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A Russian missile strike on Ukraine's northern city of Chernihiv killed seven people and wounded dozens on Saturday, authorities said, hours after President Vladimir Putin met Moscow's top army commanders.

Stronger winds and higher overnight temperatures caused a vast wildfire raging out of control in Tenerife to spread, prompting more residents to flee their homes in the northern sector of the Spanish holiday island, officials said Saturday.

Coach Tony Gustavsson said there must be long-term investment in Australian women's football, warning they were at a "crossroads moment" following their fourth-placed finish Saturday at the World Cup.

Pollution levels in the Seine river forced the cancellation of Saturday's test event for the para-triathlon at the Paris Olympics.

A Russian missile strike on Ukraine's northern city of Chernihiv killed at least five people and wounded dozens on Saturday, authorities said, hours after President Vladimir Putin met Moscow's top army commanders.

World champion Francesco Bagnaia will start on pole for the Austrian MotoGP after Ducati's series leader topped qualifying at the Red Bull Ring circuit on Saturday.

A former French army chief in charge of restoring Paris's emblematic Notre-Dame cathedral following a devastating 2019 fire has died during a mountain hike, prosecutors told AFP on Saturday.

Sweden scored either side of half-time to spoil Australia's party and claim third spot at the Women's World Cup with a 2-0 win in Brisbane on Saturday.

Shericka Jackson's late blossoming into a 100/200 metres star can come into full bloom in Budapest should she dethrone her legendary fellow Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and deny her equalling pole vaulter Sergey Bubka's record of six golds in one event.

For Czech architect Pavel Prouza, restoring a run-down building with historic value was a childhood dream nurtured during family tours of old monuments.

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.