Sunday 5 October 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Brazil's Rousseff to face Neves in runoff vote

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RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) - Brazils unpredictable election took another twist Sunday, with leftist President Dilma Rousseff being forced into a runoff race as expected, but against a center-right challenger who only surged in the final week of the campaign.Rousseff will face Aecio Neves in the Oct. 26 runoff vote, required as no single candidate won an outright majority.With 96 percent of the vote counted, the president had won 41 percent against Neves 34 percent.As surprising as Neves rise was the fall from grace of another candidate, former environment minister Marina Silva, who took just 21 percent of the vote. In late August, she held a double-digit lead over Rousseff in polls after being thrust into the race when her Socialist Partys first candidate died in a plane crash.But over the past three weeks the powerful political machine of Rousseffs Workers Party eviscerated Silva with what some analysts called the most negative and aggressive campaigning Brazil has seen since returning to democracy nearly 30 years ago. Silva fell hard in polls and could never regain her footing or get her message out.Neves, however, had the backing of the well-organized Social Democracy Party, which held the presidency from 1994 until 2002, a period when Brazil tamed its hyperinflation and turned its economy around.Aecios performance has been extraordinary and one of the reasons for this is the very strong party structure behind him a party with a strong nationwide presence and which has been in the presidency, said Carlos Pereira, a political analyst with the Gertulio Vargas Foundation, Brazils leading think tank. It is now a new election where everything is wide open. Aecio, who until recently no one believed had a chance, has emerged as a very strong candidate.Neves is an economist and former two-term governor of Minas Gerais, Brazils second-most populous state, where he left office in 2010 with an approval rating above 90 percent.He has strong name recognition in Brazil. Neves began his political career at age 23 as the personal secretary to his grandfather, Tancredo Neves, a widely beloved figure who was chosen to become Brazils first post-dictatorship president but fell ill and died before taking office.One year after his grandfathers death, Neves was elected to the first of four terms as congressman. The 54-year-old father of three also served one term as senator.Neves reputation took a hit in July, when respected daily Folha de S.Paulo alleged Neves government spent around $5.5 million to build an airport on land belonging to an uncle of the then-governor. Neves later contested the accusations in an editorial in the same newspaper.Carlos Ernanny, a retired 68-year-old in Rio de Janeiro, said he voted for Neves out of hope for our Brazil.His good sense, his moral compass gives me hope for economic growth and development, he said, a common refrain among Neves supporters because of his business-friendly, centrist stance.As for the fall of Silva, it was Rousseffs aggressive campaigning that eviscerated her support.It was thought Silva could tap into the widespread disdain Brazilians hold for the political class anger that boiled over into roiling, nationwide anti-government protests last year.But she couldnt withstand a barrage of attacks labeling her as indecisive and without the mettle needed to lead the globes fifth-largest nation the message pounded on by Rousseff.Marina Silva tried but was not able to convey her message of change. Shes only responding to attacks, said Paulo Sotero, director of the Brazil Institute at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington. Weve seen negative campaigning before, but never at this level of ferocity.During nearly 12 years in power, the Workers Party has ushered in strong social programs that have helped lift millions out of poverty and into the middle class. Rousseffs strongest support comes from the poorest, those who are precariously hanging onto gains amid an economy that has sputtered the past four years.I dont think a sudden change would be good for the country. That could be dangerous, said Diego Almeida, a 26-year-old university student and resident of Rios biggest slum who said he voted for Rousseff.Still, he expressed the frustration millions of Brazilians have with their leaders: Theyve had 500 years to fix this country and for 500 years theyve failed. I just hope that something happens in the next 500 years.Rousseff promised to expand social programs and continue strong state involvement in the economy, even though critics complain it creates a poor business environment and the main stock market tumbled every time a new poll showed her on the rise.Neves offered more centrist economic approaches, such as central bank independence, more privatizations and the pursuit of trade deals with Europe and the United States.Neves said he was optimistic that he would be Rousseffs opponent in the second round. He said hed love to talk to Silva about gaining her support.

True or false: How well do you know Nobel Prizes?

