Snow, ice cause travel chaos across Europe

FRANKFURT: Roads, railways and air travel across much of Europe were plunged into chaos Monday as heavy snow and arctic weather conditions gripped the continent.

Disruptions in air travel were particularly severe, with the cancellation of more than a quarter of all flights at Frankfurt airport, Germany's busiest, and one in 10 flights at London's Heathrow airport, Europe's busiest, following even more widespread cancellations the day before.

And air travellers faced long delays and disruptions at other airports across Germany and in France and Britain as well.

In Frankfurt, Europe's third-busiest airport, 325 take-offs and landings were cancelled Monday, a spokesman for operator Fraport.

In Munich, Germany's number two airport, some 161 flights -- or more than 15 percent -- were cancelled.

In France, the civil aviation authority DGAC said it expected to cancel 40 percent of flights from and to Paris's Orly and Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airports in a preventive measure following heavy snowfall on Sunday.

However, snow was no longer falling at either airport and the cleared runways were able to handle the reduced volume of traffic, noted a spokeswoman for Aeroports de Paris.

In Spain, flights bound for Paris, Munich and Frankfurt were hit, leading to the cancellation of 16 flights to and from Barcelona.

Freezing rain and snow also led to treacherous conditions on railways and roads, causing countless accidents.

In the southwest of Germany, police recorded more than 1,000 weather-related accidents and in the northeast of the country, near Berlin, an entire section of motorway was shut to traffic.

In Beglium, three people died and two others were seriously injured when a mini-bus they were travelling in skidded off the road, overturned and caught fire at a motorway exit near Bruges, local authorities said.

In Britain, hundreds of schools remained shut due to the severe winter weather.

In Moscow, unusually heavy snowfall of almost 50 centimetres (20 inches) in Moscow caused traffic jams but did not affect flights at city airports, which are well equipped for snowstorms.

The snowfall over the last four days in Moscow exceeded the average for the whole month of January, Moscow Deputy Mayor Pyotr Biryukov said. 

Kabul forces, Taliban fight over, attackers killed

KABUL: NATO troops joined a fight against a Taliban suicide squad that stormed a Kabul police headquarters at dawn Monday, killing three police officers and unleashing a stand-off that lasted for more than eight hours.

The Taliban claimed the attack, which turned into the longest stand-off between the insurgents and security forces in Kabul since a major co-ordinated raid on the capital lasted 18 hours in April last year.
Three of the five attackers were killed in the early part of the assault while two others wearing suicide vests holed up in the five-storey building in west Kabul and fired on security forces, a police officer told AFP. They were later also killed. "It's over. The last two terrorists are dead and they were not even given the chance to detonate their suicide vests," Kabul police chief General Mohammad Ayoub Salangi told AFP.
The reason it took so long to overpower the last two men was "because our boys acted very carefully," he said. "There were lots of important documents so we acted very carefully to not cause any damage to those documents."
Four traffic police, two members of the special forces and half a dozen civilians were wounded, deputy interior minister General Abdul Rahman said.
An AFP photographer said Norwegian soldiers were seen firing at the police building. NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) confirmed its participation in the operation but insisted it was small.
"We do have a very small number of people assisting the Afghan security forces officials in the scene. It's primarily an advising role and absolutely the Afghan officials are in the lead," an ISAF spokesman told AFP.
NATO says the Taliban insurgency has been weakened and characterised the attack as a ploy to attract media attention, but the time it took to mop up the insurgents will be seen as an embarrassment. "They (the Taliban) are losing the fight," said General Gunter Katz, ISAF military spokesman. "They cannot fight face to face. These attacks are only to attract media. They carry out their attacks in the cities and crowded areas where civilians suffer." He praised the role of the Afghan security forces in countering the attack.
The assault began with a massive car-bomb explosion that shattered the windows of nearby homes. A local resident described the initial explosion as "very very big -- it was massive". It was followed by several other explosions and gunfire.
Taliban insurgents, who are waging an 11-year war against the Western-backed government of President Hamid Karzai, claimed credit for the attack, which it said began at 5:00 am (0030 GMT). "A large number of fedayeen (suicide bombers) entered a building in Dehmazang and are attacking an American training centre, a police centre and other military centres and have caused heavy casualties on the enemy," a Taliban spokesman said.
There is no US or NATO-run training facility in the area and the Taliban are known to exaggerate when claiming attacks. Monday's attack came less than a week after a squad of suicide bombers attacked the Afghan intelligence agency headquarters in Kabul, killing at least one guard and wounding dozens of civilians. All six attackers were killed in the brazen attack on the National Directorate of Security (NDS), also claimed by the Taliban.
Afghan police and other security forces are increasingly targets of Taliban attacks as they take a bigger role in the battle against the insurgents before NATO withdraws the bulk of its 100,000 combat troops by the end of 2014.

Japan tsunami stress may have brought on seizures: study

Tokyo: The number of seizure patients in a northern Japanese fishing community devastated by the March 11, 2011 tsunami spiked in the weeks following the disaster, according to a Japanese study.

The study, published in the journal Epilepsia, looked at 440 patient records from Kesennuma City Hospital, in a city that was devastated by the massive tsunami touched off by the 9.0 magnitude earthquake.

Thirteen patients were admitted with seizures in the eight weeks after the disaster, but only one had been admitted in the two months before March 11.

Previous research has linked stressful life-threatening disasters with an increased risk of seizures, but most case reports lacked clinical data with multiple patients.

"We suggest that stress associated with life-threatening situations may enhance seizure generation," wrote lead author Ichiyo Shibahara, a staff neurosurgeon at Sendai Medical Center in northern Japan.

But he added that stress itself is not a universal risk factor for seizures.

"Most of the seizure patients had some sort of neurological disease before the earthquake," he said.

His team examined medical records from patients admitted to the neurosurgery ward in the eight weeks before and after the March 11 disaster and compared them to the same time period each year between 2008 and 2010.

In 2008, there were 11 seizure patients admitted between January 14 and May 15. In 2009, there were seven and in 2010, just four.

Of the 13 admitted after the disaster, 11 had preexisting brain disorders that included epilepsy, head injuries or stroke. All the patients lived independently, and eight took anti-convulsive medication.

Shibahara noted that of the five patients admitted just days after the tsunami, it was "not because of a lack of anticonvulsants, but because of the stress."

One later patient, though, was unable to refill his medication weeks after the devastation.

