Friday 1 August 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Obama: After 9/11, 'we tortured some folks'

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - President Barack Obama acknowledged Friday that US officials had tortured some folks in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks, but urged they not be judged too harshly.The US administration is expected to release a declassified Senate report in the coming days that will detail abuses by intelligence agents targeting extremist groups in the wake of the attacks.Even before I came into office, I was very clear that in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, we did some things that were wrong, Obama told reporters.We did a whole lot of things that were right, but we tortured some folks. We did some things that were contrary to our values.Apparently preparing the ground for the report, which lawmakers say they expect to be made public with days, Obama said intelligence personnel had been under extreme pressure in 2001 and after.People did not know whether more attacks were imminent and there was enormous pressure on our law enforcement and our national security teams to try to deal with this, he said.It's important for us not to feel too sanctimonious in retrospect about the tough job those folks had. And a lot of those folks were working hard and under enormous pressure, and are real patriots. But having said all that, we did some things that were wrong, and that's what that report reflects, he added.And my hope is that this report reminds us once again that, you know, the character of our country has to be measured in part not by what we do when things are easy, but what we do when things are hard.The Central Intelligence Agency has long faced allegations that its enhanced interrogation techniques, used between 2002 and 2006 as it hunted Al-Qaeda operatives, amounted to illegal rights abuses.The Senate probe has also generated a side scandal of its own, following CIA chief John Brennan's admission this week that his officers improperly penetrated the computers of congressional investigators.Brennan has faced calls for his resignation, but Obama said that he retained full confidence in him.

Iraq soldiers die battling jihadists, blasts hit Baghdad

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HILLA (AFP) - At least 17 Iraqi soldiers were killed in a fierce battle against jihadists south of Baghdad Friday while bombs in and around the capital left another 16 people dead.The clashes took place in Jurf al-Sakhr, a small Euphrates River town on a road linking Sunni insurgents strongholds in the west to Shiite holy cities south of Baghdad.Seventeen soldiers were killed and three wounded during clashes with insurgents in Jurf al-Sakhr that lasted two hours this morning, an army lieutenant told AFP.An army medic confirmed the death toll, with both sources saying 23 jihadists from the Islamic State were also killed.The mainly Sunni town, which lies in the north of Babil province, is the scene of almost daily fighting between pro-government forces and Sunni militants.IS launched a sweeping offensive in northern Iraq on June 9, conquering the second city Mosul and large parts of the country's Sunni heartland.Jurf al-Sakhr lies on the edge of what became known during a previous wave of sectarian bloodshed eight years ago as the triangle of death.The army and allied Shiite militia, such as Asaib Ahl al-Haq, take up positions in the town during the day but often pull back at night, which allows insurgents to plant roadside bombs.The loss of Jurf al-Sakhr would threaten government control over one of only two main roads linking Baghdad to the southern Shiite heartland, including the holy cities of Karbala and Najaf.Another 17 people, including some IS fighters, were killed in a government air raid on Jurf al-Sakhr Monday.In Baghdad, a car bomb exploded on a busy street of the large Shiite neighbourhood of Sadr City, killing at least nine and wounding 21, according to a police colonel and medical sources.Three blasts near the Baghdad's central Kholani Square also went off near a Shiite mosque, killing five and wounding 16, according to the same sources.And just south of the capital, in the town of Madain, at least two civilians people were killed and seven wounded in another bomb blast.Figures compiled by the health, interior and defence ministries showed that 1,401 civilians, 185 soldiers and 83 policemen were killed in July.The United Nations representation in Iraq provided a higher figure, saying at least 1,737 people were killed.I am concerned about the rising number of casualties in Iraq, particularly among the civilian population. Children and women are most vulnerable, top UN envoy Nickolay Mladenov said.Iraq's scattered, moving frontlines and myriad fighting groups make independent verification of casualty figures very difficult.The government's civilian tally includes an unknown number of volunteers who enlisted with government-backed Shiite militia.The Islamic State does not divulge casualty figures.

