Stokes concerned for England’s mental wellbeing on Ashes tour of Australia
Captain Ben Stokes said protecting England players’ welfare was his top concern amid claims of excessive drinking on a mid-Ashes beach break, without directly addressing the allegations. Stokes was peppered with questions on Wednesday ahead of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne about the team’s behaviour at Noosa between the second and third Tests after British media reports compared it with a “stag-do”. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Unverified social media footage appeared to show opener Ben Duckett drunk and disoriented. Their disastrous five-Test tour, which has seen Australia take an unassailable 3-0 lead, took another hit on Wednesday when pace spearhead Jofra Archer was ruled out of the rest of the series with a side strain. England cricket chief Rob Key on Tuesday pledged to investigate the drinking claims, while the England and Wales Cricket Board said in a statement it was intent on establishing the facts. Stokes, whose team have already lost the Ashes, said his main concern was the players’ mental welfare and to ensure they were ready for the Melbourne Test starting Friday. “I’m obviously aware of the reports and everything circulating around right now,” Stokes said. “My main concern is my players, and how I handle this moment is the most important thing to me. “The welfare of everyone in there, and probably some certain individuals as well, is the most important thing to me right now as England captain. “It’s never a nice place to be in when not only the media world, but also the social media world, is piling on top of you,” he added. Advertisement “It’s a very tough place to be in as an individual. As an individual, when you know you’ve got the support of the people who are sort of leaders, in a sense, it’s very good to know that you’ve got that support.” Asked directly whether his teammates had “done anything wrong in Noosa”, Stokes replied: “I’ve just answered everything there.” Stokes calls for focus as spotlight increases on England England went to Queensland tourist resort Noosa after losing the first two Tests in Perth and Brisbane heavily. They spent several days on the sand and around restaurants and bars before travelling to Adelaide, where they lost the third Test as Australia retained the Ashes. Britain’s Daily Telegraph reported that “after drowning their sorrows after the Brisbane Test, it is no exaggeration to say some, certainly not all, players drank for five or six days”. It added that players “did nothing outrageous in Noosa” but there was concern over the level of drinking, with England’s professionalism already under the microscope after their limited preparations. England captain Ben Stokes, right, and coach Brendon McCullum are both under pressure following the side’s failures in Australia [Gareth Copley/Getty Images] Stokes conceded that when a side was losing, there would be scrutiny, and “rightly so”. “When you are 3-0 down you don’t really have a leg to stand on but we’ve got two games of cricket to play. That’s what we have to focus on,” he said. “We haven’t won a game in Australia for a long, long time.” England have gone 18 Tests since winning a match in Australia, dating back to their last series victory there in 2010-11. Their capitulation in this series in 11 days of play is the joint second quickest in more than a century, since the 1921 Ashes was completed in eight days. Making matters worse, Archer will take no further part in the tour, with Gus Atkinson replacing him in Melbourne. The under-performing Ollie Pope paid for his poor form at number three, with Jacob Bethell taking over in the only other change. England’s Test woes in contrast to Australia’s Ashes high Bowling with the wicketkeeper standing up to the stumps can bruise a fast bowler’s ego, but Australia paceman Scott Boland said Alex Carey’s stellar glovework in the ongoing Ashes series has helped him grow comfortable with it. Carey’s wicketkeeping masterclass has been a key factor in Australia’s unassailable lead in the five-match series, and the 34-year-old was particularly impressive in the second Test at the Gabba, where he stood up to Boland and Michael Neser. Advertisement With the wicketkeeper breathing down their necks, English batters were pretty much confined to the crease, which meant the home bowlers did not really need to vary their length. “I’ve just never really bowled to the keeper up to the stumps before,” Boland told reporters ahead of the fourth Test. “Everyone wants to be a fast bowler, and you don’t really like the keeper up to the stumps. “But I’ve seen over the last month how effective it is and how still I can keep their batters by Alex being up to the stumps.” Wicketkeepers typically stand farther back from the stumps when facing fast bowlers to give themselves more time to react to the high speed and bounce of the ball, reducing the risk of missed catches. Even from close range, Carey showed tremendous reflexes to pouch a thick edge from Ben Stokes after the England captain had nicked a Neser delivery in the second innings. Dismissals like that gave confidence to Boland that he could continue bowling his edge-inducing length balls regardless of where Carey stood. “I just need to trust that the length balls I bowl to try and nick guys off is the same length I bowl when he’s up to the stumps or back,” the 36-year-old said. “The Gabba was pretty bouncy and he was up to the stumps for a bit of it and catching balls above waist-high and I bowled a bouncer and he caught that, so I have full trust in him up there.” Former Australia wicketkeeper Ian Healy called Carey “clearly the best in the world”, while teammate Steve Smith termed him a “freak”. Adblock test (Why?)
