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Spanish champions Real Madrid romped to a 4-0 victory over relegated Granada to get their title celebrations started on Saturday. Carlo Ancelotti’s side will parade the league trophy today in the Spanish capital and a side filled with reserves made light work of the downtrodden Andalusians.Brahim Diaz struck twice with Fran Garcia and Arda Guler also on target for Madrid, who defeated Bayern Munich in midweek to reach the Champions League final. Los Blancos secured their 36th Spanish title last weekend with four games to spare, but chose not to celebrate to focus on the Bayern clash.A late Joselu brace settled that match in dramatic fashion and the Spaniard started up front against Granada, with only Antonio Rudiger selected from the side that beat the German giants. “The objective is to arrive with the squad all at their best for the day of the final, and we will do it,” said Ancelotti.After Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe confirmed Friday he was leaving the French side, many Madrid fans are also thinking about his closely rumoured arrival. However, Madrid coach Ancelotti only has the Champions League final in London in mind.Granada, 19th, were relegated before kick-off after Mallorca beat Las Palmas to ensure the Andalusians could not escape the drop zone. Their players gave Real Madrid a guard of honour and Los Blancos went on to demonstrate the focus that drove them on to the title, even with nothing on the line now. Victory sent them 15 points clear of second-placed Girona.Madrid took the lead after 38 minutes when Diaz cut the ball across the six-yard box and Garcia arrived to stroke home. The left-back turned creator for Madrid’s second goal in stoppage time before the break, feeding Turkish teenager Guler, who took a touch to control and a second to fire into the bottom corner.Madrid maintained their dominance in the second half and extended their lead after 49 minutes. Tricky playmaker Diaz received the ball on the halfway line and drove forward deep into Granada territory.With the defence standing off he worked his way into the area and fired home.The Morocco international added the fourth after a neat team move, finishing comfortably after veteran midfielder Luka Modric teed him up. The likes of Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Fede Valverde stayed on the bench for Madrid, while goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois completed his second game back after nine months out injured.The three remaining league fixtures will allow Ancelotti to rest and rotate to get his first-choice side in optimal condition to face Borussia Dortmund at Wembley in the Champions League final. They may also provide fans a last chance to see Modric in action, with the 38-year-old Croatian’s contract expiring in the summer.

Ghada Thani al-Sowaidi astride Sandro Girl won the Ladies’ class 90cm event at the Al Shaqab Showjumping League on Saturday. At the Longines Indoor Arena, the pair narrowly beat Aseel Ali al-Ibrahim and Godette. Noora Abdulaziz al-Rumaihi on Fanta Sparta claimed the third spot.The winners received their awards from Qatar Equestrian Federation & Modern Pentathlon President Bader Mohamed al-Darwish.In the Intro 60cm class, Fatima Bader al-Darwish emerged winner with Whistler. Fahad Nasser al-Thani was second on Coco Chanel SB, while Mohamed Fahad al-Attiya took third place with Fornite. Al Shaqab Breeding and Show Manager Khalid al-Jehani presented the awards to the winners.Meanwhile, Shaikha Mohamed al-Thani took the top honours in the Intro 40cm class astride Bay Barney. Ali Omar al-Ansari also rode Bay Barney to finish second, ahead of Khalifa Joaan Hamad al-Thani on Ardfry Apollo. Al Shaqab Legacy and Heritage Specialist Ahmed Khaled al-Hemaidi presented the awards to winners.On Friday, Khaltham Thani al-Swadi (80cm), Amer Hamad Jaber al-Mansori (100cm), Abdualla Khalid Aljulandani (110cm) and Ghanim Mohamed AlBinali (90cm) bagged victories.

