in some key areas which have raised concerns.The top goal was to try to finalise the election, a senior US administration official told reporters flying in with Kerry from Beijing.That's going to require a thorough review of all reasonable allegations of fraud which means doing significant additional audits, the official said, asking not to be named.State Department press office director Jeff Rathke said in a statement that while the United States does not support an individual candidate, we do support a credible, transparent and inclusive process that affirms the Afghan people's commitment to democracy.Washington was also looking to the troubled election process to produce a president who can bring Afghanistan together and govern effectively, Rathke added in the statement.The United States has warned both candidates that any attempted power grab will lead to an immediate cut in billions of dollars in annual aid to Afghanistan.Kerry himself, speaking at a press conference after two days of high-stakes talks in Beijing, said that this is a critical moment for the transition which is essential to the future governance of the country.After more than 13 years of war following the 2001 US invasion to oust hardline Taliban militants, President Barack Obama has said all American forces will be withdrawn by the end of 2016.The 30,000 US troops on the ground will be whittled down to 9,800 next year, leaving Afghan security forces in full control of battling a resilient Taliban and Al-Qaeda insurgency.Eight million votes were cast in the election, and preliminary results showed Ghani garnered an estimated 56 percent, while Abdullah, who had been seen as the front-runner, got some 43 percent -- a gap of around one million votes.The problem is that both candidates have acknowledged and agreed even before those results were announced that there was wide-spread fraud in this election, the US senior administration official said.Our view was that until the candidates were satisfied by the degree of audits that have taken place, there should not have been an announcement of results. And we made that clear.He also stressed that, according to the US, the preliminary results may or may not reflect the true outcome of the tight vote. The US would not acknowledge any final results until a satisfactory auditing has taken place.Both Obama and Kerry have spoken to both presidential rivals by telephone to encourage them to accept an audit, as well as to speak to each other, something that's not happening, the official said.There are growing fears in Washington that unless the political transition is successfully achieved, the situation could deteriorate and mirror the chaos in Iraq, where Islamic militants have captured a huge swathe of northern territory.The Obama administration is also desperately waiting for Afghan leaders to sign a bilateral pact governing the presence of US forces in the country beyond this year.Karzai walked away from the deal, but both presidential candidates have said that they would sign it.

De Mistura succeeds Brahimi as UN envoy for Syria

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - Italian-Swedish diplomat Staffan de Mistura was named UN mediator for Syria on Thursday, taking on the Herculean task of finding a political solution to the dragging civil war.He replaces the hugely respected Lakhdar Brahimi, who resigned in May after two rounds of peace talks collapsed and as the conflict escalated into a fourth year, killing more than 162,000 people.UN chief Ban Ki-moon confirmed the appointment of the special representative and his Egyptian deputy, urging the much-divided Security Council and Syrian parties to work closely with him.Ban has frequently criticized animosity on the Council between Western powers and Russia, a close ally of Damascus, which has all but paralyzed an international response to the crisis.The special envoy will provide good offices aimed at bringing an end to all violence and human rights violations, and promoting a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis, Ban said.He said the Arab League had recommended Egyptian diplomat and former deputy foreign minister Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy for the job, but that both appointments had been made by him as UN chief.Brahimi, a seasoned Algerian diplomat, was joint representative of both the United Nations and Arab League.De Mistura, who has served previously in Iraq and Afghanistan, inherits a job many consider flat-out impossible.Questioned about whether the Italian-Swede, now the third envoy to the crisis, could bring anything new to the table, Ban acknowledged it was a tough job.He will bring all his expertise and experiences to these very difficult negotiations for peace in Syria so I'm confident that he will be able to carry out his duty as special envoy, he said.The UN's political approach, concentrating on putting in place a transitional government in Damascus, has hit a dead-end and was all but buried by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's re-election in June.Ban warned only last month that the new mediator would not have a magic wand to resolve the conflict.Born in Sweden, the 67-year-old de Mistura is an ex deputy Italian foreign minister and has worked for the United Nations for more than three decades, with extensive experience in conflict zones.He was UN special representative to Iraq from 2007 to 2009 and special representative to Afghanistan from 2010 to 2011.He has also held UN posts in Somalia, Sudan and the Balkans, and was a deputy director at the UN World Food Program in 2009-10.He speaks six languages, including English, French and German. His mastery of Arabic has been described by the UN as colloquial.It took all the considerable skills of Brahimi, who served as the envoy from August 2012 until May 2014, to coax Assad and Syria's fractious opposition to the negotiating table in Geneva.But talks broke down after only two rounds in January and February amid bitter recriminations.Brahimi's own predecessor, former UN secretary general Kofi Annan, stepped down after barely six months, frustrated by international divisions.Assad's June 3 re-election was heavily criticized by Western powers but Damascus has scored some military successes and the conflict has spread to Iraq, where jihadists have declared an Islamic caliphate incorporating territory in both countries.The humanitarian situation has also become considerably worse.The United Nations says 10.8 million Syrians are in urgent need of humanitarian aid -- nearly half of Syria's population -- including 6.6 million children.There are 2.9 million Syrian refugees posing a drain on meager resources in neighboring countries.A UN Security Council resolution on aid access has yet to be enforced on the ground and 4.7 million Syrians are in areas that are difficult or impossible for humanitarian workers to reach.Ban spent considerable time searching for a mediator to replace Brahimi, looking for someone competent but acceptable to the main players, and someone brave enough to take on the job.British Foreign Secretary William Hague welcomed the new appointment, saying it comes at a time when the need for a political settlement in Syria has never been more pressing.Political transition by mutual agreement of the Syrian parties, supported by the international community, remains the only way to bring about sustainable peace in Syria.

