Hurricane season month away; forecast modest

Top-ranked Nelly Korda cruised through Sunday's final round to win the Riviera Maya Open, capturing her 18th career LPGA triumph and second in as many weeks.

Korda matched the sensational 2001 start of Swedish legend Annika Sorenstam with her sixth top-two finish in as many events this season, taking her third victory of the year.

Coming off her third major title last week, the 27-year-old American fired a three-under par 69 to finish 72 holes on 17-under 271 for a four-stroke victory at El Camaleon in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

Korda shattered the old 72-hole event record of 12-under.

"I'm just enjoying myself and I love the competition," Korda said when asked if she was playing the best golf of her life. "I love traveling to places like Mexico, all over the world, and I'm just having fun.

"We always put in the same exact amount of work and you just never know. It's golf."

Thailand's Arpichaya Yubol fired a closing 70 to finish second on 275 with China's Liu Yu third on 276, American Brianna Do fourth on 278 and Colombian amateur Maria Jose Marin fifth on 280.

Korda made only two bogeys all week and one came on the final hole, when she lost her tee shot and found a bunker but scrambled to make a long bogey putt to complete the triumph.

"On the last hole I was humbled by golf," Korda said. "I had a pretty smooth day and on the last hole it just kind of humbles you a little bit."

It has still been an amazing start to the year for Korda, who captured last week's Chevron Championship and also won the season-opening LPGA Tournament of Champions.

She finished second at the LPGA Founders Cup and Ford Championship in March and last month's Aramco Championship.

"You put in the work and sometimes it works out," Korda said. "I'm just grateful I have an amazing team that no matter through the ups and downs we've all stayed the same. We all are super motivated and just happy to be out here."

Korda eagled the par-five fifth hole and followed with birdies at the sixth and par-five seventh to reach 18-under par, stretching her lead to six strokes.

At the par-five 18th, Korda suffered a lost ball off the tee, then found a bunker before closing with a bogey.

js/amz

Teenager Kimi Antonelli extended his lead in the drivers' world championship with an historic victory for Mercedes ahead of McLaren world champion Lando Norris in Sunday's dramatic Miami Grand Prix on Sunday. 

The 19-year-old Italian became the first F1 driver to claim his first three wins in a row from his first three pole positions, after triumphs in China and Japan had hoisted him to the top of the title race. 

Driving with determination and elan, Antonelli struggled for ascendancy in the first part of the race before enjoying an "undercut" pit stop to win his duel with Norris in the closing stages.

In the first race following a five-week hiatus due to the conflict in the Middle East, Antonelli came home first 3.264 seconds clear of Norris and his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, who finished third 23.828 seconds adrift. 

Antonelli's Mercedes team-mate George Russell, who began the season as championship favorite and won the opening race in Melbourne, finished fourth ahead of Red Bull's fiery and rejuvenated four-time champion Max Verstappen and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who spun on the penultimate lap. 

Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton came home seventh in the second Ferrari ahead of Franco Colapinto of Alpine and the two Williams drivers, Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon.

Mercedes had dominated the opening three Grands Prix and arrived in Miami as the only top team without an upgrades package. But despite losing to Norris in Saturday's sprint race showed they remain on top. 

"What a race, man, woo!" exclaimed Antonelli on team radio after winning, "Oh my god!"

He later said: "The team did a great strategy and we had a massive undercut -- and I was able to bring it home. It was a tough race.

"I was a bit lucky when I locked up at the start behind Charles and then I did a mistake with energy management."

Norris described the result as "a mixed bag."

"We just got undercut. We should have boxed first, but Kimi did a good job and hats off to him and Mercedes," he said.

"A good race. He didn't make any mistakes and I'm gutted not to win, but I didn't have the pace."

The weather was significantly cooler than for Saturday's sprint, but without the forecast rain that had brought forward the start by three hours. 

Antonelli made a clean start from his third consecutive pole, but was passed on the inside by Leclerc as Verstappen hit a curb and spun, creating chaos.

