Monaco Journal - News from Monaco, Monte-Carlo and the world

There were mixed fortunes for the thousands of Belgian fans who poured over the border for the opening stage of the Tour de France on Saturday as Jasper Philipsen won, but star rider Remco Evenepoel lost valuable time.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen claimed pole for the British Grand Prix after qualifying at Silverstone on Saturday.

Wimbledon top seed Jannik Sinner crushed Pedro Martinez to reach the last 16 without losing a set on Saturday while title rival Novak Djokovic targets his 100th victory at the tournament.

Chelsea added England under-21 international winger Jamie Gittens to their array of attacking talent on Saturday from Borussia Dortmund.

India captain Shubman Gill punished England with another hundred in the second Test at Edgbaston while Rishabh Pant made them pay for dropping him twice as the tourists built a commanding position in their quest for a series-levelling win.

Rescuers were on Saturday searching for more than 20 girls missing from a riverside summer camp in the US state of Texas, after torrential rains caused devastating flooding that killed 24 people -- with more rain on the way.

Imperious Wimbledon top seed Jannik Sinner made short work of Spain's Pedro Martinez on Saturday, reaching the last 16 without dropping a set.

Former champion Elena Rybakina became the latest star to suffer a shock Wimbledon exit losing to Denmark's Clara Tauson 7-6 (8/6), 6-3 on Saturday.

Wimbledon chiefs have defended electronic line-calling after Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper questioned the technology during the first week of the tournament.

British and Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell admitted to "a bit of frustration" after his team's lacklustre 21-10 win against the NSW Waratahs on Saturday, but said his side would learn from it.

A career-best 4-35 by seamer Asitha Fernando helped Sri Lanka bundle out Bangladesh for 248 inside 46 overs in the second one-day international in Colombo on Saturday.

Will Jordan edged closer to New Zealand's all-time Test try scoring record after bagging two more against France in Dunedin on Saturday.

KL Rahul made a composed fifty before the aggressive Rishabh Pant threatened to make England pay dearly for dropping him twice as India strengthened their grip on the second Test at Edgbaston on Saturday.

Motor sport's ruling body the FIA on Saturday insisted it would remain impartial after American Tim Mayer launched a potentially acrimonious challenge to incumbent president Mohammed Ben Sulayem in December's election.

Charles Leclerc confirmed Ferrari's competitive renaissance by clocking the fastest lap ahead of championship leader Oscar Piastri of McLaren in Saturday’s third and final practice at the British Grand Prix.

Scotland centre Huw Jones crossed twice as a scrappy British and Irish Lions were forced to battle hard in grinding past a second-string NSW Waratahs 21-10 on Saturday, offering the Wallabies a glimmer of hope.

Novak Djokovic can secure his 100th victory at Wimbledon on Saturday as the Serb sets his sights on tennis immortality, while Iga Swiatek seeks to take advantage of the mass exodus of women's seeds.

A French court sentenced a doctor to a 10-year prison term on Saturday for raping nine of his patients during medical consultations, according to a lawyer representing some of the victims.

Scorching temperatures at this year's Wimbledon have led to a spike in hat sales while the tournament's famous towels are top of players' shopping lists.

All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson conceded his team had been in "a hell of a Test match" after edging past an under-strength France 31-27 in Dunedin.

England defender Kyle Walker has signed a two-year deal with newly-promoted Premier League club Burnley for a reported fee to Manchester City of £5 million ($6.8 million).

Thousands of local tourists poured into China's first-ever Legoland as it opened its gates in Shanghai on Saturday, the latest theme park hoping to capitalise on a domestic tourism boom.

The River Seine reopened to swimmers in Paris on Saturday morning, marking the first time since 1923 that bathers could take a dip in the iconic waterway following a years-long cleanup effort.

Wales interim head coach Matt Sherratt said his team's record losing run had left "scars" after a 24-19 defeat to Japan on Saturday extended it to 18 straight losses.

Rescue teams in Pakistan worked in searing heat and humidity on Saturday to recover residents trapped under the rubble of a building that collapsed, killing 16 people.

New Zealand edged past an under-strength France 31-27 in Dunedin on Saturday to record a 500th Test win for the All Blacks in unconvincing fashion.

Skipper Harry Wilson vowed Saturday Australia will throw everything they have at Fiji to avoid a morale-sapping loss ahead of the British and Irish Lions series.

The Dalai Lama said Saturday he dreamed of living for decades more, as the Buddhist spiritual leader prayed with thousands of exiled Tibetans on the eve of his 90th birthday.

The River Seine reopened to swimmers on Saturday morning in Paris, allowing people to take a dip in the French capital's iconic waterway for the first time since 1923.

US President Donald Trump said Russia just wanted to "keep killing people" and hinted at sanctions after Moscow launched its largest ever drone and missile attack on Ukraine in the three-year-old war.

Russia's decision to formally recognise the Taliban government has been seen as an opening for a stronger economy by some Afghans, while others were sceptical that it would improve their lot.

Scotland edged the Maori All Blacks 29-26 in Whangarei on Saturday, holding off a spirited fightback from the hosts to start their Pacific tour with a win.