Thursday 1 September 2016

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Tennis: Serena, Murray storm through on rainy day at US Open

Posted:

NEW YORK (AFP) - Wimbledon champions Serena Williams and Andy Murray raised the roof at the US Open on Thursday, powering into the third round with decisive straight-sets victories.World number one Williams defeated fellow American Vania King 6-3, 6-3, her 306th Grand Slam singles match win tying her with Martina Navratilova for the most ever for a woman.Williams is stalking history on the hardcourts of Flushing Meadows, seeking a seventh US Open title and a 23rd Grand Slam singles crown which would both be Open Era records.She fired 13 aces, with a total of 38 winners against 87th-ranked wild card King, and said the troublesome right shoulder that has hindered her since Wimbledon wasnt a problem.So far, so good, said Williams, who was cheered on by rap mogul Jay Z and his pop superstar wife Beyonce as she booked a meeting with 47th-ranked Swede Johanna Larsson for a place in the last 16.The win marked Williams first match under the new roof of the Arthur Ashe stadium, which was closed all day after early showers that disrupted play on the outside courts.By the time she opened the night session the rain had actually tailed off.Murray, however, played with the rain drumming on the $150 million retractable roof, adding to the noise that has long been a hallmark of Americas Grand Slam.Murray, who followed up his Wimbledon triumph with a second straight Olympic gold in Rio, didnt let the unfamiliar din distract him in a 6-4, 6-1, 6-4 victory over tenacious Spaniard Marcel Granollers.Were lucky that we get to play under the roof because otherwise thered be no tennis, Murray said. Its good for everyone.However, he acknowledged that the acoustics were problematic.You cant hear anything, really, said Murray, who is trying to become just the fourth man to reach all four Grand Slam finals in the same year. I mean, you could hear the line calls, but not so much when he was hitting the ball or even when youre hitting the ball, really, which is tough.Nevertheless, Murray looked on his way to a routine victory over 45th-ranked Granollers with a 4-1 lead in the opening set, but wasted two set points in dropping his serve in the ninth game before finally breaking Granollers in the next on his seventh set point.Thankfully I got through that 5-4 game and then the momentum was back with me, said Murray, who broke Granollers twice in the second set and once in a tightly contested third to seal the win.As the showers lingered, 11 doubles matches scheduled for outside courts were cancelled and some remaining matches reassigned.Juan Martin del Potro, who has undergone four wrist surgeries since lifting the US Open trophy in 2009, was scheduled to close the action on Ashe against 19th-seeded American Steve Johnson.Venus Williams, the sixth seed whose seven Grand Slam titles include two US Opens, coasted to the 70th US Open match win of her career 6-2, 6-3 win over Germanys Julia Goerges.The elder Williams, bedevilled by 63 unforced errors in a scrappy first-round win over Ukrainian Kateryna Kozlova, cut that to 17 in a crisp performance against 64th-ranked German Goerges.Fired-up fifth seed Simona Halep also advanced, downing Czech Lucie Safarova 6-3, 6-4 in a battle of former French Open finalists.Among those who didnt have the luxury of the roof, 2014 finalist Kei Nishikori of Japan waited out a third-set rain delay en route to a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory over 20-year-old Russian qualifier Karen Khachanov.Womens fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland survived an early onslaught from US Open debutant Naomi Broady to beat the Briton 7-6 (11/9), 6-3.The 26-year-old Broadys aggressive game paid off early, but finally her 37 winners and 36 unforced errors were no match for the canny Radwanskas 28 and nine.