Leclerc resisted Antonelli with Norris third until lap five when the teenager passed him, only for Leclerc to regain the lead. 

"Be patient, Lando, stay with them and let them yo-yo," said Will Jospeh, Norris's race engineer, before the luckless Isack Hadjar -- who had started from the pit lane -- crashed on lap six. 

Almost immediately, Pierre Gasly also lost control, half-rolled and hit the wall after a collision with Liam Lawson, and a safety car was deployed. 

Verstappen, who had fallen back, clashed with Liam Lawson and Carlos Sainz, before pitting on lap nine for hards, returning in 16th. Lawson retired his damaged car, joining Nico Hulkenberg, Gasly and Hadjar in the pits. 

Racing resumed on lap 12 with Leclerc resisting Norris until the champion powered by to become the third different leader as light rain arrived. 

Driving with fury, Verstappen, who had crossed a pit lane exit line and faced a post-race investigation, climbed back to sixth by lap 21 when Russell pitted for hards. 

Norris then led Antonelli by 3.2 seconds in the duel to define the race. 

Leclerc pitted for hards and retuned 10th, behind Russell.

"Why did we stop then?" asked a frustrated Leclerc. "When is the rain? Next time you make a decision, please speak to me..."

Antonelli then pitted, together with Norris and Hamilton, the champion losing the initiative to the young Italian as Piastri enjoyed a brief spell as leader before pitting. 

This left the precocious Silver Arrows boy in front, with his team calming his nerves as McLaren's defending champion stalked him.

The pair were separated by less than a second after 40 laps.

After the frantic yo-yo passing of the early stages, the field stretched out when Leclerc passed Verstappen, on his long-worn tires, before his late spin gifted Piastri third place.

str/amz

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Sunday he would not give up on working with US President Donald Trump, despite a spat between the leaders over the war in Iran.

"I am not giving up on working on the transatlantic relationship," Merz told public broadcaster ARD in an interview set to air Sunday night. "Nor am I giving up on working with Donald Trump."

Merz sought to downplay any tensions with Trump, arguing for instance that an abrupt public announcement that the US would pull 5,000 troops from bases in Germany was not surprising and should not be seen as retaliation.

"It may be being exaggerated a bit, but it's not new," Merz told talk show host Caren Miosga.

Criticism of the US-Israeli war against Iran from Merz and other European leaders has clearly aggravated Trump. The latest rift came after Merz on April 27 said that Iran was "humiliating" Washington at the negotiating table.

That provoked a series of angry responses from Washington, including Trump's comments that Merz was doing a "terrible" job as chancellor.

Merz on Sunday said the US decision on troops had "no connection" with the recent disagreements.

- 'Important partners' -

The chancellor also appeared to confirm that a planned deployment of US long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Germany -- announced by former US president Joe Biden -- was being called off, at least for the time being.

He cited depleted arsenals because of the wars in Iran and Ukraine as the reason.

"The Americans themselves don't have enough at the moment," he said.

"Objectively speaking, there is hardly any possibility from the US of relinquishing weapons systems of this kind."

But he insisted the "train has not departed" for possible cooperation in the future, and that European NATO powers could continue deterring Russia without those particular missiles or US forces.

Trump's criticism of European leaders has not been confined to Merz. 

He previously ridiculed British Prime Minister Kier Starmer, and on Thursday told reporters that "Italy has not been of any help to us and Spain has been horrible, absolutely horrible".

But Merz insisted that he still shared Trump's goal of ensuring Iran never obtains an atomic weapon, even if he has criticised the US handling of the conflict.

"We have a different view of this war. That's no secret," Merz said in the interview. "I'm not the only one who feels that way."

Merz insisted that Trump respects his right to hold differing views -- though perhaps "a little less for the moment".

"But that does not alter the fact that I remain convinced that the Americans are important partners for us -– our most important partners in the North Atlantic alliance," Merz said.

bst/jj

Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli won the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday, fending off a dogged challenge by reigning world champion Lando Norris, whose McLaren finished second.

