Monday 1 June 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Tennis: Federer faces Wawrinka as home hopes rest with Tsonga

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PARIS, June 2, 2015 (AFP) - Roger Federers clash with fellow Swiss Stan Wawrinka is the standout match as the quarter-finals begin at the French Open on Tuesday.Federer takes on his Davis Cup-winning team-mate on Court Suzanne Lenglen in one of two mens last-eight ties, while home hopes lie with the last French survivor, 14th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who is up against Japans fifth seed Kei Nishikori on Court Philippe Chatrier.Second seed Federer, who completed a four-set win over Gael Monfils on Monday after it was suspended at a set apiece in the gloom on Sunday night, is targeting a first Roland Garros semi-final since 2012.He has won 16 of 18 previous meetings with Wawrinka, including on clay in Rome recently.Wawrinka, the eighth seed, has never gone beyond the quarter-finals at Roland Garros in 10 previous attempts.Tsonga will be looking to reach the semi-finals for the second time as France still searches for a first winner of its own Grand Slam since Yannick Noah more than 30 years ago.Standing in his way is Nishikori, who has won four of the pairs five previous meetings and has reached the last eight without dropping a set.Nishikori is bidding to become the first Japanese man since 1933 to make the semi-finals.Before the men take centre stage, the women are in action with Serbian seventh seed Ana Ivanovic up against Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, the 19th seed, on the central Court Philippe Chatrier.Ivanovic is unbeaten in six encounters with Svitolina so is the clear favourite going into her first French Open quarter-final since winning the title in 2008.Tuesdays other match sees Spains 21st seed Garbine Muguruza meet Czech 13th seed Lucie Safarova, who is fresh from beating defending champion Maria Sharapova in the fourth round on Monday.French Open order of play on showcourts on Tuesday, the 10th day of the 2015 tournament at Roland Garros (x denotes seeded player; 1200 GMT start):Court Philippe ChatrierAna Ivanovic (SRB x7) v Elina Svitolina (UKR x19)Kei Nishikori (JPN x5) v Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x14)Court Suzanne LenglenGarbine Muguruza (ESP x21) v Lucie Safarova (CZE x13)Stan Wawrinka (SUI x8) v Roger Federer (SUI x2)

Tokyo stocks open 0.17% higher

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TOKYO (AFP) - Tokyo stocks opened 0.17 percent higher on Tuesday following a 12-day rally and a positive lead on Wall Street.The Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange climbed 34.80 points to 20,604.67 at the start.The benchmark index rose for a 12th consecutive day Monday, the longest upward trend since a 13-day run in February 1988 during the height of Japans stock market bubble.In New York, stocks rose on positive economic data with higher construction spending and personal incomes in April.The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.16 percent Monday, while the broad-based S&P 500 rose 0.21 percent.The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index gained 0.25 percent.In forex trading, the dollar was at 124.86 yen on Tuesday morning in Tokyo, hovering around the highest level since December 2002, compared with 124.81 yen late Monday in New York.The weak yen is positive for Japanese exporters as it makes them more competitive abroad and increases profits when repatriated.The euro slipped to $1.0921 from $1.0924, but remained unchanged at 136.35 yen.Greeces battle with official creditors over more financing still looms, with the country facing a Friday deadline to come up with 300 million euros ($328 million) to pay the International Monetary Fund.

