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The Trump administration is proposing a dramatic overhaul of the once-a-decade US Census head count that could leave out millions of immigrants based on status and key racial and ethnic data, jeopardizing the allocation of resources and the country’s voting map.

The potential changes, announced Wednesday, would exclude undocumented immigrants, asylum seekers and anyone without permanent status. Certain demographic questions from the traditional questionnaire would also be eliminated.

It echoes Trump’s previous idea to add a citizenship question to the 2030 census.

The US Census Bureau, in a post on the Federal Register website, argued “illegal aliens (among others) should not be included in the apportionment count, as they are not true inhabitants, members of the body politic, or persons with a ‘usual residence’ in the United States due to their lack of a sufficient tie and allegiance to the United States.”

The census also “should be colorblind and should not be distorted in any way by questions about immaterial personal characteristics, such as race,” the agency said. It also is considering nixing questions related to people who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community.

These changes would harm the quality of the data, said Beth Jarosz, a data researcher and vice president of the Association of Public Data Users. She called the proposals “unprecedented.”

“Not counting all of the people who reside here is actually where the real threat is,” Jarosz said. “If you think about all of the ways that census data are used.”

Census figures are traditionally used for an “apportionment count” to determine how many seats each state will have in the US House of Representatives. That count also determines the number of votes in the Electoral College.

“You can imagine if we have undercounts or if we have people counted in the wrong place,” Jarosz said. “Then their political power or their political representation gets diluted.”

Immigrants of every status have historically been counted

Historically, the decennial census has not sought to conduct a full count of people by citizenship status, she added. It may come up in the Census’ periodic American Community Survey.

Getting an accurate count of immigrants of various statuses is useful when assigning resources for public health emergencies or natural or man-made disasters.

“If you don’t have a count of everyone who’s there, you’re not going to have the resources you need,” Jarosz said. “And that puts everybody at risk.”

Why race and ethnicity census data matters

Race-related questions have been on the once-a-decade census since 1790. Starting in 2000, the US census began allowing people to identify by more than one race. A 2015 Pew Research Center study found that multiracial people in the US were growing at a rate three times faster than the general population. By 2020, 33.8 million people in the US identified as being more than one race, according to the census.

Race and ethnicity data is essential for researchers who gauge discrimination, crime rates and wealth gaps in communities of color.

Collecting data for the 2030 Census with all these missing elements would be detrimental, Jarosz said.

“These changes are like trying to land an airplane when you are in thick fog and someone has thrown paint across the front window and your instruments are also not working,” she said.

World champion Wu Yize fell in the third round of the English Open as Liam Davies scored an eye-catching 4-1 victory in Brentwood.

Welsh prospect Davies, 20, opened up a 3-0 lead on his way to the first ranking event quarter-final of his career, helped by a break of 105 in the second frame, then completed his victory as China’s Wu struggled to find his dynamic best form.

Tantalisingly, Davies will face compatriot Mark Williams, the three-time world champion, in the last eight on Friday evening.

Williams, still a major force on the baize at the age of 51, had breaks of 76, 103 and 63 in a late-night 4-1 victory over England’s Barry Hawkins.

Mark Selby, who was runner-up at last week’s British Open and won the China Open in August, had his hopes of reaching another final ended by a 4-3 defeat against fellow former world champion Kyren Wilson.

Selby led 2-0 in the all-English tussle after an early break of 112 but then lost the next three frames. He dragged himself level, but Wilson trebled in the yellow to effectively make sure of victory in the decider.

England’s Judd Trump, newly deposed as world number one, edged a tense decider against Scot Anthony McGill to take a 4-3 victory.

Trump will face a quarter-final against Shaun Murphy who was taken the distance after midnight by Pang Junxu before racing through the deciding frame with a 103 break.

Ali Carter had a highest break of 75 as he completed a 4-2 win over Gong Chenzhi, Zhou Yuelong made a 141 in his 4-2 victory over Chinese compatriot Yuan Sijun, and Ding Junhui beat Joe O’Connor 4-1.

WASHINGTON: President ‌Donald Trump said he did not regret going to war against Iran despite the impact the conflict may have ​on the November US midterm elections.

“I don’t believe in the word ‘regret.’ You can always question yourself a little bit,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham when asked if he regretted the Iran war due to the impact it may have on the elections.

“If ‌I had ‌it do again, I would ​do ‌exactly ⁠as ​I did,” ⁠Trump said in the interview broadcast on Thursday on “The Ingraham Angle” show.

Trump dismissed suggestions that some of his supporters were upset and demoralized about the war.

“I don’t think they’re demoralized. I think they’re very proud of the fact that I’m not letting ⁠Iran have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.

Trump ‌reiterated his thinking that ‌the war will end immediately after ​the midterm election.

“It ‌ends right after the election,” Trump said in ‌the interview. He made similar comments on Wednesday, alleging Tehran was trying to influence the elections that will determine whether Trump’s Republican Party retains control of Congress.

The rise in ‌oil and gas prices due to the US-Israeli war on Iran has become ⁠a major ⁠issue for Republicans in the lead-up to the elections.

The US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28 and Iran responded with its own strikes on Israel and Gulf states that host US bases. US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed thousands and displaced millions.

Trump has cited weakening Iran’s nuclear capabilities as one of his war objectives. Iran does not have ​nuclear weapons and says ​its uranium enrichment program is for peaceful purposes. The US is nuclear-armed.

The Caitlin Clark–Angel Reese connection has been strong during the women’s FIBA World Cup.

The college rivals turned teammates on the U.S. national team showed off their growing chemistry in Team USA’s blowout victory against Hungary on Thursday in Berlin. The Americans knocked out their quarterfinal opponents 108-56, notching the team’s 34th consecutive win in World Cup play since 2006.

“We’ve played against each other so many times, so I’m sure we know each other’s game like the back of each other’s hand,” Reese said when asked after the game about playing with Clark. “Just easily dishing it off to her. She dishes it off to me. She knows my spots. I got one to her today, maybe two. So it’s fun. We just continue to build chemistry because we know we’re gonna be USA teammates for a while.”

