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Davis Cup final 2023: Italy beat Australia to win first title for 47 years

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Italy clinched their first Davis Cup title in 47 years as Jannik Sinner dominated Alex de Minaur, securing a 2-0 victory over Australia in Malaga, Spain. Matteo Arnaldi set the tone with a tense 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 win over Alexei Popyrin in the opening singles, giving Italy a 1-0 lead. Sinner, in exceptional form, then cruised to a 6-3, 6-0 triumph against De Minaur, sealing the historic victory.

The win marked Italy’s second Davis Cup triumph, the previous one dating back to 1976. Sinner’s outstanding week, including a crucial win against Novak Djokovic in the semi-final, underscored his late-season brilliance. Italy’s path to victory also featured Matteo Berrettini’s positive contribution.

Sinner, ranked fourth globally, showcased his dominance by breaking De Minaur early and maintaining control throughout. The victory was not only a result of individual brilliance but also a collective effort, with Arnaldi playing a crucial role in securing the initial lead.

The Australian team, aiming for their 29th Davis Cup title, faced disappointment after back-to-back final losses, having been defeated by Canada the previous year. Italy’s triumph was a testament to their resilience, overcoming challenges and celebrating the win with jubilation.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni congratulated the team for their talent and commitment, acknowledging the historic achievement. The week in Malaga was marked by a fabulous atmosphere, reigniting debates about the competition format while affirming the success of the event organized by Malaga and the International Tennis Federation.

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Jamala: Ukrainian Eurovision winner added to Russia’s wanted list

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Ukrainian Eurovision song contest winner Jamala, whose real name is Susana Jamaladinova, has been added to Russia’s wanted list, according to state media. The accusations against her include spreading fake information about the Russian armed forces, a charge often used by the Kremlin against those critical of Russia’s actions. Jamala, known for openly criticizing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, was placed on the wanted list last month. The independent Russian human rights website Mediazona reported this, and details of the listing became widely known on Monday.

Russian breaking news Telegram channel Shot claimed that Jamala was added to the list for posting alleged “fakes” about atrocities in the Ukrainian town of Bucha in 2022. The Kremlin has denied responsibility for the Bucha massacre, despite evidence indicating Russian forces’ involvement. Jamala, currently in Australia after fleeing Ukraine with her family following the invasion, responded to the news by posting a photo of herself in front of the Sydney Opera House with a link to an article about it and a facepalm emoji.

Jamala won Eurovision in 2016 with the song “1944,” inspired by the forced deportation of her people, the Crimean Tatars, by Russia during that year. The song, perceived as addressing Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, caused controversy for allegedly breaking the competition’s rule against overtly political songs. However, organizers allowed it, and it ultimately won, defeating Russia. Jamala, in her 40s, has been vocal about using her music to give a strong voice to her homeland, Crimea, and to counter the historical narratives propagated by the Russian Empire and Soviet Union. She emphasized the importance of revealing the truth through her songs in her latest folk album, Qirim.

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Queen Letizia of Spain to be present at World Cup final against England

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Queen Letizia of Spain is set to travel to Australia to witness the World Cup final between England and Spain in Sydney on Sunday. Notably, no British royals will be present at the event.

The match marks the first-ever final appearance for both England’s Lionesses and the Spanish team in the women’s tournament. Although Prince William, the President of the Football Association, will support the England team from the UK, he has opted out of making the long-distance journey to Australia due to his focus on climate change concerns.

In contrast, Queen Letizia and her 16-year-old daughter, Infanta Sofia, will be attending the final, while King Felipe will be engaged in official obligations and won’t accompany them. The Royal Spanish Football Federation confirmed the queen’s participation, mentioning her prior visit to the team during training where she delivered a speech to the players and coaching staff.

Similarly, Prince William interacted with the Lionesses during training and awarded manager Sarina Wiegman an honorary CBE. Despite his absence from the event, Prince William is expected to watch the final on television. Both Prince William and King Charles conveyed their congratulations to the teams on their achievements and extended their best wishes for the upcoming final match.

