The first grand slam tournament of the 2019 tennis season gets under way at Melbourne Park on Monday as the world's best players compete at the Australian Open.
Ahead of the opening matches, The National's sports desk provide their predictions, attempting to forecast the winners, surprises and disappointments of the year's first major.
Got some thoughts of your own? Let us know on Twitter and Facebook.
MEN'S CHAMPION
Jon Turner, Assistant Sports Editor
Roger Federer. There is no denying that the game's greatest player is nearing the end of his incomparable career, his increasingly selective schedule a reflection of his twilight years. But it's at the start of a new season when Federer, 37, is at his most effective, and he arrives in Melbourne ready to defend his title.
The Swiss was in fine fettle at the Hopman Cup in Perth, swatting aside world No 4 Alexander Zverev in the final to round off his preparations perfectly.
Realistically, it could only be Novak Djokovic who stands in his way, but it will be Federer standing tall with his 21st - and possibly last - major title come the final Sunday.
Chitrabhanu Kadalayil, Assistant Sports Editor
Novak Djokovic. He is world No 1 and the form player at the moment. Since his comeback from injury last year, he is playing somewhat at his best and won the last two grand slam tournaments of 2018 - Wimbledon and the US Open.
What's scary about Djokovic's chance to win this year is that, even when the Fab Four of Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and himself were in their prime, it was the Serb who still dominated proceedings in Melbourne to lift the trophy six times. The last two of Federer's six Australian Open titles came when Djokovic was struggling with fitness. The Swiss master seems the only player who can challenge Djokovic at the moment, seeing that Murray and Nadal are struggling, and the emerging players are not quite there yet. This title is Djokovic's to lose.
Graham Caygill, Sports Editor
Kevin Anderson. The South African proved in 2018 he is the real deal and that his run to the US Open final in 2017 was no fluke. He has a powerful serve but also plays a great game from the back of the court and has a level temperament.
His mental strength was on show at Wimbledon last year when he came from two sets down to beat Federer, before surviving an epic semi-final with John Isner.
He has a good half of the draw and, if can get some momentum, has a decent chance of making to the last four. He has all the tools to make it third time lucky and be successful in a grand slam final.
MEN'S SURPRISE
JT: Roberto Bautista Agut. No player has enjoyed a better start to 2019 than the unassuming Spaniard. Trailing a set and a break to Djokovic in the Qatar Open semi-final, Bautista Agut produced a stunning fightback to eliminate the world No 1, before defeating Tomas Berdych in the final. A player with no specific weapons but no discernible weaknesses either, Bautista Agut's game is founded on solid groundstrokes and endurance - ideal for a best-of-five-set hardcourt tournament, then. Given his start to the year, a run to the quarter-finals will be the least the world No 23 should expect.
Cb: Karen Khachanov. The Russian world No 11 has been in impressive form lately, winning the Paris Masters two months ago by beating Djokovic in straight sets in the final. He then showcased his talents in Abu Dhabi where he reached the semi-finals of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship. Granted it is not an official tournament and the matches are best-of-threes, but his back-to-back victories over Dominic Thiem have to count for something. This is not to say he will win the tournament; he will most likely meet Marin Cilic and then Federer, last year's finalists, in succession, so he has a tricky draw. But do not discount this young Russian's hunger to pull off a huge upset.
GC: Daniil Medvedev. The world No 16 has never been beyond the third round of a major but he can change that here. His game is in good nick with his run to the final in Brisbane and he has the game to trouble the top players. World No 1 Djokovic is a potential fourth-round opponent, but if he plays like he did in patches in Brisbane then the 22-year-old Russian can cause the Serb real problems.
MEN'S DISAPPOINTMENT
JT: Nick Kyrgios. Granted, the hype and expectation are not what they have been in previous years, but the home crowd are set to be disappointed once again by the precociously talented yet frustratingly disinterested Kyrgios. A player of grand slam-winning potential, 23-year-old Kyrgios has fallen outside of the top 50 and is no longer Australia's highest ranked player. He appears to genuinely despise being on court, but luckily for him he won't have to spend too much time on one - first-round opponent Milos Raonic will make sure of that.