Rafael Nadal said on Saturday that he is leaning towards playing at the French Open despite his second-round elimination in Rome.Clay-court icon Nadal had previously said that he would only play at the French Open, where he has won a record 14 titles, if he feels competitive after a raft of injury problems over the last two years which have left him languishing 305th in the world rankings.And the manner of his elimination in his first ever encounter with Hubert Hurkacz - winner in straight sets 6-1, 6-3 - seemed a step backwards after reaching the last 16 in Madrid, leaving a question mark hanging over his plans.“The decision, as you can imagine, is not clear in my mind today. But if I have to say what’s my feeling and if my mind is closer one way or the other way, I am going to say to be in Roland Garrosand try my best,” Nadal told reporters.“Physically I have some issues, but not probably yet enough to say I’m not playing in the most important event of my tennis career. Let’s see what’s going on, how I feel myself mentally tomorrow, after tomorrow, and in one week.”Nadal held his own in the first two games in the first set, which took 26 minutes to complete, but then quickly fell away, Hurkacz winning without dropping a service game and seemingly without breaking a sweat.That level of dominance over Nadal on clay, much less a court where he has won a record 10 titles, would have been unimaginable a few short years ago.Hurkacz will face Tomas Etcheverry in the third round after likely ending Nadal’s love affair with Rome as the 22-time Grand Slam winner said that he was “98 percent” sure that he would never again grace the Roman clay.“No-one will ever have a record like him on this surface. He’s just bigger than the sport at the end of the day,” said Hurkacz.Second seed Daniil Medvedev kicked off his title defence by beating Briton Jack Draper in straight sets 7-5, 6-4 to set up a third-round clash with qualifier Hamad Medjedovic.“It was not easy,” said Medvedev, who committed 18 unforced errors to Draper’s 30.“I feel like the conditions are completely different from last year and also from Monte-Carlo and Madrid.“Really slow and heavy here so I feel like honestly it’s tough to make a winner and that’s what I saw in all the other matches. You need to work the opponent left-right-left-right and you get tired and your opponent gets tired. I knew that before the match so I’m happy that I managed to stay stronger.”Swiatek, Osaka,Gauff throughIga Swiatek, Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff all reached the last 16 as the women’s tournament begins to heat up. Osaka is ranked at 173 in the world after taking a break from the tour to have her first child but is in good form, yet to drop a set after beating 10th-seeded Daria Kasatkina 6-3, 6-3.“I’m very grateful to be healthy because I know how much hard work it took for me to be here,” said four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka, who will next play seventh-seed Zheng Qinwen.“I feel like I’m just clawing my way back to hopefully where I think I belong.”World number one Swiatek will next face Angelique Kerber after seeing off Yulia Putintseva 6-3, 6-4 as she bids to become the first woman since Serena Williams to claim a third Rome title. The 22-year-old came into the event having won the Madrid Open last weekend and will also be gunning for a fourth French Open crown later this month.“I just wanted to stick to my ‘solid game’ and balance the risk,” she said. “And also know that there’s no point sometimes to play too hard, because she’s going to use your power anyway. I think I can do that well. I’ve done that before when I played against her. Today, as well.” Gauff meanwhile has Spain’s Paula Badosa in the last 16 after the US Open champion battled to a 6-1, 0-6, 6-3 victory over Jaqueline Cristian.

