Monday 27 April 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Riot, looting prompt state of emergency, curfew in Baltimore

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BALTIMORE (AP) - Rioters plunged part of Baltimore into chaos Monday, torching a pharmacy, setting police cars ablaze and throwing bricks at officers hours after thousands mourned the man who died from a severe spinal injury he suffered in police custody.The governor declared a state of emergency and called in the National Guard to restore order. A weeklong, daily curfew was imposed beginning Tuesday from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., the mayor said.Police said 15 officers have been injured and two remained hospitalized. Officers wearing helmets and wielding shields occasionally used pepper spray to keep the rioters back. For the most part, though, they relied on line formations.Police said about two dozen protesters had been arrested.Mondays riot was the latest flare-up over the mysterious death of Freddie Gray, whose fatal encounter with officers came amid the national debate over police use of force, especially when black suspects are involved. Gray was African-American. Police have declined to specify the races of the six officers involved in his arrest, all of whom have been suspended with pay while they are under investigation.Emergency officials were constantly thwarted as they tried to restore calm. Firefighters trying to put out a blaze at a drug store were hindered by someone who sliced holes in a hose connected to a fire hydrant, spraying water all over the street and nearby buildings.The smell of burned rubber wafted in the air in one neighborhood where youths were looting a liquor store. Police stood still nearby as people drank looted alcohol. Glass and trash littered the streets, and small fires were scattered about.Too many people have spent generations building up this city for it to be destroyed by thugs, who in a very senseless way, are trying to tear down what so many have fought for, tearing down businesses, tearing down and destroying property, things that we know will impact our community for years, said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, a lifelong resident of the city.Grays family was shocked by the violence and was lying low; instead, they hoped to organize a peace march later in the week, said family attorney Billy Murphy. He said they did not know the riot was going to happen and urged calm.They dont want this movement nationally to be marred by violence, he said. It makes no sense.Police urged parents to locate their children and bring them home. Many of those on the streets appeared to be African-American youths, wearing backpacks and khaki pants that are a part of many public school uniforms.Later in the day, people began looting clothing and other items from stores at the mall, which became unprotected as police moved away from the area. About three dozen officers returned, trying to arrest looters but driving many away by firing pellet guns and rubber bullets.While the violence had not yet reached City Hall and the Camden Yards area, the Orioles baseball team canceled Mondays game for safety precautions.Many who had never met Gray gathered earlier in the day in a Baltimore church to bid him farewell and press for more accountability among law enforcement.The 2,500-capacity New Shiloh Baptist church was filled with mourners. But even the funeral could not ease mounting tensions.Police said in a news release sent while the funeral was underway that the department had received a credible threat that three notoriously violent gangs are now working together to take out law enforcement officers.A small group of mourners started lining up about two hours ahead of Mondays funeral. Placed atop Grays body was a white pillow with a screened picture of him. A projector aimed at two screens on the walls showed the words Black Lives Matter & All Lives Matter.With the Rev. Jesse Jackson sitting behind him, the Rev. Jamal Bryant gave a rousing and spirited eulogy for Freddie Gray, a message that received a standing ovation from the crowded church.Bryant said Grays death would spur further protests, and he urged those in the audience to join.Freddies death is not in vain, Bryant said. After this day, were going to keep on marching. After this day, were going to keep demanding justice.Gray was arrested after making eye contact with officers and then running away, police said. He was held down, handcuffed and loaded into a van without a seat belt. Leg cuffs were put on him when he became irate inside.He asked for medical help several times even before being put in the van, but paramedics were not called until after a 30-minute ride. Police have acknowledged he should have received medical attention on the spot where he was arrested, but they have not said how his spine was injured.

