The International Olympic Committee on March 26-27, 2026 adopted a new eligibility policy that limits participation in female‑category events at IOC competitions to “biological females” determined by a one‑time SRY gene screen. The rule, announced by IOC president Kirsty Coventry, will apply from the Los Angeles 2028 Games and covers individual and team sports. Athletes who test SRY‑positive would be ineligible for the female category, with narrow exceptions for rare conditions such as complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS). The IOC said the decision was based on medical expert advice and designed to protect fairness and safety; it noted testing can be done by saliva, cheek swab or blood sample. The move prompted immediate international reaction: U.S. President Donald Trump and several conservative figures welcomed it, while human‑rights groups, many scientists and France’s sports minister called it a “step backwards,” citing ethical, legal and scientific concerns and potential conflicts with national bioethics laws. National Olympic committees in New Zealand and Australia signalled they will implement the policy with care. Observers expect legal challenges, including at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and debate over testing logistics, costs, privacy and impacts on intersex athletes and grassroots sport.

England kicked off World Cup warm-up preparations at Wembley on March 27, 2026, in a 35-man experimental friendly against Uruguay that combined squad auditions with controversy. Thomas Tuchel rested 11 established starters — including Harry Kane, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka — while giving debuts to Everton’s James Garner and Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford. Arsenal’s Ben White was recalled to replace the injured Jarell Quansah; White, who left England’s 2022 World Cup camp, was urged by Tuchel to “clear the air” with teammates. Real Madrid full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold was conspicuously omitted from the selection and posted “Real Madrid and nothing else,” prompting public debate and criticism from former England captain Wayne Rooney. On the pitch Uruguay defender Joaquín Piquerez suffered a stretchered ankle injury early and was replaced by José María Giménez, who took the captain’s armband. England debuted their new 2026 Nike away kit for the match, broadcast widely across free-to-air and streaming services. Tuchel defended his tactical, intensity-focused selections and said late decisions would shape his final World Cup squad for the summer tournament in North America.

SUZUKA, Japan, March 28 (Reuters) - Nineteen-year-old Kimi Antonelli secured pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix with a 1:28.778 lap as Mercedes completed a front-row lockout for a third consecutive event, teammate George Russell lining up second. The result is Antonelli’s second straight pole and follows his maiden win in China two weeks ago; Russell leads the drivers’ standings by four points. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri qualified third with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc fourth, Lando Norris fifth and Lewis Hamilton sixth. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was knocked out in Q2 and will start 11th after describing his car as “undriveable”; team-mate Isack Hadjar reached Q3 and starts eighth. Mercedes also topped final practice on Saturday, underlining their early-season superiority under the 2026 technical regulations. Several media outlets reported Verstappen saying he is “beyond frustrated” and hinting at personal questions over his future after an on‑track and off‑track difficult week that included ejecting a journalist from a press session.

Iran-linked hackers claiming the Handala Hack Team said on March 27 they accessed FBI Director Kash Patel’s personal Gmail account and published photographs, a resume and a sample of more than 300 emails online. U.S. officials including the Justice Department and Reuters confirmed the account was compromised; the FBI said the material appears historical and contains no government information and that it has mitigated risks. The Justice Department had seized four domains tied to Handala on March 19 and the State Department is offering up to $10 million through its Rewards for Justice programme for information about the group. Western cyber researchers and U.S. prosecutors have previously tied Handala to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security and to recent intrusions, including a March attack on medical‑technology firm Stryker. Independent checks by outlets including TechCrunch verified cryptographic email headers for some messages, though the full scope and timing of the breach remain under review. Handala framed the leak as retaliation for the domain seizures and dedicated it to recent naval losses, underscoring cyber operations as part of the wider U.S.–Iran confrontation.

The International Olympic Committee on March 26 adopted a new eligibility policy that will bar transgender women and many athletes with differences of sex development (DSD) from competing in women’s events at IOC competitions, effective from the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Eligibility for the female category will be decided by a one‑time SRY gene screening obtained by saliva, cheek swab or blood sample; athletes who test positive for the SRY gene will be ineligible for female events except in rare, specified medical cases such as complete androgen insensitivity syndrome. The IOC said the decision, led by a working group of medical experts, protects fairness, safety and integrity in female sport and is not retroactive and does not apply to grassroots sport. The move has drawn sharply divided reaction: conservative politicians and commentators welcomed it, while human rights groups, some scientists and governments — notably France, which says the tests would breach national bioethics law — criticised it as scientifically flawed, invasive and discriminatory. International federations are expected to adopt similar rules, and legal challenges, including at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, are anticipated.

Noelia Castillo, 25, died by euthanasia at a medical facility near Barcelona on 26 March after a nearly two-year legal battle with her father and conservative campaign group Abogados Cristianos. Castillo, who was left paraplegic and in chronic pain after a 2022 suicide attempt following sexual assaults, had her application approved in July 2024 by Catalonia’s Guarantee and Evaluation Commission. Her father challenged the decision in a series of Spanish courts and sought interim measures at the European Court of Human Rights; the appeals were ultimately rejected. Local reporting says Castillo received a series of injections administered by a doctor and asked to be alone during the procedure. Her case reignited public debate in Spain over the 2021 euthanasia law, with the Catholic Church and conservative politicians criticising the outcome while disability and patient-rights groups called for better care and safeguards. Spain’s health ministry data show more than 1,100 people had accessed assisted dying between 2021 and the end of 2024.