Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak clash in final UK leadership debate

LONDON  Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, the remaining contenders in the race to become the next leader of the Conservative Party and prime minister of the UK, faced off against each other Wednesday in the final debate before the winner is announced next week. The debate was held at Wembley Arena in north-west London and witnessed Sunak and Truss tussle over issues surrounding taxes, energy and the cost of living. Truss, the foreign secretary and frontrunner of the leadership contest, ruled out offering energy rationing to support struggling families in the coming winter despite a worsening cost of living crisis that has seen inflation skyrocket and wages plummet. Asked by moderator and radio show host Nick Ferrari whether she would rule out energy rationing, Truss responded by saying: “I do rule that out. Yes.” On the issue of introducing new windfall tax impositions, Truss said “yes, no new taxes” when asked if she would implement new tax policies as incumbent Boris Johnson did in 2019. Rishi Sunak, the former chancellor of the exchequer and self-described underdog of the race, took a more cautious approach when it came to addressing the crisis, warning that “we shouldn’t rule anything out.” “The challenges we face with this crisis are significant. Many European countries are looking at how we can all optimize our energy usage. That is a sensible thing for us to be doing as a country,” Sunak said. Sunak’s approach is reminiscent of the one taken by the French government after it warned that energy rationing may need to be implemented following Russia’s cutting off of gas supplies in reaction to international sanctions over its war against Ukraine. Under the UK government’s “worst-case scenario,” businesses and households could face electricity blackouts in the coming winter over growing uncertainty surrounding power supplies. On Sept. 5, the Conservative Party membership will select a new leader of the party as well as the new prime minister of the UK. Anadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. Please contact us for subscription options.

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Tsitsipas beats Medvedev to set Cincinnati final clash with Coric

Top-ranked Daniil Medvedev committed 11 double-faults in falling to Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6 (8/6), 3-6, 6-3 in the semi-finals of the ATP and WTA Cincinnati Masters.

Tsitsipas won only his third match against Medvedev after losing seven and also defeated a reigning number one player for only the second time in 12 career attempts. (Reuters)

Fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas has edged world number one Daniil Medvedev 7-6(6) 3-6 6-3 in an absorbing semi-final at the Cincinnati Open to set up a summit clash with Borna Coric after the Croatian's 6-3 6-4 win over Cameron Norrie. Medvedev on Saturday helped seal his own fate in the sixth game of the final set as he double-faulted four times to hand his Greek opponent to a 4-2 lead. Tsitsipas will play for the title on Sunday against Croatian Borna Coric, who returned to an ATP Masters final for the first time in four years by defeating Britain's Cameron Norrie 6-3, 6-4. Tsitsipas won only his third match against Medvedev after losing seven and also defeated a reigning number one player for only the second time in 12 career attempts. The fourth seed put a winner into the corner on the first of three match points to earn the final. READ MORE: Medvedev, Tsitsipas advance to semi-final showdown in Cincinnati 'Difficult task' "I knew I would have a difficult task in the third set," Tsitsipas said. "He made it a very physical match, very demanding. "But I took advantage of his missed first serves. They gave me time to think of my next move clearly. I was very calm and concentrated on every single task." World number 152 Coric, who missed a year of play with shoulder problems and only returned to the tour in March, advanced in 91 minutes in a match delayed for hours by an afternoon of rain. READ MORE: Unvaccinated Djokovic out of Montreal ATP event Women tennis On the women's side, Petra Kvitova outlasted Madison Keys 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-3 on Saturday to reach the Western & Southern Open final. The 32-year-old Kvitova had never advanced to the semifinals in 10 prior appearances in the Cincinnati tournament. It is Czech's 40th career final, and she'll face another surprise entrant in Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia, the first qualifier to reach the final in Cincinnati. Kvitova almost didn't make it out of the first round, having to save a match point against last year's finalist, Jil Teichmann. She also needed three sets to beat fifth-ranked Ons Jabeur in the third round. Keys, the 2019 champion in Cincinnati, defeated three grand slam winners this week, but couldn’t close out Kvitova. Source: AFP

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Malaysia's Najib begins final bid to overturn 1MDB jail punishment

Fast News

Top court begins hearing ex-PM Najib Razak's appeal to overturn his jail sentence in a case linked to multibillion-dollar 1MDB financial scandal.

