Former baseball player Robin Smith, 62, has passed away, according to his former team Hampshire.
On Tuesday, Hampshire posted the news of the passing of legendary batter Robin Smith on the social media platform X. “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of legendary batter Robin Smith.
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Smith, a child of British parents, scored 13 centuries for England playing 62 Tests and 71 one-day internationals (ODIs).
He revealed his personal struggles in British newspapers only last week and admitted to having depression and drinking after retiring.
Smith became a dominant middle-order batter known for his striking ability against fast bowlers. When he was dropped after a series in South Africa in 1995-1996, he averaged 43.67 in tests, which is the highest mark among all contemporary England players.
He was England’s best batter at the time, in the 1980s and 1990s, according to a tearful Kevan James, Smith’s former Hampshire teammate, who was tearful.
In a time when the West Indies had a lot of fast bowlers, he was a super player. One of the few England batters who fought back and basically delivered what he could.
Chris Smith, a brother of Smith, who played his final Test at Leeds two years before making his England debut there in 1988, was Smith’s brother.
Smith, who was nicknamed “The Judge” for having curly hair that resembled a judge’s wig, scored 175 against the West Indies in Antigua in 1994, the same Test where Brian Lara ran a record-breaking 375 runs.
Smith also had a 167 against Australia in 1993, which was the highest innings by an England player in an ODI until 2016, when Alex Hales scored 171 against Pakistan.
According to England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chair Richard Thompson, “Robin Smith was a player who stood toe to toe with some of the world’s fastest bowlers, meeting stretches of hostile fast bowling with a defiant smile and an incredible resilience.”
“He did it in a way that gave England fans unmatched entertainment and great pride.”
Smith was best known for his powerful hitting in the one-day competition, which allowed him to score 2,419 runs on average.
Following a significant protest in the capital Sofia against the proposed tax increases, which led to clashes between police and demonstrators, Bulgaria’s government announced it is retracing a planned budget.
The third vessel to be targeted within a week has been a Russian-flagged tanker in the Black Sea, according to reports of an attack off the Turkish coast.
The Midvolga-2 had reported being attacked about 130 kilometers (80 miles) away from land, according to the Turkish Directorate General of Maritime Affairs on Tuesday.
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Apparently, the tanker departed from Georgia with sunflower oil. Following the attack, Ukrainian naval drones launched attacks on two Russian-flagged vessels that, according to Kyiv, were “shadow fleets” that were importing crude exports without the approval of international sanctions.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, criticized the attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea as a “worrying escalation” of the Russian-Ukraine conflict, as evidenced by Friday’s strikes.
The directorate stated on X that the Midvolga-2 crew had no injuries among its 13 crew members, adding that the ship had not requested assistance and was heading for Turkiye’s Sinop port.
A kamikaze drone was used, according to Turkish TV channel NTV, who provided no further information.
The necessary messages were sent to the relevant parties, including Ukrainian authorities, according to a Turkish official who spoke to Reuters news agency.
Turkish balancing act
A Kyiv official told Reuters that the Kairos and the Virat were being targeted by Ukraine as they approached a Russian port to load up with oil destined for foreign markets on Friday.
In the first nine months of this year, 113 of these vessels sailed under a false flag, carrying 11 million tons of Russian crude, which is worth 4.7 billion euros ($5.4 billion), according to a recent report from the Helsinki-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).
Throughout the entire conflict, which was sparked by Russia’s massive invasion of its neighbor in February 2022, NATO member Turkiye has maintained cordial relations with both Kyiv and Moscow.
It has hosted three rounds of peace talks as a mediator.
Ankara has offered Ukraine military assistance as a member of NATO. It has, however, demanded that the Black Sea’s navigational security be maintained and resisted Western sanctions against the Kremlin.
In a televised address on Monday, Erdogan said, “We cannot condone these attacks, which are a threat to navigational safety, life, and the environment, especially in our own exclusive zone,” adding that Turkiye had issued a warning to “all related sides.”
Crude targets
In a bid to deprive Moscow of funds to sustain its war, Kyiv, which has endured stringent attacks against its energy infrastructure for years, has recently focused on rupturing Russia’s oil industry.
Russian refineries and crude terminals have been in particular the target of criticism.
The Ukrainian attacks on oil tankers and infrastructure in the Black Sea, according to Russia’s foreign ministry, were “acts of terrorism” that threatened regional freedom of navigation.
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) claim that Babnusa, west of West Kordofan, is under the control of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).
Sudan’s military administration announced in a statement on Tuesday that it had resisted an RSF attack. The paramilitary group claimed the day before that West Kordofan, a significant city in central Sudan, was in complete control of Babnusa.
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The paramilitary force took complete control of the Darfur region last month, and western Sudan at large via Babnusa.
Following a week-long siege, the RSF released videos showing its fighters removing an army base from Babnusa. The SAF maintained, however, that the city was still rife with fighting.