CGames: Singapore sweep table tennis women singles

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GLASGOW (AFP) - Singapore continued their dominance of women's table tennis at the Commonwealth Games by winning all three singles medals as Feng Tianwei won the gold just like she had done in Delhi four years ago.The world number four comfortably beat compatriot and second see Yu Mengyu in the final 11-7, 11-8, 11-9, 10-12, 11-2 as the competition went with seeding.Lin Ye, who Feng had beaten in the semi-finals, won the bronze medal with a convincing 11-5, 11-4, 11-7, 11-7 success over 42-year-old Australian Lay Jian Fang, to ensure Singapore got their hands on all three medals.To win all three medals is not easy, insisted their coach Jing Junhong. Our two younger players Lin and Yu have raised their game to another level during the course of the competition. And Feng Tianwei has been an inspiration to the younger players.Next we will compete at the Asian Games, where the competition will be stronger. But this is definitely a good morale booster.I'm really happy I could defend my title after winning in Delhi, said Feng. I had no specific strategies for this match, since we're already very familiar with each other.Singapore also took the men's doubles gold medal after Gao Ning and Li Hu recovered after losing the opening game to Indians Sharath Kamal and Anthony Arputharaj to win 8-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-5. Yang Zi and Zhan Jie took the bronze with victory over Paul Drinkhall and Liam Pitchford.It sparked emotional scenes from Li who ran to the crowd at the end while for Gao it was the perfect response after losing to Kamal in the final four years ago.It's normal to win and lose in matches, but this time we got revenge, said Gao. We were more familiar with the opponents this time.Li's an all-round player. He's a good backhand player. All the emotions came out, said Li. This was my first time at the Commonwealth Games. It was not easy to win this gold and I really wanted it.But Singapore's control over the sport at Commonwealth Games level was not absolute after 15-year-old Tin-Tin Ho and partner Liam Pitchford of England earned a remarkable win over Feng and Zhan Jian in the mixed doubles by a 12-10, 11-8, 11-13, 6-11, 11-5 scoreline.With Ho and Pitchford playing Joanna and Paul Drinkhall in the final, England are guaranteed the gold and silver medals putting an end to Singapore's stranglehold. It's amazing, it's a dream, I've got no words really, said Ho, who has impressed throughout the Games with her tenacity and enthusiasm at such a young age. We played really well together.Singapore top seeds Gao and Zhan both safely made it through to Saturday's semi-finals of the men's singles where they will now play Pitchford of England and Kamal of India respectively on the final day of competition at the Scotstoun Sports Campus.Elsewhere 52-year-old Li Chunli's competition is over after she lost in the women's quarter-finals with Karen Li to Feng and Yu to Feng and Yu who will contest for another medal with Drinkhall and Kelly Sibley, Lay Jiang Fang and Miao Miao and Anqi Luo and Mo Zhang.

