Dunya TV

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• Iran bars Rafsanjani from standing for president
• Car bomb, other attacks kill 20 in Iraq
• Hezbollah sends new fighters to bloody Syria battle
• Israel warns Syria against attacks on Golan
• Militants kill five coal miners in India's northeast
• Andy Murray out of French Open due to back injury
• Davydenko loses in 1st round at Power Horse Cup
• Football: Man City, Yankees launch MLS NY team
• Squash: David makes fast start at British Open
• Golf: Anchoring putters banned from 2016
• Oil slips as traders wait for Fed, supply data
• Dollar gains on yen, falls against euro
• Accidental find shown Vitamin C kills tuberculosis
• Bell, Swann fit for second New Zealand Test
• Botham backs Anderson to break his record

Iran bars Rafsanjani from standing for president Posted: TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran's moderate ex-president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has been barred from standing in next month's presidential election, along with a controversial aide of incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the interior ministry said on Tuesday.Rafsanjani, who served as president from 1989 to 1997, was omitted from the list of eight candidates approved by the Guardians Council, a conservative-dominated vetting body, along with Ahmadinejad confidant and ex-chief of staff Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie.The approved list of candidates for the June 14 election is dominated by conservatives close to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the ultimate decision-maker in the Islamic republic.No explanation was given for the disqualifications.Rafsanjani's late registration on May 11 had polarised Iran's complex political system, with marginalised reformists backing him while ultra-conservatives questioned his motives for a political comeback.A heavyweight until eight years ago when Ahmadinejad beat him in the 2005 presidential election, Rafsanjani has lost much of his political stock in recent years.In particular, he drew the ire of the ruling establishment in 2009 when he openly questioned the handling of the controversial election which gave Ahmadinejad a second term.That vote provoked massive street protests and claims of fraud, which were crushed in a heavy-handed crackdown.Rafsanjani, who will turn 79 in August, currently chairs the Expediency Council, Iran's highest political arbitration body.Guardians Council spokesman Abbasali Kadkhodai, speaking to state television and without naming Rafsanjani, said frailty and old age had been factors in the eliminations.Mashaie, the other main candidate disqualified, was personally endorsed by Ahmadinejad.His exclusion was not unexpected however, as he is seen as too liberal, considered a danger to the Islamic revolution by regime insiders, and is accused of driving a wedge between Ahmadinejad and Khamenei in recent years.Mashaie said he would seek to reverse his disqualification.I deem my disqualification an injustice. I will seek its resolution through Khamenei, he told the Fars news agency. God willing, it will be resolved.The disqualifications appeared to put lead nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, a figure close to Khameni, in the front seat.He is rivalled in his quest for Iran's highest elected office by fellow conservative hopefuls cleared by the Guardians Council, comprised of religious conservatives who are all directly or indirectly appointed by Khamenei.They include Tehran mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, ex-foreign minister Ali Akbar Velayati, ex-commander of the Revolutionary Guards Mohsen Rezai and former parliament speaker Gholam Ali Haddad Adel.Two figures seen as moderate conservatives are also on the list of approved candidates: former nuclear negotiator, Hassan Rowhani, and Mohammad Gharazi, a former minister who served under Rafsanjani and under opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, who is currently under house arrest.The reformists will have only one candidate in the election in Mohammad Reza Aref, who served as first vice president under president Mohammad Khatami.The Guardians Council is tasked with vetting candidates to ensure they meet the constitutional requirement of being faithful to the principles of the Islamic republic.Some 686 hopefuls, including 30 women, most of them politically unknown, had registered to contest the election.Ahmadinejad is constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term. His two-term presidency has left the Islamic republic isolated internationally and struggling to cope with harsh economic sanctions over Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

