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Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and a number of top cricketers have landed in New York to participate in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) roadshow, scheduled for today. The glittering roadshow will feature cricket legends Wasim Akram and Ramiz Raja, alongside T20I captain Salman Agha and players Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood, Abrar Ahmed, Saim Ayub, and Faheem Ashraf. After landing in New York, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said the PSL is now shining on the international stage and expressed optimism about the New York event, drawing parallels with the success of the recent London roadshow held at Lord’s Cricket Ground. The roadshow was aimed at multiplying global interest in PSL teams, promote franchise bidding, and engage overseas Pakistani and international investors. The PCB has also announced an extension in the bidding submission deadline to encourage broader participation. Officials expressed the hope that the New York leg of the roadshow will further enhance P...

The UK is facing an "unprecedented wave of super flu", a health chief has warned, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer Friday denounced "reckless" plans by doctors to launch a five-day strike next week. "The 'super flu' epidemic sweeping the country means this is the NHS's most precarious moment since the pandemic," Starmer wrote in The Guardian daily referring to the National Health Service. The resident doctors strikes just before Christmas "should not happen. They are reckless. They place the NHS and patients who need it in grave danger," he added. NHS figures published on Thursday showed flu cases at a record level for the time of year. The number of cases jumped 55 percent in a week to an average of 2,660 patients in hospital each day last week. "With record demand... and an impending resident (junior) doctors strike, this unprecedented wave of super flu is leaving the NHS facing a worst-case scenario for this time of year,...

Let’s address the cocoa-dusted elephant in the room: chocolate has long been blamed for everything from acne to derailed diets. But science—real, peer-reviewed, lab-tested science has been quietly saying what chocolate lovers always suspected: chocolate, especially the dark and serious kind, isn’t the villain. It’s misunderstood. Possibly heroic. Occasionally life-saving (we’ll get there). Here are seven scientifically backed—and joyfully indulgent—reasons chocolate deserves a permanent place in your life. 1. Chocolate is basically a cardiologist in a wrapper A major meta-analysis published in The BMJ (2011) found that people who consumed chocolate more frequently had a 37% lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Cocoa is rich in flavanols, compounds that improve blood vessel function and reduce inflammation. Imagine eating a square of dark chocolate after lunch. Your arteries relax, blood flows more smoothly, and somewhere inside, your heart forgets every heartbreak it’s ever end...

The International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Thursday that it has launched ticket sales for the Men’s T20I World Cup 2026, with more than two million tickets available in the first phase. In a statement, the ICC said it set at as low as INR100 in India and LKR1,000 in Sri Lanka, the two hosting countries of the 20-team tournament. The details regarding the second phase of the T20 World Cup 2026 ticket sale will be announced in due course. "The low and affordable pricing for Phase I has been done to give cricket fans a fair and equitable opportunity to purchase tickets in the landmark 10th edition of the tournament," the ICC said in a statement. ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta termed the first phase of ticket sales an "important milestone" in their strategy of delivering the most accessible and global cricket event ever staged. "Phase I of ticket sales is an important milestone in our journey towards delivering the most accessible and global ICC event ever staged...

Peptide research continues to expand scientific understanding of molecules involved in energy regulation, cellular signaling, and tissue function. Among the compounds drawing significant interest is Fragment 176-191, a 16–amino acid sequence derived from the C-terminal region of human growth hormone (HGH). Although it lacks the broad physiological activity associated with full-length HGH, recent studies suggest the fragment may participate in more targeted metabolic processes, prompting ongoing investigation into its potential scientific relevance. Researchers note that the fragment appears to engage signaling pathways associated primarily with lipid turnover and energy homeostasis rather than the wider metabolic and mitogenic effects typically linked to HGH. This narrower scope has made the compound a point of interest for scientists examining specialized aspects of metabolic regulation. Structural Selectivity Under Study Fragment 176-191 retains partial structural motifs from ...

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is carrying out a wide-ranging investigation into deaths that may be linked to Covid-19 vaccines, a spokesperson for President Donald Trump’s vaccine-sceptic health secretary confirmed on Tuesday. Since Trump appointed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, the administration has launched a sweeping review of national vaccine policies — a move that has raised alarm among medical experts. “FDA is conducting a comprehensive investigation across multiple age groups into deaths potentially associated with Covid vaccines,” Andrew Nixon, spokesperson for the department, told AFP. Bloomberg and The Washington Post previously reported on the inquiry. The probe, initially aimed at examining possible child deaths, has drawn intense scrutiny after the leak of an internal FDA memo in late November. The document, attributed to a senior agency official, alleged that Covid vaccines were linked to at least 10 infant de...

