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Seven Miners Killed in Coal Mine Collapse in Southeastern Turkey

A miner hugs a relative in front of a coal mine site in Soma, a district in Turkey's western province of Manisa May 14, 2014. REUTERS Photo
A miner hugs a relative in front of a coal mine site in Soma, a district in Turkey's western province of Manisa May 14, 2014. REUTERS Photo
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Seven Miners Killed in Coal Mine Collapse in Southeastern Turkey

A miner hugs a relative in front of a coal mine site in Soma, a district in Turkey's western province of Manisa May 14, 2014. REUTERS Photo
A miner hugs a relative in front of a coal mine site in Soma, a district in Turkey's western province of Manisa May 14, 2014. REUTERS Photo

At least even miners were killed and another was missing after part of a coal mine in Turkey’s southeastern province of Sirnak collapsed on Tuesday, government spokesman Bekir Bozdag said.

Reuters cited Turkey’s energy ministry as saying that the coal mine was unlicensed and had been operating illegally.

“The activities of the mining field in Sirnak where the accident took place were stopped by the General Directorate of Mining Affairs in 2013 because it carried operational and security risks,” the energy ministry said.

Workplace accidents are not unusual in Turkey. Its rapid growth over the past decade has seen a construction boom and a scramble to meet soaring energy and commodities demand, with worker safety standards often failing to keep pace.

More than 3,000 people have been killed in mining accidents across Turkey since 1941, mostly due to fires, landslide or explosions.

A report from 2010 stated that the number of deaths in mine accidents in Turkey outnumbers those in the world’s biggest coal producers, the Unites States and China, in terms of fatalities per ton.

Its worst ever mining disaster took place in May 2014 in the western town of Soma, where 301 workers were killed.

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Gulf

UAE Voices Deep Concern Over Ongoing Regional Tensions, Calls for Restraint 

UAE Voices Deep Concern Over Ongoing Regional Tensions, Calls for Restraint 
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UAE Voices Deep Concern Over Ongoing Regional Tensions, Calls for Restraint 

UAE Voices Deep Concern Over Ongoing Regional Tensions, Calls for Restraint 

The United Arab Emirates expressed on Friday its deep concern over ongoing regional tensions, calling for refraining from any steps that further exacerbate escalation in the region.

In a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), the UAE called for exercising the utmost restraint in order to avoid serious repercussions, and the region being pulled into new levels of instability.

The Ministry underlined the importance of reaching substantial solutions to the ongoing disputes and crises in the region aimed at de-escalating tensions, in addition to resolving conflicts through dialogue and diplomatic channels, and for respecting the rule of law and United Nations Charter.

The Ministry reiterated its call on the UN and UN Security Council to fulfill their responsibilities to boost international peace and security by resolving long-standing issues and conflicts in the region that threaten global security and stability.

Earlier, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a telephone phone call with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian to discuss the latest, dangerous developments in the region and their repercussions on the regional and international peace and security.

Sheikh Abdullah stressed the importance of exercising the utmost self-restraint and working to prevent the expansion of the circle of tension in the Middle East, pointing out that diplomacy and dialogue are the only way to resolve differences and ensure the security of the region and the safety of its people.

He said peace, prosperity and development are what the countries of the region should enjoy and deserve.

In addition, the top diplomats discussed bilateral relations between their countries and ways to strengthen them in a way that serves the common interests of their countries and the region.

World

Israel Gave US Last-Minute Warning About Drone Attack on Iran, Italian FM Says at G7 

An Iranian woman walks past an anti-Israel banner with a picture of Iranian missiles on a street in Tehran, Iran April 19, 2024. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
An Iranian woman walks past an anti-Israel banner with a picture of Iranian missiles on a street in Tehran, Iran April 19, 2024. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
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Israel Gave US Last-Minute Warning About Drone Attack on Iran, Italian FM Says at G7 

An Iranian woman walks past an anti-Israel banner with a picture of Iranian missiles on a street in Tehran, Iran April 19, 2024. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
An Iranian woman walks past an anti-Israel banner with a picture of Iranian missiles on a street in Tehran, Iran April 19, 2024. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters

The United States told the Group of Seven foreign ministers on Friday that it received “last minute” information from Israel about a drone action in Iran, Italy’s foreign minister said.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who chaired the meeting of ministers of industrialized countries, said the United States provided the information at a Friday morning session that was changed at the last minute to address the suspected attack.