Nepalis spend third night in open as quake toll passes 4,000

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KATHMANDU (AFP) - Hundreds of thousands of Nepalis spent another night in the open Monday after a massive quake which killed more than 4,000, as officials warned the final toll could rise sharply once rescuers reach cut-off areas.With fears rising of food and water shortages, Nepalis were rushing to stores and petrol stations to stock up on essential supplies in the capital Kathmandu, left devastated by Saturdays 7.8-magnitude quake.Officials say more than 4,100 people are now known to have died, including 4,010 in Nepal -- making it the quake-prone Himalayan nations deadliest disaster in more than 80 years.More than 90 people have been killed in neighbouring India and China while a further 7,500 people were injured in Nepal.But senior disaster management official Rameshwor Dangal said the toll in Nepal could jump once rescuers discovered the full extent of devastation in villages outside Kathmandu.Rescue operations are underway, and in many places where buildings have collapsed there might be people trapped, Dangal, the home ministrys national disaster management chief, told AFP.We are also in the process of getting information from villages, and these will add to the death toll.Families who work in Kathmandu were packing onto buses, some even sitting on the roofs, leaving the city, many for their home villages to determine the damage there.Mothers clutching children and men hauling bags were seen bargaining with drivers of the many buses clogging the roads out of the capital.The exodus came as international rescue teams with sniffer dogs raced to find survivors buried in rubble, and teams equipped with heavy cutting gear and relief supplies landed at the nations only international airport.Elisabeth Byrs, a spokeswoman for the UNs World Food Programme, told AFP the agency would launch a large, massive operation with the first plane carrying rations set to arrive on Tuesday.Pledging $10 million in relief to help the victims, US Secretary of State John Kerry said he had been shocked by the gut-wrenching images of the death and destruction.Speaking at the same press conference, Japans Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said that Tokyo was sending some $8 million in aid to Nepal.Across the capital, Nepalis were hunkered down for the night in makeshift tents in parks and other open spaces, many having lost their houses and others too terrified to return home after several powerful aftershocks.This is a nightmare. Why dont these aftershocks stop? asked 70-year-old Sanu Ranjitkar, clutching her dog and with an oxygen mask strapped to her face as she sat under a tarpaulin.With just plastic sheets to protect them from the elements, many were desperate for aid and information on what to do next.There is just too much fear and confusion, said Bijay Sreshtha, who fled to a park with his three children, wife and mother when the quake hit.Fears were rising of a disease outbreak in the multitude of camps that have sprung up around the city.Right now, it is important to prevent another disaster by taking precautions against an outbreak of diseases among the survivors, army official Arun Neupane told reporters.Long queues formed outside petrol stations while supermarkets were seeing a run on staples such as rice and cooking oil.A government official said tonnes of clean water and other essential supplies were needed for survivors as well as stepped-up search and rescue efforts outside the capital.We need more helicopters for our rescue operations in rural areas, home ministry spokesman Laxmi Prasad Dhakal told AFP.We also need supplies of essential goods such as food and clean water to provide relief for survivors.The quake triggered an avalanche on Mount Everest which buried part of base camp in a cascade of snow and rock, killing at least 18 people Saturday on the worlds highest mountain.The US State Department confirmed Monday that two of its citizens were among those killed on the mountain, adding that they were aware of reports that two further Americans had died. Australias Foreign Minister Julie Bishop confirmed that an Australian woman also perished on Everest.Rescue helicopters on Monday airlifted climbers from higher altitudes on the mountain where they were stranded above crevasses and icefalls, after evacuating scores of seriously injured from base camp the day before.Hundreds of mountaineers had gathered at Everest at the start of the annual climbing season, and the real scale of the disaster there has been difficult to evaluate so far.Reconstruction efforts in impoverished Nepal could cost more than $5 billion, or around 20 percent of the countrys GDP, according to Rajiv Biswas, Asia Pacific chief economist at business research firm IHS.Nearly a million children living in affected areas are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, UNICEF said.Nepals army said crews trying to rescue those trapped in the rubble of high-rise buildings in the historic centre of Kathmandu were being hampered by a lack of specialised equipment.We need more equipment that can detect sounds and help track survivors, Colonel Naresh Subba told reporters.In Kathmandus Balaju neighbourhood, one father endured the agony of watching police pull the body of his daughter from the rubble of their home after using a combination of hammers and bare hands.She was my everything, said Dayaram Mohat as he collapsed in grief on hearing the news of his 14-year-old daughter Prasamsahs death.The Nepalese rescuers were being joined by hundreds of foreign aid workers from countries including China, India and the United States.Hospitals have been overwhelmed, with morgues overflowing and medics working flat out to cope with an endless stream of victims suffering trauma or multiple fractures.The quakes epicentre was around 45 miles (73 kilometres) east of the town of Pokhara, the countrys centre for adventure sports. An AFP correspondent reported the town had been largely unaffected and tourists were continuing their holidays.Nepal and the rest of the Himalayas, where the Indian and Eurasia tectonic plates collide, are particularly prone to earthquakes.A 6.8 magnitude quake hit eastern Nepal in August 1988 killing 721 people, and a magnitude 8.1 quake killed 10,700 people in Nepal and India in 1934.

