Alcaraz beats Sinner to lift US Open 2025 trophy as Trump watches on

In front of a sold-out crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City, Carlos Alcaraz put a wistful yet ferocious performance on display to end Jannik Sinner’s reign.

As Donald Trump and his entourage watched Alcaraz win his second US Open title on Sunday, Alcaraz won 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4. Due to extensive security checks conducted on the spectators, Trump’s presence caused the game to start later.

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Alcaraz’s second New York title brought him back to the top of the world rankings in a perfect resounding way from the success that first propelled him to the top in 2022, displacing Sinner and bringing his Grand Slam winning total to six.

“I want to start with Jannik,” he said. Alcaraz increased his win-loss record with Sinner to 10-5, saying, “I’m seeing you more than my family. I’m seeing you all the way through the entire season.

“It’s wonderful to share a court, the locker room, and everything with you.”

I’m just incredibly proud of the people I surround myself. You are responsible for every success I’m having, and you are responsible for every success I’ve had.

As a result of a false start to hit a winner that wrong-footed Sinner, Alcaraz continued to deliver the sunshine tennis that has lit up Flushing Meadows over the past two weeks as grey clouds hung over the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium.

After pulling off an outrageous half-volley at the net, he beamed and wrapped up the opening set with a big serve that Sinner’s metronomic precision briefly sent him out. After saving a crucial early break point, Sinner responded by taking the next set.

This was the duo’s third successive Grand Slam final.

Alcaraz blasted his way to a 5-0 lead in the third set before Sinner got on the board, missing a few steps to drop his first championship set, which was followed by a monster serve.

In the fourth game’s opening volley, Sinner created two breathtaking volleys that were met with roaring cheers and held serve before being pushed to the limit once more. In the fifth game, he succumbed to the pressure and gave Alcaraz the crucial break.

Alcaraz celebrated by raising his fists before receiving a warm embrace from his rival and wild celebrations with his team as he flew ahead to claim the victory on his third match point while resembling a flamingo in his bright pink vest.

After falling short in their French Open epic in June, a dejected Sinner was forced to consider a second Grand Slam final defeat this year against Alcaraz. He did, however, defeat the Spaniard to win the following month’s Wimbledon.

After quickly writing himself, Sinner said, “A lot of big stages and matches we played this season.

“I did my best today,” I said. I was unable to do more.

[Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP] Alcaraz celebrates winning Sinner.

What is happening to US and South Korea’s relations?

Hyundai-LG electric vehicle battery plant’s South Korean employees are shocked in Seoul as a result of US immigration sweep.

The detention of South Korean workers in a United States immigration swoop is altering the once-steady relationship between Washington and Seoul.

The latest baffling for the alliance is the controversy. Tariffs and military spending have also experienced turbulence.

Is the raid a one-time event or a sign of deeper conflict between the two countries?

Presenter:

Adrian Finighan

Guests:

Se-Woong Koo, the founder of Korea Expose, a Seoul-based online magazine with a focus on Korean news, founded the website.

Jenny Town, director of the Stimson Center’s Korea program and 38 North, is a senior fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington, DC.

Spain thump Turkiye 6-0 in World Cup 2026 qualifier as Merino scores three

In a World Cup qualifier, Spain defeated Turkiye 6-0 thanks to Mikel Merino’s hat-trick, which ensured that the European champions maintained their grip on Group E.

Spain’s dominance of the hosts on Sunday was undone by the visitors’ speed and finesse, with a helpless Turkish defense torn apart on every counterattack.

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The group currently has six points from its two matches, with Turkiye and Georgia grabbing three. Bulgaria was defeated by Georgia 3-0 earlier on Sunday.

In the sixth minute, Pedri slotted past goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir before striking early in the second.

In the 22nd minute, Merino doubled Spain’s lead with a straightforward unmarked strike that escaped the Turkish defense.

In stoppage time, Merino again struck, latching on to a pull-back to equalize Spain’s three-goal lead.

Eight minutes into the second half, a Turkish corner backfired, and Ferran Torres led a swift counterattack before completing a daring exchange inside the box to tie the game.

Merino, who was brimming with confidence, added a stunning left-footed curler from distance that soared into the top corner for Spain’s fifth, cappending his hat-trick just four minutes later.

In the 62nd minute, Pedri slotted home his second of the night after being unmarked at the end of yet another quick break.