The strength of Clark and Reese’s two-person game was on full display Thursday. Clark assisted on six of Reese’s nine points, and Reese returned the favor during the third quarter. After securing a steal, she hit Clark for an easy transition layup.

Reese ended the game with nine points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Clark finished just shy of a double-double with 10 points, nine assists, three rebounds and two steals.

Clark also has complimented Reese as a competitor and teammate during the tournament.

“We’re both fiery, fiery competitors and we want to win and it’s one of the things I really admire about her game,” Clark told the Associated Press in an interview published Wednesday. “She’s competitive and she has a tremendous motor; like, she has one of the best motors in the league. She works just as hard as anybody on the court. So, it’s been fun to to be able to play with her.”

Clark, who set records at Iowa, and Reese, who won an NCAA championship at Louisiana State, have been household names since their college matchups. Thanks to their intensely loyal — and often vocal — fan bases, that rivalry has been carried into their WNBA careers, where every matchup and interaction invites heightened scrutiny, especially online.

Clark told the AP that many of these stories about her and Reese’s relationship are “false takes.”

“No matter what, there’s always going to be people that create those narratives and say whatever they want to say,” Clark said. “There’s definitely no stopping that and they’re always going to be there.”

Reese and Clark are among Team USA’s young core, dubbed the “young and turnt” crew by teammate Paige Bueckers during training camp in December. The World Cup marks the first major international competition for six of those players: Bueckers, Clark, Reese, Aliyah Boston, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen.

Team USA is set to play Spain in the semifinals on Saturday.

When it comes to Shohei Ohtani‘s injury management, it’s tempting to dwell on the what-ifs.

What if the Dodgers forced him to give up pitching duties in July, when he needed a lubricant injection to alleviate irritation in his left knee?

It was clear by then that Ohtani was playing through multiple injuries. A right biceps problem popped up for the second time on July 3 — the last time he pitched in a game. The Dodgers said his knee inflammation was only aggravated by pitching and the biceps tightness was tied to hitting. And yet, they were confident that the MLB All-Star break would give Ohtani enough time to bounce back.

If the Dodgers had been more proactive, instead of starting and stopping Ohtani’s throwing program until his injuries forced a shutdown, would he be in the lineup Friday against the Miami Marlins instead of the 15-day injured list?

Maybe.

Or maybe one or both injuries were far enough along by then that they would have affected him down the stretch regardless. Maybe seeing if he could return to the mound was worth the risk.

Maybe not.

“Anyone can do that, and say, ‘What could you have done better or different?’” manager Dave Roberts said earlier this week when asked if he had any regrets about Ohtani’s injury management. “That’s something going forward we’re going to look at, absolutely. But, it’s certainly not a blame-game thing. It’s learning from what happened and getting better.”

Parsing through the alternative outcomes from decisions made months ago could take time. But the fallout from this past week is clearer.

What if instead of resting Ohtani four days, and bringing him back Monday, the Dodgers had put him on the IL right away?

“I think if we look right now, here today, I would love to go back and put him on the IL,” Roberts said. “But at that moment in time, we all felt that giving him four days was sufficient. He was agreeable. Getting him out there on Monday with the hope that he would be able to play [again Wednesday]. But where we’re at right now, sure.”

Two weeks without Ohtani is hard to swallow. As a two-way player, he’s eligible for the 15-day IL instead of the 10-day for position players.

The Dodgers tried to avoid it. But when he returned to the lineup Monday, he “didn’t feel great” on a swing, Roberts revealed.

So now the Dodgers can only backdate Ohtani’s IL stint to Tuesday, rather than Sept. 3. At minimum, Ohtani will be out until the final five games of the regular season.

“The most important thing is him being as healthy as possible, not compromising his swing, and kind of bet on that,” Roberts said.

He acknowledged that Ohtani wouldn’t be back to “100%” even with the two weeks off.

But plenty of players push through injuries in the playoffs. October becomes a test of pain tolerance before addressing ailments in the offseason.

“I want to make sure that when I look back [on] this season,” Ohtani said Monday through interpreter Will Ireton, “that I used this as an experience, a learning experience and make sure that I use that as something to improve upon for next season.”

So, does that mean Ohtani feels like he could be more up-front with the team about his physical well-being, regardless of whether he thinks he can play through aches and pains?

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani celebrates with teammates after a win over the Reds at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

“It’s hard to say now with the season still going on,” Ohtani said. “It’s something that I’m going to reflect back on during the offseason. I’m just making sure that I’m focusing on the now and finishing strong.”

The Dodgers, for the first time navigating what was expected to be a full season of two-way play from Ohtani, leaned on his expertise while managing his workload. In retrospect, they might have put too much stock in his self-evaluations.

Baseball has a long tradition of players downplaying injuries, out of a desire to play and a belief in their own perseverance.

“What can I learn?” Roberts said this week. “I think that sometimes, potentially trying to get ahead of managing his workload — it always feels good to run him out there offensively as a DH. Always feels good when you pencil him in as a starter — for me, it’s just really trying to be mindful of the long season.

“And I guess it’s under the thing of, ‘you don’t know until you know,’ and it’s important to learn from experiences. And I think it’s good for all of us to kind of appreciate that he’s not supernatural, as much as we think he might be at times.”

Roberts said he didn’t learn until Tuesday night, after giving Ohtani a day off for the fifth time in six games, that a swing on Monday had bothered him.

So, Ohtani didn’t return to the lineup Wednesday as planned. And the team arranged for No. 1 prospect Josue De Paula to meet the team in Miami, called up straight from double-A for his MLB debut on Friday.

“It was more just really huddling up and saying, ‘Hey, how are you going to feel on Friday? How are you going to feel on Saturday, talking to the doctors and training staff?’” Roberts said. “There was not much certainty that he’d be in a much better place. With that, just taking it off the table seemed like the best course of action.”

De Paula wasn’t otherwise guaranteed to debut this season, although the Dodgers would have needed to eventually put him on the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft.

The Dodgers see him as a major-league ready hitter, but he still has work to do on the defensive side for the team to feel comfortable playing him in the outfield regularly. An early taste of the big leagues, even with his playing time expected to come mostly in the DH spot, could be beneficial for the 21-year-old’s development.

