Latest News
De Kock’s second successive ton props up South Africa
A second successive World Cup ton for Quinton de Kock helped South Africa to put up a par score despite a strong fightback from Australia in the death overs. The left-handed opener’s knock was well supported by a fluent fifty from Aiden Markram on a pitch that wasn’t straightforward to score off, particularly when pace was taken off. South Africa looked on course for a score of 325-plus at one stage but Australia hit their straps in the final overs to curb the run flow. The score could have been much lesser had the Aussies taken their catches, seven of which were dropped.
The afternoon began on a surprising note as Pat Cummins opted to bowl. Given Lucknow’s sluggish decks in the Indian Premier League, that wasn’t expected but what was also a factor is that the tracks had been relaid for the World Cup with many red soil pitches being prepared, this being one. So, there was a lot of uncertainty on how it would play and that’s probably what dictated Cummins’ call at the toss. It was soon evident that the track was on the slower side but at the same time, a much better deck than has been seen in recent times.
De Kock and captain Temba Bavuma put on a century stand to set the base, although the latter was lucky to survive a couple of dropped chances. He finally perished to Glenn Maxwell who was easily the best of the Australian bowlers, making full use of the surface and ground dimensions on offer. De Kock kept motoring along at the other end, although even he couldn’t consistently force the pace as the ball got softer. This is where Markram’s knock comes in for special mention. He barely looked flustered in his timing and played some classy strokes to ensure that the tempo wasn’t lost in the middle overs.
Australia picked up both batters before they could hit top gear but their fielding was a big letdown. Josh Inglis, replacing Alex Carey in the XI, had a horror day behind the stumps and it seemed to spread in the outfield as several chances went down. The platform set by De Kock and Markram looked ominous but as soon as Australia got their lines, lengths and pace variations right, scoring became difficult. Mitchell Starc bowled exceptionally at the death and had a good day overall, although his figures don’t do justice to his efforts. He bowled a top final over, giving away just a single run to give some momentum to Australia
South Africa only managed 79 off the last 60 balls and it goes with the common trend in this World Cup of teams being unable to really unleash at the death. However, given Australia’s bowling lapses in the first half and their dropped catches, the Proteas have definitely got a par score on this track, unless dew makes an appearance.
Brief scores:
South Africa 311/7 in 50 overs (Quinton de Kock 109, Aiden Markram 56; Glenn Maxwell 2-34, Mitchell Starc 2-53) vs Australia
United States President Donald Trump has confirmed that talks with Iran are continuing to try to de-escalate tensions in the Gulf, even as the US military announced shooting down an Iranian drone that approached its aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea.
Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that Washington was negotiating with Iran “right now”, but declined to say where the talks were taking place.
“[The talks] are all over. But they are negotiating. They’d like to do something, and we’ll see if something is going to be done,” he said.
“They had a chance to do something a while ago, and it didn’t work out. And we did ‘Midnight Hammer’, I don’t think they want that happening again,” he added, referring to the operation last June in which the US Air Force and Navy struck three Iranian nuclear facilities.
Trump, who has been pushing Teheran to agree to talks over its nuclear programme, has repeatedly threatened to attack the country again over a recent crackdown on antigovernment protests. The US president sent the USS Abraham Lincoln to the Gulf last week, leading to fears of a possible military confrontation.
The carrier strike group, which brought roughly 5,700 additional US troops, joined three destroyers and three littoral combat ships that were already in the region.
Tensions have been easing in recent days amid a push by regional powers for a resolution.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said earlier on Tuesday that he had instructed the country’s foreign minister to “pursue fair and equitable negotiations, guided by the principles of dignity, prudence, and expediency”, provided that a “suitable environment exists”.
“These negotiations shall be conducted within the framework of our national interests,” Pezeshkian added
[Aljazeera]
Seven million people’s cancer could be prevented each year, according to the first global analysis.
