Tuesday 28 October 2014

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Iran denies claim nuclear deal is 'finalised'

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TEHRAN (AFP) - Irans government was forced to deny Tuesday it had already struck a nuclear deal with the West, after a lawmaker accused its negotiators of secretly selling the country short.In a sign of the domestic tension surrounding talks being held abroad with world powers, Irans foreign ministry threatened to prosecute the member of parliament who said an agreement that breaches the Islamic republics red lines had been settled.A group of hardline MPs in Tehran have repeatedly warned Iran has already given up too much in talks with the United States and other leading nations under an interim deal that traded curbs on its nuclear programme for limited sanctions relief.However Irans President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif have pushed ahead despite such pressure, stating a comprehensive agreement is possible by a November 24 deadline.The West wants to close all avenues to Tehran developing an atomic bomb, by cutting back its nuclear enrichment program, shutting down suspect facilities and imposing tough international inspections.In return, world powers would suspend and then gradually lift economic sanctions that have strangled Irans economy, which is heavily reliant on a high price for crude oil.Iran denies seeking atomic weapons but insists on having industrial level enrichment for its civilian energy programme. It wants all sanctions lifted and no restrictions on its existing nuclear technology.Tuesdays remarks, however, by conservative lawmaker Alireza Zakani laid bare the resistance Rouhani faces.According to received information and news, an agreement between the Iranian delegation and the American side has been finalised, Zakani said, according to the Iranian parliaments website.There are reports that the systems red lines have been crossed in an implicit agreement which will no doubt weaken the rights of the nation and trample upon all our nuclear achievements, it quoted him as saying.The so-called red lines refer to 11 points set by Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei which must be observed by negotiators, led by Zarif, before the Islamic republic will sign a deal.One of the stipulations includes the absolute need for Irans uranium enrichment capacity to be 190,000 SWU (Separative Work Units) -- close to 20 times its current processing ability. The West has said this is the main stumbling block to agreement.MPs are completely kept in the dark, Zakani said. If the negotiating team acts without considering the parliament it will cause many problems which would be against the national interest... then the negotiating team should bear the consequences.Zakani did not provide proof for his allegations, which were met by a stern rebuke from the foreign ministry.The nuclear negotiating team is aware of the systems red lines and is careful and sensitive to adhere to them, ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency. The only agreement reached was regarding the title of the final agreement, the Joint Comprehensive Action Plan, she said.Such remarks... are slander against the negotiating team and (those making them) can be prosecuted, Afkham added.The negotiating team knows clearly and more than anyone that any agreement that does not consider the systems red lines is worthless.US Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman has spoken of a forest of distrust between the West and Iran.But in months of discussions since the interim agreement struck last November took effect in January, some progress has been made.This includes possible changes in the design of an unfinished reactor at Arak so that it produces less weapons-grade plutonium, enhanced UN inspections, and alterations to Irans fortified Fordo facility.However, Zakanis comments were indicative of Shermans scepticism.The silence of our diplomatic apparatus regarding the excessive demands of the American negotiators has caused the Great Satan (the United States) to be presumptuous... and to speak in a hallucinatory manner and repeat its nonsense, Zakani said.He also hit out at a campaign led by Iranian filmmakers, apparently with the foreign ministrys backing, that has said there is no deal that would be worse than no deal at all.We consider this to be a disgrace, the MP added. We call on Irans security apparatus to reveal what is behind this campaign.

'Terror threat': US boosts security at government buildings

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States said Tuesday it will boost security at government buildings after threats from Islamist groups and following two attacks last week in Canada that killed two soldiers.The precise actions and precise locations were not specified in the statement by Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, who said they would vary, shift and be continually reevaluated.Johnson called it a precautionary step, to safeguard US government personnel and facilities, and the visitors to those facilities.The reasons for this action are self-evident, Johnson said, citing continued public calls by terrorist organizations for attacks on the homeland and elsewhere as well as the two attacks last week in Canada.Both of the attacks came as Canada deployed fighter jets to join US-led air strikes on the Islamic State group in Iraq. Police say both assailants were converts to Islam with alleged extremists views.Canada is a member of the alliance Washington has forged of Western and Arab nations to combat IS, which seized large parts of Syria and Iraq in recent months, declaring an Islamic caliphate and committing widespread atrocities.The group has called for foreign fighters to join them and promoted attacks by disaffected Muslims on Western targets.Given world events, prudence dictates a heightened vigilance in the protection of US government installations and our personnel, Johnson said.

