Maria Sharapova said more tough matches are her priority after losing in the semi- finals in Stuttgart on her controversial comeback from a 15- month doping ban.
     Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam winner and former world number one, lost 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Kristina Mladenovic in a gruelling two-hours, 38-minute showdown.
     "I'm not angry, I'd have loved to have used the opportunity when I was ahead in the second set, so I had a bit of a let down which allowed her to get back in the match, gain confidence and play well," said Sharapova, who was playing her first tournament after testing positive for meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open.
     "I didn't keep putting that pressure on her and if you allow that to happen to a player like her, it becomes dangerous."
     Sharapova also has wild cards for the Madrid and Rome tournaments and leaves Stuttgart with a world ranking of 260 having arrived here on zero following her ban.
     She will learn on May 16 whether she will be given .

'Happy' Sharapova hunts more tests on doping comeback

PTI Automatic

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte failed to condemn China's push to control most of the disputed South China Sea today after hosting a regional summit, handing Beijing a political victory.
	Duterte released a chairman's statement a day after hosting the one-day Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders' meeting that ignored an international ruling, championed by his predecessor, outlawing China's sweeping claims to the strategically important waterway.
	"We took note of concerns expressed by some leaders over recent developments in the area," said the 25-page statement without any mention of what these were, which countries were responsible, and which heads of state raised them.
	China has been turning reefs and shoals in areas of the sea claimed by the Philippines and other nations into artificial islands, and installing military facilities on them.
	ASEAN members Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei also claim parts of the sea, but China insists it has sovereign rights over .

Philippines' Duterte gives China free pass over sea row

A top Venezuelan opposition figure called for more marches aimed at taking back the courts and the National Electoral Council that he said had been "hijacked" by President Nicolas Maduro.
	Freddy Guevara urged people to protest tomorrow -- May 1 or May Day, a traditional workers' holiday -- with marches to the Supreme Court and the National Electoral Council's offices.
	"We want to summon all Venezuelans, across the country's 24 states, to hit the dictatorship with a one-two punch," Guevara said, evoking simultaneous peaceful marches in the two locations.
	A month of demonstrations in April in Venezuela has left 28 people dead in clashes between riot police and anti- government protesters, according to prosecutors.
	More than 400 people have been injured, and nearly 1,300 arrested, according to the attorney general.
	The center-right-led opposition is demanding elections to remove Maduro, an elected socialist. It blames him for an economic crisis that has caused shortages of food, ...

Opposition presses for fresh marches in Venezuela

Donald Trump hailed his "very productive" first 100 days as America's president and told a cheering crowd of supporters "great battles" lay ahead.
	In an enthusiastic, campaign-style rally in Pennsylvania -- a key state in his election win -- Trump yesterday said the record of his first 100 days "has been very exciting and very productive," ticking off a list of what he said were his achievements.
	He said he was now to "get ready for the great, great battles to come and that we will win in every case."
	The crowd often interrupted Trump with cheers of "USA!, USA!"
	"So I have a question for you. You've been to a lot of rallies. First of all, is there any place like a Trump rally, in all fairness?", Trump said after one burst of cheers.
	Signs held up by the crowd had slogans such as "Promises made. Promises kept."
	Trump said major accomplishments in his first 100 days included seeing a Supreme Court nominee confirmed by the Senate, pulling the US out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership 

Trump: 'very productive' 100 days in office, 'great battles' ahead

Two Iranians were shot dead in Istanbul by masked individuals who opened fire on their vehicle, reports said.
	The two -- identified only as S.K. And M.M. -- were travelling in a luxury car in the upscale Maslak area on the European side of the city when a jeep blocked their path, the Dogan news agency said yesterday.
	   The attackers got out of their vehicle and opened fire, it said.
	   S.K. Died of his wounds on the spot while M.M. Later died in hospital. The attackers fled the scene, the report said.
	   There was no immediate information in the Turkish reports on the full identity of those killed.