Tennis: Venus looks sharp in 70th US Open win

Posted:

NEW YORK (AFP) - Venus Williams notched up her 70th career victory at the US Open on Thursday, reaching the third round with a crisp 6-2, 6-3 victory over Julia Goerges.After surviving 63 unforced errors to squeeze past Ukrainian Kateryna Kozlova in the first round, the 36-year-old Williams had just 17 -- with 18 winners -- in her one hour and 18 minute win.Woo hoo Feels good, said Williams, who unlike others playing under the new roof on Arthur Ashe stadium was buoyed by the enthusiastic crowd rather than put off by the amplified noise.Theres nothing like playing in New York, said Williams, who first played on Ashe in 1997 -- the year it was unveiled.It was a long time ago, she said. Im so grateful to still be here playing, winning matches.The American veteran also revealed that she had dropped sugar from her diet in a bid to keep her in the top 10 and challenging for the majors.It was just something that I wanted to try. Like I always said, Im always trying something different to find a peak performance, something I started recently, she said.Losing her sweet tooth, she added, is not a problem.I dont miss anything about it. I can fit in my clothes, I feel good. When youre having results, you dont really miss the past. But if its not working and you still feel the same, its like, Why not go back?With her 72nd main draw appearance in a major Williams has broken the Open Era mark she shared with compatriot Amy Frazier for most Grand Slams contested.The seven-time major winner, who won back-to-back titles in Flushing Meadows in 2000 and 2001, said her latest Grand Slam bid was right on track.I just want to keep playing aggressive, make less errors, she said. Thats definitely a success in this match.Chinas Zhang Shuai knocked former champion -- and her current doubles partner -- Samantha Stosur out of the US Open and admitted she had surprised herself with her 6-3, 6-3 win.The world number 51, who made the Australian Open quarter-finals this year, had lost to 2011 champion Stosur in the second round of the French Open.I didnt think I could beat her, its very hard to defeat a former champion, said 27-year-old Zhang. Shes a great player and has a good spinning forehand. It was very tough to play her.Zhang goes on to face Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan for a place in the last 16.Fourth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska shook off a slow start to reach the third round of the US Open with a 7-6 (11/9) 6-3 victory over Britains Naomi Broady.Radwanska, who has never made it past the fourth round at Flushing Meadows, next faces 25th seed Caroline Garcia of France, a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 winner over Czech Katerina Siniakova.

Football: Jesus sparkles as Brazil down Ecuador

Posted:

QUITO (AFP) - Two goals from teenage prodigy Gabriel Jesus fired Brazil to their first ever qualifying victory in Ecuador on Thursday to reignite the South American giants 2018 World Cup qualification campaign.Jesus -- who signed for English giants Manchester City from Palmeiras in August -- underscored his status as one of the brightest talents in Brazilian football with two late goals as new coach Tites reign got off to a dream start with a 3-0 victory.The 19-year-old forward also played a key role in Brazils opening goal, winning the penalty which Barcelona superstar Neymar duly converted in the 72nd minute.For once though, Neymar, the hero of Brazils first ever Olympic football gold medal last month, was outshone by his fellow attacker, making his first senior appearance. Jesus had won the penalty for the first goal after bursting into the area and drawing a foul from Ecuador goalkeeper Alexander Dominguez.Paraguayan referee Enrique Caceres wasted no time in pointing to the spot before Neymar stepped up to score.Jesus -- another member of Brazils triumphant Olympic campaign -- then doubled Brazils lead three minutes from time with a sublime flicked finish after Marcelos low cross from the left flank.It got better in stoppage time when Jesus surged forward against a ragged Ecuador defense to curl home a wonderful shot into the top corner for 3-0.The victory was Brazils first win on the road in what has been a disappointing qualifying campaign so far, with the five-time world champions lying outside the automatic qualifying places in sixth place prior to Thursdays game.It was also the first time Brazil has ever beaten Ecuador in the thin air of Quito, which is situated a dizzying 2,850 meters (9,350 feet) above sea level.

Football: Silva double blasts Spain past Belgium

Posted:

