france24--2020-08-22--After Hagia Sophia, Turkey's Erdogan turns another former church into mosque

A view of the ceiling of the Chora or Kariye Museum , formally the Church of the Holy Saviour , a medieval Byzantine Greek Orthodox church , decorated with 14th-century frescoes of the Last Judgement , in the Fatih district in Istanbul on August 21 , 2020 .
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday ordered another ancient Orthodox church that became a mosque and then a popular Istanbul museum to be turned back into a place of Muslim worship .
The decision to transform the Kariye Museum into a mosque came just a month after a similarly controversial conversion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Both changes reflect Erdogan 's efforts to galvanise his more conservative and nationalist supporters at a time when Turkey is suffering a new spell of inflation and economic uncertainty caused by the coronavirus .
But the moves have added to Turkey 's problems with prelates in both the Orthodox and Catholic worlds .
The Greek foreign ministry called the decision `` yet another provocation against religious persons everywhere '' by the Turkish government .
The 1,000-year-old Kariye building 's history closely mirrors that of the Hagia Sophia -- its bigger and more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Golden Horn estuary on the European side of Istanbul .
The Holy Saviour in Chora was a Byzantine church decorated with 14th-century frescoes of the Last Judgement that remain treasured in Christendom .
It was originally converted into the Kariye Mosque half a century after the 1453 conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks .
It became the Kariye Museum after World War II as Turkey pushed ahead with the creation of a more secular new republic out of the ashes of the Ottoman Empire .
A group of American art historians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mosaics and opened them up for public display in 1958 .
But Erdogan is placing an ever greater political emphasis on the battles that resulted in the defeat of Byzantium by the Ottomans .
Turkey 's top administrative court approved the museum 's conversion into a mosque in November .
`` It 's a place steeped in history which holds a lot of symbolism for a lot of different people , '' said 48-year-old French tourist Frederic Sicard outside the building .
`` For me , ( these conversions ) are a little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But we would visit if it were a mosque .
We might just have to arrange visits around prayer times . ''
The sand-coloured structure visible today replaced a building created as a part of a monastery when Constantinople became the new capital of the Roman Empire in the fourth century .
It features a minaret in one corner and small cascading domes similar to those of other grand mosques whose calls to prayer echo across the hills of Istanbul .
But inside it is filled with magnificent frescoes and mosaics that represent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ art in the Christian world .
Turkey 's tumultuous efforts to reconcile these two histories form the underpinnings of the country 's contemporary politics and social life .
Opposition HDP party lawmaker Garo Paylan called the transformation `` a shame for our country '' .
`` One of the symbols of our country 's deep , multicultural identity and multi-religious history has been sacrificed , '' he tweeted .
Ottoman Empire historian Zeynep Turkyilmaz called the conversion `` destruction '' because the building 's walls are lined with Christian art that would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over -- as it was by the Ottomans .
`` It is impossible to hide the frescoes and mosaics because they decorate the entire building , '' the historian told AFP .
Yet some locals fully supported the change .
`` There are dozens , hundreds of churches , synagogues in Istanbul and only a few of them have been opened to prayer as mosques , '' said Yucel Sahin as he strolled by the building after the morning rain .
`` There is a lot of tolerance in our culture . ''

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday ordered another ancient Orthodox church that became a mosque and then a popular Istanbul museum to be turned back into a place of Muslim worship.
A view of the ceiling of the Chora or Kariye Museum, formally the Church of the Holy Saviour, a medieval Byzantine Greek Orthodox church, decorated with 14th-century frescoes of the Last Judgement, in the Fatih district in Istanbul on August 21, 2020.
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The decision to transform the Kariye Museum into a mosque came just a month after a similarly controversial conversion for the UNESCO World Heritage-recognised Hagia Sophia.
Both changes reflect Erdogan's efforts to galvanise his more conservative and nationalist supporters at a time when Turkey is suffering a new spell of inflation and economic uncertainty caused by the coronavirus.
But the moves have added to Turkey's problems with prelates in both the Orthodox and Catholic worlds.
The Greek foreign ministry called the decision "yet another provocation against religious persons everywhere" by the Turkish government.
'Steeped in history'
The 1,000-year-old Kariye building's history closely mirrors that of the Hagia Sophia -- its bigger and more famous neighbour on the western bank of the Golden Horn estuary on the European side of Istanbul.
The Holy Saviour in Chora was a Byzantine church decorated with 14th-century frescoes of the Last Judgement that remain treasured in Christendom.
It was originally converted into the Kariye Mosque half a century after the 1453 conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks.
It became the Kariye Museum after World War II as Turkey pushed ahead with the creation of a more secular new republic out of the ashes of the Ottoman Empire.
A group of American art historians then helped restore the original church's mosaics and opened them up for public display in 1958.
But Erdogan is placing an ever greater political emphasis on the battles that resulted in the defeat of Byzantium by the Ottomans.
Turkey's top administrative court approved the museum's conversion into a mosque in November.
"It's a place steeped in history which holds a lot of symbolism for a lot of different people," said 48-year-old French tourist Frederic Sicard outside the building.
"For me, (these conversions) are a little difficult to understand and to follow. But we would visit if it were a mosque. We might just have to arrange visits around prayer times."
'Shame for our country'
The sand-coloured structure visible today replaced a building created as a part of a monastery when Constantinople became the new capital of the Roman Empire in the fourth century.
It features a minaret in one corner and small cascading domes similar to those of other grand mosques whose calls to prayer echo across the hills of Istanbul.
But inside it is filled with magnificent frescoes and mosaics that represent some of the finest examples of Byzantine art in the Christian world.
Turkey's tumultuous efforts to reconcile these two histories form the underpinnings of the country's contemporary politics and social life.
Opposition HDP party lawmaker Garo Paylan called the transformation "a shame for our country".
"One of the symbols of our country's deep, multicultural identity and multi-religious history has been sacrificed," he tweeted.
Ottoman Empire historian Zeynep Turkyilmaz called the conversion "destruction" because the building's walls are lined with Christian art that would have to be either covered up or plastered over -- as it was by the Ottomans.
"It is impossible to hide the frescoes and mosaics because they decorate the entire building," the historian told AFP.
Yet some locals fully supported the change.
"There are dozens, hundreds of churches, synagogues in Istanbul and only a few of them have been opened to prayer as mosques," said Yucel Sahin as he strolled by the building after the morning rain.
"There is a lot of tolerance in our culture."
(AFP)
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france24--2020-08-22--Ivory Coast rejects election bids of ex-president Gbagbo, ex-rebel leader Soro

Ivory Coast 's ex-president Laurent Gbagbo at the International Criminal Court in The Hague , Netherlands , January 15 , 2020 .
Ivory Coast election authorities rejected appeals by former President Laurent Gbagbo and former rebel leader Guillaume Soro to be allowed to run in the country 's October election , an official said Friday .
President Alassane Ouattara 's decision to contest a third term in October has already triggered outrage among opposition and civil society groups , who labelled it a `` coup '' that risked triggering chaos .
Gbagbo and Soro had appealed to the Independent Electoral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to not include them in electoral lists for the ballot .
`` The decisions have been posted since the 18th , the CEI has not granted their requests , '' Inza Kigbafori , the CEI communications manager , told AFP .
Ouattara , in power since 2010 , had said in March that he would not run for re-election .
The opposition says he is unable to run because the constitution limits presidents to two terms .
Ouattara changed his position after the sudden death of prime minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly -- seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a heart attack in July .
The shock news heightened tensions before October 31 vote , which takes place in the shadow cast by violence following 2010 's election that killed around 3,000 people .
Gbagbo was freed conditionally by the International Criminal Court ( ICC ) after he was cleared in 2019 of crimes against humanity .
His return to Ivory Coast would be sensitive before the presidential election .
His Ivorian Popular Front ( FPI ) party urged him to throw his hat in the electoral ring .
Soro , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into self-imposed exile in France in the face of a long list of legal problems at home .
He was a leader in a 2002 revolt that sliced the former French colony into the rebel-held north and the government-controlled south and triggered years of unrest .
He was once an ally of Ouattara , helping him to power during the post-election crisis in 2010 .
The two eventually fell out .

Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara was formally chosen by his party Saturday to run for a third term in an October election, despite opposition charges it is unconstitutional. The decision came a day after election authorities rejected the candidacies of the former president, Laurent Gbagbo, and ex-rebel leader Guillaume Soro.
Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara arrives at the meeting of the ruling coalition party Aug. 22, 202 to be nominated as the candidate for the October's election.
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Ouattara, who has been in power since 2010, said in March that he would not stand again but changed his position after the death of prime minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly -- seen as his anointed successor -- in July.
The announcement came a day after the country’s election authorities rejected appeals by Ivory Coast’s former president Laurent Gbagbo and former rebel leader Guillaume Soro to be allowed to run in the country's October election.
Outtara’s decision to contest a third term in October has already triggered outrage among opposition and civil society groups, who labelled it a "coup" that risked triggering chaos.
The constitution limits presidents to two terms, but 78-year-old Ouattara -- who has served two five-year terms since 2010 -- and his supporters argue that a 2016 constitutional tweak reset the clock.
His ruling Houphouetist Rally for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) party said Ouattara was nominated as its candidate at an event attended by 100,000 people in an Abidjan stadium.
"We remain focused on the election, with a record to defend and a project to propose to Ivorians," party spokesman Mamadou Touré told AFP, branding the street demonstrations against Ouattara's candidacy a "dismal failure".
Rival candidates rejected
On Friday, the country’s Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) rejected appeals by Gbagbo and Soro to run in the October election.
"The decisions have been posted since the 18th, the CEI has not granted their requests," Inza Kigbafori, the CEI communications manager, told AFP.
The shock news heightened tensions before October 31 vote, which takes place in the shadow cast by violence following 2010's election that killed around 3,000 people.
Ivory Coast, one of the world's biggest producers of coffee and cocoa, is still traumatised by the post-electoral violence after the 2010 vote, when Gbagbo refused to cede to the victor, Ouattara.
Gbagbo was freed conditionally by the International Criminal Court (ICC) after he was cleared in 2019 of crimes against humanity.
His return to Ivory Coast would be sensitive before the presidential election. His Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) party urged him to throw his hat in the electoral ring.
Soro, a former rebel leader, has been forced into self-imposed exile in France in the face of a long list of legal problems at home.
He was a leader in a 2002 revolt that sliced the former French colony into the rebel-held north and the government-controlled south and triggered years of unrest.
He was once an ally of Ouattara, helping him to power during the post-election crisis in 2010. The two eventually fell out.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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france24--2020-08-22--Tsikhanouskaya says she would not seek Belarus presidency if new elections held

Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addresses the nation in Vilnius , Lithuania , in this still image taken from handout video released August 21 , 2020 .
Belarusian politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya , who has led the biggest challenge to Alexander Lukashenko 's 26-year rule of Belarus , said in an interview aired on Friday that she would not run for the presidency if the country holds new elections .
Tsikhanouskaya , who became Lukashenko 's opposition rival in the contested Aug. 9 election in which he was declared the victor , has fled to neighbouring Lithuania .
She emerged from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's place in the election campaign after he was jailed in May .
`` I 'm not planning to run myself , '' Tsikhanouskaya said in an interview with Belsat TV when asked if she or her husband , a well-known video blogger , would run for the presidency if new elections are held as the opposition has sought .
`` More than enough , '' Tsikhanouskaya , who led some of the biggest protests against Lukashenko since he came to power with the fall of the Soviet Union , replied when asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mass protests broke out against Lukashenko , accusing him of rigging the election , allegations that he denies .
Tsikhanouskaya said the release of political prisoners is one of the demands of protesters and `` new fair transparent elections can restore justice . ''
The 37-year-old former English teacher was never supposed to be the leader of popular resistance to Lukashenko , a former Soviet collective farm boss .
But when her husband was jailed and other candidates were barred from running in the election , Tsikhanouskaya became the prime challenger to Lukashenko @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were disputed by the opposition .
Earlier this week , Tsikhanouskaya had said she was ready to lead Belarus , a country of 9.5 million , and had called for the creation of a legal mechanism to ensure that a new fair presidential election could be held .

Belarusian politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who has led the biggest challenge to Alexander Lukashenko's 26-year rule of Belarus, said in an interview aired on Friday that she would not run for the presidency if the country holds new elections.
Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addresses the nation in Vilnius, Lithuania, in this still image taken from handout video released August 21, 2020.
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Tsikhanouskaya, who became Lukashenko's opposition rival in the contested Aug. 9 election in which he was declared the victor, has fled to neighbouring Lithuania. She emerged from obscurity to take her husband Siarhei Tsikhanouski's place in the election campaign after he was jailed in May.
"I'm not planning to run myself," Tsikhanouskaya said in an interview with Belsat TV when asked if she or her husband, a well-known video blogger, would run for the presidency if new elections are held as the opposition has sought.
02:06
"More than enough," Tsikhanouskaya, who led some of the biggest protests against Lukashenko since he came to power with the fall of the Soviet Union, replied when asked if she had enough of politics.
Mass protests broke out against Lukashenko, accusing him of rigging the election, allegations that he denies.
Tsikhanouskaya said the release of political prisoners is one of the demands of protesters and "new fair transparent elections can restore justice."
The 37-year-old former English teacher was never supposed to be the leader of popular resistance to Lukashenko, a former Soviet collective farm boss. But when her husband was jailed and other candidates were barred from running in the election, Tsikhanouskaya became the prime challenger to Lukashenko, whose claims of a landslide victory were disputed by the opposition.
Earlier this week, Tsikhanouskaya had said she was ready to lead Belarus, a country of 9.5 million, and had called for the creation of a legal mechanism to ensure that a new fair presidential election could be held.
(REUTERS)
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france24--2020-08-22--South Korea to ramp up virus curbs over fears of second wave

South Korea will reimpose nationwide coronavirus restrictions as fears grow of a major second wave of infections South Korea has announced it will ramp up coronavirus restrictions across the country starting Sunday to try and control a growing outbreak .
The move came as South Korea -- which had largely brought its earlier outbreak under control -- reported 332 cases on Saturday , the highest daily figure since early March .
Virus curbs were tightened in the Seoul region last week but with more than 300 cases reported two days in a row , authorities expanded them to the rest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a very precarious stage where we could see the beginning of a nationwide second wave , '' said health and welfare minister Park Neung-hoo at a press briefing .
Controlling the spread of the virus was the highest priority , he added .
The expanded measures include restrictions on gatherings and activities including professional sports , which will be played behind closed doors again .
All beaches around the country will also be closed from midnight .
South Korea has reported a total of 17,002 coronavirus infections with 309 deaths .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the greater Seoul region -- home to half of the country 's 51 million people .
South Korea endured one of the worst early outbreaks outside mainland China but brought it broadly under control with extensive tracing and testing while never imposing the kind of lockdowns ordered in much of Europe and other parts of the world .
The country has been seen as a model on how to combat the pandemic with the public largely following safety health measures such as face masks .
It even started allowing limited numbers of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which was reversed for the greater Seoul area last week and will be reversed nationwide from Sunday .

Seoul (AFP) –
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South Korea has announced it will ramp up coronavirus restrictions across the country starting Sunday to try and control a growing outbreak.
The move came as South Korea -- which had largely brought its earlier outbreak under control -- reported 332 cases on Saturday, the highest daily figure since early March.
Virus curbs were tightened in the Seoul region last week but with more than 300 cases reported two days in a row, authorities expanded them to the rest of the country.
"We are at a very precarious stage where we could see the beginning of a nationwide second wave," said health and welfare minister Park Neung-hoo at a press briefing.
Controlling the spread of the virus was the highest priority, he added.
The expanded measures include restrictions on gatherings and activities including professional sports, which will be played behind closed doors again.
All beaches around the country will also be closed from midnight.
South Korea has reported a total of 17,002 coronavirus infections with 309 deaths.
A majority of the new cases have come from the greater Seoul region -- home to half of the country's 51 million people.
South Korea endured one of the worst early outbreaks outside mainland China but brought it broadly under control with extensive tracing and testing while never imposing the kind of lockdowns ordered in much of Europe and other parts of the world.
The country has been seen as a model on how to combat the pandemic with the public largely following safety health measures such as face masks.
It even started allowing limited numbers of spectators at sports games in July -- which was reversed for the greater Seoul area last week and will be reversed nationwide from Sunday.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-08-22--Doncic insists ankle injury is just 'a little sprain'

Luka Doncic made Dallas history with the NBA team 's first playoff triple-double on Friday , but the Slovenian star 's left ankle sprain in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers took the sheen off the feat .
`` It 's not that bad , '' the 21-year-old told reporters after the 130-122 defeat that left the Mavericks trailing the Clippers two games to one in the best-of-seven Western Conference Series .
`` A little sprain . ''
But Doncic will have an MRI exam on Saturday , and coach Rick Carlisle said he did n't know what his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game four on Sunday .
`` Unsure of the exact severity of Luka 's left ankle , '' Carlisle said .
`` We 'll know more tomorrow .
He did come back and try it , obviously , and was n't moving great , so we 'll see where he is come tomorrow and then Sunday morning . ''
Doncic appeared to tweak the ankle when he slipped in the opening minutes of the game .
But the real damage was done with four minutes left in the third quarter , as he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leonard .
Doncic twisted the ankle and hit the court , clearly in pain .
He hopped to the sideline and was helped to the locker room , returning in the fourth quarter with the ankle heavily taped .
In his brief return , Doncic polished off a triple-double of 13 points , 10 rebounds and 10 assists .
But he came up limping again with 9:02 remaining and headed again to the sidelines and again to the locker room .
Carlisle said he had no qualms about putting Doncic back in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try to play .
But he recognized immediately when Doncic could n't go on .
`` He did n't further injure it , '' Carlisle said .
`` He just was n't able to move the way you 've got to be able to move in a playoff game . ''

Miami (AFP) –
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Luka Doncic made Dallas history with the NBA team's first playoff triple-double on Friday, but the Slovenian star's left ankle sprain in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers took the sheen off the feat.
"It's not that bad," the 21-year-old told reporters after the 130-122 defeat that left the Mavericks trailing the Clippers two games to one in the best-of-seven Western Conference Series. "A little sprain."
But Doncic will have an MRI exam on Saturday, and coach Rick Carlisle said he didn't know what his young star's status would be for game four on Sunday.
"Unsure of the exact severity of Luka's left ankle," Carlisle said. "We'll know more tomorrow. He did come back and try it, obviously, and wasn't moving great, so we'll see where he is come tomorrow and then Sunday morning."
Doncic appeared to tweak the ankle when he slipped in the opening minutes of the game.
But the real damage was done with four minutes left in the third quarter, as he moved over to defend a driving Kawhi Leonard.
Doncic twisted the ankle and hit the court, clearly in pain. He hopped to the sideline and was helped to the locker room, returning in the fourth quarter with the ankle heavily taped.
In his brief return, Doncic polished off a triple-double of 13 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
But he came up limping again with 9:02 remaining and headed again to the sidelines and again to the locker room.
Carlisle said he had no qualms about putting Doncic back in the game when he said he wanted to try to play.
But he recognized immediately when Doncic couldn't go on.
"He didn't further injure it," Carlisle said. "He just wasn't able to move the way you've got to be able to move in a playoff game."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-08-23--No crowds makes for a new world as tennis gears up for US Open

