Doha: Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are eyeing a confidence-boosting victory at the season-opening Qatar Open. But Novak Djokovic, elsewhere in the Persian Gulf, is already showing signs that made him such a force in 2011. Djokovic wrapped up his first title in Abu Dhabi on Saturday and said he is feeling better than he did at this time last season. That does not bode well for the No. 2...
04:06 AM, Jan 03, 2012
Kabul: Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai says he will accept Taliban insurgents opening a representative office in the Gulf state of Qatar for the purpose of holding peace talks, although Saudi Arabia or Turkey would be preferable venues. Karzai said if the United States insisted that the insurgents establish a liaison office in Qatar, "we are agreed." Karzai's statement on Tuesday came despite the government in Kabul repeatedly emphasizing it would...
07:31 AM, Dec 28, 2011
New Delhi: Qatar-based Al Jazeera Network on Thursday announced the launch of its news channel Al Jazeera English across India on Dish TV and plans to tie-up with other direct-to-home (DTH) platforms to spread its reach. The network is also considering launching a Hindi news channel in the country. "Al Jazeera English has just completed five years internationally and to announce its national launch in India is a significant step...
05:54 PM, Nov 17, 2011
London: The body of India's most acclaimed painter Maqbool Fida Husain was on Friday laid to rest with full Muslim religious rites at Brookwood cemetery in the UK, honouring his last wishes. Husain was laid to rest at the cemetery, one of the biggest in Europe, at Woking in UK's Surrey. 95-year-old Husain died of lung congestion at the Royal Brompton hospital on Thursday. Earlier, the Namaza-e-janaza was performed at...
09:29 PM, Jun 10, 2011
New Delhi: India's best known artist Maqbool Fida Husain, who took Indian art to the global stage in a celebrated career that was also mired in controversies, died at the age of 95 early Thursday, in London. The ebullient and eccentric barefoot-painter, known for his cubist-inspired modern art, died at the Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust at 2:30 am local time (0700 IST) in London after a month-long illness....
11:58 AM, Jun 09, 2011
Tripoli: A Libyan woman who claimed she was gang-raped by Muammar Gaddafi's troops was deported from Qatar where she sought refuge, and is now in Benghazi, said a UN official on Thursday. Her sudden expulsion cast light again on one of the most widely covered incidents of alleged abuses by Gaddafi's forces, as NATO continued its relentless nightly bombing raids on Libyan military and security bases, backing rebels who are...
08:59 AM, Jun 03, 2011
Sanaa: Yemen's president was to sign an agreement on Saturday to quit power in a month's time in exchange for immunity, a deal rejected by street protesters demanding he step down immediately and face prosecution. Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has ruled the Arabian Peninsula state for nearly 33 years, has in principle accepted the agreement negotiated by the six-state Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). His departure would make Saleh the third...
05:31 PM, Apr 30, 2011
Ras Lanouf: International air raids targeted Muammar Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte for the first time Sunday night as rebels quickly closed in on the regime stronghold, a formidable obstacle that must be overcome for government opponents to reach the capital, Tripoli. A heavy bombardment of Tripoli also began after nightfall, with at least nine loud explosions and anti-aircraft fire heard, an Associated Press reporter in the city said. Earlier in...
11:49 AM, Mar 28, 2011
Tripoli: Fellow Arab and African nations raised the international pressure on Friday on Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi, with tiny Qatar flying the Arab world's first combat missions over his country and the African Union imploring him to move toward democratic elections. The military operation against Gadhafi, which on Friday included airstrikes by British and French jets, remains a US-led operation, though NATO was preparing to assume at least some command...
12:00 PM, Mar 26, 2011
Doha: Denmark's Thomas Bjorn won the Qatar Masters on Sunday for his 11th European Tour title, beating Spain's Alvaro Quiros by four shots. Overnight leader Bjorn, who won his first tournament since the Estoril Open in Portugal last year, shot a bogey-free, 3-under 69 for a tournament total of 14-under 274. The 39-year-old Dane had three birdies in the final round, including one on the 18th. Quiros, who closed within...
