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Friday, January 3, 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Academics petition against America's 'blanket surveillance'

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WASHINGTON: (AFP) - More than 250 academics from around the world signed an online petition this week calling for an end to blanket mass surveillance by intelligence agencies.The petition said revelations of mass surveillance in documents leaked by former US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden violate a fundamental right protected by international treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights.This has to stop, said the petition (academicsagainstsurveillance.net), an initiative of four academics from the University of Amsterdam.Without privacy people cannot freely express their opinions or seek and receive information. Moreover, mass surveillance turns the presumption of innocence into a presumption of guilt... secret and unfettered surveillance practices violate fundamental rights and the rule of law, and undermine democracy.The signatories of this declaration call upon nation states to take action. Intelligence agencies must be subjected to transparency and accountability. People must be free from blanket mass surveillance conducted by intelligence agencies from their own or foreign countries.The signatories include academics in the Netherlands, Britain, Germany and the United States.Among them are Oxford University's Joss Wright, Alessandro Acquisti of Carnegie Mellon University, Aleecia McDonald of the Center for Internet & Society at Stanford University and Bruce Schneier of the Berkman Institute for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School.Other signatories were from as far as Australia, Hong Kong and New Zealand.On Thursday, a report indicated that the NSA is making strides toward building a quantum computer that could break nearly any kind of encryption.The Washington Post said leaked documents from Snowden indicate the computer would allow the secret intelligence agency to break encryption used to protect banking, medical, business and government records around the world.Quantum computing has been a goal among commercial firms such as IBM because it could harness the power of atoms and molecules, vastly increasing speed and security of computers and other devices.Snowden leaked explosive details of the secret surveillance schemes to media including The Washington Post and The Guardian.After fleeing the United States, he ultimately landed in Russia, where he has been granted temporary asylum. US federal prosecutors have filed a criminal complaint against Snowden, charging him with espionage and felony theft of government property.

At least 11 killed in Egypt clashes

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CAIRO (AFP) - At least 11 people were killed across Egypt on Friday as Islamist protesters clashed with police and civilian opponents, the health ministry said, raising its earlier toll of six dead.Thousands of protesters backing deposed president Mohamed Morsi had rallied across the country before police moved in to disperse them, sparking clashes.

Clashes kill 32 civilians in Iraq's Anbar: officials

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BAGHDAD (AFP) - Fighting killed at least 32 civilians on Friday in the Anbar province cities of Ramadi and Fallujah, where Al-Qaeda-linked militants took over areas this week, security officials said.Police and tribesmen in both cities are battling militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL, which operates in both Iraq and Syria, the sources said.ISIL militants took control of areas of both Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, and Fallujah, another city farther east, during days of fighting that broke out after security forces demolished the countrys main Sunni Arab anti-government protest camp.Clashes erupted in the Ramadi area on Monday as security forces tore down the sprawling anti-government protest camp on a nearby highway.The violence then spread to Fallujah, and a subsequent withdrawal of security forces from areas of both cities cleared the way for ISIL to move in.Demonstrations by Iraqi Sunni Arabs, who say they are marginalised and targeted by Shiite-led authorities, broke out in late 2012.While the camps closure has removed a physical sign of their grievances, the perceived injustices that underpinned the protests have not been addressed.

