WTA defends its court after No. 1 Sabalenka calls conditions at finals 'another level of disrespect'
The womenโs tennis tour has defended the court built for the WTA Finals as meeting its โstrict performance standardsโ after No_ 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka called the conditions at the season-ending championship โanother level of disrespect.โ.
Germany seeks answers from Poland in a visa fraud scandal involving migrants from Asia and Africa
German government officials have held talks with their Polish counterparts asking them to clarify how many visas were issued in an illegal program in which some Polish consulates issued visas in Africa and Asia in exchange for bribes.
A cash-for visas scandal hits Poland's strongly anti-migration government, weeks before elections
Poland's President Andrzej Duda says he is awaiting results of an investigation into allegations that Polish consulates sold a quarter of a million work visas to migrants from Asia and Africa for thousands of dollars.
US orders 8,500 troops on heightened alert amid Russia worry
The Pentagon says Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered about 8,500 U.S. troops on heightened alert, preparing for possible deployment to Europe, if needed, to reassure NATO allies in the face of Russian aggression on the border of Ukraine.
Barty, Medvedev rise to challenge on tough day at Miami Open
Barty didn't wilt, ousting Sabalenka 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3 for her third three-set win in four matches at the tournament. Medvedev beat Tiafoe 6-4, 6-3, and has gone 10-1 in sets against the American in their past four head-to-head matchups. AdโEverywhere in the world there are different conditions and at times it suits you more than other places,โ Barty said. Medvedev had 11 aces and showed no signs of wear, two days after cramping in the heat during a third-round win. 21 seed Jannik Sinner of Italy in the quarterfinals; Sinner advanced with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Emil Ruusuvuori of Finland.
Barty goes distance, tops Azarenka to reach Miami quarters
Ashleigh Barty of Australia, returns to Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, during the Miami Open tennis tournament, Monday, March 29, 2021, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)MIAMI โ Ash Barty is tough to beat under any circumstances, especially when sheโs on the ropes. The worldโs top-ranked player has reached the Miami Open quarterfinals, getting there by holding off 14th-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-1, 1-6, 6-2. This, too, was cool: The match lived up to its showdown potential, with the reigning Miami Open champion and current world No. 1 in Barty facing someone who has won the Miami title three times and a previous world No. Svitolina will play unseeded Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia in the quarters; Sevastova was a 6-1, 7-5 winner over wild-card Ana Konjuh of Croatia.
The Latest: Djokovic beats Raonic, reaches QFs in Australia
AdHe said: โIf itโs any other tournament than a Grand Slam, then Iโd withdraw from that event, thatโs for sure. Defending champion Novak Djokovic has started his fourth-round match against Milos Raonic at the Australian Open. He'll play either U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem or Grigor Dimitrov next and he says he doesn't have a preference. Their match is to be followed by eight-time Australian Open champion Djokovic against 2016 Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic โ assuming Djokovic decides he can play. Other men in action include reigning U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem and the man he beat in that final, Alexander Zverev.
WHO, EU launch vaccine rollout program in 6 ex-Soviet states
The World Health Organization and the European Union announced Thursday Feb. 11, 2021, the launch of a 40-million euro (dollars 48.5 million) program to help deploy COVID-19 vaccines in six former Soviet republics including Belarus. The program will involve Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova, and complements the work of an existing EU program and the WHO-backed COVAX Facility that aims to deploy vaccines for people in all countries in need whether rich or poor, Dr. Hans Kluge said. But only if we ensure that all countries, irrespective of income level, have access to them,โ Kluge told reporters from WHO Europe headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark. In the region, some 7.8 million people have completed immunizations against the coronavirus, Kluge said. He added that the number of vaccine doses administered has outstripped the number of reported COVID-19 cases, with some 41 million doses given compared to the 36 million cases reported in the region during the pandemic.
Belarus leader defends hosting hockey worlds, ridicules US
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko defended his countryโs ability to host the ice hockey world championship on Monday by ridiculing the United States following the violent attack at the Capitol. The authoritarian leader met with International Ice Hockey Federation president Rene Fasel for talks amid calls to move the world championship following mass protests against Lukashenkoโs rule. โIn our country, protesters and other dissatisfied people donโt storm government agencies and capitols,โ Lukashenko said. Authorities have cracked down hard on the largely peaceful demonstrations, the biggest of which attracted up to 200,000 people. Lukashenko has been president of the Belarus Olympic Committee since the 1990s and Fasel is an IOC member who previously sat on the executive committee.