IMF, ECB chiefs join Merkel, Hollande, Juncker for Greek debt talks

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BERLIN (AFP) - IMF chief Christine Lagarde and ECB president Mario Draghi unexpectedly joined the leaders of France and Germany as well as European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker in Berlin late Monday for talks on Greeces debt crisis, diplomatic sources said.The aim of the late-night meeting attended by Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Francois Hollande was to come up with a final proposal to present to Athens, according to German daily Die Welt.But the German chancellors office said after the meeting only that the quintet agreed to work together intensely in the coming days and would stay in close contact in the coming days.The newspaper, citing sources close to the talks, said the Berlin talks began at 1930 GMT and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was in Athens awaiting a phone call from the troika, as Greeces creditors are known.According to a diplomatic source, the group did not telephone the Greek premier during the meeting.The diplomatic push comes as cash-strapped Greece remains locked in tough negotiations with international creditors in a bid to release 7.2 billion euros ($7.9 billion) in remaining bailout funds.A deal has so far proved elusive as the creditors -- the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank -- are demanding greater reforms in return for the cash, which Greeces anti-austerity government has refused to match.The country faces a key deadline on Friday when it is due to repay 300 million euros to the IMF. There are fears Greece does not have the necessary funds and will default, possibly setting off a chain of events that could end with a messy exit from the euro.Merkel, Hollande and Juncker met for scheduled talks earlier Monday but the evening arrivals of Lagarde and Draghi came as a surprise.The impromptu gathering followed a phone conference Sunday between Merkel, Hollande, Juncker and Tsipras, which Merkels spokeswoman described as constructive.Juncker earlier told another German newspaper that Greeces woes would feature heavily in Mondays Berlin discussions, as he reiterated his opposition to a so-called Grexit.I dont share this idea that wed have fewer concerns and constraints if Greece gave up the euro, he told the Sueddeutsche Zeitung.

Football: Juve ready for Barca's 'fearsome' trio: Allegri

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TURIN (AFP) - Coach Massimiliano Allegri insists Juventus will be ready for the fearsome trio of Luis Suarez, Neymar and Lionel Messi when the Turin giants face Barcelona in the Champions League final.Juventuss season has gone almost to perfection under Allegri, who in his first season in charge has led the Bianconeri to a fourth consecutive scudetto and their first league and Cup double in 20 years.But Juves hopes of emulating the treble feat of league rivals Inter Milan, in 2010, is tempered by the fact they travel to Berlin for Saturdays finale as rank underdogs.Between them, Uruguay international Suarez (24), Brazilian sensation Neymar (38) and Argentinian ace Messi (58) have scored a stunning 120 goals this season to help Barcelona to their own league and Cup double.Messi, in particular, has been in scintillating form, scoring his 400th goal for the Catalan club last month, hitting the winner against Atletico Madrid that clinched the league title and scoring a stunning, individual goal in a 3-1 win over Athletic that secured the Kings Cup on Saturday.Messis latest piece of magic did not escape Juves players, or Allegri, who admitted: I think what he did last Saturday was good but hes also scored better goals.Hes an alien, said Juve defender Leonardo Bonucci. When he sees them play, he admits, all you can do is applaud.Allegri was quick to applaud Barcelonas character and technical nous but said Juve wont sit back and wait for things to happen.All we need to do is play our game, play well and, above all, show that we have what it takes to challenge for the trophy, added the coach.Of course, what happens during the match will condition how we approach things. But we cant sit back and wait for things to happen.We have to concentrate on our own roles. They (Suarez, Neymar and Messi) have scored 120 goals between them this season, but were a great side with a lot of heart.A look at recent history of the sides success in Europes premier club competition shows why Barcelona head to the German capital as favourites.Barcelona have been crowned kings of Europe four times, the last time in 2011 when Manchester United were on the wrong end of a 3-1 defeat that was inspired in large part by a Messi goal early in the second half.That season, Messi scored 12 goals in the competition and the Argentinian, still only 27 years old, is still writing history.Messi sits level top of the Champions League scoring charts with Cristiano Ronaldo on 10 goals so far with both players tied on 77 career goals in the competition.If Messi scores next Saturday, he will take the lead and also achieve the remarkable feat of scoring in all three of his final appearances with the Catalans.Former two-time winners Juventus, meanwhile, are appearing in their first final since their 2003 defeat to AC Milan in a penalty shoot-out -- the fifth time the Turin giants have failed at the final hurdle.Bonucci, who has never come up against Messi in an official game, admits Barcelonas front men are fearsome. But the Italy defender, and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, said they are ready.Obviously, theyre a fearsome trio but Barca is more than just their three front men, added Bonucci. Everyone in their team sacrifices himself for the others. Thats why, defensively, well have to be flawless.But at the end of the day its another game, its 11 against 11 just as in any other match.Messi is without doubt the best player in the world, for the past 10 years, and when you come up against him theres always a little fear, said Buffon.But I also know that we have what it takes to limit Messi, and the rest. We wont start as favourites, but we have a few things up our sleeves that wont make it easy for them.