"This is interesting, but I'm not 100 percent convinced," said William Theodore, senior investigator of the clinical epilepsy section at the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke in Bethesda, Maryland.

Theodore, who was not involved in the study, told Reuters health that because the number of patients was so small, random variation could explain the surge in seizures.

Upset patients may also have forgotten to take, or weren't able to find, anticonvulsant drugs.

There are also various ways that natural disasters might cause seizures, including head trauma, infections from polluted water or a lack of sleep, he added.

But the study did have a practical take home message, he said: "If you already have seizures and you're taking medication, always make sure you have a decent supply just in case some natural disaster occurs." 

Emergency declared in parts of Egypt after polio spreads from Pakistan

CAIRO: A state of emergency has been declared in several cities across Egypt after the polio virus was transferred to the country from Pakistan.

The provincial governments of Egypt have been ordered to set up polio counters at airports and all internal and external routes across the country.

In a joint statement, World Health Organization, UNICEF and Polio Monitoring Cell have termed this situation as critical and alarming for the polio campaign in Pakistan.

The statement further adds that children under the age of five will not be allowed to leave Pakistan without having had polio drops.

Before this recent outbreak, Egypt had been polio free since 2004.

Warne slapped with new conduct fine

SYDNEY: Australian veteran c was Monday fined Aus$5,000 (US$5,250) for a code of behaviour breach in the domestic Big Bash League, his second penalty this month, cricket officials said.

Cricket Australia said Warne was fined following a disciplinary hearing into his failure to list himself as captain during the Melbourne Stars' semi-final against the Perth Scorchers in a bid to dodge a penalty for a slow over-rate.

Warne had previously been issued with one strike for a slow over rate violation and a second strike this season would have resulted in an automatic one-match suspension.

"Warne was found guilty of breaching Rule 5: Laws of Cricket and Spirit of the Game by Commissioner Arthur Lodge," said Cricket Australia.

The 43-year-old spinner was not present at the hearing and was represented by Melbourne Stars officials.

Warne apologised earlier this month after a foul-mouthed rant against West Indian all-rounder Marlon Samuels that earned him a ban and a Aus$4,500 fine.

He claimed 708 Test wickets in a celebrated career but has also courted controversy, notably when he was fined for accepting money from a bookmaker and sent home from the 2003 World Cup for taking a banned diuretic.

Safe to play Tests in Pakistan, says captain

JOHANNESBURG: Pakistan should be allowed to stage international cricket again, captain Misbah-ul-Haq said Monday as his team prepared to face top-ranked South Africa in a three-Test series.

No Test series has been staged in Pakistan since armed militants attacked a bus carrying the Sri Lankan team in Lahore four years ago, killing eight locals and wounding six visiting players.

"Pakistan is such a big cricketing nation and the world has to think about bringing international cricket back to the country," the 38-year-old right-hand batsman said.

"A Twenty20 tournament in Pakistan saw full stadiums for every game and there were no security concerns. The people should have international cricket," he told a media conference.

Team manager Naveed Akram Cheema backed the views of Misbah, stressing that the security situation in the country was much safer than the outside world realised.

"There is a difference between perception and reality. Other teams do not come to Pakistan on the pretext of security concerns, but it is as safe as any other country in the world," he said.

Misbah said having to play 'home' Tests abroad -- often in the United Arab Emirates cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi -- was affecting the competiveness of the team.

"It is very difficult when you are not playing a format on a regular basis -- you really have to work hard. You could say it is a limitation for us, but we are professionals and have to do well.

"We play only about five or six Tests a year while other countries play 15 or 16 a year. This really does affect our team," he said ahead of the first Test from February 1 at the Wanderers in Johannesburg.

Pakistan will also play Tests in Cape Town and Centurion, two Twenty 20 internationals and five one-day internationals during a tour that stretches to late March.

Want to continue peace process with India: FM Khar

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said Monday that Pakistan wanted to continue the peace process with India.

Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, the foreign minister added that instead of increasing tension, options to stop violations along the Line of Control (LoC) were being explored.

“We have shown our commitment not to escalate any situation like this between India and Pakistan. We are committed to normalising relations.”

Khar added that Pakistan could not adopt the irresponsible behaviour shown by the Indian Army Chief and other representatives regarding the LoC violations. According to Khar no benefit had come from hurling accusations in the past.

The foreign minister informed the National Assembly session that the option to conduct an investigation into LoC violations by a third party had already been presented.

Khar further said that one Pakistani soldier was martyred during Indian violation along the LoC on January 6 and the Indian High Commissioner had been summoned to lodge a protest.

Du Plessis replaces banned De Villiers as captain

CAPE TOWN: Francois 'Faf' du Plessis was handed the captaincy of the South African one-day international team Sunday after AB de Villiers was suspended for a slow over rate in the first match against New Zealand.

It was another twist in a tale of two cricketers who were schoolboy team-mates at the Afrikaans Boys High school in Pretoria.

Back then it was Du Plessis who was the captain of the first XI, although De Villiers was always the more obvious future star, playing for South African Schools in his last two years at school, while Du Plessis missed selection.

But Du Plessis earned a place on a South African under-19 tour of England in 2003 and was made vice-captain to Imraan Khan, who played in one Test for South Africa in the 2008/09 season.

De Villiers was playing international cricket barely two years after leaving school and was named captain of South Africa's one-day international and Twenty20 teams soon after Gary Kirsten took over as coach two years ago.

Du Plessis made slower progress, making his one-day international debut two seasons ago.

But he quickly earned recognition as one of the leaders in a team environment -- a reputation which soared when he made a match-saving century on his Test debut against Australia in Adelaide this season.

When De Villiers sought a rest ahead of a Test series against New Zealand, Du Plessis captained the South African Twenty20 team in three matches during December, and now he will be in charge for the remaining two one-day internationals against the Kiwis, in Kimberley Tuesday and Potchefstroom Friday.

Left-handed batsman David Miller was added to the squad to fill the gap in personnel left by De Villiers.

In addition to De Villiers being suspended, the South African players, already stung by a surprise one-wicket defeat against the Black Caps in Paarl on Saturday, will lose their entire match fee after it was found the home side were six overs short of their target even after time allowances were taken into account.

De Villiers admitted he had failed to ensure an acceptable over rate for the match, which finished more than half an hour late.

Match referee David Boon imposed the suspension after De Villiers pleaded guilty to the offence.

