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Wednesday, October 1, 2014

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Dunya TV

Pot decriminalization bill drafted in Jamaica

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KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) Jamaicas justice minister says legislation has been drafted to decriminalize marijuana on the Caribbean island where the drug has long been pervasive but prohibited.At a Tuesday news conference, Mark Golding told reporters that lawmakers should make possession of 2 ounces or less a petty, ticketable offense before the end of 2014.Golding also expects that decriminalization for religious purposes will be achieved before the end of the year. Followers of the homegrown Rastafarian spiritual movement smoke the drug as a sacrament.He says amendments of the Dangerous Drugs Act needed to create a medical marijuana and pot research sector is a more complex undertaking and should be completed sometime in 2015.Golding says Jamaica is advancing decriminalization in a measured way and remains fully committed to battling drug traffickers.

Afghan pact signed amid questions on Iraq pullout

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WASHINGTON (AP) After lengthy delays, U.S. and Afghan officials signed a security pact Tuesday to keep American troops in Afghanistan beyond years end, aiming to prevent the country from descending into the kind of chaos that has plagued Iraq following the Pentagons withdrawal.While President Barack Obama has touted the Afghan accord as crucial to protecting progress in the fight against al-Qaida, hes also insisted that had he reached a similar pact with Iraq, it would have done little to stop the rise of the Islamic State militants now wreaking havoc there and in neighboring Syria.The only difference would be wed have a bunch of troops on the ground that would be vulnerable, Obama said in August, shortly after authorizing airstrikes in Iraq. And however many troops we had, we would have to now be reinforcing, Id have to be protecting them, and wed have a much bigger job.The president and his advisers have repeatedly said they were left with no choice but to withdraw from Iraq. Under an agreement signed by former President George W. Bush, U.S. troops had to leave by the end of 2011 unless an extension was signed.Negotiations over the terms of a new deal collapsed when it became clear that Iraqs parliament would not give American forces immunity from prosecution, as is typical of such agreements. Obama administration officials also rejected former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Malikis offer to sign an executive order granting Americans immunity.But White House critics, as well as some former administration officials, have suggested that Obama put his desire to end the Iraq war ahead of concerns about the security vacuum the U.S. might leave behind. The president has repeatedly heralded the withdrawal of American forces as the fulfillment of his campaign pledge to bring the unpopular war to a close.Vali Nasr, who served as a State Department adviser during Obamas first term, said, The administrations leaning was to say were going to leave, we really want to find all of the reason why were able to leave Iraq. Whats happened to Iraq since then, he said, appears to have affected the way the administration views the necessity of staying in Afghanistan.Theres some motivation to avoid Afghanistan turning into a crisis of ISIS magnitude, said Nasr, who is now dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He referred to the Islamic State group by one of its many names.Even before the rise of the Islamic State group, the White House showed enormous flexibility in trying to get the Afghan deal done. U.S. officials first warned their Afghan counterparts that if the security accord was not signed by the end of 2013, the Pentagon would have to start planning for a full withdrawal. But when the year ended, the White House moved back the deadline, saying Afghan President Hamid Karzai needed to sign off within weeks.Karzai surprised U.S. officials by ultimately saying he would not sign the accord and would instead leave that task for his successor. But the results of the race to replace Karzai took months resolve, finally coming to a conclusion Monday with the swearing in of Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai as Afghanistans second elected president.Ahmadzai signed the security agreement Tuesday, nearly one year after the White Houses initial deadline.Republican House Speaker John Boehner cast the agreement as a key step in completing the U.S. mission in Afghanistan.This is what should have happened in Iraq, and its essential that the Obama administration does not repeat the same mistakes that it made there, he said.The agreement provides a legal framework for the United States to keep about 9,800 troops in Afghanistan to train, advise and assist that countrys national security forces after the current international combat mission ends Dec. 31. Obama announced earlier this year that he would cut the number of troops in half by the end of 2015 and leave only about 1,000 in a security office after the end of 2016, as his presidency comes to a close.The Afghan government also is expected to sign an agreement this week with NATO that would outline the parameters for 4,000 to 5,000 additional international troops mostly from Britain, Germany, Italy and Turkey to stay in Afghanistan in noncombat roles after the end of this year.U.S. military officials say al-Qaida is in survival mode in Afghanistan after 13 years of war, but that if all international forces left, the terrorist network would see it as a victory, regroup and again use the region to plan and conduct operations against the West.Some White House critics have questioned whether Obamas decision to publicly choreograph plans to withdraw troops in 2016 allows al-Qaida to simply wait the U.S. out.What good really is a (bilateral security agreement) that has an endpoint? Republican Sen. John McCain said in an interview. Its almost pointless.Indeed, there are serious questions about the ability of the Afghan security forces to take on the militants, even with a residual U.S. force. While Obama has insisted the Afghan war will be over by the time he leaves the White House, the security agreement with Afghanistan does allow for U.S. troops to stay in the country for 10 more years.He would pay a tremendous political price, Nora Bensahel, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, said of the prospect Obama could keep troops in Afghanistan beyond 2016. But he has the option to pay that political price if he wants.

