ROME: Last season, Marcus Thuram was Serie A’s top assist man. This season, he’s in the running for the top goalscorer honor.
It’s been quite a transformation for the France international during his second year in the Italian league.
Thuram’s impact in front of the goal has been felt beyond Italy, too.
In the Champions League on Wednesday, he came off the bench to score the late winner in Inter’s 1-0 victory at Young Boys.
It was Thuram’s eighth goal in 10 matches across all competitions and his first in Europe this season to go with his seven in eight Serie A appearances.
In Serie A, only Atalanta’s Mateo Retegui has scored more — with eight.
“Goals are always important, even more so if they help the team to win,” Thuram said.
Only a couple of months into an extremely long club season that will conclude with the Club World Cup in June-July for Inter, Thuram is already more than halfway to his scoring mark of last season — which he finished with 15 goals and 14 assists across all competitions.
Thuram led Serie A with 13 assists last season but has yet to set up a goal this season — partly because strike partner Lautaro Martinez has had a slow start after leading Argentina to the Copa America trophy a couple of months after he and Thuram powered Inter to the Serie A title.
His new goal-scoring form could also be a boost for France, with which Thuram has only two goals in 27 appearances.
Family derby for Marcus, Khephren and Lilian Thuram
Up next, though, it’s “Italy’s derby” where Inter hosts rival Juventus on Sunday in a match that is also a family derby for the Thurams. Younger brother Khephren is in his first season at Juventus, where dad Lilian once starred as a defender.
Both brothers are expected to start at the San Siro.
“My dad will support the Bianconeri,” Marcus said. “Anyhow, it will still be wonderful for us all, and I won’t be angry with him.”
Inter has won five straight games
After a slower-than-expected start to its title defense, Inter has rediscovered its form with five straight wins across all competitions following a derby loss to AC Milan a month ago that served as a wake-up call.
“You don’t get five victories if the team isn’t in good shape,” coach Simone Inzaghi said. “We’re working hard. In the Champions League we have seven points after three matches and we haven’t conceded a goal.”
Juventus, meanwhile, is still struggling to find consistency under new coach Thiago Motta. The Bianconeri lost at Stuttgart 1-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Balotelli could be close to Serie A return
Struggling Genoa is considering signing Mario Balotelli, who is out of contract since leaving Turkish club Adana Demirsport after last season.
The 34-year-old Balotelli hasn’t played in Serie A for more than four years — since he was with hometown club Brescia in 2019-20. He last played in Italy for Monza in Serie B in 2020-21.
Marcus Thuram is transforming from an assist man to a leading goal-scorer at Inter
Marcus Thuram is transforming from an assist man to a leading goal-scorer at Inter
- It was Thuram’s eighth goal in 10 matches across all competitions and his first in Europe this season to go with his seven in eight Serie A appearances
UN urges ‘maximum restraint’ as OIC group voices concern over India-Pakistan standoff
- Relations between the nuclear-armed neighbors have plummeted after India accused Pakistan of backing an attack in Kashmir that killed 26 tourists
- Pakistan has denied the allegation and called for a credible, international probe as pressure mounts on both New Delhi and Islamabad to de-escalate
ISLAMABAD: United Nations (UN) chief Antonio Guterres said on Monday that Pakistan and India must exert “maximum restraint” as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) expressed “deep concern” over the deteriorating security environment in South Asia, amid soaring tensions between the two neighbors over an attack in the disputed Kashmir region.
New Delhi has blamed Islamabad for backing the attack that killed 26 tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam town on April 22. Islamabad has denied the charge, with both sides announcing tit-for-tat measures.
There have been fears that India may conduct limited strikes close to its border with Pakistan, while the Pakistan military said on Monday that it had conducted a second missile test since the standoff began.
Guterres told reporters in New York that Pakistan-India relations had reached “a boiling point,” condemning the April 22 attack and calling for those responsible to be brought to justice through “credible and lawful means.”
“It is also essential, especially at this critical hour, to avoid a military confrontation that could easily spin out of control,” he said.
“Now is the time for maximum restraint and stepping back from the brink. Make no mistake: a military solution is no solution.”
No group has claimed responsibility for the April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, where several outfits have waged an insurgency since 1989.
Pakistan has denied any involvement and called for a credible, international probe into it as international pressure continues to pile on both New Delhi and Islamabad to de-escalate.
