Taylor Swift's popularity is global, with world leaders inviting her to perform in their countries. Thailand's prime ministerial candidate, Peter Limbaugh Jernarth, urged Taylor Swift to include Thailand in her Asian tour.

World leaders and fans urge Taylor swift to perform in their countries

The DP World&nbsp;Tour&nbsp;said it has imposed a new round of suspensions and&nbsp;fines&nbsp;on 26&nbsp;players&nbsp;who breached its rules by competing in&nbsp;LIV&nbsp;Golf and Asian&nbsp;Tour&nbsp;events without permission. The DP World&nbsp;Tour, formerly known as the&nbsp;European&nbsp;Tour, said in a statement on Thursday that the sanctions were related to events that took place from June 22, 2022 to April 2, 2023.

Last month the&nbsp;Tour&nbsp;won its legal battle to be able to suspend and fine&nbsp;players&nbsp;who competed in the first two events on the Saudi-backed&nbsp;LIV&nbsp;circuit in 2022 without permission. The&nbsp;Tour&nbsp;said the new sanctions were determined on a case-by-case basis to recognise differences among&nbsp;tournaments and the impact it had on the&nbsp;Tour's broadcast partners and sponsors.

The&nbsp;fines&nbsp;ranged from 12,500 pounds ($15,776.25) to 100,000 pounds for each breach, while the total suspension imposed on any player was a maximum of eight DP World&nbsp;Tour&nbsp;events. Last week, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Richard Bland and Lee Westwood resigned their&nbsp;Tour&nbsp;memberships, becoming ineligible for this year's Ryder Cup.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ex-australia-rugby-star-jarryd-hayne-sentenced-to-four-years-and-nine-months-for-sexually-assaulting-a-woman-591538">Ex-Australia Rugby star Jarryd Hayne sentenced to four years and nine months for sexually assaulting a woman</a>

Westwood has previously criticised the&nbsp;Tour&nbsp;for its sanctions. "People say I knew exactly what would happen, but nobody told us the extent of the punishments," Westwood told the Daily Telegraph newspaper this month. "The way I view it is that, as a&nbsp;European&nbsp;Tour&nbsp;member, I was allowed to be a member of the PGA&nbsp;Tour&nbsp;without any problem for all those years. "Tell me, what is the difference? Just because&nbsp;LIV&nbsp;is funded by the Saudis – a country where my&nbsp;Tour&nbsp;used to play and where we were encouraged to play?"

Critics have said the $255 million&nbsp;LIV&nbsp;Series is a vehicle for Saudi Arabia to try to improve its image in the face of criticism of its human rights record.

The DP World Tour said it has imposed a new round of suspensions and fines on 26 players who breached its rules by competing in LIV Golf and Asian Tour events without permission.

The DP World Tour said it has imposed a new round of suspensions and fines on 26 players who breached its rules by competing in LIV Golf and Asian Tour events without permission. The DP World Tour, formerly known as the European Tour, said in a statement on Thursday that the sanctions were related to events that took place from June 22, 2022 to April 2, 2023. Last month the Tour won its legal battle to be able to suspend and fine players who competed in the first two events on the Saudi-backed LIV circuit in 2022 without permission. The Tour said the new sanctions were determined on a case-by-case basis to recognise differences among tournaments and the impact it had on the Tour's broadcast partners and sponsors. The fines ranged from 12,500 pounds ($15,776.25) to 100,000 pounds for each breach, while the total suspension imposed on any player was a maximum of eight DP World Tour events. Last week, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Richard Bland and Lee Westwood resigned their Tour memberships, becoming ineligible for this year's Ryder Cup. Also Read: Ex-Australia Rugby star Jarryd Hayne sentenced to four years and nine months for sexually assaulting a woman Westwood has previously criticised the Tour for its sanctions. "People say I knew exactly what would happen, but nobody told us the extent of the punishments," Westwood told the Daily Telegraph newspaper this month. "The way I view it is that, as a European Tour member, I was allowed to be a member of the PGA Tour without any problem for all those years. "Tell me, what is the difference? Just because LIV is funded by the Saudis – a country where my Tour used to play and where we were encouraged to play?" Critics have said the $255 million LIV Series is a vehicle for Saudi Arabia to try to improve its image in the face of criticism of its human rights record.

