Lampard urges Chelsea to extend Terry stay

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is hoping team-mate John Terry will follow in his path and sign a new contract to stay at Stamford Bridge.

Lampard ended speculation about his future by signing a new one-year deal to stay at Chelsea after a season which saw him overtake Bobby Tambling as the club's all-time record goalscorer.

Willstrop escapes from British Open squash brink

James Willstrop, the only player to have been denied the British Open title by a single point on two separate occasions, kept alive his dream of one day making that last shot with an extraordinary quarter-final escape on Friday night.

Pair grilled after UK fighter jets escort Pakistani plane

Two men arrested on a Pakistan International Airlines plane after fighter jets were scrambled to escort it to a London airport remained in custody Saturday for questioning by the police.

The men were detained on suspicion of endangering an aircraft after the plane, which was carrying 300 passengers from the Pakistani city of Lahore to Manchester in northwest England, was diverted to Stansted airport outside London.

Pair arrested in Manchester hospital gun alert

A man and a woman were arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm at Salford Royal Hospital, Greater Manchester Police said Saturday.

Officers were called to the hospital after a man made threats towards staff, police said.

A weapon was recovered and the man was detained on suspicion of possessing a firearm and false imprisonment. A woman was also arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm. Both remain in custody.

Spy agencies in the spotlight over soldier's murder

The intelligence services were under pressure Saturday to explain their knowledge of two Islamists suspected of hacking a soldier to death in London, amid claims they had tried to recruit one of them.

Michael Adebolajo, 28, and Michael Adebowale, 22 -- who remained under armed guard in hospital after being shot by police at the scene -- were known to the intelligence services but were reportedly assessed as not posing a deadly threat.

Liverpool manager's son found not guilty

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers voiced his family's relief after his footballer son Anton was cleared Friday in a sex case before a London court.

Anton Rodgers, 20, and three Brighton team-mates were found not guilty of sexual assault and voyeurism.

The retrial, at the Old Bailey in London, followed an earlier trial in which a jury could not agree verdicts.

Northampton stars aim for dream farewell

Northampton are hoping to give their departing props Soane Tonga'uiha and Brian Mujati the perfect send-off by winning their first English Premiership title against Leicester at Twickenham on Saturday.

The duo, who have both agreed to join French club Racing Metro at the end of the season, would love to bow out on a high against a Leicester team who are in their ninth successive final.

Zoo worker mauled to death by tiger

A zoo worker mauled in a tiger attack has died of her injuries, police said Saturday.

Sarah McClay, 24, was attacked Friday in the big cats enclosure at South Lakes Wild Animal Park in Dalton-in-Furness, northwest England.

The woman, who is from the local area, was flown by air ambulance to a hospital where she later died.

Cumbria Constabulary police force and the local authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.

British Airways plane makes emergency landing at Heathrow

A British Airways plane made an emergency landing at London's Heathrow airport on Friday after a "technical fault", forcing officials to close both runways.

Emergency slides were used to evacuate the plane's 75 passengers while amateur footage shot near the flight path showed smoke spewing from the Airbus A319's right engine shortly after takeoff.

No Vettori for Kiwis as they bid to hold England

Daniel Vettori's hopes of making a return to Test cricket in New Zealand's series finale with England in Leeds ultimately came to nothing after he was ruled out on Thursday.

Former captain Vettori hasn't played a Test for nearly a year, mainly because of Achilles trouble, and was only originally selected for the one-day leg of this tour.

Suicide bomber wounds 11 in Russia's Dagestan

Eleven people were wounded in an apparent suicide bombing in Russia's restive Dagestan region Saturday, a spokeswoman for the regional interior ministry said.

The bomber, believed to be a woman, blew herself up not far from the interior ministry building in the centre of Makhachkala, spokeswoman Fatina Ubaidatova told AFP.

Afghan security forces hailed after Kabul attack

The Afghan government lauded its security forces Saturday for beating back a Taliban assault on central Kabul that left one policeman, two civilians and all four militants dead.

Explosions rocked the city for several hours on Friday after insurgents launched a coordinated suicide and gun attack centred on a compound of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Thousands attend mass for Italy's first mafia martyr

Tens of thousands of Catholic faithful attended a ceremony in Sicily on Saturday putting on the path to sainthood a priest shot dead by the mafia 20 years ago for preaching against organised crime.

The killing of Father Pino Puglisi, a parish priest working in a crime-heavy neighbourhood of the regional capital Palermo, shocked the nation and helped turn public opinion against the mafia.

