■ Thousands suffer in cold
More than 10,000 households in the northwest have been without heat since Saturday and face several more days of sub-zero temperatures after a boiler failed, Xinhua news agency said. The central boiler furnace failed at a power company in the city of Urumqi due to a build-up of coal dregs more than 30cm thick on its walls, Xinhua said yesterday. Company officials said that it could be three to five days before heat was restored. The company had been forced to buy the low-quality coal from small coal mines because its main contractor could only meet 80 percent of its demand, Xinhua said.
■ Australia
Stranded divers rescued
Divers have rescued two crew who spent 15 hours on the seabed in a stranded rescue submarine off Australia's west coast, the military said yesterday. The Australian Submarine Rescue Vehicle (ASRV) Remora ran into trouble at midnight local time on Monday when a winch system failed as it was being recovered during trials. After more than half a day in 130m deep water west of Perth, the vessel was brought to within 15m of the surface and the two crew were evacuated by divers.
■ Indonesia
Sex tape lawmaker resigns
A senior politician resigned from the country's largest political party after he was featured with a popular singer on a sex tape that was widely circulated in the country, media reports said yesterday. Yahya Zaini -- who is the head of the Golkar Party's religious affairs department, which has responsibility for moral issues -- submitted his resignation from the party, which was immediately approved by its chairman, Jusuf Kalla, who is also Indonesia's vice president.
■ Soccer
Bilbao's Orbaiz sidelined
Athletic Bilbao and Spain midfielder Pablo Orbaiz will be sidelined for up to eight months after rupturing a ligament in his right knee, his club said in a statement on Monday. Orbaiz sustained the injury on Sunday during Bilbao's 2-1 defeat by Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Orbaiz, who already had spent a month sidelined after straining a left knee ligament in October, was removed on a stretcher in the 56th minute. The setback is the latest in a series of serious knee injuries to strike the Primera Liga this season.
■ Speedskating
Cheek to receive award
Olympic speedskating champion Joey Cheek will receive the inaugural Heisman Humanitarian Award for his efforts to help refugees in war-ravaged Darfur. The Heisman Trophy Trust will honor Cheek at a dinner on Monday in New York. After winning gold and silver medals at the Turin Olympics this year, Cheek donated all of his performance bonuses -- a total of US$40,000 -- to Right To Play, a humanitarian organization founded by another Olympic champion, Johann Olav Koss. Cheek earmarked his money for refugees in Darfur, a region in the African nation of Sudan.
■ Sailing
Swiss wins Velux 5 first leg
Bernard Stamm of Switzerland started his defense of the Velux 5 Oceans by winning the first leg of the around-the-world solo race from Spain to Fremantle, on Australia's west coast. Stamm, sailing his self-built Open 60 Cheminees Poujoulat, arrived at Fremantle's port, the site of the 1987 America's Cup, at 7:18pm on Monday after 43 days and 20,000km of racing. Stamm, who left Bilbao, Spain with the rest of the race fleet on Oct. 22, was cheered by his partner, two children and support crew when he crossed the finish line. "I am very pleased to be here, to have won this leg and to be back on dry land," Stamm said.
■ Soccer
Henry dismisses rift rumors
Arsenal striker Thierry Henry dismissed rumors of a fallout with manager Arsene Wenger, saying in an interview published on Monday that he would stay with the team for life. Henry told L'Equipe that reports of a rift between him and Wenger were off target. They originated, he said, from a heated talk in the locker room about his leg injury. Wenger told Henry to take time off to heal, which upset the 29-year-old Arsenal captain. "I was worked up because I couldn't help my team on the pitch," he said. "That's hard for me to accept. But I didn't argue with Arsene Wenger."
■ MotoGP
Rossi excited about race
Valentino Rossi will be racing even closer to home next season at the Misano track, which was introduced on Monday for next year's MotoGP season. The race, to be held Sept. 2, will be called the San Marino and Rimini Riviera Grand Prix. Rossi is from the nearby town of Tavullia. "I'm seriously worried about what could happen. I think I'm going to have to turn my cell phone off then because the entire world is going to call me for tickets," Rossi said. "Joking aside, Tavullia is right around the corner and I'm sure the fans will come en masse." Misano last was used for a motorcycle grand prix in September 1993. Italian Luca Cadalora won, although the race was remembered more for the crash of Wayne Rainey while the US rider was leading.
A stunning Lamine Yamal strike on Thursday helped crown Barcelona La Liga champions with a 2-0 win over local rivals RCD Espanyol, with victory ensuring Real Madrid cannot catch them at the top of the table. Yamal’s effort and Fermin Lopez’s goal took Hansi Flick’s side seven points clear of Los Blancos with two matches remaining, to clinch Barcelona’s 28th title and complete a superb domestic treble. Only the UEFA Champions League title escaped an exciting young Barca side this season, as they won the league for the second time in six years, at Espanyol’s ground again just as in 2022-2023. Back then,
SSC Napoli will have to wait one more week to seal the Serie A title after on Sunday being held to a goalless draw at Parma, while closest rivals Inter drew 2-2 in a dramatic game with SS Lazio. Antonio Conte’s team stayed one point ahead of Inter and were unfortunate not to win after twice striking the woodwork through Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Matteo Politano, while Scott McTominay also had a free-kick tipped onto the crossbar. The away side thought they would be handed a chance to take the points from the penalty spot in the 96th minute when David Neres
Jannik Sinner on Thursday marched into the semi-finals of the Italian Open after destroying Casper Ruud in straight sets 6-0, 6-1, while Coco Gauff won a marathon three-set battle with China’s Zheng Qinwen to advance to the women’s singles final. American Gauff is to face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in today’s title match after pulling through 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4) in a match that lasted over three-and-a-half hours. Ruud was supposed to be Sinner’s toughest test in Rome since he came back from his three-month doping ban, as the Norwegian came into the match in hot form on clay after winning in
Shohei Ohtani on Thursday delivered his first two-homer game of the season and had six RBIs as the Los Angeles Dodgers poured it on with five long balls in a 19-2 victory over the visiting Athletics. Max Muncy, Andy Pages and James Outman also hit home runs for the Dodgers, who left no doubt by taking a 13-2 lead following a seven-run third inning. Muncy and Kim Hye-seong each had three hits for Los Angeles. Dodgers right-hander Matt Sauer led off a bullpen game by allowing two runs in four innings. Left-hander Justin Wrobleski (1-1) finished with four scoreless innings after he
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