'Hundreds' found dead, buried in Damasak, NE Nigeria

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MAIDUGURI (AFP) - Hundreds of people have been found dead in the northeast Nigerian town of Damasak, apparently victims of Boko Haram insurgents, residents and officials said on Monday.Dead bodies were found in houses, streets and many more in the Damasak River which has dried up, said local man Kaumi Kusur, adding the victims were buried in 20 mass graves at the weekend.Mohammed Sadiq, another local who helped in the burials on Saturday, put the death toll at more than 400 but the Borno state government did not state a precise figure, giving a toll of hundreds.Troops from Chad and Niger retook Damasak from Boko Haram on March 9 as part of a regional offensive to combat the militants, who captured the town in November last year.A Chadian security source said at the time that some 200 rebel fighters were killed in the offensive as well as 10 soldiers.On March 20, Chadian army spokesman Colonel Azem Bermandoa Agouna said about 100 bodies were found in a mass grave under a bridge just outside Damasak. Some had been decapitated while others shot.Agouna estimated that the massacre probably occurred in January.In the latest discovery, Sadiq said the bodies had been covered by sand from the encroaching desert.We were mobilised by the state authorities to bury them and we did it accordingly. The bodies include those of women and children as well as agile men, he added.Kusur said the bodies discovered from Thursday last week far outnumbered those found in March when the town was liberated.We brought all of them and though the bodies have decomposed, we gave them (a) proper burial in more than 20 mass graves that can be identified anytime the need arises, he said.The discovery came as thousands of people displaced by the violence sought to return from temporary camps to Damasak, which is near Lake Chad in the far north of restive Borno state.Some 1.5 million people have been forced to flee their homes since the insurgency began in 2009.Claimed successes against the militants by Nigeria and its partners Chad, Niger and Cameroon have increased talk of the displaced returning home.Borno state Governor Kashim Shettima set up a committee to look at ways to rebuild some of the towns recovered but members of one of the sub-committees returned with news of the grim find.Their spokesman Baba Gana Mustapha, said: The level of devastation in Damasak is high. We have seen hundreds of people that were massacred by Boko Haram.

Kerry to raise Yemen crisis directly with Iran FM

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NEW YORK (AFP) - US top diplomat John Kerry on Monday said he would urge his Iranian counterpart to help ease the violence in Yemen, warning the countrys future should not be decided by external parties.Kerry was due to meet later with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as negotiations on a nuclear deal move into a final phase.While Kerry stressed that the main thrust of their talks in New York would be on the deal, and a looming June 30 deadline for a comprehensive treaty, he said he was confident that Yemen will be mentioned certainly, because Iran is obviously a supportive party to the Huthis.A coalition of Arab states vowed Monday to coordinate political and military efforts to restore order in Yemen as Saudi-led warplanes launched new air strikes on Shiite Huthi rebels.The UN Security Council also went into closed-door consultations on the crisis in Yemen and to hear former envoy Jamal Benomar give a final report.The Moroccan diplomat resigned earlier this month after losing the support of Gulf countries for his mediation efforts as Shiite Huthi rebels pushed their offensive, amid accusations that they are being armed and supported by Iran.Peace talks for Yemen collapsed after the Huthis captured the capital Sanaa and advanced on the southern city of Aden, forcing President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi into exile.I think its important for all parties, all parties, to adhere to international law, to the United Nations resolutions and to get to the negotiating table as fast as possible, Kerry told a joint press conference with his Japanese counterpart in New York.And I will certainly urge that everybody do their part to try to reduce the violence and allow the negotiations to begin.The United Nations is working to re-launch peace talks but has run into hurdles over the venue for meetings, with Saudi Arabia insisting that the talks be held in Riyadh.Yemens future should be decided by Yemenis, Kerry insisted, adding all Yemenis have the right to come to the table, but he said the countrys future should be decided by Yemenis on both sides of the current dispute not by external parties and proxies.Initially the US insisted that the nuclear talks, aimed at reining in Irans atomic program, were solely focused on the one issue. But increasingly, US officials have acknowledged discussing other concerns with Iranian officials, even though the two countries do not have diplomatic relations.