BRUSSELS (AFP) - Spain earned a World Cup qualifying boost by beating Belgium 2-0 in an international friendly on Thursday thanks to a David Silva double.Both sides were on the rebound from disappointing Euro 2016 campaigns with new coaches Roberto Martinez for Belgium and Basque Jolen Lopotegui for Spain.Chelseas Diego Costa teed up Silva to fire home confidently from the left of the penalty area on 34 minutes before the lively Manchester City midfielder converted a penalty on the hour.The Brussels crowd booed the home side as Spain outpassed them and as Belgium resorted to defending deep, a section of the crowd even chanted the name of former coach Marc Wilmots.On his first outing in the Belgium hotseat, former Everton boss Martinez asked for patience from the fans.You cant expect major change in just three days and this result has no real meaning. What I do want to see, though, is passion and pride in wearing the national team jersey, he said.However, his side had produced just one shot on target during the 90 minutes and looked a pale imitation of even the team that fell to Wales in the Euro quarter-finals.Spain were much better than us. We lacked concentration and intensity, moaned Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who plies his club trade for Chelsea.We were starved of the ball and played too many poor passes. And when it comes to mentality, it wasnt great.We need to play a lot better.For Spain, who played without injured playmaker Andres Iniesta, Costa linked up well with Sevilla left winger Vitolo, who played in the cross that set up Spains opener.And such was the domination of the Spaniards that Belgiums own playmaker Eden Hazard was pulled into his sides deep defensive play.Spain begin their World Cup qualifiers against Lichtenstein on Monday while Belgium travel to Cyprus for their own opener.

Cycling: Keukeleire wins sprint, Quintana keeps Vuelta lead

Posted:

BILBAO (AFP) - Belgiums Jens Keukeleire won a bunch sprint to clinch the 12th stage of the Vuelta a Espana on Thursday as Nairo Quintana retained the overall lead.The 193.2km hilly race to Basque city Bilbao allowed Colombian Quintana and second-placed Chris Froome to take a backseat ahead of Saturdays trip into the Pyrenees, where theyre likely to resume hostilities.You dont get easy days, there havent been any and there wont be any, said Quintana of Thursdays stage.With him leading the race, his Movistar team are usually setting tempo in the peloton.Every day the tempo is very high, we dont want the usual breakaway to gain too much time.Today we left other teams to control (the breakway) and we were a little calmer.Tomorrow (Friday) we hope it wont be a big breakaway.Skys Tour de France champion Froome is just 54 seconds back on red jersey holder Quintana in the overall standings, with Alejandro Valverde third at 1:05.While Quintana, who was a disappointing third at Julys Tour, is believed capable of extending his overall lead this weekend, Briton Froome will have a significant edge over the Colombian in the 19th stage 37km individual time trial.The 27-year-old Keukeleire of Orica easily won a dash to the line on Thursday as Frances Maxime Bouet of Etixx came second and Italys Fabio Felline of Trek took third.I suffered for this win, but I wasnt the only one out there suffering, Keukeleire said after his first major Tour stage success.Its just a fantastic feeling to win a stage.Fridays stage is a 213.4km run featuring four small hills as the peloton heads through France before arriving at Urdax Dantxarinea.

Australia quicks Starc, Hazlewood to miss South Africa tour

Posted:

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australia fast bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood will miss the tour of South Africa to rest ahead of a busy international programme at home, Cricket Australia said on Friday.Captain Steve Smith was also sent home last week from Sri Lanka to rest before South Africa, where his side will play six one-day internationals, including one against Ireland, before returning home to face the Proteas in three tests in November.Both Mitchell and Josh have had big tours of Sri Lanka and have a heavy workload ahead of them with 10 tests to be played this summer, chairman of selectors Rod Marsh said in a statement.As such, it is important they are managed appropriately and we believe missing the tour of South Africa is the right time for them to take a break.This also provides a good opportunity for some of our up-and-coming fast bowlers to push for selection.Hazlewood will return to Australia from Sri Lanka immediately, Marsh said, and miss the final one-day match and the Twenty20 series.Starc will remain with the team until the end of the tour.Australia, who were hammered 3-0 in the test series in Sri Lanka, have wrapped up the one-day series with an unassailable 3-1 lead.The final ODI is on Sunday in Kandy before two T20 matches.

