Teen Raducanu wins US Open title for first Slam crown by qualifier - Yahoo Singapore News

Britain's 18-year-old Emma Raducanu became the first qualifier to capture a Grand Slam title by defeating Canada's 19-year-old Leylah Fernandez on Saturday in the US Open women's final.

Raducanu, ranked 150th, was the first British woman in 44 years to win a Slam crown after dispatching 73rd-ranked left-hander Fernandez 6-4, 6-3.

Not since Virginia Wade in 1977 at Wimbledon had a British woman taken a Slam singles title, with Raducanu the first Briton to claim the US Open crown since Wade in 1968.

Wade and British men's tennis legend Tim Henman were among a sellout crowd of 23,700 that created an electric atmosphere at Arthur Ashe Stadium in the first-ever women's Slam final between unseeded players.

The showdown of prodigy talents was the first all-teen Slam final since 17-year-old Serena Williams beat 18-year-old Martina Hingis for the 1999 US Open crown.

Raducanu is the youngest US Open champion since Williams in 1999 and the first US Open women's champion not to drop a set since Williams in 2014.

Raducanu had the fewest Slam starts of any women's Slam winner, reaching the fourth round in July at Wimbledon in her only prior Slam appearance while Fernandez had won only four matches in six prior Slam appearances.

- Intense from the start -

The drama of a much-anticipated teen dream meeting produced tension from the start.

Fernandez saved five break points in her opening service game of the match before finally surrendering the 10-minute game on a netted forehand to give Raducanu a 2-0 edge.

Fernandez broke back in the third game, Raducanu netting a backhand on the fourth break point she faced.

With each game a roller-coaster of powerful groundstrokes and sensational shotmaking, the first set hung on a knife's edge game after game.

Raducanu forced three break points on Fernandez's serve in the 10th game, but sent backhands long, wide and into the net.

On her fourth opportunity, Raducanu blasted a forehand winner to claim the first set after 58 minutes.

In the second set, Fernandez saved three break points and held to 1-1 then broke on a netted backhand by Raducanu to seize a 2-1 edge.

Raducanu broke back to 2-2, blasting a backhand cross-court service return winner to equalize, then later whipped a forehand passing winner by the Canadian to break for a 4-2 advantage.

Raducanu held and forced two match points on Fernandez's serve in the eighth game but sent a backhand wide and netted a forehand with the title at stake and Fernandez held to 5-3.

Fernandez had a break chance at 30-40 in the ninth game when Raducanu skidded on the court on her left knee and opened a bleeding cut, the match halted while a trainer bandaged the wound.

Fernandez, wiping away tears, complained to the umpire about the granting of a medical timeout to no avail.

When play resumed, Fernandez sent a forehand long to squander the break chance and Raducanu ended matters after an hour and 51 minutes on her third ace of the match.

Fernandez, who turned 19 on Monday, had ousted defending champion Naomi Osaka, second-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, fifth seed Elina Svitolina and three-time Slam winner Angelique Kerber in her epic run to the final.

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2021-09-11 22:31:23Z
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Taliban firmly in charge as Afghans mark muted 9/11 - CNA

'MADE US SUFFER'

Unconfirmed reports had circulated all week that the Taliban may use the Sep 11 anniversary to swear in their new government, but the day unfolded without formal recognition.

"This is a day for America, not for Afghanistan," said Muhammad Alzoad, a bank clerk.

"This was nothing to do with Afghanistan, but it made us suffer."

The attacks against the United States were planned by Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, who had taken refuge in Afghanistan after the Taliban took power in 1996.

When the Taliban refused to hand him over, the US led a massive invasion and installed a new government that became utterly dependent on Western aid and support for survival.

The Taliban have promised a milder form of rule this time, but have moved swiftly to crush dissent - firing in the air to disperse protests by women last week calling for the right to education and work.

PROTESTS BLOCKED

Taliban fighters have violently put down protests that broke out against their rule in Kabul and elsewhere in recent days, shooting two people dead.

They also detained and brutally beat some journalists who covered the protests, before outlawing demonstrations unless permitted by the justice department.

On Saturday, however, dozens of women dressed head-to-toe in black abayas and face-covering niqabs were allowed to rally in support of the Taliban.

Around 300 similarly dressed women first met at a lecture hall of a Kabul university to hear speakers extol the virtues of Taliban policies.

Women were largely excluded from public life - including work and education - under the Taliban's 1996-2001 regime.

This time, the Taliban have said women will be allowed to attend university as long as classes are segregated by sex or at least divided by a curtain.

