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Ecuadorans headed to the polls Sunday in a presidential election tarnished by the murder of a top candidate, which cast a spotlight on the violence ravaging a once-peaceful nation caught up in the illicit global drug trade.

England captain Millie Bright said the Lionesses were left heartbroken by a 1-0 defeat to Spain in the Women's World Cup final on Sunday despite not being at their best in Sydney.

Spain's goalscoring hero Olga Carmona hailed her "unstoppable" side as they beat England 1-0 to win the Women's World Cup for the first time on Sunday in Sydney.

England fans watched the World Cup final against Spain on giant screens in parks with picnics, in packed local football clubhouses, and with early morning tea and coffee in pubs and bars.

Coach Jorge Vilda was derided as a control freak who was not up to the job, but he has now made history by taking Spain to their first Women's World Cup crown.

The crash landing on the Moon of Russia's Luna-25 probe is the latest twist in an international push to return to the Earth's natural satellite that has drawn in the world's top powers and new players.

Spain won the Women's World Cup for the first time in their history with skipper Olga Carmona sweeping in the only goal for a deserved 1-0 victory over England in Sunday's final.

Several thousand people demonstrated in the capital of Niger on Sunday in support of last month's military coup, whose leader has warned against outside intervention and proposed a three-year transition of power.

Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce ensured her quest for a sixth 100m title continued Sunday as a slew of world and Olympic champions safely negotiated heats at Budapest's National Athletics Centre.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in the Netherlands on Sunday aiming to strengthen his country's air power, a day after a "heinous" Russian missile strike killed seven people and wounded 148 in Chernihiv.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce's bid to equal pole vaulter Sergey Bubka's world championships record of six titles in one event got off to a smooth start on Sunday as she eased into the 100m semi-finals, timing 11.01sec.

The swimming stage of a triathlon in Paris's Seine River was cancelled on Sunday due to pollution, organisers announced, raising further questions about holding competitions there during the 2024 Olympics.

States across the typically arid US southwest braced on Sunday for torrential rain and potentially life-threatening flooding, as Hurricane Hilary barreled up Mexico's coast, where authorities reported at least one fatality.

Firefighters made gains in their battle against a vast wildfire on Tenerife on Sunday after better-than-expected overnight weather helped them keep the blaze from destroying homes on the Spanish holiday island, regional officials said.

The Luna-25 probe, Russia's first Moon mission in almost 50 years, has crashed on the Moon after an incident during pre-landing manoeuvres, Russian space agency Roscosmos said on Sunday.

Russia said it thwarted Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow and its region on Sunday, a day after a "heinous" missile strike killed seven people and wounded 148 in Ukraine's Chernihiv.

Saudi Arabia's extraordinary football expansion is a "long-term project" with strong government support, unlike the short-lived Chinese boom, a senior league official told AFP.

England and Spain are both bidding to win the Women's World Cup for a historic first time when they clash in a final Sunday that is too close to call.

With beaming smiles, their hair dyed a red ochre and adorned with a ceremonial headdress of ostrich feathers, the young Maasai men are busy taking selfies.

Just days before a national election to pick a president and lawmakers, one word is on the lips of most young Zimbabweans: "change".

Iranian police have arrested the head of a real estate agency after a viral video showed his firm selling an apartment to a dog, officials said on Sunday.

Shot put legend Ryan Crouser labelled the successful defence of his world title as "the best performance of his life" given at one point he was unsure he would even be able to get to Budapest due to blood clots in a calf.

Ecuadorans head to the polls Sunday in a presidential election tarnished by the murder of a top candidate, which cast a spotlight on the violence ravaging a once-peaceful nation caught up in the global drug trade.

Guatemalans head to the polls Sunday in a presidential runoff marked by the harassment of a surprise frontrunner, who has fired up voters with his promises to end the rot of corruption.

Frightening injuries sustained by Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback John Wolford and New England Patriots rookie Isaiah Bolden marred a pair of NFL pre-season games on Saturday.

States across the typically arid US southwest were racing Saturday to prepare for life-threatening flooding forecast as Hurricane Hilary approaches from Mexico, where damage and one death were reported.

Leaders of the BRICS emerging economies, which account for about a quarter of the world's wealth, meet in Johannesburg this week looking to widen the bloc's influence and push for a shift in global geopolitics.

On a riverbank in war-ravaged Syria's north, felling has reduced what was once a lush forest to dispersed trees and decimated trunks poking out from dry, crumbly soil.

Lionel Messi scored a screamer and won his first trophy in North American soccer as Inter Miami beat Nashville on penalties (10-9) after their final ended 1-1 in 90 minutes.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback John Wolford was stretchered off with a neck injury Saturday in a frightening moment in the Bucs' 13-6 NFL pre-season victory over the New York Jets.

Ian Burkhart looked down at his hand and imagined closing it. To his amazement, it closed.

As a rare form of Lou Gehrig's disease paralyses his body, Rodney Gorham hopes a pioneering link between his brain and a computer will help others after he is gone.