Kerry seeks to allay fears on Mideast deal

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JERUSALEM (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry held a second day of talks with Israelis and Palestinians Friday, seeking to overcome deep reservations about a framework to guide negotiations towards a peace deal.American officials have privately said they believe the direct talks resumed in July after a three-year hiatus have reached a new phase, as a late April deadline for an accord looms, but are struggling to overcome fierce opposition from both sides.Veteran US Senator John McCain, who is also visiting Israel with a congressional delegation, said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had Friday voiced deep concerns in separate detailed discussions about the proposals being put forward by Kerry.Prime Minister Netanyahu has serious, serious concerns about the plan as has been presented to him, whether it be on the ability of Israel to defend its borders or the reliability of a Palestinian state and their intentions, McCain told reporters in Jerusalem.Israelis were also particularly concerned about their overall security, whether it be boundaries, whether it be areas under Palestinian control, he added.Perhaps in a move to allay some of the Jewish states fears about US support for its security, Israel and the United States successfully carried out a joint missile test on Friday.The two nations successfully launched the Arrow-3 anti-ballistic missile system over the Mediterranean, the Israeli defence ministry said.Kerry was meeting again Friday with Netanyahu, after five hours of talks on Thursday following his arrival for his 10th trip as secretary of state.The top US diplomat was later heading to Ramallah for discussions with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas at his headquarters in the occupied West Bank.But Netanyahu on Thursday was downbeat on progress so far, launching a scathing attack on Abbas.I know that youre committed to peace, I know that Im committed to peace. But unfortunately given the actions and words of Palestinian leaders, theres growing doubt in Israel that the Palestinians are committed to peace, Netanyahu said.Referring to Israels release of long-serving Palestinian prisoners as part of the talks, the Israeli leader said Abbas had embraced terrorists as heroes. To glorify the murderers of innocent women and men as heroes is an outrage.But Kerry vowed the United States was committed to working with both sides to narrow the differences on a framework that will provide the agreed guidelines for permanent status negotiations.This will take time and it will take compromise from both sides, he warned, saying however it would be a significant breakthrough.US officials have refused to release any details about the framework, but hope to conclude it soon.The core issuesIt has also not yet decided whether it will be made public, but it is unlikely to be signed by both sides.Kerry stressed the framework was building on ideas put forward by both sides over five months of talks, and would set out the agreements and disagreements on the core issues.These include the contours of a future Palestinian state, refugees, the fate of Jerusalem, security, mutual recognition and the end of conflict and of all claims, said Kerry.The Palestinians want borders based on the 1967 lines of before the Six-Day War, when Israel captured the West Bank, including now annexed Arab east Jerusalem.But Israel wants to retain existing settlements it has built inside occupied Palestinian territory since then.Israel also wants to maintain a military presence in the Jordan Valley, where the West Bank borders Jordan.The Palestinians have insisted there be no Israeli troops in their future state, but are open to the idea of an international force to guarantee security.Warplanes launched a series of strikes on the Gaza Strip early Friday, after a rocket from the Palestinian enclave struck Israel.Gaza is ruled by the Islamist Hamas movement, which is committed to Israels destruction and rejects the peace process.There were no immediate reports of casualties from the strike, but Palestinian medics said a 16-year-old shot near the border fence Thursday had died from his wounds.Kerrys visit also came as Israeli former prime minister Ariel Sharons health was deteriorating, according to the hospital where he has been comatose for eight years.

Swiss couple found buried in Egypt resort

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CAIRO (AFP) - Egyptian police found a murdered Swiss couple buried in the garden of their house in the Red Sea resort town of Hurgada, an Egyptian security official said Friday.The security official said preliminary investigations revealed the two Swiss citizens, a man and his wife, were killed by the houses guard and two of his friends who wanted to rob the couple.He did not reveal the identity of the victims, but said the couple has been living in Hurgada for a while and went missing a week ago.An official at the Hurgada hospital told AFP the two corpses arrived at the morgue in a complete state of putrescence, without giving the identity of the two victims.The Swiss foreign ministry confirmed the double homicide and advised travellers to remain cautious in face of the political unrest gripping the country.The department is in contact with police authorities in Egypt, where a criminal investigation is under way, as well as in Switzerland, spokeswoman Carole Waelti said, adding that violent crime against foreigners has been very rare in Egypt.Located on Egypts eastern coast, the resort city of Hurgada is a prime tourist destination and has been spared the turmoil and violence that has gripped the country following the uprising that toppled long-time strongman Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

