SPORTS

Japan, Australia and Jurgen Klinsmann's South Korea will launch their qualifying campaigns on Thursday for the 2026 World Cup, with Palestine also among the 36 teams in action in Asia.

Reigning champions Italy are preparing for a decisive qualifier with Ukraine for a place at Euro 2024, while former winners the Netherlands and 2016 semi-finalists Wales are also aiming to book their tickets to the finals in Germany.

Australia's football chief James Johnson believes his country can help FIFA turn their new Club World Cup into a global success as he seeks to get in the driving seat for the bidding process.

Rohit Sharma's boyhood cricket coach says he will be the "richest person in the world" if the India captain lifts the World Cup -- despite never charging for a training session.

Manchester City were thwarted by Cole Palmer's 95th minute penalty as Chelsea salvaged a 4-4 draw from an incredible clash on Sunday, while Mohamed Salah fired Liverpool up to second in the Premier League.

Novak Djokovic will finish the year as world number one for a record-extending eighth time after beating Holger Rune 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (1/7), 6-3 in his opening match at the ATP Finals on Sunday.

As Israel's footballers prepare to play Kosovo in a Euro 2024 qualifier on Sunday -- their first international fixture since the war broke out in the country in October -- Pristina police are on alert after a series of social media posts calling for the game to be cancelled.

VAR was supposed to help cut out egregious and costly refereeing mistakes but the technology has come under heavy fire from Premier League managers who have lost faith in the system.

Premier League leaders Manchester City travel to Chelsea on Sunday with Erling Haaland in ominous form as Arsenal and Tottenham seek to recover from their first defeats of the season.

Before he fled his home in northern Gaza, where intense fighting now rages between Israel and Hamas, Mahmud al-Masri had a grim job to do: bury his three brothers and their five children in a nearby citrus orchard.

Manchester United are on the brink of an early exit from the Champions League after blowing a 2-0 lead to lose 4-3 on Wednesday to FC Copenhagen as Marcus Rashford was sent-off in the Danish capital.

Off the pace in Serie A, Roma may once again be relying on Jose Mourinho to lead them on a long European run in order to save their season.

Holders Manchester City and RB Leipzig became the first teams to reach the last 16 of this season's Champions League on Tuesday while Danylo Sikan's goal allowed Shakhtar Donetsk to claim a stunning win over Barcelona.

Glenn Maxwell's stunning 201 not out guided Australia into the semi-finals of the World Cup as the five-time champions snatched a sensational three-wicket victory from the jaws of defeat against Afghanistan in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Without a Fight beat heavy favourite Vauban on Tuesday to win the Aus$8 million (US$6 million) Melbourne Cup, with jockey Mark Zahra claiming back-to-back victories in a dominant ride.

Manchester United are in desperate need of a win at FC Copenhagen in the Champions League on Wednesday as they battle to avoid an embarrassing group-stage exit.

Chelsea ended nine-man Tottenham's unbeaten start to the Premier League season as Nicolas Jackson's hat-trick inspired a 4-1 win in a chaotic clash filled with VAR drama on Monday.

The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) agreed Monday to rule on the case of double Olympic 800m champion Caster Semenya, who has been barred from competing over her refusal to take medication to lower her testosterone levels.

Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews branded Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan as "disgraceful" after he became the first player in 146 years of international cricket to be given "timed out" in a bitter World Cup clash.

Sri Lanka batsman Angelo Mathews became the first player to be given "timed out" in the history of international cricket on Monday in a World Cup clash against Bangladesh.

Sri Lanka's sports minister Roshan Ranasinghe sacked the national cricket board on Monday, days after a humiliating defeat by India at the World Cup.

Dozens of baseball fans in Osaka hurled themselves into a filthy city-centre river and partied long into the night after the Hanshin Tigers won the Japan Series for only the second time in their history.

Irish-trained Vauban heads into Tuesday's Melbourne Cup as favourite in Australia's "race that stops a nation", but faces a looming threat from in-form Gold Trip who is targeting back-to-back wins.

Team boss Toto Wolff slammed his Mercedes outfit's car and Brazilian Grand Prix performance on Sunday, claiming it was akin to a three-wheeler and "does not deserve to win" a race this year.

India's Virat Kohli equalled Sachin Tendulkar's record of 49 one-day international hundreds when he reached three figures in a World Cup match against South Africa on Sunday.

Under-fire Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag cannot afford another damaging defeat when his troubled side face Fulham on Saturday.

The Cesena Torinese bobsleigh track has been dormant for over a decade since being built for the 2006 Winter Olympics but is ready to come to the aid of the troubled Milan-Cortina edition in just under two years' time.

Novak Djokovic returned to the court on Wednesday, cruising past Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-3, 6-2 and strengthening his hold on top spot in the rankings after his two closest rivals both lost at the Paris Masters.

Manchester United's defence of the League Cup came to a limp end in a 3-0 home defeat by Newcastle on Wednesday as Arsenal were well-beaten 3-1 at West Ham.