Thursday 11 June 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

French investigators expand Germanwings probe: victims' group

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PARIS (AFP) - Three investigative judges are taking over a probe into the Germanwings crash in the French Alps to determine if anyone can be held liable for the tragedy, a disaster support group said Thursday.Brice Robin, the prosecutor of the southern French city of Marseille, announced the next step in the probe to some 200 family members who flew to Paris for an update, said Stephane Gicquel, the head of the support group.According to Gicquel, the judges would be investigating a case of manslaughter.Investigators say that 27-year-old German co-pilot Andreas Lubitz intentionally downed the plane en route from Barcelona to Duesseldorf on March 24 in the crash that left 150 people dead.Gicquel, who attended the meeting between French officials and the victims, said the stakes in the expanded probe were to find out if there had been errors in tracking the mental state of the co-pilot, who had a history of severe depression.He said Lubitz had consulted more than 40 doctors and notably five or six in the month before the tragedy.We can clearly see the prosecutors positioning, to open an enquiry that will pose the question of manslaughter and, very clearly, faults or negligence from Lufthansa in detecting the state of Lubitzs health, said Gicquel.Gicquel said the families were shown three different reconstructions of what had happened in the cockpit.Several expressed their anger at a delay in the return of their relatives remains after spelling errors on death certificates.Some families were left outraged when Lufthansa informed them that repatriation would be delayed due to problems with the issuing of death certificates.The mayor of the French village of Prads-Haute-Bleone, near the crash site, said there had been slight spelling errors of foreign-sounding names on several death certificates.After a complaint by the families of some schoolchildren killed in the crash, who had already planned funerals, a flight returning their remains went ahead as planned on Wednesday.However to date only 44 Germans out of the 150 people killed in the March 24 disaster have been returned to their home country for burial.A total of 72 Germans were on board the doomed Airbus A320.Lufthansa, the parent company of budget airline Germanwings, has vowed that French authorities were working hard to resolve administrative formalities as soon as possible.The repatriation of victims remains will continue over the next few weeks and should be finished by the end of June, the company said.Investigators only last month finished identifying the remains of all 150 people aboard the flight.

Football: Blatter dismisses quit calls, top ally resigns

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PARIS (AFP) - FIFA president Sepp Blatter on Thursday ruled out a European Parliament demand for him to quit immediately, but one of his top lieutenants did resign from the embattled organisation.Blatter, who resigned last week despite being re-elected as head of footballs world governing body, which has been consumed by an ever-widening corruption probe, intends to continue in office until a successor is designated, probably by the end of the year.FIFA is perplexed by the European Parliaments resolution, a FIFA spokesman said.As is well known, following his re-election, the FIFA President already decided, owing to the special circumstances in which FIFA finds itself, to lay down his mandate at an extraordinary elective Congress.The European Parliament had earlier called on Blatter to step down immediately and allow for an interim leader to launch reforms in global footballs governing body.In a show of hands, members of parliament overwhelmingly voted for the resolution in Strasbourg, France.The FIFA spokseman added: The President is focused on ensuring that at this Congress, which he is demanding, imperative reforms are passed and a new President elected.The date for the congress will be set at an executive committee meeting on July 20.Meanwhile, FIFA director of communications and public affairs Walter De Gregorio resigned from his position with immediate effect on Thursday.Nicolas Maingot, his deputy, has been named as an interim replacement for De Gregorio.De Gregorio, who FIFA said will continue to serve on a consultancy basis until the end of the year, had been in the position since 2011 and was present when Blatter announced his resignation on June 2.Walter has worked incredibly hard for the past four years and we are immensely grateful for all he has done. I am glad we will be able to continue to draw on his expertise until the end of the year, FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke said in the statement.Some media reports suggested that De Gregorio had fallen on his sword after making a joke about the FIFA crisis on Swiss TV.It was claimed De Gregorio joked to an interviewer: The FIFA president, Sepp Blatter, the director of communications and the general secretary are all sitting in a car -- who is driving? The police.In Argentina, two men wanted in connection with the corruption inquiry said they would not be giving themselves up for extradition.Lawyers for father and son Hugo and Mariano Jinkis said their clients had no intention of fleeing justice.They are not fugitives, they are within their rights, said lawyer Francisco Castex, who added that if attempts to extradite the duo went ahead, an immediate appeal would be lodged.Hugo Jinkis, 70, and Mariano, 40, are respectively president and vice-president of Full Play, a company that owns TV rights to matches of South American qualifying for the World Cup.Footballs governing body has been in the grip of a crisis since the end of May when 14 current or former FIFA officials and sports marketing executives were charged following a wave of arrests in Zurich as part of a US investigation into alleged corruption.The scandal has also cast doubts on the fairness of the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Pentagon chief urges China to stop island building