UN General Assembly condemns US Cuba embargo

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UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The U.N. General Assembly voted Tuesday for the 23rd year in a row to condemn the U.S. commercial, economic and financial embargo against Cuba.The symbolic vote passed 188-2, with only the U.S. and Israel voting against it. Three nations abstained: Palau, Micronesia and the Marshall Islands.General Assembly resolutions are unenforceable but the vote has given Cuba an annual stage to demonstrate the isolation of the U.S. on the embargo.The embargo was enacted in 1960 following Cubas nationalization of properties belonging to U.S. citizens and corporations. Sanctions were strengthened to a near-total embargo in 1962.Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said 77 percent of Cubans have been born under the embargo that has seriously impeded the economic development of the country.Although our social and health system have prevented the loss of lives, no honest person, in the world or in the United States, can support its devastating consequences, he said.Ronald D. Godard, a senior U.S. adviser for Western Hemisphere affairs, defended the policy and said the Cuban government uses his annual resolution in an attempt to shift blame for the islands economic problems away from its own policy failures.But U.S. attitudes towards the embargo are rapidly changing. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke out in favor of lifting it in her recent book Hard Choices, saying it is longer useful to American interests or promoting change on the communist island. A recent Florida International University poll showed that about half Cuban-Americans surveyed in Miami support an end to the embargo.

Orbital rocket explodes after launch

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WASHINGTON (Agencies) - An unmanned Antares rocket exploded seconds after liftoff from a commercial launch pad in Virginia on Tuesday, marking the first accident since NASA turned to private operators to deliver cargo to the International Space Station, but officials said no one was hurt.The 14-story rocket, built and launched by Orbital Sciences Corp, blasted off its seaside launch pad at the Wallops Flight Facility at 6:22 p.m. EDT carrying a Cygnus cargo ship for the space station. It exploded in a huge fireball moments later.Orbital Sciences stock was down 12.74 percent after hours, or down $3.87 at $26.50.The cause of the accident was not immediately known, said NASA mission commentator Dan Huot.Huot said there were no reports of any personnel in the vicinity of the explosion. An Accomack County Sheriffs spokeswoman added, As far as we know, all personnel are accounted for and everyones OK.Orbital Sciences said in a statement: Weve confirmed that all personnel have been accounted for. We have no injuries in the operation today.NASA launch control said damage appeared to be limited to the launch facility and rocket. The Antares rocket has been launched successfully on four previous missions.This has been a lot of hard work to get to this point, Orbital Sciences Executive Vice President Frank Culbertson told the launch team just before liftoff.Launch had been delayed one day after a boat sailed into a restricted safety zone beneath the rockets intended flight path.Virginia-based Orbital Sciences is one of two companies hired by NASA to fly cargo to the station after the space shuttles were retired. Tuesdays planned flight was to be the third of eight under the companys $1.9 billion contract with NASA.The second U.S. supply line to the station is run by privately owned Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, which is preparing for its fourth flight under a separate $1.6 billion NASA contract.Outfitted with a new, more powerful upper-stage engine, the Antares rocket launched on Tuesday carried a Cygnus spacecraft packed with 5,055 pounds (2,293 kg) of supplies, science experiments and equipment, a 15 percent increase over previous missions.Cygnus was to loiter in orbit until Nov. 2, then fly itself to the station so astronauts can use a robotic crane to snare the capsule and attach it to a berthing port. The station, a $100 billion research laboratory owned and operated by 15 nations, flies about 260 miles (418 km) above Earth.In addition to food, supplies and equipment, the Cygnus spacecraft was loaded with more than 1,600 pounds (725 kg) of science experiments, including an investigation to chemically analyze meteors as they burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.The Cygnus also carried a prototype satellite owned by Redmond, Washington-based startup Planetary Resources Inc., which is developing technology to mine asteroids. The satellite, designated A3, was to be released into space by a commercially owned small spacecraft launcher aboard the station.