Jorge Martin cruised to his third MotoGP sprint victory of the season as he won in Le Mans on Saturday to increase his championship lead. Marc Marquez, who started 13th on the grid on his Gresini Ducati, finished second with a third Spaniard, Maverick Vinales, on an Aprilia, rounding out the podium. Italian Enea Bastianini was fourth on a factory Ducati to climb to second in the championship standings. He trails Martin by 28 points. In morning qualifying, Martin, on a Pramac Ducati, became the first MotoGP rider to go round the Bugatti Circuit in under 1min 30secs. He then crashed but suffered no after-effects in the race, pulling smoothly away from the field as rivals suffered problems. The closest challenger in the standings, Francesco Bagnaia, who also crashed his factory Ducati late in the morning, had problems with the backup bike in the race. He started second on the grid but fell to 15th on the first lap. The reigning double world champion had slipped to last by the time he veered off the course on lap four. Aleix Espargaro started fast from the second row on his Aprilia. Too fast, the stewards ruled, penalising the Spaniard with two long laps. He still managed to take fifth. Vinales, said his rear tyre had overheated and he had decided to “defend not attack.” Italian Marco Bezzecchi crashed out on lap 10 while running comfortably second on a Ducati VR46. “The objective was to pull away,” said Martin at the finish. “Marco was putting out some great laps, then when I saw he crashed I just tried to keep my constant pace right to the end, quite relaxed.” Martin took his 12th career sprint victory when he crossed the line 2.28 seconds ahead of Marquez, who had surged through the field from the fifth. Marquez said it was his best MotoGP start ever because with modern technology getting an edge off the line was harder. “It was a good start - a combination of concentration, luck, risk, instinct,” he said. “With all the holeshot devices and all these things it’s super difficult to make the difference on the start because every rider, every manufacturer starts in a good way,” he said. “For me the most important thing was the pace after that.” The sprint was raced under sunny skies in 26C heat. Rain, and even thunderstorms, are forecast for the main race today from the same grid positions. “Tomorrow will be a long race,” said Martin. Result 1. Jorge Martin (ESP/Ducati-Pramac) 19min 49.694sec, 2. Marc Marquez (ESP/Ducati-Gresini) at 2.280sec, 3. Maverick Vinales (ESP/Aprilia) 4.174, 4. Enea Bastianini (ITA/Ducati) 4.798, 5. Aleix Espargaro (ESP/Aprilia) 7.698, 6. Pedro Acosta (ESP/GasGaS-Tech3) 9.185, 7. Fabio Di Giannantonio (ITA/Ducati-VR46) 11.190, 8. Jack Miller (AUS/KTM) 11.516, 9. Raul Fernandez (ESP/Aprilia-Trackhouse) 12.257, 10. Fabio Quartararo (FRA/Yamaha) 12.699, 11. Miguel Oliveira (POR/Aprilia-Trackhouse) 13.492, 12. Franco Morbidelli (ITA/Ducati-Pramac) 15.578, 13. Johann Zarco (FRA/Honda-LCR) 16.439, 14. Alex Marquez (ESP/Ducati-Gresini) 16.816, 15. Brad Binder (RSA/KTM) 16.969, 16. Takaaki Nakagami (JPN/Honda-LCR) 19.123, 17. Augusto Fernandez (ESP/GasGaS-Tech3) 23.618, 18. Luca Marini (ITA/Honda) 27.854 DNF: Marco Bezzecchi (ITA/Ducati-VR46), Alex Rins (ESP/Yamaha), Joan Mir (ESP/Honda), Francesco Bagnaia (ITA/Ducati) World championship standings 1. Jorge Martin (ESP/Ducati-Pramac) 104 pts, 2. Enea Bastianini (ITA/Ducati) 76, 3. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA/Ducati) 75, 4. Pedro Acosta (ESP/GasGaS-Tech3) 73, 5. Maverick Vinales (ESP/Aprilia) 70, 6. Marc Marquez (ESP/Ducati-Gresini) 69, 7. Brad Binder (RSA/KTM) 59, 8. Aleix Espargaro (ESP/Aprilia) 44, 9. Fabio Di Giannantonio (ITA/Ducati-VR46) 37, 10. Marco Bezzecchi (ITA/Ducati-VR46) 36.

Novak Djokovic light-heartedly donned a cycling crash helmet on Saturday after being hit on the head by a water bottle at the Rome Open but insisted he was feeling “fine”.World number one Djokovic was left crouched on the ground in agony when a bottle struck him as he greeted fans on centre court at the Foro Italico following his second-round win over France’s Corentin Moutet on Friday. “Thank you for the messages of concern,” Djokovic wrote on Saturday on X.“This was an accident and I am fine resting at the hotel with an ice pack. See you all on Sunday.”The 36-year-old later posted a video of himself wearing a bicycle helmet as he came to training, with the jokey message “Today I came prepared”.He will next face Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo today as the Serb warms up for the French Open with a great chance to add to his six titles in Rome, where only Rafael Nadal has won more with 10.There had been fears that Djokovic might join the list of players to withdraw from the tournament after the 24-time Grand Slam winner was covered by security staff as he was led from the arena on foot.However tournament organisers later released a short statement saying Djokovic’s “condition is not a cause for concern”, and shared a video showing that the bottle had accidentally slipped from a spectator’s grasp.Djokovic’s absence would have been a blow for the last major tournament before the French Open which is already without Italian world number two Jannik Sinner and third-ranked Carlos Alcaraz.Home fans have also been deprived of cheering on former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini and Lorenzo Musetti who both pulled out, Musetti while losing to France’s Terence Atmane on Friday morning.And Djokovic’s great clay-court rival Nadal, a big crowd favourite, was dumped out in the second round on Saturday by seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz.

