Friday 22 January 2016

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Tennis: Serena says new outfit is top of the pops

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MELBOURNE (AFP) - Serena Williams Friday said she was trying to bring pop culture to the tennis courts with the self-designed canary yellow crop top outfit she is wearing at the Australian Open.The American, who takes her design work seriously, has frequently made statements with her choice of clothing at major tournaments.Last year at Melbourne Park she sported a green and pink number with a distinctive cut-out back, which she said sent a feminist message that you can be beautiful and powerful at the same time.In previous years she has had fun with moon boots and leopard skin prints.This time she has opted for a yellow pleated skirt and matching crop top that shows off her pierced navel. It was definitely my design, something I actually sketched, you know. So I just wanted to think outside of the box, she said. Ive been on tour for a long time. Ive been wearing so many different designs. I just wanted to push the envelope again, just bring pop culture to tennis, kind of make it really fun.A lot of things you see on stage and, you know, just in that pop culture world, I wanted to bring that youth and that fun-ness to it.Off court, Williams has her own clothing line, Aneres, and a successful collection of handbags and jewelry. She also has a custom-designed Nike apparel line.The 34-year-old said she lives and sleeps in crop tops and thats where the idea came from.Im often never seen without one. So I thought, it would be really fun to play in one, she said. Again, when I design for my collection, I dont design fully for Nike, but sometimes I do, like this collection I did. I always think of classic, so I wanted a pleated skirt because a pleated skirt is very classic. Then I always try to bring in whats popular and what is in style, whats so in. Thats what I wanted to do with the top.mp/th

Football: UEFA's approves new technology as Infantino vows FIFA win

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NYON (AFP) - UEFA on Friday approved the use of goal-line technology (GLT) for its competitions, as the bodys acting chief Gianni Infantino vowed to win FIFAs upcoming presidential vote. The greenlight for GLT, which has been expected, was given the final nod at UEFAs executive committee meeting, with the technology to be introduced at the France-hosted Euro 2016 championship.Meanwhile, with the campaign heating up to replace Sepp Blatter as the head of world footballs scandal-tainted governing body, UEFAs executive committee unanimously backed Infantinos candidacy for FIFAs February 26 vote. Infantino, UEFAs secretary general, said he was honoured by the support from Europes top football brass and voiced confidence of an election win. Asked how many votes he expected to get from the 209 FIFA member-associations who will pick the bodys next leader, Infantino said: at least 105, which is the number needed to become the president of FIFA.UEFAs national associations have also overwhelmingly backed Infantinos candidacy, but each nation will disclose its individual endorsement in due course, the executive committee statement said. Infantino said the closely-watched decision on goal-line technology was ultimately made because the game did not benefit from uncertainty over goals. We looked at it seriously, he said. GLT will dispel any doubt about whether a goal has been scored.UEFAs top body approved use of the technology for this summers continental championship and then for the 2016/17 Champions League, with GLT expected to ultimately extend to all UEFA competitions. The technology is already used in the English Premier League, Italys Serie A, the German Bundesliga and Ligue 1 in France. FIFA also brought it in for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil after a series of successful trials.The system will work alongside additional assistant referees who will continue to monitor all activity in and around the penalty area, UEFA said. UEFA also said that it will not hold a vote to replace its banned president Michel Platini until the Frenchmans appeals have been exhausted.Platini was initially suspended from football by FIFA in October over a 2 million Swiss franc ($2 million/1.8 million euros) payment that Blatter authorised for him in 2011.In December, FIFA judges banned him for eight years. Platini, who had been the favourite to win FIFAs presidency, has denied wrongdoing and vowed to appeal his ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne. UEFA said there will be no presidential election scheduled until sports appeals bodies have ruled on Platinis case. The French football legend withdrew from the FIFA presidency race on January 7.Infantino is facing tough competition from four rivals in the contest to become the most powerful man in football.But, he said, those clamouring for an end to the scandals and allegations that have tarnished world football should have confidence in his leadership, dismissing the notion that he was a regional candidate. I am not the UEFA candidate. I am the European candidate...I am the football candidate, he said. Thirty-nine people have been charged by the United States with corruption in football going back decades, while Swiss prosecutors have also opened investigations targeting Blatter and the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, won by Russia and Qatar respectively. Top corporate sponsors of the World Cup like Visa and Coca-Cola have demanded sweeping change in global footballs management. They know me, Infantino said when asked if he had made contact with these corporations during his campaign. They know how I work. They know who I am.FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali bin al Hussein of Jordan has already sounded an alarm over impropriety in the campaign. Hussein said a development deal agreed between the Asian and African confederations looked like a scheme to secure Africas backing for Asian football chief and FIFA presidential candidate Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al Khalifa of Bahrain.Asked about fears of vote buying, Infantino said he had no concerns at all with regards to this election.

