Section: Gulf News (United Arab Emirates)
Konta thrashed in first round
The China Open claimed its first high-profile victims yesterday with Britain’s Johanna Konta and Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia falling to surprise defeats in the first round. The sixth seed Konta, who reached last year’s final, appeared woefully short of confidence in getting thrashed by Romania’s unseeded Monica Niculescu 6-1,...
Russia’s 10-year gold itch sends hoard to highest of Putin’s era
Vladimir Putin is doing his part to keep the upswing in gold alive.Since the Russian president went on a geopolitical offensive in Ukraine in 2014, the haven asset had its first annual gain in four years in 2016 and is on track for another in 2017. A beneficiary of economic and political perils from North Korea to Brexit, it’s among the...
Polish cut in retirement age comes into force, bucking European trend
Poland lowers its retirement age on Sunday, a costly election promise by the ruling conservatives which goes against a European trend of gradually increasing the pension age as people live longer and stay more healthy. Lowering the age to 60 for women and 65 for men is popular in particular among supporters of the governing right-wing Law and...
Putin warns against US ‘arming’ Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday that any decision by the United States to supply defensive weapons to Ukraine would fuel the conflict in eastern Ukraine and possibly prompt pro-Russian separatists to expand their campaign there.On a visit to Kiev last month, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said he was actively reviewing sending...
New sanctions restrict financing for Russia oil firms’ trade deals
Russian oil companies will quickly find ways to work around tighter restrictions imposed this month by the United States on the foreign finance they can use, multiple Russian oil industry sources told Reuters.The new restrictions cut the period that US-based entities can provide finance to Russian energy firms from 90 to 60 days and are part of a...
Golden smile
Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar celebrates after winning the gold medal in high jump at the IAAF Athletics Diamond League meeting in Zurich yesterday. Newly-crowned world champion Barshim cleared 2.36m, followed by Majed Aldin Ghazal (Syria) 2.31m and Bohdan Bondarenko (Ukraine) 2.31m. …read more Source: Gulf...
Largest class of freshmen bring talent, ambition to NU-Q
As many as 95 freshmen have started their undergraduate careers at Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q). The incoming class – NU-Q’s 10th – is the largest and most diverse with students from more than 25 different nationalities. About 56% of the class is Qatari and there are 10 new nationalities joining the NU-Q student body: Algeria,...
Ukraine denies selling missile technology to North Korea
Ukraine denied on Monday that it had ever supplied defence technology to North Korea, responding to an article in the New York Times that said North Korea may have purchased rocket engines from Ukrainian factory Yuzhmash. Concern that North Korea is close to achieving its goal of putting the mainland United States within range of a nuclear weapon...
Injury hits Bolt’s swansong; Britain win 4x100m relay
Farah denied final gold by Ethiopian Edris in 5,000m; Bowie anchors the United States in women’s 4x100m victory Usain Bolt’s final appearance on the track ended in agony yesterday as he pulled up injured running the final leg of the World Championships 4×100 metres relay as Britain beat the United States for a shock gold medal....
Qatar’s Bader and Barshim get ready for Worlds action
Qatar’s Ahmed Bader will start his participation today at the 2017 IAAF World Athletics Championships in London, which concludes on Sunday.Bader will participate alongside 22 other athletes divided into two groups (A, B), with the 12 best efforts qualifying for tomorrow’s finals.The 21-year-old, who became the first Qatari ever to...