First case of Ebola diagnosed in US: health officials

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Washington (AFP) - The United States has diagnosed its first case of the deadly Ebola virus in a man who became infected in Liberia and traveled to Texas, US health officials said Tuesday.The patient was hospitalized with symptoms that were confirmed to be caused by Ebola, which has killed more than 3,000 people in West Africa, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spokesman told AFP.He acquired the disease in Liberia, the spokesman said, adding that the man, who has not been named, was not a healthcare worker.The man is the first person to be diagnosed with Ebola in the United States, although a handful of US medical workers who were infected in West Africa have been flown back to the United States for treatment. They have since recovered.The patient is an adult with a recent history of travel to West Africa, the Texas Department of Health said in a statement.The patient developed symptoms days after returning to Texas from West Africa and was admitted into isolation on Sunday at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas.The worlds largest outbreak of Ebola has infected 6,574 people across five west African countries, and killed 3,091 since the start of the year, according to the World Health Organization.The hemorrhagic fever causes a range of symptoms including fatigue, fever, muscle aches, vomiting, diarrhea and bleeding.It can be spread by close contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person who is showing symptoms, or by touching the corpse of a person who died from Ebola.The beginning of the West Africa outbreak has been identified as a two-year-old boy in Guinea who became sick with Ebola in December 2013.Experts do not know how he came down with Ebola, but the New England Journal of Medicine has reported that he may have come in contact with an infected fruit bat, which are natural hosts for the virus.Since then the disease has spread rapidly, primarily affecting Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea and overwhelming the healthcare systems there.The Ebola outbreak in Nigeria is almost over, US health officials said separately Tuesday, in a rare sign of authorities turning the tide on the highly contagious disease.The CDC warned last week that a worst-case scenario could see Ebola cases explode to 1.4 million by January, but that such dire predictions could be avoided if resources are scaled up.The United States has already treated patients who acquired Ebola during the West African outbreak, including Christian missionary doctors Kent Brantly and Rick Sacra, who have been declared free of the virus.Another patient with suspected exposure to Ebola was hospitalized outside the US capital over the weekend, but it remains unclear whether that person has Ebola or not.Any modern American hospital with an intensive care unit should be well equipped enough to isolate a patient with Ebola, and give supportive care.There is no vaccine or drug to treat the virus, which first emerged in Africa in 1976.

PSG edge Barcelona in five-goal thriller

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Paris (AFP) - Paris Saint-Germain overcame the absence of their injured talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic to beat Barcelona 3-2 in a thrilling Champions League Group F encounter at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday.The Catalans, who had not even conceded a goal all season in seven matches before this one, fell behind inside 10 minutes when David Luiz prodded in his first PSG goal.Barcelona needed just two minutes to draw level thanks to a marvellous Lionel Messi strike, but Marco Verratti headed the hosts back in front after 26 minutes and Blaise Matuidi added another in the 54th minute.Neymar reduced the deficit, yet Paris held on for their first win in the group after a 1-1 draw at Ajax two weeks ago, while Barca failed to build on a narrow 1-0 win over APOEL of Cyprus in their first outing.We were up against a rival of the same level as us and we had the kind of difficulties that are normal in such a game, said Barcelona coach Luis Enrique.In the end I think we could have drawn and it would have been a fair result.© AFPBarcelonas defender Sergio Busquets (L) vies with Paris Uruguayan forward Edinson Cavani during the UEFA Champions League football match on September 30, 2014 at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris © AFP Miguel MedinaPSG coach Laurent Blanc added: I am very satisfied. It was an extraordinary match and what I will take away from it was our collective performance.I think for those who like Paris Saint-Germain and French football it was a good evening.Barcelona arrived in France in fine form but this was billed as their biggest test since the arrival of their new coach in the summer, even if their hosts were without Ezequiel Lavezzi and captain Thiago Silva as well as the prolific Ibrahimovic.Edinson Cavani spearheaded their attack, while Barcelona again had Marc-Andre ter Stegen in goal in Europe rather than La Liga regular Claudio Bravo.But their previously watertight defence looked fragile against a PSG side who started with all guns blazing and were soon rewarded.Daniel Alves gave away a free-kick for stopping a Paris attack with his hand, and the home side struck from the resulting delivery, Luiz controlling Lucass ball in from the left before turning and poking the ball into the far corner from eight yards.Barcelonas defence had finally been breached for the first time this season after 640 minutes, but their response was immediate.- Trademark brilliance -© AFPParis Italian midfielder Thiago Motta (C) vies with Barcelonas Argentinian forward Lionel Messi (L) during the UEFA Champions League football match on September 30, 2014 at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris © AFP Franck FifeIndeed, the celebrations were still ongoing when the Catalans drew level thanks to a moment of trademark brilliance, Messi exchanging lightning-quick first-time passes with Andres Iniesta and Neymar before giving Salvatore Sirigu in goal no chance with a left-foot strike into the far corner.It was the Argentines 68th Champions League goal, putting him level with his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo in the all-time standings and to within three of the competitions all-time leading scorer, Raul.However, PSG were not deterred, and while Neymar lifted the ball just over the bar following a lofted pass by Messi, the home side soon regained the advantage.Again the goal came from a set-piece, and this time Barcelonas defence looked especially unsure of themselves, ter Stegen flapping at Thiago Mottas right-wing corner and Ivan Rakitic allowing Verratti, the smallest player in the PSG side, to head home at the far post to score his first goal for the club.Barcelona trailed despite having almost 60 percent of the possession in the first half, with Messi curling a free-kick just over the bar a minute prior to the break.PSG were simply the more clinical of the two teams and extended their advantage nine minutes after the restart, a Gregory van der Wiel cross from the right flashing all the way across the penalty box for Matuidi -- who scored in the last meeting of the clubs here 18 months ago -- to convert.Again Barcelona needed just two minutes to respond, Neymar getting his seventh of the season with a delightful control and calm side-footed finish into the net off the right-hand post.They then camped around the penalty box as they looked for a leveller, but Marquinhos produced a crucial block to prevent Jordi Alba from equalising before substitute Munir El Haddadi fizzed in a shot that grazed the right post and went wide.

