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Russia said on Sunday it had downed Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow and the Crimea peninsula, in attacks that damaged two office towers in the capital and briefly shut an international airport.

Arsenal defender Oleksandr Zinchenko says he only had to look into the eyes of Ukrainian children who lived under Russian occupation in a village to find the motivation to raise money to rebuild their school.

Canada coach Bev Priestman called on her team to be brave Sunday and put any noise around Australia skipper Sam Kerr aside for their seismic Women's World Cup showdown against the co-hosts.

The Central African Republic began voting on Sunday in a referendum on a new constitution that would allow President Faustin-Archange Touadera to seek a third term in a country which has endured several coups.

The coup in Niger, the third in as many years to topple an elected leader in Africa's troubled Sahel, threatens to further hamper efforts against jihadist groups in the region, analysts say.

Co-hosts New Zealand are aiming to secure a place in the Women's World Cup knockout stage for the first time on Sunday as former champions Norway seek to avoid a disastrous early exit.

Wildlife enthusiasts across Britain are being encouraged to log sightings of butterflies and some moths, as the world's largest annual survey of the increasingly endangered pollinating insects returns.

The death toll from a powerful explosion that levelled an unlicensed fireworks warehouse in southern Thailand rose to at least 10 on Sunday, the local governor said as police sought the owner on charges of negligence.

Megan Rapinoe admitted Sunday to some frustration over her limited playing time for the United States at the Women's World Cup but believes she can still change games off the bench for the holders.

Nouhaila Benzina became the first player to wear a hijab during a Women's World Cup game when she sported the Muslim headscarf in Morocco's match against South Korea on Sunday.

West African leaders will meet Sunday in the Nigerian capital Abuja for an "extraordinary summit" on Niger, scene of the latest military coup to hit the Sahel region, with the possibility of sanctions on the cards.

Terence Crawford punished Errol Spence on the way to a ninth-round technical knockout to claim the undisputed welterweight world title in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Sweltering without air conditioning during the day and plunged into darkness at night, many Egyptians have responded with anger and ridicule to government measures for reducing energy consumption.

Coach Jorge Vilda warned his Spain team they will be fully tested for the first time at this Women's World Cup in their group-deciding clash with Japan on Monday.

Voters in the Central African Republic will decide in a referendum Sunday whether to back a new constitution that would allow President Faustin Archange Touadera to seek a third term in a country which has endured several coups.

Five extinct species have been included on the ballot to find New Zealand's most popular feathered friend as competition organisers hope to draw attention to endangered birds.

Three Ukrainian drones were downed over Moscow early Sunday, Russia's defence ministry said, in an attack that briefly shut an international airport.

Night trains have made a comeback in Europe thanks to their low-carbon footprint, but after years of neglect, the renaissance has had a bumpy ride.

Coach Randy Waldrum said his Nigeria team had been "underestimated and underappreciated" as they strive to seal their place in the Women's World Cup last 16 on Monday.

Mexico's Alexandro Santiago earned a unanimous 12-round decision over former four-division champion Nonito Donaire on Saturday to claim the vacant World Boxing Council bantamweight world title.

Legendary swimming coach Bob Bowman said Sunday that he believes Leon Marchand can handle the pressure at next year's Paris Olympics after "a very good rehearsal" at the world championships.

Top-seeded American Taylor Fritz defeated compatriot J.J. Wolf 6-3, 7-5 on Saturday to book a title clash with Australian Aleksandar Vukic in the ATP Tour hardcourt tournament in Atlanta.

Pope Francis heads to Portugal next week for a global gathering of young Catholics as the country grapples with a report into decades of sexual abuse of children by members of the Church.

Almost two months after undergoing hernia surgery, Pope Francis heads to Lisbon Wednesday for a five-day trip for World Youth Day, a major Catholic event expected to draw a million pilgrims.

Two weeks of sweltering heat and wildfires have confirmed fears that Greece's ecosystem is under increasing risk, experts say.

They have known each other for decades, rubbing shoulders at countless international events, but there is little love lost between US President Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu as the Israeli prime minister faces a full-blown crisis over a contested judicial reform.

Ian Foster says the All Blacks are still not the finished product despite banking two trophies on a 10-game unbeaten streak in an ominous sign ahead of the World Cup in France.

Barcelona beat Real Madrid 3-0 in a fiercely contested friendly match on Saturday with an early strike from Ousmane Dembele and late goals from Fermin Lopez and Ferran Torres.

Phoenix Mercury All-Star Brittney Griner, who missed all of last season while imprisoned in Russia, will miss a two-game road trip "to focus on her mental health," the WNBA team said Saturday.

Lee Hodges produced a back-nine birdie blitz to take a stranglehold on the PGA Tour's 3M Open in Minnesota on Saturday and stay on course for the first tour victory of his career.

West Indies captain Shai Hope played the sheet anchor role to perfection in taking his team to a series-levelling six-wicket victory over India in the second One-Day International of a three-match series at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday.

Self-proclaimed Test "addict" Stuart Broad was able to quit on his own terms, announcing on Saturday he would retire following the Ashes finale at The Oval.