US approves $24.3bn sale of 48 F-35 jets to Saudi Arabia
US approves a $24.3bn sale of 48 F-35 stealth jets to Saudi Arabia amid Iran war and concerns over Israel and China.
The concluding round of the 2026 World Rally Championship (WRC) has been relocated from Saudi Arabia to Italy due to ongoing unrest and uncertainty in the Middle East. Originally scheduled for Jeddah from November 11-14, the rally will now conclude in Sardinia from October 1-4. Rally Saudi Arabia will still occur on its initial dates but will now be part of the Middle East Rally Championship rather than the WRC calendar.
The FIA president, Mohammed ben Sulayem, stated that the Saudi Arabian organizers had explored every option to keep the event as a WRC round. However, due to the continuous regional developments, the WRC segment of Rally Saudi Arabia will not proceed this year. Despite this decision, the FIA maintains confidence in the rally's future and plans to bring the championship back in 2027.
This move adds more uncertainty to the title race, currently led by Great Britain's Elfyn Evans, who is 17 points ahead of Finland's Sami Pajari with 35 points remaining in Sardinia. The decision comes amid various conflicts in the region, including the Israel-Gaza war, Israel's conflict with the United States and Iran, and Saudi Arabia's ongoing confrontation with Houthi rebels in Yemen.
In a similar situation, the FIA had earlier cancelled the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Formula One races in April, with the Bahrain event subsequently moved to Malaysia, while the Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix remain on the calendar.
Written by urgent.news from The National UAE's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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