Wednesday 18 November 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

US warned of Paris attack 'mastermind' in May

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - US intelligence warned in May that the Islamic State had developed the capability to carry out the kind of attack claimed by the extremist group in Paris and explicitly picked out the alleged mastermind.An assessment published by the Office of Intelligence and Analysis, in coordination with the FBI, makes reference to and pictures Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the suspected ringleader of Fridays coordinated suicide bombings and shootings in the French capital that killed at least 129 people.The report focuses on the lesson learned from a plot disrupted by Belgian authorities in January in several cities and called it the first instance in which a large group of terrorists possibly operating under ISIL direction has been discovered.It added that the plot may indicate that the group has developed the capability to launch more complex operations in the West, as opposed to so-called lone wolf attacks or assaults by smaller or less sophisticated groups.The threat was more acute in Europe than the United States, the assessment said, but cautioned that we cannot discount the possibility for potential complex attacks here in the Homeland.The report, citing European media, called Abaaoud the purported leader of the Belgian plotters and said he directed operations from a safehouse in Athens using a cell phone, possibly in a bid to hide his involvement.Investigations into the groups activities spanned several European countries, including France, it said.

Obama would veto bill toughening Syria refugee checks: White House

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - President Barack Obama would veto a Republican bill introduced in the wake of the Paris attacks to toughen the screening process for Syrian refugees, the White House said Wednesday.The US House of Representatives could vote as early as Thursday on resolution 4038, which aims to block administration plans to resettle 10,000 Syrian refugees in the coming year.Given the lives at stake and the critical importance to our partners in the Middle East and Europe of American leadership in addressing the Syrian refugee crisis, if the President were presented with H.R. 4038, he would veto the bill, the White House said.Unveiled by House Homeland Security chairman Michael McCaul, the bill aims to strengthen vetting procedures for Syrian and Iraqi refugees in the wake of Fridays attacks that killed 129, carried out by Syria-linked jihadists.The plan would require the director of the FBI, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence to certify that each refugee is not a security threat.This legislation would introduce unnecessary and impractical requirements that would unacceptably hamper our efforts to assist some of the most vulnerable people in the world, many of whom are victims of terrorism, and would undermine our partners in the Middle East and Europe in addressing the Syrian refugee crisis, the White House said in a statement.Refugees of all nationalities, including Syrians and Iraqis, currently undergo the most rigorous and thorough security screening of anyone allowed into the United States, all aimed at ensuring that those admitted do not pose a threat to our country, the statement said.The current screening process, it said, involves multiple federal intelligence, security and law enforcement agencies, including the National Counterterrorism Center, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Departments of Homeland Security, State, and Defense.The certification requirement at the core of H.R. 4038 is untenable and would provide no meaningful additional security for the American people, the White House said.

