Author: AFP

Man Utd desperate to end slump against West Ham

MANCHESTER: The Ole Gunnar Solskjaer feelgood factor at Manchester United has been replaced by a fear factor as the club face the real prospect of missing out on next season’s Champions League. United’s popular new boss has little margin for error after a damaging run that has seen his side

World’s biggest election tests nationalist Modi’s grip on power in India

NEW DELHI: Tens of millions of Indians joined nationwide queues Thursday to give their verdict on nationalist prime minister Narendra Modi as the world’s biggest election started amid deadly clashes. Election officials reported a heavy turnout across the 20 states taking part in the first day of the massive exercise

Indonesia’s KPU probes vote-rigging claims in Malaysia ahead of polls

JAKARTA: Indonesia is probing vote-rigging claims after the discovery of thousands of stray election ballots in neighbouring Malaysia, officials said, as the opposition threatens to challenge next week’s poll results over separate voter list irregularities. The General Elections Commission (KPU) has sent a team to Malaysia to investigate as many

Koepka, DeChambeau share Masters lead

AUGUSTA: Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau burst out of the crowd Thursday at Augusta National, firing six-under par 66s to share a one-shot lead over Phil Mickelson after the first round of the Masters. Hours after 14-time major champion Tiger Woods electrified fans by briefly putting his name atop the

Sold-out warm-up to European semis for France’s top two sides

PARIS: Toulouse and Clermont prepare for the European semi-finals in a week’s time by facing each other in a sold-out French Top 14 blockbuster showdown on Sunday. Ugo Mola’s Toulouse sit at the top of the table and are readying for a trip to holders Leinster in the Champions Cup

Prince Ali of Jordan fights for women’s rights in football

PARIS: Since forcing a second ballot in the 2015 election that ushered in the scandal-plagued Sepp Blatter’s brief final term as FIFA president, Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein of Jordan has focused on a different campaign. Ali remains president of the Jordanian Football Association and of the West Asian Football Federation, which

Marner scores twice as Leafs surprise Bruins

LOS ANGELES: Mitch Marner scored on a penalty shot in the second period as the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the mistake-prone Boston Bruins 4-1 in the opening game of their NHL playoff series on Thursday. Marner, who finished with two goals, helped get the visiting Leafs playoff run off to

Juve ready to seal Serie A before Ajax decider

MILAN: Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus head to SPAL on Saturday needing just a point to wrap up an eighth consecutive Serie A title in record time before their crucial Champions League decider against Ajax in Turin next week. Ronaldo returned from injury to score a precious away goal for Juventus in

Huge challenge for mighty Ahly in CAF Champions League

JOHANNESBURG: Famed Egyptian club Al Ahly face one of the greatest challenges in their 112-year history when they try to wipe out a five-goal CAF Champions League deficit Saturday. South African side Mamelodi Sundowns exceeded their own expectations by thrashing the Cairo Red Devils 5-0 last weekend in the first

Defiant Dortmund hope to shake off Bayern blues

BERLIN: Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Buerki insists his team can bounce back from last weekend’s chastening defeat to Bayern Munich and keep up the pace in the Bundesliga title race. Dortmund slipped a point behind title rivals Bayern after thanks to a 5-0 thrashing in Munich last weekend, but a