Friday 1 May 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Speaker Balochistan Assembly resigns

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QUETTA (Dunya News) – The Speaker Balochistan Assembly, Jan Muhammad Jamali, had resigned from his post over differences with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Friday, Dunya News reported.Jan Muhammad Jamali has sent his resignation to PML-N Balochistan President Nawab Sanaullah Zehri. Differences between Jan Muhammad Jamali and PML-N leadership surfaced during Senate elections held this year.

Tennis: Missing Djokovic opens door to Nadal in Madrid

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MADRID (AFP) - For the first time this season someone other than Novak Djokovic will claim a Masters event as the Serb misses out in Madrid after winning in Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo.Djokovic also claimed the opening Grand Slam of the season in Australia, but has opted for extra rest to aid his bid to land a first French Open title in June.The absence of the world number one could prove a big boost for defending champion Rafael Nadal as he tries to get his season going on home soil after a poor start to the campaign by his standards.Nadal has won just one tournament this year in Buenos Aires back in February and has only one win against a top 10 opponent in a 19-7 record on the year.The 14-time Grand Slam champion described his performance as awful in crashing out to Fabio Fognini at the Barcelona Open last week.But he recovered from a similarly unsettling start on the clay last season to go onto claim his fourth title in Madrid before securing a ninth French Open.Three-time winner Roger Federer returns after missing last years event due to the birth of his second set of twins, whilst Andy Murray will be confident of improving on his best ever showing in Madrid since the tournament moved onto clay having not progressed past the quarter-finals in five previous attempts.However, the biggest threat to Nadal could come from last years finalist Kei Nishikori, who looked in fine form as he retained his title in Barcelona.On the womens side, Serena Williams will be aiming to continue her imperious 20-0 start to the season.Williams also hasnt lost in Madrid since 2010, winning the tournament in 2012 and 2013 before injury forced her to pull out at the quarter-final stage last year.Amazingly, though, the American claimed she was not as ready for the clay-court season as I thought I was in being taken to a deciding set before beating Italys Sara Errani on Fed Cup duty two weeks ago.The 19-time Grand Slam champion also faces a tough draw with Sloane Stephens a potential second round opponent and a meeting with sister Venus or Victoria Azarenka lying in wait in the third round.Defending champion Maria Sharapova is on the other side of the draw along with Simona Halep, who the Russian overcame to win last years final.I enjoy playing here a lot. I got to the final in 2013 and lost to Serena then last year I managed to go a step further and win. The objective this year is to defend my title, said Sharapova.After reaching the Australian Open final, Sharapova has had a poor couple of months, losing her first match in Miami and Stuttgart in her last two tournaments and being surpassed by Halep in the rankings.At this stage of my career I dont take the ranking as seriously. I was number one in the world and it is something that comes and goes, she added.I doesnt matter, the important thing is that I continue have the chance to win matches and tournaments.