Fast bowler Mark Wood will play no further part in the Ashes tour and is to fly home from Australia at the weekend, England announced Tuesday. Wood, 35, returned to action in the first Test in Perth after surgery kept him out for eight months, only to miss the second match in Brisbane after his left knee flared up again. “Wood will return home later this week and will work closely with the ECB medical team on his rehabilitation and recovery,” said an England statement. Wood said he was “gutted” in a lengthy post on social media. “After extensive surgery and months of work and rehab to get back into the Test arena, my knee just hasn’t held up,” he said. Wood will be replaced in the squad by Matthew Fisher, 28, who won his only Test cap on a tour of the West Indies in 2022. Fisher has been with the second-string England Lions squad in Australia. “None of us expected this,” said Wood, whose absence will be a big blow to England who are already 2-0 down in the five-match series. ...

Ahead of Australia’s T20 cricket tour to Pakistan scheduled for the last week of January 2026, Cricket Australia’s recce team arrived in Lahore on Tuesday to review security and match arrangements. Sources said the team will inspect key venues, including Qaddafi Stadium, NCA, and LCCA grounds. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) along with security officials will provide briefings on the measures in place for the tour. Pakistan and Australia are set to face each other in three T20 Internationals in Lahore. via Original Source

New Zealand will be without key players Matt Henry, Mitchell Santner, and Nathan Smith for the remainder of their three-match Test series against the West Indies, the Black Caps confirmed on Monday. Henry and Smith suffered calf and side-strain injuries, respectively, during the drawn first Test in Christchurch, which contributed to New Zealand’s inability to bowl out the West Indies in the fourth innings. Santner did not feature in the match. With the second Test set to begin on Wednesday in Wellington, coach Rob Walter is expected to bring in at least one debutant. Canterbury seamer Michael Rae and Northern Districts quick Kristian Clarke have been added to the squad. Clarke, who was part of New Zealand’s recent 3-0 ODI series win over England, has yet to make his Test debut. Rae is being included in a Black Caps squad for the first time. New Zealand's other seam options are Jacob Duffy and Zak Foulkes, who played the first Test in Christchurch, and Blair Tickner. Walter ...

US President Donald Trump attended Washington’s Kennedy Centre on Friday for the FIFA World Cup 2026 draw, insisting he wasn’t there to collect any honours — but ended up receiving FIFA’s inaugural Peace Prize. The unexpected award came in a year where Trump has publicly pursued a Nobel nomination, presenting himself as a dealmaker in some of the world’s most volatile regions. The Kennedy Centre event was a glitzy, celebrity-studded affair dominated by Trump, overshadowing other leaders in attendance, including Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum. FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who hosted the ceremony, staged the three leaders behind brightly colored podiums “game-show style” for the draw and later joined them for a group selfie. “This will be unique, this will be stellar, this will be spectacular,” Infantino said at the start of the ceremony, referring both to the 2026 World Cup and the Kennedy Centre event itself, which was held in Was...

Australia’s Mitchell Starc on Thursday broke Pakistan legend Wasim Akram’s long-standing record to become the most prolific left-arm quick in Test history during the ongoing Ashes Test against England at the Brisbane Cricket Ground. Starc, who claimed the crucial wickets of Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Harry Brook in the day-night clash, has now become the highest-wicket taker among left-arm pacers in Test cricket. Akram previously held the record with 414 wickets in 104 Tests, while Starc surpassed him with 415 wickets in just 102 matches. Starc produced a sensational opening spell, dismissing Duckett and Pope for ducks, putting England under early pressure and setting the tone for the day. His remarkable performance helped him achieve more milestones in the format. England won the toss and elected to bat, while the hosts fielded an all-pace attack, resting veteran spinner Nathan Lyon for only the second time at home since 2012, with Pat Cummins unavailable. Starc struck on the...