Rio braces for Argentina's World Cup fan frenzy

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RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) - Rio de Janeiro braced Thursday for up to 100,000 Argentine fans arriving by car, bus and motorhome for the World Cup final against Germany at the iconic Maracana Stadium.Argentina has sent the biggest contingent of fans to Brazil during the month-long tournament, flooding cities to follow their hero Lionel Messi's team even though many have not even had tickets to the games.Tens of thousands who were in Sao Paulo for Wednesday's semi-final triumph against the Netherlands hit the road the next day for the six-hour trek across the southeastern region ahead of Sunday's final.They were joining others who have been in Rio for days already, anticipating their team's triumph while camping out at the Terreirao do Samba, an open-air concert venue now packed with cars, minibuses and motorhomes.Since that venue is full, authorities are offering to house the newcomers nearby at the Sambadrome, the arena that normally hosts Rio's sensual and colorful Carnival parade. Police want to prevent a repeat of them setting up camp on Copacabana.At the Terreirao do Samba, Brazilian beats were replaced by the taunting chants of Argentine fans who sang Brazil, tell me how you feel Maradona is better than PeleAlan Risso, a 22-year-old prison guard, said he had left the Argentine city of Santa Fe, 2,600 kilometers (1,600 miles) from Rio, with a friend on Saturday afternoon and hitchhiked their way north.We saw the Argentina-Belgium (quarter-final) on Saturday in a truck, said Risso, who sleeps on the ground under the stars.On Wednesday they were on Copacabana beach, watching the game against the Dutch on a giant screen with thousands of other football fans at the official Fan Fest.For the final, they hope to find a location close to the Maracana, the home of Brazilian football.Despite the age-old football rivalry between Brazil and Argentina, Rio's tourism department said it would unfurl a red carpet for the 100,000 Argentines expected to arrive in the city.Many will have to watch the game in bars or public screenings because the Maracana, which was originally built for 200,000 spectators, was reduced to a capacity of around 75,000 for the World Cup.Police will be watching out for any troublemakers. Before the World Cup, Brazil said it would prevent 2,100 known hooligans from entering the country. More than 50 have been detained at the border or in stadiums.Authorities will deploy some 11,500 police officers around the stadium for the final, a twofold increase from the six other cup games played there, according to the G1 news website. The justice ministry said it would double the number of soldiers to 1,000.When Argentina played Bosnia in Rio last month, some 30 Argentinian fans climbed a stadium fence and pushed through doors to enter the arena. Eight were detained but the rest apparently made it inside.While Brazilians call Argentines hermanos (brothers), they have an intense football rivalry.Many Brazilians were rooting for the Dutch to defeat Argentina on Wednesday. In turn, Argentinians have taunted Brazilians about their team's humiliating 7-1 semi-final defeat to Germany.Three Argentines painted their bodies in the country's white and blue colors. One had inscribed the number 1 on his chest, the other an x and the last one 7.Others have waved national flags with an image of Argentine Pope Francis and the words How do you feel, Brazil, having your daddy at home?I promised to three friends that if we win the World Cup I will pay them for a hotel with the most beautiful girls in Rio, said Franco Mulle, 22, who arrived on Saturday after more than two days on the road in his small car, where he now sleeps.