Cb: Hyeon Chung. The bespectacled South Korean made a name for himself by beating Djokovic in the fourth round before eventually reaching the semi-finals of last year's Australian Open. He became the face of Asian tennis as the older, more experienced Kei Nishikori was struggling with injury. Remember, too, that Naomi Osaka had not won the US Open title at that point.
But Chung's form has dropped since, and Nishikori has reclaimed his place at the top of tennis in the continent. Judging by the way he played in Abu Dhabi, where he lost his only match, to Kevin Anderson at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship after testing the South African, there is hope yet that the 22 year old will slowly find his footing again. But that's not likely to happen in Melbourne.
GC: Kyle Edmund. No one apart from maybe the most ardent Edmund supporter would expect the British No 1 to win the tournament, so it is not a disappointment in that regard. But the world No 14 will do well to make the second week in Melbourne, let alone match his semi-final run of 12 months ago. He is not in great form and Tomas Berdych is a tough first opponent. He may survive Berdych but he will do well to go deep in the tournament and an early exit, and a hefty drop of ranking points, seems the most likely outcome.
WOMEN'S CHAMPION
JT: Aryna Sabalenka. Following on from Naomi Osaka's US Open victory, another of the WTA Tour's future stars can cement her status among the elite. Sabalenka, 20, kick-started her season by winning the Shenzhen Open title for her third career win. The Belarusian's powerful game has seen her blast past many of the world's top players, and expect her to do the same at the Australian Open. It might be a few tournaments early, but the world No 11 has a good a chance as any of lifting the Daphne Akhurst trophy.
Cb: Angelique Kerber. The world No 2 may not have had the ideal preparations, being blown away in straight sets by Petra Kvitova in the Sydney International quarter-finals, but the German is a better player at grand slam tournaments. She won the title in Melbourne in 2016 and was narrowly beaten by an in-form Simona Halep in last year's semi-finals.
Fresh from a fine 2018 season, Kerber also has a friendly draw, and with women's tennis continuing to be open with no single dominant player - aside from Serena Williams - in the competition, this could well be her year.
GC: Serena Williams. The American has played little tennis since her controversial US Open final loss to Naomi Osaka and she looked rusty at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi last month.
But the 23-time major winner proved with her runs to the 2018 Wimbledon and US Open finals that she did not need to be at her best to go deep in grand slams.
Another unpredictable tournament looks likely with plenty of the top players out of sorts, which could open up things for Williams. She still has terrific power from the baseline, and with more match time her movement will improve. This could be where the historic 24th slam, and first since becoming a mother, is achieved.
WOMEN'S SURPRISE
JT: Belinda Bencic. After two years of injury disruption, the 21-year-old Swiss looks to be heading in the right direction. The former world No 7, alongside Federer, helped Switzerland defend the Hopman Cup and took Serena Williams to three sets in the group stages. In her first WTA Tour event of the year, Bencic reached the semi-finals at the Hobart International, and appears to be closing in on the form that made her a top-10 player. A run to the second week in Melbourne could be on the cards.
Cb: Madison Keys. Have a cursory glance at the American's record at grand slam tournaments and you will probably wonder why she is not ranked higher. The world No 17 has reached the semi-finals of two of the four majors at least once: the Australian Open (2015) and the French Open (2018). She has made it to the last four at the US Open twice (2017 and 2018); in 2017, she reached the final before losing to Sloane Stephens.
At 23, she is also very young. Keys has a brilliant first serve and with more consistency on the key points, she could go all the way to win the title. At the very least she should go deep in the draw.
GC: Ashleigh Barty. The Australian proved she has no-one to fear in the draw by beating world No 1 Simona Halep in Sydney last week en route to reaching the final where she narrowly lost to Petra Kvitova. The world No 15 has a good draw, and with Jelena Ostapenko a possible third-round opponent, she will be disappointed not to be in the mix come the second week.
