Cricket World Cup for blind women helps change attitudes

On a lush cricket ground outside Colombo the sharp jingling of a ball cuts through the afternoon air. Every rattle is a pushback against the stigma of disability.Sri Lanka and India are co-hosting the first T20 World Cup for visually impaired women.The semi-finals are on Saturday between India and Australia and Pakistan and Nepal, followed by the final on Sunday.India manager Shika Shetty told AFP that the sport has transformed lives and helped change attitudes.”I think this (world cup) is one of the biggest opportunities for our visually impaired girls,” said Shetty, who is not blind.India captain T.C. Deepika recalled the disbelief she faced when she first picked up the bat.”People were saying, ‘How do they do it? They must be lying,'” she said in a video posted by the Cricket Association for the Blind in India.”(Later) they realised I can do something. People began to see that I have ability,” Deepika added.- Playing by the ear -While able-bodied cricket requires players to keep an eye on the ball at all times, blind players must have sharp ears. The white plastic ball, the size of a tennis ball, is packed with ball bearings that rattle as it rolls.The bowler must ask the striker if he or she is ready and then yell “play” as the jingling ball is delivered underarm with at least one bounce.Like a regular cricket match, each side has 11 players, but at least four must be totally blind. They are required to wear blindfolds for fairness.Fielders clap once to reveal their positions.Others are partially sighted, classified by how far they can see — two metres for B2 players, six for B3. Each team can have up to eight B1, or totally blind, players. Any run scored by a B1 player is counted as two.- ‘Liberating’ -Chaminda Karunaratne says cricket has been both a refuge and a way to prove that blindness cannot impede his sporting ambitions.The blind 40-year-old Sri Lankan school teacher has represented his country in international tournaments and now wants women to share that space.”Cricket has done wonders, especially for my mental health,” Karunaratne said as the Indian and Pakistan women’s teams battled it out on the ground.”When you get into a sport like this it boosts your self-confidence, you can move more freely and you tend to take part in community activities,” he said. “That is liberating.”Karunaratne, a key member of the Sri Lanka Cricket Association for the Visually Handicapped, added: “I appeal to parents to send their blind girls to take up cricket. It is an opportunity to interact with others.””You can show that you are not helpless, not dependent,” he said.Association president Sudesh Tharanga admitted forming a women’s team had been a challenge, although nearly a million Sri Lankans are estimated to have some form of visual impediment.”We started assembling a team only after we were asked in September if we could co-host the T20 tournament in November,” Tharanga told AFP.Despite limited preparations Sri Lanka managed to field one of the tournament’s youngest squads.