For her or against her , former world number one Victoria Azarenka says fans in the stands are a key part of the tennis experience .
`` I feel like they create an energy , '' Azarenka said Saturday , after beating Donna Vekic 6-2 , 6-3 in her opening match of the Western & Southern Open campaign on an eerily empty Grandstand court at the National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows .
`` Those kind of magical moments always happen when there is a crowd , and it can swing each way , '' Azarenka said .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can feed off .
`` Sometimes you have the whole stadium against you and you kind of feed off of that , as well . ''
Players are having to adjust , however , as tennis returns amid the COVID-19 pandemic that brought the sport to a halt in March .
`` There is n't really an atmosphere , so that 's obviously a little bit tricky , '' former men 's number one Andy Murray said after his first-round victory over American Frances Tiafoe .
`` I know it 's a bit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to kind of create your own atmosphere a bit on the court .
It 's just not quite the same . ''
Murray said that was even more important in the tiring , humid conditions .
`` A crowd being there sort of maybe helps you focus a little bit more and sometimes gives you that little bit extra boost in terms of your energy or whatever , your concentration .
It 's certainly different in that respect .
`` I thought I did quite well with that .
At the beginning of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort to give as much energy as possible on the court , '' Murray added .
`` Fist pumping and trying to be positive .
That helped a bit . ''
ATP players are back in action this week for the first time since play was halted back in March .
The WTA resumed earlier this month with tournaments in Prague and Lexington , Kentucky , neither of which boast the massive courts of the tennis center where the US Open will start on August 31 .
The center 's biggest courts , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , are n't in use this week , and Azarenka hopes the US Tennis Association wo n't try to fill them with virtual fans when the Open begins .
`` I hope they do n't put fake people , because that 's going to be super weird , '' she said .
`` To me it looks creepy '' she said of the `` virtual fans '' displayed electronically at NBA games in that league 's quarantine bubble in Orlando , Florida .
`` So I hope that 's not going to happen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Murray said taking the court in a top level tour event was a big step up from the `` Battle of the Brits '' exhibition he played in June .
`` These are some of the biggest events that we play on the tour against the best players in the world , '' he said .
`` They go down on your record .
My concentration and everything is significantly better at a tournament like this . ''

New York (AFP) –
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For her or against her, former world number one Victoria Azarenka says fans in the stands are a key part of the tennis experience.
"I feel like they create an energy," Azarenka said Saturday, after beating Donna Vekic 6-2, 6-3 in her opening match of the Western & Southern Open campaign on an eerily empty Grandstand court at the National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows.
"Those kind of magical moments always happen when there is a crowd, and it can swing each way," Azarenka said. "I love that energy I feel like you can feed off.
"Sometimes you have the whole stadium against you and you kind of feed off of that, as well."
Players are having to adjust, however, as tennis returns amid the COVID-19 pandemic that brought the sport to a halt in March.
"There isn't really an atmosphere, so that's obviously a little bit tricky," former men's number one Andy Murray said after his first-round victory over American Frances Tiafoe.
"I know it's a bit of a cliche, but you need to kind of create your own atmosphere a bit on the court. It's just not quite the same."
Murray said that was even more important in the tiring, humid conditions.
"A crowd being there sort of maybe helps you focus a little bit more and sometimes gives you that little bit extra boost in terms of your energy or whatever, your concentration. It's certainly different in that respect.
"I thought I did quite well with that. At the beginning of the third set I made a big effort to give as much energy as possible on the court," Murray added. "Fist pumping and trying to be positive. That helped a bit."
ATP players are back in action this week for the first time since play was halted back in March.
The WTA resumed earlier this month with tournaments in Prague and Lexington, Kentucky, neither of which boast the massive courts of the tennis center where the US Open will start on August 31.
The center's biggest courts, the Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong stadiums, aren't in use this week, and Azarenka hopes the US Tennis Association won't try to fill them with virtual fans when the Open begins.
"I hope they don't put fake people, because that's going to be super weird," she said.
"To me it looks creepy" she said of the "virtual fans" displayed electronically at NBA games in that league's quarantine bubble in Orlando, Florida. "So I hope that's not going to happen."
Even with no spectators, Murray said taking the court in a top level tour event was a big step up from the "Battle of the Brits" exhibition he played in June.
"These are some of the biggest events that we play on the tour against the best players in the world," he said. "They go down on your record. My concentration and everything is significantly better at a tournament like this."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-08-22--Johnson soars to five-stroke PGA lead on eagle wings

Dustin Johnson curled in a 40-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole to seize a five-stroke lead after Saturday 's third round of the US PGA Northern Trust tournament .
The 36-year-old American fired a seven-under par 64 to follow up his stunning 60 on Friday and stand on 22-under 191 after 54 holes at TPC Boston .
`` I was just worried about shooting as low as I could again , '' Johnson said .
`` It was good .
I played solid all around .
I gave myself a lot of opportunities .
`` I hit a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swinging really good .
I hit it in the fairway .
It 's nice when everything matches up . ''
Johnson grabbed the largest 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour this season with Scottie Scheffler , coming off a 59 on Friday , and Harris English sharing second on 196 .
South African Louis Oosthuizen was fourth on 198 .
`` We 're on a golf course where you can shoot really low , '' Johnson said .
`` I 'm going to have to go out and shoot a really low round @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I 'm in a good position .
I 'm going to go out and see what I can do . ''
Fourth-ranked Johnson would return to the world number one spot with a win if Spain 's top-ranked Jon Rahm and US world number two Justin Thomas finish worse than a three-way share of second .
Rahm shared 19th on 203 while Thomas was level 34th on 206 .
Johnson , who matched a PGA record with a 27 on the front nine Friday , settled for only four birdies Saturday -- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a six-footer at the fifth , an eight-footer at the par-5 seventh and a 20-footer at the par-3 eighth .
Despite a 50-minute weather delay just before Johnson made the turn , he stayed strong , putting his approach inches from the cup at the par-4 12th and tapping in to reach 20-under .
Johnson made bogey at 13 , finding a greenside bunker and missing an 11-foot par putt , but answered with an 18-foot birdie putt at 17 .
On the par-5 18th , Johnson reached the green in two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ball over a ridge and left of the cup then watched it roll back into the hole .
English briefly shared of the lead with a run of three birdies in four holes , capping the streak at the 14th by rolling in a chip shot from 42 feet .
But English stumbled with bogeys at the par-3 16th and par-4 17th , missing par putts from just inside five and seven feet .
`` Overall my game feels good .
Happy to be in the hunt again , '' English said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and see what I can do . ''
English won his only PGA titles at the 2013 St. Jude Classic and 2013 Mayakoba Classic .
`` Going to have some ups and downs in the round , '' English said .
`` But you 've got to stay positive and know you can come down the closing stretch and make a lot of birdies . ''
The event is the first US PGA playoff tournament , with the top 70 players in season points advancing to next week 's BMW Championship , from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the season-ending Tour Championship next month at East Lake in Atlanta .
Tiger Woods shot 73 to stand on 67th at 212 , one stroke ahead of playing partner Rory McIlroy , who fired 74 .

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Dustin Johnson curled in a 40-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole to seize a five-stroke lead after Saturday's third round of the US PGA Northern Trust tournament.
The 36-year-old American fired a seven-under par 64 to follow up his stunning 60 on Friday and stand on 22-under 191 after 54 holes at TPC Boston.
"I was just worried about shooting as low as I could again," Johnson said. "It was good. I played solid all around. I gave myself a lot of opportunities.
"I hit a lot of quality iron shots. I was swinging really good. I hit it in the fairway. It's nice when everything matches up."
Johnson grabbed the largest 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour this season with Scottie Scheffler, coming off a 59 on Friday, and Harris English sharing second on 196. South African Louis Oosthuizen was fourth on 198.
"We're on a golf course where you can shoot really low," Johnson said. "I'm going to have to go out and shoot a really low round if I want to win tomorrow.
"I'm in a good position. I'm going to go out and see what I can do."
Fourth-ranked Johnson would return to the world number one spot with a win if Spain's top-ranked Jon Rahm and US world number two Justin Thomas finish worse than a three-way share of second. Rahm shared 19th on 203 while Thomas was level 34th on 206.
Johnson, who matched a PGA record with a 27 on the front nine Friday, settled for only four birdies Saturday -- a tap-in putt at the par-5 second, a six-footer at the fifth, an eight-footer at the par-5 seventh and a 20-footer at the par-3 eighth.
Despite a 50-minute weather delay just before Johnson made the turn, he stayed strong, putting his approach inches from the cup at the par-4 12th and tapping in to reach 20-under.
Johnson made bogey at 13, finding a greenside bunker and missing an 11-foot par putt, but answered with an 18-foot birdie putt at 17.
On the par-5 18th, Johnson reached the green in two with a 40-foot eagle putt, angled the ball over a ridge and left of the cup then watched it roll back into the hole.
- Ups and downs -
English briefly shared of the lead with a run of three birdies in four holes, capping the streak at the 14th by rolling in a chip shot from 42 feet. But English stumbled with bogeys at the par-3 16th and par-4 17th, missing par putts from just inside five and seven feet.
"Overall my game feels good. Happy to be in the hunt again," English said. "Going to come out tomorrow and see what I can do."
English won his only PGA titles at the 2013 St. Jude Classic and 2013 Mayakoba Classic.
"Going to have some ups and downs in the round," English said. "But you've got to stay positive and know you can come down the closing stretch and make a lot of birdies."
The event is the first US PGA playoff tournament, with the top 70 players in season points advancing to next week's BMW Championship, from where the top 30 will advance to the season-ending Tour Championship next month at East Lake in Atlanta.
Tiger Woods shot 73 to stand on 67th at 212, one stroke ahead of playing partner Rory McIlroy, who fired 74.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-08-22--Bucks blow past Magic, Heat hold off Pacers

The Milwaukee Bucks looked more like the team with the best record in the NBA on Saturday as they rolled to a 121-107 victory over Orlando to take a 2-1 lead in their playoff series .
Giannis Antetokounmpo -- in the running for a second straight NBA Most Valuable Player Award -- scored 35 points and pulled down 11 rebounds as the Bucks edged ahead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series that saw them stunned by the Magic in game one .
Antetokounmpo was a model of efficiency in 30 minutes on the court , connecting on 12 of 14 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of three from three-point range .
`` It was a lot easier because we played defense , '' said Antetokounmpo , who had two steals and a blocked shot .
`` Once we play defense , we 're able to run in transition and it makes the game easy .
`` We could get early threes , we could get wide open threes , we could get driving lanes . ''
Khris Middleton added 17 points for Milwaukee after he was limited to two in the Bucks ' game-two victory , and Brook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were already up 53-34 when Marvin Williams of the Bucks and Orlando 's James Ennis were ejected after a second-quarter scuffle that began when they tangled under the basket .
Ennis then shoved Williams , Williams pushed back and grabbed Ennis 's jersey before Ennis appeared to swing a fist in a bid to free himself .
The ejections were likely more costly to the already injury-depleted Magic , and the Bucks closed the half on a 25-9 scoring run .
Milwaukee led by as many as 34 in the third before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 7:22 remaining .
But after Terrence Ross drained a three to trim the margin to 104-92 , the Bucks rebuilt the lead with two free throws from Antetokounmpo , a three pointer and a two-point jump shot from Lopez and a dunk from Antetokounmpo .
`` We just had to keep playing defense , '' Anteokounmpo said , `` keep our composure on offense , keep moving the ball and making the right play . ''
Elsewhere in the East , the Miami Heat pushed Indiana to the brink of elimination , withstanding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victory .
Jimmy Butler scored 24 points for the Heat , Goran Dragic finished with 24 , including five baskets from beyond the arc , and Bam Adebayo had 22 points and 11 rebounds as Miami took a commanding 3-0 series lead .
Miami outplayed the Pacers at both ends of the floor and their defense has been especially suffocating all series long .
They forced several turnovers down the stretch on Saturday to prevent Indiana from levelling the score .
The Heat led by 20 in the first half and by as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but the Pacers pulled within two points twice in the final period .
But after the Pacers made it a one-basket game with four minutes remaining , the Heat closed with a 13-6 scoring run to clinch the victory .
Malcolm Brogdon finished with 34 points and 14 assists while Myles Turner tallied 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Pacers who lost Victor Oladipo late in the game when he fouled out after scoring 20 points .