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STOCKHOLM (AP) - Nobel season is upon us. On Monday, the Nobel Prize judges will begin a series of daily announcements revealing this years winners. To help avoid any embarrassing water-cooler faux pas, heres a true-or-false guide to the prizes created in 1895 by Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel the worlds most famous awards besides the Oscars.TRUE OR FALSE:You can only win a Nobel Prize onceYou can only be nominated in one Nobel categoryA Nobel prize cannot be revokedFour people can share a Nobel PrizeHitler was nominated for the Nobel Peace PrizeWinston Churchill won a Nobel Peace PrizeNobel Prizes can be given posthumouslyOver 94 percent of Nobel Laureates are menThe economics prize is not an original NobelAll Nobel Prizes are presented in StockholmANSWERS:YOU CAN ONLY WIN A NOBEL PRIZE ONCEFalse. There is no limit to how many Nobel Prizes you can win. American scientist John Bardeen won the physics award twice, in 1956 and 1972, while British biochemist Frederick Sanger got two chemistry awards, in 1958 and 1980.YOU CAN ONLY BE NOMINATED IN ONE NOBEL CATEGORYFalse. Marie Curie of France won the physics prize in 1903 and the chemistry award in 1911. Linus Pauling, a scientist and peace activist, won the chemistry prize in 1954 and the Nobel Peace Prize eight years later.A NOBEL PRIZE CANNOT BE REVOKEDTrue. The Nobel statutes are clear on this: Once youve received a Nobel Prize, its yours forever. Paragraph 10 states: No appeals may be made against the decision of a prize-awarding body with regard to the award of a prize. So those online petitions calling for a particular prize to be withdrawn have no effect.FOUR PEOPLE CAN SHARE A NOBEL PRIZEFalse. The Nobel statutes say the awards can be split among multiple winners but in no case may a prize amount be divided between more than three persons.HITLER WAS NOMINATED FOR THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZETrue. The Nazi dictator was nominated in 1939 by Swedish lawmaker E.G.C. Brandt for the prize, which is meant to promote fraternity between nations and global disarmament. Brandt later withdrew the nomination, saying it was meant as satire. This just shows that anyone can be nominated it doesnt say anything about their chances of actually winning.WINSTON CHURCHILL WON THE PEACE PRIZEFalse. The eloquent British conservative leader did win a Nobel Prize, but in the literature category, not peace. Churchill received the literature prize in 1953 for his mastery of historical and biographical description as well as for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values.NOBEL PRIZES CAN BE GIVEN POSTHUMOUSLYFalse. Since 1974, only living people are considered by the prize committees. However, the Nobel Foundation made an exception in 2011 when it found out right after the medicine prize was announced that one of the winners, Ralph Steinman, had died just days earlier. They let the prize stand and Steinmans share of the prize money was given to his survivors.OVER 94 PERCENT OF NOBEL LAUREATES ARE MENTrue. Of the 847 individuals who have won a Nobel Prize, only 44, or 5 percent, were women. Fifteen women have won the peace prize, while only one Elinor Ostrom in 2009 has won the economics award. Nobel judges say they dont consider gender when selecting winners and that the awards simply reflect the historical dominance of men in many fields of research.THE ECONOMICS AWARD IS NOT AN ORIGINAL NOBELTrue. The economics award was not among the five awards that Alfred Nobel established in his will for medicine, physics, chemistry, literature and peace. It was created by the central bank of Sweden in 1968 in Nobels honor. It is announced along with the other prizes, carries the same prize money of $1.1 million, and is handed out at the annual Nobel ceremony in December. But its technically not a Nobel Prize. The official title is The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel.ALL NOBEL AWARDS ARE PRESENTED IN STOCKHOLMFalse. The peace prize is both announced and handed out in Oslo, the Norwegian capital, according to the wishes of Alfred Nobel. No one knows why he wanted it that way but during his lifetime Sweden and Norway were joined in a union.