More Baltimore protests after police officers charged

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BALTIMORE (AFP) - Thousands of protesters hit the streets of Baltimore again Friday despite the charging of six police officers over the death of a 25-year-old African American whose spine was snapped in custody.The charges -- ranging from second-degree murder and manslaughter to misconduct -- were set out in a surprise announcement by Maryland state prosecutor Marilyn Mosby.All six officers -- three of them black and three white, according to mugshots broadcast by CNN -- were taken into custody and later posted bond, reports said.The death of Freddie Gray, 25, just the latest black American to lose his life at the hands of police, has reignited simmering resentment in the United States over police tactics, particularly in their dealings with African Americans.The findings of our comprehensive, thorough and independent investigation, coupled with the medical examiners determination that Mr. Grays death was a homicide... have led us to believe that we have probable cause to file criminal charges, Mosby said.Mosby said Gray suffered a severe and critical neck injury as a result of being handcuffed, shackled by his feet and unrestrained inside a moving police van following his arrest on April 12.En route to a police station, the police van stopped at least three times, including once to pick up a suspect in an unrelated case.Cheers broke out when Mosby unveiled the charges on the steps of Baltimores war memorial, across the street from city hall, a focal point of protests demanding justice and change.Baltimores police union condemned what it called an egregious rush to judgement as it defended the officers and expressed confidence they would be vindicated.We believe that these officers will be vindicated as they have done nothing wrong, said Michael Davey, a lawyer for the citys Fraternal Order of Police, suggesting that prosecutors had succumbed to pressure from days of demonstrations.Many in Baltimore, an East Coast port city of 620,000 about an hours drive north of Washington, had expected Mosby to say that the case was still under investigation.But if nervous authorities had hoped the announcement would ease palpable tensions on the streets, a march that grew bigger by every passing hour suggested otherwise.Several thousand people rallied from City Hall through downtown streets lined with riot police, demanding justice and an end to alleged racism and police brutality.As they walked past a phalanx of officers, many chanted: Send those killer cops to jail, the whole damned system is guilty as hell.Some held aloft placards thanking Mosby, but others cautioned that the charges were only a first step.Brian Carter, a nurse, 39, told AFP: I was overwhelmed with joy, Im not going to lie. The Baltimore police, theyre not all bad, but they are very prejudiced towards people. With an emergency curfew again swinging into effect at 10:00 pm (0200 GMT Saturday) in the city, Carter, added: I think that people are going to be compliant with the law because they finally got what they wanted.Smaller demonstrations have also broken out in recent days in New York, Philadelphia, Washington and Boston, and hundreds again congregated in Union Square, in the center of Manhattan, as police helicopters buzzed overhead.Its not just Baltimore, its everywhere in this country. I think people are realizing whats going on, said AJ, a 21-year-old student from New Jersey.William Murphy, a lawyer for the Gray family, told reporters they had no advance word of the charges.We were in shock -- and it was a good shock, do you know what I mean? he said, while Grays step-father Richard Shipley appealed for peace to prevail in the city.Gray, who had a record of non-violent drug offenses, died a week after his arrest from spinal injuries sustained when he was arrested in a west Baltimore public housing project.Facing the most serious charge, one of second-degree murder, is an African American, Caesar Goodson, the driver of the van that transported Gray to a police station.Goodson, 45, was also charged with involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault, vehicular manslaughter and misconduct.Goodson got out of the van to check on Grays condition, Mosby said, but at no point did he seek nor did he render any medical assistance.Three other officers were charged with involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault and misconduct, and two more charged with second-degree assault and misconduct.One officer was also charged with false imprisonment.Mosby -- an African-American woman who is the daughter, granddaughter and niece of police officers -- said Gray had been illegally arrested as no crime had been committed.In an open letter, Baltimores police union called for a special independent prosecutor to take over the case from Mosby, who at 34 is Americas youngest big-city chief prosecutor.It cited Mosbys relationships with Murphy, who contributed $5,000 to her election campaign, and her husband, a city council member who represents the poverty-stricken section of Baltimore where Gray lived and died.Baltimore police lieutenant Kenneth Butler added: We are extremely frustrated and shocked by the circumstances that have transpired today.Gray has become the latest face of an intense national debate over whether American police are too quick to use violence against unarmed black males.In the best-known case, a white police officer fatally shot unarmed teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri -- prompting riots in the St. Louis suburb -- but was not indicted by a grand jury.At the White House, President Barack Obama said it was absolutely vital for the truth in Baltimore to come out.