Prosecutors say more than $1 billion in 1MDB funds made their way into Najib's personal accounts. (AFP)

Malaysia's top court has begun hearing ex-PM Najib Razak's appeal to overturn his jail sentence for corruption in a high-stakes legal gambit that could see him locked up or potentially launching a political comeback.

The Federal Court on Tuesday dismissed the former prime minister's plea for a retrial, clearing the way for the hearings which will be held until August 26.

Najib, 69, has pleaded not guilty to dozens of charges over the alleged theft of $4.5 billion from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (or 1MDB), a state fund he co-founded as premier in 2009. 

The scandal has ensnared high-ranking officials and financial institutions around the world.

Prosecutors say more than $1 billion in 1MDB funds made its way into Najib's personal accounts. 

In July 2020, he was convicted in the first of several trials of criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money laundering, for illegally receiving about $10 million from SRC International, a former 1MDB unit. 

An appeals court upheld the conviction last year.

Source: AFP

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Malaysia’s ex-PM Najib attempts to nullify 1MDB conviction on his final try

Najib is appealling his convictions for criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money laundering over the alleged theft of $4.5 billion from 1Malaysia Development Berhad, a state fund he co-founded as premier in 2009.

Najib, who was voted out in 2018, has been free on bail pending the appeal. (Vincent Thian / AP)

Malaysian former Prime Minister Najib Razak starts his final attempt to set aside his conviction in a corruption case linked to the multi-billion dollar 1MDB financial scandal.

The country's highest court has scheduled hearings through August 26 to hear Najib's appeal of his convictions for criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money laundering over the alleged theft of $4.5 billion from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a state fund he co-founded as premier in 2009.

In addition to appealing that verdict, Najib is asking the Federal Court to introduce fresh evidence to nullify the trial, accusing the trial judge of a conflict of interest, documents filed ahead of Monday's hearing showed.

Najib, who was voted out in 2018, has been free on bail pending the appeal. If the verdict is upheld, he would likely begin his sentence immediately, according to a prosecutor. Malaysian law allows for a review of Federal Court decisions, but such applications are rarely successful.

The appeal comes ahead of national elections that are expected to be called before a September 2023 deadline.

An acquittal could spark a political comeback for Najib, who told Reuters last year he had not ruled out seeking re-election to parliament.

While he remains a popular figure and active lawmaker, Najib is barred from contesting elections unless his conviction is overturned or he receives a royal pardon.

READ MORE: Ex-Malaysia PM Najib hints he may seek re-election to parliament

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfFQO70vINI[/embed]

1MDB scandal

At least six countries have launched investigations into 1MDB, a global scandal that has implicated high-level officials and major financial institutions.

Prosecutors say more than $1 billion in 1MDB funds made its way into Najib's personal accounts.

Najib, 69, who has pleaded not guilty to dozens of charges, was sentenced in July 2020 in the first of several trials to 12 years in jail and a $50 million fine for illegally receiving about $10 million from SRC International, a former 1MDB unit.

The conviction was upheld by an appeals court last year.

READ MORE: Ex-Goldman Sachs banker convicted in US in 1MDB case

Source: Reuters

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Recent Match Report - AUS Women vs IND Women Final 2022

Australia 161 for 8 (Mooney 61, Lanning 36, Gardner 25, Renuka 2-25, Rana 2-38) beat India 152 (Harmanpreet 65, Rodrigues 33, Gardner 3-16, Schutt 2-27) by nine runs

Australia gave yet another lesson in closing out games under pressure and crushed India's dreams to clinch gold at the Commonwealth Games 2022. With India needing 44 off 30 with seven wickets in hand, Ashleigh Gardner produced an incredible plot twist by dismissing Pooja Vastrakar and the half-centurion Harmanpreet Kaur off successive deliveries.

With a foot in the door, Australia barged it open by choking the lower middle order to clinch victory by nine runs as India lost their last eight wickets for just 34 runs. A crestfallen Harmanpreet, whose 43-ball 65 had lifted India into a match-winning position, sat motionless in the dugout, as did the rest of the team, who had to settle for the silver medal.