Eurofighter has manufacturing fault: Germany

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Berlin (AFP) - A manufacturing fault has been discovered in the Eurofighter Typhoon warplanes, Germany said Tuesday, announcing it was suspending deliveries of the sophisticated jets.The news was another blow to the troubled and costly Eurofighter programme -- and raised concerns over the use of the planes.According to Germanys defence ministry, the defect discovered was in the rear fuselage of the twin-engine multirole fighter.As a result, Berlin has decided to cut the time its Eurofighters spend in the air each year in half, from 3,000 hours to 1,500 hours.The news website Spiegel Online reported that, in the worst case scenario, the fault could result in the planes hull becoming unstable.It said Britains Royal Air Force first detected the defect and also decided to halve the annual flight hours so as not to overstress the jets.Germany and Britain each have more than 100 of the Eurofighter Typhoons in service. Spiegel said Germanys air force operates 109 of the jets.The Eurofighter is built by a consortium comprising European airplane maker Airbus, Britains BAE Systems and Finmeccanica of Italy.Germany and Britain had already halved their initial orders for 250 the fighter jets each, and several export bids have fallen through, prompting the head of Airbuss defence division to say production could cease in 2018 if no more contracts came through.In June, a Eurofighter crashed while coming into land in southwest Spain, killing its 30-year-old pilot. The cause was unknown.

First case of Ebola diagnosed in US: health officials

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Washington (AFP) - The United States has diagnosed its first case of the deadly Ebola virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday.The patient is a man who became infected in Liberia and traveled to Texas, where he was hospitalized with symptoms that were confirmed to be caused by Ebola, a CDC spokesman told AFP.

Defiant Hong Kong protesters vow to stay put

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Hong Kong (AFP) - Hong Kong demonstrators rejected demands to immediately end rallies that have paralysed the citys downtown, braving rainstorms to turn out in swelling numbers before a national holiday Wednesday expected to put their campaign for free elections into overdrive.Thousands ignored the call from the citys embattled leader to end the escalating sit-in and brushed off Beijings branding of their demonstrations as illegal to hit the streets of the key financial hub, despite thunder and heavy downpours.Protest leaders are confident of mustering massive crowds, angered at Beijings refusal to grant full democracy, for the National Day public holiday marking the 65th anniversary of the founding of Communist China.© AFPUpdated map of the main protest zone in Hong Kong Tuesday © AFP Adrian Leung/John Saeki/Gal RomaPersistent downpours sent umbrellas skyward and crowds scurrying for shelter, but the worsening weather left determined participants in the so-called Umbrella Revolution undeterred.We have spent more than a week under the sun, under pepper spray, we of course can stand the rain. Nothing can stop us, a recent university student who identified himself as Choi told AFP.Protesters wearing the yellow ribbons that have come to symbolise the movement occupied a growing stretch of a main thoroughfare through the citys financial district overnight, while a new protest site several-hundred strong was emerging at Tsim Sha Tsui, a shopping district on the other side of Hong Kongs world-famous harbour.- Not a party -© AFPPeople attend a speech as the rain falls in the Mong Kok district of Hong Kong on September 30, 2014 © AFP Xaume OllerosA carnival-like atmosphere continued to hold sway in the streets, with outspoken Hong Kong singer Anthony Wong performing for crowds to show his support.However, there were increasing calls for demonstrators to show greater seriousness, with organisers heard over loudspeakers urging participants not to drink alcohol.One sign sternly reminded the student-dominated crowds that the rallies were a protest, not a party, while another drew sombre parallels with the 1989 demonstrations in Beijings Tiananmen Square, where weeks of peaceful, festival-like protests were crushed by the Chinese military.© AFPA woman walks past a pro-democracy demonstrator guarding a bus covered with messages of support in Hong Kong on September 30, 2014 © AFP Philippe LopezDemonstrators expressed differing views on the Hong Kong movements success, with some saying the prospect of public holidays would encourage many to stay later than they had in previous nights.The government has lost, they just dont know it yet, student Kelvin Yip told AFP.Others were less optimistic on the protesters ability to sustain momentum.We will have more people come out for the holidays, people that were too busy will join, said protester Emma So.I dont know what will happen after, especially for older people, its hard to protest night after night.- Challenge to Beijing -© AFPPro-democracy protesters put up a banner in Hong Kong on September 30, 2014 © AFP Philippe LopezBeijing has been left grappling with one of the biggest challenges to its rule over the semi-autonomous city at a time when the Communist Party is cracking down hard on dissent on the mainland.In his first public comments since demonstrators were tear-gassed by riot police on Sunday evening, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said the pro-democracy sit-in organised partly by the Occupy Central group was now out of control.Occupy Central founders had said repeatedly that if the movement is getting out of control, they would call for it to stop. Im now asking them to fulfil the promise they made to society, and stop this campaign immediately, he said.But protest leaders rejected Leungs demands and renewed calls for the Beijing-backed leader to step down.I think there will be a massive turnout, over 100,000 people tonight and leading into National Day, hedge fund manager and Occupy Central activist Ed Chin told AFP.© AFPPeople chat next to protest signs in different languages and a poster showing Hong Kongs chief executive Leung Chun-ying with fangs for teeth, near the central government offices in Hong Kong on September 30, 2014 © AFP Alex OgleThe demonstrations, the most intense civil unrest Hong Kong has experienced since its 1997 handover from British rule, were sparked by Beijings decision in August to restrict who can stand for the citys top post.British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said he would summon Chinas ambassador to London over the protests to express his dismay and alarm about the refusal to grant free elections.Hong Kongers will be able to vote for their next chief executive in 2017 but only two or three candidates vetted by a pro-Beijing committee will be allowed to stand -- something demonstrators have labelled a fake democracy that shows Hong Kong cannot trust its mainland overseers.- Keep resisting for democracy -Protesters have two demands -- that Leung step down and Beijing rescind its insistence that his successor be vetted before standing for election.If the government does not respond after October 2, the action will inevitably be stepped up, Alex Chow, chairman of the Hong Kong Federation of Students, told reporters.Influential student leader Joshua Wong, who was detained by police last week, said Hong Kongs leader was the only one who could end the protest.Everyone here has the power. Were here for the bargaining chip with Beijing, he said.Leung Chun-ying and the government are feeling increased pressure.But analysts say the chances of Beijing backing down are virtually non-existent, leaving a city once renowned for its stability plunged into an unknown future -- with democracy activists concerned the police could return in force at any moment.Beijing stayed defiant Tuesday, saying it supported Hong Kongs handling of the protests, which it described as illegal activity.Hong Kong authorities are caught between protester demands, Beijings uncompromising stance and efforts to keep the city running.Business leaders complain that the protests are hitting the economy. The worlds top cosmetics group LOreal said it was suspending all business travel to Hong Kong due to the demonstrations.