Tajani said the US informed the G7 ministers that it had been “informed at the last minute” by Israel about the drones. “But there was no sharing of the attack by the US. It was a mere information.”

Early Friday, Iran fired air defenses at a major air base and a nuclear site near the central city of Isfahan after spotting drones. They were suspected to be part of an Israeli attack in retaliation for Tehran’s unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country last weekend.

The foreign ministers condemned Iran’s recent attacks against Israel, writing that “the G7 supports the security of Israel.”

In a closing communique, the G7 ministers warned that they are prepared to impose new sanctions on Iran, and called for both sides to avoid escalating the conflict.

“The G7 worked and will work for a de-escalation,” Tajani said in a closing press conference. He said that would include a de-escalation of tensions, followed by a ceasefire, liberation of hostages and aid to the Palestinian people.

Fashion

Louis Vuitton Holds 'Voyager' Fashion Show in Shanghai

A logo of Louis Vuitton is displayed on a Louis Vuitton store on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, France, March 30, 2024. (Reuters)
A logo of Louis Vuitton is displayed on a Louis Vuitton store on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, France, March 30, 2024. (Reuters)
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Louis Vuitton Holds 'Voyager' Fashion Show in Shanghai

A logo of Louis Vuitton is displayed on a Louis Vuitton store on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, France, March 30, 2024. (Reuters)
A logo of Louis Vuitton is displayed on a Louis Vuitton store on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, France, March 30, 2024. (Reuters)

Louis Vuitton debuted its newly-labeled "Voyager" traveling show in Shanghai on Thursday night, showing off asymmetric hemlines and boxy leather vests in the country that is one of the brand's key markets.
More than 1,000 invitees, including international celebrities like Cate Blanchett and local stars such as Zhou Dongyu and Jackson Wang, took in the pre-fall collection designed by women's artistic director Nicolas Ghesquière, Reuters said.
The show was held in the cavernous concrete expanse of the Atelier Deshaus-designed Long Museum, in the riverside West Bund art district. It included pieces made in collaboration with Beijing-based artist Sun Yitian, who painstakingly paints photographs of inflated plastic animals, including ducklings, cats and rabbits. Reprints of her works were incorporated into the opening designs of the show.
In the days leading up to the show, images of Sun's work popped up around Shanghai, China's most international city, projected onto the exterior of malls and plastering walls in hip shopping and lifestyle districts.
For Louis Vuitton, the largest luxury brand in the LVMH stable, China continues to represent one of the world's most important luxury opportunities, even as a broader economic slowdown and consumer malaise stymie growth.
LVMH said on Tuesday that year-on-year sales for the quarter ending in March rose 3% on an organic basis, but purchases by Chinese shoppers globally grew 10%.
Last year, Louis Vuitton's men's line, helmed by Pharell Williams, staged a large-scale show in Hong Kong.

World

Ukraine’s Zelenskiy Visits Frontline Donetsk Region 

Ukrainian servicemen with the 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade fire a mortar at Russian forces on the front line near the city of Bakhmut in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, on March 3, 2024. (AP)
Ukrainian servicemen with the 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade fire a mortar at Russian forces on the front line near the city of Bakhmut in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, on March 3, 2024. (AP)
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Ukraine’s Zelenskiy Visits Frontline Donetsk Region 

Ukrainian servicemen with the 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade fire a mortar at Russian forces on the front line near the city of Bakhmut in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, on March 3, 2024. (AP)
Ukrainian servicemen with the 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade fire a mortar at Russian forces on the front line near the city of Bakhmut in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, on March 3, 2024. (AP)

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday visited the frontline Donetsk region in Ukraine's east and held a meeting on the defense situation.

He said on X that he also visited a paratroopers' medical platoon and examined the construction of fortifications: "Every effort must be made in this regard."

Twenty-five months into Moscow's full-scale invasion, Ukraine is on the back foot, and Russian troops are inching forward.

Kyiv scaled up its efforts to build effective defense lines as its officials warned about Russian troops preparing a possible offensive later this spring or in summer.

Video from the trip shared by Zelenskiy showed an entrance sign to the town of Sloviansk, about 30 km from the target of a recently intensified Russian advance - Chasiv Yar.

