Drugs main source of financing terror in region: US

Transcription

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AUGUST 28 2015 -Sunbula 06, 1394 H.S
Kabul renames
Salma Dam as
Afghan-India
friendship
dam
KABUL: The government of
Afghanistan has renamed the
name of Salama dam to AfghanIndia friendship dam following a robust investment by India in reconstruction of the
dam.
The decision was reportedly taken by President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani during
a meeting of the cabinet of
ministers.
Salama dam is located in
western Herat province of Afghanistan and it is expected
that the dam will incur a cost
of around $300 million by the
time of its completion.
The reservoir filling in Salma dam project started late in
the month of July with the closure of the dam s diversion
tunnel gate.
According to the Indian
Consulate in western Herat
province, the dam reservoir
will be 20 kilometer long and 3
kilometer wide.
The storage capacity of
the reservoir will be 640 million cubic meters of water, the
Indian consulate said.
The Salma dam project
has been built on Harirod river
with the financial support of
India where at least $300 million have been invested.
Salma dam is expected to
produce 42 megawatt of electricity and will irrigate around
80 hectares of agricultural land.
India has played a crucial
role by participating in the rebuilding of Afghanistan following the fall of the Taliban
regime in 2001.
Since 2002, the Government of India has committed
USD 2 billion dollars to the
socio-economic rebuilding of
the Afghan state and society
in accordance with the development priorities of the Government and the people of Afghanistan.
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Kabul- Ashgabad signed five MoUs on
economy, energy, science and sports
Turkmen President says his government wants to launch some mega
projects in the fields of energy and railway construction
By Akhtar M.Nikzad
KABUL: In response to the invitation by the Afghan government,
the President of Turkmenistan,
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow,
arrived in Kabul on Thursday along
with key delegates. The two sides
signed five Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) on areas including economy, science and education, and sports.
The Ministries of Finance,
Energy and Water of the two countries signed the MoUs on power
supply export, fight against terrorism and formation of a joint
commission for the extension of
trade and economic ties. In a joint
press conference with his Afghan
counterpart, the President of Turkmenistan, talked about how the
two neighboring countries will expand their bilateral relations in the
areas of security and peace, economy, and counter-narcotics. Both
the nations are committed to fight
international terrorism and narcotics.
He said that his country is
keenly interested in expanding
trade and economic bilateral ties.
Berdimuhamedow said the UN has
been playing an effective role in
addressing Afghanistan s issues
however he vowed that Ashgabad
was ready to facilitate peace talks
being an impartial country. We are
ready to host the peace talks on
our land so that our Afghan brothers can hold peace negotiations in
a free and an impartial atmosphere, Berdimuhamedow said.
Talking on key development
projects, he said that his government wants to launch some mega
projects in the fields of energy and
railway construction in Afghanistan. Regarding the Turkmenistan
Afghanistan Pakistan India
(TAPI) gas pipeline, he remarked
that a major part of the project s
work has been completed and he
expected the practical work on the
project would be started by the
end of 2015.
We want to increase our electricity export to Afghanistan five
times and make the bilateral economic ties expanded and durable,
he said.
President Ashraf Ghani appreciated the expanding trade ties
with this neighboring country and
said Turkmenistan has been a good
friend. He said that trade and economic ties between the two countries have been expanding and the
commitment of Turkmenistan to
increase the power supply to Afghanistan has been promising in
boosting our production capacity
and infrastructure. Ghani said that
the plan to construct railway line
between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan and Tajikistan has already been completed and the railway line from Turkmenistan to
Aqina Port in Andkhoi district of
Maimana province will be completed by February of 2016.
Kabul and Ashgabat are determined to increase regional cooperation, establish railway line by
Turkmenistan stretching from Afghanistan to Europe and via Central Asia, Ghani said.
So far Afghanistan has the largest trade with Pakistan but Islamabad always has created troubles
for Afghan traders and violated
trade agreements.
Many economic analysts believe that Afghan government must
seek appropriate ways for expansion of its trade with European
countries as Pakistan has not been
a good option any more. Turkmenistan is a good alternative which
will lessen Afghanistan s dependence on Pakistan.
Mojadedi condemns neighbors interferes
Former Mujahideen leaders formed Jihadi and National Parities High Council (JNPHC) to support the government and
national security forces
Abdul Zuhoor
KABUL: Former Afghan President Sebghatulla Mojadedi on
Thursday lashed at a neighboring
country for interfering in Afghans
internal affairs.
After a long period of hiatus,
Mojadedi, spoke to media in a gathering of a different of different jihadi parties that have come together to form an alliance Jihadi and
National Parities High Council (JNPHC). He termed interferences of
neighbors dangerous and called on
need of the hour for tackling terrorism, Mojadedi added.
The JNPHC is comprised of
eight jihadi parties however its
leader is not appointed yet.
Mojadedi called on the other
jihadi and political parties to join
hands together in order to have a
unified stance against terrorism.
The objective of JNPHC is also
to fight corruption and support the
government in restoring security
as much possible as they can, he
the different Mujahideen groups
to remain united to counter the interferences.
Sebghatullah Mojadedi didn t
specify the country that interferes
however he said that the terrorists
were coming from a neighboring
country. The terrorists come and
kill our civilians in a larger number, he lamented. These terrorists don t fall from the sky rather
they come from the neighboring
countries, therefore, a joint council of the former Mujahideen is
said.
He said that JNPHC stands by
the side of Afghan national security forces.
Mojadedi termed corruption
one of the biggest challenges the
government is facing. He said that
the National Unity Government
(NUG) has some achievements
though it has also committed some
mistakes during the last 11 months.
Leader of Hezb-e-Wahdat-eIslami and Ex Vice President Mohammad Karim Khalili also voiced
his support to the government
and added that JNPHC as one
of independent council, which
will support the government.
He said they will never let
Daesh and Taliban to turn Afghanistan into the nest of terror once again. Khalili called
on the Taliban they if they call
themselves to be true Afghans
then they must support the
peace process and protect this
country from debacle. Deputy of Jamiat-e-Islami of Afghanistan Ahmad Zia Masood
while speaking on the occasion
being a member of JNPHC said
that these jihadi parties have
joined hands to protect the
country from falling into crises. He said they will try to
support the country with national unity, democracy and
they will not let the country
to become divided through the
lines of tribal and ethnic affiliations as they are undermining for national unity and
cause collapse of the governments. Sebghatullah Mojadedi, Muhammad Kareem Khalil, Peer Sayed Ahmad Gilani,
Qutbuden Helal, Sayed Hussain Anwari , Abdul Hakeem
Muneb, Ahmad Zia Masood,
Qazi Muhammad Ameen, were
the jihadi leaders who came
together and formed the JNPHC to support the NUG
government through a leadership council.
Drugs main source of financing
terror in region: US
WASHINGTON: Acknowledging
that drugs are the main source of
terrorist financing in the region, the
United States on Wednesday said
it was also a source of stability
and income for poor farmers, who
were forced to grow the banned
crop for the Taliban.
We're all well aware that the
Taliban has used it to finance itself, It's also a source of stability
and income for poor farmers, who
are basically forced, many times,
to grow it for the Taliban, the State
Department spokesman, John Kir-
by, told reporters at his daily news
conference.
Responding to a question, Kirby said it is not just as simple as
an eradication program. You have
to be able to work on supplementing it for something else, and we
have worked with Afghan authorities for many years about trying
to find other crops that farmers
can grow to make a good living,
and there's been some success in
that, he argued.
This is a tough problem to
get at, but to simply, you know,
work towards some eradication
programme -- to burn them to
the ground, while that may
have an immediate effect, it
doesn't necessarily do anything for long-term stability
and security for Afghan farmers, Kirby said.
The United States had
been and would continue to be
focused on trying to work towards a more secure, more stable, more prosperous Afghanistan, he said.
(Pajhwok)
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FRIDAY AUGUST 28, 2015
AFGHANISTANTIMES
AFGHANISTAN TIMES
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Dr. Omar Zakhilwal, Setara Delawari, Ahmad Takal
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Printed at Afghanistan Times Printing Press
The constitution says
Article 103:
The Ministers can participate in the sessions of either House of the National
Assembly. Eit her House of t he Nat ion al Assembly can deman d t he
participation of the Ministers in its session.
Editorial
Disgruntled Taliban and peace talks
The death of Mullah Omar, the figurehead of the Taliban, who led
the Taliban movement since 1994 and the sporadic attacks in Kabul in recent weeks dashed the hopes for peace talks to ground.
Now every second brain that is concerned with peace, thinks that
is peace possible given the current circumstances? Is the future of
peace talks promising? The disgruntled brother of the late Mullah
Omar warned of infighting. Is it the repeat of 1990s episode when
the Mujahideen leaders were busy in infighting? Perhaps yes, but
not in the same way as it was in 90s. Up to the extent of infighting
and switching sides the Taliban will remain at war as their symbol
of unity is dead, but as the government, the people and the international community are concerned, then this in no way is the replay
of 90s. Now this is up to the government how it exploits the deepening ruptures among the Taliban leaders. There are some moderate Taliban leaders as well, who don t oppose the role of women
in politics. And there are some Taliban leaders who look at Pakistan with disdain. They consider Pakistan an untrustworthy country which could do anything for its national interests. They still
have a grudge why did Islamabad hand over their ambassador
Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef to the United States. He was detained
by Pakistani authorities in early 2002 and held until 2005 in the
Guantanamo Bay detention camp. The United Nations delisted from
terrorists list in July 2010. Pakistani media reported Tuesday that
Mullah Abdul Manan, the brother of the deceased Taliban supreme
leader, Mullah Omar, has warned that if the new Taliban leader
Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, and his rivals don t settle their differences
soon there will be infighting. Many analysts in Kabul believe that
peace talks have become quite tiring as the government wouldn t
know who to talk, but contrary to those analysts views this paper
thinks that this is a right opportunity to win some of the disgruntled
Taliban to its side, allay their concerns as they already don t like
Mullah Mansoor for having close ties with Pakistan s intelligence
agency, ISI. Though, Mullah Omar s death reports dealt a heavy
blow to the peace talks as the first seven months of 2015 saw
unprecedented movement towards peace hopes. A series of unofficial meetings between the Taliban and the Afghan government
resulted in an official meeting in Pakistan on July 7. A second
meeting was scheduled for July 31, however, this is quite perturbing and perplexing as why his death reports was leaked in such a
time when peace talks were developing and the intelligence officials and some of the key Taliban already knew about Mullah
Omar s death for quite some time. The peace developments looked
substantial and promising as peace talks appeared close at hand.
But to the dismay of Kabul, the entire world learned that Taliban
leader Mullah Omar was no more. His death reports scuttled the
peace process. Now there is a split in the Taliban. And the government can benefit from this situation too. It must not waste its time
in just wrenching its hands and wait for Pakistan rather it should
start contacts with the disgruntled Taliban leaders, should start
peace talks with them. If Mullah Omar were alive, such talks would
have been considered illegitimate as during his life no Taliban could
have dared to sit for peace talks with Kabul, but now yes many
will. Now that he is no more who will endorse the talks illegitimate?
The government must officially announce that it is going to kick
start peace talks with the disgruntled Taliban and see what follows
next.
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Palestinian refugees returning to their village after the 1948 Arab-Israeli war upon the proclamation of the Israeli State [AFP]
It is well-known that traumatic
experiences leave lifelong emotional and psychological scars in their
wake. Some scientists even suggest that trauma causes genetic
changes in the victim.
A contentious new study goes
so far as to imply that these genetic mutations can be passed down
from one generation to the next,
making trauma hereditary.
The researchers focused on 32
Holocaust survivors and their offspring, finding evidence of the "epigenetic inheritance" of stress.
"The gene changes in the children could only be attributed to
Holocaust exposure in the parents," says Rachel Yehuda, who
led the study.
While some scientists have applauded the research, others have
greeted it with scepticism.
"The very idea of transmitting
trauma makes little sense," writes
Frank Furedi, a sociologist and
author. "People either directly experience trauma or they don't."
Genetically transmitted
Even if gene change is hereditary, this is largely irrelevant, Furedi argues, because people are far
more than their genes.
"Identity formation is a cultural accomplishment," he observes.
Whether or not severe trauma
is genetically transmitted is a fascinating scientific question. However, what seems clear is that collective trauma is transmitted culturally, and it profoundly affects a
society's cultural and social DNA.
Nearly seven decades on, the
Holocaust still casts a long shadow over the Jewish and Israeli collective psyche, and its trauma is
scorched deep into Israel's national identity - even if its memory is
abused by one side for political
gain and downplayed by the other
due to political pain.
