Bushfires are an annual problem for Australia, but this season has been unprecedented. As of January 2, about 5.9 million hectares (13.5 million acres) of land has been burnt; that's larger than Denmark and The Netherlands. The Australian state of New South Wales also declared its third emergency in as many months -- the last two times, in November and December. Furthermore, 18 people have died, eight on New Year's Eve, making it one of Australia's most deadly bushfire seasons.
Serena Williams was forced to dig deep to secure a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 US Open quarter-final victory over unseeded Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova on Wednesday, keeping alive her latest bid for a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title.
Indian cricket team's much-anticipated tour of Australia will begin either in Adelaide or Brisbane instead of favoured Perth after Western Australia state government made it clear that there won't be any relaxation in quarantine guidelines in their territory.
'Even though as Xi will seemingly continue to stay in power beyond his third term, competitions for the post-Xi leadership would be inevitably unfolded beneath the surface of water, and that will be a big headache for Xi the dictator.'
New South Wales paceman Abbott and Queensland veteran Neser are the reserve quicks behind regulars Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and James Pattinson.
Osaka also reached the final of the Western & Southern Open, which was held at Flushing Meadows this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but had to withdraw against Azarenka due to an injury.
Medvedev suffered a jarring early exit from the Canadian Masters last week but overcame some initial problems in a tricky tie against Shapovalov to edge both sets and book a meeting with American Fritz.
Victoria Azarenka's career has been a rollercoaster ride since she since she returned to the tour in 2017 after taking time off to have her son, Leo. After three years away from the WTA Tour following the birth of her son Alexander, Tsvetana Pironkova, playing in her first event since 2017, claimed a shock upset at the US Open.
Desi sightings in Western fare are no longer a rarity.
'I played a good match, maybe he was a little bit tired from New York (where) he played an amazing tournament.'
Since September 2019, Australia's raging bushfire crisis has killed 24 people, reduced to ashes hundreds of homes and pushed many species towards extinction. The bushfires continued to pose serious threat in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia.
Naomi Osaka now gets to test her mental strength against a revitalised Victoria Azarenka, who stunned Serena Williams in Thursday's other blockbuster semi-final.
Opelka, Kyrgios included in Team World for Laver Cup.
Serena Williams was sent spinning out of the Western and Southern Open by Maria Sakkari on Tuesday after the Greek rallied from a set down to beat the 23-times Grand Slam champion 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-1 and reach the quarter-finals.
The 25-year-old, a leg-spinner like his father, moved to Australia to play for in 2016 and is hoping to become a citizen in 2020 and represent his adopted nation in the Twenty20 World Cup later that same year.
A 15-year-old boy was arrested in Australia in connection with the murder of Indian student Nitin Garg, who was stabbed to death in January this year sending shock waves back home.
Promising batsman Will Pucovski ruled himself out of selection for Australia's Test series against Pakistan due to "matters pertaining to mental wellbeing", Cricket Australia said on Thursday.
The help line is featured on the Federation of Indian Associations of Victoria (FIAV) website, and was launched by Victoria Police in May 2009, as an initiative of the Indian Western Reference Group. The contact number for the FIAV was also not operational on Tuesday.
Khawaja and Stoinis were included despite losing their national contracts after falling out of favour with selectors over the home summer.
Western Australia batsmen Shaun Marsh and Marcus Stoinis sustained several blows to the body struggling to adjust to the unpredictable bounce of the surface in the contest against Victoria.
The French Open will be held from September 27-October 11 after being moved from its usual late May-June slot due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Australia opening batsman Aaron Finch has declared himself fit for the Boxing Day Test against India in Melbourne and said his injured finger would need to be cut off to prevent him from playing in front of his home state's fans.
Maxwell closer to return, trains with Victoria
Very few young Australian cricketers have generated as much buzz in recent years as the 22-year-old, thanks to his prolific form in Sheffield Shield.
The games were scheduled to start at 1000 am local time (2300 GMT) but did not get underway until about 1130 after Victoria state's environment watchdog said air quality had plunged to "hazardous" levels overnight.
Fined for dissent in Sheffield Shield match
Victoria Azarenka won a showdown between the world's two top players by beating number one Serena Williams in a three set 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 thriller in the final of the Western and Southern Open on Sunday.
Boozy celebrations have been a part of Australian cricket for decades but Test hopeful Fawad Ahmed will be politely declining when the victory beers are passed around on the tour of the Caribbean and England.
'The big power struggle in faraway Europe erupted at a most critical juncture when India has been increasingly sceptical about American policies and statesmanship,' argues Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Naomi Osaka pulled out of the semi-finals of the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament on Wednesday in New York City, in protest at racial injustice. Her decision follows protests over the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, in the city of Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Sunday.
Serena Williams shook off some COVID-19 layoff rust to grind out a 7-6(6), 3-6, 7-6(0) win over Dutch qualifier Arantxa Rus on Monday to move into the third round of the Western and Southern Open.
Naomi Osaka ended Victoria Azarenka's dream run to claim her second US Open title in three years with a 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 comeback win on Saturday which cemented her status as the sport's leading light both on and off the court.
Serena Williams returns to the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday
Toronto FC's Justin Morrow, executive director of the Black Players for Change organization, said MLS players wanted to add their voices to the movement.
The professional tennis circuit, which requires players to jet around the world, was forced into shutdown in early March as countries went into lockdown and closed their borders to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
John Brumby, Prime Minister of the state of Victoria in Australia, decided to cancel his scheduled trip to Mumbai after a detailed advisory issued first by the US and then by Israel, which said terrorists are planning attacks in India.
IMAGES from Day 6 of the matches played at the US Open at Flushing Meadows on Saturday.
Simona Halep has been in red-hot form and the absence of top-ranked Australian Ash Barty, who won her maiden Grand Slam in Paris last year, and US Open champion Naomi Osaka, will boost her chances further.
The results for the People's Choice Award for the Wildlife Photographer Of The Year are in.
ill Pucovski has become the third Australian cricketer to report mental health problems to the team management in just over two weeks
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