NAB employees want SC judge to probe Kamran Faisal’s death

LAHORE: Employees of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) have rejected the commission formed by the federal government to probe Kamran Faisal’s death and are demanding that a commission headed by a Supreme Court judge be formed.

Employees of NAB Punjab protested the mysterious death of Kamran who was part of the team investigating the Rental Power Projects (RPPs) scam case. The protesters wore black arm bands to show solidarity with their deceased colleague.
According to employees, Kamran was under severe stress due to the ongoing RPPs case investigation and his alleged suicide had raised grave concerns for them.
The protesting employees also demanded that investigation of high profile cases should be carried out by permanent NAB officers.
Another demand put forward was that no action should be taken against the protesting employees. Employees of NAB also called for provision of security to them and compensation worth Rs 20 million be paid to the family of Kamran Faisal.
Meanwhile NAB Chairman Fasih Bokhari has agreed that an investigator from the bureau will be part of the team investigating the death of Kamran Faisal.
According to a NAB statement, officers from the Rawalpindi Branch of the bureau met Bokhari and informed him about their reservations regarding the investigation.
Kamran Faisal’s body was found hanging from the ceiling fan of a room of his residence in the Federal Lodges on January 18.

failed assassinstion attempt on bulgarianpolitician

Japan's grandmother poet dies at 101

TOKYO: Japanese poet Toyo Shibata, who started writing at the age of 92 and whose first anthology sold almost 1.6 million copies, died Sunday aged 101, her son said.
Shibata died at a nursing home near her residence in Utsunomiya north of Tokyo, said her eldest son Kenichi Shibata. She had been in the home periodically since her health worsened last month.
"Her death came really peacefully and without pain," the 67-year-old son told AFP. "She kept writing poems until she was about 100. She needed help when she walked in the past half-year, although she was full of vigour."
After the death of her husband, a chef, Shibata was encouraged by her son to write poems.
Her first anthology "Kujikenaide" (Don't Lose Heart) was originally self-published in 2009 and won praise for its sense of humour and forward-looking attitude.
The volume was reissued in 2010 by major publishing house Asaka Shinsha, with new artwork and additional verses to make a total of 42 poems.
It sold 1.58 million copies in a country where a poetry anthology is considered a success with 10,000 sales.
The book has also been printed in translation in South Korea, Taiwan, the Netherlands, Italy and Germany, company spokeswoman Asako Igarashi said. There are also plans to publish in China and Britain.
In 2011 Shibata's second anthology "Hyakusai (100 years old)" was published to celebrate her centenary in June that year.
She also wrote a poem to encourage victims of the March 2011 earthquake-tsunami disaster which left nearly 19,000 people and sparked a nuclear crisis in Japan's northeast.
The main poem in "Kujikenaide" can be roughly translated as follows:
"Don't lose heart.Oh, please don't sigh that you are unhappy.The sunshine and the breeze will not favour anyone.Dreams can be dreamed equally.I have seen hard times but I am glad that I am alive.Don't you ever lose heart, either."

US Vice President Joe Biden sworn in for 2nd term

WASHINGTON: US Vice President Joe Biden re-took the oath of office Sunday as Barack Obama officially begins his second term, a day ahead of public festivities planned for Monday.
Biden placed his hand on a thick and weathered-looking bible held by his wife, Jill, and pledged to "support and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic."
The small morning ceremony was officiated by Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor, and attended by a number of Biden's family members.
Obama will also take the oath Sunday in a ceremony at the White House to comply with the US Constitution, which dictates his first term ends at noon on January 20.
In a tradition honored when that date falls on a Sunday, Obama will repeat the oath in a public ceremony Monday, and deliver his inaugural address to Americans, and the watching world, outside the US Capitol.

Pakistan set for testing South African challenge

JOHANNESBURG: The Pakistan Test team are due to arrive in Johannesburg on Sunday night to take on world champions South Africa in a three-Test series.
It is Pakistan's first visit to South Africa in six years and their biggest challenge could be to adapt to the pace and bounce of the pitches they will play on against a fast bowling attack generally acknowledged to be the world's best.
They will have a four-day warm-up match against a South African Invitation XI in East London, starting on Friday, but conditions in the coastal city are less pace-friendly than is likely when they play the Test matches in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Centurion.
In the past 15 months, Pakistan's Test series have been played in the Asian sub-continent or the United Arab Emirates, which has been their home base since visiting teams stopped touring Pakistan following an attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in 2009.
In the year before that they had two high-scoring draws against South Africa in the UAE and toured New Zealand, West Indies and Zimbabwe.
Pakistan nevertheless have a Test squad which is likely to provide stronger opposition for South Africa than current tourists New Zealand, who were beaten by an innings in two Test matches.
"Pakistan will be a potentially tough series," said South African captain Graeme Smith after the New Zealand series. "They have an exciting bowling unit and some experienced batsmen."
The fast bowling attack will be spearheaded by the left-armer Junaid Khan, the tall Mohammad Irfan and the experienced Umar Gul, one of four members of the touring squad who were on the 2006/07 tour of South Africa.
Newcomer Ehsan Adil was a member of the Pakistan Under-19 team which played in a triangular tournament in South Africa in January 2012.
Pakistan have two top-class spinners in Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman.
Younis Khan, who topped the Pakistan averages in 2006-07, is the outstanding player in a reasonable batting line-up, while Mohammad Hafeez and Faisal Iqbal also played in the 2006-07 series, which South Africa won by two matches to one.
In 18 previous Test matches between the two countries, South Africa have won eight, Pakistan three and seven have been drawn. Pakistan's only series win was in Pakistan in 2003-04.
After spending Sunday night in Johannesburg, the Pakistanis will travel to East London on Monday to prepare for their match against the Invitation XI, captained by former international batsman Justin Ontong.
Pakistan Test squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Nasir Jamshed, Azhar Ali, Umar Gul, Asad Shafiq, Younis Khan, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Ehsan Adil, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Haris Sohail, Faisal Iqbal, Taufeeq Umar, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk).
Tour itinerary:
January 25-28, SA Invitation XI, East London February 1-5, First Test, Johannesburg14-18, Second Test, Cape Town22-26, Third Test, CenturionMarch 1, First Twenty20 international, Durban (day-night)3 Second Twenty20 international, Centurion (day)6 SA Invitation XI (50 overs), Kimberley (day-night)10 First one-day international, Bloemfontein (day)15 Second one-day international, Centurion (day-night)17 Third one-day international, Johannesburg (day)21 Fourth one-day international, Durban (day)24 Fifth one-day international, Benoni (day)

Seven killed in Karachi violence

KARACHI: Three people were gunned down at Baacha Khan chowk in Banaras areas, raising the death toll to seven in the metropolis on Sunday, Geo News reported.
According to details, unidentified armed men opened fire at Baacha Khan chowk as a result three people were killed on the spot.
Rescue sources said the bodies were shifted to nearby hospital for legal formalities. Police reached on the spot and started further investigation.
Meanwhile, four people were also killed in the city earlier on Sunday.