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter called Thursday on Beijing to stop building artificial islands in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, as he hosted a top Chinese general.The visit to the Pentagon of General Fan Changlong, vice chairman of Chinas Central Military Commission, was relatively low key amid simmering tensions over the maritime dispute and a massive hack of US federal employees.China insists it has sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea, a major global shipping route believed to be home to oil and gas reserves, but rival claimants accuse it of expansionism.Carter reiterated US concerns on the South China Sea and called on China and all claimants to implement a lasting halt on land reclamation, cease further militarization and pursue a peaceful resolution of territorial disputes in accordance with international law, the Pentagon said in a statement.Carter had previously accused China of being out of step with international rules in its conduct in the South China Sea.Unlike previous trips, including one last year, there was no joint press conference.The Chinese did request that there not be a lot of media attention around this trip, Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steven Warren said.Also raising tensions is this months revelation by the US government that hackers accessed the personal data of at least four million current and former federal employees.The vast cyberattack is suspected to have originated in China, though Beijing has said the charge was irresponsible and stressed that Chinese laws prohibit cybercrimes.Prior to visiting Washington, Fan went to California and Texas.His trip is part of a years-long effort to build a regular dialogue between the American and Chinese armed forces to defuse potential tensions and avoid miscalculations.Carters predecessor, Chuck Hagel, visited China in 2014 in a trip that was marked by friction, with each side trading sharply worded criticism.

Football: Luiz says Brazil's World Cup nightmare is over

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PORTO ALEGRE (AFP) - David Luiz said Thursday that Brazil have got over their World Cup nightmare by winning 10 games in a row heading into the Copa America.But the centre back said he could understand why some Brazil fans, who have still to recover from the 7-1 hammering by Germany last year, jeered them at recent games.The players who went through the World Cup are more mature, said Luiz, who was team captain that fateful night. We are working hard every day to grow, to evolve.The shaggy haired defender said this is the best atmosphere I have ever known in the Brazil team.Going into their first Copa America game against Peru on Sunday, Brazil have won 10 straight games scoring 21 goals and conceding only two.But that includes a lacklustre 1-0 win over Honduras on Wednesday and 2-0 win over Mexico on Sunday in which they were booed by fans.Luiz, one of seven survivors from the Germany semi-final debacle, insisted that Brazil are heading back to the summit and the wins have proved this.Without a doubt, that was the best start we could have. We faced great opponents and overcame them in the best way possible. We have prepared for this Copa America in the best way, Luiz said.Brazil are in Group C at the Copa against Peru, Colombia and Venezuela.But Luiz said it will be one of the most difficult Copa Americas in history with Chile, Uruguay and Argentina all very high level opponents.The Paris Saint-Germain defender said he understood the frustration of fans. I think it is normal, he said. It is part of the job and helps us to grow, mature and evolve.Brazil will travel to Temuco, in a cold and wet southern Chile on Friday, to prepare for their first game.

