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Thursday, April 30, 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Vietnam marks 40 years since fall of Saigon

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HO CHI MINH CITY (AFP) - Vietnam marked the 40th anniversary of Saigons fall Thursday with a huge military parade celebrating the moment communist forces ended a decades-long conflict and delivered a painful blow to American moral and military prestige.The centre of Vietnams usually bustling southern business hub was sealed off so that regiments of goose-stepping soldiers in dress uniform could march past all the countrys flag-waving top leadership as a marching band played.Elaborate floats, including one bearing a giant portrait of founding president Ho Chi Minh, made their way slowly through the city streets, celebrating the moment 40 years ago when tanks smashed through the gates of the Presidential Palace in the then southern capital of Saigon -- now named Ho Chi Minh City.The April 30 victory was a golden turning point for the Vietnamese people, Army Lieutenant-General Nguyen Quoc Khanh told the crowds at the event, which is being broadcast live nationwide.The victory is a symbol of the countrys hard-won independence, he said, adding that the army is ready to sacrifice anything to defend this.The Northern victors reunited the country under a communist government after a war which eviscerated much of Vietnam, killing millions of its people as well as 58,000 American servicemen.The conflict was also bitterly divisive in the US and still haunts the country.As the first Cold War conflict to be extensively covered by the Western press -- and the first to be lost by a modern superpower that thought itself unbeatable -- it remains seared into the public imagination, most often as a tragic waste.No American official will attend the anniversary parade, but the US Ambassador will attend a small ceremony at the consulate in HCMC with The Fall of Saigon Marines Association, embassy spokesman Terry White told AFP.Victory means legitimacyThe winning side has also struggled with the meaning of the war as the nominally communist government deepens its embrace of market capitalism.For decades, Hanoi has celebrated its military victory as a means to legitimise its ongoing authoritarian rule.The communists 1975 victory was a moment of global historic importance, said Vietnam expert Jonathan London, at City University of Hong Kong.With the parade the party is trying to both commemorate victory and erase any possibility that its achievements over the last 40 years have fallen short of the mark, he said.Vietnam has come a long way since the end of the war, and especially over the last 20 years since the adoption of market reforms, London added, but wartime anniversaries still play a key role for the older generation.Yet increasingly, the public is indifferent or even hostile to such shows of official patriotism.I dont care about this parade -- its bad for business, said Nguyen Thi Dieu, 25, a vendor who sells cold water and snacks in the city centre told AFP.The parade is just for the TV cameras and for the top leaders, not for people like me.Tuong Vu, an associate professor of political science at the University of Oregon, said perceptions of the war had evolved in Vietnam.Once, people saw the war as one for national liberation and unification... these days most Vietnamese perhaps believe that the war was a tragic event during which Vietnamese killed other Vietnamese -- a civil war, he told AFP.The communist party is no longer seen as patriotic or invincible, he said, adding that many people saw the anniversary celebrations as a waste of money.Vietnam remains a one-party state where dissent is not tolerated and all media is state-controlled.Local press has run fawning stories ahead of the anniversary, heavy on wartime heroism.But online, where many citizens now prefer to read their news, criticism of the anniversary is more widespread.Let the past go, its been 40 years, wrote businessman Tran Minh Chien on his Facebook page in a typical comment, urging the government not to waste time and money on a major military parade.

Thousands protest in US over police 'injustices'

