Global tech giant Microsoft on Sunday said network traffic for its Azure cloud computing platform was experiencing increased delays in parts of the Middle East due to "undersea fibre cuts" in the Red Sea.Microsoft did not provide an explanation for what caused the cuts to the submarine lines but noted its network had been affected since Saturday."Network traffic that does not traverse through the Middle East is not impacted," the company said in a statement.The internet access monitoring organisation NetBlocks noted that a series of submarine cable outages in the Red Sea has degraded internet connectivity in several countries, including in India and Pakistan.Global internet and telecom cables have followed shipping routes through the Red Sea, but there has been growing anxiety about the state of the lines after Yemen's Huthi rebels began attacking passing merchant vessels in late 2023, in actions the group said was in solidarity with the Palestinians amid the Gaza war.The laying and operation of underwater cables have long been the preserve of a consortium of large telecoms operators, but internet giants have largely taken over in recent years as they strive to keep up with ballooning flows of data.About 1.4 million kilometres (nearly 900,000 miles) of fiber optic cables are laid on the ocean floor, enabling the provision of essential services such as trade, financial transactions, public services, digital health and education around the world.Damage to submarine cables is not uncommon.According to the International Cable Protection Committee, there are an average of 150 to 200 outages per year worldwide, or around three incidents a week.Fishing and anchoring is believed to be responsible for a vast majority recorded damage to the lines.Natural hazards to the cables also include ageing, abrasions and equipment failure.Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

About 1.4 million kilometres (nearly 900,000 miles) of fiber optic cables are laid on the ocean floor, enabling the provision of essential services such as trade, financial transactions, public services, digital health and education around the world.

Global tech giant Microsoft on Sunday said network traffic for its Azure cloud computing platform was experiencing increased delays in parts of the Middle East due to "undersea fibre cuts" in the Red Sea. Microsoft did not provide an explanation for what caused the cuts to the submarine lines but noted its network had been affected since Saturday. "Network traffic that does not traverse through the Middle East is not impacted," the company said in a statement. The internet access monitoring organisation NetBlocks noted that a series of submarine cable outages in the Red Sea has degraded internet connectivity in several countries, including in India and Pakistan. Global internet and telecom cables have followed shipping routes through the Red Sea, but there has been growing anxiety about the state of the lines after Yemen's Huthi rebels began attacking passing merchant vessels in late 2023, in actions the group said was in solidarity with the Palestinians amid the Gaza war. The laying and operation of underwater cables have long been the preserve of a consortium of large telecoms operators, but internet giants have largely taken over in recent years as they strive to keep up with ballooning flows of data. About 1.4 million kilometres (nearly 900,000 miles) of fiber optic cables are laid on the ocean floor, enabling the provision of essential services such as trade, financial transactions, public services, digital health and education around the world. Damage to submarine cables is not uncommon. According to the International Cable Protection Committee, there are an average of 150 to 200 outages per year worldwide, or around three incidents a week. Fishing and anchoring is believed to be responsible for a vast majority recorded damage to the lines. Natural hazards to the cables also include ageing, abrasions and equipment failure. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

About 1.4 million kilometres (nearly 900,000 miles) of fiber optic cables are laid on the ocean floor, enabling the provision of essential services such as trade, financial transactions, public services, digital health and education around the world.

Internet disruption in Middle East, Asia after ‘undersea fibre cuts’ in Red Sea

South Africa suffered the heaviest loss in ODI history as England dismissed the tourists for just 72 in a 342-run victory inspired by Jofra Archer's blistering bowling and Jacob Bethell's maiden hundred on Sunday (Sep 7). Chasing 415 to complete a clean-sweep of the three-match series, the Proteas surrendered in humiliating fashion in 20.5 ignominious overs in Southampton. It was the biggest winning margin in the history of the ODI format when batting first, surpassing India's 317-run victory against Sri Lanka in 2023.&nbsp;South Africa narrowly avoided beating their lowest ODI total of 69 against Australia in 1993.&nbsp;Meanwhile, England's previous biggest margin of victory was a 242-run success against Australia at Trent Bridge in 2018.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/eng-vs-sa-3rd-odi-jacob-bethell-the-hero-for-england-as-hosts-surpass-400-for-first-time-this-summer-1757254303511">ENG vs SA 3rd ODI: Bethell the hero for England as hosts surpass 400 for first time this summer</a>&nbsp;After Bethell smashed 110 from just 82 balls and Joe Root reached a typically efficient 100, Archer set about demolishing the South Africans. The pace bowler finished with impressive figures of 4-18 in nine overs as he removed four of South Africa's top five batsmen. It was the kind of fearsome form that underlined why England are so keen to keep Archer fit for the Ashes series in Australia later this year.&nbsp;Beaten by seven wickets in the series opener at Headingley before losing the second game at Lord's by five runs, England managed to save face thanks to their record-breaking performance in the final match.&nbsp;England's fifth highest ODI total of 414-5 was more than enough to see off South Africa.&nbsp;Jos Buttler's 62 not out and 62 from opener Jamie Smith added to the run spree alongside the precocious Bethell and the prolific Root.&nbsp;Bethell's vibrant innings featured 13 fours and three sixes as the 21-year-old showed why England have been so keen to fast-track him in all formats. He easily surpassed his previous career-best score of 96 in a Test match against New Zealand in 2024.<h3>Historic collapse</h3>&nbsp;Bethell admitted this week that he should have played more cricket over the domestic summer to stay in form. Before this innings, Bethell had only faced 387 balls this summer compared to 1,480 in 2024. Bethell, who will become England's youngest captain in an ODI series against Ireland later this month, made just six and five in his two Test innings against India. He fell for one against South Africa at Headingley but hit 58 from 40 balls at Lord's, having been moved up to number four, and maintained that form to prove his point with an even more dynamic display on Sunday.&nbsp;The Proteas' chase got off to a disastrous start when Aiden Markram was caught behind off Archer in the first over.&nbsp;Wiaan Mulder also perished for a duck in the next over as he lofted Brydon Carse to Harry Brook.&nbsp;Under a suddenly leaden sky that favoured the bowlers, Archer strengthened England's grip, inducing an edge from Ryan Rickelton that left the tourists reeling on 6-3.&nbsp;Proving unplayable with his potent combination of pace and bounce, Archer had Matthew Breetzke ducking into a caught-behind to end his bid for a sixth successive ODI half-century.&nbsp;Archer's blitz wasn't over as he dialled up the pace to over 90mph and had Tristan Stubbs caught in the slips by Will Jacks.&nbsp;South Africa had slumped to 18-5 and eight runs later Carse pushed them closer to a humiliating loss as he had Dewald Brevis caught by Jamie Overton.&nbsp;With South Africa's Temba Bavuma unable to bat due to injury only nine wickets were required.&nbsp;England showed no mercy and Adil Rashid took three wickets to ensure they finished a difficult series on a memorable note.&nbsp;South Africa will have a chance to make amends for their historic collapse in the T20 series against England starting on Wednesday.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

It was the biggest winning margin in the history of the ODI format when batting first, surpassing India's 317-run victory against Sri Lanka in 2023.

South Africa suffered the heaviest loss in ODI history as England dismissed the tourists for just 72 in a 342-run victory inspired by Jofra Archer's blistering bowling and Jacob Bethell's maiden hundred on Sunday (Sep 7). Chasing 415 to complete a clean-sweep of the three-match series, the Proteas surrendered in humiliating fashion in 20.5 ignominious overs in Southampton. It was the biggest winning margin in the history of the ODI format when batting first, surpassing India's 317-run victory against Sri Lanka in 2023. South Africa narrowly avoided beating their lowest ODI total of 69 against Australia in 1993. Meanwhile, England's previous biggest margin of victory was a 242-run success against Australia at Trent Bridge in 2018. Also read | ENG vs SA 3rd ODI: Bethell the hero for England as hosts surpass 400 for first time this summer After Bethell smashed 110 from just 82 balls and Joe Root reached a typically efficient 100, Archer set about demolishing the South Africans. The pace bowler finished with impressive figures of 4-18 in nine overs as he removed four of South Africa's top five batsmen. It was the kind of fearsome form that underlined why England are so keen to keep Archer fit for the Ashes series in Australia later this year. Beaten by seven wickets in the series opener at Headingley before losing the second game at Lord's by five runs, England managed to save face thanks to their record-breaking performance in the final match. England's fifth highest ODI total of 414-5 was more than enough to see off South Africa. Jos Buttler's 62 not out and 62 from opener Jamie Smith added to the run spree alongside the precocious Bethell and the prolific Root. Bethell's vibrant innings featured 13 fours and three sixes as the 21-year-old showed why England have been so keen to fast-track him in all formats. He easily surpassed his previous career-best score of 96 in a Test match against New Zealand in 2024. Historic collapse Bethell admitted this week that he should have played more cricket over the domestic summer to stay in form. Before this innings, Bethell had only faced 387 balls this summer compared to 1,480 in 2024. Bethell, who will become England's youngest captain in an ODI series against Ireland later this month, made just six and five in his two Test innings against India. He fell for one against South Africa at Headingley but hit 58 from 40 balls at Lord's, having been moved up to number four, and maintained that form to prove his point with an even more dynamic display on Sunday. The Proteas' chase got off to a disastrous start when Aiden Markram was caught behind off Archer in the first over. Wiaan Mulder also perished for a duck in the next over as he lofted Brydon Carse to Harry Brook. Under a suddenly leaden sky that favoured the bowlers, Archer strengthened England's grip, inducing an edge from Ryan Rickelton that left the tourists reeling on 6-3. Proving unplayable with his potent combination of pace and bounce, Archer had Matthew Breetzke ducking into a caught-behind to end his bid for a sixth successive ODI half-century. Archer's blitz wasn't over as he dialled up the pace to over 90mph and had Tristan Stubbs caught in the slips by Will Jacks. South Africa had slumped to 18-5 and eight runs later Carse pushed them closer to a humiliating loss as he had Dewald Brevis caught by Jamie Overton. With South Africa's Temba Bavuma unable to bat due to injury only nine wickets were required. England showed no mercy and Adil Rashid took three wickets to ensure they finished a difficult series on a memorable note. South Africa will have a chance to make amends for their historic collapse in the T20 series against England starting on Wednesday. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

It was the biggest winning margin in the history of the ODI format when batting first, surpassing India's 317-run victory against Sri Lanka in 2023.