Japan businesses brush off worries over China tourists

Shiina Ito has had fewer Chinese customers at her Tokyo jewellery shop since Beijing issued a travel warning in the wake of a diplomatic spat, but she said she was not concerned.A souring of Beijing-Tokyo relations this month, following remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi about Taiwan, has fuelled concerns about the impact on the ritzy boutiques, noodle joints and hotels where holidaymakers spend their cash.But businesses in Tokyo largely shrugged off any anxiety.”Since there are fewer Chinese customers, it’s become a bit easier for Japanese shoppers to visit, so our sales haven’t really dropped,” shop manager Ito told AFP.Chinese buyers normally make up half of the clientele at her business in the capital’s traditional Asakusa district, where crowds of tourists stroll through shop-lined alleys.Many tourism and retail businesses in Japan rely heavily on Chinese visitors, who spend more on average than other foreign tourists on everything from sushi to skincare.Some hotels, designer clothes shops and even pharmacies have Mandarin-speaking assistants, while department stores often have signs in Chinese.In Tokyo’s upscale Ginza district, Yuki Yamamoto, the manager of an Instagram-famous udon noodle restaurant, said he had not noticed any immediate impact on sales in the days since China warned its citizens to avoid Japan.”I don’t think there’s been any sudden, dramatic change,” he said, despite estimating that on a normal day around half the hungry diners who queue outside his door are Chinese.”Of course, if customers decrease, that’s disappointing for the shop. But Japanese customers still come regularly, so we’re not extremely concerned.”China is the biggest source of tourists to the archipelago, with almost 7.5 million visitors in the first nine months of 2025 — a quarter of all foreign tourists, according to official Japanese figures.Attracted by a weak yen, they splashed out the equivalent of $3.7 billion in the third quarter.Last year, each Chinese tourist spent on average 22 percent more than other visitors, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.However, a record 36.8 million arrivals from across the globe last year has also led to fears of overtourism affecting the daily lives of many in Japan.- ‘Economic coercion’ -On November 7, Takaichi implied Tokyo could intervene militarily in any attack on Taiwan, a self-ruled island which China claims as part of its territory.Beijing then advised Chinese citizens to avoid travelling to Japan, and retail and tourism stocks subsequently plunged. Most have yet to recover.In response, Kimi Onoda, Japan’s hawkish minister of economic security, warned of the danger of “relying too heavily on a country that resorts to economic coercion whenever it is displeased”.That “poses risks not only to supply chains but also to tourism”, she said.Wu Weiguo, the manager of a travel agency in Shanghai, said that “the biggest impact is on group travel”, with 90 percent of his clients requesting refunds for planned Japan itineraries.But according to the national tourism board, only around 12 percent of Chinese visitors last year came to the archipelago as part of organised tours, down from almost 43 percent in 2015.Transport Minister Yasushi Kaneko said the issue was not “something to get all worked up about”, noting an increase in arrivals from other countries.- ‘Take time’ -Nevertheless, hotels in Japan that heavily depend on Chinese customers are feeling the effects.”Cancellations from travel agencies in China are coming one after another,” said Keiko Takeuchi, who runs the Gamagori Hotel in central Japan. “About 50 to 60 percent of our customers are Chinese nationals.”I hope the situation calms down quickly, but it seems it will take time,” she fretted.Beijing has made clear it was furious with Takaichi, summoning Tokyo’s ambassador and, according to Chinese state media, postponing the release of at least two Japanese movies.But travel agency manager Wu said that the spat would not stop holidaymakers dreaming of Tokyo.”They believe the service is high-quality and shopping is reasonably priced,” he said.”Chinese people will continue to want to visit Japan.”mac-kh-tjx-aph/ami/lb