Football: Keane expects Irish to thrive in Scotland showdown

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DUBLIN (AFP) - Roy Keane has no doubts the Republic of Ireland can deal with the pressure in Saturdays crunch Euro 2016 qualifier against Scotland in Dublin.Martin ONeills fourth placed team head into the game two points behind third placed Scotland, knowing that defeat would all but rule them out of the fight for an automatic qualification place in next years finals in France.Scotland emerged victorious when the sides met last November, with Shaun Maloneys goal the difference in the Group D tie at Celtic Park.The defeat shook an Ireland side that had travelled to Glasgow in confident mood following a 1-1 draw away to world champions Germany.But with the return of experienced players like Marc Wilson, Glenn Whelan, Wes Hoolahan and James McCarthy, who all missed that last encounter, Ireland assistant manager Keane is positive his players will make amends in the must-win clash.I think the nature of international football is that youll always go into a game missing some players, and you have to get on with the job, he said.Weve lost Harry (Arter) this week, but weve got some lads back to fitness and its just getting the balance right and getting the team selection.You cant make excuses for the last game that players werent available, thats just the nature of the game.Thats the disadvantage of international football, you can turn up and four, five or six lads might be missing.The mindset always has to be the next game, can we put the few mistakes we made in Scotland right? Itll be a tight game but can we produce that bit of quality?Shay (Given), John OShea, Robbie (Keane), Glenn Whelan, all these boys...they know the score.Then we have a bit of energy with the Seamus Colemans of this world, the (Jeff) Hendricks, (Robbie) Bradys, weve got a good mix.Keane confidentIreland captain Robbie Keane, his countrys record goalscorer, is a doubt to start on Saturday, thanks to a groin injury he sustained in LA Galaxys game with Vancouver last weekend.Southamptons Shane Long is the more likely starting forward, but it is Keanes goalscoring record that makes him an invaluable member of the team, and his namesake believes he will produce if called upon.Robbies a top professional player and if he starts on Saturday Im sure he wont let us down, he never has, said Roy.From a physical point of view, hes trying to get up to match speed. Hes only played one 90 minutes in the last couple of months which is not ideal.Meanwhile, Maloney, Scotlands match-winner against the Irish back in November, is expecting another tough test in Dublin -- and he doesnt believe Gordon Strachans team will be able to capitalise from another set-piece.It was a well worked routine that saw the Chicago Fire forward find the space to score in Celtic Park, but hes anticipating an even more tense battle at Lansdowne Road.I think it will be a similar match on Saturday to the last one, but I cant see a set-piece like that happening again, he claimed.There is so much footage on every team nowadays.Have we got any more tricks up our sleeves? We havent actually started working on the set-pieces yet.Victory on Saturday would put Scotland five points clear of Ireland, and Maloney knows just how big that could be for his sides hopes of making it to a first major tournament finals since the 1998 World Cup.In terms of the group and the context of the match, it would be a massive result if we could win, said Maloney.We felt the pressure in the home game because we knew it was so important. Its a little bit less this time for us because we are away, but it would be a similarly fantastic feeling to win.

Football: Late Wang winner lifts China over Dutch

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EDMONTON (AFP) - Wang Lisi scored in the dying minutes to hand China their first win of the Womens World Cup on Thursday, a 1-0 victory over Group A rivals the Netherlands.The tie in Edmontons Commonwealth Stadium looked to be heading for stalemate when Wang broke through to roll the ball past Sari Van Veenendaal in the Dutch goal.China had lost their opener against Canada 1-0 while the Netherlands beat New Zealand by the same scoreline.China, Canada and the Netherlands now have three points, with the hosts taking on New Zealand later on Thursday in their second group fixture.It was a deserved victory for 1999 runners-up China, who dominated play but had been unable to finish off until Wangs 91st minute goal.Dutch striker Vivianne Miedema had looked like scoring midway through the first half after picking up a Manon Melis pass but hit wide.Chinas Tang Jiali then had a chance after the break but she shot straight at Van Veenendaal who cleared.But Wang made no mistake as she accelerated to latch onto a long ball after outfoxing the Dutch defence to fire home for a deserved winner.In the final Group A games on Monday, Canada will play the Netherlands and China face New Zealand.The top two teams in each group advance to the knock-out round along with the four best third-place finishers.