Singapore, New Zealand, Hong Kong best for business

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Washington (AFP) - Small and well-run Singapore, New Zealand and Hong Kong are the worlds easiest places to run a business, while global giants China, Brazil and India remain far down the list, according the World Bank.Three small but hot Pacific economies led the Banks annual Doing Business report, released Wednesday, which focuses on where businesses are best helped and least hindered by government.The top 10 was filled out by Denmark, South Korea, Norway, the United States, Britain, Finland and Australia, mostly the same developed economies as in previous years.But the report, despite revisions to its methodology after upsetting China in past years, left emerging market giants far down the list, fast growth and success in drawing investment notwithstanding.China ranked 90th out of 189 countries and territories, barely improved from 93 a year ago; Brazil is 120th, also up three places; and India was ranked at 142, two spots worse than before.All three ranked lower than troubled economies and difficult investment environments like Russia and Greece.But that only underscored the admittedly narrow focus of the survey, in terms of assessing a countrys success.Doing Business measures a slender segment of the complex organism that any modern economy is, admitted World Bank chief economist Kaushik Basu in a forward to the report.An economy can do poorly on Doing Business indicators but do well in macroeconomic policy or social welfare interventions.The scores measure the operating environment for a business, including how easy it is to start a company, to transfer a property or resolve a commercial dispute; the time and cost of clearing imports and exports through a port; how easy is it to get an electricity connection, and other issues that face business owners in any country.- Smart regulations -By those measures, Singapore was, as in recent past years, on top with a score of 88.27, and New Zealand close behind with 86.91.The top 30 countries all had more than 74 points, while the bottom five, with isolated and authoritarian East African pariah Eritrea at the very end, all scored below 40.The contrast between the best and worst underscored why Singapore is highly praised and successful.Entrepreneurs in the Southeast Asian island nation need just 2.5 days to open a business, 31 days to get electric power and four days and $440 to import a container.Meanwhile in Eritrea, a similar businessman would need on average 84 days to start a company and 59 days to get electricity, while importing goods takes 59 days and $2,000 per container.Basu stressed that the survey is not a measure of the level of government intervention in an economy.A significant number of the top 30 economies in the ease of doing business ranking come from a tradition where government has had quite a prominent presence in the economy, he noted.The top-performing economies... are therefore not those with no regulation but those in which governments have managed to create rules that facilitate interactions in the marketplace without needlessly hindering the development of the private sector.Ultimately, Doing Business is about smart regulations that only a well-functioning state can provide.The secret of success is to have the essential rules and regulations in place -- but more importantly to have a good system of clearing decisions quickly and predictably, so that small and ordinary businesses do not feel harassed.

Orbital rocket explodes after launch

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Washington (AFP) - An unmanned rocket owned by Orbital Sciences Corporation exploded Tuesday in a giant fireball and plummeted back to Earth just seconds after launch on what was to be a resupply mission to the International Space Station.The Antares rocket suffered an accident shortly after lift-off, NASA mission control in Houston said, describing the event as a catastrophic anomaly.After the countdown, the base of the tall, white rocket ignited on cue, then rose a short distance into the air before it suddenly exploded in a fiery blast six seconds later.Enveloped in flames, the rocket collapsed to the ground, as a cloud of dark gray smoke rose from the wreckage.Investigators swiftly secured the perimeter of the area and forbade any outside interviews of witnesses or staff, citing classified equipment that had been aboard the spacecraft.As night fell, fires were seen burning at the coastal launch pad at Wallops Island, Virginia where waves lapped at the shore.It was unclear what caused the explosion, which occurred at 6:22 pm (2222 GMT).At this point it appears that the damage is limited to the facility, a commentator on NASA television said.All personnel in the area were accounted for, and there were no injuries, the US space agency said.There was, however significant property damage.The accident occurred just after Orbitals unmanned Cygnus cargo ship blasted off toward ISS carrying 5,000 pounds (2,200 kilograms) of supplies for the six astronauts living at the research outpost.It was the first nighttime launch of an Antares rocket, Orbital said.Engineers said the countdown had gone smoothly, and there were no issues apparent with the machinery.The mission, known as CRS-3, was to be Orbitals fourth trip to the ISS, including an initial demonstration.On NASA television, a man identified as Orbital executive vice president Frank Culbertson told his team to be as professional in this process as they are in a countdown, and urged them not to talk to the press.When we understand what happened, hopefully soon, then we will get things back on track, Culbertson could be heard saying to staff on the radio.We have all seen this happen in our business before, and we have all seen our teams recover from this, he said.Like I said, be very judicious about talking about it even amongst yourselves, in terms of speculation. Definitely do not talk outside our family.Orbital has a $1.9 billion contract with NASA for a total of eight supply missions.The Cygnus craft, which is shaped like a massive beer keg, was to have remained berthed at the ISS for about five weeks.After the US space shuttle program ended in 2011, leaving no government program to send humans to the space station, private companies raced to restore US access.SpaceXs Dragon was the first commercial spacecraft to make a supply journey there in 2010.

