Author: Reuters
World No. 2 and five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek has accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ), the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced Thursday. The positive test, from an out-of-competition sample in August, was linked to contamination in Swiatek’s melatonin medication, which is sold over the counter in her home country, Poland. Swiatek said she used melatonin to manage jet lag and sleep issues. Acknowledging no significant fault or negligence on Swiatek’s part, the ITIA classified the violation as being at “the lowest end of the range” and offered a one-month suspension,…
Pope Francis is planning to visit Türkiye’s Iznik district next year to mark the anniversary of the first council of the Christian Church, Italian news agency ANSA reported Thursday. The early centuries of Christianity were marked by debate about how Jesus could be both God and man, and the Church decided on the issue at the First Council of Nicaea in 325. “During the Holy Year, we will also have the opportunity to celebrate the 1,700th anniversary of the first great Ecumenical Council, that of Nicaea. I plan to go there,” the pontiff was quoted as saying at a theological…
Kylian Mbappe endured another lackluster performance for Real Madrid on Wednesday, as he struggled to break down Liverpool’s defense and missed a penalty in their 2-0 Champions League loss at Anfield. The French striker’s start at Real has been underwhelming since his summer move from Paris Saint-Germain, managing just one goal in five Champions League appearances. With only one goal in his last six games across all competitions, the World Cup winner has yet to find his rhythm. However, manager Carlo Ancelotti offered his backing after the match, describing Mbappe as an “extraordinary” player who simply needs time and support…
Ukraine disconnected several nuclear power units from the network amid Russian attacks on energy infrastructure on Thursday, a Ukrainian energy industry source told Reuters.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said air defence was working in Kyiv on Thursday morning amid Russia’s nationwide attack on energy infrastructure. Ukraine’s air force previously warned the residents about a missile threat for the capital.
U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday said he hoped President-elect Donald Trump would rethink his plan to impose tariffs on Mexico and Canada, saying it could “screw up” relationships with close allies. “I hope he rethinks it. I think it’s a counterproductive thing to do,” he told reporters in Nantucket. “We’re surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, and two allies: Mexico and Canada. The last thing we need to do is begin to screw up those relationships.”
Kazakh police are investigating the brief appearance of the Ukrainian flag on a large LED screen in the capital city, Astana, during a visit there by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kazakhstan’s interior ministry said on Thursday. Ukraine’s flag – with its horizontal bands of blue and yellow – briefly appeared late on Wednesday instead of the Russian white, blue and red tricolor on a screen located on one of Astana’s main thoroughfares. Putin was already in the city at the time, and the screen was soon switched off, but images and videos of the incident quickly circulated online. The interior…
Peace in Ukraine can be negotiated if the United States and the West recognise that there are no alternatives to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s offer, the RIA news agency cited Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Thursday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday threatened Hezbollah with an “intensive war” if the Lebanese militant group violates a day-old ceasefire. “If necessary, I gave a directive to the (Israeli army)” to wage “an intensive war” in the event of any breach, he said in an interview with Israeli broadcaster Channel 14.
Explosions were heard in the Ukrainian cities of Odesa, Kropyvnytskyi, Kharkiv, Rivne and Lutsk on Thursday morning amid reports of a Russian cruise missile attack, Ukrainian news outlets Zerkalo Tyzhnya and Suspilne said. “Energy infrastructure is once again targeted by the enemy’s massive strike,” Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko wrote on Facebook. “The enemy continues to attack Kharkiv with missiles,” city mayor Ihor Terekhov wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Odesa regional governor Oleh Kiper urged residents to stay in shelter in a separate message.