Ukraine's army chief said Moscow troops forces aimed to capture the town by May aiming to set the stage further advance in the region. Kyiv's brigades were holding back the assaults.

Arab World

West Bank Villagers Vigilant but Vulnerable after Settler Attacks

A Palestinian man inspects the damage following clashes with settlers the previous night in the West Bank village of Al-Mughayyir, near Ramallah, 13 April 2024. EPA/ALAA BADARNEH
A Palestinian man inspects the damage following clashes with settlers the previous night in the West Bank village of Al-Mughayyir, near Ramallah, 13 April 2024. EPA/ALAA BADARNEH
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West Bank Villagers Vigilant but Vulnerable after Settler Attacks

A Palestinian man inspects the damage following clashes with settlers the previous night in the West Bank village of Al-Mughayyir, near Ramallah, 13 April 2024. EPA/ALAA BADARNEH
A Palestinian man inspects the damage following clashes with settlers the previous night in the West Bank village of Al-Mughayyir, near Ramallah, 13 April 2024. EPA/ALAA BADARNEH

Sitting around a fire in the hills of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Ibrahim Abu Alyah and some friends stood watch over his herd in the aftermath of a settler attack on their village.
"We are here so that we can put away the sheep and tell people to protect their homes in case settlers come," Abu Alyah told AFP.
After 14-year-old Israeli herder Benjamin Achimeir went missing on April 12 in the nearby illegal settler outpost of Malachi Hashalom, dozens of Jewish settlers raided his village of Al-Mughayyir, north of Ramallah.
Armed with rifles and Molotov cocktails, they set houses ablaze, killed sheep, wounded 23 people and displaced 86, according to the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA, AFP said.
One Palestinian was also killed in the violence.
Abu Alyah, a shepherd, lost "20 or 30 sheep" and the cash he made from selling milk products when his house was set alight.
Al-Mughayyir's mayor, Amin Abu Alyah, said the settlers, who were part of the search party for Achimeir, burnt "everything they found in front of them" including houses, a bulldozer and vehicles.
Several citizens tried to organize protection committees to defend themselves from raids, but were prevented from doing so, he said.
"We currently have more than 70 prisoners inside Israeli prisons on charges of joining protection committees or trying to form an organized body," he said.
Duma, struck twice
In the nearby village of Duma, five kilometers (three miles) north of Al-Mughayyir, old fears came true when hundreds of settlers came down through the surrounding fields on Saturday.
That day, Achimeir's body was found bearing marks of a stabbing attack. People watched powerless as settlers rampaged through the village.
"Hundreds of settlers entered the village followed by more than 300 Israeli soldiers who stormed the village and declared it a closed military zone," Suleiman Dawabsha, head of Duma's village council, told AFP.
Mahmud Salawdeh, a 30-year-old iron worker whose house was torched in the attack, felt vulnerable when he realized the soldiers were not stopping the attack.
"We feel helpless because we are unable to protect ourselves, and the settlers are protected by the army," he said.
"I lost all my money and my future," he added from the ground floor of his charred house on the outskirts of Duma, near the fields the attackers came through.
At his feet, burnt furniture and shattered glass covered the floor, while walls black with soot served as a reminder of the firebombs thrown at the building.
His workshop in the adjacent room was torched, charred remnants of old tools lay around, while a large wooden box where he had been raising 70 chicks was now empty.
The incident opened old wounds for Duma residents, who still remember the tragedy that struck the Dawabsha family.
In 2015, the family's home was set ablaze by a settler extremist, killing the couple and their toddler, and leaving only one surviving member, four-year-old Ahmed Dawabsha.
'We will never leave'
Duma residents, like many West Bank villagers, say they are protected neither by Palestinian security, which is only allowed to operate in 40 percent of the territory, nor by Israel, which controls the rest.
Israeli soldiers do not always restrain settlers from attacking Palestinians, OCHA said.
In January, "in nearly half of all recorded incidents (of settler violence) after 7 October, Israeli forces were either accompanying or reported to be supporting the attackers," it said.
OCHA recorded 774 instances of Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians since war broke in Gaza on October 7, and said 37 communities had been affected by violence between April 9 and 15, "triple the number" of the preceding week.
Nine Israelis, including five in Israeli forces, were killed in the West Bank over the same timeframe, OCHA said.
At least 462 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops or settlers in the West Bank during that period, according to Palestinian official figures.
The West Bank, occupied by Israel since 1967, has seen a surge in violence since early last year, which has intensified since the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza erupted.
Despite the hardships, "we will never leave", the herder Abu Alyah told AFP.
But the 29-year-old already had to move from his former herding grounds on the other side of Al-Mughayyir, closer to the settlement outpost, in September.
The weekend's attacks marked a peak in violence due to the sheer number of people who took part in them, but also reflects a wider trend in the West Bank, NGOs said.
"It is clear that the escalation of violence in the West Bank has occurred in tandem with the crisis in Gaza," charity ActionAid said in a statement.
On Wednesday evening, settlers were planting Israeli flags along the road that runs between Al-Mughayyir and Malachi Hashalom.