Polling for second phase of LB elections in Punjab, Sindh begins

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LAHORE (Dunya News) - Voting for the second phase of local bodies elections in 12 districts of Punjab and 14 districts of Sindh has been started. Polling in in Sindh’s Sanghar district has been postponed due to security reasons. Polling started at 7:30 in the morning and will conclude at 5:30 in the evening.In the second phase of LB elections, polling will be held today (Thursday) in Punjab’s Sargodha, Gujranwala, Sahiwal, Attock, Jhelum, Mianwali, Chiniot, Toba Tek Singh, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Sheikhupura and Khanewal districts.Also Read: Polling for second phase of LB polls in Sindh, Punjab todayIn Sindh, polling will be held in Hyderabad, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Matiari, Dadu, Jamshoro, Badin, Thatta, Sajawal, Shaheed Benazirabad, Nausharo Feroz, Mirpur Khas, Umerkot and Tharparkar while the polling in Sanghar district has been postponed due to security reasons.More than 20 million voters will exercise their right to vote in the second phase of LB elections in the two provinces. Also Read: Sindh: LB polls delayed in 53 UCs, 18 towns, 5 municipal committeesTight security arrangements have been made to ensure free, fair and transparent polling. Over 1 lakh 4 thousand policemen have been deployed for security during second phase of the LB polls in Punjab and the Rangers personnel will be deployed outside and inside the polling stations while as many as 40 companies of Pakistan Army will be monitoring the situation.Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had won a majority of seats in Punjab in the first phase of LB polls. Polling was held in 12 districts of Punjab including Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujrat, Chakwal, Bhakkar, Nankana Sahib, Kasur, Pakpattan, Okara, Lodhran, Vehari and Bahawalnagar. Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) grabbed majority of seats in the Sindh province in the first phase of local government elections where polling was held in eight districts including Sukkur, Khairpur, Ghotki, Larkana, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Kashmore and Qamber.Also Read: Punjab LB polls: Rangers, army personnel to join over 1 lakh policemen for securityIn Punjab, polling for the third phase will be held on December 5 in Layyah, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bhawalpur, Rajan Pur, Rahim Yar Khan, Multan, Rawalpindi, Muzaffar Garh, Narowal, Jhang and Khushab. Local bodies polls in six districts, all pertaining to Karachi will be held on December 3, according to an official.

Hattar Industrial Estate to be initiated by end of November: KP govt.

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PESHAWAR (Dunya News) – The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Wednesday announced the initiation of Hattar Industrial Estate by the end of this month (November). The commencement was announced by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zone Development and Management Company’s (KPEZMDC)Chairman Ghulam Dastagir during a press conference. The newly created industrial estate is expected to generate an investment capital of Rs. 15 billion. Dastagir stated that the industrial zone will open employment chances for more than 200,000 people.Addressing the conference, Dastagir informed that the industrial zone will be developed on 424 acres of land. He further added that fool-proof security will be provided to industrialists and investors in Hattar Industrial Estate, which will also encourage foreign investors to endow in the industrial zone.Dastagir stated that a constant supply of gas and electricity will be ensured in the newly developed zone and five percent concession will also be given on mark up. Dastagir also informed that the KP government will also bear 25 percent of the transportation expenses along with 25 percent of the electricity bill.

Football: Blatter, Platini lose FIFA suspension appeals

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ZURICH (AFP) - A FIFA appeal committee on Wednesday rejected a bid by president Sepp Blatter and UEFA chief Michel Platini to overturn their 90-day bans while Swiss police pursue a criminal inquiry.The committee said it rejected in full the appeals made by Blatter and Platini.Platini, a candidate for the FIFA presidential election in February, announced through his lawyers that he would now appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).Blatter, 79, who was recently hospitalised for stress, was consulting with lawyers on his next step, a spokesman said.FIFAs ethics committee decided on October 7 to suspend Blatter and Platini for 90 days after Swiss prosecutors launched a criminal mismanagement inquiry against Blatter. Part of the inquiry is into a 2 million dollar payment made by FIFA to Platini in 2011 for work carried out a decade earlier.The suspension has been a severe blow to Platinis hopes of winning a FIFA presidential election in Zurich on February 26 when Blatter stands down after 17 years in the post.The ban from all football-related activity means that the Frenchman cannot campaign in the presidential race against the five confirmed candidates, who have already passed required integrity tests.FIFA will only conduct an integrity check on Platini when the suspension ends in January.Platinis lawyers said the decision was expected and that a final appeal would be made to the Lausanne-based CAS. One of the lawyers, Thibaud dAles, said he expected a CAS decision by the end of November.The appeal committee decision confirmed that FIFA through its internal organisms, is leading a one-sided, inequitable and partial investigation against Platini in violatiion of the rights of defence, the lawyers said in a statement.FIFA is also organising -- and does not even hide it -- a deliberate and inadmissible strategy to delay Michel Platinis campaign for the FIFA presidency.The lawyers said the appeal committee decision was dated November 3 but he had only been notified two weeks later without any justification.With FIFA at the centre of a major corruption storm, Blatter won reelection to a fifth term on May 30 but announced four days later that he would stand down.Blatter, and Platini, have strongly denied any wrongdoing. But last week the veteran powerbroker was hospitalised with a stress related illness.The suspension of Platini has blown the FIFA race wide open with Asian football chief Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, former FIFA vice president Prince Ali Al Hussein, former FIFA official Jerome Champagne, South African anti-apartheid campaigner Tokyo Sexwale and UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino all in contention.Infantino has indicated he would stand aside if his UEFA boss Platini is admitted to the election.Swiss and US investigations into alleged widescale fraud and corruption in world soccer have rocked FIFA this year.US authorities have charged 14 FIFA officials and sports business executives with involvement in more than $150 million of bribes for marketing deals. Swiss authorities are looking into the attribution of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar. There is a parallel inquiry into Blatters acts at FIFA. FIFAs reform committee, led by former International Olympic Committee director general Francois Carrard, will meet in Zurich on Thursday and Friday to finalise proposals to put to world bodys leaders.Amongst reforms they are expected to propose include limiting FIFA presidents to 12 years in the post and forcing executive members to stand down when they are 74.Their proposals will be discussed at a FIFA executive meeting on December 2-3 and then put to a vote at the special congress on February 26 when a new president will be elected.