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BALTIMORE (AFP) - Thousands of people demonstrated in major cities along the US East Coast on Wednesday demanding an end to what they say is police brutality, after a young African-American man died of injuries sustained in custody in Baltimore.The biggest show of people power was in Baltimore itself, where several thousand mostly young demonstrators paralyzed several city blocks in a major rally through downtown to City Hall.Thousands more protested in New York, the capital Washington and Boston in solidarity, as decades-old simmering anger over police tactics -- particularly in their dealings with black Americans -- again bubbled to the surface in the United States.The protests were overwhelmingly peaceful and good-natured, although New York police detained several demonstrators and emotions were running high.What appears to be a growing movement for change was centered on Baltimore, where a rally that started at the main train station included black and white demonstrators, some of them linking arms and chanting: No justice, no peace No racists, no peaceMany in the march were high school or college students.Were protesting the ongoing injustices that police have perpetrated on black men particularly. Police are trigger-happy and we need to stop that, Jonathan Brown, 19, a student at Johns Hopkins University, told AFP.Some in the huge crowd held placards, one reading, Killer cops deserve cell blocks. A few wore shirts with the words, Amnesty International observer.The 2,000 National Guard personnel who have flooded Baltimore this week kept a low profile, although authorities have said they are primed to enforce a curfew that will sweep into effect for a second night from 10:00 pm (0200 GMT Thursday) to 5:00 am.Police used loudspeakers to urge the crowds to go home and initial signs were that most of the demonstrators would be off the streets for the curfew.Very encouragedThe Baltimore rally was a far cry from the violence and looting which flared there following the funeral of Freddie Gray, 25, on Monday.Grays death was the latest instance in the United States of a black man succumbing at the hands of police -- a situation that has stirred resentment among African Americans who believe they are targeted by police.That anger also sparked coast-to-coast demonstrations in major US cities last year after a white policeman shot dead an unarmed black teenager in the St Louis suburb of Ferguson in August.Maryland State Governor Larry Hogan said he had been very encouraged by the last 24 hours and said a semblance of normality was returning to Baltimore, a gritty city of 620,000 about an hours drive from Washington.But he cautioned: We are not out of the woods yet.And he warned demonstrators to respect the curfew: There are peaceful protests happening tonight. We want to make sure individuals can exercise their First Amendment rights and express their concerns.New York arrestsIn New York, protesters gathered at Union Square, in Lower Manhattan, for a rally dubbed on a Facebook page, NYC Rise up and Shut it down with Baltimore.The large march initially met no resistance from police, but that swiftly changed as officers -- who deployed in significant numbers -- moved in and made arrests.The New York Police Department would not say how many were detained, though CNN put the number at a couple dozen.In Washington, there was a festive atmosphere as a well-organized march that peaked at about 1,000 ended at the White House, where protesters chanted and held signs reading, Stop racist police terror.Miyeah Cook, 17, told AFP: Im just trying to stand up for black people everywhere. Just anywhere and everywhere.Honestly, I dont know why Im out here at this point because were literally being escorted by the police. I dont find it helpful at all.It honestly made me mad once I found out that the police were everywhere we went.Just lost itBaltimore police made 18 arrests during the day on Wednesday, said Police Commissioner Anthony Batts, and they were keeping a keen eye on social media -- used by protesters to coordinate their action.Among the many startling images to emerge from the riots in the city was that of an infuriated mother hitting her teenage son repeatedly for joining the demonstrations on Monday and dragging him away.I just lost it, said Toya Graham, a single mother of six, whose actions have been widely praised.I was shocked, I was angry, because you never want to see your child out there doing that, she added, speaking to CBS News.