For Ohtani, the ramp from the IL to postseason play will be short. But his recent offensive struggles emphasized the importance of having a healthier version of him in the lineup come October.

If anyone can make it work, it’s Ohtani. He may not be supernatural, but he also isn’t just any player. And if he performs in the postseason, that will drown out any lingering what-ifs.

Times staff writer Kevin Baxter contributed to this report.

The estranged wife of former Chargers defensive end Marcellus Wiley has been granted a three-year restraining order against the former Los Angeles sports radio personality two months after she accused him of raping her and physically abusing her and their children.

The former Pro Bowl player has denied the allegations that Annemarie, a nurse anesthetist and former cast member of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” made in a declaration submitted July 6 to the Superior Court of Los Angeles County with her request for a restraining order against her husband of 12 years. She filed for divorce the same day.

Marcellus and Annemarie Wiley both testified in person during a hearing on Wednesday. Evidence presented by both sides included texts and WhatsApp messages, social media posts, court filings and media coverage of the couple.

“The Court finds that Petitioner has met the burden of proof by preponderance of the evidence,” Judge Esther P. Kim wrote in her ruling, which was issued the next day. “Petitioner’s request for a Domestic Violence the minor children are included as protected person in the Restraining Order After Hearing.”

Annemarie Wiley was granted full legal and physical custody of their three children, with a visitation plan detailed for her husband.

“I’m grateful for the court’s decision and welcome the opportunity for our family to finally begin healing after an incredibly difficult and trying time,” Marcellus Wiley said in a statement to The California Post on Thursday. “From the beginning, my fight has been about being present in my children’s lives, loving them, supporting them, and being their father every day.

“I’m thankful I get to return to that role. Annemarie deserves the space to protect her peace, our children deserve the love and presence of both parents, and our family deserves the opportunity to move forward without conflict defining us. My hope now is simple: healing, peace, and getting our family back to a place where love leads the way.”

On July 4, Marcellus Wiley was arrested in Florida after his wife told police he poked her in the face with his finger and threatened to kill her. He was released the next day on $1,000 bond and faced a possible charge of misdemeanor domestic battery. Last month, the state opted not to file charges because of a lack of sufficient evidence.

In the declaration she submitted with her restraining order request, Annemarie Wiley documented numerous alleged incidents that she said demonstrated “a continuing and escalating pattern of physical violence, sexual abuse, verbal and emotional abuse, financial control, and intimidation, much of which our children have witnessed.” She also mentioned four instances in which her husband allegedly raped her, once in 2012 and three times in January.

A temporary restraining order was granted on July 7. On the same day, Marcellus Wiley wrote on X that he has “videos, photographs, text messages, emails, and other evidence that directly contradicts those baseless claims and provides a factual record of our family and the events leading to this unfortunate divorce.”

DUBLIN: Rory McIlroy battled against fierce winds to remain in contention at the Irish Open on Thursday with a one under par opening round to sit four shots behind leader Joaquin Niemann.

US President Donald Trump is set to jet in to attend the event over the weekend, which is being held at his resort in the County Clare village of Doonbeg.

Northern Irishman McIlroy is defending his title and aiming to win for the first time since collecting a second green jacket at the Masters in April.

A double bogey six at the 13th set the world number two back, but those were the only dropped shots of his round, which was disrupted by the blustery conditions leading to a glacial pace of play.

“I hung in there, shot under par, and at least don’t feel like I’m out of the tournament. A good day tomorrow gets me right back in it,” said the six-time major champion.

“There were a couple of things that were tough today. Obviously the wind and the strength of the wind was one thing, and then the pace of play.”

“This course isn’t conducive to sort of letting you get in a flow. Especially the first two days with so many people in the field, there is a lot of stopping and starting.”

Niemann made four birdies in a row from the 14th to forge ahead.

“It’s a really tricky course and a really fun golf course to play with, especially with the Irish weather,” said the Chilean. “(I’m) getting used to this weather and the rain, so it was fun.”

Delays caused by the conditions meant that some players will have to return early on day two to complete their opening rounds.

Home favourite Shane Lowry is among a five-strong group, two shots behind Niemann after a 67.

Adrian Meronk, Maximilian Steinlechner and Renato Paratore were also at three under when bad light brought their opening day to an end without completing their rounds.

Jon Rahm was level par on a rare appearance back on the DP World Tour.

NEW YORK CITY: A five-member international bloc known as the “Quintet” on Thursday rejected the prospect of any “parallel governing structures” in Sudan.

As its representatives wrapped up a “Good Offices” mission to Khartoum, they reaffirmed the need for full respect for the country’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.

The rebuke, a reference to a rival administration the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces seeks to establish amid its conflict with the Sudanese Armed Forces, came after the Quintet — the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the Arab League, the EU and the UN — held talks with Sudanese leaders in an effort to revive a Sudanese-led political process to end the civil war, which began in April 2023.

The delegates met the chair and deputy chair of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council, the prime minister, and the undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. They also attended a working dinner hosted by the finance minister that drew a number of political and civilian figures.

Beyond government officials, the Quintet said its representatives met a range of political and civilian groups, including the Democratic Bloc, and heard from a committee tasked with fostering the conditions for a nationwide “Sudanese Dialogue,” which briefed the delegates on its work. A meeting with independent women’s and youth groups concluded the Quintet’s mission.

The bloc described the visit as being “in the spirit of listening to the stakeholders on the ground,” with the aim of linking its diplomatic engagement outside of Sudan with initiatives emerging within the country.

“There is no military solution to the conflict in Sudan,” the Quintet said, adding that any durable political process must be paired with concrete steps to protect civilians and end hostilities.

The bloc said it remained convinced that a “credible and inclusive Sudanese led and Sudanese owned” political track can still deliver a transition to a democratic, civilian-led government that reflects the aspirations of the Sudanese people.

NEW YORK CITY: About 4,100 Palestinians have been displaced across the West Bank so far this year as a result of demolitions and settler violence, UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said on Thursday.

