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Pakistan’s Babar Azam (L) plays a shot as Bangladesh’s wicketkeeper Litton Das (C) and Mominul Haque field the ball during the second day of the second Test cricket match between Bangladesh and Pakistan at the
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Qatar shooting continued its impressive performances and maintained complete dominance at the GCC Games competitions, as Team Qatar’s male and female shooters captured more gold medals to further strengthen the nation’s tally at the Games. The Team Qatar duo Abdullah al-Sunaidi and Al Maha al-Ali claimed gold in the mixed team 10m air rifle event after defeating Oman’s Salem al-Nabi and Al Anoud al-Khalili, who secured silver, while the UAE pair Fatima al-Suwaidi and Salem al-Yamahi won bronze yesterday. Qatar’s medal tally rose to 96 following another strong performance by the host nation yesterday, with the team now boasting 36 gold, 32 silver and 28 bronze medals. Continuing Qatar’s dominance, Team Qatar stars Rashid Saleh al-Athba and Reem al-Sharshani captured gold in the mixed skeet team event, ahead of Kuwait’s Saud al-Kandari and Afrah al-Mohammad, who won silver, while Bahrain secured bronze through Tamer al-Watae and Maryam al-Aasam. Team Qatar had already won nine medals on the opening day of the shooting finals, including three gold, one silver, and five bronze medals. With the continued success at the ranges, Team Qatar’s overall shooting tally rose to 11 medals, including five gold, one silver, and five bronze medals, reflecting the extensive technical and physical preparations undertaken before the start of the tournament and underlining Qatar’s dominance in GCC shooting competitions. Gold and Bronze for Qatar in TT Mixed Doubles Qatar table tennis players won one gold and one bronze medal in the mixed doubles category on the penultimate day of the table tennis competitions at the 4th GCC Games currently taking place in Doha and continuing until May 22. The Qatari duo Mohammed Abdulwahab and Aya Mohammed won the gold medal after defeating the UAE pair Ali al-Hawai and Noura al-Mazmi 3-0 in the final. Meanwhile, Qatar’s Abdullah Abdulwahab and Mariam Ali secured the bronze medal after defeating Bahrain’s Rashid Khalid Sanad and Rayan Emad 3-0 in the third-place playoff. Part of the day’s competitions was attended by Jassim bin Rashid al-Buenain, Secretary General of the Qatar Olympic Committee, Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, President of the Saudi Table Tennis Federation, Sheikha Hayat bint Abdulaziz Al Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Table Tennis Federation, and Hamad Ahmed al-Hammadi, President of the Qatar Table Tennis Federation. The competitions continue tomorrow with the third-place matches in the men’s and women’s singles and men’s doubles categories, followed by an all-Saudi men’s singles final, the women’s singles final between Qatar’s Aya Mohammed and Mariam Ali, and the men’s doubles final featuring Qatar’s Mohammed Abdulwahab and Abdullah Abdulwahab against Saudi Arabia’s Ali al-Khudrawi and Abdulaziz Boushalibi. al-Obaidli wins snooker Silver Team Qatar player Ali al-Obaidli won the silver medal in the men’s 6-red snooker singles competition at the billiards and snooker events of the 4th GCC Games Doha 2026 after losing 3-4 in a highly competitive final against Kuwait’s Ammar Taqi. The billiards and snooker competitions feature ten events — five in billiards and five in snooker — while Team Qatar is represented by Ali al-Obaidli, Muhanna al-Obaidli, Mansour al-Obaidli, Ahmed Saif, Bashar Hussein, Mishal Turki al-Ali, and Abdul Latif al-Fawal. Qatar opens volleyball campaign with UAE win Team Qatar volleyball team began its GCC Games Doha 2026 campaign strongly after defeating the UAE 3-0 yesterday at Aspire Women’s Sports Hall. The set scores were 25-17, 25-13, and 25-13, with Team Qatar players displaying strong chemistry and complete control throughout the match, sending a clear message that their objective is to retain the title for a second consecutive edition. In the other match, Bahrain defeated Oman 3-0. The competition resumes today with two matches, beginning with UAE against Bahrain at 4:00 PM, followed by Team Qatar facing Oman at 6:30 PM. Team Qatar aims to continue its winning run through the experience and quality of its players. Meanwhile Team Qatar handball team moved to the top of the standings after securing a dominant 34-19 victory over Kuwait in a match where Qatar imposed complete control from the beginning, finishing the first half ahead 19-8. The victory marked Qatar’s second consecutive win after opening the tournament with a 28-20 victory over the UAE, lifting its tally to four points at the top of the standings. Bahrain and Saudi Arabia follow with two points each, while Kuwait and the UAE remain without points. In the same round, Saudi Arabia defeated the UAE 34-21. The six participating teams will enjoy a rest day today before competition resumes tomorrow with Kuwait facing the UAE, followed by Bahrain against Saudi Arabia.