WOMEN'S DISAPPOINTMENT
JT: Simona Halep. The world No 1 and last year's finalist, Halep enters the Australian Open lacking match fitness. Out of action since October after suffering a herniated disc, the 27-year-old Romanian made a losing return to the WTA Tour at the Sydney International.
Halep is likely to face Venus Williams in the third round, and should she get beyond that challenge, could take on the American's sister, Serena, in the fourth round. It would be a surprise if Halep makes it to the second week.
Cb: Naomi Osaka. Her US Open win last year changed the life of Japan's first ever grand slam champion. She concedes she receives plenty more attention these days, but the 21 year old will do well to expect even more of it at the Australian Open, which is billed as the "Asia-Pacific" major.
Besides, Osaka is likely to feel the pressure while playing in the first grand slam tournament since winning in New York, eager to prove that was no fluke. But having, most likely, to face two-time champion Victoria Azarenka in the third round will do her few favours.
GC: Caroline Wozniacki. The Dane's long wait for her first major finally came to an end last year when she beat Halep in a superb final. Since then, however, it has been largely mediocre stuff from the world No 3 with second-round exits at Wimbledon and the US Open.
She heads to Melbourne with no form to speak of and getting to the second week would be an achievement in itself, left alone defending her title. Wozniacki will be on her way back to Europe long before the business end of the tournament kicks off.
ICC Intercontinental Cup
UAE squad Rohan Mustafa (captain), Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Saqlain Haider, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Naveed, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Boota, Amir Hayat, Ashfaq Ahmed
Fixtures Nov 29-Dec 2
UAE v Afghanistan, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Hong Kong v Papua New Guinea, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Ireland v Scotland, Dubai International Stadium
Namibia v Netherlands, ICC Academy, Dubai
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Racecard
%3Cp%3E6pm%3A%20The%20Madjani%20Stakes%20%E2%80%93%20Group%202%20(PA)%20Dh97%2C500%20(Dirt)%201%2C900m%3Cbr%3E6.35pm%3A%20Graduate%20Stakes%20%E2%80%93%20Conditions%20(TB)%20Dh100%2C000%20(D)%201%2C400m%3Cbr%3E7.10pm%3A%20Longines%20Dolcevita%20Collection%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(TB)%20Dh82%2C500%20(D)%201%2C400m%3Cbr%3E7.45pm%3A%20Longines%20Legend%20Driver%20Collection%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(TB)%20Dh82%2C500%20(D)%201%2C600m%3Cbr%3E8.20pm%3A%20Longines%20Master%20Collection%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh105%2C000%20(D)%201%2C200m%3Cbr%3E8.55pm%3A%20Longines%20Record%20Collection%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh87%2C500%20(D)%202%2C200m%3Cbr%3E9.30pm%3A%20Longines%20Spirit%20Collection%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh87%2C500%20(D)%201%2C600m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
RESULTS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E5pm%3A%20Sheikh%20Mansour%20bin%20Zayed%20Racing%20Festival%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh100%2C000%20(Turf)%202%2C200m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Suny%20Du%20Loup%2C%20Pat%20Dobbs%20(jockey)%2C%20Hamad%20Al%20Marar%20(trainer)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E5.30pm%3A%20Sheikh%20Mansour%20bin%20Zayed%20Racing%20Festival%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Conditions%20(PA)%20Dh150%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Nadia%20Du%20Loup%2C%20Antonio%20Fresu%2C%20Sulaiman%20Al%20Ghunaimi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E6pm%3A%20Sheikha%20Fatima%20bint%20Mubarak%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Conditions%20(PA)%20Dh150%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Dareen%2C%20Dane%20O%E2%80%99Neill%2C%20Jean%20de%20Roualle%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E6.30pm%3A%20Sheikh%20Zayed%20bin%20Sultan%20Al%20Nahyan%20National%20Day%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Group%203%20(PA)%20Dh500%2C000%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20AF%20Alwajel%2C%20Pat%20Dobbs%2C%20Ernst%20Oertel%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E7.15pm%3A%20Sheikh%20Zayed%20bin%20Sultan%20Al%20Nahyan%20Jewel%20Crown%20%E2%80%93%20Group%201%20(PA)%20Dh5%2C000%2C000%20(T)%202%2C200m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20First%20Classs%2C%20Ronan%20Thomas%2C%20Jean%20De%20Mieulle%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E8pm%3A%20Sheikh%20Zayed%20bin%20Sultan%20Al%20Nahyan%20National%20Day%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Listed%20(TB)%20Dh380