He warned of a sharp rise in demolitions in the Masafer Yatta area of the southern West Bank in recent days. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Israeli authorities demolished 20 homes and other structures, including a water cistern and solar panels, in two Palestinian herding communities there on Tuesday.

This activity, and demolitions in a nearby third community on Wednesday, displaced nearly 60 people, half of them children, and affected a further 30 seasonal residents. Many of the destroyed properties were built with donor support, Haq said.

Masafer Yatta is home to about 1,200 Palestinians in 13 communities, all of whom have been under pressure to leave after Israeli authorities designated the area a “firing zone.”

Haq said humanitarian officials have reported increased violence by Israeli settlers targeting those communities following the establishment in recent years of settlement outposts nearby.

Representatives of the UN and its humanitarian partners visited Masafer Yatta on Tuesday to speak with displaced residents who are receiving emergency shelter, food, hygiene items, baby products and psychosocial support, Haq said.

Across the West Bank, he added, about 1,500 Palestinians have been displaced so far this year as a result of demolitions, and more than 2,600 have been displaced by settler violence and related access restrictions.

F1 faces a fresh challenge this weekend at the first Spanish Grand at the new Madring, a hybrid street circuit built on the Ifema complex near the city’s international airport.

Hamilton said: “It’s a massively challenging circuit. Of all the new tracks that I’ve gone to, this one, maybe Saudi, are the two closest in terms of how difficult it was to get on top of the car and find the right lines and such.”

Mercedes driver George Russell said: “It’s a crazy circuit, I would put it. Arguably one of the most risky circuits of the whole calendar.

“Because you have real high-speed corners, sort of Jeddah-esque, the walls are very close, so there’s no margin for error, but then you have other corners… where you’re coming from a high speed into a slow braking zone, you’re braking and turning at the same time, so locking tyres are going to be easy and if you lock up you’ll be straight in the wall.

“So, excited to try that out, I think it’s going to be really challenging for us as drivers, the race is going to be challenging to overtake, so on the whole it’s not an easy one.”

Russell heads into the race 66 points behind team-mate Kimi Antonelli after the Italian’s landmark victory in Monza from 19th on the grid.

The Briton acknowledged that his title hopes with nine or 10 races left, amid uncertainty about the end of the season, were fading fast.

“I would definitely need some luck and I need some good performances,” Russell said. “It’s not really something I’m thinking about, because he’s performing better than me, so he deserves to be leading the championship.

“There’s still a long way to go, but he’s yet to have a bad weekend in terms of performance.

“So he’s performing exceptionally well, my performances are better, but if I want to win this championship, I’m going to need some luck on the way. But it’s not something I’m focused on. I’m focused on driving faster and just finding more performance.”

Antonelli said: “I don’t really want to try thinking about the championship. I think Monza was the proof that I wasn’t driving thinking about, or worrying about the championship. I was just driving to win, to do my best. So that’s the mindset.”

The Italian said his win in Monza was “so far the best day of my life and definitely one I will remember forever”.

He said a day karting with Mercedes on Monday helped him move on from the excitement of the day before.

“After Monza, that night, that day overall, I was very excited. But then going karting on Monday helped me to go back to earth, just go back to the ground.

“It was a good day, good fun day with the team. It was also a way to remind myself where I came from, all the journey that was done.

“And then about pressure, I try to embrace it as much as possible. And I try to see it as a positive thing and try to see it as an opportunity too. That’s also what is helping me to stay calm under difficult situations.”

Tanzanian striker Clara Luvanga has joined the Washington Spirit from Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr in a deal believed to be one of the most costly in the history of women’s football.

The fee paid by the National Women’s Soccer League side has not been officially disclosed.

Some are reporting it to be $2.3m, external (about £1.7m), which would make Luvanga the most expensive female footballer in history.

BBC Sport has not been able to verify this figure, although a well-placed source said they believed it ranked in the top five most expensive signings in the women’s game.

The Spirit declined to comment on the fee involved when contacted by BBC Sport.

Luvanga, 21, has signed a contract running to the end of the 2029 NWSL season.

If the reported record figure is correct, it would mean the fee passes the £1.4m that London City Lionesses are said to have paid to Paris St-Germain for Grace Geyoro last year.

However, the Geyoro fee has been disputed, further illustrating how transfer figures in the women’s game are often kept private.

With her move, Luvanga becomes the first Tanzanian player in NWSL history.

Luvanga won the Saudi Women’s Premier League in all three of her seasons with Al-Nassr, as well as the Saudi Women’s Cup, Saudi Women’s Super Cup and West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) Women’s Clubs Championship.

She also claimed the league’s golden boot last season after scoring 24 goals in 14 appearances.

The Washington Spirit are owned by Michele Kang, who also owns London City Lionesses.

London City made a series of high-profile signings during the summer transfer window, including two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas who arrived from Barcelona on a three-year deal.

Luvanga made her senior international debut for Tanzania in 2024. Before joining Al-Nassr in 2023, she played for DUX Logrono in Spain, having developed through the youth system at Tanzanian club Yanga Princess.

When discussing her new club, Luvanga said: “I am very excited to join the Washington Spirit and to take on this new challenge in the NWSL.

“I know I am arriving with the season already under way, but I’m really excited to play in a new league and a new country.”

Spirit sporting director James Hocken said: “Clara adds an exciting new dimension to our attack as we head toward the play-offs.

“Despite her young age, she has demonstrated the ability to score goals in different ways and has the profile to be very successful in this league.”

KABUL: The head of the Norwegian Refugee Council aid group, Jan Egeland, criticised on Thursday what he called the “hypocrisy” of countries demanding rights for Afghan women while cutting humanitarian assistance.

In an interview with AFP in Kabul, Egeland said that “I think it’s right of them to demand, like we do, education for Afghan girls, work rights for Afghan women… but it is hypocrisy when one does that from abroad in a seminar in some capital in Europe and cut aid for food to Afghan girls and even for primary education for Afghan girls.”

CASABLANCA, Morocco: Morocco and Spain are arguing over the right to host the 2030 World Cup final — with besieged FIFA boss Gianni Infantino hovering backstage.

FIFA has yet to officially announce which country will host the biggest match of the biggest event in soccer. And even though the 2026 edition just finished with Spain winning the title this summer, Moroccan and Spanish officials are staking their claim on the next final.