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday revealed the shortlist for the Men’s Player of the Month award for November, featuring star performers from South Africa, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. South Africa’s experienced off-spinner Simon Harmer leads the nominations after a stellar Test series against India, claiming 17 wickets and steering the Proteas to their first Test series win on Indian soil in 25 years. Harmer was nearly unplayable in the Kolkata and Guwahati Tests, finishing the series with an outstanding bowling average of 8.94. His match-winning 6 for 37 earned him the Player of the Series accolade, cementing his spot among the month’s top performers. Bangladesh’s Taijul Islam also made the shortlist after a commanding display in the Test series against Ireland. The left-arm spinner picked up 13 wickets and played a crucial role in Bangladesh’s 2–0 series sweep, performances that earned him the Player of the Series title. Pakistan’s Mohammad Nawaz completes the tr...

England were dismissed for 334 in their first innings of the day-night second Ashes Test against Australia in Brisbane on Friday, with Joe Root remaining unbeaten on 138. The visitors resumed day two on 325-9, with Root guiding England from a precarious 5-2 early on. This marked his first century on Australian soil and 40th overall in Test cricket. Root and Jofra Archer added nine more runs for the final wicket before Archer fell for a career-best 38, caught brilliantly by Marnus Labuschagne off Brendan Doggett. Their 70-run 10th-wicket partnership set a new record for England at the Gabba. Earlier, opener Zak Crawley scored 76 and Harry Brook added 31 to England’s total. For Australia, veteran Mitchell Starc was the standout bowler, taking 6-75, and in the process, surpassed Wasim Akram to become the most successful left-arm fast bowler in Test cricket history. Australia won the first Test in Perth by eight wickets inside two days. via Original Source

The countdown to the first 48-team World Cup begins in earnest on Friday as the draw for the 2026 finals takes place in Washington, with Donald Trump set to dominate much of the attention. The most logistically complex World Cup in history will be held across North America from June 11 to July 19, with 16 more teams added to the global showpiece, up from the 32 nations involved in Qatar in 2022. Friday’s ceremony, at the Kennedy Center on the banks of the Potomac River, will be a star-studded event but Trump will take centre stage. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has developed a close relationship with Trump, including making several visits to the White House. Now the US President is widely expected to be the first ever recipient of the FIFA Peace Prize, which will be awarded during the draw ceremony, “to recognize the enormous efforts of those individuals who unite people, bringing hope for future generations,” as Infantino put it. Even the choice of draw venue is a nod to Trum...

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday confirmed the schedule for Pakistan’s tour of Sri Lanka in January 2026, where the team will play a three-match T20I series as part of preparations for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. All three matches are set to be played at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium (RDICS) in Dambulla on January 7, 9, and 11. According to the PCB, the series will provide Pakistan with crucial match practice ahead of next year’s global tournament. Pakistan has been drawn in Group A for the T20 World Cup, with all their matches scheduled to be played in Colombo. The tournament will take place from February 7 to March 8, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. The announcement comes as the Men in Green wrapped up a successful 2025 cricket season, finishing home series victories over South Africa and Sri Lanka. Pakistan first hosted South Africa in October, winning both the three-match T20I and ODI series 2-1. They then defeated Sri Lanka 3-0 in a...

Australian all-rounder batter Glenn Maxwell pulled out of the auction of the Indian Premier League's (IPL) 19th edition, terming it a "big call", after "having many unforgettable seasons." Maxwell made the announcement on his Instagram account; however, he did not reveal the reason for opting not to play the IPL 2026. "After many unforgettable seasons in the IPL, I've decided not to put my name in the auction this year. It's a big call, and one I make with a lot of gratitude for everything this league has given me," the 37-year-old wrote. "The IPL has helped shape me as a cricketer and as a person. I've been lucky to play with world-class teammates, represent incredible franchises, and perform in front of fans whose passion is unmatched. " Maxwell added, "The memories, the challenges, and the energy of India will stay with me forever. Thank you for all your support over the years. Hopefully see you soon." The expl...

Former England cricketer Moeen Ali has announced his return to the Pakistan Super League (PSL), saying he was excited to be part of the league's "new era". After the 10th edition of the PSL earlier this year, the league is set for an expansion to eight teams, with the addition of two new franchises. Meanwhile, Moeen, who has previously featured in the marquee league when he represented former champions Multan Sultans in the 2020 and 2021 editions, expressed his eagerness to rejoin the league. Moeen stated that the PSL, since its advent in 2016, has "earned a reputation for top-level T20 cricket", featuring close competition and talented players. "I'm really excited to be joining HBL PSL in its New Era. The league has earned a reputation for top-level T20 cricket, with high-quality competition and world-class talent across every team," Moeen wrote on Instagram. The 38-year-old, who represented England in 68 Tests, 138 ODIs and 92 T20Is during...