Proteas suffer heaviest ODI defeat in Southampton as England take home pride in 3rd One-Dayer

Max Verstappen slowed McLaren's Formula One dominance on Sunday (Sep 7) with a phenomenal display of driving on his way to victory at the Italian Grand Prix, the fastest ever race in the sports history. Starting from pole, reigning world champion Verstappen completed a magical weekend at Monza, which included the fastest lap ever in F1 in Saturday's qualifying by schooling McLaren pair Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri at Monza. Red Bull's Verstappen has little chance of securing a fifth straight drivers' title as he still trails championship leader Piastri by 94 points with the Australian finishing third.&nbsp;"It was really enjoyable," said Verstappen who took the chequered flag in 1hr 13mins 24.325sec. "I think we pitted at the right time and with the hard tyres at the end you can push a bit more... It was a fantastic execution by everyone.&nbsp;"I think the whole weekend we were all in. It was super enjoyable to win here."&nbsp;Piastri leads the drivers standings by 31 points from Norris, who finished second and would have finished third behind his teammate due to an awful pit stop had McLaren not enforced a position swap between the pair.&nbsp;"I always know it's going to be a good fight with Max and it was," said Norris. "But just not the speed today, not the pace of Max and the Red Bull. But it was still fun, still a good race."&nbsp;Charles Leclerc, last year's winner and the last driver to win at Monza from pole position back in 2019, couldn't take a podium spot for the massed ranks of Ferrari fans in the stands, the Monegasque finishing fourth.&nbsp;Leclerc's teammate Lewis Hamilton gave it his best shot after a five-place grid penalty had him bumped back to 10th at the start, charging up to sixth thanks to some spectacular driving early in the race. But the seven-time F1 champion couldn't push past his former Mercedes teammate George Russell and was left with another underwhelming result in his first Monza GP with Ferrari.<h3>Verstappen show</h3>Sunday's win, which hinged on a bold overtaking move against Norris on lap four, was just Verstappen's third of a season dominated by a McLaren car which has blown way the competition by winning all but four GPs. But a second win in Italy this year, after triumphing in the last Emilia Romagna GP back in May, caps a historic weekend for the blunt 27-year-old.&nbsp;Verstappen was forced to allow Norris into first place after a frantic start in which he appeared to forced his British rival off the track. That move caused Norris to call Verstappen an "idiot" over the team radio, but he was soon back behind the Dutchman who took control of the race by passing Norris with a daring move at the chicane on lap four. From there, Verstappen sped off into the distance, developing a gap of around six seconds over Norris by the time he pitted to switch from medium to hard tyres on lap 38.&nbsp;Verstappen only lost two places in the pits and soon closed the gap again on the two McLarens who left it very late to pit, with Norris not heading into the box until lap 47.&nbsp;That slow pit stop left Norris third, bringing back memories of the mechanical failure at last weekend's Dutch Grand Prix which cost him 18 points in his title battle with Piastri.&nbsp;But with the race effectively won by Verstappen at that point McLaren ordered Piastri to let Norris pass so that another case of bad luck didn't cost him.&nbsp;It was a gesture which caused Verstappen to chuckle on the Red Bull team radio as he was left to cruise around the track on his way to a hugely impressive victory.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Red Bull's Verstappen has little chance of securing a fifth straight drivers' title as he still trails championship leader Piastri by 94 points with the Australian finishing third.

Max Verstappen slowed McLaren's Formula One dominance on Sunday (Sep 7) with a phenomenal display of driving on his way to victory at the Italian Grand Prix, the fastest ever race in the sports history. Starting from pole, reigning world champion Verstappen completed a magical weekend at Monza, which included the fastest lap ever in F1 in Saturday's qualifying by schooling McLaren pair Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri at Monza. Red Bull's Verstappen has little chance of securing a fifth straight drivers' title as he still trails championship leader Piastri by 94 points with the Australian finishing third. "It was really enjoyable," said Verstappen who took the chequered flag in 1hr 13mins 24.325sec. "I think we pitted at the right time and with the hard tyres at the end you can push a bit more... It was a fantastic execution by everyone. "I think the whole weekend we were all in. It was super enjoyable to win here." Piastri leads the drivers standings by 31 points from Norris, who finished second and would have finished third behind his teammate due to an awful pit stop had McLaren not enforced a position swap between the pair. "I always know it's going to be a good fight with Max and it was," said Norris. "But just not the speed today, not the pace of Max and the Red Bull. But it was still fun, still a good race." Charles Leclerc, last year's winner and the last driver to win at Monza from pole position back in 2019, couldn't take a podium spot for the massed ranks of Ferrari fans in the stands, the Monegasque finishing fourth. Leclerc's teammate Lewis Hamilton gave it his best shot after a five-place grid penalty had him bumped back to 10th at the start, charging up to sixth thanks to some spectacular driving early in the race. But the seven-time F1 champion couldn't push past his former Mercedes teammate George Russell and was left with another underwhelming result in his first Monza GP with Ferrari. Verstappen show Sunday's win, which hinged on a bold overtaking move against Norris on lap four, was just Verstappen's third of a season dominated by a McLaren car which has blown way the competition by winning all but four GPs. But a second win in Italy this year, after triumphing in the last Emilia Romagna GP back in May, caps a historic weekend for the blunt 27-year-old. Verstappen was forced to allow Norris into first place after a frantic start in which he appeared to forced his British rival off the track. That move caused Norris to call Verstappen an "idiot" over the team radio, but he was soon back behind the Dutchman who took control of the race by passing Norris with a daring move at the chicane on lap four. From there, Verstappen sped off into the distance, developing a gap of around six seconds over Norris by the time he pitted to switch from medium to hard tyres on lap 38. Verstappen only lost two places in the pits and soon closed the gap again on the two McLarens who left it very late to pit, with Norris not heading into the box until lap 47. That slow pit stop left Norris third, bringing back memories of the mechanical failure at last weekend's Dutch Grand Prix which cost him 18 points in his title battle with Piastri. But with the race effectively won by Verstappen at that point McLaren ordered Piastri to let Norris pass so that another case of bad luck didn't cost him. It was a gesture which caused Verstappen to chuckle on the Red Bull team radio as he was left to cruise around the track on his way to a hugely impressive victory. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Red Bull's Verstappen has little chance of securing a fifth straight drivers' title as he still trails championship leader Piastri by 94 points with the Australian finishing third.

Italian Grand Prix: Red Bull’s Verstappen humbles McLaren pair to win in record time

Pakistan's cricket board (PCB) announced on Sunday (Sep 7) it will host a Twenty20 international tri-series with Afghanistan and Sri Lanka in November, as teams get ready for next year's World Cup.&nbsp;"The series has been organised to provide all teams with valuable preparation ahead of next year's Men's T20 World Cup, to be staged in India and Sri Lanka," the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/blast-at-cricket-stadium-in-pakistan-kills-one-person-several-injured-police-1757180411352">Blast at cricket stadium in Pakistan kills one person, several injured: Police</a>&nbsp;The tri-series will begin on November 17 with Pakistan taking on Afghanistan at the Rawalpindi stadium.&nbsp;This will be the first time Pakistan play neighbours Afghanistan in a T20I match on home soil, the PCB said.&nbsp;Afghanistan have played two one-day internationals in the Asia Cup 2023 and three in this year's Champions Trophy in Pakistan, but they involved opponents other than the home team.&nbsp;Read More | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pakistan-to-boycott-women-odi-world-cup-2025-opening-ceremony-in-india-report-1757164681460">Pakistan to boycott Women’s ODI World Cup opening ceremony in India – Report</a>&nbsp;Before the tri-series, Pakistan will host South Africa in a bilateral series of two Tests, three one-day internationals (ODIs) and as many T20Is from October 12 to November 8.<h3>Tri-series T20I schedule:</h3>&nbsp;<ul><li>17 November – Pakistan v Afghanistan, Rawalpindi</li><li>19 November – Sri Lanka v Afghanistan, Rawalpindi</li><li>22 November – Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Lahore</li><li>23 November – Pakistan v Afghanistan, Lahore</li><li>25 November – Sri Lanka v Afghanistan, Lahore</li><li>27 November – Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Lahore</li><li>29 November – Final, Lahore</li></ul>Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

The T20I tri-series will begin on November 17 with Pakistan taking on Afghanistan at the Rawalpindi stadium.

