Germany playmaker Mesut Ozil announced he wants to see out his playing career with Real Madrid.

Ozil told German magazine Kicker that "I want to finish my career at Real Madrid," and that while he knows Real will continue signing world-class players he wants "to be part of that future."

Flying in the cup competitions and challenging for a top-four finish in the Premier League, Liverpool is a team brimming with confidence ahead of the long-awaited return of Luis Suarez for Monday's match against Tottenham at Anfield.

The Uruguay striker was sorely missed initially while he served an eight-match ban for racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra, with Andy Carroll struggling to step up as Suarez's replacement.

Russia will not stop selling arms to Syria, a top defense official said Thursday, as Moscow stands by its longtime ally despite mounting international condemnation over the Syrian regime's bloody crackdown on a 10-month-old uprising.

Russia's Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said his country is not violating any international obligations by selling weapons to Damascus.

A Malaysian group representing villagers and civil groups will file a legal challenge to the government's decision to approve a $230 million rare earths plant by Australian miner Lynas Corp., a lawmaker said Thursday.

The Atomic Energy Licensing Board announced late Wednesday it would grant Lynas a license to operate the first rare earths plant outside China in years, despite public protests over fears of radioactive pollution.

Lionel Messi missed a penalty on Wednesday as Barcelona was held to a 1-1 draw at Valencia in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals.

Brazilian goalkeeper Diego Alves dived to his left to stop Messi's 56th-minute spot kick after Barcelona midfielder Thiago Alcantara had been fouled inside the area.

Figuring out how to pack a processor and other sophisticated equipment into a machine gun bullet has been a challenge, but engineers at Sandia National Laboratories say the miniature guidance system they've developed is a breakthrough.

A bullet that directs itself like a tiny guided missile and can hit a target more than a mile away has the potential to change the battlefield for soldiers without costing too much, engineers said Wednesday.

Former world champions Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton have unveiled the new McLaren Formula One car they hope will end Red Bull's dominance.

Button finished second and Hamilton fifth last season as the championship was dominated by Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel for a second successive year.

Oil prices hovered below $99 a barrel Wednesday in Asia as investors eyed a jump in U.S. crude inventories and signs of sluggish economic growth.

Benchmark crude for March delivery was up 15 cents at $98.63 a barrel at late afternoon Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 30 cents to settle at $98.48 on Tuesday.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has presented parliament a draft budget that would cut government spending by 5.6 percent while allocating more money for development projects.

The $416 billion budget, unveiled Wednesday, is about 5 percent less than the previous year's budget, and comes at a time when Iran is facing mounting international sanctions and isolation over its controversial nuclear program. Iran disputes the West's claim that the program is aimed at producing weapons.

Airport authorities in the Emirati capital have been cleared to begin building a futuristic airport terminal that will house fast-growing Etihad Airways.

State-run Abu Dhabi Airports Company said Wednesday it hopes to begin construction on the planned Midfield Terminal Complex between April and June after getting approval from the emirate's Executive Council.