An unidentified tennis player looks out from a tennis hotel for a training session in Melbourne on January 18, 2021, as players quaratine for two weeks ahead of the Australian Open. AFP
An unidentified tennis player looks out from a tennis hotel for a training session in Melbourne on January 18, 2021, as players quaratine for two weeks ahead of the Australian Open. AFP
An unidentified tennis player looks out from a tennis hotel for a training session in Melbourne on January 18, 2021, as players quaratine for two weeks ahead of the Australian Open. AFP
An unidentified tennis player looks out from a tennis hotel for a training session in Melbourne on January 18, 2021, as players quaratine for two weeks ahead of the Australian Open. AFP

Australian Open chief says 'vast majority' of players support hard quarantine


  • English
  • Arabic

Australian Open boss Craig Tiley said most players supported being locked down in hard quarantine with the local government reporting three new cases of Covid-19 linked to participants of the Grand Slam on Tuesday.

Victoria health officials said two previous cases have been classified as prior infections taking the total positive cases associated with the tournament to seven.

"The new positive cases linked to the Australian Open involve two players and one non-playing participant," said a statement from the health department.

More than 70 players and their entourage are confined to their hotel rooms for 14 days and unable to train for the February 8-21 Australian Open after passengers on three charter flights returned positive tests for the novel coronavirus.

The two cases reclassified would, however, not change the status of the players yet and they will continue to serve the rest of their strict isolation.

Some players have complained about the conditions, and men's world No 1 Novak Djokovic sent governing body Tennis Australia requests for quarantine restrictions to be eased, drawing a backlash from Australians.

Victorian premier Daniel Andrews said he would not make changes and the measures were essential to stop the spread of the virus.

Detailing the quarantine measures in a conference call with local media, Tiley said one of the seven infected people associated with the Grand Slam was a flight attendant.

"For the 1,270 [that arrived], having six positives is a low percentage so that's a percentage to manage," Tiley said, refuting some players' claims that they were not made aware of the protocols before travelling to Australia.

Tiley said he had a call with 500 players to address concerns and the "vast majority" had been supportive of Australia's strict protocols.

"The vast majority, most of them have been fantastic and been supportive," Tiley earlier told the Nine Network, adding that it was an "initial shock" for the players trying to adapt to the strict rules.

"[They] know that this is the contribution that they have to make in order to get the privilege of when they do come out to compete for A$80 million [$61.46 million] in prize money.

"So we will turn the corner on those few that don't have the right approach to this. But the rest have been really good."

Tiley hoped a successful Australian Open can provide a boost for organisers of the Tokyo Olympics later in 2021.

"I hope it gives the Olympic Games confidence that it can be done," he said about the quadrennial multi-sport event, which was postponed in 2020 to this year.

"I think we can provide a lot of intelligence; if we pull this off I'm a lot more confident that the Olympic Games will be able to happen too."

Tiley, however, conceded that the 72 players in hard quarantine were at a disadvantage to rivals who arrived on other flights and can train up to five hours a day.

"Yes, it's not an even playing field as far as preparation goes but we're going to play our part to try to even it up as much as possible," he said.

Tiley said shortening the Australian Open or any change of schedule was out of question but organisers were considering pushing back the warmup events by a few days.

Players are scheduled to play leadup events at Melbourne Park from January 31 at the conclusion of their isolation.

TA found support from former world No 1 Victoria Azarenka, who urged her fellow players to "accept and adapt" to the health regulations in Melbourne and show empathy towards the local community.

Roberto Bautista Agut, however, described the situation as a "complete disaster".

"It's like [being] in a jail," Bautista Agut, ranked 13th, told Israeli television channel Sport 5. "It's the same [as being in prison], but with Wifi."

