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Barcelona's young star Lamine Yamal is drawing inspiration from two sports icons as he attempts to lead his team to a remarkable comeback in the Champions League quarterfinals. Yamal, just 18 years old, changed his Instagram profile picture to a photo of LeBron James holding the NBA trophy after the Cleveland Cavaliers' historic comeback against the Golden State Warriors in 2016. The Cavaliers trailed 3-1 in the series before winning the title, a feat Yamal hopes to replicate with Barcelona against Atletico Madrid.“He’s one of the figures who can inspire me for this match,” Yamal said during a news conference. “I’ll think about how he did it, and hopefully it works out the same for me.”Yamal also spoke highly of his idol, Neymar, who led Barcelona to a stunning 6-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the 2017 Champions League, coming back from a 4-0 deficit in the first leg. “I’ve watched [the 6-1 match] several times, and I watched it live as well,” Yamal said. “Neymar is a player who was very important for me during my childhood. He’s my idol, and I’ll always be grateful to him for everything he’s given to football.”Barcelona coach Hansi Flick expressed confidence in his team's ability to pull off the comeback, stating, “I believe in my team, and I think we can do it. It’s possible.”The match against Atletico Madrid is crucial, with the winner advancing to face either Arsenal or Sporting Lisbon in the semifinals.

Senior Chinese diplomat Sun Weidong has been dismissed from his post as vice minister of foreign affairs, in the latest case of a high-ranking official being removed from office by Beijing. The Ministry of Human Resources announced the news in a brief post on its website on Tuesday, citing a decision of the State Council, the highest body of state power in China.The post did not specify why or when Sun had been dismissed, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website shows his last public engagements were meetings with the ambassadors of Brunei and Malaysia to China on March 13. Two days earlier, Sun had met Pakistan’s ambassador to China to discuss bilateral cooperation.Dismissals of this kind in the Chinese government usually indicate high-level disciplinary action and are often followed by news of an investigation. Sun’s dismissal notice included the removal of another official, An Lusheng, from his post as deputy director of the National Railway Administration.Since coming to power in 2012, President Xi Jinping has carried out a wide-ranging anticorruption campaign targeting “tigers and flies”, meaning high- and low-ranking officials. Last year, China investigated more than one million corruption cases and disciplined 938,000 people, according to its Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and National Supervisory Commission.The list of cases involving disciplinary action included 69 provincial or ministerial-level officials, 4,155 bureau-level officials, 35,000 county-level officials, and 125,000 township-level officials, according to the commission’s year-end report. Senior Chinese military officials have also been caught up in Xi’s anticorruption campaign sweeps.

Atlético Madrid have secured a spot in the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in a decade, overcoming a spirited Barcelona side 3-2 on aggregate. The victory was sealed with a crucial goal from Ademola Lookman just seven minutes after Barcelona had levelled the tie.The win marked a significant moment for Diego Simeone's side, who had been waiting 10 years for this achievement. Simeone expressed his pride in his team's performance, stating, 'We give everything to win the cup.' The coach also praised his players, saying, 'I've been here 14 years and never stop feeling emotional.'Barcelona, led by Lamine Yamal, fought hard to mount a comeback but ultimately fell short. Despite being down to 10 men for 10 minutes after Eric García was sent off, they continued to push for a goal that would have taken the tie to extra time. However, Ronald Araújo's header in the 96th minute went over the bar, securing Atlético's victory.The win sets up a thrilling semi-final matchup for Atlético, who are eager to return to the final and exorcise the ghosts of past defeats. Simeone's side will look to build on this momentum as they pursue European glory.