Two Iranians shot dead in Istanbul: reports

Pope Francis called for negotiations to resolve tensions surrounding North Korea's nuclear ambitions.
	Speaking on board the papal plane on his way back from a two-day visit to Egypt yesterday, the pontiff said there was a need for "negotiations with a view to a diplomatic solution".
	"There are plenty of mediators in the world who are putting themselves forward. Norway, for example which is ready to help," he said.
	Reprising his theme of "world war in parts", Pope Francis said that these were "concentrated at points that were already hot. In Korea, today, it seems that things are becoming too heated."
	North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile yesterday in apparent defiance of a concerted US push for tougher international sanctions to curb Pyongyang's nuclear weapons ambitions.
	The latest launch, which South Korea said was a failure, came just hours after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned the UN Security Council of "catastrophic consequences" if the international ...

Pope calls for N.Korea negotiations

Twenty people died in the collapse of a residential building in the northern Colombian city of Cartagena, the mayor said on Twitter today after a two-day rescue operation.
	The tragedy occurred on Thursday, when the six-story building came crashing down for reasons that are being investigated, the Red Cross told AFP.
	Emergency personnel saved 41 people from the rubble, 16 of them badly hurt.
	The mayor, Manolo Duque, said 12 of the 20 people killed had been identified so far. A mass was being held late Saturday for the deceased.

20 die in Colombia building collapse

A US service member has died from wounds sustained in the blast today of an explosive device outside the Iraqi city of Mosul, military officials reported.
	A statement from the US Central Command, which oversees military activities in Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, did not identify the victim. It said further details would be forthcoming.
	US casualties in Iraq dropped to near zero after most American troops were withdrawn in 2011, but rose again to 17 last year, and seven so far this year with the latest death, according to the iCasualties.Org website, which tracks coalition deaths and injuries.
	US forces have taken part, mostly in an advisory capacity, since last October in a hard-fought, multinational effort to wrest control of Mosul from the Islamic State group.
	The United Nations estimates that more than half a million civilians have fled Mosul since the offensive on the country's second city began.
	The jihadists are expected to make a bloody last stand in ...

US service member killed in blast near Iraqi city of Mosul

A landslide engulfed part of a village in Kyrgyzstan today, killing 24 people, including nine children, the emergencies ministry said.
	The earth slip entombed the inhabitants of six houses when it hit the village of Ayu in the Osh region of the mountainous Central Asian country at around 6:40 am (0040 GMT), the emergencies ministry said in a statement.
	"All 24 citizens of Kyrgzystan, nine of them children, died under the landslide in the south of the country," ministry spokeswoman Elmira Sheripova told AFP.
	Over 250 rescue workers including medics and soldiers were at the scene.
	Emergencies minister Kubatbek Boronov flew to the site on the orders of President Almazbek Atambayev to take "all possible measures to alleviate the consequences of the landslide and give all necessary help to families of the dead", according to a statement on the president's website.
	Hours later, a second landslide hit a neighbouring village in the afternoon, burying three houses. There were however no ..

24 dead as Kyrgyz landslide engulfs village homes

US Marines returned to Afghanistan's volatile Helmand today, where American troops faced heated fighting until NATO's combat mission ended in 2014, as embattled Afghan security forces struggle to beat back the resurgent Taliban.
	The deployment of some 300 Marines to the poppy-growing southern province came one day after the militants announced the launch of their "spring offensive", and as the Trump administration seeks to craft a new strategy on Afghanistan.
	Commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan General John Nicholson attended a handover ceremony marking the return of the prestigious force, the first Marines in Afghanistan since 2014, an AFP photographer said.
	Part of a regular troop rotation announced in January under the Obama administration, they will arrive in stages, eventually numbering some 300 who will take part in NATO's train, assist and advise mission.
	Helmand for years was the centrepiece of the US and British military intervention in Afghanistan -- only for .

US Marines return to Afghanistan's volatile Helmand

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras today said his government was "on target" for a May 22 fiscal deal with its creditors to enable the country to meet July loan payments.
	"I think the general picture is that we are on target to have a conclusion on May 22," Tsipras said in Brussels, referring to a scheduled meeting of eurozone finance ministers needed to approve the deal.
	Greece's creditors -- the European Commission, European Central Bank and the IMF -- on Tuesday resumed a long-delayed audit that is required for any agreement.
	Disputes remain on reforms including labour rights and the breakup of Greek near-monopoly electricity provider PPC -- both thorny issues for Tsipras' leftist-led government.
	Government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos has said that if there is agreement, the reforms can be approved by parliament by May 15.
	Under pressure from its creditors, Athens earlier this month accepted to reduce pensions in 2019 and lower tax breaks in 2020.
	These measures are ...