"Those not wearing the hijab are harming all of us," said one female speaker Saturday, referring to the headscarves worn by many Muslim women.

"We are supporting our government with all our strength," said another.

After the speeches, the women held banners and walked in organised lines for a short distance on the street outside, flanked by Taliban soldiers carrying rifles and machine guns.

FLIGHTS RETURNING

Also on Saturday, PIA said it was resuming flights to and from Kabul, but added the schedule would depend on demand.

"We have got all technical clearances for flight operations," PIA spokesman Abdullah Hafeez Khan told AFP.

"Our first commercial plane ... is scheduled to fly from Islamabad to Kabul on Sep 13. We will make the decision about the regular commercial operations in due course after assessing the situation."

Kabul airport was severely damaged during the evacuation of over 120,000 people, which ended with the withdrawal of US forces on August 30.

The Taliban have been scrambling to get it operating again with Qatari technical assistance.

In the last two days, Qatar Airways has operated two charter flights out of Kabul, carrying mostly foreigners and Afghans who missed being taken out during the evacuation.

Two planes from the United Arab Emirates landed on Saturday carrying aid supplies including meat, powdered milk, cooking oil and other items - part of what an official described as a "humanitarian airbridge".

An operations manager with the UAE-based GAAC - a company that has provided ground and security services for the airport since November 2020 - told AFP that efforts to make the facility fully functional were under way.

"We have activated and resumed our operations," said Ibrahim Moarafi.

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2021-09-11 13:27:31Z
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Afghan women rally in support of the Taliban - CNA

Women's rights in Afghanistan were sharply curtailed under the Taliban's 1996-2001 rule, but since returning to power last month they have claimed they will implement a less extreme rule.

This time, women will be allowed to attend university as long as classes are segregated by sex or at least divided by a curtain, the Taliban's education authority has said.

They must also wear an abaya robe and niqab.

PERMITTED PRO-TALIBAN PROTEST

The women, who organisers said were students, listened to a series of speeches at Shaheed Rabbani Education University in the capital, Kabul.

Large Taliban flags flanked the podium, as the female speakers criticised women who have protested across Afghanistan in recent days.

They also defended the new government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which has banned demonstrations unless permission is granted by the justice ministry.

Daud Haqqani, director of foreign relations at the education ministry, said the protest was organised by the women, who had asked and been granted permission to demonstrate.

'NOT FREEDOM'

"We are against those women who are protesting on the streets, claiming they are representative of women," said the first speaker, covered head to toe.

"Is it freedom to like the last government? No, it is not freedom. The last government were misusing women. They were recruiting women just by their beauty," she claimed.

Some in the audience held babies, who occasionally cried during the speeches, while others were young girls clearly too young for university.

A student named Shabana Omari told the crowd she agreed with the Taliban's policy that women should cover their heads.

"Those not wearing the hijab are harming all of us," she said, referring to the headscarves worn by many Muslim women.

"The hijab is not an individual thing."

Omari concluded her speech by leading a chorus of "Allahu Akbar", or "God is greatest".

Another speaker, Somaiya, said history had changed since the Taliban came back.

"After this we will not see 'bihijabi' (people not wearing headscarves)," she said.

"Women will be safe after this. We are supporting our government with all our strength."

After the speeches in the meeting hall, the women walked in organised lines a short distance on the street outside, holding printed banners and flanked by Taliban soldiers carrying rifles and machine guns.

The public demonstration was in stark contrast with scenes in Kabul and elsewhere earlier in the week, when Taliban fighters fired into the air to disperse a number of protests against their rule, shooting two people dead.

"Women who left Afghanistan cannot represent us," one pro-Taliban banner on Saturday read.

"We are satisfied with attitude and behaviour of Mujahideens (Taliban)" read another.

The Taliban say they want to distance themselves from the harsher policies of old, when half the population was excluded from work and education.

Under new rules, women may work "in accordance with the principles of Islam", the Taliban have decreed, but few details have yet been given as to what that exactly might mean.

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2021-09-11 10:25:01Z
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China’s Wang Yi begins 4-nation friendship tour of Asia in Vietnam - South China Morning Post

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1. China’s Wang Yi begins 4-nation friendship tour of Asia in Vietnam  South China Morning Post
2. Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi arrives in Vietnam for three-day visit  CNA
3. ETIM militants left Afghanistan: Taliban tells China  Economic Times
4. Southeast Asia a priority for Chinese vaccines, says vice-president  South China Morning Post
5. China's foreign minister Wang Yi arrives in Vietnam, kickstarting Southeast Asia tour | Video  CNA
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2021-09-11 00:00:13Z
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Fight against terrorism 'far from over' 20 years after 9/11, says PM Lee - CNA

"WATCHED IN HORROR"

Mr Lee recounted in the commentary how he was informed by Professor S Jayakumar, then Minister for Foreign Affairs, about the attack in 2001.

