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England finally taste Ashes victory on Australian soil #England #finally #taste #Ashes #victory #Australian #soil
England’s long wait for an Ashes victory on Australian soil is finally over as they prevailed after two days of chaos in Melbourne.
Ben Stokes’ dreams of taking the urn home may already be over after three consecutive defeats, but the bleak prospect of a 5-0 whitewash is off the table after his side emerged from a batting graveyard at the MCG with a dramatic four-wicket win in the fourth Test.
England last won Down Under in January 2011, losing 16 times and drawing two in four tours before finally ending the streak here.
Chasing 175 may have felt like a minefield lottery but, for once, England punched the ticket as Jacob Bethell made a vital 40 on his Ashes debut.
For the second time in the space of 24 hours, England’s bowlers held up their end of the bargain, bowling out Australia for 132 in less than 35 overs despite Gus Atkinson’s withdrawal due to a hamstring injury.
In his place, Brydon Carse found the much-awaited rhythm by claiming four for 34, with three scalps for Stokes and two for Josh Tongue. The goal was slim compared to some of the huge numbers this team chased down on its best days, but it was also the biggest score of the game rushing to an indecently quick end.
This threat brought England back in touch with the wilder side of ‘Bazball’, having helped curb their ultra-aggressive instincts. Ben Duckett, out of form and in the headlines for the wrong reasons, set the tone with a chaotic 34 against the new ball; Carse moved from number 10 to number three in a revival of the so-called “nightjar” role formerly played by Stuart Broad; Bethell even attempted a scoop shot on the first ball of the decisive evening session.
It was a bold, confusing and strangely haunting inversion of the hard-bitten test cricket that is usually required in this part of the world. But more importantly, for a struggling team that has been derailed over the past seven weeks and for most of the past 15 years, this has been a success.
Having traveled at turbo speed towards its end, the match looked every bit like a 50:50 bet as a fragile England side began their hunt for seamer’s paradise.
Duckett came out fizzing with intent, mixing four boundaries and an incredibly ambitious ramp for six from Michael Neser with a handful of muddled hacks. He lasted just seven overs before Mitchell Starc had the last word with a quick yorker, but in that time he helped England score 51, Zak Crawley weighing in with an audacious straight six off Neser.
England used Duckett’s dismissal to remove a wild card from the field, confusing everyone, including the stadium announcer, who initially called out Harry Brook’s name.
It was an unpredictable move but a predictable outcome, with Australia dragging the pack back and waiting for a wild miss. The bet lasted eight balls and yielded six points before Bethell late joined the action.
He and Zak Crawley set a score of 47 either side of tea, starting the final session still needing 98. Bethell’s misjudged scoop on the first delivery of the evening suggested an excess of adrenaline, but he calmed down to score some tough runs.

Batting remained a dangerous existence – Boland trapping Crawley lbw for 37 and tempting Bethell to run to cover, while Joe Root and Stokes both fell before the job was finished. Brook was there at the end with an unbeaten 18, but missed the rare opportunity to score the winning points, settling instead for four assists that will go down as some of the most famous extras in English history.
England’s bowlers put on an exceptional show in favorable conditions. Atkinson removed night watchman Boland in his first burst, but quickly limped off the field after four overs.
His out accelerated Stokes’s introduction and the skipper made short work of Jake Weatherald, bowling him with no strokes offered in his first over. Marnus Labuschagne was subjected to a brief and bitter stay, struck twice on the glove in a malicious gesture from Stokes, before hitting Tongue at first slip.
Series leading scorer Travis Head quickly established himself as the main threat, racking up a vital 46 points before Carse found a ball with his name on it. Fittingly, it was a thing of beauty – getting past the bat’s face before cutting the bails off the stump.
Australia never really recovered as they lost their last seven wickets in two quick groups. Usman Khawaja was bounced for a duck by Tongue and Alex Carey and the shy Cameron Green pushed gently towards second slip.
Carse removed Neser and Starc with successive deliveries and Stokes completed the innings by removing Jhye Richardson. The door to victory was open and for a decade and a half England managed to get by.
