Sports from Thursday, March 26th, 2026
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Italy, Sweden and Denmark close in on World Cup spots
Italy moved within one win of ending their 12-year World Cup absence with a 2-0 qualification playoff semi-final victory over Northern Ireland on Thursday thanks to second-half goals from Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean.
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Gauff crushes Muchova to reach Miami Open final
Coco Gauff delivered a commanding 6-1 6-1 demolition of Karolina Muchova on Thursday to book her place in the Miami Open final, her sixth WTA 1000 final.
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Iran bans sports teams from travelling to countries it deems 'hostile'
Iran has banned national and club sports teams from travelling to countries it considers hostile until further notice, Iranian media reported on Thursday, citing the Sports Ministry.
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Turkey edge Romania to reach World Cup playoff final
Turkey moved within one game of ending their long World Cup absence as Ferdi Kadioglu's second-half goal secured a 1-0 win over Romania in their playoff semi-final on Thursday, following a moment of brilliance from Arda Guler.
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UEFA fines Benfica for fan behaviour during Real Madrid game
European soccer’s governing body UEFA said it has fined Benfica 40,000 euros ($46,250) for "racist and/or discriminatory behaviour" by supporters during their Champions League match against Real Madrid last month.
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Japan's Sakamoto on pace for fourth world title in Prague
Japan's Kaori Sakamoto has surged into the lead in the women's singles short programme at the world figure skating championships on Wednesday, putting her on course for a fourth world title in the final competitive event of her career.
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Sabalenka to face Rybakina in blockbuster Miami Open semi-final
Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina, the two top women's players in the world, will battle it out in a Miami Open semi-final on Thursday after coming through their quarter-final matches.
News
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Rainy weather to continue nationwide until Friday nightThe National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) says the UAE will remain under the influence of a rainy weather system until Friday night, driven by a main weather front over the far western regions, where scattered heavy rainfall has already been recorded.
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Etihad diverts two flights due to unstable weather conditionsEtihad Airways has diverted two flights to Muscat on Thursday following adverse weather conditions in Abu Dhabi.
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Over 1,300 personnel deployed in Dubai during adverse weatherDubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has deployed 1,300 trained technical personnel, 500 tankers, and 380 mobile and fixed pumping units in collaboration with its partners for support during the unstable weather conditions in the UAE.