"I turned on the television to see the two towers in flames, and watched in horror later as they collapsed one after the other. Our world changed overnight," he said, referring to the World Trade Centre in New York.

Soon after, Singapore discovered a terrorist organisation with a common ideology and direct links with Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan – the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) group.

On Sep 11, 2001 , JI members were already in advanced planning for simultaneous truck bomb attacks on multiple targets in Singapore, including the US Embassy and other Western interests, but they were foiled in time by the Internal Security Department (ISD), said Mr Lee.

Internationally, Singapore cooperated with other countries to share intelligence and to "fight a common scourge". The Singapore Armed Forces participated in the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, and contributed to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in Iraq.

"Terrorist groups in these faraway places were serious threats to Singapore," he said.

But terrorism was a greater threat to the country's mutual trust and social cohesion, said Mr Lee.

SINGAPOREANS "INSTINCTIVELY PULLED TOGETHER"

In the face of such extremism, and especially after several Singaporean members of the JI were detained, non-Muslims in Singapore could easily have become fearful and suspicious of their Muslim neighbours, colleagues and friends, Mr Lee said.

Muslims in turn, feeling distrusted and threatened, could have closed in on themselves.

"We would have been divided by race and religion. And if an attack had actually taken place here, our society could have been torn apart."

Instead, Singaporeans "instinctively pulled together", and responded strongly and cohesively to keep themselves safe, said Mr Lee. 

Community and religious leaders from all groups and faiths came out to condemn the terrorist attacks, and stood in solidarity with one another.

"In particular, Muslim leaders were forthright in repudiating the terrorists, and they guided the community on the true teachings of Islam. Non-Muslim leaders too spoke up in support of religious tolerance and to express confidence in their fellow Singaporeans," he said.

The Government held open discussions with leaders of all groups and closed door briefings to the key leaders, to share with them sensitive intelligence and threat assessments.

At the grassroots level, Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circles were organised all over Singapore. These local networks of leaders were meant to manage any racial and religious tensions after a terrorist attack.

Singapore also sought to rehabilitate those led astray by the violent extremist ideology, said Mr Lee.

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2021-09-10 22:25:00Z
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Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi arrives in Vietnam for three-day visit - CNA

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2021-09-10 14:08:18Z
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Bangkok to reopen without quarantine for vaccinated tourists in October - The Straits Times

BANGKOK (AFP) - Thailand plans to reopen Bangkok to fully vaccinated visitors in October, officials said on Friday (Sept 10), as the kingdom seeks to salvage a tourism industry hammered by the pandemic.

Tourism made up a fifth of Thailand's national income in 2019 but severe travel curbs imposed to fight Covid-19 saw the usual flood of foreign visitors dwindle to almost nothing, contributing to the economy's worst performance in over 20 years.

The kingdom is pressing ahead with plans to reopen despite a deadly third wave of infections, driven by the Delta variant.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand said that from Oct 1, fully vaccinated foreign travellers will be able to visit Bangkok and four other provinces without undergoing two weeks' hotel quarantine.

Instead, the five areas - also including Chiang Mai, Chon Buri, Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan provinces - are expected to follow a "sandbox" model of the type piloted since July in the holiday island of Phuket.

Under the Sandbox scheme, tourists have to stay within a certain area for seven days after arrival and take Covid-19 tests.

Later in October, 21 more destinations will be added to the list including Chiang Rai, Sukhothai and popular seaside getaway Rayong.

But Thailand's third and deadliest Covid-19 wave has not yet fully subsided, and the tourism agency warned the plans could change.

Thailand got through 2020 relatively unscathed by Covid-19, recording low numbers of infections, but since April, the Delta variant has taken hold and cases have soared to more than 1.3 million, with almost 14,000 deaths.

More than 29,000 fully vaccinated international visitors hit the beach at Phuket under its Sandbox scheme, generating nearly US$50 million (S$67 million) in revenue according to government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana.

Three more Thai islands also reopened - Samui, Tao and Phangan - with slightly more onerous restrictions.

One cloud hanging over Thailand's tourism revival plans is the travel advice of other countries discouraging would-be tourists from visiting.

Britain and the United States have warned against travel to Thailand because of rising case numbers and low vaccination rates.

About 16 per cent of the Thai population have received two coronavirus vaccine doses, the government's Covid-19 task force said.

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2021-09-10 12:51:42Z
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