Qusayr battle rages as Syria regime presses assault

Intense clashes rocked the central Syrian town of Qusayr on Saturday, a watchdog reported, as regime forces backed by fighters from Lebanon's Hezbollah pressed an assault they launched almost nearly a week ago.

Rami Abdul Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights watchdog, told AFP that "the fighting and shelling, which took place on Saturday on the main roads inside and outside of Qusayr, are the most intense since the beginning of the offensive."

Africa celebrates progress and 50 years of 'unity'

African leaders on Saturday opened extravagant celebrations for the 50th jubilee of the continental bloc, with Africa's myriad problems set aside for a day to mark the progress that has been made.

African Union Chairman and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn told leaders as he opened the celebrations they should seek to "create a continent free from poverty and conflict, and an Africa whose citizens enjoy a middle income status."

16 children die in Pakistan school bus fire

Sixteen children and a teacher were killed when their school bus caught fire in central Pakistan on Saturday, police said.

Seven other children were injured in the blaze which destroyed the vehicle.

The van was carrying 24 children to a private school in Gujrat, about 112 kilometres (70 miles) north of the eastern city on Lahore, when it caught fire, local police chief Dar Ali Khattak told AFP.

British spy agencies in the spotlight over soldier's murder

Britain's intelligence services were under pressure Saturday to explain their knowledge of two Islamists suspected of hacking a soldier to death in London, amid claims they had tried to recruit one of them.

Michael Adebolajo, 28, and Michael Adebowale, 22 -- who remained under armed guard in hospital after being shot by police at the scene -- were known to the intelligence services but were reportedly assessed as not posing a deadly threat.

Guatemala extradites ex-president to US

Guatemala extradited former president Alfonso Portillo to the United States to face charges of laundering $70 million of swindled government funds through US banks.

Portillo, president 2000-2004, is the first former Latin American leader ever to be extradited to the United States.

"Hasta luego (see you later), people of Guatemala," Portillo, 61, said as he boarded a small plane escorted by US agents at the main Air Force base south of the capital.

Toronto mayor denies smoking crack

Toronto's embattled Mayor Rob Ford denied that he uses crack cocaine, despite allegations he was seen on a video smoking the drug.

"I do not use crack cocaine, nor am I an addict of crack cocaine," Ford told reporters after more than a week of silence.

"As for a video, I cannot comment on a video that I have never seen or does not exist."

The mayor of Canada's biggest city lashed out at the media for judging him "without any evidence."

Syria regime agrees to attend peace conference: Russia

Syria's most powerful ally Russia said Friday that the Damascus regime had agreed "in principle" to attend an international peace conference on the crisis that world powers hope will take place in Geneva in June.

But Moscow also criticised Syria's various opposition groups for presenting tough demands that in some cases included the exclusion of President Bashar al-Assad's representatives from the negotiations.

Japan PM visit boosts huge Myanmar industrial zone

Japan's premier on Saturday backed the development of a major industrial zone near Yangon on a visit to Myanmar aimed at deepening economic ties with the former junta-ruled nation.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe observed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding at the Thilawa project on the first day of a trip promoting Japanese business in a country which desperately needs investment and infrastructure to drive a much-anticipated economic revival.

IMF chief avoids charges in French payout scandal

IMF chief Christine Lagarde avoided immediate charges but was named an "assisted witness" after French prosecutors grilled her for two days over a state payout to a disgraced tycoon when she was finance minister.

Lagarde was questioned for a total of 24 hours by prosecutors working for a court that probes cases of ministerial misconduct over her 2007 handling of a row that resulted in 400 million euros ($515 million) being paid to controversial business figure Bernard Tapie.

US markets turn sober after Japan plunge

The 7.3 percent plunge in Japanese stocks during the week injected needed sobriety into US markets, but they showed a resilience that cheered investors worried about protecting the year's gains.

The drop in Tokyo Thursday -- a modest correction in the context of the Nikkei 225's 21 percent climb in five weeks -- sent other Asian and European markets sinking by more than two percent.

Bankia sells City National Bank for 683m euros

Spain's bailed-out lender Bankia on Friday announced it would sell City National Bank of Florida to Chile's BCI for around 683 million euros ($883 million).

The bank said in a statement it had "made provisions in late 2010 to cover losses" of City National, meaning it "hopes for a net capital gain of around 180 million euros" from the sale to Banco de Credito e Inversiones.

Bausch & Lomb near $9 bn sale to Valeant: source

Canadian pharmaceutical company Valeant is close to a deal to acquire US eye health company Bausch & Lomb for about $9 billion, a person familiar with the matter said Friday.

