Paris Soir - News from Paris, France, Europe and the world – 24/7

Rafael Nadal was poised to pull the plug on the chance of a highly anticipated Olympic showdown with Novak Djokovic on Saturday after making the second round of the doubles with Spanish compatriot Carlos Alcaraz.

Germany's Lukas Maertens said he was "overwhelmed" Saturday after surging to the men's Olympic 400m freestyle gold medal, but always believed he would rise to the top.

US Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday acknowledged the uphill climb to defeating Donald Trump in November, but said her freshly-minted presidential campaign would prevail over the "wild lies" of her Republican rival.

Ariarne Titmus dominated rivals Katie Ledecky and Summer McIntosh to retain her Olympic 400m freestyle title on Saturday as German Lukas Maertens surged to the men's gold on day one in the pool in Paris.

Vivian Kong won Hong Kong's second ever Olympic fencing gold medal on Saturday, disappointing the home crowd as she beat France's Auriane Mallo-Breton 13-12 in sudden death.

Rugby superstar Antoine Dupont inspired France to their first gold medal of the Paris Olympics on Saturday while Australia's Ariarne Titmus held off her rivals in the pool to retain her 400m freestyle crown.

Rafael Nadal said Saturday that he does not know if he will play singles at the Paris Olympics after picking up a thigh injury in training.

Antoine Dupont inspired France to a historic 28-7 win over two-time Olympic champions Fiji in a pulsating rugby sevens final Saturday, giving the hosts their first gold of the Paris Games.

Jamie Smith promised there will be no let-up in his aggressive approach after surviving a barrage of bouncers to make a dashing 95 that helped change the course of the third Test against the West Indies at Edgbaston on Saturday.

A magnificent Antoine Dupont crowned his two-year odyssey into the world of rugby sevens with a dream Olympic gold for France in front of an adoring crowd in Paris on Saturday.

A rocket fired from Lebanon hit a football pitch in an Arab town in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights Saturday, killing 11 youngsters in what the army described as the "deadliest attack on Israeli civilians since October 7".

A dominant Ariarne Titmus held off Summer McIntosh and Katie Ledecky to successfully defend her Olympic 400m freestyle title Saturday, leading from start to finish.

Novak Djokovic set up a potential Olympic Games blockbuster with Rafael Nadal on Saturday as French Open champions Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek made winning returns to a rain-swept Roland Garros.

Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz brought the Roland Garros crowd to its feet as the Spanish dream team opened their Olympic Games doubles campaign with a straight sets victory over Argentina's Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni on Saturday.

A magnificent Antoine Dupont crowned his two-year odyssey into the world of rugby sevens with a dream Olympic gold in front of an adoring crowd in Paris on Saturday.

France won the men's rugby sevens at the Paris Olympics on Saturday, beating Fiji 28-7 in the final. South Africa beat Australia 26-19 to claim bronze.

Jamie Smith fell agonisingly short of a maiden Test hundred as England fought back from a top-order collapse to eye a series clean sweep of the West Indies at Edgbaston on Saturday.

Inspired by global superstar Antoine Dupont, France inflicted a historic 28-7 defeat on two-time Olympic champions Fiji in a pulsating rugby sevens final Saturday, giving the hosts their first gold of the Paris Games.

Canada's Olympic women's football team have been deducted six points and their coach Beverly Priestman suspended for a year after a staff member used a drone to spy on a rival team at the Paris Games, FIFA said on Saturday.

Israel's emergency medical service said at least 10 people were killed in the annexed Golan Heights on Saturday by a barrage of rockets fired from Lebanon.

Lando Norris said he had not driven well but still hoped to bounce back and fight for victory in Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix after securing fourth place on the grid.

Voters on both sides of the political aisle in Venezuela are convinced of victory in Sunday's presidential elections, in which incumbent Nicolas Maduro faces opposition challenger Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia.

Venezuelans go to the polls Sunday to elect a president between incumbent Nicolas Maduro and rival Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, in a tense atmosphere marked by the last-minute barring of international observers and complaints of widespread opposition repression.

Belgian Remco Evenepoel added the Olympic gold medal to his world title on Saturday, defying rain, a strong field and a Tour de France hangover to win the 32.4km individual time trial in Paris.

Argentina bounced back from the chaos of their opening game in the Olympic men's football tournament to beat Iraq 3-1 on Saturday, while Spain are the first team through to the quarter-finals.

Russia on Saturday claimed the capture of another village in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region amid heavy fighting, as its forces advanced towards the city of Pokrovsk.

Natsumi Tsunoda gave Japan a winning start in the Olympic judo, taking women's under-48kg gold on Saturday as the competition started in Paris with the two lightest weight classes.

The thunderous ovation that greeted Samir Ait Said at Bercy Arena on Saturday nearly knocked the French gymnast off his stride as he launched his Paris Olympics qualifying campaign.

New captain Suryakumar Yadav hit an attacking half-century to set up a dominant 43-run victory for India in the first of three T20 internationals against Sri Lanka on Saturday.

China shaded Japan in men's artistic gymnastics qualifying at the Paris Olympics on Saturday.

France's national rail operator on Saturday said train travel was gradually returning to normal after multiple sabotage acts paralysed the network hours ahead of the Olympics opening ceremony.

Sergio Perez went into Saturday's qualifying at the Belgian Grand Prix fearful that another poor display could see him sacked by Red Bull, but he ended it on the front row of the grid and is now aiming for a career-saving win.