Golf: DP World Tour issues new sanctions on 26 players

The United States climate envoy John Kerry will hold talks with Indian leaders during an Asian tour starting on Thursday in an effort to narrow differences on climate change goals to slow global warming.

US climate envoy heads to India to lift 'climate ambition'

Pope Francis kicks off Asian tour in Thailand before heading to Japan

The Hong Kong Open&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/golf-hatton-wins-six-man-playoff-under-floodlights-to-lift-turkish-open-title-261284">golf&nbsp;</a>tournament has been postponed after violence from anti-government protests escalated this week, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-us-defence-chiefs-reaffirm-commitment-to-defend-against-north-korea-262239">Asian Tour</a> and European Tour said on Wednesday.

The 60th-anniversary edition of the tournament had been scheduled to be played from November&nbsp;28 to December&nbsp;1.

"An attempt will be made to reschedule the tournament too early 2020," the European Tour and its co-sanctioning partner at the Asian Tour said in a joint statement.

"The decision has been taken due to the ongoing level of social unrest in Hong Kong," European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley said.

"As the safety of our players, staff, stakeholders and everyone involved in each and every one of our tournaments around the world is our top priority, we feel this is the correct, but unfortunate, course of action."

Several other sporting events, including last month's Hong Kong Tennis Open and the Hong Kong Open squash championships, have been cancelled due to the civil unrest.

An extended, violent siege at Polytechnic University, where police have encircled students and activists, have raised tensions in the city to a new high over the past week.

Pelley had said earlier this month that the tournament would not be affected as the Hong Kong&nbsp;Golf&nbsp;Club in Fanling was far from the city centre where most of the clashes between protesters and the police took place.

The Asian Tour's CEO Cho Minn Thant said they were "optimistic" of organising the event when the situation in Hong Kong stabilises.

The Hong Kong Open golf tournament has been postponed after violence from anti-government protests escalated this week, the Asian Tour and European Tour said on Wednesday.

The Hong Kong Open golf tournament has been postponed after violence from anti-government protests escalated this week, the Asian Tour and European Tour said on Wednesday. The 60th-anniversary edition of the tournament had been scheduled to be played from November 28 to December 1. "An attempt will be made to reschedule the tournament too early 2020," the European Tour and its co-sanctioning partner at the Asian Tour said in a joint statement. "The decision has been taken due to the ongoing level of social unrest in Hong Kong," European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley said. "As the safety of our players, staff, stakeholders and everyone involved in each and every one of our tournaments around the world is our top priority, we feel this is the correct, but unfortunate, course of action." Several other sporting events, including last month's Hong Kong Tennis Open and the Hong Kong Open squash championships, have been cancelled due to the civil unrest. An extended, violent siege at Polytechnic University, where police have encircled students and activists, have raised tensions in the city to a new high over the past week. Pelley had said earlier this month that the tournament would not be affected as the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling was far from the city centre where most of the clashes between protesters and the police took place. The Asian Tour's CEO Cho Minn Thant said they were "optimistic" of organising the event when the situation in Hong Kong stabilises.

Golf: Hong Kong Open postponed due to protest violence - Organizers

Birds were released over fairways and ceremonial drives were struck as international golf returned to Pakistan on Thursday after an 11-year absence.

A full field of 132 players from around the globe were teeing up in the Asian Tour's UMA CNS Open Championship at Karachi Golf Club, the latest thawing of relations with the militancy-hit country that has spent years in the sporting wilderness.

"Coming back to Pakistan is a fantastic opportunity for us," Robert Andrew, event director of the Asian Tour told AFP, brushing off any security concerns.

"This is the starting point for future years after the success of this event." No major golf tour has visited Pakistan since 2007. The last scheduled tournament, in 2008, was cancelled after a wave of insurgent attacks.

"It is always good to be here as people are very lovely and friendly," said Australian golfer Marcus Both. "I came here 10 years ago. The perception is bad but in reality, it is very different." The 2009 attack on Sri Lanka's bus in Lahore, in which eight people were killed, caused all sporting visits to be suspended.