Tennis star Djokovic weds in romantic ceremony

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SVETI STEFAN (AFP) - Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic and his longtime girlfriend Jelena Ristic wed Thursday in a gazebo civil ceremony on a lawn at a posh Adriatic resort.The event, held in a park above a beach close to the luxury Montenegro islet Sveti Stefan, was attended by the families, close friends and some hundred guests, said a source close to the families who requested anonymity. The ceremony was followed by a banquet... Clouds and some rain drops did not spoil the festivities, the source told AFP.A religious ceremony was to take place on Saturday.Among the guest's attending Thursday's ceremony were Russian tennis players Maria Sharapova, Djokovic's coach Marjan Vajda and his wife, as well as his Serbian fellow tennis players Viktor Troicki, Nenad Zimonjic and Janko Tipsarevic.On two beaches just opposite Sveti Stefan, some 50 people gathered hoping to see the newly-weds.The 27-year-old Djokovic -- who won his second Wimbledon title on Sunday -- and Ristic are expecting their first child later this year.According to local media reports they rented all of islet resort, which is occupied by a fortified village built in the 15th century, to maintain privacy. Many international film stars, among them Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Orson Welles and Kirk Douglas, frequented the resort in the 1960s and 1970s.Djokovic and Ristic also arranged to have the nearest beach closed to the public to prevent intruders or paparazzi getting close. Security officers dressed in civilian clothes were deployed.Belgrade's Blic newspaper reported that employees at the Sveti Stefan resort had to sign gag orders relating to the wedding and were prohibited from bringing cameras or mobile phones to the islet, which connected to the mainland by a stony strip.The world number one, who dedicated his Wimbledon title to his future wife and child, has told reporters he would now close a tennis chapter for a while to concentrate on his wife and budding family.

Tennis: Aussie Groth upsets Mahut to reach Newport semis

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NEWPORT (AFP) - Australia's Samuel Groth dethroned defending champion and fourth seed Nicolas Mahut 6-3, 6-4 on Thursday to reach his first career ATP semi-final at the Hall of Fame Championships.Groth, a 26-year-old from Melbourne who is ranked 123rd in the world, blasted 10 aces and saved the only break point he faced to eliminate the Frenchman in 77 minutes.I've had a great grass-court season already. I really had nothing to lose, Groth said. I went out there confident. I thought I played really well.Groth, who ousted US fifth seed Donald Young in the opening round, booked a Saturday semi-final date against Croatian second seed Ivo Karlovic, who ousted Israel's Dudi Sela 7-6 (7/3), 7-5 at the $474,000 grass-court event.With his run of three wins this week, Groth will jump into the top 100 in the world rankings and a spot in the US Open main draw.I've got myself in great shape, Groth said. I'm not losing my mind out on court. I'm doing a lot of things better. I've tightened up my groundstrokes. I'm volleying better than I ever have. I'm making it tough for guys to break me. I'm becoming more prepared to be a top player.Groth has matched his number of ATP match triumphs from last year and the first half of this year combined.Groth's only two prior ATP singles wins of the season came in the opener at Brisbane. His lone ATP win last year came in the first round at Washington.Karlovic, who blasted nine aces to dispatch Sela in 92 minutes, beat Groth 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 in a first-round match at Delray Beach earlier this year.In Friday quarter-finals, Aussie third seed Lleyton Hewitt faces American sixth seed Steve Johnson and US top seed John Isner meets seventh-seeded countryman Jack Sock.

Golf: Uehara grabs lead at windswept British Open

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SOUTHPORT (AFP) - Japan's Ayako Uehara found her putting touch and soared to the head of the leaderboard on a day of tough scoring at the Women's British Open at Royal Birkdale on Thursday.Windy conditions and deep rough set a stiff test but Uehara had five birdies in a four under par 68 and she led by one from American Mo Martin.Uehara, a three-time winner on the Japanese Tour, made her only bogey at the long par four first, but she hit back with three birdies in the first half and more at the short 12th and long 18th.Only nine players finished under par and the list included defending champion Stacy Lewis on 71. But US Open champion Michelle Wie struggled from the tee and had to settle for a three over par 75.Martin, who uses the long putter and is renowned with her accuracy from the tee, matched Uehara's haul of five birdies but dropped shots at the second and 12th. Three players were on 70 -- Americans Morgan Pressel and Mina Harigae plus Australia's Sarah Kemp. Now in her second season on the US-based LPGA Tour, pocket-sized Uehara has struggled to hit any sort of form this year and missed the cut in the first two majors.But today my putting was so good, said the world number 125 after holing a string of 15-foot efforts for the birdies. I come from Okinawa in Japan and so I am used to the wind. I'm so happy and excited to play well in a major and this is definitely my best round of the year. But there are another three days to go. Lewis, the world number one and the winner at St Andrews last year, was happy to start with a number in red figures, even more so considering she was two over par after three holes.Anything under par is a good score today, she asserted. The opening few holes are so tough and I bogeyed the first and third. But I knew I had to stay patient. The conditions were pretty horrible but I managed to make a few birdies Wie who finished third at Birkdale as a 15-year-old amateur in 2005, described her round as a real battle.After three bogeys and a solitary birdie at the second in the outward half she dropped further shots at the 14th and 16th before making a welcome four at the long 18th. I put myself in some pretty tough positions from the tee, she admitted.I was in too many pot bunkers and there was a lot of chipping out from the rough.