Car bomb, other attacks kill 20 in Iraq Posted: BAGHDAD (AP) - A car bomb exploded as Sunni worshippers were leaving a mosque after evening prayers Tuesday in Baghdad, the deadliest in a string of attacks that killed at least 20 people nationwide in a week of the most sustained sectarian violence in the country since U.S. troops withdrew more than a year ago.Rising tensions between Sunnis and the Shiite-led government have burst into a new round of bloodshed with 279 people killed since last week and scenes reminiscent of some of the worst carnage during the days when the two Islamic sects battled each other as well as U.S.-led forces in the chaotic years after Saddam Hussein's ouster.The violence has raised fears the country is sliding back to the brink of civil war amid rising Sunni anger over perceived mistreatment at the hands of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government and dangerous spillover from Syria's civil war next door, which pits mainly Sunni rebels against Syrian President Bashar Assad, a member of the Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam.White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters in Washington that the U.S. administration was deeply concerned by the frequency and the nature of recent attacks. U.S. officials in Baghdad and Washington were in contact with a wide range of senior Iraqi leaders to urge calm and help resolve ongoing political and sectarian tensions, he said Monday.The explosion targeting the worshippers occurred in the western neighborhood of Abu Ghraib, the site of the infamous prison of the same name, killing 10 people and wounding 21, according to police and hospital officials. A bomb also targeted a tea house in Baghdad's mainly Sunni southern Dora neighborhood, killing three people and wounding 14, two police officers and a medical official said.Several smaller attacks struck areas elsewhere in the country earlier Tuesday.A suicide bomber set off his explosives-laden vest at a military checkpoint in the town of Tarmiyah, 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Baghdad. The blast was followed by militants who opened fire at the Iraqi troops, killing three soldiers and wounding nine, a police official said.In the northern city of Tuz Khormato, two parked car bombs went off simultaneously, killing three civilians and wounding 38 people, said Mayor Shalal Abdool. The town is about 200 kilometers (130 miles) north of the Iraqi capital.And in Kirkuk, 290 kilometers (180 miles) north of Baghdad, three bombs exploded back-to-back at a sheep market, killing one person and wounding 25, police Col. Taha Salaheddin said.Authorities also raised the death toll from Monday's wave of bloodshed a series of blitz attacks stretching from north of Baghdad to the southern city of Basra and targeting bus stops, open-air markets and rush-hour crowds to 113 after many of the wounded died of their injuries. That made it the deadliest single day since July 23, 2012, when attacks aimed largely at security forces killed 115.No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but such systematic carnage carries the hallmarks of the two sides that brought nearly nonstop chaos to Iraq for years: Sunni insurgents, including al-Qaida's branch in Iraq, and Shiite militias defending their newfound power after Saddam's fall.

Hezbollah sends new fighters to bloody Syria battle Posted: DAMASCUS (AFP) - Elite Hezbollah fighters poured across the border from Lebanon into Syria on Tuesday, a watchdog and others said, bolstering Syrian regime forces battling to retake the key rebel stronghold of Qusayr.Washington condemned Hezbollah's direct intervention on the side of President Bashar al-Assad's regime and diplomats said the European Union was poised to place the Shiite militant group's military wing on its terror blacklist.Separately, Israeli and Syrian forces traded fire on the Golan Heights. The Syrian army said it had destroyed an Israeli military vehicle that crossed the armistice line, a claim denied by Israel which nonetheless warned Damascus of consequences if there was further fire from the Syrian side.In central Homs province, Hezbollah fighters were reportedly leading the battle for Qusayr, three days after the Syrian regime began an assault to regain control of the town.It's clear Hezbollah is leading the assault, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP, adding that government aircraft were pressing a bombardment and much of the town is now destroyed.A source close to Hezbollah told AFP it has sent new elite troops to Qusayr. Hezbollah's television channel broadcast images of funerals for five fighters it said were killed carrying out their jihadist duty.The Observatory said more than 100 people have been killed in Qusayr since the fighting began on Sunday, including 31 Hezbollah fighters, 70 rebels and nine soldiers.Abdel Rahman described the rebel response to the assault in Qusayr as fierce, but expressed concern for the fate of some 25,000 trapped civilians.Pro-regime daily Al-Watan said loyalists had taken control of all Qusayr's official buildings and raised the Syrian flag above them.

