World No 2 Simona Halep has withdrawn from the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships to undergo surgery.
Halep, 22, has been battling with fitness issues throughout the start of the 2016 season, and was eliminated from the second round of the Australian Open by qualifier Zhang Shuai.
Halep’s decision to have surgery means she will miss not only the Dubai tournament, but next week’s Fed Cup match for Romania against the Czech Republic and the Qatar Total Open.
Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships: Serena Williams leads star-studded line-up in 2016
“The last six weeks have been extremely difficult for me, as I’ve been dealing with infections in my stomach, nose and ear,” Halep said in a post on her Facebook page. “This has been one of my most frustrating periods, as I’ve not been able to train or stay healthy even though I’ve constantly been on antibiotics to help clear the infections.
“I gave it my best shot in Australia but, with the infections still in my body, unfortunately I made things worse, as I pushed myself to compete and fight in a grand slam.”
Despite the absence of Halep, the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship will be able to boast a stellar line-up, including world No 1 Serena Williams, world No 3 Garbine Muguruza, and world No 5 Agnieszka Radwanska. Angelique Kerber, the world No 7, Lucie Safarova (No 9) and former world No 1s Ana Ivanovic and Carloine Wozniacki will also be competing in the event, taking place February 15-27.
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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
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Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
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What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
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- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
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5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
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Starring: Kareena Kapoo-Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania
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Company info
Company name: Entrupy
Co-founders: Vidyuth Srinivasan, co-founder/chief executive, Ashlesh Sharma, co-founder/chief technology officer, Lakshmi Subramanian, co-founder/chief scientist
Based: New York, New York
Sector/About: Entrupy is a hardware-enabled SaaS company whose mission is to protect businesses, borders and consumers from transactions involving counterfeit goods.
Initial investment/Investors: Entrupy secured a $2.6m Series A funding round in 2017. The round was led by Tokyo-based Digital Garage and Daiwa Securities Group's jointly established venture arm, DG Lab Fund I Investment Limited Partnership, along with Zach Coelius.
Total customers: Entrupy’s customers include hundreds of secondary resellers, marketplaces and other retail organisations around the world. They are also testing with shipping companies as well as customs agencies to stop fake items from reaching the market in the first place.
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
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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.
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