Secret lives: an evening in a Ugandan gay bar

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Kampala (AFP) - Just as he attends church on Sunday morning, theres another sacred place Nick, a 23-year-old Kampala stylist, flocks to every Sunday night.It gives me fuel for the whole week, he says, standing beer in hand outside an inconspicuous bar, in a red check shirt and jeans.When I come here I dont mind if I miss sleep and then go to work, because I go to work feeling happy, new. Its a beautiful Sunday.During the week this pub, located in the capitals business district but away from the nightclub strip, is full of unsuspecting, heterosexual Ugandans.But for six hours on a Sunday night that fly by all too fast, the venue, with its grass thatched roof and flashing fluorescent disco floor lights, becomes a haven for Ugandas gay community who meet here to drink, dance and more.© AFPAnti-homosexual activists march in Kampala, carrying placards against the recently annulled Anti-Gay law by Uganda

New UN Ebola chief vows swift response to crisis

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Accra (AFP) - The new head of the UN Ebola response team vowed Tuesday to take swift action on the crisis, saying ambitious targets must be met to prevent the spread of the virus worldwide.Anthony Banburys pledge came after warnings that Liberia was on the brink of collapse and that thousands of children who have lost parents to the epidemic faced being treated as outcasts.Sierra Leones government was meanwhile forced to deny that Ebola had been defeated, after hundreds took to the streets in the belief that there were no more confirmed cases.In Ghanas capital, Accra, Banbury, the special representative for the UN Mission on Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER), said the team was hoping to stem the spread of the disease.We dont know how long it will take. We hope to do it as fast as possible and to close the UNMEER mission as quickly as possible, he told a news conference.UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon set up UNMEER earlier this month in response to criticism of the world bodys response to Ebola, which has killed more than 3,000 people in west Africa this year.An advance team arrived in Accra on Monday amid growing concern over the spread of the virus, particularly in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.The worlds worst Ebola epidemic has claimed 3,091 lives in five west African countries as of Saturday out of 6,574 infected, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).- Extremely ambitious target -© AFPA health worker in a protective suit closes the gate of Island Hospital after welcoming new patients suspected of suffering from the Ebola virus in Monrovia on September 30, 2014 © AFP Pascal GuyotThe international mobilisation includes a planned 3,000-strong US military contingent to Liberia, while Britain is to set up a medical centre in Sierra Leone.Some 150 US troops arrived in Liberia at the weekend with a 25-bed field hospital which was delivered by three C-17 cargo aircraft, Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steven Warren said Monday.The field hospital will be set up for health workers infected by the Ebola virus, he added.Banbury said UNMEER officials were also on the ground in Ebola-hit nations, without specifying numbers or locations, adding that the world was now helping to confront the disease.If UNMEER was never created, if the world was not responding, the number of cases would go from whatever they are now, we dont know for sure, maybe around 20,000, to 1.4 million, he told reporters.Then every country in the world would be at risk.UNMEERs plan is based on WHO recommendations to treat at least 70 percent of infected people and conduct at least 70 percent of burials safely to turn a corner on the spread, he added.In 60 days were going to do everything possible to achieve it. Its an extremely, extremely, extremely, extremely ambitious target, he told a news conference.Within 30 days we need to put in place almost all the material resources necessary... Those are very, very ambitious targets but we have no choice but to pursue them.- Destabilising effect -Experts warned that with its collapsed health service, sick and poorly equipped security forces and broken economy, Ebola risked plunging Liberia back into a spiral of violent civil unrest.© AFPWorkers of a cleaning company collect garbage in central Monrovia on September 30, 2014 © AFP Pascal GuyotIf we have thousands or tens of thousands more deaths, thats going to have a very destabilising effect, said Sean Casey, head of the International Medical Corps anti-Ebola operations in Liberia.In Geneva, Liberian Commerce Minister Axel Addy said Ebola risked reversing economic gains made since the end of the civil war in 2003, compounding a previous slowdown in economic growth.Elsewhere, the UN childrens agency said thousands of children mourning dead parents and in urgent need of support felt unwanted and even abandoned by frightened and suspicious relatives.Ebola is turning a basic human reaction like comforting a sick child into a potential death sentence, said UNICEFs regional director for west and central Africa, Manuel Fontaine.The fear surrounding Ebola is becoming stronger than family ties.In Sierra Leone, crowds surged onto the streets of the northern commercial hub of Makeni, chanting Ebola is no more and Ebola is defeated.The government was forced to issue a statement after locals said celebrations began when a group of suspected Ebola victims were released from a holding centre with negative lab test results.

