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Abdullah Shafique has a habit of making great first impressions, the latest of which came on Tuesday when he became the first Pakistan batsman to make a century on his World Cup debut in an epic pursuit against Sri Lanka.Called up to replace the out-of-form Fakhar Zaman, the 23-year-old opener clubbed 113 and with a cramping Mohamed Rizwan (131 not out) helped Pakistan reach their 345-run target, the highest successful run chase in World Cup history.“The way Abdullah built the innings in the beginning, the kind of shots he hit, made it easy for us to chase the score,” said Rizwan.Shafique has become accustomed to making instant impacts.He scored a hundred on his domestic Grade-II debut (non first class), notched another century on his first class debut in 2019 and a year later achieved the same feat in Twenty20 cricket.Shafique is only the second batsman in the world to have hit a hundred on first class and T20 debut, along with India’s Shivam Bhambri.His talents for the big stage were spotted early on by former Pakistan player Mansoor Rana, a former Pakistan team manager. “We selected him for Under-19s as I saw enormous talent in this boy,” said Rana.“He is better than anyone technique-wise but the problem was he didn’t score runs initially,” explained Rana, the son of former international umpire Shakoor.After his T20 debut hundred, the then head coach Misbah-ul-Haq selected him in the shortest format but Shafique failed with four successive ducks.He was backed despite his failures, making him a target for critics who accused him of receiving preferential treatment.“I noticed that this boy had good technique and temperament. He has a repertoire of shots for every pitch,” said Misbah. “At his age, Shafique has superb qualities and that is why I backed him.”Shafique finally came good in Tests, hitting a hundred against Australia and England, and two against Sri Lanka including a double ton in July this year.“Shafique benefitted from regular chances. During Covid he worked very hard indoors and that period allowed him to improve,” said Rana.Barely a month out from the World Cup, Shafique was not even in the squad.However, with concerns over Zaman’s lack of runs, the Pakistan team management select him as a back-up.“I’m very happy with Shafique and impressed with the way he is playing. It’s his first World Cup so he’s hungry to play. I saw in the nets he’s in good nick so I decided to play him,” said Pakistan skipper Babar on Wednesday.Next up for Shafique, another first – facing old rivals India in Ahmedabad on Saturday.

Boeing is forecasting that China will need 8,560 new commercial airplanes through 2042, driven by economic growth well above the global average and increasing demand for domestic air travel. China's commercial airliner fleet will more than double to nearly 9,600 jets over the next 20 years, according to Boeing's Commercial Market Outlook (CMO), the company's long-term forecast of demand for commercial airplanes and related services.With its ongoing recovery of air travel, China will account for one-fifth of the world's airplane deliveries in the next two decades, according to the CMO. China's domestic aviation market also will be the largest in the world by the end of the forecast period, helping power demand for 6,470 single-aisle airplanes such as the Boeing 737 MAX family."Domestic air traffic in China has already surpassed pre-pandemic levels and international traffic is recovering steadily," said Darren Hulst, Boeing vice president, Commercial Marketing. "As China's economy and traffic continue to grow, Boeing's complete line-up of commercial jets will play a key role in helping meet that growth sustainably and economically."Boeing forecasts that in addition to the demand for single-aisle jets, Chinese carriers will require 1,550 widebody airplanes mainly to support a growing network of international routes.Fleet growth will drive two thirds of forecast deliveries in China, while the remainder will replace older jets with modern airplanes that increase efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions.Continued growth in e-commerce and express shipping will drive demand for 190 new freighter deliveries.Boeing expects China will require 433,000 new aviation personnel – including 134,000 pilots, 138,000 technicians and 161,000 cabin crew members – to serve its growing market.China's commercial fleet will generate demand for $675bn in aviation services including maintenance, repair, training and spare parts.Airbus, the European aircraft manufacturer, agrees. The plane maker recently raised its forecast for aircraft demand in China, saying that over the next 20 years, Chinese carriers are expected to acquire 9,440 new airplanes to meet expanding commercial air travel demand.In the next two decades, Airbus expects China's demand will account for 23% of total new airplanes required globally, reflecting the country's market rebound and further evolution of its fleets following the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Airbus' latest forecast."In recent years, the focus of the global aviation industry has gradually shifted eastward to China and the Middle East. By 2042, the Asian market, particularly China, India and the Middle East, will show a strong demand for air travel," said Francois Cabaret, head of global market forecast at Airbus.Chinese airlines’ need to renew their fleets of aircraft could offer an opportunity for Boeing, but ongoing US tensions and the launch of China’s first domestically