Wednesday, 7 September 2016

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

PTIs Faisal Vawda expected to be released soon

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KARACHI (Dunya News) – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Faisal Vawda is expected to be released soon from police detention as personal bail provided by one of his employees was accepted on late Wednesday night, Dunya News reported. Faisal Vawda was taken into custody earlier in the day by police for taking out an unlawful rally which caused a massive traffic jam at Shahrah-e-Faisal in Karachi. He was shifted to Airport Police Station after the arrest.Faisal Vawda is expected to be released soon after the personal bail provided by his employee was accepted.

PSG manager Emery did not want David Luiz to leave

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PARIS, Sept 8, 2016 (AFP) - Paris Saint-Germain coach Unai Emery has admitted he didnt want defender David Luiz to leave the club as the French champions prepare to host Saint-Etienne in Ligue 1 on Friday.The Brazil centre-back was surprisingly sold back to former club Chelsea for a reported 32 million ($42.7 million, 38 million euros) on transfer deadline day, two years after he had moved in the opposite direction.His farewell appearance in a Paris shirt saw him give away a penalty before being substituted in the second half of the 3-1 defeat to Monaco just before the international break.With compatriots Marquinhos and Thiago Silva expected to usurp him in the pecking order once they returned to contention, Luiz was likely to lose his place in the team, but Emery did not anticipate losing such an experienced player altogether.I told him that I didnt want him to go and that he was important. But if he is not happy and he thinks its better to leave, I respect that, Emery told RMC radio this week.Luiz was back at the PSG training ground to say his goodbyes this week as his now former team-mates prepared for the visit of Les Verts to the Parc des Princes.The defeat to Monaco has placed Spanish coach Emery under increased scrutiny with PSG currently very much a work in progress compared to the well-oiled machine of Laurent Blanc and Zlatan Ibrahimovic last season that did not lose a league match until the end of February.However, a victory against Saint-Etienne would set the capital club up nicely before the home clash with Arsenal in their Champions League Group A opener next Tuesday.One man hoping to start for the first time this season will be midfielder Blaise Matuidi after the former Saint-Etienne player saw a proposed transfer to Italian champions Juventus fall through.Who is the best player when it comes to applying pressure and winning the ball back? Its Matuidi. It was important that he stayed with us. And he told me that he was happy to stay here, Emery said.PSG have won their last nine meetings with Christophe Galtiers Saint-Etienne, who drew 0-0 at home to Toulouse in their last outing.- Balotelli debut? -====================Saint-Etienne, who go to German Bundesliga side Mainz in the Europa League next week, travel with a full squad and Jordan Veretout could start for the first time since returning to French football from Aston Villa.PSG are not properly settled yet, with a new coach and a new philosophy. They have had players who have been travelling (on international duty) and there may be some absentees, said Galtier.As the season goes on they will improve. I am daring to hope that they will do so after we play them.Elsewhere this weekend Lyon host Bordeaux on Saturday hoping Augusts player of the month Alexandre Lacazette, who has six goals to his name already, will be fit after a minor injury kept him out of the France squad.However, Mathieu Valbuena and Nabil Fekir will be missing for the game at the Parc OL.Monaco, Frances other Champions League representatives, are at Lille on Saturday while Nice host Marseille in a Mediterranean derby on Sunday.The game at the Allianz Riviera could see Mario Balotelli make his Nice debut after the wayward Italian striker joined on a free from Liverpool on transfer deadline day.

