QUINCY, Mass. – Seventeen rare sea turtles suffering a variety of ailments are recovering at the New England Aquarium after being rescued over the past two days off of Cape Cod, Mass. The turtles rescued by volunteers with the Massachusetts Audubon Sanctuary at Wellfleet Bay are being cared for at the aquarium's new animal care center in Quincy. They eventually will be released back to the ocean. Most of them are Kemp's ridley turtles and are suffering from hypothermia, dehydration and malnourishment. The turtles usually migrate to warmer waters in the winter, but aquarium officials say strong northwest winds Wednesday drove the turtles to shore. Many had body temperatures in the 50s, when they should have been in the 70s. An aquarium spokesman says it's unusual for the center to care for so many at one time.

By MARK STEVENSON, Associated Press Mark Stevenson, Associated Press ZITACUARO, Mexico – This small patch of mountain fir forest is a model of sorts for the global effort to save trees and fight climate change. The problem is that saving trees has not saved the forest's most famous visitors: Monarch butterflies. Millions of Monarch butterflies migrate here from the United States and Canada every year, but their numbers declined by 75 percent last year alone, apparently because of changing weather and vegetation patterns. The Monarch butterfly reserve shows how complex the battle against climate change has become, as the world prepares for a United Nations climate conference in Cancun next week. The conference is expected to focus in part on how best to preserve forests, with questions about who should pay and and how to treat communities who already live in the jungles and forests of developing countries. Forest preservation is the goal of a popular U.N.-sponsored program known as REDD, or Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation, which garnered more mentions than any other program approved at the last international climate meeting in Copenhagen. The hope is for developed nations to pay poorer ones $22 to $38 billion per year to help them preserve forests. 'It is not a hypothetical idea or theory,' said Mexico's Environment Secretary Juan Rafael Elvira Quesada of the REDD program. 'It's working in many countries around the world. What we really require is....that it convert into an agreement at Cancun.' The Monarch butterfly reserve is an example both of how the program could work, and of its limitations. The reserve in the mountains west of Mexico City benefits from international help, such as payments to communities to preserve trees and alternative income projects. The deforestation rate there is down by about 95 percent. Fernando Solis Martinez, 54, is the head of a 'communal property commission' that takes care of jointly-owned land inherited from Indian ancestors in San Juan Xoconusco, a village within the 13,550 hectare (33,482 acre) reserve. He oversees the watering and replanting of oyamel fir seedlings at the village's tree nursery. The 120,000 seedlings will be distributed throughout the reserve come June, when the rains return, to replace areas cut or washed away in severe storms. 'This nursery is a way to do maintenance on the forest, and provide jobs for more people,' said Solis Martinez, as he takes a break from efforts to rebuild a balky water pump. Set up three years ago with help from the World Wildlife Fund, the nursery is part of a mix of projects — direct payments from the government and contributions from private companies; a scheme for collecting sap and selling it to turpentine manufacturers; sales of woven pine-needle artisanry, and hopes for a tourist operation — that could provide income streams for future generations. It is not paradise; most residents of Xoconusco still have to work for about 120 pesos ($10) per day) at flower hothouses down in the valley, and illicit loggers are a constant threat. Most communities send patrols of 10 men into the mountains every day to listen for the distant sounds of chain saws. But despite the challenges, the program appears to be working. Gabriel Colin Camacho, 37, the new head of communal lands in the village of Crescencio Morales, has started to turn around that community's reputation as one of the worst areas for deforestation in the reserve. Now he says most of his neighbors realize that a steady stream of government payments would end if the forest disappears. 'Before, we saw the forest as nothing more than money, that we could take without any considerations,' he said. 'You could say that we were fools, because we sold the wood for less than it was worth.' Deforestation and soil degradation causes between 17 and 20 percent of greenhouse gases worldwide, a greater proportion than transport. But the idea of saving forests to trap greenhouse gases has come a long way since the days when simply planting a stretch of eucalyptus trees on a clear-cut plain would qualify as 'offsets,' the practice of balancing greenhouse-gas emissions in one place by 'trapping' carbon in trees. The world is still losing 12.8 million acres (5.2 million hectares) of forest per year, despite reforestation efforts that reduced the annual rate of loss from 20.3 million acres (8.3 million hectares) in the 1990s. So far, an alliance of about a dozen developed nations is providing about $4.6 billion in funding for projects in about 60 developing nations. But when you're talking that amount of money, you want some accounting and control, tree by saved tree. And of course you have to raise the money: high-emission companies looking for offsets offer a potentially rich source of funds. The idea angers many activists. 'We do not accept, and the people of the world will not accept, using forests as a sort of reserve so that big corporations can keep on polluting,' said Raul Benet, an activist who is organizing protests at Cancun. While the Monarch Butterfly Reserve is a success story, trees alone won't keep it going. If the butterflies disappear — and by all accounts they are doing badly — interest in the forest could quickly evaporate. The REDD program has been improved to take into account the importance of biodiversity in forests. While experts aren't really sure what has been battering the butterflies, changing weather patterns are clearly taking a toll. Last year, clusters of butterflies covered a total area equal to only about 1.9 hectares (4.7 acres), compared to about 8 hectares (almost 20 acres) in the 2008-2009 winter season. Experts say it is still too soon to estimate figures on this year's migration. Monarch expert Lincoln Brower cites climate swings of wet and dry weather, storms that damaged the reserve, and the crowding out of the only plant the Monarchs lay their eggs on, the milkweed, by genetically-modified crops. Javier Espinosa, the coordinator of statistics for Mexico's National Weather Service, said February 2010 — when most of the storm damage occurred — was the wettest on record for the area in 70 years. Brower thinks the February storms may have killed 30 percent of the butterflies. Brower cautions that a cold snap, combined with wet weather and spotty tree cover, could be disastrous, freezing the Monarchs, but warmer weather could hurt them by making them more restive, burning up the fat reserves they need to fly north in the spring. Any extreme variation in weather hurts the migration, and that is more or less what climate change is expected to cause. 'I think it's a disaster of major proportions that's not being recognized,' Brower said.

