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A strong earthquake killed at least 20 people in northern Afghanistan, authorities said Monday, just months after another deadly tremor that left the country reeling.The 6.3-magnitude quake struck overnight at a depth of 28 kilometres (17 miles) with the epicentre near the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, according to the US Geological Survey.”All the houses were struck and people were hurt,” resident Ahmad Khan told AFP in Tashqurghan village as people searched through the rubble.”We’re asking the government to help with reconstruction.”Across Samangan and Balkh provinces “534 people have been injured and more than 20 fatalities have been taken to hospitals”, health ministry spokesman Sharafat Zaman told journalists.In Mazar-i-Sharif, one of Afghanistan’s largest northern cities, an AFP correspondent saw residents scrambling out into the streets.The city’s famed Blue Mosque, a 15th-century landmark known for its vibrant tiles, was also damaged.Pieces of the structure, particularly from one of its minarets, broke off and lay scattered across the mosque’s grounds, one of the country’s few remaining tourist spots.The culture ministry pledged to immediately take “the necessary measures to assess and repair the damage”.Correspondents in the capital Kabul, around 420 kilometres by road to the south, also felt shaking.Poor communication networks and infrastructure in mountainous Afghanistan have hampered disaster responses in the past, preventing authorities for hours or even days from reaching far-flung villages to assess the extent of the damage.- ‘Fear and uncertainty’ -The defence ministry said it had cleared and reopened the main road between Mazar-i-Sharif and the town of Kholm, and that it had rescued people who had been stranded there overnight.”Numerous homes have been destroyed, and significant material losses have been incurred,” Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman for the Taliban authorities, wrote on X, without specifying a number.It is the latest natural disaster for the Taliban government, which has faced three major deadly earthquakes since taking over Afghanistan in 2021, even as the foreign aid that formed the backbone of the country’s economy has dramatically dropped.In August, a shallow 6.0-magnitude quake in the country’s east wiped out mountainside villages and killed more than 2,200 people.According to the World Bank, the August earthquake caused an estimated $183 million worth of damage to buildings and infrastructure.The UN’s humanitarian agency, OCHA, estimates 221,000 people are still in “acute need” of assistance in the east.Save the Children, which is dispatching a team to Samangan, warned “thousands of children in the earthquake-devastated east of the country are facing the winter with only tents for protection”.”Now, families in the north are also experiencing fear and uncertainty,” said Samira Sayed Rahman, the charity’s programme development and advocacy director for Afghanistan.Earthquakes are common in Afghanistan, particularly along the Hindu Kush mountain range, near where the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates meet.Large tremors in western Herat, near the Iranian border, in 2023, and in eastern Nangarhar province in 2022 killed hundreds and destroyed thousands of homes.Many homes in the predominantly rural country — devastated by decades of war — are shoddily built.Afghanistan is suffering from a humanitarian crisis compounded by drought, economic restrictions on the banking sector, and the pushback of millions of Afghan citizens from neighbouring Iran and Pakistan.The United Nations and aid agencies have warned that hunger is rising.