04:18 PM, Feb 07, 2011
Doha: World No 1 Lee Westwood missed his first cut in over a year on Friday after crashing out of the Qatar Masters at the halfway stage in Doha. A 18th hole birdie, when the Briton desperately needed an eagle, was little comfort in a round of 75 that saw Westwood miss the halfway cut by a stroke at four-over par. Westwood commenced the second round at two-over par but...
10:58 AM, Feb 05, 2011
Doha: South Africa's Retief Goosen shot a 3-under 69 on Thursday on his 42nd birthday to take a one-shot lead in the first round of the Qatar Masters. With winds reaching 25 mph at the Doha Golf Club, Goosen managed five birdies to finish a shot ahead of defending champion Robert Karlsson of Sweden, South Africa's Darren Fitchardt and England's Richard Finch. "It was tough to get close to the...
11:56 AM, Feb 04, 2011
Dubai: For parents worried about their children's overspeeding or the wayward behaviour of a driver, a low-cost Internet-based GPS vehicle tracking system is expected to be just the solution. Developed by a Qatari IT service provider, the T-Qat vehicle tracking system is being touted as the only monitoring system which has a web server developed in Qatar and has an Internet-based Global Positioning System (GPS) tracker customised for local users....
02:29 PM, Jan 31, 2011
Doha: World number two Roger Federer began his season in formidable fashion by defeating holder Nikolay Davydenko 6-3 6-4 to win the Qatar Open on Saturday. The 16-times grand slam champion proved too much for his Russian opponent, claiming a break of serve in each set to complete victory under the floodlights at the Khalifa Tennis Complex in central Doha. Federer has improved throughout his five matches this week in...
01:19 AM, Jan 09, 2011
Doha: A visibly ailing Rafael Nadal lost to defending champion Nikolay Davydenko 6-3, 6-2 in Qatar Open semifinal on Friday. The fourth-seeded Russian won in 84 minutes against the top-ranked Nadal, who was uncharacteristically slow and sluggish after having a fever earlier this week. Moments before the start of the second set, a tired-looking Nadal called for medical assistance and said: "I don't have my game; I feel much more...
07:55 AM, Jan 08, 2011
Doha: A clinical Roger Federer reached the final of the Qatar Open with a 6-3 7-6 victory over Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Friday. The Swiss 16-times grand-slam champion stayed on course for an early-season showdown with Rafael Nadal who was up against Russia's Nikolay Davydenko later in the Khalifa Tennis Centre. Federer broke Tsonga's serve in the second game of the match and remained solid on serve throughout the contest...
11:24 PM, Jan 07, 2011
Doha: Women in Qatar, who earlier got married in their teens, are now delaying their weddings till their late 20s or early 30s to focus on education or pursue a career, a study has found. Only one percent of Qatari women marry between 15 and 19 years of age, Gulf News reported citing the findings of a survey conducted by the Social and Economic Research Institute (SESRI) at Qatar University....
10:32 AM, Jan 07, 2011
Doha: Flu victim Rafa Nadal benefited from a first set timeout with the doctor to dispatch Latvian Ernests Gulbis and join old foe Roger Federer in the semifinals of the Qatar Open on Thursday. Nadal, who has been suffering from a fever all week, began brightly by breaking Gulbis for a 3-1 lead in the opening set but lost his serve and called for the doctor after complaining that he...
08:14 AM, Jan 07, 2011
Doha: Top-ranked Rafael Nadal overcame a second-set collapse to beat Lukas Lacko of Slovakia 7-6 (3), 0-6, 6-3 on Wednesday and join Roger Federer in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open. Earlier, Federer beat fellow Swiss Marco Chiudinelli 7-6 (5), 7-5. Nadal, who is also playing doubles with Marc Lopez, had a fever earlier this week and looked uncharacteristically slow and sluggish on court. In the second set, he won...
10:11 AM, Jan 06, 2011
Doha: Roger Federer added to his repertoire of through-the-legs winners on his way to beating Dutch qualifier Thomas Schoorel 7-6 (3), 6-3 at the Qatar Open in his first official match of the season. Top-ranked Rafael Nadal also advanced, beating Karol Beck 6-3, 6-0. After a sluggish first set, the No. 2-ranked Swiss hit his stride in the second. Leading 5-2 and faced with a ball that changed direction after...
07:52 AM, Jan 05, 2011
