Zee Info News

Khan wins Bill Gates kudos for anti-polio efforts

2015-03-25T06:15:00.001-07:00

Khan wins Bill Gates kudos for anti-polio efforts

PESHAWAR: Prominent philanthropist and Microsoft cofounder, Bill Gates, has appreciated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s efforts for eradication of polio in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and tribal areas of Pakistan, Media reported Wednesday.

“I’m encouraged by your personal commitment to eliminate this disease in Pakistan. Your strong leadership comes at a critical time in our global efforts,” said Gates in a letter to PTI chief.

“Your direct engagement and your leadership are essential to ensuring a polio-free future for all of the children of KP, FATA and Pakistan and your work will have global reach and recognition,” writes Gates who is chief of his Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the main contributors for polio eradication initiative in Pakistan.Media

Mulder and Scully return as 'The X-Files' revived

2015-03-25T06:12:00.001-07:00

Mulder and Scully return as 'The X-Files' revived

LOS ANGELES: Cult television thriller "The X-Files" will return for a limited series with David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson reprising their FBI agent roles, Fox Broadcasting network said on Tuesday.

"The X-Files," which premiered on Fox in 1993, followed FBI special agents Fox Mulder (Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Anderson) as they investigated cases of the unexplained, UFOs and often paranormal phenomenon.

Scully was the logical, practical partner of Mulder, who believed that alien worlds could exist within the universe and constantly searched for the truth in government cover-ups and conspiracy theories.

The show created by Chris Carter became the longest-running sci-fi series in U.S. network TV history with nine seasons, concluding in 2002.

The new series will comprise six episodes, due to start production this summer. An air date has not yet been announced.

"I think of it as a 13-year commercial break," Carter said in a statement. "The good news is the world has only gotten that much stranger, a perfect time to tell these six stories."

"The X-Files" revival comes on the heels of Fox's recent programming hits with Batman prequel "Gotham" and hip hop drama "Empire." – Reuters

Oil to reach $100 a barrel by end of 2016: Pickens

2015-03-25T06:06:00.002-07:00

Oil to reach $100 a barrel by end of 2016: Pickens

SAN FRANCISCO: Oil prices could hit $100 a barrel by the end of next year, US oil magnate T. Boone Pickens said on Tuesday, revising his previous forecast which said they would reach that level as early as this year.

"I think you could very well be at $100 a barrel by the end of 2016," the 86-year-old billionaire and chair of BP Capital told an audience of about 100 at the Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco.

Oil prices have fallen sharply amid weaker Asian and European demand and a boom in North American production. U.S. crude futures have dropped more than 60 percent since highs last summer and were at around $47.40 a barrel on Tuesday.

Pickens said the idea of "peak oil" – the point in time at which oil production will go into an irreversible decline – shouldn't be dismissed on account of the increase in U.S. production. Other regions are seeing their output decline, he said.

A lifelong Republican, Pickens said he would support Jeb Bush if he decided to pursue the party's nomination in 2016, as is widely expected.

"The Republicans will win in 2016," said Pickens, who has donated heavily to Republican presidential candidates in the past, including Jeb's brother, former President George W. Bush. – Reuters

Who's saying what at the World Cup semi-finals

2015-03-25T05:59:00.003-07:00

Who's saying what at the World Cup semi-finals

SYDNEY: Who's saying what about the World Cup semi-finals on Wednesday:

"David will be fine. He knows the rules, as we all do, and his rules are no different than the rest of ours."

- Australia captain Michael Clarke backs temperamental opener David Warner to behave himself in Thursday's semi-final against India in Sydney.

"I heard Davey (Warner) say he was not going to get involved in all that stuff. Someone has got to do it and I think I might put my hand up. It’s part of the game."

- Australia fast bowler Mitch Johnson offers to step in on Warner's behalf for sledging duties.

"Look a bit of sledging is okay as long as boundaries are not crossed. The Indian team will not cross the line, but we will not back down either."

- India batsman Rohit Sharma

"I talked to Dale Steyn today in Auckland and must say that my respect for him is enormous. True cricketing gentleman."

- Former England spinner Graeme Swann on encountering the South African fast bowler, whose side were knocked out of the World Cup by New Zealand.

"He did say when I saw him at the end 'does this mean I get to come to Melbourne?' There's a bit of irony there, I suppose. He's shown how he important he is to us so I'm sure he is looking forward to Melbourne."

- New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum on semi-final star Grant Elliott, who was not selected for a 20-man group which visited the Melbourne Cricket Ground on a scouting mission in October as his chances of being picked in the World Cup squad were considered to be slim.

"Hopefully we've got one more game, one more big fairytale finish for him and then we'll have a few beers."

- McCullum on aiming to give veteran spinner Daniel Vettori a winning send-off on Sunday.

"The bigger the expectation, the more that's asked, the bigger they stand up. I honestly don't think this World Cup final is going to daunt these guys."

- Former New Zealand all-rounder Jacob Oram (AFP)

Two missing after India navy plane crashes into sea

2015-03-25T05:54:00.002-07:00

Two missing after India navy plane crashes into sea

MUMBAI: A naval aircraft crashed off the western Indian coast leaving two pilots missing, the navy said Wednesday, in the latest of a string of accidents which have hit the force.

Rescue operations were underway after the Indian navy's Dornier aircraft plunged into the sea some 25 nautical miles off the western holiday state of Goa around 10:00 pm local time (1630 GMT) Tuesday.

"Last evening a navy Dornier during a routine training sortie off Goa ditched into sea," a navy statement said early Wednesday.

"One survivor rescued. Full scale search and rescue operation launched to locate two more officers (one pilot and one observer)," it added.