But successful military operations in the country's northwest near the Afghan border and crackdowns in urban centres, including the restive port city of Karachi, have improved the situation.

The country has twice hosted the Pakistan Super League cricket finals featuring international stars plus successful limited-over&nbsp;series&nbsp;against Zimbabwe, a World XI and Sri Lanka in the past 18 months.

They cleared the way for more sports with squash, tennis and now golf having returned.

- Walls come down -

Former Asian Tour winner and Indian national Digvijay Singh said arriving in Pakistan felt like home, suggesting sport could pave the road for better relations between Islamabad and Delhi.

"I am really feeling home here and we are so overwhelmingly welcomed here. We are seeing the same faces not different to us," Singh told reporters.

"Sports should bring the invisible walls down between the two countries," he added. 
India-Pakistan ties, including sports and cultural contacts, plummeted after deadly 2008 attacks in Mumbai, which New Delhi blamed on Pakistani militants.

While cricket remains the undisputed number one sport in Pakistan, golf is popular with the country's powerful army, with military areas where the top brass reside frequently home to some of Pakistan's best courses.

Pakistan's Navy are hosting this week's Asian Tour event, which has a $300,000 prize fund.

"There is a very overwhelming response by foreign players and that surprised us," said Naval Commodore Mushtaq Ahmed.

Pakistan hosted its first Asian Tour event in 1989, which was won by Filipino Frankie Minoza.

The country's only Asian Tour winner remains Taimur Hussain who triumphed at an event in Myanmar in 1998.

Birds were released over fairways and ceremonial drives were struck as international golf returned to Pakistan on Thursday after an 11-year absence. A full field of 132 players from around the globe were teeing up in the Asian Tour's UMA CNS Open Championship at Karachi Golf Club, the latest thawing of relations with the militancy-hit country that has spent years in the sporting wilderness.

Birds were released over fairways and ceremonial drives were struck as international golf returned to Pakistan on Thursday after an 11-year absence. A full field of 132 players from around the globe were teeing up in the Asian Tour's UMA CNS Open Championship at Karachi Golf Club, the latest thawing of relations with the militancy-hit country that has spent years in the sporting wilderness. "Coming back to Pakistan is a fantastic opportunity for us," Robert Andrew, event director of the Asian Tour told AFP, brushing off any security concerns. "This is the starting point for future years after the success of this event." No major golf tour has visited Pakistan since 2007. The last scheduled tournament, in 2008, was cancelled after a wave of insurgent attacks. "It is always good to be here as people are very lovely and friendly," said Australian golfer Marcus Both. "I came here 10 years ago. The perception is bad but in reality, it is very different." The 2009 attack on Sri Lanka's bus in Lahore, in which eight people were killed, caused all sporting visits to be suspended. But successful military operations in the country's northwest near the Afghan border and crackdowns in urban centres, including the restive port city of Karachi, have improved the situation. The country has twice hosted the Pakistan Super League cricket finals featuring international stars plus successful limited-over series against Zimbabwe, a World XI and Sri Lanka in the past 18 months. They cleared the way for more sports with squash, tennis and now golf having returned. - Walls come down - Former Asian Tour winner and Indian national Digvijay Singh said arriving in Pakistan felt like home, suggesting sport could pave the road for better relations between Islamabad and Delhi. "I am really feeling home here and we are so overwhelmingly welcomed here. We are seeing the same faces not different to us," Singh told reporters. "Sports should bring the invisible walls down between the two countries," he added. India-Pakistan ties, including sports and cultural contacts, plummeted after deadly 2008 attacks in Mumbai, which New Delhi blamed on Pakistani militants. While cricket remains the undisputed number one sport in Pakistan, golf is popular with the country's powerful army, with military areas where the top brass reside frequently home to some of Pakistan's best courses. Pakistan's Navy are hosting this week's Asian Tour event, which has a $300,000 prize fund. "There is a very overwhelming response by foreign players and that surprised us," said Naval Commodore Mushtaq Ahmed. Pakistan hosted its first Asian Tour event in 1989, which was won by Filipino Frankie Minoza. The country's only Asian Tour winner remains Taimur Hussain who triumphed at an event in Myanmar in 1998.

