Wednesday 13 May 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Golf: McIlroy balks at 'cut throat' label

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CHARLOTTE (AFP) - World number one Rory McIlroy isnt afraid to attack a golf course, but hes not sure hes part of a cut throat generation described by fellow 20-something Patrick Reed.US 24-year-old Reed, a four-time winner on the US PGA Tour, will play alongside 26-year-old McIlroy when the Wells Fargo Championship tees off at Quail Hollow on Thursday.Reed believes it is a cut throat approach to the game that has seen young players like himself, McIlroy, Masters champion Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler and Jason Day dominate the game.I dont know if I agree with Patrick that were all cut throat and I would simply say that were all not afraid to go out there and win, McIlroy said on the eve of the $7 million tournament.I would agree that the last few years we have all started playing a lot more aggressively than the guys in the past used to, and I feel like its a lot more drivers and the younger players today are being more aggressive in their approach to the game and its resulting in more birdies and so on.McIlroy said that fearlessness showed in Fowlers play-off triumph in the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass on Sunday.You look at the way Rickie played those last few holes and he clearly showed he wasnt afraid of hitting driver and hitting it straight at the pin, McIlroy said.It was an amazing finish and a great win for Rickie, and Im really pleased for him.But then I was looking at those last few holes they were playing and I was thinking to myself that when Rickie birdied 15 to go eight-under par, it was the same score that I was standing on the 16th tee.So it just shows how bunched it all was last Sunday.This weeks tournament is McIlroys third of five events in succession, a run that will also include next weeks European Tour PGA Championship and the following weeks Irish Open.He said the return to Quail Hollow is always special, as he captured the first of what is now 10 PGA Tour titles here in 2010.Its always been nice to come back to Quail Hollow as the course and the tournament will always be special to me, he said.Ive always played well here including in 2012 when I lost out to Rickie, so delighted to be back.

At least 15 trapped in Colombia mine collapse: officials

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BOGOTA (AFP) - At least 15 people were trapped underground Wednesday when an unlicensed gold mine in western Colombia collapsed, authorities said, as rescue workers raced to reach them.A mine collapsed, apparently after flooding caused by the holes drilled to extract the mineral. At least 15 people are trapped, said Luis Pineros of emergency response agency UNGRD.Were in the middle of search and rescue operations, he told AFP, saying 50 rescue workers and medics were on the scene.The accident happened on an indigenous reservation in the municipality of Riosucio.Some of the miners are trapped at a depth of about 17 meters (55 feet), others at about 10 meters, said the police commander for the department of Caldas, Luis Duarte.The National Mining Agency (ANM) said local firefighters reported that gases in the deep, vertical tunnels likely contributed to the cave-in.Business has boomed over the past decade for Colombias illegal miners as the price of gold has risen from less than $400 per ounce to almost $1,200.Colombia is a major gold producer, with output of more than 55,000 kilograms in 2013, according to government figures.Last week, Colombian authorities arrested nearly 60 people in raids targeting illegal mining operations used to finance the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the leftist guerrilla group that has waged a five-decade war on the government.The areas targeted were in the south and east of the country.Mining revenues represented 2.3 percent of Colombias national income in 2012, but more than half its mines are unregulated, according to official figures.