Cambodian garment workers killed in clashes with police

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PHNOM PENH (AFP) - Cambodian police opened fire on protesting garment workers Friday, killing at least three people, as the kingdoms strongman premier faced growing public anger on the streets of the capital.Human rights campaigners condemned the crackdown as the countrys worst state violence against civilians in more than a decade.The deaths came after striking workers armed with sticks, rocks and Molotov cocktails clashed with rifle-wielding police in the Veng Sreng factory district of Phnom Penh.One blood-soaked worker was seen lying on the ground while another was rushed away by motorcycle after the latest in a series of violent clashes between security forces and textile workers demanding higher wages.Three people died, according to police.If we allow them to continue the strike it will become anarchy, said military police spokesman Kheng Tito, adding that nine policemen were injured by stones and slingshots.The Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights reported a higher toll of at least four civilians shot dead and 21 injured, in what it described as the worst state violence against civilians to hit Cambodia in 15 years.Prime Minister Hun Sen faces a growing challenge to his nearly three-decade rule from protesting garment workers and opposition supporters demanding that he step down and call a new election because of alleged vote fraud.Opposition leader Sam Rainsy denounced the crackdown on the workers, who are demanding a minimum wage of $160 per month.Its an unacceptable attempt to break not only a worker strike but the whole worker movement as well as the democratic movement which is developing in Cambodia following the July elections, he told AFP.Disputes over wages and safety conditions are common in Cambodias multi-billion dollar garment industry which supplies brands like Gap, Nike and H&M.The sector employs about 650,000 people and is a key source of foreign income for the impoverished country.The Cambodian Center for Human Rights, an independent activist group, expressed concern about the frequent use of excessive force to quell protests in the kingdom.At least 25 demonstrations were violently repressed in 2013 by security forces using guns, tear gas, water cannon and batons, leaving two people dead, one person paralysed and causing three women to suffer miscarriages, it said.The latest clash came a day after a special military unit was deployed against garment workers, leaving several injured in a move described by rights activists as a disturbing new tactic by the authorities.Soldiers were seen brandishing metal pipes, knives, AK47 rifles, slingshots and batons, according to local rights groups.There have been daily rallies in Phnom Penh against Hun Sens government recently, with an estimated 20,000 or more opposition supporters taking to the streets on Sunday.The opposition party has boycotted parliament since a disputed July election. It plans a major three-day protest starting from Sunday.Parliament in late September approved a new five-year term for Hun Sen, in a move decried by the opposition as a constitutional coup.Hun Sen -- a 61-year-old former Khmer Rouge cadre who defected and oversaw Cambodias rise from the ashes of war -- has ruled for 28 years, and has vowed to continue until he is 74.Last month he ruled out holding a new election and rejected opposition calls for him to step down.Garment exports and tourism have brought buoyant economic growth but Cambodia remains one of Asias poorest countries.Hun Sens government is regularly accused of ignoring human rights and suppressing political dissent.

WW II bomb blast kills 1 injures 13

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COLOGNE (AFP) - The driver of an excavator was killed and 13 other people injured when a World War II-era bomb blew up during earthworks in Germany on Friday, police said.The blast wave from the sleeper bomb blew out nearby house and car windows, ripped off roof tiles and could be felt several kilometres (miles) away, said police and residents.The accident, in which two of the wounded suffered serious injuries, shook an industrial area in the town of Euskirchen near the former capital Bonn in western Germany.During earth works an excavator hit a World War II bomb which exploded, a local police spokesman told AFP, adding that the type of munition was still being investigated.There was a huge blast wave. In the vicinity of the accident site and surrounding streets, home windows shattered and garage doors were pushed in.The ground below many Germany cities still contains unexploded ordnance dropped by Allied and Soviet forces in the Second World War, but most is safely defused when found.