The 19-year-old Italian's third straight win extends his lead at the top of this year's Formula One world championship, while Norris' McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri rounded off the podium in Florida.

Mercedes' George Russell came fourth, followed by Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.

Antonelli began the race in pole position, but was immediately overtaken by Leclerc.

A chaotic start also saw Verstappen's car spin 360 degrees in the middle of the track, and Pierre Gasly's Alpine flipped upside-down while overtaking Liam Lawson.

But after several laps with a safety car, the leaders pitted and Antonelli regained the lead, which he successfully defended for the remainder of the race.

The race's start time was brought forward by three hours due to the threat of heavy rainstorms, but it took place in largely hot and humid, overcast conditions.

It was the first Formula One race after an enforced five-week hiatus, due to the conflict in the Middle East, which several teams exploited with upgrade packages on their cars.

amz/js

"The Devil Wears Prada 2" debuted atop the North American box office this weekend, industry estimates showed Sunday, 20 years after the hit original took audiences inside the cutthroat world of haute couture.

The sequel sees Anne Hathaway's character return to work under tyrannical editor Miranda Priestly, portrayed again by Meryl Streep, as their fashion magazine faces an existential crisis.

Stanley Tucci and Emily Blunt also return as leads, while a host of A-list additions and celebrity cameos round out the star-studded cast.

Released by 20th Century Fox and with returning director David Frankel, the film took in $77 million in the US and Canadian market, according to Exhibitor Relations.

"This is a sensational opening for a comedy drama," said analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research, noting "very good" reviews and themes of power, image and success that "are more recognizable and relevant today than ever."

Streep won a Golden Globe and received an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress in her first turn as Miranda Priestly -- who is not-so-subtly based on longtime "Vogue" chief Anna Wintour.

Last week's box office winner "Michael," the biopic about late superstar Michael Jackson, fell to second place but still took in $54 million, according to Exhibitor Relations.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua and distributed by Lionsgate, the film chronicles the legendary artist's rise from a child star to one of the world's most famous pop icons.

In the starring role is Jaafar Jackson, the popstar's nephew.

Following a whopping $97 million debut last weekend in North America, the movie has taken in over $423 million at the global box office.

"The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" came in third with $12.1 million, taking its cumulative domestic haul over $400 million.

The animated sequel from Universal and Illumination Studios has earned nearly $900 million at the global box office, Exhibitor Relations reported.

Fourth place went to Amazon MGM's hit sci-fi adventure comedy "Project Hail Mary," with another $8.6 million.

The film, starring Ryan Gosling as a teacher-turned-astronaut who must save Earth from a dimming sun, has earned over $625 million worldwide, in an extended theatrical run.

In fifth place with $6.4 million was indie horror film "Hokum," a low-budget Irish production which Gross said had earned "excellent" reviews from critics and audiences.

Directed by Damian McCarthy and starring Adam Scott ("Severance"), the film follows an author who travels to a mysterious hotel in rural Ireland.

Rounding out the top 10:

"Animal Farm" ($3.4 million)

"Lee Cronin's The Mummy" ($2.23 million)

"Deep Water" ($2.15 million)

"That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime" ($1 million)

"The Drama ($900,000)

des/pnb

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet Pope Leo on a trip to Rome this week, in the wake of the pontiff's clash with President Donald Trump, a Vatican source said Sunday.

The source confirmed Italian media reports about the meeting, which newspapers said would take place on Thursday in an attempt to "thaw" relations.

It comes just weeks after Trump's extraordinary criticism of Pope Leo XIV over the Catholic leader's anti-war rhetoric.

An Italian government source earlier told AFP that Rubio would also meet Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.

Rubio had asked for a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, one of Trump's closest European allies, whom he turned on after she defended the pope, the source added.

Media reports said he was also due to meet Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, amid a deepening rift in transatlantic ties over the Middle East war.

- One year in office -

Leo, 70, will on Friday mark one year as leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, after being elected by cardinals on May 8, 2025, following the death of Pope Francis.