The tussle over the soccer match also comes with Spain still reeling from a massive border crossing by tens of thousands of migrants who pushed through the frontier from Morocco into the north African Spanish enclave in late July.

One big game for two proud countries

The head of Moroccan soccer boasted that his country had it locked up on Thursday.

“The city of Benslimane will host the World Cup final. Hate it or love it, and if anyone wants to talk on top of that, let them talk,” Moroccan federation president Fouzi Lakjaa told a political rally.

“The city is Benslimane, the Hassan II stadium is the stadium, and I hope that Morocco will be playing it,” he added.

This week, the head of the Spanish soccer federation, Rafael Louzán, insisted it was Spain that deserved the game, while acknowledging that it has not been guaranteed that honor.

“We all signed to accept the candidacy … it’s too bad that, regarding the final, it wasn’t made clear, totally clear, where it is to be played,” Louzán said. “Spain, as world champion both in men’s and women’s soccer, must host the final.”

European soccer officials believe that the sprawling, multi-nation 2030 event, which includes Portugal and even a handful of games in South America, should be considered a European event with the final on the continent.

In a request for comment by the Associated Press on Thursday, FIFA said its decision will be made “in due course.”

Infantino has found support in Morocco

The dispute over the final comes with Infantino under intense pressure after UEFA, the umbrella organization of European soccer federations, led a successful revolt to scuttle his plan to sell stakes in the World Cup.

By contrast, six Arab nation federations, including Morocco’s, have backed him since that fiasco.

The King Hassan II Stadium near Casablanca is being built in Benslimane, on the outskirts of Casablanca. It is planned to seat 115,000 spectators. Spain can offer the home stadiums of Real Madrid or Barcelona as potential sites for the final.

Infantino has recently made two trips to Morocco, meeting with King Mohammed VI during annual celebrations of his ascent to the throne in July and then holding a FIFA crisis meeting there in August.

World Cup final spat among other tensions

When confirmed three years ago, the joint candidacy between Spain, Portugal and Morocco looked like a perfect event to bridge Europe and Africa and strengthen bonds between the western Mediterranean neighbors.

But the dispute over the final comes with diplomatic tensions between Madrid and Rabat already frayed over who was responsible when tens of thousands of mostly Moroccans driven by posts on social media pushed into the small Spanish enclave of Ceuta that borders Morocco. Spain’s prime minister said 140 people died in the crossing.

Spain’s government has been under political pressure at home to get tough on Morocco, which it has said acted in good faith in the border crisis. Spanish police assessments couldn’t rule out complicity by Moroccan security forces but said that it was unlikely the Moroccan government had intentionally orchestrated it.

Jamie Smith reaches his half-century, becoming England’s fourth batter to score a 50 in the innings against Pakistan, helping them build a strong lead in day two of the third Test at Edgbaston.

FOLLOW LIVE: England v Pakistan – Third Test, day two

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RIYADH: The Saudi Food and Drug Authority has granted marketing authorization for two locally developed, artificial intelligence-enabled medical software products — Dental IQ and SAARIA — designed to support dental and ophthalmic diagnosis.

The authorization was granted following a comprehensive regulatory review, including the assessment of technical documentation and clinical evidence to verify the software’s safety, performance, and effectiveness for its intended uses, the authority said. The SFDA in a statement to Arab News said the aim is to enhance diagnostic accuracy for dental and periodontal diseases. Dental IQ utilizes deep learning algorithms to analyze dental X-ray images and support the identification of potential pathological findings, including dental caries, periodontal disease, and structural changes affecting the teeth and supporting tissues.

“This supports healthcare practitioners in improving diagnostic accuracy and informing appropriate treatment planning,” said the SFDA.

SAARIA will enable early detection of diabetic retinopathy. The software utilizes AI technologies to analyze retinal images to support the screening of diabetic patients and the early detection of diabetic retinopathy in healthcare settings.

This supports the identification of patients who may require further specialized ophthalmic evaluation, thereby facilitating timely referral and interventions and helping to reduce the risk of disease-related complications. These two products, according to the SFDA, represent a significant national milestone as the first Saudi-developed AI-enabled medical software solutions in dentistry and ophthalmology to receive the authority’s marketing authorization.

Designed as clinical support tools, they assist healthcare practitioners in making informed clinical decisions. Notably, both software products have been developed by Saudi startups specializing in AI-driven digital health solutions.

The companies enrolled in the SFDA’s Innovative Medical Devices Pathway, receiving early regulatory guidance and fulfilling the relevant requirements.

This included conducting local clinical studies in the Kingdom to validate the performance of their software in local healthcare settings and committing to post-marketing clinical follow-up plans to monitor real-world performance and ensure continued safe use. The SFDA, however, cautions against relying solely on the outputs of AI-enabled medical software for clinical decision-making.

“Such outputs are intended to support clinical decision-making and do not replace the healthcare professional’s clinical judgment. Healthcare professionals are responsible for reviewing and validating the outputs and making appropriate clinical decisions based on the patient’s condition,” said the authority.

The granting of marketing authorization for the software reflects the SFDA’s strategic commitment to fostering responsible innovation in digital health, supporting the localization of advanced medical technologies, and facilitating timely market access to safe, effective, and high-quality medical devices.

This milestone also contributes to the broader objectives of the Health Sector Transformation Program in line with Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to improve healthcare access and quality by enhancing primary care, hospital services, emergency response, and digital transformation.

A critical issue we ought to pay more attention to is the rapid urbanization seen across the Middle East and North Africa, which is undoubtedly reshaping the region’s demographic and economic landscapes.

Many people are attempting to find better economic opportunities, services and connectivity and, as a result, cities are expanding at unprecedented rates. Without doubt, this transformation is driving growth across MENA, but it has also intensified pressure on air quality.

The levels of fine particulate matter such as nitrogen oxides and other pollutants from vehicles, industry, construction and energy production now exceed safe thresholds in many major urban areas.

As a result, clean air is going to be one of the defining challenges of the region’s urban future. This issue should no longer be treated solely as an environmental or public health concern due to the fact it is increasingly a determinant of economic competitiveness, tourism appeal, quality of life and long-term urban attractiveness.