SpaceX rocket explodes at launch site in Florida

Posted:

MIAMI (AFP) - An unmanned SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket exploded Thursday on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral in Florida during a test, destroying it along with its payload, but causing no injuries, the private space firm said.The blast marks a major setback for California-based SpaceX and its founder, internet entrepreneur Elon Musk, who wants to revolutionize the launch industry by making rocket components reusable.A dense plume of black smoke filled the air following the blast, which destroyed the Israeli communications satellite that Falcon had been due to deliver into orbit on Saturday.Facebook was due to use the Amos-6 satellite to provide broadband internet coverage for swathes of sub-Saharan Africa as part of the social media giants Internet.org initiative.The US space agency NASA said the incident took place shortly after 9:00 am (1300 GMT).SpaceX can confirm that in preparation for todays static fire, there was an anomaly on the pad resulting in the loss of the vehicle and its payload, the company said. Per standard procedure, the pad was clear and there were no injuries. Brevard County Emergency Management said there was no threat to the public from the incident.Amos-6 was the heaviest payload to date for a SpaceX rocket, with an estimated value of between $200 and $300 million, according to John Logsdon, former director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University.The accident -- the second of its kind in the firms history -- is expected to significantly disrupt SpaceX plans for six more launches between now and January 2017.Its clearly a setback, but how great the setback is and how long the delay, its impossible to know until there is more information available, said Logsdon.A NASA spokeswoman told AFP that emergency services at the nearby Kennedy Space Center were monitoring the situation and conducting air quality tests to ensure there is no threat to the health of staff.Officials at the center advised all staff to remain inside until further notice.SpaceX had successfully launched a Falcon 9 last month, sending a Japanese communications satellite into orbit and then landing the rocket on a floating drone ship.The explosion comes just over a year after a Falcon 9 rocket failed just after liftoff, on June 28, 2015, destroying a Dragon cargo capsule bound for the International Space Station (ISS).The firm has also lost several rockets as it attempted to land them upright on an ocean platform at the end of a flight.

Chairman Senate meets Lord Speaker at British House of Parliament

Posted:

LONDON (Dunya News) - Mian Raza Rabbani, chairman Senate of Pakistan met Rt Hon Lord Fowler, LordSpeaker at the British House of Parliament on Thursday, reported Dunya News.The Lord Speaker assumed his office today and the meeting with the ChairmanSenate of Pakistan was his first official engagement.During the meeting, the two sides discussed ways and means to enhance mutualcooperation between the Senate of Pakistan and the British House of Lords and toexchange Parliamentary information and procedures.The Chairman Senateemphasized the importance of Parliamentary diplomacy in building andstrengthening relationship between the two countries. He also underlined theimportance of exchange of Parliamentary delegations.The Chairman extended the invitation to the Lord Speaker to visit Pakistan innear future, which was accepted by Lord Fowler. The Chairman drew attention of the Lord Speaker to the blatant violation ofhuman rights in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) that led to countless deaths andinjuries to the innocent civilians. He also highlighted the use of the pelletbullets by the Indian forces as a result of which hundreds of people includingchildren have been inflicted with debilitating injuries such as loss ofeyesight.The Chairman also pointed out that the British soil should not be allowed to beused to incite violence in Pakistan.

Dollar falls as markets await US jobs data

Posted:

NEW YORK (AFP) - The dollar fell against major currencies on Thursday as data on US manufacturing pointed to a contraction in the sector last month.Markets were also anticipating Fridays release of official figures on August US job creation, which if strong could boost the chances of a US interest rate hike in the near term.Toward 2100 GMT, the euro was at $1.1199, up from $1.1156 the day before, while the dollar stood at 103.23 yen, down from 103.43.A pound was worth $1.3270, up from $1.3128.The Institute for Supply Management reported Thursday that its purchasing managers index for the manufacturing sector read 49.4 for August, below the 50.0 line separating growth from contraction and down from 52.6 in July.Ahead of this weekends Group of 20 summit in China, the International Monetary Fund also offered a downcast picture of US economic prospects, with economic researchers saying they expected to downgrade their 2016 US growth outlook next month.2100 GMT Thursday FridayEUR/USD 1.1199 1.1156EUR/JPY 115.61 115.38EUR/CHF 1.0975 1.0973EUR/GBP 0.8440 0.8498USD/JPY 103.23 103.43USD/CHF 0.9800 0.9836GBP/USD 1.3270 1.3128