As the first ever pope from the United States, his words have arguably carried more weight in Washington than previous pontiffs -- and he has used them, criticising notably the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration.

But it was the pontiff's increasing anti-war rhetoric, particularly following the US-Israeli attacks on Iran, that triggered Trump's ire.

Leo declared Trump's threat to destroy Iran "unacceptable" and urged Americans to demand that US lawmakers "work for peace".

The US president slammed the pontiff in a social media post as "WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy".

Trump also said he was "not a big fan of Pope Leo" and that he does not "want a pope who thinks it's OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon."

The pontiff responded by saying he had a "moral duty to speak out" against war -- and then sparked more headlines with a speech in Cameroon lambasting "tyrants" ransacking the world.

However, he insisted afterwards that the remarks were written long before the row, and said he had not intended to start a new debate with the US president. 

Christians across the world expressed their solidarity with the pope, and Meloni condemned Trump's remarks as "unacceptable" -- prompting the president to turn his fire on her.

"I'm shocked at her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong," the US president said in an interview with Italian daily Corriere della Sera.

He accused Meloni -- a far-right leader who has sought to act as a bridge between diverging US and European views -- of failing to help the United States with NATO.

Trump has threatened to pull US troops from Italy, saying Rome "has not been of any help to us" in the Iran war.

He has made a similar threat towards Spain, while the Pentagon has announced it will withdraw 5,000 US troops from Germany.

As of December 31, 2025, there were 12,662 active-duty US troops in Italy and 3,814 in Spain. In Germany, there were 36,436.

ar/pdw

Ukraine said Sunday it had hit several Russian ships -- a cruise missile carrier and three shadow fleet tankers -- as both sides fired hundreds of drones in a spree that killed at least eight people.

The two neighbours have been firing waves of explosive-packed drones at each other daily throughout the four-year war, as talks to end the conflict have gone nowhere.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday vowed to step up retaliatory strikes on Russian energy sites if Moscow did not halt its invasion.

"Russia can end its war at any moment. Prolonging the war will only expand the scale of our defensive operations," he said on social media.

The Ukrainian leader said his troops had struck a vessel equipped with cruise missiles at the port of Primorsk, in Russia's northwestern Leningrad region.

The region's oil export terminals have been hit several times in recent weeks, triggering massive fires that billow plumes of toxic black smoke into the atmosphere. 

Kyiv says the strikes have knocked out billions of dollars' worth of Russia's vital export earnings.

Zelensky said Sunday three of Russia's so-called shadow tankers -- ageing vessels that ferry its sanctioned oil around the world -- were struck, one at Primorsk and two off the southern Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.

He posted night-vision footage of a naval drone approaching one tanker at Novorossiysk.

The Russian governor of the Leningrad region had earlier confirmed a fire at the port after Ukrainian attacks.

The extent of the damage was not immediately clear and Russian officials gave no details.

- 600 drones -

On the Russian side of the front line, two people were killed in the Belgorod border region, one near Moscow and a teenager in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine in separate attacks overnight and throughout Sunday.

In Ukraine, two were killed in the coastal Odesa region, one in the frontline Kherson region and another in an attack on the industrial city of Dnipro.

Photos from Dnipro showed the roof of a five-storey apartment block destroyed, wooden beams exposed and debris scattered into partially collapsed top-floor apartments.

Russia fired 268 drones and one ballistic missile in the overnight barrage, Kyiv's air force said.

Ukraine's army launched 334 drones at Russia, Moscow's defence ministry said.

Kyiv calls its attacks on Russia fair retaliation for Russia's nightly barrages of its cities.

Both sides deny targeting civilians.

Tens of thousands have been killed -- the vast majority in Ukraine -- since Russia invaded in February 2022.

In April, Russia fired a record number of long-range attack drones at Ukraine -- an average of more than 200 a day -- according to AFP analysis of data from Kyiv's air force.

bur-jc/giv

Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Sunday said the United States faced a choice between an "impossible" military operation or a "bad deal" with Tehran, after President Donald Trump disparaged Iran's latest peace proposal.