CGames: Bolt back on track as Pearson defends title

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GLASGOW (AFP) - Athletics legend Usain Bolt took centre stage with a rapturous return to the track at the Commonwealth Games on Friday as Australian Sally Pearson defended her 100m hurdles crown in style.It was Bolt's first competitive outing since the Diamond League season-ender in Brussels last September, and the strapping Jamaican looked comfortable as he anchored the Caribbean island's quartet home in a 4x100m relay heat in 38.98sec.Bolt, who has been plagued with a foot injury, again proved his worth as the public's favourite track star, the Hampden Park crowd offering him a raucous welcome.That was not completely guaranteed given a report in The Times this week that quoted Bolt as allegedly calling the Games a little shit.It's a lie so I was never worried (about the reception), he said. I was just looking forward to coming out here and showing the people that I'm here to have fun, compete and give my best performance.It felt like I was in the London Games at the Olympics. I love competing in front of a crowd which is really loud, so for me it was just brilliant.Injury-wise everything was good. Otherwise I felt a little bit sluggish, but it's okay.Bolt added: I'm just happy to be part of the relay team and compete at the Commonwealth Games.I love coming out here and competing with my team. In individual sport it's always good to compete with a team, feel the vibes, enjoy and laugh and have fun and just be one country.Pearson dominated the hurdles for a poignant victory after Australian team head coach Eric Hollingsworth was suspended this week for his criticism of her for missing a pre-Games training camp, dubbing her a bad example to younger team members.The Olympic champion clocked 12.67sec, with England's US-born Tiffany Porter taking silver in 12.80sec and Canada's Angela Whyte bronze (13.02).He lost his job for what he said in the papers trying to justify himself, Pearson told BBC of Hollingsworth. But I only did this for myself and the people who are supporting me.This medal means so much. It has been a really hard year having been injured and going into the World Championships with a new coach.But I knew tougher people than me have got through this and come out the other side. For me it was about focusing on what I could control both beforehand and in the race and I came out the victor.In another action-packed session, women's sprint star Blessing Okagbare saw her bid for a Commonwealth treble remain on track after watching her Nigerian teammates qualify for the 4x100m relay final.The US-based 25-year-old has won the 100 and 200m in impressive style in Glasgow, but opted to sit out the relay heat to recuperate from a heavy schedule.But she and her teammates will be up against a strong Jamaican quartet, including two-time Olympic 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who like Bolt took to the track for the first time on Friday, and multiple world and Olympic medallists Veronica Campbell-Brown and Kerron Stewart.There was another cleansweep for the mighty Kenyan middle-distance runners, this time in the men's 3000m steeplechase. It was their third of the Games after the women's team took all podium spots in their steeple and 10,000mUnfancied Jonathan Ndiku led the 1-2-3 in a Games record of 8min 10.44sec ahead of Jairus Birech and double Olympic and three-time world champion Ezekiel Kemboi.But Uganda's Moses Kipsiro defended his title in the men's 10,000m in 27:56.11, a savage dip at the line edging out Kenyan Josphat Kipkoech Bett by three hundredths, with Canada's Cameron Levins taking a surprise bronze.World champion Eunice Sum guaranteed Kenya another medal with an imperious showing in the 800m, clocking 2:00.31, with Scotland's Lynsey Sharp delighting the crowd by beating another Kenyan, Winnie Nanyondo, to silver by four hundredths of a second.There was also double Australian gold in the women's field events, 18-year-old Eleanor Patterson winning the high jump with 1.94m and 2009 world champion Dani Samuels victorious in the discus.And Steven Lewis, with a best of 5.55m, improved on previous silver and bronze performances by taking gold in the men's pole vault in a vault-off with English teammate Luke Cutts.Bolt aside, another star name to make their track debut in Scotland was England's Christine Ohuruogu, who spurned the individual 400m to race the 4x400m relay.Ohuruogu, the current world 400m champion and former Olympic and Commonwealth gold medallist, anchored the the England 4x400m relay team home in 3:27.88 to guarantee some stern competition for Jamaica come the final.

Tennis: Raonic, Young advance to Washington semis

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Wimbledon semi-finalist Milos Raonic advanced to a last-four matchup with upset-minded Donald Young after both won Friday matches at the ATP and WTA Washington Open.Canadian second seed Raonic fired 16 aces with only a pair of double faults to defeat American Steve Johnson 7-6 (7/2), 6-2 while Young, on his best run in three years, outlasted South African seventh seed Kevin Anderson 3-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2.Later quarter-finals at the $1.9 million (1.4 million euro) hardcourt event send Japanese fourth seed Kei Nishikori against French sixth seed Richard Gasquet and Canada's Vasek Pospisil, who upset Czech top seed Tomas Berdych, against Colombia's Santiago Giraldo.Raonic took only 79 minutes to book his third semi-final appearance of the year after Rome, where he lost to top-ranked Novak Djokovic, and Wimbledon, where he fell last month to 17-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer.Young's four-match win streak is his deepest main-draw run since reaching his only ATP final in 2011 at Bangkok, where he lost to Britain's Andy Murray.I'm just believing a little more. I'm staying in the matches more, not tapping out, Young said. I'm still fighting and able to hang in there.Anderson, who at 21st in the rankings was 52 spots higher than Young, had won all four prior ATP matches with the 25-year-old left-hander and had not been broken this week, a test of Young's new resilient attitude.I've been negative before and that hasn't worked, Young said. Top players in the world stay positive and that's what I want to be. It's just starting to click in.Japan's Kurumi Nara defeated France's Kristina Mladenovic 6-3, 6-1 to reach a semi-final against New Zealand's Marina Erakovic, who beat Serbian Bojana Jovanovski 6-4, 6-4.Nara, 22, is ranked 40th, two spots below her career high from last month. She won her first WTA title in February at Rio de Janeiro after reaching her first semi-final last year at Osaka.Erakovic, 26, is ranked 82nd and on her best run since a runner-up effort at Quebec last September. She won her only WTA title last year at Memphis.Sixth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 2004 US Open and 2009 French Open champion, won by walkover when American Vania King withdrew with a right hip injury suffered in a second-round victory over Christina McHale.After the first set I started to feel some pain, King said. It began to feel progressively worse. I was hoping it would settle down but this morning I wasn't able to play.I don't need a couple of months off. I don't need surgery. I'm going to take a couple days off and go from there.Russia's Kuznetsova, who made her first WTA final since 2011 just four months ago at Oeiras, has a semi-final date with Russian second seed Ekaterina Makarova, who ousted fifth-seeded compatriot Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.