built narrowbody passenger jet may undermine its efforts to compete with European rival Airbus and pick up new orders in the aviation market.Airbus also noted that there is no direct competition between high-speed trains and the air travel market. For instance, Japan and France both have developed high-speed train networks and are complementary to the civil aviation sector. For transportation between Beijing and Shanghai, demand for both high-speed trains and air travel is growing quickly.Last year, Boeing said it was disappointed that “geopolitical differences continued to constrain US aircraft exports” in response to China’s three biggest state-owned airlines buying 300 jets from Airbus.China was the first country to ground the 737 MAX in March 2019 after 346 people died in two crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia less than five months apart, and Boeing’s flagship narrowbody passenger jet only returned to service this year.Meanwhile, demand for airfreight is growing consistently. By 2042, the global fleet size of cargo aircraft in service is likely to reach 3,230, including 920 newly manufactured planes and 1,590 freighters that are converted from passenger aircraft, Airbus projected."During the pandemic, the demand for air cargo rebounded strongly. In the post-pandemic era, the demand has resumed to the original range. Airbus is in discussions with logistics, air cargo and e-commerce companies for potential co-operation. We are highly optimistic about the growth potential of China's airfreight market," said Liu Li, senior vice-president of Airbus and head of commercial for Airbus China.In China, Guangzhou (CAN) remains the largest airport in China with 4.4% of the country's domestic market, and 124k more seats than the next largest airport, Beijing (PEK). Domestic capacity at CAN is now 11.1% higher than October 2019.Combined, domestic capacity at Beijing Capital (PEK) and Beijing Daxing (PKX) was 5.5mn seats, 31% more than in October 2019.China Southern remains the largest airline for domestic capacity in China, followed by China Eastern. Between them, these airlines continue to operate almost a third of domestic departing seats.Ranked third in the domestic market for capacity, Air China continues to grow at the greatest rate with 44% more seats than in October 2019. Sichuan Airlines, China Eastern and China Southern have also grown capacity since October 2019 by 18%, 17% and 16% respectively.Beijing Capital to Shanghai remains the busiest domestic route in China (despite a 5% decrease vs October 2019).Chinese carriers' international capacity increased by 9% this month; adding 407k seats between October 2023 and September 2023, bringing the total number of seats flown to nearly 5mn.International airline capacity is now 57% of where it was in October 2019 and makes up 6.4% share of all Chinese airline capacity.International airline capacity is still 43% lower than October 2019 levels. South Korea remains the busiest international route with over 76k more seats in October 2023, an increase of 13% vs September 2023.Capacity to Thailand increased by 16% vs September 2023, following declines in previous months.The author is an aviation analyst. Twitter handle: @AlexInAir

Hamad International Airport (HIA) received recertification to ISO 22301 Business Continuity Management Systems from BSI (British Standards Institution), which showcases HIA’s testament to safeguarding its business, commercial stakeholders and passengers from global threats and disruptions.The ISO 22301:2019 Business Continuity Management Systems certification is a “highly regarded” global accolade, which Hamad International Airport obtained in 2020, demonstrating the airport’s resilient and robust business continuity planning.The airport was one of the first in the world to achieve the recognition from BSI.The certification underscores Hamad International Airport’s strategy to ensure smooth operations and business recovery at all times, and the airport’s position to adapt its processes when faced with global disasters such as the Covid-19 pandemic and managing mega global events including the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, which saw football fans arrive and depart from Qatar.Michael McMillan, senior vice president (Operations & Facilities Management) at Hamad International Airport, said: “This is an important accomplishment for Hamad International Airport, as it underpins our robust business model, and our commitment to being the best airport in the world for passengers and commercial partners. To ensure passengers have an unparalleled airport journey and smooth experience, we adhere to the utmost safety and security standards.”Theuns Kotze, managing director, Assurance IMETA at BSI, said: “Hamad International Airport’s commitment to business continuity helps ensure it can continue its operations throughout a disruption, minimising the impact on employees, customers and society. BSI congratulates Hamad International Airport on its certification to the international standard for Business Continuity Management (ISO 22301). This achievement demonstrates its ability to protect against, reduce the likelihood of, and ensure it can recover from any disruptive incidents."As part of the annual assessment, Hamad International Airport underwent a rigorous auditing process, which included a re-assessment of its initial commitment when obtaining the certification and multiple departmental evaluation of the procedures to invoke business continuity plans and encourage a swift recovery.

