USA face France in mouthwatering Olympic men’s basketball final

PARIS: The United States, chasing a fifth straight men’s Olympic basketball crown, are gearing up for a fierce challenge from France in a hostile Bercy Arena after two scintillating semifinals set up a dream gold medal game at the Paris Olympics. The US team led by Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James will take on … Read more

Al-Hilal face new Saudi season without sidelined Neymar

RIYADH: The Saudi Arabian Football Federation held a five-day educational workshop on women’s football aimed at empowering coaches from the Kingdom and Africa. The event in Riyadh, held in partnership with the Confederation of African Football, ran from May 14-18 and was attended by 32 coaches — 16 from CAF member associations and 16 from … Read more

Why displaced Syrians in Lebanon face an agonizing dilemma amid mounting hostility 

LONDON: Syrian refugees in Lebanon are in an impossible fix, unable to safely return home while also facing mounting hostility from host communities and local authorities, especially following the death of a Lebanese Forces party official, allegedly at the hands of Syrian criminals. Pascal Suleiman, the Byblos District coordinator of the Christian-based party, was reportedly … Read more

US football magnate Textor to face trial in Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO: US football magnate John Textor will be tried by Brazil’s top court for sport for ignoring orders to provide evidence for his claims that the Brazilian league is plagued by match-fixing, officials said Wednesday. Textor, whose teams include Brazilian club Botafogo, will go on trial on April 15 before a disciplinary panel … Read more

Holders Man City to face Real Madrid in Champions League quarters

Liverpool rout Sparta to reach Europa League quarterfinals. Late goals propel Leverkusen LONDON: Mohamed Salah scored one goal and set up three to help Liverpool demolish Sparta Prague 6-1 and march into the Europa League quarterfinals on Thursday. After winning 5-1 the opening leg of their last 16 tie in Prague, Liverpool scored four in … Read more

US House passes bill to force ByteDance to divest TikTok or face ban

WASHINGTON: The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill on Wednesday that would give TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance about six months to divest the US assets of the short-video app used by about 170 million Americans or face a ban. The bill passed 352-65, with bipartisan support, but it faces a more uncertain path … Read more

UK’s governing Conservatives face pressure as London mayor blasts ‘tacit endorsement’ of Islamophobia

LONDON: London’s Muslim mayor has accused Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of “tacit endorsement” of Islamophobia in his Conservative Party. Sadiq Khan’s accusation came after the “belated” suspension of Conservative MP Lee Anderson, who refused to apologize for saying in a TV interview that “Islamists” had “got control” of the mayor.

Liverpool to face Sparta Prague in Europa League last 16

Miami’s recruitment of big-name international players is unprecedented in MLS with Messi having been joined initially by two former Barcelona team-mates in Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets. (USA TODAY Sports)   FORD LAUDERDALE, Florida: The head of Apple TV’s collaboration with Major League Soccer has urged clubs in the league to follow the example of … Read more

Sudanese refugees face gruelling wait in overcrowded South Sudan camps

WikiLeaks founder Assange starts final UK legal battle to avoid extradition to US on spy charges LONDON: Julian Assange’s lawyers will begin their final UK legal challenge on Tuesday to stop the WikiLeaks founder from being sent to the United States to face spying charges. The 52-year-old has been fighting extradition for more than a … Read more

Alonso and Leverkusen face Bayern Munich in ultimate test of their title bid

DUESSELDORF, Germany: Xabi Alonso has coached Bayer Leverkusen to their best chance in years of finally winning the Bundesliga. The ultimate test comes on Saturday when Leverkusen host 11-time defending champion Bayern Munich. Leverkusen have not lost any of their 30 games in all competitions this season — the only unbeaten team in any of … Read more