Sports

Germany Coach Nagelsmann Extends Contract Through 2026 World Cup, Leaves Bayern Still Searching 

Germany's head coach Julian Nagelsmann gives a press conference at the Groupama Stadium in Decines-Charpieu, near Lyon, on March 22, 2024, on the eve of the friendly football match between France and Germany. (AFP)
Germany's head coach Julian Nagelsmann gives a press conference at the Groupama Stadium in Decines-Charpieu, near Lyon, on March 22, 2024, on the eve of the friendly football match between France and Germany. (AFP)
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Germany Coach Nagelsmann Extends Contract Through 2026 World Cup, Leaves Bayern Still Searching 

Germany's head coach Julian Nagelsmann gives a press conference at the Groupama Stadium in Decines-Charpieu, near Lyon, on March 22, 2024, on the eve of the friendly football match between France and Germany. (AFP)
Germany's head coach Julian Nagelsmann gives a press conference at the Groupama Stadium in Decines-Charpieu, near Lyon, on March 22, 2024, on the eve of the friendly football match between France and Germany. (AFP)

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann has extended his contract by two years, taking him beyond the upcoming European Championship and through the 2026 World Cup.

It also ends the possibility of Nagelsmann returning to Bayern Munich, which is looking for a new coach for next season after deciding to part ways with Thomas Tuchel at the end of this season. Nagelsmann was the reported favorite following Xabi Alonso’s decision to stay with Bayer Leverkusen, but now Bayern will need to look elsewhere after two high-profile rejections.

The German soccer federation announced Friday that its supervisory board and shareholders decided unanimously to keep Nagelsmann in charge of the national team after Euro 2024, which Germany is hosting.

“He's on the wish list of many big clubs across Europe,” federation president Bernd Neuendorf said of Nagelsmann.

The 36-year-old Nagelsmann has overseen a change in mood in Germany after wins over France and the Netherlands following a shakeup of the team last month.

Bayern fired Nagelsmann in favor of Tuchel in March 2023. Bayern went on to win the Bundesliga.

This season, Bayern failed to win the title for the first time since 2012 after Bayer Leverkusen won last weekend.

Nagelsmann said staying with Germany was “a decision of the heart. It’s a great honor to be able to train the national team and work with the best players in the country.”

Sports

Red Bull Won't Rush to Announce 2025 Driver Lineup, Horner Says 

Red Bull Racing's British team principal Christian Horner arrives ahead of the first practice session for the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai on April 19, 2024. (AFP)
Red Bull Racing's British team principal Christian Horner arrives ahead of the first practice session for the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai on April 19, 2024. (AFP)
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Red Bull Won't Rush to Announce 2025 Driver Lineup, Horner Says 

Red Bull Racing's British team principal Christian Horner arrives ahead of the first practice session for the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai on April 19, 2024. (AFP)
Red Bull Racing's British team principal Christian Horner arrives ahead of the first practice session for the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai on April 19, 2024. (AFP)

Red Bull is not in a rush to announce its driver line-up for 2025, team boss Christian Horner said on Friday ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix, following reports that the champions are in talks with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz.

While three-times world champion Max Verstappen has a long-term contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028, Mexican driver Sergio Perez is only contracted with the team until the end of this year.

Perez told reporters on Thursday that he hoped to be able to announce his plans for next season in the coming weeks, prompting questions at Friday's managers' press conference over whether that meant he would be leaving the Red Bull stable.

The energy drink brand's motorsport consultant Helmut Marko on Thursday told Austria's Kleine Zeitung newspaper that Red Bull had been talking to Sainz about a drive but Audi had made him an offer that the Thai-Austrian company could not match.