S. Korea reports four new MERS cases

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SEOUL (AFP) - South Korea on Friday reported four more cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), bringing to 126 the total number of people here diagnosed with the potentially deadly virus.The number of fatalities in the largest outbreak of the virus outside Saudi Arabia remained at 10 as of early Friday, the Health Ministry said.A Seoul hospital has been closed temporarily over fears the facility might be another source of mass infection, the first such closure in the capital.Mediheal Hospital will remain shut until June 23, a Seoul City spokesman told AFP.A total of 52 health care facilities including 18 in Seoul and 16 in the surrounding Gyeonggi Province have been exposed to the virus.Pyeongtaek St. Marys hospital in Pyeongtaek City, where the first wave of 37 patients were diagnosed, will also remain closed until Friday, based on the incubation period for the disease.But Samsung Medical Centre, where 58 out of the 126 confirmed cases contracted the disease -- the largest single outbreak -- remains open after being sanitised.More than 3,800 people who came into close contact with those infected are under quarantine, either at their homes or at healthcare facilities.The first infected patient was diagnosed on May 20 after a trip to Saudi Arabia.The 68-year-old man visited four medical facilities, infecting other patients and medics, before he was finally diagnosed, sparking criticism that authorities had bungled the initial response.

Williamson prepared for another England explosion

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LONDON (AFP) - New Zealand batsman Kane Williamson expects another barrage from Englands batsmen when his team try to get back on track in the second one-day international at the Oval on Friday.The Kiwis were on the wrong end of a record-setting England blitz at Edgbaston on Tuesday when the hosts racked up 408 for nine and went on to win by 210 runs.Both Englands total and their margin of victory were records for the hosts, who have finally ditched the conservative approach to the one-day game that hampered them so badly in the recent World Cup.Englands embarrassing early exit from the World Cup included a dismal defeat at the hands of co-hosts New Zealand.But, despite the one-sided nature of that encounter, Williamson says he already knew enough about several of Englands players to anticipate they could be successful with their new attacking method.He expects England to stick with their ultra aggressive tactics for the rest of the season and admits it is down to New Zealand to come up with an answer.England played outstandingly. To come out and get 400 on any surface, although it was a very, very good one, is a great effort, Williamson told reporters on Thursday.Asked if he can imagine them repeating the dose at some point, he said: I think so.Im familiar with most of the players, having played county cricket over here, and I knew to expect theyd play aggressively.Theres a lot of stroke-makers. It wasnt a surprise.Scores in excess of 400 in 50 overs are thin on the ground, but Williamson acknowledges these days teams must have a plan to make a fist of the chase if necessary.Not many teams achieve that - but nowadays with (the impact of) Twenty20, you can break it down to your first 30 overs, which can be less intense mentally, he added.Then we know through Twenty20 that chasing 200 has happened many a time. Breaking it into small blocks is important.

Boko Haram kills 43 in NE Nigeria raids: residents

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KANO (AFP) - Boko Haram gunmen killed at least 43 people and burnt down three villages in northeast Nigeria, residents told AFP Thursday, the latest in an upsurge of attacks by the Islamist militants.Dozens of rebels on motorcycles stormed Matangale, Buraltima and Dirmanti in restive Borno state on Tuesday, opening fire on villagers before looting and burning homes, fleeing residents said.News of the assault was slow to emerge due to poor communication in the region after Boko Haram destroyed telecoms masts in previous attacks.They came around 4:00 pm (1500 GMT) on 20 motorcycles, three gunmen on each, and attacked Matangale before proceeding to Buraltima and Dirmanti, said resident Dala Tungushe.They killed 43 people and burnt all the houses in the three villages after looting food supplies, Tungushe, who fled Matangale to Biu, some 90 kilometres (56 miles) away.Matangale was worst hit by the attack as the attackers opened fire at an open well outside the village where residents had gathered to fetch drinking water and do their laundry.The Boko Haram gunmen opened fire on the crowd at the well where they killed around 16 people, said Bulama Karuye, another resident.In all, we lost 43 people in the attacks. All the three villages were completely burnt.He added the number of casualties could have been much higher had some of the villagers not been away at a weekly market around 40 kilometres away.Hundreds of residents of the affected villages, particularly women and children, fled to nearby Damboa town where they had sought refuge in a primary school, both Tungushe and Karuye said.They said the attackers came from nearby Sambisa Forest, a major Boko Haram stronghold from where hundreds of women and children kidnapped by the militants were rescued during recent military operations.Troops and local hunters from Damboa pursued the fleeing attackers into the bush and a gunfight erupted.The soldiers and the hunters brought back a pickup truck and some motorcycles they recovered from the Boko Haram attackers... but we dont know how many of the gunmen they killed, Tungushe said.More than 150 people have been killed by Boko Haram since President Muhammadu Buhari took power on May 29, vowing to crush the militants and end their bloody six-year insurgency.