It is the latest in a series of deadly disasters to hit the navy, and comes just months after a naval ship sank off the southeastern coast of India leaving one worker dead and four others missing.

A fire aboard a nuclear submarine killed two officers off the Mumbai coast last February which led to the immediate resignation of the navy chief.

Eighteen sailors were also killed in August 2013 when INS Sindhurakshak burst into flames in Mumbai harbour. - AFP

Imran pledges Switzerland-like LG system for Azad Kashmir

2015-03-25T05:42:00.000-07:00

Imran pledges Switzerland-like LG system for Azad Kashmir

MIRPUR: Imran Khan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman, Wednesday pledged that his government would introduce in Azad Kashmir a Switzerland-like Local Government system after coming to power.

“We will bring in a Local Government system which is being practiced in Switzerland and other Scandinavian countries. We are setting up the same system in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” Imran said while addressing a rally in Mirpur.

Criticizing the PML-N and PPP governments, he said that both the parties have badly politicized the police department, adding that his party would depoliticize Azad Kashmir police after winning the election which is scheduled to be held on March 29.

“We will depoliticize the police as we did in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” the PTI chief said.

Judicial Commissionis being constituted to probe alleged election rigging, he said, adding that it would resulted in “Go Nawaz Go”.

Imran announced that he would hold next public rally in Karachi.Media

Mammograms don't reduce cancer death rates, study finds

2014-02-12T20:56:00.004-08:00

Mammograms don't reduce cancer death rates, study finds

LONDON: The research, published Tuesday in the British Medical Journal, is the latest in a series of studies that question the value of annual breast X-rays for pre-menopausal women and whether too many women are being "overdiagnosed" by the popular test.

"We found absolutely no benefit in terms of reduction of deaths from the use of mammography," said study leader Dr. Anthony Miller, an epidemiologist at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health.

The controversial finding is unlikely to trigger an immediate change in national screening policies, although it will enliven an already heated debate over screening. Experts have been arguing the merits of breast X-rays since 2009, when a government panel recommended that most women under 50 could safely skip the test. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force determined that the chances a 40-year-old woman would be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in the next 10 years was 1.44% and that her odds of dying from it were just 0.19%.

However, the breast cancers that strike women in their 40s are often more aggressive, and they account for about 17% of deaths from the disease, according to the American Cancer Society.

The ACS and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend annual mammograms for women beginning at age 40, and the National Cancer Institute advises women in their 40s to have the test once every year or two. The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care advises women to have mammograms every two to three years between the ages of 50 and 74.

The British Medical Journal report, based on data from the Canadian National Breast Screening Study, argues that mammography all too often finds small cancers that would never become dangerous if left alone. Roughly half of all cancers found by mammography — yet undetected through physical examination — fell into this category, the study authors wrote.

The researchers examined the medical records of 89,835 women in six Canadian provinces between the ages of 40 and 59. All of the trial participants received annual physical breast examinations, while half of them also had yearly mammogram screenings for five years, beginning in 1980.

Over the next 25 years, 3,250 of the 44,925 women in the mammography arm of the study were diagnosed with breast cancer, along with 3,133 of the 44,910 women in the control group. In addition, 500 patients in the mammography group died of breast cancer, as did 505 women in the control group.

The researchers found that women who got mammograms were more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer, but that the test did not reduce their risk of dying from the disease.

The research team calculated that 22% of the cancers found on mammograms were overdiagnosed. That means that for every 424 women who were screened, one received unnecessary cancer treatment.

The study did not address the use of mammography as a diagnostic tool, which most experts agree is valuable.

In light of their findings, Miller and his colleagues concluded, "The rationale for screening by mammography should be urgently reassessed by policymakers."

The American College of Radiology, one of the leading critics of the task force recommendations, was quick to denounce the study's conclusions. The group said in a statement that the Canadian National Breast Screening Study was "deeply flawed" and "incredibly misleading." Among other problems, the study relied on "second-hand" mammography equipment that was operated by poorly trained technicians, the group said.

"It would be an outrage for women if access to screening was curtailed because of the poor results in the Canadian National Breast Screening Study," said Dr. Daniel Kopans, a senior breast imager at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. "It has been known for years that the trial was compromised from the start."

The study authors said they stood by their conclusions and challenged the critics to produce data showing that mammograms reduced deaths. Other recent studies have found that advances in breast cancer treatment have eroded some of the benefits of early detection.

"Modern treatment is so much more effective now that the lead time gained by mammography has little impact on the outcome," Miller said.

Dr. H. Gilbert Welch, an epidemiologist and biostatistics professor at Dartmouth College's Geisel School of Medicine, said the study offered the highest-quality evidence yet on the prevalence of overdiagnosis.

"I think there's growing realization that all is not well with mammography," said Welch, who co-wrote the book "Overdiagnosed: Making People Sick in the Pursuit of Health." "People in the cancer community and the cancer surgery community are aware of the problem of overdiagnosis. They're aware that mammography was oversold, that its benefits were exaggerated and its harms were kind of downplayed."

In an editorial that accompanied the study, three breast cancer experts from the University of Oslo who have studied the effects of screening in Europe said Miller and his colleagues made a convincing case that current policies should be reconsidered.

"This is not an easy task, because governments, research funders, scientists and medical practitioners may have vested interests in continuing activities that are well established," they wrote.

Similar studies on mammography screening have been conducted in Europe, and critics have said that they don't apply to American women. The Canadian researchers said that their results are highly pertinent to the United States, and that their study is probably the largest we will ever see.

"Many people believe you do not adopt policy on the result of one trial, and yet there's not likely to be another trial like this," Miller said. "It takes too long."