By ATHUR MAX, Associated Press Athur Max, Associated Press 7 mins ago CHERSKY, Russia – During the last Ice Age, shaggy mammoths, woolly rhinos and bison lumbered across northern Siberia. Then, about 10,000 years ago — in the span of a geological heartbeat, or a few hundred years — the last of them disappeared. Many scientists believe a dramatic shift in climate drove these giant grazers to extinction. But two scientists who live year-round in the frigid Siberian plains say that man _either for food, fuel or fun — hunted the animals to extinction. Paleontologists have been squabbling for decades over how these animals met their sudden demise. The most persuasive theories say it was humanity and nature: Dramatically warming temperatures caused a changing habitat and brought a migration of men armed with deep-piercing spears. No one knows for sure what set off global warming back then — perhaps solar activity or a slight shift in the Earth's orbit. But, in an echo of the global warming debate today, Sergey Zimov, director of the internationally funded Northeast Science Station, and his son Nikita say man was the real agent of change. For the Siberian grasses to provide nutrition in winter, they needed to be grazed in summer to produce fresh shoots in autumn. The hooves of millions of reindeer, elk and moose as well as the larger beasts also trampled choking moss, while their waste promoted the blossoming of summer meadows. As the ice retreated at the end of the Pleistocene era — the final millennia of a 1.8 million yearlong epoch — it cleared the way for man's expansion into previously inaccessible lands, like this area bordering the East Siberia Sea. Northeastern Siberia, today one of the coldest and most formidable spots on the globe, was dry and free of glaciers. The ground grew thick with fine layers of dust and decaying plant life, generating rich pastures during the brief summers. When humans arrived they hunted not only for food, but for the fat that kept the northern animals insulated against the subzero cold, which the hunters burned for fuel, say the scientists. They may also have killed for prestige or for sport, in the same way buffalo were heedlessly felled in the American Old West, sometimes from the window of passing trains. The wholesale slaughter allowed the summer fodder to dry up and destroy the winter supply, they say. 'We don't look at animals just as animals. We look at them as a system, with vegetation and the whole ecosystem,' said the younger Zimov. 'You don't need to kill all the animals to kill an ecosystem.' During the transition from the ice age to the modern climate, global temperatures rose 5 degrees Celsius, or 9 Fahrenheit. But in Siberia's northeast the temperature soared 7 degrees, or nearly 13F, in just three years, the elder Zimov said. The theory of human overkill is much disputed. Advocates of climate theory say the warm wet weather that accompanied the rapid melting of glaciers spawned birch forests that overwhelmed the habitats of the bulky grass eaters. Adrian Lister, of the paleontology department of London's Natural History Museum, said humans may have delivered the final blow, but rapid global warming was primarily responsible for the mammoth's extinction. It brought an abrupt change in vegetation that squeezed a dwindling number of mammoths into isolated pockets, where hunters could pick off the last herds, he said. People 'couldn't have done the whole job,' he told AP Television News. Mammoths once ranged from Russia and northern China to Europe and most of North America, but their numbers began to shrink about 30,000 years ago. By the time the Pleistocene era ended they remained only in northern Siberia, Lister said. As in millennia past, Sergey Zimov believes hunting is a problem today. 'I believe it's possible to increase the density of herbivores in our territory 100 times,' says Zimov, who keeps a 6-foot-long yellow-brown tusk of an 18-year-old female in a corner of his living room. 'I say let's stop the poaching. Let's give freedom for animals.'

