UR MAG

NYON, Switzerland (AP) — UEFA still plans for Qatar to stage the Argentina vs. Spain game known as Finalissima this month even as the emirate is targeted by Iranian missiles in thewidening Middle East warstarted by Israel and the United States.

Iran-US-Sports

"At present, there are no alternative venues being considered," UEFA said on Thursday about the scheduled March 27 game in Doha between the reigning champions of South America and Europe in a likely matchup of Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal.

"A final decision is anticipated towards the end of next week," said the European soccer body which organizes the game with South American counterpart CONMEBOL.

Argentina and Spain are due to play at Lusail Stadium that staged theepic 2022 World Cup final. Argentina won a penalty shootout against France after Messi scored twice and Kylian Mbappé got a hat track in a thrilling 3-3 draw.

Qatar has close relations with UEFA. Its top soccer officialNasser Al-Khelaïfi,the president of Qatar-owned Paris Saint-Germain, is a member of the UEFA executive committee.

Advertisement

"Discussions are ongoing with the local organizers who have made a huge effort to make the match a success," UEFA said.

If Doha is too much of a security risk to host the game, it could be moved to Spain or elsewhere in Europe where nearly all the players in the two squads are based.

The first Finalissima was at Wembley Stadium in London in June 2022.Argentina and Messi beat Italy 3-0.

AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Trae Young plans to make his long-awaited debut for the Washington Wizards when they host the Utah Jazz on Thursday night.

Young made the announcement in a video posted to his Instagram account on Monday. He has not played for the Wizards since they acquired him in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 9.

The four-time NBA All-Star has been limited to just 10 games this season while dealing with knee and quad injuries. He's averaging 19.3 points and 8.9 assists per game and should offer an instant boost to Washington's offense.

Young will be on a minutes restriction against Utah, with the current plan being for him to play 17 to 20 minutes.

He already has made his presence known to his teammates after getting ejected during the Wizards' 123-118 loss to Houston on Monday. Young left the bench and walked onto the court to protest a no-call after Jamir Watkins got shoved by Houston's Tari Eason.

"Don't expect me to get ejected too many more times D.C.," Young said in a post to his X account. "But I'm definitely bringing that energy and competitiveness when I'm back for my brothers!"

Even while on the sidelines, Young has tried to play an active role in helping his team become better.

Washington ran its losing streak to six games following Tuesday's 126-109 setback to Orlando. But his efforts to coach up teammates from the bench and give them feedback have not gone unnoticed.

Advertisement

"He's talking to everybody in every timeout," Wizards coach Brian Keefe told The Athletic. "He sees so much. He has so much stuff to share. He's completely engaged in the whole game. So, I am not surprised that he stood up (for) his teammates. That's the type of guy he is, and we're lucky to have him."

Amid its own slump, Utah also has shown a competitive fire.

The Jazz have dropped seven straight games after losing 106-102 to Philadelphia on Wednesday night. Still, they have strung together numerous hard-fought contests going down to the wire in that stretch.

A 128-125 setback to the Denver Nuggets on Monday serves as a prime example.

Utah pushed the Nuggets for four quarters and actually took a 122-118 lead with 2:13 left after scoring on nine straight possessions. Keyonte George, who finished with 36 points, keyed the surge with four consecutive baskets and finished it off with a dunk off a steal.

George followed it up by leading Utah with 30 points against the 76ers on Wednesday. He made back-to-back 3-pointers to help the Jazz build a 100-94 lead with 4:51 left before Philadelphia closed the game on a 12-2 run.

Even with the postseason far out of reach, Utah is playing like a team that isn't thinking ahead to offseason vacation plans.

"We can play mind games a little bit," George told the Deseret News on Monday. "Try to trick ourselves into thinking that these last few games we're trying to find our rhythm as a team maybe going into the postseason."

--Field Level Media

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spain'sPedro Sánchezhas once again emerged as Europe's most consistently vocal critic of U.S. President Donald Trump, drawing his ire for refusing to allow the American military to stage operations for itsattacks on Iranfrom Spanish military bases.