Shabana Azmi says Javed Akhtar never wrote poetry for her

2014-02-12T20:54:00.001-08:00

Shabana Azmi says Javed Akhtar never wrote poetry for her

KARACHI: The Indian film, TV and theatre actress, Shabana Azmi has smilingly protested that her husband Javed Akhtar never wrote any song or poetry for her.

Today, Shabban Azmi graced Media studio with her presence and talked to the anchor Najia Ashar.

When asked whether Javed Akhtar wrote the song ‘Aik Larki Ko Dekha Tau Aisa Laga’ keeping her in mind, Shabana Azmi said it was written for Manisha Koirala – the Bolllywood actress who co-starred with Anil Kapoor in ‘1942 A Love Story’. “He never wrote any couplet for me.”

She said her husband justified it by saying: “If someone works in a circus, would you expect him to remain suspended upside down in his home too.”

Shabana Azmi, to a question if she feels there was anything her life lacked, said she cannot cook and even today she considered it as a deficiency.

Shabana Azmi is in Karachi to participate in the 1st Sindh International Film Festival being held in collaboration with the UK-based Raindance Film Festival and Independent Film Trust. The two-day event is being held as part of the two-week Sindh Culture Festival.

Pakistan to get $900mn from ADB for Jamshoro coal power project

2014-02-12T20:47:00.004-08:00

Pakistan to get $900mn from ADB for Jamshoro coal power project

ISLAMABAD: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide $900 million to Pakistan for completion of Jamshoro coal power project.

Pakistan and ADB signed an agreement in this regard on Wednesday. Secretary Economic Affairs Division Nargis Sethi and ADB Country Director signed the pact. The project will be completed in 4 years.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar was also present on the occasion.

Dar said the government is taking concrete measures to generate cheap electricity to overcome power crisis in the minimum possible time.

Under the agreement‚ the ADB will assist Pakistan to complete two units of 660 megawatt each at Jamshoro power plant which will generate electricity through imported coal.

IHC judge refuses to hear plea against appointment of PCB chief

2014-02-12T20:44:00.000-08:00

IHC judge refuses to hear plea against appointment of PCB chief

ISLAMABAD: Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of Islamabad High Court (IHC) has refused to hear plea against appointment of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) interim chairman Najam Sethi, Media reported.

Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, while refusing to hear the plea, said as the same court had given verdict for the dismissal of Zaka Ashraf, therefore, it would refer the case to Chief Justice IHC Justice Anwar Kasi.

A man, namely Abdullah Tahir, had filed plea against appointment of Najam Sethi as PCB chairman.

In his petition, the applicant had pleaded that Sethi should be stopped from performing his duties as cricket board chief and that the PCB chairman be appointed through election.

'Dangerous' Afghans to be released in 24 hours: US

2014-02-12T20:38:00.002-08:00

'Dangerous' Afghans to be released in 24 hours: US

KABUL: The Afghan government plans within 24 hours to start releasing from a former American detention facility a group of 65 inmates that the U.S considers highly dangerous, the NATO-led coalition said late Wednesday.

U.S. forces in Afghanistan have repeatedly registered strong concerns about releasing the detainees, who it says have the blood of international and Afghan soldiers on their hands - plus strong evidence against them, from DNA linking them to roadside bombs to explosive residue on their clothing.

When President Hamid Karzai ordered their release several weeks ago from the Parwan Detention Facility, it prompted angry denunciations from the U.S. and strained relations between the two countries ahead of the year-end withdrawal of most international combat troops.

The international coalition on Wednesday issued the latest in a string of statements condemning the release, which it said would begin early Thursday morning and include detainees directly linked to attacks that have killed or wounded 32 U.S. or coalition personnel and 23 Afghan security personnel or civilians.

The U.S. has stressed it wants the detainees to face trial in Afghanistan, but Kabul has cited insufficient proof to hold them - despite U.S. claims it has strong evidence against the prisoners.

Karzai, too, has referred to the Parwan Detention Facility as a "Taliban-producing factory" where innocent Afghans are tortured into hating their country.

Among those expected to walk free Thursday morning are Mohammad Wali, who the U.S. military says is a suspected Taliban explosives expert who allegedly placed roadside bombs targeting Afghan and international forces. The military said Wali had been biometrically linked to two roadside explosions and had a latent fingerprint match on another improvised explosive device - plus tested positive for explosives residue.

Others in the group include Nek Mohammad - who the U.S. says was captured with extensive weapons, and a man identified as Ehsanullah, who is claimed to have been biometrically matched to a roadside bomb and tested positive for explosive residue.

The U.S. military had formally disputed the prisoners' release, but an Afghan review board had effectively overruled those challenges.

The detainees' release has been in the works for weeks, and comes as Karzai's government has taken an increasingly hostile tone towards the U.S. ahead of the withdrawal of NATO combat troops at the end of 2014.

Elsewhere in Afghanistan on Wednesday, two international troops and two Afghan service members were killed in an apparent insider attack, according to officials.

The NATO-led force confirmed the deaths of its service members, saying they were killed by two men in Afghan uniforms. The coalition gave no further information, saying there would be an investigation.

A senior Afghan military official meanwhile said two Afghan army personnel were killed in the incident, which came after a heated dispute on a base in the east of the country. The official but had no further information, saying a joint NATO-Afghan team had been dispatched to investigate. He added that several other personnel were wounded in the incident in an Afghan base in the Pagab district of Kapisa province, east of Kabul.

He could not be identified because he was not authorized to release the information.

Insider attacks in the past have been claimed by Taliban insurgents as proof they can infiltrate Afghanistan's Western-trained security forces. Other cases have involved personal quarrels between Afghan forces and their trainers.