US train engineer slammed on emergency brakes before crash: NTSB

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PHILADELPHIA, May 13, 2015 (AFP) - The engineer of a US passenger train traveling at more than 100 miles per hour slammed on the emergency brakes just before it derailed in Philadelphia, leaving at least seven people dead, investigators said Wednesday.The speed was more than twice the approved limit, and the brakes barely slowed the train before the cars tumbled off the track late Tuesday, leaving more than 200 people injured, some with broken ribs and collapsed lungs.The National Transportation Safety Board cautioned that its first assessment of the data was preliminary, and that it would need more time to piece together what happened to Amtrak Train 188, headed from Washington to New York.Experts were at the scene searching for evidence, and the locomotive and train cars were being moved to a secure location for analysis. The initial information came in part from the trains black box data recorders.Our mission is to find out not only what happened, but why it happened, so that we can prevent it from happening again, the NTSBs Robert Sumwalt told reporters, saying his team would be on the ground for a week.The engineers full emergency brake application only slowed the train speed from 106 miles (170 kilometers) per hour to 102 mph, Sumwalt said, noting: It takes a long time and distance to decelerate a train.The speed limit entering the curve was just 50 miles per hour.He said a speed control system used along Amtraks well-traveled Northeast Corridor between Washington and New York was not yet in place in the area of the crash.We feel that had such a system been installed in this section of track, this accident would not have occurred, he said.Broken ribs, collapsed lungsOfficials warned some of the 243 passengers and crew listed on the trains manifest -- many of whom limped away from the wreck bloodied and dazed -- had not yet been accounted for, meaning the death toll could still rise.They encouraged anyone who may have left the scene without being counted to contact Amtrak.Sam Phillips, the citys director of emergency management, said area hospitals had treated over 200 patients last night and this morning.Herbert Cushing, the chief medical officer at Temple University Hospital, said some suffered rib fractures or collapsed lungs. Some of the victims hailed from Spain, Belgium, Germany and India.Reportedly among the dead were a staffer for the Associated Press and a midshipman at the US Naval Academy, according to the AP and the Washington Post.Witnesses described scenes of panic and chaos, as train cars tumbled over, sending passengers banging into one another and luggage flying.One car was completely flattened in the crash, which took place at about 9:30 pm Tuesday (0130 GMT Wednesday). Wheels lay scattered by the tracks.Local resident Iwina Washington, 27, told AFP she saw shell-shocked survivors with blood on their faces, looking confused, as rescue personnel converged on the scene.It looked like an episode from The Walking Dead, Washington said.It was awfulMax Helfman, 19, said he was with his mother in the last car of the train, which did not have seatbelts, when they suddenly felt it shake. It then flipped over.People were thrown to the ground, Helfman told the Philadelphia Inquirer.Chairs inside the train became unscrewed and suitcases were falling on people. My mother flew into me and I literally had to catch her. People were bleeding from their head. It was awful.Hydraulic tools had to be used to remove passengers from some of the most badly damaged train cars, firefighters said.Other passengers had to kick out windows to escape, according to former Pennsylvania congressman Patrick Murphy, who was aboard the train.Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter said rail service between the city and New York would likely be suspended for the rest of the week.The victims could have been any one of our parents, children, or someone from one of our communities, said Vice President Joe Biden, who often rides on the popular commuter line between Washington and his home state Delaware.Amtrak is like a second family to me, as it is for so many other passengers.

RugbyU: Bath centre Joseph claims award double

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LONDON (AFP) - Baths Jonathan Joseph claimed a double at the Rugby Players Association (RPA) awards on Wednesday when he was named Players Player of the Year and England Player of the Year.The 23-year-old outside centre has helped Bath climb to second place in the English Premiership and scored four tries for England during the Six Nations as Stuart Lancasters side finished runners-up to Ireland.Im extremely honoured to win both of these prestigious awards, especially given the immense quality amongst the other nominees, Joseph said in a press released issued by the RPA.As always I would like to thank the people whove made this possible, my family and friends, team-mates, coaches and all the people who have pushed me to strive to achieve my absolute best.Im enormously proud to have my name on two of the RPAs Awards. Its an absolute pleasure to have received this level of recognition from my peers.The awards ceremony in London also saw Englands 2003 World Cup-winning fly-half Jonny Wilkinson, who retired in 2014, inducted into the RPAs Hall of Fame.Exeter playmaker Henry Slade was named Young Player of the Year, while Rochelle Clark took the honours as England Womens Player of the Year.

Hand grip is telltale of heart's health: study

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PARIS(AFP) - Testing peoples hand strength could be a simple, low-cost way to screen them for the risk of heart attack or stroke, The Lancet reported on Thursday.Canadian-led researchers carried out a large-scale probe into evidence that a firm hand grip is a rough yet reliable indicator of good health.Their study covered nearly 140,000 patients aged between 35 and 70 in 17 countries, whose health was monitored over four years.During checkups, the patients were asked to grasp a gadget called a Jamar dynamometer, which measures muscle strength.Every five-kilogramme (11-pound) decline in grip strength was linked to a 16-percent increase in the risk of death from any cause over the studys four years.The decline was also associated with a seven-percent increased risk of a heart attack, and a nine-percent increased risk of a stroke.Hand grip is a stronger forecaster of early death than systolic blood pressure, the study found.The results were the same when factors such as age, tobacco and alcohol use, education level and employment status, which affect health, were taken into account.There was no link, though, between grip strength and diabetes, respiratory disease, injuries from falls or fractures.Grip strength could be an easy and inexpensive test to assess an individuals risk of death and cardiovascular disease, said Darryl Leong, an assistant professor of medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, who led the investigation.Doctors or other healthcare professionals can measure grip strength to identify patients with major illnesses such as heart failure who are at particularly high risk of dying from their illness.More work is needed to calibrate hand grip, as the strength can depend on the individuals size, weight and ethnicity.Research, too, is needed to understand why muscle strength seems to be a telltale of health -- and whether the risk of death and cardiovascular disease could be eased by improving muscle tone.

