MELBOURNE: World number three Naomi Osaka and top-ranked Ashleigh Barty were pushed to the brink Wednesday, but both survived early exits at Melbourne Park. Japan’s Osaka was made to work hard against in-form Katie Boulter, but fought back for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory to reach the quarter-finals in the […]
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DOHA: Bayern Munich are the overwhelming favourites to cap a remarkable last year as they head to Qatar for the delayed Fifa Club World Cup, taking place later than scheduled because of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic which overshadows the tournament. Bayern qualified after their triumph in last season’s […]
A prototype of SpaceX’s Starship rocket exploded during a landing attempt minutes after a high-altitude experimental launch from Boca Chica, Texas, yesterday, in a repeat of an accident that destroyed a previous test rocket. The Starship SN9 that blew up on its final descent, like the SN8 before it, was […]
LONDON: Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo has joined Argentine giants Boca Juniors for an undisclosed fee, the Premier League club announced on Tuesday. The 30-year-old will return to his native Argentina on a permanent basis after agreeing terms with the reigning champions. Rojo had spent the second half of last […]
UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting on Myanmar on Tuesday (Feb 2) but was unable to agree on a statement about the country’s military coup, with diplomats saying negotiations will continue. “China and Russia have asked for more time,” one diplomat told AFP following the behind-closed-doors […]
SYDNEY: New Zealand, Vietnam and Taiwan rank the top three in a Covid Performance Index of almost 100 countries for their successful handling of the coronavirus pandemic, with Britain and America near the bottom of the pile. The Lowy Institute said its index published today excludes China, where the first […]
SYDNEY: Coronavirus-induced border restrictions separating Australia’s three most populous states were set to be eased, authorities said today, as the country recorded its 11th straight day of zero Covid-19 cases. Australian states imposed quarantine and hard border restrictions for travellers from New South Wales (NSW) state after an outbreak in […]
TOKYO: AstraZeneca Plc will make more than 90 million coronavirus vaccine shots in Japan, the top government spokesman said today, as concerns mount over whether the country will have enough doses to begin its delayed inoculation campaign. The British company confirmed to Japan’s health ministry it will make the bulk […]
LONDON: Winning this season’s Premier League title is not a realistic target for new Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel and the German said it was more important to focus on getting the team to play to its full potential as quickly as possible. Tuchel, who replaced the sacked Frank Lampard on […]
BEIJING: China reported its lowest daily increase in new Covid-19 cases in nearly three weeks today, suggesting aggressive countermeasures have helped slow a recent outbreak in the country’s northeastern provinces. The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the mainland fell to 54 on January 27, the National Health Commission […]