Pakistan's cricket board (PCB) announced on Sunday (Sep 7) it will host a Twenty20 international tri-series with Afghanistan and Sri Lanka in November, as teams get ready for next year's World Cup. "The series has been organised to provide all teams with valuable preparation ahead of next year's Men's T20 World Cup, to be staged in India and Sri Lanka," the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement. Also read | Blast at cricket stadium in Pakistan kills one person, several injured: Police The tri-series will begin on November 17 with Pakistan taking on Afghanistan at the Rawalpindi stadium. This will be the first time Pakistan play neighbours Afghanistan in a T20I match on home soil, the PCB said. Afghanistan have played two one-day internationals in the Asia Cup 2023 and three in this year's Champions Trophy in Pakistan, but they involved opponents other than the home team. Read More | Pakistan to boycott Women’s ODI World Cup opening ceremony in India – Report Before the tri-series, Pakistan will host South Africa in a bilateral series of two Tests, three one-day internationals (ODIs) and as many T20Is from October 12 to November 8. Tri-series T20I schedule: 17 November – Pakistan v Afghanistan, Rawalpindi 19 November – Sri Lanka v Afghanistan, Rawalpindi 22 November – Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Lahore 23 November – Pakistan v Afghanistan, Lahore 25 November – Sri Lanka v Afghanistan, Lahore 27 November – Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Lahore 29 November – Final, Lahore Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

The T20I tri-series will begin on November 17 with Pakistan taking on Afghanistan at the Rawalpindi stadium.

Pakistan to host Afghanistan, Sri Lanka for T20I tri-series in November; check schedule

Cristiano Ronaldo helped an emotional Portugal enjoy a perfect start to their World Cup qualifying campaign as Thomas Tuchel's uninspiring England remained unbeaten on Saturday. Portugal, playing for the first time since the death of their Liverpool forward Diogo Jota along with his brother Andre Silva in a car accident, took an impressive first step to the finals next year sweeping aside Armenia 5-0 in Yerevan.&nbsp;Both teams observed one minute's silence before kick-off at the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium in tribute to Jota and his brother who were killed in a crash in northern Spain on July 3, 11 days after Jota had married Rute Cardoso, the mother of his three children.&nbsp;Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo was in sparkling form, Portugal's irrepressible 40-year-old talisman scoring in either half, the second a sizzling shot from distance, to take his record international tally to 140 goals, over two decades after his first.&nbsp;A brace from Joao Felix, Ronaldo's new teammate at Saudi side Al Nassr, and a contribution from another Saudi-based player Joao Cancelo lifted Roberto Martinez's Nations League winners top of Group F.<h2>Portugal's number 21</h2>Cancelo marked his goal by pointing to the skies with both hands in memory of Jota's goal celebration.&nbsp;Lazio left-back Nuno Tavares believed Ronaldo's 21st-minute goal held special significance as 21 was the shirt number worn by Jota when playing for his country.&nbsp;"We're all very happy because it shows he's (Jota) with us, that he was there, and that moment, Ronaldo's goal, was made possible. He'll always be with us, as was clear today," said the defender.&nbsp;Ronaldo said on social media it was the "first step taken" in his quest to appear at a sixth World Cup.&nbsp;Portugal's next opponents on Tuesday are Hungary, who despite playing the last 30 minutes a man down secured a 2-2 draw in Dublin against the Republic of Ireland.&nbsp;Hungary were on their way to take all three points until Adam Idah's equaliser in the third minute of added time for the hosts.&nbsp;England extended their unbeaten run in Group K to four matches but hardly set the world alight in defeating modest Andorra 2-0 at Villa Park in Birmingham.&nbsp;Christian Garcia's first-half own-goal was followed by Declan Rice's header to keep Tuchel's team firmly on course for the 2026 football fiesta in the United States, Mexico and Canada.&nbsp;But while the Three Lions will be more than satisfied with their 12 points this was in truth another underwhelming display that raised questions about Tuchel's ability to produce a trophy-winning team from a gifted generation.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-asia-cup-2025-full-squads-complete-fixtures-date-time-venue-and-live-streaming-details-check-all-details-1755585771834">Asia Cup 2025: All you need to know - full squads, complete fixtures, date, time, venue and other key details</a>&nbsp;England were efficient but unspectacular, lacking guile and intelligence in the final third.No wonder Tuchel wore a frustrated expression on the touchline.&nbsp;Claiming the subdued crowd played a role in the display, the German said: "It's difficult because it's a very different crowd to a Premier League crowd.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-asia-cup-2025-india-s-probable-playing-xi-shubman-gill-to-open-sanju-samson-at-no-3-tilak-varma-to-miss-out-1755663441686">Asia Cup 2025, India's Probable Playing XI: Shubman Gill to open, Sanju Samson at No.3; Tilak Varma to miss out</a>&nbsp;"After the first goal we had 10 or 15 minutes with too many ball losses and lost our focus and concentration but in the second half, we found it again and should have scored more."The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss will want a more purposeful performance in the toughest test of his reign on Tuesday when England face their main Group K rivals Serbia.&nbsp;"We've learned a lot and I'm glad for the players. Now we will prove a point in Belgrade," said Tuchel.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-rohit-sharma-to-virat-kohli-here-is-a-look-at-five-indian-batters-with-most-runs-in-asia-cup-odis-t20is-sachin-tendulkar-ms-dhoni-dhawan-1754123070628">From Rohit Sharma to Virat Kohli, 5 Indian batters with most runs in Asia Cup (ODIs + T20Is)</a>&nbsp;The Serbs sit second in the mini-league on seven points after edging Latvia 1-0 in Riga.Saturday's action concluded with Marcel Sabitzer's 54th-minute penalty earning Austria a 1-0 home win over Cyprus, and Bosnia-Hercegovina routing San Marino 6-0 in Group H.In total, 16 European nations will qualify for the World Cup.&nbsp;The 12 group winners qualify directly, the four remaining berths are determined by play-offs involving the 12 group runners-up for the expanded 48-team finals.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Portugal, playing for the first time since the death of their Liverpool forward Diogo Jota along with his brother Andre Silva in a car accident, took an impressive first step to the finals next year sweeping aside Armenia 5-0 in Yerevan.

Cristiano Ronaldo helped an emotional Portugal enjoy a perfect start to their World Cup qualifying campaign as Thomas Tuchel's uninspiring England remained unbeaten on Saturday. Portugal, playing for the first time since the death of their Liverpool forward Diogo Jota along with his brother Andre Silva in a car accident, took an impressive first step to the finals next year sweeping aside Armenia 5-0 in Yerevan. Both teams observed one minute's silence before kick-off at the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium in tribute to Jota and his brother who were killed in a crash in northern Spain on July 3, 11 days after Jota had married Rute Cardoso, the mother of his three children. Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo was in sparkling form, Portugal's irrepressible 40-year-old talisman scoring in either half, the second a sizzling shot from distance, to take his record international tally to 140 goals, over two decades after his first. A brace from Joao Felix, Ronaldo's new teammate at Saudi side Al Nassr, and a contribution from another Saudi-based player Joao Cancelo lifted Roberto Martinez's Nations League winners top of Group F. Portugal's number 21 Cancelo marked his goal by pointing to the skies with both hands in memory of Jota's goal celebration. Lazio left-back Nuno Tavares believed Ronaldo's 21st-minute goal held special significance as 21 was the shirt number worn by Jota when playing for his country. "We're all very happy because it shows he's (Jota) with us, that he was there, and that moment, Ronaldo's goal, was made possible. He'll always be with us, as was clear today," said the defender. Ronaldo said on social media it was the "first step taken" in his quest to appear at a sixth World Cup. Portugal's next opponents on Tuesday are Hungary, who despite playing the last 30 minutes a man down secured a 2-2 draw in Dublin against the Republic of Ireland. Hungary were on their way to take all three points until Adam Idah's equaliser in the third minute of added time for the hosts. England extended their unbeaten run in Group K to four matches but hardly set the world alight in defeating modest Andorra 2-0 at Villa Park in Birmingham. Christian Garcia's first-half own-goal was followed by Declan Rice's header to keep Tuchel's team firmly on course for the 2026 football fiesta in the United States, Mexico and Canada. But while the Three Lions will be more than satisfied with their 12 points this was in truth another underwhelming display that raised questions about Tuchel's ability to produce a trophy-winning team from a gifted generation. ALSO READ | Asia Cup 2025: All you need to know - full squads, complete fixtures, date, time, venue and other key details England were efficient but unspectacular, lacking guile and intelligence in the final third. No wonder Tuchel wore a frustrated expression on the touchline. Claiming the subdued crowd played a role in the display, the German said: "It's difficult because it's a very different crowd to a Premier League crowd. ALSO READ | Asia Cup 2025, India's Probable Playing XI: Shubman Gill to open, Sanju Samson at No.3; Tilak Varma to miss out "After the first goal we had 10 or 15 minutes with too many ball losses and lost our focus and concentration but in the second half, we found it again and should have scored more." The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss will want a more purposeful performance in the toughest test of his reign on Tuesday when England face their main Group K rivals Serbia. "We've learned a lot and I'm glad for the players. Now we will prove a point in Belgrade," said Tuchel. ALSO READ | From Rohit Sharma to Virat Kohli, 5 Indian batters with most runs in Asia Cup (ODIs + T20Is) The Serbs sit second in the mini-league on seven points after edging Latvia 1-0 in Riga. Saturday's action concluded with Marcel Sabitzer's 54th-minute penalty earning Austria a 1-0 home win over Cyprus, and Bosnia-Hercegovina routing San Marino 6-0 in Group H. In total, 16 European nations will qualify for the World Cup. The 12 group winners qualify directly, the four remaining berths are determined by play-offs involving the 12 group runners-up for the expanded 48-team finals. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Portugal, playing for the first time since the death of their Liverpool forward Diogo Jota along with his brother Andre Silva in a car accident, took an impressive first step to the finals next year sweeping aside Armenia 5-0 in Yerevan.