Microsoft gives peek at coming Windows 10 software

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San Francisco (AFP) - Microsoft on Tuesday offered its first glimpse of its Windows 10 software that it hopes delivers a winning formula for powering tablets and smartphones, along with laptops and desktop computers.The US software colossus focused on its core business market while unveiling an early technical preview of next-generation Windows software slated for release next year.An Insider Program for developers who want to dabble with Windows 10 and provide feedback will kick off on Wednesday.Windows 10 represents the first step of a whole new generation of Windows, unlocking new experiences to give customers new ways to work, play and connect, said Microsoft operating systems group executive vice president Terry Myerson.This will be our most comprehensive operating system and the best release Microsoft has ever done for our business customers, and we look forward to working together with our broader Windows community to bring Windows 10 to life in the months ahead.Pressure has been on Microsoft to win over companies that have shunned the current version of Windows, which was radically overhauled to adapt to the booming popularity of computing devices with touch screen controls.While Windows 8 was tuned into personal lifestyles rich with smartphones or tablets, it was not a hit at companies where people still work using traditional computers with keyboards and mice.More than a year after its release in late 2012, the number of businesses using Windows 8 were vastly outnumbered by those using Windows 7 and even using Windows XP, according to market trackers.

Nadal returns in style, Djokovic wins in China

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Beijing (AFP) - Rafael Nadal made an emphatic return to singles competition Tuesday after being sidelined for three months, sweeping aside Richard Gasquet of France in the $5.4 million China Open.The 14-times Grand Slam winner won his first round match in Beijing 6-4, 6-0, overcoming sporadic resistance in the first set before crushing his 22nd-ranked opponent in the second.There were glimpses of vintage Nadal during the second set demolition, with the Spaniard appearing to be back to his athletic best after being sidelined since Wimbledon with a right wrist injury picked up in training.Its not hundred percent, but lets say 90 something percent, Nadal said, when asked how his wrist felt during the match.The world number three broke his 28-year-old opponents serve in the third game, and while Gasquet brought Nadal to break-point at the next two opportunities, he failed to claw his way back into the set.Gasquet lost his serve at the opening game of the second set, and then brought Nadal to the brink of losing his own with some acrobatic net-play.But that turned out to be his last show of defiance as the French Open champion powered his way to a bagel in his return to singles competition.I have to be happy the way that I played, Nadal said.© AFPRichard Gasquet of France returns a shot against Rafael Nadal of Spain during the 1st round at the China Open tennis tournament in the National Tennis Center of Beijing on September 30, 2014 © AFP Fred DufourThree months without a match, winning against a player who is a good player like Richard, is a very positive comeback for me.The left-handed Mallorcan played a rare doubles match in Beijing on Monday, which he lost.- Chasing ATP finals berth -Nadal joins top seed Novak Djokovic in the second round after the reigning champion in Beijing won his game after a shaky start.The Serb defeated Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain 6-2, 6-1 in just 63 minutes, but took a while to get into his stride, trading a series of serves with his opponent early on.Djokovic will face Canadian Vasek Pospisil in the next round as he bids for his fifth title in Beijing, a tournament he has won every year since 2009, apart from 2011 when he did not take part.The winner that year, world number six Tomas Berdych, eased past Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 6-1, 6-2 in his first round match.The third seed Czech is chasing points as he pushes to qualify for the ATP World Tour Finals in November.He is currently eighth in the race for the London tournament and must at least remain in that position if he is to make the season finale of the top eight players.Only five berths are available as the worlds top three players -- Djokovic, Nadal and Roger Federer -- have already confirmed their place for London.© AFPMaria Sharapova of Russia celebrates after she beat Elina Svitolina of Ukraine during their womens singles second round match at the China Open tennis tournament in the National Tennis Center of Beijing on September 30, 2014© AFP Fred Dufour- Sharapova, Murray through -Elsewhere in the mens competition, eighth seed American John Isner beat Santiago Giraldo of Colombia 6-1, 6-3.Andy Murray also made it through after a tense match in which he smashed his racket as he lost a first set tie-break.The 27-year-old Scot, the sixth seed in Beijing, defeated Jerzy Janowicz of Poland 6-7 (9/11), 6-4, 6-2.In the womens tournament, world number one American Serena Williams eased into the third round with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova.Meanwhile, Serenas sister Venus gained revenge over Caroline Garcia after the 20-year-old won their first round match at the Wuhan Open last week.Thirty-four-year-old Williams beat the French rising star 6-4, 6-3 in Beijing.Maria Sharapova was facing a potential banana skin in her match with Elina Svitolina following the Ukranians confidence-boosting appearance in the Wuhan semi-finals.But the Russian world number four powered through with a 6-2, 6-2 scoreline.Fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska, meanwhile, has now failed to get past the second round in her last two tournaments in China, losing to Roberta Vinci of Italy 6-4, 6-4 in Beijing.Radwanska was hoping for a deep run at the China Open to seal her place in next months WTA Finals, the season-ending finale in Singapore featuring the worlds top eight women players.The Pole was last week dumped out of Wuhan in the second round.Eighth seed Canadian Eugenie Bouchard -- the runner-up in Wuhan -- also crashed out of the tournament, losing to Germanys Sabine Lisicki 6-2, 6-4.But there was no upset for second seed Romanian Simona Halep who defeated home-crowd favourite Zhu Lin 7-5, 6-4.The China Open is being held at the Olympic Park in the Chinese capital and will reach its climax on October 5.

