World number 13 Denis Shapovalov crashed out of the ATP Auckland Classic Thursday, beaten in straight sets by French qualifier Ugo Humbert.
There was only one break in each set of the evenly contested clash with Humbert winning 7-5 6-4, clinching the victory with the Canadian's sixth double fault.
"I'm really, really, happy, it's one of the biggest wins of my career," the 57th-ranked Humbert said as he advanced to a semi-final showdown big-serving American John Isner.
"I tried to play each ball, I tried to stay focused and my plans were working."
Isner survived on his thunderous serve with an impressive 25 aces to overcome Kyle Edmund in the opening quarter-final.
While Edmund had the better of the fourth seed for much of the match, Isner served his way out of trouble when it mattered and the Briton was unable to convert any of his nine break points.
Both sets went to a tiebreak before the American won 7-6 (7/5) 7-6 (7/5) and expressed relief at making the final four.
"I know I was a .

Shapovalov falls to French qualifier Humbert in Auckland

PTI Automatic

The threat of the Philippines' Taal volcano unleashing a potentially catastrophic eruption remains high, authorities warned Thursday, saying it was showing dangerous signs despite a "lull" in spewing ash.
Scores of earthquakes rattle the region daily and large fissures are opening up in the ground, which means the magma that would fuel a major eruption is still flowing beneath.
Authorities are struggling to keep evacuees, some 50,000 of whom fled to shelters after Taal burst to life on Sunday, away from the danger zone around the volcano.
People are trying to get back to homes they left in a hurry to get a change of clothes, feed livestock and pets and check on properties damaged by the fissures or covered with a thick layer of ash.
"Please allow us to observe the lull period for now. We are studying what that means," Maria Antonia Bornas, a scientist from the Philippines' seismology agency told reporters.
"A long lull could be just a break from volcanic activity," she said. "The ...

Philippines says danger high despite volcano 'lull'

Singapore's controversial law against online misinformation was challenged in court for the first time on Thursday as concerns mount it is being used to stifle criticism ahead of elections.
The legislation gives authorities the power to order corrections placed next to posts they deem false.
Since the law came into force in October, several opposition figures and activists have been ordered to place a banner next to online posts stating that they contain false information.
The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), one of a handful of small opposition groups in the city-state, lodged an appeal last week after it was ordered under the law to "correct" three online articles.
The posts, on Facebook and the party's website, said many Singaporeans had been displaced from white-collar jobs by foreigners -- claims the government said were "false and misleading".
The SDP is seeking with its challenge, which got under way behind closed doors at the High Court on Thursday, to get the government ...

Singapore misinformation law challenged in court for first time

Ex-pope Benedict XVI seems to have broken his silence recently over key Catholic issues and his comments have raised serious questions within the Church about the extent to which there are, in fact, two "men in white" at the Vatican.
In 2013, Benedict became the first pontiff to resign in almost 600 years. He chose to be known thereafter as "pope emeritus" and said he would live "hidden from the world" in a former convent inside the Vatican grounds.
While he initially stuck to his promise to carry out a life of quiet contemplation and academic research, he has since weighed in on the explosive issues of clerical sex abuse and whether the priesthood could be opened to married men.
This week, Benedict's contribution to a book on celibacy was seen as a strategic attempt to undermine his successor Pope Francis and boost the cause of a combative ultra-conservative wing of the Church.
Experts say the problem is that no rules were drawn up to define what role Benedict should play after he ...

Ex-pope's shadow Vatican role in the spotlight

Disaster response teams were on standby in Fiji on Thursday as the Pacific island nation faced a second cyclone threat in less than three weeks.
Gale and heavy rain warnings were in place on northern Rotuma island and the Fiji Meteorological Service said the storm was expected to be fully fledged Tropical Cyclone Tino by the evening.
It is forecast to pass over the second largest island, Vanua Levu, on Friday.
"We are monitoring the situation closely and ready to help every affected Fijian," the government said in a statement after being briefed by the National Disaster Management Office.
"There is a cyclone alert in place. Please be prepared and take every precaution to keep yourselves and your families safe."
There were concerns for an inter-island ferry with more than 100 passengers and crew on board which was drifting in the path of the storm after developing mechanical problems.
But the rescue co-ordination centre said repairs had been made and the vessel had safely reached ...