England star James Anderson believes the “time is right” to end his Test career after revealing July’s clash against the West Indies at Lord’s will be his final appearance in the five-day format.The 41-year-old became the first seamer and just the third bowler in history to reach 700 Test wickets, after spinners Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan, in his most recent outing against India in March.But Anderson has decided to call time on his Test career after talks with England head coach Brendon McCullum, who wants to modify his side’s seam attack and build towards the future with one eye on the 2025-26 Ashes.Setting the first Test against the West Indies as his farewell date, Anderson wrote on Instagram: “Hi everyone. Just a note to say that the first Test of the summer at Lord’s will be my last Test. “It’s been an incredible 20 years representing my country, playing the game I’ve loved since I was a kid.“I’m going to miss walking out for England so much. But I know the time is right to step aside and let others realise their dreams just like I got to, because there is no greater feeling.”Richard Thompson, the chair of the England and Wales Cricket Board, saluted Anderson and said English cricket must give him a “send-off like no other”.“I don’t think we’ll ever see a bowler to match Jimmy again. It has been an honour as an England fan to watch him, and to marvel at his skill with the ball,” Thompson said.“To still be bowling at the top of his game at 41 is remarkable, and he is a true inspiration and role model for peers and younger generations alike.”Anderson thanked his wife Daniella, their children Lola and Ruby and his parents for their support, adding: “I’m excited for the new challenges that lie ahead, as well as filling my days with even more golf.“Thank you to everyone who has supported me over the years, it always meant a lot, even if my face often doesn’t show it.”‘Utterly remarkable’It is understood McCullum made a visit to the UK recently from his native New Zealand and spoke with Anderson about his future during a round of golf.Anderson’s former England captain Michael Vaughan said the time was right for the pace bowler to walk away, with the focus moving towards the next Ashes series.“For England to go down under in 18 months and try to win those Ashes back then they will need some pace, so it is the right time to move Jimmy Anderson aside,” Vaughan said.Anderson, who made his Test debut in 2003, is second only on the all-time list of Test appearances behind batting great Sachin Tendulkar, who played 200 times in the longest format for India.Swing specialist Anderson also featured in 194 one-day internationals and 19 Twenty20s before his international white-ball career ended in 2015 - the same year he overtook Ian Botham’s 383 dismissals to become England’s record Test wicket-taker.Three and a half years later, Anderson overhauled Australia seamer Glenn McGrath’s tally of 563 wickets to become Test cricket’s most successful fast bowler.Anderson struggled during the drawn 2023 Ashes in England, taking only five wickets in four matches. His long-time new-ball partner Stuart Broad, England’s second most successful bowler, retired after the dramatic finale to that Ashes, when Ben Stokes’s side won at The Oval to end the series all square at 2-2. Anderson has taken just 15 wickets in his last eight Tests at an average of 50.8 in the last 12 months. But that decline could not diminish the respect earned by Anderson throughout his astonishing career.