Swiatek leads Poland into maiden BJK Cup semi-final on November 18, 2024Five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek clinched back-to-back wins to lead Poland into their first Billie Jean King Cup semi-final on Saturday. Swiatek, the world number two in singles but playing her first doubles match in the tournament since 2019, teamed with Katarzyna Kawa to defeat Marie Bouzkova and Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 6-4 to complete […]
Japan’s Kagiyama, Yoshida sweep gold in Finland GP on November 18, 2024Japanese figure skaters Yuma Kagiyama and Hana Yoshida swept to men’s and women’s gold in the Finland Grand Prix on Saturday to qualify for next month’s series finale. Kagiyama, the 2022 Olympic silver medallist and winner of the recent NHK Trophy in Tokyo, survived a shaky free skate in Helsinki to win thanks to his […]
Another blow for India as Gill suffers thumb injury: reports on November 18, 2024India have suffered another injury blow as they prepare for this week’s first Test against Australia, with batsman Shubman Gill fracturing his thumb in a training session in Perth on Saturday, according to multiple media reports. India opted to prepare for the Perth Test, which starts on Friday, with squad sessions behind closed doors rather […]
Israel hits Gaza and Lebanon in deadly strikes on November 18, 2024Israeli strikes killed dozens in Gaza Sunday, the civil defence there said, and also hit a central Beirut district where a Lebanese source reported the death of Hezbollah’s spokesman in one raid. Israel has been fighting on two fronts since September, intensifying attacks on Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah after nearly a year of cross-border clashes alongside […]
Russia pounds Ukraine with ‘massive’ attack on November 18, 2024Russia on Sunday pummelled Ukraine with a “massive” aerial barrage of missiles and drones, killing at least nine people across the country in the largest attack in months that Kyiv branded “hellish”. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Moscow launched 120 missiles and almost 100 drones, targeting the capital as well as southern, central and far-western […]
Direct Pakistan-Bangladesh shipping route marks rebuilding ties on November 18, 2024The first cargo ship in decades to sail directly from Pakistan to Bangladesh successfully unloaded its containers, port officials told AFP Sunday, as both sides seek to rebuild ties after decades of frosty relations. The two countries, once one nation, split in 1971 after a brutal war, with Bangladesh then drawing closer to Pakistan’s rival […]
Trump names Musk to ‘efficiency’ post as team takes shape on November 14, 2024Donald Trump announced Tuesday that the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, will lead a new US government efficiency group tasked with cutting federal waste, as the Republican president-elect added a series of seasoned figures and hardliners to his incoming administration. Musk became a key ally to Trump during his campaign, reportedly spending over $100 million […]
No end in sight to Sudan war as both sides seek ‘decisive’ win on November 14, 2024Sudan has seen a surge in extreme violence in recent weeks as the warring military and paramilitary push for a decisive victory, with no political solution in sight. Fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has intensified since late October, with reports of attacks on civilians including sexual violence against women […]
Taliban score successes with embassy closures, COP attendance on November 14, 2024Afghanistan embassies in Britain and Norway loyal to the pro-Western authorities ousted by the Taliban in 2021 discreetly shut down this autumn, as the West seeks a more pragmatic approach to the country’s Islamic rulers. The embassy of Afghanistan in London closed on September 27, following the mission in Oslo which shut down on September […]
US vows ‘firm’ response to N Korea deployment in Ukraine conflict on November 14, 2024US top diplomat Antony Blinken warned Wednesday that the deployment of North Korean troops alongside Russian forces fighting on the Ukrainian border demanded a “firm response”. The secretary of state was speaking at the start of a day of Brussels talks with NATO and EU officials to urgently address ramping up support for Kyiv before […]