England beat Pakistan in 4th ODI, lead series 4-0

Posted:

LEEDS (AFP) - Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow both made fifties as England beat Pakistan by four wickets in the fourth one-day international at Headingley on Thursday.England, now 4-0 up in this five-match series, slumped to 72 for four pursuing a target of 248.But Stokes (69) and wicket-keeper Bairstow (61), only playing on his Yorkshire home ground after Jos Buttler was ruled out in the warm-up with a hamstring injury, got the innings back on track with a fifth-wicket partnership of 103. Neither batsman was in at the finish of this day/night fixture, with Moeen Ali (45 not out) hitting Pakistan captain Azhar Ali for six to win the match with 12 balls to spare.Im pleased to get a go, Bairstow told BBC Radio. Its unfortunate that Jos suffered an injury, and I got told 32 minutes before the start that I was playing so to contribute was nice. We thought it was an attainable target and if were honest, we cruised home. There was no panic at any point in that chase, he added.England were chasing a target that seemed all the more modest after their world ODI record total of 444 for three during a 169-run win in the third match at Trent Bridge on Tuesday.But they lost four wickets inside 15 overs of their reply to a Pakistan total of 247 for eight built on Azhars 80 and all-rounder Imad Wasims unbeaten 57.It was a bit more of a competitive game, said Azhar at the presentation ceremony. Again we were a few runs short...The wicket was turning but it was still a good pitch. But we lost wickets frequently.Giant fast bowler Mohammad Irfan, a late-call up to the squad, marked his first match of the series by removing both England openers.The 7ft 1in (2.16m) Irfan produced a rising delivery that Jason Roy (14) could only edge and Mohmammad Rizwan held a fine catch diving to his left at second slip.Alex Hales, who had made an England ODI record 171 at Trent Bridge on Tuesday, then fell for eight when he was caught behind off Irfan, who was twice warned for running on the pitch.Irfan took two for 25 in five overs but then twice went on and off the field and bowled only one more delivery, a wide, before, after pulling up in delivery stride, he walked off for the final time.Irfan on his comeback game bowled well with the new ball, but his calves were cramping up, said Azhar. We would have loved for him to bowl a second and third spell. A few more wickets and the game could have been different, he added.Joe Root, bidding for a new outright England record of six consecutive ODI fifties, again looked in superb touch while making 30.But Root, one of five Yorkshire players in the side, fell when his top-edged pull off Hasan Ali was safely caught at fine leg by Irfan.England captain Eoin Morgan then gave his wicket away on 11 when he guided Umar Gul straight to Sharjeel Khan at slip.Left-hander Stokes went on the offensive by driving Wasim for six over long-on.Man-of-the-match Bairstow followed suit by skipping down the pitch to drive Mohammad Nawaz, Pakistans other left-arm spinner, for another six.Stokes, with England 116 for four, was fortunate on 35 when a diving Nawaz at backward square could not hold a top-edged sweep off Wasim.He went on a run-a-ball fifty, including five fours and a six.Stokes was out when he slog-swept Wasim to Babar Azam at mid-wicket.Bairstow completed a 64-ball fifty with his fourth four, a fierce drive off Nawaz. However, going for a risky single, he was run out by Azhars direct hit from mid-off.Earlier, England slow bowlers Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali shared five wickets between them after Azhar won the toss, with Yorkshire leg-spinner Rashid taking three for 47.Azhar held firm as wickets tumbled around him. His 104-ball innings featuring two sixes and five fours, eventually ended when he lofted Rashid to David Willey on the long-off boundary.The series concludes in Cardiff on Sunday.