Ukraine scrambles to respond to US plan to end war

Ukraine scrambled Saturday to respond to a US plan to end the war that includes many of Russia’s hardline demands, with Kyiv saying it had discussed the next steps with several key European allies.  While President Volodymyr Zelensky has pushed back against the 28-point plan, Russian leader Vladimir Putin has welcomed the proposal, which would force Ukraine to give up land, cut its army and pledge never to join NATO. The United States bypassed Europe with the plan, but Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X he had “outlined the logic of our further steps” in a call with European counterparts, including from France, Britain and the EU’s foreign policy chief.British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper tweeted separately that “Ukraine must determine its future”.European leaders are due to meet Saturday on the sidelines of a G20 summit in South Africa to make it clear “that there should be nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine”, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said.US President Donald Trump has given Ukraine less than a week to sign but Zelensky on Friday pledged to work to ensure any deal would not “betray” Ukraine’s interests, acknowledging he risked losing Washington as an ally.Ukraine faces one of the most challenging moments in its history, Zelensky said in an address to the nation, adding that he would propose alternatives to Trump’s proposal.Putin said the blueprint could “lay the foundation” for a final peace settlement, but threatened more land seizures if Ukraine walked away from negotiations.Russia would gain territory, be reintegrated into the global economy and rejoin the G8, under a draft of the plan seen by AFP.- ‘He’ll have to like it’ -“Ukraine and its European allies are still living under illusions and dreaming of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia on the battlefield,” Putin said in a televised meeting with his security council. If Kyiv walks away, Russia claimed its recent recapturing of the Ukrainian city Kupiansk “will inevitably be repeated in other key areas of the front line”, Putin added.The Ukrainian army denies Russia has retaken Kupiansk, which Kyiv lost to Moscow the day it launched its invasion in 2022, then wrested back.Zelensky on Friday recalled how he marshalled Kyiv’s response to the Russian invasion, saying “we did not betray Ukraine then, we will not do so now”. “I will present arguments, I will persuade, I will propose alternatives,” he added.Trump said that November 27 — when the United States celebrates Thanksgiving — was an “appropriate time” to set for Zelensky to agree a deal, but he indicated it could be flexible.”He’ll have to like it, and if he doesn’t like it, then you know, they should just keep fighting,” Trump told reporters. “At some point he’s going to have to accept something.”Zelensky said after talks with US Vice President JD Vance that Ukraine continues to “respect” Trump’s desire to end the war. He also held an emergency call with the German, French and British leaders.The Ukrainian leader plans to speak directly to Trump soon, his office has said.- ‘Loss of dignity’ -In Kyiv, people were divided over whether Ukraine should engage with the proposal and negotiate a better position, or reject it as a capitulation. Yanina, a 41-year-old seamstress, predicted the proposal will lead nowhere and the war will continue. “Neither us nor Russia will make concessions,” she said. Earlier this week, Russia carried out one of its deadliest attacks this year and one of the worst on western Ukraine since the invasion. The death toll in the western city of Ternopil rose to 32, regional police said, after cruise missiles slammed into apartment blocks.The Ternopil attack came as Russia batters Ukraine’s energy grid ahead of winter, and with Kyiv’s stretched troops under pressure on the front line.To end the war, the US plan envisages recognising territories controlled by Moscow as “de facto” Russian, with Kyiv pulling troops out of parts of the Donetsk region. Kyiv would also cap its army at 600,000, rule out joining NATO and have no NATO troops deployed to its territory.In return, Ukraine would get unspecified “reliable security guarantees” and a fund for reconstruction using some Russia assets frozen in foreign accounts.”The pressure on Ukraine is one of the hardest. Ukraine may face a very difficult choice: either the loss of dignity or the risk of losing a key partner,” Zelensky said in his address.bur-ant-jc-asy/kjm/lb

Le sommet du G20 s’ouvre en Afrique du Sud, sans Trump

L’Ukraine et le climat devraient s’inviter au sommet des grandes économies du G20 qui s’ouvre samedi à Johannesburg, en l’absence de Donald Trump.Le président des Etats-Unis boycotte le sommet, organisé pour la première fois en Afrique, mais son plan pour mettre fin à la guerre en Ukraine s’est déjà imposé dans les débats en Afrique du Sud. La présidente de la Commission européenne Ursula von der Leyen a annoncé que les dirigeants européens présents à Johannesburg se réuniraient samedi pour en discuter en marge du G20.Les discussions prévues dans l’après-midi sur le climat seront également suivies de près, à l’heure où les négociations climatiques de la COP30 au Brésil semblent dans l’impasse. Vendredi, au dernier jour officiel de la rencontre à Belém en Amazonie, les discussions ont achoppé sur la question d’une éventuelle feuille de route pour sortir des énergies fossiles, et l’UE n’excluait pas que cette COP30 se termine sans accord. – Quel résultat? -Le G20 regroupe 19 pays plus l’Union européenne et l’Union africaine, et représente 85% du PIB mondial et environ deux tiers de la population.Le sommet de Johannesburg s’annonce symbolique: organisé pour la première fois en Afrique, il marque aussi la fin d’un cycle de présidences du G20 par des pays du “Sud global”, après l’Indonésie (2022), l’Inde (2023) et le Brésil (2024).Mais le gouvernement sud-africain est pris pour cible par Donald Trump depuis son retour à la Maison Blanche.Pour sa présidence du G20 cette année, Pretoria a affiché parmi ses priorités la création d’un panel international sur les inégalités économiques, à l’image du Giec pour le climat. L’allègement de la dette, les minerais de la transition énergétique, en abondance sur le continent, ou encore l’intelligence artificielle sont aussi au programme du sommet prévu jusqu’à dimanche.Le président sud-africain Cyril Ramaphosa arrivera-t-il à faire adopter une déclaration commune des dirigeants présents, et avec quelle ambition?”Nous espérons faire adopter la déclaration des dirigeants, qui fixera un programme nouveau et durable pour le monde, en particulier le G20″, a-t-il réaffirmé vendredi. Les Etats-Unis se sont opposés à la diffusion d’un communiqué final du G20, invoquant leur absence à un sommet dont “les priorités vont à l’encontre” des vues politiques de Washington.Un projet de déclaration a cependant été finalisé et sera transmis aux dirigeants, ont indiqué à l’AFP une source diplomatique et une source gouvernementale sud-africaine. L’intitulé habituel du document – “Déclaration des dirigeants du G20″ – a été modifié, ont ajouté ces deux sources, qui n’en ont pas divulgué le contenu.- Multilatéralisme -Les Sud-Africains se sont présentés tout au long de leur présidence en ardents défenseurs du multilatéralisme, dont le G20 est l’un des instruments.”Le multilatéralisme est notre meilleure, peut-être notre seule défense contre les bouleversements, la violence et le chaos. Et l’Afrique du Sud a mis le multilatéralisme en pratique”, a appuyé depuis Johannesburg le président du Conseil européen Antonio Costa.Donald Trump, lui, poursuit à marche forcée son offensive protectionniste et a sorti ces derniers mois les Etats-Unis de plusieurs instances internationales. Il a notamment initié le second retrait américain de l’accord de Paris sur le climat et n’a envoyé aucune délégation officielle à la COP30 au Brésil.Les Etats-Unis doivent malgré tout prendre le relais de la présidence tournante du G20 après l’Afrique du Sud. L’administration Trump a annoncé son intention de resserrer le sommet aux questions de coopération économique.