New-look Barcelona ready for first big test in Paris

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Paris (AFP) - Barcelona face their first big test of the Luis Enrique era when they face Paris Saint-Germain in the French capital in the Champions League on Tuesday.The Catalans looked sluggish in the 1-0 win against APOEL that kicked-off their Group F campaign a fortnight ago, but they travel to France having won six and drawn one of seven matches altogether this season, and are yet to concede a single goal under their new coach.Their performance in tearing apart Granada in La Liga on Saturday, when Neymar scored a hat-trick and Lionel Messi netted twice in a 6-0 victory, would have made for ominous viewing for anyone with PSG connections.At the moment I dont see any player who isnt capable of putting in a good performance in Paris and that for me is an advantage, said Luis Enrique, who welcomes Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba back into his squad for the match at the Parc des Princes after both were rested against Granada.© AFP Second round of UEFA Champions League matches, played Tuesday, in Groups E, F, G, H © AFP -, -That duo are both almost certain to start in a meeting of the two favourites to progress to the last 16 from the section, while there is no question of Messi, who is the only player to have started all seven games for Barca this season, being rested yet.I prefer to see him on the pitch until the last minute to press and participate in our collective play, added the coach.The temptation is there, it could happen at any point in the season, but his habitat is on the field.The biggest doubt surrounds who will start in goal, with Claudio Bravo having kept a clean sheet in all six domestic games so far while fellow summer recruit Marc-Andre ter Stegen was preferred against APOEL.Either way, the newly watertight Barcelona defence will expect to endure a tough evening in the first meeting of the clubs since the quarter-final clash in April 2013, when Paris came away with a draw in both legs but were eliminated on away goals.Since then, Carlo Ancelotti has been replaced in the PSG dugout by Laurent Blanc, who played alongside Luis Enrique at the Camp Nou for a season in the 1990s.- Pressure on Blanc -© AFPParis Saint-Germains head coach Laurent Blanc (C) conducts a training session at the Camp-des-Loges in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, outside Paris, on September 29, 2014, on the eve of their UEFA Champions League match against Barcelona © AFP Franck FifePSG, like their opponents, are still unbeaten in the current campaign but all the pressure on Tuesday will be on Blanc, whose side are yet to convince this season and yet will be expected to take the game to Barca in front of their own fans.Paris may already be a European superpower in financial terms but now they crave real success on the continent after being eliminated from the Champions League at the quarter-final stage in each of the last two seasons.Meanwhile, a lack of motivation for the less glamorous challenges in store in Ligue 1 has been suggested by some as the reason for their sluggish recent displays, but a run of four draws in their last five matches includes a 1-1 stalemate at Ajax in their Group F opener.On Saturday, Blanc rotated his squad and tried out a new formation against Toulouse but was only rewarded with another 1-1 stalemate.© AFPBarcelonas Neymar (R) congratulates Gerard Pique on scoring a goal during their UEFA Champions League match against APOEL, at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, on September 17, 2014 © AFP/File Josep LagoWe are aware that last season we dominated the league and this year, with the same team and the same coach, we are not winning matches so easily, admitted Blanc, who played down talk that his side might now be fearing the prospect of facing Barcelona.Do we need to be worried because we didnt win? If we had won, we would maybe be more confident. Barcelona are a great team. Everyone knows that.Barcelona is a different competition, and even if we are having difficulty and certain things worry me, the spirit is good. The players are putting in a lot of effort, perhaps more than last season when they were winning matches 3-0 or 4-0.The home side are not helped, however, by fitness problems to key players, with Ezequiel Lavezzi joining captain Thiago Silva on the sidelines.In addition, former Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, PSGs talisman, has missed the last two games with a heel problem and is to miss Barca clash as well.