It was an emotional success especially for Stokes and Root. Of the 18-match drought spanning four separate tours, Root had played 17 times and captained 10, while Stokes was empty-handed on 13.
“At the end, when all the boys came out of the locker room, we gave each other a little hug and just said, ‘Finally, we won one,'” Stokes said after the two embraced at the end.
“Joe and I have been here a few times and been on the wrong side a few times, so to be on the right side after a long time is a pretty special feeling.
“I’m sure later tonight some words will be said about it. We know Australia is a very tough place to win a match, let alone a series.

“It’ll be another four years before we get back here, but there won’t be a narrative that we didn’t win a game – it goes back to zero now.”
Cricket Australia, however, is expected to enjoy financial success following the conclusion of the Test in two days.
Grounds curator Matthew Page found himself at the center of the storm after turning around on a surface showing a sumptuous 10mm of live grass that made batting a perilous endeavor.
Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg was desperate to avoid such a scenario, telling SEN Radio ahead of the second morning’s match: “A simple phrase I would use is: short Tests are bad for business.
“I can’t be more blunt than that. Historically, we’ve taken a hands-off approach to all of our preparation at the wicket…but it’s hard not to get more involved when you see the impact on the sport, especially on the business side.”
Australia captain Steve Smith didn’t seem too concerned about his team’s quick victory in the first Test, but was less pleased after coming out on the losing side.
“The finances are not great and I think it was sold out tomorrow,” he said.
“We saw 36 wickets in two days and that indicates it was quite a tricky wicket. He was probably offering a bit too much.
“A lot of Tests have been played in fast forward and this one finished in two days, which is not ideal. It would be nice if it was a little longer and we could entertain the fans a little more, but that wasn’t the case.”
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News & Knowledge / Facts
MARKETS EUROPE/DAX is up slightly at target level #MARKETS #EUROPEDAX #slightly #target #level
DJ MARKETS EUROPA/DAX is up slightly from the target level
DOW JONES–European stock markets are higher Tuesday afternoon. There is little news and most investors are no longer active as the start of the year approaches. We cannot exclude the so-called “window dressing” of individual stocks, i.e. the targeted maintenance of prices in the portfolios of institutional investors. On some exchanges, trading is shortened only on Tuesdays. Trading in Germany and Austria ends at 2 p.m. THIS. While today is the last trading day of the year on some exchanges, shortened listings will take place on Wednesday in Lisbon, London, Madrid and Paris.
The DAX gained 0.5 percent to 24,476 points; the index is up 22 percent since the start of the year. The DAX can look back on an excellent year overall. “A closer look, however, shows that only the first half of the year was excellent for the DAX. The second half of the year was more of a sideways trend,” explains QC Partners. The MDAX is once again lagging and is up 19 percent year to date. The TecDAX has a meager yield of 5 percent. This continues the pattern of German blue-chip companies performing better in their international operations than German mid-sized companies. Whether this will change with Germany’s billion-dollar investment program remains to be seen.
The Euro-Stoxx-50 rose by 0.6 percent to 5,789 points. The majority of the year’s best-performing countries come from the South, where European economic growth was based last year. The Spanish stock market rose by 48 percent, while in Athens the index even rose by 50 percent.
On the foreign exchange market, the euro changes little, at $1.1769; During the year, the greenback lost a lot of value. This is unlikely to make it easier for European companies to sell more expensive products around the world due to the strength of the euro next year. Yields on the bond markets are up slightly. After the liquidation of the day before, precious metals are recovering. The price of gold rose 1.2 percent to $4,385, silver rose 3.8 percent to $74.90. Not surprisingly, European mining stocks were one of the day’s winners, rising 1.6 percent. Shares of silver producer Fresnillo rose 5.5 percent.
The geopolitical situation remains tense. US President Donald Trump has threatened Iran with a military strike if the country resumes its nuclear program. Meanwhile, Hamas was threatened with serious consequences if the terrorist organization did not lay down its arms. Finally, China is organizing one of the largest military exercises in recent years off the coast of Taiwan. This is likely a reaction to the recent announcement of US arms deliveries to the island nation.