The UK's culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, has cleared Axel Springer's £575m takeover of the Telegraph titles, paving the way for the end of almost three years of uncertainty over the ownership of the newspapers. Nandy stated that she does not believe there are grounds to intervene and refer the deal to the media regulator, Ofcom, for an in-depth regulatory investigation. The culture secretary has the power to call in mergers for further scrutiny on public interest grounds, as well as the new foreign state influence regime. Axel Springer, a German media group, had tabled a significantly superior offer to Lord Rothermere's Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT), prompting the United Arab Emirates-backed group that controls the Telegraph to seek UK government approval to switch the permission to sell the right-to-buy option to Axel Springer. The Telegraph titles will add to Axel Springer's media portfolio, which includes Europe's biggest newspaper, Bild, Politico, and Business Insider. Axel Springer CEO, Mathias Döpfner, has promised to invest in the Telegraph to make it the “leading centre-right media outlet in the English-speaking world”, with a rapid expansion planned for the US supported by the expertise of Politico and Business Insider. The sale of the newspapers was kicked off in 2023 when the Barclay family lost control of the group over £1.16bn of unpaid debts owed to Lloyds bank. RedBird IMI, which is 75% controlled by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the vice-president of the UAE and the owner of Manchester City, took control of the publishing group after agreeing to pay the Barclays' debts.

Luis García, the former Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, and Liverpool player, thought he had left the intense emotions of football behind when he retired in 2016. However, while watching his current club, Johor Darul Ta'zim, celebrate a historic win in Malaysia, he found himself overcome with emotion. "I was always very competitive and once I had left football, I thought I wasn’t going to have those feelings I had before," García says. "I still enjoy football, still play seven-a-side with my friends – every Saturday at 10am, Los Jareños Club de Futbol – but I thought I had lost that and it wasn’t coming back. In fact, I was trying to avoid it; I didn’t want it. So when it happened, it surprised me. I didn’t expect football to give me that again. But there I was, crying."García is now the chief executive of Johor Darul Ta'zim, a Malaysian club that has made history by reaching the quarter-finals of the Asian Champions League. He credits the club's success to its strong structure, including coaches, analysis, assistants, fitness staff, and a digital team.The club's owner, Tunku Ismail Idris, the crown prince of Malaysia, has been instrumental in its growth, taking the team to 12 league titles. García says that Idris is "very active, inquisitive" and has a good understanding of the game.García's role as CEO involves implementing the club's vision, finding ways to improve, and liaising with the operations manager. He also travels with the sporting director to scout players and has been involved in school visits and hospital engagements.The team's success has been built on a strong squad, including Australians, New Zealanders, Americans, Koreans, Portuguese, Spaniards, Argentinians, Brazilians, a Colombian, and the former Wolves midfielder Hong Wan. Arif Aiman, a Malaysian player, has been described by García as "the pearl of Malaysia" due to his quick skills, goal-scoring ability, and potential to play in Europe.

Match details: Atletico Madrid will meet Barcelona on Tuesday at 21:00 CET (19:00 GMT) in the Metropolitano Stadium for the Champions League quarter‑final second leg. The fixture decides which side advances to the semi‑finals. After a 2‑0 first‑leg triumph at Camp Nou, Atletico enter the tie as favourites despite trailing Barcelona in the La Liga table. Their advantage stems from goals by Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sörloth, who capitalised on a red card for Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi. Barcelona, the reigning Spanish champions, are desperate to overturn the deficit. They bolstered their domestic campaign with a 4‑1 win over Espanyol, extending their lead over Real Madrid to nine points. Ferran Torres netted a brace, assisted by teenage prodigy Lamine Yamal, while Marcus Rashford added the fourth. Atletico’s weekend league performance was less convincing, suffering a 2‑1 loss to Sevilla after heavy rotation by Diego Simeone. The loss left them fourth in La Liga with 57 points, four behind Villarreal. Historical context: The two clubs have met 251 times, with Barcelona winning 115 matches, Atletico 79 and 57 draws. Their recent knockout encounters include Atletico’s victories in the 2014 and 2016 quarter‑finals, both decided over two legs. Team news: Atletico will miss Marc Pubill (suspension) and have Jose Giménez, Pablo Barrios and David Hancko listed as doubtful. Barcelona’s defender Pau Cubarsi is suspended, replaced by Ronald Araujo. Injuries rule out Marc Bernal, Raphinha and Andreas Christensen. Predicted line‑ups: Atletico – Musso; Molina, Le Normand, Lenglet, Ruggeri; Llorente, Koke; Simeone, Griezmann, Lookman; Alvarez.Barcelona – Joan Garcia; Koundé, Araujo, Martín, Cancelo; Eric Garcia, Pedri; Yamal, Fermin, Rashford; Lewandowski. Managerial insights: Simeone stressed the need to stay focused on the objective of advancing, while Barcelona coach Hansi Flick highlighted the quality of his squad and the importance of collective effort. With a slim margin separating the sides, the second leg promises a tactical battle that could see either club secure a coveted place in the Champions League semi‑finals.