Turkey, US 'ready to work' on ousting IS from Raqa

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ISTANBUL (AFP) - Washington and Ankara are ready to work together to push Islamic State jihadists out of their de facto capital of Raqa in northern Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in comments published Wednesday.Erdogan said he had agreed with President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in China to do what is necessary to drive IS out of Raqa.Raqa is the most important centre of Daesh, Erdogan told Turkish journalists onboard his plane as he returned from China, using an Arabic acronym for IS. Obama wants to do something together especially on the issue of Raqa, he said. I said there would be no problem from our perspective.I said our soldiers should come together and discuss, then what is necessary will be done, Erdogan was quoted as saying by the Hurriyet daily.Without giving further details, he said: What can be done will become clear after the discussions.Forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assads regime were pushed out of Raqa, which lies on the Euphrates River, in 2013, making it the first provincial capital in Syria to fall out of government control.IS rapidly infiltrated the city, which is strategically located near the Turkish border, and declared a caliphate in 2014.Ousting IS from the city would be a turning point in the conflict and mark a huge blow to the jihadists.Erdogans comments came two weeks after Turkey launched an ambitious operation inside Syria, sending tanks and special forces to back up Syrian opposition fighters and remove IS jihadists and Kurdish militia from its frontier.Ankara-backed rebels seized the town of Jarabulus from IS militants within hours on the first day of the operation and Turkey says jihadists have now been removed from the entire border area.Loaded with luggage and possessions, hundreds of civilians began returning to Jarabulus on Wednesday, forming long queues at the border gate outside the Turkish town of Karkamis, an AFP photographer said.But Turkey on Tuesday sustained its biggest loss of life in the operation to date, with three soldiers killed in an IS rocket attack on their tanks.With the offensive still pressing on, the Turkish army said six more villages south of the town of Al-Rai had been retaken from IS jihadists on Tuesday, in a statement carried by state-run news agency Anadolu. Yet it remains unclear if the Syrian rebels backed by Turkey will proceed further south to take Al-Bab from IS jihadists and then Raqa itself, or to what extent the operation has US support.Long criticised for failure to stem the flow of foreign fighters joining ranks with IS, Turkey hopes the ouster of the jihadists from its frontier will drastically improve security.Obviously, with ISIS (IS) removed from the border, we expect this development to have a positive impact on foreign fighters, a senior Turkish official said, on condition of anonymity. Since 2015, a total of 1,223 foreign nationals were detained by Turkish authorities over suspected links to IS, 434 of whom were placed under arrest by the courts, said the official.Turkey has been alarmed by US support for the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its Peoples Protection Units (YPG) militia which Ankara sees as a terrorist group linked to its own Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) which has been waging a bloody campaign against the Turkish state.We need to show we are present in the region, said Erdogan. If we take a step back, terror groups like Daesh, PKK, PYD or YPG will settle there. Asked if there was any change in US approach on the issue of PYD, Erdogan said: At least, theres been no interference into Turkey.Erdogan said that after the G20 he was optimistic of the chances of a ceasefire between opposition forces and Assads regime, in time for the Eid al-Adha Muslim holiday, which gets under way next week.God willing, we are hoping for a cease fire in (region of) Aleppo before the Eid, said Erdogan, adding that President Vladimir Putin of Russia has promised him this would happen in days.

Syria opposition makes new push for transition

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LONDON (AFP) - Syrias opposition on Wednesday made a fresh call for a transition to democracy without President Bashar al-Assad, as France threw its support behind new Russia-US talks aimed at ending the war.The oppositions proposal during one-day talks in London came as the worlds chemical weapons watchdog said it was disturbed by the alleged use of toxic chemicals in the battleground city of Aleppo.Moscow said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his US counterpart John Kerry, whose countries back opposing sides in the brutal civil war, would meet Thursday and Friday in Geneva to try to reach a deal on cooperation in Syria.The pair have agreed to a personal meeting to work out an accord on fighting jihadists and pushing the peace process forward, according to the Russian foreign ministry.But Kerrys spokesman would not confirm the meeting, suggesting last-minute negotiations were ongoing.The talks come after US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin failed to reach a deal to stem the violence on the sidelines of a G20 meeting in China.French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, attending the London talks, said he backed new US-Russia discussions. We are supporting the process, although we want a genuine ceasefire, he said.With prospects for peace elusive, the broad-based opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) -- holding talks with its foreign allies in London -- proposed a six-month negotiating phase with the regime.The opposition hopes new talks would result in an 18-month transition that would see Syria governed by a transitional body made up of opposition figures, current government representatives and members of civil society, according to a 25-page blueprint.The HNC and its predecessors -- weakened by years of conflict, regime advances, the spread of jihadists and what some have branded a disconnect from the grim reality on the ground -- have made similar calls since early in the war.Its proposal came even as armed rebels faced enormous pressure on the ground, particularly around Aleppo where regime forces backed by the Russian air force have completely encircled opposition-held neighbourhoods. The groups plans are largely in line with existing international proposals for a post-war Syria, although unlike a 2015 agreement hashed out in Vienna, they are clear about Assads future.A transition, HNC says, shall require the departure of Bashar al-Assad and his clique who committed heinous crimes against the Syrian people.HNC leader Riad Hijab, speaking in London ahead of the talks, insisted that regime leaders who killed Syrians cannot have a role in the future of Syria and in this transitional phase at all.Hijab, a former Syrian prime minister who defected to the opposition in 2012, blamed the failure of previous peace talks on a refusal to talk about the political transition.The proposal came as the conflict raged relentlessly and on multiple fronts.On Wednesday the worlds chemical weapons watchdog condemned the alleged use of toxic substances in Aleppo, once Syrias economic capital, after dozens of people had to be treated for breathing problems.Such allegations are taken very seriously. The use of chemical weapons by anyone, anywhere and under any circumstances is unacceptable, Ahmet Uzumcu, head of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, said in a statement.More than 70 people were left choking Tuesday after regime helicopters dropped barrel bombs on a rebel-held district of Aleppo, according to a monitoring group.Frances Ayrault said the UN Security Council should condemn the Assad regime and IS for their continued use of chemical weapons.Writing in The Times newspaper, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, the host of Wednesdays London talks, urged Russia to cease its support for the Syrian president.Johnson accused Assad of barbaric military tactics, blasting Russias seemingly indefensible conduct in backing him.The entire international community is committed, at least in principle, to getting rid of the Syrian dictator. Even the Russians have accepted that there must be political transition, he wrote.But then the Russians are also employing their military muscle to prevent him from losing and to keep him in power.The talks in London also involved foreign ministers from Turkey, Jordan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Italy, as well as representatives of Germany and the EU. Kerry took part via video-link.The Syrian war, which began as a pro-democracy revolt in 2011 but morphed into a multi-front conflict after the regime unleashed a crackdown, has killed more than 290,000 people and forced more than half the population to flee their homes.