Djokovic dominates Berdych to win 5th China Open

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BEIJING (AP) - Top-ranked Novak Djokovic won his fifth China Open title in what he called the most dominant final of his career, routing third-seeded Tomas Berdych 6-0, 6-2 on Sunday in a little over an hour.Djokovic was one point away from handing Berdych a double bagel a 6-0, 6-0 defeat but the Czech player fought off match point, then broke Djokovic to win his first game. He raised both arms in celebration and smiled with relief as the crowd roared.The Serb sealed the victory two games later to improve his sparkling record at the China Open to 24-0.I met somebody in the final who Ive never seen before, Berdych said. I was just swept out from the court.Djokovic said he woke up Sunday with a good feeling, and that continued when he stepped on court and broke Berdych in the first game.Everything felt right, he said. I stepped on the court with this positive mindset. Obviously, I felt it from the start.His statistics looked fairly routine: 19 winners and nine unforced errors, though many of those came in the two games he lost at the end. The difference was the way he relentlessly pressured Berdychs serve and prevented him from getting close to a break point on his.This has been, under the circumstances, probably the best performance in all finals in my career I played, he said. It was incredible.The No. 6-ranked Berdych said there was not much he could do.I probably played maybe over, what, 600 matches in my career, and I met guys like Andre (Agassi), Roger (Federer), all those probably in their best times, he said. But I have never, ever experienced anything like that.Djokovic said hes hoping to carry the momentum to another title at the Shanghai Masters next week. Djokovic is on a 25-match winning streak overall in China, having also won in Shanghai in 2012 and 2013. He has not lost in China since Federer beat him in the Shanghai semifinals in 2010.

Sharapova beats Kvitova to win China Open

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BEIJING (AP) - Maria Sharapova outlasted Petra Kvitova 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 in a hard-hitting, back-and-forth duel to win the China Open on Sunday and return to No. 2 in the rankings.The fourth-seeded Sharapova overcame 10 double-faults and a number of untimely errors to defeat Kvitova in a rematch of the 2011 Wimbledon final, won by the Czech left-hander.Sharapova broke Kvitova to go up 3-0 and then 4-2 in the third set, but made consecutive errors in the next game to give Kvitova break point to get back on serve. The Russian saved it with a hard, deep shot to the corner that Kvitova dumped in the net, then tracked down a short ball that clipped the tape and hit a sharply angled backhand winner to make it 5-2.Its not easy playing against Petra. You dont always quite get a good rhythm. She goes for a lot of shots, you know, very deep, Sharapova said. I was kind of happy that I was able to lift my game again in the third and come out with a win.After missing the end of last season with an injured shoulder, Sharapova is now wrapping up one of her most successful years on tour. She captured her fifth Grand Slam title at the French Open in June, and with her win in Beijing she now has four titles in the year her most in a single season since 2006.With the win, shell also jump past Simona Halep and Kvitova from fourth to second in the rankings, within striking distance of top-ranked Serena Williams.At this time last year, Sharapova was looking into different treatment options for her shoulder, not sure when shed return to the court.It was mentally a tough time because I was just in the middle of Europe trying to find a solution, yet everyone was still playing, she said. Its definitely great to be a year later in a situation where this is my fourth title of the year, you know, a Grand Slam this year. A lot to put in perspective. You look back and think about how you kind of struggled, but you kept going.Kvitova, the reigning Wimbledon champion, fell short of earning her second title in as many weeks following her victory last weekend at the Wuhan Open.Playing her ninth match in 13 days, she seemed to struggle with her energy levels as the match wore on and was more mistake-prone than usual, making 44 unforced errors. Her serve is usually a weapon, but she only had one ace to seven double-faults.The small difference is just who really going little bit forward more than the other. We both tried to play very aggressively, very fast. I did little bit more mistakes, I think, Kvitova said.

