Saturday, 6 December 2025

Author: AFP

Mbappe narrows the gap with a standout brace

BILBAO: Kylian Mbappe delivered a standout performance with two goals and an assist as Real Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0 on Wednesday to close the gap on La Liga leaders Barcelona to one point. Madrid, winless in their previous three away league games, produced one of their sharpest displays of

Arsenal step five points clear to the top

LONDON: Arsenal restored their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League after a 2-0 win over Brentford on Wednesday, while Chelsea slumped to a 3-1 defeat at struggling Leeds. Arsenal were not at their sharpest at the Emirates but secured another important step toward a first league title

Arsenal held as Isak nets first goal

LONDON: Mikel Merino rescued Arsenal as the Premier League leaders battled to a 1-1 draw against 10-man Chelsea, while Alexander Isak ended his scoring drought to fire Liverpool to a 2-0 win at West Ham on Sunday. Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo was sent off in the 38th minute for a

Set-piece “theft” helps Man Utd, says Amorim

LONDON: Ruben Amorim credited set-piece routines as key to Manchester United’s 2-1 comeback win at Crystal Palace on Sunday. Palace took the lead in the 36th minute when Jean-Philippe Mateta converted a retaken penalty, extending pressure on United after Monday’s 1-0 home defeat to 10-man Everton. United responded early in

Youth academy nurtures Morocco’s future football stars

SALÉ: Morocco’s Mohammed VI Football Academy is strengthening its role as the country’s premier talent pipeline as the kingdom looks ahead to co-hosting the 2030 World Cup. Founded in 2010 in Salé and spread across 17 hectares, the academy hosts 121 boys aged 12 to 18, drawn from cities, rural

Slot remains defiant despite Reds’ mounting crisis

LIVERPOOL: Arne Slot vowed to “keep fighting” as Liverpool’s alarming slump continued, insisting his conversations with the club’s owners remain unchanged despite mounting pressure. Liverpool were thrashed 4-1 by PSV Eindhoven at Anfield in Wednesday’s Champions League clash — their ninth defeat in 12 matches across all competitions. Large sections

Mexico to build biggest supercomputer in Latin America

MEXICO CITY: The Mexican government will build a supercomputer with a processing capacity seven times greater than the current most powerful computer in Latin America, officials responsible for the project said Wednesday. Named Coatlicue, after a goddess in Aztec mythology representing the source of power and life, the computer will

Russia: Talks on ending Ukraine war are serious

MOSCOW: Russia said Wednesday that ongoing talks to end the war in Ukraine were “serious”, after earlier welcoming parts of a new US plan to halt the deadliest fighting in Europe since World War II. A deal was still a long way off, Russian officials warned, with US President Donald

Pink elephants march for Thailand’s late queen mother

BANGKOK: Eleven pink painted elephants marched through Bangkok yesterday, bowing in unison outside the Grand Palace in a lumbering tribute to the late queen mother. Sirikit, the mother of current King Maha Vajiralongkorn and wife of the longest-reigning Thai monarch, died in October at the age of 93. The royal

Trump advises Takaichi not to provoke China

TOKYO: US President Donald Trump advised Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi not to provoke China over Taiwan’s sovereignty, the Wall Street Journal reported after a diplomatic spat between Tokyo and Beijing. The row between Asia’s two biggest economies began after Takaichi said that Tokyo could intervene militarily in any attack