Mourinho wants Mata to stay at Chelsea

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COBHAM (AFP) - Jose Mourinho insists he does not want Juan Mata to leave Chelsea and expects the Spain international to remain at Stamford Bridge this month.Mourinho, the Chelsea manager, appeared to pave the way for Matas departure after the players frustrated reaction to being substituted during the New Years Day win at Southampton.Mata, the clubs player of the year for the last two seasons, has struggled to establish himself as a first-choice selection since the Portuguese returned to the club during the close season and has been linked with a move to Manchester United.And the managers claim that the clubs door was open if the player wanted to discuss a move away was taken as an indication that Matas days at the club are numbered.But Mourinho declared himself happy with the way Mata has reacted to the latest disappointment.Speaking on Friday ahead of Chelseas FA Cup third round trip to Derby County, the manager said: Hes not been in to see us and today he trained in a fantastic way.He focused more on what I said after the game, when I said I dont want him to leave. He focused on that rather than the door is always open.When he focuses on me not wanting him to leave, he moves on, he was happy with the victory and trained fantastically, no problems.Mourinho refuted suggestions there had been interest in the Spaniard from United, saying: There has been no interest from other clubs. I keep saying I want him to stay. There is no other offer, no offer.Mourinho also denied negotiations are underway that will see Belgian international Kevin De Bruyne leave Chelsea to join Bundesliga club Wolfsburg.But he admitted the player has struggled to adapt to life at Stamford Bridge while insisting he would not be allowed to leave on the cheap. We know that Kevin didnt adapt very well to the difficult life a Chelsea player has, he said.People like Oscar, Mata, Willian, (Eden) Hazard have a beautiful, difficult life. To play they have to pay a big price, work a lot, give a lot, accept this difference.Kevin has a different personality. He was a very important player for Genk, (Werder) Bremen.This is the first time he has come to a big club with big competition. Hes a fantastic player with potential but it is difficult to adapt to this situation.We know he fancies a move but hes a fantastic player, so is very expensive. When you buy fantastic players you have to pay a lot for them. If people think they can get good players on sale, the sales finished in London yesterdayI dont want him to leave. But we have a couple of contacts, not made by us but other clubs. I dont know if hell go. We dont want to sell.Turning his attentions to the FA Cup, Mourinho said he will field a strong team against Championship side Derby and disagreed with the view of Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert, who described the competition as an unwanted distraction this week.The Portuguese said: I dont agree with Paul Lambert. He has the right to express his opinion and think differently to me. I have the same right.Especially for teams without European competition, where FA Cup matches come in a normal weekend, I dont see a reason for clubs to not try to win it.Even for the smallest clubs, it is maybe difficult to reach the final but the FA Cup has a special feeling and meaning.I won lots of trophies but to win the FA Cup at Wembley and feel what that means was one of the high moments in my career. I have a good feeling for the competition and the good things this country has in terms of football. I think we have to keep them.

European markets close higher

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LONDON (AFP) - European stock markets moved higher on Friday in low-volume trade, aided by upbeat Spanish unemployment figures, but gains were capped after sharp losses elsewhere following more weak data from China.In afternoon deals, Londons benchmark FTSE 100 index of leading companies rose 0.21 percent to 6,736.13 points.In Paris, the CAC 40 climbed 0.47 percent to 4,247.23 points and Frankfurts DAX 30 index added 0.45 percent to 9,442.20 compared with the closing level on Thursday.Elsewhere, Italys FTSE Mib rose 1.16 percent to 19,149.98 points.Spains IBEX 35 index meanwhile gained 0.56 percent to 9,815.20 points, after the eurozone nation announced a sharp contraction in jobless queues in December.The news offered a glimmer of New Year hope for the 4.7 million people still registered as unemployed in the eurozones fourth-largest economy.European equities (are) on the weak side this morning following losses overnight in Asian and US markets, said trader Ishaq Siddiqi at ETX Capital.All three main markets sank Thursday as investors reacted to poor data and took profits on the first trading day of 2014.Markets were spooked on Friday by figures showing growth in the China mainland non-manufacturing sector slowed sharply in December from the month before. The sector covers services including, among others, retail, aviation, software and real-estate.The data came on the heels of Thursdays news that Chinas manufacturing sector had seen an easing of activity last month.Since we are still within the festive season week and most of the market participants are away, trading volumes should be light today, said Varengold Bank analyst Anita Paluch.It appears subdued data out of China was a good catalyst for those present to take some profits and markets came off recent highs.In foreign exchange activity, the European single currency eased to $1.3641 from $1.3665 late in New York on Thursday. The dollar dipped at 104.46 yen against 104.69 yen.US stocks Friday opened higher ahead of a series of appearances by top US Federal Reserve officials, including Chairman Ben Bernanke.Five minutes into trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 42.64 (0.26 percent) to 16,483.99.The broad-based S&P 500 advanced 3.45 (0.19 percent) to 1,835.43, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index added 4.31 (0.10 percent) at 4,147.38.Bernanke, in his final month as head of the US central bank, was scheduled to speak at a conference on economics in Philadelphia Friday afternoon, amid hopes he will provide some hints on the direction of monetary policy.Across in Asia on Friday, markets slid with Hong Kong and Shanghai hit hard by the disappointing Chinese services sector data.Hong Kong stocks tumbled 2.24 percent on Friday, registering their worst performance in six months, as the figures compounded concerns about the worlds number two economy.Tokyo was closed for a public holiday.Bangkok fell for a second day, shedding 0.55 percent in the afternoon -- after diving more than five percent on Thursday -- as anti-government protests grip the capital amid fears that elections due next month will not go ahead.And in India, Mumbais Sensex was 0.44 percent lower after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he would leave office after polls due this year even if his embattled Congress party wins a third term.In company news, Telecom Italia surged 7.27 percent to 0.7590 euros on a report that main shareholder Telefonica was interested in buying the Italian groups Brazilian unit.The share price for spirits company Remy Cointreau fell a sharp 2.20 percent to 59.13 euros following the surprise resignation of its chief executive after only three months on the job.

