sport

Qiddiya City has announced the signing of memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with five major travel and tourism service providers: Al Faris International Travel and Tourism, Travel Destinations Solutions, Al Matar Commercial Services Company, AlMosafer Travel and Tourism Company, and Fursan Travel and Tourism Company.

The agreements form part of a strategic direction aimed at expanding Qiddiya City’s network of partnerships in the travel and tourism sector, strengthening its readiness to welcome visitors, and developing more integrated pathways for accessing its diverse destinations and experiences from within the Kingdom and abroad, SPA reported.

The MoUs aim to establish shared frameworks for cooperation with a select group of travel and tourism service providers, contributing to the development of more integrated and flexible solutions for the visitor journey; from planning and booking, through travel and arrival arrangements, to enjoying Qiddiya City’s experiences more smoothly and efficiently.

Through these partnerships, Qiddiya City will leverage the specialized expertise, booking infrastructure, and commercial networks of these travel companies. The joint focus will be on delivering integrated and flexible solutions across every stage of the visitor journey, from initial planning and booking to travel arrangements and arrival.

These MoUs reinforce Qiddiya City’s ongoing commitment to build quality partnerships with key players in the tourism and travel ecosystem, and form part of its future plans to develop integrated tourism solutions that enhance the readiness of its destinations to welcome visitors from within the Kingdom and abroad.

These partnerships also contribute to expanding the scope of cooperation with sector partners and providing more flexible and efficient options for the visitor journey, supporting the company’s objectives in establishing Qiddiya as a global destination that brings together entertainment, sport, and culture, offering inspiring experiences built on the concept of “Power of Play.”

This article was first published on Asharq Al-Awsat.

MELBOURNE — The Rams arrived here as the star-studded favorite to win Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium.

They left star-crossed, stunned and searching for answers on their long flight back to Los Angeles.

The Rams sleep-walked through much of the season opener against the rival San Francisco 49ers, who sent them to a 27-7 defeat before a sold-out crowd of 100,021 on Friday at Melbourne Cricket Ground, in the first NFL game in Australia.

Coach Sean McVay’s strategy of arriving the day before the game backfired and resulted in a dull performance by a team that features some of the biggest stars in the NFL.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford, the reigning NFL most valuable player, completed only 15 of 25 passes for 155 yards with an interception. With the game out of reach, McVay pulled Stafford late in the fourth quarter and had backup Stetson Bennett lead the Rams’ final possession.

All-Pro receiver Puka Nacua, the NFL leader in catches last season, caught five passes for 74 yards and never broke loose. Davante Adams, who led the NFL in touchdown catches last season, caught only three passes as Raheem Morris, the Rams’ former defensive coordinator, outschemed McVay and his staff.

The additions of All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, record-setting edge rusher Myles Garrett and cornerback Jaylen Watson were supposed to supercharge the Rams’ defense.

Rams defensive end Myles Garrett sits on the bench late in the fourth quarter during a 27-7 loss to the 49ers on Friday.

(Doug Benc / Associated Press)

But 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy passed for three touchdowns, and the Rams recorded no sacks.

It made the decision by 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan to have his team spend a week in Melbourne to acclimate the correct one.

Shanahan, McVay’s friend/mentor/nemesis, had bristled at the fact that the 49ers were chosen as the Rams’ opponent because it took away the ability of 49ers fans to descend onto SoFi Stadium.

Shanahan also wasn’t happy that the Rams’ next game is Sept. 21 on “Monday Night Football,” while the 49ers are playing on Sept. 20. Add in the fact that the 49ers also must play in Mexico in November, and there was plenty of motivation beyond the game itself.

The Rams trailed, 10-7, at halftime after managing a five-yard touchdown run by Kyren Williams and not much else.

Rams wide receiver Davante Adams attempts to catch a pass in the fourth quarter against the 49ers.

(Robert Cianflone / Getty Images)

The 49ers wasted no time extending their advantage, taking the opening possession of the second half and moving down the field on Christian McCaffrey runs and a Purdy pass to Demarcus Robinson, whose 39-yard touchdown in the second quarter had given them the lead. Purdy capped the drive by lofting a two-yard touchdown pass to Mike Evans for a 17-7 edge.

And the Rams’ offense finally woke up.

Stafford connected with tight end Davis Allen, Nacua and Adams and tight end Colby Parkinson as the Rams moved to the 49ers’ two-yard line. However, after a one-yard catch by Nacua, the 49ers stuffed Stafford’s sneak attempt.

The 49ers capitalized, marching 99 yards in 11 plays, with Purdy capping the drive on a 15-yard touchdown pass to Deebo Samuel for a 24-7 lead.

