Friday, 9 January 2026

Author: AFP

Khawaja sports shoes with daughters’ names in Pakistan Test

MELBOURNE: Australia’s Usman Khawaja wore shoes marked with his daughters’ names as he batted against Pakistan on Tuesday, after being banned from wearing references to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. An AFP close-up photo of the 37-year-old’s shoes showed the names of Khawaja’s daughters Aisha and Ayla taped to the

Czechs mourn varsity shooting victims

PRAGUE: Flags on public buildings flew at half mast on Saturday and masses were scheduled across the Czech Republic for a day of national mourning after a deadly shooting at Prague’s Charles University — the worst in the country in decades. A 24-year-old student opened fire at the Faculty of

Retired rugby star Jones reveals heart condition

LONDON: Retired Wales rugby great Alun Wyn Jones has revealed he was diagnosed with a heart condition towards the end of his career and has called for better screening for players. The 38-year-old, rugby’s mostcapped international, told the Telegraph he was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation while he was at French

Bristol City deny Hull in five-goal tourney thriller

LONDON: Jason Knight’s goal six minutes from time secured a dramatic 3-2 win for Bristol City at home to Hull in English football’s second-tier Championship on Friday. Bristol City, now eighth in the table against a Hull side still occupying a play-off position in sixth spot, opened the scoring when

Liverpool reach League Cup semis

LIVERPOOL: Liverpool destroyed West Ham 5-1 on Wednesday to set up a League Cup semi-final against Fulham, easing the frustration of their weekend Premier League stalemate against Manchester United. Curtis Jones scored twice and Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah were also on the scoresheet for Jurgen Klopp’s dominant

Record coal use in 2023, Earth’s hottest year

PARIS: Global consumption of coal reached an all-time high in 2023, the IEA energy watchdog said Friday, as Earth experienced its hottest recorded year. The International Energy Agency reported that nations would burn even more coal this year than in 2022, the previous record for consumption of the key source

Mexico’s Maya Train underway despite environmental concerns

CAMPECHE (Mexico): Mexico’s Maya tourist train glided into action on Friday, promising prosperity for one of the country’s poorest regions, but tainted by allegations of environmental devastation. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador hailed his flagship project as a “magnum opus” built in “record time” ahead of the inauguration, during which

Freezing temperatures in northern China trigger alert

BEIJING: China on Saturday issued a low-temperature alert, warning the mercury could drop to historic lows in some areas of the country, one day after President Xi Jinping urged “all-out efforts” to ensure safety. The freezing weather comes on the heels of this winter’s first snowfall in Beijing, where the

French winemakers adopt US-style marketing

PARIS: France’s wine makers, faced with a steep decline in sales, are turning to US-style marketing to revive their fortunes, including deep dives into global pop culture. Once an unassailable ingredient of the French art of living, traditional bottled wine is on the decline. Over the past six decades, 70

Lithuania now a repair hub for Ukraine’s tanks

RUKLA (Lithuania): Two German Leopard tanks damaged in Ukraine were test driven in Lithuania on Friday following repairs, to showcase how the Baltic NATO member has become a hub for such work. Lithuanian Defence Minister Arvydas Anusauskas sat on a turret on one of the tanks as he was driven