UEFA 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers: Portugal cruise as teammates remember Diogo Costa, England unbeaten

World number one Aryna Sabalenka overpowered Amanda Anisimova to defend her US Open crown on Saturday, defeating her American rival in straight sets to clinch the fourth Grand Slam title of her career. Sabalenka ruthlessly attacked Anisimova's shaky service game to complete a 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) victory on the Arthur Ashe Stadium which cements her status at the pinnacle of women's tennis.&nbsp;The 27-year-old from Belarus had gone into Saturday's final knowing it was her last chance to grab a Grand Slam crown in 2025 after agonising losses in the Australian and French Open finals.&nbsp;Sabalenka duly atoned for those defeats to end Anisimova's hopes of a remarkable redemption just two months after her traumatic 6-0, 6-0 thrashing by Iga Swiatek in the Wimbledon final.&nbsp;"It's crazy, all those tough lessons were worth it for this one," said Sabalenka after becoming the first woman to successfully defend the US Open since Serena Williams in 2014. "I'm speechless right now."&nbsp;Anisimova had won six of nine previous encounters against Sabalenka, a run which included a victory in the semi-finals at Wimbledon.&nbsp;But a determined Sabalenka, playing in the seventh Grand Slam title game of her career, brought all her experience to bear as she slammed the door on Anisimova's dream of a maiden Grand Slam title.&nbsp;"Losing in two finals in a row is great but it's also super hard," Anisimova said. "I think I didn't fight hard enough for my dreams today," revealing that the lighting under the arena's closed roof had made it difficult to serve.&nbsp;"There was no way of adjusting, because I could not see the ball when I was serving, and that was a huge shock to my system," she said.<h2>Tiebreak streak</h2>Sabalenka clinched victory after once again demonstrating her incredible prowess in tiebreaks -- winning her 19th consecutive breaker 7/3 to clinch in one hour and 34 minutes.&nbsp;Anisimova meanwhile was left ruing her inability to make the most of break points at key moments, in sharp contrast to Sabalenka who converted five of her six break point chances.&nbsp;That imbalance was on display early in the first set, when Anisimova failed to convert three break points openings as Sabalenka took a 2-0 lead.&nbsp;Yet Anisimova hit back in the third game, lasering a backhand winner into the corner to earn break point before unfurling a rasping forehand winner to break back before holding for 2-2.&nbsp;With the momentum behind her and her groundstrokes forcing Sabalenka around the court, Anisimova then broke again for a 3-2 lead.&nbsp;But that was the catalyst for Sabalenka to raise her game and she broke to love before holding to edge back in front.&nbsp;Anisimova's faltering serve again betrayed her in the eighth game, the eighth seed double-faulting twice in quick succession to hand Sabalenka two break points at 15-40.&nbsp;Sabalenka needed no further encouragement and she duly converted before holding to take the first set.&nbsp;Sabalenka punished another wayward service game from Anisimova early in the second set and looked in complete control at 3-1.&nbsp;Yet Anisimova wasn't quite finished, and she held confidently before breaking back to love to level it at 3-3.&nbsp;The fightback was shortlived however, and when Anisimova thumped a wide open forehand long to gift Sabalenka a 15-40 lead, the Belarusian once again seized her chance for a break.&nbsp;Sabalenka held for 5-3 and was soon serving for the match at 5-4. Yet she allowed Anisimova off the hook after ploughing a wide open smash into the net.Instead of giving her match point, Anisimova had break point which she took to give her a lifeline.&nbsp;But in the tiebreak Sabalenka reasserted her control and she sprinted into a 6-1 lead before closing out victory.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Aryna Sabalenka ruthlessly attacked Amanda Anisimova's shaky service game to complete a 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) victory on the Arthur Ashe Stadium which cements her status at the pinnacle of women's tennis.

World number one Aryna Sabalenka overpowered Amanda Anisimova to defend her US Open crown on Saturday, defeating her American rival in straight sets to clinch the fourth Grand Slam title of her career. Sabalenka ruthlessly attacked Anisimova's shaky service game to complete a 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) victory on the Arthur Ashe Stadium which cements her status at the pinnacle of women's tennis. The 27-year-old from Belarus had gone into Saturday's final knowing it was her last chance to grab a Grand Slam crown in 2025 after agonising losses in the Australian and French Open finals. Sabalenka duly atoned for those defeats to end Anisimova's hopes of a remarkable redemption just two months after her traumatic 6-0, 6-0 thrashing by Iga Swiatek in the Wimbledon final. "It's crazy, all those tough lessons were worth it for this one," said Sabalenka after becoming the first woman to successfully defend the US Open since Serena Williams in 2014. "I'm speechless right now." Anisimova had won six of nine previous encounters against Sabalenka, a run which included a victory in the semi-finals at Wimbledon. But a determined Sabalenka, playing in the seventh Grand Slam title game of her career, brought all her experience to bear as she slammed the door on Anisimova's dream of a maiden Grand Slam title. "Losing in two finals in a row is great but it's also super hard," Anisimova said. "I think I didn't fight hard enough for my dreams today," revealing that the lighting under the arena's closed roof had made it difficult to serve. "There was no way of adjusting, because I could not see the ball when I was serving, and that was a huge shock to my system," she said. Tiebreak streak Sabalenka clinched victory after once again demonstrating her incredible prowess in tiebreaks -- winning her 19th consecutive breaker 7/3 to clinch in one hour and 34 minutes. Anisimova meanwhile was left ruing her inability to make the most of break points at key moments, in sharp contrast to Sabalenka who converted five of her six break point chances. That imbalance was on display early in the first set, when Anisimova failed to convert three break points openings as Sabalenka took a 2-0 lead. Yet Anisimova hit back in the third game, lasering a backhand winner into the corner to earn break point before unfurling a rasping forehand winner to break back before holding for 2-2. With the momentum behind her and her groundstrokes forcing Sabalenka around the court, Anisimova then broke again for a 3-2 lead. But that was the catalyst for Sabalenka to raise her game and she broke to love before holding to edge back in front. Anisimova's faltering serve again betrayed her in the eighth game, the eighth seed double-faulting twice in quick succession to hand Sabalenka two break points at 15-40. Sabalenka needed no further encouragement and she duly converted before holding to take the first set. Sabalenka punished another wayward service game from Anisimova early in the second set and looked in complete control at 3-1. Yet Anisimova wasn't quite finished, and she held confidently before breaking back to love to level it at 3-3. The fightback was shortlived however, and when Anisimova thumped a wide open forehand long to gift Sabalenka a 15-40 lead, the Belarusian once again seized her chance for a break. Sabalenka held for 5-3 and was soon serving for the match at 5-4. Yet she allowed Anisimova off the hook after ploughing a wide open smash into the net. Instead of giving her match point, Anisimova had break point which she took to give her a lifeline. But in the tiebreak Sabalenka reasserted her control and she sprinted into a 6-1 lead before closing out victory. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Aryna Sabalenka ruthlessly attacked Amanda Anisimova's shaky service game to complete a 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) victory on the Arthur Ashe Stadium which cements her status at the pinnacle of women's tennis.

US Open 2025: Aryna Sabalenka defeats Amanda Anisimova to retain crown

An Israeli strike flattened a high-rise in Gaza City on Saturday -- the second in as many days -- after the military warned people to flee south to a "humanitarian zone" ahead of a planned offensive against the urban hub.Israel has been warning for weeks of a new assault on the territory's largest city, without issuing a timeline.It has stepped up air strikes and ground operations on the city's outskirts, sparking fears it could worsen already dire conditions.On Saturday, Israeli aircraft dropped thousands of leaflets on western neighbourhoods calling on residents to evacuate, witnesses and an AFP journalist said.Nafez Anis, who has been living in a tent with his family in Gaza City, said he had read the leaflet, but was not planning on leaving."Where should we go?" he told AFP. "We will wait, and when we see Israeli tanks approaching here, we will leave."Gaza civil defence agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that 24 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli fire during the day, including five near an aid distribution centre west of Khan Yunis.Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military requested precise timeframes and coordinates to look into the reports.On Saturday, the military said it struck a Gaza City high-rise, saying Hamas was using it "to monitor" Israeli troops and adding that it had taken "measures to mitigate harm to civilians".Witnesses identified the building as the Sussi residential tower and said it was destroyed. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz shared a video showing the roughly 15-storey structure collapsing in a cloud of dust and smoke.Hamas condemned the attack and denied using residential or civilian buildings for military purposes.<h2>‘Death pursues us’</h2>The Israeli military has said it will target structures being used by Hamas, particularly tall buildings.It also issued an evacuation order for another high-rise on Saturday, warning of an imminent strike and telling people to leave for the south.A military spokesperson had earlier called on residents to leave for Al-Mawasi, on the Mediterranean coast to the south, where the army said humanitarian aid and medical care would be provided."Take this opportunity to move early to the humanitarian zone and join the thousands of people who have already gone there," spokesman Avichay Adraee said on social media.Israel first declared Al-Mawasi a safe zone early in the war, but has carried out repeated strikes on it since then, saying they targeted Hamas.Gaza City residents said they believed it made little difference whether they stayed or fled."Some say we should evacuate, others say we should stay," said Abdel Nasser Mushtaha, 48."But everywhere in Gaza there are bombings and deaths" he added, pointing, in particular, to the strikes on Al-Mawasi."It no longer makes any difference to us," said his daughter Samia Mushtaha, 20. “Wherever we go, death pursues us, whether by bombing or hunger.”<h2>US in ‘deep negotiation’</h2>Israel has faced mounting domestic and international pressure to end the nearly two-year war.Its foe Hamas agreed last month to a proposal for a temporary ceasefire and staggered hostage releases, but Israel has demanded the militant group release all the hostages at once, disarm and relinquish control of Gaza, among other conditions.At the White House on Friday, President Donald Trump said the United States was in talks with Hamas over the captives being held in Gaza."We're in very deep negotiation with Hamas," said Trump."We said let them all out right now, let them all out, and much better things will happen for them," said Trump. "But if you don't let them all out, it's going to be a tough situation, it's going to be nasty."Militants took 251 hostages during the October 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the war. The Israeli military says 47 remain in Gaza, including 25 believed to be dead.The UN estimates nearly one million people remain in and around Gaza City, where it declared a famine last month. It has warned of a looming "disaster" if the assault proceeds.Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 64,368 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza that the United Nations considers reliable.Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency or the Israeli military.Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Gaza civil defence agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that 24 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli fire during the day, including five near an aid distribution centre west of Khan Yunis.