UN report: Israel responsible for Gaza shelter attacks

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UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - A United Nations inquiry blamed the Israeli military Monday for seven attacks on UN schools in Gaza that were used as shelters during the 2014 war.I deplore the fact that at least 44 Palestinians were killed as a result of Israeli actions and at least 227 injured at United Nations premises being used as emergency shelters, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a letter to the UN Security Council.It is a matter of the utmost gravity that those who looked to them for protection and who sought and were granted shelter there had their hopes and trust denied.The UN chief, in presenting a summary of the report, vowed to spare no effort to ensure that such incidents will never be repeated.The board of inquiry investigated the attacks on the schools run by the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA from July 8 to August 26 last year, but it also shed light on the discovery of weapons caches at three schools.The schools were vacant at the time but Ban noted that the fact that they were used by those involved in the fighting to store their weaponry and, in two cases, probably to fire from, is unacceptable.The UN chief urged Palestinian authorities to investigate.Israel has repeatedly maintained that Hamas militants were using civilians as human shields and UN premises as storage sites for weapons during the 50-day war.In response to the report, Israels foreign ministry said criminal investigations have been launched against those linked to the attacks on shelters.Israel makes every effort to avoid harm to sensitive sites, in the face of terrorist groups who are committed not only to targeting Israeli civilians but also to using Palestinian civilians and UN facilities as shields for their terrorist activities, said foreign ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon.The Israeli military said its prosecutors have filed charges against three soldiers for alleged theft from Palestinians in Gaza, the first indictments served over the July-August warfare. The army said approximately 120 other investigations were still open.The Gaza war ended with an Egyptian-brokered truce after about 2,200 Palestinians, most of them civilians, and 73 Israelis, mostly soldiers, were killed.UN spokesman Farhan Haq declined to comment on whether the findings of the report would be taken up by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which the Palestinians have joined.Its not our business to determine what cases the international court takes up, he said.Hamas said the report was important since it proved Israeli war crimes against Palestinian civilians in the (UNRWA) shelters.We call on the world to send the murderous occupation (Israel) leaders to international courts, and we call on the (Palestinian) Authority to investigate this report and to persecute the occupation (Israel) in international courts, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told AFP.The Islamist movement that rules Gaza de facto also rejected the notion that three facilities were used as weapon caches.We deny having any information about any weapons in the three UNRWA schools, which were empty from refugees, according to the report, Abu Zuhri said.Ban said he had set up an ad hoc group of senior UN officials to advise him on possible future courses of action.The board of inquiry confirmed that UNRWA officials sent twice-daily communications to the Israeli military with precise GPS coordinates of the schools being used as emergency shelters.The report gave specific details of the projectiles used such as tank shells and high explosive mortars, and included explanations from the Israeli military.A missile fired by Israeli forces on August 3 that hit a school in Rafah, killing 15 people, was aimed at a motorcycle carrying three militants from Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the report said.By the time it became apparent that the strike would coincide with the motorcycle passing by the school gate, it had no longer been possible to divert the missile, the report quoted the Israeli government as saying.UNRWA welcomed the findings of the report and said they were in line with its version of the facts.The inquiry found that despite numerous notifications to the Israeli army of the precise GPS coordinates of the schools and numerous notifications about the presence of displaced people... the hit was attributable to the IDF, the Israeli defense forces, said UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness.Gunness also stressed that the inquirys findings were fully consistent with the statements made by UNRWA that we did not hand any weapons over to Hamas.

Nearly 120 US-led strikes in week in Iraq: coalition

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BAGHDAD (AFP) - International forces targeting the Islamic State jihadist group carried out nearly 120 air strikes in Iraq over the past week, according to figures released by the US-led coalition.The strikes were concentrated west and north of Baghdad in Anbar and Nineveh, provinces where IS holds its most territory, and in the contested Baiji area of Salaheddin province.Targets included IS units, fighting positions and buildings and equipment being used by the jihadists.The coalition said it conducted 26 strikes from Sunday to Monday morning, the latest period for which figures were available, and a total of 119 in the past week.Iraqi security forces performed dismally in the early days of an IS-led militant drive last June that overran much of the countrys Sunni Arab heartland.But they have since managed to regain significant territory from the jihadists, with support from pro-government paramilitaries, the US-led coalition and Iran.