India’s historic Women’s World Cup victory has sparked an excitement which it is hoped will inspire the next generation and draw new fans to the sport.Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expected to meet the winners on Wednesday, believes the “historic win will motivate future champions to take up sports”.Hosts India defeated South Africa by 52 runs on Sunday, claiming their first-ever Women’s World Cup.At the top level, gender parity has long been championed by former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah, who introduced equal match fees for men and women.The 50-over World Cup also boasted a record $13.88 million prize purse, eclipsing the men’s total from two years ago.Shah, now International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman, hailed the win, citing the BCCI’s “increased investment, pay parity with male cricketers (and), overhaul of the coaching staff”.Former India skipper Mithali Raj described it as the culmination of years of effort.”For every person standing behind a young girl who dares to dream of wearing India’s colours, this is a pivotal moment, a reminder that dreams do come true,” she wrote, posting a photograph of herself embracing the trophy.- ‘Women’s fast-growing influence’ -Despite the triumph, women’s sports in India still have far to go and the impact of the World Cup win may be gradual.”The gender gap is stark, especially during adolescence and early adulthood,” according to a 2024 State of Sports and Physical Activity report, backed by global consultancy firm Dalberg.”The largest gender gaps unsurprisingly occur when caregiving responsibilities increase,” it adds, citing household chores and care of children or the elderly.The UN children’s agency, in partnership with the ICC, sought to use the World Cup to “create equal opportunities for every girl and boy”, Unicef representative to India Cynthia McCaffrey said.”As a cricketer, I know how the sport is a great equaliser,” India’s vice-captain Smriti Mandhana said, who joined the Unicef campaign.Women now make up more than a third of India’s estimated 655 million sports fans.A 2024 Deloitte and Google study found women —  236 million fans, or 36 percent — are shaping the sports market, debunking the notion of a male-only fanbase.India’s Women’s Premier League (WPL), staged first in 2023, delivered the BCCI roughly $700 million in franchise and media rights alone.- ‘Girls are not fragile’ -Young women cricketers say the World Cup success will strengthen their sport.At a net session in a New Delhi cricket academy, a bouncer slammed into Armeet Kaur’s helmet, prompting a flurry of concerned apologies.The 20-year-old brushed them off and told the bowler to carry on. The next ball, she stepped out of her crease and lofted it clean.”Girls are not fragile,” she said. “And the good thing is that people know that now —  after seeing women’s cricket on TV. That matters because what people think does have a bearing on the world.”Kaur credited systemic changes in women’s cricket for India’s success.”Now the money is almost at par with men’s cricket, and there are more tournaments for women at all levels,” she said. “The good thing is that people no longer discourage girls from playing.”The World Cup drew record viewers: the first 13 matches attracted more than 60 million viewers, five times the 2022 edition.While modest for the world’s most populous nation, it signals growing interest in women’s cricket.That means Indian girls can see cricket as a viable career.”I started playing because it was my passion,” said Ishita Singh. “But now I want it to be my full-time profession.”Singh, 20, said she could confidently claim to be speaking on behalf of many of her peers.”There were only two of us in the academy when I started playing some eight years ago,” she said. “Now there are so many.”But Singh said she wished there were even more.”Not enough girls play in India still,” she said.”And I want that to change.”

Former Bangladeshi prime minister Khaleda Zia will contest elections expected in February, her influential political party said Monday.The 80-year-old has been a dominant figure for decades in the country’s turbulent power struggles, and her Bangladesh Nationalist Party is seen as the frontrunner in the elections.Her participation was announced by Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, a senior BNP leader, who said she will contest in three constituencies.The uncompromising leader has been in poor health following years of imprisonment under her arch-enemy Sheikh Hasina, who was overthrown in a mass uprising in August 2024.Zia, who led Bangladesh three times, was jailed for corruption in 2018 under Hasina’s government, which also blocked her from travelling abroad for medical treatment. She was released last year, shortly after Hasina was forced from power.Her son, Tarique Rahman, 59, who has been in Britain since 2008, will also run, Alamgir told reporters.Rahman, known in Bangladesh as Tarique Zia, has lived in London since 2008, saying he fled politically-motivated persecution. He is yet to return to Bangladesh.Since Hasina’s fall, Rahman has been acquitted of the most serious charge against him; a life sentence handed down in absentia for a 2004 grenade attack on a Hasina rally, which he always denied.For decades, Bangladesh’s politics has been defined by the bitter rivalry between Zia and Hasina — a feud dubbed the “Battle of the Begums”, an honorific title in South Asia for a powerful woman.The hatred traces back to the 1975 assassination of Hasina’s father, independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, along with most of her family, in a coup.Three months later, Zia’s husband, Ziaur Rahman, then deputy army chief, effectively took control. He became president in 1977. He was himself assassinated in 1981.Zia, then a 35-year-old mother of two, inherited the BNP leadership.Initially dismissed as a political novice, Zia proved a formidable opponent, rallying against military dictator Hussain Muhammad Ershad, and later joining forces with Hasina to oust him in 1990.The two women alternated in power for the next decade and a half.

India’s cricket board on Monday announced a cash reward of $5.75 million for the women’s team after their triumphant World Cup campaign.Hosts India beat South Africa by 52 runs in front of a sell-out home crowd at Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium on Sunday to lift their first one-day international (ODI) World Cup.Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia told AFP that the money was awarded “as a token of appreciation for the women’s team”, and would be spread across the players, support staff and selectors involved.The Indian women, who triumphed at the third attempt after finishing runners-up in 2005 and 2017, have already received $4.48 million in prize money from the International Cricket Council (ICC) — a  239 percent increase from the $1.32 million awarded to Australia in 2022. This edition of the Women’s World Cup boasted an overall purse of $13.88 million, eclipsing the total $10 million for the last edition of the men’s championship.India toiled in the league phase and suffered three successive defeats, but clinched the last semi-final spot, before knocking out record seven-time champions and heavy favourites Australia.Fans celebrated the victory at home and on the streets, with crowds in Delhi waving Indian flags and setting off fireworks. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the “historic win will motivate future champions to take up sports”.