Cycling: Greipel sprints to Tour de France sixth stage win

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REIMS (AFP) - Andre Greipel returned to form in style by sprinting to victory in Thursday's sixth stage of the Tour de France.The German continued his country's impressive Tour form by winning the 194km stage from Arras to Reims.Compatriot Marcel Kittel had won three of the first four stages.Norway's Alexander Kristoff was second with Samuel Dumoulin of France third.Race leader Vincenzo Nibali kept hold of the yellow jersey as he and the rest of the overall contenders finished safely in a reduced peloton.An early four-man breakaway failed to ignite a stage that had a sense of anti-climax following the drama of Wednesday's cobbled stage.Things only got heated in the final 10km, after the escapees had been caught, when the pace rose and crosswinds contributed to a split in the peloton.French champion Arnaud Demare was caught out, as well as his compatriot Thibaut Pinot, the top French hope in the general classification.Having dominated the three previous sprints for stage wins, Kittel seemed to be suffering the effects of a fall on Wednesday while his team were strangely missing from the front of the peloton.Before the final kilometre he had dropped out of the reckoning.Without Kittel it was anyone's sprint to win but Greipel, hitherto out of sorts in the sprints, powered through to win his sixth Tour stage.

Asian countries should stay vigilant against MERS: WHO

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MANILA (AFP) - Asian countries should keep their guard against the deadly Middle East respiratory virus, although in its current form it appears less infectious than originally thought, a World Health Organization expert said Thursday.The Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) has already killed 287 people, said Mark Jacobs, WHOs director for communicable diseases in the Western Pacific.However the relatives of those infected have not been showing any signs of catching it, he added.His comments come after the Philippines last week urged its large Muslim minority to reconsider plans to join the annual Hajj pilgrimage, which takes place in Saudi Arabia, until the threat from the virus has dissipated.A spread in our part of the world is small, Jacobs told reporters. If the virus stays unchanged, then I think that what we have been seeing is what we will keep seeing.Later Thursday, the WHO emphasised in a statement that the risk to Asian countries remained small only if the virus remained in its current form.Given that it is still not known how MERS spreads to people, WHO cannot predict how the virus will spread, the statement read. Therefore, it is important that health authorities stay vigilant.Our understanding of the virus and the disease it causes is continuing to evolve, the statement continued, calling on all countries to continue their surveillance for acute respiratory infections.The WHO said 15 countries have reported MERS cases, with the virus widely circulating in the Arabian peninsula.Outside the Middle East, both the Philippines and neighbour Malaysia have both reported cases of patients who apparently caught the virus after travelling there.These people had not infected others in their countries, according to a WHO report.We havent seen big outbreaks in a community or anything like that to suggest that its easy for some in the general community to be infected, (but) obviously we are keeping a close eye on that and hope that would not be the case, Jacobs said.While there was always a chance of the virus spreading in health care facilities treating infected patients, the risk to almost everyone in the world is extremely low.Jacobs advised Asians travelling to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj in October to take precautions, including proper hygiene and staying away from people exhibiting symptoms like coughing.The WHO has not issued any travel or trade restrictions or entry screening related to MERS.