US Open semi-finalist Ben Shelton fought back from a set down to defeat sixth seed Jannik Sinner yesterday and reach the Shanghai Masters last eight in one of the biggest victories of his young career.The 19th seed emerged from an excruciatingly tight deciding set to battle through 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) and faces fellow American Sebastian Korda in the quarter-finals. The 26th-seeded Korda fended off a late fightback from the 20th seed Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina to go through 7-5, 7-6 (8/6).Shelton, who lost to Novak Djokovic in the last four in New York last month, did his now-trademark “dialled-in” celebration with an imaginary telephone to mark his first time into the quarter-finals of a Masters. “I think my toughness level and how resilient I was able to be on the court, I surprised myself a little bit,” said Shelton, who turned 21 on Monday.Shelton endured a torrid opening set against the in-form Sinner, summed up by his double fault to concede the seventh game of an error-strewn first stanza. The Italian Sinner, fresh from winning the China Open in Beijing, clinched the opening set with a well-placed smash. Shelton was a changed man in the second, sealing the set with an ace and a roar, and then immediately put Sinner under the cosh to start the decider.The 22-year-old Sinner survived the initial onslaught, saving five break points to seal a game that lasted nearly 10 minutes, and the set went with serve to force a tiebreak. Shelton prevailed and a crowd that had been on his side serenaded him by singing happy birthday.Shelton only turned professional last year and his appearance at the Australian Open in January, where he reached the quarter-finals, was his first time outside the United States. He is still getting used to the scrutiny that comes with his fast-growing profile. “It’s something that happened quite quickly and was kind of a shock to me,” said Shelton, whose father Bryan reached 55 in the world as a player and is now his coach.A tournament full of shocks had another to start the day when 91st-ranked Fabian Marozsan had a belated birthday present of his own by beating eighth-seeded Casper Ruud. The unseeded Hungarian won 7-6 (7/3), 3-6, 6-4 and will face Poland’s 16th-seeded Hubert Hurkacz.Hurkacz just about avoided falling victim to a shock, defeating unseeded home hope Zhang Zhizhen 7-6 (8/6), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4) in a match that stretched beyond midnight. The Shanghai event, which is back on the ATP calendar for the first time since the Covid pandemic, has witnessed several shocks.Korda dumped out second-seeded Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune and Stefanos Tsitsipas, the third and fourth seeds, are already out. The upsets have paved the way for top seed Carlos Alcaraz, who faces 18th seed Grigor Dimitrov in the last 16. World number one Djokovic is not in China.Battling Zvonareva posts top-20 win at ZhengzhouVera Zvonareva claimed her first top-20 victory in two and a half years with a battling 6-2, 7-6(7/5) defeat of recent Tokyo champion Veronika Kudermetova to make the second round in Zhengzhou yesterday.The former world No 2, ranked 369 in singles, was sidelined for 11 months with a foot injury between March 2022 and February 2023 and had posted just two tour-level main draw match-wins this season coming into the WTA 500 event Zhengzhou. The 39-year-old Russian made it through qualifying this week with wins over Colombian youngster Camila Osorio and Hungarian veteran Timea Babos and will next take on Ukrainian world No 28 Anhelina Kalinina.Meanwhile, last week’s Beijing runner-up Liudmila Samsonova needed just 69 minutes to move past Tatjana Maria 6-3, 6-3 and book a second-round meeting with another German, Laura Siegemund. Russia’s Daria Kasatkina had a last-minute change of opponent when lucky loser Babos replaced Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the draw but the No 8 seed still made it through 6-1, 7-6(7) in just under two hours.No 3 seed Maria Sakkari and No 6 seed Caroline Garcia will kick off their Zhengzhou campaigns on Wednesday with the former facing home favourite Zheng Qinwen and the latter squaring off with Italian Jasmine Paolini.

Five Indian states will elect new legislatures next month, an independent election panel said yesterday, beginning a process of regional polls ahead of national elections due next year.The elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram are expected to give an indication of voter mood, especially in the heartland states which are key to the fortunes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).Votes in all five states will be counted on December 3 and results expected the same day, the panel said.Modi and BJP remain popular on a national level after nearly a decade in power and surveys suggest he is expected to win a third term in general elections due by May 2024.Voters, however, are unhappy with high inflation, unemployment and an uneven economic recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic.A new alliance of 28 opposition parties, called INDIA, has been formed to jointly challenge BJP nationally.The Congress party, India’s main opposition party which leads the INDIA alliance, is in power in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. BJP rules the central state of Madhya Pradesh and its ally is in power in the small northeastern state of Mizoram.Telangana in the south is ruled by Bharat Rashtra Samithi, a strong regional party.BJP is expected to face tough fights in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and Modi has been campaigning in these states even before election dates were announced.Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi said the mood in the party is “very positive” and it would win in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana and do well in Mizoram too.“People are angry, and there are one or two reasons – unemployment, price-rises and growing inequality,” Gandhi told reporters at the party headquarters.“The BJP has not realised this, but they will soon realise...that what they have done with the country, the hate that they have spread, the attack on institutions, scaring and threatening people, this country has not liked,” he said.There was no immediate comment from BJP but the party has rejected similar accusations by Gandhi in the past.