Baghdad car bombs kill at least 9: officials

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BAGHDAD (AFP) - Car bomb explosions on two commercial streets in the Iraqi capital killed at least nine people and wounded more than 30 others on Monday, security and medical officials said.One of the bombs struck Mansur in west Baghdad, while the other hit Amil in the capitals south.Bombings and shootings in Baghdad were once a daily occurrence, but have declined since the Islamic State jihadist group launched a major offensive last June, seizing control of large areas north and west of the capital.That has tied them down in fighting outside Baghdad.Iraqi security forces and allied paramilitaries have retaken significant amounts of territory from IS in recent months, with backing from a US-led coalition carrying out air strikes and training, as well as from Iran.But large parts of two provinces -- Nineveh in the north and Anbar in the west -- remain under IS control.

Riots, looting in Baltimore as protests turn violent

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BALTIMORE (AFP) - Rioters destroyed cars and looted stores in Baltimore on Monday after the funeral of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old African-American whose death in custody has reignited outrage over US police conduct towards blacks.At least seven officers were injured -- one of them was unresponsive -- as youths hurled bricks and bottles at police, ransacked stores and taverns, trashed police vehicles and set other cars on fire.Local and state police in riot gear, using tear gas, struggled to restore order as the rioters veered off in different directions, refusing to heed dispersal orders. One news photographer was seen being attacked by youths.State governor Larry Hogan said the Maryland National Guard had been placed on alert in case they are needed to stem the violence, and the Baltimore Orioles postponed their evening game as a precaution.We have seven officers injured during the course of this. They have broken bones; one is unresponsive, Baltimore police spokesman Captain Eric Kowalczyk told reporters.Youre going to see tear gas... Were going to use appropriate methods to ensure that were able to preserve the safety of that community.NBC affiliate WBAL reported there had been at least one arrest in the melee.Rioting erupted soon after Gray was buried -- possibly spurred by a cryptic message on social media declaring an after-school purge, which is street slang for random acts of lawlessness.Fear of unrest prompted the University of Marylands downtown campus, corporate offices and the citys famous Lexington Market to shut down early.President Barack Obama was briefed on the rapidly evolving situation by his newly sworn in Attorney General Loretta Lynch and city mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, the White House said. Thousands had converged on New Shiloh Baptist church in Baltimores poverty-ridden Sandtown neighborhood earlier Monday to pay final respects to Gray, who died on April 19 of severe spinal injuries apparently sustained during his arrest a week earlier.His death was the latest in a string of high-profile confrontations between African Americans and police, including the fatal shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri last year.Grays grieving family had explicitly asked for no protests.Today of all days, the family was clear this was a day of sacred closure, pastor Jamal Bryant of the citys Empowerment Temple mega-church, who delivered the eulogy, told reporters as the violence spiralled.So for us to come out of the burial and walk into this is absolutely inexcusable. Im asking every young person to go back home.On Saturday, 34 people were arrested, and six police officers injured, when violence erupted after an orderly rally for Gray outside Baltimore city hall, attended by more than 1,000 protesters.In the hours before Mondays riots, police announced they had received a credible threat that criminal gangs in Baltimore had entered into a partnership to take out law enforcement officers.At the funeral, Grays body was in a white casket next to a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball cap and a sign reading Peace yall.Crowds swayed to hymns at the service, chanting, Justice shall prevail, peace will prevail in the church, where a photo of Gray -- who had a record of petty drug offenses, in a grim part of Baltimore notorious for crime, poverty and joblessness -- was displayed among floral wreaths. Supporters, many dressed in all white, filled the buildings 2,200 seats and hundreds of others stood, with the words Black lives matter and all lives matter projected on the wall.Civil rights activist Jesse Jackson denounced the epidemic of murders in the country.We have become too violent, too full of hate, Jackson told reporters before the service. We need training, employment, housing, access to health, a reconstruction project. Poverty is a weapon of mass destruction. Two White House officials attended the service, along with Congressman Elijah Cummings, who gave an emotional address to the mourners.Tensions have been on the rise in Baltimore since Grays death, which his familys lawyers say was caused when 80 percent of his spine was severed following his arrest.Six officers have been suspended with pay pending the outcome of a police investigation that is to be submitted to state prosecutors by Friday.The US Justice Department, which was already looking into Baltimores use of force, has also opened its own civil rights probe.Police confirmed Gray requested medical help and an inhaler after he was detained and acknowledged that he should have received medical attention sooner. They also revealed that Gray, contrary to policy, was not buckled into his seat in a police van, which made at least three unexplained stops on its way to the citys Western District station, now the scene of nightly protests.Grays arrest was caught on video by bystanders, and he can be heard howling in apparent pain as his limp body is dragged into the van.