Meanwhile, Australia, holders of the 50-overs and T20 World Cups, added the only accolade they lacked - a gold medal at a multi-sports event - to reaffirm their status as the best team in the world.

Renuka delivers key breakthrough
India gave Alyssa Healy an early let-off two years ago in the T20 World Cup final, and saw her pummel a match-winning 39-ball 75. They may have briefly wondered if Healy would make them pay here too, when a thick edge off Renuka Singh flew just wide of where a regulation slip would be in the first over of the match.

Fortunately for them, Renuka sent Healy back in her next over, aided by an excellent DRS call from Harmanpreet. Ball-tracking suggested that Renuka's nip-backer, which Healy played all around, would have crashed into middle and leg stumps. It wasn't until the final over of the powerplay that Australia began to shift gears as Meg Lanning muscled Renuka down the ground for six in a 13-run over that took Australia to 43 for 1.

Beth Mooney scored a 41-ball 61•Getty Images

Lanning and Mooney push on
Despite the early loss and a few quiet overs, Lanning and Beth Mooney exuded a sense of calm, knowing the kind of damage they could inflict once set. Both batters targeted the short straight boundary effectively off the spinners, and raised their half-century stand off just 37 balls. Australia picked off six boundaries in the ninth and tenth overs, including four in a single Harmanpreet over, to set themselves up superbly at 83 for 1 at the halfway stage.

Radha changes the mood
After a tight first over in which she conceded just three tuns, Radha Yadav left her mark on the game in the 11th over when she showed terrific game-smarts to run Lanning out at the non-striker's end. Having stopped a straight hit from Mooney, she quickly reverse-flicked the ball between her legs and onto the stumps with Lanning's bat in the air when the stumps were disturbed. In the next over, her prowling presence at point resulted in a stunning catch as she threw herself full-stretch to dismiss Tahlia McGrath, who played the game despite testing positive for Covid-19.

Australia's lower order goes big
Gardner offset any pressure Australia may have felt with some typically aggressive hits to pocket a quick 25 before she was stumped off Sneh Rana. Despite wickets falling around her, Mooney carried on, raising a half-century off just 36 deliveries. Australia didn't allow the succession of wickets to stall their momentum, even as India's fielders kept pulling off stunners, including a one-handed back-pedaling catch from Deepti Sharma to dismiss Mooney, and Meghna Singh's catch running back from mid-on to remove the dangerous Grace Harris. Rachael Haynes muscled an unbeaten 10-ball 18 to push Australia past 160.

India make nervy start
India lost both openers inside the first three overs. Smriti Mandhana was bowled behind her legs while looking to swing one into the leg side, ending an innings that had begun promisingly with scorching off-side strokes, while Shafali Verma slogged and holed out two balls after she was reprieved at cover by Megan Schutt.

Harmanpreet Kaur made a 34-ball half-century•Getty Images

Harmanpreet and Rodrigues keep India in the hunt
Five years after her knock for the ages in the 50-overs World Cup semi-final against Australia, Harmanpreet threatened to produce the T20 version of that epic 171* against the same opponents.

Coming in with India 23 for 2 in the fourth over, Harmanpreet revived their innings with her drives and lofted hits, including a foray down the pitch for a six over wide long-on off Jess Jonassen in the tenth over. She began employing the sweep frequently too, as Australia's spinners tried a leg-stump line against her. At the other end, the bat-slapping and fist-pumping Jemimah Rodrigues overcame a slow start - she was 1 off 7 at one point - to take some pressure off Harmanpreet by picking up regular boundaries in a run-a-ball 33. Their 96-run partnership had brought the equation down to a gettable 44 off 34 when Rodrigues was bowled looking to heave Schutt across the line.

Gardner applies the choke
Australia's relief turned into full-blown ecstasy when Gardner delivered a stunning second over, in which she removed the promoted Vastrakar and Harmanpreet off consecutive deliveries. While Vastrakar mistimed a hoick to deep midwicket, Harmanpreet fell attempting a paddle, the ball lobbing off her helmet to be caught behind by Healy. At that stage, Gardner's figures were a magical 2-0-5-3.

As India lost wickets, the pressure caught up on them as batter after batter committed hara-kiri. Rana and Radha were run out, and Deepti, seemingly India's last hope with them needing 13 off 10, was out lbw to Schutt.

