Pallade Veneta - News from Venice, Veneto, Venetia and Italy, as well as from around the world

Defending champions Japan kept their bid for a sixth straight women's Asia Cup basketball title on track Saturday with an 88-52 thumping of New Zealand to set up a final showdown with China.

World champion and series leader Max Verstappen dominated a damp 'sprint shootout' qualifying for Saturday's sprint race at the Austrian Grand Prix as Red Bull secured a front row lockout.

The Tour de France started in Bilbao on Saturday, embarking on a 3,404km race to Paris with the first three of the 21 stages in the Spanish Basque Country.

Violence and looting hit France in a fourth night of protests as police, who were deployed in force, made more than 1,300 arrests and the country braced for more clashes as the funeral began Saturday of the teenager who was killed by an officer during a traffic stop.

The armed wing of Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas has put its weapons on public display for the first time, drawing hundreds of Palestinians including children brandishing rocket launchers for selfies.

Outspoken Rwandan government critic Paul Rusesabagina, who became internationally renowned for his efforts to save people during the 1994 genocide, said Saturday that Rwandans were "prisoners in their own country".

SANZAAR and the Six Nations on Saturday unveiled plans for a joint tournament with southern and northern hemisphere teams from 2026 in a bid to "bring new life" to international rugby.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez arrived in Kyiv on Saturday to signal EU support for Ukraine as the country's commander-in-chief said he was frustrated by the slow deliveries of Western weapons.

French international striker Marcus Thuram signed for Inter Milan on a free transfer on Saturday, the Serie A club announced.

Defending champions Japan kept their bid for a sixth straight women's Asia Cup basketball title on track Saturday with an 88-52 semi-final thumping of New Zealand.

Afghanistan's Taliban government on Saturday seized on an off-the-cuff remark by US President Joe Biden to underscore their claim that there was no Al-Qaeda threat in the country.

The death toll from a grisly road crash in western Kenya has risen to 49, a government minister said Saturday, as rescuers worked to clear the wreckage where more victims are feared trapped.

At least 25 people were killed and eight others injured in western India when a bus crashed and caught fire on an expressway early Saturday.

Novak Djokovic has Roger Federer's record of eight Wimbledon titles and a 24th major in his sights as he closes in on a first calendar Grand Slam in 54 years.

Violence and looting hit France in a fourth night of protests as massively deployed police made nearly 1,000 arrests and the country braced for more riots ahead of the funeral Saturday of the teenager who was killed by an officer during a traffic stop.

Prime Minister Hun Sen has backed down from threats to cut off access to Facebook in Cambodia, even as he declared the company's representatives would no longer be welcome in the country.

The death toll from a grisly road crash in western Kenya has risen to 49, a government minister said Saturday, as rescuers worked to clear the wreckage where more victims are feared trapped.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen kicked off a three-week election campaign on Saturday, with his party poised to sweep the one-sided contest after the top challenger was barred from taking part.

Panama moved into the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup with a 2-1 win over Martinique on Friday after Costa Rica and El Salvador produced a frantic but goalless draw.

Sporadic violence and looting hit several cities across France in a fourth night of protests after the fatal police shooting of a teenager, but it was much less intense than previously, authorities said early Saturday.

Charles Bloch remembers well the cold and wet December day seven years ago when he met his guide dog Carlo and they went on their first walk.

Hong Kong's leader said the city must guard against "destructive forces engaging in soft resistance" as it marked the 26th anniversary of its handover from British to Chinese rule on Saturday.

The union representing 160,000 actors and performers on Friday agreed to extend contract negotiations with Hollywood studios, staving off a potentially crippling strike until at least July 12.

The hefty carbon footprint of global shipping networks that crisscross our oceans and keep the world's economy afloat will come under scrutiny next week, as countries wrestle over measures to slash planet-heating pollution.

Days of violent protests across France after the fatal police shooting of a teenager have started to impact the country's tourism sector, with hotels and restaurants facing cancellations while some have also suffered damage in the unrest.

King Willem-Alexander is widely expected to make a royal apology for the Netherlands' involvement in slavery on Saturday at an event marking 150 years since slaves were freed in former colonies.

Leave mushroom spores in a mold for a couple weeks and they'll bloom into a puffy material akin to brie, says Rachel Rosenkrantz, a sustainability-minded guitar-maker innovating with biomaterials.

Katie Ledecky easily won the 400m freestyle at the US swimming championships on Friday, but the US great knows she'll need to do more to challenge for the title at the World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, next month.

Kyrie Irving agreed to a three-year deal to stay with Dallas and Draymond Green came to terms on a four-year deal to stay with Golden State according to multiple reports as NBA free agency dealmaking began Friday.

Will Hollywood soon be faced with a double strike?

Canada's Taylor Pendrith fired a bogey-free eight-under par 64 to share the lead with American Taylor Moore after Friday's second round of the US PGA Tour Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Four-time champion Draymond Green will stay with Golden State while reigning NBA champion Denver lost guard Bruce Brown to Indiana according to multiple reports as NBA free agency dealmaking began Friday.