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The Denver Summit made history on Saturday by drawing a crowd of 63,004 fans to their match against the Washington Spirit at Mile High Stadium, shattering the previous National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) attendance record of 40,091.The previous record was set last season at Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, during a match between Bay FC and the Spirit. This significant milestone highlights the growing popularity of women's soccer, with fans like Karmryn Eversole expressing their enthusiasm: 'This is a big deal, and it’s very important… We want more women’s sports, and we’re here supporting it.'The Denver Summit, established as the 16th NWSL franchise in January 2025 for a reported expansion fee of $110m, played their first home game in Colorado after starting the season with three away matches, going 1-1-1. The match against the Spirit ended in a scoreless draw.Fan Nicole DeLue emphasized the significance of having a professional women's soccer team in Denver: 'If you look at the amount of Denver women’s players that have gone to the World Cup, made the national team… So to finally have a home base here is just incredible.'The Summit will play future home games at Dick's Sporting Goods Park and later move to a temporary stadium while awaiting the completion of a new women's soccer stadium in downtown Denver, expected to be finished by the 2028 season.

Danish cyclist Jonas Vingegaard has made an impressive start to the season, securing a dominant victory at the Volta a Catalunya. He led the general classification by 1 minute and 22 seconds over France's Lenny Martinez and a further eight seconds ahead of Germany's Florian Lipowitz. In a surprising turn of events on the final stage, Brady Gilmore of the NSN team, backed by retired football star Andrés Iniesta, claimed a stunning stage seven victory. Gilmore edged out Dorian Godon and Remco Evenepoel in a thrilling bunch sprint finale. The 95km final stage featured seven circuits of Montjuïc in Barcelona, a venue that will host the Tour de France start in July. Vingegaard, the pre-race favorite, asserted his dominance with solo victories in stages five and six in the Pyrenees. Earlier this month, he also won two stages and the overall title at Paris-Nice. The Dane is planning a challenging double assault on the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France later in the year. 'We won two stages and now the GC, it's been a really good week and we're super happy with it,' Vingegaard said. 'It's been an amazing start to the year for me and I hope I can keep it going.' Meanwhile, in the In Flanders Fields one-day cobbled classic race in Belgium, Jasper Philipsen secured victory after a breakaway effort by Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert was caught just a kilometer from the finish. Philipsen out-sprinted Tobias Lund Andresen and Christophe Laporte for the win.

The ongoing conflict in Iran has caused significant turmoil in the global oil markets, with Brent crude oil prices climbing 51% since the start of March, according to LSEG data. This surge has put Brent crude on track for its biggest monthly gain on record, surpassing the previous record of 46% set in September 1990 during the first Gulf War.On Friday, Brent crude closed at $112.57 a barrel, up from $72.48 a barrel on February 27, the day before the US-Israeli war on Iran began. The price of Brent crude traded as high as $119.50 a barrel during March, its highest level since June 2022, after Iran largely closed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passage for a fifth of global oil and gas.Despite a coordinated release of 400m barrels of oil from emergency reserves announced on March 11, oil prices continued to climb throughout the month. Analysts at BloombergNEF estimate that 9m barrels of oil per day have been knocked off global oil supply due to the Middle East conflict.The conflict has also had a ripple effect on other assets, with gold prices falling by almost 15% since the start of March, on track for its worst month since 2008. The spot price of gold has been under pressure from the sale of about $3bn of bullion by the Turkish Central Bank last week, which cut its reserves by almost 50 tonnes to 772 tonnes to fund efforts to stabilize the Turkish lira.The Dow Jones industrial average has also been impacted, entering a correction at the end of last week, more than 10% below its record high. Stocks fell despite US President Donald Trump's latest extension on planned strikes against Iran's energy infrastructure, as investors anticipated prolonged disruption to oil from the Gulf.“Markets appear to be placing less weight on White House jawboning and focusing more on the underlying supply risks,” said Fawad Razaqzada, an analyst at City Index. Britain's stock market also had a poor month, with the FTSE 100 index falling more than 8% – on track for its worst month since March 2020, when Covid-19 rocked financial markets.

Formula One drivers and leading figures have urged immediate action to address safety concerns in the sport following a massive crash involving Oliver Bearman at the Japanese Grand Prix. The incident, which Bearman described as 'scary,' has highlighted the potential dangers of the sport's new regulations, which allow for large closing speeds between cars.Bearman, a British driver, was involved in a huge accident at the Japanese Grand Prix after he had to swerve to avoid hitting Franco Colapinto's car, which was going relatively slowly. The crash resulted in a 50G impact and could have had severe consequences. However, Bearman escaped with only bruising.The Haas team principal, Ayao Komatsu, agreed that Bearman had a lucky escape, stating, 'Yes, it could have been a lot worse.' He emphasized that safety should always be top of the list and that the incident cannot be ignored.The world champion, Lando Norris, had previously warned that the new regulations posed a risk to the sport. His McLaren team principal, Andrea Stella, had also highlighted the potential danger before the season began during testing.After the accident, Carlos Sainz of Williams was unequivocal that action had to be taken, stating, 'We've been warning them about this happening.' He emphasized that the current regulations create massive closing speeds and a safer way of racing is needed.The FIA has confirmed that the regulations will be reviewed before the next round in Miami in five weeks. A number of meetings are scheduled in April to assess the operation of the new regulations and determine whether any refinements are required.