Football: 'Proud' Xavi unveiled by Qatar's Al Sadd

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DOHA (AFP) - Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez was officially unveiled by Al Sadd on Thursday and said he was proud to now be playing for the Qatari side.Just five days after Barcelonas Champions League triumph against Juventus, which sealed a treble for the Spanish giants, Xavi was paraded at a packed press conference in Doha.The midfielder has signed a two-year contract, which could be extended to three years, and will play and coach as well as be an ambassador for Qatars troubled World Cup 2022 bid.I am very, very proud to be part and parcel of Al Sadd Football Club, said the 35-year-old.I hope I will be able to lift all titles with this very important club and continue with my achievements, he said.I would like to thank Al Sadd Sports Club and all the Qatari people.Watched by family and friends during the press conference, Xavi was handed and wore an unfamiliar white Al Sadd number six shirt after spending more than 20 years in the famous colours of Barcelona.His signing is arguably the biggest ever by a Qatari side.Xavi, Barcelonas most decorated player of all time, was also one of the heroes of Spains Euro and World Cup-winning squads.He will also be remembered as a central figure of Barcelonas revolutionary tiki-taka style of football, which relies on possession and passing, and helped the Catalan side to become arguably the dominant team in Europe in the first decade of the century.He follows in the footsteps of other Spanish stars who have played in Qatar including Real Madrid forward Raul who played 39 games for Al Sadd.Xavi said he would like to end his career in Qatar and then go on to coach.He did not rule out returning to Spain as a coach.I would like to continue as a coach, after that I will see what happens.He also defended his role as an ambassador for the 2022 World Cup after the bidding process became engulfed by the ongoing FIFA corruption scandal.Theres no doubt its an amazing project and all the Qatari people are working to achieve great results, he said.I would also like to learn a new culture of football and I hope that I will be able to learn so many things not only football but also about Arab culture.Xavi had touched down in Qatar on Tuesday and was greeted by a number of fans at the airport. Many also turned up for the press conference.His contract with the 2015 Spanish league champions runs until next year but the club had already made it clear that it would not stand in the way of his departure.Xavi has earned the right to decide his future, Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu said in March when first asked about his the prospective move to Qatar.Al Sadd competed in the Club World Cup in 2011, finishing third after being knocked out by Barcelona in the semi-finals.They finished second in the recently finished Qatar Stars League season, behind champions Lekhwiya, managed by Michael Laudrup.

Golf: Bourdy on top at Austria Open

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ATZENBRUGG (AFP) - Frances Gregory Bourdy, looking for a first European Tour title in two years, carded a seven under par to grab a two-shot lead after the first round of the Austria Open on Thursday.The 33-year-olds last title came in Wales in 2013 but he looked in convincing form at the Diamond Country Club with seven birdies for a 65 in perfect playing positions.German Max Kieffer, Spains Carlos Del Moral and English pair Robert Dinwiddie and Chris Wood are all two shots back on five under.It was a lovely day today, said Bourdy, who has had three top-ten finishes this season and missed only two cuts. I played very solid and started well with two birdies in the first two holes and that always helps when you make such a confident start and something you need when you are going to have a day like I had today.Kieffer, 24, has avoided the cut in all 14 starts this term and on Thursday, he had five birdies and just a single bogey.I love playing in Austria and especially here at this golf course because it reminds me of a lot of the courses in Germany and where I grew up, said Kieffer.The course is in great shape too and that helps a lot.Wood, who won a top of the range BMW for a hole-in-one en route to a fourth-place finish at the recent BMW PGA Championship, had six birdies and a single bogey in his round.The conditions were perfect this morning but I have to say that after the conditions we have been playing in for the last three weeks it is great to come somewhere hot and where you can shoot a few under if you play well, said the Englishman.Irelands Peter Lawrie was the only other player with a bogey-free round as a four under par 68 gave him a share of sixth.Defending champion Mikael Lundberg opened with a level par 72.

