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Russian leader Vladimir Putin met with the commander of Moscow's Ukraine offensive in the Russian city Rostov-on-Don, the Kremlin said Saturday, in a rare trip close to combat zones.

Skipper Millie Bright said that England will need to play "the game of our lives" to beat Spain in Sunday's Women's World Cup final.

Elon Musk said Friday his social media company X would scrap a feature that allows users to block posts from specific accounts.

China held air and sea drills around Taiwan on Saturday, in what it said was a "stern warning" after the island's vice president visited the United States.

Coach Jorge Vilda repeatedly refused to comment on the eve of Sunday's Women's World Cup final about the turmoil between him and some Spanish players.

Stormy weather delayed the start of the World Athletics Championships in Budapest on Saturday.

China launched air and sea drills around Taiwan on Saturday, in what it said was a "stern warning" after the island's vice president visited the United States.

A Muslim cleric is among a dozen people being investigated for using mosque loudspeakers to order protests against alleged blasphemy by Christians which erupted into mob violence in Pakistan earlier this week, a senior police official said.

Former Australian Test captain Tim Paine has blasted England skipper Ben Stokes' decision to come out retirement for the World Cup as about "me, me, me".

Ivan Nesterov, a well-built fitness trainer, came back to Russia six months after fleeing the mobilisation that propped up Russian forces fighting in Ukraine last fall.

Crystal Sangris barely slept for three days as wildfires threatened her hometown in northern Canada, and when she was ordered to evacuate, her anxiety turned to anguish.

Australia's basketball World Cup hopes suffered a setback Saturday with the Houston Rockets' Jock Landale ruled out with a left ankle injury.

Mexico prepared Friday for a powerful Pacific hurricane that triggered a warning of "potentially catastrophic" flooding in a northwestern tourist region and the neighboring US state of California.

Sunday's World Cup final between England and Spain is the final act of a month of drama which highlighted how far women's football has come -- and the challenges that lie ahead.

The Women's World Cup ends on Sunday when England play Spain in the final in Sydney, bringing the curtain down on a memorable month in Australia and New Zealand.

Ahead of the Women's World Cup final on Sunday between England and Spain, AFP Sport picks its five best players of the tournament:

Spanish firefighters were set to deploy extra aircraft in their battle against raging Tenerife wildfires on Saturday, as renewed heat and wind threatened recent progress in bringing the blaze under control.

Novak Djokovic crushed Taylor Fritz while Carlos Alcaraz had to push hard to get past Max Purcell Friday as the top two seeds reached the semi-finals at the ATP/WTA Cincinnati Open.

From "Alice in Wonderland" to "The Great Gatsby", "Rebecca" to "Jane Eyre", the songs of singer-songwriter Taylor Swift are filled with clear and subtle literary references.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he will visit the Fukushima nuclear plant on Sunday, ahead of the discharge of treated water which is scheduled to begin by the end of summer.

West African military chiefs said on Friday they were ready for an armed intervention in Niger after a coup ousted President Mohamed Bazoum last month, but a diplomatic mission was possible over the weekend to keep talks open.

Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer on Friday rescheduled games planned for Sunday in Southern California as the region braces for the arrival of Hurricane Hilary.

Climate change-denying social media accounts are exploiting the deadly wildfires in Hawaii to push conspiracy theories that high-energy lasers were used to spark the flames.

Major League Baseball on Friday brought forward three Southern California games originally scheduled for Sunday as the region braces for the arrival of Hurricane Hilary.

Lionel Messi could clinch his first trophy with Inter Miami, just four weeks after making his debut for the club, when his team face Nashville in the final of the Leagues Cup in Tennessee on Saturday.

Seventh-ranked Max Homa set a course record with an eight-under par 62 to seize a two-stroke lead after Friday's second round of the PGA Tour's BMW Championship, the penultimate FedEx Cup playoff event.

United States Steel has launched a strategic review after receiving several unsolicited offers for a partial or total takeover, and has already rebuffed one "unreasonable" offer.

Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel lavished praise on English striker Harry Kane after his Bundesliga debut ended in a 4-0 away win at Werder Bremen on Friday.

World number one Carlos Alcaraz shook off a slow start and held on late to beat qualifier Max Purcell 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 and reach the semi-finals of the ATP/WTA Cincinnati Open on Friday.

Mauricio Pochettino refused to guarantee first team places to Chelsea's big money signings after the club's spending since last season reached £350 million ($440 million).

United States women's national team general manager Kate Markgraf has resigned, US Soccer said Saturday, following head coach Vlatko Andonovski to the exit after a disappointing Women's World Cup campaign.

Pep Guardiola has claimed Manchester City would be "killed" if they spent as much money on new signings as Chelsea have over the last 12 months.