Israel warns Syria against attacks on Golan Posted: JERUSALEM (AP) - Israeli and Syrian troops exchanged fire across their tense cease-fire line in the Golan Heights on Tuesday, prompting an Israeli threat that Syria's leader will bear the consequences of further escalation and raising new concerns that the civil war there could explode into a region-wide conflict.The incident marked the first time the Syrian army has acknowledged firing intentionally at Israeli troops since the civil war erupted more than two years ago. President Bashar Assad's regime appears to be trying to project toughness in response to three Israeli airstrikes near Damascus in recent months.In the exchange, an Israeli jeep came under fire during an overnight patrol in the Golan Heights, a strategic plateau which Israel captured from Syria in 1967 and later annexed. Syria claimed it destroyed the vehicle after it crossed the cease-fire line.Israel said the jeep was on the Israeli side of the line and suffered minor damage, and no one was hurt. It said it returned fire at the source and scored a direct hit. It gave no further details. Syria did not comment on the Israeli fire.It was the latest in a string of incidents in which gunfire and mortar shells have struck the Israeli side of the Golan in recent months. Israel believes that most of the fire has been incidental spillover from the Syrian civil war, but that several cases, including Tuesday's, were intentional.Israel's military chief, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, accused the Syrian leader of encouraging and directing operations against Israel. He said the Israeli patrol was targeted several times Tuesday by a clearly marked Syrian position.In his speech, he clearly alluded to the possibility that hostilities could erupt between Israel and Syria, which have fought several full-scale wars over the years and are bitter enemies.We will not allow the Golan Heights to become a comfortable space for Assad to operate from, Gantz told a conference at the University of Haifa. If he escalates (the situation on) the Golan Heights, he will have to bear the consequences.Gantz said the situation is extremely combustible, and a day doesn't go by where there could be a sudden uncontrollable deterioration. He warned, Instability will be the only stable thing that will happen here.Israel has been warily watching the Syrian civil war since it broke out in March 2011, fearing the conflict could spill across its borders at any time.Israel is concerned that Assad, if he is facing defeat, might try to draw Israel into the fighting to divert attention away from his internal struggles. More than 70,000 people have been killed in the civil war, and rebels now control large swaths of Syrian territory.Israel is also concerned that Assad's arsenal of advanced arms, including chemical weapons, anti-aircraft systems and sophisticated missiles, could be transferred to Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon or fall into the hands of radical rebel groups.Islamic extremists linked to al-Qaida are among the groups trying to oust Assad, and Israel is concerned they could turn their attention toward the Jewish state if they overthrow Assad. Although Assad is a sworn enemy of Israel, he is also a known quantity, and his family has been careful to keep the border with Israel quiet for most of the past 40 years.But tensions have been rising between Israel and Syria in recent weeks, particularly following the airstrikes, which targeted alleged Syrian arms shipments bound for Hezbollah. Israel has not confirmed carrying out the attacks.

Militants kill five coal miners in India's northeast Posted: GUWAHATI (AFP) - Militants in India's northeastern state of Meghalaya shot dead five coal miners after the owners of the mine failed to pay extortion money, police said Tuesday.The outlawed United Achik Liberation Army (UALA) killed the miners Monday night in the South Garo Hills district, 500 kilometres (300 miles) from state capital Shillong.The militants armed with automatic weapons lined up the miners and fired indiscriminately, killing five on the spot, Davies R. Marak, police chief of South Garo Hills, told AFP by telephone.We believe the attack was aimed at creating fear and extorting money in the coalbelt area of the Garo Hills, the police chief said.The UALA is a little-known militant group with no clear ideology and is mainly active in the coal mining belt of the state.Coal mine accidents and demands for extortion are common in the state because the government has little control over the privately-owned mines.

Andy Murray out of French Open due to back injury Posted: LONDON (AP) - Andy Murray withdrew from the French Open on Tuesday because of a chronic back injury and will now focus on preparing for the start of the grass-court season next month.The U.S. Open champion met with specialists this week after being forced to pull out of his second-match against Marcel Granollers of Spain at the Italian Open last Wednesday because of the long-standing complaint.It's a really tough decision and I love playing in Paris, but after seeking medical advice I am not fit to compete, Murray said in a statement. Apologies to the organizers and thanks to everyone for the messages of support. Now my complete focus is on getting back on the court as soon as possible.The French Open, the second Grand Slam tournament of the year, starts Sunday at Roland Garros.Last week in Rome, Murray took a long injury break early in the second set against Granollers, getting his left thigh and lower back massaged.He seemed pessimistic about his chances of playing in the French Open, the only major in which he hasn't reached the final.I have an issue with my lower back. It's been an issue for a while, Murray said then. I want to make sure it goes away. It's been a problem since the end of 2011 but it got bad during last year's clay season.I would be very surprised if I was playing in Paris.Murray reached the quarterfinals at Roland Garros last year, falling to David Ferrer, before going on to lose his first Wimbledon final to Roger Federer. He avenged that defeat against the Swiss star to win Olympic gold, and downed Novak Djovokic at Flushing Meadow for his first Grand Slam title later in 2012.Wimbledon runs from June 24 to July 7 this year.