Top Burundi general launches coup attempt against president

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BUJUMBURA (AFP) - A top Burundian general launched a coup attempt against President Pierre Nkurunziza on Wednesday, capping weeks of violent protests against the leaders controversial bid for a third term.General Godefroid Niyombare, a former intelligence chief who was sacked earlier this year, announced via a private radio station that the president had been overthrown hours after he left for neighbouring Tanzania for regional talks.The general also ordered the closure of Bujumbura airport and the landlocked central African nations borders, declaring that he had the support of many high-ranking army and police officials.Hundreds of people took to the streets in celebration after the coup announcement, shouting Victory and sounding car horns. Cheering crowds were also seen walking alongside marching soldiers and climbing aboard tanks in the lakeside capital.But by late Wednesday the outcome of the putsch was still uncertain, with the presidency dismissing what it said was an imaginary coup and vowing the perpetrators would be brought to justice.I think there is some confusion, I think things will become clear tomorrow, General Niyombare told France 24 television, insisting there had been no other option but to declare a coup.A senior military officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that negotiations were ongoing between army factions for and against the coup.Both sides are committed to finding a compromise before dawn and announcing it to the population to avoid confusion and prevent things from escalating tomorrow, the source said.Pro-Nkurunziza troops appeared to still be in control of key institutions, including the presidential palace and state broadcaster, an AFP correspondent and witnesses said. Troops earlier fired warning shots to stop demonstrators from marching on the television and radio building.The Tanzanian government said Nkurunziza was flying back home, although his exact whereabouts on Wednesday night were unclear -- amid speculation he may have travelled to a third country elsewhere in the region.An AFP correspondent confirmed the airport in the Burundian capital had been shut and appeared to be in the hands of pro-coup forces.Ugandan government officials contacted by AFP refused to confirm or deny speculation that Nkurunziza may have flown there instead.The attempted coup sparked international alarm, with Washington urging Burundians to lay down arms, end the violence and show restraint.Those calls were echoed by the European Union which warned it was essential the situation does not spin out of control.United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also made an urgent appeal for calm, while the UN Security Council said it would hold an emergency meeting on the situation on Thursday.Fears of return to civil warIn his message announcing the coup, Niyombare signalled he did not want to take power himself.President Pierre Nkurunziza is removed from office, the government is dissolved, Niyombare said in the dramatic broadcast on the Insaganiro radio station.All people are asked to respect the lives and property of others, said the general, vowing to form a committee for the restoration of national harmony and work for the resumption of the electoral process in a peaceful and fair environment.Niyombare is a highly respected figure who was sacked from his intelligence post in February after he opposed Nkurunzizas attempt to prolong his 10-year rule.Over 20 people have been killed and scores wounded since late April, when Burundis ruling CNDD-FDD party -- which has been accused of intimidating the opposition and arming its own militia -- nominated Nkurunziza to stand for re-election in June 26 polls.Clashes between protesters and police early Wednesday, before the coup was announced, left two civilians and a police officer dead, according to the Burundian Red Cross. At least 66 people were injured, it added.The unrest has raised fears of a return to widespread violence in the impoverished country, which is still recovering from a brutal 13-year civil war that ended in 2006. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed in the conflict.More than 50,000 Burundians have fled the violence to neighbouring nations in recent weeks, with the UN preparing for thousands more refugees.UnconstitutionalOpposition and rights groups insist that it is unconstitutional for Nkurunziza, who has been in office since 2005, to run for more than two terms. He argues that his first presidential term did not count as he was elected by parliament, not directly by the people.Asked to rule on the issue, Burundis constitutional court found in his favour but not before one of the judges fled the country, claiming its members were subject to death threats.The African Union, EU and United States have condemned the third-term bid by Nkurunziza, a former rebel leader from the Hutu majority and born-again Christian, who believes he ascended to the presidency with divine backing.Nkurunziza had left Burundi earlier Wednesday for Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania, where he had been scheduled to meet with leaders of the five-nation East African Community (EAC) -- made up of Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda as well as Burundi.Nkurunziza did not take part in the talks. EAC leaders later issued a statement condemning the attempted coup and urging a postponement of Burundis elections.Meanwhile, Burundis highly respected independent African Public Radio -- which was shut down at the start of the protests -- went back on air.