Golf: Tiger, Phil together again at PGA Championship

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LOUISVILLE (AFP) - Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have been paired together for the first two rounds of the 96th PGA Championship, the PGA of America announced Friday.Groups revealed for next Thursday and Friday at the years final major at Valhalla Golf Club also saw the traditional pairing of the three major winners from earlier this year.Mickelson, who failed in his bid to complete a career grand slam in June at the US Open, and Woods, the 14-time major champion who will be making only his fourth start since back surgery four months ago, will be joined by Irishman Padraig Harrington.That trio tees off Thursday at 8:35 local time in the morning from the 10th tee and Friday at 1:45 in the afternoon off the first tee.Woods, who won the 2000 PGA Championship at Valhalla, has a checkered history with Mickelson, notably a Ryder Cup pairing in which he delievered a death-stare glance at Mickelson in a foursomes match after the left-hander sent his tee shot into the deep rough.Reigning Masters champion Bubba Watson of the United States, US Open winner Martin Kaymer of Germany and Northern Irelands Rory McIlroy, winner of last months British Open, will start off the first tee at 1:45 in the afternoon Thursday and off the 10th tee at 8:35 Friday morning.Jason Dufner, last years PGA Championship winner, is paired with Keegan Bradley, who beat Dufner in a playoff to win the 2011 PGA Championship, and South Korean Yang Yong-Eun, who became the first Asian man to win a major by capturing the 2009 PGA Championship at Hazeltine.They start at 1:55 Thursday afternoon off the first tee and 8:45 Friday morning off the 10th tee, just behind the three 2014 major winners.Two other back-to-back groups will be notable as well.American Rickie Fowler, who shared second at the US and British Opens and fifth at the Masters, will be joined by South Africas Ernie Els and Frances Victor Dubuisson on Thursday morning and Friday afternoon.One group behind them will be top-ranked Adam Scott of Australia, American Jordan Spieth and Englands Lee Westwood.Englands Justin Rose will be paired with South African Louis Oosthuizen and American Matt Kuchar while Spains Sergio Garcia plays the first two rounds alongside American Steve Stricker and Tom Watson, the US captain for this years Ryder Cup.

Golf: Johnson's leave a six-month cocaine ban - report

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NEW YORK (AFP) - US golfer Dustin Johnson, who announced Thursday he was ending his season immediately for personal reasons, is actually serving a six-month PGA Tour suspension after testing positive for cocaine, Golf.com reported Friday.The website, citing an unnamed source, said Johnson has failed three drug tests, one for marijuana in 2009 and two for cocaine in 2012 and this year.The report says Johnson was previously suspended for the 2012 positive but the ban was never made public.The PGA Tour's drug test policy does not require any disciplinary actions against players who test positive for recreational drugs be announced.Johnson played at Doral in 2012 and then did not play again for 11 weeks until the Memorial in late May, saying at the time he hurt his back lifting a jet ski.But the website's source says Johnson was actually serving a ban for his first positive cocaine test.In his statement Thursday, Johnson called his departure a leave of absence, but it is one that will cost him a chance at winning his first major title at next week's PGA Championship plus a place in the season-ending series of playoff events and a likely spot on the US team for the Ryder Cup matches against Europe in September.I will use this time to seek professional help for personal challenges I have faced, Johnson said. By committing the time and resources necessary to improve my mental health, physical well-being and emotional foundation, I am confident that I will be better equipped to fulfill my potential and become a consistent champion.The PGA Tour released a statement saying, We wish him well and look forward to his return to the PGA Tour in the future.Last year, Johnson announced he was engaged to be married to Paulina Gretzky, daughter of Canadian ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky.Johnson, who has won eight PGA titles, had a victory this season as well as two runner-up showings and four other top-10 finishes with more than $4.2 million (3.1 million euros) in winnings.Johnson missed a strong chance to win a major at the 2010 PGA Championship when he grounded his club in a marginally marked bunker on the final hole, taking a two-shot penalty and watching Germany's Martin Kaymer win in a playoff.