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West Ham's only hope of survival is if they beat Leeds on the final day and Tottenham lose to both Chelsea and Everton.(Reuters) West Ham's 3-1 defeat at Newcastle left Tottenham realistically only needing one more point to win the battle for Premier League survival, while Bruno Fernandes made history in Manchester United's 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest.Spurs can avoid dropping out of the English top flight for the first time in nearly 50 years with victory at Chelsea on Tuesday, but a draw would also likely suffice thanks to their much superior goal difference over West Ham.A third consecutive defeat left the Hammers needing favours and they were well beaten at St. James' Park against a Newcastle side who had little to play for. Nick Woltemade turned in Harvey Barnes' cross for his first league goal since December.William Osula then finished off a flowing Newcastle move to double the lead inside 20 minutes. Osula struck again with his fifth goal in six games and even a stunning strike from Taty Castellanos was little consolation for the visitors.West Ham's only hope of survival is if they beat Leeds on the final day and Tottenham lose to both Chelsea and Everton.Fernandes equalled the Premier League record of 20 assists in a season as United secured third place at Old Trafford. The Portuguese international moved alongside Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne in the single-season assist list when his cross was turned in by Bryan Mbeumo for United's third goal at Old Trafford.Luke Shaw volleyed United in front after just five minutes, but Forest levelled a wide open encounter early in the second half when Elliot Anderson's cross was headed in by Morato. United raced down the other end and Matheus Cunha's goal was allowed to stand despite a VAR check for handball by Mbeumo in the build-up.Fernandes' record-equalling moment arrived 14 minutes from full-time when Mbeumo prodded in his drilled cross for his first goal since February. Morgan Gibbs-White reduced the deficit in the 78th minute.But United held on to add another victory to their impressive run since interim boss Michael Carrick arrived in January. Carrick is expected to sign a two-year contract to remain in charge on a permanent basis. "Over the coming days there'll be clarity in the situation," the former United midfielder said of his future.Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored the only goal in stoppage-time at Elland Road as Leeds beat Brighton 1-0 to damage the Seagulls' hopes of European qualification.Brentford, in eighth place, also suffered a blow to their European ambitions in a 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace. Ismaila Sarr's sixth-minute penalty put Palace ahead before Dango Ouattara hauled Brentford level in the 40th minute. Adam Wharton restored Palace's advantage with his first goal for the club in the 52nd minute, but Ouattara struck again in the 88th minute.Sunderland are also in contention for European qualification after a 3-1 win at Everton lifted the Black Cats up to ninth. Fulham slipped to 13th after a 1-1 draw at relegated Wolves hampered their chances of Europe next season.Earlier, troubled Chelsea hired Xabi Alonso as their new manager, less than 24 hours after losing 1-0 against Manchester City in the FA Cup final. Alonso, who agreed a four-year contract with 10th-placed Chelsea, led Bayer Leverkusen to the Bundesliga title in 2024 but was sacked by Real Madrid in January after just seven months in charge. Related Story
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Italy's Jannik Sinner has now completed the 'Golden Masters' by winning all of the ATP's top-ranked events after becoming the first Italian champion at the Foro Italico since Adriano Panatta 50 years ago.