Chelsea beat Arsenal to consolidate league lead

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LONDON (AP) - Arsene Wenger got in a push, but Jose Mourinho landed the bigger blow. Chelsea consolidated its lead in the Premier League by beating London rival Arsenal 2-0 on Sunday in a feisty encounter that may be best remembered for Wenger losing his normal cool and giving Mourinho a shove in the chest on the sideline.Former Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas set up the second goal for Diego Costa in the 78th minute to make sure Chelsea remained five points clear of defending champion Manchester City atop the standings. Arsenal is now nine points behind in eighth place, having failed to avenge a 6-0 drubbing at Stamford Bridge last season.Both Manchester United and Tottenham climbed above Arsenal with wins.United beat Everton 2-1 to climb to fourth after goalkeeper David de Gea saved a penalty and made two crucial stops to deny the visitors a late equalizer at Old Trafford. Tottenham is sixth after Christian Eriksen scored in the 40th minute to secure a 1-0 win over Southampton.Also Sunday, Queens Park Rangers dropped to the bottom of the standings after losing 2-0 to West Ham.The Chelsea-Arsenal game was always going to be emotional given Wengers humiliation at Stamford Bridge in his 1,000th game in charge last season along with Fabregas facing his former team. It even turned physical in the dugout after a hard foul on Alexis Sanchez, with an angry Wenger squaring up against Mourinho and then giving the Portuguese manager a shove in the chest before being separated by the fourth official.Both coaches downplayed the incident after the game, after Mourinhos side once again had the better of Wengers on the pitch.Wenger described the push as just a little one and said what is to regret after that?Mourinho said everyone should forget the incident.To be fair, I do so many wrong things in football, Mourinho said. But not this time, because this time I was just in my technical area and it was not my problem. Game over. Story over.Arsenals title push may not be quite over yet, but a nine-point gap is looking rather large even this early in the season given Chelseas strong form.Eden Hazard weaved inbetween defenders in the 27th minute before being tripped by Laurent Koscielny in the area, and then converted the ensuing penalty himself to put Chelsea ahead. With Arsenal pushing for an equalizer, Fabregas picked the defense apart in the 78th with a pinpoint long ball up to Costa, who lobbed the ball into the net with one touch.In Manchester, Radamel Falcao scored his first goal for United as the Red Devils won consecutive Premier League games for the first time under manager Louis Van Gaal.Angel Di Maria opened the scoring for the hosts before De Gea saved a penalty from Leighton Baines just before halftime. Baines then picked out Steven Naismith, who put the teams level in the 55th, but Falcao sealed his teams win seven minutes later by slotting home past Tim Howard after di Marias shot landed in the Colombians path.De Gea made a stunning save in stoppage time to tip over the bar Bryan Oviedos left-foot shot from 20 meters.What was my most important save? Maybe the penalty, De Gea said. Every save is important but the team played very well. I think the younger players in the team will learn from these types of games. The team and the manager need to look forward.Mauricio Pochettino got the better of his Southampton successor Ronald Koeman as Tottenham ended its four-match wait for a Premier League win.Eriksen scored with a 20-yard strike in the 40th minute to deny Koemans side a seventh straight win in all competitions.Pochettino took on his former club for the first time since ending a successful 18-month stint at St Marys to lead Spurs.At Upton Park, Nedum Onuohas own-goal gave the Hammers an early lead against QPR before Diafra Sakho headed home a second shortly before the hour mark.

Ronaldo scores 3, Madrid rolls 5-0 over Bilbao

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BARCELONA (AP) - Cristiano Ronaldo had another hat trick to extend his scoring streak to eight consecutive games and lead Real Madrid to a 5-0 win over Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish league on Sunday.It was Ronaldos second treble to go with one four-goal game already this season and gave the Ballon dOr holder a league-leading 13 goals in six appearances and 17 overall this season.Karim Benzema added two goals as Madrids speedy forwards picked apart a Bilbao side that proved brittle at the back and is now winless in its last seven games in all competitions.Gareth Bale set up Ronaldos goals in the third and 55th minutes. Benzema scored in the 41st and 69th, and Ronaldo completed his hat trick in the 88th.We are growing since the start of the season and we have margin to get even better, Ronaldo said.Madrid rose past Atletico Madrid into fourth place, four points behind leader Barcelona. Valencia is in second place in front of Sevilla in third after it beat Deportivo La Coruna 4-1.Sevilla eased to the win over Deportivo thanks to Stephane MBias double and goals by Carlos Bacca and Victor Vitolo Machin.Also, Villarreal dealt Celta Vigo its first loss of the season with a 3-1 road win, while Espanyol downed Real Sociedad 2-0 at home in its most solid performance under new coach Sergio Gonzalez.Since losing back-to-back games, Madrid has won six in a row in all competitions and outscored its opponents 27-5.Bilbao arrived without injured striker Aduriz Aritz and with its morale down after its 2-1 defeat at BATE of Belarus on Tuesday in the Champions League.Madrid jumped on its struggling visitors early with an electric start.Bale found Ronaldo at the far post to head in the opener under goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz, and Benzema rose above his marker to nod in a corner kick to put Madrid in control by halftime.Bilbao hasnt won at the Santiago Bernabeu since 2005, during Ernesto Valverdes first stint as coach. And once again, Bilbaos attacking strategy and high defensive line gave Ronaldo, Bale and Benzema plenty of room to romp.Bale streaked down the right side before squaring for the unmarked Ronaldo to make it 3-0. Then it was Ronaldos turn to beat Bilbaos offside trap and generously lay off for Benzema to get his second goal.It could have been much worse for Bilbao. Iraizoz made eight saves and a pair of one-handed saves to deny Ronaldo and Bale before the final whistle.But Iraizoz could do nothing but watch when Pepes off-target shot hit Ronaldos arm pressed against his flank and bounce into the net to cap the demolition.

