PARIS: Ten years on from Usain Bolt’s 9.58sec lightning dash over 100m which remains seared into the memory, today’s stars are targeting a clutch of world records ahead of next month’s athletics world championships in Doha. AFP Sport takes a look at the records most likely to fall: 400m hurdles
HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement faces a major test this weekend as it tries to muster another huge crowd following criticism over a recent violent airport protest and as concerns mount over Beijing’s next move. Ten weeks of protests have plunged the international finance hub into crisis with the
HONG KONG: Daredevil Alain Robert — dubbed the ‘French Spiderman’ — climbed a Hong Kong skyscraper yesterday and unfurled a “peace banner” as the financial hub is rocked by historic political unrest. The 57-year-old adventurer, who specialises in unsanctioned ascents of tall buildings, shimmied up the 68-storey Cheung Kong Centre
SEOUL: North Korea fired what appeared to be two short-range missiles into the sea yesterday and launched a scathing attack on “foolish” calls for dialogue from South Korean President Moon Jae-in, rejecting further peace talks with Seoul. It was the sixth round of launches in recent weeks in protest at
BEIJING: More than a dozen workers remained missing yesterday after a landslide in southwest China buried a section of railway that was under repair, according to state media. The 17 missing people were carrying out maintenance work on the track Wednesday when the hill above them gave way, China Daily
SRINAGAR (India): India has eased some restrictions on movement in Kashmir but phones and the internet remained cut off for a 12th day yesterday, a police official in the restive territory said. Jama Masjid, the main mosque in the Muslim-majority region with space for thousands of worshippers, also remained shut
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka yesterday ordered an investigation after a skeletal 70-year-old elephant was paraded at a high-profile Buddhist pageant in a move criticised as cruelty to the ailing animal. Tourism and wildlife minister John Amaratunga said he ordered wildlife authorities to investigate how the elephant known as Tikiri was forced
WASHINGTON: US health officials are investigating the cases of dozens of people, mainly teens, who were hospitalised with severe lung injuries in recent weeks after vaping, though the precise cause of their illnesses remains a mystery. Health departments in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin have issued statements describing cases involving patients
DELICATE designs painted on the inside of miniature Chinese snuff bottles by artists like Zhang Yuhua and her husband usually feature calligraphy, floral compositions and traditional rural scenes. But to keep alive the centuries-old art known as “guihuahu”, or “bottle painted by ghosts”, some painters are appealing to younger tastes
Hong Kong’s police are confident they have the resources to continue battling pro-democracy protesters, even if violence escalates further, pouring cold water on concerns that the authoritarian mainland might need to intervene. Three senior commanders said they were unaware of any plans by China to bolster their own ranks with