Iran launched a significant attack on the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia on Friday, wounding at least 15 American soldiers, with five in serious condition. The assault involved at least six ballistic missiles and 29 drones.The base, located about 96km from the Saudi capital Riyadh, is operated by the Royal Saudi Air Force but also serves as a critical location for American forces. The injured US troops were inside a building at the base during the strike.According to reports, the Iranian attack resulted in the destruction of one refuelling aircraft and damaged three others, putting them out of service. Satellite images published by Iran's Press TV showed significant damage to several aircraft at the airbase.This incident marks a continuation of the escalating conflict in the region, which began with a joint assault by Israel and the United States on February 28. Iran has been conducting retaliatory attacks on Gulf nations it accuses of serving as a launchpad for US strikes.The conflict has seen significant casualties on both sides. At least 13 US military service members have been killed since the war on Iran started, with over 300 American troops wounded. Iran's government has not released an updated casualty toll, but the US-based activist group HRANA reported 1,167 Iranian soldiers killed and 658 troops with unknown status as of March 23.The attack on the Prince Sultan Air Base is part of a broader pattern of Iranian retaliation. The base has been consistently targeted since the war began, highlighting the strategic importance of the location and the ongoing tensions in the region.

A devastating incident has occurred off the coast of Greece, where at least 22 migrants lost their lives after being at sea for six days in a rubber boat. The tragedy has brought renewed attention to the perilous journeys undertaken by migrants seeking asylum in Europe, despite stricter restrictions.According to the Greek coastguard, the boat had departed from Tobruk, Libya, on March 21, heading towards Greece, a common gateway for those seeking refuge in the European Union. During the journey, passengers lost their bearings and went without food or water for six days. The coastguard reported that the bodies of those who died were thrown into the sea on the orders of one of the smugglers.Two survivors were taken to a hospital in Heraklion on Crete. Greek authorities have arrested two South Sudanese men, aged 19 and 22, suspected of being people smugglers. Meanwhile, a Frontex European Union Agency vessel rescued 26 people, including a woman and a minor, off the island of Crete.This incident underscores the ongoing risks faced by migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean from Libya to Europe. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that over 16,770 people seeking asylum arrived in Crete in 2025, with at least 107 people dead or missing in Greek waters during the same period. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) also noted that at least 375 migrants were reported dead or missing in January due to extreme weather conditions.

The stage is set for a thrilling final at the Miami Open as defending champion Aryna Sabalenka takes on Coco Gauff at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday.This WTA 1000 final marks their 13th meeting, with the series currently tied at 6-6. The two tennis stars have faced off in several high-stakes matches, including three finals in 2025. Sabalenka won their last encounter in the group stage of the WTA Finals in November.Gauff, a South Floridian, is making her first Miami Open final appearance and is looking to capitalize on her recent successes, including victories over Sabalenka in the 2023 US Open and 2025 French Open finals.“We’ve played so many matches, and it’s physical when I play her every time,” Gauff said. “She’s playing great tennis. She’s definitely world No 1 for a reason and it’s going to be a great challenge.”Sabalenka, who is attempting to win the “Sunshine Double” — back-to-back March hard-court tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami — praised Gauff as “a fighter” and an “incredible player.”The match promises to be an exciting battle, with both players eager to claim the title. Sabalenka won in Indian Wells on March 15, while Gauff had to retire during her third-round match in Indian Wells due to a nerve injury.

Morocco's national football team has moved on from the controversy surrounding their award of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title, despite Senegal's ongoing appeals to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The Atlas Lions lost 1-0 to Senegal in the January final but were awarded a 3-0 victory last week due to several Senegalese players leaving the pitch in protest at a penalty. In their first match since the final and the controversial decision, Morocco drew 1-1 against Ecuador in a friendly in Madrid, under the guidance of new coach Mohamed Ouahbi. Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou emphasized the team's focus on future matches, stating, 'We're focused on what's to come and not getting into that [topic].' The team's supporters also expressed their satisfaction with the decision, with one fan saying, 'If someone says there are regulations, you have to follow them.' With 25 matches unbeaten, Morocco is looking forward to the 2026 World Cup, where they will face record five-time World Cup winners Brazil in their first game. The team's coach, Ouahbi, highlighted the strength of his team, saying, 'I don't talk in terms of weaknesses. We're a top-level team – the Ecuadorian coach reminded us of that.'

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has issued a stern warning to neighboring countries, urging them not to allow the US and Israel to use their territory to launch attacks against Iran. In a post on X, Pezeshkian emphasized that Iran does not initiate preemptive attacks but will strongly retaliate if its infrastructure or economic centers are targeted. “To the countries of the region: If you want development and security, don’t let our enemies run the war from your lands,” Pezeshkian stated. This message is part of a broader effort by Iran to prevent the escalation of the ongoing conflict with the US and Israel. The conflict began on February 28, when the US and Israel launched air strikes across Iran, resulting in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Since then, the situation has shown no signs of de-escalation, with Israel announcing daily strikes on Iran and Tehran continuing to target its arch-rival and countries hosting US military assets. In recent developments, several Gulf states have been targeted in attacks. In Kuwait, multiple drone attacks damaged the international airport's radar system, while in Abu Dhabi, strikes caused debris to fall near the Khalifa Economic Zone, injuring six people. Iran's military claimed to have struck a Ukrainian anti-drone system depot in Dubai, which it alleged supported US forces. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also urged regional countries to distance themselves from the US, reiterating Iran's stance that it will not tolerate the use of neighboring territories for hostile actions. The conflict has resulted in significant disruptions across the region, with at least 15 American soldiers wounded in an Iranian attack on a Saudi airbase on Friday. The situation remains volatile, with alarm sirens activated in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia's defense ministry reporting ballistic missile and drone attacks, all of which were allegedly shot down.