Madison Keys came from a break down in both sets to defeat Svetlana Kuznetsova 7-5, 7-6 (7/5) on Sunday (Aug 18) to win the WTA Cincinnati Masters. American Madison Keys on the way to a victory over Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova in the WTA Cincinnati final. (AFP/Rob Carr) The 2017 US Open finalist notched her fifth career title and second this season after a win in Charleston in April. She'll return to the top 10 in the world rankings with the US Open a week away. Kuznetsova, a two-time Grand Slam champion working her way back up the rankings after a series of injuries, was broken back in the 10th game of each set by 16th-seeded Keys - who fired 13 aces on the way to victory. "If my team had told me a week ago that I would be here, I would have laughed in their face," admitted Keys, who had endured two opening-match defeats since a second-round exit at Wimbledon. Keys belted a total of 43 winners with 33 unforced errors and broke Kuznetsova three times. Kuznetsova was the … [Read more...] about Keys rallies to beat Kuznetsova for Cincinnati WTA title
5,000 evacuated as Canary Islands wildfire rages
A raging wildfire on the Spanish holiday island of Gran Canaria forced the evacuation of some 5,000 people, authorities said on Sunday (Aug 18), warning it could take days for the blaze to be brought under control. Thousands of people have been evacuated because of a raging wildfire on Gran Canaria. (Photo: AFP/Desiree Martin) The fire, which has spread to the mountainous Cruz de Tejeda region popular with tourists for its breathtaking views, is "extremely fierce" and "unstable", said Canary Islands president Angel Victor Torres in a statement. No fatalities have been reported. More than 600 firefighters and 14 aircraft battled to contain the flames, hampered by strong winds and high temperatures. With the temperature set to rise on Monday, authorities estimate it could take days before the blaze is brought under control. "The next few hours will be very important because the weather forecast for the night is not good," Torres said. The fire broke out days after another … [Read more...] about 5,000 evacuated as Canary Islands wildfire rages
US respects Vietnam’s right to protect its sovereignty: generals
General David Golfein, four-star general and current Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force; and General Charles Brown Jr., Commander of Pacific Air Forces and Executive Director of the Pacific Air Combat Operations, are in Hanoi on a visit on Sunday and Monday. "More than anything, we want to respect Vietnam's leadership and its sovereign right to defend its own territory. So anything we would do foremost is to work with the government of Vietnam and follow their lead," said Goldfein, the first Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force to visit Vietnam after the Vietnam War. General David Golfein, hief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, speaks at a press conference in Hanoi, August 18, 2019. Photo by VnExpress/Ha Trung. He was referring to the return of Chinese oil survey vessel Haiyang Dizhi 8 and escorts to Vietnamese waters in the Easte Sea, internationally known as the South China Sea. The vessel and escorts returned to Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf … [Read more...] about US respects Vietnam’s right to protect its sovereignty: generals
Stock exchange profits plunge in H1
Plaque outside entrance of Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange building. Photo by Shutterstock/TK Kurikawa. The Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange’s pre-tax profits plummeted 48 percent year-on-year in the first six months to VND200 billion ($8.6 million). There was also a steep drop in its revenues, which fell 40 percent to VND325 billion ($14 million), according to exchange’s recently released half-yearly statement. Transaction charges, which account for a large part of its revenues, fell by 56 percent to VND210 billion ($9.06 million). Revenue from trading software usage and other commercial operations also fell, while services and listing fees were the only two segments that were up. The stock exchange has 377 listed stocks with a total market cap of around VND3.2 quadrillion ($138.06 billion), equivalent to 57 percent of Vietnam's 2018 GDP. In June it began trading covered warrants, a new financial instrument aimed at diversifying stock market products in the country, … [Read more...] about Stock exchange profits plunge in H1
VN deals with declining trend of foreign arrivals
Illustration photo In the first seven months of 2019, Viet Nam handled 9.8 million international guests, representing a year-on-year growth of 7.9%. Earlier in the 1995-2015, the number of foreign arrivals yearly increased by 15%, the General of Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) reported. In the 2015-2018, foreign visitors increased remarkably from 7.9 million in 2005 to 15.5 million in 2018 at average growth rate of 25%. This was the record high growth period in Viet Nam’ tourism development history. VNAT Deputy Director General Ha Van Sieu said that growth rate of international guests to Viet Nam was on the decline as the Chinese market experienced a year-on-year decline of 2.8% and the Australian market saw a slight decrease of 1.2%. Seeking solutions A large number of localities and businesses shared experience and solutions to boost the number of foreign arrivals to Viet Nam in the coming time. Mr. Pham Ngoc Thuy, … [Read more...] about VN deals with declining trend of foreign arrivals