Shafali Verma was initially dropped from India’s Women’s World Cup squad but the opener returned as an injury replacement to star in the title win and etch her name in history.The 21-year-old batter scored an attacking 87 and took two crucial wickets with her part-time off-spin against South Africa in Sunday’s final in Mumbai.She was named player of the match for her all-round blitz as India won their maiden Women’s World Cup title at a packed DY Patil Stadium. Verma has given India many blazing starts since her international debut aged just 16 but fell out of favour with the selectors in the 50-over format because of patchy form.However, fate had different plans and an injury to in-form opener Pratika Rawal in the last league match forced India to replace her with Verma.Verma made just 10 in India’s stunning victory over holders Australia in the semi-finals but rose to the occasion in the title clash with her career-best ODI score.”I said at the start that God has sent me here to do something nice, and that reflected today,” Verma said.”It was difficult but I had confidence in myself — that if I can stay calm, I could achieve everything.”On a day when Verma could do no wrong, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur handed her the ball in the 20th over and she delivered immediately with the wicket of Sune Luus, caught and bowled for 25.She then got Marizanne Kapp caught behind on a ball sliding down the leg side in her next over.”We had spoken to her that if needed she will bowl one or two overs and in reply she said, ‘I am ready to bowl 10 overs’,” Kaur revealed.”That showed her confidence in bowling. I gave her the bowl at a crucial time and the back-to-back breakthroughs was the turning point for us.”- Next superstar -It has been a roller-coaster ride for Verma, who is from the conservative northern state of Haryana.As a nine-year-old she played in a boys’ tournament after cutting her hair short so she could get a game.”I told my father that I will go and play disguised as my brother (who was sick) and even had his name on my back,” Verma told AFP in 2020.”I played and became man of the match and series.”She also described how her father Sanjeev was cheated out of all the family’s money by an imposter who promised him a job.Fast forward to the present, and her ODI average was modest at 22.55 before Sunday’s heroics when she surpassed her previous 50-over best score of 71 not out.The 49-ball 50 was Verma’s first in three years, but at 21 years and 278 days she was the youngest to hit a half-century in a Women’s ODI World Cup final.In 2019, Verma was picked for the Velocity team in the women’s T20 Challenge — a precursor to the Women’s Premier League — and walked onto the field with Indian cricket great Mithali Raj.She shared the dressing room with international stars including England’s World Cup-winning all-rounder Danielle Wyatt, who called her the next “superstar” of Indian cricket.

A strong earthquake killed at least 20 people in northern Afghanistan, authorities said Monday, just months after another deadly tremor that left the country reeling.The 6.3-magnitude quake struck overnight at a depth of 28 kilometers (17 miles) with the epicentre near the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, according to the US Geological Survey.More than 20 people were killed and around 320 were injured in the provinces of Balkh and Samangan, health ministry spokesman Sharafat Zaman told journalists on Monday morning, stressing that this was a preliminary toll.He did not provide a province-wide breakdown of the casualties.Residents of Mazar-i-Sharif, one of Afghanistan’s largest northern cities, scrambled into the streets due to fears their homes would collapse, an AFP correspondent observed.The city’s famed Blue Mosque, a 15th-century landmark known for its vibrant tiles, was also damaged, an AFP journalist witnessed.Pieces of the structure, particularly from one of its minarets, broke off and lay scattered across the mosque’s grounds, one of the country’s few remaining tourist spots.Correspondents in the capital Kabul, around 420 kilometres to the south, also said they felt shaking.Poor communication networks and infrastructure in mountainous Afghanistan have hampered disaster responses in the past, preventing authorities for hours or even days from reaching far-flung villages to assess the extent of the damage.It is the latest natural disaster for the Taliban government, which has faced three major deadly earthquakes since taking over Afghanistan in 2021, even as the foreign aid that formed the backbone of the country’s economy has dramatically dropped.In August, a shallow 6.0-magnitude quake in the country’s east wiped out mountainside villages and killed more than 2,200 people.Large tremors in western Herat, near the Iranian border, in 2023, and in eastern Nangarhar province in 2022 killed hundreds and destroyed thousands of homes.The United Nations and aid agencies have warned hunger is rising among the Afghan population.The isolated country is suffering from a humanitarian crisis compounded by drought, economic restrictions on the banking sector, and the pushback of millions of Afghan citizens from neighbouring Iran and Pakistan.Earthquakes are common in Afghanistan, particularly along the Hindu Kush mountain range, near where the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates meet.Many homes in the predominantly rural country — devastated by decades of war — are shoddily built.It often takes hours or days to travel by steep roads and paths to remote villages, which are often cut off from help during disasters or poor weather.