Thousands mourn Canada soldier killed in Ottawa attack

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Ottawa (AFP) - Thousands of mourners lined the streets of the Canadian city of Hamilton for the funeral procession of a soldier killed last week in an attack in the nations capital.Wailing bagpipes and a solitary drum beat broke a solemn silence as hundreds of soldiers, veterans and police officers marched alongside the flag-draped casket of Corporal Nathan Cirillo to a cathedral in his hometown.His bereaved family, including his six-year-old son wearing his fathers beret, also participated in the funeral procession, viewed on television by millions nationwide.Cirillo was fatally shot last week while standing watch at the War Memorial in Ottawa. His attacker, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, then stormed into parliament and exchanged fire with police before being shot dead.The attack was one of two targeting Canadian soldiers just days apart. Another soldier, Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent, was killed on October 20 in a hit and run east of Montreal. He will be laid to rest on Saturday.Both attacks came as Canada deployed fighter jets to join US-led air strikes on the Islamic State group in Iraq. Police say both assailants were converts to Islam with alleged extremists views.Two of our own have made the ultimate sacrifice, and we celebrate their lives and mourn their deaths, said Governor General David Johnston.In his eulogy, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the war memorial is a reminder that freedom is never free. It has been earned by the soldier and then donated to all of us.Most of us can never truly understand the significance to a soldier of the simple act of standing reverently on guard at that place, he said.Corporal Cirillo, who felt the calling of a soldier when he was just a 13-year-old cadet, he understood. He knew what he was protecting and what he was preserving. He died protecting and preserving it.- Kerry lays wreath -In Ottawa, visiting US Secretary of State John Kerry laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier where Cirillo fell, in his honor.Washingtons top diplomat said he came to offer condolences and express Americas deep solidarity with its northern neighbor and closest ally.Kerry pledged to step up bilateral cooperation to fight militant groups and extremist ideologies, including targeting their sources of funding and countering their propaganda.Together on this side of the Atlantic, and where necessary overseas, we will defeat the advocates and practitioners of terror, expose their hypocrisy, and we will win the battle of ideas, he said.Canada, a country proud of its reputation for openness and tolerance, has remained defiant in the wake of the attacks.It has been threatened in militant broadcasts over its role in the US-led campaign against Islamic State jihadists.Some Canadians have travelled to the Middle East to join the group, and others are thought to have developed radical ideas at home, living among the countrys Muslim minority.- He seemed very extreme -Police say the two attackers in Ottawa and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec were tempted by the prospect of waging war in Syria, where IS is seeking to carve out a caliphate.Ottawa shooter Zehaf-Bibeau, 32, was described as a petty criminal who was estranged from his family and struggled with a drug addiction.He was very pious... but he seemed very extreme, Abdel Kareem Abubakir, a volunteer at an Ottawa shelter that had taken in Zehaf-Bibeau, told the Globe and Mail newspaper.The assailant in the Quebec attack, 25-year-old Martin Couture-Rouleau, had been on a watch list of suspected extremists before he used his car as a weapon to run over two soldiers in a parking lot, killing one of them before being shot dead by police.In July, he was barred at the last minute from leaving for Turkey, a popular entry point for would-be jihadists looking to fight in Iraq and Syria.Police seized Couture-Rouleaus passport as he sought to board an airplane in Montreal, but did not have enough evidence to arrest him.