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The Milwaukee Bucks looked more like the team with the best record in the NBA on Saturday as they rolled to a 121-107 victory over Orlando to take a 2-1 lead in their playoff series.
Giannis Antetokounmpo -- in the running for a second straight NBA Most Valuable Player Award -- scored 35 points and pulled down 11 rebounds as the Bucks edged ahead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series that saw them stunned by the Magic in game one.
Antetokounmpo was a model of efficiency in 30 minutes on the court, connecting on 12 of 14 shots from the field, including two of three from three-point range.
"It was a lot easier because we played defense," said Antetokounmpo, who had two steals and a blocked shot. "Once we play defense, we're able to run in transition and it makes the game easy.
"We could get early threes, we could get wide open threes, we could get driving lanes."
Khris Middleton added 17 points for Milwaukee after he was limited to two in the Bucks' game-two victory, and Brook Lopez chipped in 16.
The Bucks were already up 53-34 when Marvin Williams of the Bucks and Orlando's James Ennis were ejected after a second-quarter scuffle that began when they tangled under the basket.
Ennis then shoved Williams, Williams pushed back and grabbed Ennis's jersey before Ennis appeared to swing a fist in a bid to free himself.
The ejections were likely more costly to the already injury-depleted Magic, and the Bucks closed the half on a 25-9 scoring run.
Milwaukee led by as many as 34 in the third before the Magic trimmed the deficit to 12 with 7:22 remaining.
But after Terrence Ross drained a three to trim the margin to 104-92, the Bucks rebuilt the lead with two free throws from Antetokounmpo, a three pointer and a two-point jump shot from Lopez and a dunk from Antetokounmpo.
"We just had to keep playing defense," Anteokounmpo said, "keep our composure on offense, keep moving the ball and making the right play."
Elsewhere in the East, the Miami Heat pushed Indiana to the brink of elimination, withstanding a furious Pacers rally for a 124-115 victory.
- Heat take control -
Jimmy Butler scored 24 points for the Heat, Goran Dragic finished with 24, including five baskets from beyond the arc, and Bam Adebayo had 22 points and 11 rebounds as Miami took a commanding 3-0 series lead.
Miami outplayed the Pacers at both ends of the floor and their defense has been especially suffocating all series long.
They forced several turnovers down the stretch on Saturday to prevent Indiana from levelling the score.
The Heat led by 20 in the first half and by as many as 18 in the third quarter, but the Pacers pulled within two points twice in the final period.
But after the Pacers made it a one-basket game with four minutes remaining, the Heat closed with a 13-6 scoring run to clinch the victory.
Malcolm Brogdon finished with 34 points and 14 assists while Myles Turner tallied 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Pacers who lost Victor Oladipo late in the game when he fouled out after scoring 20 points.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-08-22--'Not at my best yet' Wawrinka wins Prague Challenger

Former US Open champion Stan Wawrinka on Saturday won the second-tier Challenger tournament in Prague , on his return to action after a six-month break because of the coronavirus pandemic but admitted : `` I 'm not at my best yet '' .
Wawrinka , the 2016 US Open winner , has elected to skip this year 's Grand Slam in New York citing the `` health situation '' in the city and instead focus on Roland Garros which starts on September 27 .
World number 17 Wawrinka defeated 253rd-ranked Aslan Karatsev of Russia 7-6 ( 7/2 ) , 6-4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The three-time Grand Slam champion was playing in his first event since reaching the quarter-finals at Acapulco in February .
He won the last of his 16 ATP Tour titles at Geneva in 2017 .
`` It was the best match of the week and the level was good .
The focus was there , I was serving well and I 'm really happy to get the trophy today '' said Wawrinka .
`` It was nice to come back here and play a Challenger at the Prague Open , especially after so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : `` I feel good , but I know I 'm not at my best yet .
That 's the reason why I came here .
I wanted to get some matches . ''
The Swiss veteran will stay in the Czech capital for another Challenger event next week .

Paris (AFP) –
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Former US Open champion Stan Wawrinka on Saturday won the second-tier Challenger tournament in Prague, on his return to action after a six-month break because of the coronavirus pandemic but admitted: "I'm not at my best yet".
Wawrinka, the 2016 US Open winner, has elected to skip this year's Grand Slam in New York citing the "health situation" in the city and instead focus on Roland Garros which starts on September 27.
World number 17 Wawrinka defeated 253rd-ranked Aslan Karatsev of Russia 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 in the Prague final on clay.
The three-time Grand Slam champion was playing in his first event since reaching the quarter-finals at Acapulco in February.
He won the last of his 16 ATP Tour titles at Geneva in 2017.
"It was the best match of the week and the level was good. The focus was there, I was serving well and I'm really happy to get the trophy today" said Wawrinka.
"It was nice to come back here and play a Challenger at the Prague Open, especially after so many months away."
He added: "I feel good, but I know I'm not at my best yet. That's the reason why I came here. I wanted to get some matches."
The Swiss veteran will stay in the Czech capital for another Challenger event next week.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-08-22--Israeli protesters stage fresh anti-Netanyahu protest

The demonstrators , some playing musical instruments , gathered in front of the premier 's official residence in Jerusalem Thousands @ @ @ @ @ on Saturday demanding the resignation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , chanting `` Minister @ @ @ @ @ You 're fired '' and `` Free Israel '' .
The demonstrators , some playing @ @ @ @ @ front of the premier 's official residence .
Local media estimated the crowd at around @ @ @ @ @ Netanyahu resign over several corruption indictments and his handling of the coronavirus crisis have been @ @ @ @ @ the premier has been scathing in his counter-attack .
Earlier this month , he accused @ @ @ @ @ station , Channel 13 , of `` delivering propaganda for the anarchist left-wing demonstrations '' @ @ @ @ @ the rallies .
Israel won praise for its initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ under criticism amid a resurgence in cases after restrictions were lifted starting in late April @ @ @ @ @ that the economy was re-opened too quickly .

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Thousands of protesters rallied in Jerusalem on Saturday demanding the resignation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, chanting "Minister of Crime", "You're fired" and "Free Israel".
The demonstrators, some playing musical instruments, gathered in front of the premier's official residence. Local media estimated the crowd at around 10,000.
Protests demanding that Netanyahu resign over several corruption indictments and his handling of the coronavirus crisis have been mounting in recent weeks and the premier has been scathing in his counter-attack.
Earlier this month, he accused Channel 12 and another private station, Channel 13, of "delivering propaganda for the anarchist left-wing demonstrations" by giving extensive coverage of the rallies.
Israel won praise for its initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the government has come under criticism amid a resurgence in cases after restrictions were lifted starting in late April. Netanyahu has himself acknowledged that the economy was re-opened too quickly.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-08-22--Mexican reporter's killer jailed for 50 years in rare judgment

The murder of Miroslava Breach was one of the few media killings in Mexico since 2000 that has been solved A Mexican judge has sentenced the man convicted of ordering the 2017 murder of prominent journalist Miroslava Breach to 50 years imprisonment , a singular judgment in one of the deadliest countries globally for media .
The sentence of Juan Carlos Moreno , also known as `` El Larry , '' was announced by the state prosecutor 's office Saturday .
He had been convicted of being the `` intellectual author '' of Breach 's murder , one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the country .
Mexico is regularly rated by journalism watchdog Reporters Without Borders as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists .
Breach , who covered the country 's drug war , was one of 11 journalists murdered in 2017 .
More than 100 have killed since 2000 , but 90 percent of the murders remain unresolved .
Prosecutors said in a statement that the 50-year sentence set a precedent in cases involving crimes against free expression , adding it was the longest sentence to date for such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organization that advocates for human rights and free expression , said Moreno 's sentence `` represents an important precedent in the fight against impunity for crimes against journalists in this , the most violent country for the press . ''
But the organization called for further investigations of others involved in Breach 's murder , as well as an inquiry into the `` possible involvement of officials of the current government of Chihuahua . ''
Breach , a 54-year-old veteran crime and politics reporter for the newspapers La Jornada and Norte de Juarez @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with gunshot wounds to the head on March 23 , 2017 in Chihuahua state .
One of her last stories was on a war between two rival capos in the Juarez drug cartel .
Prosecutors said she was murdered `` with premeditation '' after being sent intimidating messages meant to impinge on her freedom of expression .
Ramon Zavala , wanted for allegedly being the gunman who actually shot Breach , was himself killed in late 2017 by unidentified assailants .
In 2018 the United Nations and AFP launched an award to honor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human rights abuses in Mexico , in tribute to Breach and another slain journalist , Javier Valdez .