Tennis: Federer still fears 'difficult to beat' Nadal at French

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ISTANBUL (AFP) - Switzerlands 17-times Grand Slam winner Roger Federer on Monday said he still believed Rafael Nadal was the favourite to win the French Open next month despite the Spanish stars troubled start to the clay court season.Federer, who took his sole French Open title in 2009, this week is refining his own clay court game at the Istanbul Open, the first ATP World Tour event to be held in Turkey and the first time that Federer has visited the country.But Nadal, who with the exception of Federers win has taken every French Open since 2005 to make nine in total, has shown a dip in form over the past weeks, failing to get past the third round at last weeks Barcelona Open.Federer said he believed that Nadal was still the man to beat on the red clay of Roland Garros, along with the in-form Serbian world number one Novak Djokovic.At the French Open, Rafa for me is still the favourite alongside Djokovic who has been playing so well.Even though his (Nadals) form is not as good as in previous years, I still believe when the French Open rolls around he is going to be very difficult to beat, he told a news conference in Istanbul.Federer, 33, is himself looking for his own form on the slower clay after a long hard court season, having lost in the third round to Gael Monfils at the Monte Carlo Masters this month. But he said the Istanbul event was ideal for his preparations.Its about getting used to the sliding, deciding how aggressive I want to play, said the world number two.I have been on hard courts for seven-eight months so it needs some adjustments. My game is going to get better and better as we move along.Federer, who so far has been unable to add to his sole French Open win in 2009 and won his last grand slam at Wimbledon in 2012, acknowledged that this years French Open is clearly a big goal of mine.But to play well at the French Open I need confidence. I hope that I can pick that up in Istanbul.Federer, who celebrated his arrival in Istanbul by thumping a ball into the Bosphorus that divides Europe and Asia, is the star attraction in the Turkish mega city along with the Bulgarian world number 11 Grigor Dimitrov.With Federer seeded one and Dimitrov two, the pair are slated to meet in the final in Istanbul. After receiving byes for the first round they should begin their campaigns from Wednesday.Federer, who has played two impromptu practice sessions with Dimitrov since arriving at the weekend, paid tribute to the Bulgarian as having a game similar to mine -- athletic with a one-handed backhand.But Federer said his own experience showed now was the time for Dimitrov, 23, to knuckle down and go into overdrive to break into the worlds elite.He (Dimitrov) has improved a lot in the past few years. I still believe he has a lot of improvements to make.He has just got to take the right decisions in the next few months and years on how exactly is he going to crack the top five, because its a big step.He needs to put in extra effort now and just go into overdrive, said Federer.Musing on his own long career, Federer said he had taken the right decisions at the right time, especially when he first became number one in 2004.Number one was a big deal and I decided I wanted more of it... I am happy I took that decision otherwise I would have many regrets. I just have minor ones.