“For Jimmy to do it day in day out and to put his body and mind through everything he’s done over the past 20 years is utterly remarkable. He’s England’s greatest,” Vaughan said.Anderson FactboxBorn: July 30, 1982, Burnley, England Right-arm fast bowler, left-hand batsmanTeams: England, LancashireTests: 187Debut: vs Zimbabwe, Lord’s, 2003Wickets: 700Five-wicket hauls: 32Average: 26.52Best bowling: 7-42 vs West Indies, 2017• Makes debut for Lancashire in 2001 and takes 50 first-class wickets in his first full domestic campaign the following year.• Becomes youngest player to take a hat-trick for Lancashire, in May 2003.• Makes Test debut for England a week later when they play Zimbabwe at Lord’s and takes five wickets in the first innings.• Called up to England’s 2003 World Cup squad. Anderson would play for England in three more World Cups, the last in 2015.• Won the Ashes in 2009 but really comes into his own in the 2010-11 series in Australia where he took a series-leading 24 wickets as England won their first Ashes in Australia for 24 years.• Member of the England squad who won their first Twenty20 World Cup in 2010.• Takes 21 wickets when India tour England, helping his side whitewash the visitors 4-0. England become the number one Test side in the world.• Takes 500th Test wicket in 2017, dismissing West Indies’ Kraigg Brathwaite at Lord’s.• The Pavilion End of Old Trafford is renamed the James Anderson End in 2017.• Named in ICC’s Test team of the decade in 2020.• Claimed 1,000th first-class wicket while playing for Lancashire against Kent at Old Trafford in 2021.• Took his 700th Test wicket against India in Dharamsala in March 2024 by dismissing Kuldeep Yadav.• Set to finish his career with 188 Test caps, second only to India’s Sachin Tendulkar (200).

Spinner Varun Chakravarthy returned bowling figures of 2-17 as Kolkata Knight Riders booked their play-off spot with an 18-run win over Mumbai Indians in a rain-reduced IPL match.Two-time champions Kolkata posted 157-7 as Venkatesh Iyer top-scored with 42 off 21 balls after being invited to bat first at their home Eden Gardens in a 16-overs-a-side match.Bowlers combined to defend the total after Mumbai raced to 65-0 and Chakravarthy, a mystery spinner, got the big wickets of Rohit Sharma, who made 19 after coming in as impact substitute, and skipper Hardik Pandya, who was caught out for two.Five-time winners Mumbai, who are already out of the play-off race, finished on 139-8 as Tilak Varma hit a 17-ball 32 before he fell to fast bowler Harshit Rana, who took two wickets in the last over.Pace bowler Andre Russell also took two wickets, including that of Suryakumar Yadav, as table-toppers Kolkata got their ninth win in 12 matches to become the first team to book a play-off berth.The top four teams will make the play-offs with the final on May 26 in Chennai.Kolkata lost openers Phil Salt, out for six, and Sunil Narine, bowled for a duck off Jasprit Bumrah, in the first two overs and skipper Shreyas Iyer soon fell for seven.But Venkatesh, a left-hand batsman, made Kolkata hit back with six fours and two sixes and he set the pace that was picked up by Nitish Rana and Russell in a key stand of 39. Rana, a left-hand batter, hit 33 and Russell smashed 24 off 14 before Rinku Singh, who hit 20, and Ramandeep Singh, unbeaten 17, helped Kolkata finish on a high.Bumrah and veteran leg-spinner Piyush Chawla took two wickets each.BRIEF SCORESKolkata Knight Riders 157 for 7 (Venkatesh 42, Rana 33, Chawla 2-28, Bumrah 2-39) beat Mumbai Indians 139 for 8 (Kishan 40, Tilak 32, Chakravarthy 2-17, Russell 2-34, Harshit 2-34) by 18 runs.

