France wasted its chance to move a step closer to World Cup qualification after a 0-0 home draw with Luxembourg that leaves automatic qualification from Group A wide open with two games to go.
Belgium overcame stern resistance from Greece to qualify for the World Cup, winning 2-1 away from home. Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku’s winning goal put the other Red Devils out of reach at the top of Group H.
Sweden moved one point behind France after easing to a 4-0 win away to Belarus, while a selection choice from Netherlands coach Dick Advocaat paid off as midfielder Davy Proepper scored his first two international goals in a 3-1 home win against Bulgaria.
Advocaat’s side is three points behind Sweden with two games remaining and still in with an outside chance of securing a playoff spot.
Group B rivals Switzerland and Portugal both won, with the Swiss maintaining a three-point lead. An Oct. 10 showdown between them in Lisbon will likely decide which team qualifies automatically for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The two sides have already secured the top two spots.
Only the group winners automatically advance in European qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Elsewhere, defender Domagoj Vida’s header gave Group I leader Croatia a 1-0 win against Kosovo in a match rescheduled from Saturday.
France held by Luxembourg; Belgium qualifies for World Cup
France held by Luxembourg; Belgium qualifies for World Cup
Haaland leads Man City revival to beat Chelsea
- Josko Gvardiol levelled for Pep Guardiola’s men before Haaland showed his blend of strength
- Marmoush was close to a perfect start to his City career when he blasted wide from Haaland’s pass after the Norwegian was picked out by a long ball from Ederson
MANCHESTER: Erling Haaland inspired a Manchester City fightback from 1-0 down to beat Chelsea 3-1 and move into the Premier League top four at the Blues’ expense on Saturday.
City recovered from a nightmare start to Abdukodir Khusanov’s debut as he gifted the visitors the opening goal, scored by Noni Madueke.
Josko Gvardiol levelled for Pep Guardiola’s men before Haaland showed his blend of strength and skill to chip in 22 minutes from time.
The Norwegian then turned provider for the in-form Phil Foden to secure City’s fourth win in five league games after just one in their previous nine.
Chelsea have won just once in their last seven Premier League games to fall to sixth and will once again reflect on the need to upgrade on goalkeeper Robert Sanchez after his positioning led to Haaland’s crucial goal.
City’s victory puts them back in pole position to qualify for next season’s Champions League, just days before they try to save themselves in this season’s competition.
The English champions must beat Club Brugge on Wednesday to reach the playoff round after collapsing from 2-0 up to lose 4-2 at Paris Saint-Germain in midweek.
Guardiola reacted by throwing in new signings Khusanov and Omar Marmoush for their debuts.
But that decision backfired spectacularly in the case of Khusanov inside three minutes.
The first ever Uzbek to play in the Premier League did not properly connect with an attempted header back toward his own goal and Nicolas Jackson pounced to tee up Madueke for a tap in.
Moments later Khusanov was fortunate to get away with only a yellow card for chopping down Cole Palmer.
By contrast, Marmoush was showing why only Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane had scored more Bundesliga goals than him this season prior to a £59 million ($72.6 million) move from Eintracht Frankfurt.
The Egyptian thought he had equalized when he pounced to fire home the rebound after Sanchez parried Ilkay Gundogan’s effort, but was flagged offside.
Gvardiol’s marauding runs from left-back were causing City’s biggest threat.
Chelsea did not heed a warning as the Croatian prodded inches wide with his left foot after storming into the box.
Just before half-time, Gvardiol had a simple task for his fifth Premier League goal of the season.
Matheus Nunes this time made the break from full-back and after he was denied by Sanchez, the ball fell for Gvardiol to roll into an empty net.
Guardiola cut his losses with Khusanov at the start of the second period. He was replaced by John Stones and City were rarely troubled thereafter at the back.
Marmoush was close to a perfect start to his City career when he blasted wide from Haaland’s pass after the Norwegian was picked out by a long ball from Ederson.
But again Chelsea did not learn their lesson. Moments later from another Ederson clearance, Haaland outmuscled Trevoh Chalobah and then chipped Sanchez, who had charged out of his goal and ended up in no man’s land.
Despite City’s struggles, Haaland has remained a reliable source of goals as he took his tally for the season to 24, six of which have come in the last six games.
And he created he third goal as his layoff sent Foden clear to slot home his sixth goal in his last four league games.