Concussed Australian opener Rogers out of Windies Test

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SYDNEY (AFP) - Australian opening batsman Chris Rogers has been ruled out of this weeks first Test against the West Indies with concussion after being struck on the helmet in the nets.Rogers took the hit during a practice session in the West Indies on Sunday and showed signs of mild concussion including headache and dizziness, Cricket Australia said on its website Tuesday.In line with Cricket Australias guidelines, team doctor Peter Brukner made the call to rule the 37-year-old out of the Test, which starts in Dominica on Wednesday, and informed captain Michael Clarke and coach Darren Lehmann of his decision.I assured Michael if it was him or anyone else we would make exactly the same decision, Brukner said.This is a black and white rule now. If someone is concussed, they dont play. He was disappointed. Obviously nobody wants to miss a Test match.Ive spoken to the players and explained the decision to them and said thats the way we operate, thats our policy and it wont be any different no matter who the player is, he added.Brukner said he expects Rogers to recover in time for the second Test in Jamaica next week.It is the first time since Rogers was recalled to the Test team in 2013 that he has missed a match and opens the way for Shaun Marsh, who made a century as an opener in last weeks tour match in Antigua, to take his spot in the batting order.

Football: World Cup heartbreak drives Barca's glory run

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MADRID (AFP) - When Barcelonas players returned for their first pre-season session under new boss Luis Enrique no one held the bragging rights of coming back from Brazil a newly crowned world champion.Nine months on and the Catalans star-studded squad is on the brink of the compensation of becoming the first side to win the treble of league, Cup and Champions League twice.All 11 of the side that will start against Juventus in Saturdays Champions League final suffered their share of World Cup disappointment.The biggest humiliation was suffered by Barcas six Spanish internationals, five of whom had won the World Cup four years previously in South Africa.Jordi Alba, Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Pedro were sent packing after just two games in Brazil after heavy defeats by the Netherlands and Chile.Yet, that pain has been Barcas gain as significantly Pique, Busquets and Iniestas return to form in 2015 has played a huge role in Enriques mens run of 28 wins from 34 games since a shock 1-0 defeat to Real Sociedad in January.All five had also been part of the Spanish squads at Euro 2012 and the Confederations Cup a year later and the rest enforced by early elimination combined with Enriques persistent rotation policy early in the season has paid dividends as Barca have arrived at the end of the campaign in prime physical shape.However, the key to Barcas brilliant campaign has been the remarkable 120 goals struck by the lethal front three of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez.All three had to deal with heartbreak or, in Suarezs case, shame in Brazil that left them hungry for vindication in the form of trophies.Barca werent perturbed by the four-month ban slapped on Suarez for biting an opponent for the third time in his career as they splashed out a club record transfer fee to secure his services from Liverpool.The Uruguayan has rewarded that faith with 24 goals and 24 assists despite a slow start to his first season at the Camp Nou after missing the opening two months of the campaign because of his ban.More importantly, though, Suarezs aggression and work-rate has combined perfectly with the playmaking ability and pace of Messi and Neymar respectively.Neymar dealt with the immense pressure of bearing the burden of Brazils dreams for a sixth World Cup on home soil brilliantly last summer until a terrifying collision with Colombias Juan Camilo Zuniga ended his tournament at the quarter-final stage with two broken vertebrae in his back.That blow may have been a blessing for the 23-year-old as it meant he was not one of the culprits in Brazils historic 7-1 thrashing by Germany in the semi-final.Neymar recovered remarkably quickly to start the season in top form as he has surpassed Barca legends like Ronaldinho, Samuel Etoo, Thierry Henry and Rivaldo best ever goalscoring numbers in a single campaign with 38 goals.Yet, even Neymars feats have been cast into the shadows by Messis return to his best form.The truth is I started the season in a different way after what happened last year, the four-time World Player of the Year said recently.I went through a difficult year for what happened off the field, the injuries and my performance.The frustration for Argentines watching their compatriot rip apart rivals week in, week out in recent months was that the World Cup came a year too early.Messi scored twice, including a scarcely believable individual run past four Athletic Bilbao players to open the scoring in last weekends Copa del Rey final to take his record to 20 goals in 23 finals for Barcelona.The one final goal that got away was a typical Messi left-footed effort that slipped inches past Manuel Neuers far post as Argentina were pipped 1-0 by Germany in the World Cup final.Given the same chance again, current form suggests Messi is unlikely to misfire in Berlin as he looks to become the first man to score in three Champions League finals.