Golf: McIlroy, Spieth off mark at WGC-Match Play

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SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - World number one Rory McIlroy and Masters champion Jordan Spieth opened their WGC-Match Play Championship campaigns with easy wins Wednesday on a day of upsets at the new-look $9.25 million event.Northern Irish star McIlroy carded just one birdie and 13 pars but was too good for Jason Dufner, winning 5&4 at San Franciscos picturesque Harding Park course.I think from tee to green I played really solid. Didnt really hole anything, said McIlroy.I made birdie on the first hole and then made 13 pars after that. Jason didnt have his best day but this is Match Play -- you just need to beat the guy in front of you and I was able to do that today.In-form Spieth, fresh from a scintillating start-to-finish victory at Augusta, had little difficulty in putting away Finlands Mikko Ilonen 4&2.Spieth said he had benefited after spending time working on his swing last week.It was a solid round, one bogey and I think seven birdies. I would certainly take it the rest of the week, Spieth said.Its good to get off to a good start. I played solid golf today.It was a sobering reality check for Ilonen, the lowest ranked player in the field who had only traveled to California as a reserve before entering the tournament when Phil Mickelson withdrew from the 64-man field on Sunday.The new round-robin format of this years competition means however that Ilonen will stay in San Francisco for at least two more days to play his remaining games in Group Two, which also includes Englands Lee Westwood and Matt Every of the United States.Organizers of the tournament, hoping for a dream finale between Spieth and McIlroy on Sunday, revamped the competition this year to eliminate the possibility of a first-round bloodbath.Previously, defeat in the opening round meant an early flight home. But now the field has been split into 16 groups of four players, with the group winners advancing to the knockout rounds over the weekend.Swedens Henrik Stenson, Englands Justin Rose and Australias Jason Day all suffered upset defeats elsewhere Wednesday.World number three Stenson, the 2007 winner, lost on the 19th hole against Australias John Senden, ranked 65 in the world.Rose, in good form after winning the Zurich Classic on Sunday following a second place finish in the Masters, went down 3&2 to Australias Marc Leishman.Day meanwhile crashed to a 4&3 loss in Group Seven to Charley Hoffman, ranked 50th in the world.There was disappointment too for Englands Ryder Cup star Ian Poulter.Poulter, who often thrives in the Match Play format, went down 3&2 to Webb Simpson of the United States.

Chad tightens security against Boko Haram at cost of disruption

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NDJAMENA (AFP) - Long tailbacks form at a bridge on the border between Chad and Cameroon while Chadian security forces, wary of deadly Boko Haram terrorists, screen all road users and their property.Were looking for weapons, a police officer explains at the Ngueuli bridge on the main road for imports to landlocked Chad, linking the capital NDjamena to the far north of Cameroon.Customs officials and security forces search men, women and children alike for arms being smuggled to the Nigeria-based extremists who have spread terror throughout the region. They also watch out for incoming explosives.There are no exceptions, a policeman says as he fleeces the pockets of a 13-year-old boy. Have you seen how Boko Haram sends little kamikaze girls to blow themselves up in the middle of crowds? We dont want that happening here.Every day thousands of traders and travellers cross the bridge, which opens at 7:00 am (0600 GMT) and closes at nightfall. They include children from the Cameroonian border town of Kousseri who go to school in NDjamena.Chad, whose battle-hardened troops are leading a four-nation regional offensive against the Nigerian insurgents, is seeking to prevent Boko Haram attacks on its soil, like in Cameroon and Niger.Chadian soldiers have played a decisive part in weakening the sect since they deployed in Nigeria in February, as part of the operation conducted alongside the armies of Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria itself.NDjamena lies only about 50 kilometres (30 miles) from Nigerias northeastern Borno state, the stronghold of the radical Islamist movement.Weve launched open warfare against these people, we cant deny that theres a threat: bombs in the mosques and in the markets, thats their specialty, says Abakar Walar Modou, general secretary of the King Faisal University in NDjamena, who knows the Islamist sect well.Patrols by police and paramilitary gendarmes have been increased considerably on NDjamena streets of late. Hundreds of people have been arrested after identity checks, which have become systematic in districts with a sizeable Nigerian community.Security sources in NDjamena say that Boko Haram fighters regularly enter Chad to seek refuge or to buy weapons.A few weeks ago, 19 suspected members of the sect were detained as they crossed the border from Cameroon in the Bongor region, some 200 miles south of NDjamena, according to a police captain who asked not to be named.Hot peppers cost too muchIn a bid to stem such infiltration, Chadian authorities have halted all navigation on the Chari river and its tributary, the Logone, which both flow along the border between Chad and Cameroon.Beneath the Ngueli bridge, the river once crossed daily by countless dugout boats in either direction now flows still and empty.However, the stringent regulations are hurting the Chadian economy, which relies for maritime trade on the Cameroonian port of Douala on the Atlantic coast.NDjamena residents are paying the price.Crossing the bridge is a huge bother, says Ahmad, a trader. Now when you return with only a small bag, they carry out a 100 percent search. You need ID and everything.Many manufactured items, from farming tools and spare parts for motor vehicles to portable phones, are imported to Chad, a deeply poor and partly arid country that began to exploit its oil reserves a dozen years ago.The bulk of the imported produce is transported by heavy goods vehicles to Kousseri, along a road that follows the border between Cameroon and Nigeria. On many occasions, the trucks have been attacked.Supplies by road are increasingly scarce as a result, leading to a sharp rise in prices. Many things have become too expensive, says Awa, a shop worker of about 40. Even hot peppers cost too much.Awa makes do by buying beer in Kousseri and bringing it home for sale. They say that Boko Haram has made this trip difficult. We are living like this, but it is tough.