American killed in seven-hour Kabul guesthouse siege

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KABUL (AFP) - An American citizen was killed when gunmen stormed a downtown Kabul guesthouse late Wednesday, trapping several foreigners awaiting a musical concert and triggering a seven-hour standoff with Afghan security forces.No group immediately claimed responsibility for the siege on the Park Palace guesthouse, but it comes as the Taliban -- who have previously attacked such properties frequented by foreigners -- press their annual spring offensive.Police said the siege ended with all the three assailants killed, but the final casualty figure was not immediately clear as security officials combed the site for explosives.We can confirm reports that a US citizen was killed in the attack on a guesthouse in Kabul, US embassy spokeswoman Monica Cummings told AFP.Our thoughts are with the families of the victims at this time. Out of respect for the families of those killed, we have no further information at this time.There were also a few Indian casualties in the attack, Indias ambassador to Kabul Amar Sinha said in a Twitter post.He earlier told AFP his embassy was in contact with up to five Indian nationals stuck inside the guesthouse who were safe.The Park Palace was due to host a concert by well-known Afghan classical singer Altaf Hussain, with several VIPs invited, when the gunfire started, a guesthouse employee told AFP.The employee, who did not wish to be named, said he barricaded himself in a room in the building when the shootout began and heard several people screaming in the corridors as gunshots rang out.The employee later managed to flee the Park Palace and said he saw at least five blood-covered bodies lying near the entrance.Roads leading up to the Park Palace, frequented by foreigners and international aid agency workers, were blocked by a large number of security personnel who arrived after the attack, according to an AFP photographer at the scene.Heavy gunfireKabul police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi said security forces managed to evacuate a large number of guests after the siege began.Rahimi, who was at the scene of the ongoing attack, had earlier said security forces faced heavy gunfire from the assailants.The attack comes a day after a visit to Kabul by Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who assured Afghanistan of Islamabads full support in its battle against the Taliban, saying the enemies of Afghanistan cannot be the friends of Pakistan.His unusually strong remarks are the latest sign of a thaw in the once-frosty relationship between the two countries. Afghan officials have frequently accused longtime nemesis Pakistan of harbouring and nurturing Taliban insurgents.But Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has actively courted Pakistan since coming to power in what observers say is a calculated gambit to pressure the insurgents to the negotiating table.The Taliban has been behind previous attacks on compounds and guesthouses occupied or frequented by foreigners, including at least two separate assaults in Kabul in November.Militants also launched a major attack on a compound of the International Organization for Migration in 2013.Along with guesthouses and compounds, the range of targets hit last year in Kabul included the Afghan capitals most prestigious hotel and a restaurant popular with Western diplomats.Taliban insurgents, who have waged a 13-year war to topple the US-backed Afghan government, launched their spring offensive across Afghanistan late last month, stepping up attacks on government and foreign targets.This year marks the first fighting season in which Afghan forces are battling the insurgents without the full support of US-led foreign combat troops.

US, Cuba to meet next week on reopening embassies: minister

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HAVANA (AFP) - The United States and Cuba will hold a new meeting next week in Washington on reopening embassies, the latest step in their historic rapprochement, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said Wednesday.Next week there will be a new round of negotiations in Washington on reestablishing diplomatic relations and opening embassies, he told AFP in an exclusive interview.The exact date has not yet been set, he said.The two sides have held several rounds of talks since the landmark announcement by US President Barack Obama and Cubas Raul Castro on December 17 that the former Cold War foes would restore the diplomatic ties they severed in 1961.The negotiations are being led by US Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Roberta Jacobson and Cubas top diplomat for US affairs, Josefina Vidal.Rodriguez said the talks had made considerable progress on the issue of allowing the Cuban diplomatic mission in Washington to open a bank account, which it has not been able to do because of the trade and financial embargo the United States has imposed on the communist island since 1962.The last talks between the two sides took place on March 16 in Havana.It was followed in April by a highly symbolic meeting between Obama and Castro at the Summit of the Americas in Panama.Obama then notified Congress of his intention to take Cuba off the blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism, a key sticking point in the negotiations.Removal from the blacklist will enable Cuba to access badly needed financing from the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.Castro said Tuesday the talks were going well, and that the countries could exchange ambassadors once Cuba is removed from the blacklist.That is set to take place after May 29, the expiration date of a 45-day period for Congress to oppose the move.Obamas Republican opponents have until then to pass a joint resolution against it in both houses of Congress, but would likely struggle to muster the votes needed to override a presidential veto.The State Department was more circumspect on the question of exchanging ambassadors, saying no date had yet been set.It said Wednesday prior to Rodriguezs remarks that diplomatic relations had to be reestablished before ambassadors could be named.Were not at a point yet where we have reached successful conclusion of our talks to reestablish diplomatic relations and to establish embassies in each others capitals, said State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke.We see the exchange of ambassadors as being a logical step once the reestablishment of diplomatic relations is complete. Not the other way around. So we do not have a set timeframe for the conclusion of the talks on reestablishing diplomatic relations.

