Tag: Australian

Australian Academic and Colleagues Taken Hostage in Papua New Guinea

An Australian professor and three colleagues are believed to have been taken hostage in a remote area of Papua New Guinea (PNG). The ABC is reporting on Monday that a group of armed men in the highlands region have taken the four researchers at gunpoint, and it is alleged that a ransom demand has been made…


Djokovic Played Australian Open With 3 Centimeter Tear in Hamstring, Says Tiley

Novak Djokovic played with a three-centimeter (1.2 inches) tear in his hamstring during his run to a record-extending 10th Australian Open title, tournament director Craig Tiley said on Wednesday. The Serbian, who suffered the hamstring injury en route to winning the warm-up title in Adelaide, won the season-opening major after beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in Sunday’s…


Indian Court Grants Extradition for Australia Murder Suspect

NEW DELHI—A court in New Delhi on Tuesday approved an extradition request for the prime suspect in the killing of a woman on an Australian beach four years ago. Rajwinder Singh, who is of Indian origin, was arrested in November on the outskirts of the Indian capital. His arrest came three weeks after he was…


Famed Australian Olympian and Rugby Player Dies Suddenly at 35

Australian rugby player and bobsledder Simon Dunn has died suddenly at 35 years of age, officials have confirmed. Dunn, reportedly the first openly gay man to represent any country in bobsleighing, was found dead in his Sydney apartment on Jan. 21, New South Wales (NSW) Police confirmed. The circumstances surrounding his death are not being treated as suspicious, according to police….


Swiatek, Gauff Lose at Australian Open; Korda in 1st Slam QF

MELBOURNE, Australia—It all came so seemingly easy for Iga Swiatek last season—two Grand Slam trophies, eight titles overall, a 37-match winning streak, a lengthy stay at No. 1 in the rankings. Those accomplishments made everyone else expect constant greatness from Swiatek, which she can’t do anything about. They also changed the way she approached big…


Nadal Grinds Down Cramping Draper to Reach 2nd Round

MELBOURNE—Defending champion Rafa Nadal dropped a set but prevailed in a battle of fitness against rising talent Jack Draper to reach the second round of the Australian Open on Monday with an unconvincing 7–5 2–6 6–4 6–1 win. Fellow lefthander Draper played superbly to level the match at a set all on a warm and…


Djokovic, Nadal Can Only Meet in Final at Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Australia—Rivals Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal were placed on opposite halves of the Australian Open bracket in the draw Thursday, meaning the owners of a combined 43 Grand Slam singles titles could only meet in the final at Melbourne Park. Djokovic, a nine-time champion in Australia, returns to the hard-court tournament after missing it…


Players Could Play at Australian Open With COVID: Tournament Director Tiley

MELBOURNE—Players at this month’s Australian Open will not be required to take COVID-19 tests and could play even if they had the virus, tournament director Craig Tiley said on Monday. The health policy, which Tiley said reflected what was happening in the wider community, is a marked change from strict protocols which surrounded the tournament…


Nadal Not Too Worried by Shaky Start to Season Before Australian Open

Rafa Nadal said losing two straight matches was hardly the ideal preparation for his Australian Open title defense, but the world number two believes he had no reason to feel alarmed ahead of the season’s first Grand Slam starting in two weeks. Following an injury-ravaged 2022, Nadal lost his United Cup mixed team event opener…


‘Asia’s El Chapo’ Extradited to Australia to Face Drug Trafficking Charges

WELLINGTON—Australian Federal Police (AFP) said on Thursday it had taken the head of a global drug trafficking syndicate, dubbed “Asia’s El Chapo,” into custody after he was extradited from the Netherlands. The AFP said the arrest is the culmination of a long-running investigation into an organized crime syndicate known as “Sam Gor”, or “The Company”,…