Football: Bayern go 11 clear as Lewandowski nets twice

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BERLIN (AFP) - Bayern Munich opened the second half of the Bundesliga season with a 2-1 win at Hamburg on Friday as Robert Lewandowskis goals took Pep Guardiolas side 11 points clear.Bayerns march to an historic fourth German league title seems unstoppable as Guardiola, who has said he will leave in May, attempts to sign off his three years as coach with the treble of Champions League, German Cup and Bundesliga titles. With second-placed Borussia Dortmund at resurgent Borussia Moenchgladbach on Saturday, Bayern took their chance to extend their lead at the top of the table as the league resumed after the four-week winter break.It was important for us to start the year with a win, said Bayern winger Arjen Robben, who came on for the final ten minutes.Poland striker Lewandowskis goals took his league tally to 17 this season and 25 in all competitions, but Hamburg coach Bruno Labbadia was far from happy with the result.Thats enough to make you want to puke. We gave away such cheap goals. It was really annoying, fumed the Hamburg coach.We hardly allowed them a chance in the first half, but the second goal really made me want to be sick.Bayern took the lead in sub-zero temperatures at Hamburgs Volksparkstadion when referee Felix Zwayer judged Thomas Mueller had been fouled by Hamburg goalkeeper Rene Adler just inside the area when they both went for the ball.The decision looked harsh and Adler was shown a yellow card, but Lewandowski stepped up and drilled home his 24th goal in 28 games this season on 37 minutes.It was not what Hamburg deserved for their battling display, but the hosts pulled themselves level at the start of the second half.Veteran midfielder Aaron Hunt launched a towering free-kick which both Bayerns Xabi Alonso and Hamburgs Pierre-Michel Lasogga failed to connect with and the ball bounced over Manuel Neuer into the Munich net on 53 minutes.Things went from bad to worse for Bayern as Germany centre-back Jerome Boateng called to be replaced after appearing to injure his right groin in a tackle.But the scores were level for just eight minutes as Mueller drove home a Javi Alonso cross, Lewandowski stood in the balls flight path and stabbed it home from close range from a position which was right on the offside line with an hour gone.His second goal of the game left him with 17 goals in 17 German league games this season, but still one short of Borussia Dortmunds Gabon forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.Bayern could have grabbed a third when David Alabas free-kick clattered the crossbar with Adler well beaten and only a superb save denied Thiago Alcantaras shot.This was Bayerns 70th victory in 87 Bundesliga games under Guardiola and means they are unbeaten in their last 13 league games against Hamburg, dating back to September 2009.But Labbadias side, who remain 10th in the table, can take heart from an impressive display and they played far better than in their recent 5-0 and 8-0 drubbings at the hands of Bayern.