Trump lashed out at the Spanish prime minister on Tuesday, saying he would "cut off all trade with Spain" in retaliation for the affront. The spat intensified the next day when Spain's foreign ministercontradicted a claim by the White House press secretarythat Spain had heard Trump's message "loud and clear" and was cooperating with the U.S. military.

While denouncing the repressive regime in Tehran, Sánchez said he would not back a war that he said was an unjustified assault.

"We are not going to be complicit in something that is bad for the world and is also contrary to our values and interests, just out of fear of reprisals from someone," Sánchez said, using the slogan "No to the war" in a speech this week.

The tussle over the Spanish military bases is likely more a diplomatic question that one of military consequence. The U.S. has bases across Europe and the Middle East, and other European countries have agreed to cooperate.

Madrid and Washington have had stable, friendly and mostly low-key relations for decades, starting in the 20th century when the U.S. began sharing military bases with Spain when the latter was still under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco.

Sánchez, 54,first took powerin 2018 and is one of Europe's most prominent left-leaning leaders.

He has stuck by the pillars of progressive politics, defending feminism, authorized immigration, human rights, the rules-based international order and the importance of climate change — all topics that have become punching bags of Trump's MAGA movement and far-right politicians in many European neighbors.

Even before the Iran war, Sánchez has stood out as an ideological rival to Trump on a number of issues.

Calls for peace in Gaza

Sánchez has been among the mostvocal critics of Israel's military actionin Gaza. He has consistently criticized the massive civilian causalities from Israel's campaign following Hamas' surprise attack on Israeli territory in 2023.

Advertisement

"This is not self-defense, it's not even an attack — it's the extermination of a defenseless people," he said, while touring Europe and the Middle East to try to broker a peace deal.

No to more defense spending

Among NATO members, Spain was the only country to refuse to agreeto commit to increasing military spending to 5% of gross domestic product. Sánchez secured a last-minute exemption in a NATO meeting last year, saying thatSpain will only spend up to 2.1%, which he called "sufficient and realistic."

Trump responded by floating the idea that Spain should be kicked out of the military bloc. That has so far remained a veiled threat.

Bucking the anti-immigrant trend

While many European countries raised barriers at their borders and the Trump administration broadened an immigrant crackdown in the U.S., Spain is in the process of granting work and residency permits to half a million foreigners already in Spain.

Sánchez has pointedly alluded to Trump as he extolled the benefits of migration for the country'sstrong economy.

"MAGA-style leaders may say that our country can't handle taking in so many migrants — that this is a suicidal move, the desperate act of a collapsing country," he wrote in a recent New York Times op-ed. "But don't let them fool you. Spain is booming."

Against the Tech Bros

Under Sánchez, Spain has joined countries like Australia and France in trying to curb the use of social media among younger teens. That's in direct contrast to the Trump administration's embrace of Big Tech companies and what they consider the defense of the freedom of speech on social media.

Elon Musk, X's owner, lashed out at the Spanish leader last month, calling Sánchez "the true fascist totalitarian" after he announced a plan toprohibit under 16-year-oldsfrom accessing social media accounts.

AP journalist Suman Naishadham contributed from Madrid.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran launched a new wave of attacks Thursday morning at Israel, American bases and countries around the region, threatening that the United States would "bitterly regret" torpedoingan Iranian warshipin the Indian Ocean and calling for "Trump's blood," while Israel said it hit multiple targets in Iran.

APTOPIX Iran US Israel

Israel announced multiple incoming missile attacks and air sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Iranian state television said additional strikes also targeted U.S. bases.

The Israeli military said it had hit 80 targets in Lebanon linked to the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group over the past 24 hours and that a wave of strikes on Iran had hit long range ballistic missile launch sites and other targets.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the U.S. Navy of committing an "an atrocity at sea" for sinking the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean, which killed at least 87 Iranian sailors.

"Mark my words: The U.S. will come to bitterly regret (the) precedent it has set," he said on social media.

Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi Amoli, in one of the few clerical statements so far from Iran, later called on state television for the shedding of both Israeli and "Trump's blood."

"Fight the oppressive America, his blood is on my shoulders,'" he said in a rare call for violence from an ayatollah, one of the highest ranks within the clergy of Shiite Islam.

The U.S. and Israel launched the war Saturday, targeting Iran's leadership and killingIranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as hitting its missile arsenal and nuclear facilities. Leaders have suggested toppling the government is a goal, but the exact aims and timelines have repeatedly shifted, signaling an open-ended conflict.

The war has killed more than 1,000 people in Iran, more than 70 in Lebanon and around a dozen in Israel, according to officials in those countries. It has disrupted the supply of the world's oil and gas, snarled international shipping and stranded hundreds of thousands of travelers in the Middle East.

Threats expanding across the Middle East

A drone crashed Thursday near the airport in Nakhchivan, an Azerbaijan exclave bordering the north of Iran that is separated from the rest of the country by Armenia. Another drone fell near a school and two civilians were injured, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said.

Iran has not acknowledged targeting Azerbaijan, but its attacks since the start of the war have spread erratically and involved regional countries and beyond.

Qatar evacuated residents near the U.S. Embassy in Doha as a temporary precaution Thursday and later reported a missile attack on the city. Saudi Arabia said it destroyed a drone in its province bordering Jordan.

A tanker apparently came under attack off the coast of Kuwait early Thursday, expanding the area where commercial shipping was in danger, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center run by the British military. It said there was an explosion but did not offfer a cause. Iran in the past has attacked ships by attaching limpet mines to them.

Advertisement

Prior attacks since fighting began Saturday have happened in the Gulf of Oman and theStrait of Hormuz, which connects it to thePersian Gulfand through which about a fifth of the world's oil is shipped.

U.S. stocks reboundedWednesday after oil prices stopped spiking and reports gave encouraging updates on the American economy. But oil prices resumed their ascent early Thursday and Brent crude, the international standard, is now up some 15% from the start of the conflict as Iranian attacks have disruptedtraffic through the strait.

Iranian warship sunk on way home from multinational exercises

The Iranian ship sunk by the U.S. Navy was on its way back from participating in a February exercise hosted by the Indian navy. The U.S. Navy also participated in the same exercise with a P-8A Poseidon aircraft, which is employed for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare as well as surveillance and reconnaissance.

Sri Lankan authorities said 32 crew members were rescued, while its navy recovered 87 bodies.

Araghchi said it had been carrying "almost 130" crew.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed Wednesday that an American submarine had sunk the ship with a torpedo.

Israel says it hits more Hezbollah targets in Lebanon

U.S. and Israeli military officials say launches from Iran have declined as their attacks have taken out ballistic missiles, launchers and drones. Israel's Homefront Command announced it was easing restrictions that closed workplaces nationwide, which could reopen Thursday if there is a shelter nearby. Schools would remain closed.

Still, explosions sounded early Thursday in Israel, which said its defensive systems were moving to intercept at least three waves of Iranian missiles.

At least 1,045 people have been killed in Iran, the country's Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs said Wednesday. Eleven people have died in Israel.Six U.S. troopshave been killed, including a major whose identity was released Wednesday.

Among the 80 targets in Lebanon that the Israel military said it hit over the past 24 hours were "several command centers" used by Hezbollah in Beirut. It showed video footage of a building being hit, but provided no further details.

Another eight people were killed in Lebanon, including two in a building struck by the Israeli military in the Beddawi refugee camp in the coastal city of Tripoli on Thursday and three on a coastal highway, authorities said. The Israeli military did not immediately say who it targeted in the strikes.

In two near-simultaneous Israeli drone strikes in Beirut's southern suburbs late Wednesday, two vehicles were hit, killing three people and wounding six, the health ministry said. The Israeli military said it targeted a Hezbollah member, adding that further details would follow.