Tennis: Nadal dismisses Djokovic clash as 'not vital'

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PARIS (AFP) - Rafael Nadal believes all the pressure will be on Novak Djokovic in Wednesdays French Open quarter-final with the nine-time champion dismissing the headline-grabbing collision as not vital.Nadal has defeated world number one Djokovic six times out of six at Roland Garros where the Spaniard boasts a record of 70 wins and just one loss.Three of his victories against Djokovic have been in the last three years -- in the 2012 and 2014 finals and 2013 semi-finals.In contrast to Nadals domination, Djokovic remains frustratingly just one French Open title short of a career Grand Slam, something already achieved by the Spaniard, fellow present-day rival Roger Federer and five other men.This is not vital, said Nadal, who has not played Djokovic at such an early stage of any tournament for eight years.If it was a final, things would be different. Its a quarter-final and if you win you go to the semi-final. Its not a matter of lifting the trophy.Last year I beat him in the final. This is not the match of the year. Matches of the year are finals and decisive matches. If I lose the quarter-final my life wont change.Top seed Djokovic eased into the last eight on Monday with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 win over Frances Richard Gasquet while defending champion Nadal, seeking a 10th Roland Garros crown, saw off unseeded American Jack Sock, 6-3, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2.It was Nadals 70th French Open win against just one defeat and his 39th in a row at a tournament he has dominated for a decade.As well as his Paris supremacy, Nadal also holds a career 23-20 edge in head-to-head meetings with Djokovic.But Djokovic is the overwhelming favourite to break that stranglehold this year after claiming a 26th successive win on Monday.The 28-year-old has lost just twice all year and has not been defeated since February.Since the turn of the year, he has won a fifth Australian Open as well as Masters titles at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Rome.Nadal, however, arrived in Paris on his lowest world ranking since 2005 and without a European claycourt title for the first time in a decade.Against Gasquet, Djokovic was almost unplayable.He carved out an astonishing 23 break points and was broken just once when his concentration wavered in the third set.The in-form Serb also fired 47 winners as he reached a 24th successive Grand Slam quarter-final.Nadal, who will celebrate his 29th birthday on Wednesday, could drop out of the world top 10 if he loses to Djokovic.But he says his main priority is to finish the full season unlike 2014 when he missed virtually the entire second half of the campaign, including the defence of his US Open title.My situation is different to Novaks. If I dont win I will think about the next tournament, said the Spaniard who did at least admit Wednesdays blockbuster will be the toughest quarter-final I have ever played.Djokovic said he will try and stick to his usual routine but admitted that facing his old adversary so early feels unusual.Playing him here and playing him in any other tournament is completely different, said the 28-year-old Serb.But the conditions are very suited to his style of game. He loves playing on Court Philippe Chatrier.He added: I am trying to keep my routine the same and not give so much importance to the match. I know what to do, I know whats expected of me.