Ebay split to create independent PayPal

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New York (AFP) - US online auction giant eBay announced plans Tuesday to spin off PayPal, a move designed to help the unit compete better in the fast-moving online payments segment.The plan, to take effect next year, comes after months of pressure from activist investor Carl Icahn, who had assailed eBay for poor management and claimed that keeping eBay tied with PayPal depressed the value of both units.An eBay statement said that a board review concluded that a changing competitive landscape creates enormous opportunities for eBay and PayPal and that separation will create sharper strategic focus for each unit.Company president and chief executive John Donahoe said that for more than a decade, eBay and PayPal have mutually benefited from being part of one company, but that the situation had now changed.A thorough strategic review with our board shows that keeping eBay and PayPal together beyond 2015 clearly becomes less advantageous to each business strategically and competitively, Donahoe said.The move comes with the online payments segment facing new challenges from the likes of Apple, which introduced a mobile payments platform using its iPhones, and newcomers such as Square.- Targeted investment opportunities -The pace of industry change and innovation in commerce and payments requires maximum flexibility to stay competitive and drive global leadership, the eBay statement said.The split will give shareholders more targeted investment opportunities and will increase the value of the company over the long term, the statement added.PayPal accounted for 41 percent of eBays revenues last year and has more than 152 million active users.Donahoe and chief financial officer Bob Swan will lead the transition of both businesses, the statement said. But they will not hold executive management roles in the two new companies.The new eBay will be led by Devin Wenig, current president of eBay Marketplaces.The independent PayPal will be headed by Dan Schulman, who comes from American Express after holding top jobs at AT&T, Priceline.com, and Virgin Mobile.Icahn welcomed the news, but said he wished the split had come sooner.We are happy that eBays board and management have acted responsibly concerning the separation -- perhaps a little later than they should have, but earlier than we expected, he said in a statement.© AFPThe logo of online payment company PayPal is pictured during LeWeb 2013 event in Saint-Denis near Paris on December 10, 2013 © AFP Eric PiermontIt is almost a no brainer that these companies should be separated to increase the value of these great assets and thus to meaningfully enhance value for all shareholders.Icahn also said that the payments sector needs consolidation -- either through acquisitions by PayPal or by merging it with another strong player in the industry.- Stronger apart -eBay acquired PayPal in 2002 for roughly $1.5 billion in shares, integrating the payment service that had already been widely used for online auctions.PayPal over the years has expanded beyond a simple payment mechanism for eBay auctions.According to eBay, PayPal facilitates one in every six dollars spent online today, or some $203 billion over the past 12 months.And PayPal has moved into mobile payments with the acquisition of the payment processing group Braintree, boosting its own mobile platform called OneTouch.After the announcement, eBay shares leapt 6.8 percent to $56.22 in late morning trade, and analysts reacted positively.Forrester Researchs Denee Carrington said the plan makes sense because PayPal had outgrown eBay.The payments landscape is hyper-competitive, the pace of change is accelerating and everyone is gunning for PayPal, Carrington said.The split will give PayPal greater agility to help it achieve its full potential.Shebly Seyrafi, analyst at FBN Securities, said the split could be a positive development for eBay as it creates more focused entities and as it allows investors to invest more directly in the faster-growing business (PayPal).The plan also comes with eBay facing a potential threat from Alibaba, the Chinese online retail giant which raised a record $25 billion in a stock offering to fuel global expansion plans.BMO Capital Markets analyst Edward Williams said that even though the timing comes as a surprise, the plan could make sense.With different growth profiles and different competitive challenges, the decision to separate the business should allow both to operate more efficiently -- allowing each business to pursue the right capital structures and growth trajectories for their businesses, he said in a note to clients.

French public debt over 2.0 trillion euros for first time

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Paris (AFP) - Frances public debt has topped the symbolic level of 2.0 trillion euros for the first time, putting Paris on a fresh collision course with the European Union as the government prepares to unveil its annual budget.The total national debt amounted to 2.023 trillion euros ($2.57 trillion) in the second quarter of the year, which represents 95.1 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), national statistics agency INSEE said on Tuesday.European Union rules say that debt must not exceed 60 percent of GDP, or be falling significantly towards this ratio.In the first quarter of the year, debt stood at 1.995 trillion euros, or 94.0 percent of GDP, INSEE said.President Francois Hollande stressed that he had inherited a difficult debt situation when he entered the Elysee Palace.In the five years before I came to power, public debt rose by 600 billion euros. Now were at 2,000 billion. So our role has to be to get the deficit in hand so we can avoid pushing up the absolute level of debt, said Hollande.France is already at loggerheads with the EU over its budget deficit, which is supposed to be kept under three percent of GDP.Paris promised to bring the deficit in-line by next year but, in a stunning about turn, announced earlier this month that it was pushing back this target until 2017.The deficit this year is forecast to be 4.4 percent of GDP, dropping only fractionally to 4.3 percent next year.France is struggling with an economy at a standstill and sky-high unemployment.There has been zero growth for the first two quarters of the year and Finance Minister Michel Sapin is banking on sluggish output of 0.4 percent for the whole of the year.- Very low rates -France will on Wednesday publish its annual budget, which is expected to confirm the gloomy outlook and reaffirm it will miss its deficit targets.The economy ministry stressed that the governments plan to clean up the public finances and make sweeping cuts in public spending should allow us to stop the growth in debt.France also enjoys the confidence of investors which allows the state, but also companies and individuals, to borrow at very low rates, the ministry said.To combat the economic crisis, Hollandes deeply unpopular government has put in place a Responsibility Pact which offers companies tax breaks of 40 billion euros in return for creating 500,000 jobs over three years.© AFP© AFP/File Georges GobetHowever, given the parlous state of the public finances, the tax breaks are compensated by 50 billion euros in public spending cuts.Hollande steeled the French people for the budget by saying: There is no painless savings plan, otherwise it would already have been done.Savings are inevitably painful. No sector can accept seeing its habits, sometimes its finances, challenged.Christopher Dembik, an analyst at Saxo Bank, said: The problem with France is there is no clear trajectory for reforms and the reforms that do exist are too unambitious and very, very slow to be implemented.Even Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron has admitted that the French economy is sick due to its perennially high unemployment.There has been a fever for several years in this country which is called mass unemployment ... there is no choice but to reform the economy, stressed Macron, a 36-year-old former Rothschild banker, a recent surprise choice for economy minister.