‘I get infection in 2 days’: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari flags toxic air pollution in Delhi
The Union Transport Minister further questioned the logic of spending Rs 22 lakh crore a year on imports of fossil fuel, calling for greater self-reliance on alternatives and biofuels. “We are spending Rs 22 lakh crore on importing fossil fuels. What kind of nationalism is this?”
Delhi Metro Phase 5A approved: 16-km corridor, 13 stations with Rs 12015 crore project cost
Once the project is completed, the Delhi Metro network will cross 400 km.
Five sleeper races that could upend 2026 – from the Alleghenies to the Land of Enchantment
As Clement Moore’s “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” tells it, families sleep soundly as Santa approaches. As the new year nears, several election contests may prove just as quiet – until close results suddenly come into focus. Here are five potential sleeper races to watch in 2026: Rep. Bennie Thompson, the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, has not often had to worry about a general election challenge since he won a special election on April 13, 1993. Predecessor Mike Espy, who recently unsuccessfully ran for Senate in a narrow runoff with Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., had resigned to accept President Bill Clinton’s appointment as Secretary of Agriculture. Thompson’s closest race was that one – against Republican Hayes Dent – at 55% to 45%. Since then, Thompson has never looked back, and instead made himself a nationally-recognized figure later in his tenure. He chaired the House Select Committee on January 6 and recently went viral for calling the shooting of West Virginia National Guardsmen allegedly by an Afghan refugee an “unfortunate accident.” Thompson’s district, spanning from Jackson west to Yazoo City and Vicksburg on the Mississippi River, is one of the poorest in the country – landing at 3rd out of 435 with a median income of $37,372, according to data published by the office of Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio. CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS WIDEN 2026 BATTLEFIELD, ZERO IN ON NEW HOUSE REPUBLICAN TARGETS Only Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., and Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y. preside over a poorer population. Last week, an attorney and former counsel to Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., mounted a surprise primary bid against Thompson. Evan Turnage, 33, who has been alive just about the same time Thompson has been in Congress, made the idea of fighting the region’s persistent poverty paramount to his new campaign, according to Black Press USA. “I’ve dedicated my life to leveling the playing field so people can not only get by, but get ahead, and raise a family right here,” Turnage said, according to the outlet. On the Republican side, retired Army captain and Vicksburg cardiothoracic surgeon Ron Eller will fight an uphill battle to unseat the winner of the Thompson-Turnage bout. Connecticut is another state that is typically not in political conversation as hosting nail-biter partisan elections. During the Bush-Clinton years, however, the state was competitive if not outright Republican-favored. Former Gov. John Rowland was the first in decades to be elected to more than two terms. He ended up resigning in 2004 amid the threat of impeachment over accusations contractors with the state were doing work on his vacation home. CALL TO DUTY: IN BATTLE FOR HOUSE, REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS LOOKING TO VETERANS After he resigned, his wife famously wrote a poem critical of the media’s coverage of Rowland’s case, based on Moore’s holiday favorite and called “A Lump of Coal for All the Reporters.” Rowland’s lieutenant, Gov. M. Jodi Rell, took over and was re-elected once before retiring in 2010. Since then, the state has been reliably Democratic – save for former Sen. Joe Lieberman changing his affiliation to independent. In 2022, then-State Sen. George Logan – the first Black man elected to Hartford’s upper chamber – mounted a bid against Rep. Jahana Hayes and lost by less than one percentage point. DOUBLING DOWN: TOP HOUSE DEMOCRAT SAYS FOCUS ON HIGH PRICES ‘ABSOLUTELY GOING TO CONTINUE’ Logan tried