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Both Qatari men’s beach volleyball teams have qualified for the Round of 16 at the Asian Beach Games – Sanya in China after securing two more victories yesterday in the preliminary stage.The first team, comprising Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan, defeated Uzbekistan 2-0 (21-14, 21-9), while the second team of Mohamed Ehab and Moussa al-Khair maintained their winning run with a 2-0 victory over Macau (21-10, 21-5). Both teams will play their final group matches today to determine the top spot in their respective groups and confirm their Round of 16 opponents, with the knockout matches scheduled for tomorrow. The first team will face Iran, while the second team take on hosts China.Meanwhile, Qatar’s women’s teams suffered defeats in their opening matches. Malak Hashim and Nelly Shalabi lost to South Korea 0-2, while Haya Abu Issa and Laila Mohammed went down to Sri Lanka by the same scoreline.Qatar have previously enjoyed success in beach volleyball at the Asian Beach Games, winning bronze at the 2014 Phuket edition before claiming both gold and silver medals at the 2016 Da Nang Games, highlighting the steady progress of the sport in the country.Beach handball team overcome JordanQatar’s beach handball team strengthened their position at the top of the group with a 2-0 victory over Jordan (22-18, 18-16) in their fifth match of the group stage. The win lifted Qatar to 10 points from five consecutive victories, underlining their consistent form and strong start to the competition.Qatar conclude their group-stage campaign against Thailand tomorrow before facing the Maldives on Monday, aiming to maintain their lead and secure qualification for the semi-finals.3×3 basketball teams begin campaignQatar’s men’s 3×3 basketball team open their campaign today against Bahrain before facing Kazakhstan later in the day. The women’s team also begin their participation with a challenging match against China, one of the tournament favourites, before taking on Kazakhstan on Monday in their second group match.The men’s squad includes Mohammed Bashir, Dejan Janic, Nadem Muslic and Osman Deng, while the women’s team features Sama Jasser, Tania Al-Tawil, Mona Al-Sayed and Alaa Suleiman.In jiu-jitsu, Ahmed al-Qardaghi exited the competition after losing to Jordan’s Alaa Aldin al-Khazai in the Round of 16 of the 77kg category.China lead medal standingsChina continue to top the medal table at the Asian Beach Games – Sanya 2026 with a total of seven medals – four gold, two silver and one bronze. The United Arab Emirates are second with four medals – two gold, one silver and one bronze – while the Philippines sit third with three medals – two gold and one bronze. Vietnam follow in fourth place with one gold and one silver, while the Republic of Korea are fifth with two silver medals. Source link
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (Reuters/File photo) Ferdinand Marcos will make the first state visit to Japan by a Philippine president in over a decade next month, the presidential palace said Friday, at a time of deepening security cooperation between the two countries.Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will receive Marcos and his wife Louise during the May 26-29 trip, with the Filipino leader also set to meet Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the palace statement said.Marcos and Takaichi “are expected to discuss the future trajectory of the Philippines-Japan Strengthened Strategic Partnership” as well as international developments, “especially with regard to energy and food security, and maritime security”, it said.The World War II foes have been strengthening military ties in recent years, with Tokyo supplying coast guard ships and radar systems and signing a reciprocal access deal that allowed Japanese troops to take part for the first time in annual US-Philippines military exercises.About 1,400 Japanese personnel are currently in the Philippines for the sprawling, 19-day exercise known as Balikatan, or “Shoulder to Shoulder”.Tokyo has also been a key financer of Manila’s efforts to modernise patrol craft and maritime surveillance systems used in the disputed South China Sea.China claims nearly the entirety of the strategic waterway despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.In February, US, Japanese and Philippine aircraft patrolled over the Bashi Channel that separates the Philippines from Taiwan, which China considers part of its territory, to test what Manila called their “ability to operate seamlessly together in complex maritime environments”.Little more than 100 kilometres (60 miles) separates the Philippines and self-ruled Taiwan, which China has not ruled out taking by force.Manila said Marcos will also meet with Japanese business groups and members of the Filipino community.His state visit would be the first by an incumbent Filipino leader since Benigno Aquino’s trip to Tokyo in 2015. Related Story Source link
Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan will face compatriots Mohamed Ehab and Moussa al-Khair today After impressive group-stage performances, the country’s two men’s teams will meet in an all-Qatari round of 16 clash in the beach volleyball competition at the Asian Beach Games – Sanya 2026 today.The first team of Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan booked their place at the top of Group B after a hard-fought 2-1 (21-11, 21-23, 15-13) victory over Iran yesterday, underlining their strong title credentials. Meanwhile, the second team of Mohamed Ehab and Moussa al-Khair finished runners-up in their group following a 0-2 defeat to hosts China, setting up a direct encounter with their compatriots. The fixture guarantees Qatar a place in the quarter-finals and reflects the teams’ impressive group-stage performances. Younousse and Tijan had earlier secured wins over the Maldives and Uzbekistan, while Ehab and al-Khair recorded victories against Saudi Arabia and Macau before their loss to China. In the women’s competition, Haya Abu Issa and Laila Mohammed exited after a 0-2 defeat to China.Qatar is represented by four teams—two men’s and two women’s—reflecting growing participation and the sport’s expanding continental presence. Meanwhile, Qatar’s beach handball team faces Thailand today, aiming to secure a place in the semi-finals and continue its title defence. The team enters the match in strong form, having recorded five consecutive wins against Pakistan, Oman, Bangladesh, Mongolia and Jordan to top the group with 10 points. Drawn in a competitive group that also includes the Maldives and Thailand, Qatar has maintained a high level from the outset. Today’s match is key to confirming top spot and shaping the knockout path, ahead of the final group fixture against the Maldives tomorrow. The semi-finals are set for Tuesday, with the final on Thursday, as Qatar looks to extend its winning run and move closer to another title. Bright start for Qatar’s men’s 3×3 basketball team Qatar’s men’s 3×3 basketball team opened their Asian Beach Games – Sanya 2026 campaign with two wins, defeating Bahrain 21-11 and Kazakhstan 22-15 to boost their qualification chances.The team delivered strong performances in both matches, imposing a fast pace and making the most of scoring opportunities through effective teamwork to secure a perfect start. In contrast, the women’s team lost their opener 5-21 to China. The men conclude the group stage against India tomorrow, a key match for their progression, while the women face Kazakhstan next. The knockout rounds begin on Tuesday, with the competition concluding on Wednesday with the semi-finals and final. The men’s squad includes Mohammed Bashir, Dejan Janic, Nadim Muslic and Osman Deng, while the women’s team features Sama Jasser, Tania Al-Tawil, Mona Al-Sayed and Alaa Suleiman, reflecting continued efforts to support and expand the sport. Elsewhere, Qatar’s sailing team continue its participation, with Tamim Shams set to compete in the sixth and seventh races of the Optimist class for boys, while Thani Shams will race in the sixth and seventh rounds of the ILCA 4 class. The competition follows a cumulative format in which all sailors take part in every race, with final standings determined by the total results across ten races running through Tuesday. This system requires consistent performance, while also allowing competitors to improve their positions with each race amid close competition, as the Qatari sailors aim to achieve strong results and enhance their overall standings. China extended its lead in the medal standings after yesterday’s events, with 19 medals (9 gold, 8 silver, 2 bronze). Thailand moved into second with eight medals (3 gold), followed by the Philippines in third with six (3 gold). The United Arab Emirates ranked fourth with six medals (2 gold), while Vietnam placed fifth with five medals (2 gold), as competition remains tight heading into the final stages. Source link
More than 1,000 firefighters in northern Japan battled to contain two wildfires for a fourth straight day on Saturday, as the blazes pushed closer to residential areas and forced more than 3,000 residents to evacuate.The combined area affected amounts to the third largest recorded in Japan, where forest fires have intensified in recent years.The first fire broke out on Wednesday in a mountainous area and then a second nearby threatened residential districts in the town of Otsuchi in Iwate Prefecture.Hilly terrain, dry weather and winds are hampering containment efforts, a fire department official told reporters.By Saturday, the fires had scorched about 730 hectares (1,800 acres), prompting evacuation orders covering 1,541 households and 3,233 people – about a third of Otsuchi's population.The town is scarred by the memory of one of Japan's worst disasters, the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami when it lost nearly a tenth of its population.’Even during the 2011 disaster, this area didn't burn. There was a tsunami but we had no fire here,’ said Taeko Kajiki, 76, a former nurse, who was among those who have been evacuated since Friday.She said she had stayed up all night watching the red glow of the flames and had packed her bankbook and medical cards as well as the turtle she has kept as a pet since 2010.The firefighters on the ground were supported by helicopters from several prefectures and Japan’s Self Defense Forces, which carried out aerial water drops to try to halt the advance of the fires.’With the land so dry, fires keep igniting. We put one out, then race to extinguish another, over and over again,’ said Masashi Kikuchi, a 37-year-old volunteer firefighter, who moved to a house on higher ground after losing his home to the 2011 tsunami.Eight buildings, including one residential home, have been damaged or destroyed so far, though no injuries or fatalities have been reported, authorities said.’I can't let people lose their homes again after losing them once to the tsunami,’ Otsuchi Mayor Kozo Hirano told reporters. He said the town would seek help from other authorities and provide services, such as hot baths, to help ease stress among residents.While Japan has experienced relatively few wildfires compared with other parts of the globe, climate change has increased their frequency, especially as the early spring months before the humid rainy season have been hot, dry and with winds that can whip up flames.The Japan Meteorological Agency said no rain was forecast for the region over the coming week.According to official figures, the amount of land on fire around Otsuchi is second only to the major forest fire in Ofunato in 2025, which consumed about 3,370 hectares, and the Kushiro fire in 1992, which burned 1,030 hectares. Source link