(AFP) Jannik Sinner won the Italian Open after beating Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-4 to claim a record-extending sixth consecutive Masters 1000 tournament victory.World number one Sinner has now completed the 'Golden Masters' by winning all of the ATP's top-ranked events after becoming the first Italian champion at the Foro Italico since Adriano Panatta 50 years ago.Only Novak Djokovic had previously won all nine Masters 1000 events before Sunday, but there was little doubt about Sinner triumphing over the last 10 days. Sinner heads into Roland Garros, which starts next weekend, on a 29-match winning streak after beating Ruud for a fifth time in as many meetings."There was a lot of tension you know, on both sides and (it) was not perfect, perfect tennis from both of us," said Sinner. "But I'm really, really happy, it's been an incredible last two-and-a-half months."And his run of match wins is even longer – 34 in Masters 1000 tournaments – another record he has established in a season in which he has dominated the men's tour. Sinner can complete his collection of Grand Slams at Roland Garros and, with his great rival Carlos Alcaraz out of action, few would bet against him securing a first title on Paris clay.Ruud has won more matches and tournaments on clay than anyone else on the men's tour since the start of 2020 – last winning a Masters 1000 event at Madrid last year – but he couldn't beat Sinner for the first time.Norwegian Ruud had never won a set against Sinner in any of their previous four meetings, but immediately improved on the fearful hammering he received here from the Italian last year by winning the first two games.But Sinner broke straight back and took the lead in the match after an opening set in which the world number 25 held his own against a player he'd previously said "cannot lose".Sinner then broke Ruud again at the start of the second set and from there it was just a matter of time before he won the championship, even though Ruud performed with credit in front of a packed centre court crowd. "I know that in football it's a different story," joked Ruud, whose country will play in a World Cup for the first time since 1998.Norway reached this summer's World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico at the expense of Italy, who in March failed for a third consecutive time to qualify for the global showpiece.However, it was a doubly-good day for Italian tennis as Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori also won the men's doubles title, beating second seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 7-6 (10/8), 6-7 (3/7), 10-3. Related
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(FILES) People stand close to a stranded humpback whale in the Wismarer Bucht bay of the Baltic Sea off the island of Poel, northern Germany, close to the village of Faehrdorf-Hof, on April 28, 2026.
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Activists unfurl a large Palestinian flag from the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, May 15, 2026. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY French authorities have arrested six people suspected of flying a Palestinian flag from the Eiffel Tower without permission, a police source informed the AFP yesterday.Climate activist group Extinction Rebellion France claimed the responsibility for draping the large flag from the tower’s first floor on Friday afternoon. A representative said it was sending a “message of support” to Palestinians, accusing Israel of carrying out “massacres” in Gaza, as well as “ecocide crimes” including uprooting olive trees on the occupied Palestinian land. It was set to coincide with the Nakba Day — commemorating the 1948 displacement of Palestinians during the creation of Israel. The flags of both Israel and Palestine, as well as peace images of a dove and olive branch, were in September projected onto the Eiffel Tower in Paris, ahead of France’s announcement of recognising the Palestinian state. Related Story
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A man attacked by a shark off Western Australia’s coast yesterday died of his injuries, police said, in what is the second fatal shark attack in Australia so far this year. The 38-year-old victim, yet to be identified, was bitten on Saturday morning at Horseshoe Reef near Rottnest Island, about 31 km (19.2 miles) west of state capital Perth, police said in a statement. The man was taken to shore but could not be revived, police said, adding that a report would be prepared for the coroner. State authorities advised people to take extra caution in the water at Rottnest Island, a popular tourist destination. Aerial footage from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation showed a police boat, police officers, and a rescue helicopter with a stretcher at the scene. Most shark attacks occur along the east and southeast seaboard of Australia.
