Six-time Australian Open champion Serena Williams progressed to the second round with a straight-set win over Swiss teenager Belinda Bencic. The American, 35, won 6-4 6-3 in one hour and 19 minutes against the 19-year-old in Melbourne on Tuesday. The world number two, who is chasing a record 23rd singles Grand Slam title, said she … Read more
Roger Federer glided around the court as if he had never been away, each shot eroding any hopes Jurgen Melzer had of ending one of tennis’s most anticipated comebacks prematurely. Federer, playing in his first official match after a six-month injury break, slammed 46 winners in a 7-5 3-6 6-2 6-2 defeat of the Austrian … Read more
Novak Djokovic withstood a comeback from Sir Andy Murray to defend his Qatar Open title and end the Briton’s winning streak of 28 consecutive ATP Tour matches. Murray remains world number one despite the 6-3 5-7 6-4 defeat by the Serbian world number two. The Scot saved three match points to come from a set … Read more
Auckland Classic organisers have appealed for Serena Williams to return next year despite the world number two lashing out at conditions following her shock second-round exit. Williams said she “abhorred” the Auckland wind and called the conditions the “least favourite” she had played in after losing 6-4, 6-7 (7/5), 6-4 to world number 72 Madison … Read more
Australian anti-terror police have charged a man for making threats against Sydney’s New Year’s Eve celebrations. The 40-year-old man was arrested at Sydney Airport on Thursday after arriving on a plane from London. The alleged threats were made on social media, said Acting Deputy Commissioner Frank Mennilli. Police also raided a house and a storage … Read more
Southeast Asian security forces were on alert on Friday ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays after two bomb plots were foiled in Australia and Indonesia and the arrest of suspected militants in Malaysia. Australian police said on Friday they had prevented attacks on prominent sites in Melbourne on Christmas Day that authorities described … Read more
Australian police arrested seven people overnight Friday as part of an investigation into a plot to attack central Melbourne on or around Christmas Day. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called it “one of the most substantial terrorist plots that have been disrupted over the last several years.” Agencies within the country’s Joint Counter Terrorism Team arrested … Read more
Pop star Adele has dominated the BBC Music Awards for a second year in a row – without making an appearance. The singer picked up two of the main prizes – song of the year, for Hello, and album of the year, for 25. “I’m so sorry I’m not there,” she said in a message … Read more
Soren Kjeldsen and Thorbjorn Olesen shot a six-under 66 in the fourballs to give Denmark a first World Cup of Golf victory by four strokes. The Danes started the final day in Melbourne with a four-shot cushion, and seven birdies, combined with a single bogey, gave them the win on 20 under. “It’s difficult to … Read more
An Australian militant thought dead is still alive and under arrest in the Middle East, according to reports. The Australian government in May said Neil Prakash, a senior recruiter for the so-called Islamic State group, had been killed in a US air strike. He died in the Iraqi city of Mosul, Attorney-General George Brandis said … Read more
Jessica Ennis-Hill, who won heptathlon gold for Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics, has retired from athletics. The 30-year-old had hinted at retirement after winning a silver medal at the Rio Olympics in August. In a post on social media, Ennis-Hill – also a double world champion – said it was “one of the … Read more
The pound has plunged in Asian trade, hitting a new 31-year low against the US dollar as traders speculate about a possible trigger. It fell more than 6% at one point to $1.1841 before recovering to $1.23, still 1.5% down from late US levels. Analysts say an algorithm reacting to a news report was the … Read more
Donald Trump has promised to hit harder at Clinton in next debate After a long night on Long Island on Monday, Donald Trump showed no signs of wavering at an evening rally inside an airport hangar in Melbourne, Florida in front of a friendly crowd. A day removed from the debate stage, Trump stuck close … Read more
Michael Essien’s move to Australian side Melbourne Victory has fallen through at the eleventh hour, the club has announced. The former Chelsea superstar was expected to join the A-League side on a 12-month guest marquee deal after agreeing his release from Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos. But the 33-year-old failed to reach personal terms with Melbourne, with … Read more
Australia will offer more help to South East Asian countries to prevent terror attacks across the region. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is set to discuss security with other leaders at the Asean summit in Laos. Mr Turnbull has signalled he would like to expand Australia’s counter-terrorism arrangements with Indonesia, Malaysia and other neighbouring countries. It … Read more
A teenager who plotted to run over and behead a police officer as part of an Islamic State movement-inspired attack on an Australian Veterans’ Day ceremony was sentenced on Monday to 10 years in prison. Sevdet Besim, 19, had faced a maximum sentence of life in prison after pleaded guilty in Victoria state’s Supreme Court … Read more