Giant Burkina Faso rally against prolonging leader's rule

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Ouagadougou (AFP) - Demonstrators wielding iron bars and stones battled police in the Burkina Faso capital on Tuesday after a massive rally against plans to extend the rule of the countrys veteran president.Firing tear gas, security forces charged the protesters after they ventured close to parliament in one of the strongest challenges to President Blaise Compaore in his 27 years in power.The violence erupted at the end of a march in Ouagadougou that drew up to a million people, according to opposition leaders fighting to prevent what they see as a constitutional coup by supporters of Compaore.The demonstrators blew whistles and vuvuzela trumpets and carried banners reading Blaise Get Out and Dont Touch Article 37, in reference to the constitutional term limit that risks being scrapped to let the president seek reelection.Police battled the stone-throwing demonstrators for hours and dismantled makeshift barricades put up by them to block traffic.The opposition has called for a blockade of parliament on Thursday when the legislature examines a proposed constitutional amendment to prolong Compaores rule by allowing him to seek another term next year.Schools and universities have closed for the week of protests planned in the impoverished west African nation.Pre-dawn violence had already broken out early Tuesday as gendarmes fired tear gas at dozens of youths barricading the countrys main highway, who hurled stones in response, according to an AFP reporter.Senior opposition figures Benewende Sankara and Ablasse Ouedraogo claimed a million-strong turnout. AFP reporters could not confirm that figure but estimated the crowds number at well above a previous rally in August.- This is our final warning -Several hundred people also occupied the Place de la Nation, a central square in the capital but later dispersed without incident.Our march is already a huge success, phenomenal, said opposition leader Zephirin Diabre. Our struggle has entered its final phase. Its make or break time -- the nation or deathThis is our final warning for Blaise Compaore to withdraw today the draft amendment to be brought before the National Assembly.However, government spokesman Alain Edouard Traore late Tuesday issued a statement hailing the vitality of Burkina Fasos democracy despite incidents of what he quaintly termed as misbehaviourCompaore was only 36 when he seized power in an October 1987 coup in which his former friend and one of Africas most loved leaders, Thomas Sankara, was ousted and assassinated.He has remained in power since then, reelected president four times since 1991 -- to two seven-year and two five-year terms.In 2005, constitutional limits were introduced and Compaore is therefore coming to the end of his second five-year term.The opposition fears the new rules -- which are not expected to take previous terms into account -- would enable Compaore to seek reelection not just one, but three more times, paving the way for up to 15 more years in power.The third largest party in parliament said at the weekend it would back the amendment, setting the ruling party on course to obtain the two-thirds majority it needs to make the change without resorting to a referendum as first promised.Protesters have erected barricades and burned tyres in the capital since the proposal was announced on October 21, with hundreds of women demonstrating with spatulas in their hands and secondary school children deserting classes to join the protests, creating major disruption.Civil society groups have also asked for the project to be dropped, saying the country risks being paralysed if the amendment goes through.Compaores bid to cling on to power has angered the opposition and much of the public, including many young people in a country where 60 percent of the population is under 25.Many have spent their entire lives under the leadership of one man and -- with the poor former French colony stagnating at 183rd out of 186 countries on the UN human development index -- many have had enough.

Facebook shares dive as social network eyes future

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San Francisco (AFP) - Facebook reported its quarterly profit nearly doubled but saw its stock pounded after outlining a plan to invest heavily in the future instead of revelling in short-term riches.Facebook shares, which had been near record levels in recent days, dropped more than nine percent to $73.29 in after-market trades.The drop followed an earnings call in which executives said they will pour money into talent and technologies with the potential to pay off handsomely down the road.Looking a decade out, Facebook founder and chief Mark Zuckerberg envisioned hitting milestones regarding machine intelligence and extending Internet access to billions more people on the planet.We are going to continue preparing for the future by investing aggressively, connecting everyone, understanding the world, and building the next-generation in computing platforms, Zuckerberg said.We have a long journey ahead.- Mobile ad money surge -Facebook shares sank despite the social network besting earnings expectations, boasting a gain in users and a surge in mobile ad revenue.Facebook said it made $802 million in profit for shareholders on revenue of $3.2 billion in the quarter that ended on September 30, while the number of monthly active users grew to 1.35 billion worldwide.This has been a good quarter with strong results, Zuckerberg said.We continue to focus on serving our community well and continue to invest in connecting the world over the next decade.The number of people using mobile devices to connect with Facebook rose to about 1.12 billion in September, a 29 percent increase from the same month a year earlier, according to the earnings report.Facebook took in $2.96 billion from advertising during the quarter, with marketing messages served up on mobile devices becoming more important.Mobile represented 66 percent of advertising revenue for the third quarter of 2014, up from 49 percent a year earlier.Payments and other fees generated $246 million, a 13 percent increase from the same quarter last year.Facebook has made a priority of adapting to lifestyles increasingly centered on getting online using smartphones or tablets, an adjustment deemed by analysts as critical for Internet firms that want to remain popular.- Year for investment -Facebook has also been seeking to broaden its offerings, unveiling an application that lets people chat anonymously in virtual rooms, evoking the chat rooms from the early days of the Internet.It is also testing a feature that lets users of the leading social network make purchases by simply pressing an on-screen Buy button.Facebook completed its multibillion-dollar deal for mobile messaging application WhatsApp earlier this month.One of the thing happening on mobile is there is an increased focus for apps to do one thing really well, Zuckerberg said during an earnings call.In order to best serve people, you need to build multiple stand-alone apps; we are going to do more of that in the future.Facebook executives on the call told analysts that 2015 will be a significant investment year with an emphasis on acquiring talent and working toward long term goals.Objectives Zuckerberg outlined included ramping up users of Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger application to a billion or more each, so they become important businesses in their own right during the next five years.This may sound silly to say, but for us products dont get that interesting to turn into business until we have about a billion people using them, Zuckerberg said.Near-term priorities at Facebook include sharing video and news at the social network, along with being a place for public figures to distribute content.When asked about his hopes in China, where he wowed a university audience by fielding questions in Mandarin during a visit last week, Zuckerberg said Facebook is taking a long-term approach to a valuable market that has frustrated many US technology firms.We are already doing more in China on the business side than a lot of folks think about, Zuckerberg said.Our approach to China and every country is very long term; we are going to be here for decades and we want to create good relationships with these countries.