Ending the season that began in May and ran until October with him winning a record third Asian Games title in Hangzhou, Mutaz Barshim is finally back home.Qatar’s high jump legend has already set sights on the new season and an attempt on a second gold at the next year’s Paris Olympics.The three-time world champion high jump champion was at the Lusail International Circuit on Sunday to witness the Formula 1 Qatar Airways Qatar Grand Prix.Barshim, however, took out time while being at the paddock area ahead of the Grand Prix to speak about his recent wins and the season ahead.“Hangzhou (Asian Games) was amazing. I was really, really happy with the result, 2.35 the winning Games record. Can’t complain. Good end of the season,” Barshim said.Barshim claimed the Asian Games gold medal with a jump of 2.35m, equalling his Games record he had set in Incheon, South Korea in 2014.South Korea’s Woo Sang-hyeok cleared 2.33m for silver, while Japan’s Tomohiro Shinno got the bronze with a season’s best leap of 2.29m.Barshim was arguably the biggest track and field name at the Games. His personal best of 2.43m from 2014 is the second-highest jump of all time, behind Cuban great Javier Sotomayor’s world record mark of 2.45 set in 1993.His long list of medals include silver at both the London 2012 and the Rio 2016 Olympics, then gold in Tokyo in 2021 which he famously shared with his rival Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi.He became the first high jumper in history to win consecutive world championship golds in 2017 and 2019, then added a third in the Covid-19 delayed Eugene championships in 2022.He also won world silver in 2013 and world bronze earlier this year in Budapest“I am feeling well. Feeling good coming back now home for recovery. You know, it’s off-season. I want to recharge my mind and my body and hopefully be ready for the next season. It’s a big season with the Olympics coming up soon. Yeah, we need to be ready,” Barshim said.When asked about new pursuits and the all-time world record of 2.45m jump, Barshim quipped, “Of course. For me, to be honest, everything is on the line and I want to do as much as possible during my career. It’s the Olympic year in 2024. Of course, you don’t wanna do something stupid. The preparation got to be in place for the podium. That’s definitely the goal. It’s going to be a season where I would not like to be at so much risk because you want to make sure that you are ready and be peaking at the right time. Apart from that everything, yeah has to be well in terms of preparation.”Barshim also spoke about the challenge of raising the level by even one centimetre which he recently termed as “going to hell and back”.He explained: “The better you are as an athlete, the more difficult it becomes after a certain level because you know you are trying to push the barrier as much as possible and there is so much detail that’s going on. There are so many technicalities that go into it. It’s almost like an engineering work going between me and the coach trying to figure out every little detail. Any minimal error there that we can actually adjust to keep yourself higher. So I don’t know how I can explain but it takes a lot to go high.“When you are watching my jump, you would say, ‘Oh what a jump’. It may look good to rest but when I look at my jump, I see problems. Like this shouldn’t be here and actually here. So there’s more analysis going on but to be honest every small thing counts,” he said.

Iga Swiatek hailed a “really big” victory after she delivered a dominant performance to win the China Open yesterday, beating surprise package Liudmila Samsonova in straight sets to crown a resurgent run of form.The world number two triumphed 6-2, 6-2 in Beijing to take the first China Open women’s title since the pandemic, after Beijing lifted its isolationist zero-Covid policy.The victory capped a strong showing for four-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek, who was deposed as the world’s top-ranked player by Aryna Sabalenka last month.The 22-year-old broke Samsonova’s serve in the sixth game and sealed the opening set when the unseeded Russian slammed a forehand into the net.Swiatek looked assured throughout and quickly notched another break in set two when her error-prone opponent fired another forehand wide.And when Samsonova sent an ill-advised drop-shot into the net to hand her the victory, the Pole doubled over with emotion before a delighted crowd.“For sure, this is really big for me. Winning this title is something I never would have thought at the beginning of the tournament,” Swiatek said at a post-match news conference.“(It) will give me confidence... that there’s always a chance to overcome and work on what you do or what you’re feeling,” she said.“You can always get better and sometimes it’s pretty easy, but we pretend to make it more complicated in our heads,” she added.“I’m really happy that I just focused on hard work and it paid off – maybe not instantly, but I’m happy that after the US Open I just got back to basics and just worked really hard tennis-wise.”Swiatek was the favourite to win the final after handing US Open champion Coco Gauff her first defeat in 17 matches in the final four on Saturday.Sabalenka had been knocked out in the quarter-finals by fifth-ranked Elena Rybakina, who was in turn dumped out by Samsonova in the other semi-final.Ranked 22nd, Samsonova had racked up a string of impressive victories against higher-ranked players but the result of Sunday’s final rarely looked in doubt.The 24-year-old said after the match that Swiatek’s sheer consistency – she barely made a mistake of note – had been a source of “stress”.“This is the stress that she (puts on) other players, that she doesn’t make unforced errors,” Samsonova said. “Every time, you need to do something more... It’s not real, what you feel, but she makes you feel like this,” she added.“Me, I was playing some points very well, and others a disaster. That was the difference, I think.”The match brought to a close the first China Open since 2019, after Beijing lifted onerous travel restrictions that formed part of a longtime policy to prevent the spread of Covid-19.The men’s tournament wrapped up on Wednesday when Italy’s Jannik Sinner beat world number three Daniil Medvedev to take the trophy.