Additionally, the United States recently carried out an attack on a port area in Venezuela where US President Trump said drugs were being loaded onto boats and smuggled across international waters, saying a “big explosion” had occurred. Oil prices are barely reacting to this news. Brent is up 0.4 percent.
Defense stocks are recovering after the selling pressures of the day before. There is still no sign of progress in peace or ceasefire negotiations in Ukraine. Rheinmetall gained 2.1 percent, Renk 2.5 percent and Hensoldt 0.9 percent.
Meanwhile, bank stocks continue to run. The sector can look forward to a good year in 2025 thanks to the rise in yields on the bond markets. Deutsche Bank gains 1.5 percent and Commerzbank 2.0 percent.
Chipmaker Infineon’s sales growth (+1.8%) is down, with only one sector seeing strong growth: semiconductors to power AI data centers. “We are seeing a strong increase in demand and many indicators suggest that this will continue in the coming years,” CEO Jochen Hanebeck told Handelsblatt. “We currently cannot deliver as much as customers order.”
=== INDEX zuletzt +/- % absolut +/- % YTD Euro-Stoxx-50 5.788,57 +0,6% 36,86 +17,4% Stoxx-50 4.918,84 +0,5% 25,52 +13,6% DAX 24.476,16 +0,5% 125,04 +22,3% MDAX 30.548,50 +0,3% 95,97 +18,4% TecDAX 3.613,61 +0,4% 13,79 +5,0% SDAX 17.094,60 +0,5% 78,05 +22,6% CAC 8.141,91 +0,4% 29,89 +9,8% SMI 13.259,65 +0,1% 19,06 +14,2% ATX 5.304,29 +1,1% 56,33 +43,2% DEVISEN zuletzt +/- % 0:00 Mo, 18:00 % YTD EUR/USD 1,1769 +0,0% 1,1767 1,1756 +13,7% EUR/JPY 183,56 -0,1% 183,67 183,59 +13,1% EUR/CHF 0,9286 -0,1% 0,9291 0,9287 -1,0% EUR/GBP 0,8715 -0,0% 0,8716 0,8712 +5,4% USD/JPY 155,94 -0,1% 156,03 156,12 -0,5% GBP/USD 1,3505 +0,0% 1,3502 1,3494 +7,9% USD/CNY 7,0292 -0,0% 7,0312 7,0324 -2,3% USD/CNH 6,9881 -0,2% 6,9987 7,0001 -4,5% AUS/USD 0,6701 +0,1% 0,6693 0,6690 +8,4% Bitcoin/USD 87.770,40 +0,6% 87.232,35 87.544,55 -7,3% ROHÖL zuletzt VT-Settlem. +/- % +/- USD % YTD WTI/Nymex 58,29 58,08 +0,4% 0,21 -20,9% Brent/ICE 62,12 61,94 +0,3% 0,18 -19,4% METALLE zuletzt Vortag +/- % +/- USD % YTD Gold 4.384,52 4.330,40 +1,2% 54,12 +72,8% Silber 74,90 72,18 +3,8% 2,73 +173,6% Platin 1.854,76 1.791,70 +3,5% 63,06 +137,7% Kupfer 5,49 5,49 0% 0,00 +33,6% YTD bezogen auf Schlussstand des Vortags (Angaben ohne Gewähr) ===
Contact the author: maerkte.de@dowjones.com
DJG/thl/ros
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
December 30, 2025 7:01 a.m. ET (12:01 p.m. GMT)
Copyright (c) 2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic prepares for MRI after injuring knee in Miami #Nuggets #Nikola #Jokic #prepares #MRI #injuring #knee #Miami
MIAMI — Nuggets star Nikola Jokic limped off the court at halftime of Denver’s 147-123 loss to the Miami Heat on Monday night after injuring his left knee about three seconds before intermission.
He was not on the field in the second half and will have an MRI on Tuesday.
