Author: Daily Sabah With Reuters

Lando Norris seized victory in a rain-soaked, crash-filled Miami Grand Prix sprint race on Saturday, securing a McLaren one-two that trimmed teammate Oscar Piastri’s Formula One lead to just nine points. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who won the season’s first sprint in China, also had reason to smile, finishing third as the safety car controlled the final laps before pulling off at the end. “My luck in Miami seems pretty good at the moment, really happy,” Norris said with a grin, having claimed last year’s main Grand Prix for his first F1 win. The British driver benefited from perfect timing, pitting…

Atletico Madrid’s slim La Liga title hopes took a major hit Saturday as they stumbled to a scoreless draw against relegation-threatened Alaves at Mendizorrotza Stadium. Despite dominating possession, Diego Simeone’s side failed to find a breakthrough, lacking the creativity and urgency to unlock a disciplined Alaves defense. The 2021 champions remain third with 67 points, nine behind leader Barcelona, which visits Real Valladolid later Saturday. The first half was a cagey affair without a single shot on target. The most notable moment came when Atletico forward Julian Alvarez was initially sent off for a high boot on Facundo Garces. However,…

Manuel Caceres, the iconic drum-thumping Spanish football superfan known to the world as “Manolo el del Bombo,” died Thursday at age 76, silencing a rhythmic heartbeat that had echoed through Spanish stadiums for more than 40 years. Clad in his signature oversized Basque beret and red No. 12 jersey, Caceres was as synonymous with La Roja as the players themselves – a one-man marching band whose relentless drumming became the unofficial soundtrack of Spanish football. “My aim is to retire after 12 World Cups, which will make me 77, if Spain qualify for all of them. I’ll be there even…

The European Union is planning to share a paper with the U.S. next week that will set out a package of proposals to kick-start trade negotiations with the Trump administration, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday citing people familiar with the matter. The paper will propose lowering trade and non-tariff barriers, boosting European investments in the US, cooperating on global challenges such as tackling China’s steel overcapacity and purchasing US goods like liquefied natural gas and technologies, the report added.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday the United States will likely revisit President Donald Trump’s phase one trade deal with China and he was confident Beijing will want to reach a deal on tariffs. “I am confident that the Chinese will want to reach a deal. And as I said, this is going to be a multi-step process. First, we need to de-escalate, and then over time, we will start focusing on a larger trade deal,” Bessent said in an interview with Fox Business Network.

When Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port city of Jeddah welcomed Formula One star Lewis Hamilton and U.S. singer Jennifer Lopez for its Grand Prix this month, visitors discovered an unexpected gem: the city’s historic old town. While Jeddah is renowned as the kingdom’s modern commercial hub, its old town had long been neglected after the departure of its merchant class. As part of Saudi Arabia’s ambitious Vision 2030 plan to diversify its economy and reduce dependence on oil, revitalizing the city’s cultural heritage has become a key focus to boost tourism. Many visitors attending the F1 event found themselves charmed…

North Korea confirmed for the first time on Monday that it has sent troops to fight for Russia in the war with Ukraine under the order of leader Kim Jong Un and made an important contribution to the liberation of Russian territory occupied by Ukraine. The victorious end of the battle to liberate Russia’s Kursk region showed the “highest strategic level of the firm militant friendship” between North Korea and Russia, KCNA state news agency cited the North’s ruling party as saying. Russia said last week Ukrainian forces had been expelled from the last Russian village they had been holding,…

Ukrainian air defences shot down 40 out of 166 drones launched by Russia in multiple attacks on Monday, the Ukrainian air force said. It said in a statement that 74 Russian drones were redirected by electronic warfare. Damages were registered in four regions – in the east, northeast, and centre of the country.

China and India have agreed to resume allowing Indian pilgrims to mountains and lakes in Tibet starting this summer, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson told a regular press conference on Monday. The two sides are pushing forward relevant preparations, spokesperson Guo Jiakun added.

Alex Marquez seized the MotoGP championship lead from his brother Marc by securing his first-ever race win at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday, after Marc crashed early and finished a distant 12th. After seven second-place finishes in sprints and races this season, Alex claimed a dream race win on home turf in front of over 100,000 fans, with the Spaniard imploring them to increase the volume even when he had a few corners left on the final lap. Fabio Quartararo finished second to give Yamaha their first podium since the 2023 Indonesian Grand Prix, while Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia came…