Only one team has ever overcome a 2-0 defeat at home to go through in the history of the Champions League, but a Barcelona player was involved in a notable exception: Marcus Rashford scored the winner as Manchester United knocked out PSG in the round of 16 in March 2019. However, Atlético Madrid have never lost in 20 knockout stage games at the Metropolitano and their former home at the Vicente Calderón.

England and Spain meet again on Tuesday night in front of more than 70,000 at Wembley in the Women's World Cup 2027 qualifiers. This match comes eight-and-a-half months after they faced off in the Euro 2025 final, which England won.Spain has undergone significant changes since then, with a new head coach, Sonia Bermúdez, and a crop of emerging young players. Despite these changes, they remain unbeaten since the Euros with five wins and a draw in six matches. Bermúdez has already led them to the Nations League title.The visitors have a number of talented young players, including Fiamma Benítez, the 21-year-old Atlético Madrid midfielder, who has made a strong impact with seven goal contributions in the Champions League this season. Another player to watch is Vicky López, the Barcelona winger, who has become a regular starter.England head coach Sarina Wiegman believes that despite the changes, Spain's DNA remains the same: they want to have the ball and play dynamically. Wiegman noted that there might be some tweaks but the principle will be very similar.For England, Leah Williamson is an injury doubt due to a hamstring injury, but she has started training with her international teammates. Keira Walsh is set to win her 100th cap and Wiegman praised her vision and game understanding.England will have to make at least one change from the starting XI that beat Spain in Switzerland, with Ella Toone out injured. Jess Park is likely to start in her place.

In the quiet town of Iseyin, about 200 km north‑west of Lagos, shaded courtyards and narrow lanes have become the beating heart of Nigeria’s iconic aso‑oke textile industry. Under makeshift sheds, weavers operate wooden looms that have remained largely unchanged for generations. Recent years have seen a surge in demand for the thick, multicoloured fabric, driven by the Nigerian diaspora and an expanding international appetite for African fashion. Yet the craftsmen and women of Iseyin staunchly oppose the introduction of machines, arguing that the hand‑woven process is essential to the cloth’s distinctive texture and cultural value. The craft now serves as an economic lifeline. Young Nigerians—including university graduates—are flocking to Iseyin to learn the trade, attracted by the promise of a steady income. One such convert, Waliu Fransisco, abandoned a career as a Lagos nightclub singer a decade ago to master the loom. At 34, he says, “I now earn a decent living from weaving aso‑oke and I’m satisfied.” Aso‑oke, literally meaning “cloth from the up‑country,” has become a staple in Nigeria’s fashion scene, appearing in ceremonial attire, contemporary streetwear, and even high‑profile outfits such as the wrapper and shawl worn by Meghan Markle during her 2024 visit to Nigeria with Prince Harry. Traditionally, the fabric was produced from locally sourced cotton or silk, with threads hand‑spun, dyed, and woven in limited colour palettes. Today, most weavers use loom‑ready yarns imported primarily from China, allowing for a broader spectrum of hues while preserving the labor‑intensive hand‑weaving technique. Each loom requires meticulous arrangement of narrow, tightly patterned strips that are later sewn together to form the wider cloth used for garments and accessories. “This is what Iseyin is known for,” says 35‑year‑old weaver Kareem Adeola, echoing the sentiment of a community that views the craft as a direct inheritance from its forebears. As global fashion houses and consumers continue to seek authentic African textiles, the artisans of Iseyin stand at the crossroads of tradition and market opportunity, proving that cultural heritage can thrive alongside modern demand.