he Board of Intermediate Education Karachi (BIEK) on Friday announced the result of HSC Part I Science Pre-Medical Group Annual Examination 2010.

According to the statistics, 14,153 candidates appeared in the examination, of these 6,165 were successful in all the six papers.

As many as 2,014 candidates passed five papers and 1,856 cleared four papers.

The number of those who were successful in three papers was 2,104 while 1,277 cleared two papers and 568 passed one paper only.

A BIEK announcement said that marks statements would be issued after two weeks.

The marks sheets of the regular candidates would be sent directly to their colleges concerned, it was further stated.

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MOSCOW – A Soyuz spacecraft carrying two Americans and a Russian from the International Space Station touched down Friday in Kazakhstan in a landing that the Russian space program's chief described as ideal.

The Russian capsule carrying cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin and astronauts Shannon Walker and Douglas Wheelock landed in the sprawling steppes of the Central Asian nation about 3 1/2 hours after separating from the space station. The landing was close to its target point, said Roscosmos head Anatoly Perminov.

In some Soyuz landings, the capsule hanging from parachutes drifts far from the target point, but Friday's landing was within 1.5 kilometers (1 mile).

'It was the ideal scenario,' Perminov was quoted as saying by the ITAR-Tass news agency.

Video from the site showed the capsule, blackened by the intense heat of re-entry, lying on its side as the space fliers were extracted, still strapped into their seats. They appeared happy, but typically moved their hands slowly as they adjusted to gravity after five months of floating free in space.

'The condition of the crew is completely satisfactory — blood pressure, pulse, oxygen are all in the allowable limits,' Vyacheslav Rogozhnikov of the Institute of Medical-Biological Problems said at Russian mission control just outside Moscow, according to ITAR-Tass.

The landing took place four days earlier than initially planned because Kazakh officials have requested air space be kept clear for the Dec. 1-2 summit by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Three crew members remain on the space station — American Scott Kelly and Russians Alexander Kaleri and Oleg Skripochka. The blasted off in early October for a five-month mission.

WASHINGTON – Here's one plus from the global economic recession: Carbon dioxide pollution last year dropped for the first time in a decade.

But it didn't last and it wasn't as big a drop as expected.

Burning fossil fuels to power factories, cars and airplanes spews out greenhouse gases that warm the world. But during the economic downturn, some factories shut down and people didn't drive or fly as much. The helped drop emissions about 1.3 percent from 2008 to 2009, according to a study published Sunday in the journal Nature Geoscience.

There's been a close link between gross domestic product and pollution in recent decades, said study lead author Pierre Friedlingstein of the University of Exeter in England. 'The good part of the crisis is that it reduces emissions.'

In the United States, the Energy Department said that emissions dropped 7 percent in 2009 because of three equal factors: the slowing economy, slightly better energy efficiency and cleaner energy.

Worldwide, it was mostly a matter of the economy, Friedlingstein said. In 2009, the world spewed nearly 34 billion tons (about 31 billion metric tons) of carbon dioxide. That's a drop of 453 million tons from the previous year — what the U.S. emits in about 26 days.