Four-time world champions Germany struggled for more than an hour against Northern Ireland in other UEFA qualifiers before scoring twice in three minutes to earn a 3-1 victory on Sunday.

Germany’s first win in Group A came thanks to a tap-in by substitute Nadiem Amiri in the 69th minute and a Florian Wirtz free kick.

It was also Julian Nagelmann’s team’s first victory in their opening group game, coming after their shock 2-0 defeat to hosts Slovakia on Thursday, their first ever away defeat.

Slovakia defeated Luxembourg 1-0 in the other Group A game on Sunday.

Kevin De Bruyne’s stunning goal in Brussels helped Belgium break the deadlock and cruise to a comfortable 6-0 victory over Kazakhstan in their World Cup qualifying match on Sunday.

Before the 42nd-minute strike, the Belgians were about to have a frustrating night at Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, but they continued to earn a comfortable victory with the goals of De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku.

In Group J, Belgium leads Wales in terms of goals scored, but it is only two points ahead of leaders North Macedonia, who lost to Liechtenstein by a point earlier on Sunday. Wales and North Macedonia have only played five games each.

Memphis Depay’s double helped the Netherlands survive a scare by defeating Lithuania 3-2 in their qualifier on Sunday, setting a new scoring record for the Netherlands.

US-European sanctions could ‘collapse’ Russian economy: Trump aide

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has indicated that Russia is prepared to impose more stringent sanctions on it and urged European allies to press Russia’s economy by putting pressure on nations that still purchase its oil.

Bessent said the conflict has become “a race between the Russian economy and the Ukrainian military,” as he told NBC News on Sunday.

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Additional sanctions and secondary tariffs on countries importing Russian crude, in Bessent’s opinion, would “into total collapse” and “at the table” President Vladimir Putin, according to Bessent.

Our European partners must follow us, said Bessent, but “we are prepared to put pressure on Russia.”

One of the highest levies Washington has ever imposed on any nation comes a month after US President Donald Trump’s administration imposed 50 percent tariffs on India for its continued purchases of Russian oil.

Russia launched its largest air assault since the invasion started in 2022, according to Ukrainian officials, hours before Bessent’s remarks. At least four people were killed and a government building in Kyiv was sparked by the overnight strikes.

The attack was condemned on Sunday by US envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg, who claimed on X that Moscow “appears to be escalating with the largest attack of the war, hitting offices of the UKR Cabinet in Kyiv.”

He continued, “The attack did not indicate that Russia wanted to diplomatically end this war.”

Trump also made hints about a more stern stance on Sunday, suggesting he was prepared to impose sanctions on Moscow or its oil aces.

The US president responded, “Yeah, I am,” but he declined to provide further details when asked whether he was ready to enter “the second phase” of sanctions.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to put more pressure on Russia, but he has vehemently avoided taking any specific actions, despite his struggles to fulfill his pledges to put an end to the war asap.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, welcomed the possibility of sanctions against states that still conduct business with Moscow.

He stated in an interview with ABC on Sunday that he was “very thankful to all the partners,” but “some of them, I mean, they continue to buy oil and Russian gas, and this is not fair.” “I think the idea of imposing tariffs on the nations that continue to make deals with Russia is the right thing to do,” he said.

Trump has been trying for months without success to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

He met with Putin for the first time since taking office in his second term last week in Alaska. He met with European leaders in Washington shortly after for a discussion on ending the war.

Trump suggests he put forward new Gaza ceasefire proposal

Donald Trump, the president of the United States, has suggested that he make a new plan to end the conflict in Gaza, claiming that Israel has accepted his terms as it continues with its bloody occupation of Palestinian territory.

Trump warned Hamas to accept his conditions in a social media post on Sunday, stating that he had informed the organization of the “repercussions” of rejecting the offer.

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Israeli leaders have repeatedly vowed to intensify their 20-month conflict, while leading rights organizations and academics have repeatedly said that Israel has accepted ceasefire efforts.

Everyone desires HOME for the Hostages. Everyone wants the end of this conflict. Trump stated in a tweet on social media.

“My Terms have been accepted by the Israelis.” Hamas needs to accept this as well. Hamas has been warned about the repercussions of rejecting. This is my final warning, there won’t be another! I appreciate you paying attention to this issue.

What exactly does Trump mean by his words?

Trump has, however, previously called out Hamas in similar verbal terms and predicted that the conflict would end soon. The US president declared on August 25 that he believes the conflict will have a “conclusive conclusion” within three weeks.