"We as a team aren't in a particular rush. We're in a fortunate position where many drivers would obviously like to drive for the team," Horner told a press conference for team managers ahead of Sunday's Grand Prix.

"We're happy with the pairing we have, we just want to make sure that the level of consistency that (Perez) started with this season is maintained," he added.

Perez has oftentimes struggled to get the same performance out of the Red Bull car as his teammate, who won 19 out of 22 races last season.

He currently sits second in the championship, 13 points behind his teammate but only nine points ahead of Sainz, who missed an opportunity to score at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after contracting appendicitis.

Horner said on Friday that "it's only natural that there's going to be significant interest (around Sainz), and I'm sure Audi would be foolish not to consider a driver of his quality."

Sports

Man City Must Use Champions League Pain to Fuel FA Cup, League Title Chase, Walker Says 

Manchester City's English defender #02 Kyle Walker reacts at the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second-leg football match between Manchester City and Real Madrid, at the Etihad Stadium, in Manchester, north-west England, on April 17, 2024. (AFP)
Manchester City's English defender #02 Kyle Walker reacts at the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second-leg football match between Manchester City and Real Madrid, at the Etihad Stadium, in Manchester, north-west England, on April 17, 2024. (AFP)
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Man City Must Use Champions League Pain to Fuel FA Cup, League Title Chase, Walker Says 

Manchester City's English defender #02 Kyle Walker reacts at the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second-leg football match between Manchester City and Real Madrid, at the Etihad Stadium, in Manchester, north-west England, on April 17, 2024. (AFP)
Manchester City's English defender #02 Kyle Walker reacts at the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second-leg football match between Manchester City and Real Madrid, at the Etihad Stadium, in Manchester, north-west England, on April 17, 2024. (AFP)

Manchester City must use the pain of their Champions League exit as motivation to achieve something special in the final weeks of the season, defender Kyle Walker said.

Last season's treble winners suffered a 4-3 penalty shootout loss to Real Madrid in their Champions League quarter-final at Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.

Pep Guardiola's side are two points ahead of Arsenal and Liverpool in the league with six games remaining and play Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals on Saturday.

"It hurts and we've got to feel the pain," Walker told reporters.

"We've got a massive run-in for the Premier League, a really big game against Chelsea and we have to take this as motivation to go on and do something special.

"It is a great opportunity to take this hurt and fire from our belly ... We owe it to the fans and as a group of players we've worked too hard to throw it away now."

Gulf

UAE’s Etihad Airways Says Operations are Back to Normal

FILE PHOTO - An Etihad Airways Boeing 777-3FX company aircraft takes off at the Charles de Gaulle airport in Roissy, France, August 9, 2016. REUTERS/Jacky Naegelen/File Photo
FILE PHOTO - An Etihad Airways Boeing 777-3FX company aircraft takes off at the Charles de Gaulle airport in Roissy, France, August 9, 2016. REUTERS/Jacky Naegelen/File Photo
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UAE’s Etihad Airways Says Operations are Back to Normal

FILE PHOTO - An Etihad Airways Boeing 777-3FX company aircraft takes off at the Charles de Gaulle airport in Roissy, France, August 9, 2016. REUTERS/Jacky Naegelen/File Photo
FILE PHOTO - An Etihad Airways Boeing 777-3FX company aircraft takes off at the Charles de Gaulle airport in Roissy, France, August 9, 2016. REUTERS/Jacky Naegelen/File Photo

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways' flight operations are back to normal after the harsh weather conditions in the United Arab Emirates over recent days, the airline told state news agency (WAM) on Friday.
The UAE saw its heaviest rains in 75 years bringing much of the country to a standstill for two days.
The storm, which hit neighboring Oman on Sunday, pounded the UAE on Tuesday. Eighteen persons were reported dead in Oman.
A couple of days earlier, the UAE’s National Center for Meteorology urged people to take the necessary precautions while driving their vehicles and to steer away from roads that could be blocked by flood waters.