Hong Kong protesters reject demands to end rallies

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Hong Kong (AFP) - Hong Kong demonstrators rejected demands immediately to end rallies that have paralysed the citys downtown, their numbers swelling for a third night before a national holiday Wednesday expected to put their campaign for free elections into overdrive.Protest leaders are confident of mustering massive crowds, angered at Beijings refusal to grant full democracy, overnight and into Wednesday for the National Day public holiday marking the 65th anniversary of the founding of Communist China.Thousands ignored a call from the citys embattled leader to end the sit-in, as well as Beijings branding of their demonstrations as illegal, to take to the streets of the key financial hub.A heavy downpour briefly sent umbrellas skyward and crowds scurrying, but the prospect of bad weather left the crowds undeterred.© AFPUpdated map of the main protest zone in Hong Kong Tuesday © AFP Adrian Leung/John Saeki/Gal RomaWe have spent more than a week under the sun, under pepper spray, we of course can stand the rain. Nothing can stop us, a recent university student who identified himself as Choi told AFP.Beijing has been left grappling with one of the biggest challenges to its rule over the semi-autonomous city at a time when the Communist Party is cracking down hard on dissent on the mainland.In his first public comments since demonstrators were tear-gassed by riot police on Sunday evening, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said the pro-democracy sit-in organised partly by the Occupy Central group was now out of control.Occupy Central founders had said repeatedly that if the movement is getting out of control, they would call for it to stop. Im now asking them to fulfil the promise they made to society, and stop this campaign immediately, he said.But protest leaders rejected Leungs demands and renewed calls for the Beijing-backed leader to step down.© AFPPeople attend a speech as the rain falls in the Mong Kok district of Hong Kong on September 30, 2014 © AFP Xaume OllerosI think there will be a massive turnout, over 100,000 people tonight and leading into National Day, hedge fund manager and Occupy Central activist Ed Chin told AFP.The demonstrations, the most intense civil unrest Hong Kong has experienced since its 1997 handover from British rule, were sparked by Beijings decision in August to restrict who can stand for the citys top post.British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said on Tuesday he will summon Chinas ambassador to London over the protests to express his dismay and alarm about the refusal to grant free elections.Hong Kongers will be able to vote for their next chief executive in 2017 but only two or three candidates vetted by a pro-Beijing committee will be allowed to stand -- something demonstrators have labelled a fake democracy that shows Hong Kong cannot trust its mainland overseers.© AFPA woman walks past a pro-democracy demonstrator guarding a bus covered with messages of support in Hong Kong on September 30, 2014 © AFP Philippe Lopez- Keep resisting for democracy -Throughout Tuesday morning protester numbers dwindled from overnight highs, when tens of thousands turned the citys downtown into a carnival after riot police withdrew.But they began to pick up again by the afternoon.We are all afraid, but we think we should keep on resisting for full democracy, Jacky Yip, a 22-year-old university student told AFP as thunder rumbled ahead.Never lose hope, was one of the signs offering words of encouragement on the streets, alongside hundreds of messages, some in other languages.© AFPPro-democracy protesters put up a banner in Hong Kong on September 30, 2014 © AFP Philippe LopezProtesters have two demands -- that Leung step down and Beijing rescind its insistence that his successor be vetted before standing for election.If the government does not respond after October 2, the action will inevitably be stepped up, Alex Chow, chairman of the Hong Kong Federation of Students, told reporters.Influential student leader Joshua Wong, who was detained by police last week, said Hong Kongs leader was the only one who could end the protest.Everyone here has the power. Were here for the bargaining chip with Beijing, he said.Leung Chun-ying and the government are feeling incrased pressure, he added.But analysts say the chances of Beijing backing down are virtually non-existent, leaving a city once renowned for its stability plunged into an unknown future -- with democracy activists concerned the police could return in force at any moment.Beijing stayed defiant Tuesday, saying it supported Hong Kongs handling of the protests, which it described as illegal activity.© AFPPeople chat next to protest signs in different languages and a poster showing Hong Kongs chief executive Leung Chun-ying with fangs for teeth, near the central government offices in Hong Kong on September 30, 2014 © AFP Alex Ogle- Frustration and strikes -Communist authorities are worried that dealing with the protests too softly could encourage wider demands for greater freedoms on the mainland, observers say.Hong Kong authorities meanwhile are caught between protester demands, Beijings uncompromising stance and efforts to keep the city running.Business leaders complain that the protests are hitting the economy. The worlds top cosmetics group LOreal said on Tuesday it was suspending all business travel to Hong Kong due to the street demonstrations.Many locals have expressed frustration at the huge disruption, with the crowds blocking key junctions.Police Tuesday again called for the protesters to disperse, saying emergency services were being disrupted by the ongoing blockade of major carriageways.But the demonstrations have also prompted displays of solidarity. Some social workers and teachers went on strike after unions called for members to take action.

Posted by IMRAN ALI SOOMRO (DARVESH) at 10/01/2014 07:25:00 AM

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