Ruthless Gauff 'sets tone' for Australian Open title bid
Melbourne (AFP) – Coco Gauff said she had “set the tone” for a deep Australian Open run after firing a warning shot to her rivals with a straight-sets defeat of a former champion in the first round Monday.
Taylor beats Echavarria in playoff to take PGA Hawaii title
Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Canada’s Nick Taylor birdied the second playoff hole to defeat Colombia’s Nico Echavarria and win the Sony Open in Hawaii on Sunday for his fifth career US PGA Tour triumph.
Taiwan blocks Uber
Taipei (AFP) –
Pakistan air strikes kill 46 in Afghanistan, Kabul says
Kabul (AFP) – Pakistan air strikes in an eastern border region of Afghanistan killed 46 civilians, the Taliban government said Wednesday, whilst a Pakistan security official said the bombardment had targeted “terrorist hideouts”.
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Liverpool host Foxes, Arsenal prepare for life without Saka
London (AFP) – Christmas Premier League chart-toppers Liverpool are overwhelming favourites to see off struggling Leicester on Boxing Day (Thursday).
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Zelensky condemns Russian 'inhumane' Christmas attack on energy grid
Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday denounced an “inhumane” attack from Russia, which launched dozens of missiles and drones on his war-torn country’s energy grid on Christmas Day.
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Sweeping Vietnam internet law comes into force
Bangkok (AFP) – New Vietnamese internet rules requiring Facebook and TikTok to verify user identities and hand over data to authorities came into force on Wednesday, in what critics say is the latest attack on freedom of expression.
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Pope's sombre message in Christmas under shadow of war
Rome (AFP) – Christians across the world celebrated Christmas Wednesday, with the mood darkened by wars and a massive Christmas morning attack on Ukraine by Russia and a plane crash in Kazakhstan.
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Catholics hold muted Christmas mass in Indonesia's Sharia stronghold
Banda Aceh (Indonesia) (AFP) – With flickering candles and the sound of organs, hundreds of Catholics held a muted Christmas Eve mass in Indonesia’s Aceh province, the only one under ultraconservative Islamic law in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation.
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Japan FM raises 'serious concerns' over China military buildup
Beijing (AFP) – Japanese foreign minister Takeshi Iwaya on Wednesday raised “serious concerns” over China’s military buildup as he met counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing, Tokyo said.
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Thousands attend Christmas charity dinner in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires (Argentina) (AFP) – Some 3,000 homeless people sat down for a festive Christmas charity dinner on Tuesday in the center of Buenos Aires, at a time when more than half of Argentina’s population is affected by poverty, one year into ultra-liberal Javier Milei’s term in office.
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Skippers brace for gale
Sydney (AFP) – Skippers of the supermaxi yachts in the Sydney-Hobart bluewater classic are bracing for a fast start on Thursday and a wild first night at sea with gale-force winds forecast.