The Taliban earlier Wednesday issued a statement claiming that a "battle" between Afghan forces and foreign trainers had resulted in several deaths and injuries, but the insurgents did not claim its infiltrators were responsible.

Man sets his brother house on fire over land dispute; 3 kids dead

2014-02-12T20:32:00.003-08:00

Man sets his brother house on fire over land dispute; 3 kids dead

DERA GHAZI KHAN: A man set his brother’s house on fire in Dera Ghazi Khan over a land dispute, killing three kids and injuring six others including a woman, in the wee hours of Thursday.

According to police, the accused, Suleman, managed to flee after setting his brother Muhammad Qasim’s house on fire.

A one-year old Hassan, five-year old Zehra and fifteen-year old Samreen burnt to death while Qasim, his wife Musarrat Mai, and two sons and two daughters sustained injuries.

Qasim’s mother said that her son Suleman had threatened to kill all of them if they wouldn’t give him a big share of land.

The bodies and injured people are shifted to hospital.

Pakistan participates in Fruit Logistica 2014 Trade Fair in Berlin

2014-02-08T23:59:00.001-08:00

Pakistan participates in Fruit Logistica 2014 Trade Fair in Berlin

KARACHI: As many as 13 Pakistani companies participated in the world’s leading international fresh produce trade fair Fruit Logistica 2014 in Berlin that ended on Saturday.

Pakistani exhibitors were optimistic of substantial increase in export of fresh produce from Pakistan as they made good contacts with the international buyers of fruit and vegetable products Buyers from Russia showed keen interest in Pakistani potatoes where as Pakistani mangoes have also made inroads into EU market with increase in shelf life through better processing technology and other corrective measures.

Earlier Pakistan Ambassador to Germany Abdul Basit visited Pakistan Pavilion along with Commercial Counselor Dr Erfa Iqbal and met with Pakistani exhibitors.

He also held a meeting with the delegation of mango growers and exporters of Pakistan who put up their stalls under the umbrella of UNIDO and the USAID.

Both the organizations are running projects of increasing income through improvement of quality and better yield and generating additional employments in the major mango growing areas of South Punjab and Northern Sind.

The Ambassador said that the world s leading trade fair provides great opportunity for promotion development and marketing of fresh fruit and vegetable products.

New Zealand beats India by 40 runs in 1st test

2014-02-08T23:47:00.002-08:00

New Zealand beats India by 40 runs in 1st test

AUCKLAND: New Zealand beat India by 40 runs Sunday in the first cricket Test at Eden Park to lead the two-Test series 1-0.

New Zealand 1st Innings 503 (Brendon McCullum 224, Kane Williamson 113, Corey Anderson 77; Ishant Sharma 6-134).

India 1st Innings 202 (Rohit Sharma 76; Neil Wagner 4-64, Trent Boult 3-38, Tim Southee 3-38).

New Zealand 2nd Innings 105 (Ross Taylor 41; Ishant Sharma 3-28, Mohammed Shami 3-37, Zaheer Khan 2-23).

India 2nd Innings 366 (Shikhar Dhawan 115, Virat Kohli 67, MS Dhoni 39; Neil Wagner 4-62, Tim Southee 3-81.

Germany: Boy, 13, arrested for arson that killed Pakistani mom, kids

2014-02-08T23:44:00.003-08:00

Germany: Boy, 13, arrested for arson that killed Pakistani mom, kids

BERLIN: German police say a 13-year-old boy has been arrested for setting fire to an asylum home in Hamburg that killed a woman from Pakistan and her two children.

Police spokesman Andreas Schoepflin said Saturday the boy, who is a member of the city’s youth fire department, was identified based on witness accounts and video footage by a surveillance camera.

He admitted to the crime when confronted by police Friday night and was taken to a hospital for psychiatric evaluation. Schoepflin said the boy didn’t have any anti-foreigner motives.

Besides the three deaths, 27 residents were injured in the fire at the asylum home on Wednesday.

MQM worker arrested just before his wedding

2014-02-08T23:40:00.001-08:00

MQM worker arrested just before his wedding

KARACHI: Nuptial celebrations turned into dismal agitations on Saturday night when law enforcement agents led a bridegroom away in handcuffs for his alleged involvement in violent criminal activities just before his wedding, Media reported

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) worker, Fahad Aziz, a resident of Korangi, was reportedly arrested while he was leading his Baraat (wedding motorcade) towards a Shah Faisal Colony marriage lawn, where he was to wed his bride.

Sources said that Aziz’s wedding motorcade was intercepted on Shah Faisal Colony Bridge by law enforcers, who forced the festooned bridegroom out his car and took him away to an unknown location.

On the other hand the family members say Aziz is innocent.

The family members also alleged that the masked law enforcement agents had demanded Rs2 million to set Fahad before detaining Fahad, but eventually took him away.

The family members along with all the wedding guests staged a protest outside Karachi Press Club against this alleged injustice.

“This is tragic. It is not the way. It was his marriage. He got locked up before the wedlock”, said another relative.

An MQM statement, which came on the heels of Aziz’s arrest, vehemently condemned it.

“This is a blatant case of political victimization. Aziz was persecuted for his association with MQM”, the statement said.

The statement added that Aziz was also a nominated MQM candidate for the upcoming local bodies' elections.

Vitamin E protects against memory disorders

2014-02-07T22:24:00.004-08:00

Vitamin E protects against memory disorders

ISLAMABAD: A joint research by Finnish and Swedish scientists has shown that the entire vitamin E family plays a role in prevention of age related memory disorders.

The latest research by the University of Eastern Finland Karolinska Institute of Sweden and some other medical research institutes showed that various forms of vitamin E plays a role in memory processes according to a report by the Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat Xinhua News reported.