Greece 'on target' for May 22 fiscal deal: PM

Mali has extended a state of emergency by six months until October 31, a source in the parliament told AFP today, as the west African nation battles a jihadist insurgency.
	An MPs meeting yesterday "voted unanimously" to extend the state of emergency, according to this source.
	The measure has been renewed several times since jihadists stormed the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako in November 2015, killing 20 people in an attack claimed by Al-Qaeda's regional branch.
	The decree, which was due to expire today, hands extra powers to security forces and restricts public gatherings.
	The country's troubled north has witnessed a spate of jihadist strikes despite the emergency.
	Last month, armed men killed five soldiers and injured 10 others in an attack on an army post in the tense Timbuktu region.
	The last time the government extended the measure, it said the "security situation in Mali and in the sub-region is still characterised by the continued threat of terrorism and serious attacks on .

Mali state of emergency 'extended by 6 months'

Turkey today dismissed almost 4,000 more public officials from their jobs in the latest wave of the purge that has followed last July's failed coup, according to an emergency decree published in the official gazette.
	The total of 3,974 dismissed officials includes more than 1,000 people working with the justice ministry and over 1,000 staff employed by the army, said the decree, which included the name of every fired official.

Turkey dismisses almost 4,000 public officials in new purge

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told concerned allies in the EU's powerful centre-right political group that he will quickly meet EU rights demands over a controversial education law, the group said today.
	Orban was summoned to a meeting with top officials from the European People's Party (EPP) over the law that could force the closure of a Budapest university founded by US billionaire George Soros.
	The European Commission on Wednesday launched legal action against Hungary over the issue, giving the government one month to comply or face being taken to court.
	"Prime Minister Viktor Orban pledged in the EPP council to follow and carry out all the demands of the European Commission within the timeframe set by the commission," said Siegfried Muresan, a spokesman for EPP president Joseph Daul.
	However, Orban told the Hungarian state newswire MTI through his spokesman Bertalan Havasi that the university should not "enjoy special privileges" even if his government is ready to ...

Hungary's Orban accepts EU rights demands: Party

The EU's top officials will seek a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a NATO summit next month amid mounting tensions with Ankara, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said today.
	EU President Donald Tusk made the announcement to 27 European Union leaders holding a special meeting -- without Britain -- on Brexit, Merkel told reporters.
	She said Tusk "told us today that he was going to ask for a meeting with President Erdogan, along with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, during the NATO summit" in Brussels on May 25.
	"Mr Tusk indicated he was going to consult us about this subject beforehand, which I welcome," the German leader said.
	Erdogan, whose country is a key NATO member bordering the Middle East, is due to attend the 28-nation NATO summit, which is also set to welcome US President Donald Trump for the first time.
	Merkel told the German parliament on Thursday that both German-Turkish and European-Turkish ties had been "severely hit" in the ...

EU chiefs want to meet Erdogan at NATO summit: Merkel

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al- Sisi today urged the United States to help restart negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, a statement from the presidency said.
	The statement came after Sisi met Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas who will meet US President Donald Trump in Washington on Wednesday for talks on reviving the stagnated Middle East peace process.
	Sisi said it was "important that the United States returns to play an active role in efforts to resume negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel", the statement said.
	The two "agreed that the two-state solution is the only way to bring stability to the region", it added.
	Sisi said a 2002 Arab peace initiative should be the basis for a comprehensive solution.
	The Saudi-led initiative offered normalised relations with Israel in exchange for resolving the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
	When Abbas meets Trump on Wednesday, it will be the first encounter between the two men, but will follow a series 