Hamas confirmed later on Sunday that the US had given him “ideas” for bringing the war to an end.

The organization praised any initiative that would aid in the fight against our people.

We declare our full readiness to discuss the creation of a committee to manage Gaza from Palestinian independents, the release of all prisoners, and the establishment of a table for negotiations to discuss the creation of a committee to manage the country from Palestinian independents, which will begin their work right away.

Hamas has been calling for a ceasefire that would allow the Israeli offensive to end permanently in Gaza and result in a prisoner exchange.

The Palestinian organization added that it endorsed the mediators’ request for a 60-day truce last month.

Israel’s aggressive campaign against the demands of rights organizations and Western officials comes as Trump makes his statement.

Israel has a steadfast support from the US president. His administration imposed sanctions on Palestinian rights organizations for cooperating with the International Criminal Court’s investigation into Israeli abuses last week.

Trump’s earlier proposals for removing all Palestinians from Gaza and creating a US-owned “Riviera of the Middle East” were criticized by rights activists as ethnic cleansing pushes.

Trump’s proposal for mass displacement has been welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who sees the effort to ethnically cleanse Gaza as a means of allowing Palestinians to leave the area on their terms.

However, according to legal experts, people are not really left when Israel is constantly bombarding them.

Iran FM Araghchi warns Europe against ‘reckless’ approach to nuclear deal

Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, has accused the United Kingdom, France, and Germany of working with Washington to undermine Europe’s reputation.

According to Araghchi, the so-called E3’s decision to start a process that could reinstate UN sanctions “lacks any legal standing” and is unavoidable.

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The truth is that they are genuinely making a mistake, Araghchi wrote.

The largest economies in Europe, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, which all have “snapback” sanctions, began in August, with a 30-day deadline to implement them after what they termed “significant” violations of a 2015 agreement to limit Iran’s nuclear programme.

The United States welcomed the move of the European countries, which in June bombed three nuclear facilities as part of an Israeli assault on Iran.

Araghchi accused the three countries of ignoring the fact that the US and not Iran were the parties to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Tehran complied with the agreement’s terms and took what he termed “lawful remedial measures.” However, the E3 failed to fulfill their own obligations.

After US President Donald Trump resented sanctions in 2018, European leaders once pledged to protect trade with Iran, according to Araghchi. He continued, noting that under US pressure, Europe’s pledges of “strategic autonomy” fell apart. “None of it materialized.”

He argued that Europe has instead acted as a spectator and supported Washington’s aggressive strategy. He wrote that “openly supporting illegal military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities that are protected by international law, as Germany’s chancellor has done, does not count as “participation” to the deal.”

Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, claimed in June that the Israeli occupation of Iran is beneficial.

He claimed that Israel is doing “dirty work” for all of us.

Tehran is open to dialogue, according to Araghchi in his Guardian column. Iran is prepared to strike a “realistic and lasting agreement” that includes ironclad oversight and sanctions against enrichment, he declared.

He warned that ignoring this possibility, especially given the rising tensions with Israel, could cause the region to become more unstable. Araghchi argued that Israeli provocations risk dragging the US into costly conflicts by claiming that “the powerful armed forces of Iran are ready and able to once again pummel Israel into running to “daddy” to be bailed out.

Additionally, the Trump administration asserted that discussions with Iran are still ongoing.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated in a statement following E3’s announcement last month that the country was still open to direct contact with Iran in order to achieve a peaceful, lasting resolution to the Iran nuclear conflict.

“Snapback only strengthens our sincere desire to diplomacy,” says the statement.

On June 15, US and Iranian officials were scheduled to hold a round of nuclear discussions. However, two days before the scheduled negotiations, Israeli bombs started falling on Tehran, which put them off for good.

Iran insists that its right to enrichment is non-negotiable despite Washington’s assertion that it cannot do so domestically.

Iran has the right to enrich uranium at a low level for civilian purposes under a strict monitoring system under the terms of the 2015 nuclear agreement, which Trump vetoed in his first year as president of the United States.

Any party to the JCPOA’s snapback mechanism was able to start a process to reauthorize six UN Security Council sanctions resolutions, including those in the US, UK, Germany, France, Russia, or China.

Additionally, the sanctions won’t be lifted because the snapback is veto-proof, allowing Russia and China, both of its allies, to avert a reversal.

Due to Washington’s disqualification as a participant in the JCPOA, the US attempted to activate the snapback clause in place in 2020.