Negotiations between the two countries have been deadlocked since a ceasefire came into effect on April 8, with only one round of direct peace talks held so far.

Iran's Tasnim and Fars news agencies reported that Tehran had submitted a 14-point proposal to mediator Pakistan, but Trump was quick to cast doubt on it.

"I will soon be reviewing the plan that Iran has just sent to us, but can't imagine that it would be acceptable in that they have not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to Humanity, and the World, over the last 47 years," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

US news website Axios reported, citing two sources briefed on the proposal, that it set "a one-month deadline for negotiations on a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, end the US naval blockade and permanently end the war in Iran and in Lebanon".

In a statement on Sunday, the Revolutionary Guards sought to put the onus back on Trump, saying he must choose between "an impossible operation or a bad deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran". 

"The room for US decision-making has narrowed," they said.

The day before, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told diplomats in Tehran that "the ball is in the United States' court to choose the path of diplomacy or the continuation of a confrontational approach".

Iran, he said, was "prepared for both paths".

- 'If they misbehave' -

In a brief interview with reporters in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday the US president declined to specify what could trigger new American military action.

"If they misbehave, if they do something bad, but right now, we'll see," he said. "But it's a possibility that could happen, certainly."

In yet more bellicose rhetoric, Mohsen Rezaei, a military adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, said Iranian forces would sink US ships. 

"The US is the only pirate in the world that possesses aircraft carriers. Our ability to confront pirates is no less than our ability to sink warships. Prepare to face a graveyard of your carriers and forces," he posted on X.

There is no evidence that Iran has sunk any US military vessels during the war.

Axios reported earlier in the week that Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff had asked for Tehran's nuclear programme to be put back on the negotiating table.

But Iran's mission to the UN pointed to the massive US nuclear arsenal, accusing Washington on Saturday of "hypocritical behaviour" towards Iran's own atomic ambitions.

- 'Trying to endure' -

Iran has maintained a stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz since the war began, choking off major flows of oil, gas and fertiliser to the world economy, while the United States has imposed a counter-blockade on Iranian ports.

Oil prices are about 50 percent above pre-war levels.

The deputy speaker of Iran's parliament, Ali Nikzad, said that under draft legislation being considered for managing the strait, 30 percent of tolls collected would go towards military infrastructure, with the rest earmarked for "economic development".

"Managing the Strait of Hormuz is more important than acquiring nuclear weapons," he said.

In Iran, the war's economic toll is deepening, with oil exports curtailed and inflation surging past 50 percent.

"Everyone is trying to endure it, but... they are falling apart," 40-year-old Amir, a Tehran resident, told an AFP reporter based outside the country.

"We still have not seen much of the economic effects because everyone had a bit of savings. They had some gold and dollars for a rainy day. When they run out, things will change."

burs-dcp/axn

Manchester United secured Champions League football next season as Kobbie Mainoo's strike earned a thrilling 3-2 victory over old rivals Liverpool on Sunday.

United were 2-0 up inside 15 minutes through Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko, but imploded after the break to allow Arne Slot's men to level with goals from Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo before Mainoo secured the win.

A return to Europe's elite competition after a two-year absence and another big game win furthers Michael Carrick's case to continue as United boss next season.

Mainoo has embodied the upturn in United's fortunes since Carrick took charge in January.

Overlooked by Ruben Amorim, the England midfielder earned a new five-year contract this week and celebrated in style with a cool finish from the edge of the box to edge a wild encounter.

Third-placed United open up a six-point lead over Liverpool and are guaranteed to finish in the top five.

Despite an 11th league defeat of the season, Liverpool likely need only three points from their three remaining games to also secure a place in the Champions League.

Slot's side arrived at Old Trafford depleted without the forward trio of Mohamed Salah, Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak through injury.

United sensed blood and were well worthy of their early two-goal lead.