Tennis: Nadal imperious as Murray crumbles at World Tour Finals

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LONDON (AFP) - Rafael Nadal showed he was getting back to his best as he crushed Andy Murray at the World Tour Finals on Wednesday with an impressive 6-4, 6-1 victory.The Spanish fifth seed was dominant as the British world number twos game fell apart in front of a home crowd at the 17,800-capacity O2 Arena in London.The first set of the group stage match was a high-level contest featuring impressive rallies and smart drop shots, but in the second, Murrays game fell away as Nadal turned the screw.Nadal, beset by problems during the worst year of his career, at one stage slumped to 10th in the world -- his lowest position since 2005.But the 14-time Grand Slam champion showed how dangerous he could be in 2016.This is an important victory because that puts me in a good position to try to be in the semi-finals, and at the same time I have a big day against a great player on a tough surface, the 29-year-old clay court-lover said.The positive results, the good feelings on court in terms of enjoying myself, in terms of image, is much better.But it is just the beginning. I need to keep working so hard to try to keep going the same way.When I dont think about how to hit the ball, but when I think just about where to hit the ball, thats good news.Today I feel free. I feel Im enjoying it on court.World number four Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland takes on Spains seventh seed David Ferrer in Wednesdays second match in the four-man group. Victory for Wawrinka, or for Ferrer in three sets, would ensure Nadals place in the semi-finals.Hes clearly playing better tennis now than a few months ago, Murray said of the Spaniard.A lot of the players still felt, providing he stayed injury-free, that he would raise his game again and compete at the top of the game.Hes come back from tight situations which is signs he is getting back to where he wants to be.Both Nadal and two-time Grand Slam champion Murray are contesting their seventh Finals, the season-ending tournament disputed on a hard court between the years top eight players. Neither has ever won the competition.After an early exchange of breaks, Murray produced a pair of scissors from his bag and chopped off part of his fringe.I had some hair in my eye, and I just wanted to get rid of it, he said.Murray tried to get Nadal on the run with some drop shots but the Spaniard responded in kind by sending his opponent scampering around the court.Murray held off break points at 2-3 and 3-4 down but eventually cracked when serving to stay in the set. Nadal broke to love, sending the Briton chasing about swiping at fresh air.In the second set, Murray made 16 unforced errors to Nadals three and won just 10 percent of the points on his second serve as the Spaniard raced away with the match.He was able to dictate most of the points, said Murray, 28.I didnt help myself out there. I served extremely low percentage, maybe lowest percentage I served the whole year in any match. Thats not good enough against someone as good as Rafa.Murray will still be certain of finishing the season at number two, the highest year-end ranking of his career, if he beats Wawrinka in Fridays final round of group stage matches, while Nadal faces compatriot Ferrer.In the other group, Roger Federer has already qualified for the semi-finals, while world number one Novak Djokovic needs to beat Tomas Berdych in his last round-robin match on Thursday. Japans Kei Nishikori could join Federer in the semis if he beats the Swiss great.After the World Tour Finals, Murray will lead Britains bid for a first Davis Cup title since 1936. Britain face hosts Belgium on a specially-laid clay court in Ghent in the November 27-29 final.