In the early years, the Holocaust was a cause of direct and profound trauma and grief for the survivors of the death camps and
those who came into contact with
them, but it was also a taboo subject enveloped in silence.
Like a phantom in the dark recesses, these historical and contemporary traumas are a significant
psychological factor in the failure
of efforts to resolve the conflict.
As the survivors gradually die
out, their place is being taken by
the ghost of traumas past - in other words: memory.
This historical trauma is behind what you might call Israel's
power dysmorphia: Despite possessing the most powerful army
in the region, many Israelis do genuinely believe they are the weaker
party and the victims.
Magnified with the years
Meanwhile, Israel's victims,
the Palestinians, have their own
historical trauma to contend with:
that of the Nakba ("Catastrophe"),
the Arab defeat in 1948, and the
creation of the new state of Israel,
not to mention the British and
Ottoman imperialism which preceded it.
Interactive: Gaza: A life under
occupation
As most Palestinians at the
time were farmers, the land assumed romantic proportions.
"As the women walked back
with the oranges, the sound of their
sobs reached us," wrote the celebrated Palestinian writer and activist Ghassan Kanafani in his classic 1958 collection of short stories, Land of the Sad Oranges.
"Only then did oranges seem to
me something dear."
And as that land has shrunk,
and defeat has pursued defeat, and
exile begot further exile, the collective trauma has only been magnified with the years, especially in
Gaza, where constant and repeated war and isolation have left most
of the population shell-shocked
and teetering on the edge of psychological collapse.
And like a phantom in the dark
recesses, these historical and contemporary traumas are a significant psychological factor in the
failure of efforts to resolve the con-
flict - as they are and have been
elsewhere.
For instance, a century after
the systematic Ottoman mass killings of up to 1.5 million civilians
brought the Armenian people close
to extinction, the collective trauma is a defining feature of the modern Armenian identity. Moreover,
Turko-Armenian relations are still
poisoned by Turkey's refusal to
acknowledge, let alone apologise
for, what the majority of non-Turkish historians regard as a genocide.
Sadly, in the Middle East, collective trauma is not just historical. The upheavals, wars and conflicts that have spread like wildfire over the past few years do not
bode well for the future.
In Syria, like Iraq before it, the
civil war has distressed the entire
population and created a lost generation of children whose trauma
is likely to shape their entire lives.
Long-term effects include the
potential for violent behaviour,
hooliganism, drug abuse, depression and health problems. Severe
trauma is also fertile ground for
extremism because it answers the
basic human need to "make sense
of a very nonsensical situation".
Dormant traumas and grievances
This nonsensical situation has
even awakened dormant traumas
and grievances and let the genie of
Syria's "hidden sectarianism" out
of the bottle. Islamists have the
trauma of Hafez al-Assad's purge
of the Muslim Brotherhood and
the 1982 Hama massacre to fuel
their rage.
Alawites, though the bulk of
them are poor and are not great
fans of the regime, have been manipulated by Bashar al-Assad,
who exploits their memories of
persecution in Ottoman times and
the fact that Islamists consider
them "infidels" to lay down the
lives of up to a third of their young
men.
Trauma is also haunting Arab
countries that are not experiencing
civil war but have gone through
revolutions and counter-revolutions and anti-revolutions. This is
the case in Egypt.
"The shock and awareness of
the pervasiveness of death and the
cheapness of life
raises massive existential questions that not
only throws the personal, but also
the previously existing social order, upside down," explains the
University of Amsterdam's Vivienne Matthies-Boon, who is
studying the effects of trauma on
18 to 35-year-old Egyptian activists of all political stripes.
"Revenge was a big issue for
all sides," she adds ominously.
"But trauma-induced revenge also
leads to more trauma."
Matthies-Boon has found that
those who were best able to avoid
(self-) destructive behaviour were
the ones with an artistic outlet or a
strong faith system.
But, worryingly, Egyptians
who have been through such traumatic experiences receive little support, and many are, MatthiesBoon discovered, reluctant to talk
about the trauma, which is an essential part of coming to terms
with it. What the long-term consequences of millions of traumatised
people will be for the region is
impossible to gauge. But handled
inadequately, it could take generations to overcome and could also
create untold intractable situations
and conflicts. We desperately need
to find ways not only to treat the
millions of individual cases, but
also to formulate effective approaches to tackle collective trauma, with its memory - and emotion-distorting outcomes. The future Middle East should remember, but it must build a memory
based on fact and reality to ensure
this sorry state doesn't occur again
- not on national, sectarian, and
factional myths. While forgetting
is not a wise game, forgiving past
pain for future gain is essential if a
fruitful coexistence and a modicum
of trust between the region's diverse peoples is ever to be restored.
.
AFGHANISTAN TIMES
Dubai property slowdown due to tighter rules, not oil slump
Dubai s tighter property rules
aimed at preventing a housing bubble are the main cause of a slowdown in the emirate s real estate
sector rather than a sustained drop
in oil prices, industry experts said.
Dubai has a low reliance on oil
despite hydrocarbons providing
three-quarters of the United Arab
Emirates consolidated revenue in
2014, according to credit agency
Moody s. Abu Dhabi is home to
the bulk of the UAE s energy reserves.
Dubai residential property
sales have declined over the past
three quarters, but the drop in oil
prices is coincidental and the slowdown is more due to big price increases in 2013 - the market is adjusting to return to affordable levels, said Nicholas Maclean, managing director of consultants CBRE
Middle East.
This is a positive trend and
will help prevent a bigger correction in the future.
While housing prices are expected to drift lower this year,
some experts said well-balanced
supply and demand for properties
should keep prices stable.
Rival consultancy Cluttons
estimates house prices in Dubai
rose 51 percent during 2013 before growth slowed to 3.4 percent
in 2014. This rebound followed a
near-50 percent drop in prices
from 2008 as the global financial
crisis and Dubai s debt troubles
sparked a real estate crash.
Last year, Dubai doubled property registration fees and the UAE
federal government raised the minimum mortgage deposits, dampening demand.
The government was right to
act to curb speculation. It s just
that these measures have now coincided with a weakening global
economy, said Faisal Durrani,
head of research at property consultants Cluttons.
The impact of the new rules
on house sales has been acute, said
Durrani, predicting further declines
in prices in the second half of
2015.
Cluttons forecasts about
20,000 new residential units will
be completed and handed over
from now until 2017, while Dubai s
population is expected to increase
by 400,000 over the same period
from 2.4 million at present. About
41,000 units have been announced
this year.
Unit delivery and population
expansion seem well matched,
which indicates the residential
market should be pretty stable,
added Durrani.
Yet prolonged low oil prices
could lead to a UAE construction
slowdown, with the government
the main real estate facilitator
through infrastructure spending
and state-linked developers that
dominate the market.
Oil is likely at unsustainably
low prices - we should see a rebound, which will substantially
increase government revenues in
the medium term, but the question
is when will that rebound happen?
CBRE s Maclean said.
Asia stocks take heart from Wall Street rally
Asian stocks rose on Thursday as
a sharp rebound on Wall Street
eased fears of a protracted global
market rout, while the dollar steadied as risk appetite returned.
Sentiment was also supported by comments from New York
Fed President William Dudley on
Wednesday who said the prospect
of a September rate hike "seems
less compelling" than it was only
weeks ago given the threat posed
to the U.S. economy by recent
market turmoil.
"Certainly Dudley's comments
show that U.S. policymakers have
serious concerns about events in
China and the potential ripple out
effects," Michael Hewson, chief
market analyst at CMC Markets
in London, wrote in a note.
European shares were seen
following Asia higher, with financial spreadbetters expecting Britain's FTSE 100 to open up 1.9 to
2.1 percent. Germany's DAX was
seen opening 2 to 2.8 percent higher, while France's CAC 40 was
expected to climb 2.5 percent.
Markets around the world
plunged earlier in the week as a
slump in Shanghai shares fuelled
worries over China's economic
health, but some calm returned after Beijing rolled out strong policy
easing steps late on Tuesday.
MSCI's broadest index of AsiaPacific shares outside Japan rose
1.8 percent, pulling away from a
three-year low hit earlier in the
week.
Chinese shares, the epicentre
of recent financial market tremors,
were solidly higher for most of the
day, though they were off session
highs in afternoon trade. The
CSI300 index added 0.7 percent
and the Shanghai Composite Index was slightly higher, after the
indexes had plunged more than 20
percent over the past week.
Tokyo's Nikkei ended up 1.1
percent, adding to the previous
day's 3.2-percent gain, after U.S.
stocks racked up their biggest oneday gain in four years.
Ironically, U.S. stocks rallied
on Wednesday on expectations
that the Fed would hold off from
hiking interest rates next month
US customer satisfaction
with autos falls to 11-year
low, survey shows
While it is true that all cars are
now much better than they were
10 to 20 years ago, it is alarming
that so many of them have quality
problems , said Claes Fornell,
chairman and founder of the survey.
Fifteen of the 27 brands tracked
by the ACSI lost ground in customer satisfaction compared with
previous year, while just two
Acura and BMW took positive
steps forward. This could not
occur with trendy manufacturing
know-how and has damaging penalties for driver security, prices and
buyer satisfaction .
General Motors recalled more
vehicles in 2014 than it ever had
before following the discovery of
numerous quality issues, including an ignition-switch defect that
triggered a cascade of government
investigations, fines and recalls.
The overall score of 79 reflects
a return to normalcy, as ASCI says
its automotive score peaked with
the 2009 Cash For Clunkers program. That is the lowest score for
the entire industry since 2004 according to ACSI.
David VanAmburg, director of
ACSI said, Higher prices are clearly hurting auto buyer satisfaction,
but low prices also have artificial-
ly inflated satisfaction in the years
prior . Subaru, Toyota, and BMW
came in third, each averaging 82
points.
Fiat Chrysler agreed to the largest fine in the history of the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration this year after the
regulatory agency accused the company of flubbing fixes and flouting
recall reporting requirements.
Luxury vehicles typically have
a higher level of satisfaction, with
Lexus and Mercedes-Benz taking
the top spots. KTRH vehicle Pro
Jerry Reynolds says that s one of
the reasons the most recent American Consumer Satisfaction Index
gives some auto models really bad
grades. Buick, Cadillac, Honda,
Mazda and Volkswagen were
ranked equal ninth on 80 points.
MINI and Dodge tied at 76
points apiece.
Several Fiat Chrysler nameplates sat at the bottom of the scoring list, with Fiat earning a 73,
Chrysler falling 9 percent to score
74 and Jeep down 5 percent to a
score of 75. The charts that follow
show five-year customer satisfaction trends for domestic automakers in comparison with global manufacturers, as well as results for
Detroit s Big Three.
due to mounting global uncertainties, including China - the very factors that prompted heavy selling
in the previous sessions.
Chinese shares had ended lower in the previous session as a double-barrelled blast of central bank
stimulus failed to convince investors of Beijing's ability to jolt the
world's second-biggest economy
out of its slowdown.
In currencies, the dollar dipped
briefly overnight after Dudley's
comments on the chances of a September rate hike.
However, he warned about
overreacting to "short-term" market moves, and left the door ajar to
raising rates when the U.S. central
bank holds a policy meeting on
Oman says committed
to currency peg
despite cheap oil
Oman is committed to maintaining the peg of its currency against
the U.S. dollar despite the drop of
oil prices, central bank executive
president Hamood Sangour alZadjali said.
We are committed to keeping
the Omani rial pegged to the U.S.
dollar, Zadjali texted to Reuters
late on Wednesday in a response
to a question. He did not elaborate.
The plunge of oil prices since
mid-2014 has put heavy pressure
on Oman s state budget, causing
one-year dollar/rial forwards to rise
as high as 1,000 points this week,
their highest since 2006, as some
investors hedged against the risk
of an eventual rial devaluation.
Devaluing the rial could aid
state finances by increasing the
local currency value of oil exports.
However, it would also raise the
cost of the many imports on which
Oman depends and could shake
investor confidence, so economists
do not think authorities will abandon the peg.
Extreme fluctuation
They note that Oman has
maintained the peg, set in 1986 at
0.3849 rial to the dollar, through
past periods of extreme oil price
weakness.
On Monday, credit rating agency Fitch cut its long-term issuer
default ratings for five Omani
banks, saying the government had
become less able to support the
banking system.
But Zadjali noted that after the
downgrade, Fitch had left the outlooks for the banks stable, and he
said they did not face significant
financial pressures.
Omani banks are in an excellent position, and well covered financially. They don t need the government support, and will not be
affected with the recent downgrading, he said.
Sept. 16-17.
The greenback subsequently
rallied as ebbing risk aversion reduced demand for the yen and euro,
which had been bought as safe haven plays during the recent equity
selling.