Lavrov, Kerry to hold Syria talks this week

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MOSCOW (AFP) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his US counterpart John Kerry will meet Thursday and Friday in Geneva to try to hammer out a deal on cooperation in Syria, Moscow said.But Kerrys spokesman would not confirm the meeting Wednesday, suggesting that last-minute negotiations were continuing.The two top diplomats agreed to a personal meeting after working on the remaining details for an agreement on fighting jihadists and pushing forward the peace process in the war-torn country in a phone call, a Russian statement said earlier in the day. In Washington, State Department spokesman Mark Toner confirmed that Kerry and Lavrov had spoken by telephone for 45 minutes but would not say whether they had agreed to meet again as soon as Thursday.I dont have any travel to announce at this time, he said.I can say that the secretary remains committed to continuing efforts to try and resolve the remaining or outstanding issues in order to reach an arrangement on Syria, he added.That arrangement, he said, would put in place a durable cease-fire, a cessation of hostilities, provide humanitarian access to all areas and lead to a resumption of talks.Russia and the United States -- on opposite sides in the five-year conflict in Syria -- have been trying to thrash out a deal in recent weeks to revive a ceasefire on the ground and coordinate strikes against the Islamic State group and other jihadists.Presidents Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama held talks Monday on the sidelines of the G20 summit in China but failed to bridge their differences. Russia is flying a bombing campaign in support of strongman leader Bashar al-Assad, while the United States backs rebel groups fighting to oust him from power.Lavrov also slammed new US sanctions slapped on Russia over the crisis in Ukraine insisting that they hampered joint efforts by the two sides including those aimed at resolving regional conflicts, the statement said.

12-time Olympics medallist Lochte banned for 10 months

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LOS ANGELES (AFP) - US swimmer Ryan Lochte has been hit with a 10-month suspension following his bogus gunpoint robbery story during a drunken night out at the Olympics, two separate media reports said Wednesday.Lochte, 32, has been suspended until mid-2017 the USA Today newspaper reported citing a person with knowledge of the situation. He would also be banned from next years World Championships in Budapest.A United States Olympic Committee (USOC) spokesman declined to confirm the reports when contacted by AFP for comment. USA Today said a statement confirming the suspension would be issued on Thursday.Lochtes suspension was first reported by the TMZ.com entertainment news website.The site said three other swimmers involved in the escapade were suspended for varying periods up to four months.Lochte, a 12-time Olympic medallist, has lost a slew of sponsorship deals following the Rio escapade.He was charged by Brazilian police last month of making a false report about being robbed at gunpoint during a night out.Lochte had already left the country by the time the charges were filed.The Olympic gold medal winner had told the media in Rio that he and three teammates had been mugged after an all-night party by robbers pretending to be police.The tale humiliated first the Brazilian hosts of the Games and later Lochtes own Team USA, after police determined that he had largely fabricated his story.Lochte, who is now seeking to rehabilitate his public image with an appearance on upcoming reality show Dancing With the Stars has apologized for his behavior.Im taking full responsibility for it, Lochte said in a television interview.I over-exaggerated that story and if I had never done that, we wouldnt be in this mess.

