Thursday, 5 February 2026

Author: AFP

Chelsea teens rout 10-man Ajax

LONDON: Chelsea took full advantage of an early red card for Ajax captain Kenneth Taylor to thrash the Dutch giants 5-1 in the Champions League at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday. Enzo Maresca’s gamble in making 10 changes paid off as Marc Guiu and Moises Caicedo struck before Enzo Fernandez and

Liverpool back on track after thumping 5-1 win

FRANKFURT: Liverpool broke a four-game losing streak with a 5-1 win at Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday, with Hugo Ekitike scoring for the English champions against his former club. After Ekitike levelled for Liverpool, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai all grabbed goals,

Takaichi’s spouse vows quiet support

TOKYO: The spouse of Japan’s first woman Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said he hoped to support his wife by being a “stealth husband”, cooking meals for her but staying out of the spotlight, reports said. Former lawmaker Taku Yamamoto (pic) spoke a day after Takaichi, a social conservative and Margaret

63 people killed in Uganda road accident

NAIROBI (Kenya): Two buses collided on a major motorway in Uganda early yesterday, killing 63 people and injuring several others, police said. The incident occurred on the Kampala-Gulu highway just after midnight, when two buses “met head-on during the overtaking manoeuvres” police said in a statement posted on X. One

N. Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles

SEOUL: North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles yesterday, its first such launch in months just a week before world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, descend on South Korea for a summit. Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said it had “detected several projectiles, believed to be short-range ballistic missiles”. The

Jane Birkin’s Hermes handbag up for auction

PARIS: A Hermes handbag once belonging to Jane Birkin will be auctioned in Abu Dhabi on December 5, following the record-breaking sale of the original for over $10 million (about RM42.3 million), Sotheby’s said Tuesday. Nicknamed the “Birkin Voyageur”, the estimated value of the late actor’s black leather bag hovers

UK king to be first to pray with pope in five centuries

LONDON: King Charles III leaves for a state visit to the Vatican, where he will meet Pope Leo XIV and make history as the first head of the Church of England to pray publicly with the pontiff today since the schism between the churches 500 years ago. The visit comes

Gold sinks from record peak

HONG KONG: Gold and silver tumbled for a second day yesterday, bringing a rally in the precious metals to a juddering halt, while equities also sank after US President Donald Trump remarked that a meeting with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping might not take place. Bullion has seen an eye watering run-up

Breaking China’s rare earths spell

SYDNEY: China’s total domination of rare earths production could soon be challenged, a leading miner said Wednesday after the United States struck a breakthrough minerals deal with Australia. US President Donald Trump signed a deal this week with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese giving the United States access to Australia’s vast

Newcastle’s European resurgence continues

NEWCASTLE: Harvey Barnes scored twice after coming off the bench to help Newcastle inflict more Champions League pain on Jose Mourinho’s Benfica with a 3-0 win at St. James’ Park. Anthony Gordon fired the Magpies in front as Benfica remain without a point in Europe’s elite competition this season. Winger