To limit global warming to 1.5C, it is crucial to decarbonise the entire world. But pressuring emerging economies to reach net-zero emissions too quickly could lead to an explosion of dollar-denominated debt and financial volatility across the developing world. Integrating these countries into the decarbonisation effort requires a more nuanced strategy.Over the past year, policymakers and scholars, some from developing countries, have proposed solutions to this conundrum. As global leaders gather for the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Marrakesh on October 9-15, three proposals in particular merit serious debate.While emerging and developing economies have contributed little to the climate crisis, their carbon dioxide emissions are increasing rapidly. To achieve the economic growth their citizens expect, stay within their carbon budgets, and shift away from fossil fuels, these countries must make significant investments in green technologies, primarily financed through international capital flows.The UN Conference on Trade and Development’s 2023 World Investment Report projects that developing countries will require $1.7tn in annual investments to achieve a green transition. In 2022, they managed to secure only $544bn. Most of this financing is dollar-denominated, exacerbating the debt burdens of low-income countries already struggling to service their existing obligations following the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia’s war on Ukraine.Relying on other foreign-currency funding seems just as impractical, given that most of these countries’ revenues are in their local currencies.The three proposals currently being discussed complement one another. The most well-known, the Bridgetown Initiative 2.0, has brought local-currency financing to the forefront of the global policy debate.The original Bridgetown Initiative – championed by Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley and her climate adviser, economist Avinash Persaud – focused on the issuance of special drawing rights (SDRs, the IMF’s reserve asset). The updated proposal, however, urges the IMF and multilateral development banks (MDBs) to offer subsidised guarantees that account for mispriced currency risks, thereby reducing developing countries’ borrowing costs.The second proposal is to scale up and provide guarantees to the Amsterdam-based TCX, a risk-pooling mechanism designed to provide low-income countries with a cost-effective way to shield themselves from currency fluctuations.The third proposal encourages MDBs and bilateral development-finance institutions to consolidate their liquidity requirements through an “onshore” platform that operates with local currencies.Although these three proposals are tailored for different countries and economic contexts, with widely varying effects on the long-term evolution of local currencies and domestic capital markets, they could be scaled up. The Bridgetown Initiative, for example, focuses on large emitters within emerging and developing economies. This is crucial for keeping global temperatures below the 1.5C threshold and could also be applied to many developed countries.Similarly, though TCX primarily deals with smaller and more volatile currencies, the proposed onshore vehicle would be tailored for countries with sufficiently mature institutions. This group could be expanded to include larger and more developed economies, allowing for a wider array of hedging mechanisms.The Bridgetown Initiative assumes a premium for hedging foreign-exchange risk in emerging and developing economies. While the initiative’s proponents have released a detailed empirical analysis that points to the existence of such a premium, its impact remains to be seen. Nevertheless, the overarching argument that investing in green technologies in these countries is much costlier than in advanced economies is undeniably persuasive.The TCX strategy hinges on the lack of correlation between various currencies. Naturally, the more currencies TCX includes, the greater the pooling benefits. By contrast, the economic rationale for the onshore platform stems from the expected reduction in hedging costs when the intermediaries have access to local currencies. While the ability to expand this approach is still uncertain, there is potential for achieving economies of scale.To avert a financial meltdown, the international community must assist emerging and developing countries in managing massive capital inflows. All three proposals should be combined with renewed efforts to bolster local institutions and markets. The onshore mechanism, unlike the other two proposals, could advance this goal by operating in partnership with central banks and commercial lenders.The urgency and global salience of the climate crisis have created a unique opportunity to advance this agenda. Enhancing developing countries’ ability to mobilise domestic savings and stabilise currency fluctuations would yield benefits that extend far beyond the net-zero transition.Moreover, the proposed onshore mechanism, which would facilitate increased co-ordination among MDBs, aligns with the broader goal of streamlining