The new finding came as previous studies investigating the link between vitamin E and memory disorders usually focused only on a single form of vitamin E namely alpha tocopherol.

According to Dr. Miia Kivipelto director of the research from University of Eastern Finland vitamin E exists in eight different natural forms (fat soluble compounds) and the entire vitamin E family plays a role in protecting against memory disorders not only alpha tocopherol.

Kivipelto said vitamin E supplements available on the market usually contain only alpha tocopherol and the best sources of vitamin E are vegetable oils nuts green vegetables and whole grain cereals.

A balanced diet is the best way to obtain all the eight vitamin E from food, said Kivipelto adding that more varied diet and a healthier lifestyle could efficiently prevent memory disorders among the elderly. (APP)

Hoffman's NYC funeral attracts Hollywood stars

2014-02-07T22:22:00.001-08:00

Hoffman's NYC funeral attracts Hollywood stars

NEW YORK: Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Ethan Hawke, Brian Dennehey, Amy Adams and Ellen Burstyn were among the stars who paid their respects Friday at a private funeral for Philip Seymour Hoffman that combined sadness and humor to honor an actor widely considered among the best of his generation.

The coffin holding Hoffman's body was brought out of the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola by pallbearers and put in a hearse as family and guests began to stream out Friday afternoon. Streep hugged Diane Sawyer as they left.

"He left an enormous amount of love behind. It's a terrible loss," said Jose Rivera, a playwright whose work has been produced by Hoffman's LAByrinth Theatre Company.

He said the service was loving and simple, with people sharing their memories of Hoffman and laughing. "It was quite beautiful and heartfelt and sincere, and everybody had a lot to remember, in terms of Phil," Rivera said.

The list of mourners also included Michelle Williams, Julianne Moore, Joaquin Phoenix, Louis C.K., Mary Louise Parker, John Slattery, Laura Linney, Jerry Stiller, Chris Rock, Marisa Tomei, Spike Lee and Sawyer's husband, the director Mike Nichols. Playwright David Bar Katz, who found Hoffman's body, was visibly upset as he arrived.

"Phil was a lovely guy, a great artist," said Lee, who directed Hoffman in "The 25th Hour." ''I was only able to work with him one time, but I love him and, a big loss, a big loss."

Hoffman, 46, was found dead Sunday of an apparent heroin overdose in his apartment. He leaves behind his partner of 15 years, Mimi O'Donnell, and their three children. O'Donnell was seen cradling their youngest child as she entered the church.

Police did not allow anyone to linger on the block outside the church, and the media was penned in an area far from the mourners.

A larger memorial service is being planned for later this month. On Thursday evening, family and close friends gathered for a private wake at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home in Manhattan.

The rumpled, heavy-set Hoffman was known to dive into roles and was nominated for Academy Awards four times: for "The Master," ''Doubt," ''Charlie Wilson's War" and "Capote," which he won. He also received three Tony nominations for his work on Broadway, which included an acclaimed turn in 2012 as the weary and defeated Willy Loman in "Death of a Salesman."

The theater community mourned the actor Wednesday with a candlelit vigil outside his beloved LAByrinth company downtown and with Broadway's marquee lights turned off for a minute.

More tests are needed to determine what exactly killed Hoffman, who was found with a syringe in his arm and what authorities said were dozens of packets of heroin in his apartment. Autopsy results were inconclusive, authorities said this week.

Hoffman spoke candidly over the years about past struggles with drug addiction. After 23 years sober, the versatile actor reportedly checked himself into rehab for 10 days last year after relapsing in 2012.

Amid an investigation into Hoffman's death, three people have been arraigned on drug charges, including one who is facing a felony charge of heroin possession with intent to sell. Lawyers for the three people charged vigorously denied their clients had any role in Hoffman's death.

Many of those who attended the funeral had professional ties to Hoffman. He and Blanchett co-starred in "The Talented Mr. Ripley." Burstyn and Hoffman were in "Red Dragon," and Hawke co-starred with Hoffman in "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead." Slattery directed Hoffman in his new film "God's Pocket," and Nichols directed Hoffman on Broadway in "Death of a Salesman." Phoenix shared the screen with Hoffman in "The Master." (AP)

CNG stations across Sindh closed for 24 hours

2014-02-07T22:17:00.000-08:00

CNG stations across Sindh closed for 24 hours

KARACHI: CNG stations across Sindh including Karachi have been shut Friday morning at 8:00 AM for 24 hours, Media reported.

According to Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), the CNG supply would remain suspended from 8:00 AM Friday to 8:00 AM Saturday.

Long queues of all sorts of vehicles were seen waiting before the 24-hour suspension of gas supply to the CNG filling stations in the province.

International Cricket Council may favour Big Three' today

2014-02-07T22:09:00.003-08:00

International Cricket Council may favour Big Three' today

SINGAPORE: The International Cricket Council (ICC) will meet in Singapore today (Saturday) to discuss and possibly vote on a plan to give the sport's most financially powerful nations -- India, England and Australia -- a greater say in running the world game

South Africa, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have strongly opposed the idea.

A day earlier, Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board, Zaka Ashraf, said he would fight Pakistan’s case in utmost good faith at ICC meeting.

"No matter how strong India maybe, we will have our say in the strongest of words:, said he talking to media before leaving for Singapore to attend the ICC meeting.

Ashraf had also said that would take Sri Lankan and South African cricket boards in confidence by holding one-on-one meetings with their chiefs, that too before the ICC meeting.

He was of the view that it would help them take a firm unified stand against this injustice.

“I will try to convince them that as we all are in the same boat then we must stand united and fight for what is fair for all the members”, said he.