An Israeli strike flattened a high-rise in Gaza City on Saturday -- the second in as many days -- after the military warned people to flee south to a "humanitarian zone" ahead of a planned offensive against the urban hub. Israel has been warning for weeks of a new assault on the territory's largest city, without issuing a timeline. It has stepped up air strikes and ground operations on the city's outskirts, sparking fears it could worsen already dire conditions. On Saturday, Israeli aircraft dropped thousands of leaflets on western neighbourhoods calling on residents to evacuate, witnesses and an AFP journalist said. Nafez Anis, who has been living in a tent with his family in Gaza City, said he had read the leaflet, but was not planning on leaving. "Where should we go?" he told AFP. "We will wait, and when we see Israeli tanks approaching here, we will leave." Gaza civil defence agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that 24 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli fire during the day, including five near an aid distribution centre west of Khan Yunis. Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military requested precise timeframes and coordinates to look into the reports. On Saturday, the military said it struck a Gaza City high-rise, saying Hamas was using it "to monitor" Israeli troops and adding that it had taken "measures to mitigate harm to civilians". Witnesses identified the building as the Sussi residential tower and said it was destroyed. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz shared a video showing the roughly 15-storey structure collapsing in a cloud of dust and smoke. Hamas condemned the attack and denied using residential or civilian buildings for military purposes. ‘Death pursues us’ The Israeli military has said it will target structures being used by Hamas, particularly tall buildings. It also issued an evacuation order for another high-rise on Saturday, warning of an imminent strike and telling people to leave for the south. A military spokesperson had earlier called on residents to leave for Al-Mawasi, on the Mediterranean coast to the south, where the army said humanitarian aid and medical care would be provided. "Take this opportunity to move early to the humanitarian zone and join the thousands of people who have already gone there," spokesman Avichay Adraee said on social media. Israel first declared Al-Mawasi a safe zone early in the war, but has carried out repeated strikes on it since then, saying they targeted Hamas. Gaza City residents said they believed it made little difference whether they stayed or fled. "Some say we should evacuate, others say we should stay," said Abdel Nasser Mushtaha, 48. "But everywhere in Gaza there are bombings and deaths" he added, pointing, in particular, to the strikes on Al-Mawasi. "It no longer makes any difference to us," said his daughter Samia Mushtaha, 20. “Wherever we go, death pursues us, whether by bombing or hunger.” US in ‘deep negotiation’ Israel has faced mounting domestic and international pressure to end the nearly two-year war. Its foe Hamas agreed last month to a proposal for a temporary ceasefire and staggered hostage releases, but Israel has demanded the militant group release all the hostages at once, disarm and relinquish control of Gaza, among other conditions. At the White House on Friday, President Donald Trump said the United States was in talks with Hamas over the captives being held in Gaza. "We're in very deep negotiation with Hamas," said Trump. "We said let them all out right now, let them all out, and much better things will happen for them," said Trump. "But if you don't let them all out, it's going to be a tough situation, it's going to be nasty." Militants took 251 hostages during the October 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the war. The Israeli military says 47 remain in Gaza, including 25 believed to be dead. The UN estimates nearly one million people remain in and around Gaza City, where it declared a famine last month. It has warned of a looming "disaster" if the assault proceeds. Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 64,368 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza that the United Nations considers reliable. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency or the Israeli military. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Gaza civil defence agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that 24 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli fire during the day, including five near an aid distribution centre west of Khan Yunis.

Israeli military warns Gaza city residents to flee as it expands operations

Zimbabwe levelled a Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka in Harare with a five-wicket victory in a low scoring match on Saturday (Sep 6). Sri Lanka were all out for 80 -- their second lowest T20 total -- and Zimbabwe made 84-5 in reply at Harare Sports Club to win with 34 balls remaining. The tourists won the first match by five runs, and the series will be decided by the third and final match on Sunday.&nbsp;"We have been playing good cricket and were upset with recent losses because we got close in the previous three games," said Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza. "To our credit, we did not panic despite the disappointments. Hopefully this victory will give us belief."&nbsp;Rival skipper Charith Asalanka said: "We lost too many wickets in the powerplay. When I went to bat I thought it was a 130 to 140-run pitch."&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/struggling-england-cannot-take-2027-odi-world-cup-rankings-for-granted-marcus-trescothick-1757169731665">Struggling England cannot take 2027 ODI World Cup rankings for granted: Marcus Trescothick</a>&nbsp;Kamil Mishara top scored for Sri Lanka with a run-a-ball 20 before misjudging a yorker from Brad Evans, which uprooted his off-stump.&nbsp;Asalanka (18) and Dasun Shanaka (15) were the only other Sri Lankan batters to reach double figures. Raza (3-11) and Evans (3-15) inflicted the most damage with the ball for the home side.&nbsp;Zimbabwe also struggled with the bat, slumping to 27-3 before Brian Bennett (19) and Ryan Burl (20 not out) put on 26 runs for the fourth wicket to bring the hosts within sight of victory.&nbsp;Tashinga Musekiwa (21 not out) won the match by striking fours off the first and second deliveries of the 14th over. Dushmantha Chameera (3-19) was the most successful of the tourists' bowlers.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sri Lanka were all out for 80 -- their second lowest T20 total -- and Zimbabwe made 84-5 in reply at Harare Sports Club to win with 34 balls remaining.

Zimbabwe levelled a Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka in Harare with a five-wicket victory in a low scoring match on Saturday (Sep 6). Sri Lanka were all out for 80 -- their second lowest T20 total -- and Zimbabwe made 84-5 in reply at Harare Sports Club to win with 34 balls remaining. The tourists won the first match by five runs, and the series will be decided by the third and final match on Sunday. "We have been playing good cricket and were upset with recent losses because we got close in the previous three games," said Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza. "To our credit, we did not panic despite the disappointments. Hopefully this victory will give us belief." Rival skipper Charith Asalanka said: "We lost too many wickets in the powerplay. When I went to bat I thought it was a 130 to 140-run pitch." Also read | Struggling England cannot take 2027 ODI World Cup rankings for granted: Marcus Trescothick Kamil Mishara top scored for Sri Lanka with a run-a-ball 20 before misjudging a yorker from Brad Evans, which uprooted his off-stump. Asalanka (18) and Dasun Shanaka (15) were the only other Sri Lankan batters to reach double figures. Raza (3-11) and Evans (3-15) inflicted the most damage with the ball for the home side. Zimbabwe also struggled with the bat, slumping to 27-3 before Brian Bennett (19) and Ryan Burl (20 not out) put on 26 runs for the fourth wicket to bring the hosts within sight of victory. Tashinga Musekiwa (21 not out) won the match by striking fours off the first and second deliveries of the 14th over. Dushmantha Chameera (3-19) was the most successful of the tourists' bowlers. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sri Lanka were all out for 80 -- their second lowest T20 total -- and Zimbabwe made 84-5 in reply at Harare Sports Club to win with 34 balls remaining.