Facebook faces suit for data mining 'private' messages

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Facebook has been hit with a class-action lawsuit alleging the social networking behemoth gleans data from purportedly private messages, in violation of users rights.Two plaintiffs claim the site scans private correspondence between users for links to third-party websites, sharing that information with the likes of advertisers, marketers and other data aggregators.The suit accuses Facebook of violating the Electronic Communications Privacy Act and California privacy laws.Facebook has systematically violated consumers privacy by reading its users personal, private Facebook messages without their consent, said the complaint, filed December 30 in the US District Court for Northern California.Representing to users that the content of Facebook messages is private creates an especially profitable opportunity for Facebook, because users who believe they are communicating on a service free from surveillance are likely to reveal facts about themselves that they would not reveal had they known the content was being monitored, it said.Asked for comment, Facebook said in a statement: The allegations in this lawsuit have no merit and we will defend ourselves vigorously. The suit was brought forth by two Facebook users from different US states, Matthew Campbell of Arkansas and Michael Hurley of Oregon.It was filed on behalf of all US Facebook members who have used the site to send or receive a message that includes a link.Facebook scanned plaintiffs messages and searched the website identified in the URL for purposes including but not limited to data mining and user profiling, the suit said.According to the suit, Facebook earned $2.7 billion from targeted advertising sales in 2011.The suit also said that while Facebook hides the extent of its data mining from users, it is clear on the subject in its technical guidance for web developers.The case is similar to a lawsuit against Google, which is accused of violating user privacy by scanning the contents of Gmail messages.Facebook has faced a slew of complaints and court actions on privacy, and last year settled a class action suit over the use of user names and images in so-called sponsored stories.A study by the Pew Research Center released earlier this week revealed that Facebook is the preferred social network in America, used by 71 percent of online adults, or 57 percent of all American adults.

