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Senior US and Iranian officials said on Saturday they could be close to a breakthrough in talks to strike a draft deal to end the war in the Middle East.

France announced on Saturday it has banned Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir from entry for mocking bound activists seized by Israeli soldiers on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.

Representatives of the world's top tennis players, who are campaigning to receive a larger share of Grand Slam prize money, and the organisers of the French Open have engaged in a constructive meeting over the issue, the French Tennis Federation (FFT) said Saturday.

Alison dos Santos again outgunned Karsten Warholm, while Shericka Jackson and Masai Russell shined at the Diamond League meeting in Xiamen, China, on Saturday.

Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes was named Premier League Player of the Season on Saturday.

Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned on Saturday of a "crushing" response if Washington resumes hostilities, after US media reports raised the prospect of new strikes.

French authorities suspended the European Union's new digital border check system at Britain's Port of Dover on Saturday, as traffic piled up at the UK ferry terminal at the start of the long weekend.

French four-time Formula One champion Alain Prost was injured during a violent robbery at his home in Switzerland, Swiss media reported Saturday.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington, reaffirming the importance of a relationship that has come under growing strain, a week after the United States held a warm summit with China.

Roberto De Zerbi has urged relegation-haunted Tottenham to play with "blood and spirit" in Sunday's do-or-die clash against Everton.

Pep Guardiola has revealed his biggest regret at Manchester City was ignoring Joe Hart's plea to remain the club's goalkeeper.

Representatives of the world's top tennis players, who are campaigning to receive a larger share of Grand Slam prize money, and the organisers of the French Open have engaged in an "encouraging" meeting over the issue, a source close to the discussions told AFP on Saturday.

A court in Portugal on Saturday remanded in custody a French woman and her partner accused of abandoning her two young boys -- aged four and five -- on a roadside in the south of the country.

Three new Ebola cases have been confirmed in Uganda, health authorities said Saturday, after the World Health Organization raised the risk from the deadly outbreak to the highest level for neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.

Pope Leo XIV made a visit on Saturday to Italy's "Land of Fires", where for decades the mafia has illegally dumped and burned toxic rubbish, poisoning both people and their land.

Cameron Howieson proved the hero as Auckland FC edged Sydney FC 1-0 Saturday become the first New Zealand team to win Australia's A-League grand final.

A tense family drama set against the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine is among the favourites for top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, which will be awarded at a star-packed ceremony Saturday after two weeks of parties and premieres.

The first North Korean sports team to visit the South in eight years crowned their trip by winning the Asian Women's Champions League, beating Japan's Tokyo Verdy Beleza 1-0 in Saturday's final.

A gas explosion at a coal mine in northern China has killed at least 90 people, state media reported on Saturday, the country's biggest mining disaster in 17 years.

The future of Argentina's economy lies buried under the ground at over 3,000 meters (9,843 feet) in the Andes, according to President Javier Milei.

Tehran accused the United States of "excessive demands", Iranian media said on Saturday, as US media reports raised the prospect that Washington was mulling new strikes and leaders of the Islamic republic considered the latest peace proposal.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday opened a visit to India that will include talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, looking to renew ties with a usually like-minded partner a week after Washington's warm summit with China.

Pope Leo XIV will visit Italy's "Land of Fires" on Saturday, where for decades the mafia has illegally dumped and burned toxic rubbish, poisoning both people and their land.

A Hong Kong astronaut will join a Chinese space mission for the first time as part of a three-person crew launching on Sunday, as Beijing edges closer to its goal of landing people on the Moon.

Bolivian riot police clashed with anti-government protesters in La Paz on Friday for the second time in a week as unions and Indigenous groups pressed their calls for President Rodrigo Paz to step down.

A US jury found Friday that aerospace giant Boeing was not liable for lost revenue in a lawsuit involving its 737 MAX jets, which were grounded for 20 months following two deadly crashes in 2018 and 2019.

Love them or loathe them, the Enhanced Games have struck a nerve.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio started his first visit to India on Saturday, looking to restore ties with a usually like-minded partner a week after Washington's warm summit with China.

Marinel Garciano dislikes winter, and that's tough when it lasts nine months in Ilulissat, Greenland. But she has no regrets about leaving the Philippines to give her children opportunities.

Hungry animals are the only living beings that remain in Tula, an Indigenous community in Mexico whose residents were terrorized and forced to flee by a drug cartel.

The Cannes Film Festival wraps up Saturday with its traditional awards ceremony after two action-packed weeks of world premieres, star-studded red carpets, parties and fashion shows. AFP looks back on some of the highlights:

Twenty-two films from some of the world's most celebrated directors are vying for the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, which will be handed out on Saturday.