Tennis: Robredo rumbles on as Verdasco stuns Simon in Paris

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PARIS (AFP) - Spanish veteran Tommy Robredo survived a first round scare at the Paris Masters on Tuesday before prevailing 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7/5) over Canadas Vasek Pospisil. Former world number five Robredo was evidently still feeling the effects of reaching the final of the Valencia Open on Sunday where he was beaten by Andy Murray in the longest final of the year. Now ranked 17 in the ATP rankings, the popular 32-year-old has reached three finals this season but lost them all as a 13th career title continues to elude him. Pospisil, who came into the week ranked 54, rained down 13 aces against Robredos one, and led 4-2 in the third set before painfully falling at the final hurdle. Robredo, who wasted five match points against Murray at Valencia in a match that lasted 3 hours 20mins, seized a 6-3 advantage in the decisive third set tie-break and squandered two of them before Pospisil hit long to end the match.Robredo now plays Japanese sixth seed Kei Nishikori in the second round. French hopes were badly dented when Shanghai Masters finalist and 15th seed Gilles Simon, crashed out in the second round against Spaniard Fernando Verdasco. The world number 33 broke in the final game to outlast Simon 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in 1hr 53min.Its always the same, I didnt control anything, said a dejected Simon, who was making his ninth straight appearance at Bercy. Its a pity, because physically I felt I was fit, I had energy and I could have played a lot.But I was not controlling the ball the way I wanted to and Im not happy with the way I played.Im extremely disappointed because I like this tournament and I felt I could do well here. added Simon. Simon, who lost to Roger Federer in the final of the Shanghai Masters last month, started brightly against Verdasco and broke in the opening game before holding serve for a 2-0 lead. Verdasco broke back immediately and then levelled the match before Simon cracked at 4-3 down when he lost his serve for the second time and eventually the set in 32 minutes.Simon, whose best result in Paris was a semi-final appearance in 2012, levelled the match at one set all by dominating the second 6-3. It then came down to a nail-biting deciding set that went with serve until Verdasco went 5-4 up and Simon was serving to stay in the match.The right-hander from Nice faced match point at 30-40 and after a marathon rally hit long as Verdasco claimed a morale-boosting victory and pounded his chest in celebration. Verdasco will now play either former champion and last years finalist David Ferrer or Belgian talent David Goffin.The 23-year-old Goffin, who lost the Basel Open final in straight sets against Roger Federer on Sunday but has two ATP wins this season, overpowered Czech Republic world number 29 Lukas Rosal 6-4, 6-3.Earlier, Jeremy Chardy, who reached his second career semi-final at Valencia last week, edged compatriot and qualifier Kenny De Schepper 7-6 (7/5) 7-6 (7/4) in a battle of Frenchmen. I didnt expect him to play so well from the baseline, he was moving well, and he didnt miss much, said Chardy. We had good rallies, it was a good fight for the whole match, because neither of us wanted to give up, and the two sets were in a tiebreaker, and Im happy I won them. added the world number 30.Chardys reward is a second round match against Swiss legend Federer who has a bye after winning his sixth Basel crown on Sunday and 82nd ATP tournament. Uruguays Pablo Cuevas defeated Leonardo Mayer when the Argentine retired injured at 7-6, 1-0 down.