The last time carbon dioxide pollution dropped worldwide was in 1999 and this was the biggest decrease since 1992, according to records by the Energy Department's Oak Ridge National Lab. Despite last year's improvement, worldwide carbon emissions have increased by 25 percent since the year 2000.

Carbon pollution is probably already rising this year, the study authors said, and likely to set yet a record in 2010.

The same scientists last year had forecast almost a 3 percent drop in emissions for 2009 based on GDP projections from the International Monetary Fund. But the economy improved more than expected and developing countries kept increasing the amount of carbon dioxide they produced, Friedlingstein said.

Developing nations aren't using energy as efficiently and they weren't as affected by the recession as the west, he said.

China's carbon dioxide pollution jumped 8 percent from 2008 to 2009. India's went up about 6 percent, according to the study.

That's part of a dramatic shift in which countries are producing the most carbon dioxide. In 1990, the developed world produced 65 percent of the world's carbon dioxide, said study co-author Gregg Marland of the Oak Ridge National Lab. Now it is less than 43 percent as those countries have cut about 10 percent of their emissions while the developing world has more than doubled their overall emissions.

One bright note is that overall carbon dioxide emissions from the destruction of forests has slowed considerably, Friedlingstein said.

Despite that, it looks like the world cannot reach the goal set by international negotiations in Copenhagen last year of limiting global warming to a 3.6 degree (2 degree Celsius) temperature increase since industrialization, said University of Victoria climate scientist Andrew Weaver, who wasn't involved in the study. Through the first 10 months of the year, 2010 is tied for the hottest year in 131 years of record keeping, according to the National Climatic Data Center.

'We are letting global warming emissions get away from us,' Weaver said. 'You can't say the climate science community didn't say 'I told you so.''

Nature Geoscience: http://www.nature.com/ngeo

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Air Force has launched a new classified spy satellite. An un-manned Delta 4-Heavy rocket blasted off From Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Sunday at 5:58 p.m. It carried a satellite that was described in a news release from the National Reconnaissance Office as 'the largest satellite in the world.' The mission is classified, so no other details are available. The 23-story rocket took off after several delays over the past few months because of technical glitches, including a problem during fueling for a launch on Friday. Weather concerns on Sunday cleared shortly before launch time.via hamariweb.com

PENNSYLVANIA: A new clinical study shows that substituting walnuts for monounsaturated fat in a Mediterranean diet improves, and even restores, endothelial function (the property of arteries to dilate in order to meet an increased demand of blood, for instance due to a physical effort).

Walnuts also reduce harmful cell adhesion molecules which are associated with atherosclerosis, commonly known as hardening of the arteries. These dual effects enhance the circulatory system, therefore aiding in the prevention of heart disease.

The study concludes that the results provide further support for the inclusion of walnuts in healthy diets. "This is the first time a whole food, not its isolated components, has shown this beneficial effect on vascular health," according to Emilio Ros, M.D., the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, researcher who directed the study at the setting of the Institute of Biomedical Research August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS). Dr. Ros notes, "Compared with the Mediterranean diet, the walnut diet increased endothelium-dependent vasodilation by 64 percent and reduced levels of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 by 20 percent. In addition, as in previous studies, the walnut diet decreased total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol."

MUMBAI: Actress Emma Watson struggled to find suitable outfits for premieres of the " Harry Potter" movies and often wore bridesmaid dresses.

"Everyone images stylists were on tap from the studio, but we got nothing. Sometimes I had two days' notice before an event and there was nothing appropriate for a 14-year-old to wear. I'd look in my wardrobe and there was literally nothing," femalefirst quoted her as saying.

"It was either borrow from my stepmother, or go to the bridesmaid department at Harrods."

LOS ANGELES: "Megamind" led the North American box office to its best weekend in more than three months on Sunday, but the $47.7 million opening for the DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc release fell a little short of industry forecasts.

Observers had predicted the 3D cartoon about a hapless super villain would earn more than $50 million during its first three days of release across the United States and Canada. But the studio's March release "How to Train a Dragon" also underperformed initially before becoming a worldwide smash.

Also new were the comedy "Due Date" at No. 2 with $33.5 million, and the drama "For Colored Girls" at No. 3 with $20.1 million, both in line with expectations.