Golf: Tiger, Stricker, Furyk named Ryder vice-captains

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ST. SIMONS ISLAND (AFP) - Tiger Woods, a 14-time major winner and seven-time member of the US Ryder Cup team, will be among Americas 2016 vice-captains, US captain Davis Love said Wednesday.On the eve of the US PGAs RSM Classic hosted by Love, he announced that Woods, Steve Stricker and Jim Furyk would join Tom Lehman as vice-captains on the US squad that tries to reclaim the trophy from holders Europe.Next years Ryder Cup will be played September 30-October 2 at Hazeltine in suburban Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Americans lead the all-time rivalry 25-13 with two drawn but the Europeans have won three in a row, six of the past seven and eight of the past 10.Woods, who turns 40 next month, is coming off two back operations and has not announced a time-table for his return to competition, but he also said he has not ruled out making the team as a player, a difficult feat given his injuries and struggles of late.I would like to thank Davis (Love) for his confidence in me and for my selection as a Ryder Cup vice-aptain. This is something I want to do, Woods said.Ill continue to do whatever I can to help win the Cup back. Once Im fully healthy, I would like to try to make the team too.If Woods plays his way onto the team or receives a captains pick, Love would have the option to name a replacement as vice-captain.Stricker and Furyk joined Love as three of the assistants to Jay Haas on the triumphant US Presidents Cup team in South Korea last month.To welcome four vice-captains of this caliber is a giant first step towards preparing the 2016 team for success, Love said. I am grateful for their commitment, dedication and passion to win.Furyk, 45, won the 2003 US Open and has played in the past nine Ryder Cups, second to Phil Mickelsons 10 appearances in US Ryder Cup history.The Ryder Cup is in my DNA and I love everything about this event, the enormity of the stage, the passion, the competition, and the pressure, Furyk said. I look forward to being part of the team as we strive to win back the Ryder Cup on US soil.Stricker was a vice-captain under Tom Watson is a US loss last year at Gleneagles, Scotland. He was a member of the US task force assembled after that defeat to try and revamp the American Ryder Cup effort.We learned a great deal from the Ryder Cup Task Force meetings and we are optimistic about our plans for 2016 and beyond, Stricker said.