Separately, the OIC Group in New York, which represents the OIC’s interests and voice at the UN, expressed its “deep concern” over the situation in South Asia, exacerbated by India’s “unfounded allegations” against Pakistan, which it said were “inflaming tensions in an already volatile region.”
“The OIC Group reiterates its principled position against, and condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, committed by whomsoever and wherever; and reaffirms its unequivocal rejection of all attempts to associate any country, race, religion, culture or nationality with terrorism,” it said in a statement.
“The Group commends the offer of good offices made by the UN Secretary General and calls upon the international community, including the United Nations Security Council and influential states, to take immediate and credible measures to de-escalate the situation.”
Bitter foes Pakistan and India, which were carved out of the Subcontinent at the bloody end of British rule in 1947, have fought multiple wars, including two over Kashmir.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given his military “full operational freedom” to respond to the Pahalgam attack and Islamabad has warned it will hit back in kind against any aggression.
Speaking to reporters, Guterres said he was ready to offer his good offices to both countries to defuse tensions.
“The United Nations stands ready to support any initiative that promotes de-escalation, diplomacy, and a renewed commitment to peace,” he added.
Jannik Sinner all set for Rome Open after doping ban
- Sinner was welcomed back to action on Monday by thousands of fans who watched his first training session at the tournament on center court at the Foro Italico
- Sinner: I’m very happy, happy to be back here. It has been a very long, long three months
MILAN: Jannik Sinner is the star of the show at the upcoming Rome Open as the world No. 1 and Italian tennis hero gears up for his return to the courts after a contested doping ban.
Away from the game since agreeing a suspension with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in February, Sinner was welcomed back to action on Monday by thousands of fans who watched his first training session at the tournament on center court at the Foro Italico.
Such is the interest in Sinner, who has become a national hero in Italy since rising to the top of the men’s game, that Sky Sport broadcast the practice match with world No. 38 Jiri Lehecka live on television.
All eyes will be on the 23-year-old as he hasn’t swung a racket since retaining his Australian Open title in January, a victory which took his Grand Slam tally to three.
“I’m very happy, happy to be back here. It has been a very long, long three months,” Sinner told reporters in a packed conference room inside the center court.
Fans in Rome have waited two years to see Sinner play their clay court tournament after he missed last year’s edition, won by Alexander Zverev, with injury.
It is on a surface which is not his favorite and his rustiness was clear to see on Monday.
Only one of Sinner’s 19 titles has come on clay, in Umag back in 2022, the same year as his best result in Rome, a quarter-final exit at the hands of beaten finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas.
However he does have some time before he finally takes to the court, his status as the top-ranked player on the men’s tour allowing him a bye into the second round which starts on Friday.
Sinner has been fortunate that none of his rivals took advantage of his enforced pause, with second-ranked Zverev still almost 2,000 points behind the man who beat him in the Australian Open final.
Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz is yet to arrive in Rome after withdrawing from the Madrid Open while Novak Djokovic will have to wait a bit longer for his 100th ATP title after deciding to sit out a tournament he has won six times.
Sinner is eyeing a run at the French Open, the second Slam of the season which follows the Rome tournament.
“My objective is Roland Garros, I’m here to see what level I’m at,” said Sinner.
“I’m not here to beat whoever, but to get past the second round and then see what happens.”
Sinner’s rise to the top of the game in 2024, when he won eight titles including his first two Slams and the ATP Finals, was dogged by the controversy which followed his two positive tests for traces of clostebol in March last year.
He said last month he hit “rock bottom” at the most recent Australian Open, saying he felt like other players “looked at me differently.”
Sinner was aggrieved as he feels he did nothing wrong, and WADA said explicitly he “did not intend to cheat,” accepting he was contaminated by his physiotherapist using a spray containing the banned substance to treat a cut before providing a massage.
Regardless, he also had to accept the three-month ban offered by WADA, rather than risk being forced out of tennis for two years just as he became the dominant force in men’s tennis.
“I didn’t want to do it in the beginning. It was a bit not easy for me to accept it because I know what really happened,” said Sinner.
“But sometimes you have to choose the best in a very bad moment. And that’s what we did. It’s all over now, so I’m happy to play again.”
Milan clinch 2-1 win with two quick-fire goals in rainy Genoa clash
- The result keep Milan at ninth place with 57 points, six points behind fourth-placed Juventus
- Milan completed the turnaround when Genoa midfielder Frendrup, attempting to clear a short cross, inadvertently tapped the ball into his own net
GENOA: AC Milan secured a 2-1 victory over Genoa in a rainy Monday Serie A clash, with a rapid second-half turnaround driven by Rafael Leao’s equalizer and an own goal from Morten Frendrup.