Karachi: Police search operation, 35 alleged suspects arrested

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Police on Thursday conducted a search operation in Jamshed Quarters and its surrounding areas. 35 alleged suspects including gangwar operatives were arrested during the search operation. Ammunition including Kalashnikov, TT pistols and drugs were also confiscated from the suspects.A blockade was set up at the entrance and exit points of the area and search was conducted. Exchange of fire also occurred between the suspects and the police during the operation.

Police releases sketch of suspect involved in murder of Waheed-ur-Rehman

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – The police on Thursday released a sketch of the suspect involved in the murder of Karachi University’s (KU) Assistant Professor Waheed-ur-Rehman. The new development in the murder case that occurred in the vicinity of Yousaf Plaza Federal B area was made with the help of eyewitness reports. According to these reports, the assailant’s age is said to be around 30 to 35 years.The suspect is stated as having a dark complexion and height of more than 5 ft 2 inches. Police stated that the hunt for suspects involved in the killing has begun.

Blast at explosives factory in Syria kills 25 IS fighters: monitor

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BEIRUT (AFP) - Twenty-five fighters from the Islamic State group were killed when a powerful blast rocked an explosives manufacturing plant in Syrias eastern Deir Ezzor province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said Wednesday.It was not immediately clear whether the explosion was accidental or the result of a missile strike, the Britain-based Observatory said.A strong explosion took place this evening in an IS explosives factory in the town of Al-Mayadeen in the province of Deir Ezzor, the monitoring group said.Several other explosions followed, shaking the whole town. Twenty-five IS fighters were killed, around 20 others were injured, it added.The Islamic State group, which imposes a harsh interpretation of Islamic law, controls most of the oil province of Deir Ezzor, which borders Iraq. But government forces still hold parts of the provincial capital and small pockets of areas of less strategic significance.

Thousands protest in US over police 'injustices'