Taliban threaten to overrun another Afghan city

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KANDAHAR (AFP) - The Taliban toppled security outposts on the edge of the southern Afghan city of Tarin Kot on Wednesday, officials said, threatening the third provincial capital in recent weeks. The insurgents crept within seven kilometres (four miles) of the capital of the restive poppy-rich province of Uruzgan, prompting urgent calls from officials for reinforcements and air support.The Taliban advance comes as the insurgents threaten to capture Lashkar Gah in neighbouring Helmand province, and northern Kunduz city, which the militants briefly seized last year in a stinging blow to Afghan forces. Some security checkpoints fell to the Taliban without much resistance from security forces, said Haji Baridad, a tribal elder in Tarin Kot, raising a concern echoed by other local residents.If they continue to flee, local people will be forced to take up arms ourselves to defend the city.But Dost Mohammed Nayab, the provincial governors spokesman, dismissed the charge, insisting the Taliban will not be allowed to breach Tarin Kots outer defences.The Taliban did capture some outposts and came within seven kilometres of the city, but they are being pushed back with the arrival of new commando forces, Nayab told AFP.These reinforcements are not enough but more are expected to arrive, he said.Nayab added that six security forces had been killed in the last two days of fighting, while reporting 36 Taliban fatalities.Speculation swirled that the Taliban were seeking to advance on the citys prison to free captured militants, repeating a tactic used when they overran Kunduz last year.Seen previously as a rural militant movement capable only of hit-and-run attacks on cities, the Taliban have demonstrated an alarming new push into urban centres in recent months.The deteriorating security highlights the struggle of Afghan forces, stretched on multiple fronts, to secure remote provinces such as Uruzgan, where Australian, Dutch and American troops fought for years.As the Taliban edged closer to Tarin Kot, they promised on social media to show leniency towards government forces who surrender unconditionally.Defence ministry spokesman Mohammad Radmanish rejected the propaganda campaign, saying the Taliban would be flushed out from the citys outskirts.As Afghanistans conflict worsens, it is estimated more than one million people will be displaced by the end of the year, UN humanitarian chief Stephen OBrien said, calling on the international community to scale up its support.Families have lost their homes and livelihoods. Displaced people are living in tents, unable to feed their children and have had little or no formal education, he said on Wednesday.This cyclical pattern of prolonged conflict must end to avoid another of generation of children being lost to war and suffering.

Britain to start building anti-migrant wall in Calais

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LONDON (AFP) - Britain is to start building a wall in the northern French port of Calais to stop migrants jumping on trucks, under a deal agreed earlier this year, the interior ministry said Wednesday.The four-metre (13-foot) high, one-kilometre long barrier will be built on a port approach road starting this month and should be completed by the end of this year, officials said.The wall, which will be funded by the British government under an agreement struck at a summit in March, will complement a security fence already put up around the port and entrance to the Channel Tunnel.We are going to start building this big new wall very soon. Weve done the fence, now we are doing a wall, junior minister Robert Goodwill told a parliamentary committee on Tuesday.Green Party MP Caroline Lucas called the wall monstrous while campaign group Citizens UK asked Britain to use the money instead to transfer child migrants with families in Britain from Calais.Richard Burnett, chief executive of Britains Road Haulage Association also told the BBC the plan was a poor use of taxpayers money.He said funding for a wall would be much better spent on increasing security along the approach roads.The wall, which is expected to cost 2.7 million euros ($3.0 million), will be the latest barrier to go up around Europe as the continent struggles with its biggest migrant influx in decades.Hungary has built a reinforced fence on its frontier with Serbia and Austria has announced plans for a massive new fence along its border with Hungary in a bid to shut down the Balkan migrant route.Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump has said he plans to build a wall along the border with Mexico funded by the Mexican government if he is elected.Many commentators on Twitter drew comparisons with Trumps proposal, with @fleetstreetfox saying: And now were the United Kingdom of Trump.The wall in Calais was agreed following tens of thousands of attempted Channel crossings last year by migrants sneaking onto lorries boarding ferries and the Eurotunnel.Angry French truckers and farmers blocked the main routes in and out of Calais on Monday to call for the closure of the sprawling Jungle migrant camp.The Jungle, a squalid camp of tents and makeshift shelters, is home to some 7,000 migrants but charities say the number might be as high as 10,000 after an influx this summer.Migrants from the camp sometimes use tree branches to create roadblocks to slow trucks heading for Britain, their destination of choice.When the trucks slow down, migrants try to clamber into the trailers to stow away aboard.Drivers say migrants and people trafficking gangs have attacked their vehicles with metal bars.The drivers say despite the deployment of 2,100 officers around the port, the police are overstretched and unable to secure the roads.French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve promised during a visit to the Jungle last week to close the camp down as quickly as possible but said it would be done in stages.

