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Police officers stand guard on a road leading to the Serena Hotel Tuesday as Pakistan prepared to host the US and Iran for the second phase…
World number one Jannik Sinner said Tuesday his principal aim as he prepares for the Madrid Open is to be in the ‘best possible shape’ for Roland Garros next month as he seeks to complete a career Grand Slam.The 24-year-old won his first major title on clay earlier this month as he downed rival Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets in the Monte Carlo Masters final.Next he turns his attentions to the 1000-level event in Madrid as the clay-court season ramps up towards the only Grand Slam tournament Sinner has not yet won – Roland Garros, which will run from May 24 to June 7.’I never played very well here, so let's see how it goes this year,’ Sinner, who has never got past the quarter-final stage in the Spanish capital, told reporters the day before the Madrid Open begins.’I'm trying to improve as a player and here might be one of the most challenging ones because of certain things (altitude and wind).’Despite being heavily favoured to pick up a fifth consecutive Masters title, Sinner revealed that for him ‘the most important is Roland Garros’.’We try to maximise to be in the best possible shape there, but I'm here trying to do my best and then we'll see how it goes,’ he added.Sinner lost an all-time classic Roland Garros final last year to Alcaraz, despite holding three championship points.But the Italian said he regretted the upcoming absences of the world number two, due to Alcaraz suffering a wrist injury, and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in Madrid.’It's a very big pity to not have (Alcaraz) here and also Novak, the two biggest stars in tennis,’ Sinner said.’We have shared since last year a lot of tournaments, but again, in my mind I also know if I want to play against Carlos it's in the final and the way to the final is very long.’Top seed Sinner will start his Madrid Open campaign in the second round against a yet to be determined opponent. Source link
From the mist-covered peaks of Global Geoparks to the vibrant underwater cathedrals of World Heritage coral reefs, these sanctuaries are doing more than just preserving scenery;…
Peter Magyar speaks during a press conference in Budapest. (Reuters/File Photo) The rights of Slovakia’s ethnic Hungarian minority have resurfaced as a thorn in bilateral issues after Hungarian election winner Peter Magyar protested Slovak legislation reinforcing post-World War Two retribution acts in his first phone call with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. The dispute focuses on post-war decrees that applied collective guilt to take away property and citizenship from ethnic Germans and Hungarians living in what was then Czechoslovakia for alleged wartime wrongs. The “Benes Decrees”, named after Czechoslovak President Edvard Benes, periodically return to cloud relations between EU neighbours Hungary and Slovakia. The Hungarian minority makes up about 9% of Slovakia’s population of 5.5mn. Last year, Fico’s leftist-nationalist government tightened legislation around the decrees by making it a criminal offence to question them. Hungary’s outgoing leader Viktor Orban, a close ally of Fico, let the issue lie but it was picked up by Magyar in the campaign before his landslide victory in the April 12 election. Magyar stuck to his views Tuesday in his first contact with Fico since the election. “I told him clearly that we would be able to negotiate on any policy issue if we received a guarantee that Slovakia would repeal the legislation that threatens Hungarians living in Slovakia with imprisonment,” Magyar told Fico. “And if it was stipulated that in the future the lands of our Hungarian compatriots in Slovakia would not be confiscated on the basis of the Benes Decrees based on collective guilt.” Fico said he told Magyar that Slovak-Hungarian relations had for years not been an issue of contention and that he wanted to focus on co-operation in energy. The two countries continue to rely on Russian oil and gas and have formed a common front in a dispute with neighbouring Ukraine over a damaged Soviet-era pipeline carrying Russian oil. “It clearly emerged from the discussion that Peter Magyar’s priority in Slovak-Hungarian relations are, and will be, the Benes Decrees, where we have fundamentally differing positions,” Fico said in a statement. The Slovak leader, who endorsed Orban before Hungary’s election, said he would meet Magyar at an EU summit in Brussels prior to any bilateral visit. Magyar is expected to form a new Hungarian government by mid-May. Related Story Source link