The Latest: Louisiana congressman-elect dies from COVID-19
State health officials said Tuesday that the variant was found in a man in his 20s who is in isolation southeast of Denver and has no travel history. Health officials have said the vaccines being given now are thought to be effective against the variant. โ A former Louisiana state lawmaker and his wife died from COVID-19 on the same day. ___OKLAHOMA CITY โ The Oklahoma City fire department says a firefighter, whose nephew became the first department employee to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, died of the virus after being infected while responding to a call. In the Upstate area of the state, COVID-19 infection rates continue to outpace every other part of South Carolina.
Over 300 detained in Belarus during anti-government protests
KYIV โ A human rights group in Belarus says over 300 people have been detained during Sunday protests against the countryโs authoritarian president, who won his sixth term in office in a vote widely seen as rigged. The protests took place in Minsk, the capital, and other cities and attracted thousands of people. Nearly 250 demonstrators were detained in Minsk alone, police said. More than 300 people have been detained all across the country, according to the group. โI will support everyone who takes part in the Neighbors' March this Sunday,โ Tsikhanouskaya said in a video statement.
EU awards human rights prize to Belarus opposition
BRUSSELS โ The European Union has awarded its top human rights prize to the Belarus opposition movement and its leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, for their challenge to President Alexander Lukashenkoโs long, hard-line reign. โIt is an honour to announce that the women and men of the democratic opposition in Belarus are the 2020 Sakharov Prize laureates," European Parliament president David Sassoli said. The 27-nation bloc agreed this month to impose sanctions against officials suspected of election misconduct and a brutal security crackdown on protesters in Belarus. The EU award, named after Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov, was created in 1988 to honor individuals or groups who defend human rights and fundamental freedoms. The prize will be presented in a ceremony in Strasbourg, France, on Dec. 16.
Danes start culling 2.5 million minks after virus hits farms
Officials on Monday, Aug. 17, 2020, confirmed its first U.S. cases of mink infected with the coronavirus following outbreaks in Europe. Five infected mink have been identified at two farms in Utah, the Department of Agriculture announced. Over the weekend, a handful of protesters were removed outside two mink farms, he added. The coronavirus pandemic could โthreaten the entire profession,โ said Tage Pedersen, chairman of Danish Fur Breeders Association. In Poland, another large mink fur exporter, the ruling right-wing coalition and the opposition are deeply divided over a new law that would ban fur farms.
The Latest: Gauff undone by 19 double-faults in French loss
(AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)PARIS โ The Latest from the French Open (all times local):___9:35 p.m.American teenager Coco Gauffโs French Open debut has ended in the second round after she double-faulted 19 times in a 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 loss to 159th-ranked qualifier Martina Trevisan. Stefano Travaglia beat the Japanese player 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7), 4-6, 6-2 in the second round of the French Open after nearly four hours. 2-seeded Spaniard is looking to win his record-extending 13th French Open title and equal Roger Federerโs menโs record of 20 major titles overall. ___2:55 p.m.U.S. Open runner-up Victoria Azarenka is out of the French Open in the second round. They said it was "a fighter plane which has broken the sound barrier.โ___12 p.m.Serena Williams is out of the French Open.
The Latest: Goffin and Sinner begin main draw at French Open
Victoria Azarenka of Belarus complains about the weather conditions and ask the umpire to suspend the first round match of the French Open tennis tournament against Montenegro's Danka Kovinic at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)PARIS โ The Latest on the opening day at the French Open:___Postponed and its crowds nearly all driven away, the French Open is finally underway, defying both the coronavirus and autumn rain with play for the first time under the new roof at the revamped Philippe Chatrier showpiece court. A crowd, if it could be called that, of around 150 spectators was on hand to see David Goffin, seeded 11th, and Jannik Sinner from Italy hit the first balls in main draw play Sunday under the Chatrier roof that means the French Open joins the other majors as being able to guarantee play in inclement weather. It will need it: the forecast is grim for the coming days of its covid-enforced autumn slot, pushed back from May and June. ___More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Scores arrested in protest against Belarus' president
Police detain a protester during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/TUT.by)KYIV โ Hundreds of women calling for the authoritarian president to step down protested in Belarusโ capital on Saturday, continuing the large demonstrations that have rocked the country since early August. Police blocked off the center of Minsk and arrested more than 80 demonstrators, according to the Viasna human rights organization. Some of those arrested were chased down by police in building courtyards where they were trying to take refuge, Viasna said. A large protest is expected on Sunday, typically the day that sees the biggest demonstrations attracting crowds estimated at up to 200,000.