West Africa seals off Ebola outbreak epicentre

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CONAKRY (AFP) - West Africa's Ebola-hit nations announced a cross-border isolation zone on Friday, sealing off the epicentre of the world's worst-ever outbreak as health chiefs warned the epidemic was spiralling out of control.The announcement came at an emergency summit in the Guinean capital to discuss the outbreak, which has killed more than 700 people, with the World Health Organization warning Ebola could cause catastrophic loss of life and severe economic disruption if it continued to spread. We have agreed to take important and extraordinary actions at the inter-country level to focus on cross-border regions that have more than 70 percent of the epidemic, said Hadja Saran Darab, the secretary-general of the Mano River Union bloc grouping the nations.These areas will be isolated by police and military. The people in these areas being isolated will be provided with material support, she said at the meeting in Conakry. The leaders of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea used the summit to launch a $100 million (75 million euro) action plan which will see several hundred more medical staff deployed to battle the epidemic. The three countries will also bolster efforts to prevent and detect suspected cases, urge better border surveillance, and reinforce the WHO's sub-regional outbreak coordination centre in Guinea.Darab did not outline the exact area to be part of the isolation zone, but the epicentre of the outbreak has a diameter of almost 300 kilometres (185 miles), spreading from Kenema in eastern Sierra Leone to Macenta in southern Guinea, and taking in most of Liberia's extreme northern forests.The healthcare services in these zones will be strengthened for treatment, testing and contact tracing to be carried out effectively, she said.Opening the summit, WHO chief Margaret Chan told leaders that the response of the three countries to the epidemic had been woefully inadequate, revealing that the outbreak was moving faster than our efforts to control it.If the situation continues to deteriorate, the consequences can be catastrophic in terms of lost lives but also severe socio-economic disruption and a high risk of spread to other countries, Chan said.She described the outbreak as by far the largest ever in the nearly four-decade history of this disease.It is taking place in areas with fluid population movements over porous borders, and it has demonstrated its ability to spread via air travel, contrary to what has been seen in past outbreaks, she told the summit. Cases are occurring in rural areas which are difficult to access, but also in densely populated capital cities. This meeting must mark a turning point in the outbreak response.The meeting came after Dubai's Emirates became the first global airline to announce it was suspending flights to the stricken area, while the United States, Germany, France and Italy have issued warnings against travel to the three African countries.US President Barack Obama announced on Friday that the United States will screen delegates travelling from Ebola-hit countries to Washington for a three-day Africa summit next week. Meanwhile Nigeria quarantined two people who had primary contact with a man who died of Ebola in Lagos last week.The WHO raised the death toll by 57 to 729 on Thursday, announcing that 122 new cases had been detected between Thursday and Sunday last week, bringing the total to more than 1,300.Current numbers of national and international response staff are woefully inadequate, Chan said, revealing that 60 health workers had died treating patients in the outbreak.Sierra Leone's leader Ernest Bai Koroma has announced a state of emergency, quarantining Ebola-hit areas and cancelling foreign trips by ministers, while Liberia has closed all of its schools and put government workers on leave.Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf warned ahead of the summit that the crisis was nearing a catastrophe and appealed for more doctors and supplies. Ebola, which has no vaccine, causes severe muscular pain, fever, headaches and, in the worst cases, unstoppable bleeding. It has killed around two-thirds of those it has infected since its emergence in 1976, with two outbreaks registering fatality rates approaching 90 percent.The death rate in the current outbreak is a lower-than-average 55 percent.Fears that it could spread to other continents through air travel have been growing, with European and Asian countries on alert alongside African countries outside the Ebola crisis zone.In Britain, Sierra Leone cyclist Moses Sesay was quarantined and tested for Ebola at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, before being given the all-clear, the athlete told a British newspaper.Kenya, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo and Benin said they had enhanced screening at border points and airports.Pan-African airlines Arik and ASKY have halted flights to and from Liberia and Sierra Leone, while Asia-Pacific nations from Hong Kong to Australia have announced tighter security measures at airports, some warning against travel to the Ebola-hit countries.

