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Otago Highlanders back Connor Garden-Bachop has died aged 25 after an unspecified "medical event", New Zealand Rugby said on Tuesday.

Australia voiced concern Tuesday about the "ham-fisted" actions of two Chinese diplomats at a press event, tarnishing a highly touted visit in which Premier Li Qiang has sought to celebrate trade and friendship.

Jaylen Brown was named NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Monday as his Boston Celtics polished off the Dallas Mavericks four games to one to earn a record 18th championship.

Croatia will be aiming to get their Euro 2024 campaign back on track against Albania on Wednesday, with their 'golden generation' in danger of a disappointing farewell from the top level following a humbling loss to Spain.

Thai prosecutors on Tuesday formally indicted influential former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra under the kingdom's strict royal insult laws over comments he made nearly a decade ago.

Hong Kong's stock exchange will continue trading through typhoons and heavy storms from September, the city's leader announced Tuesday.

Jayson Tatum produced a dazzling 31-point display as the Boston Celtics dominated the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 to clinch a record-breaking 18th NBA championship crown on Monday.

When Bae Jin-soo quit his well-paying job at one of South Korea's biggest conglomerates to write stories, his parents were so upset they kicked him out of the house.

Asian equities rallied Tuesday, tracking another tech-driven record on Wall Street, while investors awaited fresh US economic data to get a better handle on the outlook for inflation.

Thai lawmakers met Tuesday to vote on legalising same-sex marriage, putting the kingdom on the cusp of becoming the first Southeast Asian nation to recognise marriage equality.

Nicholas Pooran was run out agonisingly short of a maiden T20 World Cup hundred in propelling the West Indies to 218-5 against Afghanistan on Monday, the highest total at the tournament.

With a combined age of 106, Germany's three remaining 2014 World Cup winners Manuel Neuer, Thomas Mueller and Toni Kroos are leading the hosts' charge for Euro 2024 glory.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called for flexibility and speed in combatting criminal organizations that are deforesting the Amazon, as he signed a measure Monday to expand security in the region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday hailed North Korea for "firmly supporting" Moscow's war in Ukraine ahead of a visit to Pyongyang set to boost defence ties between the two nuclear-armed countries.

Lilly King and Ryan Murphy are bound for their third straight Olympics after victories Monday at the US Olympic swimming trials, where Katie Ledecky expanded her options for her fourth consecutive Games in Paris.

Uruguayan prosecutors have dropped an investigation into football coach Ricardo Caruso Lombardi, who quit his club last month amid accusations he had hurled a racial slur at a referee, a judicial source told AFP on Monday.

Music legend Celine Dion vowed Monday her "passion as a performer will never disappear," despite health struggles she says are still just a small part of her monumental story.

The governor of the US state of Maryland issued a mass pardon of drug offenses on Monday, in a far-reaching move forgiving 175,000 low-level marijuana convictions across multiple decades.

Former Otago Highlanders back Connor Garden-Bachop has died aged 25 after an unspecified "medical event", New Zealand Rugby said Tuesday.

EU leaders punted their final decision on the bloc's top jobs to an end-of-June summit Monday, but the contours of a deal returning Ursula von der Leyen as European Commission chief were apparent following their talks in Brussels.

Thirty-seven political and social activists have been detained in Venezuela in the runup to July 28 elections in which Nicolas Maduro will seek a third, consecutive presidential term, opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said Monday.

The White House on Monday criticized Republicans for spreading videos purported to show President Joe Biden's mental and physical decline, saying the images had been deceptively cut and manipulated.

Rory McIlroy said Monday he plans to take a break from golf after describing his epic US Open collapse as probably the "toughest" day of his professional career.

France captain Kylian Mbappe broke his nose during his side's 1-0 win over Austria at Euro 2024 on Monday, a source close to the player told AFP.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday praised North Korea for "firmly supporting" Moscow's war in Ukraine ahead of his visit to Pyongyang aimed at boosting ties between the nuclear-armed allies.

Kylian Mbappe came off late on with a broken nose as France edged Austria 1-0 in their opening game at Euro 2024 on Monday, after Slovakia inflicted a surprise 1-0 defeat on Belgium and Romania beat Ukraine.

France captain Kylian Mbappe broke his nose during his side's 1-0 win over Austria at Euro 2024, a source close to the player told AFP.

Maximilian Woeber's own goal was enough to give France a winning start to their Euro 2024 campaign on Monday as they edged Austria 1-0 in their opening game but Kylian Mbappe came off late on with a broken nose.

Thai lawmakers will vote Tuesday on legalising same-sex marriage, putting the kingdom on the cusp of becoming the first Southeast Asian nation to recognise marriage equality.

Rory McIlroy vowed on Monday to bounce back at next month's British Open after describing his epic US Open collapse as probably the "toughest" day of his professional career.

Reigning champion Jelena Ostapenko lost in the first round of the Birmingham WTA tour event on Monday as she went down in straight sets to Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto.

Wall Street stocks rallied to fresh records Monday behind enthusiasm over artificial intelligence, while European markets bounced despite political uncertainty in France.