Makarova upsets Kerber to make quarter-finals

MELBOURNE: Russian 19th seed Ekaterina Makarova knocked world number five German Angelique Kerber out of the Australian Open on her way into the quarter-finals on Sunday.
Makarova, who also made the last eight in 2012, came out on top of a tough battle 7-5, 6-4 and will play either second seed Maria Sharapova or the unseeded Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium for a place in the semi-finals.
It was a major disappointment for Kerber, who remains the only player in the current top 10 not to have made a Grand Slam final.
The two had met five times before with Kerber holding a 3-2 advantage and Makarova seemed determined to even up the tally, getting an early break when the German fired a forehand into the net to go 2-1 in front.
The big-serving Makarova easily held for 3-1 and it went with serve until the Russian ground out another break in the seventh to seemingly have Kerber on the ropes.
But the fifth seed immediately clawed back a game, held serve then forced a wild forehand from her opponent to break again and level up the set at 5-5.
Makarova responded and took the set with a searing backhand down the line.
The second set was a tight affair and went with serve up till the ninth game when Makarova got the break and served out the match.
She wants to meet Sharapova rather than Flipkens next, with last year's quarter-final defeat to avenge.
"I really want to play against Maria as I lost to her last year," she said. "I'm confident and like my game so think it will be really interesting."

Disciplined Ferrer powers into quarters

MELBOURNE: David Ferrer wore down Japan's Kei Nishikori over three physical sets to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals for a third straight year on Sunday.
The Spanish fourth seed was far too consistent and disciplined for the 16th-seeded Nishikori, winning 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 in 2hr 10min in rising temperatures on Rod Laver Arena.
The indefatigible Ferrer will line up against either fellow countryman and 10th seed Nicolas Almagro or Serbian eighth seed Janko Tipsarevic in the last eight on Tuesday.
Although Nishikori had beaten Ferrer in their only previous Grand Slam encounter at the 2008 US Open, this time it was clear-cut for the Spaniard.
Nishikori's exit ended Asia's hopes in the men's singles draw as he was bidding to repeat last year's quarter-final appearance in Melbourne.
Nishikori began brightly and had five break points in Ferrer's opening two service games.
But the consistent Spaniard gradually ground down the more error-prone Nishikori, breaking him in the fourth and eighth games to take the opening set in 46 minutes.
Nishikori's form tailed off against the controlled Ferrer and he had a double service break to hand the second set to the world number four.
Nishikori was having problems with his troublesome left knee, which forced him out of this month's Brisbane International, and he called for the trainer to restrap it and took a painkiller tablet.
The Japanese number one had two break points at 1-5 down but Ferrer denied him a service break to hold serve and take a two sets to love lead.
Both players traded breaks at the start of the final set, but Ferrer broke Nishikori a second time to take up the running before the Japanese star broke a second time to level at 3-3.
But Ferrer, parked on the baseline, proved relentless and he broke Nishikori again, for 5-4, on his second break point when a backhand was wide.
The tireless Spaniard served out for the match, clinching victory on his first of three match points.

Obama sworn in for second term

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts for a second term in office Sunday in a brief, intimate private ceremony at the White House.
"I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, so help me God," Obama said, in the Blue Room of the White House.

Punjab Governor’s three sons join PPP: Gilani

RAHIM YAR KHAN: Former Prime Minister and PPP leader Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani Sunday announced that three sons of Punjab Governor Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood have joined PPP.
The sons of Punjab Governor included MPA Murtaza Mehmood and MNA Mustafa Mehmood and Syed Ali Mehmood.

KSE-100 index gains 310.68 points

KARACHI: Karachi Stock Exchnage (KSE) closed higher on Friday following news that the government had struck a deal with protesters occupying the main street in the capital and the protesters had agreed to go home.
The KSE benchmark 100-share index ended 1.91 percent, or 310.68 points, higher at 16,601.77.
Investors bought stocks in Fauji Cement, Maple Leaf Cement, Byco Petroleum and finance firm Jahangir Siddiqui.
There were higher volumes of trading in the KSE despite a strike in Karachi over the murder of a MPA Manzar Imam, said dealer Mohammad Rizwan, the senior manager of equity sales at Topline Securities.
Fauji Cement rose 7.26 percent to 7.39 rupees per share while Byco Petroleum was up 4.75 percent to 13.90 rupees per share.
D.G. Khan Cement rose 2.83 percent to 52.60 rupees per share and Engro Foods was up 4.55 percent to 99.29 rupees per share.
In the currency market, the rupee ended weaker at 97.64/97.69 against the dollar, compared to Thursday's close of 97.58/97.65.
Overnight rates in the money market ended at 9.25 percent compared to Thursday's close of 9.40 percent.