38 dead, 92,000 left homeless by Niger floods

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NIAMEY (AFP) - At least 38 people have been killed and more than 92,000 left homeless since June in disastrous floods in Niger, the United Nations said Wednesday.The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the deaths, up from a previous government toll of 14, followed torrential rains in August.More than 26,000 livestock have been lost and more than 9,000 homes destroyed, the UN said, citing government figures.Authorities and NGOs have already given out aid to more than 50,000 people, the UN added, with many of the homeless sheltering in schools and public buildings.Despite being in the middle of the desert, Agadez in the north and Tahoua to the west are among the worst hit regions, along with Maradi in the south.Niger is in the midst of its annual rainy season, having struggled to overcome a severe food crisis caused by drought.One of the poorest countries on the planet, its authorities are also struggling with 300,000 refugees and internally displaced people who have fled the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigers southeast and in neighbouring Nigeria.

Paralympics: Rio opens games for 'superhumans'

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RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) - Rio de Janeiro opened the Paralympic Games on Wednesday with samba, parading wheelchairs, giant balloons -- and loud booing of Brazils president -- at a sold-out Maracana stadium.The extraordinary sight of US Paralympian Aaron Wheelz jumping in his wheelchair from a 55 feet (17 meters) ramp got the crowd on its feet. Then the joyous rhythms of samba singers and a carnivalesque reproduction of a Rio beach scene got them dancing.But Brazils tensions also flared with thousands in the crowd chanting Out with Temer as newly sworn in President Michel Temer appeared at the ceremony just days after taking over from bitter rival Dilma Rousseff, who was impeached.Temers hurried declaration of I declare the Games open met a roar of boos, while booing forced Brazilian Olympics boss Carlos Nuzman to pause his speech after he mentioned thanks to the federal, state and municipal governments.For Rio, the Paralympics, coming right after a vibrant but sometimes tricky Olympics, are one more challenge in a period of deep recession and political instability.But Nuzman said Brazilians never give up, then he told the athletes: You are superhumans.Blind, missing limbs, or partially paralyzed, more than 4,300 of the worlds toughest and most competitive disabled paraded ahead of 11 days of contests. Some pushed their own wheelchairs, others were pushed, while others limped.When the Brazilian team came out in flower-patterned jackets, led by a storming contingent of athletes in wheelchairs, the legendary football stadium roared in delirium.However, controversy hung over the now show by International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach -- the first absence of an IOC chief since the 1984 Summer Games.Bach is due at a mourning ceremony in Berlin for the late West German president Walter Scheel.However, there have been suggestions that the no-show has to do with divisions over the Paralympic committees outright ban on Russian athletes after allegations of a state-sanctioned doping program and the IOCs relatively softer line.There were also reports in Globo and other Brazilian media outlets that Bach is wanted for questioning by local police investigating an illegal ticket selling ring allegedly involving a senior Irish Olympic official. Rio police were to give a press conference on the matter Thursday.Whether theres anything else -- I dont know if theres anything else, International Paralympic Committee President Philip Craven said of Bachs decision.Russian para-athletes, who finished second behind China in the London 2012 medals table, were barred last month following a World Anti-Doping Agency report which alleged a vast state-sponsored doping program.Separately, UK Athletics will review classifications after the Games, according to BBC News, following concerns that athletes were being mismatched to create an unfair advantage.Caught in political and economic crises, Rio 2016 organizers have skimped as far as they can on food, transport and accommodation.The run-up to the Games was also overshadowed by slow ticket sales. This follows concerns about half-empty stadiums at many of the Olympics events.But organizers have reported a dramatic turnaround in the last few days.Two weeks ago we were at 200,000 tickets sold, Craven said. Now sales have reached 1.6 million and are growing every day.Well soon be over the 1.7 million mark. Our aim is to sell around 2.4 million, he said.Six countries are sending athletes for the very first time, and Syrian swimmer Ibrahim Al-Hussein, who lost a leg in an explosion in his nations civil war, and Iranian discus thrower Shahrad Nasajpour make up a two-strong refugee team.The record of 41 career gold medals won by blind American swimmer Trischa Zorn between 1980 and 2004 looks unbeatable, but the Paralympics will inevitably produce new stars.Irans 28-year-old powerlifter Siamand Rahman, disabled since birth, is aiming to become the first Paralympian to bench press 300kg. Others to watch include Britains wheelchair racer David Weir and Chinas blind sprinter Liu CuiqingChina will have its biggest ever team of 308 athletes in Rio looking to beat their 95 gold medals from London when they topped the table for the third straight Paralympics.They have swimmer Xu Qing competing in his fourth and possibly last Games, seeking to add to his seven gold medals.

