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Brazil star Neymar is on course to shake off a calf strain and could even be ready for their opening match of the World Cup, coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Saturday.

Arafat Minhas became the first Pakistani to take five wickets on his one-day international debut as Pakistan spun Australia out for 200 in the first ODI in Rawalpindi on Saturday.

Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill on Saturday said he is not burdened by expectations of home fans and will make use of familiar conditions in the IPL final against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Ahmedabad.

Top seed Aryna Sabalenka and four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka on Saturday set up a blockbuster last-16 meeting at the French Open, while defending champion Coco Gauff seeks to join them in the second week.

Jonas Vingegaard is set to win the Giro d'Italia after showcasing his power in the mountains to win Saturday's penultimate stage and set up the first victory in what he hopes will be a Grand Tour double.

A damp towel hangs from a barred window, a fan churns the muggy air: Inmates at the overcrowded Villepinte prison outside Paris say enduring a heatwave that has stifled France in recent days in cramped cells is "inhumane".

World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka continued her pursuit of a first French Open title by easing past Daria Kasatkina 6-0, 7-5 in the French Open third round on Saturday.

Liverpool sacked manager Arne Slot on Saturday, saying the club were seeking a "change of direction", after a disastrous defence of their Premier League title.

Naomi Osaka continued to shine in the City of Light as she beat American teenager Iva Jovic 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, in the French Open third round on Saturday.

Israel launched strikes across south Lebanon Saturday after ordering evacuations from more than a dozen locations a day after its premier said Israeli forces had pushed even deeper into Lebanese territory.

Russian Diana Shnaider beat Ukrainian Oleksandra Oliynykova at the French Open on Saturday in a match overshadowed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Liverpool sacked manager Arne Slot on Saturday, saying the club were seeking a "change of direction", after a disastrous defence of their Premier League title.

UN health chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus landed on Saturday in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo province worst-hit by a severe Ebola outbreak, an AFP journalist saw.

Paraguayan tennis player Adolfo Daniel Vallejo apologised for the remarks he made about the woman umpire who officiated his second-round defeat at the French Open.

Liverpool sacked head coach Arne Slot on Saturday after a disastrous defence of their Premier League title.

Marco Bezzecchi took pole position for the Italian MotoGP on Saturday after breaking the lap record at Mugello and strengthening his bid for a first world title.

Israel's military issued evacuation warnings on Saturday for residents of seven villages in southern Lebanon, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces had pushed deeper into the country.

France's favourite intellectual Edgar Morin, a World War II Resistance member who dedicated his life to promoting critical thinking and combatting intolerance, has died at the age of 104, his wife said Saturday.

Virat Kohli and Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be eyeing their second straight IPL title against an upbeat Gujarat Titans in the final at the 130,000-capacity Ahmedabad stadium on Sunday.

Fired in 2011 from Hungarian state media forprotesting government meddling in news programmes, Aranka Szavuly is eager to return to work as a journalist, but says significant reforms are needed after 16 years of nationalist Viktor Orban's rule.

The United States warned on Saturday it was "more than capable" of resuming war with Iran after President Donald Trump said any peace deal must adhere to his red lines, including Tehran never being able to develop nuclear weapons.

Wary of being vulnerable to the whims of foreign governments, the European Union is preparing far-reaching new moves to ditch American digital companies and Chinese chips in favour of European alternatives.

Teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been the toast of the cricket world in a stunning IPL season for Rajasthan Royals -- and coach Kumar Sangakkara says the 15-year-old is ready to represent India.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth struck a measured tone towards China at a major defence forum on Saturday, noting "rightful alarm" over Beijing's military build-up but saying the United States sought a "stable equilibrium" in Asia.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday his country's forces had pushed deeper into Lebanon, even as military delegations from both countries held landmark security talks in Washington.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth struck a comparatively soft tone towards China at a major defence forum on Saturday, saying there was "rightful alarm" over Beijing's military build-up but the United States sought a "respectful" regional balance.

Senior US and Cuban military officers met on Friday at Guantanamo Bay, the US base on the communist island, as relations between the two countries deteriorate over President Donald Trump's threatened takeover.

Harry Kane is the ultimate specialist in Thomas Tuchel's England squad of World Cup "specialists" -- a man who has taken the art of goalscoring to rarefied heights.

Cristiano Ronaldo heads to a record sixth World Cup blessed with a prodigiously talented group of team-mates as Portugal target glory for the first time on the global stage.

For some, Cristiano Ronaldo remains the essential spearhead for Portugal's 2026 World Cup bid, while others believe his presence will prevent Roberto Martinez's strong side from flourishing.

Antoine Semenyo is set for his second World Cup with Ghana, this time as an established Premier League forward, but he came close to abandoning his dream of becoming a professional footballer.

Thomas Tuchel is not shy about stating England's ambition to win the World Cup, with his team strongly fancied to progress from Group L, which includes old foes Croatia.