Golf: Vintage Westwood stuns Spieth at WGC Match Play

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SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Masters champion Jordan Spieth was sent crashing out of the $9.25 million WGC-Championship Match Play on Friday after Englands Lee Westwood held his nerve to win a thrilling duel and clinch a place in the last 16.European Ryder Cup star Westwood recovered from losing the opening two holes to battle back and go one up after draining a 10-foot birdie putt on the 17th at an overcast Harding Park in San Francisco.Spieth was unable to wrest back the initiative on the 18th, and conceded to give Westwood a two-up victory which sees the 42-year-old English veteran advance to Saturdays knockout rounds.Today I had nothing to lose, a delighted Westwood said. Jordan is arguably the best player in the world at the moment so it was nice to be the underdog for a change.Im pleased with the way I got through it coming down the stretch.Spieth was philosophical in defeat, saying he was satisfied with his form despite the loss.I just had a tough opponent, the 21-year-old prodigy said. Ive no complaints -- I was 16 under in three rounds. But its Match Play, so what are you going to do?Im excited about the way Im playing, its just a shame it ended like that today.Both Westwood and Spieth had won their opening round-robin games to set up a winner-takes-all scenario in their final Group 2 game.The match hinged on a dramatic recovery from Westwood on the 16th when he appeared to have gifted Spieth the lead.After landing a tee-shot in the bunker, Westwood mis-hit his recovery through the back of the green. A disastrous third shot then landed in the rough just off the green, leaving Spieth poised to go one up.But Westwood conjured a superb chip-in to halve the hole and then took the lead on the par-three 17th when Spieths tee shot landed well wide of the pin.The format for this years tournament was overhauled to eliminate the possibility of early round exits for top players.The field has been split into 16 groups of four players, with the group winners advancing to the knockout rounds over the weekend.

Tennis: Federer battles past Gimeno-Traver to Istanbul semis

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ISTANBUL (AFP) - Swiss world number two Roger Federer on Friday survived a serious challenge from Daniel Gimeno-Traver of Spain to edge into the semi-finals of the Istanbul Open after a three set battle lasting almost two-and-a-half hours.Gimeno-Traver, 29, the world number 62, was in no way overawed by the occasion as he met Federer for the first time with the Swiss eventually pushing through to win 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (5/7), 6-3.Federer showed exquisite touch at times but the Spaniard put up strong resistance.The 17-times Grand Slam winner was kept in place in a tight first set, only moving ahead in the tie break which he took with a gorgeous backhand crosscourt dink that ravished the crowd.Playing with aggression and abandon, Gimeno-Traver raced to a 5-2 lead in the second set but Federer pegged him back to force another tie-break. Against the odds, Gimeno-Traver raised his game once more with some impressive shot making, taking the breaker 7-5 when Federer tamely pushed a service return into the net.But Federer showed his class in the final set, taking it 6-3 despite showing signs of frailty on his serve which forced him to save four break points.Federer -- looking to fine tune his skills on the red clay of Istanbul ahead of the French Open later this month -- said he was happy for the tougher-than-expected encounter.The point was to win the match, said Federer. It was a good match, although maybe I could have won it in two sets.He (Gimeno-Traver) played well and fought hard. It gives me confidence to have played in a match like this, he added.But Federer admitted he had been frustrated with some of his play. Federer will be looking to toughen his serve, which was broken twice by Gimeno-Traver and had a first serve percentage of just 64 percent.In Saturdays semi-final, Federer will meet Diego Schwartzmann of Argentina who overcame fourth seed Santiago Giraldo of Chile in a bizarrely upside down match 0-6, 6-2, 6-2.He remains on course to meet second seed Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria in Sundays final after the world number 11 overcame Ivan Dodig of Croatia in straight sets 6-4, 6-3. The Istanbul Open is the first ever ATP World Tour event held in Turkey.

Tennis: Kyrgios reaches first career semi-final

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ESTORIL (AFP) - Australias Nick Kyrgios powered into his first ATP semi-final on Friday, beating Dutchman Robin Haase 6-3, 6-4 at the Estoril Open.The seventh-seeded Kyrgios, ranked 46th and playing only his second event after returning from six weeks to rest an ankle injury, will next play Pablo Carreno Busta for a spot in the Sunday title match.The clay-courting Spaniard put out Luxembourgs eighth seed Gilles Muller 6-2, 6-4 in his quarter-final.Kyrgios, who turned 20 at the start of the week, has played quarter-finals at Wimbledon and at the Australian Open but has never been able to connect on his big game at smaller ATP World Tour events.Another young gun whose potential has been recently hyped was playing later on the Portuguese clay with 18-year-old Croatian Borna Coric facing experienced Spanish campaigner Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, the 31-year-old winner of last weekends Bucharest title.French fifth seed Richard Gasquet was hoping to extend his back injury comeback when he takes on Spaniard Nicolas Almagro, whose ranking of 174 reflects his own injury problems of 2014.Kyrgios beat Haase, 28 and ranked 101, in just 56 minutes, firing seven aces and breaking three times.The Australian who nearly got defaulted in his opening match for the offense of firing a ball in anger out of the small club stadium, kept his nerves in check in his latest victory.Kyrgios quickly bounced back from an early break to level at 2-2 in the first set, then broke for 4-2 and closed out the set in less than half an hour.In the second, he broke midway through and eventually finished up the winner on his first match point.Kyrgios was competing in only his third career Tour level quarter-final.