The dollar got an additional
boost from upbeat U.S. durable
orders data, which backed the view
that the Fed would remain on track
to eventually raise interest rates
as the U.S. economy continues to
recover.
Against the Japanese currency, the greenback fetched 119.92
yen, steady from U.S. levels and
recovering from a seven-month low
of 116.15 plumbed on Monday
The euro was up about 0.3
percent at $1.1349 after losing 1.7
percent in the previous session. It
scaled a seven-month peak of
$1.1715 on Monday.
The common currency was
also hurt by comments from a senior European Central Bank official. Peter Praet said the risk of the
ECB missing its inflation target has
increased due to commodity price
falls and weakness in some overseas economies. Crude oil rebounded amid a general thaw in global
risk aversion. U.S. crude futures
bounced 2.2 percent to $39.45 a
barrel. The contracts had slumped
to a 6-1/2-year low on Monday,
dogged by supply glut woes and
worries of a hard landing by China's economy. Brent added 2.3
percent to $44.11. Copper was up
about 0.9 percent at $4,979.50
tonne, moving further away from
a six-year low of $4,855 hit on
Monday. Gold took back some lost
ground after suffering its biggest
fall in five weeks overnight as the
dollar rebounded and U.S. stocks
rallied. Spot gold rose about 0.2
percent to $1,127 an ounce.
Amazon Prime
steps up to battle
Netflix in Japan
Amazon has announced it will
bring video streaming to Amazon
Prime customers in Japan, just
days after Netflix announced it was
partnering with a local telecommunications provider in the country.
The global battle between
Amazon and Netflix is growing
with the announcement that Amazon is set to launch its video
streaming service in Japan next
month, hot on the heels of the news
Netflix will soon launch in the country.
The US-based e-commerce giant announced on Thursday that
it would be bringing subscription
video streaming to Japan from September with free access for Amazon Prime members. Established
in Japan since 2007, Amazon
charges 3,900 yen ($32) for an annual Prime membership in that
country, compared to the US membership fee of $99.
The move into video streaming in Japan comes amid a fiery
battle for global domination by
companies in the streaming space,
and follows an announcement from
Netflix less than a week ago confirming that it would be launching
in Japan on September 2.
Prime is a big name in e-commerce in the United States, offering services such as free shipping
on Amazon purchases, unlimited
music streaming through Prime
Music and unlimited movies and
TV shows through Prime Instant
Video. The service has also slowly
been establishing a foothold in international markets, rolling out in
Canada and parts of Europe since
its US launch a decade ago.
Unlike Amazon, Netflix is
partnering with a local telecommunications provider, SoftBank, to
offer its on-demand video streaming as a fully integrated service,
including billing. Netflix Plans in
Japan will range from 650 yen pretax per month ($6) for a basic plan,
up to 1,450 yen ($12) for a Premium Plan offering four streams and
4K viewing.
By comparison, Amazon
Prime members will get streaming
as part of their monthly membership fee of 325 yen, roughly $3.
Schlumberger to buy
Cameron in $14.8b
oil services deal
Schlumberger Ltd. agreed to buy
Cameron International Corp. in a
deal valued at $14.8 billion, allowing the world s largest oilfield contractor to bundle gear and services
more effectively into one package.
Cameron stockholders will receive 0.716 Schlumberger shares
and a cash payment of $14.44 in
exchange for each Cameron share,
according to a regulatory statement
on Wednesday. The deal valued
Cameron at $66.36 a share, a 56
percent premium based on both
companies closing share prices on
Tuesday before the deal was announced.
The agreement would help
Schlumberger become a one-stop
shop for crude explorers, adding
Cameron s valves, pumps and
blowout preventers to its in-house
engineering expertise. The slump
in oil prices over the past year has
forced oil companies to cut back
on costly exploration and investment, fueling competition among
service providers for a chunk of
that shrinking spending.
This is a sign that Schlumberger sees a market bottom,
Matt Marietta, a Houston-based
analyst at Stephens Inc. who rates
the stock a buy and owns none,
said today in a telephone interview.
Schlumberger didn t have to agree
to it this week. They could have
waited for things to worsen. It can
probably bring some confidence
back to energy investors that we
are approaching a bottom.
Stock Reaction
Schlumberger fell 3.4 percent
to $70.09 in New York, while
Cameron surged 41 percent to
$59.93.
The acquisition marks a shift
in the oilfield service and equipment industries, which have generally stayed at arm s length from
one another.
Cameron is the world s largest
provider of the so-called surface
wellheads, a vital set of valves that
sit atop the well to control the flow
of oil from the underground reservoirs. Schlumberger is looking to
create even more efficiency with
drilling and production by creating a single operating system that
marries its well engineering and
digital mapping of oil pockets with
Cameron s critical gear.
Cameron is a great hardware
company, and we have all these
digital capabilities and the leading
downhole portfolio, Schlumberger Chief Executive Officer Paal
Kibsgaard told analysts and investors today on a conference call.
The combination of all these factors is why we re very excited
about the transaction.
Improving Efficiency
The deal follows the proposed
merger between the world s sec-
ond- and third-largest oilfield services providers Halliburton Co.
and Baker Hughes Inc. in a deal
valued at about $35 billion when it
was announced in November.
The Cameron purchase is diversification into oilfield equipment supply rather than consolidation of a rival service company,
so it is unlikely to face an antitrust
challenge, Marietta said.
The companies had been partners in a joint venture they created
in 2012 called OneSubsea in a longterm bid to lower the overall cost
and improve performance in deepwater development. By actually
owning its joint venture partner,
Schlumberger will be able to work
that plan more effectively, Kibsgaard said.
Track Record
Given Schlumberger s past
history of buying partners, including its 2010 deal for rival Smith
International Inc., this deal was
expected to eventually happen,
Kurt Hallead, an analyst at RBC
Capital Markets, wrote today in a
note to investors.
But this is sooner than we
had thought, he wrote.
The companies must see potential for gaining from the deal
since they ve worked so closely
together, Alain Parent, an analyst
at Natixis SA said by telephone.
They want to go one step further
after the joint venture.
Service companies typically
outsource a lot of their fabrication,
while Cameron takes a lot of pride
in its manufacturing, Dennis Cassidy, managing director at financial
consultant AlixPartners LLP, said
in a phone interview.
Interesting Transition
"How those philosophies
mesh and how they measure productivity will be an interesting transition, Cassidy said.
The deal, which the companies hope to close by the first quarter next year, is expected to be accretive to Schlumberger earnings
per share in the first year after
closing, while they see a combined
$900 million in synergy gains in
the first two years, Schlumberger
Chief Financial Officer Simon
Ayat told investors and analysts
today on a conference call.
Goldman Sachs is acting as financial adviser to Schlumberger,
with Baker Botts LLP and Gibson
Dunn & Crutcher LLP as legal
counsel. For Cameron, Credit Suisse is acting as financial adviser
and Cravath, Swaine & Moore
LLP as legal counsel.
The $14.8 billion deal value is
based on Schlumberger s closing
share price on Tuesday and includes $1.1 billion in debt and $900
million in non-controlling interest,
Ayat said on the call.
Gulf rises on improved
global backdrop
Gulf stock markets rose in early
trade on Thursday in response to
gains on Wall Street and by Asian
bourses, and as Brent crude oil
climbed 2.9 percent to $44.40 a
barrel in Asian trade. The better
global backdrop encouraged investors who were convinced by Tuesday's strong rebound of Gulf markets that stocks had established a
floor for at least the short term though not necessarily in the longer run. Dubai's index gained 2.9 percent, with Emaar Properties up 3.1
percent and DAMAC Properties
climbing 2.9 percent. Some volatile stocks favoured by local retail
investors soared, with Amlak Finance jumping 9.6 percent.
Abu Dhabi's market rose 1.6
percent as Aldar Properties surged
4.6 percent.
Qatar was up 1.7 percent as
Gulf International Services, the
most heavily traded stock, added
4.6 percent. The drilling rig provider is closely correlated with oil
prices.
.
AFGHANISTANTIMES
Global life expectancy rises, but
people live sicker for longer
A blood test developed by UK researchers can help detect cancer
relapse in patients months before
the traces of the disease can be
detected.
The simple and efficient blood
test made by scientists at the Institute of Cancer Research in London could potentially save lives in
breast cancer patients who are at
high risk of relapse.
The blood test can reveal small
residual cancer cells through tumor
DNA in the blood that have not
been completely eradicated by
treatment therapy. The findings
were published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
For the study, 55 patients who
were at risk of having breast cancer relapse based on their tumor
sizes were studied by the researchers. The test analyzed the blood
samples of the participants for
DNA that are shed by cancer cells.
According to BBC, the blood test
trial detected 12 cancers out of the
15 women with recurring breast
cancer. According to the scientists
the test also predicted the relapse
eight months before any new tumor was detected by a scan or by
the patient herself.
According to Dr. Nicholas
Turner, lead author of the study,
the blood test is "promising" as it
could help improve the chances of
survival for women as the blood
tests can also reveal how the DNA
in the cancer relapse in women can
change over a period of time.
"We have shown how a simple blood test has the potential to
accurately predict which patients
will relapse from breast cancer,
much earlier than we can currently. We also used blood tests to
build a picture of how the cancer
was evolving over time, and this
information could be invaluable to
help doctors select the correct
drugs to treat the cancer," Dr. Turner said in the report by Daily Mail.
According to the outlet, the
new research could also be used in
detecting other forms of diseases
including bowel, lung and prostate
cancers.
Chief executive Paul Workman
from the Institute of Cancer Research said in the report by Dail
Mail that it could help change how
cancer tumors can be treated with
a non-invasive approach or without biopsies.
"This test could help us stay a
Multiple sclerosis
could be caused by
lack of vitamin D
Multiple Sclerosis Could Be
Caused By Lack Of Vitamin
DThere are more than 2 million
people all over the world suffering
from multiple sclerosis. MS is
known to be the most common
type of autoimmune disorder that
affects the central nervous system.
While the cause for the disease
is not yet known, there are speculations that it is a genetic condition.
A new study reveals that there
might be a link between low vitamin D levels and MS. While the
theory is not entirely new, it has
not been possible to prove it until
now.
There have been other studies
that looked at the relationship between vitamin D and MS but no
direct cause has been found.
The problem with these sorts
of studies is that they are quite
likely to be confounded because
individuals who use supplements
and are concerned about their
health in general often undertake
other healthy behaviours. said Dr.
Brent Richards, who is an associate professor at McGill University in Montreal and co-author of
the study.
He also added that reverse causation could also relate Vitamin D
to MS, because patients who suffer from the disease tend to spend
more time indoors, which lowers
the level of vitamin D in their body.
The team of Canadian researchers looked at the data of
34,000 people from another study
and identified four genetic markers that were associated with low
vitamin D levels.
Afterwards, they looked at
another group of 14,500 people
who suffered from multiple sclerosis and analyzed the link between these genetic variants and
the risk of developing the disease.
They discovered that people
who had at least one of these genetic variants were more inclined
to develop multiple sclerosis due
to their vitamin D deficiency.
Given the fact that there is no
way to control whether or not a
person inherits the low vitamin D
genes, the idea that MS is caused
by lifestyle factors is thus eliminated: It s not influenced by lifestyle and also cannot be influenced
by reverse causation because if you
get multiple sclerosis, this will not
change your genes, said Dr. Richards. The study is an important
step forward, given the fact that
now experts have reasons to test
whether taking vitamin D supplements can be useful in either preventing or treating multiple
sclerosis.The results of the study
were published in the prestigious
journal PLOS Medicine on August
26.
step ahead of cancer by monitoring the way it is changing and picking treatments that exploit the weakness of the particular tumor," Professor
Workman stated.
However, more research needs to be done before the test can be made available to the public. Turner said in the report by Telegraph that it will
take years but is optimistic as there will be larger clinical trials that will be conducted starting 2016.
People around the world are living
longer, but many are also living
sicker lives for longer, according
to a study of all major diseases and
injuries in 188 countries.
General health has improved
worldwide, thanks to significant
progress against infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria
in the past decade and gains in
fighting maternal and child illnesses.
But healthy life expectancy
has not increased as much, so people are living more years with illness and disability, according to the
analysis, published in The Lancet
journal.
"The world has made great
progress in health, but now the
challenge is to invest in finding
more effective ways of preventing
or treating the major causes of illness and disability," said Theo Vos,
a professor at the Institute of
Health Metrics and Evaluation at
the University of Washington who
led the analysis. The study's main
findings were that global life expectancy at birth for both sexes
rose by 6.2 years -- from 65.3 in
1990 to 71.5 in 2013. Healthy life
expectancy at birth rose by 5.4
years -- from 56.9 in 1990 to 62.3
in 2013. Healthy life expectancy
takes into account both mortality
and the impact of non-fatal condi-
tions and chronic illnesses like
heart and lung diseases, diabetes
and serious injuries. Those detract
from quality of life and impose
heavy cost and resources burdens.