Davydenko loses in 1st round at Power Horse Cup Posted: DUESSELDORF (AP) - Eighth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko lost his fourth straight match Tuesday, falling 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 to lucky loser Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia in the first round of the Power Horse Cup.Bedene replaced Dmitry Tursunov of Russia in the main draw and needed less than 2 hours to add to Davydenko's opening-round losses in Munich, Madrid and Rome.Seventh-seeded Viktor Troicki defeated Michael Russell of the United States 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. The Serb will play Grega Zemlja of Slovenia, who saved 13 of 15 breakpoints to beat David Goffin of Belgium 5-7, 6-0, 6-2.Igor Sijsling of the Netherlands defeated Kazakh qualifier Evgeny Korolev 6-2, 6-4, serving 15 aces in his first clay-court match of the season. He will meet Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany.

Football: Man City, Yankees launch MLS NY team Posted: NEW YORK (AFP) - Manchester City and the New York Yankees are teaming up to launch a new Major League Soccer club in New York City, MLS Commissioner Don Garber said Tuesday.Garber said the English Premiership club and Major League Baseball's storied franchise had acquired the league's 20th expansion club which will be called New York City Football Club (NYCFC) and is expected to begin play in 2015.We proudly welcome two of the most prestigious professional global sports organizations to Major League Soccer, Garber said. This is a transformational development that will elevate the league to new heights in this country.The New York area is home to more than 19 million people, and we look forward to an intense crosstown rivalry between New York City Football Club and the New York Red Bulls that will captivate this great city.The new team will seek to build a permanent home in New York, perhaps at the site in Flushing Meadows near the home of the US Open tennis championships that MLS has been exploring, but perhaps elsewhere.Until its facility is built it will make arrangements for an interim venue.Ferran Soriano, chief executive of Manchester City, will oversee the process of filling top NYCFC leadership positions.We are thrilled to contribute to the energy and growth of New York City Soccer, he said. In the Yankees, we have found the absolute best partner for developing a world-class sports organization and a winning team that will carry the New York City Football Club name with pride. Manchester City will be the majority owner of the club. As an investor,t he Yankees will be active in the ownership group.The two clubs already have a comercial relationship through the Legends Hospitality entertainment and marketing organizagion.On May 25, Yankee Stadium will host Manchester City in a friendly match against Premiership rivals Chelsea.

Squash: David makes fast start at British Open Posted: HULL (AFP) - World number one Nicol David's bid to win the British Open for a fifth time made a fast and impressive start on Tuesday which belied the fact that she has yet to win a title this year.The record-breaking Malaysian needed only half an hour to win her first round by 11-4, 11-5, 11-4 against Joshana Chinappa, the five-time Indian champion who had come through the qualifying competition.This may have been an advantage as Chinappa was comfortable with the warm, fast conditions and able to push David to some fine long rallies, though she was not consistent enough to avoid an occasional sprinkling of high-speed mistakes which was the difference between the players.I tried not to give her time to play her game because she can be dangerous, said David. And I'm really pleased with the way I did that.Especially this last year I do more with the ball. Of course it's difficult to do that all the time, but I knew I had to work her and not let her game flow.David produced two terrific rallies in the middle of the second game, which revealed the increasing authority of her stroke play, carried her to 6-3, and announced that she was firmly in control of the match against an able opponent.One of these finished with a disguised drive, which David masked so well with a late movement of the wrist that it hurtled for a clean winner, and the other included a volleying attack which pressured Chinappa into hitting the ball down.David concluded the match with a neat little volley-drop cut-off to a cross court ball, and then discussed the big change which will come on Wednesday evening.Then she and all the other women will have to adapt not only from a plaster wall court to an all-glass court, but to temperatures which may be 15 degrees or more lower, greatly affecting the bounce of the ball.That is because all the women's first round matches - unlike the men's - are being played at the Pontefract club 50 miles away from the Hull City football club venue - placing a greater premium on the ability to adapt quickly.It would be better if everyone started straight away on the glass court, David admitted. Or to do it half and half with the men, to give us a better chance. It's a shame. But I'm used to having to adapt.David now has a surprise opponent, Sarah Kippax, a local hope ranked just outside the top 20, who upset Natalie Grinham, the ten-seeded former British Open finalist from The Netherlands, by 9-11, 13-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7.Kippax looked headed for the exit when she was within one shot of going two games down, but by the time the English woman had taken it the distance, she had gained in confidence. At the finish she was just a little too fresh for the 35-year-old opponent who used to be David's closest rival.Earlier another Malaysian, Low Wee Wern, became the first seed to fall. The seventh-rated Low was beaten 11-7, 13-11, 7-11, 11-9 by Sarah-Jane Perry, a new English hope who has risen more than 40 places in less than a year to reach the top 20 for the first time.A good start and the support of the home crowd always made an upset possible, and Perry was further helped when Low was unable to convert a game ball at 10-9 in the second game to level the scores.Perry also recovered from two or three disagreements with the referee, and instead ploughed her emotions into moving the ball, and her opponent, around as much as possible.But Low fought hard and at 6-2 up in the fourth game looked as though she might take it to a decider, before another Perry surge earned her the best win of her career.Later there was a recovery from two games down which did go all the way.It saw Rachael Grinham, the 36-year-old four-times former British Open champion earn a 10-12, 1-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-8 revenge over Nicolette Fernandes, the Caribbean champion who had beaten the Australian at the World Open in Grand Cayman in December.

