Four-time champion Iga Swiatek progressed to the last 16 of the French Open on Friday with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Magda Linette in an all-Polish encounter.
US Vice President JD Vance said Washington and Tehran are close to agreeing a deal to extend their ceasefire in the Middle East war, but the potential breakthrough still hangs on President Donald Trump's approval.
France defender Ibrahima Konate is to leave Liverpool when his contract expires next month after failing to agree a new deal, according to multiple reports in the British media on Friday.
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Sports
Argentina are contenders to successfully defend their World Cup crown but their chances will be undermined if coach Lionel Scaloni relies too much on the players who triumphed four years ago, Argentine great Daniel Bertoni told AFP.
May 29, 2026
RECENT NEWS
WHO chief in capital of Ebola-hit DR Congo
Politics
May 29, 2026
- Azmoun: Iran's absent talisman unafraid of controversy
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Global betting revenue for the upcoming World Cup is likely to be "in excess of $50 billion", betting expert Darren Small told AFP, for an event he labelled "the biggest circus in town."
May 29, 2026
RECENT NEWS
Bordeaux-Begles' Fiji winger Salesi Rayasi says claiming a French Top 14 and Champions Cup double will be a challenge before they head to Toulon in the league on Sunday.
May 29, 2026
Arsenal seek to finally conquer Europe by wresting the Champions League crown from holders Paris Saint-Germain, who are themselves targeting back-to-back titles in Budapest on Saturday.
May 29, 2026
Holders Argentina arrive at the World Cup aiming to become the first team in more than half a century to successfully defend their title.
May 29, 2026
Sports
Erling Haaland propelled Norway back to the World Cup for the first time in 28 years and spearheads a golden generation ready to thrive on the global stage.
May 29, 2026
RECENT NEWS
After a remarkable 14-year spell in charge capped by one World Cup triumph and another run to the final, Didier Deschamps is hoping to go out on a high as he gets ready to step down as France coach following the upcoming tournament in North America.
Winners in 2018 and runners-up in 2022, France arrive at this World Cup as one of the leading contenders, but the planet's top-ranked team face stiff tests against Senegal and Norway in Group I, which also features outsiders Iraq.
With Jannik Sinner's shock French Open exit blowing the men's draw wide open, Novak Djokovic will look to pounce on the opportunity in his pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam title.
Lionel Messi will turn 39 during the upcoming World Cup and could have been forgiven for quitting international football after leading Argentina to glory in Qatar in 2022, but he remains his country's talisman as they aim to retain the trophy in North America.
May 29, 2026
Sports
Thirty-two years after overseeing the hugely successful 1994 World Cup – the tournament that forced America to take football seriously – Alan Rothenberg believes soccer is firmly on track to replace the NFL as the most popular sport in the United States.
May 29, 2026
RECENT NEWS
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket exploded during a test Thursday on the launch pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida, though officials said no injuries were reported from the incident.
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth is the headline speaker at Asia's premier defence summit opening Friday, but China's top officials aren't expected despite weighty questions like Taiwan and the war in Iran.
For years, 36-year-old Ukrainian artist Olena Kharakhulakh had put her art on hold, choosing instead a steady job designing glass objects for a company.
Her mum thought she was a "weird kid" when she wanted to study art, she forged a path for black women in mixed martial arts and her family was at the centre of an alien mystery.
May 29, 2026
- Japan bans photos at beach volleyball after 'malicious' pictures
- Japan population sees record five-year drop: census
- 'Robots need clothes': humanoids hit catwalk in Seoul
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- Asia stocks surge, oil falls on hopes of US-Iran truce deal
- Canadian who sold poison for suicides to plead guilty