Germany, France divided over EU-US trade deal

Posted:

PARIS (AFP) - French Prime Minister Manuel Valls on Thursday demanded a clear halt to negotiations towards an ambitious US-EU trade agreement as Germanys leader stressed her continued support for the contentious pact.The European Commission and US negotiators began work on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) in 2013, aiming to create the worlds biggest free trade market of 850 million consumers.But the talks have become bogged down as widespread suspicion abounds in Europe that the deal would undercut the 28-nation blocs standards in key areas such as health and welfare.Earlier on Thursday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel reiterated her support for the deal, saying it was not in Europes interest to fall behind other regions such as Asia which had inked similar deals with the United States.I believe that such an agreement would mean job opportunities for us and we urgently need jobs in Europe, she said.But the French premier demanded a halt to the talks, saying the agreement in its current state was not good enough.The agreement on the table is, under these conditions, unacceptable. We need a clear halt in order to resume from a new basis, he said during a speech to French ambassadors, according to Frances foreign trade department.Since the beginning, France has made its demands very clear. But when we look where we are, none of these have been taken into account.But where we are now, these have absolutely not been met. And there has been no progress.Frances junior trade minister who negotiates trade deals on behalf of France made similar comments earlier this week.Merkels intervention came just days after her own deputy, centre-left vice chancellor and economy minister Sigmar Gabriel said the talks on the so-called TTIP agreement, were effectively dead.Asked about Gabriels comments, Merkel said it was at least unusual to declare the talks a failure just as they were entering their final stretch.The talks were supposed to be in the final phase with a deal set to have been inked before US President Barack Obama leaves office in January.Instead, the treaty has become a hot potato as key elections approach in the United States, as well as in France and Germany -- the Eurozones two largest economies.While the European Commission wants to continue the talks, experts said it was unlikely the negotiations would continue without the support of Germany or France.And even if EU foreign ministers decided to press ahead with talks when they meet later this month, chances of a deal are now slim, ING Bank economist Daniel Bosgraaf told AFP.After all, neither (Donald) Trump nor (Hillary) Clinton support the trade deal. For now, TTIP remains barely afloat, he said.Sylvie Matelly, deputy director at the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs (IRIS), told AFP it would be difficult to successfully conclude talks which have repeatedly broken down over... different viewpoints, and a lack of public preparation, and transparency over what will be negotiated.

Pakistan name squad for England Twenty20

Posted:

KARACHI (AFP) - Pakistan Thursday announced a 13-man squad for the only Twenty20 against England to be played at Old Trafford on Wednesday. Sarfaz Ahmed will lead the team, while former captain Shahid Afridi has not been included as Pakistan looks to bring in flesh blood.Afridi led Pakistan in the World Twenty20 held in India in March-April this year but stopped short of announcing retirement after the team exited in the group stages.He featured in the Twenty20 tournament in England for Hampshire county but failed to give a performance of any note which forced the selectors to leave him out this time. Opener Ahmed Shahzad and middle-order batsman Umar Akmal -- part of the team in the World Twenty20 -- were also not selected.Chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq said Afridi will be selected in the future if he performs better in domestic matches.I said this before that since there is only one match we will not consider Afridi, but once he gives a performance at a domestic level he will be given a chance, Inzamam told AFP.If Ahmed and Umar improve their discipline and performances they will also be considered for selection but since we have only one match on this tour we have tried to build the team for the future, said Inzamam.Another opener Mohammad Hafeez was also not selected after he returned home mid-way in the ongoing one-day series against England suffering from a knee injury.There was a recall for left-arm paceman Sohail Tanveer who last played a Twenty20 against England in November last year. The 21-year-old all-rounder Amad Butt is the only uncapped player in the side.Pakistan were playing the fourth one-day against England in Leeds on Thursday, having lost the first three matches.They also drew a four-match Test series 2-2 last month on this same tour.Squad: Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Khalid Latif, Sharjeel Khan, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Mohammad Nawaz, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Irfan, Sohail Tanveer, Amad Butt.

