Weakened by injury and chastened by the memory of a crushing loss to the same opponents 12 months ago, Italy have vowed to use their imagination when they meet Spain in Thursday’s Confederations Cup semi-final.

Former seven-time Formula One world champion and ex-Germany football captain Michael Ballack are two of the stars set to play in Torsten Frings’ farewell match at Werder Bremen on September 7.

The US National Swimming Champion-ships opened here on Tuesday, the first for the sport without the legendary Michael Phelps since 1998.

Qatar’s state minister for internal affairs is tipped to succeed powerful Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani as prime minister in an expected cabinet reshuffle by the new emir, sources said Wednesday.

Riots in China’s ethnically divided Xinjiang region on Wednesday left 27 people dead, according to state media which said police opened fire on “knife-wielding mobs”.

The Emir of gas-rich Qatar, a major actor on the world diplomatic stage and key backer of Arab Spring uprisings, on Tuesday stepped down in favour of his 33-year-old son Sheikh Tamim.

Seven surgeons told Lleyton Hewitt his tennis career was finished if he had an operation on his troublesome toe but the gritty Australian is merrily defying them by battling on and making himself a force to be reckoned with once again.

Carlo Ancelotti has been appointed as the new coach of Real Madrid on a three-year deal, the club confirmed on Tuesday.

World number one Park In-Bee birdied the first playoff hole to defeat fellow South Korean Ryu So-Yeon and win the LPGA Northwest Arkansas Championship for her fifth triumph of the season.

Former Wimbledon champion Martina Navratilova has called for men’s Grand Slam matches to be cut to three sets to protect the sport’s top stars from burnout.