Pentagon chief urges China to stop island building

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WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter called Thursday on Beijing to stop building artificial islands in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, as he hosted a top Chinese general.The visit to the Pentagon of General Fan Changlong, vice chairman of Chinas Central Military Commission, was relatively low key amid simmering tensions over the maritime dispute and a massive hack of US federal employees.China insists it has sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea, a major global shipping route believed to be home to oil and gas reserves, but rival claimants accuse it of expansionism. Carter reiterated US concerns on the South China Sea and called on China and all claimants to implement a lasting halt on land reclamation, cease further militarization and pursue a peaceful resolution of territorial disputes in accordance with international law, the Pentagon said in a statement.Carter had previously accused China of being out of step with international rules in its conduct in the South China Sea.Unlike previous trips, including one last year, there was no joint press conference.The Chinese did request that there not be a lot of media attention around this trip, Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steven Warren said.Also raising tensions is this months revelation by the US government that hackers accessed the personal data of at least four million current and former federal employees.The vast cyberattack is suspected to have originated in China, though Beijing has said the charge was irresponsible and stressed that Chinese laws prohibit cybercrimes.Prior to visiting Washington, Fan went to California and Texas. His trip is part of a years-long effort to build a regular dialogue between the American and Chinese armed forces to defuse potential tensions and avoid miscalculations.Carters predecessor, Chuck Hagel, visited China in 2014 in a trip that was marked by friction, with each side trading sharply worded criticism.

Tennis: Nadal makes hard work of grass-court opener

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STUTTGART (AFP) - Rafael Nadal began the difficult annual transition from clay to grass on Thursday, taking more than two and a half hours to advance to the quarter-finals of the Stuttgart Open.The top seed, whose ranking has fallen to 10th after a terrible clay season in which he failed to win a European title, overcame Marcos Baghdatis 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (4/7), 6-2 for his 30th victory of the season.Nadal managed to win the opening set as he began the pre-Wimbledon season at the venue where he claimed 2005 and 2007 titles on clay.Nadal will next face fifth seed Bernard Tomic after the Australian overpowered Tommy Haas 7-6 (8/6), 6-2 to end the veterans comeback after a year on the sidelines following his fourth shoulder surgery.Second seed Marin Cilic, the US Open champion, made a successful start on grass, defeating German lucky loser Matthias Bachinger 7-6 (7/2), 6-3. Nadal was pleased to escape an upset at the hands of Baghdatis just over a week after crashing out the French Open as a 39-match win streak at the venue was ended by Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals.Im very happy to win this match, its good to be in the quarter-finals, said the 29-year-old Spaniard.Marcos made it difficult, hes a tough opponent on this surface.I need to play more aggressively if Im to improve on the grass. This was an important victory for me, its good for the confidence.I have great memories of winning here when Stuttgart was clay, but Im going to try my best to win it on grass now.Nadal won the opening set after more than an hour and saved two Baghdatis set points in the 10th game of the second before the 63rd-ranked challenger levelled at a set each by winning a tiebreaker.Nadal gathered his powers in the third set, breaking for 3-1 to eventually run out the winner.Tomic had to battle to close out victory, with former world number two Haas saving three match points in the penultimate game on the new grass of the Weissenhof club, which was changed from clay in time for this edition.Tomic concluded victory with a love game to advance to the last eight in just over an hour and a quarter.I was down 6-4 in the tie-break and managed to hit an unbelievable pass, said Tomic. That was the turning point.I managed to hit the right shot at the right time. In the second set, I felt like I played the right tennis and played really well.Match by match Im getting better, which is the most important thing I think.Tomics win gave him bragging rights in Germany after losing to Haas three years ago on grass in Halle when the Aussie retired in the first set due to an abdominal injury.Mischa Zverev assured at least one local in the quarters as he defeated Italian Andreas Seppi 6-2, 6-4.Zverev, ranked 502, will be playing in his first quarter-final since Halle in 2013 when he lost to Roger Federer.