%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20San%20Donato%2C%20Pat%20Dobbs%2C%20Doug%20Watson%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E8.30pm%3A%20Wathba%20Stallions%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh100%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20AF%20Rasam%2C%20Fernando%20Jara%2C%20Ernst%20Oertel%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Neo%20Mobility%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20February%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abhishek%20Shah%20and%20Anish%20Garg%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Logistics%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Delta%20Corp%2C%20Pyse%20Sustainability%20Fund%2C%20angel%20investors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE%C2%A0SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.4-litre%20four-cylinder%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20210hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Starting%20from%20Dh89%2C900%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
The team
Videographer: Jear Velasquez
Photography: Romeo Perez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Models: Meti and Clinton at MMG
Video assistant: Zanong Maget
Social media: Fatima Al Mahmoud
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.8-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C200rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320Nm%20from%201%2C800-5%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.7L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh111%2C195%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sour%20Grapes
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAuthor%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EZakaria%20Tamer%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESyracuse%20University%20Press%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPages%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E176%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202-litre%204-cylinder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E153hp%20at%206%2C000rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E200Nm%20at%204%2C000rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E6-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E6.3L%2F100km%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDh106%2C900%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENadeera%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERabih%20El%20Chaar%20and%20Reem%20Khattar%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECleanTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20About%20%241%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHope%20Ventures%2C%20Rasameel%20Investments%20and%20support%20from%20accelerator%20programmes%20%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
1.
|
United States
|
2.
|
China
|
3.
|
UAE
|
4.
|
Japan
|
5
|
Norway
|
6.
|
Canada
|
7.
|
Singapore
|
8.
|
Australia
|
9.
|
Saudi Arabia
|
10.
|
South Korea
|
A meeting of young minds
The 3,494 entries for the 2019 Sharjah Children Biennial come from:
435 – UAE
2,000 – China
808 – United Kingdom
165 – Argentina
38 – Lebanon
16 – Saudi Arabia
16 – Bangladesh
6 – Ireland
3 – Egypt
3 – France
2 – Sudan
1 – Kuwait
1 – Australia
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
(All games 4-3pm kick UAE time) Bayern Munich v Augsburg, Borussia Dortmund v Bayer Leverkusen, Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin, Wolfsburg v Mainz , Eintracht Frankfurt v Freiburg, Union Berlin v RB Leipzig, Cologne v Schalke , Werder Bremen v Borussia Monchengladbach, Stuttgart v Arminia Bielefeld
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
More from Neighbourhood Watch
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDate%20started%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202020%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Khaldoon%20Bushnaq%20and%20Tariq%20Seksek%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Global%20Market%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20HealthTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20100%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20to%20date%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2415%20million%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
Paris Can Wait
Dir: Eleanor Coppola
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Diane Lane, Arnaud Viard
Two stars
The biog
Date of birth: 27 May, 1995
Place of birth: Dubai, UAE
Status: Single
School: Al Ittihad private school in Al Mamzar
University: University of Sharjah
Degree: Renewable and Sustainable Energy
Hobby: I enjoy travelling a lot, not just for fun, but I like to cross things off my bucket list and the map and do something there like a 'green project'.