Tennis: Murray getting that winning feeling back after surgery

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PARIS (AFP) - Andy Murray admitted on Tuesday that he is almost back to his best form as he targets more success at the Paris Masters and wrapping up his place at the World Tour Finals. The British number one, who won his third tournament of the year last Sunday when he outlasted Spaniard Tommy Robredo in the longest final of the year at Valencia, has jumped to five in the Race to London rankings.He can seal his place in the English capital for the seventh straight season by reaching the quarter-finals at Bercy this week. The World Tour Finals feature the top eight players in a round-robin format and run at the O2 Arena from November 9-16.Following his breakthrough Grand Slam triumph at the 2012 US Open and becoming the first British man to win Wimbledon since 1936 in 2013, important back surgery followed which put the brakes on his meteoric rise to the top.Now after playing 20 matches in five weeks, which included winning the Shenzhen Open and Vienna Open as well as Valencia, he is again feeling fully fit and challenging for the highest honours in the game. Its been a long few weeks, but its been very beneficial for me, Murray said at Bercy ahead of his second round against Frenchman Julien Benneteau who is world number 28. I gained a lot of confidence in my body again from playing this many matches, and then also from winning a lot of tough, long, close matches, especially in the finals, match points down.The one when (David) Ferrer was serving for the match (Vienna), as well. So I have been fighting extremely hard in the matches and got some good results, so its been nice.I mean, you know, right now Im number five in the race and its supposed to have been a terrible year for me, so Im happy with that, he added with a wry smile. I have come back well from a tough surgery, and there is still hopefully a couple of tournaments left between now and the end of the year where I can try to make more improvements.But if not, Im still very happy, especially with the last few weeks. But also a lot of the tennis I played since really the French Open has been good. I have been making improvements in my game. .I still have a chance of getting maybe to four (in the world) between now and the end of the year, which would be very important for the beginning of next year, as well.The only way to do that is also to get to the O2, as well.The Glasgow-born Murray began to find his form in Rome when he pushed Rafael Nadal to three sets and qualified for the first of three straight quarter-finals at Masters tournaments in Italy, Toronto and Cincinnati.During that spell he also reached the French Open semi-finals where he was again beaten by Nadal, who has won nine of the past ten titles at Roland Garros. I started to feel good about it like in Rome this year, and then the French Open, Wimbledon, all the way up to now obviously, and the US Open I clearly physically still had work to do, but that wasnt necessarily that I hadnt been working hard. I just needed to get mentally a bit stronger in those situations again. And physically, you know, I have always felt when I feel strongly that proves how I feel mentally. I think the two are quite closely linked, for me, anyway, and thats been a big help the last few months.

Blatter reveals 2018 World Cup logo

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MOSCOW (AP) - FIFA President Sepp Blatter has revealed the logo for the 2018 World Cup in Russia with the help of a crew of cosmonauts.The logo depicts the World Cup trophy in red and blue, colors from the Russian flag, with gold trim.Unveiling the logo on a Russian state TV talk show, Blatter said the logo would show Russias heart and spirit. It was then presented over video link by a crew of three Russian cosmonauts on the International Space Station.Seeing the football World Cup in our country was a dream for all of us, cosmonaut Elena Serova said.Simultaneously with the logos appearance on TV, it was beamed onto Moscows Bolshoi Theatre as part of a light show.

Chelsea survives scare to make League Cup quarters

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MANCHESTER (AP) - Chelsea needed a late own goal to squeeze past fourth-tier Shrewsbury and Mario Balotelli sparked a dramatic fightback by Liverpool as the two Premier League giants reached the League Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday.A patched-up Chelsea lineup looked like being taken to extra time by a team 71 places below it in English footballs pyramid, only for Jermaine Grandison to head into his own net after 81 minutes to seal a 2-1 win for the Premier League leaders.Didier Drogba had given Chelsea the lead in the 48th, with the 36-year-old striker scoring for the third straight game and just two days after netting at Manchester United in the Premier League.Liverpool came from behind to beat Swansea 2-1 thanks to two late goals, with Balotelli inspiring the comeback with an 86th-minute equalizer. Dejan Lovren headed in the winner in the fifth minute of stoppage time.West Bromwich Albions decision to field a virtual reserve team against second-tier Bournemouth backfired in a 2-1 loss for the upset of the last 16.Derby and Sheffield United, who play in the second and third tiers respectively, also advanced on Tuesday.Chelsea remained unbeaten in all competitions this season and reached the last eight of the League Cup for the fourth straight season but only after surviving a scare against the lowest-ranked team left in the competition.It was a difficult pitch and difficult weather, said Drogba, one of four players who were asked to play for the second time in two days. They were a fantastic team and opponent they showed why they deserve to be here tonight.Drogba has starred in the absence of injured fellow strikers Loic Remy and Diego Costa, scoring against Maribor in the Champions League last week, in the 1-1 draw at United on Sunday and again against Shrewsbury when he swept home a left-footed finish from Mohamed Salahs pass.Shrewsbury equalized in the 77th minute through Andy Mangan but was on level terms for just four minutes, as substitute Willians teasing cross was diverted in by Grandison.I was ready for extra time, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said.Balotelli started on the bench against Swansea after a lean spell in front of goal that has led to criticism of the enigmatic Italy striker.But he was thrown on by Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers in the 79th minute after Marvin Emnes gave the visitors the lead, and turned home a cross from Fabio Borini to equalize. It was only Balotellis second goal for Liverpool since joining from AC Milan in August.Swansea defender Federico Fernandez was shown a red card in the second minute of injury time for a foul on Philippe Coutinho, who provided the cross from a free kick that Lovren headed in at the back post for a last-gasp winner.There was late drama, too, at Bournemouth, which reached the quarterfinals for the first time thanks to Callum Wilsons 86th-minute strike. West Brom had equalized just a minute earlier from an own goal.Derby came from 2-0 down to beat Fulham 5-2 away in a match between two League Championship teams. Sheffield United beat fellow third-tier side MK Dons 2-1.