The three newcomers accounted for most of the $146 million total for the top 12 movies, according to the box office division of Hollywood.com. It marks the highest tally since July 23-25, when reigning champion "Inception" drove sales to $155 million.

"Megamind" revolves around a hapless criminal voiced by Will Ferrell, and is not to be confused with the recent hit cartoon "Despicable Me," which revolved around a hapless criminal voiced by Steve Carell.

The film's early international total, from No. 1 openings in Russia, Ukraine, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, stands at $18.6 million. The studio will release the film to tie in with school holidays in individual markets, although "Despicable Me" is still playing strongly internationally.

STOCK SOCKED

DreamWorks Animation said "Megamind" performed to its expectations and it was confident that the film would hold up well through the holidays. It noted that the film received a bullish A-minus score in exit polls conducted by tracking firm Cinemascore. Costs were in line with recent releases: $130 million for production, and $160 million for global marketing.

By way of comparison, "How To Train Your Dragon," the studio's previous non-sequel, opened to $44 million, and the studio's share price fell 8 percent the following Monday. But the movie displayed strong staying power, ending up with $218 million domestically and $276 million internationally.

Still, DreamWorks Animation's current stock price -- $35.42 as of Friday -- is off 17 percent since "Dragon" opened. Archrival Walt Disney Co is up about 5 percent over the same period.

"Due Date" stars Robert Downey Jr and Zach Galifianakis as an odd couple forced to endure each other on a road trip, and is not to be confused with "Planes, Trains and Automobiles," the 1987 comedy starring Steve Martin and John Candy. The new film was directed by Todd Phillips who, along with Galifianakis, is currently shooting a sequel to their hit comedy "The Hangover."

Warner Bros. said the film set a new opening record for an R-rated comedy in November, surpassing the $26.5 million debut for "Borat" in 2006.

"For Colored Girls" marks prolific filmmaker Tyler Perry's latest exploration of the life of black women, but the Lionsgate release is definitely not to be confused with the slapstick comedies starring his "Madea" alter-ego. "Girls," an adaptation of Ntozake Shange's play about a group of women dealing with abuse issues, played to a slightly older female crowd than is usual for Perry films, Lionsgate said.

The top-five was rounded out by the Summit Entertainment crime drama "Red," starring Bruce Willis, holding steady at No. 4 with $8.9 million in its fourth week; and last weekend's champion, the Lionsgate horror "Saw 3D," which slid to No. 5 with $8.2 million. Their respective totals rose to $71.9 million and $38.8 million.

"Megamind" was released by Viacom Inc's Paramount Pictures under a distribution deal with DreamWorks Animation. Warner Bros. is a unit of Time Warner Inc. Lionsgate is a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. Summit Entertainment is privately held. Via www.Geo.Tv

MADRID: Americans have cleaned up at the MTV Europe Awards in Madrid, as Lady Gaga picked up three top prizes and awards crowned Katy Perry, Canadian teen idol Justin Bieber and half a dozen US outfits.

The US diva Lady Gaga received her trophies, for female artist of the year, best pop act and best song for "Bad Romance", on stage in the Hungarian capital Budapest where she was performing to a packed concert audience.

"This means so much to me. Europe I love you," Lady Gaga, who bagged a slew of prizes at the US version of the awards in September, told fans via a live link, switching between sets from a leopard bodice to a see-thru nurse outfit.

The Canadian-born Bieber, who shot to stardom after his songs were spotted on YouTube, was named best male act at the awards ceremony, based on a vote of 46 million people and hosted live by "Desperate Housewives" star Eva Longoria.

"It's a big achievement for me," said the 16-year-old, who was up against established rivals including Eminem and Kanye West. "All the other artists in this category are such an inspiration."

Katy Perry, who like Lady Gaga was nominated in five categories, picked up the best video award for her hit single "California Gurls".

Best rock went to US band Thirty Seconds to Mars, the best new act prize to the US singer Ke$ha and best alternative to the US pop-punk outfit Paramore.

The best hip hop award was for Eminem, who offered his thanks in a video beamed from Brazil, and the best live act award went to the Americans "Linkin Park" -- who were performing in downtown Madrid at the same time.

MTV also presented US rockers Bon Jovi, who have sold over 125 million albums worldwide, with a Global Icon prize.