US plays down flyover by Russian bombers near warship

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US military released a video Monday of a Russian Su-24 bomber flying past an American warship in the Black Sea to dispel what it called inaccurate media reports about a routine encounter.In the video, a Su-24 aircraft appears in the distance, then zooms by the USS Ross -- a guided-missile destroyer.Other Russian bombers also flew within sight of the ship, officials said.Such footage is rarely released publicly but the US Navy decided to post it because we were unsatisfied with the press reporting, and we wanted to show exactly what happened, Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steven Warren told reporters.None of the Russian aircraft that flew by the ship were armed and neither side took any aggressive action, Warren said.This was simply a ship and a plane passing in the day in this case, he said.Some Russian media had suggested that the aircraft forced the American destroyer to shift course away from Russian territorial waters off the coast of Crimea.But the Pentagon said those reports were erroneous and didnt reflect the facts.The USS Ross was in international waters and never changed course, never deviated from its mission, he said.And there was no communication between the Russian planes and the US vessel.The Russian aircraft got to within about 1,600 feet (500 meters) from the ship while flying at an altitude of about 600 feet, officials said.With tensions rising over Moscows armed intervention in Ukraine over the past year, Russia has stepped up flights of its bomber fleet, particularly over the airspace of NATO states.

Obama taps Cuba negotiator as Mexico ambassador

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - President Barack Obama on Monday nominated Roberta Jacobson, a key figure in ongoing talks with Cuba, to be the next ambassador to Mexico.Jacobson traveled to Havana in January, becoming the most senior ranking official to visit the communist island in 35 years.She has led talks with her Cuban counterpart Josefina Vidal aimed at reestablishing embassies, a goal that has yet to be agreed thanks to diplomatic wrangling.But the State Departments Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs will soon return to focus on issues directly south of the US border.Jacobson was director of Mexican Affairs at the State Department from 2003 to 2007.She will need to be confirmed by the Senate, before taking up her post.With immigration and the drug war both red hot issues among lawmakers, the hearings are likely to be tense.Mexicos foreign ministry said it welcomed Jacobsons nomination, saying she had a notable diplomatic career that will enable President Enrique Pena Nieto and Obama to accomplish their priorities.

Ship carrying over 450 people sinks in China's Yangtze: state media

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BEIJING (AFP) - A passenger ship carrying more than 450 people has sunk in the Yangtze river in central China, state media reported Tuesday.The ship named Dongfangzhixing, or Eastern Star, was headed from the eastern city of Nanjing to the southwestern city of Chongqing when it sank in the Jianli section of the river, in Hubei province, on Monday evening, Xinhua said.The cause of the sinking was not immediately clear, but state broadcaster CCTV said it was an accident.Eight people have been rescued, including the captain and chief engineer, who both said the vessel had been caught in a cyclone.There were 458 people on board when the vessel sank at 9:28 pm (1328 GMT), CCTV said, including 406 Chinese passengers, five travel agency workers and 47 crew members.According to CCTV, the vessel -- which measures 76.5 metres long (250 feet) in length) -- is capable of carrying up to 534 people, and was owned by a firm that operated tours in the region of the Three Gorges dam.Xinhua said rescue work was difficult due to bad weather, strong winds and heavy rain. CCTV said Chinese premier Li Keqiang was on his way to the site.A total of 22 people, including eight foreigners, were killed when a tugboat sank on the river between the eastern cities of Jingjiang and Zhangjiagang in January.After the January accident, the provincial government said the boat was undergoing trials without properly completing the required procedures and without first reporting the condition of the ship, as required by regulations.