Wilson wins Dunhill Links for first European title

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ST. ANDREWS (AP) - Oliver Wilson held off Rory McIlroy to capture his first European Tour title with a one-shot victory in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.Wilson shot a 2-under 70 in the final round on the Old Course at St. Andrews as McIlroy came up just short after a bogey on the 17th hole. Wilson finished at 17-under 271, with McIlroy (68) in a three-way tie for second with Richie Ramsay of Scotland and Tommy Fleetwood of England.The 34-year old Wilson, currently ranked 792nd in the world, had finished second nine times in his 227 previous tour events, but lost his card two years ago and was competing this week on an invitation.Its all really hard to believe as I have dreamed of this moment many times in my career, and in the circumstances it has happened I cant believe it, said Wilson, who started the day with a three-shot lead. So its a dream come true to win a tournament as St. Andrews because three, four weeks ago my career was looking pretty grim. Its just amazing what is possible playing professional golf.McIlroy started with a double bogey but then made four straight birdies and picked up two more shots after the turn before putting from off the green and into the infamous Road Hole bunker at the 17th. At the first hole, his ball spun back off the green into the Swilcan Burn.I feel I cost myself the tournament in the space of 20 yards at the front of the green at the first and over at the Road Hole bunker, with both not too far away from each other, McIlroy said. They were the only two mistakes I made all day.Ramsay had a two-shot lead after birdies at 14 and 15 but then handed the shots back with bogeys the next two to shoot 67. Fleetwood had a chance to force a playoff but missed a six-foot putt at the 18th to settle for a 68.Chris Doak of Scotland was alone in fifth place, another shot behind.

Hamilton wins Japanese GP marred by Bianchi crash

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SUZUKA (AP) - Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton won a rain-shortened Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, claiming his third straight Formula One victory in a race marred by a serious crash.With Hamilton leading teammate Nico Rosberg, a red flag ended the race on the 44th of 53 laps due to a crash involving Marussia driver Jules Bianchi. With heavy rain falling and visibility poor, race officials elected not to re-start and Hamilton was declared the winner. Red Bulls Sebastian Vettel finished third.Hamilton widened his lead over Rosberg in the race for the drivers championship but the race celebrations were subdued as Bianchi was taken to a hospital and is in critical condition.Our first thoughts go to Jules, Hamilton said. It overshadows everything else when one of our colleagues is injured and we are praying for him. Next to this, the race result doesnt seem significant at all.Hamilton now leads Rosberg by 10 points with four races remaining.The rain also disrupted the early stages of the race, with the first nine laps run behind the safety car. After the rain abated and the safety car came off, Hamilton did everything possible to gain on his teammate, who started from pole.Rosberg held the lead until the 29th lap when Hamilton got a better run onto the pit straight and blasted around the outside of Rosberg into Turn 1 to take the lead for good.The race was stopped after 44 laps after Bianchi crashed at Turn 7. He was taken to a hospital and is undergoing surgery after a scan revealed a severe head injury, FIA spokesman Matteo Bonciani said.Sundays race started at 3 p.m. local time. An approaching typhoon led to suggestions that the race should be pushed up to an earlier start but it wasnt.At the time of the crash, rain was falling steadily and it was getting dark. Several drivers complained of not being able to see properly.At the start of the race the rain became heavier and the drivers could only complete two cautious laps behind the safety car.After a 10-minute delay, the race re-started behind the safety car, but Fernando Alonsos Ferrari ground to a halt with a technical problem. The Spaniard returned to his garage and threw up his arms in frustration.Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo, who is a distant third in the drivers standings, finished fourth ahead of McLaren driver Jenson Button.Williams pair Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa started third and fourth, but both struggled badly in wet conditions and trailed home sixth and seventh.It wasnt the first time rain affected the race at Suzuka. In 2004, Saturdays qualifying session was postponed until race day after torrential rain hit the area.The next stop on the Formula One calendar is the inaugural Russian GP on Oct. 12, in Sochi, the Black Sea resort that hosted this years Winter Olympics.Beginning this year, a win at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Nov. 23 will be worth 50 points instead of the normal 25 in the hopes of adding more suspense to the seasons finale.