Mumbai Indians’ Tilak Varma (right) and Hardik Pandya react during their IPL match against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on Monday. (Reuters) Mired in a four-match losing streak, Mumbai Indians needed something special to revitalise their Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign and batter Tilak Varma duly delivered with an unbeaten century in Monday’s win over Gujarat Titans. The middle-order batter smashed 101 off 45 balls to lead the five-time champions to a 99-run win that hauled them off the bottom of the table and up to seventh in the 10-team league. Varma’s previous best this season was 20 and the 23-year-old said he had struck form at just the right time. “The first hundred will always be special – and to be honest, it was very important for us,” he added. “We don’t have much time from here. Every game is important for us.” Batting at number five, Varma collected 19 from his first 22 balls before racing to his first IPL hundred in just 45 balls. After going five innings without a six, he launched seven against a potent Gujarat attack that included Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada and Rashid Khan. “In the last five games, I haven’t spent much time in the middle. So I was just thinking that in this game, I want to spend time in the middle,” he said. “If you see the first 20 balls, I was just going ball-by-ball. Later on, once I had faced a few balls, I knew what I am capable of. “I was stable, keeping my head still and following my basics. I’ve got all the fancy shots – when the team needs, I can use that.” Mumbai captain Hardik Pandya, who played a largely support role in an 81-run stand with Varma, never doubted his teammate’s talent. “The only thing I kept telling him (was) – you’re goint to just watch the ball and hit the ball because I genuinely believe the kind of (way the) ball travels from his bat is something really special,” Pandya said. Related Story Source link
“The conflict in the Middle East has triggered the most severe energy crisis in a generation,” he said in a video message to the Petersberg Climate Dialogue in Berlin on Tuesday. “And…
Bryson DeChambeau of the United States acknowledges a gallery of patrons while playing the third hole during a practice round prior to the 2026 Masters Tournament…
As part of their ongoing co-operation and co-ordination to ensure the highest standards of integrity in competitions and guarantee transparency and fair play for teams and players, the Qatar Stars League (QSL) and International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) have reaffirmed their commitment towards integrity in Doha Bank Stars League matches.Both entities collaborate to ensure integrity and transparency in competitions throughout the season, particularly in crucial rounds. The final round of the season has become crucial in determining the league champions and final positions – be they the top-four finish or relegation to Second Division.It may be noted that QSL and ICSS have a joint work programme in place based on promoting integrity and transparency. It included several workshops and training courses for those involved in professional football, with the participation of club company representatives, players and coaches. Source link
Vice President JD Vance’s diplomatic mission to Islamabad has been put on hold after Iran failed to respond to US negotiating positions, according to an official with direct knowledge of the situation. According to The New York Times, Vance had been due to fly to the Pakistani capital today, where talks were set to resume tomorrow — the same day the fragile US-Iran ceasefire is set to expire. The trip has not been formally cancelled and could resume at short notice should Iran’s negotiators offer a response that President Trump considers acceptable. Washington is also seeking a clear signal that Iran’s negotiating team has been fully authorised to conclude a deal. The Pentagon is reportedly reviewing military options should Trump determine that Tehran is not engaging in good faith, though the official stressed a return to strikes was not imminent. President Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner have also not left the United States, according to a White House official. They were expected to travel to Pakistan as part of the US delegation with Vance, but all three men remain in the United States. Related Story Source link
More than $71 billion will be needed over the next decade for recovery and reconstruction in war-ravaged Gaza, according to an EU-UN assessment published Monday. In their final Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA), the United Nations and the European Union said that more than two years of war in the Palestinian territory “has led to unprecedented loss of life and a catastrophic humanitarian crisis”. “Recovery and reconstruction needs are estimated at around $71.4 billion,” said the assessment, developed in coordination with the World Bank. The final assessment determined that $26.3 billion would be required in the first 18 months to restore essential services, rebuild critical infrastructure and support economic recovery. “Physical infrastructure damages are estimated at $35.2 billion, with economic and social losses amounting to $22.7 billion,” a joint statement said. “The scale and extent of deprivation across living conditions, livelihoods/income, food security, gender equality, and social inclusion, have pushed back human development in the Gaza Strip by 77 years,” the assessment said. Source link