For most of the 188 countries
studied, changes in healthy life expectancy between 1990 and 2013
were "significant and positive", the
researchers said. But in many among them Belize, Botswana and
Syria - healthy life expectancy in
2013 was not much higher than in
1990.
And in some, including South
Africa, Paraguay, and Belarus,
healthy life expectancy has
dropped. In Lesotho and Swaziland, people born in 2013 could
expect to live some 10 fewer
healthy years than people born
there 20 years earlier.
The study also found stark
differences between countries with
the highest and lowest healthy life
expectancies, and in the rates and
direction of change.
Nicaraguans and Cambodians
have seen dramatic increases since
1990, of 14.7 and 13.9 years respectively. People in Botswana
and Belize, however, saw declines
of two and 1.3 years respectively.
In 2013, Lesotho had the
world's lowest healthy life expectancy, at 42 years. Japan had the
highest, at 73.4 years.
A BOTTLE OF WATER BEFORE EACH
MEALTIME MAY SPEED WEIGHT LOSS
Recent study suggests that drinking 16.9 oz or 500 ml before each meal can greatly help people lose weight.
The study, which was published this week in the journal Obesity, revealed that a simple act such as drinking a bottle of water half an hour before
mealtimes led to superior weight loss in obese patients than in those that didn t develop the habit.
Dr. Helen Parretti, co-author of the study and a researcher at University of Birmingham in England, said that she and her colleagues were
amazed to see such positive outcomes from just drinking a pint of water before each mealtime. A plethora of past studies had shown other benefits
of drinking water including detoxification of body, improved blood flow, increased cognitive functions, nourished cells and tissue, and healthier
organs. Additionally, a couple of years ago, a study suggested that drinking water before you start to study can greatly increase your brain
performance. But past studies had also suggested that water may help people lose extra weight. In their research, the team surveyed 84 obese
patients and allotted them to two groups. The first group was asked to drink 500 ml of water half an hour before mealtimes on a daily basis for three
months. The other group was requested to make an effort of imagination and tell their brain that their stomach were actually full before each meal.
All volunteers were also counseled on how to improve their weight loss plan and workout levels. Every two weeks, study participants received
a phone call from investigators asking them how their weight loss was going. Study authors learned that those drinking water before each mealtime
lost more weight than the other group. The mean of lost weight was 2.87 pounds or 1.3 kilos. At the end of the trial, those in the first group lost
9.48 pounds (4.3 kilos), while those in the placebo group lost only 1.76 pounds (0.8 kilos). Scientists do not have a final explanation for the
phenomenon but they do have some hypothesizes. Some of them believe that more water can boost metabolic processes, while others think that
water simply makes you feel fuller and eat less.
US FDA wants food companies to hand over their pathogens
Investigations into foodborne illness are being radically transformed
by whole genome sequencing,
which federal officials say is enabling them to identify the source
of an outbreak far more quickly
and prevent additional cases.
Previously, samples from sick
patients were sent to state and federal labs, where disease detectives
ran tests to see if the infections
were caused by the same bug.
When enough matches emerged,
typically a dozen or so, epidemiologists interviewed sick people,
looking for a common food that
was causing the outbreak.
But the testing wasn t definitive, and linking one case to another took time. "While all of this was
going on, more contaminated product was getting out into the public," said Dr. Steven Musser, deputy director for scientific operations at the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration's Center for Food
Safety and Applied Nutrition.
Now, the FDA is building a network of state and federal labs
equipped to map out the exact
DNA sequence of strains of Listeria, Salmonella and other foodborne
pathogens found in sick patients.
These sequences are then uploaded to a public database housed at
the National Institutes of Health.
The technology can not only differentiate a pathogen from multiple related species, but can also
show slight mutations within the
same strain.
At the same time, the FDA has
begun sequencing pathogens found
during routine plant inspections
and adding those to the database.
One benefit of that, they say, is
being able to quickly connect patients within an outbreak. Another is the potential to identify the
source of an outbreak after just a
few patients fall ill, shortening the
time it takes to get tainted food off
store shelves.
To increase the odds of a
match, the FDA wants manufacturers to contribute samples of
pathogens found during their own
plant inspections. Some contamination is common in food plants.
When it is found in the manufacturing facility, but not in food products, companies generally are required only to clean it up without
recalling products.
But eliminating pathogens is
tough, and convincing companies
to offer up potentially incriminating evidence has been a hard sell,
according to interviews with public health officials, food manufacturers and experts on recalls.
"That is not something that
we've solved yet," said Ruth
Timme, an FDA microbiologist
who has talked to 10-15 companies over the past year about the
benefits of sequencing.
The FDA became convinced of
the superiority of the new approach during a 2014 outbreak of
salmonella affecting peanut butter
made by nSpired Natural Foods
of Oregon. The FDA had just activated a network of state, federal
and academic laboratories to do
whole genome sequencing, and the
agency had also begun sequencing
pathogens it collected from swabbing surfaces during factory inspections. All of these codes were
uploaded to the database, known
as GenomeTrakr.
When people started getting
sick, FDA scientists and partners
searched GenomeTrakr, looking
for matches with inspection samples. They found the DNA of bugs
taken from two sick patients were
"almost indistinguishable" from
salmonella the FDA had found at
nSpired Foods, said Dr. Eric
Brown, director of FDA s Division
of Microbiology.
The match allowed officials to
quickly recall tainted peanut butter. Only six people got sick.
"You catch things far earlier"
with sequencing, said Dr. David
Lipman, director of the National
Center for Biotechnology Information. "It can be two cases. If you
see a match, Bam! You've got em."
A MORE PRECISE TOOL
Since the start of GenomeTrakr in 2012, 25,000 genomes
from a variety of pathogens have
been added to the database, and
several state and federal partners,
including the U.S. Department of
Agriculture and the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, have signed on.
The participants agree that
sequencing offers huge advantages
over the 20-year-old genetic fingerprinting technique used previously, known as PFGE.
David Acheson, a former official at both the USDA and the
FDA, who now advises companies on food safety, likens the difference to a witness in a hit and
run accident. While PFGE might
identify the vehicle as a brown
Toyota Corolla, whole genome sequencing provides the license number and even the vehicle identification number.
"They both help identify the
culprit," he said, but one identifies
the specific bug implicated.
The CDC began experimenting with whole genome sequencing in the fall of 2013, joining the
FDA and USDA in a pilot project
to sequence all reported cases of
Listeriosis in patients and upload
those sequences on the GenomeTrakr database.
Healthy diet before pregnancy good for baby s heart
Better maternal diet in the year
prior to conception was associated with lower risk of serious congenital heart defects, according to
the results of a large retrospective
case-control analysis using data
from the National Birth Defects
Prevention Study.
In adjusted analyses, Lorenzo
D. Botto, MD, of the University
of Utah in Salt Lake City, and colleagues found a reduced risk of all
conotruncal defects (aOR 0.76,
95% CI 0.64 to 0.91), as well as a
37% reduced risk in tetralogy of
Fallot (aOR 0.63, CI 0.49 to 0.80)
associated with the highest quartile of Diet Quality Index for pregnancy (DQI-P).
The authors also observed diet
quality was associated with a
slightly lower risk of overall septal defects (aOR 0.86, 95% CI
0.75 to 1.00), including atrial septal defects (aOR 0.77, 95% CI
0.63 to 0.94). They published their
results in Archives of Disease in
Childhood: Fetal and Neonatal
Edition.
John P. Breinholt, MD, division director of pediatric cardiology at The University of Texas
Health Science Center at Houston/
Children's Memorial Hermann
Hospital, said that population
studies are always difficult as they
require sifting through a lot of factors that can influence the outcome, the authors were meticulous
in their process in demonstrating
that there appears to be a nutritional component to the development of congenital heart disease.
Breinholt was not involved with
the study.
"This emphasizes more than
ever the need to educate women to
prepare themselves nutritionally
for childbirth (in addition to during pregnancy), as well as further
identify the dietary factors that can
prevent these significant birth defects," he told MedPage Today via
e-mail.
Researchers adjusted for maternal energy intake, race/ethnicity, folic acid supplement use,
smoking, maternal education, ma-
ternal BMI, and study center.
Botto told MedPage Today
that birth defects are a significant
clinical and public health issue,
with one in four infant deaths from
birth defects caused by a heart
anomaly, but that little is known
about how to prevent them. He
added that the National Birth Defects Prevention Study had looked
at diet as a factor for structural
malformations, such as spina bifida and cleft lip and palate. So, his
team wanted to test the hypothesis that diet would also help with
congenital heart anomalies.
"There's been a very reasonable focus on prenatal care, but to
maximize primary prevention for
heart defects and other structural
malformations, we've got to go even
a step further and really focus on
preconception care," Botto said.
When examining the diet questionnaire results by decile, researchers observed similar patterns, including an overall reduced
risk of conotruncal defects (10th
decile versus 1st decile, aOR 0.66,
95% CI 0.50 to 0.87). The strongest associations with diet quality
and specific conotruncal and septal heart defects were observed for:
Tetralogy of Fallot: aOR 0.55
, CI 0.38 to 0.79
dTGA: aOR 0.58, CI 0.36 to
0.93
ASD secundum: aOR 0.59, CI
0.43 to 0.81
Researchers used two dietary
indices, the DQI-P, as well as the
Mediterranean Diet Score, and
found significant risk reduction for
these congenital heart defects only
with the DQI-P (a shortened 58item version of the diet questionnaire from the Nurse's Health
Study).
The study examined data from
mothers of babies with major nonsyndromic congenital heart defects
(n=9,885) and mothers with unaffected babies as matched controls
(n=9,468) with estimated dates of
delivery from 1997 to 2009. Participants were excluded if mothers
reported pregestational diabetes,
had an average daily intake of <500
or >5,000 kcal or had missing data
on two or more food items. Of the
control sample, 18% smoked in
early pregnancy, 38% were overweight or obese, and 76% reported using folic acid supplements
during the periconceptional period.
Limitations to the study include the inability to validate reported dietary intakes (as they
were self-reported), as well as potential residual confounding, selection, and recall bias.
Botto also noted that the study
was observational, but that it took
a more holistic approach to dietary
pattern than previous studies, and
hoped that an independent study
might replicate its results. He added that it might be worth examining if any specific components of
the diet had a protective effect.
Breinholt agreed with the need
for additional research, concluding
"more study is definitely warranted in this area, but this is an important first step that establishes
a key target."
Surgeon
performance
unaffected by
fatigue from
overnight work:
Study
Going without sleep the night before does not affect the performance of doctors doing elective
surgery the next morning, according to a new Ontario study that
runs contrary to research demonstrating that sleep-deprived physicians pose a hazard to patients.
The odds of having a surgeryrelated problem were 22.2 percent
when the doctor had been treating
patients between midnight and 7
a.m. and 22.4 percent when the
doctor had, presumably, received
sufficient sleep.
The senior author of the study,
Dr. Nancy Baxter of the University of Toronto, told Reuters Health
in a telephone interview that the
new results argue against proposals calling for doctors to inform
their patients if they are sleep-deprived.
But the study didn't directly
measure how much sleep the doctors actually received, said Dr.
Charles Czeisler, chief of the division of sleep and circadian disorders at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. He was not connected with the research.
According a 2009 study that
he and his colleagues published in
the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), once the
actual amount of sleep is taken into
consideration, the odds of a serious mistake nearly triple.
"Given the increased risk that
we've seen with just one night of
insufficient sleep, patients have the
right to know if their doctor has
been awake for one night, two
nights, or even three consecutive
nights," he told Reuters Health by
phone.
The Baxter study, released
Wednesday in The New England
Journal of Medicine, was based on
data from 147 hospitals in Ontario. It looked at nearly 39,000 cases performed by 1,448 experienced
surgeons.
The researchers tracked 12
widely-varying types of operations, from bypass surgery and hip
replacement to hysterectomy and
angioplasty, done during a five-year
period. A billing code database told
them whether the doctor had
worked from midnight to 7 a.m.
the night before the operation.
Thirty days after surgery, the
odds of death were 1.1 percent
whether or not the doctor had
worked during the early morning
hours before the operation. The
readmission rates were 6.6 percent
if the surgeon had been up late and
7.1 percent if he or she had not.
.