Japan's Sharp curbs iPad screen output

TOKYO/SEOUL: Sharp Corp has nearly halted production of 9.7-inch screens for Apple Inc's iPad, two sources said, possibly as demand shifts to its smaller iPad mini.
Sharp's iPad screen production line at its Kameyama plant in central Japan has fallen to the minimal level to keep the line running this month after a gradual slowdown began at the end of 2012 as Apple manages its inventory, the industry sources with knowledge of Sharp's production plans told Reuters.
Sharp has stopped shipping iPad panels, the people with knowledge of the near total production shutdown said. The exact level of remaining screen output at Sharp was not immediately clear but it was extremely limited, they said.
Company spokeswoman Miyuki Nakayama said: "We don't disclose production levels".
Apple officials, contacted late in the evening after normal business hours in California, did not have an immediate comment.
The sources didn't say exactly why production had nearly halted. Among the possibilities are a seasonal drop in demand, a switch to another supplier, a shift in the balance of sales to the mini iPad, or an update in the design of the product.
Macquarie Research has estimated that iPad shipments will tumble nearly 40 percent in the current quarter to about 8 million from about 13 million in the fourth quarter, although Apple's total tablet shipments will show a much smaller decrease due to strong iPad mini sales.
APPLE SHARES
Any indication that iPad sales are struggling could add to concern that the appeal of Apple products is waning after earlier media reports said it is slashing orders for iPhone 5 screens and other components from its Asian suppliers.
Those reports helped knock Apple's shares temporarily below $500 this week, the first time its stock had been below the threshold mark in almost one year.
Apple, the reports said, has asked state-managed Japan Display, Sharp and LG Display to halve supplies of iPhone panels from an initial plan for about 65 million screens in January-March. Apple is losing ground to Samsung, as well as emerging rivals including China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and ZTE Corp.
NO BIG CHANGE AT OTHER MAKERS
In addition to Sharp, Apple also buys iPad screens from LG Display Co Ltd, its biggest supplier, and Samsung Display, a flat-panel unit of Samsung Electronics.
Both LG Display and Samsung Display declined to comment.
A source at Samsung Display, however, said there had not been any significant change in its panel business with Apple, which has been steadily reducing panel purchases from the South Korean firm.
A person who is familiar with the situation at LG Display said iPad screen production in the current quarter had fallen from the previous quarter ending in December, mainly due to weak seasonal demand that is typical after the busy year-end holiday sales period.
Apple's iPad sales may have suffered amid a weak Christmas shopping period that hurt other consumer gadget makers as well.
CROWD OF RIVAL PRODUCTS
Apple also faces stiffening competition in tablets from a growing crowd of rival products from makers including Samsung with its Galaxy and Microsoft Corp's Surface. A consumer shift to smaller 7-inch screen devices, which Apple responded to late last year by launching its iPad mini for $329, are adding pressure.
BNP Paribas expects the iPad mini will eat into sales of the full-sized iPad, with the mini rise to 60 percent of total iPad shipments in the January-March quarter.
Looking to cut into Apple's market share in the smaller segment are Amazon.com Inc with its Kindle and Google Inc with its Nexus 7.
CEO Tim Cook, who is credited with building Apple's Asian supply chain, has overseen several gadget launches, including the iPhone 5, the latest iPad models and the iPad mini during his first year, is under pressure to deliver the kind of product innovations that wowed consumers during Steve Jobs' tenure to keep his company's profit growth stellar.
Sharp, which also supplies screens for the iPhone, has been working with its main banks on a restructuring plan after posting a $5.6 billion loss for the past fiscal year. To secure emergency financing from lenders including Mizuho Financial Group and Mitsubishi Financial Group it had mortgaged its domestic factories and offices including the one building screens for Apple.
In December, Qualcomm Inc agreed to invest as much as $120 million in Sharp and the two companies said they would work to develop new power-saving screens.

Sindh CNG stations reopen

KARACHI: CNG) stations all across Sindh including the meg-metropolis city reopened after long 48 hours closure at 8.00 A. M. Sunday morning, Geo News reported.
Long queues of vehicles were witnessed at CNG outlets much before the scheduled reopening time at 8.00 A.M. Sunday morning under the Sui Southern Gas load management program.
Motorists, transporters and commuters equally suffered due to consecutive two days of suspension of gas supply to the CNG stations.

Alleged police torture kills accused in Manghopir

KARACHI: An accused died in police custody due to alleged torture in Manghopir police station after which his relatives held a protest demonstration in front of the police station.
Meanwhile, SHO of the station was suspended while two policemen were also arrested.
Khalid, an accused of theft, died in the police custody after which his relatives torched tyres, blocking the road outside the police station.
Relatives of deceased say the alleged cause of Khalid’s death is police torture. They demanded arrest of police personnel.
Taking notice of the issue, DIG West Javed Rathore suspended and demoted SHO Manghopir Nasir Mehmood while two policemen were also arrested.

Manmohan asks Pak to reciprocate

NEW DELHI: Asserting that the recent beheading of the Indian soldier along LoC has cast a "negative impact" on bilateral ties, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today asked Pakistan to reciprocate India's efforts for friendship with it. "We take a consistent review of our ties with Pakistan. The incident has cast a negative impact on our ties. We will take steps with care and due consideration," he said addressing a meeting of AICC here. "We want friendship with Pakistan. They should also make efforts in this regard. It is not possible only with our efforts," the Prime Minister said. His remarks were greeted with applause from the gathering of delegates at AICC which was presided by party chief Sonia Gandhi with Vice President Rahul Gandhi on her side.

Kamran Faisal’s death: No FIR lodged yet

ISLAMABAD: It has been 48 hours since the mysterious death of Kamran Faisal, the NAB officer part of the team probing the Rental Power Plants (RPP) case, but no FIR has been lodged yet. The initial report has citied that the cause of Kamran Faisal’s death was suicide, however his relatives claim that he was murdered and are seeking a judicial inquiry. Kamran’s relatives alleged that torture marks were found on his body, which have also been shown to the media. The report from the Poly Clinic in Islamabad counter’s this claim and states that no torture marks were found on the body. AC Secretariat Noman Yusuf has been named the inquiry officer tasked with finding out the reason behind Kamran Faisal’s death. Yusuf will speak with Kamran’s friends, hostel staff, NAB officers and record their statements. It has been reported that Kamran was under stress during the investigation of the RPP case and had requested to be removed from the probe.

BJP, RSS promoting 'Hindu terrorism': Indian home minister

JAIPUR: Indian Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde Sunday has said that the BJP and its ideological mentor RSS are promoting ‘Hindu terrorism’. The minister said that the government got an investigation report which indicated that be it the RSS or BJP, their training camps are promoting Hindu terrorism. Shinde further said they are trying to bring peace in the country, but admitted that sometimes there is injustice to minorities. Meanwhile, the BJP denouncing the Indian home minister’s claims demanded apology from the government.

Pakistan squad leave for South Africa series

LAHORE: A 16-member Pakistan squad today (Sunday) left for South Africa to play a three test series‚ five ODIs and two T20.
Talking to newsmen at Lahore airport before departure‚ test and One day team Captain‚ Misbah ul Haq said that moral of the team is high after the series won in India. He said that the team will have to perform in all departments of game as batting and bowling of South Africa is good and strong.
Misbah said that role of spinners will be crucial during the tour. He said that there will be pressure from number one team of the world but we will perform better.
The first test match will be played at Johannesburg from the first of next month.The second test will be played at Cape Town from 14th of next month while the 3rd and final test at Centurion from 22nd of next month.