Obama meets Duterte after 'whore' slur

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VIENTIANE (AFP) - Barack Obama met briefly with Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday, their two governments said, days after the firebrand politician branded the US president a son of a whore.The encounter took place just before a dinner during a summit of regional leaders in Laos, officials indicated.They met at the holding room and they were the last people to leave the holding room. I cant say how long they met, Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay, travelling with Duterte, told reporters shortly afterwards.Im very happy that it happened.In a terse statement, the White House said only that Obama had a brief discussion with President Duterte before the ASEAN Gala Dinner in the leaders hold space. The exchange consisted of pleasantries between the two.Obama cancelled Tuesdays planned meeting with Duterte on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-hosted summit after the notoriously acid-tongued Philippine president launched a barrage of insults the previous day.His outburst was prompted by US assertions that Obama planned to raise the issue of Dutertes war on crime that has claimed 3,000 lives in just over two months.You must be respectful. Do not just throw away questions and statements. Son of a whore, I will curse you in that forum, Duterte told reporters when asked about his message for Obama.We will be wallowing in the mud like pigs if you do that to me.Obama initially responded by calling Duterte a colourful guy, but then called off the meeting after the international media reported heavily on the issue.The snub was a spectacular setback for relations between the United States and Philippines, which are longtime allies and are bound by a mutual defence treaty to help each other in times of war.The two countries also appeared to clash over the meaning of satellite imagery showing Chinese activity on a disputed reef off the coast of the Philippines.Releasing the images Dutertes government said they had evidence China was taking steps to begin dredging -- a major escalation.The White House tried to play down the claim, saying it believed Chinese activity in the area was at the same level as previous months.Yasay sought to characterise Wednesdays meeting as proof the alliance was strong enough to withstand such hiccups.It all springs from the fact that the relationship between the Philippines and the United States is firm, very strong, Yasay said.Nevertheless, Dutertes office earlier Wednesday released a statement saying he would sit next to Obama at the gala dinner.The media from all over the world, including from the Philippines, are up in excitement as each await the event where the two leaders will possibly say something positive, the statement from the presidential palace said.However Obama did not sit next to Duterte.

Tennis: Nishikori stuns Murray to reach US Open semis

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Kei Nishikori stunned Andy Murray to reach the US Open semi-finals, holding his nerve in a breathtaking final set to move two wins away from becoming the first Asian man to capture a Grand Slam singles title.Japanese star Nishikori clinched a dramatic 1-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 comeback triumph in a shade under four hours against the Wimbledon and Olympics winner and 2012 US Open champion.Waiting for the 26-year-old next will be either 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro or third seed Stan Wawrinka.It was so exciting on the court but I tried to stay calm. It was really tough, said Nishikori after reaching only his second Slam semi-final after his runner-up spot in New York in 2014.Hes a great returner, there were lots of up and downs. I didnt start well.In a match which featured 17 breaks of serve, Nishikori prevailed for only his second win in nine matches against the world number two.His win came just three weeks after losing to Murray in the Olympic semi-finals.Murray looked to be in control at two sets to one ahead and carving out a break point in the third game of the fourth when a loud gong-like sound burst from the malfunctioning public address system in Arthur Ashe stadium.It thudded around the stadium and echoed eerily beneath the roof which had been closed due to rain midway through the second set.Umpire Marija Cicak ordered the point to be replayed much to the irritation of the Briton who lost his composure and the next five games as an acrobatic Nishikori levelled the tie.Murray refused to blame his defeat on the incident.Definitely I would say to 4-1 I didnt play a good game after I got out of the change of ends, and then he held pretty comfortably the next game, said Murray.But after that, I dont think so. There was a lot of time.The phantom noise emerged again later in the set and Murrays mood was not helped when a startled butterfly flew around the court, causing great merriment when it obstinately clung to the net.The butterfly was removed in the changeover but Murrays black mood refused to budge as he carried on a running debate with the umpire and himself.Nishikori broke for 1-0 in the deciding set and backed it up for 2-0 before Murray stopped a seven-game losing streak to hold.Murray, with his focus suddenly rebooted, broke back for 2-2 against the man he had defeated in the Olympic semi-finals.But back came Nishikori, stunning his rival to break again for 3-2 before holding for 4-2 as both men thrilled with a series of big hits, subtle touches and exhausting athleticism.Nishikori surrendered the advantage again, giving up a 40-0 lead in the eighth game and missing an easy volley as Murray came back for 4-4.The Briton was soon 5-4 up but Nishikori, showing nerves of steel, held and took victory when Murray blinked first in the 12th game, burying a backhand in the net.I think definitely under the roof he was able to dictate more of the points. He was playing a bit closer to the baseline than me and taking the ball on a little bit more, said the second seed.Later Wednesday, world number 142 del Potro will bid to become the lowest ranked man to reach a Grand Slam semi-final since number 237 Vladimir Voltchkov made it to the last four at Wimbledon in 2000.The 2009 champion, whose career was almost derailed by a series of wrist injuries, tackles third seeded Wawrinka, who is chasing a third semi-final place at the US Open in four years.Wawrinka hasnt beaten del Potro for eight years while the 27-year-old Argentine knocked him out of Wimbledon in the second round this year.The first semi-final on Friday will see defending champion Novak Djokovic take on 10th seeded Frenchman Gael Monfils.