the international financial system. At present, credit-rating agencies penalise MDBs for lacking access to the same liquidity backstops as commercial banks. But by co-ordinating their liquidity management, multilateral lenders could significantly increase their lending capacity.While the development of local currency and capital markets has been limited thus far, there is cause for hope. Recent shocks to the international system have affected emerging economies less severely than previous crises, indicating greater macroeconomic resilience.Rising debt levels have raised fresh concerns, however, especially in the countries that are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Enhancing these economies’ resilience is crucial not just for the stability of the global financial system but also for sustaining the momentum of the fight against climate change. - Project SyndicateErik Berglof is chief economist of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

Japan ended North Korea’s hopes of a fairytale soccer gold with a 4-1 thrashing in the Asian Games final after breakdancing made its debut in a whirlwind of baggy pants and pounding beats.A three-goal burst in the second half at Huanglong Sports Centre Stadium secured Japan back-to-back titles in the women’s soccer event and left North Korean fans wiping away tears. Without a FIFA world ranking and playing their first international football since before Covid-19, the Koreans held Japan to 1-1 at halftime with the support of Chinese fans but ultimately crumbled to miss out on a fourth gold medal in the event.China demolished Uzbekistan 7-0 in the bronze medal playoff.A year out from breakdancing’s debut at the Paris Olympics, ‘b-boys’ and ‘b-girls’ competed in the qualifying rounds, performing tricks to ear-splitting jams in front of a panel of judges and several thousand spectators.Along with eSports’ debut as a medal event in Hangzhou, organisers hope “breaking” can help lure young viewers turned off by traditional Games sports.A counter-cultural art-form born in the streets of New York City decades ago, breakdance is now judged against broad criteria in competition. “Now it has become a sport, its culture is becoming less and less because after all, we have to cooperate with some sports norms,” said 24-year-old Taiwan breaker Sun Zhen, who reached knockout rounds.Philippines basketball celebrated a return to the glory days of the mid-20th century by beating Jordan 70-60 in the men’s final for their first gold in the event in 61 years.“There was a lot of people who didn’t think we could do it, and we proved them wrong,” said the Philippines’ California-born guard Chris Newsome.Both cricket’s return to the Games and India’s debut in the T20 tournament have proved a success, with the south Asians reaching today’s final by thumping Bangladesh by nine wickets. Hopes for a gold medal showdown with bitter rivals Pakistan proved forlorn as Afghanistan surged to a four-wicket win over the Pakistanis in the other semi-final. Pakistan, who failed to medal in the women’s event won by India, will play for bronze against Bangladesh. Olympic bronze medallists India continued their resurgence in hockey, thrashing Japan 5-1 in the final to win their fourth Games gold and first since Incheon in 2014.In the weightlifting, China’s Liu Huanhua bulked up for the 109kg division and stunned Uzbekistan’s Olympic champion Akbar Djuraev, only weeks after winning the 102kg world title in Saudi Arabia.Liu hoisted a combined 418kg to pip twice world champion Djuraev by a kilogram.“I had competed in the 102kg so today I did not perform to my best,” said 22-year-old Liu.“But the crowd was so enthusiastic that they lifted me up, and I had this driving force inside me.”His compatriot Liang Xiaomei, a four-times world champion, coasted to the women’s 87kg title.Djuraev’s disappointment was not the first blow for Uzbekistan at the hands of the hosts.Their canoe slalom silver medallist Anvar Klevleev was in line for gold in the men’s event with a total run time of 98.63 seconds.But the gold ended up with home competitor Xie Yuancong who successfully appealed against a 50-second penalty for missing a gate on the course.A second Saudi Arabian runner was banned for a positive doping test for darbepoetin, a blood-booster similar to erythropoietin (EPO).Middle distance runner Wesam Nasser A Alfarsi, who finished last of 12 runners in the 3,000m steeplechase, became the sixth athlete overall to be suspended at the Games. Mongolian women’s 55kg weightlifter Erdenezul Buyandelger then became the seventh after testing positive for a banned steroid.The equestrian programme wrapped up, with Abdullah al-Sharbatly trotting away with his sixth Asian Games gold for Saudi Arabia after winning the individual jumping title.Al-Sharbatly also claimed a fourth team gold after titles at the 2006, 2010 and 2018 Games.“I’m very proud ... because I (was) in the lead by far as the best Saudi athlete with five golds. Now it’s six golds. Amazing,” said the 41-year-old, who was bullish on his chances at the Paris Olympics.“I am expecting, and I hope, to win gold in Paris ... Inshallah, I will do it.”

The Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) and the Japanese embassy in Doha have inaugurated the “Japan Travel House” at The Pearl Island, offering comprehensive information and expert assistance for prospective travellers eager to explore the Land of the Rising Sun.The event, held at Junko Sushi and Japanese Dining, was attended by Japanese ambassador Satoshi Maeda, JNTO Dubai Office executive director Daisuke Kobayashi, Reach Out To Asia brand ambassador and first Qatari to climb Mount Everest Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulla al-Thani, and other dignitaries, among other guests.Described as a “pioneering initiative” that will be in operation until February next year, this unique information hub was launched on the occasion of the opening of Expo 2023 Doha and is expected to strengthen the relations between Qatar and Japan, especially in the area of tourism.Speaking at the event, ambassador Maeda expressed confidence that this latest JNTO initiative will significantly bolster tourism to Japan, potentially propelling the country into the top five destinations on every traveller’s “must-visit” list.“This is an excellent initiative taken by the JNTO to promote outbound tourism from Qatar to Japan, in collaboration with Junko Sushi and Japanese Dining Restaurant on the occasion of the opening of Expo 2023 Doha,” he said.In the context of Qatar-Japan bilateral relations, the envoy noted that tourism emerges as a promising sector for growth.This, he stressed, is underscored by the notable increase in tourists travelling from Qatar to Japan and vice-versa in recent years.“Tourism is also an effective way to foster mutual understanding and friendship as well as to promote economies of the two countries,” Maeda said. “Given this recognition, upon Prime Minister (Fumio) Kishida’s visit to Qatar this July, the prime minister and His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani stressed the importance of the tourism sector in developing the Japan-Qatar bilateral relations.”“Therefore, I see this event as a driving force to further advance the bilateral relations between the two countries,” he added.He pointed out that visiting Japan has recently become more convenient due to an increase in direct flights between Qatar and Japan; Qatar Airways already operates two daily direct flights between Doha and Tokyo (Narita and Haneda).According to the envoy, the Japanese government implemented a visa waiver measure for Qatari nationals in April, which was followed by online passport registration in August.This measure, he added, has greatly streamlined travel procedures, making it much more accessible for Qatari nationals to visit Japan for tourism.As a destination, he described Japan as a land of rich culture, tradition, cuisine, stunning natural beauty and cutting-edge technology that has plenty of unique experiences to offer to visitors in every season.“Signature touristic attractions include beautiful cherry blossoms in the spring, lively traditional festivals and fireworks in the summer, picturesque coloured leaves in the autumn and beautiful white snow and hot springs in the winter,” Maeda said. “Some of the popular touristic places include Tokyo, Yokohama, Kyoto, Osaka, Okinawa and Hokkaido among many others.”JNTO’s Kobayashi echoed Maeda’s view, saying that the number of visitors from Qatar to Japan increased significantly since the relaxation of coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic-related border measures at the end of last year in Japan.In 2023, from January to August, he noted that the number of Qataris visiting Qatar has surged by approximately 120% compared to the corresponding period in 2019.This upward trend has persisted since September as well.“According to a survey conducted by the JNTO, more than 90% of GCC citizens answered that they would like to visit Japan, but more than 90% of GCC citizens said they haven’t actually visited Japan yet,” Kobayashi said. “One major factor is the lack of tourist information about Japan available in Qatar and GCC.”“I believe many people are interested in Japan itself, but at the same time, I think there are many people who have a vague anxiety because they do not have a clear image of travelling to an unknown country such as Japan,” he added. “In order to fill this huge gap, the JNTO is setting up the ‘Japan Travel House’ as a base in Qatar for disseminating information about Japan.”

Humanity was caught off guard by the Covid-19 pandemic, even though we had effectively been warned by smaller-scale outbreaks for decades. Given the strong odds that we will face another pandemic sooner or later, the international community is rightly engaged in discussions about how to do better next time.Last month, a United Nations High-Level Meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response produced a “political declaration” that was hailed as a landmark. The 14-page draft acknowledged that, as Carolyn Reynolds, co-founder of the Pandemic Action Network, has put it, PPPR “is so much more than a national health issue; it is a national and global security and economic issue. Like climate change, pandemics are a global systemic risk and existential threat to humanity, and we need to treat them as such.”But isn’t this just stating the obvious? While some have hailed the agreement as “historic,” it was accompanied by no firm commitments from governments.We already know what it will take to do better next time. After Covid-19 spread globally, millions of people in poor countries died for lack of access to medicines that were being hoarded in rich countries. We needed waivers on all intellectual property (IP) related to the pandemic pathogen – including vaccines, tests, personal protective equipment, and therapeutics – as well as commitments from everyone to share their technology and provide all the funds necessary to help poorer countries.Yet during the Covid crisis, we saw even the most powerful advocates of international governance, namely the US, show little compunction about breaking rules and norms that were seen to conflict with their own immediate interests.We know that big pharmaceutical companies stooped so low as to charge some developing countries more than they charged developed countries. Some also insisted that the bulk of their products be exported to Europe from the emerging markets where they were being manufactured, even though those countries’ own