Tadej Pogacar tightened his grip on the Giro d’Italia on Saturday winning the 152km mountainous stage eight over rolling terrain for his third success of this year’s race.A day after claiming the lengthy individual time-trial in Perugia, the 25-year-old Team UAE leader paced himself up the 14km final climb along with an elite clique before producing his trademark late kick to the 1,425m altitude finish line in the Abruzzo region.Pogacar also won the second stage, a summit finish at the Sanctuary of Oropa in Piedmont.In his bid to win the Giro and Tour de France in the same season he now leads title rivals Dani Martinez by 2min 40sec and Geraint Thomas in third by 2min 58sec with the pair close on his heels on the second mountain stage in the 21-day race.Australia’s AG2R man Ben O’Connor at 3min 39sec and Belgian Visma rider Cian Uijtdebroeks at 4min 02sec round out the top five in the overall standings.The Slovenian two-time Tour de France champion is taking part in the Giro for the first time and hopes to emulate Italy’s Marco Pantani who won the double in 1998.“My team won this one in a way,” said Pogacar, who was paced all the way by team-mate Rafal Majka.The race continues Sunday with a largely flat 214km stage nine to the southern port city of Naples on a route open to attacks from the same kind of one-day specialists that lit up stage six on the Tuscan gravel.“Sunday will be easier for us and we could do with some breathing space now,” said Pogacar, known for his all-in style and desire to rack up stage wins.Ineos leader Thomas had a more poised approach to the art of negotiating the 21-day long-haul and said he was more than happy after the climb.“I felt much better today, it’s like night and day,” said the veteran, hoping to find his peak in the ultra-mountainous third week.Thomas was just 2sec adrift on the day after being paced by young team-mate Thymen Arensman.Dutch outfit Visma lost another of their chief riders to injury when Christophe Laporte failed to show up for the start. He fell hard when hitting a gutter on stage five.The Visma team are reeling from injuries to double Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard and one day expert Wout van Aert.

If the past three years have taught us anything, it is that low inflation cannot be taken for granted. Even though US inflation remains above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target for price stability, former president Donald Trump’s advisers are discussing a new and dangerous approach to monetary policy. If implemented during a second Trump presidency, it would undo the decades of hard work that allowed the Fed to reduce annualised inflation by nearly four percentage points since 2022, to roughly 3%, at little or no cost to the real economy.Trump’s advisers are reportedly considering two complementary policy changes. One proposal reportedly involves increasing direct presidential control over the Fed’s interest-rate decisions and rulemaking. Simultaneously, Trump’s trade team, led by former US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, apparently wants to weaken the dollar’s exchange rate.While some Trump advisers have denied any plans to devalue the dollar, Trump’s preference for lower interest rates and a weaker currency was evident during his first term. The proposed policies would make it easier for him to override the Fed’s independence and achieve both objectives. The result would be a potent inflationary cocktail.Trump’s desire for a weaker dollar is driven by his belief, shared by Lighthizer, that the dollar is “too strong.” This, in turn, makes US exports expensive in foreign markets and imports cheaper for American consumers, resulting in a large trade deficit. Both Trump and Lighthizer see this as problematic because, in the absence of balanced trade where imports equal exports in value, the United States is funding its trade deficit by borrowing from or effectively ceding domestic assets to foreign entities.But this interpretation reflects a myopic, 17th century understanding of trade and the economy. In reality, the inflows of money that sustain trade deficits can be used to build new factories, promote better use of existing US assets, or finance new domestic investments and enterprises, with positive spillovers to American workers and firms.To be sure, one could argue that a lower trade deficit boosts demand for US products, thereby creating jobs. But with the US already at full employment, the Fed is maintaining higher interest rates precisely to curb demand and bring inflation down. While the Fed was aided in that task by a stronger dollar, a weaker currency would have the opposite effect. Moreover, like the import tariffs favoured by Trump and Lighthizer, a weaker dollar would hurt consumers by driving up prices for goods containing imported components.Even if a weaker dollar and balanced trade were worthwhile goals, the policy options for achieving them range from infeasible to harmful. For example, the US Treasury and the Fed could purchase foreign-currency securities and sell dollar-denominated bonds. But given that the foreign-exchange market’s daily turnover is close to $8tn, these purchases would need to be implemented on a massive scale, which would expose the US government’s balance sheet to huge losses if the dollar were to strengthen.Currency-market intervention could be more effective if America’s allies supported it, as they supported the 1985 Plaza Accord. But while countries like Japan and Korea are becoming increasingly nervous about the weakness of their currencies, most others are not and would require convincing. And good luck organising a cooperative international effort while Trump is threatening to withdraw from Nato.US threats to impose tariffs on countries perceived to have weak currencies would introduce further uncertainty into global trade, potentially damaging investment and growth. Moreover, it is doubtful that any of this would significantly improve the US trade balance.Adjusting interest rates is a more reliable way to influence the dollar’s