Mayweather plans to strike early against Pacquiao

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LAS VEGAS (AFP) - Floyd Mayweather says he is going to come out swinging and be the aggressor early against Manny Pacquiao when they meet in Saturdays super fight in Las Vegas.The 38-year-old Mayweather, who is putting his undefeated record on the line to fight Filipino icon Pacquiao at the MGM Grand, usually needs a few rounds to feel out and adjust to his opponents game plan.I am going to approach it in a very, very aggressive way and go out there and press the attack early, Mayweather said Thursday night on the NBA on TNT.Of course I would love to win by knockout. I am pretty sure he is going to come at me extremely strong.I am facing one of the best fighters I have ever faced.Mayweather was on the NBA television show with hosts Shaquille ONeal, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson.Mayweathers disclosure Thursday night that he will be the aggressor is welcome news to boxing fans who are being charged a hefty $100 for the pay-per-view to watch the fight in their homes. The 12-round welterweight unification fight is expected to generate a record $400 million in revenue.Mayweathers longevity in the sport has been attributed to his brilliant defence and counterpunching skills but it also makes for some boring fights. Pacquiaos trainer Freddie Roach said Thursday he goes to sleep watching some of Mayweathers title fights.Mayweather, who is the worlds highest grossing athlete, said he would spend the next day and half before the fight doing light workouts, watching playoff basketball on TV and trying to stay focussed.I want to be real relaxed and real calm. I just try to have tunnel vision when I am on my way to the gym, he said.Mayweather, who is 47-0 with 26 KOs, told the shows hosts the secret to keeping his unblemished record intact is that he never takes any opponent lightly.Even if I am fighting a guy they say is just a regular guy then I am still going to train extremely hard.Mayweather told Barkley he doesnt watch tapes of his opponents because he learns all he needs to about them once they are trading blows in the ring.I never watch my opponent. I feel like you can have a certain game plan, but once you get inside that square circle the game plan changes, Mayweather said.Boxers may fight certain guys the same way, but they fight me different.

Motorcycling: Lorenzo fastest in Spanish GP practice

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MADRID (AFP) - Jorge Lorenzo celebrated his decision to see out his contract with Yamaha until 2016 by going fastest in both Fridays practice sessions for the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez.The Spaniard admitted he had been disappointed by his start to the season as he trails teammate Valentino Rossi by 29 points after the first three races of the campaign.However, the two-time world champion showed he could yet challenge for the title as he outperformed Rossi and reigning world champion Marc Marquez with a best lap time of 1min 39.174sec.It is a great sign for the weekend, but there is a long way to go. We have to do the same tomorrow and, above all, on Sunday, said Lorenzo.Lorenzo had signed a deal until 2016 with the Japanese manufacturer last August, but there was a clause in the contract that allowed both sides to pull out at the end of the current season.However, both Yamaha Factory Racing managing director Lin Jarvis and Lorenzo confirmed he would be staying put.Yesterday was a great day off the track and today is a great one on it, Lorenzo added.The truth is when things are going badly to have a team that supports you and has faith in you is very important.I thank Yamaha for that faith and want to demonstrate as soon as possible the confidence they have in me with pole positions, victories and fighting for the title.Jarvis insisted Yahama were just as keen to keep Lorenzo on board.We have spoken together already and its already clear, he wants to stay with us, we want to stay with him, its done, so Jorge will be with us this year and next. Its a fact, he said.Marquez showed little ill-effects from suffering a broken finger in training last week as he improved from eighth-fastest to second in the afternoon practice session.Rossi, who has won two of the three races so far this season, slipped down from sixth-fastest to 13th in the second practice session of the day.Italian Andrea Dovizioso, who is six points behind Rossi in the world championship standings, was fourth in both sessions.Meanwhile, Doviziosos Ducati teammate Andrea Iannone, currently third in the championship standings, climbed from 12th-fastest to third in the second session.