"Thanks for making us icons," frontman Jon Bon Jovi said upon receiving the award. "I want to thank you fans for this unbelievable ride over a quarter of a century."

And a "Free Your Mind Award" rewarding social responsibility went to Shakira for her campaigning for education for disadvantaged children -- most recently using the proceeds from the "Waka Waka" World Cup anthem.

The MTV Europe Awards are held each year in a different European city, with past hosts including Copenhagen in 2006, Liverpool in 2008, Lisbon in 2005, Rome in 2004, Paris in 1996 and Barcelona in 2002.

Sunday's host Longoria -- who said before the event she planned to "pull off some way-out outfits" -- was true to her word, trumping Lady Gaga's now infamous meat dress with a tongue-in-cheek "Spanish ham dress".

After switching between half a dozen outfits, from magenta slit-front tuxedo jacket to black, shoulderless mini dress, the glamorous 35-year-old actress shimmered onstage in a layered satin gown.

But US singer Katy Perry, who picked up a best video award at the event for "California Gurls", promptly whisked off Longoria's gown to reveal a shimmering black bustier and mini-shorts beneath.

And then the fashion finale, as Longoria waddled onstage in a life-size tribute to the "meat dress" -- made entirely of raw steak -- which Lady Gaga wore to the September MTV music awards in the United States.

Longoria's reply, the "Jamon Iberico" or Spanish Ham dress, was shaped like a fleshy leg of cured ham, with only her head poking out of its centre.

"Lady Gaga couldn't be here tonight but she left this dress backstage," the actress quipped. "Who knew Spanish ham was one of my colours?"Via www.Geo.tv

MUMBAI: Bollywood actress Vidya Balan who was at the shooting venue of a film directed by Sujoy Ghosh, reportedly, fatigued due to the pressure of hectic schedules.

Medical reports confirmed that the physical condition of Vidya Balan deteriorated due to the huge workload. Vidya is believed to be busy with rigorous shooting schedules since about three months.

She, according to the grapevine, was busy with shooting as well as dubbing concurrently devoid of a break for at least a single day.

When asked for confirmation, she said, "It is true that I fatigued on the sets of a film directed by Sujoy Ghosh in Kolkata. Excessive stress is the root cause of my condition which send a shiver down the spine of the entire unit of the film."

The Controller of Examinations, Board of Intermediate Karachi (BIEK), Professor Agha Akber Mirza, announced the results of higher secondary school certificate, Part-II, (Class XII), annual examinations 2010 of Humanities (regular, private and special) groups on Tuesday.

According to the gazette, 11,584 regular candidates were registered while 11,309 students appeared in the exams of which 4,166 were declared successful. The overall pass percentage result was 36.84 per cent.

Mirza said that 1, 261 male students were registered as regular candidates of whom 1,220 appeared and 327 passed. The pass percentage was 26.80 per cent. He further said that 10,323 female pupils registered for the examination as regular candidates and 10,089 appeared of whom 3,839 were declared successful. The pass percentage of regular female candidates was 38.05 per cent.

At least two cases of unfair means were reported during and after the examinations, he added. The result shows that no male (regular) candidate attained A-1 grade whereas seven female (regular) students had managed A-1 grade in the exams.

Hafiza Sumaiya Ilyas, daughter of Muhammad Ilyas, roll number 342493, clinched overall first position among the regular candidates. She is a student of Iqra Huffaz Girls Science/Arts College, Block-B, North Nazimabad. Hafiza Sumaiya obtained 909 marks out of a total of 1100 with 82.63 per cent.
“I have not decided about my future to date. However, I am interested in teaching,” she said. “I have also completed the course of Aliama (certificate in religious studies) and would like to pursue it. I may join my institute as teacher,” she added.

A student of PECHS Government College for Women, bearing roll number 336145, Aiman Irfan, daughter of Muhammad Irfan Fatani, bagged second position. She received 908 marks and 82.54 per cent. According to Aiman, she may not continue her studies as her marriage has been arranged in near future.

Anam Zia, daughter of Ziaul Hasan, roll number 344102, and student of DA Degree College for Women, Phase-VIII, DHA got third position. She had 902 marks and 80 per cent in the exams.