Nation set to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha today

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LAHORE (Web Desk) - Eid-ul-Azha is being celebrated today (Monday) in commemoration of the supreme sacrifice offered by Hazrat Ibrahim and his son Hazrat Ismail in the fulfillment of the divine order.In Lahore, biggest Eid congregation will be held at Badshahi Mosque while in Rawalpindi, main Eid congregation will be held at Liaqat Bagh. In Islamabad‚ the main Eid congregation will be held at the Faisal Mosque while in Karachi‚ large congregations will be held at Gulshan-e-Jinnah‚ Nishtar Park‚ National Stadium and Eidgah Nazimabad.Ulema and khateebs from different schools of thought would deliver special sermons and lectures to highlight the significance of the day.To celebrate Eid-ul-Azha, Muslims sacrifice animals including cow, goat, sheep and camel according to their purchasing power on any of the three days of Eid. People this year have suffered a lot due to the mounting prices of the sacrificial animals.The administration in all big cities has further beefed up the security for Eid. A contingency plan has been issued to ensure and maintain law and order, safety and security of the general public. Police personnel would perform their duties outside the mosques and public places.

Report: IMF to attend Egypt's investors conference

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CAIRO (AP) - The head of the International Monetary Fund said in remarks published Sunday that the world body will attend an investment conference in Egypt in February during which authorities hope to raise billions of dollars to revive the countrys battered economy.Ahead of the conference, IMF hopes to prepare a long-delayed assessment of Egypts economy, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde told the Saudi-owned Arabic daily Ashraq Al-Awsat.Lagarde said Cairos recent efforts at reforms, including the reduction of energy subsidies, were a good start toward improving Egypts crippling budget deficit.Egypt has not asked for an IMF loan which it hasnt secured during negotiations in the past three years of turmoil but wants the IMF to resume its periodic economic assessments of the countrys economy, Lagarde said.IMF last conducted such a review for Egypt in 2010 but subsequent reviews were hampered by the political turmoil, fund officials said.The authorities recent reform efforts are already encouraging, Lagarde said. I hope that through our consultation process ... we can add to the dialogue on the Egyptian reform process and provide conference participants with an assessment of how those reforms can help restore durable economic stability and sustainable growth to Egypt.Egyptian Finance Minister Hany Kadry Dimian has said he hopes the resumption of consultation with the IMF will also help restore investors confidence in the countrys economy.After more than three years of turmoil, Egypts revenues have shrunk and investments have all but disappeared.Following last years ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, oil-rich Gulf Arab allies have propped up Egypts government with billions of dollars.Egypts government is looking to raise as much as $100 billion at the February conference to help finance several mega-projects the authorities are pursuing, including the development of the Suez Canal area.