Fiji braces for second cyclone in three weeks

A secret operation by specialist firefighters has saved the world's last stand of Wollemi Pines, a pre-historic species known as "dinosaur trees", from Australia's unprecedented bushfires, officials said.
Fewer than 200 of the trees exist in the wild, hidden in a gorge in the World Heritage Blue Mountains northwest of Sydney, which have been hit by one of the biggest bushfires that have been ravaging much of Australia for months.
With flames approaching the area late last year, firefighters deployed air tankers to drop fire retardant in a protective ring around the trees while specialist firefighters were winched down into the gorge to set up an irrigation system to provide moisture for the grove, officials said.
Matt Kean, environment minister for New South Wales state which encompasses the Blue Mountains, described the operation as "an unprecedented environmental protection mission."
While some of the trees were charred by the flames, the grove was saved from the fires, he said in a 

Secret mission saves Australia's 'dinosaur trees' from bushfires

A case of the mystery respiratory infection related to the potentially deadly SARS virus, which first emerged in China, has been confirmed in Japan, authorities said on Thursday.
It appears to be only the second time the novel coronavirus has been detected outside China, after the World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed a case in Thailand.
Japan's health ministry said a man who had visited Wuhan, the apparent epicentre of the outbreak, was hospitalised on January 10, four days after his return to Japan. He reported having a persistent fever.
Tests on the patient, who was released from hospital on Wednesday, confirmed he was suffering from the new virus.
"This is the first domestic discovery of a pneumonia case related to the new coronavirus," the ministry said in a statement.
"We will continue active epidemiological research while also coordinating efforts with the World Health Organization and related agencies to conduct a risk assessment," it added.
The outbreak has caused alarm ..

Japan reports case of mystery virus behind China outbreak

South Korea's Hyundai and its Kia affiliate announced plans Thursday for a major investment in London-based startup Arrival to produce next-generation electric vehicles that cost less than standard-engine models.
The 100-million-euro ($110 million) bet on the five-year-old technology firm comes as some manufacturers abandon Britain because of uncertainties about how it will trade with EU nations once it leaves the bloc this month.
Arrival is focused on designing and producing so-called Generation 2 electric vehicles, which are environmentally friendly cars made from scratch rather than being retrofitted, standard-engine production models.
"Generation 2 vehicles are assembled using small footprint micro-factories, located in areas of demand and profitable at thousands of units," the three companies said in a joint statement.
Hyundai and Kia have a shared ownership structure but target slightly different markets and demographics.
"The eco-friendly vehicle market in Europe is expected to 

Hyundai and Kia bet on London startup for electric cars

China on Thursday said the phase-1 trade deal signed with the US "considerably addressed" mutual concerns and is "good" for both the countries,  as the world's two top economic powers move forward to end their bitter two-year tariff war that has rattled markets and weighed on the global economy.
On Wednesday, China and the US signed the deal in Washington, raising hopes of improvement of trade ties between the two countries hit by the tit-for-tat tariff hikes of nearly half-a-trillion dollars worth of products.
The deal was signed by US President Donald Trump and Chinese Vice Premier and top trade negotiator Liu He at a special ceremony at the White House.
Briefing the Chinese media after signing the deal, Liu said the phase-1 trade agreement has "considerably addressed the concerns" of both sides.
It has both economic and political significance with bearing on world peace and prosperity, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted Liu as saying.
The deal has injected positive energy into the 

Phase-1 trade deal with US 'addressed' mutual concerns, 'good' for both sides: China

Britain's Liam Broady Thursday lashed out at Australian Open officials for insisting qualifying take place this week despite toxic smoke from bushfires, telling fellow players: "We can't let this go."
Air quality in Melbourne was among the worst on the planet on Tuesday and described as "hazardous" by city authorities following months of blazes that have devastated huge swathes of the country.
It was recommended that people and their pets stay indoors, but qualifying for the opening Grand Slam of the year went ahead regardless.
Slovenian Dalila Jakupovic was forced to retire while leading in her match after a distressing coughing fit, saying she was "really scared that I would collapse".
Other qualifiers also suffered, with world number 234 Broady taking to Twitter to claim "multiple" players needed asthma medication, despite never having suffered from the ailment before.
"The more I think about the conditions we played in a few days ago the more it boils my blood," Broady wrote.
He ..

'Can't let this slide': Anger grows over smoke haze play at Open

India's Sumit Nagal suffered a straight-set loss in the first round to crash out of the men's singles qualifiers of the Australian Open here on Thursday.
Nagal, seeded 21st in the qualifiers, was shown the door by Mohamed Safwat of Egypt 7-6 (2) 6-2 after a one hour and 28 minutes contest.
Prajnesh Gunneswaran remains the lone Indian in contention after advancing to the second round of the men's singles.
Prajnesh defeated local wild card Harry Bourchier 6-2 6-4 to set up second round clash with Germany's Yannick Hanfmann.
Ramkumar Ramanathan on Tuesday made an early exit along with lone Indian contender in women's singles qualifier, Anikta Raina.