France’s Cyrine Cherif delivered a composed performance to win the Diamond Round 150cm class during the eleventh round of the Longines Hathab – Qatar Equestrian Tour held at the main arena of the Qatar Equestrian Federation yesterday. Cherif guided Triple T Calamando Blue to a faultless finish in 31.48 seconds. Saudi Arabia’s Khaled al-Eid secured second place aboard Rakker Dmc in 32.11 seconds, while Qatar’s Mohammed Saeed Haidan finished third riding Wathnan Stand By Me in 32.36s seconds. Speaking after her victory, Cherif said: “My horse was a bit slow today so I was cautious and stayed steady and it worked. I’m glad to have won but I would have been happy with any podium finish. My horse had too much to do through the season and the Doha Equestrian Tours. But yes, having won a Grand Prix at DET, even 1.50m now appears smaller when I go into the arena.” In the Bronze Tour 120cm, Qatar’s Hussain Saeed Haidan claimed first place riding D Saucedo in 28.77 seconds. Saudi Arabia’s Khaled al-Hadi finished second aboard Carlton de Sauvageonn in 29.33 seconds, while Kuwait’s Annaz al-Annaz took third place with Be Bop de Lyons in 29.41 seconds. In the Bronze Tour Teams event, Marwan Al Shaqab secured first place with a clear round in 61.93 seconds, followed by Ajwad in second place with 72.89 seconds, while Gazal Al Shaqab finished third after incurring four faults in 63.70 seconds. In the Future Riders 90cm class, Qatar’s Salha Khalid al-Obaidli claimed first place riding Violet Van Het Koetshuis in 21.57 seconds. Alqaqaa Tamim al-Thani finished second aboard Bon Suela in 22.34 seconds, while Fahad Talal al-Naimi secured third place with Kroaat Van Orchid’s in 23.05 seconds. Meanwhile, in the first dressage competitions, Sharifa Ahmed al-Ansari was crowned Amateur (Introductory Level) champion in Group 7 with a score of 70.119 points. Georgina Roy Khan won the Introductory Level 2 title in Group 7 with 72.625 points, while Hamad Nasser al-Marri recorded 71.5 points to top the Junior category for the Introductory Level 2 test. Michelle Grimes also claimed first place in the Dressage Level 1 class in Group 7 with 70.425 points. Source link
Participants pour coconut milk into bamboo tubes as they prepare to cook lemang, a traditional glutinous rice dish stuffed into bamboo tubes and filled with coconut…
His Excellency President of the Olympic Council of Asia Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani, awarded the medals to the top three finalists of the Women’s 4x60m Relay during the 6th Asian Beach Games Sanya 2026, currently being held in Sanya, People’s Republic of China.The Thai team won the gold medal after a remarkable performance, while the Philippines team took silver, and China finished third, earning the bronze.HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani congratulated the winners on their achievement, praising the high level of skill displayed by the competitors and the spirit of fair play that embodied the Olympic values uniting Asian athletes. He also commended the efforts of the organizing committee in ensuring the success of this major continental event. Source link
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attend a press briefing following their meeting in Qabala, Azerbaijan, yesterday. (Reuters) Ukraine and Azerbaijan signed six co-operation agreements yesterday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, as he pushes to share Kyiv’s drone expertise amid the Middle East war.Zelensky has clinched several defence deals with Gulf countries that suffered Iranian drone attacks with Kyiv offering its experience and expertise after more than four years of relentless Russian strikes.“We have signed six documents today,” said Zelensky in the Azerbaijan capital Baku, without specifying which fields. “Today, the number one area is security. This concerns the defence-industrial complex,” he said. “We have shared our experience in countering the aggressor today”.Speaking alongside Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev, Zelensky said Ukrainian drone experts were already working in Azerbaijan, a former Soviet republic on the Caspian Sea that borders southern Russia. In early March, drones launched from Iran hit an Azerbaijani airport and exploded near a school, wounding four people and raising fears of a spillover of the conflict into the Caucasus.Since then, already tepid relations between Baku and Tehran have declined further. The Ukrainian president also said he was ready to hold trilateral talks on ending the war with Russia in Azerbaijan, if Moscow showed a willingness to do so.“We shared with the president of Azerbaijan that we are ready for trilateral talks,” said Zelensky. Azerbaijan repeatedly expressed support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sent humanitarian aid after the Russian invasion in 2022.Ties between Moscow and Baku have cooled over the past year, after an Azerbaijani passenger plane was mistakenly hit by a Russian anti-aircraft missile in 2024, causing a crash that killed 38. Source link