Birdies in the air: Golf back in Pakistan after 11-year hitch

Weakened on the domestic front, President Donald Trump&nbsp;embarks this week on a long and challenging Asian tour set to be dominated by the North Korean nuclear threat after months of verbal escalation between Washington and Pyongyang.

Taking him from Japan to South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines, the bumper November 3-14 trip is the US leader&#39;s first to the region since his election exactly a year ago.&nbsp;

On his agenda are several key regional summits but also closely-watched face to face meetings, be it with his powerful Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, or the controversial Philippines strongman, Rodrigo Duterte.

With his approval ratings languishing at record lows, will the 71-year-old president manage to leave behind the spectacular recent developments in the probe into Russian election meddling? Will he forego his morning tweeting for the duration of the 12-day trip?

The White House has sought to emphasize the length of the five-nation tour&nbsp;the longest by any US president since George H W&nbsp;Bush in 1991 as evidence of Trump&#39;s commitment to engaging with the region.

But doubts linger on that point, most notably on the economic front following Trump&#39;s abrupt decision&nbsp;three days into office&nbsp;to pull out of the TPP trans-Pacific trade deal, which unsettled several signatories and Japan in particular.

Supporters of the deal, struck in 2015 by 12 nations who together account for 40 per cent of&nbsp;the world economy, had championed it as a vital counterweight to the growing influence of China.

&nbsp;Trump&#39;s &#39;friend&#39; Abe

After a brief stopover in Hawaii, Trump will Sunday join his &quot;friend&quot; Shinzo Abe for a new round of golf&nbsp;following the one they shared in Florida last February&nbsp;before a series of meetings aimed at underscoring the strength of the US-Japanese alliance.

In South Korea, Trump&nbsp;unlike many of his predecessors will not travel to the Demilitarized Zone dividing the Korean peninsula, instead delivering what is set to be a closely scrutinized speech before the country&#39;s national assembly.

Seoul will be hoping during trump&#39;s two-day visit starting Tuesday for a reaffirmation of its alliance with Washington, at a time when the North is pushing ahead with its nuclear and ballistic missile programs in defiance of the international community.

It is also seeking reassurances of a different nature.

&quot;South Koreans also want to know that the United States is not going to prematurely or unnecessarily draw South Korea into any kind of military conflict,&quot; said Scott Snyder of the New York-based think-tank the Council on Foreign Relations.

Since taking office, the US president has vowed to unleash &quot;fire and fury&quot; if threatened by Kim Jong-Un&#39;s regime, has contradicted his top diplomat about direct contacts with Pyongyang, and sent out a string of cryptic messages&nbsp;&quot;We&#39;ll do what has to be done!&quot; &nbsp;that ultimately left observers guessing at his true intentions toward North Korea.

For Michael O&#39;Hanlon, a foreign policy fellow at the Brookings Institution, Trump has been &quot;ad-libbing&quot; on what has emerged as the major foreign policy challenge of his presidency so far.

&quot;And people like (Defense) Secretary (Jim) Mattis and Secretary (of State Rex) Tillerson are trying to somehow hold things together and make sense of it and keep the lid on, as best they can.&quot;

&nbsp;Xi Jinping, &#39;powerful man&#39;&nbsp;

After Seoul, the 45th US president heads to Beijing next Wednesday to meet his counterpart Xi Jinping just weeks after he was formally handed a second term in power, solidifying his grip on the world&#39;s most populous nation.

&quot;He&#39;s a powerful man,&quot; Trump recently declared of Xi. &quot;I happen to think he&#39;s a very good person,&quot; added the US president, who despite his campaign rhetoric railing against China&#39;s trade imbalance with the United States has so far trodden relatively carefully in dealing with the Asian giant.

&quot;The Chinese are basically quite content with the status quo of the economic relationship,&quot; said David Dollar, an expert on China&#39;s economy at the Brookings Institution, who predicts Xi will grant Trump a lavish welcome but few concessions.