again in 2024, but lost by a slightly wider margin. While Logan is not on the ballot at least yet for 2026, recent history shows Republicans could have an outside chance of ending Democrats’ full control of New England’s congressional delegation. Republicans have wanted to win back Maryland’s sixth congressional district ever since partisan gerrymandering was blamed for booting 20-year incumbent Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, R-Md., from office in 2012. Bartlett, an eccentric conservative who later relocated to the West Virginia wilderness to live off-the-grid, is now 99, and was known for addressing various topics that were sometimes ignored but have received newfound attention at present, including warnings about the strength, reliability and hardening of the U.S. power grid. Bartlett won his last reelection by 28 points but then lost by about 20 the following cycle after the rural district encompassing the entire Maryland Panhandle was adjusted to incorporate the edges of densely-populated Washington, D.C., suburbs. SHOWDOWN FOR THE HOUSE: DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS BRACE FOR HIGH-STAKES MIDTERM CLASH He was defeated in 2013 by then-Rep. John Delaney, a finance executive – before Delaney was replaced by Total Wine mogul David Trone, who has largely self-funded his campaigns to the tune of millions of dollars. Trone won re-election before opting in 2024 to pursue retiring Sen. Benjamin Cardin’s, D-Md., seat – which was ultimately won by Democrat Angela Alsobrooks. He announced this year that he would challenge Rep. April McClain-Delaney, D-Md., the wife of former Rep. John Delaney, in the district. Meanwhile, former longtime state Del. Neil Parrott, R-Antietam, is mounting his fourth consecutive bid for the seat. McClain-Delaney beat Parrott 53-47 in 2024. The closest that Republicans have gotten to taking back the seat since Bartlett was defeated came in 2014, when now-FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino narrowly lost to Trone by about a point. Bongino notably sought to nationalize the race, pulling in endorsements like Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and rebuking Delaney as someone who could “write himself a check for a million dollars” if he needed to in order to win. HOUSE GOP CAMPAIGN CHAIR WANTS TRUMP ‘OUT THERE ON THE TRAIL’ IN MIDTERM BATTLE FOR MAJORITY The future G-man suggested at the time he would rather knock on doors in far-flung communities like Oakland and Grantsville, where he said, “nobody seems to know who [John Delaney] is,” according to the Maryland Reporter. Given newly-drawn, friendlier maps following litigation over O’Malley-era gerrymandering, Republicans may have a chance to surprise in a district in one of the most Democratic-majority states in the country. While not typically considered a swing state, or one that gets much attention in federal elections, Nebraska’s only
Thackeray cousins reunite after 20 years: BIG announcement of Uddhav Thackeray led UBT Sena-Raj Thackeray led MNS alliance ahead of BMC polls, Eknath Shinde’s faction reacts
Amid the confirmation of the UBT Sena-MNS alliance, Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS Chief Raj Thackeray, accompanied by their wives, paid tribute to party founder Balasaheb Thackeray at his memorial in Shivaji Park here on Wednesday.
U.S. OCC Approves Federal Trust Charters for Major Crypto Firms, Ending the Banking Blockade
Over 2023-24, several US banks cut ties with crypto exchanges, stablecoin issuers, and custodians, forcing many firms to rely on a shrinking pool of correspondents and offshore entities for basic payment and settlement. This week, that phase ended.
YouTube Integrates Stablecoin Payments for Millions of Creators
YouTube has quietly taken one of the most consequential steps in the mainstream adoption of stablecoins. In mid-December 2025, the platform enabled eligible U.S. creators to receive payouts in PayPal’s PYUSD stablecoin, using PayPal’s existing Hyperwallet infrastructure.
Delhi Pollution Crisis: High Court calls out centre over 18% GST on ‘air purifiers’, says, ‘that’s minimum you…’
Amid the Delhi pollution crisis, High court on Wednesday called out the central government on their ‘inactive’ response to the immediate ’emergency’ in the national capital.