Des partisans de Franco défilent à Madrid après l’anniversaire de sa mort

Des centaines de nostalgiques du régime franquiste ont défilé vendredi à Madrid, au lendemain du 50e anniversaire de la mort de l’ancien dictateur Francisco Franco, dont l’héritage divise toujours l’Espagne.La Phalange, parti fasciste qui se réclame de l’héritage de la Phalange espagnole fondée en 1933 et pilier du régime franquiste (1939-1975), a manifesté contre ce …

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Major MAGA figure Greene resigns from US Congress

US lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene, an influential figure of the far right, announced Friday she is quitting her seat in Congress, one week after President Donald Trump pulled his support for the former staunch ally.In a video posted online, the 51-year-old Republican congresswoman from Georgia elected in 2020 said she had “always been despised in Washington DC and never fit in.”Greene said she did not want her supporters and family to endure “a hurtful and hateful primary against me by the President we all fought for, only to fight and win my election while Republicans will likely lose the midterms.”I will be resigning from office with my last day being January 5, 2026,” she said.Greene had previously been a standard-bearer of Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, but the president announced he was withdrawing all support for “‘Wacky’ Marjorie” on November 7.He followed up again the next morning with multiple posts on his Truth Social platform attacking Greene as a “lightweight” and even a “traitor” to the Republican Party.The former key political ally to Trump subsequently said she was being targeted by a wave of threats.The shock move by Greene was the clearest sign yet of a growing split in MAGA world, in churn over strong Democratic victories in this month’s off-year elections, and Trump’s chummy White House meeting earlier Friday with leftist mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.The movement has been particularly riven over Trump’s flip-flop on the case of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, whose web of contacts allegedly included several American elites.”Standing up for American women who were raped at 14, trafficked and used by rich powerful men should not result in me being called a traitor and threatened by the President of the United States, whom I fought for,” Greene said. 

G20 summit opens in South Africa without TrumpSat, 22 Nov 2025 01:49:28 GMT

A US-European rift over the future of Ukraine is set to overshadow a G20 summit starting in South Africa on Saturday further marked by Donald Trump’s pointed absence. The Johannesburg gathering is being attended by a host of world leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Brazilian President …

G20 summit opens in South Africa without TrumpSat, 22 Nov 2025 01:49:28 GMT Read More »