In Vietnam on Friday, Trump will take part in an APEC summit in Danang, and deliver a speech on his vision for a &quot;free and open Indo-Pacific region&quot; that is eagerly awaited by the business community.

But following its rejection of the TPP, America&#39;s roadmap for engaging with the region economically remains unclear.

&quot;I don&#39;t see much hope for many new bilateral trade agreements to be negotiated at this point,&quot; summed up Elizabeth Economy of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Wrapping up his trip in Manila on November 12-13, Trump&nbsp;will take part in the ASEAN summit of South East Asian leaders, and will hold what could turn out to be a colorful one-on-one with the outspoken Duterte, whose bloody crackdown on alleged drug gang members has drawn widespread condemnation.

&quot;We&#39;re going to the Philippines, where the previous administration was not exactly welcome,&quot; Trump crowed earlier this week.

Critics note that while Barack Obama was among the many international critics of Duterte&#39;s drug war, his successor in the White House has struck a far more conciliatory tone, praising the controversial leader as doing an &quot;unbelievable job on the drug problem.&#39;&#39;

President Donald Trump?embarks this week on a long and challenging Asian tour set to be dominated by the North Korean nuclear threat

Weakened on the domestic front, President Donald Trump embarks this week on a long and challenging Asian tour set to be dominated by the North Korean nuclear threat after months of verbal escalation between Washington and Pyongyang. Taking him from Japan to South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines, the bumper November 3-14 trip is the US leader's first to the region since his election exactly a year ago. On his agenda are several key regional summits but also closely-watched face to face meetings, be it with his powerful Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, or the controversial Philippines strongman, Rodrigo Duterte. With his approval ratings languishing at record lows, will the 71-year-old president manage to leave behind the spectacular recent developments in the probe into Russian election meddling? Will he forego his morning tweeting for the duration of the 12-day trip? The White House has sought to emphasize the length of the five-nation tour the longest by any US president since George H W Bush in 1991 as evidence of Trump's commitment to engaging with the region. But doubts linger on that point, most notably on the economic front following Trump's abrupt decision three days into office to pull out of the TPP trans-Pacific trade deal, which unsettled several signatories and Japan in particular. Supporters of the deal, struck in 2015 by 12 nations who together account for 40 per cent of the world economy, had championed it as a vital counterweight to the growing influence of China. Trump's 'friend' Abe After a brief stopover in Hawaii, Trump will Sunday join his "friend" Shinzo Abe for a new round of golf following the one they shared in Florida last February before a series of meetings aimed at underscoring the strength of the US-Japanese alliance. In South Korea, Trump unlike many of his predecessors will not travel to the Demilitarized Zone dividing the Korean peninsula, instead delivering what is set to be a closely scrutinized speech before the country's national assembly. Seoul will be hoping during trump's two-day visit starting Tuesday for a reaffirmation of its alliance with Washington, at a time when the North is pushing ahead with its nuclear and ballistic missile programs in defiance of the international community. It is also seeking reassurances of a different nature. "South Koreans also want to know that the United States is not going to prematurely or unnecessarily draw South Korea into any kind of military conflict," said Scott Snyder of the New York-based think-tank the Council on Foreign Relations. Since taking office, the US president has vowed to unleash "fire and fury" if threatened by Kim Jong-Un's regime, has contradicted his top diplomat about direct contacts with Pyongyang, and sent out a string of cryptic messages "We'll do what has to be done!" that ultimately left observers guessing at his true intentions toward North Korea. For Michael O'Hanlon, a foreign policy fellow at the Brookings Institution, Trump has been "ad-libbing" on what has emerged as the major foreign policy challenge of his presidency so far. "And people like (Defense) Secretary (Jim) Mattis and Secretary (of State Rex) Tillerson are trying to somehow hold things together and make sense of it and keep the lid on, as best they can." Xi Jinping, 'powerful man' After Seoul, the 45th US president heads to Beijing next Wednesday to meet his counterpart Xi Jinping just weeks after he was formally handed a second term in power, solidifying his grip on the world's most populous nation. "He's a powerful man," Trump recently declared of Xi. "I happen to think he's a very good person," added the US president, who despite his campaign rhetoric railing against China's trade imbalance with the United States has so far trodden relatively carefully in dealing with the Asian giant. "The Chinese are basically quite content with the status quo of the economic relationship," said David Dollar, an expert on China's economy at the Brookings Institution, who predicts Xi will grant Trump a lavish welcome but few concessions. In Vietnam on Friday, Trump will take part in an APEC summit in Danang, and deliver a speech on his vision for a "free and open Indo-Pacific region" that is eagerly awaited by the business community. But following its rejection of the TPP, America's roadmap for engaging with the region economically remains unclear. "I don't see much hope for many new bilateral trade agreements to be negotiated at this point," summed up Elizabeth Economy of the Council on Foreign Relations. Wrapping up his trip in Manila on November 12-13, Trump will take part in the ASEAN summit of South East Asian leaders, and will hold what could turn out to be a colorful one-on-one with the outspoken Duterte, whose bloody crackdown on alleged drug gang members has drawn widespread condemnation. "We're going to the Philippines, where the previous administration was not exactly welcome," Trump crowed earlier this week. Critics note that while Barack Obama was among the many international critics of Duterte's drug war, his successor in the White House has struck a far more conciliatory tone, praising the controversial leader as doing an "unbelievable job on the drug problem.''