Tonnes of packaged rare earth minerals sat ready for shipping from a Malaysian plant to loosen China’s grip on supplies of the critical elements. (AFP) Workers load tonnes of rare earth minerals into bags ready for shipping at a refinery in eastern Malaysia, fuelling the global pushback against China’s grip on the critical sector. Rare earths are a key ingredient in products ranging from smartphones to fighter jets, electric cars and wind turbines — and increasingly for hardware powering the artificial intelligence (AI) boom.Global jitters about Beijing’s dominance as a rare earths producer have kicked Australian mining giant Lynas into action, expanding its portfolio of rare earths refined in Malaysia as it hopes to boost its approximately 10% share of the market. China makes up the other 90% of the world’s market, stoking fears about Beijing’s ability to choke global supplies. “China has built its success on executing a clear industrial plan — it takes us to be serious about it,” Lynas company’s chief executive Amanda Lacaze told AFP. Pushing against Chinese dominance will “take discipline, focus and clear planning”, she said during a rare press visit to the company’s sprawling chemical plant in Malaysia’s Gebeng industrial hub, near the coastal city of Kuantan. The Lynas facility in Gebeng is now the world’s largest single rare earths processing plant. Since 2012, the facility has been refining pure metals from raw materials mined in Western Australia, in an intensive and complicated separation procedure.It currently handles 11 of the 17 rare earths — a number that is increasing — with plans to expand even further to include “heavies” such as yttrium and lutetium, used for lasers, medical imaging and cancer therapy. From the plant, the bags are transported to Port Klang on the other side of Malaysia, and leave on a ship for Japan, where the metal powders are turned into high-performance magnets used in advanced industries such as electronics and aerospace. Most bags contain NdPr, short for neodymium-praseodymium, a rare-earth mixture and key magnet material, which sells for around $100,000 per bag.Smaller quantities of other separated heavy rare earth oxides like dysprosium, terbium and samarium are sold in 25kg tins.Rare earths are so vital for the global economy that they have become a flashpoint in the blistering trade war between the US and China. Beijing leveraged its grip on the precious minerals in spectacular fashion last October, reaching a deal with Washington to pause the trade war after its curbs on exports rattled markets and snarled supply chains.Supply of rare earths is expected to be a key discussion point at an upcoming summit between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing set for mid-May. But the challenge for Lynas is not its production capacity, chief operating officer Pol Le Roux said.Instead, incentives are needed to boost downstream capacity — the ability to turn raw minerals into a finished product — which is “growing too slowly”, he told AFP. Lacaze said the company was already partnering with magnet makers to close the gap between rare-earth processing and manufacturing.However, she stressed: “We won’t just say that we are going to wake up tomorrow and be a magnet maker.”Producing rare earths requires heavy chemicals and can produce toxic waste, with cases including illegal operations polluting Mekong tributaries in Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia with arsenic and cadmium. Lynas got the green light last month from the Malaysian government to process rare earths there for another 10 years. The licence was issued as environmental watchdogs such as Greenpeace raised concerns over the management of radioactive by-products. Under the latest agreement, the government said the company must now halt all activities that produce radioactive waste within five years of its renewed operating licence. Lynas however, says its by-product from rare earth refining produces a non-toxic, non-radioactive magnesium-rich gypsum and an iron phosphate with a very low level of naturally occurring radioactive material.Existing by-product is already stored in a permanent disposal facility “constructed and managed to ensure the material does not impact on the surrounding environment,” the company said.Lynas also has ambitions to diversify further into producing rare earths as catalysts over the next decade.Rare earths are particularly important as a low-cost catalyst in the hydrogen supply chain, for instance, in the recovery process when the gas is transported long-haul as ammonia.“In 10 years from now, I expect this to be a substantial part of the business,” Le Roux said. …
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Turkiye could consider taking part in demining operations in the Strait of Hormuz following a possible peace agreement between Iran and the United States. Fidan said any demining work would be carried out by a technical team from various countries, formed after a possible Iran-US peace agreement Turkiye would have “no problem” with participating in mine-clearing operations under those conditions Fidan cautioned that Turkiye would reassess its position if any future technical coalition of countries became a party to renewed conflict Fidan also said he believed issues related to Iran’s nuclear programme could be resolved at the next round of talks in Pakistan. Source link