Elite force to boost Brazil World Cup security

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RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) - Brazil will put a 10,000-strong elite security force on standby at the World Cup to prevent a repeat of the disorder that marred last years Confederations Cup, the justice ministry said Friday.The government has warned it will not tolerate protests like those in June last year that saw more than a million people demonstrating in several cities against corruption and what critics say is the astronomical cost of staging the World Cup, which starts on June 12.Protesters have vowed to target the tournament this summer, when an estimated 600,000 foreign fans and about three million Brazilians will criss-cross the continent-sized nation of some 200 million people.Organisers are also mindful of football-related violence of the kind which shocked Brazil last month when four fans were hurt in running battles between supporters of Atletico Paranaense and Vasco da Gama at a top-flight match.A military police colonel will coordinate the 10,000 special force, which comprises military and civil police, firefighters and logistics experts.They will shore up security in the 12 venue cities and have clearly defined functions to back up the police, a justice ministry spokesman told AFP.The contingency force has been dubbed a shock troop by the Globo newspaper.A precise security plan is being drawn up and the blueprint should be finalized by the end of this month, the ministry said.The 10,000 members will have undergone more than two years of training by the time of the opening match of the World Cup in Sao Paulo, when the hosts -- five-times champions -- play Croatia.Footballs governing body FIFA has insisted that a very comprehensive security concept, much more sophisticated than that seen at Brazilian league games, will be in place for the World Cup.The troop is not an ordinary force. We are only drafted in times of crisis, only for specific missions, Globo quoted Colonel Alexandre Augusto Aragon as saying. We shall be able to act simultaneously in the 12 venues.

Football: FA Cup the perfect start, says new Cardiff chief

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CARDIFF (AFP) - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is raring to start as coach of Cardiff City and sees Saturdays third-round FA Cup clash at Newcastle as the perfect starting point.With Premier League survival top of the Welsh clubs agenda, Solsjkaer could be forgiven for looking to ease himself into life at his new club.But, in the wake of Aston Villa manager Paul Lamberts claim the FA Cup was a distraction he could do without, Solskjaer will not accept anything less than 100 percent in a competition he won twice as a player with Manchester United.Every game is important, he said. We know how close Cardiff were to lifting the cup a few years ago, so we go in there hoping to go through to the next round. The Premier League is very important but the FA Cup gives us a chance to build momentum.For me the game is great because it is the first game and I have had a six-week break since the Norwegian Cup final and I am eager to get going.He added: There is pressure in every football game. Every time you train and go out onto the pitch in the FA Cup, League Cup and Premier League there is a pressure on yourself and your pride says you go out and do your best.That is what you have to do. We are not going to go there and do 99 percent, we go out there 100 percent.I have had success in the FA Cup a couple of times and walking around waving to the fans after winning it are memories you remember.

Ford, Chrysler close 2013 with more gain in US

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CHICAGO (AFP) - Ford and Chrysler closed out 2013 by extending strong sales gains Friday as the booming US auto industry was expected to rack up its best performance in years.Ford -- which sold some 2.5 million vehicles in the United States last year -- posted its best sales since 2006 with an 11 percent jump compared with 2012. December sales rose a more modest two percent compared with the same period a year ago, to 218,058.December was a strong close to an even better year for Ford, sales chief John Felice said. We saw strong growth across the entire Ford lineup and made significant gains in the import-dominated coastal markets.Chrysler reported its 45th consecutive month of gains as December US sales rose six percent to 161,007 while 2013 sales were up nine percent at 1.8 million.Volkswagen bucked the upward trend by posting a seven percent drop in annual US sales to 407,704 vehicles in 2013 while December sales were down 23 percent at 34,015.But the German automaker celebrated the fact that -- for the first time in 40 years -- it managed to sell more than 400,000 vehicles in back-to-back years and nonetheless posted its second best US December performance since 1972.Volkswagen is now operating at a new plateau, Mark McNabb, chief operating officer of Volkswagen of America, said in a statement. We are well positioned for our next phase of growth to come over the next few years.Total industry sales in the United States are expected to rise eight percent in 2013 to 15.6 million vehicles while December sales are forecast to grow five percent, according to automotive site Edmunds.com and vehicle valuation service Kelley Blue Book.The last time annual US auto sales topped 15 million vehicles was in 2007. They reached 14.8 million in 2012 after crashing to a low of 10.6 million in 2009 after the financial crisis pushed the industry into a deep downturn.