Golf: Anchoring putters banned from 2016 Posted: WENTWORTH (AFP) - Golf's ruling bodies on Tuesday announced that anchoring putters will be banned from the start of 2016.The anchored putting stroke has been in the spotlight since being used by a clutch of players to win major championships recently, with the latest being Adam Scott, who used a broom-handle putter to win the Masters at Augusta in April.Keegan Bradley won the PGA Championship in 2011 using a putter anchored to his stomach whilst Ernie Els and Webb Simpson used similar implements to land majors last seasonBut the R&A and the United States Golf Association have agreed that, from January 1 2016, anchoring the putter in making a stroke will be prohibited, although the clubs themselves will not be banned. The penalty for anchoring the club during the stroke will be two shots in stroke play and loss of the hole in match play.Peter Dawson, Chief Executive of The R&A, said in a statement: We took a great deal of time to consider this issue and received a variety of contributions from individuals and organisations at all levels of the game. The report published today gives a comprehensive account of the reasons for taking the decision to adopt the new Rule and addresses the concerns that have been raised. We recognise this has been a divisive issue but, after thorough consideration, we remain convinced that this is the right decision for golf.Having considered all of the input that we received, both before and after the proposed Rule was announced, our best judgement is that Rule 14-1b is necessary to preserve one of the important traditions and challenges of the game - that the player freely swing the entire club, added USGA President Glen D. Nager. The new Rule upholds the essential nature of the traditional method of stroke and eliminates the possible advantage that anchoring provides, ensuring that players of all skill levels face the same challenge inherent in the game of golf.Dawson told reporters at Wentworth that he hoped there would be no protracted legal disputes and that the move would be accepted by the game in general. The R&A had 450 comments on the matter, both for and against, whilst the USGA attracted 2,200 comments.Dawson said: We have had some opposition and some support - it has been a mixture. It is best for the game that we all get behind this and move forward. The governing bodies have always had the right to make rule changes and we have done a huge amount of work on this.World number one Tiger Woods has already given his backing to the change, as has South African legend Gary Player, who claimed anchoring putters took the nerves out of the game.The ban will not be retrospective so Bradley, Simpson, Scott and Els will keep their places in the record books.David Rickman, Executive Director of Rules and Equipment Standards at The R&A, said: This Rule change addresses the future and not the past. Everyone who has used an anchored stroke in the past, or who does so between now and 1 January 2016, will have played entirely within the Rules and their achievements will in no way be diminished.A statement from the US PGA Tour today read: We will now begin our process to ascertain whether the various provisions of Rule 14-1b will be implemented in our competitions and, if so, examine the process for implementation.

Oil slips as traders wait for Fed, supply data Posted: NEW YORK (AP) - The price of oil fell Tuesday as investors waited for the Federal Reserves latest views on the U.S. economy.Benchmark crude for June delivery dropped 55 cents to $96.16 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.On Wednesday, Fed chairman Ben Bernanke will appear before Congress and the central bank will release minutes of its most recent policy meeting.Traders will be looking for hints on what the Fed might be preparing to do in light of recent data that has pointed toward a sustained economic recovery.There is speculation that the Fed might want to scale back or modify its loose monetary policy and its $85 billion-a-month program of bond purchases intended to keep interest rates low and prop up the recovery.Investors will also be monitoring fresh information on U.S. stockpiles of crude and refined products.Data for the week ending May 17 is expected to show declines of 1.2 million barrels in crude oil stocks and of 200,000 barrels in gasoline stocks, according to a survey of analysts by Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw-Hill.The American Petroleum Institute will release its report on oil stocks later Tuesday, while the report from the Energy Departments Energy Information Administration the market benchmark will be out on Wednesday.Brent crude, a benchmark for many international oil varieties, fell 89 cents to $103.91 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.