A report by World Health Organization (WHO) scientists estimates 37% of cancers are caused by infections, lifestyle choices and environmental pollutants that could be avoided.
This includes cervical cancers caused by human papilloma virus (HPV) infections which vaccination can help prevent, as well as a host of tumours caused by tobacco smoke from cigarettes.
The researchers said their report showed there is a “powerful opportunity” to transform the lives of millions of people.
Some cancers are inevitable – either because of damage we unavoidably build up in our DNA as we age or because we inherit genes that put us at greater risk of the disease.
But researcher Dr Isabelle Soerjomataram said “people are surprised to hear” that nearly four in 10 cancers can be prevented as it is “a substantial number”.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the WHO, analysed 30 preventable factors known to increase the risk of cancer.
These include smoking and ultraviolet (UV) radiation which can directly damage our DNA; obesity and too little physical activity which alter inflammation and hormones in the body to raise cancer risk; and air pollution which can wake up dormant cancer cells.
The agency’s report also looked at nine cancer-causing infections including HPV, hepatitis viruses which lead to liver cancer and the stomach bug H. pylori.
The team used data on cancer cases from 2022 and from the 30 risk factors a decade earlier – across 185 countries – to perform their statistical analysis.
The big three contributors to more than 18 million cancer cases around the world were found to be:
- smoking tobacco which caused 3.3 million cancers
- infections causing 2.3 million cancers
- alcohol use leading to 700,000 cancers
However, the overall figures mask a nuanced picture of cancer risk around the world.
There is a stark sex-divide with 45% of men’s cancers being preventable compared with 30% in women, partly down to higher levels of smoking among men.
In women living in Europe, the top three preventable causes of cancer are smoking, closely followed by infection and then obesity.
While in sub-Saharan Africa, infections dominate and account for nearly 80% of preventable cancers in women.
This means any measures to tackle these cancers would need to be tailored to each region or country.
“This landmark study is a comprehensive assessment of preventable cancer worldwide, incorporating for the first time infectious causes of cancer alongside behavioural, environmental, and occupational risks,” said Soerjomataram, the deputy head of the IARC Cancer Surveillance Unit.
“Addressing these preventable causes represents one of the most powerful opportunities to reduce the global cancer burden.”
The report, published in the journal Nature Medicine, showed lung cancer (linked to smoking and air pollution) stomach cancer (linked to H. pylori infection) and cervical cancer (linked to HPV infection) made up nearly half of all preventable cases of cancer.
Dr Andre Ilbawi, team lead for cancer control at WHO, said the study was “good news” as it showed something could be done and he pointed to the success of countries that have introduced policies to tackle smoking or vaccinate against HPV.
“The percentage of preventable cancers can change over time and our goal is to get it as close to zero as possible,” he said.
[BBC]
BCB receives investigation report on sexual misconduct allegation
Trump confirms talks with Iran as US military shoots down Iranian drone
Shower will occur in the Northern, North-central, Eastern and Uva provinces and in Nuwara-Eliya and Matale districts
House erupts over suspension of Deputy Secretary General
78th Independence Day celebrations at Bogambara Stadium
Colombo-Kandy railway line to be fully restored this year – Minister Bimal
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
Opinion6 days agoSri Lanka, the Stars,and statesmen
-
Business7 days agoClimate risks, poverty, and recovery financing in focus at CEPA policy panel
-
Business5 days agoHayleys Mobility ushering in a new era of premium sustainable mobility
-
Business2 days agoSLIM-Kantar People’s Awards 2026 to recognise Sri Lanka’s most trusted brands and personalities
-
Business5 days agoAdvice Lab unveils new 13,000+ sqft office, marking major expansion in financial services BPO to Australia
-
Business5 days agoArpico NextGen Mattress gains recognition for innovation
-
Business4 days agoAltair issues over 100+ title deeds post ownership change
-
Business4 days agoSri Lanka opens first country pavilion at London exhibition