Rising reported from Bangkok, Becatoros from Athens, Greece, and Magdy from Cairo. Associated Press writers Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut, Lebanon, Elaine Kurtenbach in Bangkok, Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, Julia Frankel in Jerusalem, Aida Sultanova in Baku, Azerbaijan, Dasha Litvinova in Tallinn, Estonia, and Giovanna Dell'Orto in Miami contributed to this report.

Spring fever, anyone?

Folks across the central, eastern and southern United States are about to experiencepotentially record warmthover the next week or so as temperatures skyrocket.

"Enjoy the springtime warmth − maybe even 'heat' − with temperatures pushing into the 80s for more than 100 million Americans over the next 7-10 days," said Weather Trader meteorologist Ryan Maue in an email to USA TODAY.

In an online forecast, AccuWeather senior meteorologist Matt Benz said "the pattern from late this week into the weekend will give tens of millions of people in parts of the Midwest and Northeast a serious case of spring fever."

This "false spring" will be short-lived, however, as another unwelcome visit from Old Man Winter − in the form ofthe dreaded polar vortex− is in the offing for later next week. "We will see (hopefully) winter's final Arctic blast move through the Lower 48 [in] middle March," Maue said.

Lightning, tornadoes and wild storms: Incredible weather photos

Is this a 'false spring?'

"This can be classified as a false spring coming up, especially from the central Plains to the East Coast," said AccuWeather meteorologist Paul Pastelok in an email to USA TODAY.

False spring is a period of unseasonably warm weather, which can trick us into thinking winter is over, according toHomes and Gardens.

But after a false spring, the temperatures can go back to seasonal averages, or even below average.

This can be frustrating for anyone, but can also cause problems for gardeners.

How does 'false spring' affect plants?

The warm temperatures can cause plants and flowers to start blooming weeks before they normally do, but the fresh leaves and blossoms can be damaged when temperatures plummet once more.

This happens because plants are adapted to survive freezing temperatures when they happen gradually and the plant has time to prepare, but not to temperatures that plummet in a day or two,according to the Urban Ecology Center.

How warm will it be?

"Temperature departures can range anywhere from 20-30 degrees above average, record levels in some areas, late this week into early next week, especially from the mid-Mississippi Valley to the Appalachians," Pastelok said.

Advertisement

The unseasonably warm temperatures will continue to make headlines through the remainder of the work week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration'sWeather Prediction Center said in an online forecast. "A broad area of well above-normal warmth is expected from Texas into the Southeast, with afternoon highs reaching the mid-70s to mid-80s."

The warmth will extend northward into the Mid-Atlantic and Ohio Valley, where highs in the upper 60s to upper 70s are anticipated, the Weather Prediction Center said.

One notable caveat involves a strong backdoor cold front expected to press southward from the Northeast, the Weather Prediction Center said. "This boundary may create a sharp temperature gradient from northern Virginia to New Jersey, with areas north and east of the front potentially much cooler.

"The broader Northeast is likely to remain on the chilly side, as low-to mid-level flow appears insufficient to fully dislodge the entrenched cool air mass."

Looming Arctic blast, courtesy of the polar vortex

Forecasters said the next major risk of Arctic air will not be until middle of next week.

"A couple of strong storms mid- and late next week can bring Arctic air into the Plains, Midwest and eventually the East," Pastelok said. "Temperatures [could] drop to 10-18 degrees below average."

Maue said that "by the middle of next week, the entire polar vortex shifts southward closer to the Canadian border with the potential for 'lobes' of cold Arctic air — even for mid-March — to sweep through the Lower 48."

When is the first day of spring?

Thefirst day of springdepends on who you ask.

Meteorological spring occurs during the months of March, April and May each year. So, for meteorologists predicting the weather, spring started on March 1, 2026.

But for those marking the change of the seasons by the celestial bodies in the sky, astronomical spring begins a little later. On March 20, 2026, when the sun is directly over the equator, also known as the vernal equinox, astronomical spring begins.

Contributing: Jana Hayes, The Oklahoman

Doyle Rice is a national correspondent for USA TODAY, focusing on weather and climate.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'False spring' is in the forecast, but polar vortex could soon return