Cycling: Sky's Nordhaug wins opening Yorkshire stage

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SCARBOROUGH (AFP) - Neither Bradley Wiggins nor any other Brit managed to light up the opening stage of the Tour de Yorkshire on Friday but British team Sky did triumph through Lars-Petter Nordhaug.The Norwegian outsprinted a pair of Frenchmen to the line at the end of the 174km run from Bridlington to Scarborough as Thomas Voeckler took second ahead of Stephane Rossetto.Nordhaug leads the three-day Tour, which ends in Leeds on Sunday, thanks to the 10-second time bonus he received on the line for winning.Its great to take the victory, said the 30-year-old.With all the spectators here its massive and I feel like Im riding at home riding for Sky.Although neither British cycling legend Wiggins, nor Skys Yorkshire-born team leader for the race Ben Swift, could deliver a victory to the throng of fans lining the seaside finish in Scarborough, the British team did at least give the home supporters something to cheer.Swift actually crashed out of the race around 60km from home just after it started to rain as several riders went down on a slippery descent.Dutchman Tim Declercq went head over heels into a hedge while Irishman Eddie Dunbar was taken to hospital in an ambulance with a suspected broken collarbone.Swift, from Rotherham in Yorkshire, had been considered one of the favourites for overall victory and was Skys leader.He wasnt the only leading light to suffer, though, as German sprint star Marcel Kittel on his return to racing after two months of illness had already abandoned as he failed to keep up with the pace.Wiggins for his part took it easy as he looks forward to his attempt at the World Hour Record next month and came home 96th almost 15 minutes off the pace.Soon after Swifts crash, the race sparked into life on the rolling terrain in Yorkshire.A breakaway group of around 15 riders went clear amongst the chaos the crash caused but that splintered into a lead group of five and a 10-strong chase group behind as they went over the final categorised climb of the day, the 1.5km long Cote de Robins Hood Bay with an average gradient of 10.3 percent.Sky were represented by two riders in Nordhaug and Irishman Philip Deignan and they used that to their advantage in the final 5km, taking it in turns to attack their three breakaway companions -- Spanish 2008 Olympic road race champion Samuel Sanchez being the remaining member of the elite group.Behind the front five the chase group was made up of riders from the World Tour and Continental Tour teams present at the race, plus one unexpected guest -- teenage British academy rider Scott Davies, who kept up with the pace to finish the race 14th, 1min 13sec behind the winner.I wouldnt say I was on top form but I cant complain after that so, yeah, Im not too displeased, said the understated 19-year-old Welshman.

Nigeria frees 234 more women, children from Boko Haram's Sambisa stronghold: army

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ABUJA (AFP) - Nigeria troops have freed another 234 women and children from Boko Harams stronghold in the Sambisa forest, the military said Friday.The defence headquarters said in a statement the hostages were rescued on Thursday through the Kawuri and Konduga end of Sambisa forest.Some 500 women and children have already been rescued by the military in the past few days.They have been evacuated to join others at the place of ongoing screening, the military said.It said the assault on the forest is continuing from various fronts and efforts are concentrated on rescuing hostages of civilians and destroying all terrorists camps and facilities in the forest.The military had pledged to free more hostages from the terrorists after hundreds were rescued earlier this week.The military announced on Thursday that about 160 hostages had been rescued from Sambisa in additional to 200 girls and 93 women freed on Tuesday.The numbers underlined the scale of the tactic of mass abduction used by the militants, who according to Amnesty International have seized about 2,000 women and girls since the start of last year.Female former hostages have described being subjected to forced labour and sexual and psychological abuse as well as sometimes having to fight on the frontline alongside the rebels.The military had released a series of photographs purporting to show some of the rescued women and children in an undisclosed location, huddled on the ground watched over by soldiers.It was still not clear if any of the 219 girls snatched in April 2014 from their school in the northeastern town of Chibok were among the freed hostages.The military said they were still screening the freed hostages with a view to establishing their identities.The mass kidnapping in Chibok prompted global outrage and forced President Goodluck Jonathan to accept international help in the search operation for the missing girls.Jonathan has come under severe criticism for not doing enough to free the Chibok girls as well as end the six-year-old Boko Haram insurgency that has claimed some 13,000 lives and forced at least 1.5 million people to flee their homes.Many analysts believe the protracted Boko Haram uprising was partly responsible for Jonathans defeat in the March 28 presidential election to former Former military ruler Mohammadu Buhari.Buhari, who is due to assume office on May 29, has vowed to crush the militants who want to create a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria.