Osaka says she's out of French Open with injured hamstring
U.S. Open champion Osaka has pulled out of the French Open because of an injured hamstring. 1-ranked Ash Barty in skipping the French Open, which opens on Monday, Sept. 21. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)U.S. Open champion Naomi Osaka has pulled out of the French Open because of an injured left hamstring. Osaka joins defending champion Ash Barty in skipping the French Open, which opens on Sept. 27 in Paris. โUnfortunately I wonโt be able to play the French Open this year,โ Osaka said on Twitter.
Osaka comes back, tops Azarenka at US Open; 3rd Slam title
Naomi Osaka, of Japan, reacts during the women's singles final against Victoria Azarenka, of Belarus, during the US Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020, in New York. Surprisingly off-kilter in the early going Saturday, Osaka kept missing shots and digging herself a deficit. By the end, Osaka pulled away to a 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 comeback victory for her second U.S. Open championship and third Grand Slam title overall. But Osaka regained control, breaking to start a match-ending run of three games, covering her face when the final was over. Osaka and her coach have said they think the off-court activism has helped her energy and mindset in matches.
The Latest: Osaka, Azarenka set for US Open women's final
Victoria Azarenka, of Belarus, reacts after defeating Serena Williams, of the United States, during a semifinal match of the US Open tennis championships, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)NEW YORK โ The Latest on on the U.S. Open tennis tournament (all times local):___3:30 p.m.Naomi Osaka and Victoria Azarenka were supposed to play two weeks ago in Flushing Meadows. Osaka and Azarenka will meet in the U.S. Open women's final, with the winner earning her third Grand Slam singles title. She went on to win another in 2019 at the Australian Open, a title Azarenka won twice. Azarenka won that tournament, normally held in Ohio but moved because of the coronavirus pandemic, when Osaka had to pull out of the final with a hamstring injury.
Scores detained as students march against Belarus president
(Tut.By via AP)MOSCOW Authorities in Belarus detained scores of university students who took to the streets Tuesday to demand that authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko resign after an election the opposition has denounced as rigged. Police cordons forced the demonstrators to change their route, and they detained dozens of them, according to the Viasna human rights center. Students and universities in general are a highly explosive group, Stefanovich said in a telephone interview. One protester, Tatyana Ivanova, said that students from the Minsk State Linguistics University ran into a campus building to avoid being detained, but police tracked them down there. The president bristled at the idea and alleged the opposition would wage a massacre on his allies if it takes power in Belarus.
Huge protest on Belarus leaders birthday demands he resign
A woman kneels in front of a riot police line as they block Belarusian opposition supporters rally in the center of Minsk, Belarus, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020. Opposition supporters whose protests have convulsed the country for two weeks aim to hold a march in the capital of Belarus. Tsikhanouskaya, who fled to Lithuania after the election because of concerns about her security, gave a withering acknowledgement of the birthday. Lukashenko has consistently blamed Western countries for encouraging the protests and contends that NATO is repositioning forces along Belarus' western border with the aim of intervening in the unrest, a claim the alliance strongly denies. The government also revoked the accreditations of many Belarusian journalists working for foreign new agencies, including journalists working for AP.
In a shift, Belarus leader seeks to stem protests gradually
FILE - This Aug. 23, 2020, file image made from video provided by the State TV and Radio Company of Belarus, shows Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko armed with a rifle near the Palace of Independence in Minsk, Belarus. His office released a video showing Lukashenko landing in a helicopter nearby and brandishing a Kalashnikov rifle as protesters marched nearby. He is predictably stifling the protests, but the picture is changing, said Valery Karbalevich, an independent political analyst. The authorities' scenario is clear: They are trying to stem the wave of protests by using force, slowing the processes and demotivating the leaders, he said. Lukashenko is a seasoned demagogue who can imitate a dialogue in order to shift focus, Klaskousky said.