Hitchhiking robot thumbs its way across Canada

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OTTAWA (AFP) - A talking robot assembled from household odds and ends is hitchhiking thousands of kilometers across Canada this summer as part of a social experiment to see if those of its kind can trust humans.Society is usually concerned with whether we can trust robots, Frauke Zeller, co-creator of the hitchBot, told AFP.Hollywood movies like The Terminator and The Matrix often depict machines as enemies of mankind, according to the assistant professor at Toronto's Ryerson University.But, she noted, quite the opposite is true of hitchBot. This project turns our fear of technology on its head and asks, 'Can robots trust humans?' Zeller said. Our aim is to further discussion in society about our relationship with technology and robots, and notions of safety and trust.Zeller and fellow professor David Smith of McMaster University, along with a team of specialists, designed hitchBot to be fully dependent on people.It cannot achieve its task of hitchhiking across Canada without the help of people, because it cannot move by itself, she said.And hitchBot certainly has what it takes to charm its way into people's hearts.It can strike up a conversation and can answer trivia questions by consulting information using its built-in computers.And it will even tell you when it's tired and in need of recharging from your car's cigarette lighter.HitchBot has what has been described by Canadian media as a yard-sale aesthetic, built for about $1,000 from parts found in a typical Canadian home or hardware store.It has an LED-lit smiley face wrapped in a transparent cake saver set atop a plastic beer pail wrapped in a solar panel, with swimming pool noodles for limbs. Its feet are rubber boots and it wears yellow latex gloves -- including one with its thumb extended to show it wants to catch a ride.The automaton's design couldn't be too heavy because it had to be manually lifted into a car. The robot also had to be small enough to fit into the backseat of a car but still have enough heft so it would not be blown over by a gust of wind while hitchhiking on the side of the road.And it had to be resistant to chilly temperatures common during Canadian late summer nights.It had to be sturdy but also appealing to people, Zeller said. We wanted people to feel like, 'Yeah, I should stop to help that robot.'And that's exactly what's been happening.It began its trip on July 27 in Canada's Atlantic port city of Halifax, after being picked up by an elderly couple in a camper van.They handed it off after a night in the Canadian outback to three young men from Quebec province.HitchBot then zipped through eastern Canada to Toronto for a brief check-in with its creators before hitting the road again. It is ultimately headed for the country's westernmost city of Victoria -- more than 6,000 kilometers (3,700 miles) from its starting point.The trip is being documented on social media (www.hitchBot.me), allowing people around the world to connect with the robot. Less than 24 hours after it began its journey, it had already snapped up 12,000 followers on Twitter, including one fan who posted a photo of a cardboard box look-alike. By Friday, the number of Twitter followers was nearly 20,000.Everyone is rooting for it, Zeller said.It's an interesting phenomenon -- people are developing attachments to the robot, including many who (will) never meet hitchBot, but are following it on social media.Once its travels are over, researchers will analyze comments posted on Twitter and Facebook to see what they can surmise about the public's attitudes concerning robot-human interactions.With growing use of mechanical humanoids in space, manufacturing and everyday life, it's becoming more important to explore our relationship with robots -- especially if they come into our households, Zeller said.Particularly interesting, she added, is the question of whether robots will be seen as disposable as they age and break down.What do we do when they will need to be repaired? Zeller said, suggesting that some people may become attached to the little humanoids and will keep and cherish them.Do we repair them, or will they become just another convenient item that we can throw away? she asked. We have to study all of that to ensure it works out right.

Oil prices sink as supply worries ease

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NEW YORK (AFP) - World oil prices slipped Friday as recent worries over potential disruptions from conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine continued to ebb.In New York, the US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for September delivery slid 29 cents to $97.88 a barrel.Brent crude for September was down $1.18 cents at $104.81 in London trade.Prices were nearly 10 percent off their highs of late June, and back to where they stood at the beginning of May.The last couple of days showed that we continue to shed some of the speculation in the market that was built into what pushed us to nine month highs, said Gene McGillian of Tradition Energy.Some of the fears that we were going to have a supply disruption in global markets seem to have been wiped away.