AFGHANISTAN TIMES
LG Rolly is a
portable
keyboard that
turns into a stick
This view of the Twin Jet Nebula
was captured by the Hubble Space
Telescope. ESA/Hubble & NASA
Acknowledgement: Judy Schmidt
The Hubble Space Telescope
captured a striking image of the
Twin Jet Nebula and its glowing
butterfly shape. The bright spot
in the center of the image is an old
binary star system and the wings
are its outer shells of gas that were
ejected.
The Twin Jet Nebula is a planetary nebula -- no planets are involved, but the characteristic shape
of the ejected outer gas resembled
a sphere -- but instead of having a
large shell of gas, it has two lobes.
Scientists believe the motion of the
two stars is responsible for its
shape, according to Hubble press
release.
The stars that make up the
Twin Jet Nebula, or PN M2-9,
have a similar mass to our Sun. The
smaller star is at an advanced age
of its evolution and is a white
dwarf. The larger star -- around 1.0
to 1.4 smaller masses -- has ejected its outer layers and is a red giant. It'll end its life as a white dwarf.
The two blue patches traveling
outward from the binary star system are fast jets of gas traveling at
speeds greater than one kilometers
per hour. Previous Hubble observations of the Twin Jet Nebula revealed intricate structural patterns
and red areas that appear to be older gas trapped in the stellar wind.
The two stars provide a
glimpse into what's in store for the
sun. The star at the center of our
solar system will expand, shed its
outer layers and become a red giant. The sun's expansion will likely cause problems on Earth, and
the extreme heat will likely evaporate water on the planet's surface.
The good news is that won't happen for the next 2.8 billion years.
"These nebulae observed by
Hubble give us a preview of our
own sun's fate. Some 5 billion
years from now, after the sun has
become a red giant and burned the
Earth to a cinder, it will eject its
own beautiful nebula and then fade
away as a white dwarf star,"
Howard Bond, from the Space
Telescope Science Institute, said
in a statement.
Sea levels will rise, experts warn, and it s not going to stop
For the last 23 years, ocean levels
around the world have climbed by
about 3 inches on average, and
NASA scientists say the sea will
continue to rise as warming temperatures cause ice sheets in
Greenland and Antarctica to melt.
But California, and the rest of
the western United States, has actually seen ocean levels fall. That's
about to change, thanks to a shift
in weather patterns, and scientists
are sounding the alarm.
New satellite measurements
from NASA suggest that ocean levels could rise by 3 feet or more
Paleontologists find
adorably chubby
missing lizard link
A new species of lizard from the
Late Cretaceous era links New
World lizards with those from the
Old World for the first time.
In the lizard kingdom, animals
are classified in five separate
groups of specific types of lizards,
such as geckos and skinks. One is
the Iguanian group, which contains
iguanas and their close relatives,
totalling some 1,700 species.
These iguanas are, in turn, divided into two groups: acrodontan, with the teeth fused to the top
of their jaws, and pleurodont, with
teeth fused to the side of the jaw.
The acrodontan group contains chameleons and bearded dragons, and their distribution is restricted exclusively to the Old
World, which covers Africa, Europe and Asia. The latter group,
the pleurodonts, are iguanas, distributed throughout the New
World, which covers the Americas
and the Caribbean.
The reason you now know
more about lizard dentistry than
you ever thought you needed to is
because the remains of a new 80million-year-old acrodontan lizard
have been found in South America, the land of the pleurodonts.
This creates a link between the two
types of lizards where previously
none had been.
The lizard has been named
Gueragama sulamericana, and described in a paper published in the
journal Nature Communications.
"This fossil is an 80-millionyear-old specimen of an acrodontan in the New World," explained
study co-author Michael Caldwell,
a professor of biological sciences
at the University of Alberta in
Canada.
"It's a missing link in the sense
of the paleobiogeography and possibly the origins of the group, so
it's pretty good evidence to suggest that back in the lower part of
the Cretaceous, the southern part
of Pangaea [the prehistoric supercontinent that broke up and
formed the continents as we know
them today] was still a kind of single continental chunk."
Pangaea's evolution across the
Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic
eras has been traced by the distribution of plant and animal life over
the millennia. Fossils of particular
animals dating back to the same
period, for instance, have been
found across multiple continents.
By the time the Late Cretaceous
era rolled around in the second half
of the Mesozoic, Pangaea's breakup was moving towards its final
stages.
The presence of Gueragama
sulamericana in South America indicates that the South American
iguanas may have evolved from
acrodontan lizards.
3D-PRINTED MICROFISH CAN
SERVE AS TOXIN SENSORS
3-D-printed microfish contain
functional nanoparticles that enable them to be self-propelled,
chemically powered and magnetically steered. The microfish are
also capable of removing and sensing toxins. CREDIT: J. Warner, UC
San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering.
Nanotechnology is a cutting
edge industry. And 3D printing has
produced robotic fish that are microscopic. They can release nanoparticles once they enter the
bloodstream. These microfish can
hurry and scurry in a fluid environment.
They are chemo-energized by
hydrogen peroxide. And magnets
guide them. The microfish are to
function as smart nano-robots.
They will aid in detox programs,
remote sensing and medicinal provision.
This method using microfish
is a much better solution. That is
to many problems than other
schemes. And the microfish employ better means of transport.
These include such instruments as
microjet engines, microdrillers and
microrockets.
The research, led by Professors Shaochen Chen and Joseph
Wang of the NanoEngineering Department at the UC San Diego, was
published in the Aug. 12 issue of
the journal Advanced Materials.
The design of the microfish is
so simple that it almost seems unbelievable on first sight. It consists
of spheres and cylinders. As for
the composition, it is evenly
spaced and inorganic. The methodology of mass producing these
microfish is evolving with the
times.
Their very existence is proof.
That is of different genres such as
3D printing and robotic nanotechnology. They can be combined
with excellent results. The nanoparticles were inserted with ease
into the robotic fish bodies. These
nanoparticles were made of platinum and were introduced into the
tails.
These nanoparticles caused
propulsion in a solution of hydrogen peroxide. And magnetic iron
oxide particles were put in the
heads of the microfish. This further aided locomotion. Thus this
is a feat of natural engineering. It
seeks inspiration from Mother
Nature.
"We have developed an entirely new method to engineer natureinspired microscopic swimmers
that have complex geometric structures and are smaller than the width
of a human hair. With this method,
we can easily integrate different
functions inside these tiny robotic
swimmers for a broad spectrum of
applications," said the co-first author Wei Zhu, a nanoengineering
Ph.D. student in Chen's research
group at the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego.
The field of nano-engineering
has produced mobile particles.
They are smaller than the point of
a pin. And the good thing is these
microfish can serve various func-
tions. Among these may be included toxin neutralization.
Polydiacetylene (PDA) nanoparticles were introduced into the
microfish. These captured the
harmful toxins found in bee venom. The nanoparticles also emitted florescent red light when they
binded with the bee venom.
The fact that the florescent red
light also acted as a sensor was
good news indeed. This sensing
capability showed that two birds
could be killed with one stone.
"The neat thing about this experiment is that it shows how the
microfish can doubly serve as
detoxification systems and as toxin sensors," said Zhu.
"Another exciting possibility
we could explore is to encapsulate
medicines inside the microfish and
use them for directed drug delivery," said Jinxing Li, the other cofirst author of the study and a
nanoengineering Ph.D. student in
Wang's research group.
Furthermore, medicines could
be put within the microfish in capsule form. These drugs could then
be delivered with efficiency and
deftness. The 3D printing method
used in producing the microfish is
called microscale continuous optical printing.
And it does not employ dangerous chemicals. The microfish
design employs shark and manta
ray shapes. These are the simplest
and most efficacious and they get
the job done.
globally by the end of the century.
The question faced by scientists
and policymakers is not whether
oceans will rise, but how fast and
by how much.
"People need to be prepared
for sea level rise," said Joshua Willis, an oceanographer at NASA's
Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La
Ca ada Flintridge. "It's not going
to stop."
If ocean levels are rising, where
is the additional water coming
from?
Steve Nerem, a scientist at the
University of Colorado, Boulder,
said that about one-third of the rising sea level is a result of the ocean
expanding as it absorbs heat
trapped by greenhouse gases and
becomes warmer. Another third
comes from melting glaciers, and
the rest comes from the melting of
enormous ice sheets in Greenland
and Antarctica.
How much ice is actually melting in Greenland and Antarctica?
During the last decade, Greenland's ice sheet lost about 303 gigatons of ice on average each year,
while Antarctica's ice sheet lost
about 118 gigatons annually on
average. One gigaton is a billion
metric tons.
Why did California's sea level
fall during the last few decades?
High tide in Malibu in 2013.
In recent years, the average sea level off the California coast has decreased, but that's an aberration
that won't last long, scientists say.
(Christina House / For the Los
Angeles)
Waters off the coast of the
western U.S. have had lower surface temperatures, largely because
of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation,
or PDO. This pattern of wind,
ocean current and temperature variations can bring warm or cold phases for several years or even decades. Since 1998, some scientists
say, we have experienced a cold
phase that has counteracted the
effects of climate change and prevented sea levels from rising.
Will California's sea levels always be lower than elsewhere?
No, and scientists say a reversal in the Pacific Decadal Oscillation could cause sea levels to catch
up to increases seen elsewhere.
According to JPL's Willis, current
measurements indicate that a
switch in the PDO already occurred. "We can expect accelerated
rates of sea level rise along this
coast over the next decade as the
region recovers from its temporary
sea level 'deficit,' " he said.
Yes. Some climatologists think
of El Ni o as a short-term phenomenon that lies on top of the
more long-term temperature fluctuations associated with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. Warmer
PDOs are more conducive to El
Ni os.
What are we supposed to do
about rising sea levels?
The key word stressed by scientists: planning. Tom Wagner,
cryosphere program manager for
NASA, said communities along
coastal zones should factor in the
increase in sea levels when considering major infrastructure projects
such as a water treatment plant or
power plant. Rising sea levels
could mean more erosion or flooding associated with a storm surge,
he said.
What's the likelihood that sea
levels stay the same or actually
fall?
Don't count on it. Over the
next century, the sea may rise between 1 1/2 and 3 feet or possibly
more, said Eric Rignot, a research
scientist at JPL and a professor at
UC Irvine. And ice sheets react to
warming by melting faster and faster. Any reversal of the inevitable
ice melt "would take centuries," he
said. "Some of the measurements
collected by NASA are an important red flag on what's about to
come."
The portable keyboard is a problematic gadget to make sense, it
needs to be big enough for a human to type on, but it should also
be as small as possible.
LG has tackled the problem
with its Rolly Keyboard an almost-full-sized keyboard that collapses into a stick. Yes, the stick
still has the keyboard's length (LG
did not disclose the keyboard's
size), so it's not exactly pocketable (though LG claims it is). In
any case, it's definitely more portable than a non-foldable keyboard
of that size.
The keyboard has four rows
of keys two less than your regular keyboard, with numbers and
function keys rows missing. The
numbers, however, can be accessed on the top row using the function key on the bottom.
Rolly is made of "impact-resistant and durable polycarbonate"
and ABS plastic, and has two foldable arms that keep a smartphone
or a tablet (up to 10 inches in size)
in an upright position. It's wireless and powered by an AAA battery which should last up to three
months of average use, according
to LG.
LG's Rolly Keyboard will hit
the U.S. market in September, and
will become available internationally in the fourth quarter of 2015,
at a yet-undisclosed price. Let's
just hope it fares better than Sony's Rolly music player.
Rare nautilus
spotted for first
time in 30 years
WASHINGTON: A US biologist
has spotted a rare species of nautiluses, the small, distant cousins
of squid and cuttlefish, after a gap
of 30 years.
The creature in question is Allonautilus scrobiculatus, a species
of nautilus that researchers had
previously discovered off of Ndrova Island in Papua New Guinea in
1984.
Nautiluses are an ancient lineage of animal, often christened a
"living fossil" because their distinctive shells appear in the fossil
record over an impressive 500 million year period.
This recent sighting of Allonautilus indicates that there is still
much to learn about these creatures,
said University of Washington
professor Peter Ward who had recently encountered the species in
the South Pacific.
"Before this, two humans had
seen Allonautilus scrobiculatus,"
Ward said.
"My colleague Bruce Saunders
from Bryn Mawr College found
Allonautilus first, and I saw them
a few weeks later," Ward noted in
a statement released by University of Washington.
Illegal fishing and "mining" operations for nautilus shells have
already decimated some populations, Ward said.
This unchecked practice could
threaten a lineage that has been
around longer than the dinosaurs
were and survived the two largest
mass extinctions in Earth's history.
Allonautilus scrobiculatus is
notable for the thick layer of slime
and hair covering its shell.
GLOBAL
WARMING
POSES THREAT
TO HUMANS IN
FUTURE
Scientists and policy experts said
at the California Climate Change
Symposium in Sacramento that
global warming points to an imminent threat to humans in future.