US rejects China's offer over disputed islands

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States on Friday swiftly rejected a suggestion by a top Chinese military official who said that disputed South China Sea islands could be used for international rescue and relief operations.Beijing has been roundly criticized by the West for construction work on islands in the South China Sea, including the building of an airstrip and other structures.The Wall Street Journal and other US news organizations, citing a report on the Chinese Defense Ministry website, said Admiral Wu Shengli made the offer to his US counterpart, Admiral Jonathan Greenert, in a video conference.Wu said Chinas reclamation work on the disputed islands will not threaten freedom of navigation and overflight and will enhance the capacity for weather forecasting, maritime search and rescue and other public goods, and help to protect international maritime security, The Journal said, quoting the Chinese defense ministry report.We welcome international organizations, the US and relevant countries to use these facilities, when conditions are ripe, to conduct cooperation on humanitarian rescue and disaster relief, the Chinese admiral was quoted as saying.State Department acting deputy spokesman Jeff Rathke said Washington was not interested.Building facilities on reclaimed land in disputed areas will not contribute to peace and stability in the region, Rathke told reporters.This is true even if, as some Chinese officials have stated, the facilities in question were used for civilian disaster response purposes.He added: If there is a desire to reduce tensions, China could actively reduce them by taking concrete steps to halt land reclamation.Beijing should work with existing multilateral mechanisms for humanitarian and disaster relief, such as one under the umbrella of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).ASEAN issued a statement Monday at the close of a summit in Malaysia expressing serious concerns over Chinas land reclamation on reefs whose sovereignty is contested.Beijing insists it has sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea, parts of which are claimed by several other Asian nations.The construction work has triggered fears of tightening Chinese control over the seaway.