Dollar slips on US jobs report

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NEW YORK (AFP) - A US jobs report for July that showed continued strength, but not enough to boost inflation pressures, sent the dollar tumbling against most other major currencies Friday.US hiring remained strong last month, generating 209,000 new jobs.But it was far from the previous month's nearly 300,000, and the fresh data showed that wages remained flat and that there remained significant slack in the jobs market.That took some of the air out of expectations that inflation will force an early rate rise by the Federal Reserve, with US Treasury yields dropping as a result.The dollar fell modestly to $1.3430 per euro, and to 102.60 yen. But the greenback gained against the British pound, which suffered together with London stocks.

Anderson gets go-ahead to target Botham record

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SOUTHAMPTON (AFP) - James Anderson will head to his Old Trafford home ground for the fourth Test against India hoping to close in on Ian Botham's record for the most Test wickets by an England bowler.Anderson was in danger of being banned from the final two Tests of the five-match series after being charged by India under the International Cricket Council's code of conduct.But the Lancashire paceman was cleared by an ICC disciplinary hearing on Friday. India charged Anderson and England counter-charged India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja under the ICC code regarding an incident that took place during the lunch break on the second day of the drawn first Test at Trent Bridge on July 10.Anderson and Jadeja, batting at the time, were seen exchanging words as the players left the field.It was then alleged that this had escalated into a more serious disagreement when the players reached the privacy of the pavilion.However, following a six-hour disciplinary hearing on Friday, Anderson was cleared by ICC code of conduct commissioner Gordon Lewis, while Jadeja had his previously imposed 50 percent match fee fine rescinded. Anderson had been facing a ban of up to four Tests but Lewis's decision means he is free to play in the rest of the five-match India series, all square at 1-1 after England's dominant 266-run win at Southampton on Thursday.England will be hugely relieved that fast-medium bowler Anderson, their series-leading wicket-taker, and named man-of-the-match for his seven for 77 at the Ageas Bowl in the team's first Test win for nearly a year, has been cleared.Now the 32-year-old fast-medium bowler could become England's leading all-time Test wicket-taker before the end of the season.He currently has 371 Test wickets, 12 shy of legendary all-rounder Botham's tally of 383.The fourth Test at Old Trafford starts this coming Thursday, August 7, with the series finale at The Oval later this month.Following Anderson's exploits in Southampton, England captain Alastair Cook said: I just hope common sense prevails. I hope we'll see Jimmy at Old Trafford in his home Test match.Anderson added: It (the ICC charge) has been in the background and we have done outstandingly well as a team to put it out of our minds. Once I'm out on the field the one thing on my mind is to take wickets, and I did that.Meanwhile England coach Peter Moores, also speaking before the outcome of the hearing, said: I'm not going to start judging Jimmy Anderson on everything he does and doesn't do. What I will say is that at the moment we celebrate the fact that he's bowling at his best...The spell he bowled on the last morning was a real masterclass of swing bowling. The Anderson-Jadeja row comes after a recent revamp of the ICC where the 'Big Three' nations of India, England and Australia took charge of the global governing body.India cannot appeal against the Anderson verdict, with only England -- which clearly has no reason to do so -- and the ICC itself able to challenge Lewis's decision.However, India's N. Srinivasan is now also the ICC chairman, despite being suspended from his equivalent Indian board post by India's Supreme Court over a corruption inquiry involving his son-in-law.

England extends its medal lead in Commonwealth Games 2014

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GLASGOW: (AP) -England increased its lead in the gold medal race at the Commonwealth Games when divers Jack Laugher and Chris Mears won the synchronized 3-meter springboard and two gymnasts won individual apparatus events.At the Royal Commonwealth Pool at Edinburgh, about an hours drive east of Glasgow, Laugher and Mears won Englands 45th gold with nearly three days of competition remaining. It was Laughers second gold of the games he won the individual 1-meter springboard on Wednesday.Australia, which led the medal standings for most of the first week after dominating in the swimming pool, had 36 gold medals. It has won the gold-medal race at every Commonwealth Games since 1990.England padded its lead later in the day when gymnast Claudia Fragapane won the womens floor her fourth gold of the games and Nile Wilson the mens horizontal bar.Canadians won two of the five individual apparatus finals Scott Morgan gold in the mens vault and Elsabeth Black the beam. Daniel Purvis of Scotland won gold in the mens parallel bars.In womens field hockey, defending champions Australia beat South Africa 7-1 to advance to Saturdays gold medal final against England, which beat New Zealand 3-1 in a penalty shootout after the score was tied 1-1 at the end of regulation.The team showed real character in the shootout, England coach Danny Kerry said. Georgie Twigg asked to take the first one and I think it was really brave of her to do that, and set the tone for the others to follow.Later, at Hampden Park, Usain Bolt was scheduled to run for Jamaica in the 4x100-meter relay heats. There was also anticipation about the crowds reaction, after the worlds fastest man reportedly made disparaging remarks about Glasgow and the games this week. If Jamaica qualifies for the final, Bolt would run again on Saturday on the final night of athletics.