Out on a limb: Octopus inspires medical robotics

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PARIS (AFP) - Scientists in Italy said Thursday they had devised a prototype arm inspired by the octopus that may one day lead to minimally-invasive robotic surgery.Like the octopus limb, the slender remote-controlled gadget can extend and bend and be either soft or rigid, the goal being to enable surgery in the abdomen and other cramped parts of the body.The arm would be able to slither between soft organs or gently hold them to one side while a miniature tool kit in its tip carries out the operation, the inventors hope.The human body represents a highly challenging and non-structured environment, where the capabilities of the octopus can provide several advantages with respect to traditional surgical tools, explained Tommaso Ranzani of the BioRobotics Institute in Pontedera, central Italy.Generally, the octopus has no rigid structures and can thus adapt the shape of its body to its environment.Taking advantage of the lack of rigid skeletal support, the eight highly flexible and long arms can twist, change their length, or bend in any direction at any point along the arm.The prototype, designed to prove the concept of flexing and stiffening in man-made materials, is described in a British scientific journal, Bioinspiration and Biomimetics.It comprises a 32-millimetre (1.25-inch) -wide silicon tube with inflatable cylindrical chambers inside.By varying or combining the inflation of the chambers, the tube can be made to bend to up to 255 degrees and stretch to up to 62 percent of its initial length.To stiffen the tube, the scientists inserted a plastic core filled with light granules.When air is sucked from the core, it becomes rigid, and the tubes stiffness can be doubled.The arm has been put through its paces, manipulating water-filled balloons to represent body organs in the abdominal cavity.Traditional surgical tasks often require the use of multiple specialised instruments such as graspers, retracters, vision systems and dissectors to carry out a single procedure, Ranzani said in a press release.We believe our device is the first step to creating an instrument that is able to perform all of these tasks, as well as reach remote areas of the body and safely support organs around the target site.Several other teams are working on manipulators inspired by octopus limbs, elephant trunks and snakes, including Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).So-called soft robotics that are able to flex and stiffen would have an advantage over hard materials in environments that are delicate, complex or unpredictable.Potential uses include disaster and accident relief -- providing support for victims in crushed cars or collapsed buildings.

US House passes bill ending NSA bulk data collection

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US House of Representatives voted Wednesday to end the NSAs dragnet collection of telephone data from millions of Americans, a controversial program revealed in 2013 by former security contractor Edward Snowden.The USA Freedom Act is seen as a big win for privacy and civil rights advocates. The White House backs the reforms, saying the bill protects privacy while preserving essential national security authorities.The measure now heads for a vote in the Senate, where the clash between reformists and supporters of the intelligence community, coming within the context of warnings on the increasing digital reach of the Islamic State terror group, transcends party lines.And far-left liberals and staunch conservatives, often at odds on most major legislation, have united in opposition against the domestic NSA spying.The bill, which focuses on people in the United States and not overseas, would amend controversial sections of the USA Patriot Act which passed in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks and which expire on June 1.The reforms would explicitly prohibit the mass collection of telephone metadata -- numbers, time and duration of calls -- by the National Security Agency, as well as electronic data such as emails and web addresses.Americans liberty and Americas security can co-exist, said House Judiciary Committee chairman Bob Goodlatte, who voted for passage.These fundamental concepts are not mutually exclusive.The reforms scrap the bulk collection detailed in Section 215 of the Patriot Act, replacing it with a targeted program that allows intelligence agencies to collect data from specific individuals or groups, but only with prior approval of the secret national security FISA court.The data dragnet was operating in complete secrecy after 2001 and under the supervision of the FISA court since 2006. It was consistently renewed by the Bush and Obama administrations.

