Author: Daily Sabah With Reuters

Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris topped the timesheets for McLaren as four red flags – including two triggered by trackside grass fires – disrupted the second practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix on Friday. Piastri, fresh off his victory in China, set the fastest lap of 1:28.114, clinching the top spot just before the final red flag on a sunny but cool day at Suzuka. Championship leader Norris, who was fastest in the first practice session, secured second place in the later session, finishing four-tenths of a second ahead of Racing Bulls’ French rookie Isack Hadjar. The level of…

Ukrainian air defences shot down 42 out of 78 drones launched by Russia in an overnight attack on Ukraine on Friday, the Ukrainian air force said. It said in a statement that 22 other Russian drones were ‘lost’ in reference to the military using electronic warfare to redirect or spoof them. Damages were recorded in the Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kyiv regions, it added.

The United Kingdom is engaged in discussions with the United States to strike an economic deal, British Foreign Minister David Lammy said as he arrived in Brussels to meet his NATO countries counterparts. “We have been absolutely clear that all options are on the table as we ensure the national interests of the British people”, Lammy also said.

World No. 2 Iga Swiatek has withdrawn from Poland’s upcoming Billie Jean King Cup qualifying tournament, citing the need to focus on herself. The five-time Grand Slam champion announced her decision on social media Wednesday, confirming she will not compete against Switzerland and Ukraine in Radom from April 10-12. “I know this isn’t what fans, especially Polish ones, wanted to hear, but it’s the right decision for me right now,” Swiatek said. “I need more balance, time for myself, and to focus on training. I’ll be supporting the girls and the team from afar.” Swiatek’s decision comes after a quarterfinal…

The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers are on a collision course for a blockbuster first-round playoff showdown, and Thursday’s clash in Los Angeles offers a tantalizing preview. Fueled by trade-deadline reinforcements, both teams are channeling their championship pedigree into deep postseason aspirations. Golden State has been red hot since acquiring Jimmy Butler from Miami, going 19-5 since his debut on Feb. 8. Paired with a resurgent Stephen Curry, the Warriors are surging at the right time. Curry delivered another masterpiece Tuesday, dropping 52 points – draining 12 3-pointers – to lead a 134-125 comeback win over the Memphis…

Barcelona set up a blockbuster Copa del Rey final against archrival Real Madrid after edging Atletico Madrid 1-0 in a tense battle at the Metropolitano on Wednesday, sealing a 5-4 aggregate triumph. After an eight-goal thriller in the first leg, Ferran Torres delivered the decisive blow in the 27th minute, latching onto Lamine Yamal’s pass before drilling a low strike past Juan Musso into the bottom left corner. The victory sends Barcelona to Seville later this month, where El Clasico glory awaits. Atletico pushed for the equalizer in the second half, with substitute Alexander Sorloth missing a sitter from close…

Italy’s Prime Minister Meloni has cancelled all her engagements for the day to focus on actions to take in response to U.S. tariffs, a government statement said on Thursday. Meloni was supposed to attend in the afternoon the inauguration of a police station in a small town in southern Italy, her official agenda said.

Greek finance minister said on Thursday that the fresh tariffs imposed by the U.S. government on world trade were a historic shift towards protectionism and a deviation from how the European Union sees economic and social progress. “As a country, we are in favour of free trade,” Kyriakos Pierrakakis said in a statement. “We hope that this chapter will last as little as possible.”

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appeared to fall off a stage on Thursday during a campaign event for May’s national election, but quickly recovered and insisted he was “sweet” afterwards. The leader of the centre-left Labor party, 62, was posing for photos following his speech at the Mining and Energy Union Conference held in New South Wales, when he stepped back and lost his footing, drawing gasps from the audience. Albanese promptly got back on his feet and gestured to the crowd with two hands that he was fine. Video footage from the event showed Albanese had tumbled off the…

Lionel Messi’s bodyguard, Yassine Cheuko, revealed that he has been banned from guarding the Argentine star along the touchline during Inter Miami matches. Cheuko gained fame after videos surfaced on social media showing him vigilantly scanning the crowd to prevent potential pitch invaders from reaching the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner. “They don’t allow me to be on the field anymore,” Cheuko was quoted as saying by Spanish media. “I was in Europe for seven years, working for Ligue 1 and the Champions League, and only six people invaded the pitch. I came to the U.S. and, in just 20 months,…