Data from recent global assessments point to the scale of the problem. The World Health Organization’s air quality guidelines state that the level of fine particulate matter of 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter should not exceed 5 micrograms per cubic meter. But many MENA cities record multiyear averages several times higher.

Addressing the challenge requires a practical, multipronged approach that major cities can initiate immediately

Dr. Majid Rafizadeh

For example, Cairo, Egypt’s megacity of more than 20 million residents, has frequently registered annual concentrations of about 40 micrograms per cubic meter. Baghdad has recorded levels of up to 44 micrograms per cubic meter. Kuwait City has also appeared among the higher-ranking capitals in regional assessments. Abu Dhabi and Doha have reported averages in the low-to-mid 30s, still well above WHO guidelines.

Analyses using the Air Quality Life Index framework indicate that more than 90 percent of the MENA region’s population lives in areas exceeding the WHO guideline, with residents in the most polluted zones potentially losing several years of life expectancy.

These elevated levels of particulates carry well-documented health consequences, such as increased rates of respiratory and cardiovascular disease and premature mortality.

But the implications extend far beyond health statistics. Air quality should be regarded as a material factor in the region’s economic competitiveness. Chronic exposure reduces labor productivity, with World Bank estimates placing the economic cost of air pollution in the Greater Cairo region alone at about 1.4 percent of Egypt’s gross domestic product.

Cities that fail to reverse pollution also become less attractive to skilled workers and international firms. Tourism and investment flows are similarly sensitive to this issue. The MENA region has invested heavily in positioning itself as a global destination for leisure, business and transit traffic. Poor air quality undermines visitor experiences, particularly for families, older travelers and those who are susceptible to respiratory issues.

Another issue is that the reduced quality of life caused by air pollution influences the domestic retention of educated people.

In short, clean air should be viewed as an input into the region’s broader development, rather than merely an environmental issue.

Addressing the challenge requires a practical, multipronged approach that major cities can initiate immediately. For example, expanding clean public transport ranks among the highest-impact measures. This means investing in metro and bus rapid transit systems, including electric bus fleets, to reduce reliance on private vehicles and cut emissions.

Cairo’s efforts to introduce electric buses and expand mass transit are a step in the right direction. Other actions to reduce vehicle emissions can include stricter fuel quality standards, the more widespread use of electric and hybrid vehicles, and the adoption of low-emission zones in city centers.

One significant move would be increasing green spaces, which offer both direct and indirect benefits. Urban vegetation cleans air, as the strategic expansion of parks, street trees and green corridors can lower pollutant concentrations. Transitioning to cleaner energy sources is also vital, as this lowers both particulate and gaseous emissions.

While public health gains are foundational, the economic, touristic and quality-of-life returns are equally consequential

Dr. Majid Rafizadeh

None of these steps constitute a quick fix. Air quality improvement is cumulative and requires sustained actions, policy, financing and public engagement. The alternative — continued high exposure — will increasingly constrain the outcomes cities seek: a healthier population, more productive workforce, vibrant tourism sector and competitive investment conditions.

Therefore, the central argument should be that clean air must be treated as a strategic priority because improvements compound over time and because air quality will shape the relative success of cities in the decades ahead.

While public health gains are foundational, the economic, touristic and quality-of-life returns are equally consequential. Cities that move without delay on issues such as cleaner transport, emissions standards, green infrastructure, planning and technology will position themselves more favorably for the future. Those that delay will face mounting costs in terms of health, productivity and attractiveness.

In a nutshell, clean air is critical to the future of the region and must not be viewed as merely an environmental concern. It is a foundational driver of sustained economic growth, tourism competitiveness, investment attractiveness, public health and overall quality of life. Taking it seriously now is not merely prudent environmental policy, it is an investment in the long-term viability and competitiveness of the region.

One rule I’ve developed in years of writing about financial scandals is that, as bad as a scheme appears at first, it’s more likely than not that the facts will turn out to be nastier than they appeared at first.

Case in point: The scandal swirling around the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Assn. and their billionaire owner, former Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer.

The story was initially broken one year ago by sports podcaster Pablo Torre, who reported on a suspect endorsement deal between a sustainability company named Aspiration and All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard that smelled like an attempt to circumvent the NBA’s strict salary cap. (Torre won a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting.)

By Sept. 2, when the NBA issued a series of nuclear sanctions against the team and Ballmer, it had become much bigger. The team, according to an investigative report the league released, actually orchestrated endorsement deals for Leonard with four companies that had been angling for business arrangements with the team, not just one, and took steps to hide the deals from public view.

Because of the extent to which these deals violated league rules and perhaps because the Clippers are repeat offenders (they were fined $250,000 in 2015 for a similar endorsement scheme involving then-free agent DeAndre Jordan), the league hit the team with its maximum penalties.

It fined the team $30 million and took away its first-round draft picks for five years, 2029-2033 (the team already had ceded its first-round picks for the next two years in trade deals). It suspended Ballmer from any league or team activities for one year and imposed a one-year suspension on Gillian Zucker, the team’s president of business operations, and a six-month ban on Lawrence Frank, its president of basketball operations.

The Clippers said they “vehemently reject” the accusations and called them the product of a “heavily biased investigation.” They said they would appeal the sanctions, though it’s unclear how they could do that.

Leonard, who appears to be on his way back to the Toronto Raptors, from whence he came to the Clippers in 2019, issued a statement accepting “full responsibility for lapses in judgment by people within my inner circle.” That’s an apparent reference to Dennis Robertson, his business manager and uncle, who the investigators said was a key figure pushing the Clippers to find “off-court income” for Leonard.

The report released by the NBA’s investigators at the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz portrays Ballmer and the team as treating the league’s salary cap rules not as strict mandates, but as obstacles to be evaded, like traffic cones. And it describes efforts at subterfuge that seemed to reach a Gilbert & Sullivan-esque level of absurdity.