US stocks rally after weak 1Q GDP data

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Wall Street stocks finished the week on a positive note after a bruising two-day retreat following a dismal US economic growth report.Fridays rally limited the losses, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average finally dipping 56.08 points(0.31 percent for the week to 18,024.06 and the broad-based S&P 500 shedding 9.40 (0.44 percent) to 2,108.29.The decline in the Nasdaq was deeper, with the tech-rich index dropping 86.69 (1.70 percent) to 5,005.39In a week packed with major earnings, economic reports and a Federal Reserve meeting, the most impactful news was Wednesdays stunner that the US economy grew just 0.2 percent in the first quarter.The dismal gross domestic product figure, reflecting in part the drag from exceptionally cold winter weather and the West Coast port strike, prompted soul-searching on Wall Street.What a disappointment to think the US economy barely grew at all in the first quarter with the fed funds rate at the zero bound for more than six years now, said Briefing.com analyst Patrick OHare.The GDP report was followed later Wednesday by a Fed policy statement that said the slower growth was due in part to transitory factors and that the economy should resume expanding at a moderate pace.The communique suggested the Fed still expects to begin a slow series of rate rises in the coming months, though probably not as soon as June.Scott Wren, senior global equity strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, said the market had a little tough time processing the GDP data. But after two days, investors shrugged off their fears.The market is feeling better that the Feds not going to do too much here and that the economy is going to move forward at a modest pace, he said.Other data last week was mixed. The Conference Boards index of consumer confidence fell sharply to 95.2 in April from 101.4 in March.Other reports showed a modest rise in consumer spending in March and sluggish growth in manufacturing activity in April. US auto sales picked up in April.Earnings generally solidCompanies have generally bested what were very low expectations ahead of first-quarter earnings season.Of the 347 companies in the S&P 500 that have reported, 238 have reported earnings ahead of expectations, while 76 have missed, with the rest coming in at levels forecast by analysts. Only 45 percent have beaten expectations for revenues, according to S&P Capital IQ.Standouts this week included drug giant Merck (3.9 percent this week), which raised its full-year forecast after adjusted earnings per share in the first quarter came in at 85 cents, 11 cents above forecasts.The market also a cheered a sunny report from online travel site Expedia, which reported a 19 percent increase in gross bookings and a 14 percent gain in revenue, lifting the stock 7.9 percent Friday.But other technology stocks suffered double-digit declines following disappointing results. This group included LinkedIn, Twitter, Yelp and Stratasys, a 3D printing company.In other corporate news, generic drugs company Mylan finished the week 2.9 percent lower after it balked at an unsolicited takeover campaign from rival Teva even as its own proposed acquisition of Perrigo met with repeat rejection.Perrigo and Teva both fell 3.4 percent.Applied Materials agreed with Tokyo Electric to abandon their nearly $10 billion merger agreement, citing opposition from the US Justice Department on antitrust grounds.Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced it hired investment bank Lazard to undertake a strategic review of the company to enhance shareholder value. The move sparked speculation that Starwood, which owns the Westin hotel chain, could be acquired.Next weeks calendar includes a handful of major earnings reports, including from Disney and 21st Century Fox. The schedule also contains some important economic releases, including the April jobs report from the US Department of Labor.

Obama denounces attacks on press freedom

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President Barack Obama on Friday denounced attacks against media around the world, receiving three journalists from countries that severely restrict freedom of the press.Obamas comments come two days after a report by the human rights group Freedom House said that press freedom around the world has plummeted to the worst level in a decade, with the United States and China among the countries tightening the noose.Unfortunately, in too many places around the world, a free press is under attack by governments that want to avoid the truth or mistrust the ability of citizens to make their own decisions, Obama said in the presence of Vietnamese blogger Dieu Cay, the Russian journalist Fatima Tlisova and Ethiopian journalist Lily Mengesha.Journalists are harassed, sometimes even killed. Independent outlets are shut down. Dissent is silenced. And freedom of expression is stifled.Two days before World Press Freedom Day, Obama praised the role of journalists who give all of us, as citizens, the chance to know the truth about our countries, ourselves, our governments.That makes us better. It makes us stronger. It gives voice to the voiceless, exposes injustice, and holds leaders like me accountable.

Thousands rally in Ecuador for and against president

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QUITO (AFP) - Tens of thousands of Ecuadorans, including President Rafael Correa, his supporters and anti-government protesters turned out Friday for May Day rallies across a handful of cities.Correa, a leftist and economist by training who has been in power since 2007, walked arm-in-arm with ministers, assembly members and other officials to Quitos central Plaza Santo Domingo, as a crowd waving flags and chanting slogans followed.The president touted recent labor reforms, such as an increase in the minimum wage, while warning followers that opponents planned to wear down the government ahead of the 2017 presidential elections.Anti-government protesters, including workers organizations, indigenous people, students and environmental activists gathered in an adjacent plaza, demonstrating against Correas administration.This is a showing to assert that the government has not succeeded with its policies, Edgar Sarango, president of the Unitary Workers Front (FUT), told the crowd.The protesters carried signs reading No Correa and The government beats down society by imposing fear and lying.In cities like Guayaquil in the southwest and Cuenca in the south, similar pro- and anti-government demonstrators gathered. Authorities did not provide a figure on how many people participated.Demonstrations against Correa on March 5 and 19 left three wounded and 13 arrested.About 30 percent of Ecuadors 15 million people live below the poverty line and Correas social programs and hefty public spending have won him broad support in the country.