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BALTIMORE (AFP) - Thousands of young protesters marched through downtown Baltimore and demonstrated in New York on Wednesday demanding justice for an African-American man who died of severe spinal injuries sustained in police custody.In contrast to Monday, when violence erupted and stores were looted, the rally that started at Baltimores main train station was good-natured and included black and white demonstrators, some of them linking arms and chanting: No justice, no peace No racists, no peaceMany in the rally, which was headed for City Hall and appeared to be gathering numbers on the way, were school or college students, an AFP reporter at the march said, as a few thousand also massed in Union Square, in New Yorks Lower Manhattan. A small-scale demonstration also took hold in Boston, US media said.Some in the Baltimore crowd held placards, one reading, Killer cops deserve cell blocks; a few wore shirts reading, Amnesty International observer.The 2,000 National Guard personnel who have flooded the city this week kept a low profile, although authorities have said they are primed to swoop should the march spark unrest like that which flared following the funeral of Freddie Gray, 25, on Monday.His death was the latest instance in the United States of a black man succumbing at the hands of police -- a situation that has stirred resentment among African Americans who believe they are the victims of police brutality.That anger sparked coast-to-coast demonstrations in major US cities after a white policeman shot dead an unarmed black teenager in the St Louis suburb of Ferguson in August.Baltimore authorities urged calm and warned that they would again enforce a citywide curfew beginning at 10:00 pm (0200 GMT Thursday) and lasting until 5:00 am.Tuesday nights curfew was largely respected, although police made 35 arrests and warned that they were assessing the volatile situation minute-by-minute.Maryland State Governor Larry Hogan said he had been very encouraged by the last 24 hours and said a semblance of normality was returning to Baltimore, a gritty city of 620,000 about an hours drive from Washington.But he cautioned: We are not out of the woods yet.And he warned demonstrators to respect the curfew: There are peaceful protests happening tonight. We want to make sure individuals can exercise their First Amendment rights and express their concerns.We also want to stress and remind everyone that there is a 10:00 pm curfew in place in the city and I urge everyone in Baltimore to get off the streets at 10:00 pm.Reflecting on Tuesday night, which was tense but largely trouble-free, Baltimore Police Captain Eric Kowalczyk said: Last night the curfew went into effect at 10:00 pm. We have had 35 arrests. Of those 35 arrests, 34 were adults and one was a juvenile.He added: It is reflective of what we saw yesterday with very peaceful activity and what we are used to seeing in the city of Baltimore.Police said they were keeping a keen eye on social media -- used by protesters to coordinate their action.Amid the violence on Monday, the Baltimore Orioles postponed two Major League Baseball games against the Chicago White Sox and opted to bar fans from Wednesdays contest at Camden Yards.The 8-2 victory for the home team was played before empty stands.Among the many startling images to emerge from the riots in the city was that of an infuriated mother hitting her teenage son repeatedly for joining the demonstrations on Monday and dragging him away.I just lost it, said Toya Graham, a single mother of six. I was shocked, I was angry, because you never want to see your child out there doing that, she added, speaking to CBS News.

Dollar dives vs. euro after US growth disappoints

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The dollar sank against the euro Wednesday after worse-than-expected data showed the US economy nearly stalled in the first quarter, clouding expectations of a Federal Reserve interest rate hike.The early morning report from the Commerce Department sent the dollar tumbling against the 19-nation currency, at one point hitting a two-month low.But the dollar pared its losses after the Federal Reserve announced, after a two-day policy meeting, that the slowdown in the worlds largest economy was in part due to transitory factors, predicting that growth would return to a moderate pace.The euro traded at $1.1128 around 2100 GMT, up from $1.0981 late Tuesday.As expected, the Federal Open Market Committee left its key federal funds rate near zero, but after previously hinting the rate hike could come in mid-2015, the FOMC statement left open the timing of an increase as it waits for more signs of economic progress.This report is dovish for the greenback and the yield curve, but supportive of US growth, job gains, oil prices, metals prices, and equity prices on trend. Higher rates are coming, but we do not expect the first moves higher until Q4 2015, said Jason Schenker of Prestige Economics.

Iran calls for UN-sponsored talks on Yemen

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Irans foreign minister called Wednesday for a Yemen-owned dialogue sponsored by the United Nations to end fighting that has killed hundreds in the country since late March.Everybody in Yemen should engage in a dialogue without preconditions and I do not believe that is taking place in the UAE, because the UAE unfortunately became part of the conflict, said Mohammad Javad Zarif.It has to take place in a place that is not a party to this conflict.A Saudi-led coalition of Sunni Arab states launched air strikes on March 26 against Huthi Shiite rebels whom Riyadh accuses Tehran of arming.The United Nations says more than 1,000 people have been killed in fighting in Yemen since late March, when Riyadh assembled the coalition in support of the countrys exiled president.Zarif said the talks should include everyone in Yemen and lead to a broad based government that has good relations with its neighbors.It should be a Yemeni-owned and a Yemeni-operated process. We can facilitate, he told an audience at New York University.He recalled the Bonn conference, held under UN auspices, that paved the way for an Afghan government after the 2001 US-led invasion brought down the Taliban.I think Yemen should be the same and I think the United Nations has enough experience to lead that, and weve been talking to them and I hope they can do it, he added.Zarif described the situation in Yemen as dire and said the humanitarian situation was catastrophic.