Golf: Sullivan leads as fog disrupts play in Abu Dhabi

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ABU DHABI (AFP) - Andy Sullivan continued to display impressive form as he snatched the clubhouse lead at the weather-disrupted second round of the $2.7 million Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on Friday.Early-morning fog at Abu Dhabi Golf Club reduced visibility to less than 50 yards and delayed the scheduled start of the second days play by two hours and 45 minutes.The delay meant that the afternoon session players could not complete their rounds, and that included the feature group of world number one Jordan Spieth, number three Rory McIlroy and number six Rickie Fowler.Overnight leader, American amateur Bryson DeChambeau, will also have to come out early Saturday morning to complete his round.The 29-year-old Sullivan added a second consecutive five-under par 67 to move to 10-under par 134 for the tournament, three shots better than Dutchman Joost Luiten (68) and Spaniard Rafael Cabrera-Bello (67).It was an eventful round for Sullivan, who started on the 10th tee with three birdies on the trot, and finished in a similar fashion. In between, he made another birdie on the first hole and two bogeys.Got off to a great start out there straightaway, putter was getting hot early doors and sort of lost my way in the middle there, said Sullivan, who was playing with the European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke.I started losing the ball left a little bit and was really happy with the fight back at the end. It puts me at the top of the leaderboard, which is great.When play was finally suspended for the day, DeChambeau had just made a bogey on the ninth hole to be one-under par for the day and one shot behind leader Sullivan at nine-under par.The group of Spieth, McIlroy and Fowler had finished playing 13 holes when the hooter went off. Spieth had dropped a shot by then to be on three-under par after making back-to-back bogeys on the fourth and fifth holes. McIlroy could not make a single birdie and a bogey on ninth had dropped him to five-under par, while three birdies had lifted Fowler to the same score as the Northern Irishman.The second round will now be completed starting 7.40am UAE time on Saturday morning and the third round will commence after that.

Rallying: Homeboy Ogier turns screw in Monte Carlo

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GAP (AFP) - Triple world champion Sebastien Ogier delighted his hometown crowd by storming to a commanding lead in the Monte Carlo Rally on Friday, boosting his hopes of a fourth win in the storied race.The French Volkswagen driver had trailed Citroens Kris Meeke overnight after the opening stages driven over treacherous icy surfaces.But the 32-year-old Ogier, born in Gap where the first round of the world championship is based, grabbed four of the days six stages to end the day with a 9.5sec lead over his Northern Irish rival.Ogier didnt have an incident-free day, however, suffering a major scare when his Polo clipped a bridge on stage four.I came out a little too wide and after I was a little worried, admitted the French driver.I was scared that there may have been some damage so I took my foot off the gas a little.He added: I was then a little too cautious on the seventh stage (won by Meeke) but I have to recognise that Kris did a great job. He had a great rhythm all day.To make a difference, I had to attack. Nine and a half seconds in the lead, its not really that big especially when you consider that tomorrow will be a long day with long stages.Ogiers VW teammates Jari-Matti Latvala and Andreas Mikkelsen were third and fourth fastest ahead of Saturdays five stages while the event concludes Sunday with three more runs.

Tennis: Berdych bundles out colourful Kyrgios

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MELBOURNE (AFP) - Tomas Berdych extinguished the hopes of young Aussie showman Nick Kyrgios with a regimented four-sets win to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open on Friday.Berdych, a two-time semi-finalist, was too cool and focused for the easily distracted 20-year-old, winning 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 in a rowdy night match on Rod Laver Arena.The Czech sixth seed advanced to the last 16 for the sixth consecutive Grand Slam where he will face Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut, who knocked out 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic in straight sets.The big-serving Berdych, faced with a partisan home crowd, mastered the occasion breaking Kyrgioss serve three times, while the madcap Aussie repeatedly clashed with the umpire and engaged in a long-running conversation with himself.The Czech iron man, who upset Rafael Nadal on the way to last years semi-finals, won the majority of the longer rallies and hit 44 winners, 26 of them on his big forehand.Kyrgios gave his home supporters some hope with a fightback in the third set when he twice broke Berdychs serve, but the Czech regrouped in the fourth set to clinically finish off the Aussie.Kyrgios was defending ranking points after making the quarter-finals in last years event, where he lost to Andy Murray.