Olympics: German Olympic chiefs in favour of Summer Games bid

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FRANKFURT (AFP) - Germany should bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympics, the board of the German Olympic Committee (DOSB) decided on Tuesday with either Berlin or Hamburg the favoured potential candidate.Their unanimous decision will be put to the DOSB General Assembly in Dresden on December 6 -- Germany has not hosted an Olympics since tragedy-marred Munich Games in 1972. We are convinced that it is a great opportunity for the city and for German sport in general, said DOSB president Alfons Hormann at a press conference following the board meeting.The boards decision also paves the way for a bid for the 2028 Summer Games in case they lose out in the 2024 race where an expected American bid will be the warm favourites.However, even if as likely the general assembly rubber stamps the boards decision an obstacle will still remain as both Berlin and Hamburg will have to hold a referendum to see if their citizens wish to go forward with a bid.Munichs hopes of once again bidding for the Winter Games -- they came second to Korean candidate Pyeongchang for the 2018 edition -- were dashed when residents voted against contesting the race for 2022 in a referendum in November 2013.According to a poll carried out by the DOSB, 53% of Hamburgers are favourable to a bid compared to just 48% of Berliners.The name of the candidate city will be announced after the two referenda on March 21 next year and the DOSB will hand over the candidates dossier to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in November 2015.The bid cities will learn their fate as to whether they have won the right to host the 2024 Games after a vote by the 100 IOC members on September 17. 2017.

'Ambulance drone' prototype unveiled in Holland

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THE HAGUE (AFP) - A Dutch-based student on Tuesday unveiled a prototype of an ambulance drone, a flying defibrillator able to reach heart attack victims within precious life-saving minutes.Developed by Belgian engineering graduate Alec Momont, it can fly at speeds of up to 100 kilometres per hour (60 miles per hour).Around 800,000 people suffer a cardiac arrest in the European Union every year and only 8.0 percent survive, Momont, 23, said at the TU Delft University.The main reason for this is the relatively long response time of emergency services of around 10 minutes, while brain death and fatalities occur with four to six minutes, he said in a statement.The ambulance drone can get a defibrillator to a patient within a 12 square kilometre (4.6 square miles) zone within a minute, reducing the chance of survival from 8 percent to 80 percent.Painted in emergency services yellow and driven by six propellers, the drone can carry a four kilogramme load -- in this case a defibrillator.It tracks emergency mobile calls and uses the GPS to navigate.Once at the scene, an operator, like a paramedic, can watch, talk and instruct those helping the victim by using an on-board camera connected to a control room via a livestream webcam.The prototype has already attracted the interest of emergency services including that of Amsterdam, the Dutch daily Algemeen Dagblad said.The Dutch Heart Foundation also applauded the idea, the newspaper added.Momont however wants his drone to become a flying medical toolbox able to carry an oxygen mask to a person trapped in a fire or an insulin injection to a diabetes sufferer.However, the drone is still in its infancy as far as developing its steering mechanism and legal issues regarding its use are concerned, Momont said.He said he hopes to have an operational emergency drone network across the Netherlands in five years.The drone is expected to cost around 15,000 euros ($19,000) each.I hope it will save hundreds of lives in the next five years, Momont said.
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