Regime bombing kills 23 in north Syria: monitor

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BEIRUT (AFP) - Air strikes by Syrian government forces killed at least 23 people, including six children, and wounded 50 on Wednesday in the northern provinces of Aleppo and Idlib, a monitor said.In the south of Aleppo city, a small girl was among four civilians killed in the rebel-held neighbourhood of Ferdus, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.Another seven civilians died in Deir Hafer and Bab, two areas in the east and north of Aleppo under the control of the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, said the Observatory.Explosives-filled barrels and missiles were used in the wave of bombing, which also wounded 50 people.In Idlib, air strikes killed 12 people, five of them children, said the Britain-based monitor which relies on a network of sources on the ground for its reports.A newly formed rebel alliance calling itself the Army of Conquest has seized key positions in Idlib province in recent weeks, including the provincial capital of the same name, the town of Jisr al-Shughur and a military headquarters.In fighting between rival factions within the anti-regime camp, the Observatory and opposition sources said, 36 people have been killed since Monday on the edge of the Israeli-occupied sector of the Golan Heights.Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said 31 of the deaths came in fighting in Qahtaniya pitting Jaish al-Jihad, which has pledged allegiance to IS, against Islamists backed by the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Nusra Front and other rebel forces.Al-Nusra and its allies have taken several positions from Jaish al-Jihad, the Observatory said.In nearby Saham Jolan, five Al-Nusra fighters including a commander were killed in clashes with Al-Yarmuk Martyrs Brigade, another group close to IS, opposition sources said.Two Al-Yarmuk members were killed.

Tennis: Federer blasts past Nieminen in Istanbul

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ISTANBUL (AFP) - World number two Roger Federer on Wednesday eased past fellow 33-year old, the Finn Jarkko Nieminen, with a dominant display to reach the quarter finals of the Istanbul Open.Federer, showing flashes of brilliance mixed with occasional errors, closed out in just over an hour to win the second round match 6-2 7-5.The 17-time Grand Slam winner was making his first appearance in Turkey at the Istanbul Open, the first ever ATP world tour event in the country.Federer, who is seeded to meet world number 11 Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria in the final, is hoping to use the clay court event to fine tune his bid for a second French Open title next month. He is looking for confidence on the slower clay, after a long hard court season, having lost in the third round on clay to Gael Monfils at the Monte Carlo Masters this month.Federer raced through the first set in just 20 minutes, pulling out his full armoury of drop shots, cross court forehands and backhand winners against a clearly hesitant Nieminen, the world 71.A stunning drop shot from Federer that fell dead inside the service court broke Nieminens serve in the fifth game and left the crowd gasping. The crowd, who had braved heavy evening traffic to catch Federer play at the 8,000 capacity Garanti Koza arena on the outskirts of Istanbul, began to get behind the Finn to prolong the game.Nieminen showed greater confidence in the second set, holding his serve with ease and an over-relaxed Federer spraying the ball wide regularly.The Federer forehand was responsible for a string of unforced errors, allowing Nieminen to hold serve without trouble.But Federer, serving and volleying on occasion and delivering nine aces in the match, found his top gear at the close of the set.Piling pressure on the Nieminen second serve and using his trademark drive volley to great effect, Federer finally broke Nieminen to lead 6-5.He then served out to love, finishing with a stunning backhand cross court that left Nieminen with arms and legs akimbo.In Fridays quarter finals, Federer will face Daniel Gimeno-Traver of Spain who overcame Kazakhstans Mikhail Kukushkin in straight setsDimitrov meanwhile is due to start his campaign against Andrey Golubev of Kazakhstan on Thursday. Fourth seed Santiago Giraldo of Colombia went through to the quarters with a tough 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 win against Andrey Rublev of Russia.