Tennis: Federer delighted with landmark 300th Slam win

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MELBOURNE (AFP) - Swiss great Roger Federer was delighted to become the first man to reach 300 Grand Slam match wins on Friday as he swept past Grigor Dimitrov to reach the Australian Open fourth round.Federer said it was very exciting to reach 300 wins, a total that leaves him just six away from Martina Navtratilovas record of 306 and moves him closer to a fifth Australian Open title.The 17-time major winner and third seed won 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in two hours, 40 minutes under the closed roof on Rod Laver Arena and will face Belgiums 15th seed David Goffin in the next round.Its very exciting, I must tell you, Federer said of his 300th Grand Slam win, a sequence that also started at the Australian Open when he beat Michael Chang in the first round in 1999.Like when I reached 1,000 (career wins) last year, it was a big deal for me. Not something I ever aimed for or looked for, but when it happens, its very special. You look deeper into it, I guess, where its all happened and how. So its very nice, Im very happy.With the landmark win, Federer also extends his record over Bulgarian 27th seed Dimitrov, dubbed Baby Fed because of the similarity in their playing styles, to 5-0.Last year Federer was ambushed in the third round by Italian Andreas Seppi, but he made no mistake this time at the same stage.However, it wasnt an entirely convincing display from the four-time Australian Open winner who committed an uncharacteristic 55 unforced efforts, much more than Dimitrovs 44.It was a difficult position for me after losing the second set and Grigor was playing well. I thought I was struggling a little bit, Federer said.I didnt feel it was really happening out there and it was an important start for me to the third set.Thankfully I got the early break and I was able to stay in the lead and everything started to come back, the serve, my footwork. It was complicated, but those matches are even nicer to win, I must say. Federer only lost his serve once in 18 service games and broke the Bulgarians serve four times, twice in the third set, with Dimitrov troubled by a sore right elbow and losing serving power.He sought courtside treatment from the trainer several times during the match.Dimitrov was bidding to reach the round of 16 at the Open for the third straight year including making the quarter-finals in 2014, where he lost to Rafael Nadal.

Tennis: Super Serena, Djokovic soar into Aussie fourth round

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MELBOURNE (AFP) - Novak Djokovic underlined his supremacy in mens tennis on Friday as he marched unstoppably into the Australian Open fourth round -- along with Serena Williams, who raced through in just 44 minutes.As Roger Federer reached a landmark 300th Grand Slam win, Djokovic still looked like the man to beat as he weathered a strong challenge from Andreas Seppi to reach the first weekend without dropping a set.The top seed and defending champion saved two third-set points against Seppi before reeling off the next four points to clinch it 6-1, 7-5, 7-6 (8/6), his 33rd straight victory over Italian opposition.It was a moment that once again demonstrated the mental strength of the Serbian 10-time Grand Slam winner -- against an awkward opponent who beat Federer at the same stage last year.Federer earlier went through 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 against Grigor Baby Fed Dimitrov, a man whose game is so similar to his own that he admitted it was like playing a mirror.It wasnt all plain-sailing for Federer, but with the win he became the first man to reach 300 Grand Slam victories and lies six away from Martina Navratilovas record of 306.Its very exciting, I must tell you, said the Swiss, who also became the oldest man to reach the round of 16 since Andre Agassi in 2005.Not something I ever aimed for or looked for, but when it happens, its very special.Maria Sharapova also weathered a fightback when she beat pint-sized American Lauren Davis 6-1, 6-7 (5/7), 6-0, helped by a strategic break and change of dress, for her 600th career win.Sharapova left the court after she lost the second-set tiebreak but after she came back refreshed and revitalised, she raced to victory to set up a clash with Switzerlands Belinda Bencic.Williams had no such problems as she crushed overawed Russian teenager Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 6-1 in 44 minutes, the shortest match of the tournament so far.I definitely think I played better today. Everything Ive been trying to work on was kind of clicking today, said the buoyant world number one, who is seeking a record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam title. The busy day of action helped take the focus off corruption claims which have overshadowed the years first Grand Slam after a report said players had been suspected of fixing matches but never faced action.Belgiums David Goffin awaits Federer in round four, after he beat Dominic Thiem 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 7-5 in a match which included a generous act of sportsmanship from the Austrian.Thiem, leading in the second set, told the umpire to give a point to Goffin rather than replay it after a Hawk-Eye challenge found a shot from the Belgian had landed in.Elsewhere, fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska reeled off nine straight games to floor Monica Puig 6-4, 6-0, despite continuing pain from a left-leg injury which stopped her competing in Sydney last week.And Roberta Vinci was knocked out by Germanys Anna-Lena Friedsam in three sets, meaning there will be no rematch of last years US Open semi-final when she halted Williams bid for a calendar-year Grand Slam.In other matches, Japans Kei Nishikori beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga ousted fellow Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-4, 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (7/4).