Notably, England’s women had previously been awarded their medals by Prince William after winning the European championship, while Queen Elizabeth II had attended England’s men’s team’s World Cup final victory in 1966.

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German Foreign Minister’s Sydney Trip Derailed by Plane Defect

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German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock had to cancel her planned trip to Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji due to issues with her government plane. The 23-year-old Airbus A340-300 experienced repeated wing flap problems, forcing it to make emergency landings in Abu Dhabi twice within two days.

Baerbock expressed her frustration on social media, highlighting the unreliability of Germany’s government planes despite the country’s reputation for efficiency.

This is not the first time such problems have arisen; in 2018, the same Airbus plane caused then Chancellor Angela Merkel to miss a G20 summit due to technical faults.

Germany’s Luftwaffe Air Force announced the early retirement of the problematic plane, replacing it and another A340-300 with recently acquired A350 planes for top government officials.

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16-Year-Old Girl Killed By Shark During Swim With Dolphins in Australia

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In a river near Perth, the state capital of Western Australia, a 16-year-old girl lost her life on Saturday after being attacked by a shark. In the Fremantle port neighbourhood of Perth, police said they were called to the scene of the attack at 3:45 p.m. Saturday (0745 GMT), close to a traffic bridge in the Swan River.

According to a statement from the police, the girl was retrieved from the sea with critical injuries, but she passed away there.

The victim was swimming with a pod of dolphins in the river when the shark attack happened, according to a report on Sunday by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

According to the ABC, authorities are unsure of what kind of shark attacked the girl.

A 57-year-old man was killed by a great white shark at Perth’s Port Beach in November 2021, marking the final fatal shark attack in the waters around Western Australia.

In January 2021, a bull shark attacked a man who was swimming in the Swan River, seriously injuring him.

In the waters around Western Australia, there are more than 100 different kinds of shark, with bull sharks frequently encountered miles upriver.

According to the state administration, which has established a specialised shark response unit to collaborate with first responders on shark events, the danger of shark attacks in the state is low.The first shark attack fatality at the city’s beaches in 60 years resulted in the closure of many Sydney beaches on the east coast, including the famous Bondi and Bronte.

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Ukraine war: US says Iran now Russia’s ‘top military backer’

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The US claims that there is now a full-fledged defence alliance between Russia and Iran. According to John Kirby, a spokesperson for the US National Security Council, Russia is providing an unheard-of amount of military assistance.

The US is aware of rumours that the two nations are thinking about producing lethal drones together, he continues. It comes despite initial denials from Tehran after Ukraine charged Iran with providing Russia with “kamikaze” drones used in fatal assaults on October 17.

Later, the Middle Eastern nation acknowledged providing Moscow a small number of drones “several months” prior to the conflict. Volodymyr Zelensky, president of Ukraine, responded by claiming that this was untrue and that many more Iranian drones were in use.

In the early hours of Saturday, the Ukrainian air force claimed to have shot down 10 of the 15 such drones being deployed to strike southern regions. The majority of his territory experienced power outages, according to the governor of Odesa.

Australia has issued sanctions on three Iranian individuals and one Iranian company for providing drones to Russia for use against Ukraine.

Speaking on Friday, Mr. Kirby asserted that a joint drone-production venture between Iran and Russia would be detrimental to Ukraine, Iran’s neighbours, and the global community.

“Russia is seeking to collaborate with Iran in areas like weapons development, training,” he said, adding that the US fears that Russia intended to “provide Iran with advanced military components” including helicopters and air defence systems.

“Iran has become Russia’s top military backer…” he said. “Russia’s been using Iranian drones to strike energy infrastructure, depriving millions of Ukrainians of power, heat, critical services. People in Ukraine today are actually dying as a result of Iran’s actions.”

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly responded to Mr. Kirby’s remarks by claiming that Iran had turned into one of Russia’s primary military allies and that their alliance was endangering international security.

Iran has sent hundreds of drones to Russia as part of the “sordid negotiations” between the two nations, he claimed. Australia’s foreign minister, Penny Wong, issued the following statement on Saturday: “The sale of drones to Russia is proof of Iran’s contribution to the weakening of international security. This listing emphasises that individuals who give Russia material help will suffer the repercussions.”