Commenting on the controversy, former ICC president Ehsan Mani said it would be “sheer madness” for the governing body to effectively hand over control of the sport to India, Australia and England.

It was announced after a board meeting in Dubai last month that a new five-member ICC executive committee would be established to include representatives from the ECB, Cricket Australia and the Board of Control for Cricket in India. However, the plan has received widespread criticism.

The current executive committee includes representatives from all 10 test-playing countries, and some suggest the new proposals will allow the ‘Big Three’ to take over at the expense of other cricketing nations.

“If these proposals are accepted then the Big Three will decide how the ICC runs and what it does,” Mani told a foreign news agency.

“The board of the ICC cricket council will effectively have no powers apart from approving whatever India, Australia and England do,” Mani said.

“If these proposals are accepted they are going to be doing severe damage to world cricket. It would seriously affect the credibility of the ICC as the governing body.”

Mani believes three of the 10 test-playing nations will reject the new proposals.

“As far as I know, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Pakistan will not vote for it and without those three this cannot go through,” said the 68-year-old businessman who presided over the ICC between 2003 and 2006.

“Do you really want to run World Cups and such like without these countries and without South Africa who are the number one-ranked test team in the world? That would be sheer madness,” Mani exclaimed.

India have long been regarded as the traditional powerhouse among the test-playing nations and the Pakistani says England and Australia might think again about the new proposals if they are rejected.

“What will be interesting is what the Big Three will do if the plan is blocked,” said Mani.

Bangladesh and West Indies have only supported the Big Three because they’ve been given the incentive that they will get more tours from these countries, hence more money from television rights.

“I question the morality of that but if this move is blocked, then it will be a serious time for England and Australia to think about how much damage they might be doing to the game just to fall into line with something that India wants,” he further said.

Attempt to hijack Turkish plane to Sochi foiled

2014-02-07T22:07:00.000-08:00

Attempt to hijack Turkish plane to Sochi foiled

ANKARA: A Ukrainian man tried to hijack a Turkey-bound flight to Sochi, Russia, as the Winter Olympics were kicking off Friday, but the pilot tricked him and landed in Istanbul instead, where he was stealthily detained after a four-hour stand-off on a plane full of passengers, an official said.

The hijacking drama came as the Winter Olympics opened in the Russian resort city, with thousands of athletes from around the world pouring into the tightly secured stadium amid warnings the games could be a terrorism target.

A Turkish F-16 fighter was scrambled as soon as the pilot on the Pegasus Airlines flight from Kharkiv, Ukraine, with 110 passengers aboard signaled there was a hijacking attempt, according to NTV television. It escorted the plane safely to its original destination at Sabiha Gokcen airport in Istanbul.

Officials credited the pilot and crew for convincing the 45-year-old-man, who claimed he had a bomb, that they were following his wishes.

"Through a very successful implementation by our pilot and crew, the plane was landed in Istanbul instead of Sochi," Istanbul governor Huseyin Avni Mutlu told reporters at the airport. "He thought it was going to Sochi but after a while he realized that (the plane) was in Istanbul."

He said the suspected hijacker was arrested after a stand-off during which a negotiator convinced him to first allow women and children to be evacuated and later agreed to let all other passengers off the plane as well.

"Our security units sneaked through various entrances during the evacuation of the passengers and with a quick and effective intervention the hijacker was subdued," Mutlu said. No bomb was found, he said.

The man's motive was unclear, but Mutlu said he had "requests concerning his own country" and wanted to relay a "message concerning sporting activities in Sochi." Mutlu said there was no immediate indication that the man was a member of any terror organization and Mutlu did not give his name.

"We were receiving through various channels information that there could be initiatives to sabotage the spirit of peace arising in Sochi, but we are saddened that such an event took place in our city," Mutlu said.

The governor said the man was being held at Istanbul police headquarters. The man was slightly injured during the struggle when he was detained, but no weapons were used, he said. The private Dogan news agency said later that the man was taken to a hospital for his injuries.

The Interfax news agency cited the Ukrainian Security Service, the country's main security agency, as saying the passenger was in a state of severe alcohol intoxication. Mutlu said the man was not drunk, but said he may have taken substances to help him remain alert. He did not elaborate.

Habib Soluk, the Turkish Transport Ministry undersecretary, told NTV earlier that the man rose from his seat, shouted that there was bomb on board and tried to enter the locked cockpit. The pilot signaled that there was a hijack attempt and the airport was placed on high alert.

Air traffic at Sabiha Gokcen was halted throughout the incident but had returned to normal after the man's arrest.

The plane landed at about 6 p.m. Turkish time, just as the opening ceremony for the Olympics was about to begin. The executive creative director of the Olympics opening ceremony told reporters afterward he heard of the threat but didn't alter the show's plans in any way.

"We had so much adrenaline in our veins that we could not grasp much," Konstantin Ernst said through an interpreter.

With about 100,000 police, security agents and army troops flooding Sochi, Russia has pledged to ensure "the safest Olympics in history." But terror fears fueled by recent suicide bombings have left athletes, spectators and officials worldwide jittery about potential threats.

"It would be wrong to make any comment before all the facts are known but any security questions are of course a matter for the authorities," International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams said.

Security experts warn that Islamic militants in the Caucasus, who have threatened to derail the Winter Games that run from Feb. 7-23, could achieve their goal by choosing soft targets away from the Olympic sites or even outside Sochi.

Olympic organizers introduced blanket screening of all visitors, requiring them to share passport details to get a Winter Games spectator pass. Officials also cut access to vehicles lacking Sochi registration or a special pass, and guards were searching all train commuters. (AP)

15 injured in Kashmore bus attack shootout

2014-02-07T22:00:00.000-08:00

15 injured in Kashmore bus attack shootout

KASHMORE: Two passenger buses reportedly turned turtle after gunshots fired by unknown gunmen burst their tires here on Friday night, Media reported.