Tennis: Djokovic, Monfils set to renew long, lopsided rivalry

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Novak Djokovic boasts a dozen wins in as many matches against Gael Monfils, but the world number one remains wary of the exuberant Frenchman heading into their US Open semi-final showdown on Friday.He seems more focused at this time of his career, Djokovic said. Especially the hard court (season) this year, maybe hes playing the best tennis he ever played. Hes very consistent. He hasnt dropped a set till semis.That says a lot about the level hes on.Tenth-seeded Monfils booked his first Grand Slam semi-final since Roland Garros in 2008 with a crisp 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 victory over weary compatriot Lucas Pouille.Pouille, 22, was coming off three successive five-setters -- the last of them a stunning triumph over 14-time major winner Rafael Nadal.There was little of the leaping and diving from Monfils that fans have come to love -- and which Djokovic himself said makes Monfils one of his favorite players to watch.Hes one of the few players that I will definitely pay a ticket to watch, Djokovic said. Hes very charismatic. Plays with a smile. Enjoys tennis, enjoys life.For all that admiration, Djokovic has dominated Monfils. Since the French player won a developmental Futures Tour clash with the Serb in 2004, Djokovic has won all 12 of their ATP level meetings.That includes a five-set first-round victory at the 2005 US Open and a straight-sets quarter-final win at Flushing Meadows in 2010.Monfils is enjoying one of the best campaigns of his career. He reached the final of the claycourt Monte Carlo Masters, and has been a model of consistency in the hardcourt buildup to the US Open with a title in Washington and a semi-final appearance in Toronto in July.Commentators have made much of an apparent effort to cut back on the circus shots and gravity-defying leaps.But Monfils says its not his style thats changed but the perception.Im winning more, you know, more matches, Monfils said. So its tougher for some people to say that Im just a showman.Nevertheless, he knows how difficult a task he faces against Djokovic.Hes better player than me, definitely, Monfils said. I think I have no shame to say it.The Serb will be playing a 10th straight US Open semi-final, a run that includes his titles here last year and in 2011.He arrived in New York nursing a wrist injury, but has had plenty of time to rest after an astonishing three of his five scheduled opponents have been incapacitated by injury leaving him with one walkover and two shortened matches.Monfils said a lack of match play wont make Djokovic any less dangerous.For him its different, Monfils said. Hes super-confident for years. I think he doesnt need many matches to feel his best tennis.