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Dutch tech giant ASML signed a deal with Tata Electronics yesterday to help build and scale up a semi-conductor plant in India, overseen by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his tour of the Netherlands.ASML, which makes cutting-edge machines to manufacture semi-conductors, said it would “enable the establishment and ramp-up” of the Dholera plant in Modi’s home state of Gujarat in western India. The Dutch firm would deploy its advanced lithography tools in the plant, which allow for the rapid mass production of high-tech microchips, found in everything from cars to mobile phones.The deal came as the Netherlands and India were set to strike an economic partnership accord, following on from a free-trade agreement between India and the European Union that Modi dubbed “the mother of all deals.” ASML, Europe’s biggest tech firm by market value, said it saw “many compelling opportunities” in the Indian semiconductor sector.“We are committed to establishing long-term partnerships in the region,” said ASML’s chief executive officer Christophe Fouquet in a statement.Tata Electronics’ plant, with a planned investment of $11bn, will make semiconductor chips for the AI sector, as well as the car industry and other economic segments. New Delhi sees the European bloc as an important source of much-needed technology and investment to rapidly upscale its infrastructure and create millions of new jobs.On the other side, the EU has eyed India — the world’s most populous nation and a fast-growing economy — as an important market for the future.Modi’s trip to the Netherlands was his second since 2017, as the two countries seek to boost bilateral trade from the $27.8bn (23.7bn euros) last year.Earlier Saturday, Modi also addressed a large crowd of Indian ex-pats and visited Dutch King Willem Alexander.During his trip, he will also inspect the centuries-old Chola Plates, rings with engraved copper plates, that are being returned to India by Leiden University.
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A television screen shows a live broadcast of a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, at a hair salon in Taipei, Taiwan. (Re Taiwan said yesterday it is an “independent” nation, hours after US President Donald Trump warned the democratic island against declaring formal independence.Trump wrapped up a state visit to Beijing on Friday where Chinese President Xi Jinping had pressed him not to support Taiwan, which China claims is part of its territory. Taiwan depends heavily on US security backing to deter China from carrying out its threat to annex the island by force.Taiwan “is a sovereign and independent democratic nation, and is not subordinate to the People’s Republic of China”, Taiwan’s foreign ministry said in a statement.The ministry also insisted that US arms sales were part of Washington’s security commitment to Taiwan, after Trump said it “depends on China” and was a “very good negotiating chip for us”. Taiwan’s statements came after Trump issued a warning to the island against making a declaration of independence.“I’m not looking to have somebody go independent. And, you know, we’re supposed to travel 9,500 miles to fight a war. I’m not looking for that,” he told Fox News’ “Special Report with Bret Baier”. “I want them to cool down. I want China to cool down,” Trump said.“We’re not looking to have wars, and if you kept it the way it is, I think China’s going to be OK with that.” But Trump added that “nothing’s changed” on US policy towards Taiwan.The US recognises only Beijing and does not support formal independence by Taiwan, but historically has stopped short of explicitly saying it opposes independence. Under US law, the US is required to provide weapons to Taiwan for its defence, but it has been ambiguous on whether US forces would come to the island’s aid.Xi had begun the summit with a warning on Taiwan, whose President Lai Ching-te considers the island already independent, making a declaration unnecessary. The Chinese leader told Trump that missteps on the sensitive issue could cause “conflict”.Taiwan’s Presidential Office noted yesterday the “multiple reaffirmations from the US side, including President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, that the consistent US policy and position toward Taiwan remain unchanged”. “Taiwan looks forward to continuing to work with the US under the firm commitments of the Taiwan Relations Act,” spokeswoman Karen Kuo said in a statement.US weapon sales Ahead of the summit, Trump had said he would speak to Xi about US arms sales to Taiwan, a departure from Washington’s previous insistence that it would not consult Beijing on the matter.Taiwan’s parliament recently approved a $25bn defence spending bill that will be used for US weapons. Lawmakers have said the funds will cover nearly $9bn of the $11.1bn arms package announced by Washington in December and a second phase of arms sales — not yet approved by the US — worth more than $15 bn.Speaking to reporters on Friday en route to Washington, Trump said on arms sales: “I’ll make a determination over the next fairly short period of time.”Taiwan’s foreign ministry said arms were “not only a US security commitment to Taiwan clearly stipulated in the Taiwan Relations Act, but also a form of joint deterrence against regional threats”. Tzeng Wei-feng of the National Chengchi University’s Institute of International Relations in Taipei said the Trump administration was “leaning to China’s position” on Taiwan in order to have better relations with Beijing and could “change the arms sale package a little bit to show their goodwill”.Trump “overtly stating that arms are a bargaining chip is exactly what Taiwan didn’t want to hear,” Lev Nachman, a political science professor at National Taiwan University, told AFP.“The hope is that arm sales were non-negotiable, because it’s part of the six assurances, and what Donald Trump is essentially saying is that one of those assurances no longer matters.”