Tennis: Haase claims top seed Lopez' scalp, Gasquet eases through

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ESTORIL (AFP) - Dutch underdog Robin Haase produced a superb comeback to knock out top seed Feliciano Lopez in the second round of the Estoril Open on Wednesday 4-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4.French fifth seed Richard Gasquet, playing his first event in six weeks after returning from a back injury, continued his comeback with a 6-2, 6-3 defeat of compatriot Kenny de Schepper.The 28-year-old Gasquet had been enjoying a successful season prior to his injury, winning his 11th career title in Montpellier and reaching the last eight in both Doha and Dubai.The two-time Estoril finalist (2007, 2012) will next face Spains Nicolas Almagro, who caused an upset as he beat Argentine fourth seed Leonardo Mayer 7-6 (7/4), 6-2, serving seven aces and breaking three times in the 89-minute win.Im very happy with how I played this match, said Gasquet.Its always satisfying to win in straight sets.Im still feeling good about my injury, its not bothering me, I felt I played better and served better than in the first round. Im quite satisfied.Almagro will be a test for me, hes one of the best on clay, very physical and playing well. Well just have to see how I can handle him.Haase will take on Australian seventh seed Nick Kyrgios, who beat Serb Filip Krajinovic 6-3, 6-3 in the first night session ever staged in the history of the tournament.Lopez, an unorthodox Spanish serve-and-volleyer ranked 12 in the world, was motoring to what was looking like a routine straight-sets winning start when the wheels came off his game.Haase saved two match points in the 12th game of the second set as he mounted his fightback.He was broken twice while serving for victory in the second set, with the 101st-ranked Haase taking the set into a tiebreaker and levelling at a set each on the first of four set points.Lopez previous superiority disappeared, and he was unable to regain the initiative and has now lost to the Dutchman in all three of their ATP meetings on clay.Lopez was broken in the first game of the third set and was never able to close the gap on his inspired opponent, who moved into his first quarter-final since last July in Gstaad.Haase needed just over two hours to ensure victory, with Lopez saving six of ten break points he faced.Tennis can be very sad sometimes, said Lopez. There will be days when you do all the right things and you lose anyway.Serving twice for the match, its not normal to lose like this. I should have closed it out, especially since I had a couple of match points.I played great for two sets, I was aggressive and charging the net. Unfortunately, that was not enough today.The match was close and I just couldnt find a way to win in the end.Another Spanish seed joined Lopez on the sidelines, with number three Tommy Robredo withdrawing on the eve of his match on Thursday due to a left foot injury.He was replaced in the draw by David Vega Hernandez, a lucky loser from qualifying rounds.

Football: Rodriguez cracker helps Real keep pressure on Barcelona

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MADRID (AFP) - Real Madrid warmed up for a big week by moving back to within two points of Barcelona at the top of La Liga with a comfortable 3-0 win over Almeria on Wednesday.James Rodriguezs stunning dipping volley a minute before the break lit up an otherwise drab first 45 minute.Mauro Dos Santoss own goal doubled Madrids advantage early in the second-half before Alvaro Arbeloa added a late third.Madrid travel to Champions League-chasing Sevilla on Saturday before facing Juventus away in the first-leg of their Champions League semi-final on Tursday.The pressure was on Carlo Ancelottis men after Barcelona had mauled Getafe 6-0 on Tuesday, but they made a slow start against the relegation-threatened Andalusians.Rodriguez headed just wide from Arbeloas cross early on before Ruben Martinez stood up well to turn a fierce drive from Cristiano Ronaldo behind.The World Player of the Year also sent a dipping free-kick onto the roof of the net, but the home fans were becoming frustrated before Rodriguez sparked the game into life just before the break.In a similar style to the Colombians stunning volley against Uruguay at last years World Cup, he slammed the ball over the helpless Martinez from just outside the area.It was 2-0 three minutes into the second-half as Jese fed Toni Kroos down the right and his low cross was turned into his own net by Dos Santos with Ronaldo waiting to pounce.Rodriguez was then withdrawn for Isco in preparation for the week ahead.However, the hosts still dominated the final half hour and should have added to their lead when Raphael Varane headed just wide before Javier Hernandez failed to continue his scoring streak when he turned Ronaldos low cross wide at the near post.Hernandez did have a hand in the third goal though as his cross was slotted home by Arbeloa.Sevilla warmed up for the visit of Madrid with a 3-1 win away at struggling Eibar to move up to fourth.Carlos Bacca struck twice inside the first 15 minutes to give the visitors a commanding advantage and Jose Antonio Reyes rounded off the scoring after Federico Piovaccari had pulled a goal back for the Basques.