Aussie, Sri Lanka ODI called off after rain

SYDNEY: The fourth one-day international between Australia and Sri Lanka was abandoned after rain halted play on Sunday with the tourists chasing 223 runs to take the series.
Sri Lanka needed 209 more runs off 46.4 overs with all their wickets in tact when the umpires took the players off the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Skipper Mahela Jayawardene was on four and Tillakaratne Dilshan nine.

Australia scored 222 for nine off their 50 overs after winning the toss.
"The outfield is still quite wet so unfortunately..." said a disappointed Australian skipper Michael Clarke.
Opener David Warner top scored with 60 off 73 balls but ninth man Mitchell Starc starred for the hosts knocking 52 off 37 to help Australia post a decent total.
Sri Lanka have routed Australia in the last two games to seize a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
The final leg will be played in Hobart on Wednesday.
"We've got a chance to level the series," Clarke said.
 

NAB Balochistan probing 5 more ministers

QUETTA: NAB Balochistan is probing corruption in various ministries of the provincial government has extended its investigation to five more ministries, Geo News reported Sunday.
NAB Balochistan sources said that earlier inquiries into the corruption and irregularities of eleven ministries were completed and the report was sent to the NAB Chairman for further action, while the investigation into five ministries has now been taken up by seizing the records of these ministries.
Sources said that ministries of education, health, social welfare and others are included among those probed and their ministers might be arrested after clearance sought from the higher authorities.

Azarenka survives scare to make fourth round

MELBOURNE: Defending champion Victoria Azarenka survived a scare Saturday in a tough, three-set battle with injured American Jamie Hampton before booking her place in the Australian Open fourth round.

The top-seeded Belarusian came through the match on Rod Laver Arena 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 to set up a clash next with either 16th-seeded Italian Roberta Vinci or unseeded Russian Elena Vesnina.

On a cool Melbourne day, Azarenka held her opening game with pinpoint serves and got a break in the fourth when Hampton hit a backhand into the net.

She turned the pressure up with some powerful groundstrokes from the baseline but Hampton refused to give up and had a break point in the fifth that she failed to convert.

Azarenka was being tested and was soon pumping her fist and shouting "C'mon" as her emotions showed, and her persistence paid off when a delicate lob handed her another break to be 5-1 in front.

But the 23-year-old Hampton bounced back, forcing Azarenka into a forehand error to keep the set alive.

The American held serve than broke again for 5-4 and Azarenka was in trouble before the Belarusian stepped up a gear and took the set on a Hampton double fault.

Hampton kept her focus and immediately broke for an early lead in the second set before throwing away her serve and it was back to level pegging.

Neither player was serving well and Azarenka got broken again, with her frustrations evident as she was pushed around the court. Hampton was sizzling and had two set points at 5-3, but the top seed saved and held.

Hampton left the court for treatment on a lower back problem at the changeover, but despite being in obvious pain she held serve for the set, with Azarenka slamming her racquet in frustration.

The brave American, who appeared close to tears at times from the discomfort, had the crowd onside and got a crucial break in the third for a 2-1 lead before Azarenka fought back to win the next five games.

The victory keeps Azarenka on course to meet former world number one Caroline Wozniacki in the quarter-finals, and potentially Serena Williams in the semis, as she defends her first Grand Slam title

"Django Unchained" producers under fire

LOS ANGELES: The producers of Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained" on Friday ordered a halt to the production of action figures based on the Oscar-nominated slavery movie after criticism that they were offensive to African-Americans.

The eight-inch (20-cm) dolls, which were intended for people 17 and older, included gun-slinging freed slave Django, his wife and cruel, white plantation owner Candie.

Renowned singer Mehnaz Begum no more

KARACHI: Renowned Pakistani singer Mehnaz Begum has passed away in Bahrain while enroute to the United States.

Geo News reported that the singer had been suffering from respiratory problems and was heading to the US for treatment when she died during a short stay in Bahrain.

Mehnaz, who was the daughter of celebrated sub-continental singer Kajjan Begum, sang a number of popular songs for films and television.

She has sung a variety of genres but specialized in ghazal, thumri, dadra, khayal, drupad and reciting salam, noha and marsiya.

Humara Arshad to train singers

LAHORE: Prominent Singer Humara Arshad has signed an agreement with a music company to train the new talent in singing.

Talking to APP, she said there was no proper arrangements of training of new artists and singers in the country.

Humara said "She will be proud of it to do the job."

McClenaghan impresses on debut for Kiwis

PAARL, South Africa: Left-arm opening bowler Mitchell McClenaghan took four wickets on his debut as New Zealand bowled out South Africa for 208 in the first one-day international at Boland Park on Saturday.

McClenaghan took the key wickets of Graeme Smith and captain AB de Villiers and followed up with two lower order wickets to finish with four for 20 in his ten overs.

Part-time off-spinner Kane Williamson took four for 22 as the South African batsmen failed to master some steady bowling on a slow pitch.

Faf du Plessis made a dogged 57 off 71 balls to top-score for South Africa, while tailender Rory Kleinveldt hit three sixes off four balls from Kyle Mills in making all 26 runs in a last wicket stand with Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

Brendon McCullum's decision to send South Africa in to bat paid dividends when the home side's three most experienced batsmen, Smith, Hashim Amla and de Villiers were dismissed within the first 12 overs.

All three senior players were dismissed leg before wicket and paid the penalty for playing across the line on a slow pitch.

Amla was the first to go against the bowling of Mills. He used up South Africa's only available challenge when he sought a review of the decision by umpire Shaun George.

Smith and De Villiers both fell to the impressive McClenaghan, leaving Du Plessis to repair the innings. He shared partnerships of 46 with Colin Ingram (29), 36 with Quinton de Kock (18) and 59 with Ryan McLaren (33).

India take lead crushing England by seven wickets

RANCHI: India recorded an easy seven-wicket victory over England to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match One-day International series here on Saturday.

Chasing an easy target of 156, India completed their win in just 28.1 overs losing three wickets in the third ODI at the HEC International Cricket Stadium Complex on Saturday.

The main scorer was Virat Kohli who made an unbeaten 77 off 79 balls with nine fours and two sixes.

