Lionel Messi has set his sights on more Champions League glory after being unveiled as a Paris Saint-Germain player on Wednesday as hundreds of fans gathered outside the club’s stadium hoping to see their new idol. The 34-year-old Argentinian superstar was presented to media from all over the world at a news conference at the Parc des Princes after arriving in …

GENEVA: The World Health Organisation on Tuesday urged the 20 leaders with the power to overturn the “disgraceful” global imbalance in access to Covid-19 vaccines to reverse the tide before October. The WHO’s Bruce Aylward said the world should be “disgusted” — and asked whether the situation could have been any worse had there been an active effort to block …

BANGKOK: Riot police fired water cannons, rubber bullets and tear gas at protesters in Bangkok on Tuesday as hundreds rallied for democratic reform and against the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Demonstrators defied a ban on public gatherings as Thailand tries to quash its worst virus outbreak so far, with new cases hovering around the 20,000 mark daily. The …

LAHORE: Talha Talib has some regrets after narrowly missing out on an Olympic medal in Tokyo. But he is looking beyond that, and looking to do more for the country. He only wants some support. The difference between Talha and a maiden weightlifting medal for Pakistan at the Games was just two kilogrammes. A gap not insurmountable, he says. And …

NEW YORK: Queen Elizabeth II’s second son, Prince Andrew, was sued in a New York court on Monday for alleged sexual abuse of a woman who says she was “lent out” for underage sex by late US financier Jeffrey Epstein. The filing at the US district court in Manhattan said Virginia Giuffre was the plaintiff in the case against the …

PARIS: Six-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi received a hero’s welcome after arriving in the French capital on Tuesday to join Paris St Germain in a move that confirms the end of a career-long association with Barcelona. The agreement to sign the 34-year-old Argentine is a major coup for wealthy PSG, who will add one of the best footballers of …

MELBOURNE: Former New Zealand cricket all-rounder Chris Cairns is on life support at a Canberra hospital after recently collapsing with a heart problem, New Zealand media reported on Tuesday. Cairns, 51, had undergone several operations after suffering an aortic dissection but had not responded to treatment as hoped, Newshub reported. An aortic dissection is a tear in the body’s main artery. However, …

WELLINGTON: Black Caps captain Kane Williamson and several other senior players were on Tuesday excluded from upcoming tours to Bangladesh and Pakistan as New Zealand focus on the Twenty20 World Cup. New Zealand confirmed their World Cup line-up in an unprecedented 32-man white ball squad to handle a heavy workload over the next four months. In addition to the World …

LONDON: Moeen Ali has been recalled to the England squad for Thursday’s second Test against India. The 34-year-old all-rounder has played only one Test match in the last two years, against India in Chennai almost six months ago, but will link up with the team at Lord’s. England were outplayed for large periods of the drawn opener at Trent Bridge …

LONDON: Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the UK Moazzam Ahmad Khan on Tuesday said he is optimistic that the British government will remove Pakistan from its red list in the upcoming travel update on August 26. In a briefing to journalists here, Mr Khan outlined the mission’s engagement with British authorities on their decision to keep travel from Pakistan restricted, and …