Study: Vitamin B3 may help prevent certain skin cancers

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SYDNEY (AP) - For the first time, a large study suggests that a vitamin might modestly lower the risk of the most common types of skin cancer in people with a history of these relatively harmless yet troublesome growths.In a study in Australia, people who took a specific type of vitamin B3 for a year had a 23 percent lower rate of new skin cancers compared to others who took dummy pills. In absolute terms, it meant that vitamin takers developed fewer than two of these cancers on average versus roughly 2.5 cancers for the others.The study did not involve melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer. Instead, it aimed at more common forms basal and squamous cell cancers. More than 3 million cases are diagnosed each year in the United States.These are sort of the run-of-the-mill skin cancers that so many people get, said Dr. Richard Schilsky, chief medical officer of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, an organization of cancer specialists. Theyre rarely lethal but theyre very persistent and they keep coming back, and are expensive to remove, usually through surgery, freezing off the spots or radiation.He and other doctors with the oncology group said the vitamin, called nicotinamide, could offer a cheap, easy way to lower risk.However, Australia has higher rates of skin cancer than the U.S. and other parts of the world, and some doctors may want more evidence beyond this single study before recommending the pills. Vitamins have long proved elusive for cancer prevention, and some studies have even found certain ones can be harmful.Researchers also stressed they were not suggesting vitamin use for people who have not yet had one of these cancers.At the moment, its not something for the general population, said the studys leader, Dr. Diona Damian of the Dermatology University of Sydney in Australia.We must always remember the basics of sun-sensible behaviors avoiding overexposure and using sunscreen as the best ways for anyone to lower risk, she said.The study involved 386 people who had at least two skin cancers in the previous five years. They took either 500 milligrams of the vitamin or dummy pills twice a day for a year. Neither they nor their doctors knew who got what until the study ended.Besides reducing the rate of skin cancers, vitamin use also seemed to cut the rate of precancers scaly patches of skin called actinic keratoses by 11 percent after three months of use and 20 percent after nine months.Participants were tracked for six months after they stopped taking their pills, and the rate of new skin cancers was similar in both groups.The benefit wears off fairly quickly, Damian said. You need to continue taking the tablets for them to continue to be effective.Nicotinamide is thought to help repair DNA in cells damaged by sun exposure. It is not the same as nicotine, the addictive stuff in tobacco. Its also not the same as niacin and some other forms of B3, which can cause flushing, headaches and blood pressure problems. Those problems were not seen with nicotinamide in the study.Nicotinamide is sold over the counter, is easy to take, and there are essentially no side effects, Schilsky said.However, it might be a little tough to find. A check of one major drugstore chain found only other forms of B3, such as niacin, or combination B vitamins. Online, some retailers offered nicotinamide for prices ranging from a nickel to a dollar a tablet, sometimes combined with other things.Australias National Health and Medical Research Council funded the study. The oncology society released the results in a telephone news briefing Wednesday and it will be discussed at the groups annual meeting in Chicago later this month.

India behind Karachi bus massacre, says Lord Nazir

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LONDON (Dunya News) - Lord Nazir Ahmed, member of British House of Lords, has said that overseas Pakistani community condemns Karachi bus tragedy in which 44 precious lives were lost.Lord Nazir further said that India was behind Karachi bus massacre and he has concrete evidences of India’s involvement in the incident.

Pietersen ruled out of India bonanza

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LONDON (AFP) - Star batsman Kevin Pietersens disappointing week continued on Wednesday as calf and Achilles injuries ruled him out of joining up with his side for the lucrative Indian Premier League.The 34-year-old South Africa-born player, who on Tuesday saw his hopes of a recall to the England side dashed because of what director of cricket Andrew Strauss termed a massive trust issue, was due to take up his contract with Sunrisers Hyderabad and play his first match on Sunday. However, Pietersen suffered the injuries playing for his county Surrey in their County Championship match with Leicestershire -- in which he scored a career-best 326 not out -- and is expected to be out for two weeks.Pietersen, who said he was devastated at his rejection by England, is also scheduled to play for St Lucia Zouks in the Caribbean Premier League T20 competition in June and July.