Mexico City (AFP) –
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A Mexican judge has sentenced the man convicted of ordering the 2017 murder of prominent journalist Miroslava Breach to 50 years imprisonment, a singular judgment in one of the deadliest countries globally for media.
The sentence of Juan Carlos Moreno, also known as "El Larry," was announced by the state prosecutor's office Saturday.
He had been convicted of being the "intellectual author" of Breach's murder, one of the few such media killings to be solved in the country.
Mexico is regularly rated by journalism watchdog Reporters Without Borders as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists.
Breach, who covered the country's drug war, was one of 11 journalists murdered in 2017. More than 100 have killed since 2000, but 90 percent of the murders remain unresolved.
Prosecutors said in a statement that the 50-year sentence set a precedent in cases involving crimes against free expression, adding it was the longest sentence to date for such crimes.
Propuesta Civica, a non-governmental organization that advocates for human rights and free expression, said Moreno's sentence "represents an important precedent in the fight against impunity for crimes against journalists in this, the most violent country for the press."
But the organization called for further investigations of others involved in Breach's murder, as well as an inquiry into the "possible involvement of officials of the current government of Chihuahua."
Breach, a 54-year-old veteran crime and politics reporter for the newspapers La Jornada and Norte de Juarez, was found dead inside her car with gunshot wounds to the head on March 23, 2017 in Chihuahua state.
One of her last stories was on a war between two rival capos in the Juarez drug cartel.
Prosecutors said she was murdered "with premeditation" after being sent intimidating messages meant to impinge on her freedom of expression.
Ramon Zavala, wanted for allegedly being the gunman who actually shot Breach, was himself killed in late 2017 by unidentified assailants.
In 2018 the United Nations and AFP launched an award to honor journalists who risk their lives to cover human rights abuses in Mexico, in tribute to Breach and another slain journalist, Javier Valdez.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-08-22--Murray makes triumphant start to year at US Open tuneup

Britain 's Andy Murray made a triumphant ATP comeback Saturday , defeating Frances Tiafoe 7-6 ( 8/6 ) , 3-6 , 6-1 in his first match of 2020 at the Western and Southern Open .
The 33-year-old Scotsman advanced in hot and humid conditions to a second-round date with German fifth seed Alexander Zverev at the COVID-19 quarantine bubble that will also be used for the US Open , which starts on August 31 .
Murray won the 2012 US Open as well as the 2013 and 2016 Wimbledon titles plus the 2012 and 2016 Olympic gold medals .
Former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 129th , suffered a pelvic injury at Davis Cup last November and that , combined with the pandemic shutdown , kept him out of competition until he faced 22-year-old Tiafoe in a meeting of wildcard entrants .
Murray broke Tiafoe for a 2-0 lead in the third set when the American missed a volley , broke again to 5-1 with a backhand return winner and held at love to finish matters after two hours and 28 minutes .
Murray was the 2008 and 2011 winner in this Grand Slam tuneup event , usually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York due to the COVID-19 pandemic that wiped out much of the season , including Wimbledon .
Tiafoe , ranked 81st , forced the only break point of the first set in the 11th game with a lob winner but Murray dismissed it with a service winner up the middle and held to 6-5 on a second-serve ace .
In the tie-breaker , Tiafoe jumped ahead 5-2 before Murray roared back , saving a set point to reach 6-6 when Tiafoe sent a backhand wide and taking the set two points later on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whose only ATP title came at the 2018 Delray Beach Open , saved a break point with an ace in the fifth game of the second set and took the first break of the match for a 5-3 lead on a backhand drop volley winner before holding to force a third set .
The match was played on the National Tennis Center Grandstand court , the event 's feature court with no matches until the US Open scheduled at Arthur Ashe Stadium or Louis Armstrong Stadium .
On the women 's side , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teen Coco Gauff 6-1 , 6-3 in 64 minutes .
Sakkari could face 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams in the third round .
Among those set to play later were seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams and 2014 US Open winner Marin Cilic of Croatia .

New York (AFP) –
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Britain's Andy Murray made a triumphant ATP comeback Saturday, defeating Frances Tiafoe 7-6 (8/6), 3-6, 6-1 in his first match of 2020 at the Western and Southern Open.
The 33-year-old Scotsman advanced in hot and humid conditions to a second-round date with German fifth seed Alexander Zverev at the COVID-19 quarantine bubble that will also be used for the US Open, which starts on August 31.
Murray won the 2012 US Open as well as the 2013 and 2016 Wimbledon titles plus the 2012 and 2016 Olympic gold medals.
Former world number one Murray, now ranked 129th, suffered a pelvic injury at Davis Cup last November and that, combined with the pandemic shutdown, kept him out of competition until he faced 22-year-old Tiafoe in a meeting of wildcard entrants.
Murray broke Tiafoe for a 2-0 lead in the third set when the American missed a volley, broke again to 5-1 with a backhand return winner and held at love to finish matters after two hours and 28 minutes.
Murray was the 2008 and 2011 winner in this Grand Slam tuneup event, usually staged in Cincinnati but moved to New York due to the COVID-19 pandemic that wiped out much of the season, including Wimbledon.
Tiafoe, ranked 81st, forced the only break point of the first set in the 11th game with a lob winner but Murray dismissed it with a service winner up the middle and held to 6-5 on a second-serve ace.
In the tie-breaker, Tiafoe jumped ahead 5-2 before Murray roared back, saving a set point to reach 6-6 when Tiafoe sent a backhand wide and taking the set two points later on a passing forehand winner.
Tiafoe, whose only ATP title came at the 2018 Delray Beach Open, saved a break point with an ace in the fifth game of the second set and took the first break of the match for a 5-3 lead on a backhand drop volley winner before holding to force a third set.
The match was played on the National Tennis Center Grandstand court, the event's feature court with no matches until the US Open scheduled at Arthur Ashe Stadium or Louis Armstrong Stadium.
On the women's side, Greek 13th seed Maria Sakkari defeated US teen Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-3 in 64 minutes. Sakkari could face 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams in the third round.
Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova ousted Kazak ninth seed Elena Rybakina 7-5, 7-6 (8/6).
Among those set to play later were seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams and 2014 US Open winner Marin Cilic of Croatia.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-08-22--Injured Doncic likely game-time decision for NBA Mavericks

Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said the status of Luka Doncic for Sunday 's NBA playoff game against the Los Angeles Clippers is uncertain .
The 21-year-old Slovenian star suffered a sprained left ankle in a painful game-three defeat on Friday that sees the Mavs trailing the Clippers 2-1 in the best-of-seven series in the NBA 's quarantine bubble in Orlando , Florida .
On Saturday , Carlisle said it was too soon to say if Doncic would be able to play on Sunday afternoon .
`` I believe that this is going to be most likely a game-time decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We 're uncertain as to his status .
We do not have the diagnostic test results yet , the MRI results , so that will certainly have something to do with it , and mostly it 'll have to do with how he 's feeling .
`` I wish I knew right now , but I do n't , '' Carlisle said .
`` We have good depth to play without him , but he 's one of the best players in the world , so if we have to play @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loss . ''
Doncic insisted Friday night that the injury was `` a little sprain '' -- not nearly as serious as the two right ankle sprains that saw him miss a total of 12 games in December in February , before the NBA shut down in March amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Doncic was grateful that it was n't his right ankle this time , and he even returned briefly to the contest after having the ankle heavily taped from twisting it in the third quarter .
He was clearly hampered , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ playoff triple-double in Mavs history with 13 points , 10 rebounds and 10 assists .
`` I could run but I could n't push off my left leg , '' said Doncic , who finally hobbled off for good after returning for some three minutes .
`` He did n't further injure it , '' Carlisle said after the game .
`` He just was n't able to move the way you 've got to be able to move in a playoff game . ''

Miami (AFP) –
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Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said the status of Luka Doncic for Sunday's NBA playoff game against the Los Angeles Clippers is uncertain.
The 21-year-old Slovenian star suffered a sprained left ankle in a painful game-three defeat on Friday that sees the Mavs trailing the Clippers 2-1 in the best-of-seven series in the NBA's quarantine bubble in Orlando, Florida.
On Saturday, Carlisle said it was too soon to say if Doncic would be able to play on Sunday afternoon.
"I believe that this is going to be most likely a game-time decision type of situation," Carlisle said.
"We're uncertain as to his status. We do not have the diagnostic test results yet, the MRI results, so that will certainly have something to do with it, and mostly it'll have to do with how he's feeling.
"I wish I knew right now, but I don't," Carlisle said.
"We have good depth to play without him, but he's one of the best players in the world, so if we have to play without him, it's a big loss."
Doncic insisted Friday night that the injury was "a little sprain" -- not nearly as serious as the two right ankle sprains that saw him miss a total of 12 games in December in February, before the NBA shut down in March amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Doncic was grateful that it wasn't his right ankle this time, and he even returned briefly to the contest after having the ankle heavily taped from twisting it in the third quarter.
He was clearly hampered, but did manage to record the first playoff triple-double in Mavs history with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
"I could run but I couldn't push off my left leg," said Doncic, who finally hobbled off for good after returning for some three minutes.
"He didn't further injure it," Carlisle said after the game. "He just wasn't able to move the way you've got to be able to move in a playoff game."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-08-22--Holders Lyon, PSG set-up all-French Women's Champions League semi-final

Lyon stayed on course for a fifth successive Women 's Champions League title with a 2-1 quarter-final win over Bayern Munich on Saturday .
The victory set-up a last-four clash against French rivals Paris Saint-Germain who ended English hopes with a 2-1 win against Arsenal .
English international Nikita Parris gave six-time champions Lyon a 41st minute lead thanks to a pass from Eugenie Le Sommer .
Amel Majri added a second goal just before the hour off a curling free-kick .
Carolin Simon cut the deficit for Bayern on 64 minutes and was desperately unlucky when she hit the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have failed to emulate their men 's team by reaching the Champions League final but PSG can still make it a double for the French capital .
Marie-Antoinette Katoto gave PSG a 15th-minute lead with a smart volley from a corner but Bethany Mead levelled for the Londoners , who were champions in 2007 , six minutes before the break .
Young Danish star Signe Bruun hit the winner for the French side in the 77th minute with Katoto the provider .
On Friday , Denmark attacker Pernille Harder scored four goals as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reach the semi-finals .
In the other quarter-final , France 's Kheira Hamraoui claimed the match-winner to clinch a last four spot for last year 's runners-up Barcelona in a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid .
Barca will face Wolfsburg in Tuesday 's other semi-final .