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
While you're here
THE%20HOLDOVERS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlexander%20Payne%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Paul%20Giamatti%2C%20Da'Vine%20Joy%20Randolph%2C%20Dominic%20Sessa%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
FIXTURES

All games 6pm UAE on Sunday: 
Arsenal v Watford
Burnley v Brighton
Chelsea v Wolves
Crystal Palace v Tottenham
Everton v Bournemouth
Leicester v Man United
Man City v Norwich
Newcastle v Liverpool
Southampton v Sheffield United
West Ham v Aston Villa

Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

Museum of the Future in numbers
  •  78 metres is the height of the museum
  •  30,000 square metres is its total area
  •  17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
  •  14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
  •  1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior 
  •  7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
  •  2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
  •  100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
  •  Dh145 is the price of a ticket
12%20restaurants%20opening%20at%20the%20hotel%20this%20month
%3Cp%3EAriana%E2%80%99s%20Persian%20Kitchen%3Cbr%3EDinner%20by%20Heston%20Blumenthal%3Cbr%3EEstiatorio%20Milos%3Cbr%3EHouse%20of%20Desserts%3Cbr%3EJaleo%20by%20Jose%20Andres%3Cbr%3ELa%20Mar%3Cbr%3ELing%20Ling%3Cbr%3ELittle%20Venice%20Cake%20Company%3Cbr%3EMalibu%2090265%3Cbr%3ENobu%20by%20the%20Beach%3Cbr%3EResonance%20by%20Heston%20Blumenthal%3Cbr%3EThe%20Royal%20Tearoom%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Fanney Khan

Producer: T-Series, Anil Kapoor Productions, ROMP, Prerna Arora

Director: Atul Manjrekar

Cast: Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai, Rajkummar Rao, Pihu Sand

Rating: 2/5 

COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETerra%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hussam%20Zammar%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mobility%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-seed%20funding%20of%20%241%20million%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE CLOWN OF GAZA

Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah 

Starring: Alaa Meqdad

Rating: 4/5

The specs

Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors

Power: 480kW

Torque: 850Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)

On sale: Now

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

STAY%2C%20DAUGHTER
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAuthor%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EYasmin%20Azad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESwift%20Press%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAvailable%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Countries offering golden visas

UK
Innovator Founder Visa is aimed at those who can demonstrate relevant experience in business and sufficient investment funds to set up and scale up a new business in the UK. It offers permanent residence after three years.

Germany
Investing or establishing a business in Germany offers you a residence permit, which eventually leads to citizenship. The investment must meet an economic need and you have to have lived in Germany for five years to become a citizen.

Italy
The scheme is designed for foreign investors committed to making a significant contribution to the economy. Requires a minimum investment of €250,000 which can rise to €2 million.

Switzerland
Residence Programme offers residence to applicants and their families through economic contributions. The applicant must agree to pay an annual lump sum in tax.

Canada
Start-Up Visa Programme allows foreign entrepreneurs the opportunity to create a business in Canada and apply for permanent residence. 

What is a calorie?

A food calorie, or kilocalorie, is a measure of nutritional energy generated from what is consumed.

One calorie, is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1°C.

A kilocalorie represents a 1,000 true calories of energy.

Energy density figures are often quoted as calories per serving, with one gram of fat in food containing nine calories, and a gram of protein or carbohydrate providing about four.

Alcohol contains about seven calories a gram. 

Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

The Bio

Amal likes watching Japanese animation movies and Manga - her favourite is The Ancient Magus Bride

She is the eldest of 11 children, and has four brothers and six sisters.

Her dream is to meet with all of her friends online from around the world who supported her work throughout the years

Her favourite meal is pizza and stuffed vine leaves

She ams to improve her English and learn Japanese, which many animated programmes originate in

Company Profile

Company name: NutriCal

Started: 2019

Founder: Soniya Ashar

Based: Dubai

Industry: Food Technology

Initial investment: Self-funded undisclosed amount

Future plan: Looking to raise fresh capital and expand in Saudi Arabia

Total Clients: Over 50

Russia's Muslim Heartlands

Dominic Rubin, Oxford