Nagal crashes out of Australian Open qualifiers after first-round loss

Researchers have discovered for the first time that Neanderthals made tools from seashells, not just from those lying on the shore, but may have also gone diving to collect them from the seabed.
According to a study, published in the journal PLOS on Thursday, Neanderthals, often thought to be the inferior cousins to modern humans, may have retrieved seashells to make tools from waters as deep as 13 feet.
Researchers, including those from the University of Colorado at Boulder in the US, assessed more than 170 shell tools found in an Italian cave.
Based on patterned abrasions found on the surface of these shells, the scientists could distinguish between those which were picked up by the Neanderthals from the seashore, and those that were collected from under water.
Taking a closer look at the tools, they found that nearly three-quarters of the shells had opaque and slightly abraded exteriors, as if they had been sanded down over time, indicating that these had washed up on a sandy ...

Neanderthals may have gone diving to find shells from the sea floor: Study

Rocky Johnson, a former professional wrestler and the father of wrestler-turned-Hollywood star Dwayne Johnson, has died at the age of 75.
According to NBC News, the death of Rocky 'Soul Man' Johnson, whose real name was Wayde Bowles, was announced Wednesday by World Wrestling Entertainment.
His manager confirmed the news to the outlet but did not share details on the cause of death.
Rocky Johnson started his career in the 1960s with the National Wrestling Alliance before becoming an athlete with the WWE, formerly known as the Word Wrestling Federation, in 1983, according to the wrestling league's statement.
He partnered with fellow WWE wrestler Tony Atlas to form the duo The Soul Patrol, who would go on to defeat The Wild Samoans that year.
The duo became the first African American world tag team champions in WWE history.
"The 'Soul Man' retired from the ring in 1991, but his imprint continued to be felt on WWE for years to come. Post-retirement, Johnson had a hand in training his ...

Rocky Johnson, famous wrestler and father of Dwayne Jonhson, dies at 75

Multiple Hong Kong opposition lawmakers were ejected from the legislature on Thursday as they heckled the financial hub's pro-Beijing leader in angry scenes highlighting the stark political divides in the city after months of protests.
Security officials had to be called in multiple times to force out pro-democracy lawmakers who shouted slogans and held placards, including one that portrayed the city's chief executive Carrie Lam as a vampire with bat wings.
Lam was at the Legislative Council for a question and answer session.
The last time she appeared in the legislature in October, the heckling was so sustained that she abandoned a state of the union style address and delivered it by video instead.
On Thursday, she was able to make both her opening speech and answer questions but was frequently interrupted.
Among the slogans shouted by lawmakers was "Five demands, not one less" -- a chant used during the huge and often violent pro-democracy street protests that have battered Hong ...

Hong Kong opposition lawmakers ejected for heckling leader

Indian financial market will look for improved transparency in the Union Budget announcements next month, according to a report by Singapore banking group DBS.
Any reduction in the fiscal deficit could result in a negative credit impulse in the near-term, but will need to be balanced with a credible consolidation plan further-out, according to the the bank's research report India Budget Preview: Loosening the purse released on Thursday.
The report noted that fiscal deficit in the first eight months of FY20, stood at 15 per cent above target, driven by weak revenues.
At an aggregate level, expenditure has been in line with the budget trend. The fiscal tear-to-date (FYTD) deficit overshoot is not out of sync with past trends, it added.
This is because, typically, the fiscal run-rate worsens for three-fourths of the year and then moderates in the final quarter as expenditure is scaled back and seasonal revenue flows kick-in, wrote DBS economist Radhika Rao.
Run rate of the FY20 math, ...

Markets eye improved transparency in Budget: Report

One of the Japanese lawyers for former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn has stepped down from that job after Ghosn fled the country.
Junichiro Hironaka had been representing Ghosn in his defense against various financial misconduct allegations. His move, announced Thursday, was widely expected after Ghosn fled to Lebanon late last month.
Hironaka said in a statement that the entire team working on the case at his office will quit but did not outline reasons. He has said before he has felt some empathy for Ghosn's reasons for escape, while stressing he had hoped to win vindication in court.
Hironaka is respected for winning innocent verdicts in high-profile cases in this nation where the conviction rate is higher than 99%.
Among the cases he has handled is that of Atsuko Muraki, a welfare ministry official accused of falsely approving a group to qualify for mail discounts. She was acquitted in 2010.
In a news conference last week in Beirut, Ghosn insisted again that he was innocent of the .