It boiled down to India needing 11 off the final over, with Yastika Bhatia, who had come on as a concussion substitute for wicketkeeper Taniya Bhatia, on strike to Jonassen. After turning down a single first ball, she ran an improbable second run off the second, in order to keep the strike, resulting in Meghna's run-out at the danger end. With India now needing 10 off four balls, Yastika was out lbw attempting a reverse sweep.

And just like that, just like 2017, India had fallen agonisingly short in a global final.

Shashank Kishore is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

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Match Preview - IND Women vs AUS Women, Commonwealth Games Women's Cricket Competition 2022, Final

Big picture

Two years after they played the T20I World Cup final in front of 88,000 fans at a packed MCG, Australia and India will square off in the gold-medal match at the Commonwealth Games 2022.

The setting is perhaps a little less intimidating, but Edgbaston will likely be sold out to its 25,000 capacity. This is a rivalry that is fast gaining ground as the second biggest in women's cricket after England vs Australia.

Having laid their hands on every trophy of significance in the game, Australia are overwhelming favourites. For India, it's another shot at trying to win a major global crown, five years after they came closest to winning one, at Lord's at the 50-over World Cup final against England.

The core of both squads remains the same as it was in 2020. Australia may have aged a bit, but their never-say-die spirit, as was evident in their jailbreak in the tournament opener, makes them a formidable force in any conditions.

India have backed their strengths of batting first and putting opponents under scoreboard pressure. Australia nearly wilted in the first game but found a saviour in Grace Harris, who played a match-turning knock in her first game in six years.

The 171* she made in the 2017 semi-final was pathbreaking in every way. Another impact performance to deliver a win here could spur a revolution. Purely given the novelty and the fascination India attaches to gold medalists, a win on Sunday could be as big, if not bigger, than a World Cup win.

Form guide

India WWWLW (last five matches, most recent first)
Australia WWWWW

Players to watch

India are blessed to have three quality allrounders in Deepti, Pooja Vastrakar and Sneh Rana. Deepti has lent much needed batting depth and has been Harmanpreet's go-to bowler to restrict run-flow, while Rana has been the banker. Vastrakar's inclusion has given the team the balance they missed when they played Australia in the opener. She is a useful medium-pacer and can wield the long handle down the order. This is firmly a team that is carving out an identity that isn't always superstar centric.

Alyssa Healy knows a thing or two about turning up and slaying nerves in crunch games. But since that T20 World Cup final in 2020, where she blew India away with a stunning assault, her form hasn't quite been the same. She has passed 25 just once in 16 innings and averages a shade over 10. Sunday is as good an opportunity as any to once again remind the world of her prowess.

Team news

The only question dilemma India may have is between picking a makeshift wicketkeeper who offers batting depth in Yastika Bhatia or an out-and-out wicketkeeper in Taniya Bhatia. The spate of run outs under pressure on Saturday made it amply clear it helps to have a proper wicketkeeper in crunch moments.

India (possible): 1 Smriti Mandhana, 2 Shafali Verma, 3 Jemimah Rodrigues, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Deepti Sharma, 6 Taniya Bhatia (wk), 7 Sneh Rana, 8 Pooja Vastrakar, 9 Radha Yadav, 10 Meghna Singh, 11 Renuka Singh

She has bowled plenty in the nets lately, but game time remains elusive for superstar allrounder Ellyse Perry. Barring an injury or a late change owing to short turnaround time, it's likely she may have to settle for watching Australia's entire CWG campaign from the bench. Moreover, Meg Lanning has gone in with the same XI in all of their four games in the tournament.

Australia (possible): 1 Alyssa Healy (wk), 2 Beth Mooney, 3 Meg Lanning (capt), 4 Tahlia McGrath, 5 Rachael Haynes, 6 Ashleigh Gardner, 7 Grace Harris, 8 Jess Jonassen, 9 Alana King, 10 Megan Schutt, 11 Darcie Brown

Pitch and conditions

Forty overs of cricket would have already been played on the surface by the time the final comes around, with the bronze medal playoff between New Zealand and England having finished. On Saturday, the adjacent surface, prepared similarly with an even grass cover that aids consistent bounce, remained good for batting right through. Expect more of the same on Super Sunday.

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