Zimbabwe level T20I series after dismissing Sri Lanka for their second-lowest total

Marcus Trescothick accepts a struggling England one-day international side must "climb those rankings" if they are to secure their place at the 2027 World Cup. Successive losses to South Africa mean England are already 2-0 down in a three-match series ahead of Sunday's finale in Southampton. The defeats have left then eighth in the International Cricket Council standings for 50-over cricket. This represents a significant decline for an England side who were world champions as recently as 2019. It leaves them facing awkward questions regarding their automatic place at the next edition of the global showpiece.&nbsp;Co-hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe are already guaranteed spots, with the next eight places determined by the ICC rankings.&nbsp;England still have plenty of time to pull clear of Bangladesh and the West Indies, but assistant coach Trescothick accepts the slump needs to come to an end.&nbsp;"If you look solely in terms of making sure we qualify for the World Cup, that is the situation we find ourselves in at the moment," Trescothick told reporters on Saturday. "We're in an interesting position where we need to climb those rankings. Longer term there's also a bigger picture and we need to look at being at the top of those rankings and beyond. We want to go and compete in the biggest competitions like we did in 2019."&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pakistan-to-boycott-women-odi-world-cup-2025-opening-ceremony-in-india-report-1757164681460">Pakistan to boycott Women’s ODI World Cup opening ceremony in India – Report</a>&nbsp;The former England opening batsman added: "No doubt it's been a challenging period and a sustained amount of time where you're trying to adapt and get back to the formula we want.&nbsp;"The journey hasn't been easy, of course not, but I definitely feel we're improving and moving in the right direction even though the last two results have been disappointing."&nbsp;England have made just one change for Sunday's match with Jamie Overton, who this week announced he was stepping away from longer-form red-ball cricket, replaces fellow paceman Saqib Mahmood.&nbsp;That leaves the balance of the side&nbsp; unchanged, with part-time spinners Will Jacks and Jacob Bethell -- who between then conceded a costly 112 runs in 10 overs during a five-run loss to South Africa at Lord's on Thursday -- set for another bowling stint.&nbsp;Opening batsman Ben Duckett has kept his place despite being sufficiently weary and short of form to be withdrawn from next week's T20 series against South Africa. He has one more innings to find some rhythm before a much-needed rest ahead of a showpiece Ashes tour of Australia gets underway in November.&nbsp;"We need certain players to be firing and Ben is certainly one of those," said Trescothick. "At this point in time, this (break) is the best way to maximise performances going forward as we head into a big winter.&nbsp;"We need the boys firing going into November, December, January. That's not to say things aren't important coming up but sometimes you just have to take your foot off the gas a bit and rejuvenate the mind. Then you can get back on the horse and crack on."&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Co-hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe are already guaranteed spots, with the next eight places determined by the ICC rankings.

Marcus Trescothick accepts a struggling England one-day international side must "climb those rankings" if they are to secure their place at the 2027 World Cup. Successive losses to South Africa mean England are already 2-0 down in a three-match series ahead of Sunday's finale in Southampton. The defeats have left then eighth in the International Cricket Council standings for 50-over cricket. This represents a significant decline for an England side who were world champions as recently as 2019. It leaves them facing awkward questions regarding their automatic place at the next edition of the global showpiece. Co-hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe are already guaranteed spots, with the next eight places determined by the ICC rankings. England still have plenty of time to pull clear of Bangladesh and the West Indies, but assistant coach Trescothick accepts the slump needs to come to an end. "If you look solely in terms of making sure we qualify for the World Cup, that is the situation we find ourselves in at the moment," Trescothick told reporters on Saturday. "We're in an interesting position where we need to climb those rankings. Longer term there's also a bigger picture and we need to look at being at the top of those rankings and beyond. We want to go and compete in the biggest competitions like we did in 2019." Also read | Pakistan to boycott Women’s ODI World Cup opening ceremony in India – Report The former England opening batsman added: "No doubt it's been a challenging period and a sustained amount of time where you're trying to adapt and get back to the formula we want. "The journey hasn't been easy, of course not, but I definitely feel we're improving and moving in the right direction even though the last two results have been disappointing." England have made just one change for Sunday's match with Jamie Overton, who this week announced he was stepping away from longer-form red-ball cricket, replaces fellow paceman Saqib Mahmood. That leaves the balance of the side unchanged, with part-time spinners Will Jacks and Jacob Bethell -- who between then conceded a costly 112 runs in 10 overs during a five-run loss to South Africa at Lord's on Thursday -- set for another bowling stint. Opening batsman Ben Duckett has kept his place despite being sufficiently weary and short of form to be withdrawn from next week's T20 series against South Africa. He has one more innings to find some rhythm before a much-needed rest ahead of a showpiece Ashes tour of Australia gets underway in November. "We need certain players to be firing and Ben is certainly one of those," said Trescothick. "At this point in time, this (break) is the best way to maximise performances going forward as we head into a big winter. "We need the boys firing going into November, December, January. That's not to say things aren't important coming up but sometimes you just have to take your foot off the gas a bit and rejuvenate the mind. Then you can get back on the horse and crack on." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

England still have plenty of time to pull clear of Bangladesh and the West Indies, but assistant coach Trescothick accepts the slump needs to come to an end.

Struggling England cannot take 2027 ODI World Cup rankings for granted: Marcus Trescothick

Justin Herbert out-dueled Patrick Mahomes to lead the Los Angeles Chargers to a 27-21 upset of the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL in Sao Paulo on Friday. Herbert threw for 318 yards and three touchdowns. His 32 rushing yards included 19 for a late first down that sealed victory against a Chiefs team known for their ability to come back.&nbsp;But Mahomes couldn't work his trademark magic in front of an enthusiastic crowd at the 49,000-seat Corinthians Arena, where the NFL returned for a second straight year for the first of its International Series games.&nbsp;Herbert connected with Quentin Johnston with a 23-yard touchdown pass that put the Chargers up 27-18 with 5:02 remaining.&nbsp;Harrison Butker's 27-yard field goal pulled the Chiefs within 27-21 with 2:34 remaining, but that was the last chance they would get as the Chargers turned their final drive into a victory march.&nbsp;"By any means, just got to go make a play," Herbert said. "That's what we've coached and that's what we've talked about and at the end of the day it was a fun play. Got down and got the win."&nbsp;It was a rough start for the Chiefs to a 2025 campaign in which they are aiming to return to the Super Bowl for a fourth straight year -- and regain the title after the Philadelphia Eagles ended their two-season reign in February.&nbsp;The Chargers finished runner-up to the Chiefs in the AFC West division last year but lost in the wild card round of the playoffs.&nbsp;"Just another game for us," Herbert said. "We came out here, executed, did what we needed to."&nbsp;Mahomes threw for 258 yards and a touchdown and ran for a TD, but Kansas City never led.&nbsp;They suffered a blow on the opening drive when talented second-year wide receiver Xavier Worthy was forced out of the game with a shoulder injury after colliding with teammate Travis Kelce.&nbsp;The Chargers then marched 68 yards in seven plays in a drive capped by Herbert's five-yard TD pass to Johnston.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-rohit-sharma-to-virat-kohli-here-is-a-look-at-five-indian-batters-with-most-runs-in-asia-cup-odis-t20is-sachin-tendulkar-ms-dhoni-dhawan-1754123070628">From Rohit Sharma to Virat Kohli, 5 Indian batters with most runs in Asia Cup (ODIs + T20Is)</a><h2>Chiefs offense struggles</h2>The Chiefs offense was sputtering, putting up just 33 total yards in the first quarter with three punts and only two first downs.&nbsp;The Chargers stretched their lead to 10-0 on Cameron Dicker's 39-yard field goal at 13:47 of the second period.&nbsp;On the ensuing possession Mahomes piloted a 16-play 49-yard drive capped by a Butker 35-yard field goal.&nbsp;Two fourth-down conversions kept the drive alive but Kansas City's hopes of a touchdown were scuppered when Mahomes was sacked by Daiyan Henley on third-and-goal.Chargers mistakes gifted Kansas City one more chance with 45 seconds left in the first half.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-asia-cup-2025-full-squads-complete-fixtures-date-time-venue-and-live-streaming-details-check-all-details-1755585771834">Asia Cup 2025: All you need to know - full squads, complete fixtures, date, time, venue and other key details</a>&nbsp;The Chiefs put together a rapid-fire drive capped by Butker's 59-yard field goal that cut the halftime deficit to 13-6.&nbsp;Mahomes scrambled 11 yards for a touchdown early in the third, but Butker missed the extra point attempt to leave the Chiefs down at 13-12.&nbsp;Herbert then found Keenan Allen for a touchdown that pushed Los Angeles' lead to 20-12. Kansas City would close within two on Kelce's 37-yard catch and run TD, but they couldn't get over the hump.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-asia-cup-2025-india-s-probable-playing-xi-shubman-gill-to-open-sanju-samson-at-no-3-tilak-varma-to-miss-out-1755663441686">Asia Cup 2025, India's Probable Playing XI: Shubman Gill to open, Sanju Samson at No.3; Tilak Varma to miss out</a>&nbsp;A festive night that featured a jazz-tinged version of the US national anthem and halftime show by Colombian star Karol G drew luminaries including Brazilian footballer Neymar and three-time surf champion Gabriel Medina.&nbsp;It was streamed globally on YouTube, all part of a bid by the NFL -- which boasted $23 billion in revenue last year -- to expand its global footprint.&nbsp;This season the league will play seven games in cities outside the United States with contests in Dublin, London, Berlin and Madrid, as well as Sao Paulo. Melbourne will join in 2026.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Harrison Butker's 27-yard field goal pulled the Chiefs within 27-21 with 2:34 remaining, but that was the last chance they would get as the Chargers turned their final drive into a victory march.

