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Fan violence, homophobic chanting and signs of criminal gangs infiltrating the stands -- challenges are stacking up for Mexican football authorities four years before they co-host the World Cup.

LeBron James unleashed his second 50-point performance in a week to spark the Los Angeles Lakers over Washington 122-109 on Friday but missed a historic NBA milestone.

Russian forces inched towards Kyiv Saturday and pounded civilian areas in other Ukrainian cities as concerns grew over the besieged southern port of Mariupol, where officials said more than 1,500 people had been killed.

San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich became the all-time winningest coach in NBA regular-season history on Friday, collecting his 1,336th victory when the Spurs edged Utah 104-102.

Gregg Popovich put small-market San Antonio on the map by coaching the Spurs to five NBA titles with a combination of grit and grumpiness that couldn't overshadow a generosity of spirit.

Nicaragua's main opposition figure and would-be presidential challenger to Daniel Ortega has been found guilty of financial crimes, a family member said Friday.

Former world number one Andy Murray notched a milestone win and US Open champion Emma Raducanu made a victorious return from injury in a one-two punch for Britain on Friday at the Indian Wells WTA and ATP Masters hardcourt tennis tournament.

Canada's Brian McKeever raced into the history books and grabbed his 16th Paralympic gold medal in cross-country skiing at the Beijing Winter Games Saturday.

Eastern European countries are embracing the millions of Ukrainians fleeing Russia's invasion as a potential workforce but analysts warn it be challenging to integrate them all.

When Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis took the floor in a parliament debate on Ukraine this month, there was no doubt which side his government was taking in the conflict.

With three friends, all violinists like her, Nadia Safina fled the invasion of Ukraine to find peace at a music school in Denmark, a horrific ordeal that took 10 days.

Canada's Brian McKeever has a chance to race into the history books and grab his 16th Paralympic gold medal in cross-country skiing at the Beijing Winter Games Saturday.

Up to the final hours before Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, former chancellor Angela Merkel had been touted as the person favoured by Germans to try to talk President Vladimir Putin out of the conflict.

A judge in El Salvador ordered the arrest Friday of former president Alfredo Cristiani for alleged links to the murder of six Jesuit priests and two co-workers by the army during the country's the civil war, prosecutors said.

Turkmenistan heads to the polls on Saturday in a tightly-controlled leadership vote that is all but certain to yield ex-Soviet Central Asia's first father-son succession.

Any resemblance to reality is purely coincidental. As war rages in Ukraine, NATO and its partners will launch exercises in Norway on Monday aimed at coming to the rescue of one of its own.

Most business owners have shut up shop and fled Ukraine's Mikolaiv, but florist Angela Kalisnik continues to sell tulips and roses just a short drive away from the frontline.

Standing in front of a half-American, half-rainbow flag outside her home, Rebekah Bryant is outraged by a Texas order that considers medical hormonal treatments for transgender minors to be a crime.

As the founders of massive startups like Theranos, WeWork and Uber fall from grace, their failures have proven rich territory for television series.

A Texas judge on Friday blocked investigations into the parents of transgender minors, halting for the time being a controversial directive by the southern US state's governor.

After 10 years in prison for "insulting Islam," Saudi blogger and human rights activist Raif Badawi, who has become a symbol of freedom of expression around the world, was released on Friday.

Clayton Kershaw, the three-time Cy Young Award-winner who helped the Los Angeles Dodgers win the 2020 World Series, will be with the club at least one more year, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.

Honduras on Friday clarified that existing open-pit mining contracts remain in effect, after President Xiomara Castro said she was banning the practice.

Major League Baseball extended Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer's administrative leave by one week on Friday over assault allegations, one month after prosecutors said he will not be charged over the claims.

Russian forces inched towards Kyiv and pounded civilian areas in other Ukrainian cities Friday, drawing warnings of "unimaginable tragedy" as the US and the EU moved to tighten the economic noose around the Kremlin.

Former world number one Andy Murray and US Open champion Emma Raducanu got the ball rolling for Britain at Indian Wells on Friday with straight-sets Stadium Court victories.

Houston Texans quarterback DeShaun Watson will not face criminal prosecution over allegations of sexual misconduct made by multiple massage therapists, prosecutors said Friday.

France coach Fabien Galthie hailed his side's heroic defensive effort after a gutsy 13-9 victory over Wales that kept alive dreams of a first Six Nations Grand Slam in 12 years.

Atletico Madrid edged out Cadiz 2-1 on Friday to move into third place in La Liga and earn a timely morale-boost ahead of their Champions League trip to Manchester United next week.

Zak Crawley's undefeated second Test century and a composed, unbeaten 84 by skipper Joe Root pushed England towards safety at 217 for one in their second innings on a rain-shortened fourth day of the first Test at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Friday.

Wall Street ended a downbeat week with further losses Friday as traders braced for continued economic fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine as well as looming Federal Reserve rate hikes, though European indices saw gains.

France kept their bid for a first Six Nations Grand Slam since 2010 on track after edging Wales 13-9 in a thoroughly absorbing Test in Cardiff on Friday.