Nadal’s match against Tiafoe, who turned 21 on Sunday, was billed as an intriguing clash of generations after Roger Federer’s loss to Tsitsipas, but the second seed was ruthless as he reached the last four without dropping a set. The 17-times Grand Slam champion broke Tiafoe’s first service game in each set and with a second break in the third set wrapped up victory in an hour and 47 minutes. “I felt having the break at the beginning of every set, that gave me a lot of confidence. Then I was serving well, playing solid,” Nadal told reporters. Nadal was forced to retire hurt in the fifth set of last year’s quarter-final against eventual finalist Marin Cilic, eight years after pulling out midway through his last-eight clash against Andy Murray with a knee injury. “It’s very emotional for me to be back in the semi-final in Melbourne,” Nadal said on court. “I had some troubles in this event all my career. “To be back to the … [Read more...] about Ruthless Nadal sees off Tiafoe to cruise into last four
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60pc of coffee varieties face “extinction risk”
Three in five species of wild coffee are at risk of extinction as a deadly mix of climate change, disease and deforestation puts the future of the world's favourite beverage in jeopardy, new research warned on Wednesday (Jan 16). Farmers Eduardo winnow coffee beans on their family farm in Forquilha do Rio, municipality of Dores do Rio Preto, Espirito Santo, Brazil. (Photo: AFP/Mauro Pimentel) More than two billion cups of coffee are consumed every day, but the multi-billion-dollar industry is reliant on wild varieties grown in just a few regions to maintain commercial crop variety and adapt to changing threats posed by pests. Scientists at Britain's Kew Royal Botanic Gardens used the latest computer modelling techniques and on-the-ground research to predict how the 124 coffee varieties listed as endangered might fare as the planet continues to warm and ecosystems are decimated. Some 75 coffee species were assessed as being threatened with extinction: 13 classed as critically … [Read more...] about 60pc of coffee varieties face “extinction risk”
Rich and poor struggle to shoulder losses from devastating storms
Propelling Caribbean islands to the top of a global index of countries most severely affected by weather disasters last year, researchers said on Tuesday. The U.S. territory of Puerto Rico was ranked as the hardest-hit and the island of Dominica came in third place after both were battered by Hurricane Maria last September, according to an annual climate risk index from Germanwatch, an environmental policy group. The United States ranked 12th in the 2017 index, with 389 fatalities and nearly $175 billion in losses from extreme weather. "Recent storms with intensity levels never seen before have had disastrous impacts," said the index’s lead author David Eckstein. Such weather disasters are likely to worsen further in coming years, the United Nations’ humanitarian agency warned on Tuesday, creating significant new humanitarian needs. Floods, storms and droughts all are expected to strengthen, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said … [Read more...] about Rich and poor struggle to shoulder losses from devastating storms
Refugee team to take part at Tokyo 2020 Olympics: IOC
IOC President Thomas Bach asked members of the Olympic body at its session in Buenos Aires to support the creation of a refugee team, along the lines of the one that competed at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. The members responded with applause. * The cities of Calgary and Stockholm and an Italian bid involving Cortina D'Ampezzo and Milan officially became candidates for the 2026 Winter Olympics on Tuesday after the International Olympic Committee ratified their bids. The IOC Executive Board last week recommended the three as candidates for the Olympics in eight years time, dropping Turkey's Erzurum. * Brooks Koepka added another accolade to a sensational season on Tuesday when, as had been widely expected, he was named PGA Tour Player of the Year following a 2017-18 campaign highlighted by two major victories. Koepka landed the coveted honour despite missing nearly three months with a wrist injury as he would go on to become the first repeat US Open winner in 29 years and then … [Read more...] about Refugee team to take part at Tokyo 2020 Olympics: IOC
Julius Maada Bio wins Sierra Leone presidential runoff
Julius Maada Bio sworn in as President of Sierra Leone (Photo: AFP/VNA)Accordingly, Mr. Julius Maada Bio of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) won 51.8% of a total of over 2.5 million ballots cast in the March 31st vote, beating out the ruling All People’s Congress candidate Samura Kamara, who garnered 48.2 percent. Dressed in traditional white robes, Maada Bio was sworn in just before midnight at a hotel in the capital Freetown. Mr. Bio thanked the people of Sierra Leone for taking the country in a "new direction". “This is the dawn of a new era. The people of this great nation have voted to take a new direction,” Mr. Julius Maada Bio said in a speech following the short ceremony in which he made an appeal for national unity. “We have only one country, Sierra Leone, and we are all one people.” Mr. Bio succeeds President Ernest Bai Koroma, who is stepping down after serving a second five-year term. The election was the fourth since … [Read more...] about Julius Maada Bio wins Sierra Leone presidential runoff