He made 67 runs with opener Gautam Gambhir (33) for the second wicket partnership after India made a disastrous start losing Ajinkya Rahanne (nought) for 11 runs.

Then he added 66 with Yuvraj Singh (30) for the third wicket stand before Dhoni joined Kohli for steering India to a comfortable victory.

Earlier, India bowled England out for 155 in 42.2 overs after putting them into bat

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja bagged three wickets for 19 runs while off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and fast-medium bowler Ishant Sharma claimed two wickets each.

Joe Root top scored with 39 while Ian Bell and Tim Bresnan made 25 each for England.

The remaining two One-day Internationals will be played between the two teams at Mohali on Janusry 23 and Dharamsala on January 27.

Australia add Bird to one-day squad

SYDNEY: Australian selectors have added fast bowler Jackson Bird to their one-day squad for Sunday's crucial clash against Sri Lanka in Sydney.

Sri Lanka lead the five-match series 2-1 after a four-wicket win in Brisbane on Friday, bowling out Australia inside 27 overs for just 74 runs.

"Jackson Bird will join the squad as cover for the fourth Commonwealth Bank Series match in Sydney," Cricket Australia said in a statement late Friday.

Bird, 26, yet to play in a one-day international, has made an impressive start to his Test career, taking seven wickets in his second Test against Sri Lanka earlier this month in Sydney to be named man of the match.

Sattar stresses for national policy on counter terrorism

KARACHI: Deputy Convener MQM, Dr Farooq Sattar has said that the MNAs and MPAs are not safe in this country let alone the common people, stressing formation of a counter terrorism policy at national level to put an end to the scourge of terrorism.
Talking to mediamen after the Soyem of the slain MQM, MPA, Manzar Imam, he said that extremism and terrorism could only be curbed through the collaboration of political and religious parties at government level.
He was of the view that countering terrorism was a challenge that the ongoing political activities and the upcoming elections face.
He also said that Manzar Imam was a senior worker of the party and demanded of the Prime Minister that the killers of the provincial assembly member and other workers of MQM should be arrested immediately.
The Quran Khwani of Manzar Imam was attended by a huge number of people including leader of the PML(Q) Haleem Adil Shaikh, MQM’s Rabta committee, and other members of the party.

PML-N lawmakers likely to join PPP

KARACHI: Some lawmakers from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz are expected to join the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in what Geo News anchor and veteran journalist Hamid Mir described a pre-emptive move by the ruling party.
He said the PPP pre-empted a PML-N move by inviting some of latter’s MNAs to presidential camp office Bilawal House in Karachi as some PPP legislators were also mulling over joining the Nawaz-league.
Hamid Mir says two MNAs from Jhelum Raja Asad and Raja Safdar along with their father Raja Afzal called on Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and are likely to join the PPP.

Algeria hostage crisis ends in bloodshed

IN AMENAS, Algeria: Islamists killed all seven of their remaining foreign captives on Saturday before being gunned down at a gas plant in the Algerian desert, state media said, ending one of the bloodiest international hostage crises in years.

The 11 heavily armed men from a group known as "Signatories in Blood" had been holed up at the remote In Amenas complex near the Libya border since they took hundreds of workers hostage in a dawn attack on Wednesday.

Most of the hostages, including 573 Algerians and about 100 foreigners, had been freed after Algerian forces launched a rescue operation on Thursday, which was widely condemned as hasty, but some 30 remained unaccounted for.

In Saturday's final assault, "the Algerian army took out 11 terrorists, and the terrorist group killed seven foreign hostages," state television said.

It did not give the nationalities of those who died. A security official who spoke to AFP as army helicopters overflew the plant deep in the Sahara near the Libyan border gave the same death tolls, adding

that it was believed the foreigners "were killed in retaliation".

British Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said the four-day crisis had been "brought to an end by a further assault by Algerian forces, which has resulted in further loss of life".

"We're pressing the Algerians for details on the exact situation," said

Hammond.

The deaths were "appalling and unacceptable and we must be clear that it is the terrorists who bear sole responsibility for it," he told a news conference with his US counterpart Leon Panetta.

The hostage-taking was the largest since the 2008 Mumbai attack, and the biggest by jihadists since hundreds were killed in a Moscow theatre in 2002 and at a school in the Russian town of Beslan in 2004, according to monitoring group IntelCenter.

Foreign Secretary William Hague said Britain must prepare itself for "bad news," and that "the large majority" of Britons originally caught up in the crisis were safe, with "fewer than 10" at risk or unaccounted for.

With the crisis over, experts began to clear the complex of bombs planted by the Islamists, said Sonatrach, the Algerian firm that runs the gas plant jointly with Britain's BP and Norway's Statoil.

Al-Qaeda commander in north Africa, were demanding an end to French intervention against Islamists in neighbouring Mali, ANI reported earlier.

Belmokhtar also wanted to exchange American hostages for the blind Egyptian sheikh Omar Abdul Rahman and Pakistani Aafia Siddiqui, jailed in the United States on charges of terrorist links.

But State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said "the United States does not negotiate with terrorists".

France, which said on Saturday that 2,000 of the 2,500 troops it had

pledged were now on the ground in Mali, said that no more of its citizens were being held.

President Francois Hollande said French troops would stay in Mali as long as is needed "to defeat terrorism" in the West African country and its neighbours.

Algerian news agency APS quoted a government official as saying the

kidnappers, who claimed to have come from Niger, were armed with machineguns, assault rifles, rocket launchers and missiles.

Franklin steers New Zealand to one-wicket victory

PAARL: James Franklin batted skillfully with the tail to secure a tense one-wicket upset win for New Zealand in the first one-day international against South Africa at Boland Park on Saturday.

Franklin hit 47 not out as the last three New Zealand wickets added 104 runs in a low-scoring match after South Africa had been bowled out for 208.

He put on 35 for the eighth wicket with Nathan McCullum (24) and 47 for the ninth wicket with Kyle Mills.

When Mills was bowled by Ryan McLaren for 26 there were still 22 runs needed but Franklin successfully farmed the strike before hitting McLaren through the covers for the winning boundary.

It was a heartening result for New Zealand at the start of the three-match series after they lost both Test matches by an innings.

McLaren seemed to have won the game for South Africa before Franklin's final flurry of strokes.

He had shared a crucial 59-run sixth wicket partnership with top scorer Faf du Plessis (57) as South Africa were bowled out for 208 after being sent in to bat.