White House makes 2,000-pound bombs available to Israel, undoing Biden’s pause
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump’s White House has instructed the US military to release a hold imposed by the Biden administration on the supply of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, a White House source told Reuters on Saturday.
The move was widely expected. Biden put the hold on the delivery of those bombs due to concern over the impact they could have in Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza. A ceasefire to halt the war was recently agreed.
The Biden administration’s particular concern had been over the use of such large bombs in the city of Rafah, where more than one million Palestinians in Gaza had taken refuge.
Napoli beat Juventus to continue Serie A title charge
- Antonio Conte’s side bounced back from Randal Kolo Muani’s strike moments from half-time in his Juve debut
- Napoli won their seventh straight match thanks to a bullet header from Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Romelu Lukaku’s 69th-minute penalty
MILAN: Napoli continued their Serie A title charge on Saturday by coming from behind to win a feverish contest with rivals Juventus 2-1 and go six points clear at the top of the pile.
Antonio Conte’s side bounced back from Randal Kolo Muani’s strike moments from half-time in his Juve debut. Napoli won their seventh straight match thanks to a bullet header from Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Romelu Lukaku’s 69th-minute penalty.
Napoli are hunting a second Scudetto in three seasons and Saturday’s win, and in particular their dominant performance in the second half, was another sign that they, and not Inter Milan, are the team to beat.
Six points from clashes with Atalanta and Juve in successive weeks have kept Inter at bay with the reigning champions at lowly Lecce on Sunday hoping to halve the gap that separates Simone Inzaghi’s team from Napoli.
The roar that accompanied the hosts’ goals and the final whistle underlined the renewed belief that supporters have in their team after watching Napoli put up a dreadful defense of the Scudetto title last season.
Juve, meanwhile, are 16 points behind Napoli in fifth after falling to their first league defeat of the season, not the position expected when Thiago Motta replaced Massimiliano Allegri as coach in the summer.
Kolo Muani gave Juve a deserved half-time lead two days after finally completing his loan move to Turin from Paris Saint-Germain, where he had been frozen out by coach Luis Enrique.
He was in the right place at the right time in the 43rd minute to spin and lash home his third club goal of the season after Anguissa challenged for the ball and sent it straight to the France forward.
But Napoli were a different team after the break. After Alex Meret somehow kept out Lukaku’s close-range header the Juve goalkeeper could do nothing to stop Anguissa thumping home the leveller from Matteo Politano’s cross.
And there was only going to be one winner once Lukaku calmly rolled home his ninth Napoli goal from the spot after Scott McTominay was taken out by Manuel Locatelli.
Atalanta also stay seven points off the pace in third even though Mateo Retegui’s brace fired them to a 2-1 win at Como earlier on Saturday.
Italy striker Retegui pounced in the 56th and 70th minutes at a soaking Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia to take his league tally to 16 goals and give third-placed Atalanta their first win in Italy’s top flight in 2025.
The 25-year-old has scored five times in four games in all competitions since returning from a hamstring injury earlier this month, and his hot form is great news for Atalanta ahead of their trip to Barcelona.
Atalanta travel to Catalonia gunning for a place in the top eight of the Champions League and automatic qualification for the last 16, after thumping Sturm Graz on Tuesday.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s side had to battle to victory at Como who deservedly led at the break through Nico Paz’s fantastic first-time strike but remain three points above the relegation zone in 13th place.
“It’s not easy to play so many matches so close together... we were slow in the first half but we were much better after half-time,” said Gasperini to DAZN.
Como will find it hard to pick up points between now and March. Their next five fixtures are against Bologna, Juventus, Fiorentina, Napoli and Roma.
“You need to remember that we’re Como, we’re a newly-promoted team but we’re giving a lot of big teams hard games,” said coach Cesc Fabregas.
The away side also had strikes from Ademola Lookman and Charles De Ketelaere ruled out for offside and handball, which made for a nervy final few minutes as Como pushed unsuccessfully for a leveller.
UAE, India, and China among top destinations for KSA’s non-oil goods
- Strengthening the sector is one of the crucial goals outlined in Vision 2030 initiative
RIYADH: The UAE was the leading destination for Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports in November, with outbound shipments to the Emirates reaching SR7.17 billion ($1.87 billion) in what was a 22.35 percent month-on-month rise.