Egypt urges US to play 'active' Mideast peace role

Pope Francis rejected fanaticism and appealed for charity today as he addressed thousands of faithful during a visit to Egypt to promote reconciliation with Muslims and support its embattled Christians.
	His visit, coming after the Islamic State group (IS) killed dozens of worshippers in church bombings earlier this month, gave the country's beleaguered Christian community an occasion to be joyful.
	"The only fanaticism believers can have is that of charity. Any other fanaticism does not come from God," the pope said at a mass for Egypt's Catholics.
	"True faith... Moves our heart to love everyone... It makes us see the other not as an enemy to be overcome but a brother and sister to be loved," he told a crowd of about 15,000 pilgrims.
	The mass came on the second and last day of a visit which saw him plead for tolerance and peace on Friday at a Coptic church bombed by IS in December.
	The jihadists have threatened further attacks after the Cairo attack that killed 29 people and ...

Pope in Egypt rejects fanaticism, urges charity

Turkey today blocked all access inside the country to the online encyclopedia Wikipedia reportedly for articles claiming links between Ankara and terror groups, the latest restriction on a popular website to hit Turkish users.
	Turkey's Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) said it had implemented the ban against Wikipedia.Org, without making clear the reason for the move.
	Turkish state media said the ban was imposed because Wikipedia had failed to remove content promoting terror and accusing Turkey of cooperation with various terror groups.
	There was no indication as to when the ban might be removed, with a formal court order expected to follow in the coming days.
	Reacting to the ban, Wikipedia's founder Jimmy Wales wrote on Twitter: "Access to information is a fundamental human right. Turkish people, I will always stand with you to fight for this right."
	A block affecting all language editions of the website in Turkey was detected from 0500 GMT after an ...

Turkey blocks access to Wikipedia over 'terror' claims

European Union leaders unanimously adopted a "firm and fair" Brexit strategy at a special summit today, in a show of unity ahead of two years of tough talks with Britain.
	The 27 leaders agreed the negotiating guidelines within minutes and applauded as they met in Brussels without Britain -- for the first time since Prime Minister Theresa May triggered the divorce a month ago.
	They say talks on a future trade deal with Britain can only start once London agrees divorce terms on citizens' rights, its exit bill and the border in Northern Ireland.
	EU President Donald Tusk hailed the "outstanding unity" among the leaders, saying it was a "firm and fair political mandate" for the Brexit negotiations.
	"After four minutes we were ready, it's very promising," Tusk told a news conference, adding it was the "first time in our history" the notoriously divided club had moved so quickly.
	European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker said May had repeatedly urged him to be "patient" when they had 

EU leaders agree tough Brexit stance

French President Francois Hollande said today that voters in France must decide their future in Europe in the May 7 presidential vote pitting europhile candidate Emmanuel Macron against the anti-EU Marine Le Pen.
	Speaking at his last EU summit as leader of France, Hollande said the French people had every reason to stay in the European Union, tacitly backing Macron, his former economy minister.
	"The French have everything to gain by staying in the European Union," Hollande told reporters at an EU summit to discuss Britain's divorce from the bloc.
	France would face only hardship outside the bloc, Hollande warned, saying that without the EU, "there are no safeguards, no guarantees, no single market".
	Outside the bloc, "there is no single currency, which would be a setback and danger for France," the Socialist leader added.
	France is in the midst of a bruising campaign in which Le Pen has attempted to wear down lingering resistance to her party's extremist reputation by portraying ..

French will decide EU future in May 7 vote: Hollande

Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano said today he "agreed 100 per cent" with a prosecutor's repeated suggestions that some charity boats rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean are colluding with traffickers in Libya.
	Sicily-based prosecutor Carmelo Zuccaro sparked a row last week after claims in La Stampa daily that some aid groups battling Europe's worst migrant crisis since World War II may be in league with people smugglers.
	"I am 100 per cent in agreement with prosecutor Zuccaro as he asked a real question....Those who become indignant at the drop of a hat are hypocrites," Alfano told reporters in the Sicilian town of Taormina.
	The city will host the G7 summit at the end of next month.
	Zuccaro doubled down on his La Stampa comments on Thursday when he said he regretted being unable to investigate his claim that some NGOs were "perhaps" financed by traffickers and were potentially seeking to "destabilise the Italian economy".
	Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said today that 

AFP

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