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Since US President Donald Trump’s barrage of threats to seize Greenland, authorities on the frozen island have been seeking help from a northern ally: Canada. A reserve unit of the Canadian armed forces called the Rangers has long maintained a year-round presence in mostly inaccessible Arctic communities. For three years, authorities in Greenland and Denmark have consulted with Canadian officials on how to set up their own version of the Rangers — conversations that grew more urgent with Trump’s threats and growing fears of Russian hostility in the Arctic. “The rhetoric coming out of the White House has sped up efforts to rebuff the idea that Arctic communities need the US to come in and save them,” said Whitney Lackenbauer, an honorary lieutenant-colonel Canadian Ranger involved in the talks, who spoke with Reuters during a recent 5,000-kilometer Arctic snowmobile trek by the Rangers. As Canada attempts to pivot away from relying on the US to protect its vast Arctic, Prime Minister Mark Carney is strengthening ties and exchanging security tips with the Nordic countries, which he describes as trusted partners. Canada’s increased defense collaboration with the Nordics is part of Carney’s effort to strengthen alliances between what he calls “middle powers” in a world where the US is considered a less reliable partner. The White House said Trump’s leadership has prompted allies “to recognise the need to meaningfully contribute to their own defence” and that the Arctic is a critical region for US national security and the economy. “The administration is participating in diplomatic high-level technical talks with the governments of Greenland and Denmark to address the United States’ national security interests in Greenland,” a White House spokesperson said in an email. Alliances are shifting in the Arctic as climate change makes it more accessible. Russia has far more military bases than any other nation there and in recent years China has started to increase its presence in the mineral-rich area, mostly in partnership with Russia. While Carney says Canada will no longer rely on any other nation to protect its own territory, he says the Arctic’s greatest threat is from Russia — and the Nordics have been boosting their own defences since Russia invaded Ukraine. In March, Canada and the five Nordic countries — Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden — agreed to deepen their cooperation in military procurement and ramp up defence production to deal with security threat. A plan for how Greenland might adapt the Canadian Rangers is expected by the end of this year, according to government policy documents. Lackenbauer, the honorary Canadian Ranger lieutenant-colonel, is also an Arctic expert at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario. He said Canada should overhaul its approach to Arctic security just as Nordic countries did after Russian troops marched into Ukraine in 2022. “The more we can go and help Canada’s allies in northern Europe, the more hostile nations will get the message that they do not get a free pass in the Arctic,” he said. Among the eight countries that share the Arctic, Canada’s investment in defending the territory has consistently been near the bottom, trailing Russia, the US, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland, according to the Arctic Business Index, a network of far north research institutions and analysts. Along with Greenland, Canada has historically spent the least. Last year, Canada hit the Nato target of spending 2% of its GDP on defense, around CA$63 bn, after repeated complaints from Trump. That compared to a low point of just 1% in 2014. Neil O’Rourke, Director General at Canada’s Coast Guard for Fleet and Maritime Services, said he and a Danish defence colleague realised years ago that if either country had a serious incident in the Arctic, their first phone call should be to each other. “Up north, we’re just across the water and it makes much more sense to share resources than to get help from down south,” he said. Related Story