citizens were desperate for medicines. Worse, while developing-country governments were under strict contractual obligations, the companies themselves were spared from even the minimal requirement to deliver the supplies they had promised in a timely fashion.Any rational approach must start with the acknowledgment that controlling pandemics is in everyone’s interest. Given rich, powerful countries’ apparent inability to keep their commitments during a crisis, the reasonable solution is to ensure capacity to produce pandemic products everywhere, and to eliminate foreseeable impediments to countries doing so. That means agreeing to a strong IP waiver, and establishing stiff penalties for any drug company that wrongly interferes in another company’s use of the specified IP, including in cases where production is being exported to third countries in the developing world.To stay ahead of future threats, some of the relevant technology should be transferred now, and governments and companies must commit to facilitate any additional transfers that future pathogens might make necessary. Governments should have the tools and legal authority to force or induce firms within their jurisdictions to share such technology, and developing countries should have the right to sue if that does not happen.To stay ahead of future threats, we should mobilise the necessary funds now and establish clear rules for delivering them.Since controlling any future pathogen will require data, we need all countries to commit to data sharing. But during the Covid-19 crisis, South Africa was effectively punished when it identified a new variant of the virus: other countries responded by imposing travel restrictions against it, even though it was unclear where the variant had originated, or whether it was more prevalent elsewhere.Countries should have incentives for openness; ensuring access to technologies and emergency funding is essential to this objective.With Covid-19, we prioritised pharmaceutical companies’ profits over the lives and well-being of people in developing countries. It was immoral, shameful, and counterproductive.We must set the stage for a more just, inclusive, and rational response next time. Faced with that urgent task, last month’s UN meetings fell far short of what is needed. – Project Syndicate

.text-box { float:left; width:250px; padding:1px; border:1pt white; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 20px;}@media only screen and (max-width: 767px) {.text-box {width: 30%;}}**media[85119]**Save the Dream, a global initiative operated by the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) with the support of Ooredoo, the Technology Partner, announced today that Matteo Bonciani will join in the role of Special Advisor.Bonciani, a senior motorsport figure, born and raised in Florence with a background in humanities and political science, member of the Official Order of Professional Journalists of Italy, brings with him a rich history of over 20 years’ success in strategic marketing and communications. He has an in-depth knowledge of international sport management, Formula 1, and the global automotive industry, both at an entrepreneurial and institutional level.As Special Advisor, Matteo Bonciani will support the mission of the Doha-based Save the Dream to use the unique power of sport as a tool for social change to build more fair and inclusive societies. He will contribute to the development and implementation of Save the Dream’s strategies and the establishment of new and innovative partnerships across the sport, engineering, and technology industries.After starting his career as a journalist with the WSJ Europe, Bonciani worked for Ferrari S.p.A. in the product communications department before quickly moving to the Scuderia. Rising through the ranks, he was promoted to Communications Director in 2006 for the 12 countries of the newly created Ferrari Asia-Pacific Division, based in Shanghai.In 2010 Bonciani moved to Paris, where, following the appointment of Jean Todt as FIA President, he became the President's Advisor.He was then appointed as the FIA Director of F1 Communications and Federation Media Delegate with the mission of managing, coordinating, and supervising all the communications activities across the FIA ecosystem. In this role, Bonciani was involved in increasing the transparency and the visibility of the Federation at every level at a critical time in its journey. During this period, he was a leading figure in supporting the development of Women in Motorsport, the FIA Environmental Commission and the sport's reorganisation after the global Covid-19 Pandemic. After the FIA, he became Head of Motorsport Communications for Pirelli & C S.p.A.Speaking on his new appointment, Matteo Bonciani said: “I am absolutely thrilled and flattered by the interest that such a global entity as Save the Dream has had in me. For me, sport has always been one of the biggest forces for good and it's an honour to be asked to contribute to Save the Dream in this way. Sport can enable us to break through barriers and deliver positive and empowering messages to millions of people globally, helping us all to achieve a more inclusive world through its educational and social values.”Commenting on the appointment, Massimiliano Montanari, Save the Dream CEO, stated: “We are extremely delighted to welcome Matteo Bonciani as Save the Dream Advisor and join a group of supporters made by both eminent international policy makers and sport legends. His outstanding experience and vision will contribute to the development and implementation of Save the Dream's strategies. I am particularly excited about the possibility, thanks to his background, of bringing Save the Dream and its projects closer to motorsports and promote its mission to a wider audience than ever before."BACKGROUND INFORMATIONAbout Save the DreamSave the Dream is a global initiative established by the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) with the support of Ooredoo, the technology partner, to empower youth through safe access to sport and its educational and social values.Save the Dream serves as a global movement of organisations, people, and athletes who believe in the power of sport to build more fair and inclusive societies and are therefore committed to promoting and protecting its core values for the good of youth and future generations.For more details please visit: http://savethedream.org/