Hostile people more likely to suffer a stroke: study

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Feeling cynical and hostile toward others may double the risk of having a stroke in middle-aged and older adults, according to a study out Thursday.The research in Stroke, a journal of the American Heart Association, also found that depression and high stress increased stroke risk.For the study, more than 6,700 adults aged 45 to 84 answered questionnaires about their state of mind and behavior.These surveys assessed chronic stress, depressive symptoms, anger and hostility over two years, and low scores indicated a lesser frequency of these feelings.Subjects reported no heart disease at the beginning of the study.They were followed for between eight and 11 years, during which time 147 had strokes and 48 transient ischemic attack (TIAs), a temporary blockage of blood flow to the brain.Researchers found that those with the highest hostility scores -- measured by assessing a persons cynical expectations of other peoples motives -- were more than twice as likely to have a stroke or TIA, compared to the lowest scorers.Similarly, high scores on depressive symptoms meant an 86 percent higher risk, and the chronically stressed faced a 59 percent higher risk of stroke or TIA.Perhaps surprisingly, anger was not associated with any risk of increased stroke.The study included a broad mix of Caucasian, African-American, Hispanic and Asian people.The associations between psychology and stroke remained even after researchers accounted for age, race, sex, health behaviors and other known risk factors of stroke.Theres such a focus on traditional risk factors -- cholesterol levels, blood pressure, smoking and so forth -- and those are all very important, but studies like this one show that psychological characteristics are equally important, said lead author Susan Everson-Rose, associate professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.Given our aging population, its important to consider these other factors that might play a role in disease risk.

Oil prices rise, snapping long losing streak

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Oil prices rebounded Thursday, snapping out of a long losing streak tied to easing concerns about potential Middle East supply disruptions.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for August rose 64 cents to close at $102.93 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, ending nine straight sessions of losses.Brent North Sea for delivery in August broke off an eight-day losing streak, adding 39 cents to settle at $108.67 a barrel in London trade.The petroleum markets are showing some signs of stabilizing after the persistent decline over the past two weeks, suggesting that the return of Libyan oil production and exports to the market has been largely priced in, said Tim Evans of Citi Futures.Evans said that an OPEC monthly oil report showing the cartels production declined 79,000 barrels per day in June as Iraqi output fell amid a deadly Islamic militant offensive may have also helped ease the markets jitters.WTI opened in negative territory and looked set for a 10th straight loss, but managed later in the session to catch a wave of buying that came on all the markets, said John Kilduff of Again Capital.Kilduff said the rebound above all was a technical correction after the sharp price fall.Weighing on prices earlier in the day was Chinese trade data showing crude-oil imports in the worlds largest energy consumer fell almost eight percent in June from May, Commerzbank said.Imports of 5.67 million barrels a day last month was also the second-lowest monthly import volume of the year, the German bank said in a research note.

Dollar, yen firm vs euro on Portuguese bank woes

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Worries about a major Portuguese bank sent investors scrambling Thursday for currencies considered to be safe havens, such as the US dollar and the yen.Fears over the health of Portugal's largest listed bank, Banco Espirito Santo, rattled stock markets in Europe and across the Atlantic, though Wall Street shares pared their losses to end modestly lower.Portugal was certainly an issue... the news that there is a concern about a missed payment by the country's second-largest lender certainly created a lot of volatility, said Alan Skrainka of Cornerstone Wealth Management.Kathy Lien of BK Asset Management said the missed debt payment by the Portuguese bank was a major factor sapping the euro's three-day rally.Portugal's problems bring back the dark memories of the eurozone sovereign debt and banking crisis, Lien said.News of the problem in Portugal's banking system came as official data showed France and Italy were the latest of Europe's biggest economies to post poor industrial production data, with Italian output falling the most since November 2012. Germany and Britain have already issued disappointing figures for May, raising fears that Europe's economic recovery may be stalling.Europe is back in the spotlight but for the wrong reasons, Lien said. Data released Thursday were weaker than expected, and further evidence that without strong policy measures, the eurozone will have difficulty improving its recent lackluster growth pace.