Ghosn's Japan lawyer quits after client's flight to Lebanon

A Philippine volcano belched smaller plumes of ash Thursday but shuddered continuously with earthquakes and cracked roads in nearby towns, which were blockaded by police due to fears of a bigger eruption.
Taal volcano's crater lake and a nearby river have dried up in some of the signs of its continuing volcanic restiveness.
That has prompted army troops and police to block villagers from sneaking back by boats to the volcanic island and nearby towns to retrieve belongings, poultry and cattle.
There have been no reports of deaths or serious injuries from the sudden eruption, which began Sunday, but many houses and farms have been damaged by volcanic ash, which briefly forced the shutdown of Manila's international airport and caused more than 600 flights to be cancelled.
The volcano in Batangas province lies more than 65 kilometers (40 miles) south of the capital, Manila.
Amid warnings of an imminent and more dangerous eruption, police cordoned off at least four towns along or near the .

Philippine volcano's quakes, cracks send more people fleeing

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted his decision to risk Marcus Rashford as a second half substitute "backfired" despite seeing his side progress to the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 1-0 win over Wolves on Wednesday.
Rashford lasted less than 15 minutes on the field due to a back injury and is now a doubt for the trip to runaway leaders Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday.
The brief cameo from United's top goalscorer coincided with the only goal of the game as Juan Mata's clinical finish ensured United will travel to either Watford or Tranmere on January 26th.
"That backfired, but you've got to go for them," Solskjaer told BT Sport.
"He's got a knock and couldn't run. Let's test him for Sunday and see how he goes.
"He's had a few knocks with his back lately and he got another one." Wolves put United out of the FA Cup last season and were unbeaten in five previous meetings between the sides since returning to the top flight in 2018.
"We are delighted to ...

Rashford injury overshadows Man Utd win over Wolves

Zhang Fangyong glances at a photograph of fellow boxer Floyd "Money" Mayweather.
The retired American superstar could earn hundreds of millions of dollars from a bout, but China's Zhang sometimes fights for nothing and supports himself by making deliveries on his motorbike.
The 26-year-old bantamweight has recovered from losing three of his first four fights to improve his win-loss-draw record to 14-3-1, with three wins by knockout.
But it is Zhang's determination to pursue his career despite numerous obstacles that has won him the hearts of Chinese sports fans and the admiration of the wider public.
His story was part of a recent Chinese government-backed documentary film, "Changing China", which charts the progress of the world's most populous country through the stoic battles of ordinary young people trying to get by.
The good-natured Zhang, who grew up in rural poverty, earns so little from the sport that he has taken on an array of menial jobs to keep his boxing dream alive.
He ..

China's deliveryman boxer takes long road to recognition

The Ghana Football Association on Wednesday appointed former Black Stars captain Charles Kwabla Akonnor as their new coach.
Akonnor, a central midfielder for German sides Fortuna Koln and Wolfsburg, replaces Kwesi Appiah whose contract was not renewed in December.
The former Black Stars skipper will be assisted by David Duncan - a former Ghana under-23 and under-17 coach, a statement from the Federation announced.
Akonnor, 45, has had managerial stints with Ghana premier league giants Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak.
His first international assignment will be the 2022 World Cup qualifiers in March.
The GFA dissolved the technical departments for its national sides this month, saying the move was "in line with the vision" of its new administration to improve on performance.
African football writer Sammie Frimpong said the decision of the Ghana FA to appoint new coaches for the various national teams affords the country a chance to start afresh.
"Whatever the motive, a clean start ...

Ghana appoint ex captain Akonnor as coach

Lurking deep inside some tumours are "factories" full of immune cells that help the body fight a rearguard action against cancer and are key to helping some patients recover, new research has shown.
In recent years, doctors have turned to a new treatment for cancer, immunotherapy, which works by leveraging the body's immune system to fight tumours.
The technique has largely focused on white blood cells called T-cells, which are "trained" to recognise and attack cancer cells.
But the innovative treatment only works well for around 20 per cent of patients, and researchers have been trying to understand why some people respond better than others.
Three papers published on Thursday in the journal Nature point the way, identifying a key formation inside some tumours: tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS).
These structures function like "factories or schools" for immune cells that help the body fight cancer, said Wolf H. Fridman, a professor emeritus of immunology at the Cordeliers Research ...

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