Self-guided unmanned patrol boats to make debut for US Navy

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NORFOLK (AP) - Self-guided unmanned patrol boats that can leave warships theyre protecting and swarm and attack potential threats on the water could join the U.S. Navys fleet within a year, defense officials say, adding the new technology could one day help stop attacks like the deadly 2000 bombing of the USS Cole off Yemen.The Arlington, Virginia-based Office of Naval Research demonstrated the autonomous swarm boat technology over two weeks in August on the James River near Fort Eustis in Virginia not far from one of the Navys largest fleet concentration areas. It said the Navy simulated a transit through a strait, just like the routine passage of U.S. warships through the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.In the demonstrations, as many as 13 small unmanned patrol boats were escorting a high-value Navy ship. Then as many as eight of the self-guided vessels broke off and swarmed around a threat when a ship playing the part of an enemy vessel was detected, the office said, calling the demonstrations a success.Robert Brizzolara, program manager at the Office of Naval Research, said that the boats can decide for themselves what movements to make once theyre alerted to a threat and work together to encircle or block the path of an opposing vessel, depending on that vessels movements and those of other nearby vessels.The rigid-hull inflatable patrol boats can also fire .50 caliber machine guns if called upon to do so. However, a human will always be the one to make the decision to use lethal force, officials said. A sailor on a command ship would be in charge of each of the unmanned boats and could take control over any of the boats at any moment. And if communication between the unmanned boats and the sailor overseeing them were ever broken, the boat would automatically shut down.I never want to see the USS Cole happen again, said Rear Adm. Matthew Klunder, chief of naval research, speaking about the attack by a small boat packed with explosives that killed 17 sailors and injured 39 on that warship. I can tell you the systems we just put out on the water wouldve prevented the Cole.Brizzolara said the technology is intended to allow sailors who would ordinarily be manning such boats to stay out of harms way while the self-guided boats seek to deter, damage or destroy enemy vessels.Officials said while the Cole bombing was not the sole inspiration for the program, it was a significant one. Researchers have been working on the technology for about a decade. The kit can be placed on any small vessel and includes sensors and radar that tells it whats happening in the area. Advanced algorithms help the boat plan its route and determine its course of action and speed.Klunder said that manpower can sometimes be an issue as to why more patrol boats arent escorting larger ships, and that potential enemies may try to outnumber those boats. He said such technology could put more protective boats in the water, freeing up sailors for key roles aboard ship.Weve really put our sailors back where they need to be anyway, which is back manning our combat systems, manning our weapons systems, steering our ships, Klunder said.Klunder said the technology should be rolled out to fleet commanders within a year. He said the parts for the small, transportable kit cost about $2,000 and can be applied to existing patrol boats present at Navy installations and aboard many large warships.The Navy said some of the components were adapted for from technology originally developed by NASA for the Mars Rover spaceflight programs. What made the August demonstration so important is that it showed that numerous boats could coordinate with each other, Klunder noted.He said its the first time the technology has ever been employed with more than one or two boats. And he spoke of possibly wider applications in the future outside military use.This is something that you might find not only just on our naval vessels, we could certainly see this utilized to protect merchant vessels, to protect ports and harbors, used also to protect offshore oil rigs, Klunder said.

Man floating in bubble rescued by Coast Guard

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ORLANDO (Agencies) - The US coastguard has rescued a man who tried to run 1,000 miles from Florida to Bermuda in an inflatable plastic bubble.Reza Baluchi, an endurance athlete, was attempting to complete the incredible journey in a self-designed hydro pod.He planned to sleep just three hours a day and survive on protein bars and bottled water.But on Wednesday, just three days into the challenge, the Iranian-born US national became disoriented and started asking for directions to Bermuda.He refused to leave the pod, so the US Coastguard continued to monitor him until he activated his radio beacon on Saturday.Coast Guard HC-130 airplane and MH-60 helicopter crews travelled from Clearwater, Florida along with the Maersk Montana, a vessel registered with the Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue System (AMVER).He was rescued uninjured but suffering from exhaustion.