Weakened Donald Trump readies for high-stakes Asia trip

Australian big hitter Scott Hend overcame a two-shot deficit to snatch victory in the Queen&#39;s Cup on Thailand&#39;s Koh Samui island today as overnight leader Prom Meesawat stumbled. 
 
The 42-year-old finished the day with a four-under-par 67, one shot ahead of runner-up and local talent Gunn Charoenkul in the $300,000 competition at the Santiburi Samui Country Club. 
 
It was Hend&#39;s second title of the season and his ninth career victory on the Asian Tour. 
 
Hend, the most successful international player on the tour, said he was pleased to make up for some recent near-wins in Mauritius and China. 
 
&quot;Whether this was my golf course or not, I&rsquo;ve been playing very good golf and trying to not get down on myself. It&#39;s nice to win again,&quot; he said, according to a report by tour organisers. 
 
Two late bogeys saw Thailand&#39;s Prom go from starting the day out in front to ending with a disappointing 72. 
 
He finished in joint third alongside American Paul Peterson, Korea&#39;s Wang Jeung-hun and Thailand&#39;s Pavit Tangkamolprasert. 
(AFP)

It was Hend's second title of the season and his ninth career victory on the Asian Tour

Australian big hitter Scott Hend overcame a two-shot deficit to snatch victory in the Queen's Cup on Thailand's Koh Samui island today as overnight leader Prom Meesawat stumbled. The 42-year-old finished the day with a four-under-par 67, one shot ahead of runner-up and local talent Gunn Charoenkul in the $300,000 competition at the Santiburi Samui Country Club. It was Hend's second title of the season and his ninth career victory on the Asian Tour. Hend, the most successful international player on the tour, said he was pleased to make up for some recent near-wins in Mauritius and China. "Whether this was my golf course or not, I’ve been playing very good golf and trying to not get down on myself. It's nice to win again," he said, according to a report by tour organisers. Two late bogeys saw Thailand's Prom go from starting the day out in front to ending with a disappointing 72. He finished in joint third alongside American Paul Peterson, Korea's Wang Jeung-hun and Thailand's Pavit Tangkamolprasert. (AFP)

Scott Hend secures victory by one stroke in Queen's Cup

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World leaders and fans urge Taylor swift to perform in their countries

Golf: DP World Tour issues new sanctions on 26 players

US climate envoy heads to India to lift 'climate ambition'

US climate envoy heads to India to lift 'climate ambition'

Pope Francis kicks off Asian tour in Thailand before heading to Japan

Golf: Hong Kong Open postponed due to protest violence - Organizers

Birdies in the air: Golf back in Pakistan after 11-year hitch

Weakened Donald Trump readies for high-stakes Asia trip

Scott Hend secures victory by one stroke in Queen's Cup