England extends its medal lead in Commonwealth Games 2014

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GLASGOW: (AP) -England increased its lead in the gold medal race at the Commonwealth Games when divers Jack Laugher and Chris Mears won the synchronized 3-meter springboard and two gymnasts won individual apparatus events.At the Royal Commonwealth Pool at Edinburgh, about an hours drive east of Glasgow, Laugher and Mears won Englands 45th gold with nearly three days of competition remaining. It was Laughers second gold of the games he won the individual 1-meter springboard on Wednesday.Australia, which led the medal standings for most of the first week after dominating in the swimming pool, had 36 gold medals. It has won the gold-medal race at every Commonwealth Games since 1990.England padded its lead later in the day when gymnast Claudia Fragapane won the womens floor her fourth gold of the games and Nile Wilson the mens horizontal bar.Canadians won two of the five individual apparatus finals Scott Morgan gold in the mens vault and Elsabeth Black the beam. Daniel Purvis of Scotland won gold in the mens parallel bars.In womens field hockey, defending champions Australia beat South Africa 7-1 to advance to Saturdays gold medal final against England, which beat New Zealand 3-1 in a penalty shootout after the score was tied 1-1 at the end of regulation.The team showed real character in the shootout, England coach Danny Kerry said. Georgie Twigg asked to take the first one and I think it was really brave of her to do that, and set the tone for the others to follow.Later, at Hampden Park, Usain Bolt was scheduled to run for Jamaica in the 4x100-meter relay heats. There was also anticipation about the crowds reaction, after the worlds fastest man reportedly made disparaging remarks about Glasgow and the games this week. If Jamaica qualifies for the final, Bolt would run again on Saturday on the final night of athletics.

Invitation for longer-term Gaza Ceasefire 'still in place': Egypt

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CAIRO: (AFP) - Egypt said Friday its invitation to Israeli and Palestinian delegations for talks on a longer-term Gaza ceasefire was still in place despite a proposed 72-hour humanitarian truce breaking down.However, it condemned Israel for keeping on targeting innocent Palestinian civilians in the Gaza strip, referring to the intensive Israeli shelling on the southern city of Rafah that killed at least 62 people according to medical sources.Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said a joint Palestinian delegation, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, will travel to Cairo on Saturday for ceasefire talks despite the renewed fighting.The foreign ministry said Cairo was following with great interest and concern the latest developments in the Gaza Strip.It urged all parties to fully abide by the conditions of the humanitarian truce which had been announced overnight by US Secretary of State John Kerry.Earlier on Friday, Egypt invited the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority to come to Cairo for longer-term truce talks, with the two teams expected to arrive later in the day.Islamic Jihad's deputy leader Ziad al-Nakhale told AFP that the Egyptian authorities postponed the dialogue after Israel revealed one of its soldiers may have been captured.But the foreign ministry in Cairo insisted in a new statement later on Friday that its invitation to talks was still in place.Egypt assures that the invitation it sent to the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government to send their two delegations to Cairo to study all issues of concern... within the framework of the Egyptian initiative is still in place, a ministry statement said.The ministry later called on Israel to stop, immediately and completely, targeting civilians and using excessive and unjustified force which it said only complicates matters ... and does not pave the way for a resumption of the negotiations.Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri held telephone talks on Friday with Kerry, Abbas and several other Arab leaders to discuss the situation in Gaza, the ministry said.The 72-hour truce, announced in a joint US-UN declaration, had come as a compromise after Hamas rejected an Egyptian initiative earlier last month for a durable truce followed by talks.Hamas had demanded guarantees that Israel would end its eight-year blockade of Gaza.The conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas has killed at least 1,500 on the Palestinian side, mostly civilians, and 63 Israeli soldiers and three civilians on the other.
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