According to the General Authority for Statistics, the Kingdom exported machinery and mechanical appliances valued at SR3.15 billion to the UAE in November, followed by transport parts and precious metals at SR2.03 billion and SR404.7 million, respectively.
In October, Saudi Arabia’s non-oil shipments to the UAE amounted to SR5.86 billion, while it was SR6.54 billion and SR6.78 billion in September and August, respectively.
Saudi Arabia also exported plastic and rubber products worth SR330 million in November, while outbound shipments of chemical products totaled SR319 million.
Strengthening the non-oil sector is one of the crucial goals outlined in Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 agenda, as the Kingdom is steadily diversifying its economy by reducing its dependence on crude revenues.
Affirming the growth of Saudi Arabia’s non-oil private sector, the Kingdom’s Purchasing Managers’ Index reached 58.4 in December, marking a slight decline from a 17-month high of 59 in the previous month, according to the Riyad Bank Saudi Arabia PMI survey compiled by S&P Global.
Any PMI readings above 50 indicate growth of the non-oil private sector, while readings below the number signal contraction.
Underscoring the progress of Saudi Arabia’s non-energy sector, the Kingdom’s PMI has remained above the 50 growth mark continuously since September 2020.
Saudi Arabia’s PMI in December is also the highest among its Middle East neighbors.
The Kingdom’s Arab neighbors UAE posted a PMI of 55.4 in December, with Kuwait registering 54.1, and Qatar on 52.9.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this month, Saudi Arabia’s Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan said that the Kingdom’s commitment to economic diversification under Vision 2030 was driving steady growth, with the growth of non-oil gross domestic product being prioritized over traditional oil revenues. India was another major destination for Saudi Arabia’s non-energy goods in November, with exports amounting to SR2.52 billion, representing a 19.43 percent increase compared to the previous month. GASTAT revealed that Saudi Arabia exported chemical products worth SR1.34 billion, while outbound shipments of plastic and rubber products were valued at SR449.6 million, and base metals amounted to SR324.5 million.
The Kingdom also exported precious stones and metals amounting to SR324.5 million in November to India.
China held the third spot for Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports, with the Asian giant receiving inbound shipments from the Kingdom valued at SR2.17 billion in November, marking a month-on-month decline of 7.65 percent. Other top destinations for Saudi Arabia’s non-hydrocarbon goods were Singapore, with a value of SR1.23 billion; Turkiye at SR960.4 million, and Bahrain at SR929.7 million.
Egypt received non-energy products amounting to SR868.4 million in November, while exports to the US and Jordan totaled SR772.8 million and SR642.6 million, respectively.
Overall, Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports witnessed an annual rise of 19.7 percent in November, reaching SR26.92 billion.
Speaking at the World Investment Conference in November, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal Al-Ibrahim said that non-oil activities account for 52 percent of the Kingdom’s gross domestic product.
The minister added that the Kingdom’s non-oil economy has been growing at 20 percent since the launch of the Vision 2030. In November, Saudi Arabia exported non-energy goods worth SR16.76 billion via sea, while outbound shipments via land and air totaled SR4.99 billion and SR5.17 billion, respectively.
King Fahad Industrial Sea Port in Jubail was the main exit point for Saudi Arabia’s non-hydrocarbon products with goods valued at SR3.39 billion.
Jeddah Islamic Sea Port and Jubail Sea Port also handled outbound shipments worth SR3.35 billion and SR1.91 billion, respectively.
In terms of exit points via land, Al Bat’ha Port handled goods valued at SR1.85 billion, while products worth SR696.4 million passed through Al Hadithah Port.
Among airports, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh handled outbound shipments worth SR2.79 billion, while King Abdulaziz International airport processed non-energy goods amounting to SR1.99 billion.
In December, a report released by Mastercard Economics also underscored the robust expansion of Saudi Arabia’s non-oil activities.
The analysis said that the Kingdom’s GDP is expected to witness an expansion of 3.7 percent year on year in 2025, driven by a rise in the Kingdom’s non-oil activities.
The Mastercard report added that economic diversification efforts in the Kingdom will continue in 2025 as the government leverages strong balance sheets to finance investment in infrastructure.
Overall merchandise exports
GASTAT revealed that Saudi Arabia’s overall merchandise exports witnessed a decline of 4.69 percent in November 2024 compared to the same month in 2023, reaching SR90.54 billion.