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Lyon stayed on course for a fifth successive Women's Champions League title with a 2-1 quarter-final win over Bayern Munich on Saturday.
The victory set-up a last-four clash against French rivals Paris Saint-Germain who ended English hopes with a 2-1 win against Arsenal.
English international Nikita Parris gave six-time champions Lyon a 41st minute lead thanks to a pass from Eugenie Le Sommer.
Amel Majri added a second goal just before the hour off a curling free-kick.
Carolin Simon cut the deficit for Bayern on 64 minutes and was desperately unlucky when she hit the crossbar 15 minutes later.
Bayern may have failed to emulate their men's team by reaching the Champions League final but PSG can still make it a double for the French capital.
Marie-Antoinette Katoto gave PSG a 15th-minute lead with a smart volley from a corner but Bethany Mead levelled for the Londoners, who were champions in 2007, six minutes before the break.
Young Danish star Signe Bruun hit the winner for the French side in the 77th minute with Katoto the provider.
On Friday, Denmark attacker Pernille Harder scored four goals as two-time winners Wolfsburg hammered Glasgow City 9-1 to reach the semi-finals.
In the other quarter-final, France's Kheira Hamraoui claimed the match-winner to clinch a last four spot for last year's runners-up Barcelona in a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid.
Barca will face Wolfsburg in Tuesday's other semi-final.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-08-22--Costly, but transparent masks are boon for hard of hearing

Proponents of transparent masks include French secretary of state for people with disabilities Sophie Cluzel Transparent facemasks and shields are costly compared with classic counterparts but could prove a boon for the deaf and hard of hearing battling to communicate in the coronavirus era .
The concept has started to take off , aided not least by Youtube tutorials or the likes of American football coach Nic Saban , who makes a point of wearing his pitchside .
Other proponents include French secretary of state for people with disabilities Sophie Cluzel , who donned a mask with a see-through section @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sign-language interpreter at a Portsmouth hospital in southern England .
As Cluzel pointed out , the transparent window facilitates communication by permitting lip-reading and showing facial expressions .
`` Lip reading is a plus for me , '' says Vivien Laplane , born deaf and author of the French blog `` Appendre à écouter '' ( learn to listen ) .
`` You can imagine -- or not -- that with masks it 's tougher '' to understand others and make oneself understood .
A deaf Indonesian couple working as tailors on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been selling transparent masks since April .
Without them `` it is impossible for a lip-reading deaf person to understand what others are saying , '' says Faizah Badaruddin who , along with her husband , turns out around two dozen a day .
Such efforts are boosting communication during the COVID-19 pandemic not least for the deaf and the hard of hearing who number 70 million globally , according to the World Federation of the Deaf .
The French federation of speech therapists says that classic facemasks mean `` patients find themselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oral message : the mouth and facial expressions '' .
Teachers say they too like the transparent model .
Rory Burnham Pickett , a professor based in Sapporo in northern Japan , says `` I know it is frustrating that my pupils do n't see my mouth or facial expression .
I made my own transparent mask as they are difficult to find . ''
Authorities in Quebec have placed an order for 100,000 for distribution across the health network in the Canadian province , local media say .
The provincial APDA association @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order for 100,000 washable transparent masks through local textile company Madolaine .
`` Sales are going briskly , '' says association director Marie-Helene Tremblay .
In the United States , private US medical firm ClearMask LLC said Tuesday it had received clearance from the Food and Drug Administration for a fully transparent surgical mask for use in hospitals and clinics but also schools , retail and hospitality settings .
The Baltimore-based form was already producing non-surgical versions .
Anissa Mekrabech , a 31-year-old deaf French woman , decided to create her own transparent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when she visited the local pharmacy wearing a standard mask .
She co-founded ASA Initia , based in Toulouse , in partnership with the French Association of the Paralysed to develop and retail an `` inclusive mask '' .
The mask , the first to gain clearance from French authorities , has earned 20,000 orders to date .
A second French variant , the `` smile mask '' from Odiora , a company based in Lyon , is now also coming to market and two more can expect clearance soon , says the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coordinates a collective of associations for the handicapped in France , welcomes what he sees as a step forward but feels bound to highlight the issues of general availability and cost of such masks .
The unit cost for the French masks ranges from 10.90 and 15 euros ( $ 12.80 to $ 17.60 ) , $ 10.99 for the ones in Quebec , while ClearMask offer a bundle pack of 24 for $ 67 .
Burnham Pickett says the transparent masks found in Japan `` come from the United States and are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government is pondering whether to offer a subsidy or make public procurement orders at the behest of the associations .
For Cluzel , `` promotion of transparent masks will enhance production , bringing down the costs of making them and hence prices '' .
For Tremblay , the need is clear : `` We must democratise the wearing of transparent masks . ''

Paris (AFP) –
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Transparent facemasks and shields are costly compared with classic counterparts but could prove a boon for the deaf and hard of hearing battling to communicate in the coronavirus era.
The concept has started to take off, aided not least by Youtube tutorials or the likes of American football coach Nic Saban, who makes a point of wearing his pitchside.
Other proponents include French secretary of state for people with disabilities Sophie Cluzel, who donned a mask with a see-through section to speak in parliament, and a sign-language interpreter at a Portsmouth hospital in southern England.
As Cluzel pointed out, the transparent window facilitates communication by permitting lip-reading and showing facial expressions.
"Lip reading is a plus for me," says Vivien Laplane, born deaf and author of the French blog "Appendre à écouter" (learn to listen).
"You can imagine -- or not -- that with masks it's tougher" to understand others and make oneself understood.
A deaf Indonesian couple working as tailors on the isle of Sulawesi, make and have been selling transparent masks since April.
Without them "it is impossible for a lip-reading deaf person to understand what others are saying," says Faizah Badaruddin who, along with her husband, turns out around two dozen a day.
Such efforts are boosting communication during the COVID-19 pandemic not least for the deaf and the hard of hearing who number 70 million globally, according to the World Federation of the Deaf.
The French federation of speech therapists says that classic facemasks mean "patients find themselves deprived of the main source of the oral message: the mouth and facial expressions".
Teachers say they too like the transparent model.
Rory Burnham Pickett, a professor based in Sapporo in northern Japan, says "I know it is frustrating that my pupils don't see my mouth or facial expression. I made my own transparent mask as they are difficult to find."
Governments are taking a proactive approach and placing orders.
Authorities in Quebec have placed an order for 100,000 for distribution across the health network in the Canadian province, local media say.
The provincial APDA association for the hard of hearing made an order for 100,000 washable transparent masks through local textile company Madolaine.
"Sales are going briskly," says association director Marie-Helene Tremblay.
In the United States, private US medical firm ClearMask LLC said Tuesday it had received clearance from the Food and Drug Administration for a fully transparent surgical mask for use in hospitals and clinics but also schools, retail and hospitality settings.
The Baltimore-based form was already producing non-surgical versions.
- Masks for all -
Anissa Mekrabech, a 31-year-old deaf French woman, decided to create her own transparent prototype after finding that communication was difficult when she visited the local pharmacy wearing a standard mask.
She co-founded ASA Initia, based in Toulouse, in partnership with the French Association of the Paralysed to develop and retail an "inclusive mask".
The mask, the first to gain clearance from French authorities, has earned 20,000 orders to date.
A second French variant, the "smile mask" from Odiora, a company based in Lyon, is now also coming to market and two more can expect clearance soon, says the French government.
Stephane Lenoir, who coordinates a collective of associations for the handicapped in France, welcomes what he sees as a step forward but feels bound to highlight the issues of general availability and cost of such masks.
The unit cost for the French masks ranges from 10.90 and 15 euros ($12.80 to $17.60), $10.99 for the ones in Quebec, while ClearMask offer a bundle pack of 24 for $67.
Burnham Pickett says the transparent masks found in Japan "come from the United States and are expensive".
In France, the government is pondering whether to offer a subsidy or make public procurement orders at the behest of the associations.
For Cluzel, "promotion of transparent masks will enhance production, bringing down the costs of making them and hence prices".
For Tremblay, the need is clear: "We must democratise the wearing of transparent masks."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-08-22--England's Buttler expects double ton Crawley to serve up 'special career'

Huge stand - England 's Zak Crawley ( L ) and Jos Buttler ( R ) put on 359 for the fifth wicket in the third Test against Pakistan at Southampton on Saturday Jos Buttler is convinced Zak Crawley 's double century against Pakistan will be the curtain-raiser `` to a very special career '' after sharing a huge stand with his England team-mate during the third Test at Southampton on Saturday .
Crawley converted an overnight 171 not out , his maiden Test century , into an innings of 267 .
Together with Buttler , whose 152 was just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he put on 359 -- an England record for the fifth wicket -- as the hosts piled up a mammoth 583-8 declared in their first innings on the second day at the Ageas Bowl .
And there was still time for England , eyeing a first series victory over Pakistan in a decade at 1-0 up in a three-Test campaign , to strengthen their grip still further , with veteran paceman James Anderson reducing Pakistan to 24-3 at stumps .
At the age of just 22 , Crawley has now posted the tenth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 143 years of Test history .
`` It 's a pleasure to watch him from the other end , '' Buttler told reporters .
`` He hits the ball incredibly hard , has shots all around the wicket and he 's a great kid to bat with .
`` It 's the start of a very special career .
He 's going to score a few more hundreds for England , no doubt .
`` This will give him a huge amount of confidence , but an innings of that magnitude will give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's got a level head too and he wo n't get ahead of himself . ''
Crawley , who only two Tests ago was left out of the side when England wanted to play an extra bowler because of an injury to all-rounder Ben Stokes , proved Buttler 's words correct in an interview with Sky Sports .
Asked about being in the company of Len Hutton , Wally Hammond , Graham Gooch and Alastair Cook when it came to batsmen with England 's highest Test scores , Crawley replied : `` It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certainly do n't see myself anywhere near their calibre but hopefully I can build on this . ''
World Cup-winning wicketkeeper Buttler had been battling for his Test place after a run of modest scores was compounded by some poor displays with the gloves .
But his second-innings 75 proved vital in England 's three-wicket win over Pakistan in the first Test at Old Trafford earlier this month .
Buttler , whose century on Saturday was just his second hundred in 47 Tests , reckoned being in lockdown had helped him home his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago I was thinking I was about to get dropped so it just proves that you 're never far away , '' he said .
`` You 've got to maintain that belief in yourself .
I 've certainly questioned myself in the last few weeks , but I 've found a good head space to hang in there . ''
Buttler added : `` I worked on a few things during the period of lockdown and it was good to reflect on my batting and some things I needed to improve .
@