Obesity ballooning in developing world: research

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LONDON (AFP) - The number of obese and overweight people in the developing world nearly quadrupled to almost a billion between 1980 and 2008, a think-tank report said Friday.There are now far more obese or overweight adults in the developing world than in richer countries, the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) said.The London-based institute said more than a third of all adults around the world -- 1.46 billion people -- were obese or overweight.Between 1980 and 2008, the numbers of people affected in the developing world rose from 250 million to 904 million. In the developed world, the figure rose from 321 million to 557 million.This represented a rise from 23 percent to 34 percent of the world population. The growing rates of overweight and obesity in developing countries are alarming, said ODI research fellow Steve Wiggins, who co-authored the Future Diets report.On current trends, globally, we will see a huge increase in the number of people suffering certain types of cancer, diabetes, strokes and heart attacks, putting an enormous burden on public healthcare systems.The report said overweight and obesity rates have almost doubled in China and Mexico since 1980, and risen by a third in South Africa.The study said the rise in obesity was down to diets changing in developing countries where incomes were rising, with people shifting away from cereals and tubers to eating more meat, fats and sugar.The over-consumption of food, coupled with increasingly sedentary lives, was also to blame.The report found that North Africa, the Middle East and South America saw overweight and obesity rates increase to a level similar to Europe, around 58 percent.At 70 percent, North America still has the highest percentage of overweight adults.The report said there seemed to be little will among the public and leaders to take action on influencing diet in the future.Governments have focused on public awareness campaigns, but evidence shows this is not enough, said Wiggins. The lack of action stands in stark contrast to the concerted public actions taken to limit smoking in developed countries.Politicians need to be less shy about trying to influence what food ends up on our plates. The challenge is to make healthy diets viable whilst reducing the appeal of foods which carry a less certain nutritional value.The report gave the example of South Korea as having made efforts to preserve healthy elements of the countrys traditional diet, via public campaigns and education, providing large-scale training for women in preparing healthy, traditional food.The report said it was only a matter of time before people would begin to accept and even demand stronger and more effective measures to influence diets.

Mathews keeps Sri Lanka afloat in 1st Test against Pakistan

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ABU DHABI (AFP) - Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews continued his resistance-packed knock to take his team to 355-five at tea on the fourth day of the first Test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi on Friday.Mathews was 87 not out as he approached his second Test hundred and in company of Dinesh Chandimal (89) added an invaluable 138-run partnership for the fifth wicket to leave Pakistani bowlers frustrated in the first session.At tea the other unbeaten batsman was Prasanna Jayawardene with 14 as Sri Lanka, who trailed by 179 runs in the first innings, now lead by 176 runs with five wickets intact.Sri lost only one wikcets in the two sessions for an addition of 169 runs.Mathews, who made 91 in the first innings, has so far hit nine boundaries and a six off 211-ball knock.But both Mathews and Chandimal were not bothered at all and even the second new ball, taken at 249-4, failed to benefit Pakistan with a wicket as Sri Lanka reached 285-4 at lunch, adding 99 to their overnight score of 186-4.Chandimal glanced off-spinner Saeed Ajmal for his seventh boundary to reach his fifth Test half-century off 79 balls.Mathews was more aggressive, hitting Ajmal for a six early in the day and then took a single off the same bowler to reach his 12th fifty -- and second in the match following his 91 in Sri Lankas first innings of 204.Pakistan had made 383 in their first innings to gain a 179-run lead.Ajmal, who took 18 wickets in Pakistans 1-0 win over Sri Lanka in United Arab Emirates in 2011, failed to pose any danger for the batsmen as he was wicketless till now.Pakistan had one chance to dismiss Chandimal in the second over after lunch when a edge off Bilawal Bhatti flew close to Ahmed Shehzads outstretched hands in the second slip when the batsman was 71.Finally, Junaid broke the stand at 324 when he had Chandmial caught at deep fine-leg off a miscued hook. Chandimal batted for 251 minutes and hit a dozen boundaries.Pakistan started the day on a wrong note when wicket-keeper Adnan Akmal was ruled out of the three-Test series with a fractured finger and Younis Khan had to keep wickets.Sarfraz Ahmed has been summoned as Akmals replacement for the next two Tests, second in Dubai (January 8-12) and Sharjah (January 16-20).
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