Football: Morata sends Juventus into final at Madrid's expense

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MADRID (AFP) - Juventus will face Barcelona in the Champions League final after Alvaro Morata came back to haunt former club and holders Real Madrid with the precious away goal in a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their semi-final on Wednesday to progress 3-2 on aggregate.With Juventus leading 2-1 from the first leg, Cristiano Ronaldos first-half penalty had put the hosts ahead on away goals.However, Morata, who left Madrid for the Italian champions last July, struck the vital blow when he volleyed home Paul Pogbas knockdown on 57 minutes to take Juventus to their first final in 12 years in Berlin on June 6.After the first goal we thought it was done, said Madrid defender Sergio Ramos.We have to congratulate them. They have gone through because they have done things better.It wasnt just one game but two. Here we didnt score enough goals and werent efficient in front of goal.Soaring temperatures of over 30 degrees celsius didnt prevent a frantic start to the match as the hosts went looking for the goal they needed from the off.Gareth Bale had the first chance as he headed over Marcelos cross before Karim Benzema blasted off target from a narrow angle having turned Stephan Lichtsteiner brilliantly inside the area.Ronaldo then saw a free-kick deflected narrowly over, but Juventus were also enjoying good spells of possession and Iker Casillas was forced into action on 13 minutes when he turned Arturo Vidals effort from the edge of the box to safety.Benzema breached the Juventus backline once more six minutes later, but his pass was behind Ronaldo and the Portuguese couldnt turn the ball into an unguarded net.The unrelenting Madrid pressure continued as Bales piledriver was brilliantly turned behind by Gianluigi Buffon.However, there was nothing the Italian captain could do to prevent Ronaldo registering his 10th goal in Champions League semi-finals from the spot after James Rodriguez had been felled by Giorgio Chiellini midway through the half.Buffon came to his sides rescue with two more saves from Benzema, whilst Ronaldo also smashed into the side-netting and wasted a clear opening by trying to square for Isco with the goal at his mercy before half-time.Claudio Marchisio was first to take aim after the break as his driven effort flew just beyond Casillass right-hand post.Juventus did get the all-important away goal just before the hour mark when Madrid failed to fully clear from Andrea Pirlos free-kick and Morata was on hand to volley home after Pogba outmuscled Sergio Ramos.Bale had the chance to silence his critics five minutes later as Marcelo stormed down the left and his low cross was sliced wide by the Welshman at the near post.Casillas kept Madrid in the tie as he spread himself to make a fine save from Marchisio as the game raged from end to end.Bale headed over from Ronaldos cross as the European champions grip on the trophy started to slip away.Casillas denied Juventus victory on the night by getting strong hands to Pogbas drive.But their captains efforts were in vain as Madrids final realistic hopes of winning a major trophy this season disappeared and Juventus progressed to their eighth European Cup final.

US repatriates 50 Cuban migrants found at sea

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MIAMI (AFP) - The United States repatriated 50 Cuban migrants Wednesday who had been intercepted at sea in precarious rafts trying to reach US shores.The migrants were arrested last week in three different boats that had left Bahia de Cabanas bay in northern Cuba, the US Coast Guard said.The first 27 migrants were intercepted on Friday, after their raft was spotted by a cruise ship near the Dry Tortugas in the Florida Keys tropical islands.That same day, the Coast Guard stopped a second boat with 15 Cubans on board in the same area.The remaining eight Cubans were arrested Saturday when they were still relatively close to the northern Cuban port of Matanzas.All three interdictions included unseaworthy, homemade vessels that posed significant risk to the migrants attempting to make the perilous journey, the US Coast Guard said in a statement.It said the migrants were all transferred safely to a Coast Guard vessel for repatriation. There, they were provided food, water, shelter and basic medication.In recent years, the Coast Guard has found a growing number of Cubans trying to cross the shark-infested waters separating the communist island from Florida. The journey is just 90 miles (150 kilometers) long.The number of migrants increased after Washington and Havana made the historic announcement in December that they would seek to restore ties after half a century of enmity.Cubans are concerned that the move will end immigration benefits provided by the United States, where they can stay legally if they succeed in reaching US shores.Since October, the Coast Guard has picked up 2,460 Cuban trying to reach the United States.In fiscal year 2014, which ended in September, the figure was 3,677, up from 2,129 the year before and 1,870 in 2012.The US Coast Guard discourages these dangerous illegal crossings, which sometimes end in deaths at sea.
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