Microsoft courts app makers with dive into Windows 10

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SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Microsoft made a new pitch Wednesday to app makers, promising an audience of more than a billion people if they develop services for the upcoming Windows 10 operating system.The US technology titan opened its annual Build developers conference with a three-hour keynote presentation highlighting how Windows 10 will let software savants serve up creations on the full spectrum of smart devices, including HoloLens augmented reality headgear.And, to make it even simpler, they will be able to re-use code written for apps they have made for Apple or Android devices.Microsoft also revealed that the successor to its Internet Explorer browser has been named Edge.For us the name refers to being on the edge of consuming and creating, operating systems group corporate vice president Joe Belfiore said during the presentation.Its a browser that end users will think about for getting things done.From Apple to WindowsThe bulk of the presentation was aimed at winning over developers whose fun, functional or hip applications can make smartphones, tablets or other devices hits with consumers.Microsoft is making a major play to win back developers, said Forrester analyst Michael Facemire.Theyve opened up the once-impenetrable castle walls, allowing development using a wide range of languages, platforms, and tools.Windows phones and tablets have lagged behind those powered by Apple or Google Android software and part of the reason is a lack of must-have applications for anything from games to exercise routines.Windows 10 is designed to power all kinds of devices from wearable computers to smartphones or desktop machines, and an application needs to be written just once to perform on all of them, according to Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella.Windows 10 represents a new generation of Windows built for an era of more personal computing, Nadella said.Nadella added that the mobility of the experience is what matters, not the mobility of the device.Microsoft announced availability of tools that will let developers power Windows 10 applications by re-using code they have already written to make applications for Android or Apple mobile devices.The move promised to save developers time and money making versions of apps for Windows phones or tablets.With Apple, you choose to invest in Mac OS or iOS; with Google you invest in Android or Chrome OS, said Microsoft executive vice president of operating systems Terry Myerson.Windows is the only ecosystem that let you bring your apps to all these devices, officially.To get Windows 10 adopted quickly, Microsoft plans to give it away as a free upgrade for a year after its release.Our goal is that in two to three years of the release, a billion devices will run on Windows 10, said Myerson.Microsoft has also been bulking up its Azure data handling services run in the cloud to let developers tap into machine learning analytics as well as massive computing power as needed, according to Nadella.This conference is all about celebrating and challenging the creativity and the ingenuity that you all bring to build new and great things on top of platform innovations that we make available to you, he told the gathering of developers.Flex and fit appsMicrosoft has a vision that Windows and apps written for the platform should flex and fit different size screens without needing any new software code to be written, according to Belfiore.Microsoft brought hundreds of its yet-to-be-released HoloLens visors to Build to let developers experience applications designed for no screens at all, but with imagery overlaid on the real world.People, not devices, are mobile, said Microsofts Alex Kipman, who played a part in creating HoloLens.We are ready for technology to move beyond devices.Kipman demonstrated HoloLens applications running on Windows 10.Windows 10 is a Trojan Horse mobile device OS strategy, said Forrester analyst J.P. Gownder.This is a very smart approach.

Posted by IMRAN ALI SOOMRO (DARVESH) at 4/30/2015 07:51:00 AM

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