According to details, a number of armed bandits opened fire on the buses to incapacitate them so that they could loot the passengers but things turned for the worse.

"The drivers of both the buses stepped on it to avoid the highwaymen but lost control after the gunshots blew holes in the tires. The coaches flipped over on their sides injuring scores”, sources quoted eyewitnesses as saying.

Reportedly, the police escorting the buses fired back giving rise to a shootout, which lasted for sometime.

Sources added that the gunfight left at least 15 people injured including two cops.

Further details are awaited.

First guidelines issued to prevent stroke in women

2014-02-06T22:40:00.004-08:00

First guidelines issued to prevent stroke in women

NEW YORK: Just as heart attack symptoms may differ between men and women, so do stroke risks.

Now, the American Heart Association has issued its first guidelines for preventing strokes in women. They focus on birth control, pregnancy, depression and other risk factors that women face uniquely or more frequently than men do.

The advice applies to patients like Denise Miller, who suffered a stroke last year that fooled doctors at two northeast Ohio hospitals before it was finally diagnosed at the Cleveland Clinic. She was 36 and had no traditional risk factors.

"There was nothing to indicate I was going to have a stroke," other than frequent migraines with aura — dizziness or altered senses such as tingling, ringing ears or sensitivity to light, Miller said.

These headaches are more common in women and the new guidelines issued Thursday flag them as a concern. Miller recovered but has some lingering numbness and vision problems.

Each year, nearly 800,000 Americans have a new or recurrent stroke, which occurs when a blood vessel to the brain is blocked by a clot or bursts. Stroke is the third-leading cause of death for women and the fifth-leading cause for men. The key to surviving one and limiting disability is getting help fast, and recognizing symptoms such as trouble speaking, weakness or numbness in one arm, or drooping on one side of the face.

Stroke risk rises with age, and women tend to live longer than men. Women are more likely to be living alone when they have a stroke, to have poorer recovery, and to need institutional care after one.

Certain stroke risks are more common in women — migraine with aura, obesity, an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation, and metabolic syndrome — a combo of problems including blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar.

General guidelines for stroke prevention currently focus on controlling blood pressure and diabetes, quitting smoking, more exercise and healthy diets.

The new ones add gender-specific advice, said Dr. Cheryl Bushnell, stroke chief at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. She led the panel that wrote the guidelines, published in Stroke, a Heart Association journal.

Some highlights:

BIRTH CONTROL PILLS: Women should be checked for high blood pressure before starting on oral contraceptives because the combination raises stroke risks. The risk is small but rises steeply in women ages 45 to 49. More than 10 million American women use birth control pills.

PREGNANCY: Strokes are uncommon during pregnancy but the risk is still higher, especially during the last three months and soon after delivery. The big worry is preeclampsia, dangerously high blood pressure that can cause a seizure and other problems.

"It doubles the risk of stroke later in life and it quadruples the risk of high blood pressure" after pregnancy, Bushnell said.

Women with a history of high blood pressure before pregnancy should be considered for low-dose aspirin (around 81 milligrams) after the first three months of pregnancy, and calcium supplements anytime, to lower the risk of preeclampsia, the guidelines say.

Pregnant women with very high blood pressure (160 over 110 and above) should be treated with medications, and treatment may be considered for those with moderately high blood pressure (150 to 159 over 100 to 109). Certain blood pressure medicines are not safe during pregnancy, the guidelines note.

ASPIRIN: It's usually recommended for anyone who has already had a stroke unless the stroke was caused by bleeding rather than a clot, or if bleeding risk is a concern, Bushnell said. Aspirin also is often recommended for people with diabetes to lower the risk of stroke and other problems.

A low-dose aspirin every other day "can be useful" to lower stroke risk in women 65 and older unless its benefit is outweighed by the potential for bleeding or other risks, the guidelines say.

MIGRAINES: Women are four times more likely to have migraines than men, and they often coincide with hormone swings. Migraines alone don't raise the risk of stroke, but ones with aura do. Using oral contraceptives and smoking raise this risk even more, so the guidelines urge stopping smoking.

IRREGULAR HEARTBEAT: Women over age 75 should be checked for atrial fibrillation. Doctors do this by taking a pulse or listening to the heartbeat.

MENOPAUSE: Hormone therapy should not be used to try to prevent strokes.

The new guidelines put women's issues "on the table" so more doctors talk about them, said Dr. Shazam Hussain, stroke chief at the Cleveland Clinic. "Gender does make a difference. The medical community has neglected it for some time." (AP)

Sonic undergoes makeover for new game, TV series

2014-02-06T22:37:00.003-08:00

Sonic undergoes makeover for new game, TV series

LOS ANGELES: The conference room inside Big Red Button Entertainment's offices would look unremarkable if it weren't for the vibrant panoramas of a cartoony, tree-filled world plastered next to portraits of colorful creatures and robots on the walls. At first glance, one of the critters looks like Sonic the Hedgehog — if he donned a brown scarf and sport tape around his appendages.

But it's not a blur. Or a shadow. That's indeed the intrepid new look of the iconic video game character, who originally raced into gamers' hearts in 1991 as the star of the fast-paced side-scroller "Sonic the Hedgehog" before becoming the face of game maker Sega. The latest makeover of Sonic isn't simply about accessorizing the 22-year-old character with new gear.

It's part of a "Sonic" revolution.