Dollar gains on yen, falls against euro Posted: NEW YORK (AFP) - The dollar firmed against most other major currencies except the euro Tuesday on the eve of Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernankes much-anticipated testimony to Congress.The euro rose to $1.2906 around 2100 GMT, up from $1.2884 at the same time late Monday.The dollar strengthened against the Japanese currency, to 102.47 yen from 102.26 at the same time late Monday, while the euro also gained, buying 132.26 yen, up from 131.76.The dollars gains came ahead of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernankes testimony before the Joint Economic Committee on the US economic outlook Wednesday, which will be followed later in the day by the release of the Feds minutes for its last monetary policy meeting.Analysts will be poring over Bernankes testimony and the Federal Open Market Committee minutes for signs of the Feds intentions to wind down, or step up, its third round of quantitative easing (QE).We believe his monetary policy bias will be the main driver of dollar flows, said Kathy Lien of BK Asset Management.Bernankes views will give us a good sense of whether the markets expectations for tapering QE are overblown.Based on the relentless rally in the US dollar over the past month, investors are pricing in a major change in Fed policy and Bernankes comments could either support or end the dollar rally.Under the QE program, the Fed is buying $85 billion of bonds a month to inject liquidity into the economy to support growth.The dollar rose against the pound, which fetched $1.5154, down from $1.5258 late Monday.The greenback firmed to 0.9697 Swiss franc from 0.9667 franc.

Accidental find shown Vitamin C kills tuberculosis Posted: PARIS (AFP) - Scientists said Tuesday they had managed to kill lab-grown tuberculosis (TB) bacteria with good old Vitamin C -- an unexpected discovery they hope will lead to better, cheaper drugs.A team from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York made the accidental find while researching how TB bacteria become resistant to the TB drug isoniazid.The researchers added isoniazid and a reducing agent known as cysteine to the TB in a test tube, expecting the bacteria to develop drug resistance.Instead, the team ended up killing off the culture, according to the study's senior author William Jacobs, who said the result was totally unexpected.Reducing agents chemically reduce other substances.The team then replaced the cysteine in the experiment with another reducing agent -- Vitamin C.It, too, killed the bacteria.I was in disbelief, said Jacobs of the outcome published in the journal Nature Communications.Even more surprisingly... when we left out the TB drug isoniazid and just had Vitamin C alone, we discovered that Vitamin C kills tuberculosis.The team next tested the vitamin on drug resistant strains of TB, with the same outcome.In the lab tests, the bacteria never developed resistance to Vitamin C -- almost like the dream drug, Jacobs said in a video released by the college.He stressed the effect had only been demonstrated in a test tube so far, and we don't know if it will work in humans, or which dose might be useful.But in fact before this study we wouldn't have even thought about trying this study in humans.In March, disease experts warned of a very real risk of an untreatable TB strain emerging as more and more people develop drug resistance.In 2011, there were believed to be some 12 million TB cases in total -- 630,000 of them of the multi-drug resistant (MDR) variety which does not respond to the most potent drugs -- isoniazid and rifampin.Extensively drug resistant (XDR) TB, does not respond to an even wider range of drugs.TB was declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organisation (WHO) 20 years ago, but remains a leading cause of death by an infectious disease despite a 41-percent drop in the death rate from 1990 to 2011.In 2011, 8.7 million people fell ill with TB and 1.4 million died, said the WHO.Over 95 percent of TB deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, and it is a leading killer of people with HIV.An airborne disease of the lungs, tuberculosis is usually treatable with a six-month course of antibiotics.Resistance to TB drugs develops when treatment fails to kill the bacteria that causes it -- either because the patient fails to follow their prescribed dosages or the drug doesn't work.It can also be contracted through rare forms of the disease that are directly transmissible from person to person.MDR TB in the United States can cost as much as $250,000 (200,000 euros) per patient to treat.XDR TB requires about two years of treatment with even more expensive drugs that cause side-effects and offer no guarantee of a cure.The authors of the new study urged further research into the potential uses of Vitamin C in TB treatment, stressing it was inexpensive, widely available and very safe to use.This would be a great study to consider because we have strains of tuberculosis that we don't have drugs for, and I know in the laboratory that we can kill those strains with Vitamin C, said Jacobs.