They discussed the matter on
Monday.
According to The Daily
News, scientists decided to consider the imminent UN Climate
Change Conference in Paris by
saying that those against the climate change agenda are needed to
be convinced to join the global
warming chorus.
According to Elizabeth Hadly, a professor of biology and geological and environmental sciences
at Stanford University, dialog
holds more important position
than advocacy and it is needed to
know how communication is required outside the Ivory Tower.
Hadly claimed that the Scientific Consensus Statement that
says, Earth is rapidly approaching a tipping point. Human impacts are causing alarming levels
of harm to our planet
The evidence that humans are damaging
their ecological life-support systems is overwhelming , should be
proceeded in developing countries,
and also disbelievers among military officials and religious leaders.
.
AFGHANISTANTIMES
This time of year, when the wedding season is in full blow, the fashion industry is also bustling, with
the biggest event of the industry
coming up soon. Fifth edition
L Oréal Paris Bridal Week, hosted
by Pakistan Fashion Design Council (PFDC), will be held in Lahore
from September 16 to September
18, stated a press release.
This year s Bridal Week will
feature 22 independent labels as
full solo shows and capsule shows
by newer bridal designers, who will
create their own capsule collection
with each, featuring eight ensembles.
The designers presenting their
collections at the four day event
are, Ali Xeeshan Theatre Studio,
Ammara Khan, Asifa & Nabeel,
Elan, Fahad Hussayn, HSY, Karma Red, Misha Lakhani, Nickie
Nina, Nomi Ansari, Saira Shakira,
Sana Safinaz, Sania Maskatiya,
Shamaeel Ansari, Republic by
Omar Farooq and The House of
Kamiar Rokni.
The Rising Talent Show will
showcase four rising bridal designers including, Maheen Taseer,
Zarmisha Dar, Faiza Saqlain, and
JEEM by Hamza Bokhari.
Sehyr Saigol, the chairperson
PFDC, commented, We are particularly happy to debut our New
Bridal Designers show this year
as we sincerely believe fashion is
not just about your stalwarts but
very much about injecting fresh,
new, exciting design hence our
commitment to the Rising Talent
Showcase with Bank Alfalah.
Eva Mendes
and Ryan
Gosling to
get engaged?
Hollywood actress Eva Mendes
has added fuel to rumours of her
getting engaged to actor boyfriend
Ryan Gosling.
The piece of jewellery she
wore on her right hand was a giant
emerald ring.
She was first spotted wearing
the bling on July 25 when promoting cosmetics giant Estee Lauder s
new Dimensions Skincare line at a
mall in Florida, reports
aceshowbiz.com.
The 41-year-old has been
flashing the speculated engagement
ring in photographs she shared on
photo-sharing website Instagram.
Neither Mendes nor Gosling
has addressed the engagement rumours.
The actress representative
also has not yet made any comment on the matter.
Mendes and Gosling first met
in the fall of 2011 on the set of
their drama film The Place Beyond
the Pines.
Despite their headline-making
romance, the couple has been acting very private about their personal life.
In September 2014, they welcomed their first child together,
daughter Esmeralda Amada.
Justin Bieber Lookalike Tobias Sheldon
found dead at 35
Tobias "Toby" Sheldon, the 35year-old who spent more
$100,000 on plastic surgery to look
like Justin Bieber, was found dead
last week, his rep confirms to PEOPLE. According to TMZ, officials
found his body on Aug. 21 in a
Motel 6 in California's San Fernando Valley. Officers found drugs at
the scene, but no cause of death
has been determined. Sheldon was
reported missing on Aug. 18 and
was last seen on the 1700 block of
North Orange Grove Avenue in
West Hollywood. At the time,
friends told ABC7 that his disappearance was unusual, saying that
he hadn't left a note or anything to
indicate he would be gone. Keep
up with Justin Bieber in the pages
of PEOPLE Magazine by subscribing now.
I partly lead the
rockstar life I ve made
fun of: Ali Zafar
These B-Town actresses tasted success
AFTER DULL START TO THEIR CAREER
A decade after she stepped into
Bollywood, Radhika Apte is now
perceived as the talent to watch
out for. We turn the spotlight on
other actresses who began their
career with a hiccup but were later
catapulted into the big league...
In 2011, Ekta Kapoor had infamously quipped, "Who is Radhika Apte?" on a celebrity chat
show. Her actor-brother, Tusshar
Kapoor, who also featured in that
episode alongside her, was asked
to name the sexiest actresses and
he said: 'Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Katrina Kaif...' and then
paused to think. Ekta quipped,
"Radhika Apte?" At that point,
show host and filmmaker Karan
Johar asked, 'Who is this Radhika?' and Ekta added, 'Exactly! Who
is Radhika Apte?'
While starting out in filmdom,
Radhika Apte did a bit role in
Mahesh Manjrekar's 2005 film
'Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi!' starring
Sanjay Dutt, Shahid Kapoor and
Amrita Rao
Though Ekta might have been
joking about not knowing
Tusshar's 'Shor In The City'
(2010) co-star then, she surely cannot afford to make that remark
now. Radhika, who took almost a
decade to find a foothold in the
industry, is now a name to reckon
with in Bollywood.
This year, she earned rave reviews for her small but significant
role in 'Badlapur' and followed it
up with 'Hunterrr' and a short film,
'Ahalya'. Last week, she was seen
in critically appreciated 'Manjhi The Mountain Man' and this week,
she has 'Kaun Kitney Paani Mein'.
Among her numerous upcoming
projects is a Tamil film opposite
South icon Rajinikanth.
Radhika straddles regional
films, theatre and short films along
with Bollywood projects and is
counted among the promising
youngsters to look out for.
hitlist draws up a list of some
industry folk who, like Radhika,
did not find much success in their
initial phase of their career, but
eventually managed to carved a
niche for themselves.
Slow and steady
Jacqueline Fernandez now
finds herself in the A-list category
after starring with Salman Khan in
'Kick' last year. The Sri Lankan
beauty pageant winner made her
acting debut in Sujoy Ghosh's 'Aladin' (2009) and was then seen in
Milap Zaveri's 'Jaane Kahan Se
Aayi Hai' (2010). Rumours say it
was Vivek Oberoi who introduced
her to Sujoy and Jacky would often be spotted with the actor at
events. And, ironically, it was VO's
nemesis Salman who put her in the
big league.
Jacqueline Fernandez
A cameo in her ex-boyfriend
Sajid Khan's 'Housefull' (2010)
followed by 'Murder 2' (2011),
'Housefull 2' (2012) and 'Race 2'
(2013) enhanced her on-screen visibility. She has had three releases
this year - 'Roy', 'Bangistan' and
'Brothers'. Her kitty now includes
Rohit Dhawan's 'Dhishoom', Remo
Now Amy is back on the
scene. She did Shankar's Tamil film
D'Souza's 'Flying Jat' and the sequel to the 2014 film 'Bang Bang'
with Sidharth Malhotra besides
endorsements. When Jacqueline
arrived in Bollywood, she could
not speak a word in Hindi. But
now she dubs for her films herself.
Second coming
Amy Jackson, another foreign
import, went missing from Bollywood soon after her debut in 'Ekk
Deewana Tha' (2011). The British
model-actress was at that time in a
relationship with her co-star,
Prateik. However, when things
soured, Amy packed her bags and
headed back to England - though
she did an occasional South film
and some modelling.
'I' with South star Vikram that released earlier this year and set the
box-office coffers ringing. Coming
up next is Prabhu Dheva's 'Singh
Is Bliing' with Akshay Kumar. At
its trailer launch, Amy said, "I am
fortunate to work with Prabhu
Dheva Sir and Akshay Kumar. It
is unbelievable to be part of such a
team."
After a gap
Shruti Haasan stepped into
Bollywood with 'Luck' (2009) and
'Dil To Baccha Hai Ji' (2011). However, it did not put the daughter of
the legendary Kamal Haasan out
there.
Shruti Hasaan
She went on to do South films
and pursue her passion for music.
She did two other films, 'Ramaiya
Vastavaiya' and 'D Day' (both
2013). Now she has 'Welcome
Back' with John Abraham and Anil
Kapoor lined up for release next
month followed by 'Rocky Handsome' again with John.
Taking the gamble
Shraddha Kapoor made her debut in a bit role in 'Teen Patti'
(2010) followed by 'Luv Ka The
End' (2011). The films were nothing to write home about.
Shraddha Kapoor
Though under a contract with
Yash Raj Films, which offered her
Aurangzeb with Arjun Kapoor,
she went on to sign a film with the
Bhatt camp - 'Aashiqui 2' (2013)
opposite Aditya Roy Kapoor. She
took a gamble, but it paid off and
how. The film proved to be a raging hit and grossed over R100
crore. She followed it up with successful films like 'Ek Villain' and
'Haider' last year and 'ABCD 2' this
year. Shraddha is now considered
among the top young guns of filmdom.
Just shake it
American dancer Lauren Gottlieb landed a role in 'ABCD: Anybody Can Dance' (2013) and went
on to be part of the dance reality
show 'Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa'.
Lauren Gottlieb
Just when she was perceived
as one of the numerous Western
imports in Bollywood, she landed
an item number in 'Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!', a role in 'Welcome
To Karachi' and an item number in
the upcoming 'Welcome Back'. She
is currently judging 'Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Reloaded' and rubbing shoulders with Shahid Kapoor, Karan
Johar and Ganesh Hegde.
With Ali Zafar known as the good
boy of the Pakistani entertainment
industry, many fans may find it
hard to relate to his big and bold
persona as he makes his way back
into Coke Studio with Rockstar.
Swaying from side to side along
with the gold chains dangling from
his Ali Xeeshan jacket, he belts out
the hook of the song, touting himself as the unstoppable superstar
AZ . But where he pokes fun at
the lifestyle of the rich and famous
on-screen, he also makes us wonder if his off-screen self is somewhat an extension of the badass
rockstar image he satirises.
Partly, says Ali laughingly.
I partly lead the rockstar life I ve
made fun of. Ali s first out of three
stints on Coke Studio season 8 has
so far received polarised reviews,
with some labelling him as being
too full of himself. Shrugging off
this perception, he explains how
it takes a good sense of humour to
perform a self-deprecating song.
This is a first for me. I don t think
I m arrogant otherwise I wouldn t
have made such a song.
Although people may disagree
on whether or not they like the
song, there s no gainsaying that it
merits applause for being experimental. Given that he has not only
explored diverse styles of music
as an independent artist but also
as a Bollywood film composer, it
was no easy feat for him to come
up with something that has never
been done on the Coke Studio platform before. The result was Rockstar, for which he struck up the
composition with the house band
in the first three to five minutes of
their jamming session. After this,
I went on with the lyric-writing
process, he shares.
Ali states that the lyrics of the
song are such that they bring out
child-like enthusiasm in people.
They remind me of how I used to
perceive rockstars when I was a
kid, he states. The tongue-incheek lyrics also helped him become more relaxed and expressive
while performing the song. Describing Rockstar as commentary
on the larger-than-life lifestyle of
musicians and the subsequent media circus, he said the song, a complete U-turn from his previous
appearances on the show, amped
up the energy on the sets.
I ve always believed that every artist is unique and has his own
style. When I performed Dastaane-Ishq, I was in a completely different zone
of spirituality. On
the contrary, there s an aspect of
vanity and arrogance in Rockstar,
which required me to get more animated, he notes. Having also established himself as an actor, Ali
realised he would have to up his
game to remind the audiences of
his skill and showmanship as a
singer.
But he credits his acting stints
in Bollywood for uplifting his performance on the show. Working
with different choreographers
across the border has definitely
helped me improve. Dancing and
singing at the same time is very
difficult and fortunately, I have
been able to better that side of me.
Returning to the show after a
gap of more than six years, Ali feels
nostalgic about how the show has
grown and progressed over the
years. He considers himself lucky
to be a part of Coke Studio s
founding team of musicians, who
kickstarted the venture nearly a
decade ago.
.
AFGHANISTANTIMES
Serena chases
calendar
Slam, history
at US Open
World number one Serena Williams
feels the pressure of chasing history at the US Open, but she accepts the intensity as the price for
dominating a generation of women's tennis.
The 33-year-old American,
who captured her first Grand Slam
title at the 1999 US Open at age
17, is a huge favorite as she tries to
complete the first calendar-year
Grand Slam since Steffi Graf in
1988 by winning her 22nd career
major title in the event that starts
Monday on the New York hardcourts.
"I decided I prefer to have that
pressure than the pressure of not
winning," Williams said. "Not everyone can handle that pressure,
but I'm OK with it. I would rather
be in this position than another
one."