Scientists study coronavirus outbreaks among minks in Europe
Coronavirus outbreaks at mink farms in Spain and the Netherlands have scientists digging into how the animals got infected and if they can spread it to people. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits, File)MADRID Coronavirus outbreaks at mink farms in Spain and the Netherlands have scientists digging into how the animals got infected and if they can spread it to people. In the meantime, authorities have killed more than 1 million minks at breeding farms in both countries as a precaution. The outbreaks among the minks on farms in the Netherlands and Spain likely started with infected workers, although officials arent certain. China, which produces about a third of the mink fur market, and the United States have not reported any virus outbreaks in minks or in animals at other farms.
Police in Belarus detained over 250 people during protests
Police officers detain protesters during a rally against the removal of opposition candidates from the presidential elections in Minsk, Belarus, Tuesday, July 14, 2020. Election authorities in Belarus on Tuesday barred two main rivals of authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko from running in this summer's presidential election. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)MINSK Police in Belarus said Wednesday that officers detained more than 250 people the previous day, after mass protests against barring two candidates from the upcoming presidential election erupted in the country. This provoked violent responses from some protesters who tried to prevent others being arrested and beaten," Aisha Jung, Amnesty International's Belarus Senior Campaigner, said in a statement. However, according to eyewitnesses and widely available video footage, the gatherings remained largely peaceful, and many of those arrested were peaceful protesters," Jung said.
Belarus bars main challengers from presidential ballot
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko look on during Independence Day celebrations, in Minsk, Belarus, Friday, July 3, 2020. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)MINSK Election authorities in Belarus on Tuesday barred two main rivals of authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko from running in this summer's presidential election. The ballot, among others, will feature Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, wife of jailed popular opposition blogger Sergei Tikhanovsky. The presidential campaign this year has sparked tensions in Belarus amid the coronavirus outbreak and a weakening economy. The country's authorities' decision not to impose a lockdown during the pandemic and crackdown on opposition candidates elicited outrage and prompted protests.
Belarus denies main president challenger spot on ballot
In this picture taken on Wednesday, May 26, 2020, Valery Tsepkalo, a potential candidate in the upcoming presidential election, smiles in Minsk, Belarus. The central elections commission in Belarus has rejected a top challenger's bid to run against authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko in this summer's election. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)MINSK The central elections commission in Belarus has rejected a top challengers bid to run against authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko in this summers election. The commisions decision Tuesday to bar Valery Tsepkalo from the ballot removes any serious competition for Lukashenko, who has stifled opposition and news media during a quarter-century in power. Another strong challenger, former banker Viktor Babariko, has been jailed and is facing charges of money-laundering.
Top opposition figure detained in Belarus
MINSK A human rights group in Belarus said Sunday that more than 30 people have been detained amid demonstrations against authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, who is running for another term. Lukashenko, who has suppressed opposition and independent news media during quarter-century in power, is seeking a new term in an election scheduled for Aug. 9. Nikolai Statkevich, one of Belarus most prominent opposition figures, was detained while heading for a protest in Minsk. On Friday, popular opposition blogger Sergei Tikhanovsky was detained during a rally in Grodno, the countrys fourth-largest city. The human rights group Vesna said Sunday that more than 30 people in all had been detained in recent days.
Belarus vote set to extend control of strongman Lukashenko
MINSK The national elections commission in Belarus says more than a third of the countrys voters have cast early ballots in the countrys parliamentary election, raising concerns that the results will be manipulated. Sundays election is expected to continue the stifling control that President Alexander Lukashenko has held over the former Soviet republic since 1994. According to the commission, nearly 36% voted early. Last week, an independent observer filmed a woman trying to stuff ballots into a box at a polling station in Brest. The election commission dismissed the video as unimportant.
Belarus' leader visits Austria, pushes for closer EU ties
Belarus' authoritarian leader says his nation is hoping for better ties with the European Union. President Alexander Lukashenko made the comments Tuesday after talking to Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen during a visit to that country. During his quarter century rule of Belarus, Lukashenko has shown little tolerance for dissent and independent media. Belarus has relied heavily on Russian financial support, but Lukashenko has recently sought to mend ties with the West. The U.S. and the European Union have lifted some sanctions they imposed on Belarus, while Lukashenko has sought to improve his nation's human rights record.