The result keep Milan at ninth place with 57 points, six points behind fourth-placed Juventus, who occupy the last Champions League spot, with three rounds remaining.
With crucial back-to-back clashes against Bologna looming — first in the league followed by the Coppa Italia final — Milan appeared passive for much of the match, lacking urgency and creativity until a late surge turned the tide.
“We always try to improve. We work on individual and group levels. We work a lot,” Milan manager Sergio Conceicao told reporters.
“The players responded well, which shows we have a group that believes in what we do at Milanello (Milan training ground). I’m pleased with that.”
Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan was the stand out performer in a first half largely dominated by Genoa, making several crucial saves to keep his side level at the break.
Milan began to find their rhythm late in the first half and nearly took the lead just before the break, but Christian Pulisic was denied at point-blank range by a sharp save from Genoa keeper Nicola Leali.
The second half started in a largely uninspired fashion, with the relentless downpour proving more consistent than the football, as play was frequently halted for injury treatments.
Vitinha, introduced only a minute earlier, made an instant impact in the 61st minute, drifting into space inside the box and smashing home a perfectly delivered cross with his first touch to put Genoa in front.
Quick turnaround
A fortunate equalizer from Leao came in the 76th minute, when a low cross from the byline by Santiago Gimenez wrong-footed the Genoa defense and found the Portuguese forward unmarked in the box; his shot took a deflection off Genoa’s Brooke Norton-Cuffy before nestling in the net to level the score.
Less than two minutes later, Milan completed the turnaround when Genoa midfielder Frendrup, attempting to clear a short cross, inadvertently tapped the ball into his own net.
In stoppage time, Milan nearly added a third when Leao fired a powerful effort that Leali was forced to parry away from danger.
“In terms of our game plan, we could’ve done better in possession during the first half. We played against a tough team on a tough pitch. Credit to the opponent — but we could have looked for depth more,” Conceicao said.
“On the goal we conceded, collectively, we could have done more.”
Explosions heard in Sudanese city of Port Sudan, Reuters witness reports
Explosions were heard in the Sudanese city of Port Sudan early on Tuesday, a Reuters witness reported, adding that the reason and the exact place of the explosions were unclear.
During the ongoing civil war in Sudan, Port Sudan has become home to the country’s primary airport, army headquarters and a seaport.
Trump official says Harvard banned from federal grants
- Harvard has drawn Trump’s ire by refusing to comply with his demands that it accept government oversight of its admissions, hiring practices and political slant.
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump’s education secretary said Monday that Harvard will no longer receive federal grants, escalating an ongoing battle with the prestigious university as it challenges the funding cuts in court.
The Trump administration has for weeks locked horns with Harvard and other higher education institutions over claims they tolerate anti-Semitism on their campuses — threatening their budgets, tax-exempt status and enrollment of foreign students.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon, in a letter sent to Harvard’s president and posted online, said that the university “should no longer seek GRANTS from the federal government, since none will be provided.”
She alleged that Harvard has “failed to abide by its legal obligations, its ethical and fiduciary duties, its transparency responsibilities, and any semblance of academic rigor.”
Harvard — routinely ranked among the world’s top universities — has drawn Trump’s ire by refusing to comply with his demands that it accept government oversight of its admissions, hiring practices and political slant.
That prompted the Trump administration to in mid-April freeze $2.2 billion in federal funding, with a total of $9 billion under review.
McMahon, a former wrestling executive, said that her letter “marks the end of new grants for the University.”
Harvard is the wealthiest US university with an endowment valued at $53.2 billion in 2024.
The latest move comes as Trump and his White House crack down on US universities on several fronts, justified as a reaction to what they say is uncontrolled anti-Semitism and a need to reverse diversity programs aimed at addressing historical oppression of minorities.
The administration has threatened funding freezes and other punishments, prompting concerns over declining academic freedom.
It has also moved to revoke visas and deport foreign students involved in the protests, accusing them of supporting Palestinian militant group Hamas, whose October 7, 2023 attack on Israel provoked the war.
Trump’s claims about diversity tap into long-standing conservative complaints that US university campuses are too liberal, shutting out right-wing voices and favoring minorities.