Australia beat Pakistan in one-off Twenty20

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DUBAI (AP) – Off-spinner Glenn Maxwell polished off Pakistans top order with the new ball and opening batsman David Warner anchored the run chase with an unbeaten 54 as Australia comfortably won the one-off Twenty20 match by six wickets on Sunday.Maxwell finished with 3-13 after removing opening batsman Awais Zia for 3 while Umar Amin and Sohaib Maqsood fell without scoring.Newcomer Saad Nasim hit 25 to stabilize the innings but Pakistan finished on an uncompetitive 96-9 after Shahid Afridi won the toss in his comeback match as captain and opted to bat first.Australia wobbled at first, reduced to 56-4, before Warner cut loose and Australia reached 98-4 with six overs to spare.Nice wicket to bowl on and hopefully I can keep going well since wickets here might be more like this, Maxwell said after receiving man of the match award. Theres a lot of places up for grabs, were a young side and we try and put our best foot forward.Pakistan could score only four boundaries in its entire innings and struggled against spinners as Maxwells triple strike reduced them to 33-4 by the seventh over.Umar Akmal also fell cheaply to Australian debutante Kane Richardson and Afridi left the team limping at 46-6 when he was trapped leg before wicket by Sean Abbott off a full pitched delivery.Nasim, who forced his way in the side after an impressive run at the Champions League in India last week, could not hit a boundary in his 32-ball knock before he was clean bowled by Mitchel Starc off a brilliant yorker.However, Wahab Riaz (16) and Raza Hasan (13) chipped in with some runs and ensured Pakistan at least consumed its full quota of 20 overs.Australia top order also struggled against left-arm spinner Hasan despite Pakistan being without its two key spinners Saeed Ajmal, suspended due to illegal bowling action and Mohammad Hafeez, who was ruled out of the Twenty20 and one-day series due to hand injury.Hasan removed captain Aaron Finch and Steven Smith cheaply in his opening spell as both batsmen miscued their shots and gave easy catches.Maxwell hit three boundaries in his quickfire 17 before Afridi had him lbw but Warner ensured Australia didnt lose its way but striking some aggressive boundaries.The left-hander raised his half century with a reverse flick over the midwicket for six off Maqsoods offspin before closing out the game.After the first over we thought we wanted 120-125, but we didnt play it well, Afridi said.First six overs are very important, but we missed the opportunity and didnt read the pitch very well.Both teams now compete in a three-match one-day series which begins at Sharjah on Tuesday.Pakistan vs. Australia ScoreboardPakistan Batting:Ahmed Shehzad c Finch b Boyce ......................10Awais Zia c Richardson b Maxwel ....................... 3Umar Amin st Haddin b Maxwell ....................... 0Sohaib Maqsood b Maxwell ................................ 0Saad Nasim b Starc ......................................... 25Umar Akmal c Warner b Richardson .................... 1Shahid Afridi lbw b Abbott ................................... 2Anwar Ali c Richardson b Boyce........................... 5Wahab Riaz c Starc b Faulkner ...........................16Raza Hasan not out ........................................... 13Mohammad Irfan not out .......................................1Extras: (7lb, 13w) ...............................................20Total: (for 9 wickets) ...........................................96Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-13, 3-23, 4-33, 5-36, 6-46, 7-57, 8-71, 9-86.Bowling: Glenn Maxwell 3-0-13-3 (6w), Mitchel Starc 4-0-17-1 (5w), Cameron Boyce 4-0-10-2, Kane Richardson 3-0-13-1, Sean Abbott 3-0-17-1 (2w), Steven Smith 1-0-4-0, James Faulkner 2-0-15-1.Australia Batting:David Warner not out ..........................................54Aaron Finch c Irfan b Hasan .................................5Glenn Maxwell b Afridi ........................................17Steven Smith c Riaz b Hasan ..............................3Phillip Hughes c Maqsood b Riaz .........................6James Faulkner not out .......................................7Extras: (4lb, 1w, 1nb) ..........................................6Total: (for 4 wickets) .........................................98Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-38, 3-42, 4-56Did not bat: Brad Haddin, Sean Abbott, Mitchell Starc, Kane Richardson, Cameron Boyce.Bowling: Raza Hasan 4-0-17-2, Mohammad Irfan 2-0-20-0, Shahid Afridi 4-0-17-1 (1w), Wahab Riaz 2-0-15-1, Saad Nasim 1-0-12-0, Sohaib Maqsood 1-0-13-0 (1nb).Toss: Pakistan.Result: Australia won by 6 wickets.Umpires: Ahsan Raza, Pakistan, and Shozab Raza, Pakistan.TV umpire: Ahmed Shahab. Match referee: Javagal Srinath, India.

Sacrifice is must for achieving great success: Imran Khan

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ISLAMABAD: (Dunya News) – Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan has said that sacrifice is must for achieving great goals in life. He said that Pakistani leaders only looked after their interests instead of looking after national interest. He reiterated his resolve that he will not leave the container till Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s resignation.Addressing the sit-in today (Sunday) in Islamabad, Imran Khan praised the passion of the workers. He said that PTI workers sacrificed for the poor people and their sacrifices will not go waste.Chairman PTI said that government should not even think of reconciliation. “I will stay in container till Nawaz Sharif’s resignation”, he said. He said that the nation is not ready to accept a prime minister that came into power through ‘fake mandate’. He also praised the zeal of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) workers during his address and also admired the excitement of PTI’s women.

Democratic forces acted wisely in political crisis: Nawaz Sharif

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ISLAMABAD: (Dunya News) – Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said that the democratic forces have acted wisely in the current political turmoil. He said that all the resources will be utilized in order to rehabilitate the flood victims.In his message to the nation on the occasion of Eid-al-Azha, Prime Minister has said that armed forces have fought the terrorism with great valour during Operation Zarb-e-Azb. “Our soldiers and officers have sacrificed for the national pride and prosperity”, said Nawaz Sharif.PM Nawaz Sharif has also thanked the nation for keeping its faith in the government for the prosperity and progress of Pakistan. He said that the democratic forces have shown great wisdom during the recent political crisis.
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