Six Baltimore police officers charged over Freddie Gray death

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BALTIMORE (AFP) - Six Baltimore police officers were charged Friday over the death of a 25-year-old African-American whose spine was snapped in custody, in a surprise announcement after days of riots and protests in the US city.The charges -- ranging from second-degree murder and manslaughter to misconduct -- were set out by Maryland state prosecutor Marilyn Mosby, with all six officers taken into custody during the day.The findings of our comprehensive, thorough and independent investigation, coupled with the medical examiners determination that Mr. Grays death was a homicide ... have led us to believe that we have probable cause to file criminal charges, Mosby said.Mosby said Gray suffered a severe and critical neck injury as a result of being handcuffed, shackled by his feet and unrestrained inside a moving police van.En route to the Western District police station, the police van stopped at least three times, including once to pick up a suspect in an unrelated case.Cheers broke out when Mosby unveiled the charges on the steps of Baltimores war memorial, across the street from city hall, a focal point of protests demanding justice over Grays death.Baltimores police union condemned what it called an egregious rush to judgement as it defended the officers and expressed confidence they would be vindicated.We believe that these officers will be vindicated as they have done nothing wrong, said Michael Davey, a lawyer for the citys Fraternal Order of Police.I have never seen such a hurried rush to file criminal charges, he added, suggesting that prosecutors had rushed their investigation because of the pressure from demonstrations.Many in this East Coast port city of 620,000, about an hours drive north of Washington, had expected Mosby to say that the case was still under investigation.A good shockWe were in shock -- and it was a good shock, do you know what I mean? said William Murphy, a lawyer for the Gray family, who told reporters they had no advance word of the charges.These charges are an important step for getting justice for Freddie, added Grays step-father Richard Shipley, who appealed for peace to prevail in the city.Baltimore remains under a state of emergency, with the National Guard deployed alongside police in riot gear on the streets, and an overnight curfew in place.There have been smaller demonstrations in other US cities as well, the latest in New York on Friday, when several hundred protesters took over downtown Union Square.Gray, who had a record of non-violent drug offenses, died April 19 from spinal injuries sustained when he was arrested a week earlier in a west Baltimore public housing project.Facing the most serious charge, one of second-degree murder, is Officer Caesar Goodson, the driver of the van that transported Gray to a police station.Goodson, 45, was also charged with involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault, vehicular manslaughter and misconduct.Goodson got out of the van to check on Grays condition, Mosby said, but at no point did he seek nor did he render any medical assistance.Three other officers were charged with involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault and misconduct, and two more charged with second-degree assault and misconduct.One officer was also charged with false imprisonment.All six officers have been suspended with pay since Grays death.Mosby -- an African-American woman who is the daughter, granddaughter and niece of police officers -- said Gray had been illegally arrested as no crime had been committed.In an open letter, Baltimores police union called for a special independent prosecutor to take over the case from Mosby, who at 34 is Americas youngest big-city chief prosecutor.Conflicts of interest?It cited Mosbys relationships with Murphy, who contributed $5,000 to her election campaign, and her husband, a city council member who represents the poverty-stricken section of Baltimore where Gray lived and died.We believe the actions taken today by the states attorney are an egregious rush to judgment and grave concerns about the fairness in prosecution of our officers, said Davey.Baltimore police lieutenant Kenneth Butler added: We are extremely frustrated and shocked by the circumstances that have transpired today.Gray has become the latest face of an intense national debate over whether American police are too quick to use violence against unarmed black males.In the best-known case, a white police officer fatally shot unarmed teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri -- prompting riots in the St. Louis suburb -- but was not indicted by a grand jury.In December, a grand jury similarly did not indict a New York police officer over the chokehold death of Eric Garner.In North Charleston, South Carolina, a police officer stands accused of murder after he was captured on video fatally shooting Walter Scott during a traffic stop on April 4.And in Oklahoma, a reserve deputy sheriff has pleaded not guilty of manslaughter after he fatally shot Eric Harris during a sting operation.At the White House in Washington, President Barack Obama said it was absolutely vital for the truth in Baltimore to come out.What I think the people of Baltimore want more than anything else is the truth. Thats what people around the country expect, he said.
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