Author: AFP

Philippines’ richest man Sy dies at 94

MANILA: The Philippines’ wealthiest man Henry Sy, who rose from being a penniless Chinese immigrant to leading a multi-billion dollar business empire, died on Saturday, his conglomerate has announced. The 94-year-old, from the Chinese city of Xiamen, made his fortune with a Philippine shopping centre conglomerate that has put up

Pacquiao lighter for Las Vegas return

LAS VEGAS: Filipino star Manny Pacquiao tipped the scales half a pound lighter here Friday for his WBA welterweight title bout against Adrien Broner. A trim-looking Pacquiao, who faces Broner at Las Vegas’s MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday, weighed in at exactly 146 pounds. Broner, who is determined to

Halep downs Venus, sets up Serena clash

MELBOURNE: World number one Simona Halep hit form to cruise past Venus Williams yesterday and set up a mouth-watering Australian Open last 16 clash with her sister Serena. The Romanian top seed defeated Williams 6-2, 6-3 in one hour 17 minutes to post her best performance so far at this

Woman convicted of forcing maid to hurt herself

SINGAPORE: Would you be so cruel as to abuse your maid by asking her to drink water laced with detergent? A Singaporean woman was found guilty yesterday of abusing her Myanmar maid, including forcing her to pour hot water onto herself and to drink water laced with floor cleaner. The

China growth slowest in decades in 2018: Survey

BEIJING: China’s economy grew at its slowest pace in almost three decades in 2018, analysts in an AFP poll said, as the government struggles to contain ballooning debt and a bruising trade war with the United States. And in a sign of the battle Beijing faces in getting things back

Pacquiao ready for Broner

LOS ANGELES: Manny Pacquiao is aiming to offer fresh evidence that life begins at 40 when the Filipino veteran takes on Adrien Broner on Saturday in his first fight in Las Vegas for more than two years. Pacquiao, who celebrated his 40th birthday last month with a lavish birthday party

Arrests and a Chinese football club in meltdown

SHANGHAI: When Brazilian star Alexandre Pato jetted out of China for his holidays he played for Tianjin Quanjian. Two months and a dozen arrests later, the club as he knew it is gone. In its place is a new incarnation, although whether Pato is still there when the Chinese Super

Frampton fighting to help religious integration in Northern Ireland

LONDON: Northern Ireland’s former two-weight world boxing champion Carl Frampton grew up as a boy watching the riots that flared up between Protestants and Catholics in Belfast, but now he is banging the drum for both communities to come together. The 31-year-old – the only Northern Irish boxer to hold

Thunder coach fumes after lights go out at the Gabba

BRISBANE, Australia: Fuming Sydney Thunder coach Shane Bond has urged a review of the rules after farcical scenes in Australia’s Big Bash League when a game was abandoned after the lights went out. The Thunder had plundered 186 for four against Brisbane Heat in the competition on Thursday evening, anchored

Yuzvendra Chalal spins India into winning position in final ODI

MELBOURNE: India leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (pic) captured the best figures by any bowler in one-day cricket in Australia to restrict the home side to just 230 in the third and deciding game in Melbourne on Friday. Chahal, playing in his first match in the series after coming in for Test