Our forces’ official statement read, “The RSF launched a new attack on the city, which our forces decisively rejected.”
Hiba Morgan from Khartoum reported on Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan that the army claimed that the battles are ongoing and that their soldiers are still residing there. However, “the RSF has taken control of that,” is what we can undoubtedly confirm.
In this screengrab, RSF members pose in front of the 22nd SAF Infantry Division’s main entrance in Babnusa, Sudan. [via Reuters]
She said that if the RSF regains control of Babnusa, it will “solidify its control over the West Kordofan region” and add “any major access ways to the western part of the country.”
According to Morgan, “Bombusa must pass for the Sudanese army to enter parts of Darfur or other parts of Kordofan,” making regaining control of Darfur even more difficult.
Other parts of Kordofan, including the southern region of Abbasiya Tagali, were reported to be experiencing ferocious clashes, according to Al Jazeera Arabic.
Broken “ceasefire”
After capturing the city of el-Fasher, the army’s final holdout in Darfur, the RSF’s assault on Babnusa strengthens the group’s momentum.
Witnesses and international aid organizations on the ground have uncovered a large number of atrocities committed by the RSF. RSF militias are implicated in numerous murders, rapes, and kidnappings, according to evidence.
The RSF’s recent clashes also appear to have broken the unilateral ceasefire that was established following mediation between the “Quad” of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the US.
The SAF has accused the RSF of continuing its attacks despite its declared truce, rejecting the terms of the Quad’s proposed ceasefire.
The government described the announced ceasefire as “nothing but a political and media ploy intended to cover up] the Sudanese people’s ongoing Emirati support and field movements.”
The UAE has frequently been accused of providing money and weapons to the RSF, but it has vehemently refrained from participating.
According to analysts, the RSF will likely move towards el-Obeid in North Kordofan if Babnusa completely falls.
The political shockwave, according to Kholood Khair, the founding director of UK-based risk management company Confluence Advisory, will be sizable if the city falls.
It’s a significant economic triumph, a regional capital, and a huge mercantile center. Additionally, it brings Khartoum’s RSF a few steps closer.
In March, the RSF was ordered to leave the Sudanese capital, with the SAF’s appearance to be on the rise during the more than two-year conflict.
The tables are now, however, turning once more. The SAF now faces a threat of losing Kordofan, after completely losing Darfur with the fall of El-Fasher.
Glenn Maxwell, an Australian international player, has decided to leave the lucrative Twenty20 cricket competition and participate in next month’s Indian Premier League (IPL) auctions in Abu Dhabi.
The Punjab Kings purchased the explosive hitter for 42 million rupees ($467, 000) for the previous season, but he only returned with 48 runs and four wickets in seven games. He was then released by the franchise in November.
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Maxwell, who has participated in the IPL since 2012, claims that it has helped him develop his game.
The 37-year-old made the big call in a statement on Instagram, “I make it with a lot of gratitude for everything this league has given me.”
“The IPL has helped me develop both mentally and physically. I’ve had the opportunity to represent incredible franchises, compete against world-class players, and demonstrate unmatched fan fervor.
“India will leave me a lasting impression on the challenges, the energy, and the memories.”
Last week, Andre Russell and Faf du Plessis both declared themselves out of the IPL 2026, with the former West Indies all-rounder joining the coaching staff for the Kolkata Knight Riders and the former South African captain opting to play in the Pakistan Super League.
On December 16, the 2026 IPL will hold an auction.
On April 15, 2025, the Punjab Kings’ Glenn Maxwell shoots at Kolkata Knight Riders in Mohali, India.
In recent days, tropical storms and heavy rain have caused devastating flooding and landslides in many parts of South and Southeast Asia, according to officials who claim more than 1,250 people have died in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand alone, and that many others are still missing.
The disaster, which left towns and villages buried under mud in Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Sumatra, is thought to have been caused by two cyclones and a typhoon, which are all different types of tropical storms. The recovery efforts are expected to last for weeks.
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More than 1.1 million people were displaced by the flooding and landslides, which Sri Lanka has declared an emergency. The Disaster Management Centre’s director general, Sampath Kotuwegoda, stated to Al Jazeera that the nation is facing a “humanitarian crisis of historic proportions.”
The worst affected by the floods, according to Jessica Washington, who was based in Indonesia, where landslides have been reported all over North Sumatra province. From North Tapanuli, she said, “I have covered natural disasters, and typically there is an area where landslides are contained, but this time, landslides have affected all the villages we saw.”
What can be done to prevent future natural disasters, and what caused the record-setting floods and landslides?
What led to the floods and landslides?
Online search trends revealed that people were interested in the extreme weather that had caused some of the worst disasters in decades to occur simultaneously as the reports of the devastating floods began to spread.