Sports

Chinese Grand Prix Could Deliver Drama to F1 and Slow Verstappen’s Victory March 

Ferrari's Spanish driver Carlos Sainz Jr drives during the sprint qualifying session ahead of the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai on April 19, 2024. (AFP)
Ferrari's Spanish driver Carlos Sainz Jr drives during the sprint qualifying session ahead of the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai on April 19, 2024. (AFP)
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Chinese Grand Prix Could Deliver Drama to F1 and Slow Verstappen’s Victory March 

Ferrari's Spanish driver Carlos Sainz Jr drives during the sprint qualifying session ahead of the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai on April 19, 2024. (AFP)
Ferrari's Spanish driver Carlos Sainz Jr drives during the sprint qualifying session ahead of the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai on April 19, 2024. (AFP)

The Chinese Grand Prix could deliver some much-needed drama to Formula One, meaning Red Bull's Max Verstappen can't be penciled in as the almost-certain winner on Sunday.

The three-time world champion has won 22 of the last 26 GPs and three of the first four this season. Only brake failure in Australia kept him from possibly sweeping the first four races.

"It's got the probability of throwing up quite a few variables and, perhaps, some unexpected results," Red Bull principal Christian Horner said Friday. "I think it's going to be all action."

Here's why.

The track is a slight unknown. This is the first F1 race in China in five years, scratched from the calendar by the COVID-19 pandemic. The last was won in 2019 by Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton.

It's also the season's first with a Saturday sprint race, which means Friday's practice session was the only one of the weekend.

But the biggest unknown is the state of the racing surface, which has had a thin "seal coating" applied — described as liquid asphalt. Drivers have repeatedly said it looks like it's been painted. And tire supplier Pirelli said it wasn't fully aware of the changes heading into the race.

Though hard to draw any firm conclusion, Friday's practice kicked up some unusual names at the top.

Lance Stroll of Aston Martin had the quickest time (1 minute, 36.302 seconds), followed by Oscar Piastri of McClaren. Verstappen and teammate Sergio Perez were Nos. 3-4 followed by two Haas drivers — Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen.

China’s first F1 driver Zhou Guanyu was 11th in practice in a Sauber.

Charles Leclerc hinted on Thursday about Ferrari closing the gap on Red Bull.

They didn't in Friday’s practice. Leclerc and teammate Carlos Sainz were 13th and 14th.

"Everything we expected in terms of uncertainty is happening and hopefully this will mean that we have an entertaining event here in China with some action and some opportunities," McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said.

He said there was reduced tire grip in the practice session, and tires showed heavy wear from the unfamiliar surface.

Drivers spoke two weeks ago at the Japanese GP about their disquiet over the sprint in China. The track is located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of central Shanghai, visible on the distant horizon through a hazy smog on Friday.

Horner accepted the concern but noted the Shanghai circuit is a known quantity, hosting races since 2004.

"We have a lot of historic data from this circuit," he said. "It’s not like turning up at a brand new venue and having to learn all over again."

SPRINT QUALIFYING Lando Norris of McLaren won the pole for Saturday’s sprint race, running in a rainy session with drivers struggling to control their cars.

Norris’ qualifying lap in the third session was 1 minute, 57.940 seconds. The times in the rain on Friday were about 20 seconds slower than when qualifying began under dry conditions.

Norris will start from the pole with Hamilton alongside. Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin will start on the second row with Verstappen. Row 3 has Sainz and Perez.

Asked what the race conditions would be on Saturday, Norris replied: "No clue."

"It was getting wetter and wetter," Norris said. "I was aquaplaning quite a bit."

The F1 sprints are about one-third the length of the regular GP. The top eight drivers earn points — eight for first place, seven for second, six for third, and so on.

Qualifying was slowed by off-and-on rain that got more persistent as the session went on. Leclerc went off and hit a retaining wall and appeared to damage a front wing during one of his laps.

Many of the cars struggled for grip including Verstappen, who went off the track on one of his laps.

The sprint will be followed later Saturday with qualifying for Sunday's race.

DRIVERS' SHUFFLE Horner was asked Friday if Red Bull was close to confirming its driver lineup for next season. Verstappen, of course, is on a long-term contract. The question is over Perez, whose contract expires after this season.

Reports persist that Ferrari's Sainz is a possibility. His seat at Ferrari will be taken next year by Hamilton who is leaving Merdeces. Sainz is also reportedly in talks with Audi, which will take over Sauber for the 2026 season,

"We’re in a situation where we’re very happy with our two drivers," Horner said. "We don't need to make a final decision about the lineup until pretty much later in the year."