Belgium persuade Lille striker Fernandez-Pardo to commit to their World Cup cause
Belgium will be able to use promising attacker Matias Fernandez-Pardo at the World Cup after he committed his international future to the country, the Belgian football federation said on Tuesday, Reuters reported.
The 21-year-old, who was born in Brussels to Italian and Spanish parents, played for Belgium at junior level. Yet in 2024, he chose to play for Spain but subsequently did not honour a call-up to their under-20 side.
Ismaily relegated from Egyptian Premier League for first time in nearly 70 years
Ismaily's long stay in the Egyptian Premier League came to an end on Tuesday after a 2-1 defeat at Wadi Degla confirmed their relegation to the second division, Reuters reported.
The three-time Egyptian champions, who escaped the drop last season only after the Egyptian Pro League cancelled relegation, failed to survive this time and remained bottom of the four-team relegation group with 19 points.
Shakhtar and Larnaca fined by UEFA over discriminatory behaviour
Shakhtar Donetsk and AEK Larnaca have beenfined by UEFA over the discriminatory behaviour of their supporters in Conference League matches with Crystal Palace, European soccer's governing body said on Tuesday, Reuters reported.
Cypriot club Larnaca were fined 50,000 euros ($58,680) and also face a partial closure of their stadium for their next UEFA club competition home fixture, for their fans' chants during the round-of-16 tie with Palace in March.
Real Madrid's Perez rejects exit talk, calls election
Real Madrid President Florentino Perez said on Tuesday he will not step down and has called a board election after a turbulent season that see the storied LaLiga club go without silverware, Reuters reported.
The 79-year-old, long-serving Real boss had unexpectedly called a press conference, prompting media speculation that Jose Mourinho could be close to a return as coach or that Perez himself might step aside.
HoR to continue deliberation on policies and programs
The House of Representatives (HoR) is meeting at 11 am today.
The meeting will continue deliberations on the government’s annual policies and programs for the upcoming fiscal year 2083/84 BS, which were presented by President Ram Chandra Paudel during a joint sitting of the Federal Parliament held on Monday.
According to the agenda, the policies and programs are likely to be tabled for a decision in today’s meeting.
Earlier on Tuesday, the lawmakers representing the respective parties had put forth their views on the policies and programs.
The national budget for the fiscal year 2083/84 BS is also expected to be presented in the ongoing parliamentary session.
Meanwhile, a meeting of the National Assembly is scheduled for 12:15pm today, where discussions on the government’s policies and programs are set to begin.
China and US agree on opposing Hormuz tolls, State Department says
Senior U.S. and Chinese officials agree that no country can be allowed to exact shipping tolls in the Strait of Hormuz, the State Department told Reuters on Tuesday, in a sign that the two countries are trying to find common ground on efforts to pressure Iran to give up control of the vital waterway.
The statement by the State Department comes ahead of a high-stakes summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week, where Iran's chokehold on the strait will be on the agenda, according to Reuters.
Trump says stopping Iran's nuclear program outweighs Americans' economic pain
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Americans’ financial struggles are not a factor in his decision-making as he seeks to negotiate an end to the Iran war, saying that preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon is his top priority, Reuters reported.
Asked by a reporter to what extent Americans’ financial situations were motivating him to strike a deal, Trump said: “Not even a little bit."
Iraq, Pakistan strike energy deals with Iran as Tehran flexes Hormuz control
Both Iraq and Pakistan have cut deals with Iran to ship oil and liquefied natural gas from the Gulf, according to five sources with knowledge of the matter, in a demonstration of Tehran's ability to control energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported.
The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has slashed energy exports from a region that normally supplies 20% of the world's crude oil and LNG.
The U.S. has blockaded Iranian ports in recent weeks. And though Iran initially sought to halt traffic through the strait, that stance is now changing, said Claudio Steuer of the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies.