Golf: Stenson targets hat-trick of wins in Dubai

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DUBAI (AFP) - The European Tour enters its final event of the season with this weeks DP World Tour Championship, which will crown two champions on Sunday - winner of the $8 million tournament, and the Race to Dubai.Henrik Stenson is the two-time defending champion of the tournament, which begins Thursday at the Earth course of Jumeirah Golf Estates, while Rory McIlroy will try to win the Race to golf Dubai, and with it the honour of being called the number one European player, for a second straight season.Stenson, who is searching for his first win of the season, is currently ranked 16th in the Race to Dubai, but that looks certain to improve.The world number six is a combined 56-under par for his last three visits to the Earth course, and has figured out a good gameplan to tackle the Greg Norman-designed lay-out.Im excited about the opportunity to make it three in a row. Its not going to be easy, I know that much, said Stenson, who will try to make it back-to-back wins for Sweden after Kristoffer Brobergs triumph in Shanghai.Ive got 59 other players who wants to stop me dearly and Im just going to go out and try and make the same plan and hopefully play somewhat close to what Ive done the previous two years, and well see if we can give it a shot.Also in the reckoning for the title will be the in-form Justin Rose, who holds the course record of 62 and who has finished second here twice.The world number five from England, who can also win the Race to Dubai, said: I have always enjoyed finishing the season here in Dubai.Its a course that has been good for me and I really enjoy playing. Ive played well here the last few years and I come in here with the exciting chance of trying to win the Race to Dubai.It is a close battle for the Race to Dubai, with seven players - McIlroy, Danny Willett, Rose, Shane Lowry, Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace and Korean rookie An Byeong-hun - all in with a chance on Sunday.However, only McIlroy and the second-ranked Willett are in control of their own destinies, meaning if they win the tournament, it doesnt matter where everyone else is finishing.And with just 1,613 points separating them, whoever has a better finish between McIlroy and Willett, is guaranteed to win the Race to Dubai, and along with it a bonus of $1.875 million.Willett had a chance to catch up with McIlroy in last weeks BMW Masters in Shanghai, but instead of finishing solo 28th or better, he finished tied 28th.McIlroy will have the advantage of being fresh for the tournament since he did not play the BMW Masters, and has a phenomenal record at the Earth course, where the only time he did not finish inside the top-five in six starts was in 2011, when he was tied 11th.The other battle in the Race to Dubai is the honour of being called the Rookie of the Year.An (seventh in the Race to Dubai), Englands Matt Fitzpatrick (14th) and Indias Anirban Lahiri (19th) are in contention for the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award.Only the top-60 players from the Race to Dubai qualify for the DP World Tour Championship, but with Sergio Garcia (27th) deciding not to play this week and South African George Coetzee (32nd) still recuperating from his broken ankle, No. 61 Stephen Gallacher of Scotland and No.62 Alejandro Canizares of Spain have got into the field.

Athletics: Ban Russia from Rio says Moses

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COLORADO SPRINGS (AFP) - Olympic legend Ed Moses on Wednesday called for Russian track and field athletes to be barred from next years Olympics as a key meeting for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) got under way. Two-time Olympic 400m hurdles champion Moses, a member of the WADA foundation board, said a ban on Russian stars from Rio was the only suitable sanction for athletes implicated in the scandal. The only sanction is that enough is enough. It is to state loudly and clearly that the Russian athletics team cannot go to Rio, Moses told the meeting. Athletes are very concerned -- they want to see the right thing done in this case, Moses said.Moses said WADAs investigation indicated that doping had spread into other sports in Russia.It showed a high probability that it extends beyond athletics into other sports, Moses said.This means that before any talk of Russia becoming compliant, there must be an investigation of every sport.I had many close friends who had irreplaceable moments stolen from them, Moses said. My hope is that there is not a generation of athletes that have their dreams stolen from them too. WADA is expected to rule later Wednesday that Russias anti-doping agency (RUSADA) has been non-compliant with the global bodys code.It follows the publication of a WADA independent panel report last week which uncovered a vast state-sponsored doping program in Russian track and field, plunging athletics into the biggest crisis in its history.Pound now said the ball was in Russias court as to how it chose to respond to the scandal.Russia can take the high road out of this issue or respond slowly. Its your call, he told Wednesdays meeting.The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) on Friday provisionally suspended Russia from events but left the door open for the countrys athletes to compete in Rio. Pound meanwhile said the successful uncovering of the Russia scandal showed WADA could be given greater powers to launch investigations across the world in future, describing his probe as a turning point. Pound said the investigation shows that WADA is capable of undertaking investigations on an international basis. Its an activity that we should think about seriously in future, he said. It means we have to make sure that we have staff with the right qualifications to undertake activities on that scale.

Hyderabad: Presiding officer arrested for tempering ballot paper seal

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HYDERABAD (Dunya News) – A presiding officer named Muhammad Tayyab appointed in Hyderabad’s Union Council number 34 was arrested Wednesday night for tempering with the envelope seal of the ballot paper.Police was called in on the scene after people of the area learned of the incident. Police took alleged culprit Tayyab into custody and presented him to the concerned Returning Officer (RO) However, the Presiding Officer was freed by the RO due to inconclusive evidence of his involvement in the case.