Intelligence dept raids Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi's house, 3 under custody

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – The intelligence department in the early morning hours of Saturday raided Federal Minister for Industries and Production Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi’s house in Defence Phase-VII area of Karachi and placed three individuals under custody. The people taken into custody include 2 security guards of his home.According to sources, Jatoi was not present at home during the raid. The individuals have been shifted to an unknown location for interrogation. The reason for the raid could not be explained.Residents of the area have confirmed the raid at the Federal Minister’s house. The family of the Minister has refused to comment on the matter.

Murtaza Jatoi house raided, 3 arrested

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Intelligence agencies personnel raided the house of Minister for Industries and Production, Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi, situated in the Defence Phase-7 area of Karachi on early Saturday morning, Dunya News reported.The minister was not present at home at the time of the raid. The intelligence agencies personnel arrested three persons, including two guards, during the raid.Sources said that the arrested persons were shifted to some undisclosed location for further investigation.

US oil surges 9% on stimulus hopes

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Oil prices surged for a second straight day Friday amid an equities rally on hopes of extra stimulus for Japan and the eurozone.US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for March leaped $2.66 (nine percent) to $32.19 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.Brent North Sea crude for delivery in March, the European benchmark for crude oil, finished at $32.18 a barrel in London, a 10 percent jump over Thursdays settlement.The gains over Thursday and Friday amounted to 13.5 percent for WTI and 15.4 percent for Brent. They capped a volatile week that pushed prices Wednesday to their lowest in more than 12 years.Equities and crude oil prices began rebounding Thursday after European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi suggested further stimulus measures may be forthcoming in March to boost the eurozone economy.Reinforcing optimism over potentially stronger growth was a report Friday by the Nikkei business newspaper that the Bank of Japan is considering similar moves.Weve seen a significant rally first off due to comments from Draghi and the market anticipating additional economic stimulus packages aimed at kick-starting demand, said Andy Lipow of Lipow Oil Associates.We may not be totally out of the woods but I think were seeing a return of confidence, said Price Futures Group analyst Phil Flynn.I dont think that the 30 percent drop that we saw in the beginning of the year was really justified by the fundamentals, because most of the bearish arguments that apparently drove the market down should have been priced in, he said.What drove the market down was fear, Flynn said.Its fear that demand is going to slow further because of the slowdown in China, but if you look at the Chinese demand numbers they havent slowed yet, their imports are at a record high.Lipow predicted the first quarter will be quite difficult as Iranian crude oil exports return to the market after international sanctions were lifted last weekend.Combined with refinery maintenance here and in Europe I expect that crude oil inventories will continue to rise over the next couple of months, he said.However as we make it through the first quarter, I expect crude oil prices to stabilize and begin rising during the balance of the year.

