DUBAI // Dethroned at the World Open last month, Malaysian squash legend Nicol David has turned her attention to next week’s PSA World Series Finals here, predicting “furious” competition from the offset of the five-day event as she seeks a hat-trick of WSA titles.
The World Series Finals, which will be held at the Burj Park in Downtown Dubai from May 24-28, will see the top eight players on the men’s and women’s tours, including several former world champions, clash for one of the most lucrative paycheques in the sport, an equal prize purse of Dh587,700.
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The eight players in both the men’s and have women’s section have been divided into two groups with the top two in each group progressing to the semi-finals, scheduled for Friday, May 27. There will be eighth best-of-three matches on each of the first three days to decide the semi-finalists, with every player playing once each day.
Drawn alongside England’s world No 2 and 2013 world champion Laura Massaro in Group A, David, the world No 5 and an eight-time world champion, will open her campaign against the United States’ world No 1 Amanda Sobhy, before meeting Massaro on Day 2 and Egypt’s Nouran Gohar on Day 3.
Nour El Sherbini, the reigning world champion and No 1 from Egypt, has been drawn in Group B alongside compatriots El Weleily, Omneya Abdel Kawy and Frenchwoman Camille Serme.
In the men’s section, world No 1 Mohamed Elshorbagy will face-off against Englishman Nick Matthew, Miguel Angel Rodriguez of Colombia and France’s Mathieu Castagnet for the two semi-final spots from Group A, while Group B will see Frenchman Gregory Gaultier, Egypt’s Omar Mosaad, Simon Rosner of Germany and Australian Cameron Pilley battle for the two qualifying spots.
“It’ll be my first time ever competing in a squash tournament in Dubai,” David, who will be looking to complete a hat-trick of World Series Finals (WSA) titles after winning the 2011 and 2012 editions.
“This year it will be extra special and I’m sure it’ll be a real treat for all the players to be there playing on the glass court by the spectacular Burj Khalifa.”
David, who held the No 1 ranking for a record 108 consecutive months before finally ceding it to Egypt’s Raneem El Weleily last July, says squash fans in Dubai are in for a treat.
“The most exciting aspect is showcasing the best of the best eight men and eight women squash players altogether battling it out to finish off the season at the top,” she said.
“It’ll be furious squash from the first day during the pool matches and that will be such an attraction for spectators to see the best players all at once in one venue.”
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Formula One top 10 drivers' standings after Japan
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 306
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 234
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 192
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 148
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 111
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 82
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How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
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Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
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- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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May 9, v Malaysia
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House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
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Key facilities
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Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species
Camelpox
Caused by a virus related to the one that causes human smallpox, camelpox typically causes fever, swelling of lymph nodes and skin lesions in camels aged over three, but the animal usually recovers after a month or so. Younger animals may develop a more acute form that causes internal lesions and diarrhoea, and is often fatal, especially when secondary infections result. It is found across the Middle East as well as in parts of Asia, Africa, Russia and India.
Falconpox
Falconpox can cause a variety of types of lesions, which can affect, for example, the eyelids, feet and the areas above and below the beak. It is a problem among captive falcons and is one of many types of avian pox or avipox diseases that together affect dozens of bird species across the world. Among the other forms are pigeonpox, turkeypox, starlingpox and canarypox. Avipox viruses are spread by mosquitoes and direct bird-to-bird contact.
Houbarapox
Houbarapox is, like falconpox, one of the many forms of avipox diseases. It exists in various forms, with a type that causes skin lesions being least likely to result in death. Other forms cause more severe lesions, including internal lesions, and are more likely to kill the bird, often because secondary infections develop. This summer the CVRL reported an outbreak of pox in houbaras after rains in spring led to an increase in mosquito numbers.
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Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
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German intelligence warnings
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Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
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Maestro
Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
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Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
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Zohar Sabah
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Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
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The biog:
Favourite book: The Leader Who Had No Title by Robin Sharma
Pet Peeve: Racism
Proudest moment: Graduating from Sorbonne
What puts her off: Dishonesty in all its forms
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Role model: Everyone. A child can be my role model
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