Maria Sharapova's preparations for the French Open suffer a setback after she withdraws from the Italian Open because of illness.

Former England winger Chris Waddle says David Beckham is not one of the top 1,000 players of the last 40 years.

Egyptian police sealed off the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip in protest at the abduction of seven security personnel in Sinai.

Ferrari have ridiculed critics of the tyres in Formula 1 in what amounts to a veiled attack on champions Red Bull.

There has been relief after a tropical storm weakened as it moved into Bangladesh and Burma, reducing the destruction caused.

Turkish bond yields have hit new lows as investors greeted Moody's increase in the country's credit rating to investment grade.

A top official in China has urged Chinese tourists to behave more politely when travelling abroad.

The people with a religious duty to have children

British director Peter Greenaway is returning to the UK to film an adaptation of Thomas Mann's Death in Venice, according to reports.

Tributes are paid to the actor Paul Shane, best known for starring in 1980s BBC sitcom Hi-de-Hi!, following his death at the age of 72.

UN and Russia discuss Syria crisis- UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said both parties agreed that "a negotiated political solution is the only way to end the crisis"

US singer-songwriter Bob Dylan is made an honorary member of the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Frank Lampard says ex-Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho can repeat the success he had during his first spell at the club.

Nigeria's army begins operations against militant Islamists, while residents report overnight explosions and gunfire elsewhere in the north.

Retiring Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is relishing his 1,500th - and final - game in charge on Sunday.

Russia has sent sophisticated anti-ship missiles to Syria which could be used to deter future military intervention, US media reports say.

Factories in Dhaka's Ashulia industrial area reopen after three days of protests following last month's building collapse in which hundreds died.

Car sales across Europe rose in April for the first time in 18 months, helped by strong demand in the UK and by the early Easter break.

A US hitchhiker whose descriptions of using a hatchet to stop an attacker became an internet sensation is charged with murder.

A Philippine official warns migrant workers in Taiwan to keep a low profile, amid a diplomatic row over the death of a fisherman.