Judge gives ‘green light’ to controversial New York driver’s license law in blow to Trump admin
A federal judge on Tuesday cleared the way for New York’s so-called Green Light Law, ruling against the Trump administration’s effort to block the state from giving people driver’s licenses without requiring proof that they are in the U.S. legally. U.S. District Judge Anne M. Nardacci found that the Justice Department — which sued New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and state Attorney General Letitia James in February — had failed to prove its claims that the state law sought to invalidate federal law or that the measure unlawfully regulates or unlawfully discriminates against the federal government. “As I said from the start, our laws protect the rights of all New Yorkers and keep our communities safe,” James said in a statement. “I will always stand up for New Yorkers and the rule of law.” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi alleged when announcing the lawsuit that Hochul and James were prioritizing “illegal aliens over American citizens,” as the controversial state law blocks federal agents trying to enforce immigration laws from seeing illegal immigrants’ criminal driving records during traffic stops. SANCTUARY STATE’S ‘GREEN LIGHT’ LAW IS RED FLAG FOR AMERICANS’ SAFETY, NATIONAL SECURITY: EXPERTS Nardacci wrote in her ruling that her job was not to evaluate the desirability of the law as a policy matter, but to determine whether the Trump administration’s arguments prove its claims that the statute violates the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, which establishes that federal laws overrule state laws. The administration has “failed to state such a claim,” Nardacci wrote. The Green Light Law, also known as the Driver’s License Access and Privacy Act, was adopted, in part, to improve road safety, as people sometimes drove without a license or without having passed a driving test. Under the measure, it is easier for these license holders to receive auto insurance. The law states that people who do not have a valid Social Security number can submit alternative forms of ID, including valid passports and driver’s licenses issued in other countries. Applicants must still receive a driver’s permit and pass a road test to qualify for a “standard driver’s license.” The legislation does not apply to commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs). BLUE STATE IN THE HOT SEAT AFTER ICE BUSTS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WITH ‘NO NAME GIVEN’ ON LICENSE The DOJ’s lawsuit argued that the law was “a frontal assault on the federal immigration laws, and the federal authorities that administer them,” citing a provision that requires the state’s DMV commissioner to notify people who are in the country illegally when a federal immigration agency has requested their information. The lawsuit further claimed that it could be easier to enforce the Trump administration’s immigration agenda if federal authorities had unrestricted access to New York’s driver information. The Green Light Law took effect in 2019, but came under renewed scrutiny following a fatal shootout in Vermont in January that left a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent dead near the northern border with Canada after a traffic stop involving a German national. “Any information that can help law enforcement stay safe as they conduct their duties has pretty much been taken away with this Green Light Law,” Hector Garza, vice president of the National Border Patrol Council, told Fox News Digital at the time. “What [the Green Light Law] does, is that it prevents law enforcement agents from getting any type of information in regards to any registrations that the state has,” Garza added. “For example, before we engage in traffic stops, typically law enforcement will always conduct a vehicle registration check to see if there’s any warrants to see if that person is considered armed and dangerous.” But Nardacci, echoing an appeals court ruling in a county clerk’s earlier challenge to the law, wrote that the information “remains available to federal immigration authorities” through a lawful court order or judicial warrant. New York is one of a dozen states that allows illegals to drive. Fox News Digital’s Michael Ruiz and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
New Trump admin envoy says US won’t ‘conquer’ Greenland, emphasizes talks with locals as Denmark balks at move
President Donald Trump’s newly appointed envoy to Greenland said Tuesday the administration wants to open a dialogue with residents of the territory, stressing the U.S. is not seeking to “conquer” the island. During an appearance on Fox News’ “The Will Cain Show,” Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, who was tapped as special envoy to Greenland by Trump on Sunday, said discussions must be had with Greenlanders to understand what they want moving forward. “What are they looking for? What opportunities have they not gotten? Why haven’t they gotten the protection that they actually deserve?” Landry said. Landry added that the U.S. “has always been a welcoming party,” and that the Trump administration is not going to “go in there trying to conquer anybody” or “take over anybody’s country.” TRUMP MOVES GREENLAND MILITARY INSTALLATION UNDER US NORTHERN COMMAND IN ARCTIC POWER SHIFT Landry’s comments came after Danish leaders sharply criticized Trump after he announced the appointment of the new special envoy to Greenland, a territory controlled by Denmark. “We have said it before. Now, we say it again. National borders and the sovereignty of states are rooted in international law,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a joint statement Monday. “They are fundamental principles. You cannot annex another country. Not even with an argument about international security.” Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday that Landry “understands how essential Greenland is to our National Security, and will strongly advance our Country’s Interests for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Allies, and indeed, the World.” DENMARK PM SAYS ‘YOU CANNOT SPY AGAINST AN ALLY’ FOLLOWING REPORTS OF US SPYING ON GREENLAND On Tuesday, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen called Trump’s comments “completely unacceptable,” adding that he would summon the U.S. ambassador. The Danish kingdom, he wrote on Facebook, is “sovereign and cannot accept that others question it.” Trump has previously expressed ambitions for the U.S. to acquire Greenland, posting on Truth Social in December 2024 that “ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity” for national security purposes. In another post from January 2025, Trump said Greenland is an “incredible place,” and its people will “benefit tremendously if, and when, it becomes part of our Nation,” before declaring, “MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!” Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment. Fox News Digital’s Alex Nitzberg and The Associated Press contributed to this report.