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Swiss ski star Marco Odermatt swept up his fourth consecutive World Cup overall and giant slalom crystal globes after finishing second on Saturday behind compatriot Loic Meillard in Hafjell.

Telegram founder Pavel Durov has been allowed to temporarily leave France, where he is charged with multiple infractions linked to allegedly enabling organised crime, sources told AFP.

Pope Francis is receiving "thousands" of letters a day from around the world as he slowly recovers from pneumonia in a Rome hospital, said Italy's postal service.

Denmark's Paris-Nice hope Mattias Skjelmose quit the race in an ambulance after hitting a traffic island at full speed on Saturday.

Hansi Flick warned his Barcelona stars they need to focus to avoid crumbling against Atletico Madrid on Sunday in La Liga as they have in their previous two meetings this season.

Swiss skier Marco Odermatt won a fourth consecutive World Cup overall crystal globe on Saturday by finishing second in the giant slalom in Hafjell behind compatriot Loic Meillard.

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky denied Saturday his troops were encircled in Russia's Kursk region, where Moscow has regained swathes of land this week, as Russia said it took back two more villages in the border region.

Shohei Ohtani fever in Tokyo reached boiling point Saturday as the Japanese baseball superstar hit a home run in his first game in a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform in his home country.

Shohei Ohtani fever in Tokyo reached boiling point Saturday as the Japanese baseball superstar hit a home run in his first game in a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform in his home country.

French prosecutors said Saturday they had opened a manslaughter investigation against energy giant TotalEnergies following a bloody 2021 jihadist attack in Mozambique.

UK premier Keir Starmer said Saturday Russian President Vladimir Putin would "sooner or later" have to "come to the table" as he opened a virtual summit to drum up support for a coalition willing to protect any eventual ceasefire in Ukraine.

SpaceX founder Elon Musk said Saturday its massive Starship rocket would leave for Mars at the end of 2026 with Tesla humanoid robot Optimus onboard, adding that human landings could follow "as soon as 2029."

World champion Max Verstappen admitted he was "surprised" after qualifying third fastest for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix Saturday, but said he was feeling increasingly confident.

Lando Norris hailed the "perfect way" to start the year Saturday after securing pole at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, but said he was cautious about forecast wet weather for the race.

The US decision to expel South Africa's ambassador was "regrettable," the office of the South African president said Saturday, after Washington's top diplomat accused the envoy of hating America and President Donald Trump.

Lando Norris clinched pole position on Saturday for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri as McLaren fired a warning shot to their rivals.

Despite the risks from deadly armed groups roaming the countryside, Judith Kahindo walks alone every day to her isolated cocoa plantation in the war-torn North Kivu region of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Sri Lanka carried out a nationwide census Saturday of nuisance wildlife, including monkeys and peacocks, in a bid to prepare countermeasures to protect crops, officials said.

The Cleveland Cavaliers romped to a franchise record 16th straight victory on Friday, beating the Memphis Grizzlies 133-124 to extend their lead at the top of the Eastern Conference.

Aryna Sabalenka avenged her Australian Open loss to Madison Keys on Friday, thrashing the American 6-0, 6-1 to book an Indian Wells title showdown with teen sensation Mirra Andreeva.

Cuba suffered a general blackout on Friday caused by a crash of its national electricity grid, officials said, the fourth major power outage on the cash-strapped communist island in five months.

McLaren's Oscar Piastri edged Mercedes' George Russell in an ultra-competitive third and final practice for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Saturday, with Lewis Hamilton eighth in his Ferrari.

World number one Aryna Sabalenka overwhelmed Madison Keys 6-0, 6-1 to reach the Indian Wells WTA 1000 final on Friday, avenging her loss to the fifth-ranked American in the Australian Open final.

Haiti's lawless capital Port-au-Prince was in the grip of a new wave of gang violence on Friday, according to an AFP correspondent on the ground, as more families fled their homes.

UK premier Keir Starmer will prod fellow leaders Saturday to sign up to a coalition willing to protect any eventual ceasefire in Ukraine, having said Russian President Vladimir Putin was "not serious about peace".

Cuba suffered a general blackout on Friday caused by a crash of its national electricity grid, officials said, the latest major power outage in the island country.

France head into Saturday's final round of the Six Nations knowing the title is theirs to lose.

Arrested for sexually harassing a Bangladeshi university student, Asif Sardar Arnab was soon released -- greeted by a cheering crowd who presented him with flower garlands and a Koran.

The Unification Church has come under intense scrutiny in Japan since a former prime minister was assassinated, but it could soon fall even further from grace.

Russian teen Mirra Andreeva ended defending champion Iga Swiatek's bid for an unprecedented third Indian Wells women's title, toppling the world number two 7-6 (7/1), 1-6, 6-3 on Friday to reach the final.

Liverpool can win the first trophy of the Arne Slot era in Sunday's League Cup final against a Newcastle side desperate to end the club's 56-year wait for major silverware.

Formula One boss Stefano Domenicali will travel to Bangkok next week following the Australian Grand Prix for talks over a potential race in the Thai capital, he told Sky Sports.