Justin Herbert out-dueled Patrick Mahomes to lead the Los Angeles Chargers to a 27-21 upset of the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL in Sao Paulo on Friday. Herbert threw for 318 yards and three touchdowns. His 32 rushing yards included 19 for a late first down that sealed victory against a Chiefs team known for their ability to come back. But Mahomes couldn't work his trademark magic in front of an enthusiastic crowd at the 49,000-seat Corinthians Arena, where the NFL returned for a second straight year for the first of its International Series games. Herbert connected with Quentin Johnston with a 23-yard touchdown pass that put the Chargers up 27-18 with 5:02 remaining. Harrison Butker's 27-yard field goal pulled the Chiefs within 27-21 with 2:34 remaining, but that was the last chance they would get as the Chargers turned their final drive into a victory march. "By any means, just got to go make a play," Herbert said. "That's what we've coached and that's what we've talked about and at the end of the day it was a fun play. Got down and got the win." It was a rough start for the Chiefs to a 2025 campaign in which they are aiming to return to the Super Bowl for a fourth straight year -- and regain the title after the Philadelphia Eagles ended their two-season reign in February. The Chargers finished runner-up to the Chiefs in the AFC West division last year but lost in the wild card round of the playoffs. "Just another game for us," Herbert said. "We came out here, executed, did what we needed to." Mahomes threw for 258 yards and a touchdown and ran for a TD, but Kansas City never led. They suffered a blow on the opening drive when talented second-year wide receiver Xavier Worthy was forced out of the game with a shoulder injury after colliding with teammate Travis Kelce. The Chargers then marched 68 yards in seven plays in a drive capped by Herbert's five-yard TD pass to Johnston. ALSO READ | From Rohit Sharma to Virat Kohli, 5 Indian batters with most runs in Asia Cup (ODIs + T20Is) Chiefs offense struggles The Chiefs offense was sputtering, putting up just 33 total yards in the first quarter with three punts and only two first downs. The Chargers stretched their lead to 10-0 on Cameron Dicker's 39-yard field goal at 13:47 of the second period. On the ensuing possession Mahomes piloted a 16-play 49-yard drive capped by a Butker 35-yard field goal. Two fourth-down conversions kept the drive alive but Kansas City's hopes of a touchdown were scuppered when Mahomes was sacked by Daiyan Henley on third-and-goal. Chargers mistakes gifted Kansas City one more chance with 45 seconds left in the first half. ALSO READ | Asia Cup 2025: All you need to know - full squads, complete fixtures, date, time, venue and other key details The Chiefs put together a rapid-fire drive capped by Butker's 59-yard field goal that cut the halftime deficit to 13-6. Mahomes scrambled 11 yards for a touchdown early in the third, but Butker missed the extra point attempt to leave the Chiefs down at 13-12. Herbert then found Keenan Allen for a touchdown that pushed Los Angeles' lead to 20-12. Kansas City would close within two on Kelce's 37-yard catch and run TD, but they couldn't get over the hump. ALSO READ | Asia Cup 2025, India's Probable Playing XI: Shubman Gill to open, Sanju Samson at No.3; Tilak Varma to miss out A festive night that featured a jazz-tinged version of the US national anthem and halftime show by Colombian star Karol G drew luminaries including Brazilian footballer Neymar and three-time surf champion Gabriel Medina. It was streamed globally on YouTube, all part of a bid by the NFL -- which boasted $23 billion in revenue last year -- to expand its global footprint. This season the league will play seven games in cities outside the United States with contests in Dublin, London, Berlin and Madrid, as well as Sao Paulo. Melbourne will join in 2026. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Harrison Butker's 27-yard field goal pulled the Chiefs within 27-21 with 2:34 remaining, but that was the last chance they would get as the Chargers turned their final drive into a victory march.

NFL: Justin Herbert stars as Los Angeles Chargers top Kansas City Chiefs in Sao Paulo showpiece

Morocco trounced 10-man Niger 5-0 in Rabat on Friday to win Group E and become the first African qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. Ismael Saibari scored twice in the first half after Abdul-Latif Goumey was sent off and second-half goals from Ayoub el Kaabi, Hamza Igamane and Azzedine Ounahi completed the rout.&nbsp;A sixth straight victory lifted Morocco to an unassailable lead with 18 points -- eight more than Tanzania -- and sealed a seventh appearance at the global showpiece with two matches to spare.&nbsp;Morocco were shock semi-finalists at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, topping a group including Croatia and Belgium and eliminating Spain and Portugal in the knockout phase.The stunning run came to an end in the semi-finals as they lost 2-0 to France.&nbsp;Only Ounahi of the scorers against Niger was in the 2022 World Cup squad with coach Walid Regragui introducing new faces since, including Saibari from Dutch club PSV Eindhoven.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-asia-cup-2025-full-squads-complete-fixtures-date-time-venue-and-live-streaming-details-check-all-details-1755585771834">Asia Cup 2025: All you need to know - full squads, complete fixtures, date, time, venue and other key details</a>&nbsp;In Group A, Egypt beat Ethiopia 2-0 in Cairo with Premier League stars Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush converting late first-half penalties.&nbsp;Egypt can join Morocco at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico if they win away to second-placed Burkina Faso on Tuesday.&nbsp;Newcastle United signing Yoane Wissa was among the goals as the Democratic Republic of Congo hammered South Sudan 4-1 in Juba to stay top of Group B.&nbsp;Wissa moved from Brentford in a £50 million ($67 mn) deal after Sweden striker Alexander Isak left Newcastle for Liverpool in a British record move.&nbsp;The Congolese are hoping to return to the World Cup for the first time since 1974, when the central African country was called Zaire.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-asia-cup-2025-india-s-probable-playing-xi-shubman-gill-to-open-sanju-samson-at-no-3-tilak-varma-to-miss-out-1755663441686">Asia Cup 2025, India's Probable Playing XI: Shubman Gill to open, Sanju Samson at No.3; Tilak Varma to miss out</a><h2>South Africa triumph</h2>Cedric Bakambu scored twice to help the visitors build a three-goal half-time advantage and Wissa added a fourth before Keer Majak claimed a consolation goal.Senegal trail DR Congo by one point ahead of a top-of-the-table showdown in Kinshasa on Tuesday after beating Sudan 2-0 in Diamniadio through goals from Kalidou Koulibaly and Pape Matar Sarr.&nbsp;South Africa maintained a five-point lead in Group C thanks to a comfortable 3-0 'away' victory over neighbours Lesotho in Bloemfontein.&nbsp;The home fixture for Lesotho was moved to the central South African city, 145 kilometres by road from the border, because the mountain kingdom does not have a FIFA-approved stadium.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-rohit-sharma-to-virat-kohli-here-is-a-look-at-five-indian-batters-with-most-runs-in-asia-cup-odis-t20is-sachin-tendulkar-ms-dhoni-dhawan-1754123070628">From Rohit Sharma to Virat Kohli, 5 Indian batters with most runs in Asia Cup (ODIs + T20Is)</a>&nbsp;Mohau Nkota, who quit famed Soweto club Orlando Pirates last month to join Saudi Pro League outfit Al Ettifaq, scored his first international goal for Bafana Bafana (the Boys) on 15 minutes.&nbsp;Lyle Foster from Premier League returnees Burnley and Oswin Appollis netted within four minutes midway through the second half.&nbsp;Victory did come at a cost for South Africa, though, with defenders Nyiko Mobbie and Thabo Moloisane retiring injured ahead of a key clash with Nigeria at the same venue on Tuesday.&nbsp;South Africa have 16 points, five more than Benin, who edged Zimbabwe 1-0 in Abidjan through a Steve Mounie goal. Nigeria, nine points behind the leaders, host Rwanda on Saturday.&nbsp;Clinical first-half finishing earned Gambia a surprise 3-1 win over Kenya in Nairobi with Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh scoring the second.&nbsp;However, the result had no impact on the top of Group F, with reigning African champions the Ivory Coast away to Gabon on Tuesday in a match likely to decide who finishes first.Serhou Guirassy, a prolific scorer for Borussia Dortmund with 38 goals in all competitions last season, bagged his first for Guinea in World Cup qualifying to set up a 3-0 win over Somalia.&nbsp;But a disappointing campaign by Guinea -- they lie fourth eight points behind Group G leaders Algeria -- means Guirassy will almost certainly miss the World Cup.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Morocco were shock semi-finalists at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, topping a group including Croatia and Belgium and eliminating Spain and Portugal in the knockout phase. The stunning run came to an end in the semi-finals as they lost 2-0 to France.