A deal could come as soon as next week, the person said.

Unless the deal falls apart, the transaction will replace a plan launched in March for Bausch & Lomb to undertake an initial public offering.

The takeover talks were first reported Friday by The Wall Street Journal.

News Corp approves Murdoch split for June 28

News Corp's board on Friday approved the break-up of the conglomerate into two independent companies, separating the high-flying entertainment assets from the struggling newspaper operations.

The decision, which sets a date for the split for June 28, all but assures the implementation of a plan proposed last year by News Corp chief Rupert Murdoch.

It must also be approved next month by shareholders, but the Murdoch family holds a majority of the voting shares.

Google eyes emerging markets networks: report

Google has become deeply involved in a series of projects to build and operate wireless networks in emerging markets including sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, a report said Friday.

The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources, reported the effort is part of a plan that could connect a billion or more new people to the Internet.

Google did not immediately respond to an AFP request to comment on the report.

Swiss free trade deal underscores China's globalisation: Li

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday hailed a free trade deal with Switzerland as a landmark achievement, saying it had "huge meaning" for global trade and underscored Beijing's growing openness to the world.

Germany builds up new steam for growth

The German economy, after starting the year weakly, looks set to gather momentum later with consumer and business confidence on the rise, data indicated on Friday.

Final data published by the federal statistics office Destatis showed that Germany's gross domestic product (GDP) notched up anaemic growth of 0.1 percent from January to March, with only consumer spending in positive territory.

Air China orders 100 Airbus A320 jets worth $8.8 bn

Air China said on Friday it had ordered 100 Airbus A320 series medium-range single-aisle passenger jets, which carry a catalogue price of $8.8 billion (6.8 billion euros).

Air China said in a statement it would acquire 60 of the aircraft for itself and 40 would be bought by its subsidiary Shenzhen Airlines.

Day after Kabul attacks, 10,000 peace balloons

After a day of explosions and gunfire, residents of Kabul woke up on Saturday morning to be greeted by a public art project in which volunteers handed out 10,000 neon-pink "peace" balloons.

Organised by Yazmany Arboleda, a 31-year-old conceptual artist from the United States, the project was an unusual attempt to bring a dose of creativity and fun to the Afghan capital, which has been wrecked by decades of war.

Artists seek global audience at Hong Kong's Art Basel

Having taken five Volkswagen Beetles and compressed them into spheres, artist Ichwan Noor was always going to grab attention at the inaugural Hong Kong Art Basel.

Noor is known in his native Indonesia but is hoping the glittering, champagne-soaked art fair will give him further recognition beyond his home borders.

Such are the opportunities that await emerging and lesser-known artists at the fair, which aims to highlight Hong Kong's growing role as a global arts hub.

At Cannes, pain and loss of migration come to fore

They set off with dreams of a new life only to find that peril, exploitation, loneliness and an aching rootlessness often await them.

Migration, one of the great issues of globalisation but one that until now has been poorly explored at the movies, has emerged as a major theme at the Cannes Film Festival.

Mads Mikkelsen back after Cannes win with French role

Danish star Mads Mikkelsen fires crossbows, delivers a baby colt and speaks fluent French in the Renaissance drama "Michael Kohlhaas", which joined the competition Friday at Cannes.

Mikkelsen, who picked up the festival's top actor prize last year for his turn as a man falsely accused of child abuse in "The Hunt", plays a 16th-century horse dealer who rises up against a feudal lord.

Iranian filmmaker makes it to Cannes amid secrecy

Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof, jailed in 2010 for anti-regime propaganda, told the Cannes Film Festival on Friday he knew his latest picture would also come under fire in his own country.

Rasoulof reportedly filmed his censorship drama "Manuscripts Don't Burn" secretly in Iran following a ban, and the circumstances of his visit to Cannes and where he now lives remain strictly confidential.

Take a bow-wow: Blind poodle wins Cannes' 'Palm Dog'

A white poodle that plays the part of a blind pet owned by Liberace in the flamboyant biopic "Behind the Candelabra" scooped glory on Friday by winning the Palm Dog for canine talent at the Cannes Film Festival.

The pedigree pooch plays Baby Boy, whose sight problems bring a teenage dog trainer (played by Matt Damon) into the orbit of a predatory Liberace (Michael Douglas).

Eventually, their love affair breaks down in a welter of jealousy and drugs.

WikiLeaks releases transcript of critical US film

WikiLeaks has released an annotated version of a leaked transcript of a documentary in a bid to counter a film that takes a critical look at the anti-secrecy group and which opens on Friday.