Southampton (United Kingdom) (AFP) –
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Jos Buttler is convinced Zak Crawley's double century against Pakistan will be the curtain-raiser "to a very special career" after sharing a huge stand with his England team-mate during the third Test at Southampton on Saturday.
Crawley converted an overnight 171 not out, his maiden Test century, into an innings of 267.
Together with Buttler, whose 152 was just his second hundred at this level, he put on 359 -- an England record for the fifth wicket -- as the hosts piled up a mammoth 583-8 declared in their first innings on the second day at the Ageas Bowl.
And there was still time for England, eyeing a first series victory over Pakistan in a decade at 1-0 up in a three-Test campaign, to strengthen their grip still further, with veteran paceman James Anderson reducing Pakistan to 24-3 at stumps.
At the age of just 22, Crawley has now posted the tenth highest score by an England batsman in 143 years of Test history.
"It's a pleasure to watch him from the other end," Buttler told reporters.
"He hits the ball incredibly hard, has shots all around the wicket and he's a great kid to bat with.
"It's the start of a very special career. He's going to score a few more hundreds for England, no doubt.
"This will give him a huge amount of confidence, but an innings of that magnitude will give him so much more belief. He's got a level head too and he won't get ahead of himself."
Crawley, who only two Tests ago was left out of the side when England wanted to play an extra bowler because of an injury to all-rounder Ben Stokes, proved Buttler's words correct in an interview with Sky Sports.
Asked about being in the company of Len Hutton, Wally Hammond, Graham Gooch and Alastair Cook when it came to batsmen with England's highest Test scores, Crawley replied: "It's very humbling indeed.
"I certainly don't see myself anywhere near their calibre but hopefully I can build on this."
World Cup-winning wicketkeeper Buttler had been battling for his Test place after a run of modest scores was compounded by some poor displays with the gloves.
- 'Maintain belief' -
But his second-innings 75 proved vital in England's three-wicket win over Pakistan in the first Test at Old Trafford earlier this month.
Buttler, whose century on Saturday was just his second hundred in 47 Tests, reckoned being in lockdown had helped him home his game.
"A couple of games ago I was thinking I was about to get dropped so it just proves that you're never far away," he said.
"You've got to maintain that belief in yourself. I've certainly questioned myself in the last few weeks, but I've found a good head space to hang in there."
Buttler added: "I worked on a few things during the period of lockdown and it was good to reflect on my batting and some things I needed to improve."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-08-22--PSG confident on Verratti fitness for Champions League final

Marco Verratti ( furthest right ) took part in Paris Saint-Germain 's training session at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon on Saturday ahead of the Champions League final against Bayern Munich Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel has expressed confidence that playmaker Marco Verratti will be fit enough to start in Sunday 's Champions League final against Bayern Munich .
The key Italian international missed PSG 's quarter-final win over Atalanta because of a calf problem and only played seven minutes as a substitute in the 3-0 semi-final victory over RB Leipzig on Tuesday .
But Tuchel revealed that Verratti @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gueye , had since been back in full training .
However , first-choice goalkeeper Keylor Navas remains a doubt .
`` Marco and Idrissa trained with us after the Leipzig game without any problem ... they are both available , '' Tuchel said on Saturday , ahead of the final at Lisbon 's Estadio da Luz .
Gueye played against Atalanta but was replaced in the second half of that match and played no part against Leipzig .
Leandro Paredes and Ander Herrera started alongside Marquinhos in a three-man midfield in the semi-final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` His injury was a knock .
It was n't muscular , so the risk is not big . ''
`` It will be difficult for him to last 120 minutes or 90 minutes in the midfield tomorrow , but as long as nothing happens to him in training yes ( he can play ) , and then we will see in the morning if he can start . ''
Tuchel added : `` For Keylor it is different .
He is going to try today ( Saturday ) to train fully for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a decision we will need to take later .
`` It will be yes or no , black or white .
We will make a decision after training . ''
Sergio Rico is standing by to replace Navas , having already done so in the semi-final .
Navas won the Champions League three times as a Real Madrid player between 2016 and 2018 .

Lisbon (AFP) –
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Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel has expressed confidence that playmaker Marco Verratti will be fit enough to start in Sunday's Champions League final against Bayern Munich.
The key Italian international missed PSG's quarter-final win over Atalanta because of a calf problem and only played seven minutes as a substitute in the 3-0 semi-final victory over RB Leipzig on Tuesday.
But Tuchel revealed that Verratti, along with fellow midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye, had since been back in full training. However, first-choice goalkeeper Keylor Navas remains a doubt.
"Marco and Idrissa trained with us after the Leipzig game without any problem... they are both available," Tuchel said on Saturday, ahead of the final at Lisbon's Estadio da Luz.
Gueye played against Atalanta but was replaced in the second half of that match and played no part against Leipzig.
Leandro Paredes and Ander Herrera started alongside Marquinhos in a three-man midfield in the semi-final.
Of Verratti, Tuchel added: "His injury was a knock. It wasn't muscular, so the risk is not big."
"It will be difficult for him to last 120 minutes or 90 minutes in the midfield tomorrow, but as long as nothing happens to him in training yes (he can play), and then we will see in the morning if he can start."
Tuchel added: "For Keylor it is different. He is going to try today (Saturday) to train fully for the first time, but that is a decision we will need to take later.
"It will be yes or no, black or white. We will make a decision after training."
Sergio Rico is standing by to replace Navas, having already done so in the semi-final. Navas won the Champions League three times as a Real Madrid player between 2016 and 2018.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-08-22--Bucks blow past Magic for 2-1 NBA series lead

The Milwaukee Bucks looked more like the team with the best record in the NBA on Saturday as they rolled to a 121-107 victory over Orlando to take a 2-1 lead in their playoff series .
Giannis Antetokounmpo -- in the running for a second straight NBA Most Valuable Player Award -- scored 35 points and pulled down 11 rebounds as the Bucks edged ahead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series that saw them stunned by the Magic in game one .
Antetokounmpo was a model of efficiency in 30 minutes on the court , connecting on 12 of 14 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of three from three-point range .
`` It was a lot easier because we played defense , '' said Antetokounmpo , who had two steals and a blocked shot .
`` Once we play defense , we 're able to run in transition and it makes the game easy .
`` We could get early threes , we could get wide open threes , we could get driving lanes . ''
Khris Middleton added 17 points for Milwaukee after he was limited to two in the Bucks ' game-two victory , and Brook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were already up 53-34 when Marvin Williams of the Bucks and Orlando 's James Ennis were ejected after a second-quarter scuffle that began when they tangled under the basket .
Ennis then shoved Williams , Williams pushed back and grabbed Ennis 's jersey before Ennis appeared to swing a fist in a bid to free himself .
The ejections were likely more costly to the already injury-depleted Magic , and the Bucks closed the half on a 25-9 scoring run .
Milwaukee led by as many as 34 in the third before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 7:22 remaining .
But after Terrence Ross drained a three to trim the margin to 104-92 , the Bucks rebuilt the lead with two free throws from Antetokounmpo , a three pointer and a two-point jump shot from Lopez and a dunk from Antetokounmpo .
`` We allowed them to get a lot of easy threes , '' Antetokounmpo said of the Magic 's late challenge .
`` We just had to keep , keep our composure on offense , keep moving the ball and making the right play . ''

Miami (AFP) –
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The Milwaukee Bucks looked more like the team with the best record in the NBA on Saturday as they rolled to a 121-107 victory over Orlando to take a 2-1 lead in their playoff series.
Giannis Antetokounmpo -- in the running for a second straight NBA Most Valuable Player Award -- scored 35 points and pulled down 11 rebounds as the Bucks edged ahead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series that saw them stunned by the Magic in game one.
Antetokounmpo was a model of efficiency in 30 minutes on the court, connecting on 12 of 14 shots from the field, including two of three from three-point range.
"It was a lot easier because we played defense," said Antetokounmpo, who had two steals and a blocked shot. "Once we play defense, we're able to run in transition and it makes the game easy.
"We could get early threes, we could get wide open threes, we could get driving lanes."
Khris Middleton added 17 points for Milwaukee after he was limited to two in the Bucks' game-two victory, and Brook Lopez chipped in 16.
The Bucks were already up 53-34 when Marvin Williams of the Bucks and Orlando's James Ennis were ejected after a second-quarter scuffle that began when they tangled under the basket.
Ennis then shoved Williams, Williams pushed back and grabbed Ennis's jersey before Ennis appeared to swing a fist in a bid to free himself.
The ejections were likely more costly to the already injury-depleted Magic, and the Bucks closed the half on a 25-9 scoring run.
Milwaukee led by as many as 34 in the third before the Magic trimmed the deficit to 12 with 7:22 remaining.
But after Terrence Ross drained a three to trim the margin to 104-92, the Bucks rebuilt the lead with two free throws from Antetokounmpo, a three pointer and a two-point jump shot from Lopez and a dunk from Antetokounmpo.
"We allowed them to get a lot of easy threes," Antetokounmpo said of the Magic's late challenge. "We just had to keep, keep our composure on offense, keep moving the ball and making the right play."
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-08-22--Earth Overshoot Day slightly later this year due to Covid-19 pandemic