“Immediately he knew something was wrong,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said after the game. “Hey, that’s part of the NBA. Anyone who gets hurt in this game, it’s a little heartbreaking, especially someone as special as him. We’ll know more tomorrow. We’ll move forward as a team. Obviously, right now, I’m more concerned about him as a person and the disappointment of going through something like this.”
Jokic was alone under the basket and appeared to step forward to help Denver’s Spencer Jones defend a drive by Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. as time was about to expire in the second quarter. While reversing, Jones stepped on Jokic’s left foot and it appeared the center’s knee bent a bit.
Jokic collapsed on the court, grabbing his knee. He was helped to his feet, then made his way to the locker room under his own power but with a pronounced limp. He was evaluated by doctors Monday night before leaving the arena, and the Nuggets were scheduled to fly to Toronto on Tuesday for a game against the Raptors on Wednesday.
“It’s just part of this process,” Adelman said. “You don’t get definitive answers right after these things happen. I know he’s an extremely special player that people want updates on immediately; that makes perfect sense to me. But we will follow the process properly, for him and for our team.”
The Nuggets have faced major injury issues this season and were playing Monday without three potential contenders: Christian Braun (left ankle sprain), Aaron Gordon (right hamstring sprain) and Cameron Johnson (right knee injury management).
Denver has managed to fight its way through these injuries – thanks in large part to Jokic.
“The things he’s doing this year,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said before Monday’s game, “are really remarkable.”
Jokic had 21 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds in the first half on Monday. If he sits out for any length of time, it will be a major blow to Denver and, in some ways, the entire NBA, given that he is one of the game’s superstars. Even a month’s absence would mean about 16 games, which could have a serious impact on Denver’s standing in a loaded Western Conference.
“Tonight my mind is going to wander,” Adelman said. “And there will be questions about what we should do in the future if he is out for a while or a long period of time.”
Jokic is a three-time MVP and was certainly early in the MVP conversation this season, having started Monday averaging 29.9 points, 12.4 rebounds and 11.1 assists – on track to average a triple-double for the second straight campaign.
“He’s not only a big part of what we do, but almost everything we do,” Nuggets guard Jamal Murray said. “We just want to see him healthy, and everyone here is ready to step up.”
Jokic has also been remarkably durable. He has missed 36 games over the past five seasons; the Nuggets went 13-23 during those absences. He played in all 32 games for Denver this season.
“I hope for the best,” Adelman said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Russia accuses Ukraine of attacking Putin’s residence with drones; Kyiv denies allegations #Russia #accuses #Ukraine #attacking #Putins #residence #drones #Kyiv #denies #allegations
The conflict, which began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Russia on Monday accused Ukraine of launching a large-scale drone attack on one of President Vladimir Putin’s residences in the Novgorod region, a claim kyiv dismissed as a “fabrication” intended to derail ongoing peace talks.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine deployed 91 long-range unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) overnight from Sunday to Monday. He claimed that all drones were intercepted and destroyed by Russian air defenses and that there were no casualties or damage. Lavrov called Ukraine’s actions “state terrorism” and warned that Russia would reconsider its negotiating position in the U.S.-led peace process.
Ukraine has strongly denied these allegations. President Volodymyr Zelensky called the claims “typical Russian lies” designed to justify further attacks on Ukraine and undermine peace efforts with the United States. “It is essential that the world does not remain silent now,” Zelensky said on X, calling for continued international support for the negotiations.
The accusation comes shortly after Zelensky met with US President Donald Trump in Florida to discuss a revised peace plan. Ukraine says it has accepted 90% of the US proposal, including post-war security guarantees, although territorial disputes remain unresolved.
Zelensky rejected the request
Speaking to Fox News, Zelensky said that while there is a “possibility of ending this war” by 2026, Ukraine still counts on support from the United States. He also expressed skepticism about Putin’s desire to seek peace.
The conflict, which began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has left much of the eastern Donbass region disputed. Russia controls around 75% of Donetsk and 99% of Luhansk, while Ukraine continues to resist Moscow’s advances.
As tensions rise, international attention is now focused on whether alleged attacks like the one on Putin’s residence further complicate the fragile peace process.
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