Iraqi PM to outline plan for retaking Ramadi: US official

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - Iraqs plan to recapture the western city of Ramadi from Islamic State terrorists will dominate a meeting Tuesday in Paris of foreign ministers from the international coalition fighting the group, a senior US official said.In the wake of the stunning defeat in Ramadi this month, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi will outline how his government intends to retake it and what coalition partners can do to help, a senior State Department official told reporters.This is not a business-as-usual meeting, said the senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity by teleconference.Were coming to discuss with Prime Minister Abadi his plan for liberating Ramadi and Anbar province.Under a campaign plan adopted by Abadis cabinet shortly after Ramadis fall, the Iraqis hope to mobilize the tribes of Anbar province, deploy police units under new leadership, channel reconstruction aid quickly to recaptured areas and ensure all Shiite militias are operating under Baghdads authority, the official said.The disastrous rout of Iraqi security forces led Baghdad to ask the Hashed al-Shaabi, an umbrella organisation which includes Iran-backed militias, to move into the area to block the advance of the IS extremists.But Washington remains concerned about any role for the Tehran-backed fighters in the mostly Sunni area, and officials said Monday the Iraqi governments campaign plan places a top priority on imposing Baghdads authority over all militia units.Its very important ... that all forces be brought under the command and control of the Iraqi government and the Iraqi prime minister. Thats something thats a fundamental element of the plan, he said.Pentagon officials acknowledged Monday that some of the militias remain outside of the central governments control in Anbar province.Training Iraqi troopsThe Paris talks will include foreign ministers from the so-called small group of the anti-IS coalition, including representatives from Britain, Canada, Germany, France, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.John Allen, the retired US general who serves as White House envoy to the coalition, will take part in the discussions along with other senior American officials.But Secretary of State John Kerry, who is recovering from a cycling accident in Switzerland, will not be able to attend in person and instead will listen in by phone, officials said.The US-led coalition is heavily focused on efforts to train Iraqi army troops to pave the way for counter-offensives to seize back territory in Anbar and elsewhere, the senior official said.The troops in Ramadi that retreated were not troops that we trained, the official said.Some of the troops that will part in the counter-attack (in Ramadi) we anticipate will be troops that we train.About a dozen coalition partners were helping train and equip Iraqi security forces, with about 7,000 troops trained so far and another 4,000 undergoing instruction, the official said.The blueprint to take back Ramadi also would include an appeal for donations from coalition members for a stabilization fund, which would help the Iraqi government deliver reconstruction aid immediately after areas are retaken from the IS group, the official said.The fund was designed to back immediate quick-hit projects to help clear homemade bombs and allow residents to return to their homes, the official said.Asked if the coalition members would consider broadening the fight against the IS group beyond Iraq and Syria, the US official said the main effort would remain in those two countries, but acknowledged that the extremists were seeking to expand their network to Saudi Arabia and elsewhere.Were not going to be distracted every time a terrorist organization raises a black flag, the officials said.The coalition would concentrate on hitting the IS core leadership and fighting the extremists where they hold territory, while closely monitoring the groups attacks and links to other areas, the official added.

Ship carrying over 450 people sinks in China's Yangtze: state media

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BEIJING (AFP) - A passenger ship carrying more than 450 people has sunk in the Yangtze river in central China, state media reported Tuesday.The ship named Dongfangzhixing, or Eastern Star, was headed from the eastern city of Nanjing to the southwestern city of Chongqing when it sank in the Jianli section of the river, in Hubei province, on Monday evening, Xinhua said.The cause of the sinking was not immediately clear, but state broadcaster CCTV said it was an accident.Eight people have been rescued, including the captain and chief engineer, who both said the vessel had been caught in a cyclone.There were 458 people on board when the vessel sank at 9:28 pm (1328 GMT), CCTV said, including 406 Chinese passengers, five travel agency workers and 47 crew members.According to CCTV, the vessel -- which measures 76.5 metres long (250 feet) in length) -- is capable of carrying up to 534 people, and was owned by a firm that operated tours in the region of the Three Gorges dam.Xinhua said rescue work was difficult due to bad weather, strong winds and heavy rain. CCTV said Chinese premier Li Keqiang was on his way to the site.A total of 22 people, including eight foreigners, were killed when a tugboat sank on the river between the eastern cities of Jingjiang and Zhangjiagang in January.After the January accident, the provincial government said the boat was undergoing trials without properly completing the required procedures and without first reporting the condition of the ship, as required by regulations.