Sonic and his three pals — tinkering fox Tails, brutish echidna Knuckles and hammer-wielding hedgehog Amy — are starring together in a new Nintendo 3DS and Wii U game, as well as a Cartoon Network series set for release later this year, called "Sonic Boom." The games and TV series will share the new style, voice actors, locales, storylines and more. The collaborative take on "Sonic" will extend to merchandising, too.

"We're looking at this more than just a video game," said Marcella Churchill, senior marketing director of Sega of America. "Yes, Sega is primarily a video game company, but Sonic is a very viable character for us. We're always looking for new ways to expand the franchise, and we knew we wanted to grow the appeal of Sonic and reach many different touch points."

Churchill expects innovations on both the game and TV show formats to draw new fans, not only gamers nostalgic for the ring-hording hedgehog. For example, the TV series will forgo old-school cartoon cheesiness to instead blend action and comedy together, while the game will feature more open-world exploration than in Sonic's previous interactive escapades.

With split-screen, four-player functionality, the game — the third in Sega's deal to exclusively release "Sonic" titles on Nintendo platforms — serves as a prequel to the cartoon, the first "Sonic" series to be computer animated. Both the game and the TV series, which is being created by OuiDO Productions, will deeper emphasize the characters' personalities and teamwork.

The focus on Sonic's crew inspired the developers, animators and everyone else working on "Sonic Boom" to make each hero distinct, in both form and function. In the case of Knuckles, that meant putting the once Sonic-sized sidekick through puberty — not steroids — in an effort to make the burly red echidna stand out from the pack, as well as pack a punch.

However, the creators are quick to note that the sportier, teenaged rendition of Sonic and his team doesn't erase the depictions from four previous TV series and more than 70 games. "Sonic Boom" is merely a new branch of the "Sonic" universe with sensibilities they hope will appeal to modern youngsters who expect their entertainment to cohesively cross screens.

"When you have a franchise with the depth and fan base of this one, you can have more than one incarnation existing side by side," said Evan Bailey, executive producer of the TV show. "Look at Batman or Mickey Mouse. There are many iconic characters with more than one rendition and none is the definitive take, so hopefully fans don't firebomb our houses."

Unintentionally, "Sonic Boom" has become the franchise's biggest multicultural effort to date, with game developers and executives in California working in tandem with TV executives based out of New York, as well as animators in France, on a new iteration of a blue hedgehog born in Japan. Initially, however, the biggest barrier in crafting this Sonic wasn't language.

"Before we first met, we're thinking, 'Oh, boy. TV people," said Bob Rafei, CEO of Big Red Button. "They're gonna want to change everything. They're not going to understand games. To my surprise, Evan actually plays more games than I do. I don't know where he finds the time, but he understands the fundamental differences of mechanics and fiction."

Rafei, who previously worked on such landmark game franchises as "Crash Bandicoot" and "Jak and Daxter" at Naughty Dog, noted the most challenging aspect of taking on a "Sonic" game was illustrating the character's signature speed without sacrificing new gameplay elements. The other major issue? Figuring out just what the heck Sonic is allowed to wear.

"The clothing argument was a big one," said Rafei, leaning back in his chair in Big Red Button's conference room. "The most surreal moment in my life occurred when I was conveying with passion through a translator to the 'Sonic' team in Japan why Sonic needed to wear pants. Looking back at it, I'm glad they didn't go for it. Sonic wouldn't really be Sonic with pants on." (AP)

Finance minister Ishaq Dar calls on his UAE counterpart

2014-02-06T22:31:00.002-08:00

Finance minister Ishaq Dar calls on his UAE counterpart

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Finance Senator Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday that the government put the economy on the right track through the enforcement of financial discipline.

He said problems confronting the economy will be tackled very soon.

Ishaq Dar, who is having a series of meetings with the ruling elite of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), had yet another important meeting on Wednesday with Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, deputy ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance and Industry of the UAE.

During the meeting, Ishaq Dar said Pakistan cherishes the close friendly ties with the people and the leadership of the UAE.

A day earlier he had a key meeting with Sheikh Muhammad bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, ruler of Dubai and vice president and prime minister of the UAE, in Dubai and handed over a special message from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif regarding subjects of mutual interest.

Ishaq Dar told the UAE dignitaries that Pakistan’s industry had started showing a positive growth of 5.2 percent. He said revenue collection in January 2014 was Rs167 billion indicating an increase of 26 percent over the collection of the corresponding period last year which was a positive sign of achieving the full year’s target.

It is understood that the visit of Ishaq Dar and his meetings with the UAE leaders would greatly help improving the ties between the two countries.

Ishaq Dar discussed with his UAE counterpart matters of bilateral interests and the minister reminded him that the foundation of the close and fraternal relations between the brotherly countries was laid by the founding leaders of the UAE the late Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum praised the capabilities of the leadership of Pakistan and expressed his optimism that it would soon overcome the challenges confronting the country.

He assured that his government would extend all possible cooperation for the economic development of Pakistan and extended his best wishes to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He appreciated the invaluable contributions of the expatriate Pakistani community in the development of UAE.

Ishaq Dar maintained that the government believed in the market economy and the facilitation of businesses to enhance economic growth. He said Pakistan’s industry had started showing positive growth.

“The prospects of utilising natural gas in Pakistan are bright as the government is incentivising oil and gas exploration to overcome energy shortages by tapping indigenous natural resources and soon come up with a new exploration policy,” the visiting minister said.

Sheikh Hamdan also recalled his visit to Karachi 11-12 years back and remarked that the city had since expanded. He took keen interest in the developmental activities in Pakistan.

Ishaq Dar told his interlocutor that both Karachi and Lahore had expanded and developed rapidly while Lahore, which had developed recently as a comparable city, was attracting many people in Pakistan.