Badminton: Lee, Chen advance at Hong Kong Open, Lin faces grilling

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HONG KONG (AFP) - Former world number one Lee Chong Wei sailed through the first round of the Hong Kong Open Wednesday, while Chinese badminton legend Lin Dan faced a tough three set grilling by Indonesian Ihsar Maulana Mustofa.Current world number one Chen Long also smashed through the first day of the tournament downing Indian Ajay Jayaram 21-17, 21-12. Second seed Jan O Jorgensen of Denmark was one of two major upsets, crashing out to unseeded Wang Zhengming, while womens Olympic Champion and former world number one Li Xuerui of China -- fresh from a home title win in Fuzhou last week -- lost to Japans Nozomi Okura 21-19, 21-9.Lee Chong Wei -- who took the mens crown at last weeks China Open -- dismissed eighth seed Tommy Sugiarto of Indonesia 21-17, 21-15 in 39 minutes.Every time I play Tommy Sugiarto it is a very tough match. I just try my best and enjoy Hong Kong, the Malaysian said.Former world number one Lee, 33, dropped out of the world rankings after serving an eight month doping ban earlier this year and told AFP that he had struggled with focus and getting a rhythm to his game after he returned to the court.Now I think it is better. I have got my confidence back, Lee said after the match.Five-time world champion and double Olympic gold medalist Lin was put through his paces by Mustofa in a closely fought three sets 21-17, 15-21, 21-14.The Indonesian, who turned 20 on Wednesday, had the upper hand through the second set but experience won the day as the Chinese veteran made quick work of the third set.Lin said he wasnt surprised that he was pushed into a three-set match by Mustofa.The younger players dont have any burden of fame. They can just play more free, Lin said.Denmarks top seed Jorgensen, who has scooped three titles this year, dropped out in the first round after just 37 minutes, loosing to Wang of China 21-15, 21-19. It was easy to tell it wasnt my best game today. I had problems finding the rhythm and the lines. The drift is really strong here and it just didnt sit very well, said Jorgensen.Meanwhile, womens world number one Carolina Marin took 35 minutes to beat Indias P V Sindhu 21-17, 21-9.The Spaniard, known for her aggressive style of play, said she was determined to beat Sindhu after losing to her in the semi-finals of the Denmark Open last month.Today I was better than her. Last time it was the Denmark Open and it wasnt a good game for me, but today I play like revenge... I want to show her that I want to beat her, said the combative 22-year-old.

Karachi: Terrorist killed as Rangers round up six suspects during clash

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – A terrorists was killed Wednesday night as Rangers clashed with suspects in Lyari, Karachi. A suicide jacket was found from the killed suspect.Rangers also rounded up and took six operatives belonging to a banned organizationinto custody, including a target killer from various areas of the city. The raids and crackdown against target killers is part of an ongoing operation in Karachi initiated by Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif in September 2013 to ensure peace and stability in the volatile atmosphere of the city. More than 10,000 suspects have been arrested by the Rangers up until now with more than 7000 weapons seized during the operation.Earlier this week, Karachi’s police developed a list a report listing 86 suspects that have been implicated in various crimes in the city. The list includes criminals linked to political parties, operatives involved in Lyari gangwar and suspects belonging to other illicit groups.