The Rams could not mount a comeback.

Tight end Tyler Higbee fumbled after catching a pass with 11:08 left, and the 49ers added a field goal to extend the lead to 20 points.

Aryna Sabalenka beat Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 to reach US Open final with Elena Rybakina, who toppled her as World No 1.

Aryna Sabalenka stormed past Jessica Pegula in straight sets on Thursday to keep her bid for a rare US Open threepeat on track, booking a championship showdown with Elena Rybakina.

Sabalenka was simply unstoppable in a 7-5, 6-2 victory on Arthur Ashe Stadium, where she beat Pegula en route to US Open victories in 2024 and 2025.

Rybakina battled back to beat 2023 champion Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.

In Saturday’s final, the Kazakh will try to deal Sabalenka another blow after her run to the semifinals ensured she will end the Belarusian’s reign atop the world rankings.

Sabalenka, bidding to join Chris Evert and Serena Williams as the only women to win three straight US Open titles, pounded third-seeded Pegula remorselessly with her powerful groundstrokes.

“I was super desperate,” said Sabalenka, who has had a slow summer since back-to-back wins at Indian Wells and Miami in March.

“I wanted it badly to go to the finals, and of course, I want to go all the way.

“The mentality was just I’m ready. I’m ready for whatever it’s going to take to get the win,” Sabalenka added, after producing her best performance of the tournament to snuff out Pegula’s dream of a first-ever Grand Slam title.

Sabalenka’s frustration at her inability to make any headway against Pegula’s serve showed in a tense first set. But she maintained her focus and was rewarded as Pegula, feeling the pressure to stay in the set as she served down 6-5, fell behind 0-40.

The American saved one set point but could not salvage the next.

Sabalenka kept rolling in the second set, attacking Pegula’s suspect second serve and seizing a break for a 3-1 lead when she lasered a forehand into the corner.

She sealed the victory with another break courtesy of another thunderous forehand.

“I thought her level was insanely high,” Pegula said. “Honestly, I don’t really know if there was much I could do today.”

Rybakina, who beat Sabalenka in the Australian Open final in January to claim her second Grand Slam title, said she would need to raise her level to do the same in Flushing Meadows.

“I feel like I definitely need to step my game up, serve much better than today and stay aggressive,” Rybakina said.

Gauff’s bid to return to the final for the first time since she defeated Sabalenka for the 2023 title had got off to a smooth start, the American gaining the lone break of the opening set for a 4-2 lead and pocketing the set with a love game.

But Rybakina hit back with an early break on the way to a 4-1 lead in the second.

Gauff responded superbly, breaking back and holding to square the set at 4-4 to roars from the crowd.

But she was unable to make the most of her fightback and double-faulted in the 10th game to hand two set points to Rybakina, who pounced to force a third set.

Rybakina looked on the brink of victory after breaking Gauff for a 5-3 lead in the third. Gauff broke back, but Rybakina clinched it in the next game.

A deft volley from Rybakina left her with two match points, and Gauff then hit a wide-open smash long to hand her opponent victory.

“I feel like I was a little bit lucky on her serve,” Rybakina said. “A couple of deep returns, one mistake from her, it went quickly my way … It was a real battle.”

Gauff, meanwhile, was left reflecting on the fine margins of the defeat.

“It honestly came down to a couple of service games of mine in both sets and I didn’t quite hold,” Gauff said. “I think she was able to hold the line a bit better than I could tonight.”

The men’s semifinals are on Friday, when eighth-seeded Ben Shelton takes on 11th seed Frances Tiafoe in an all-American clash.

Shelton took out defending champion and seven-time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz in an epic quarterfinal that ended at 3:34am on Wednesday – the latest finish in tournament history.

“Big Ben” and “Big Foe” will duel for a chance to end American men’s 23-year Grand Slam title drought.

The winner will take on either top-seeded French Open champion Alexander Zverev or unseeded Russian Karen Khachanov.

Fenerbahce president refuses Ismail Kartal’s resignation after fans threw bottles at coach in Roma Champions League tie.

Fenerbahce coach Ismail Kartal quit his role with the Turkish club after he was targeted by a bottle thrown from the crowd during hit side’s 1-1 Champions League draw with Roma on Thursday, only for his president to reject the resignation minutes later.

The 65-year-old Kartal told a press conference he was leaving “never to ⁠return”, adding that he had taken the decision “to clear the way for the club”.

Immediately after the press conference, Fenerbahce president Aziz Yildirim told reporters that Kartal “continues in his role”.

“Some fans threw ‌a bottle at the coach’s head this evening during the game. He is upset about it,” Yildirim said.

