Iran into quarter-finals after Ansari Fard breaks the deadlock


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Doha // Iran became the first team to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup after Karim Ansari Fard's second-half goal secured victory over North Korea.

Ansari Fard converted Pejman Nouri's cross in the 63rd minute to settle what was a largely poor Group D encounter at Qatar Sports Club Stadium as Iran followed up their opening 2-1 triumph over neighbours Iraq with another victory.

Iran coach Afshin Ghotbi hailed his players, and said: "It's a fantastic achievement to qualify for the quarter-finals in our group. I am very proud of our players."

There was little in the way of goalmouth action in a dour opening 45 minutes.

Jong Tae-se stung Iran goalkeeper Mahdi Rahmati's hands with a free-kick after 16 minutes, and Ansari Fard had a goal ruled out for handball at the other end before Jong again tested Rahmati.

The opening exchanges in the second half also failed to produce any meaningful chances. Mohammad Reza Khalatbari's weak shot that was easily dealt with at his near post by Ri Myong-guk was the only real action before Iran took the lead just after the hour mark.

A throw-in on the left released Nouri and the midfielder whipped in a low cross towards Ansari Fard. The striker guided the ball with the outside of his boot past the diving Ri and into the far corner to finally break the deadlock.

North Korea showed more attacking desire after falling behind as they tried to break down Iran.

Hong Yong-jo nearly snatched an injury-time equaliser when he managed to lose his marker to collect a low cross, turn and shoot from 12 yards but the ball grazed the top of the crossbar, much to his and his country's disappointment.

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Tickets

Tickets for the 2019 Asian Cup are available online, via www.asiancup2019.com

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War and the virus
What should do investors do now?

What does the S&P 500's new all-time high mean for the average investor? 

Should I be euphoric?

No. It's fine to be pleased about hearty returns on your investments. But it's not a good idea to tie your emotions closely to the ups and downs of the stock market. You'll get tired fast. This market moment comes on the heels of last year's nosedive. And it's not the first or last time the stock market will make a dramatic move.

So what happened?

It's more about what happened last year. Many of the concerns that triggered that plunge towards the end of last have largely been quelled. The US and China are slowly moving toward a trade agreement. The Federal Reserve has indicated it likely will not raise rates at all in 2019 after seven recent increases. And those changes, along with some strong earnings reports and broader healthy economic indicators, have fueled some optimism in stock markets.

"The panic in the fourth quarter was based mostly on fears," says Brent Schutte, chief investment strategist for Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company. "The fundamentals have mostly held up, while the fears have gone away and the fears were based mostly on emotion."

Should I buy? Should I sell?

Maybe. It depends on what your long-term investment plan is. The best advice is usually the same no matter the day — determine your financial goals, make a plan to reach them and stick to it.

"I would encourage (investors) not to overreact to highs, just as I would encourage them not to overreact to the lows of December," Mr Schutte says.

All the same, there are some situations in which you should consider taking action. If you think you can't live through another low like last year, the time to get out is now. If the balance of assets in your portfolio is out of whack thanks to the rise of the stock market, make adjustments. And if you need your money in the next five to 10 years, it shouldn't be in stocks anyhow. But for most people, it's also a good time to just leave things be.

Resist the urge to abandon the diversification of your portfolio, Mr Schutte cautions. It may be tempting to shed other investments that aren't performing as well, such as some international stocks, but diversification is designed to help steady your performance over time.

Will the rally last?

No one knows for sure. But David Bailin, chief investment officer at Citi Private Bank, expects the US market could move up 5 per cent to 7 per cent more over the next nine to 12 months, provided the Fed doesn't raise rates and earnings growth exceeds current expectations. We are in a late cycle market, a period when US equities have historically done very well, but volatility also rises, he says.

"This phase can last six months to several years, but it's important clients remain invested and not try to prematurely position for a contraction of the market," Mr Bailin says. "Doing so would risk missing out on important portfolio returns."

Brief scores:

Toss: Sindhis, elected to field first

Pakhtoons 137-6 (10 ov)

Fletcher 68 not out; Cutting 2-14

Sindhis 129-8 (10 ov)

Perera 47; Sohail 2-18

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MATCH INFO

Champions League quarter-final, first leg

Manchester United v Barcelona, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)

Match on BeIN Sports

Thor: Ragnarok

Dir: Taika Waititi

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson

Four stars

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Seemar’s top six for the Dubai World Cup Carnival:

1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
3. Raven’s Corner
4. Hawkesbury
5. New Maharajah
6. Secret Ambition

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Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha

Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar

Director: Neeraj Pandey

Rating: 2.5/5

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Cases of coronavirus in the GCC as of March 15

Saudi Arabia – 103 infected, 0 dead, 1 recovered

UAE – 86 infected, 0 dead, 23 recovered

Bahrain – 210 infected, 0 dead, 44 recovered

Kuwait – 104 infected, 0 dead, 5 recovered

Qatar – 337 infected, 0 dead, 4 recovered

Oman – 19 infected, 0 dead, 9 recovered

The Penguin

Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz

Creator: Lauren LeFranc

Rating: 4/5