Candidate allures voters with feast while others contest by toss

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GUJRANWALA (Dunya News) – The second phase of Local Government (LG) polls were once again marked by interesting peculiarities as candidates experimented with different measures in an attempt to secure maximum amount of votes. In Gujranwala, the city of “Pehlewans” , one such candidate is alluring his voters with a luscious mouth watering feast which includes delectable dishes like Biryani, fish and many more. The candidate is confident that the “Pehlewans” will not disappoint and will help him in achieving victory.On the other hand, an election victory was announced for Municipal Committee of Jalalpur Bhattian even though the polling has yet to start. Pakistan Muslim League—Nawaz’s (PML-N) members of Assembly conducted an election in which the fate of two candidates contesting for the seat of General Councilor was decided by a coin toss. PML-N’s Member of National Assembly (MNA) Shahid Hussain Bhatti and Member of Parliament Assembly (MPA) Asadullah Araeen offered the proposal of toss elections to independent candidates contesting for the same position to which they conceded.However, the peculiar election did not favor the PML-N candidate and independent candidate Ejaz Bhatti emerged victorious after the toss.A celebration ensued as soon as the winner was announced and people danced on the streets, over joyous on success of their candidate.A similar toss was earlier held in ward number 11 of Jalalpur Bhattian between PML-N candidate Shahadat Ali and independent candidate Akmal Shareef. The PML-N candidate suffered the same fate as the independent candidate was declared victorious.

Lab-grown vocal cord tissue may offer transplant solution

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MIAMI (AFP) - US researchers have grown vocal cord tissue in a lab, an advance that could one day help restore the voices of millions who suffer from cancer or other diseases, a study said Wednesday.For now, the research is in the early stages, according to the study in Science Translational Medicine.The tissue has been shown to last for three months in mice that were engineered to have a human-like immune system, and produced sound vibrations when transplanted into intact voice boxes from dog cadavers.Lead researcher Nathan Welham, a speech-language pathologist from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, said the advance is important because vocal cords are an exquisite system and a hard thing to replicate.The bio-engineered tissue was grown over the course of two weeks, using healthy vocal fold cells -- known as fibroblasts and epithelial cells -- from surgical patients who had these cells removed for unrelated reasons, said the study.The cells were isolated, purified and applied to a three-dimensional collagen scaffold, much like the kind scientists use to grow artificial skin in the lab.When grown, the cells assembled into layers that closely resembled the structure and protein makeup of natural vocal cord mucosa, the study said.To see if the engineered tissue would work, it was transplanted into voice boxes that had been excised from deceased dogs. When humid air was blown through, the tissue vibrated and produced sound the way scientists expected it would. The engineered tissue also feels like natural vocal cords, and is moist and elastic like the real thing, Welham said.While it will likely be years before such engineered tissue is widely available to those in need, researchers say their work is a promising step forward for the those with vocal cord dysfunction, which affects 20 million people in the United States and has no effective cure.Voice is a pretty amazing thing, yet we dont give it much thought until something goes wrong, said Welham.

Oil prices edge higher after US, Fed reports

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Global oil prices moved modestly higher Wednesday as traders weighed a small gain in US inventories and a Federal Reserve report that supported expectations of a December interest rate hike. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for delivery in December edged up eight cents to $40.75 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent North Sea crude for January delivery, the global benchmark for crude oil, rose to $44.14 a barrel in London, up 57 cents from Tuesdays settlement.The latest US Department of Energy oil data showed another rise, albeit smaller than expected, in commercial stockpiles in the worlds top oil consumer.Crude oil inventories rose by 300,000 barrels to 487.3 million barrels in the week ended November 13, the highest level recorded for this time of year, but well below expectations of a two-million-barrel build. Compared with a year ago, supplies were nearly 28 percent higher.Oil prices have remained mostly unchanged on account of this report. Inventories rose far less than analysts expectations, but traders may have been expecting a modest decline in inventories, said Thomas Nichols of Moodys Analytics.WTI briefly dipped below $40 a barrel after the oil data, a level it has not closed below since late August.Several analysts wondered whether the $40 resistance level would hold much longer. Jason Schenker of Prestige Economics said the market remains under pressure both from fundamentals of high supplies and the slowing US economy and China manufacturing.The market appeared to brush off the minutes of the Federal Reserves October policy meeting, which showed that most participants expected to begin raising interest rates at their December 15-16 meeting.Investors have been betting on a December liftoff since the Feds policy makers, in their post-meeting statement, put a hike on the table at the next meeting, a view reinforced by Fed Chair Janet Yellen in testimony to Congress.
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