India celebrated a watershed moment in its sporting history Monday after the women’s cricket team won their first World Cup crown, with greats of the game saying it would inspire future generations.A packed DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai saw hosts India defeat South Africa by 52 runs on Sunday, adding a women’s trophy to the country’s four men’s World Cup titles, starting with the first in 1983.”1983 inspired an entire generation to dream big and chase those dreams. Today, our women’s cricket team has done something truly special,” batting legend Sachin Tendulkar posted on social media.”They have inspired countless young girls across the country to pick up a bat and ball, take the field and believe that they too can lift that trophy one day.””This is a defining moment in the journey of Indian women’s cricket,” he added.Fans celebrated at home and on the streets, with crowds in the capital Delhi waving Indian flags and setting off fireworks.Virat Kohli, the star batsman from the men’s team, described the triumph as “an inspiration for generations to come”.”You’ve made every Indian proud with your fearless cricket and belief throughout,” Kohli wrote on X.Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the “historic win will motivate future champions to take up sports”.India posted 298-7, with Shafali Verma smashing a quickfire 87 and Deepti Sharma making a run-a-ball 58. South Africa’s chase was led by captain Laura Wolvaardt’s fighting 101 but regular wickets, including Sharma’s match-winning 5-39, saw them dismissed for 246 off 45.3 overs.A few members of the team which played in India’s first Women’s World Cup appearance in 1978, including captain Diana Edulji, were in attendance when India lifted the trophy shortly after midnight to deafening cheers from a 45,000 crowd.The scenes of jubilation contrasted sharply with 2005, when India’s runners-up position merited only a small mention in newspapers. “It’s just that there were ups and downs, but the team had self-belief,” India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur told reporters after the win.”I’ve been saying this since day one. We weren’t looking to the left or right. We were only looking at our main end goal.”India reached the final after bouncing back from three defeats in a row in the league stage.Kaur now joins the ranks of World Cup-winning India captains such as Kapil Dev, MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma.

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur said her team’s breakthrough Women’s World Cup triumph on Sunday was “just the beginning” as they beat South Africa by 52 runs to win the tournament for the first time.Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma starred with both bat and ball to propel India to the title in front of a jubilant home crowd at Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium.Hosts India posted 298-7 and then bowled South Africa out for 246 in 45.3 overs with spinner Sharma taking five wickets after earlier contributing a vital run-a-ball 58 in the middle order.Opener Verma top-scored with 87 as India posted a challenging total after they were put in to bat in a final delayed two hours by rain.South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt hit a valiant 101 but her departure off Sharma raised the noise at the 45,000-capacity stadium, which had turned into a sea of blue.Sharma took down Nadine de Klerk, for 18, for the final wicket as India celebrated with the thousands of supporters inside the ground and millions outside in the cricket-mad nation.”We wanted to break this barrier,” Kaur said.”And our next plan is to make this a habit. We were waiting for it, now this moment has come. So many big occasions are coming, and we want to keep improving. This is not the end, just the beginning.”The Indian women triumphed at the third attempt after finishing runners-up in 2005 and 2017.India toiled in the league phase and suffered three successive defeats but clinched the last semi-final spot, before knocking out record seven-time champions and heavy favourites Australia.For South Africa, it was a third straight loss in a World Cup final after they finished runners-up in back-to-back editions of the T20 showpiece in 2023 and 2024.South Africa made their first ODI World Cup final despite starting the competition with a 10-wicket thrashing by England after being bundled out for 69.- Verma’s golden arm -The Proteas had their revenge when they beat England in the semi-final with Wolvaardt scoring 169.”I could not be prouder of this team for the campaign we had,” said Wolvaardt, who led the tournament batting charts with 571 runs at an average of over 71.”Brilliant cricket throughout but outplayed today (by India). Unfortunate to be on the losing side but we will definitely grow from this.”Sharma struck key blows with her off-spin in the final, including the wicket of Annerie Dercksen, who hit 35 in a 61-run partnership with Wolvaardt that gave South Africa hope.But it was Sharma’s double-wicket over to dismiss Wolvaardt and then Chloe Tryon, for nine, that took India to the brink of victory.Kaur’s ploy of giving the ball to Verma, a part-time off-spinner, in the 20th over proved key as the youngster removed Sune Luus.Verma dislodged Marizanne Kapp in the next over to plunge South Africa into deeper trouble but Wolvaardt kept South Africa in the game until her departure in the 42nd over.Kaur said the decision to hand Verma, who was named player of the match, the ball proved to be the “turning point” of the game.Verma, who was brought into the team for the semi-final after fellow opener Pratika Rawal went down injured, gave India a fast start with the bat.She put on 104 runs with Smriti Mandhana (45) to lay solid foundations at a venue that has produced big runs, including India’s record chase of 339 in the semi-final against Australia.Sharma then added valuable runs with her 18th ODI fifty to crank up the pressure on South Africa despite three wickets for Ayabonga Khaka.Sharma took a tournament-best 22 wickets, also chipping in with 215 runs as a batter, and was named the best player of the World Cup. 

Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma starred with both bat and ball to propel India to their first Women’s World Cup title with a 52-run win over South Africa on Sunday.Hosts India posted 298-7 and then bowled South Africa out for 246 with spinner Sharma taking five wickets in front of a sell-out home crowd at Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium.Verma top-scored with 87 and Sharma hit 58 off as many balls as India posted a challenging total after they were put in to bat in a final delayed two hours by rain.South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt hit a valiant 101 but her departure off Sharma raised the noise at the 45,000-capacity stadium, which had turned into a sea of blue.Sharma took down Nadine de Klerk, for 18, as the final wicket as Harmanpreet Kaur’s India celebrated with the jubilant crowd inside the ground and millions outside in the cricket-mad nation.The Indian women triumphed at the third attempt after finishing runners-up in 2005 and 2017.Sharma struck key blows with her off-spin including Annerie Dercksen, who hit 35 in a 61-run partnership with in-form opener Wolvaardt.But it was Sharma’s double-wicket over to dismiss Wolvaardt and then Chloe Tryon, for nine, that took India to the brink of victory.Kaur’s ploy of giving the ball to Verma, an opening batter and a part-time off-spinner, in the 20th over proved key as the youngster removed Sune Luus.Verma dislodged Marizanne Kapp in the next over to plunge South Africa into deeper trouble but Wolvaardt kept South Africa in the game until her departure in the 42nd over.Verma, who was brought into the team for the semi-final after fellow opener Pratika Rawal went down injured, came out roaring with the bat.She put on 104 runs with Smriti Mandhana (45) to lay solid foundations at a venue that has produced big runs, including India’s record chase of 339 in the semi-final against Australia.Sharma then added valuable runs with her 18th ODI fifty to crank up the pressure on South Africa despite three wickets for Ayabonga Khaka.

Half-centuries by Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma helped India post a competitive 298-7 against South Africa in the Women’s World Cup final in Mumbai on Sunday.Put into bat in a rain-delayed match, India rode on an opening stand of 104 between Smriti Mandhana (45) and Verma, who top-scored with 87, to stay in the hunt for their first title in front of a sell-out home crowd.Sharma hit 58 off 58 balls at the 45,000-capacity DY Patil Stadium – a venue that has produced big runs, including India’s record chase of 339 in the semi-final against Australia.The ODI World Cup is awaiting a new champion with South Africa also eyeing their first crown.Rain held up the start of the match by two hours before South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt won the toss in her team’s first final in the tournament.Hosts India soon took charge with the left-handed Mandhana and Verma hitting regular boundaries to take the attack to the opposition bowlers.South Africa introduced spin in the 17th over and Chloe Tyron struck in the next over with her left-arm orthodox bowling to send back in-form Mandhana, caught behind.Swashbuckling opener Verma, who came in as replacement for injured Pratika Rawal in the semi-final, reached her fifty.Verma survived a reprieve on 56 when Anneke Bosch dropped a simple catch at deep mid-wicket off spinner Sune Luus, to the delight of the Indian fans.Medium-pace bowler Ayabonga Khaka dismissed Verma when she got the batter holed out at mid-off . In the next over took down semi-final hero Jemimah Rodrigues, for 24, to check India’s surge.Sharma and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur got down to the grind to rebuild the innings, in the face of tidy South African bowling.Harmanpreet and then Amanjot Kaur departed as India seemed to fall behind on a high-scoring pitch but Sharma was joined by Richa Ghosh, who hit 34, and the two took on the bowling.India, runners-up in 2005 and 2017, are playing their in third final.