SPORTS

The head of France's national cybersecurity agency said the Paris Olympics would be a "target" this year including for foreign states interested in "disrupting the opening ceremony or causing problems on public transport".

The decision to place the Olympic cauldron in the tourist hotspot in the center of the city was taken "several weeks ago", the source said on condition of anonymity.

Australian Rules football said Wednesday it was reviewing its illicit drugs policy after a whistleblower aired claims of widespread cocaine use among players.

Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers take center stage on Thursday as Major League Baseball's new season gets under way on US soil against the backdrop of a gambling scandal that has engulfed its brightest star.

Brazil snatched a late leveller to share an entertaining and occasionally heated 3-3 friendly draw with Spain on Tuesday as youngsters Lamine Yamal and Endrick dazzled.

Ukraine came from behind to beat Iceland in a play-off to qualify for Euro 2024 on Tuesday, while Poland secured their place at the finals with a penalty shoot-out victory over Wales and Georgia qualified for a first ever major tournament.

The Paris Olympics this year are expected to cost the state between 3-5 billion euros ($3.2-5.4 billion), the French national auditor said Tuesday as new figures revealed the country's widening debt levels.

The former chairman of the Chinese Football Association has been sentenced to life in prison for accepting bribes worth $11 million, state media said Tuesday, as a string of sports officials were jailed for corruption.

A decade before it hosts football's World Cup, the size of the task facing Saudi Arabia is becoming apparent, including building stadiums, hotels and transport links.

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani said Monday he had never bet on baseball or other sports, declaring himself "saddened and shocked" after accusing his interpreter of stealing from his bank account to pay off millions of dollars in gambling debts.

Devils with leather whips lashed people in a town square in El Salvador on Monday to "punish" them for their sins, in a centuries-old Holy Week tradition.

Experts say that it's important to give children a suitable outlet for their energy and innate competitiveness, and one of the best ways to do that is through sports, which create a structured opportunity for socialization and instruction.

Friday's attack on a Moscow concert hall is exacerbating worries that similar acts could hit targets in western Europe which is hosting exceptionally high-profile sports events this summer, analysts say.

Japan look poised to reach the final stage of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup without kicking a ball after FIFA said their match at North Korea will not be rescheduled.

For three decades Joe Lau has tied his racehorse training career to the rising and falling fortunes of the Macau Jockey Club, but in a few days it will all be over.

Shohei Ohtani remained mum on Sunday on the gambling and theft allegations surrounding his former interpreter, but Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he hoped Ohtani's plans to speak on Monday would bring "clarity."

On the streets of Moscow on Sunday, there was shock, grief and anger as Russia observed a day of national mourning after the deadliest attack in the country for two decades.

Visitors to central Paris were treated on Sunday to the sight of hundreds of aproned waiters surging through the mediaeval streets, in a one-of-a-kind race designed to show off the profession months ahead of the Olympic Games.

Nike scored one of the most surprising victories in their long battle to dominate international football business when they outbid Adidas to become Germany's kit supplier.

The German national football team's decision to drop Adidas as its kit supplier sparked dismay in Berlin on Friday, with the economy minister blasting the switch to US sportswear giant Nike as a lack of "patriotism".

British luxury car brand Aston Martin Lagonda on Friday said Adrian Hallmark would become its chief executive, poaching him from German-owned peer Bentley where he has stepped down as CEO. Hallmark, 61, will take the wheel at Aston Martin by October 1, replacing Italian national Amedeo Felisa, who since May 2022 has helped steer around performance at the brand.

North Korea's home World Cup qualifier against Japan was called off on Friday, the Asian Football Confederation said, hours after announcing it would be moved to a neutral venue.

Malaysia on Friday decided against hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games because of the cost, the government said, in a fresh blow to an event seen as outdated by some.

Israel's hopes of reaching the European Championships for the first time against the background of bloody conflict at home were shattered by a 4-1 defeat to Iceland on Thursday while war-torn Ukraine stayed on course for the finals with a last-gasp comeback.

Shares of Nike tumbled Thursday after the sports giant signaled a tepid near-term revenue outlook even as it promised to wow consumers with new offerings in an Olympic year.

Former Manchester City and Real Madrid footballer Robinho, ordered to serve a nine-year sentence in Brazil for raping a woman a decade ago, launched a last-minute bid Thursday to delay his jailing.

Germany's footballers will wear Nike jerseys from 2027, the domestic association said Friday, ending a decades-long partnership with Adidas during which the homegrown brand's three stripes became synonymous with success on the pitch.

Three-time world champion Max Verstappen said Thursday he intends to see out his contract with Red Bull, insisting he was happy despite weeks of off-track turbulence.

The Los Angeles Dodgers said Thursday they had fired Shohei Ohtani's interpreter after the Japanese baseball star's representatives claimed he had been the victim of "a massive theft" reported to involve millions of dollars.