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FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Friday hit back at critics of the decision to expand the Women's World Cup to 32 teams, saying, "I'm sorry, but FIFA was right."

A bloody rivalry between two drug gangs in Marseille on France's Mediterranean coast has claimed the lives of dozens of people this year, targeted in brazen attacks sometimes carried out by teenagers, according to police.

Top Indian sprinter Dutee Chand has been banned from competition for four years after she failed two doping tests, local media reported Friday.

With a 15-degree list making one end four feet (1.2 metres) lower than the other, the historic Crooked House pub looked as if could topple over at any minute.

Following a July coup, Niger has become the latest hotbed of disinformation in the troubled Sahel regional as West African powers grapple with crafting a response to the political crisis.

Selling jackets with built-in fans, neck coolers and T-shirts that feel cold, Japanese firms are tapping into a growing market for products to help people handle the summer heat.

In a hilltop slum crammed between two of Rio de Janeiro's wealthiest neighborhoods, children practice Brazilian jiujitsu, hoping to follow in the footsteps of the black belts whose graffiti portraits decorate their gym's walls.

All Blacks coach Ian Foster said loose forward Shannon Frizell has joined their injured list as the New Zealand squad departed for the Rugby World Cup on Friday.

Embattled Chinese property giant Evergrande Group filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States on Thursday, court documents showed, a measure that protects its US assets while it attempts to restructure.

There is no better demonstration of rugby's oft-cited mantra that it is a sport for all shapes, sizes and abilities than in Argentina's Pumpas XV.

Novak Djokovic extended his career-long domination of Gael Monfils with a 6-3, 6-2 victory on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals of the ATP/WTA Cincinnati Open.

The head of Maui's emergency management agency -- who said this week he did not regret the decision to not sound powerful warning sirens as a deadly wildfire ripped through the Hawaiian town of Lahaina -- resigned Thursday.

Asian markets mostly fell Friday on growing worries of another Federal Reserve interest rate hike and deepening concerns about China's economy, with the country's property crisis once again adding an extra layer of jeopardy.

A Women's World Cup that has broken records on and off the pitch will reach a suitable climax on Sunday when England or Spain are crowned champions for the first time.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to South Africa next week, the foreign ministry said Friday, while confirming the president will attend the BRICS summit in Johannesburg.

Tracing a palm-sized jade pig resting on its haunches, an antique trader in Taiwan said the ears on the nearly 400-year-old piece are a marker of its authenticity.

Newcastle face an early test of their Premier League aspirations this season when they take on Manchester City, while Chelsea's £115 million ($146 million) midfielder Moises Caicedo is set to make his debut at West Ham.

Embattled Chinese property giant Evergrande Group filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States on Thursday, court documents showed, a measure that protects its US assets while it attempts to restructure.

Any approach for England coach Sarina Wiegman would "100 percent" be rejected, the country's football association said ahead of Sunday's Women's World Cup final against Spain.

World 100m champion Fred Kerley's long-awaited showdown with Olympic gold medallist Marcell Jacobs is one of many intriguing sub-plots to the World Athletics Championships that start in Budapest on Saturday.

In a world where influencers make a living from posting photos of their daily cappuccino, star Norwegian hurdler Karsten Warholm insists the only attention he craves is from plucking golds from track's very own Garden of Eden.

Paul Pogba and Juventus head into the Serie A season attempting to rebound from the turbulence of a campaign roiled by injury and scandal.

Standing before an elaborate altar in her living room in New York, Arely Vazquez explains the pledge she made to Santa Muerte -- or Saint Death -- after surviving pancreas surgery 17 years ago: that she would honor her "little skeleton" by throwing a festival of thanksgiving each year.

After a catastrophic wildfire that killed more than 100 people in Hawaii, eyes have turned toward an unexpected culprit: invasive grass species that have spread massively over the archipelago for decades, serving as the perfect fuel.

Ecuador will hold a presidential election Sunday after a campaign marked by the murder of a top candidate and vows to tackle the lawlessness that has engulfed the once-peaceful nation.

US President Joe Biden on Friday will announce new security cooperation at a first-of-a-kind three-way summit with the leaders of Japan and South Korea, hoping to send a message of strength to China which has already made clear its displeasure.

Brad Binder turned 28 this week and the South African is intent on wrapping up his birthday celebrations in style at the Austrian MotoGP.

Carlos Alcaraz withstood a string of frustrating rain delays to beat Tommy Paul 7-6 (8/6), 6-7 (7/0) 6-3 on Thursday, avenging a loss to the American last week and reaching the quarter-finals of the ATP/WTA Cincinnati Open.

Borussia Dortmund start their Bundesliga campaign at home to Cologne on Saturday, hoping to take the first step in putting the bitter disappointment of last season behind them.

Barcelona start their tenancy at the Olympic Stadium on Montjuic, the club's temporary home while Camp Nou is being rebuilt, on Sunday against Cadiz without coach Xavi Hernandez after his red card in the season opener.

Tropical Storm Hilary strengthened into a major hurricane in the Pacific on Thursday and was expected to further intensify before approaching Mexico's Baja California peninsula over the weekend, forecasters said.

Second-ranked Rory McIlroy and British Open champion Brian Harman sank stunning 17th-hole birdie chip shots to share the lead after Thursday's opening round of the PGA Tour's BMW Championship, the penultimate FedEx Cup playoff event.