“I just spoke to Ismail Kartal. He mentioned the bottle incident and he also complained about being under pressure.”

Asked if Kartal had told him that he would stay, Yildirim ⁠said: “There’s no need for him to ⁠say (openly) that he’d continue. I am his senior, I told him to continue and that’s it. We are a family.”

Kartal, who spent a decade at ⁠Fenerbahce as a player, coached the club in 2014-15, then on an interim basis ⁠in 2021-22 before returning for a ⁠full campaign in 2023-24. He was assistant manager at Fenerbahce the last two times the club won the Super Lig and returned for a ‌fourth managerial spell in June.

Fenerbahce have finished second in the Turkish top flight in the last five seasons and reached ‌the ‌league phase of the Champions League this season for the first time in 18 years.

UCLA senior wide receiver Mikey Matthews expects the Bruins’ aerial attack to be as electrifying and dominant as their ground game was in a season-opening win over California.

The passing offense lived up to Matthews’ expectations against Cal — but only for a half.

After quarterback Nico Iamaleava completed 12 of 18 passes for 179 yards in the first half, he completed just two more passes for five yards — the Bruins’ only yardage in the third quarter.

The rushing attack carried the Bruins to victory, breaking open a tied game with three fourth-quarter touchdown runs.

UCLA receiver Mikey Matthews (7) celebrates after quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) ran for a touchdown against Cal at California Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

(Godofredo A. Vasquez/For The Times)

While UCLA called a run-heavy script in the second half, throwing it just four times compared to 18 rushing attempts, the passing game clearly stalled.

Offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy said the offense had to improve after last weekend’s 45-24 victory, noting that two penalties in the third quarter — including on third and one — derailed drives and that the self-inflicted wounds were a teaching moment.

“You have to make sure that every drive, you’re treating it independently. There was a lull in the third quarter, but when you look at it, I was happy with how they responded,” Kennedy said as the team prepared for Saturday’s home opener against San Diego State. “Obviously, you’re not happy with the production of the third quarter, but you’re happy with how they responded in the fourth. There was always belief on the sideline. We had three really bad drives and that’s just as much on me as it is on anyone else.”

Iamaleava played a vital role in keeping the offense on track. And despite largely not contributing through the air in the second half, he looked more comfortable and confident than he ever had in his college career. Matthews called that poise Iamaleava’s greatest improvement since the duo arrived in Westwood last year.

Kennedy said the senior signal-caller was walking up and down the sideline, talking to teammates and stressing a “next drive” mentality.

And Iamaleava’s short-term memory focus echoed his coordinator’s in-game philosophy.

“We will make corrections on bad plays on Sunday, there will be things where we have to make in-game adjustments, but when you are talking about a missed assignment, there’s nothing you can do about it,” Kennedy said. “The only thing you can do about that is worry about ‘how do I get better, how do I learn from my mistake,’ and you have to do it in the moment. You are in a 60,000-seat stadium and it’s not the easiest thing to do, but having other people understand, ‘Let’s move on,’ that’s where he did a really good job.”

Leading up to the opener, Kennedy said he was “beyond confident” in Iamaleava as a leader, player and face of the program, and added that Iamaleava’s willingness to run hard and take hits instills conviction in the team and makes him an easy person to rally around.

“He’s had the opportunity to play young in his career. He’s been in the spotlight for so long,” UCLA assistant quarterbacks coach Jon Boyer said. “He’s dealt with victories. He’s dealt with adversity, and now he does feel valued, and I don’t want him to feel like he’s in it all alone ever.

“He’ll be tested this year where moments of doubt come in, and that’s our job to provide that vision of hope and come up with a plan to get him out of whatever he’s facing.”

Matthews, who led the receivers with four catches for 88 yards, is confident his quarterback will put the ball in the hands of many UCLA receivers he can trust.

“We’re deep in the receiver room. Landon Ellis, Semaj Morgan, Brian Rowe, Aidan Mizell, Shane Rosenthal. I can literally just go down,” Matthews said. “I feel like everyone is bound to have a breakout season, breakout game, whatever it is. Everyone’s going to eat in that room. That’s just how much we trust everyone throwing the ball down the field and everything like that.”

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.

Demoralised tourists reach 52-2 before rain ends play early on day two, needing 268 runs to make England bat again.

Ollie Robinson continued his outstanding summer with two wickets in his opening over as England pushed Pakistan towards ⁠defeat in the third Test ⁠at Edgbaston.

Robinson, man of the match in the first two Tests, struck with the first ball of Pakistan’s second innings on Thursday and again three deliveries later to leave England closing in on a 3-0 series ⁠whitewash.