Following weeks of heavy rains and deadly tropical storms, communities across South and Southeast Asia have been inundated in areas including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
Tropical storms, such as Typhoon Koto, which caused severe flash floods and landslides in the Philippines, Cyclone Senyar, which severely affected Indonesia’s northern Sumatra, and Cyclone Ditwah, which severely devasted Sri Lanka, all contributed to the most recent floods.
According to Steve Turton, an adjunct professor of environmental geography at Central Queensland University in Australia, one thing that echoes throughout the region is that communities were battling to cope with the sheer volume of rainfall, which led to problems like landslides.
According to Turton, “There are tropical systems all over the world, whether you call them hurricanes, tropical cyclones, typhoons, or tropical cyclones,” they are producing more rain than they have ever produced. And climate change is the cause.
According to Turton, Cyclone Senyar, Cyclone Ditwah, and Typhoon Koto all produced “a lot of rain,” compared to Cyclone Senyar, Cyclone Ditwah, and Typhoon Koto, which were not considered severe storms due to their wind speeds.
He continued, “And that’s because the atmosphere and the ocean are warming up, which is causing these rainstorms.”
A warmer atmosphere holds more moisture and releases it in more intense bursts, according to Roxy Matthew Koll, a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, and stronger rain bands form around tropical cyclones.
La Nina, a natural phenomenon that causes the Pacific Ocean to become warmer in the east and cooler in the west, results in stronger winds and warmer water and moisture for Asia.
According to Koll, this pattern frequently causes higher rainfall and flood risk in Asia, adding that it frequently causes this to build up.
Although the effects of more rain are well known, Turton points out that more thorough investigation will be required when investigating how Cyclone Senyar and Typhoon Koto might have interacted with other unusual events like this week’s storms, such as how Cyclone Senyar and Typhoon Koto may have interacted.
According to a recent attribution study conducted by the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment, the use of the Imperial College Storm Model (IRIS) has already increased the amount of eyewall rain from Typhoon Fung-wong, which made landfall in the Philippines last month, by an estimated 10.5 percent.
On November 5, 2025, a man crosses a muddy street in Bacayan, Cebu City, Philippines, where cars were piled up after being swept away in the floods Typhoon Kalmaegi brought on by. [Eloisa Lopez/Reuters]
How can I respond?
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto stated that the country’s citizens will have to “confront” climate change while traveling to disaster-affected communities in North Sumatra on Monday.
He argued that regional governments must also be prepared to deal with climate change’s effects.
The governments and cities have “failed at all to prepare,” according to Shweta Narayan, campaign lead at the Global Climate and Health Alliance, a group of health professionals and civil society organizations.
She said there is a “major disconnect” between the reality and policymakers’ blatant lack of knowledge. The price is being paid by the public, he said.
Many governments and climate change activists are eager to switch to more practical strategies to help as much as possible reduce the severity of the current and upcoming climate change-induced disasters that have been warning us for decades.
Harjeet Singh, a climate activist and Satat Sampada Climate Foundation founder, stated to Al Jazeera that the research on relating individual disasters to climate change is complete and that it is now time to move forward.
He claimed that “people in South and Southeast Asia are living the data,” stressing that the evidence should now lead to accountability.
He claimed that “we don’t need to wait for event-by-event attribution to realize that climate change is causing these impacts to grow in frequency and magnitude.”
According to Singh, “countries that grew wealthy by burning fossil fuels are legally and morally obligated to urgently provide grant-based finance” to aid nations in their response.”
The most recent storms occurred less than a week after Brazil’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) concluded, failing to provide the solutions that nations with climate change harms have repeatedly demanded.
After a heavy downpour on Sunday in a Colombo, Sri Lanka, suburb, people cling to a flooded road.
According to Singh, this includes grant-based funding to assist them in coping with more urgent cuts to fossil fuel emissions as well as more expensive disasters, as opposed to loans, which add to their debts.
Countries with the worst of the climate, including island nations, are still looking for solutions to the crisis despite facing significant uphill battles.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the world’s supreme court, ruled earlier this year that states must immediately take action to combat the “existential threat” of climate change by cooperating to reduce emissions, implementing global climate agreements, and safeguarding fragile populations and ecosystems from harm.
In response to the case brought before the court by developing nations led by Vanuatu, ICJ President Yuji Iwasawa said, “Failure of a state to take appropriate action to protect the climate system… may constitute an internationally wrongful act.”
The advisory opinion may have an impact on the growing number of international climate change lawsuits.
In addition to those legal challenges, survivors of the 2021 Super Typhoon Odette in the Philippines recently filed a lawsuit against British oil giant Shell for allegedly causing the climate crisis in court in the UK.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies called for “urgent need for stronger legal and policy frameworks to protect people in disasters” on Monday.
The Asia-Pacific region’s director of the IFRC, Alexander Matheou, said in a statement that “climate-driven disasters are becoming the new normal” and that investment in resilience and preparedness is essential.
Heavy rain has impacted several southern Thai provinces, which has caused people to wade through a flooded area in Hat Yai district.