New Zealand jolted by 7.1 magnitude earthquake but no damage done

Posted:

WELLINGTON (AFP) - The east coast of New Zealand was hit by a powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake before dawn Friday, generating a small tsunami, but officials said there was no significant damage or injuries.A swarm of aftershocks, several of nearly 6.0 magnitude, rocked the region for many hours after the initial jolt as coastal residents made their way to high ground by torchlight.But less than three hours later they were advised they could return home after a 30-centimetre (one foot) tsunami was detected.The greatest wave height has already occurred, further waves are anticipated to be up to 20 centimetres, the Civil Defence organisation, which is responsible for national emergency management, said.Areas under marine and beach threat can expect unusually strong currents and unpredictable water flows near the shore. This means a threat to beach, harbour, estuary and small boat activities.However, despite the power of the temblor, East Coast Civil Defence information officer Sheridan Gundry told Radio New Zealand the impact was minimal.We havent heard any reports of injuries or damage at all, she said.There was power out in a few places but weve been let off pretty lightly as far as damage goes.The tsunami warning covered the East Coast of the North Island and the upper South Island.The shallow tremor, off the coast of New Zealand, was estimated at a depth of around 30 kilometres (18 miles), according to the US Geological Survey.It struck at 4:37am (1637 GMT) and was centred 167 kilometres (103 miles) from the nearest main town, Gisborne, which has a population of around 45,000.In New Zealand, where earthquakes are common, Civil Defence regularly holds practice drills for coastal residents so they know how to react in an emergency.Pat Seymour, a local council politician in the Gisborne area, told the New Zealand Herald the earthquake was quite vigorous.It was enough to make me stand in the doorway, she said, recalling what she had been taught.In Te Araroa, nearly the entire population of 600 left their homes for higher ground according to local Iain Fraser.It was pretty severe shaking for a couple of minutes. Then a couple of very light tremors after that, he said.Im actually 1,000 metres from the ocean but Im up off sea level.Im looking like the only one left in town at the moment.In nearby Tokomaru Bay, Marlene Kipa heard the civil defence warning sirens and her mind went to other disasters.That did cross my mind -- the Christchurch earthquake -- I wondered how they feel.In February 2011, a 6.3 earthquake left 185 people dead in the South Island city of Christhurch.New Zealand is on the boundary of the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates, which form part of the so-called Ring of Fire, and experiences up to 15,000 tremors a year.

Murray into third round with straight sets win

Posted:

NEW YORK (AFP) - World number two Andy Murray made himself heard at the US Open on Thursday, downing tenacious Spaniard Marcel Granollers in straight sets to reach the third round.With pounding rain creating a din under the new $150 million roof of the Arthur Ashe stadium, Murray battled through a tense first set to triumph 6-4, 6-1, 6-4.Were lucky that we get to play under the roof because otherwise thered be no tennis, said Murray, whose match went on as all action stopped on the outside courts. Its good for everyone.But in the 22,000-seat stadium, the acoustics of the roof are proving problematic, and Murray admitted the echoing noise made things difficult.It was tough, you couldnt really hear the ball at all, said Murray, who is trying to become just the fourth man to reach all four Grand Slam finals in the same year.His consistency in the majors paid off with a second Wimbledon title in July, a victory followed by a second straight Olympic gold in Rio.He looked on his way to a routine victory over 45th-ranked Granollers with a 4-1 lead in the opening set, but wasted two set points in dropping his serve in the ninth game before finally breaking Granollers in the next on his seventh set point.Thankfully I got through that 5-4 game and then the momentum was back with me, said Murray, who broke Granollers twice in the second set and once in a tightly contested third to seal the win.As the showers lingered, 11 doubles matches scheduled for outside courts were cancelled.Both Serena and Venus Williams looked set to sample play under the roof for the first time.Serena, who matched the Open Era record for Grand Slam singles titles with her 22nd at Wimbledon, said shed be aiming to step it up a notch against Vania King in the second round on Thursday night.I think I can get a lot better, the US superstar said after a straight-sets win over Ekaterina Makarova, although she acknowledged that she didnt know how the troublesome right shoulder that has hindered her since Wimbledon would react to her workout against the Russian lefty.Even if it does flare up, Williams has to be considered a strong favorite against her 87th-ranked compatriot King, a wild card she trounced 6-1, 6-0 in their only prior meeting, in the second round of the 2014 US Open.Sixth-seeded Venus Williams, whose seven Grand Slam titles include two US Opens, was eyeing a place in the last 32 against German Julia Goerges.Fired-up fifth seed Simona Halep reached the third round with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Lucie Safarova in a battle of former French Open finalists.Halep showed a flash of frustration after letting an early break get away in the opening frame, but she won the last three games to pocket the set and sealed the win when Safarova double-faulted on match point -- one of 11 breaks of serve in the contest.Halep apologized for her racquet-swiping fit of pique.I know its not nice, she said. But I cant control my emotions. Im trying, but I cant do it.Halep called playing under the roof amazing, although it didnt relieve all climate problems.I was a little cold, she said. I felt the air conditioning.Among those waiting out the rain, sixth-seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan had split two sets and was at 4-4 in the third against Russian qualifier Karen Khachanov, while eighth-seeded Dominic Thiem of Austria was level at 4-4 against Lithuanian Ricardas Barankais.Womens fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland and mens third seed Stan Wawrinka were in limbo with second-round matches scheduled on the Louis Armstrong stadium.