Following the murder of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in jail earlier this year, she also announced actions against 19 additional people and two companies, including Iran’s Morality Police, for the cruel treatment of anti-government protestors.

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Dev Patel: Actor breaks up knife fight in Australia

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According to his representatives, Dev Patel was successful in stopping a knife fight that broke out earlier this week in Adelaide. The actor, who starred in Slumdog Millionaire, saw the altercation on Monday in Adelaide.

The victim was stabbed in the chest while the two were apparently fighting in the street and a convenience shop. According to a publicist for Patel, the actor “acted on his natural instinct.” The victim of the stabbing is anticipated to live.

Representatives for Dev Patel informed BBC News, “We can confirm that last night in Adelaide, Dev Patel and his pals observed a violent brawl that was already taking place outside of a convenience store.”

“Dev acted on his natural instinct to try and de-escalate the situation and break up the fight. The group was thankfully successful in doing so and they remained on site to ensure that the police and eventually the ambulance arrived.”

According to South Australia Police, officers responded to complaints of a man and woman fighting in the street at around 8.45 p.m. (local time). Before the lady allegedly stabbed the man in the chest, the couple proceeded to argue inside a neighbouring service station where bystanders attempted to break up the fight.

An ambulance officer provided on-site care to a 32-year-old Glengowrie resident before transporting him to the Royal Adelaide Hospital. There are no heroes in this circumstance, and regrettably this particular instance exposes a wider systemic problem of marginalised sections of society not receiving the respect and dignity they deserve.

Patel made his film debut in the British teen drama Skins. He has since gone on to star in such films as The Green Knight, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and Lion, for which he was nominated for an Oscar.

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Australia opens its doors before Assange

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The Australian government, for the first time, has declared openly but indirectly that his government would not resist the return of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is wanted in the US for espionage.

The allegation against the journalist is that under his leadership WikiLeaks leaked several sensitive details regarding the US military.

Recently, a United Kingdom court dismissed an extradition treaty filed against the journalist by the United States.

The US has announced its plan to appeal against the UK court verdict.

The latest development indicates that the case will reach the top court of the UK, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.

Australian lawmakers recently demanded the release of the journalist.

The Austrian government is not a party of the case against the journalist in the United Kingdom court.

The pressure is high over the Australian government to interfere in the legal proceedings against the journalist in the UK.

There is a rumour that the journalist is suffering from serious mental health problems.    

Mr. Assange is the most fearless journalist the world has ever seen. He has several followers across the world. Human rights organisations have demanded the release of the journalist. It is alleged that the cases against him in the US is politically motivated.

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Iran sends British-Austrian woman to notorious prison

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Kylie Moore-Gilbert, the British-Australian woman who was sentenced to ten-year-imprisonment for espionage in Iran, has been shifted to a notorious prison.

She was a lecturer at Melbourne University.

She was jailed in the year 2018. It was alleged that she was denied the opportunity for fair trial. She denied all charges levelled against her.

Australia has demanded immediate release of their citizen. It has warned Iran of serious consequences. It has asserted that the case of Dr. Moore was one of the highest priorities.

Iran has not yet responded about where she has been placed. A group of human rights activists have stated that she was admitted in Qarchak prison – which is notorious for its abusive treatment towards political prisoners.

It is notable that Iran has not yet denounced the statement made by the rights group regarding the matter.

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Australia close border between Victoria and New South Wales

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As Australia has witnessed a serious spike in Covid-19 cases in the recent past, the country has temporarily closed its border between Victoria and New South Wales, the two populous states in the country.

Melbourne, the capital of the Australian state of Victoria has witnessed hundreds of Covid-19 cases in the recent past.

The border between the two states was open, though the movement between these two states and other states was restricted.

It is the spike in the number of cases that has promoted the country to go this far – to impose a serious restriction.

The restriction means the travel between these two states will be restricted until the government decides otherwise.

As per a latest report, the decision to impose the restriction has been taken jointly by the central leadership and the state leadership.  

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