Author: Agence France-Presse - AFP

Ankara on Friday confirmed Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan would meet with his Russian and Iranian counterparts in Doha on Saturday for talks on the escalating civil war in Syria. Syrian anti-regime fighters have made their biggest battlefield gains since the civil war began 13 years ago, striking a devastating blow to Syrian regime leader Bashar Assad. After years of being locked behind frozen front lines, the fighters, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), captured the main northern city of Aleppo last week before pushing as far south as the center of Hama and Homs, taking the strategic cities for…

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The NBA is set to return to China for the first time in six years, with two preseason games in Macau next October between the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns, sources reported Friday. The league has not hosted games in China since 2019, following a tweet by then-Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey expressing support for Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement. Basketball is hugely popular in China, but the controversy led to the NBA losing hundreds of millions of dollars as the league was pulled from Chinese television until 2022. ESPN, citing unnamed sources, said the relationship between the NBA and China…

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Tyler Herro led the Miami Heat to a dominant 134-93 win over LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, handing the Lakers their worst defeat of the NBA season. Herro poured in 31 points, including 21 in a red-hot third quarter, and knocked down nine of the Heat’s franchise-record 24 three-pointers. Jimmy Butler added 17 points, while Bam Adebayo posted 14 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. The Heat set a franchise record with 42 assists, maintaining their offensive momentum against a sluggish Lakers team. Already up by 17 at halftime, Herro’s explosive third-quarter performance, which included seven…

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Raphinha and Lamine Yamal powered Barcelona’s return to winning ways, leading the Catalan giants to a commanding 5-1 victory over Mallorca on Tuesday – their first triumph in four La Liga matches. The win lifts Barca to 37 points, extending their lead at the top of the table to four over second-placed Real Madrid, though they have played two more games. Real Madrid, under Carlo Ancelotti, have a chance to trim the gap to one point on Wednesday when they face Athletic Bilbao. Mallorca remain sixth, two points shy of Bilbao and the coveted final Champions League berth. Ferran Torres…

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Raphinha and Lamine Yamal powered Barcelona’s return to winning ways, leading the Catalan giants to a commanding 5-1 victory over Mallorca on Tuesday – their first triumph in four La Liga matches. The win lifts Barca to 37 points, extending their lead at the top of the table to four over second-placed Real Madrid, though they have played two more games. Real Madrid, under Carlo Ancelotti, have a chance to trim the gap to one point on Wednesday when they face Athletic Bilbao. Mallorca remain sixth, two points shy of Bilbao and the coveted final Champions League berth. Ferran Torres…

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La Liga underdogs Las Palmas handed leaders Barcelona their first loss of the La Liga season on Saturday, spoiling the Catalan giant’s 125th anniversary celebrations in the process. Sandro Ramirez sent Las Palmas ahead early in the second half and although Raphinha hammered home an equalizer, Fabio Silva struck to claim three points and take his team up to 14th. Barcelona still lead champions Real Madrid by four points but third-place Los Blancos, who host Getafe on Sunday, have played two fewer games than the Catalans and Atletico. Barca have now gone three league games without a victory, after a…

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La Liga underdogs Las Palmas handed leaders Barcelona their first loss of the La Liga season on Saturday, spoiling the Catalan giant’s 125th anniversary celebrations in the process. Sandro Ramirez sent Las Palmas ahead early in the second half and although Raphinha hammered home an equalizer, Fabio Silva struck to claim three points and take his team up to 14th. Barcelona still lead champions Real Madrid by four points but third-place Los Blancos, who host Getafe on Sunday, have played two fewer games than the Catalans and Atletico. Barca have now gone three league games without a victory, after a…

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Former Barcelona and Uruguay striker Luis Suarez has agreed to a one-year contract extension with Major League Soccer’s Miami, where he will play under new coach Javier Mascherano next season, the club announced. The 37-year-old has netted 25 goals in all competitions since joining the club at the start of the season, including 20 during Miami’s record-breaking regular campaign. After claiming the Supporters’ Shield for the best regular-season record and setting a new points tally benchmark, Miami was eliminated from the playoffs in the first round by Atlanta United. Following the departure of Argentina head coach Gerardo Martino, Mascherano, Suarez’s…

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Newly crowned quadruple world champion Max Verstappen shifts his focus from the drivers’ title to the team contest this weekend, as he leads Red Bull’s bid to defend its crown at the Qatar Grand Prix. Just five days after securing his fourth championship with a steady fifth-place finish at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the 27-year-old Dutchman returns to the track, aiming to replicate his pole-to-flag victory from last year. Verstappen, who holds the lap record at Lusail International Circuit, set in 2023, will race with confidence, but a fierce challenge awaits from McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes as they vie…

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Manchester City squandered a commanding 3-0 lead to settle for a dramatic 3-3 draw against Feyenoord in the Champions League on Tuesday, extending their winless streak to six matches. The English champions halted a five-game losing skid but offered little reassurance ahead of Sunday’s high-stakes clash with Premier League leaders Liverpool, conceding three goals in the final 15 minutes. Pep Guardiola admitted his star-studded squad was “fragile” and struggling with confidence during the worst slump of his managerial career. Erling Haaland’s brace, coupled with Ilkay Gündoğan’s deflected strike, seemed to put City on course for a much-needed victory. However, their…

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