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World number one Iga Swiatek battled to a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania to reach the second round of the rain-lashed Olympics tennis tournament on Saturday.

China's two-time Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Zhang Yufei urged fans to "look at the facts" of doping allegations against her and her team-mates as she opened her campaign at the Paris Games on Saturday.

American great Katie Ledecky edged defending champion Ariarne Titmus to be quickest into the Olympic 400m freestyle final Saturday, setting the scene for a titanic battle for gold.

Britain's Adam Peaty began his bid to win a third straight Olympic gold in the 100m breaststroke with the second fastest time in Saturday's heats and said he was feeling very differently from three years ago in Tokyo.

All-conquering Chinese divers Chang Yani and Chen Yiwen bagged the first Olympic gold of their careers on Saturday with a superb victory in the women's synchronised three-meter springboard final.

Traffic on three major French high-speed train lines remained disrupted Saturday, a day after saboteurs paralysed much of the rail network ahead of the Olympic Games opening ceremony in Paris.

China took the first gold of the Paris Olympics on Saturday, as the rain that dampened the opening ceremony took its toll on the first full day of sporting action.

The top diplomats of China and the United States met for talks on Saturday in Laos, as Washington worries about Beijing's deepening ties with Moscow and its actions in the South China Sea.

Heavy rain disrupted the first full day of medal action at the Olympics on Saturday as attention turned to sport after a spectacular but soggy opening ceremony.

A mouthwatering 400m women's freestyle headlines the first full day of sporting action at the Olympics on Saturday after a soggy but spectacular opening to the Games in Paris.

The International Olympic Committee apologised Saturday for a gaffe during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics in which South Korean athletes were incorrectly introduced as North Korean.

Bangladesh said three student leaders had been taken into custody for their own safety after the government blamed their protests against civil service job quotas for days of deadly nationwide unrest.

Some of the 1.4 million litres of industrial fuel oil inside a sunken Philippine tanker has started to leak into Manila Bay, the coast guard said Saturday, calling for a suspension of fishing in the waterway.

A network of mines on a Japanese island infamous for using conscripted wartime labour was added to UNESCO's World Heritage register Saturday after South Korea dropped earlier objections to its listing.

Dutch artist Peet Wessels might not call it an obsession, but with over 100 images of windmills in her home, it's clear she's a big fan -- her walls practically whirl with admiration.

The Justice Department late Friday filed its response to TikTok's civil suit aimed at derailing a law that would force the app to be sold or face a US ban.

Lionel Messi will not play for Inter Miami as the defending Leagues Cup champions begin their repeat bid on Saturday at home against Puebla, Miami coach Gerardo Martino said Friday.

Australia moved Saturday to ban mining at one of the world's largest high-grade uranium deposits, highlighting the site's "enduring connection" to Indigenous Australians.

Divers will attempt Saturday to inspect the hull of a Philippine tanker carrying 1.4 million litres of industrial fuel oil that sank off Manila as authorities race to avert an ecological catastrophe, the coast guard said.

US presidential candidate Donald Trump falsely accused election rival Kamala Harris of being an anti-Semite who plans to allow the murder of newborn babies, in a speech meant to rally religious supporters Friday that quickly went off the rails.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Laos on Saturday, where he will attend a regional meeting and hold talks with his Chinese counterpart, part of a multi-nation Asia visit aimed at reinforcing regional ties in the face of an increasingly assertive Beijing.

Lauren Coughlin, seeking her first LPGA title, birdied three of the first five holes and clung to a one-stroke lead after Friday's second round of the Canadian Women's Open.

Fiercely against social media platform TikTok, cryptocurrency bitcoin and electric cars during his presidency, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has recently flip-flopped on several issues that are dear to Silicon Valley.

A spacecraft launched last year will slingshot back around Earth and the Moon next month in a high-stakes, world-first manoeuvre as it pinballs its way through the Solar System to Jupiter.

Two top leaders of Mexico's Sinaloa drug cartel were arrested by US agents in Texas during a dramatic operation and without the involvment of Mexican authorities.

Artificial intelligence was key to last year's Hollywood strikes, and it has now sparked a second walkout by those actors who work in a far larger industry, at the heart of advancing technology -- video games.

Chinese teen tennis qualifier Shang Juncheng overcame two rain delays and advanced to the ATP Atlanta Open semi-finals on Friday by defeating Australia's Max Purcell 7-6 (7/3), 6-4.

Concerns grew Friday over the fairness of Venezuela's presidential elections as Caracas was accused of blocking international observers from arriving for the Sunday vote, including a delegation of ex-presidents.

French rail officials warned of travel chaos for hundreds of thousands of people throughout the weekend after saboteurs following a meticulous plan paralysed much of the train network Friday as the Olympic Games started.

The concept had been derided as overly ambitious and the location criticised as a prime security risk. But after years of preparation, France could Saturday breathe a sigh of relief -- it had pulled off the Olympic opening ceremony for the 2024 Paris Games.

Marie-Jose Perec was rewarded for her career as France's greatest track athlete when she lit the Paris Olympics cauldron along with judo triple gold medallist Teddy Riner on Friday.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived early Saturday in Laos, where he will attend a regional meeting and hold talks with his Chinese counterpart, part of a multi-nation Asia visit aimed at reinforcing ties with regional allies in the face of an increasingly assertive Beijing.