Tennis: Tomic tames Haas to reach Stuttgart quarters

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STUTTGART (AFP) - Australian Bernard Tomic continued his pre-Wimbledon build-up on grass, overpowering Tommy Haas 7-6 (8/6), 6-2 on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals in Stuttgart.The fifth-seeded Tomic from Queensland cut short the comeback week of the 37-year-old Haas, who was playing for the first time in more than a year since undergoing shoulder surgery.Tomic had to battle to close out victory, with former ATP number two Haas salvaging three match points in the penultimate game on the new grass of the Weissenhof club, which was changed from clay in time for this edition.Tomic concluded victory with a love game to advance to the last eight in just over an hour and a quarter.The 22-year-old winner broke twice with Haas saving six other break points as the wild card-entry veteran worked his way back into the sport after yet another lengthy injury pause.Tomics win gave him bragging rights in Germany after losing to Haas three years ago on grass in Halle when the Aussie retired in the first set due to an abdominal injury.Tomic will next take on the winner from top seed Rafael Nadal and Marcos Baghdatis.Mischa Zverev assured at least one local in the quarters as he defeated Italian Andreas Seppi 6-2, 6-4.Zverev, ranked 502, will be playing in his first quarter-final since Halle in 2013 when he lost to Roger Federer.

Football: Liverpool reject City's bid for Sterling -- reports

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LONDON (AFP) - Liverpool have rejected Manchester Citys 25 million pounds ($38 million) offer for unsettled England forward Raheem Sterling, according to reports on Thursday.Sterling has told Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers he wants to leave Anfield to join a club who can offer him Champions League action next season and City have made the first move in what could prove a lengthy saga to settle his future.According to the Times, Citys bid valued Sterling at 25 million pounds, with an additional 5 million pounds to be paid in potential add-ons.But Liverpool are determined to keep hold of their most gifted youngster and have snubbed the approach for the 20-year-old, who has two years remaining on his current 35,000 pounds-a-week contract.It is believed that only an astronomical offer of at least 50 pounds million could persuade Liverpool to consider letting Sterling leave.Liverpool remain keen to convince Sterling to sign a new contract, even though he rejected a deal that would have paid him around 100,000 pounds-a-week earlier this year.Sterlings refusal to commit to Liverpool has angered the clubs supporters, who jeered him at an end of season awards dinner.The situation turned even uglier when his agent Aidy Ward last month said there was no chance Sterling would extend his contract no matter how much money Liverpool offered.Liverpool responded by cancelling a scheduled meeting with Sterling and his representative, while Rodgers left the winger on the bench for the teams 6-1 thrashing at Stoke on the final day of the Premier League season.Citys approach for Sterling is unlikely to be their last since it came just hours after the clubs chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak promised high-quality signings and admitted Manuel Pellegrinis team failed to meet expectations during their failed defence of the Premier League title.Speaking in an interview with City TV, Khaldoon said: We want a squad that is able and has the capability and quality to win the Premier League, compete and win the Champions League, compete and be able to go all the way in two cup competitions in England.I think you will see some changes. You will see some players who have served us well and maybe it is time for them to move to their next challenge, and you will see us in the market bringing high-quality individuals that fit within what we are aspiring to coming in this summer.I can assure you the squad will be stronger, the team will be more competitive. I am both confident and excited about what is coming next year.Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United are also reported to be interested in Sterling, who is currently on international duty with England ahead of their Euro 2016 qualifier in Slovenia on Sunday.
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