Still, there's no doubt Williams
is looking forward to seeing her
designs in a New York fashion
show a few days after the US
Open.
By then, the Grand Slam bid
will be over, win or lose.
"I'm ready. I'm so ready. I'm
ready to get it over with," Williams said. "I don't care if I win or
lose or break even. I'm ready to
start it, get it over with, and be
done and go on to the next event."
Williams seeks her fourth consecutive US Open title after having won this year's French and
Australian Opens and Wimbledon
as well as hardcourt events in Miami and Cincinnati, the last US
Open warm-up where she defeated Romania's Simona Halep in the
final for a 69th career crown.
"It gives me confidence to
know that what I've been working
on these past few days and weeks
has been going very well," said
Williams. "It also makes me realize the feeling of winning. I like
that feeling and want to do the hard
work."
Williams has won six Wimble-
don, US Open and Australian
Open titles and three French Open
crowns to stand one shy of Steffi
Graf's Open Era (since 1968)
record of 22 Grand Slam singles
trophies and only three shy of
Australian Margaret Court's alltime record of 24.
Not since Graf won the 1989
Australian Open after her 1988
calendar Slam has a woman won
five Slams in a row, as Williams
could.
Patrick Mouratoglou, Williams' coach, likes what he sees in
his star pupil, especially her powerful serve.
"She has probably get the best
serve in the history of the women's game," he said.
"Even when it's not perfect,
it's still good enough to win. She
has to continue to have faith in her
serve."
Williams will be the US Open
top seed for a fourth time, having
already won titles as top seed in
2002, 2013 and last year.
Second seed Halep could be the
toughest healthy foe in Williams'
path.
Russian third seed Maria
Sharapova, Danish fourth seed
Caroline Wozniacki and 2012 and
2013 US Open runner-up Victoria
Azarenka of Belarus all have leg
injuries.
- 'It's all up to me' In the end, Williams' toughest
enemy might be herself and her
mental ability to handle trouble
during matches.
"If I am playing well then
hopefully no one (else) will win,
but we'll see," Williams said. "It's
all up to me. If I decide to play
right, it'll be great."
Not since Aussie Samantha
Stosur beat Williams in the 2011
final has Williams lost at the US
Open.
"No doubt she is going to be
feeling the pressure," Stosur said.
"You know she wants to get that
calendar Slam. She's not immune
to the nerves and pressure."
Sooner or later, someone will surpass Floyd Mayweather as the
world's highest paid athlete. But
given that he made at least $250
million for his May 2 victory in
Las Vegas over Manny Pacquiao,
that isn't going to happen any time
soon.
But UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey
says that while her total compensation isn't anywhere near Mayweather's, she believes she makes
more per second than the boxer
does.
Rousey was stopped on the
street by a reporter for TMZ and,
quickly, the conversation turned to
Mayweather, whom Rousey
topped last month for the ESPY
as "Best Fighter."
During the conversation with
TMZ, Rousey said she makes two
to three times more per second
than Mayweather.
"I don't know if you saw the
Floyd thing, where he said, 'When
you make $300 million in a night,
give me a call.' I actually did the
math and given the numbers in my
last fight, I'm actually the highestpaid UFC fighter, and I'm a woman. And I think I actually make two
to three times more than he does
per second. So when he learns to
read and write, he can text me then."
Mayweather's take for the
Pacquiao fight is believed to be
between $250 million and $275
million, but given that Rousey used
$300 million, let's do the math using that number to see how much
Rousey might have made from her
34-second knockout of Bethe Correia on Aug. 1 at UFC 190 in Rio
de Janeiro.
Dividing $300 million by the
36 minutes Mayweather was in the
ring with Pacquiao works out to
$8,333,333.33 per minute. Dividing that by 60 comes to
$138.888.89 per second.
So since Rousey said she
makes two to three times more per
second than Mayweather, multiplying $138.888.89 times two is
$277,777.78. Multiplying it by
three comes out to $416,666.667
per second for Rousey.
So, if you multiply those figures by 34 the length of time of
the Rousey-Correia match Rousey is suggesting that she made at
least
$9,444,444.52
(at
$277,777.78 dollars per second
times 34 seconds) and as much as
$14,166,666.68 (at $416,666.667
dollars per second times 34 seconds).
I appeared on The Insider on
Aug. 3 and estimated that Rousey
made at least $5 million from the
Correia fight and potentially a bit
more.
So by any standard, she's doing well.
Dave Sholler, the UFC's vice
president of public relations and
athlete marketing, confirmed that
Rousey "is the highest compensated current UFC champion."
Sholler said he was not able to discuss Rousey's exact purse.
Rousey's disclosed purse from
Aug. 1 was $190,000. She made
$70,000 to show, $70,000 to win
and earned a $50,000 Performance
of the Night bonus. But as a champion, she also earned a percentage
of the pay-per-view sales. The
show did in excess of 1 million
buys, though the UFC did not release the exact figure. But it was
the highest-selling pay-per-view
this year. All that means is that
Rousey makes a lot of money. She
may make more per second than
Mayweather, though there is no
way of knowing that since we
don't know the exact figures in her
contract. But while she may take
some joy in that, most people
would take Mayweather's side and
have the real money to spend.
Either way, don't expect to see
either of them in the soup line any
time soon.
Aussie Ewan claims landmark Vuelta win, Dumoulin leads
Caleb Ewan celebrated the biggest
win of his career on Wednesday,
the 21-year-old Australian claiming the fifth stage of Spain's Vuelta
with Dutch rider Tom Dumoulin
the new overall leader.
Ewan, tackling his debut Vuelta, prevailed in a dash for the line
after a 167.5 kilometre ride from
Rota to Alcala de Guadaira.
His teammate, Johan Esteban
Chaves, started the day in possession of the leader's red jersey but
by the end of the stage he'd been
relegated to second in the general
classification, albeit by only one
second to Team Giant-Alpecin's
Dumoulin.
Dumoulin came in 15th with
Chaves in 20th in the stage.
In third, 16sec back, was Team
Sky's Irish rider Nicolas Roche.
Ewan's win was made all the
sweeter as he crossed the line with
specialist sprinters John Degenkolb of Germany - whose big race
wins include the Milan-SanRemo
and Paris-Roubaix - and Slovakia's
Peter Sagan - a four time winner of
the Tour de France points classification - in his wake.
Ewan was set up for his breakthrough success in perfect style by
other members of his team in the
final 50 metres. "This is by far the
best day of my career," he smiled.
"To beat some of the top
sprinters in the world, especially
riders like Degenkolb or Sagan, on
a climbing finish like that, that
means a lot to me."
Ewan, for whom this is a first
shot at one of the Grand Tours,
added: "It's an honour to compete
against riders like that."
Sagan was well placed in second but he was put in his place by
the promising Aussie who came
round the German to take the honours.
Dumoulin for his part conceded taking the overall lead hadn't
been on his mind at the beginning
of the stage.
"It didn't figure in my plans
for today (Wednesday) but it is an
agreeable surprise," said Dumoulin.
Tiger 'only
going to get
better', says
niece
Two Kenyans suspended for doping at World Championships
Kenyan athletes Koki Manunga
and Joyce Zakary have been handed provisional bans after failing
doping tests at the world championships, the International Association of Athletics Federations
(IAAF) said.
The runners from a nation
famed for its middle and long-distance runners were targeted in precompetition tests at their team
hotel in Beijing on August 20 and
21, the IAAF said in a statement.
The East African nation's
sports body Athletics Kenya,
which has been criticised by some
of its own athletes for not taking
the issue of doping seriously
enough, said it had been told about
the failed tests and had launched
an investigation.
"Appropriate follow-up action will be taken in Kenya," it said
in a statement, adding that the two
athletes had accepted their provisional suspensions.
Kenya's athletics suffers from
doping scandal
"Athletics Kenya will provide
full support and cooperation to the
IAAF during the results management process."
The IAAF has spent the last
month defending itself against accusations that it is soft on doping
after data from thousands of blood
samples were leaked to the media.
While critics of the IAAF
might point to the positive tests
as further evidence of widespread
doping in the sport, the governing
body is likely to see this as proof
that their targeted testing is effective in weeding out drug cheats.
Zakary, 29, ran a Kenyan
record of 50.71 seconds in the heat
of the 400 metres in Beijing but
failed to start the semi-final.
At Kenya's national championships last month, Zakary had
wowed athletics fans when she
broke a 31-year-old national record
held by compatriot Rose Waithera
since the 1984 Olympics.
Manunga, 21, finished sixth in
her heat in the 400 hurdles last
Sunday and failed to progress to
the next round.
Ahead of the Beijing championships, Britain's Sunday Times
newspaper and German broadcaster ARD/WDR reported they
had been leaked suspicious blood
results from more than 800 athletes, including 77 Kenyans.
In the last three years, 33 Kenyans have failed drugs tests but
only Rita Jeptoo, winner of the
Boston and Chicago Marathons,
can be classed as a top runner.
Her two-year ban in January
shocked Kenyans as it showed
doping had risen to the top of the
sport.
Man Utd seal Champions League qualification
Wayne Rooney ended his long
goal-drought with a hat-trick as
Manchester United qualified for
the Champions League with a 7-1
aggregate win over Club Brugge.
The England captain had not
scored since a Premier League game
against Aston Villa in April, a run
of 10 matches and 878 minutes
without finding the net.
Rooney netted his first goal of
the season after 20 minutes with a
neat finish, running on to a clever
through ball from Memphis Depay.
He doubled the lead four minutes after halftime following a flowing move and grabbed his third just
before the hour in Belgium courtesy of a cute pass from Juan Mata.
Ander Herrera added a fourth
goal as United, 3-1 up after the
first leg, eased through to the group
stage of Europe's premier club competition 7-1 on aggregate.
"Obviously, I'm delighted to
get the goals but it was a massive
game for the club," Rooney told
BT Sport.
Tiger Woods is well on the way
back to becoming a force in the
game again after a torrid 2015, his
niece Cheyenne Woods told AFP
on Wednesday.
The LPGA rookie said it had
been great to see her famous uncle
return to form at the PGA Tour's
Wyndham Championships last
week and that "he's only going to
get better from here".
Tiger was the joint leader after
going into the last round of the final event before the end-of-season
PGA Tour playoffs, after stringing together rounds of 64, 65 and
68 -- his best scoring sequence for
two years.
A final round even-par 70 left
him four shots behind veteran winner Davis Love, but it importantly meant a first top-10 finish since
2013.
It left Tiger ending his season
on a relative high with "plenty of
positives" to reflect on after missing cuts in the last three majors
and slipping as low as 286th in the
world.
"I think we saw this past weekend that things are starting to come
full circle and he's playing great
golf," Tiger's niece said in a telephone interview from the US.
"It s exciting to see and he's
only going to get better from here,
I'm sure."
Despite Tiger's 2015 slump,
Cheyenne said his focus and determination were still burning
bright and she was sure he would
get back to his best. "We talk every once in a while but he's always
been in great spirits," she said of
her famous uncle, who has won 14
majors but none since 2008. "He's
always looking to get better... going through the process of what it
takes to actually achieve what you
want. He knows what that process is and what it takes." She added that having the name Woods has
been an inspiration and not a burden right from the time she first
picked up a club as a child in the
late 1990s, when Tiger was at the
peak of his powers. "To see Tiger
have so much success I think really motivated me and showed
what's possible and that I can
achieve that. Especially someone
in my family having been able to
do that." Cheyenne will play in
the LPGA Tour's "Asian swing"
for the first time this year which
begins at the Sime Darby Championship in Kuala Lumpur in October. She is just 25 but admits to
occasionally feeling old when she
looks at the young talent taking
both the men's and women's game
by storm. Jordan Spieth, 22, has
won two majors this year, while
women's world number two Lydia
Ko of New Zealand is just 18 and
Canada's Brooke Henderson this
month became the only the third
player to win an LPGA event before her 18th birthday, after Ko
and Lexi Thompson.
FRIDAY
.
.
AUGUST 28 2015 -Sunbula 06, 1394 H.S
Vol:X Issue No:36 Price: Afs.15
Court issues arrest
warrants for former Pak s
PM Gilani, Amin Fahim
An anti-corruption court in Karachi issued non-bailable warrants on
Thursday for the arrest of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders
Yousuf Raza Gilani and Makhdoom Amin Fahim.
Further, the judge ordered authorities to arrest the two PPP
leaders by September 10 and
present them before the court.