value. But given that foreign central banks are unlikely to raise interest rates and risk pushing their economies into recession just to accommodate Trump, the Fed would be under pressure to lower rates prematurely. This strategy would be inflationary and self-defeating, as higher domestic prices would offset any potential cost savings for foreign buyers that a weaker dollar might otherwise provide. Nevertheless, this might be the path of least resistance if Trump manages to establish greater presidential control over Fed policy, although it could just as easily worsen the US trade balance as improve it.A surefire way to weaken the dollar and reduce the US trade deficit is to shrink the federal government’s yawning fiscal deficit, enabling the Fed to lower interest rates sooner while controlling inflation. Although this policy would yield long-term benefits for the US and the global economy, it has virtually no political support from either Democrats or Republicans, including Trump.As global inflation spiked following the Covid-19 pandemic, some observers feared a return to the 1970s, when high and persistent inflation made economic life more unpredictable and stressful for households and businesses. Back then, it took a deep international recession to restore price stability. This time, however, inflation fell rapidly without the need for deep recessions, as supply-chain pressures eased and the Fed, along with other central banks, acted decisively to restrain demand by hiking interest rates.Central to this success was the fact that markets’ longer-term inflation expectations remained anchored. The actions of central banks, together with their consistent track records over several decades and institutional independence, fostered confidence that their efforts to tame inflation would be effective.These positive developments would have been impossible in a world where monetary policy was politicised, under presidential control, and focused on the dollar’s external value rather than its far more crucial internal value. Trump’s plans for the Fed and the dollar are a one-way ticket back to the inflationary chaos of the 1970s. — Project SyndicateMaurice Obstfeld, a former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund, is Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and Professor of Economics Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionise global education systems and improve the experiences of educators and students alike.AI, experts say, could transform education by enhancing personalisation, boosting digital skills and empowering teachers with advanced capacity-improving tools.They maintain that AI can tailor educational content to individual students’ needs, interests, and learning styles. By analysing students’ performance data, AI systems have the ability to provide personalised recommendations, adaptive learning paths, and targeted interventions to help each student reach their full potential.A new World Economic Forum report explores how artificial intelligence could revolutionise education systems and improve the experiences of educators and students alike.The new research outlines AI’s wide-ranging potential – from personalising learning experiences, to streamlining administrative tasks, integrating AI into educational curricula and more – and finds that a responsible application of emerging technologies could herald a new era in education worldwide.The new report, ‘Shaping the Future of Learning: The Role of AI in Education 4.0’, indicates how emerging technology can help educational systems meet the increased demands for digital literacy and personalised learning environments.Through a series of case studies, it shows how innovative AI applications are already transforming education by improving learning outcomes, empowering educators and equipping students with the skills of the future.“AI is rapidly reshaping the global education landscape,” said Saadia Zahidi, managing director, World Economic Forum.“If deployed safely and strategically, AI can help adapt learning to the needs of each student, enabling an innovative, scalable personalised learning experience that is vital for both student engagement and the effectiveness of educators.”The report analyses the varied opportunities AI introduces to the education sector, emphasising the refinement of assessment processes for more timely and holistic evaluations and insights into student progress. It also details how AI can optimise educator roles by automating and augmenting up to 20% of educator clerical tasks, reducing administrative burdens and enabling more time for teachers to focus on personalisation, improving pedagogy and supporting students’ social-emotional needs.AI’s integration into educational curricula also equips students with essential future skills and knowledge, while personalised learning content and experiences provide tailored educational pathways to meet diverse student needs. AI’s potential to dramatically improve educational outcomes necessitates a proactive approach to harness these technologies while carefully addressing the challenges they pose.These include ensuring equitable access to technology, addressing concerns of data privacy and bias, and navigating the potential displacement of traditional teaching roles.The report calls on policy-makers and educational leaders to integrate AI responsibly into their education systems by ensuring the protection of sensitive information through the implementation of robust data privacy and security protocols.The paper also provides a call to action for stronger collaboration between AI developers and educators to ensure that new AI tools promote better student outcomes.There is every reason to believe that AI has the potential to democratise education, making high-quality learning experiences more accessible, affordable, and effective for learners around the world.However, it is essential to address ethical, privacy, and equity considerations to ensure that AI technologies benefit all students and contribute to the advancement of education globally.

Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC)) opened a new eight-bed ambulatory dialysis unit at Muaither Health Center, as part of a joint initiative between the two institutions to bring life-changing services closer to patients.Head of Nephrology at HMC Dr Hassan al-Malki said the new ambulatory dialysis unit is a unique collaboration between HMC and PHCC to offer patients more convenient access to dialysis services at Primary Healthcare Centers. He added the dialysis unit can accommodate eight outpatients at a time with morning and evening shifts, three days a week.The Muaither unit is one of four dialysis units established for kidney patients. The PHCC Al Wakra collaboration began in 2001 with 10 stations; with gradual extensions the facility offers 23 stations.A second location at PHCC Al Shehaniya was initiated in 2009 and today houses 12 stations. Meanwhile, a dialysis unit at the Al Shamal PHCC has 10 stations for patients.Executive Director of Operations at PHCC, Dr Samya Ahmad al-Abdulla, said the unit will play a crucial role in improving access to dialysis services, enabling patients to receive this regular treatment closer to their homes, ultimately enhancing the overall quality of care for our patients.(QNA)

The signing of 20 memoranda of understanding, including 18 international MoUs, during the upcoming Qatar Economic Forum (QEF) 2024 is expected to enhance foreign direct investment (FDI) and attract additional FDI to the country, an official told *Gulf Times.“The nature of the MoUs and the partnerships [to be signed at the forum] indicate the direction in which entities are moving towards enhancing foreign direct investment and attracting additional investment to Qatar,” stated Sheikh Ali bin Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thani, the chairperson of the Permanent Supreme Committee organising QEF 2024.“There are other factors that could also enhance this, but generally, it is through the participation of high-level delegations and by the MoUs that are going to be signed during the forum.”During a press conference on Saturday, Sheikh Ali noted that the fourth edition of the forum, which will run from May 14 to 16 in Doha, is expected to gather 2,300 participants, including 1,300 active leaders in international firms and organisations, in addition to 200 local and international media outlets.Sheikh Ali said 10 MoUs were signed in the previous edition. However, he noted that the forum has been seeing “a qualitative shift from one session to another," as translated by the number of international agreements unveiled during the event, in addition to the great interest from international political and economic actors.He described the forum as “the fastest growing in terms of participation at the regional and international levels,” noting that the discussions over the three-day conference will focus on topics related to geopolitics, globalisation, trade, energy transformation, technological innovation, business foresight, investment, sports, and entertainment, “considering the continuing effects of major changes in the fields of technology, energy, trade, and politics that the world is witnessing, especially since the developments witnessed in 2024 will have far-reaching repercussions on the global economy.”Sheikh Ali explained that attendance at QEF-related activities will be through personal invitations, “given the large attendance requests that exceeded all expectations.” He added that the organising committee has taken a number of measures to ensure the attendance of the largest number of those who wish to join through digital platforms.For his part, the CEO of Media City Qatar and head of the media team in the Permanent Supreme Committee organising the QEF Jassim Mohamed al-Khori, lauded the strategic partnership with Bloomberg Media Group, which extends for several years.On the sidelines of the press conference, al-Khori also told *Gulf Times that the organising committee has diversified the portfolio of topics that would be discussed during QEF 2024 to include innovation and technology, sustainability, and how to support startups, aside from energy, the economy, and politics.The executive director of the Permanent Committee for Organising Conferences at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and head of the Logistics Team in the Supreme Permanent Committee Organising the QEF, Mubarak bin Ajlan al-Kuwari, said the registration process has been facilitated through a unified system and issuing entry cards to all participants to ensure smooth and quick entry to the forum, in addition to providing tourism programmes, in cooperation with Qatar Tourism and Qatar Museums.