As many as 6, 639 male (private) candidates registered for the examinations while 6,170 students appeared and 2,789 pupils passed. The pass percentage of male (private) candidate was 45.20 per cent, Mirza said.

Hafiza Sana Hussain, daughter of Syed Hussain, bearing roll number 261703, secured overall first position among private candidates. She received 896 marks out of total 1100 and 81.45 per cent.
“I have also completed course of Aliama and am now interested in doing BA in Urdu,” she said. Hafiza Sana she would like to suggest separate teachings for male and female candidates in the education system of the country.

Rabiya Amin daughter Muhammad Amin, having roll number 266231 bagged second position with 891 marks and 81 per cent. “I was not able to appear as regular candidate because there is gap of five years in my matriculation and intermediate,” she said. “I got married after the matriculation exams and then hada son, who is now two-and-an-half years old. I would like to enrol in the BA programme,” Rabiya added.

She believed that most of the female candidates left their education due to co-education and this scenario could be improved by offering separate classes for male and female students.

Rimsha Khan, daughter of Abrar Khan, roll number 263745, secured third position. She scored 869 marks with 79 per cent. “I also believe that co-education is a problem for many girls and it should be addressed according to their wishes,” she said.

Furthermore, 85 special candidates registered for the examinations while 83 students appeared and all of them were declared successful, the controller of examinations, BIEK, said. The overall percentage was 100 per cent

As many as 56 male (special) candidates registered for the examinations whereas 55 appeared and all of them managed to pass their exams, Mirza further said.
The result shows that nine male and 11 female had A-1 grade while 28 male and 12 female received A-grade in the exams.

Malik Muhammad Waqas, son of Ghazanfar Ali Zahid Awan, roll number 361005, bagged overall first position with 996 marks out of 1100 and 90.55 per cent in special candidates group. He was a student of IDA-RIEU College for the deaf and blind.

“I usually have problems during communication with common people as they cannot recognise the sign language,” he said with the help of the instructor, who was translating the questions asked by the media, to the special candidates.

Waqas said that he would like to seek a job in the computer-related industry.

Amna Pervez daughter of Pervez Ahmed Bajwa, bearing roll number 361156, received second position with 984 marks and 89.45 per cent. She was a student of DEWA Higher Secondary School (HSS), an institution for special children, Gulshan-e-Iqbal.

Amna said that she never felt disheartened when people failed to understand sign language. Her ambition was to take admission in fine arts.

Iqra Khalid daughter of Malik Khalid Hussain, having roll number 361159, got third position.

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LAHORE Navy earned 1-0 win over PMC Athletico Club Faisalabad while KRL drew 1-1 with PEL at Municipal Stadium, Rawalpindi in the Pakistan Premier Football matches on Monday.
At Karachi, SSGC suffered 1-6 drubbing at the hands of KESC at KPT - Benazir Sports Complex while HBL put up stubborn display to hold NBP 0-0 in all-banker clash at Peoples Sports Complex Lyari Town.
Monday saw the completion of 126 matches of Pakistan Premier Football League with 114 more to come.
Spearhead Sajjad Ahmed returned as hero from the field as his 85th minute goal separated the two outfits when the seamen earned their seventh win, beating visitors from Faisalabad in tough, hard tackling match.
PEL did well to hold holders KRL 1-1 with their midfielder Muzaffar Ali hitting the equaliser three minutes from time. KRL were happily placed 1-0 with goal from Abid Ghafoor, playing against his previous team PEL, in the 43rd minute.
SSGC stayed at five points in 15 games when they suffered 1-6 defeat against KESC. The star performer was their skipper Muhammad Essa who struck hat-trick in 28 minute. Winger Muhammad Rasool landed opener in the 31st seconds for the winners who never won the title and were 6th , 8th , 12th and eight in four PPFL editions from 2006-2009.
Pakistani and KESC skipper Essa hammered his goals past keeper Zaman Ghani in the 33rd, 48th and 61st minute to complete seventh hat-trick of the event. Muhammad Riaz and talented winger Abdul Rehman also joined the list of scorers for KESC in the 55th and 67th minute respectively while SSGCs Sabir Khan earned honor-saving goal for SSGC in the 31st minute.
Tuesdays Fixture
Army v Young Blood (Municipal Stadium, near Masjid Muhammad Ejaz Khan & Sundra Beauty Saloon, B-Block Satellite Town, Rawalpindi 3 PM), PAF v Pak WAPDA (PAF Complex, Peshawar 3 PM). KPT v Afghan FC, Chaman (KPT - Benazir Sports Complex, West Wharf Road, Kharadar, Karachi 3 PM), PIA v Baloch FC, Nushki (Korangi Baloch Stadium, Sharafi, Karachi 3 PM)News from Hamariweb.com