Tennis: Croatian Coric makes winning Estoril debut

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ESTORIL (AFP) - Teenaged Borna Coric secured the first upset of the week at the re-launched Estoril Open on Monday with his 6-2, 6-4 knockout of French sixth seed Jeremy Chardy.The youngest player in the field, debuting at the event, celebrated his success on the same day as fellow prodigy Nick Kyrgios of Australia left his teen years behind, turning 20 with a practise session and a meal at the Club de Tenis do Estoril with his coaching team.Tweets were plentiful as the 46th-ranked Kyrgios, seeded seventh, prepared for his second clay match of the season against Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas at a tournament now under fresh German-Portuguese management and being staged at a new venue.The Australian lost in the Barcelona first round last week after holding two match points against Swedish qualifier Elias Ymer.Kyrgios has been injured for much of 2015, compiling a sparse 5-3 record this season, with Barcelona his first event in well over a month since an ankle injury suffered in March on Indian Wells hardcourt.Coric levelled his record with Chardy at 1-1 after losing to the number 32 in the Australian Open first round. He next faces Portuguese competition as he waits for a winner from Joao Sousa and wild card Rui Machado, a quarter-finalist five years ago.I had a practise match with Sousa in Miami, I think I lost a set 6-4, said Coric. Either one of those guys will be tough, they are both playing at home and guys usually play better in from of the home crowds.Ill try my best and see what happens.Coric said that he was not feeling at his best during practise, but lifted with perfect timing for his 93-minute win.I was struggling in practise, I was not feeling the ball. I was scared of how I would play in the match, but I played well after all.There was a bit of wind but that is to be expected here, said the tournament debutant. I was playing very good tennis, it was a good match for me.Coric broke for 2-1 in the opening set on the clay, enough of a margin to win the opener. He went down a break early in the second, got it back and broke again for 5-4 before serving out victory a game later on the first of two match points.Dutchman Robin Haase won his fourth match of the season and first on clay with a defeat over Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-4.Haase now moves to the second round, to face Spains Feliciano Lopez, playing as a tournament top seed for only the fourth time in his career.

Tennis: Wimbledon bans selfie-sticks

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LONDON (AFP) - Selfie-sticks have been banned from this years Wimbledon tennis championship, organisers have announced.The All England Lawn Tennis Club has confirmed fans wont be allowed to take the sticks -- which help users take self-portrait photos that have become increasingly popular on Twitter and other forms of social media -- into their Wimbledon headquarters in south-west London during the Grand Slam tournament.In its guide for ticketholders, the AELTC -- often accused of being hidebound for its insistence that plyers at Wimbledon still wear predominately white clothing -- said it was merely following an increasing trend.In common with many other major sports and entertainment events and cultural attractions, the championships will not allow selfie sticks into the grounds, the guide said.The devices, which extend the reach of a user trying to take a photo with a smartphone or camera, have been banned from a number of venues because they obstruct the view of other spectators.English Premier League football club Tottenham Hotspur have prohibited selfie sticks from their White Hart Lane ground in north London, while they have also been barred from the Colosseum in Rome and the Smithsonian museum in Washington.

Valencia beat lowly Granada 4-0 in Spanish league

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VALENCIA, Spain (AP) - Two goals in each half gave Valencia a 4-0 win over relegation-threatened Granada in the Spanish league on Monday.Granada had managed to slow the hosts pace in the first half until Javier Fuego rose to head in from a corner in the 26th minute.Antonio Barragan earned a penalty for Valencia when he kicked the ball between Diego Mainz legs and was then obstructed by the Granada defender in the 38th. Daniel Parejo converted the penalty.Valencia kept attacking and Algeria midfielder Sofiane Feghouli fired in a hard shot in the 85th after an assist from Alvaro Negredo.Negredo headed the fourth inside the far post in the 88th.Were happy because our results at home are working out frankly quite well, said Valencia captain Daniel Parejo. It was a tough match because there was a lot at stake for Granada. But we focused on our objectives and if we maintain this, well end up in the Champions League next season.Granada is second to last, six points from safety, while Valencia is in fourth place, two points ahead of Sevilla.Valencia increased the pressure on goalkeeper Roberto Fernandez after the first goal, forcing him to make a series of saves, although Granada could have equalized from a corner in the 36th.Granada defender Emanuel Insua was taken off on a stretcher in the 54th after twisting his right ankle badly while making a left-footed clearance. He was substituted by Luis Martins.We knew they were a very good team and we hung on for 25 minutes, but after their first goal we understood it was going to get much more difficult, said Granada midfielder Daniel Candeias. Now we have to think of our next match at home against Espanyol. We need to get the three points and win all our remaining games this season.