Cunha was afforded two chances to find his range from the edge of the box to open the scoring.

The Brazilian's strike flicked off Alexis MacAllister to give Liverpool's third-choice goalkeeper Freddie Woodman no chance.

The waves of United attack kept coming and Sesko appealed for a penalty after failing to beat Woodman from Bruno Fernandes' precise pass.

Seconds later the Slovenian bundled the ball over the line from Fernandes' header back across goal.

Fernandes was inches away from a third when he blasted Bryan Mbeumo's cross wide.

But the warning signs of what was to come in the second half for United were also there before the break.

Gakpo curled wide on one of the many occasions Liverpool were able to pierce the heart of the Red Devils' midfield.

Sesko was replaced by Amad Diallo at half-time and the Ivorian almost immediately gifted Liverpool a route back into the game.

Szoboszlai pounced on Amad's loose pass and ran from inside his own half unopposed before slotting into the bottom corner.

United were architects of their own downfall again for the equaliser.

This time goalkeeper Senne Lammens' pass was picked off by Mac Allister, who fed Szoboszlai and the Hungarian coolly teed up Gakpo for a tap in.

The unusually low stakes for a game between these clubs showed as both threw caution to the wind in search of a winner.

The home side got it when a poor clearance from MacAllister broke kindly for the charging Mainoo to steer into the bottom corner.

United's first league double over Liverpool since the 2015-16 season completes a remarkable turnaround in the two sides' fortunes from a year ago.

Liverpool finished 14 places and 42 points ahead of their rivals on their way to equalling United's record of 20 English top-flight titles last season.

Carrick has also beaten Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea in his short reign and now delivered his primary goal with the riches of the Champions League to make his case hard to ignore.

kca/gj

An outbreak of "severe acute respiratory illness" on board a cruise ship in the Atlantic has left at least two people dead, with a third in intensive care in Johannesburg, South Africa's health ministry told AFP on Sunday.

The outbreak occurred on the MV Hondius, travelling from Ushuaia in Argentina to Cape Verde. 

The patient being treated in Johannesburg tested positive for a hantavirus, a family of viruses that can cause hemorrhagic fever, South African spokesperson Foster Mohale said.

Hanaviruses are spread by rodents, in particular contact with their urine, droppings and saliva, according to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

“WHO is aware of the cases of severe acute respiratory illness on a cruise ship sailing in the Atlantic," the World Health Organization (WHO) told AFP in Geneva.

"Investigations and a coordinated international public health response is underway. We will share more information as it becomes available.”

A source close to the case speaking on condition of anonymity said the provisional toll was three dead, including a Dutch couple.

- Husband and wife -

The first person to develop symptoms was a 70-year-old passenger. He died on board the ship and his body was currently on the island of Saint Helena, a British territory in the South Atlantic, Mohale the South African spokesman said. 

His 69-year-old wife also fell ill on board and was evacuated to South Africa, where she died in a Johannesburg hospital, he said, adding that they were not yet able to confirm the victims’ nationalities. 

The third case, a 69-year-old Briton, was also evacuated to Johannesburg, where he was being treated in intensive care.

Discussions were under way to decide whether two other sick passengers should be placed in isolation in hospital in Cape Verde, after which the ship would continue to Spain's Canary Islands, the anonymous source said.

The MV Hondius is listed as a polar cruise ship on the websites of several travel agencies. It is operated by a Dutch-based tour company, Oceanwide Expeditions.

One of the cruises offers an itinerary departing from Ushuaia for Cape Verde, with stops in the islands of South Georgia and Saint Helena. 

According to several online ship-tracking sites, the MV Hondius was just off the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, on Sunday.

The vessel can accommodate around 170 passengers and has some 70 crew members. 

Humans can catch hantaviruses from contact with infected mice or rats or their droppings, or being bitten or inhaling contaminated dust.

There are multiple types of hantaviruses in different parts of the world, with different symptoms.

AFP contacted the cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions but has not yet had a reply.

fal-apo/pdw/rmb