Bell, Swann fit for second New Zealand Test Posted: LONDON (AFP) - England on Tuesday named an unchanged squad for the second Test against New Zealand at Headlingley, after batsman Ian Bell and spin bowler Graeme Swann both overcame illness.Bell had been the biggest doubt after coming down with influenza during England's first-Test victory at Lord's last week.He spent substantial time off the pitch and batted down at number eight in the second innings, while Swann complained of nausea on the fourth morning.Seamer Tim Bresnan was also named in the 12-man squad for his home Test at Headingley and is bidding to make his first Test appearance since undergoing elbow surgery in February.England selector Geoff Miller said he was encouraged by England's 170-run victory at Lord's, but predicted a taxing assignment in the second Test against a New Zealand side who held England to three draws on home soil two months ago.It was pleasing to start the international summer with a win over New Zealand in the first Investec Test, and I thought the team showed a lot of fighting spirit when under pressure to set up the victory, he said.We are aware there are still areas that we need to improve on, and the players and coaches will be working hard before the second Test to ensure we continue to get better as a side.New Zealand showed again that they are a dangerous side, and we know we will need to produce another strong performance this week to secure a series victory.England squad: Alastair Cook (capt), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Ian Bell, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Nick Compton, Steven Finn, Matt Prior (wkt), Joe Root, Graeme Swann, Jonathan Trott.

Botham backs Anderson to break his record Posted: LONDON (AFP) - Sir Ian Botham is confident James Anderson will far exceed his England record of 383 Test wickets after the Lancashire seamer broke the 300 barrier during last week's series-opening victory over New Zealand at Lord's.Lancashire paceman Anderson took seven wickets in England's 170-run first Test win to become only the fourth England player to reach the landmark and the 30-year-old ended the match with 305 wickets ahead of this week's second and final Test of the series at Headingley.I've been impressed with Jimmy for years, Botham said Tuesday at the re-launch of Unibet in the UK where its 'Unibet Summer of Sport' ad campaign featuring Botham, Gavin Hastings and Goran Ivanisevic was unveiled.I think he's magnificent. He's been the leader of the pack for a long time and will be for a long time to come. He gets better and better, former seam bowling all-rounder Botham added.I think he'll get 484 (Test wickets). I think he'll go sailing past (my record), the ex-England captain predicted.If I can get Jimmy to have a glass of wine with me, we'll open a very good bottle of wine and enjoy it when he goes past it, because I can't think of a better person to take the mantle over.Anderson was well supported at Lord's by the mercurial Stuart Broad, whose seven second innings wickets were mainly responsible for New Zealand being skittled out for just 68 as England won with more than a day to spare.Botham said the current new-ball duo were a complementary pairing and backed them to have a major influence when the team began its bid for a third straight Ashes series win over Australia later in the English season.It's a good combination. You've got the tall bowler who hits the back of a length, Stuart Broad, and you've got the swing bowling and the skills of Jimmy Anderson at the other end, Botham explained.That's the combinations that work for years and years - (Dennis) Lillee and (Jeff) Thomson (for Australia), myself and Bob Willis, Broad and Anderson. There's no secret recipe. They're just a good combination.It's a perfect build-up for England. New Zealand caused them problems in the (northern hemisphere) winter, on the surfaces we played (in New Zealand), which were very flat.England started a little slowly here (at Lord's) in this Test match, but got better and better and the way the bowlers came out on that final day, it was obvious they wanted a day off. They were magnificent.The runs will come, we know that, (Kevin) Pietersen's to come back into the side. But if the bowling department continue that form, look out Australia.Botham reserved some of his greatest England performances for the 'old enemy' notably during the 1981 Ashes, and relishes all sporting contests pitting 'the Poms' against the Aussies such as the British and Irish Lions rugby union side's forthcoming tour of Australia.That will be a tighter series than the cricket, of that I'm sure, he said. I'm going down for the third and final Test in Sydney (on July 6) and I'd be very surprised if the series has been won by then.

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