Real Madrid said Monday that coach Xabi Alonso has left the Spanish giants by mutual consent, to be replaced by Alvaro Arbeloa. A day after the team lost the Spanish Super Cup final against Barcelona, the club parted ways with the Basque coach and immediately appointed former Madrid player Arbeloa, who was coaching the reserve side. "Real Madrid announces that, by mutual agreement between the club and Xabi Alonso, it has been decided to bring his tenure as first-team coach to an end," said the Los Blancos in a statement. In a separate statement Madrid then announced Arbeloa would take Alonso's place, without specifying the length of the 42-year-old's contract. "Arbeloa has been the coach of Castilla since June 2025 and has developed his entire coaching career in Real Madrid's academy since 2020," said Los Blancos. Alonso joined in June, replacing veteran Carlo Ancelotti, but Madrid struggled to find consistency under the Basque coach and are second in...
Several parts of India grappled with unusually high temperatures this week, forcing schools to close and hospitals to create special units to treat heat-related illnesses, while workers on construction sites were given a "paid holiday" in the afternoon. Here is a look at what caused the unprecedented heat in the country. HOW UNUSUAL HAS THE SITUATION BEEN THIS YEAR? While every year temperatures in India tend to peak in the months of May and June, the number of heatwave days recorded over northwestern and eastern parts of the country this season have been more than double the normal, with eastern India also experiencing its hottest April on record. India declares a heatwave day when the maximum temperature in any given region is 4.5 -6.4 degrees Celsius higher than normal. Parts of the country have touched new highs in terms of the maximum temperature, including Delhi, which recorded the country's highest ever temperature at 52.9 C (127.22 degree F) on Wednesday. Wh...