SPORTS

Spanish media said Tuesday that Real Madrid had cheapened themselves by boycotting the Ballon d'Or ceremony, with even the normally loyal Marca weighing in while Spain's national coach admitted it was "not good for football".

Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri was awarded the men's Ballon d'Or on Monday after winning a fourth consecutive Premier League title and Euro 2024, but Real Madrid boycotted the ceremony.

A sarcastic monument is dumped in Washington, Barack Obama shows off his rapping skills, and a bakery says cookies can predict the election outcome.

The most eagerly anticipated World Series showdown in decades gets under way here Friday as the Los Angeles Dodgers take on the New York Yankees in what promises to be a baseball blockbuster for the ages.

An unexpected schism among American youth could decide the US presidential election, with young women largely leaning left to back Kamala Harris, but many men turning right to rally behind Donald Trump, according to polls.

Las Vegas may be America's playground but for those who live and work in Sin City, high costs make life difficult, and that single issue will be decisive when they vote for a new US president in November.

America's late night talk shows once were appointment viewing, but with ratings tanking and ad revenues plummeting, their coveted place on the small screen is in question.

After suffocating Covid-19 restrictions, many embraced the call of the wild and the joys of foraging, but tightening Swiss biodiversity protection measures are infuriating growing hordes of mushroom-picking enthusiasts.

Japan wants to host the Women's World Cup in 2031 to ignite the domestic game and cut the gap on Europe and North America, the country's football chief told AFP. In 2011 Japan won the competition but they have since been overtaken, with women's football booming in Europe in recent years.

The Junior Men's Road Race featured a demanding route with three laps of a 26.9km city circuit in Zürich. The course was punctuated by two significant climbs: Binz (1.5km at 9.4%) and Witikon (1.4km at 7.2%).

LeBron and Bronny James made NBA history on Tuesday, becoming the first father and son to play alongside each other in a regular season fixture as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 110-103.

Glasgow has been confirmed as the host of the troubled 2026 Commonwealth Games, with the Scottish city staging a slimmed-down version of the troubled multi-sport event.

Two of Major League Baseball's oldest and most storied clubs, the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers, will meet in the World Series for the first time since 1981.

Hajee's belief in the power of fitness stems from personal experience and seeing myriad examples of how sports helped shape children into resilient, disciplined, and goal-oriented individuals

Nigeria's economic crisis and soaring petrol prices forced Bolaji Emmanuel to give up his driver and his Honda Pilot utility vehicle, as he struggles with spiking living costs.

British Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday is expected to attract more than 28,000 spectators but overall attendance in Britain is "off the pace" compared to the growth in the United States and Australia, David Redvers, the racing manager to Qatar Racing, told AFP. Qatar Racing's Sheikh Fahad Al Thani was the driving force behind British Champions Day and instrumental in the family's Qatar Investment and Project Development Holding Company (QIPCO) sponsoring Britain's most lucrative race meeting from 2011 to this day.

Netflix on Thursday said it added more than five million subscribers in the recently ended quarter but signaled slowing growth.

France's capital city may finally be about to have a second major football club, and a challenger to Paris Saint-Germain, with a takeover of Paris FC by the country's richest family along with energy drinks giant Red Bull expected to be announced in the coming days.

Thomas Tuchel was named England's new manager on Wednesday, with the Football Association turning to the German to try to land their first major trophy since 1966.

Thomas Tuchel was named England's new manager on Wednesday, with the German set to start in the role from January 1, 2025.

India were left hoping old rivals Pakistan can rescue their Women's T20 World Cup dreams after suffering an agonising nine-run loss to defending champions Australia on Sunday.

Amazon is bolstering its e-commerce empire while continuing a march deeper into people's lives, from robots to healthcare and entertainment.

Emirates Team New Zealand began their America's Cup defense in ominous style on Saturday, cruising to wide-margin wins in the opening two races over challenger Ineos Britannia.

Argentina were held to a 1-1 draw by Venezuela on Lionel Messi's return as Brazil got their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign back on track with a last-gasp 2-1 victory over Chile on Thursday.

Crowds of mourners gathered in India's financial capital Mumbai on Thursday for the funeral of industrialist Ratan Tata, hailed as a "titan" who led one of the country's biggest conglomerates.

Fernanda, a cleaner from Rio de Janeiro, lists off the items she sold to feed her online gambling addiction, one of millions of Brazilians caught in a betting craze that has swept the nation.

Hundreds of apparent pro-Russian bot accounts on X are pushing US election misinformation and amplifying false narratives about Democratic contender Kamala Harris, a research group said Thursday, calling them "sleeper agents" for having evaded detection for years.

Industrialist Ratan Tata, who has died aged 86, was credited with transforming India's Tata Group into a globally renowned conglomerate with a portfolio ranging from software to sports cars.

Indian industrialist Ratan Tata, who is credited with transforming the Tata Group into a globally renowned conglomerate, has died at age 86, the company said late Wednesday.