Tennis: Djokovic, Nadal set-up French Open blockbuster

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PARIS (AFP) - Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will clash in a French Open quarter-final blockbuster on Wednesday in one of the sports most-eagerly awaited clashes of recent times.World number one and top seed Djokovic eased into the last eight on Monday with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 win over Frances Richard Gasquet.Defending champion Nadal, seeking a 10th Roland Garros crown, saw off unseeded American Jack Sock, 6-3, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2.It was Nadals 70th career win at the French Open against just one defeat and his 39th in a row at the tournament he has dominated for a decade.Its the biggest challenge I can have on clay, said Djokovic, who needs a French Open title to complete the career Grand Slam.Hes lost just once here.On facing Djokovic, sixth seed Nadal said: I will have to play my best tennis.Hes the world number one and is having a great season. Itll be a complicated match.Nadal beat Djokovic in the 2012 and 2014 finals in Paris as well as the 2013 semi-finals and holds a career 23-20 edge in head-to-head meetings.But Djokovic is the overwhelming favourite to break that stranglehold this year after claiming a 26th successive win on Monday.The 28-year-old has lost just twice all year and has not been defeated since February.Against Gasquet, he was almost unplayable.He carved out an astonishing 23 break points and was just broken once as his concentration wavered in the third set.The in-form Serb also fired 47 winners as he reached a 24th successive Grand Slam quarter-final.Nadal could also have had an easier afternoon.The Spaniard, who will be 29 on Wednesday when he faces Djokovic, had a match point in the 10th game of the third set before the 22-year-old Sock kept his campaign alive.But the young American paid a heavy price for his nine double faults and 44 unforced errors.Second seed Roger Federer, the 2009 champion, made the last eight for the 11th time with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 win over Frances Gael Monfils and goes on to face Davis Cup-winning teammate Stan Wawrinka.British third seed Andy Murray ended the hopes of another home player, seeing off unseeded Jeremy Chardy 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.He will next take on seventh-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer.Federer raced through the final two sets on Monday in just over an hour after the last-16 tie was delicately poised at a set apiece when it was suspended in the chilly gloom of Sunday evening.I feel fresh and pumped up to be back in the quarter-finals again after missing out last year, said Federer, who was beaten by Ernests Gulbis in the last 16 in 2014.Federer will take a 16-2 career advantage over Wawrinka into Tuesdays quarter-final, including a win on clay in Rome earlier this month.Its special to play Stan, there arent many Swiss players in the draw, said Federer. Murray, twice a semi-finalist in Paris, will face 2013 runner-up Ferrer for a place in the last four although Chardy, the world number 45, gave him plenty to think about on a rocking Court Suzanne Lenglen.However, the Frenchmans temperament let him down at the wrong times as he was broken three times in the fourth set.Chardy committed 10 double faults and 56 unforced errors.Hes a tough player with a big serve and hit some powerful shots. He made it difficult for me, said Murray, who has now won 14 matches and two titles on clay this year.Murray has a 9-6 record against Ferrer but the gritty Spaniard has won all of their four meetings on clay including at Roland Garros in the 2012 quarter-finals.Ferrer recorded his 40th career win at Roland Garros with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 victory over Croatian ninth-seeded US Open champion Marin Cilic.Tuesdays other quarter-final will see fifth seed Kei Nishikori, the first Japanese man in 82 years to make the quarter-finals, face Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the last remaining French player.

Pakistani militant to be deported from Canada

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OTTAWA (AFP) - A member of a banned Pakistani sectarian group will soon be deported from Canada after being caught with a cache of firearms, an immigration hearing reportedly heard Monday.According to the daily National Post, a Canadian immigraiton and refugee board was informed by the Canada Border Services Agency of Muhammad Aqeeq Ansaris pending deportation.The newspaper said Ansari had stockpiled Can$20,000 worth of guns and ammunition in the basement of a Peterborough, Ontario home.He has lived in Canada since 2007, but was stripped of his permanent residency and ordered deported last month.An immigration and refugee board ruled him inadmissible to Canada on security grounds over his membership in the organization Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ), formerly known as Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP).Seven of its members were hanged in Pakistan in January for killings, attempted assassinations and an attack on the US consulate in Karachi in 2003.A spokeswoman for the Canadian Border Services Agency told AFP Ansari would remain in custody until his departure, as he has been deemed to be a flight risk and a danger to the public.His detention would be reviewed at a next hearing scheduled on June 29.Meanwhile, another Pakistani national living in the Toronto area, Jahanzeb Malik, tagged in March as a national security threat, is still awaiting a deportation decision.He was accused of plotting to bomb the US consulate and financial buildings in Toronto.Rather than file charges, authorities took him before the Immigration and Refugee Board to seek his deportation to Pakistan.