Morocco trounced 10-man Niger 5-0 in Rabat on Friday to win Group E and become the first African qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. Ismael Saibari scored twice in the first half after Abdul-Latif Goumey was sent off and second-half goals from Ayoub el Kaabi, Hamza Igamane and Azzedine Ounahi completed the rout. A sixth straight victory lifted Morocco to an unassailable lead with 18 points -- eight more than Tanzania -- and sealed a seventh appearance at the global showpiece with two matches to spare. Morocco were shock semi-finalists at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, topping a group including Croatia and Belgium and eliminating Spain and Portugal in the knockout phase. The stunning run came to an end in the semi-finals as they lost 2-0 to France. Only Ounahi of the scorers against Niger was in the 2022 World Cup squad with coach Walid Regragui introducing new faces since, including Saibari from Dutch club PSV Eindhoven. ALSO READ | Asia Cup 2025: All you need to know - full squads, complete fixtures, date, time, venue and other key details In Group A, Egypt beat Ethiopia 2-0 in Cairo with Premier League stars Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush converting late first-half penalties. Egypt can join Morocco at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico if they win away to second-placed Burkina Faso on Tuesday. Newcastle United signing Yoane Wissa was among the goals as the Democratic Republic of Congo hammered South Sudan 4-1 in Juba to stay top of Group B. Wissa moved from Brentford in a £50 million ($67 mn) deal after Sweden striker Alexander Isak left Newcastle for Liverpool in a British record move. The Congolese are hoping to return to the World Cup for the first time since 1974, when the central African country was called Zaire. ALSO READ | Asia Cup 2025, India's Probable Playing XI: Shubman Gill to open, Sanju Samson at No.3; Tilak Varma to miss out South Africa triumph Cedric Bakambu scored twice to help the visitors build a three-goal half-time advantage and Wissa added a fourth before Keer Majak claimed a consolation goal. Senegal trail DR Congo by one point ahead of a top-of-the-table showdown in Kinshasa on Tuesday after beating Sudan 2-0 in Diamniadio through goals from Kalidou Koulibaly and Pape Matar Sarr. South Africa maintained a five-point lead in Group C thanks to a comfortable 3-0 'away' victory over neighbours Lesotho in Bloemfontein. The home fixture for Lesotho was moved to the central South African city, 145 kilometres by road from the border, because the mountain kingdom does not have a FIFA-approved stadium. ALSO READ | From Rohit Sharma to Virat Kohli, 5 Indian batters with most runs in Asia Cup (ODIs + T20Is) Mohau Nkota, who quit famed Soweto club Orlando Pirates last month to join Saudi Pro League outfit Al Ettifaq, scored his first international goal for Bafana Bafana (the Boys) on 15 minutes. Lyle Foster from Premier League returnees Burnley and Oswin Appollis netted within four minutes midway through the second half. Victory did come at a cost for South Africa, though, with defenders Nyiko Mobbie and Thabo Moloisane retiring injured ahead of a key clash with Nigeria at the same venue on Tuesday. South Africa have 16 points, five more than Benin, who edged Zimbabwe 1-0 in Abidjan through a Steve Mounie goal. Nigeria, nine points behind the leaders, host Rwanda on Saturday. Clinical first-half finishing earned Gambia a surprise 3-1 win over Kenya in Nairobi with Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh scoring the second. However, the result had no impact on the top of Group F, with reigning African champions the Ivory Coast away to Gabon on Tuesday in a match likely to decide who finishes first. Serhou Guirassy, a prolific scorer for Borussia Dortmund with 38 goals in all competitions last season, bagged his first for Guinea in World Cup qualifying to set up a 3-0 win over Somalia. But a disappointing campaign by Guinea -- they lie fourth eight points behind Group G leaders Algeria -- means Guirassy will almost certainly miss the World Cup. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Morocco were shock semi-finalists at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, topping a group including Croatia and Belgium and eliminating Spain and Portugal in the knockout phase. The stunning run came to an end in the semi-finals as they lost 2-0 to France.

FIFA World Cup qualifiers: Morocco crush 10-man Niger to seal spot in final draw

The EU on Friday slapped Google with a massive 2.95 billion euro ($3.47 billion) antitrust fine for favouring its own advertising services, despite President Donald Trump's warnings not to target US big tech.Google vowed to appeal the decision by the European Commission, which accused the US firm of distorting competition in the 27-nation bloc."Google abused its dominant position in adtech harming publishers, advertisers, and consumers. This behaviour is illegal under EU antitrust rules," EU competition chief Teresa Ribera said.Trump has threatened to go after Europe for its rules on the digital market and on policing content, which affect tech giants based in the US.Earlier this week, it emerged the commission had hit pause on the fine, seemingly for fear of US retaliation.The EU is still waiting for the United States to make good on a promise to lower tariffs on cars under a trade deal agreed in July.Brussels ordered Google to end its "self-preferencing practices" and take steps to cease its inherent conflicts of interest."Google has 60 days to inform the Commission on how it plans to do so," Ribera said."If it fails to propose a viable plan, the Commission will not hesitate to impose an appropriate remedy."She said that, "at this stage, it appears that the only way for Google to end its conflict of interest effectively is with a structural remedy, such as selling some part of its Adtech business".Google said the commission's decision was "wrong" and it would appeal."It imposes an unjustified fine and requires changes that will hurt thousands of European businesses by making it harder for them to make money," said the firm's global head of regulatory affairs, Lee-Anne Mulholland."There's nothing anticompetitive in providing services for ad buyers and sellers, and there are more alternatives to our services than ever before."<h2>- 'Competitive advantage' -</h2>Advertising is Google's financial bedrock. The company is a subsidiary of US tech giant Alphabet, which in July reported quarterly profits of $28.2 billion.In its decision, the commission noted that Google not only sells advertising on its own websites and apps, but was also an intermediary for firms wanting to place ads elsewhere to appear on mobile and computer screens.For that, it has an ad exchange to match buyers and sellers called AdX, as well as an ad server called DoubleClick, and tools to buy ads called Google Ads and DV 360.In a statement, the commission said it found that between at least 2014 and today Google abused the dominant positions it held through DoubleClick, Google Ads and DV 360 to favour AdX.AdX would, for example, be informed in advance of the value of the best bid from competitors taking part in the ad selection process run by DoubleClick, it said.The European Publishers Council, a media industry group that had filed a complaint over the practices probed by the EU, said a fine was not enough."Without strong and decisive enforcement, Google will simply write this off as a cost of business while consolidating its dominance in the AI era," said its director Angela Mills Wade.A US federal court recently upheld a similar complaint over Google's adtech practices, ordering the firm to put forward remedies.Friday's announcement marked the third fine announced in a week against the Alphabet-owned Google.A US federal jury on Wednesday ordered Google to pay about $425 million for gathering information from smartphone app users even when people opted for privacy settings.The same day, France's data protection authority fined the search giant 325 million euros for failing to respect the law on internet cookies.The group notched a major win however on Tuesday when a US judge rejected the American government's demand that Google sell its Chrome web browser.The landmark antitrust ruling, coming after Google was found to have illegally maintained monopolies in online search through exclusive distribution agreements, did however impose sweeping requirements to restore competition in the area.As the EU's competition watchdog, the commission has hit Google with multiple fines in recent years.It fined the online giant 4.1 billion euros in 2018 for abusing the market dominance of its Android operating system, and in 2017 slapped a 2.4 billion euro fine for anti-competitive practices in the price comparison market.

Google vowed to appeal the decision by the European Commission, which accused the US firm of distorting competition in the 27-nation bloc.

The EU on Friday slapped Google with a massive 2.95 billion euro ($3.47 billion) antitrust fine for favouring its own advertising services, despite President Donald Trump's warnings not to target US big tech. Google vowed to appeal the decision by the European Commission, which accused the US firm of distorting competition in the 27-nation bloc. "Google abused its dominant position in adtech harming publishers, advertisers, and consumers. This behaviour is illegal under EU antitrust rules," EU competition chief Teresa Ribera said. Trump has threatened to go after Europe for its rules on the digital market and on policing content, which affect tech giants based in the US. Earlier this week, it emerged the commission had hit pause on the fine, seemingly for fear of US retaliation. The EU is still waiting for the United States to make good on a promise to lower tariffs on cars under a trade deal agreed in July. Brussels ordered Google to end its "self-preferencing practices" and take steps to cease its inherent conflicts of interest. "Google has 60 days to inform the Commission on how it plans to do so," Ribera said. "If it fails to propose a viable plan, the Commission will not hesitate to impose an appropriate remedy." She said that, "at this stage, it appears that the only way for Google to end its conflict of interest effectively is with a structural remedy, such as selling some part of its Adtech business". Google said the commission's decision was "wrong" and it would appeal. "It imposes an unjustified fine and requires changes that will hurt thousands of European businesses by making it harder for them to make money," said the firm's global head of regulatory affairs, Lee-Anne Mulholland. "There's nothing anticompetitive in providing services for ad buyers and sellers, and there are more alternatives to our services than ever before." - 'Competitive advantage' - Advertising is Google's financial bedrock. The company is a subsidiary of US tech giant Alphabet, which in July reported quarterly profits of $28.2 billion. In its decision, the commission noted that Google not only sells advertising on its own websites and apps, but was also an intermediary for firms wanting to place ads elsewhere to appear on mobile and computer screens. For that, it has an ad exchange to match buyers and sellers called AdX, as well as an ad server called DoubleClick, and tools to buy ads called Google Ads and DV 360. In a statement, the commission said it found that between at least 2014 and today Google abused the dominant positions it held through DoubleClick, Google Ads and DV 360 to favour AdX. AdX would, for example, be informed in advance of the value of the best bid from competitors taking part in the ad selection process run by DoubleClick, it said. The European Publishers Council, a media industry group that had filed a complaint over the practices probed by the EU, said a fine was not enough. "Without strong and decisive enforcement, Google will simply write this off as a cost of business while consolidating its dominance in the AI era," said its director Angela Mills Wade. A US federal court recently upheld a similar complaint over Google's adtech practices, ordering the firm to put forward remedies. Friday's announcement marked the third fine announced in a week against the Alphabet-owned Google. A US federal jury on Wednesday ordered Google to pay about $425 million for gathering information from smartphone app users even when people opted for privacy settings. The same day, France's data protection authority fined the search giant 325 million euros for failing to respect the law on internet cookies. The group notched a major win however on Tuesday when a US judge rejected the American government's demand that Google sell its Chrome web browser. The landmark antitrust ruling, coming after Google was found to have illegally maintained monopolies in online search through exclusive distribution agreements, did however impose sweeping requirements to restore competition in the area. As the EU's competition watchdog, the commission has hit Google with multiple fines in recent years. It fined the online giant 4.1 billion euros in 2018 for abusing the market dominance of its Android operating system, and in 2017 slapped a 2.4 billion euro fine for anti-competitive practices in the price comparison market.

Google vowed to appeal the decision by the European Commission, which accused the US firm of distorting competition in the 27-nation bloc.

EU slaps €2.95 billion fine on tech giant Google in major antitrust ruling

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