Tennis: Wozniacki, Kerber put friendship aside at US Open

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NEW YORK (AFP) - Caroline Wozniacki and Angelique Kerber are joined by friendship, Polish roots and cosy coffee chats, but on Thursday theyll be ruthless in pursuit of a place in the US Open final.Its an intriguing semi-final clash between a former world number one who has never won a Grand Slam title and the current number two who claimed a first major at the Australian Open in January.We are similar in that we are both hard working. I think that hard work pays off. Shes obviously very passionate, said Wozniacki.Angies had a great year and Im happy for her.The two friends paths have been heading in dramatically different directions this year.A right ankle injury sidelined 26-year-old Wozniacki for the best part of three months and her enforced absence from the French Open ended a streak of 36 successive appearances at the majors.He ranking coming into New York was 74.In contrast, Kerber has appeared in two of the three Slam finals, her success in Melbourne followed by defeat to Serena Williams in the Wimbledon championship match.The German, two years older at 28, could be number one in the world next week, five years after Wozniacki last held the position.Wozniacki, Kerber as well as sisters Agnieszka and Urszula Radwanska have all grown up on the tour, all boasting Polish blood.The Radwanskas are Polish-born. Kerber has a Polish father and German mother.Piotr and Anna Wozniacki left Poland to settle in Denmark when he secured a professional football contract with top Danish side Odense. Caroline was born in the city in 1990.The four players Polish bond is evident in holiday photos and they remain as close as they can be in the cut-throat environment of professional tennis.We would still go on vacations, but the problem is like Aga is getting married, so then all of a sudden were like, we just want a girls trip, but its tough when everyone has their own thing, said Wozniacki.But we hang out and we have coffees and sit and talk and have a good time. I think the great thing about our little group is that we have hung out for years and it doesnt matter who is No. 1 or who is lower ranked, we always have our little clique. We chat and have a laugh.There hasnt been a lot to laugh about for Wozniacki in recent months.This week, her father even suggested that she was close to retirement despite her reaching a semi-final at the majors for the first time in two years.Her carefree hitting at the US Open has been interpreted as a sign that for someone with 23 career titles and $20 million in the bank, there are few challenges left -- apart from that elusive first major.Being injured and being away from the game you kind of put things in perspective. Youre like, I could get injured again tomorrow and I wont have another shot out there, said Wozniacki.Im enjoying it much more now than I was then. Back then I was just trying and grinding for staying at the top of the rankings for as long as possible, added the Danish star who keeps a second home in New York.Now obviously I want to win every match, but its different. Im not the favourite. Im just going in there as the underdog and going out doing my thing.Kerber leads Wozniacki 7-5 in career meetings but they have never met at a Slam.If the German prevails on Thursday and goes on to dethrone Williams as world number one, Wozniacki will be one of the first to congratulate her coffee club friend.Its something that very few people in the world have ever achieved. I mean, how crazy is it to say that youre the best in the world at something? Doesnt matter if its tennis, football, being a lawyer, whatever it is. Its really special.

Golf: McIlroy warning for Ryder rookies

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LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Rory McIlroy on Wednesday warned Europes Ryder Cup rookies to prepare for the toughest golf environment of their careers ahead of this months biennial battle with the United States.World number three McIlroy -- speaking ahead of the BMW Championship -- said he planned to brief the five first-timers in Europes ranks about what to expect when hostilities get under way at Hazeltine National from September 30.McIlroy, 27, a veteran of winning European sides in 2010, 2012 and 2014, said even now he had still not got fully comfortable with the bearpit-like atmosphere of the tournament -- and this year it is being played in the Americans own backyard.I was really uncomfortable in 2010, I was just uncomfortable in 2012 and I was somewhat uncomfortable in 2014, McIlroy said. Its a tournament where you get feelings youve never had before.McIlroy said he would emphasize the unique nature of the event to reigning Masters champion Danny Willett, the Englishman who pulled off a shock victory at Augusta in April to land his first major.Someone like Danny Willett on our team, whos won the Masters, Im going to say, That final round (at Augusta) was great -- but you were playing with Lee Westwood, whos a buddy of yours. And you werent really in contention until the final five or six holes.Well, the first round of a Ryder Cup is like playing the final round of a major for all 18 holes. Guys are going to experience things that theyve probably never experienced before on a golf course. Its a tough environment.McIlroy aims to arrive at the Ryder Cup in prime form having benefitted from a mid-season break after opting to skip the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.It was nice to have that three-week break to get refreshed and get ready with this run coming up, McIlroy said. I think some guys are feeling a little bit more tired than I am right now.The benefits of that three-week lay-off were on display on Monday in the final round of the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston, when the Northern Irishman shot a blistering closing six-under-par 65 to claim a two-stroke victory.The win earned McIlroy another $1.53 million and catapulted him from 38th to fourth place in the standings for the lucrative FedExCup post-season series.McIlroy hopes the victory is an omen for the BMW at Crooked Stick Golf Course in Carmel, Indiana. The last time McIlroy won the Deutsche Bank in 2012 he followed it with victory at the BMW Championship on the same course.It would be a great season if I can play the way I am playing through the next two FedExCup events and then into the Ryder Cup, McIlroy said. I still wont have achieved what I wanted to achieve this season, but it would be a nice way to finish the season off, I guess.Anytime youre part of a winning Ryder Cup team its a special moment. Im looking forward to trying to help the team as much as I can.
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