Yen, euro sag amid surge in stimulus expectations

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The yen and euro fell on Friday amid increasing expectations that leading central banks will take steps to offset further deflationary pressures.The euro fell to $1.0797 and the yen slipped to 118.76 per dollar and 128.23 per euro.The moves came a day after the European Central Bank hinted strongly that it could add new stimulus in March, and ahead of meetings by the Federal Reserve and Bank of Japan next week in which deflation and global market turbulence will be key issues on the table.Pressing down on the yen while giving a strong boost to Japanese stocks was a report in the Nikkei business daily on Friday, saying that the BoJ is considering whether to add stimulus to counter the risks of slumping oil prices and a stronger yen.The Fed and BoJ meetings will probably be positive ingredients for sentiment, Ayako Sera, a market strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, told AFP.However, she doubted the BoJ would add to its stimulus at this meeting. Bank of Japan chief Haruhiko Kuroda isnt likely to announce fresh monetary easing or other bazooka-like steps.After Decembers historic US rate hike, the first in more than nine years, the Fed is also not likely to take action.But it could, in its policy statement, show how cautious it will be about future hikes given the low-inflation environment.It will be difficult for Federal Reserve officials to keep a brave face, said Kathy Lien of BK Asset Management.We would be surprised if the (Fed policy) statement did not contain a tinge of concern.With the ECB and Bank of England both worried about inflation and market swings, she added: It is hard to believe that US policymakers havent been unnerved by the volatility in equities and commodities.

NACTA still inactive as country continues war against terrorism

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – The National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) developed for countering terrorism still remains inactive as country continues fighting war against terrorism.NACTA was supposed to be the essential component of the National Action Plan (NAP) however but as of yet remains non functional.Cooperation between departments seems farfetched as even a meeting of Board of Governors formed under Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif could not take place in the past 13 months.The plans to curb terrorism have been limited to the files of the organization as no practical implementation has been seen since its formation.The painstakingly time consuming process marked with technical difficulties faced by security agencies of gathering intelligence against terrorists, sending them to the designated departments and delivering timely reports on terrorists could not be resolved due to NACTA’s inactivity.Furthermore, laws regarding terrorism and extremism could not be analyzed while the Federal government could also not be updated of an amendment in any law could due to the NACTA’s dormancy.The process of consensus of committees of experts to enhance the organization’s efficiency could not be started as well due to NACTA’s indolence.The organization has also remained incapable of developing a framework for benefiting from experiences of the international community in combating terrorism.