Tennis: Serena survives but Sharapova, Kvitova sent packing in Paris

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PARIS (AFP) - Defending champion Maria Sharapova and fourth seed Petra Kvitova were sent packing from the French Open at the fourth-round stage on Monday, but top seed Serena Williams survived a scare to seal her quarter-final place.Sharapova, seeded two, was beaten in straight sets 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 by Lucie Safarova, the Czech 13th seed who will now meet Garbine Muguruza of Spain in the last eight.Wimbledon champion Kvitova lost in three sets to Swiss 23rd seed Timea Bacsinszky, 2-6, 6-0, 6-3.Williams, meanwhile, lost the first set against compatriot Sloane Stephens on Court Philippe Chatrier but came back to win 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 and set up a quarter-final with Sara Errani of Italy.Sharapova, who also won the clay-court Grand Slam event in 2012 and was the beaten finalist in 2013, had been forced to wait until Monday morning for her clash with Safarova, which had been postponed on Sunday due to rain in the French capital.But on a bright Paris morning the Russian second seed, who was looking to become the first woman to successfully defend the French Open title since Justine Henin in 2007, was punished for an erratic display from beginning to end.I had a few small openings but I wasnt able to keep up my level. She was more consistent and aggressive, created the angles and that was the difference, said Sharapova, who had been battling a heavy cold all week.It was a tough day at the office.Kvitova started well in the final match of the day on Court Suzanne Lenglen, racing through the opener in just 27 minutes.However, the Czech then contrived to lose the second set to love and could not recover her stride in the decider, which finished well after 9pm local time.In contrast, Williams kept alive her hopes of winning a third French Open and a 20th Grand Slam crown, but only after another sluggish opening to her match.Just as against Anna-Lena Friedsam and Victoria Azarenka in the previous two rounds, Williams lost the first set, Stephens breaking three times to take it 6-1.The unseeded Stephens beat Venus Williams in the first round and was looking to become the fourth player to defeat both sisters at the same Grand Slam after Martina Hingis, Henin and, most recently, Kim Clijsters at the 2009 US Open.Serena found herself serving to stay in the match at 4-5 in the second set but won the game and went on to take the set 7-5 before claiming the decider to secure her passage after exactly two hours on court.I feel like Im living on the edge but, you know, Ive got to get off the edge. I dont like to take chances, said Serena after winning three straight matches from a set down at a major for the first time since the 1999 US Open -- a tournament which gave her the first Grand Slam title of her career.Im not really happy about my performance. To go three sets back to back to back is verging on unprofessionalism for me.Errani, the Italian 17th seed who was the runner-up in 2012, lies in wait after she beat unseeded German Julia Goerges 6-2, 6-2.Spanish 21st seed Muguruza, meanwhile, won through to the quarter-finals for the second year running by beating Italys 28th seed Flavia Pennetta 6-3, 6-4. Twelve months ago the Venezuelan-born Muguruza was knocked out in three sets by Sharapova having defeated Serena in the second round.Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck will meet Bacsinszky after winning through to a Grand Slam quarter-final for the first time by beating a fellow unseeded player, Romanian Andreea Mitu, 6-1, 6-3.The 21-year-old, ranked 93 in the world, becomes the first Belgian to reach the quarters at Roland Garros since Henin in 2007.Justine is a source of inspiration to many players in Belgium so its quite an achievement to reach the quarter-finals and be on a par with Justine. I dont have words to describe what Im feeling, she said.The other quarter-final pairs seventh seed Ana Ivanovic with 19th seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine on Tuesday.
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