The order was issued after the
Federal Investigation Agency
(FIA) presented a final chargesheet
with 12 new cases registered
against the PPP leaders before the
court. At present, the two leaders
were on bail in 12 similar cases
pertaining to corruption amounting to Rs500 million. Responding
to the court s orders, the former
PM said, I will appear in court
on August 31 instead of September 10. A few months back, the
court also issued arrest warrants
for me and I was released without
bail, he added, according to Express News. The move comes a
day after Pakistan Peoples Party
(PPP) co-chairman Asif Zardari s
close confidante Dr Asim Hussain
was arrested. Earlier, the federal
government gave formal permission to the Federal Investigation
Agency (FIA) to arrest former
prime minister, Yousaf Raza Gilani, and former minister for commerce, Makhdoom Amin Fahim,
in connection with the multi-billion Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) scandal.
Both the individuals, who are also
senior leaders of Pakistan Peoples
Party (PPP), had started consultation with renowned legal experts
to ensure their legal defense in view
of their possible arrest.
ISIS takes 5 Syrian
villages near
Turkish border
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has seized five villages from
Syrian rebels in northern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights said on Thursday, advancing in an area where Turkey and the
United States are planning to open a new front against the group.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told Reuters on Monday that the two NATO allies would soon launch comprehensive air
operations to flush ISIS fighters from the border region.
Senior Iraqi commanders
killed in ISIL suicide blast
Two senior Iraqi commanders have
been killed and 10 others injured
in a suicide car bomb attack north
of Ramadi, the capital of Anbar,
where fierce fighting with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
(ISIL) group is continuing, sources have told Al Jazeera.
Brigadier Abderahman Muqtada Abu al-Ris, deputy Anbar Commander and Brigadier Safin Abdelmajid, commander of the 10th division, were killed in the attack on
Thursday, along with three others.
Brigadier General Yahya Rasool told state TV that the military had intercepted an explosivesladen vehicle that hit the forces,
"but the resulting explosion led to
[their] martyrdom".
Separately, three people were
killed in a suicide car bomb targeting a police checkpoint in the town
of Bajwa, 15km northwest of
Kirkuk. There was no immediate
claim of responsibility for either
of the assaults
The military and police,
backed by Shia militias, Sunni tribal
fighters and US-led coalition air
strikes, are fighting to retake the
city, 100km west of Baghdad, from
the ISIL group.
But progress has been slow
and both sides have been suffering
heavy casualties in the fight for
Anbar. Anbar has been rocked by
violence since the beginning of
2014, months before ISIL launched
a nationwide offensive that saw it
conquer large expanses of the region. It is currently the main focus
of the Iraqi government's efforts
to regain lost ground, with large
military operations under way in
several parts of the province and
multiple daily air strikes by jets
from the US-led coalition.
Anbar stretches from Iraq's
western borders with Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia all the way
east along the Euphrates to the
outskirts of Baghdad.
In July, an official said that
more than 1,500 schools have been
damaged or destroyed as a result
of the conflict in Iraq's Anbar province alone.
As Hungary scrambles to ramp up
defenses on its border with Serbia,
refugees continued to surge into the
country in record numbers, police
figures confirmed Thursday.
Some 3,241 migrants, including almost 700 children, arrived in
Hungary on Wednesday, the highest ever number, according to a
police statement.
The majority crossed the border near the village of Roszke.
Most of the migrants had begun
their grueling journey in Syria, Afghanistan or Pakistan.
The cross-border train tracks
at Roszke are one of the only areas still unblocked by Hungary s
new razor-wire barrier, which is
due to close the entire 175-kilometre (110-mile) frontier with Serbia by the end of the month.
A four-meter-high razor wire
fence is also under construction.
In a further sign that Budapest is clamping down on migrants,
police chief Karoly Papp announced more than 2,000 so-called
border hunter patrols with dogs,
horses, and helicopters would be
sent to the frontier from September as reinforcements to the already heavy security presence.
The ruling Fidesz party said it
was also considering deploying the
army to help stem the influx, after
unrest erupted at a crowded refu-
Hezbollah
snubs govt
talks as crisis
deepens
The Lebanese group Hezbollah
and allied Christian politicians will
boycott a cabinet meeting on
Thursday, deepening a political
crisis that has paralysed Prime
Minister Tammam Salam s national unity government.
Media run by Hezbollah and
the Free Patriotic Movement of
Christian politician Michel Aoun,
the Shiite group s main Christian
ally, reported that Salam had been
informed of the decision, but did
not immediately give a reason for
it.
Over the last week, Lebanon
has been rocked with fierce street
protests in the capital Beirut,
which have left dozens injured and
the country's fragile government
reeling. Demonstrators - many
unaligned to specific political parties started by showing their
grievances at the inability by authorities to resolve the garbage crisis, which has seen city streets pile
up with trash.
However, the protests soon
flared into calls for the government
which demonstrators accuse of
incompetence and corruption to
resign. In response, PM Salam
hinted at stepping down.
Then on Tuesday, protests
were temporarily called off by
You Stink, the grassroots activist movement that organized the
movement.
Throwing its weight
On the same day, Hezbollah
threw its weight behind mass protests, with its ministers and their
allies walking out of a cabinet meeting meant to discuss the worsening garbage crisis.
Lebanese activists set fire to
plastic barriers and trash behind
the barbed wire separating them
from the police, during a protest
against the ongoing trash crisis, in
downtown Beirut. (AP)
In recent years, Lebanon s
political scene has been pitted between the Iranian-backed Hezbollah and the country s Westernaligned, pro-Saudi camp. Those
divisions mirror the larger regional
Shiite-Sunni divide, and have long
paralyzed the government.
Although Salam's government
has elements from both camps,
Hezbollah regards the prime minister as an ally of Saudi Arabia. The
Shiite group's ally, Christian leader Michel Aoun, has been assailing
the prime minister over his handling of Cabinet and security appointments.
In a statement Tuesday,
Hezbollah said the garbage crisis
reflected the "endemic and accumulated corruption of the past two
decades" and policies that only
serve "personal and political interests at the expense of citizens." It
said holding peaceful protests was
a legitimate right.
A columnist in the daily AnNahar newspaper accused Hezbollah of exploiting the You Stink
movement for its own agenda.
gee registration center at Roszke, with police firing tear gas at migrants.
Illegal migrants are becoming increasingly aggressive, we cannot tolerate what happened in Roszke, we cannot accept this aggression, said
Szilard Nemeth, a senior party figure and deputy head of the National Security parliamentary committee.
The move is set to be debated at an extraordinary parliamentary session in early September, during which lawmakers are also scheduled to vote
on criminalizing illegal border crossing and vandalizing the border barrier.
Indian army deployed to
riot-hit areas of Gujarat
Thousands of Indian army troops
have been deployed to riot-hit areas of Gujarat state following days
of unrest that has led to at least
seven deaths.
The Indian army could be seen
patrolling areas hardest hit by the
caste-related violence on Thursday, in what is being described by
police as the worst to hit Prime
Minister Narendra Modi's home
state in more than a decade.
The Patels are a relatively
wealthy and powerful community in the western Indian state of
Gujarat. Over the years many have
made their mark as gem and textile
merchants.
The question being asked in
India is why does this big and influential community need to be
included in a reservation or quota
system that has since independence been used to guarantee work
and participation of minority communities?
According to the Patels, most
government jobs and school places in Gujarat are reserved for people belonging to various special
categories and as a result, they miss
out.
Importantly, this is all unfolding in Prime Minister Narendra
Modi s home state. The Patels are
among some of his most important supporters.
More than 100 different com-
munities already benefit from the
reservation system in Gujarat but
according to the state government,
the Patels cannot be added to the
list.
The violence appears to have
been triggered by the detention late
Tuesday of the 22-year-old leader
of a mass movement by the Patidar or Patel caste demanding preferential treatment for jobs and university places.
Director general of police PP
Pande told the AFP news agency
on Wednesday that three people
had been killed in the main city of
Ahmedabad, where an estimated
half-a-million people gathered for
a rally on Tuesday.
The violence later spread to
other parts of the state and another two people were killed when
police opened fire on rioters early
Wednesday in Banaskantha district.
A sixth protester died in Mehsana district later Wednesday, also
in police firing, the district superintendent J R Mothalia said.
The police also said that the
seventh victim was a police constable, who was beaten by a mob
and later succumbed to his injuries
in hospital.
"I appeal to all brothers and
sisters of Gujarat that they should
not resort to violence," Modi said
in a statement.
"Violence has never done good
for anyone. All issues can be resolved peacefully through talks,"
said Modi, who served as the state's
chief minister for more than a decade, in a television address delivered in his native Gujarati.
Media reports said it was the
first time the army had to be deployed in Gujarat since religious
violence in 2002 left more than
1,000 people dead, most of them
Muslims. On Wednesday, the state
government imposed a curfew in
Ahmedabad. Political leaders appeared to have been taken by surprise by the scale of the protest
movement, which began earlier
this year but has rapidly gathered
pace in recent weeks.
The Patidars or Patels are one
of the state's most affluent communities, and make up around 20
percent of Gujarat's 63 million
population. But they say they are
struggling to compete with less
privileged castes for jobs.
India sets aside a proportion
of government jobs and university
places for Dalits, known as "untouchables", and for so-called "other backward castes" under measures intended to bring victims of
the worst discrimination into the
mainstream.
It remains unclear how Hardik
Patel, the 22-year-old self-styled
leader of the movement, managed
to mobilise such huge numbers.
"This is a fight for our rights
... we will continue with our campaign on the roads and the streets,"
he said in a television interview on
Wednesday.
Gujarat's chief minister, Anandiben Patel, urged members of her
own community to maintain the
peace. She has said that giving into
the demands of the Patels was not
possible because India's Supreme
Court has mandated that state
governments can set aside only 50
percent of jobs and school seats
for "backward castes" and that existing low caste groups already fill
those spots.
Saudi air defense intercepts Houthi Scud missile
The Saudi air defense on
Wednesday intercepted a
Scud missile fired by Houthi
militias and supporters of
deposed President Ali Abdullah Saleh toward the
southwestern Saudi city of
Jizan, according to Al Arabiya News channel.
The Saudi military said
in a statement it intercepted
the missile, averting any
damage, and directed air attacks against the source of
fire in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia led an Arab
military intervention against
the Houthis beginning on
March 26 to restore the Yemeni government.
A powerful Cold Warera weapon, the Scud had
been launched at Saudi Arabia by Houthis twice before
during the five-month war
but was shot down by
American-provided Patriot
missiles both times.
China arrests 12
over Tianjin
blasts as toll rises
BEIJING: Chinese police have arrested 12 people over giant explosions that killed at least 145 people and devastated a swathe of a
Chinese port city, state media said
Thursday as prosecutors probe 11
officials for neglecting their duties.
The official Xinhua news agency said the dozen formally held
include the chairman and senior
managers of the firm whose chemical storage facility exploded in the
northern city of Tianjin two weeks
ago, in the country s highest-profile industrial accident in years.
Separately, the Supreme People s Procuratorate said on its website that prosecutors in the city
were probing 11 officials for
abuse of power and dereliction
of duty over the blasts, which also
injured hundreds of people.
In China, formal arrest normally comes after some time in
police detention and sees the case
handed to prosecutors, with trial
and conviction almost guaranteed.
The 12 arrested include owners of Rui Hai International Logistics who were shown on state television last week, when they were
already being held by police, confessing to using government connections to obtain safety permits.
The huge explosions left a trail
of mangled buildings and burnt out
cars in their wake.
There are currently 495 troops
from the People s Liberation Army
chemical defence unit and 66 chemical defence experts assisting in
disaster relief operations, Chinese
defence ministry spokesman Yang
Yujun said on Thursday.
The toll rose to 145 people
killed with 28 still missing, according to the Tianjin government s
official Sina Weibo account, a Chinese version of Twitter. The post
also said 474 are in hospital, including seven in critical condition.
The incident sparked widespread outrage over alleged safety
violations by Rui Hai and possible official collusion, and fears of
pollutants contaminating the air
and water of Tianjin, home to
about 15 million people.
Thousands of tonnes of hazardous chemicals were stored at
the site, officials have said, including about 700 tonnes of highly
poisonous sodium cyanide, a
white powder or crystal which can
give off lethal hydrogen cyanide
gas. The warehouse was built within 600 metres (650 yards) of some
residential buildings, despite a regulation mandating any hazardous
material storage facilities must be
at least 1,000 metres away. Communist authorities and state-run
media have sought to pin blame
for the disaster on local individuals and officials, rather than systemic factors. China s powerful
State Council, or cabinet, has
vowed to conduct a rigorous investigation into the cause and has
pledged it will publish the findings. But independent Chinese reporting was quashed in the aftermath according to government censorship notices posted on China
Digital Times, a US-based website.
Websites cannot privately
gather information on the accident,
and when publishing news cannot
add individual interpretation without authorisation, read one notice
it cited as sent out by the Cyberspace Administration of China.

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