Japan left fuming after referee howler, South Korea beats China

Posted:

SAITAMA, Japan (AFP) - Japan were left fuming over a refereeing howler after a shock defeat to UAE rocked their World Cup qualifying campaign on Thursday, while South Korea held off China to win 3-2.Asian champions Australia overcame a nervy start to beat Iraq 2-0 as Asias third round of 2018 World Cup qualifying got underway, with 12 teams vying for four automatic berths.Japan were favourites to beat UAE in Saitama and they took the lead through AC Milan forward Keisuke Hondas header in the 11th minute.But Ahmed Khalils sumptuous free kick and penalty either side of half-time ensured a 2-1 win for the visitors, who also got lucky when Japan had a late equaliser disallowed.Japan should have finished the game 2-2 but the officials failed to spot that Takuma Asanos shot, clawed away by Khalid Eisa, had crossed the line, as shown by TV replays.Qatari referee Abdulrahman Al Jassim waved away Japans protests as the Blue Samurai crashed once again to UAE, their conquerors in last years Asian Cup quarter-finals.The referee was unacceptable, thundered Japan coach Vahid Halilhodzic, when asked about the Asano ghost goal. He added that 2-1 was a horrible result.They had many chances, and they lost two goals after a free kick and a penalty kick that could have been avoided, glowered the Bosnian.In Seoul, Zheng Zhis early own goal ultimately condemned China to a 3-2 defeat to South Korea despite a spirited fight-back from the visitors.Chinas talisman became their fall-guy as he inadvertently bundled Son Heung-Mins free kick into his own net on 20 minutes at Seoul World Cup Stadium.Lee Chung-Yong and Koo Ja-Cheol both scored to pile on the pain for China but the visitors nearly hauled their way back into it following late strikes from Yu Hai and Hao Junmin.However, a precious equaliser eluded Gao Hongbos men and they start with a defeat as they embark on the year-long final qualifying group stage.While South Korea are targeting a 10th World Cup, China have only ever reached the showpiece once, in 2002, although President Xi Jinping has ambitions of awakening the sleeping giant and turning it into a global football power.Earlier, hotshots Massimo Luongo and Tomi Juric were both on target as Australia overcame a dogged Iraq outfit to win 2-0 in Perth.The Socceroos were strong favourites but they didnt have it all their own way until QPRs Luongo and FC Luzern striker Juric scored in a seven-minute, second-half burst.It was a great way to come back today, said Juric, who was recalled by coach Ange Postecoglou after missing Australias friendlies against Greece in June.There definitely could have been a few more (goals) on our side, but it is a great result to start this campaign.In Tashkent, Uzbekistan celebrated their 25th Independence Day with a 1-0 win over Syria in Group A thanks to a stunning strike by veteran Aleksandr Geynrikh in the 73rd minute.Geynrikh, a 56th minute substitute, pounced on a rebound in a flash to score with a powerful half volley after Syria goalkeeper Ibrahim Almeh had produced smart save off a stinging shot by Odil Akhmedov.The first half saw very few chances for either team, and although the Uzbeks raised their game after the break to consistently threaten, goalkeeper Almeh was alert and equal to the task.The top two in each of Asias two groups of six will qualify for the World Cup in Russia, while the third-placed sides will face each other for the right to contest an intercontinental play-off.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)