The authority said this fall in overall exports was due to a 12.3 percent decrease in oil exports.
“Consequently, the percentage of oil exports out of total exports decreased from 76.3 percent in November 2023 to 70.3 percent in November 2024,” said GASTAT.
In November, Saudi Arabia’s overall merchandise exports to China stood at SR13.53 billion, followed by Japan at SR8.93 billion, the UAE at 8.75 billion and India at SR8.74 billion.
The flow of Saudi exports to China signifies strong bilateral relations between both nations, with the Kingdom being the largest trading partner of China in the Middle East since 2001.
The Kingdom and Saudi Arabia are also strategic partners in various other sectors like energy and finance, as well as the Belt and Road Initiative.
South Korea received goods worth SR8.34 billion in November, while the Kingdom’s exports to the US stood at SR3.72 billion, to Singapore at SR3.34 billion, and SR2.85 billion going to Malaysia.
Imports in November
According to GASTAT, Saudi Arabia’s overall imports in November were valued at SR73.65 billion, marking a rise of 13.9 percent compared to the same month in the previous year.
Saudi Arabia imported goods worth SR20.11 billion from China, led by mechanical appliances and electrical equipment valued at SR9.99 billion.
The Kingdom also imported transport equipment and base metal products amounted to SR2.56 billion and SR1.89 billion, respectively.
China was closely followed by the US and UAE with the Kingdom welcoming goods from these nations valued at SR7.52 billion and SR3.90 billion, respectively in November.
The Kingdom also imported goods worth SR3.22 billion from Germany and SR3.14 billion from India.
Japanese imports to Saudi Arabia amounted to SR2.83 billion, while inbound shipments from Italy and Switzerland stood at SR2.58 billion and SR2.40 billion, respectively.
According to GASTAT, imports worth SR44.25 billion entered Saudi Arabia via sea, while inbound shipments valued at SR20.47 billion and SR8.65 billion came via air and land, respectively.
King Abdulaziz Sea Port in Dammam was the primary entry point for goods in September through sea in November, with imports valued at SR18.19 billion, representing 24.7 percent of the total inbound shipments.
The authority added that Jeddah Islamic Sea Port handled incoming shipments valued at SR17.58 billion, followed by Ras Tanura Sea Port at SR3.24 billion.
Through land, Al Bat’ha Port and Riyadh Dry Port processed incoming goods valued at SR3.89 billion and SR2.66 billion, respectively.
Through air, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh welcomed inbound shipments worth SR10.94 billion in November.
King Abdulaziz International Airport and King Fahad International Airport also handled imports valued at SR5.11 billion and SR4.27 billion, respectively.
CIA now says COVID-19 ‘more likely’ to have come from lab
- The agency had for years said it could not conclude whether COVID-19 was the result of a lab incident or it originated in nature
- The CIA says it has “low confidence” in its assessment that a “research-related origin of the COVID-19 pandemic is more likely“
NEW YORK: The Central Intelligence Agency has assessed that the COVID-19 pandemic is “more likely” to have emerged from a lab rather than from nature, an agency spokesperson said on Saturday.
The agency had for years said it could not conclude whether COVID-19 was the result of a lab incident or it originated in nature. But in the final weeks of the Biden administration, former CIA Director William Burns asked CIA analysts and scientists to make a clear determination, stressing the pandemic’s historical significance, according to a senior US official.
The CIA says it has “low confidence” in its assessment that a “research-related origin of the COVID-19 pandemic is more likely” and notes in its statement that both scenarios — lab origin and natural origin — remain plausible.
The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It was unclear the extent to which the agency has collected new intelligence on COVID-19’s origins and whether that new evidence was used to formulate the latest assessment.
China’s government says it supports and has taken part in research to determine COVID-19’s origin, and has accused Washington of politicizing the matter, especially because of efforts by US intelligence agencies to investigate.
Beijing has said claims that a laboratory leak likely caused the pandemic have no credibility.
In an interview with Breitbart following his confirmation by the US Senate on Friday, CIA Director John Ratcliffe said one of his first priorities was getting his agency to make a public assessment on the pandemic’s origins.
“That’s a day-one thing for me,” he said. “I’ve been on record as you know in saying I think our intelligence, our science, and our common sense all really dictate that the origins of COVID was a leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.”