MELBOURNE: Angelo Mathews and Lasith Malinga combined in a record 132-run ninth-wicket partnership to guide Sri Lanka to an extraordinary one-wicket win on Wednesday that highlighted Australia's falling status in international cricket.

Sri Lanka was reeling at 107 for eight in the 26th over chasing 240 to win when Mathews and Malinga combined. Together they ensured a tie before Malinga was run out for 56 with the total at 239-9.

No. 11 Muttiah Muralitharan calmly hit the winning runs in the next over, leaving Mathews unbeaten on 77 from 80 deliveries.

It was a sixth consecutive defeat for Australia in all formats of the game. Long ranked No. 1 in test and one-day cricket, Australia has now lost three consecutive tests — one to Pakistan and two to India — before an ODI defeat in India and a lopsided loss to Sri Lanka in Perth on the weekend in a Twenty20 International.

WASHINGTON: U.S. approval ratings for President Barack Obama have slipped and frustration over the U.S. economy and anti-incumbent sentiment have risen, making for some hotly contested races in Tuesday's midterm elections.

The western state of Nevada hosts one of those contentious races, with conservative Sharron Angle, a Tea Party favorite, in a tight race with Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Reid was elected to the Senate in 1986 and has seen his popularity plummet as the state faces some of the worst foreclosure and jobless rates in the country.

In the state of Kentucky, Tea Party favorite Rand Paul won the Senate race against state Attorney General Jack Conway, a Democrat. Paul became the Republican nominee in a surprise upset over Kentucky's Secretary of State, Trey Grayson.

In a three-way contest in Florida, former state lawmaker and Tea Party favorite Marco Rubio defeated Democratic candidate Kendrick Meek and Governor Charlie Crist, who ran for the Senate seat as an independent after losing the Republican nomination to Rubio.

In Delaware, Democrat Chris Coons defeated conservative activist and political novice Christine O'Donnell to win the Senate seat once held by Vice President Joe Biden. O'Donnell, a Tea Party-backed candidate, generated controversy after winning the Republican nomination in an upset over moderate veteran U.S. Representative Mike Castle.

In Senate races still to be decided, Republican Ken Buck poses a challenge to incumbent Democrat Michael Bennet in Colorado. Bennet came to the Senate as an appointee for a vacant seat, and won the Democratic nomination during this year's primary vote.

In Pennsylvania, longtime incumbent Senator Arlen Specter quit the Republican Party in 2009 and became a Democrat, only to lose the Democratic primary this year to Representative Joe Sestak. Now Sestak is locked in a close battle with Republican Pat Toomey for Specter's seat.

In the western state of Washington, incumbent Democratic Senator Patty Murray is in a close race with Republican Dino Rossi, a businessman who has twice lost the state governor's race.

In yet another contentious race, California Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer is facing a strong challenge from Republican Carly Fiorina - a former chief executive officer of the Hewlett-Packard company.

Alaska's Senate race has been complicated by the fact that there are three candidates: Tea Party-backed Joe Miller, who won the Republican nomination, and incumbent Lisa Murkowski, who is campaigning as a write-in candidate after losing the Republican nomination. Polls show Miller and Murkowski in a tight race, with Democrat Scott McAdams possibly benefiting from a split in the Republican vote. Via Geo.TV

ISLAMABAD: The number of patients affected with Dengue virus mounted to over 5000 in the country, Geo News reported Wednesday.

Meantime, the death toll caused by the disease, also rose to 31.

According to Pakistan's National Health Department (NHD), the number of confirmed dengue patients in the country, rose to 5050. Of them, 2350 patients are in Sindh, 1885 in Punjab and at least 158 dengue patients are present in Khyber Pakhtoonkhaw.

There are at least 380 patients in Rawalpindi and 230 in Islamabad.Via Geo.tv