Shami stars as India take charge of first Test

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NOTTINGHAM (AFP) - India number 11 Mohammed Shami embarrassed England with the bat and then ensured home captain Alastair Cook's poor run of scores continued as the tourists seized control of the first Test at Trent Bridge.India piled up 457 on Thursday's second day following a record last-wicket stand against England of 111 between Bhuvneshwar Kumar (58) and last man Shami (51 not out), that highlighted the slow pace of the pitch.Both batsmen scored maiden fifties at this level as they far exceeded their previous Test-best innings of 39 (Kumar) and 11 (Shami) respectively.Shami then made it 25 innings for Cook since the last of his England record 25 Test hundreds when he bowled him round his legs for five after the ball deflected off the left-handed opener's thigh pad.When you are in a bit of a rut, you've not scored runs for a while, things go against you, England paceman Stuart Broad said of Cook's dismissal. But it will turn. It only takes a cover-drive or dropped catch to change your momentum. Sam Robson (20 not out) and Gary Ballance (15 not out) saw England to 43 for one at stumps.It was a good day because it's not a good wicket for bowling so we needed at least 450 runs, Kumar told reporters. Now it's time to bowl really well, We are confident we can get them (England) out. The pitch might help the spinners later on.Kumar, reflecting on his partnership with Shami, added: I tried to play most of the over when Shami came in but later he was playing his shots.England had looked like dismissing India for under 400 when the tourists slumped to 346 for nine after several self-inflicted wounds.But for the second time in as many Tests at Trent Bridge, England found themselves on the receiving end of a huge last-wicket stand after Australia's Phil Hughes and Ashton Agar put on a world record 163 last year, in a match Cook's side won nonetheless.England might have been expecting some runs from Kumar, who has a first-class hundred behind him.But the batting of Shami, who prior to this match had a Test average of 3.33, was something else.Their stand comfortably surpassed India's previous highest tenth-wicket partnership against England of 73 shared by Anil Kumble and Shanthakumaran Sreesanth at The Oval in 2007.In the circumstances, Broad's economical return of two for 53 in 33 overs on his Nottinghamshire home ground was especially creditable.It was frustrating but we tried pretty much everything with the ball, said Broad.New-ball partner James Anderson extended his own record for most Test wickets at Trent Bridge to 52 with three for 123 in 38 overs.But England's lack of a specialist spinner, and the workload problems this could lead to in a five-match series crammed into six weeks, was emphasised by part-time off-break bowler Moeen Ali's expensive return of one for 97 in 18 overs.India resumed Thursday on 259 for four with opener Murali Vijay 122 not out and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who won the toss, unbeaten on 50. Given the conditions on another sunny day, England could ill-afford to spurn chances. But when Dhoni, still on his overnight score, edged a full-length Broad delivery, wicketkeeper Matt Prior, diving to his right, dropped the one-handed catch. Vijay's near eight-hour innings eventually ended when he was lbw to Anderson, having faced 361 balls, including 25 fours and a six. India were well-placed at 342 for five at lunch.But shortly afterwards they lost four wickets for two runs thanks to a mixture of poor shots allied to Dhoni's needless run out for 82.Kumar eventually completed a 133-ball fifty with a single off Anderson.And the very next ball saw Shami reach the landmark in style with a straight six off the England spearhead, having faced just 73 balls including six fours.Shami eventually chipped Ali to mid-on but the damage had long since been done.

CM Sindh forgets Karachi's population

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – The participants burst into laughter when Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah mentioned Karachi’s population as twenty two crore during the law and order meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday, Dunya News reported.Prime Minister corrected Chief Minister Sindh through a lighthearted comment saying; “Shah sahib, how can Karachi’s population be 22 crore when the population of whole country is 18 crore?”Shah immediately stood corrected saying Karachi’s population is 2 crore.Earlier, a high profile meeting to discuss law and order took place under headship of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Chief Secretary Sindh and Director General (DG) Rangers briefed the Prime Minister over the ongoing security situation of Karachi. Chief Secretary said that the targeted operation against militant elements is progressing in the right direction.He said that the targeted operation has reduced the incidents of targeted killings in the city, adding that as many as seven thousand new officers have been recruited in Karachi police who will soon be given training.Corps Commander Karachi Lt. Gen. Sajjad Ghani assured that the army will provide every possible support to the Sindh government and police in order to establish peace in the city.Chief Secretary told that Sindh government is going to declare selected areas as sensitive and forbidden for general population, adding that Sindh government is working on better management policy in order to guard prominent installations following the attack on Karachi airport.It was told that watch towers, lighting system and protective fencing will be installed and that a common person will not be permitted to enter the forbidden area.Chief Secretary said that important installations will be termed sensitive and that the boundaries of sensitive areas will be protected using the sharp edged wire and fencing. He said field lights will also be arranged for these areas.Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said while addressing the meeting, that Karachi operation was started after consulting political parties, traders and members of the civil society. He said Karachi is heart of Pakistan, vowing that his government won’t rest until Karachi becomes the city of lights again.He said that Karachi to Lahore motorway project will be initiated in a few months, adding that a sum of Rs 55 billion has been issued to the National Highway Authority for construction of motorway.Prime Minister said that green-line bus transit system project has also been initiated for the people of Karachi, adding that the project will soon be completed by the federal government.
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