Olympics: India not bidding for Games, says IOC chief

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NEW DELHI (AFP) - IOC supremo Thomas Bach met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday with both leaders unanimous in their belief that it was too early for the country to bid for the Olympics.The Indian media had been rife with speculation that the Modi government would sanction a bid for the 2024 Summer Games, even if it was only to test the waters.A release from Indias official Press Information Bureau did not mention a bid being discussed between the prime minister and the president of the International Olympic Committee.The Prime Minister sought the IOC presidents support in making India a hub of sports infrastructure, sports technology, and sports equipment manufacturing, the release said.The Prime Minister expressed his intention to promote India on the global sports map.Bach also ended speculation about the bid, saying there was no proposal from the prime minister on India hosting the Games in the future.I was a bit surprised at the speculation for a bid because we thought it was too late to have a successful bid for 2024, Bach told reporters at the end of the day-long trip.I am happy Prime Minister Modi also shared the same opinion.Bach said a tripartite agreement had been signed with the Indian government, the Indian Olympic Association and the IOC to promote sports in India.India is a sleeping giant and we discussed how to wake up this sleeping giant, he said.New Delhi successfully hosted two Asian Games in 1951 and 1982, but the 2010 Commonwealth Games attracted embarrassing headlines due to corruption and delays in construction -- which Modi would be desperate to avoid.With Tokyo due to host the Games in 2020, Asia is seen as an unlikely venue for the 2024 edition, where Paris, Hamburg, Rome and Budapest are tipped as leading contenders.The deadline for submitting an interest in the bid is mid-September.The Indian Express reported on Monday that the sports ministry had submitted a dossier to the Prime Ministers Office highlighting the pros and cons of hosting the Games.The dossier projected a budget of between $12 billion to $15 billion, with New Delhi being suggested as the bid city, the paper said quoting unnamed ministry sources.Despite being the worlds second most populous nation, India has a poor record in Olympic competition.Shooter Abhinav Bindra, who won gold in 2008 in the 10-metre air rifle, remains the countrys only individual champion, while the last of Indias eight field hockey titles came back in 1980.The medal haul from the London Games in 2012 was two silver and four bronze, leaving India 55th in the medal table.Bach met Indian Olympic Association officials and attended a lunch hosted by sports minister Sarbananda Sonowal before meeting Modi in the evening.

Swimming: Phelps to follow coach Bowman to Arizona

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LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Olympic legend Michael Phelps says he will stick with his long-term coach Bob Bowman, who last week was named Arizona State Universitys (ASU) swimming coach.The 18-time Olympic gold medallist, who previously worked with Bowman at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, confirmed the move in a series of tweets on Monday.I am pumped for Bob, this is a great opportunity for him and I know he will be successful in building a great program at ASU. the 29-year-old wrote.He has been there for me throughout my career and he will always be my coach.Ill continue to train under him in Arizona and look forward to following the training program we have set in place as we work towards 2016.Phelps, who registered his latest win since returning to competition after a ban eight day ago, has his sights set on a fifth Olympic Games at Rio 2016.Phelps won a record eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and retired after the 2012 London Olympics with a career record 22 Olympic medals, only to make a comeback last year.But last September he was hit with a six month suspension by USA Swimming after a drunk-driving arrest.

Euro racks up third straight gain against dollar

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NEW YORK (AFP) - The euro scored its third straight gain against the dollar Monday amid rising expectations that the US Federal Reserve will not raise interest rates before July.The euro edged to $1.0889 from $1.0873 Friday, and 129.64 yen from 129.38 yen.After weak US growth through the first quarter, analysts expect that the Fed will put an expected June increase in the federal funds rate on hold at the end of its two-day policy meeting on Wednesday.For months, the Fed has pointed to June as the earliest point it could begin lifting the benchmark rate from the zero level, where it has been stuck since December 2008.The dollar rose strongly earlier this year as the Feds course toward a June increase contrasted with the European Central Banks start of a quantitative easing program to force down euro rates.But the slower first quarter growth could put that on hold while the Fed studies the economys improvement.The government releases its first quarter growth estimate on Wednesday, with many analysts forecasting a sub-one percent figure after a 2.2 percent pace at the end of last year.Officials are not willing to pull the trigger until they see the rebound they are convinced is about to show up in the data, said Chris Low of FTN Financial.Low said the Fed policy statement will remain largely unchanged from March, as the committee waits to see whether the rebound they are waiting for, full of hope, materializes.Meanwhile, the yen weakened ahead of a meeting of the Japanese central bank on Thursday not expected to take any new policy moves.
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