Ballmer is called out to an extent that one almost never sees when applied to the millionaires and billionaires who own most professional sports teams. That’s even more remarkable given his status in the NBA: With a reported net worth of more than $150 billion, he is the richest team owner by an enormous margin, outranking the next-place owners, the Adelson family, owners of the Dallas Mavericks, by about $115 billion.

The other NBA owners were reportedly stunned by the sheer arrogance of the Clippers’ behavior. That’s saying something, since one would expect that those in the billionaire class have had plenty of rannygazoo paraded past their eyes in the course of their business careers. Ballmer, who can often be seen bouncing around like a hyper-caffeinated party animal in the Clippers’ home arena, Intuit Dome, is no shrinking violet — he was known as a ferociously hard-charging, hands-on leader at Microsoft. The NBA faults him for being “knowingly” engaged in the team’s dealings with Leonard and creating its anything-goes culture.

The NBA values its salary cap as a key to a competitive balance, enabling even mid-market teams to reach the Finals — over the last 10 seasons, eight teams have reigned as champs. Its rules bar teams from initiating endorsement deals or other such arrangements for players by interpreting them as an underhanded breach of the cap; if teams are approached by a potential endorsement partner for a player, they can refer the partner to a player’s representatives but can’t participate in the dealmaking. They’re also required to report any such overtures to the league. The Clippers violated those rules, the investigators say.

The investigators say the team tried to circumvent the initiation clause via emails Zucker sent to three companies in 2020, implying that she was responding to their requests for introductions to Leonard.

The investigators found “no documentary evidence” that the companies genuinely initiated the requests. They viewed the emails merely as efforts to “create the appearance” that the Clippers were complying with the rules. The companies were Boingo, a wi-fi company at which Zucker’s husband was then chairman; Daktronics, a maker of scoreboards and video displays; and Lockton, an insurance brokerage.

All three were seeking to launch business relationships with the Clippers. The investigators asserted that the team implied to them that participating in its scheme to make illicit payments to Leonard by signing him to endorsement deals would help them win the contracts. They also found that the Clippers essentially assured the companies that it would cover their payments for the endorsement deals via their other contracts.

The investigators called these multi-year, multimillion-dollar endorsement deals, totaling $18 million, “peculiar.” None of the companies had ever signed an endorsement deal “of remotely the same financial magnitude” as these, nor have they done so since.

None of the deals was publicly announced, even though the whole point of signing a pro player to represent your company is to shout it from the rooftops. In any case, Leonard was nothing like a big, popular star—the investigators charitably referred to his “relatively insubstantial endorsement profile.” That hardly mattered, since the deals didn’t require Leonard to actually do anything for the money.

The key deal was with Aspiration, which was guided by the Clippers into paying Leonard $48 million over four years. When Joseph Sanberg, Aspiration’s co-founder and a board member, presented the deal to top executives, they were dumbfounded. “I have no idea why we’d do this,” one wrote in an email, according to the investigators.

But Sanberg assured them that the Clippers would adjust their contract with Aspire to cover the expense. Seeing that the deal was “cashflow neutral,” as an executive observed, they agreed.

Inside the Clippers’ front office, the contract for Aspiration to provide environmental services was seen as “super shady,” according to a text from one executive to another cited in the report.

Ballmer maintained in at least one interview that the endorsement deal was initiated by Aspiration: “They were off to the races on their own,” he told a television interviewer. “We weren’t involved.”

In fact, the investigators say, the Clippers initiated the contact with Aspiration, put the firm in touch with a business agent who was already a team contractor, and provided the agent with proposed deal terms. The investigators found that the endorsement deal was such a departure for Aspiration that Sanberg needed to be educated about what it should require from Leonard in return for his fees. Sanberg “doesn’t really know what to ask for,” the agent told his associates.

Ballmer maintains that he was the victim in this arrangement. He points the finger at Sanberg, who he says enticed him into investing $60 million in his failing firm, thereby causing him “reputational harm.” But Sanberg might be viewed as a target of convenience, given that he pleaded guilty last year to federal fraud charges associated with the collapse of Aspiration and has been sentenced to 14 years in prison. (The NBA investigators told the court in a pre-sentence letter that Sanberg “substantially assisted our investigation”—though in the investigative report they said they “remained cautious in relying on Mr. Sanberg’s information” unless it was “corroborated by other evidence.”)

Where does this leave the Clippers? Nowhere good. Ballmer’s acquisition of the team in 2014 was seen as a major step toward ending its years-long record of futility, dating to its origin as the Buffalo Braves in 1970. The team still has never played in the NBA Finals. Leonard hasn’t lived up to expectations — injuries have kept him off the court for nearly half of his games as a Clipper, as my colleague Mirjam Swanson notes.

Basketball mavens see the NBA sanctions as condemning the Clippers to as long as 10 more years in John Bunyan’s Slough of Despond. For a brief moment, Ballmer got Southern California fans excited about the team. Ten years from now, will anyone even remember they exist?

BRUSSELS: Asylum applications to the EU dropped to a five-year-low in the first half of 2026, continuing a downward trend partly brought about by a hardening of migration policy, the bloc’s asylum agency said Thursday.

The European Union plus Switzerland and Norway (EU+) received 332,000 applications for international protection from January to June, 17 percent fewer than in the same period last year.

“This is the lowest number recorded in the first half of a year since 2021,” the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) said.

The agency attributed the decrease to the political transition in Syria, which has resulted in a massive drop in applications filed by the country’s nationals, as well as to the EU’s “efforts in cooperating with countries of origin and transit”.

Brussels has recently struck deals with Northern African countries including Tunisia and Mauritania, providing aid and investments in return for help with migration.

War in the Middle East had also not translated into a feared increase in applications from the countries affected, the EUAA said.

Afghans were the largest group of applicants, with 39,000 requests for protection, followed by Venezuelans and Bangladeshis.

Less than a third of applications processed in the first six months of the year were successful, the agency said, noting that this was due to have an impact on future requests.

Under rules that came into force in June, applicants from countries that have a recognition rate of less than 20 percent undergo an expedited procedure linked to swift deportation in case of rejection.

The same is true for applicants from countries the EU deems “safe”.

“In the first half of 2026, nearly 56 percent of applications were from citizenships meeting one or more of these criteria,” the EUAA said.

