Sunday, 22 March 2026

Author: AFP

Jones in three-way tie for PGA lead at Punta Cana

MIAMI: Australian Matt Jones set an early target with a six-under par 66 and ended Thursday in a three-way tie for the lead in the US PGA Tour’s Corales Puntancana Resort Championship. Jones hit 13 of 14 fairways and 15 greens in regulation as he fired seven birdies with one

Hamilton blasts ‘crazy’ racism in sport

MANAMA: Lewis Hamilton on Thursday said it was “crazy” that racism still exists in sport as he followed his tweet about the “despicable” treatment suffered by England’s footballers in Montenegro with a plea for stricter action against the scourge. Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix, the five-time Formula

Vettel welcomes Mick Schumacher to Ferrari test

MANAMA: Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel on Thursday welcomed his Ferrari team’s move to give fellow-German Mick Schumacher a Formula One test next week. Speaking to reporters ahead of this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix, Vettel said he believed the son of his own childhood hero seven-time champion Michael Schumacher, who

Boxers in limbo say Aiba as IOC mull Tokyo 2020 exclusion

LAUSANNE: The under-pressure International Boxing Federation (Aiba) criticised on Thursday the IOC’s decision to wait until late May before delivering their verdict on the sport’s Olympic fate as it fights for its place on the 2020 Tokyo roster after a storm of corruption allegations. Aiba said the International Olympic Committee’s

Hamilton warns Mercedes of Ferrari recovery in Bahrain

MANAMA: Defending champion Lewis Hamilton has warned his Mercedes team “to stay on their toes” at this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix where Ferrari will be seeking to bounce back after being beaten at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. Hamilton, who came home second in a damaged car behind in-form team-mate

Daimler, Geely to build next-gen Smart car

BERLIN: Mercedes-Benz maker Daimler and Chinese auto giant Geely announced plans Thursday to develop the next generation of electric Smart cars to be made in China in a joint venture. Under the agreement, expected to be finalised by the end of the year, the new vehicle will go on global

Turkey bank says propping up forex reserves as lira slides

ISTANBUL: Turkey’s central bank Thursday sought to reassure investors over its foreign currency reserves after the sharpest drop in the local lira since a spat with the United States triggered a currency crisis last year. The lira slid nearly 6 percent Friday, prompting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to call for

London stocks rise as pound falls on Brexit chaos

LONDON: London’s stock market rose Thursday, with share prices of multinationals climbing as the pound dropped in the wake of more Brexit uncertainty. The benchmark FTSE 100 index was up 0.5 percent nearing midday in London. In the eurozone, Frankfurt’s DAX 30 index advanced 0.4 percent and the Paris CAC 40

Turkey bank says propping up forex reserves as lira slides

ISTANBUL: Turkey’s central bank Thursday sought to reassure investors over its foreign currency reserves after the sharpest drop in the local lira since a spat with the United States triggered a currency crisis last year. The lira slid nearly 6 percent Friday, prompting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to call for

Swedbank sacks CEO, share trading halted amid scandal

STOCKHOLM: Swedish lender Swedbank, which is embattled over allegations of money-laundering in Baltic countries, fired its CEO and suspended trading of the company’s shares on the Stockholm stock exchange Thursday. “The developments during the past days have created an enormous pressure for the bank. Therefore, the board has decided to