Mammoth blizzard arrives in Washington

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - A monster blizzard threatening the US East Coast hit Washington on Friday, as officials warned the millions of people in the storms path to take shelter from potentially deadly snowfall and biting wind gusts.Over the next 36 hours, forecasters predict the storm will dump two feet (61 centimeters) of snow in the capital and surrounding areas, bringing life to a wintry halt as residents ride out the storm.A blizzard warning was in effect for a large swath of the eastern United States from Washington up to New York, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. Several southern states were already hit by snow and sleet.Thousands of flights were cancelled and grocery store shelves laid bare in preparation for the storm, which was dubbed Snowzilla by The Washington Posts weather team.Before the snow started to fall on Washington in the early afternoon, Mayor Muriel Bowser urged residents to go home and stay there. I want to be very clear with everybody. We see this as a major storm. It has life and death implications, Bowser told reporters.Schools and government offices were all closed, with public transport scheduled to shut down in the evening until early Monday.Visibility will be reduced to near zero at times in whiteout conditions, NWS reported in its bulletin for Washington.Heavy snow and blowing snow will cause dangerous conditions and will be a threat to life and property. Travel is expected to be severely limited if not impossible during the height of the storm, it added.NWS director Louis Uccellini said Thursday the system had the potential to affect over 50 million people.So far, more than 6,200 flights originally scheduled for Friday and Saturday within, into or out of the United States have been cancelled, according to the flight monitor flightaware.com.With authorities warning the storm could bury Washington under more snow than it has seen in nearly a century, officials took the unusual step of closing down the citys rail and bus system from Friday night until Monday morning.The Metro system -- the second busiest in the United States after New York -- serves about 700,000 customers a day in Washington, Maryland and Virginia.It was likely to be the longest closing in the systems 40-plus year history, The Washington Post reported.Grocery store shelves were bare -- with toilet paper, milk, bread and alcohol conspicuously missing -- as residents anticipated impassable roads and power outages.I think its going to be a disaster, Sharonda Brown, a nurse, said as she waited for an Uber car in Washington with a full cart of groceries. If the blizzard leaves as much snow in Washington as forecast, it could surpass a record set in 1922 by a storm that dumped 28 inches over three days and killed 100 people after a roof collapsed at a theater.US Capitol Police have said they were lifting a decades-old sledding ban, but the National Monuments, US Capitol building and Smithsonian museums would all be closed.Even a massive snowball fight in Washingtons Dupont Circle neighborhood, which nearly two thousand people said they would attend on Facebook, had to be postponed from Saturday to Sunday due to the storms ferocity.Snow and sleet has already hit the southern states of Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, West Virginia and Virginia, with 18 states under blizzard or other winter storm warnings, the Weather Channel reported.People are staying home and that is extremely important for our citizens. Were having a lot of accidents, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory told CNN.Nearly 20,000 people were without power in the state, emergency officials said on Twitter.Meanwhile, footage showed cars slipping and sliding in the southern city of Nashville, as middle Tennessee faced its biggest snowstorm in 13 years, The Tennessean reported.Further north, in New York, the storm is expected to dump up to a foot of snow (30.5 centimeters) from early Saturday to midday Sunday, NWS reported.Any unnecessary driving should be avoided. Unless urgent, stay off the roads, Mayor Bill de Blasio told a news conference. Do not bring out your vehicle tomorrow and any vehicle blocking a roadway tomorrow will be towed.The city will enforce a local winter weather emergency and is braced for potential flooding in coastal areas, he said.The frigid weather marks a stark departure from what has otherwise been a mild winter along the eastern seaboard.Just a month ago on Christmas Eve, the NWS reported that temperatures in New Yorks Central Park peaked at 72 degrees Fahrenheit (22 Celsius), the warmest ever for the day since records began in 1871.

Five dead, two injured in Canada school shooting

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OTTAWA (AFP) - Shots rang out at a high school in Canadas western plains province of Saskatchewan on Friday, leaving five people dead and two others critically injured, the prime minister said.The school in La Loche was on lockdown for most of the afternoon, and Royal Canadian Mounted Police urged parents to stay away while they responded to the ongoing serious incident.A nearby elementary school was also shuttered as a precaution, a federal police spokeswoman told AFP.The school shooting is the deadliest in 26 years in Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, speaking in Davos, Switzerland, where he was attending the World Economic Summit, said: There was a shooting in the community, five people were killed (and) two others are in critical condition.The suspected shooter has been taken into custody and police have the situation under control, he said.We all grieve with and stand with the community of La Loche and all of Saskatchewan on this terrible tragic day, Trudeau added.Earlier, students told public broadcaster CBC they heard six or seven shots ring out at around 1:00 pm (1900 GMT).Several patients were being treated for gunshot wounds in the remote northern towns hospital, the broadcaster added.Several witnesses reported seeing a boy, who was either a student or formerly attended the school, opening fire inside the building.I ran outside the school, Noel Desjarlais, a Grade 10 student at the school, told CBC. There was lots of screaming. There was about six, seven shots before I got outside. I believe there was more shots by the time I did get out.Many people are in shock, thats something you usually see on television, local aboriginal chief Teddy Clark told the local Star Phoenix newspaper.La Loche is a community of 2,500 about 600 kilometers (375 miles) north of Saskatoon. Residents are mostly aboriginal.Lawmaker Georgina Joliebois, who was also once the mayor of La Loche, said she was shocked and saddened by the shooting. The shooting hits close to home for me as my family members attend the school, Joliebois said.Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall also expressed shock and sorrow at the horrific events, adding that the province was preparing to send up crisis support to the community.
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