Then McLaren took four for 46. He bowled BJ Watling for 45, trapped Jimmy Neesham two balls later for nought and then broke two late partnerships when he dismissed Nathan McCullum and Mills.

Left-arm opening bowler Mitchell McClenaghan took four for 20 on debut as New Zealand's bowlers exerted tight control.

McClenaghan took the key wickets of Graeme Smith and captain AB de Villiers and followed up with two late wickets.

Part-time off-spinner Kane Williamson took four for 22 as the South African batsmen failed to master some steady bowling on a slow pitch.

Du Plessis made a dogged 57 off 71 balls.

He hit only three boundaries in a South African innings which included only 12 fours and four sixes.

One of the fours and three of the sixes were hit by tailender Rory Kleinveldt, who hit his sixes off four balls from Mills in making all 26 runs in a last wicket stand with Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

Kleinveldt followed up with the wickets of New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum and all-rounder Grant Elliott to cap a successful debut in 50-over internationals.

McCullum's decision to send South Africa in to bat paid dividends when the home side's three most experienced batsmen, Smith, Hashim Amla and captain de Villiers were dismissed within the first 12 overs.

Two Nawaz-League MNAs join PPP

KARACHI: Two Members of the National Assembly belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz have joined the ruling Pakistan People’s Party, Geo News reported Saturday.

Raja Afzal, father of two MNAs Raja Asad and Raja Safdar, flanked by PPP stalwart Syed Khurshid Shah and Faryal Talpur told a press conference held at the Bilawal House that they had decided to join the PPP. However, he parried a question as to why they parted their ways with the PML-N.

Earlier, Geo News anchor and veteran journalist Hamid Mir described the lattes political development as pre-emptive move by the ruling party

He said the PPP pre-empted a PML-N move by inviting some of latter’s MNAs to presidential camp office Bilawal House in Karachi as some PPP legislators were also mulling over to join the Nawaz-league.

Militants claim French botch hostage rescue in Somalia

MOGADISHU: Somali militants claimed Saturday that a French commando unit had botched an attempt overnight to free a hostage in southern Somalia, leaving several dead.

"Mujahedeen fighters defeated the so-called commandos of the French government who tried to rescue a hostage, and they (the commandos) left the bodies of several of their own at the site of the attack," Sheikh Mohamed Abdallah, a local military commander, told.

Sri Lanka draws flak over CJ impeachment

COLOMBO: International criticism mounted Saturday over a move to impeach Sri Lanka's chief justice, with Britain demanding protection for the incumbent and the beleaguered legal profession in the former colony.
Britain added its voice to the United States in expressing deep concern over parliament's overwhelming vote Friday night to sack Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake following a controversial trial by ruling party MPs. "The motion to impeach the Chief Justice runs contrary to the clear rulings of Sri Lanka's highest courts and the proceedings appear to contravene basic principles of fairness," the British foreign office said in a statement issued by the high commission in Colombo.
It said the rushed trial of the chief justice violated "due process and respect for the independence of the judiciary" and the Commonwealth principles on rule of law and good governance. "Together with our international partners, we call on the Sri Lankan government to respect democratic principles and the right to peaceful protest and to ensure the continued safety of Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake."
A spokesman for President Mahinda Rajapakse said in the next few days he was expected to ratify parliament's vote to impeach Bandaranayake, 54, the country's first woman to hold the highest judicial post in the island of 20 million people.
A replacement is to be named next week, but the Lawyers' Collective, which includes most of the 11,000 lawyers in the country, have said they will not recognise a new appointee and urged other judges to follow suit.
The privately-run Weekend FT reported the disputed parliamentary vote under the heading: "Chief's justice denied." But the state-run Daily News defended the sacking with an editorial headlined: "It's over, and the future is bright!"
Former foreign minister and opposition spokesman Mangala Samaraweera described the impeachment as a final blow to democracy in a country emerging from a decades-long Tamil separatist war and a state of emergency lasting 28 years. "Up to yesterday at least we kept up appearances of being at least a nominal democracy. But as of Friday night, the Rajapakse government sheds the facade and the country becomes a pariah of the international community," Samaraweera said.
There was no immediate comment from Bandaranayake or her lawyers who denied allegations of "misconduct" brought after she gave several decisions that went against the government in recent months. The British criticism follows a US statement Friday after the vote that urged Sri Lanka to "uphold the rule of law and respect the principles of democratic governance".

Russia's Vesnina wins first WTA title in Hobart

HOBART: Russia's Elena Vesnina won her first WTA title with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over defending champion Mona Barthel in the Hobart International final on Saturday.
Vesnina, the world number 68, playing in her seventh final, showed too much fight for the German, whose occasional blazing winners were undone by an erratic service game.
Vesnina, who was ranked as high as 22 in 2009, becomes the second Russian to win the Hobart event after Anna Chakvetadze in 2007 and takes home US$40,000 in prize money.
The 26-year-old Russian defeated seeds Yaroslava Shvedova and Sloane Stephens along with former Australian event champion Jarmila Gajdosova on her way to the final.

Russia calls for 'transition process' in Syria

MOSCOW: Russia called Saturday for the launch of a political transition process in Syria, a day after peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi met with diplomats from Moscow and Washington in a bid to resolve the nearly two-year-old conflict.
But Moscow also reiterated its long-held position that only Syrians themselves could decide their fate without outside interference. "In our opinion, the priority task is to immediately stop any violence and bloodshed as well as provide Syrians including internally displaced persons and refugees with humanitarian aid," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.
"At the same time it is necessary to secure the launch of a political transition process in Syria aimed at enshrining in law guaranteed and equal rights of all ethnic-confessional groups of this country." "As in the past, we firmly support a premise that issues of Syria's future should be solved by Syrians themselves, without outside interference and the imposition of ready-made recipes."
UN-Arab League special envoy Brahimi on Friday met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns in Geneva.
The discussions took place a day after Syria accused Brahimi of "flagrant bias", casting doubt on whether he could stay on as international mediator. In the statement, Moscow stressed its "unchanged" support for Brahimi's peace mission, adding that it would support further trilateral talks.
Russia also reiterated its support for a transition plan that was agreed in Geneva on June 30, 2012, but has since split world powers. "We proceed from the fact that this consensus-based document remains fully relevant as the only platform to overcome the protracted crisis in Syria," the foreign ministry said.