The demoralised tourists reached 52-2 before rain ended play early on day two, needing 268 runs to make England bat again.

Robinson, 32, has been almost unplayable in this series, taking 21 wickets at an average of under seven runs each.

He continued in the same ⁠vein in Birmingham, removing Saim Ayub, who was dismissed for a duck in both innings, and then Abdullah Shafique to finish the day with figures of 2-10 from his six overs.

“He’s probably one of the most consistent bowlers in world cricket. He knows what he’s doing with the ball, and he wears you down a bit so it’s a challenge,” said Pakistan batting coach Mike Smith.

“He has bowled exceptionally well, and he’s in a little purple patch as a player. We need to find a way to combat that as well as we can.”

Shan Masood, who was dropped at slip by Ben Duckett off Gus Atkinson, was still there on 21 at the close, alongside opener Azan Awais on 29, but Pakistan’s position appears hopeless.

England, who led by 23 overnight, had earlier pressed the accelerator to extend their first-innings advantage to a daunting 320.

They made 453 with Harry Brook and Dan Lawrence extending their fifth-wicket partnership to 86 until Brook set off for an impossible single and was run out by Masood for 75 from ⁠97 balls.

Lawrence went on to make 65 from 82 balls before dragging a wide ball onto his ⁠stumps to give Mohammad Imran his first Test wicket. It was a third Test half-century in a row for Lawrence, who was recalled after a two-year absence for this series.

“I’m really happy with how I’ve contributed,” said Lawrence. “I was feeling really good today, got on a bit of a roll with Brooky and ⁠went with it.

“I thought I was going to make a really big score, to be honest. It wasn’t to be, but I think if I’d been offered 65 at the start of the ⁠day, I’d have taken it.”

There was also a welcome half-century from the out-of-form Jamie ⁠Smith, who overcame an uncertain start and a finger injury, which caused him to hand over the wicketkeeping gloves to Jordan Cox, to strike 69 off 84 balls including one six and nine fours.

It was his highest Test score since a second-innings 88 against India on the same ground 14 months ago.

Robinson chimed in with ‌a 50 of his own, which included a huge six into the Hollies Stand off Mohammad Abbas, before becoming Razaullah’s fourth victim.

The blooding of the 21-year-old, who had only played eight first-class games prior to his call-up, was one of the few positives for ‌Pakistan.

While ‌he was expensive – he conceded 148 runs off his 23 overs – he posed a threat with his pace and aggression.

Razaullah may represent a brighter future for Pakistan, but the present remains bleak for a team that has lost 15 of its last 20 Tests.

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.

FFF aligns position with of other European federations, such as Belgium, England, Italy, Scotland, and Sweden.

The French Football Federation is withdrawing its support for Gianni Infantino’s re-election bid as FIFA chief ⁠next year, FFF President Philippe Diallo has said, saying trust in the head of world football’s governing body had been broken.

The decision was taken unanimously by the FFF’s executive committee, Diallo ⁠said on Thursday.

“The trust placed in the FIFA president has been broken,” Diallo told reporters. “The way in which we envisage the running of world football no longer corresponds with the way it is being conducted.”

Infantino, who is seeking another term as FIFA president, has faced mounting criticism since his failed proposal to sell a ‌20 percent stake in FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, to private investors was abandoned in July following widespread opposition from football’s regional confederations.

Diallo said France had initially backed Infantino’s candidacy at the end of June, when he was the only declared candidate, but that subsequent events had fundamentally changed the circumstances.

“The conditions for our support for his candidacy were no longer there,” he said.

Diallo added that the proposed stake sale, which emerged without what he described as proper ⁠consultation or information being provided to federations, had raised serious questions over ⁠FIFA’s governance and decision-making.

Several European federations, including England’s and Italy’s, have withdrawn their backing for Infantino since the collapse of his proposal.

UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and North America’s CONCACAF have called for change at the top of FIFA and ⁠are seeking a credible alternative before the March election.

Diallo said France’s decision formed part of a broader movement within UEFA and beyond and that ⁠discussions would now focus on governance reform and finding a ⁠candidate capable of defeating Infantino.

“It is not enough simply to criticise if you want things to move forward. You also have to make proposals,” Diallo said.

He added that UEFA would need to define a platform for the next FIFA leadership cycle ‌and, when the time came, choose a candidate for the election.

“We will need to be ready by then to put forward a candidacy capable of winning the FIFA presidency,” Diallo said.

Infantino still has ‌the ‌support of South America’s CONMEBOL and Africa’s CAF.

The FIFA presidential election will take place in Rabat on March 18, 2027, with the deadline for candidacies on November 18.

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.