NEWPORT, Wales // Workers scurried around the greens with squeegees, furiously pushing away water before every putt. Players sloshed down soaked fairways, desperately searching for any spot to hit that was somewhat dry. The Americans couldn't even stay dry in their gaudy rainsuits.
The Ryder Cup was halted for more than seven hours yesterday in the middle of fourball matches because of heavy rain that turned Celtic Manor into a water-logged mess, the first weather delay since 1997 and leading to a drastic schedule change in hopes of avoiding the first Monday finish. The United States made the most of the delay, rallying late to take a narrow lead by the end of play on a long day.
"The first thing I need is to find a hair dryer," joked Martin Kaymer, the PGA championship winner, who played the opening match for Europe with Lee Westwood. Play resumed at 5pm local timebut this will go down as the day it just kept raining and raining in Wales, hosting its first Ryder Cup. "It's a shame," Jeff Sluman, the US assistant captain, said. "There's 10 years of planning that went into this, and we're held hostage by the weather."
Phil Mickelson got going after play resumed, Stewart Cink kept rolling in long putts and the rookie team of Bubba Watson and Jeff Overton held its own. When play was halted, Cink and Matt Kuchar were 2 up on Rory McIlroy and US Open champion Graeme McDowell through 11 holes; Watson and Overton were 1 up on Luke Donald and Padraig Harrington through eight; and Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker were all square with Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher.
The only Americans trailing were Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, but even they left the course with a good feeling.
The Europeans had been leading three fourball matches when drenching showers halted play at midmorning. Celtic Manor spent more than $1 million on a complex drainage system, but it was no match for showers that turned the course into a version of Venice.
The Americans' start was bad enough. Even worse were the rainsuits they wore, a gaudy getup that looked more suited for basketball team warmups – and didn't work anyway. During the break, the PGA of America dispatched officials to the merchandise tent to buy up about 20 new suits in case it starts raining again this weekend, always a possibility in soggy Wales.
But the clouds finally broke late in the day and the US team was feeling a lot sunnier about the way things stood.
They lost three of the first six holes, with Lefty dumping his first shot after the break into a pond. But Johnson bailed him out with a birdie at the seventh, and Mickelson ripped off three birdies in a row around the turn to leave Lee Westwood and PGA championship winner Martin Kaymer only 1 up through 11 holes.
"It was tough day, a tough start," American captain Corey Pavin said. "Obviously I'm pleased with the way U.S. came back and performed this afternoon. I'm very proud of the guys."
His European counterpart, Colin Montgomerie, took heart from Poulter rolling in a clutch 15-foot putt at the 10th just before the last light faded away, giving the home team a bit of a boost. The Englishman turned toward what was left of the gallery and pumped his fist defiantly.
"We had a good first hour of play or something, and then that two hours of play there was obviously in the Americans' favor," Monty said. "But at the same time, there's no match that is anymore than 2 up or 2 down, so everyone is still in the game."
With no match settled on a day when eight points were supposed to be handed out, this will be remembered as the day it rained and rained and rained at the first Ryder Cup held in Wales.
* Associated Press
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FIGHT CARD
Welterweight Mostafa Radi (PAL) v Tohir Zhuraev (TJK)
Catchweight 75kg Leandro Martins (BRA) v Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR)
Flyweight Corinne Laframboise (CAN) v Manon Fiorot (FRA)
Featherweight Ahmed Al Darmaki (UAE) v Bogdan Kirilenko (UZB)
Lightweight Izzedine Al Derabani (JOR) v Atabek Abdimitalipov (KYG)
Featherweight Yousef Al Housani (UAE) v Mohamed Arsharq Ali (SLA)
Catchweight 69kg Jung Han-gook (KOR) v Elias Boudegzdame (ALG)
Catchweight 71kg Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) v Jerry Kvarnstrom (FIN)
Featherweight title Lee Do-gyeom (KOR) v Alexandru Chitoran (ROU)
Lightweight title Bruno Machado (BRA) v Mike Santiago (USA)
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In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
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Company%20Profile
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Yuki Means Happiness
Alison Jean Lester
John Murray
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
The Two Popes
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce
Four out of five stars
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
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
WITHIN%20SAND
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Profile Box
Company/date started: 2015
Founder/CEO: Mohammed Toraif
Based: Manama, Bahrain
Sector: Sales, Technology, Conservation
Size: (employees/revenue) 4/ 5,000 downloads
Stage: 1 ($100,000)
Investors: Two first-round investors including, 500 Startups, Fawaz Al Gosaibi Holding (Saudi Arabia)
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UAE%20medallists%20at%20Asian%20Games%202023
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West Asia Premiership
Dubai Hurricanes 58-10 Dubai Knights Eagles
Dubai Tigers 5-39 Bahrain
Jebel Ali Dragons 16-56 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