Among EU nations, France received the highest number of applications (69,000), followed by Italy (66,000), Spain (55,000) and Germany (55,000).

With 23,000 requests Greece was the country that received the most applications per capita.

Jude Terry and Armindo Sieb each scored a goal, Hugo Lloris had his MLS-leading 12th shutout this season, and LAFC beat the New York Red Bulls 2-0 on Wednesday night to end a six-game winless streak.

The Red Bulls (7-11-6) are winless in six straight dating to a 3-2 home victory over Orlando on Aug. 1.

Lloris finished with one save for LAFC (11-7-7).

Son Heung-min cut back to evade a defender, darted toward the end line past another and then fired a shot from the left side of the area that was parried by goalkeeper Ethan Horvath at the near post. Terry, a 17-year-old homegrown, tapped in a first-touch putback from the top of the penalty box in the 21st minute.

Sieb subbed on for Jacob Shaffelburg in the 60th minute and his first MLS goal capped the scoring in the sixth minute of stoppage time. The 23-year-old forward, acquired Aug. 13 from Bayern Munich of the Bundesliga, made his debut for LAFC in a 2-2 tie at Real Salt Lake on Saturday.

LAFC is 11-0-2 this season it scores first.

Dennis Nelich and Sekou Kone, who were added earlier Wednesday from Red Bull New York II, made their MLS debuts. Kone came on for the Red Bulls in the 33rd minute when 17-year-old midfielder Adri Mehmeti went off due to an apparent leg injury.

New York had 57% possession but was outshot 15-8, 8-1 on target.

Horvath had six saves, including three in the closing minutes of the first half.

Defending champions the Seattle Seahawks came from behind to beat the New England Patriots 13-10 in the opening game of the NFL season.

For the first time in 10 years the season began with a rematch of the Super Bowl, in which the Patriots were dominated by a Seahawks defence known as ‘the Dark Side’.

Again they stepped up after Seattle lost quarterback Sam Darnold to a hip injury in the game’s opening drive, claiming three interceptions in the final quarter at Lumen Field.

The Patriots went into a 10-0 lead, with rookie tight end Eli Raridon scoring the first touchdown of the season in the second quarter.

Back-up quarterback Drew Lock got the Seattle offence going late in the third quarter, with Jason Myers cutting the gap with a field goal.

Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett claimed his first career interception at the start of the fourth quarter, after a Drake Maye pass was deflected by rookie Rodney Thomas.

On the next possession Lock found wide reciever Jaxon Smith-Njigba in space and last season’s offensive player of the year charged through the Patriots defence for a 45-yard touchdown.

Julian Love then picked off Patriots quarterback Maye, giving Myers the chance to edge the Seahawks in front with a 26-yard field goal.

New England were well within field-goal range with 21 seconds remaining, but chose to go for the win rather than settle for overtime, and the move backfired as Maye’s hopeful pass towards Mack Hollins was intercepted by Josh Jobe in the end zone.

The only game in which Maye threw multiple interceptions last season was the Super Bowl, and he was picked off on the Patriots’ final three possessions in the season opener.

Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald said initial tests showed Darnold had not fractured a hip.

Week one continues with the NFL’s first regular-season game in Australia. The Los Angeles Rams meet the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne on Thursday (01:35 BST, Friday).

Reunited three-time US Open men’s doubles champions Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram knocked out last year’s winners Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos to reach the semi-finals.

Britain’s Salisbury won the title at at Flushing Meadows in New York alongside American Ram in 2021, 2022 and 2023, but they split in 2024 before teaming up again this year.

They won 6-4 6-4 against the second seeds and will face 2024 runners-up Kevin Krawietz and Tim Putz from Germany on Thursday.

In the other half of the draw, Briton Henry Patten and Finn Harri Heliovaara saved three match points on their way to a 6-7 (7-9) 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 triumph over seventh seeds Manuel Guinard and Guido Andreozzi.

Wimbledon champions and top seeds Patten and Heliovaara spurned four set points in the opening set and had to stave off match points in the second.

They will meet Briton Neal Skupski and American Christian Harrison, who beat Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori 6-3 6-2 in the last quarter-final.

In the women’s doubles, top seeds Katerina Siniakova, from the Czech Republic, and American Taylor Townsend are one victory away from lifting all four Grand Slam titles together after winning 6-0 7-6 (10-8) against Diana Shnaider and Elise Mertens.

They will contest Friday’s final with Americans Robin Montgomery and Ashlyn Krueger, who saved three match points and came from 8-2 down in the match tie-break to beat second seeds Luisa Stefani and Gabriella Dabrowski 4-6 6-4 7-6 (10-8).

Blockx’s dream run in New York ended in cruel fashion earlier on Wednesday as the Belgian was forced to retire after suffering a series of injuries in his quarter-final against Khachanov.

Playing in his first Grand Slam quarter-final, the 21-year-old first received medical treatment for a blister on his foot before struggling with a back issue.

“I think today my body just gave up,” said Blockx, who had come close to retiring from his fourth-round win against Francisco Cerundolo with a rib injury.

“During the match, it was quite funny to me. I just had to laugh it off because it was just something new the whole time.

“I felt it was getting worse and worse. I couldn’t land without feeling pain, without feeling my back, my ribs. So I just didn’t want to yeah, maybe make it worse to miss the entire season.”

Khachanov wished Blockx a “speedy recovery” after he secured his place in a Grand Slam semi-final for the first time since the Australian Open in 2023.

A former world number eight, a disappointing run of results over the past few months have resulted in Khachanov’s ranking dipping to 50 and he is unseeded at a major for the first time since 2018.

The 30-year-old said he will have to come up with his “best form” to defeat Zverev and reach his first major final.

“He’s been in the top five for so many years. This year he did also step forward. He won his first Grand Slam, played the final in Wimbledon, as well. He’s coming up really in hot form,” Khachanov said.

Zverev, meanwhile, says he will have to be wary of his opponent and his extensive knowledge of the game.

“We call him [Khachanov] ‘The Professor’, actually, because he knows everything about tennis, and he knows every single string tension, knows what everybody does, so that’s quite fun,” Zverev said.