File photo of a demonstrator holding a 'She Ca n't Breathe ' poster depicting the Earth at a demonstration in Athens , Greece .
Humanity will have burned through all the natural resources that the planet can replenish for 2020 by Saturday , according to researchers who said the grim milestone is slightly later than last year after the pandemic slowed runaway overconsumption .
So-called Earth Overshoot Day -- the date when humanity has used all the biological resources that Earth can renew annually -- has crept steadily earlier since the 1970s , according to the Global Footprint Network .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ reached on August 22 , compared to July 29 in 2019 , marking a rare reversal after lockdowns to slow the new coronavirus caused a temporary decline in emissions and wood harvesting .
This reduced humanity 's footprint by 9.3 percent compared to last year , they said .
But that is `` not something to celebrate '' , said Mathis Wackernagel , president of Global Footprint Network , in an online presentation on Thursday .
`` It 's not done by design , it 's done by disaster , '' he added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its planetary budget by looking at `` all the human demands '' for food , energy , space for houses and roads and what would be needed to absorb global C02 emissions , Wackernagel said .
Comparing that with what is sustainably available , they estimate that humanity is using 60 percent more than can be renewed -- the equivalent of 1.6 planets .
`` It 's like with money .
We can spend more than what we earned , but not forever , '' said Wackernagel .
The study estimated that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ humanity 's carbon footprint compared to 2019 , while forest products saw an 8.4 percent fall , largely because of smaller harvests anticipating poor demand .
Researchers said that the pandemic had caused huge disruption to global agricultural systems and markets , but concluded that ultimately there was little change to the scale of humanity 's food footprint .
Global Footprint Network has said that efforts to control the pandemic show that changing consumption habits in a short time frame is possible , adding that the overshoot date is `` an unprecedented opportunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' .
Speaking at the launch presentation Marco Lambertini , the head of WWF International , said the pandemic had hit the vulnerable hardest and brought into focus `` our unsustainable , wasteful , destructive frankly , relationship with nature '' .
He called for a `` decoupling '' of economic development from environmental degradation .
`` We can develop , but not at the expense of the planet because we know that the planet in crisis is a society in crisis , and an economy in crisis , '' he added .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ an international team of researchers said that global emissions from the burning of coal , oil and gas could fall up to eight percent in 2020 due to unprecedented measures to control the pandemic .
But they said that without a systemic change in how the world powers and feeds itself , the emissions saved would be essentially meaningless .
The 2015 Paris climate deal saw nations commit to limit temperature rises to `` well below '' two degrees Celsius ( 3.6 Fahrenheit ) above pre-industrial levels through sweeping emissions cuts .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1.5 C cap .
The United Nations says for this to be possible , global emissions must fall 7.6 percent annually this decade .

Humanity will have burned through all the natural resources that the planet can replenish for 2020 by Saturday, according to researchers who said the grim milestone is slightly later than last year after the pandemic slowed runaway overconsumption.
File photo of a demonstrator holding a 'She Can't Breathe' poster depicting the Earth at a demonstration in Athens, Greece.
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So-called Earth Overshoot Day -- the date when humanity has used all the biological resources that Earth can renew annually -- has crept steadily earlier since the 1970s, according to the Global Footprint Network.
The group calculates the point will be reached on August 22, compared to July 29 in 2019, marking a rare reversal after lockdowns to slow the new coronavirus caused a temporary decline in emissions and wood harvesting.
This reduced humanity's footprint by 9.3 percent compared to last year, they said.
But that is "not something to celebrate", said Mathis Wackernagel, president of Global Footprint Network, in an online presentation on Thursday.
"It's not done by design, it's done by disaster," he added.
This 22 August is the #EarthOvershootDay 🌎
We have already consumed more than 🌍 can regenerate in a whole year...
We all face #NatureCrisis & #ClimateCrisis, on our only home 🌏
We need to #MoveTheDay
We in Europe will do it with the 🇪🇺 #EUGreenDealhttps://t.co/EUg4AHutGk pic.twitter.com/O88yeBMjHa — EU Environment (@EU_ENV) August 21, 2020
Researchers calculate the date humanity overshoots its planetary budget by looking at "all the human demands" for food, energy, space for houses and roads and what would be needed to absorb global C02 emissions, Wackernagel said.
Comparing that with what is sustainably available, they estimate that humanity is using 60 percent more than can be renewed -- the equivalent of 1.6 planets.
"It's like with money. We can spend more than what we earned, but not forever," said Wackernagel.
The study estimated that the pandemic had driven a 14.5-percent decrease in humanity's carbon footprint compared to 2019, while forest products saw an 8.4 percent fall, largely because of smaller harvests anticipating poor demand.
Researchers said that the pandemic had caused huge disruption to global agricultural systems and markets, but concluded that ultimately there was little change to the scale of humanity's food footprint.
'Unsustainable, wasteful, destructive'
Global Footprint Network has said that efforts to control the pandemic show that changing consumption habits in a short time frame is possible, adding that the overshoot date is "an unprecedented opportunity to reflect on the future we want".
Speaking at the launch presentation Marco Lambertini, the head of WWF International, said the pandemic had hit the vulnerable hardest and brought into focus "our unsustainable, wasteful, destructive frankly, relationship with nature".
He called for a "decoupling" of economic development from environmental degradation.
"We can develop, but not at the expense of the planet because we know that the planet in crisis is a society in crisis, and an economy in crisis," he added.
In a report earlier this month, an international team of researchers said that global emissions from the burning of coal, oil and gas could fall up to eight percent in 2020 due to unprecedented measures to control the pandemic.
But they said that without a systemic change in how the world powers and feeds itself, the emissions saved would be essentially meaningless.
The 2015 Paris climate deal saw nations commit to limit temperature rises to "well below" two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels through sweeping emissions cuts.
It also set a safer goal of a 1.5 C cap.
The United Nations says for this to be possible, global emissions must fall 7.6 percent annually this decade.
(AFP)
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france24--2020-08-22--'It's a mess': Stockholm long jumpers go feet first into controversy

A new-look long jump competition will debut at Sunday 's Stockholm Diamond League meeting with many in the sport hoping its first appearance will also be its last .
Instead of the traditional format of the winner being decided by the best jump from six rounds , the top three on Sunday after five rounds will instead contest a one-jump final .
`` It 's not innovation , but it is a mess , '' American Olympic long jump champion Tianna Bartoletta told the BBC .
`` They are sacrificing the athlete and their effort for the hope that a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moment of drama , when the entire long jump competition is dramatic . ''
`` I hope this idea will stop after this season , '' he tweeted .
`` I would like to understand how this could be better than the traditional format ? ''
The Athletics Association , a competitors ' pressure group , said they had surveyed dozens of athletes and claimed that 87 percent were against the new long jump .
`` Yet again the jumps are getting messed with .
IT DOESNT WORK ! ''
tweeted Britain 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` TV does n't show it as live ... .. ( it ) makes me want to bang my head against the wall .
Surely a true measure of pressure is giving EVERYONE a chance to win ? ''
Diamond League chief executive Petr Stastny told the BBC , however , that with the Olympics postponed to 2021 , it was the perfect time to tweak the event .
`` This format is likely to reward athletes who have the ability to perform under the most intense pressure , '' he said @

Stockholm (AFP) –
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A new-look long jump competition will debut at Sunday's Stockholm Diamond League meeting with many in the sport hoping its first appearance will also be its last.
Instead of the traditional format of the winner being decided by the best jump from six rounds, the top three on Sunday after five rounds will instead contest a one-jump final.
"It's not innovation, but it is a mess," American Olympic long jump champion Tianna Bartoletta told the BBC.
"They are sacrificing the athlete and their effort for the hope that a spectator is going to care about that moment of drama, when the entire long jump competition is dramatic."
American triple jumper Christian Taylor, a double Olympic champion and four-time world champion, was equally dismissive.
"I hope this idea will stop after this season," he tweeted.
"I would like to understand how this could be better than the traditional format?"
The Athletics Association, a competitors' pressure group, said they had surveyed dozens of athletes and claimed that 87 percent were against the new long jump.
"Yet again the jumps are getting messed with. IT DOESNT WORK!" tweeted Britain's Greg Rutherford, the 2012 Olympic champion.
"TV doesn't show it as live.....(it) makes me want to bang my head against the wall. Surely a true measure of pressure is giving EVERYONE a chance to win?"
Diamond League chief executive Petr Stastny told the BBC, however, that with the Olympics postponed to 2021, it was the perfect time to tweak the event.
"This format is likely to reward athletes who have the ability to perform under the most intense pressure," he said.
© 2020 AFP


france24--2020-08-23--Martin penalty hands Bezecchi first Moto2 win

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france24--2020-08-23--Parma sack D'Aversa as manager

Parma sack D'Aversa as manager

Parma on Sunday sacked manager Roberto d'Aversa , who had led the club from the third division back into Serie A Parma on Sunday sacked coach Roberto d'Aversa , who had led the club from the third division back into Serie A. Italian media reported he would likely be replaced by former Lecce boss Fabio Liverani .
Parma said D'Aversa 's sacking was `` a result of the fact that over the last few weeks , the cohesion , unity of intent , harmony and mutual enthusiasm which have been so key to the successes achieved together over the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were relegated into the fourth division in 2015 after being declared bankrupt .
D'Aversa took over with the team in Serie C , overseeing promotion to Serie B in 2017 and Serie A a year later .
The club finished 11th last season after being 14th in their first campaign back among the Italian elite .
`` Nothing can erase the unforgettable achievements engraved into the club 's history thanks to the coach and his coaching team 's fundamental contribution , '' Parma said of D'Aversa .
`` The club expresses its gratitude @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , wishing Roberto the best of luck for the next step in his career . ''

Rome (AFP) –
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Parma on Sunday sacked coach Roberto d'Aversa, who had led the club from the third division back into Serie A.
Italian media reported he would likely be replaced by former Lecce boss Fabio Liverani.
Parma said D'Aversa's sacking was "a result of the fact that over the last few weeks, the cohesion, unity of intent, harmony and mutual enthusiasm which have been so key to the successes achieved together over the last few years have disappeared".
Parma were relegated into the fourth division in 2015 after being declared bankrupt.
D'Aversa took over with the team in Serie C, overseeing promotion to Serie B in 2017 and Serie A a year later.
The club finished 11th last season after being 14th in their first campaign back among the Italian elite.
"Nothing can erase the unforgettable achievements engraved into the club's history thanks to the coach and his coaching team's fundamental contribution," Parma said of D'Aversa.
"The club expresses its gratitude for everything over these past few years, wishing Roberto the best of luck for the next step in his career."
© 2020 AFP