WikiLeaks said it had not participated in the making of "We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks," a film by Alex Gibney that focuses on the website's controversial founder Julian Assange and its chief informant Bradley Manning.

Trip into space with DiCaprio costs $1.55m

Leonardo DiCaprio is going to get closer to stars of a different kind as he heads into space aboard the Virgin Galactic, and a well-heeled bidder at the Cannes Film Festival has paid 1.2 million euros (1.5 million) to be his travel buddy.

The Holywood star's sub-orbital trip was among 20 goodies up for grabs at the 20th amfAR bash, a gala auction that is one of the glitziest festival events and that this year helped raise a record-breaking $25 million for AIDS research.

Graphic gay sex stirs controversy at Cannes

Explicit gay sex has hit the big screen at the Cannes film festival in movies targeting mainstream audiences that stir controversy and spare the viewer nothing.

Critics described the non-simulated sex in "Blue is the Warmest Colour", which has its premiere Thursday, as "show-stopping" and "the most explosively graphic lesbian sex in recent memory".

Numerous sex scenes in the homoerotic "Stranger at the Lake" have been termed "hardcore".

At the movies, violence is the new sex

Sex may be a turn-off for Hollywood audiences but violence is all over the big screen, as filmmakers seek to capture the youth market, industry figures at the Cannes film festival said on Friday.

With online porn readily available, sex scenes are no longer prized by producers who look to action sequences or special effects to fill the gap.

Pacers edge Heat to even series

The Indiana Pacers bounced back from a heart-breaking game one defeat to edge LeBron James and the Miami Heat 97-93 and level the NBA Eastern Conference finals at one game apiece.

With the win in Miami, the Pacers seized home court advantage in the best-of-seven series from the reigning league champions, and they will try to maintain the momentum when they host game three on Sunday.

Openly gay Rogers returning to MLS: report

Former US midfielder Robbie Rogers has reportedly agreed terms with the Los Angeles Galaxy on a deal that would make him the first openly gay player competing in Major League Soccer.

USA Today reported the deal on Friday, citing "two people familiar with the negotiations". Rogers had revealed his sexual orientation in February in a blog posting, simultaneously announcing his retirement from football.

Neal scores hat-trick as Penguins advance

James Neal scored a hat-trick and delivered an assist as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Ottawa Senators 6-2 to advance in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Penguins on Friday wrapped up a 4-1 victory in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference second-round series, booking a berth in the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2009.

That year the Pens went all the way, claiming the third Stanley Cup crown in club history.

Gay, Richards-Ross to shine at NY Diamond League event

Tyson Gay, with the fastest 100 meters in the world this year, and Sanya Richards-Ross, running for the first time since the London Olympics, top the lineup for Saturday's Diamond League meet in New York.

Gay, the 100m and 200m world champion from 2007 who is pondering adding the 200m for this year's worlds in Moscow, won the Jamaica Invitational earlier this month in a world season-best 9.86 seconds and hopes for similar speed Saturday.

Samoa out, USA, Canada in for new-look Pacific Cup

Defending champions Samoa have opted out but the United States and Canada will debut this week in a new-look Pacific Nations Cup which is extending far beyond its original boundaries.

The newcomers will face off in Edmonton, Canada, on Saturday in what is seen as a boost for rugby's "second tier" nations as the sport expands outside its traditional heartlands.

Cooper's defence under scrutiny in Reds' Super 15 match

Quade Cooper's front-line defence will be under scrutiny for the Queensland Reds in this weekend's Super Rugby after his omission from the Wallabies' preliminary squad for next month's series against the British and Irish Lions.

His scrum-base partner Wallaby Will Genia is backing Cooper to force his way back when the last six players are added to the final squad, starting with the Reds match against the Western Stormers in Cape Town on Saturday.

Bayern, Dortmund relax before Champions final

Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund fought traffic and driving rain as they got their first taste of Wembley, 24 hours before they were due to lock horns in the Champions League final.

It is the first time that two German clubs have contested the showpiece occasion but both sides seemed more concerned by the miserable weather and traffic congestion on route to the stadium.

Cycling: Snow forces cancellation of Giro's 19th stage

Heavy snow at altitude has forced the cancellation of the Giro d'Italia's 19th stage, organisers said Friday.

On the first of two consecutive stages in the Dolomites, the peloton was due to tackle two major mountain passes - the Gavia and the Stelvio, the latter, at 2,758 metres, being the highest point of the race's 96th edition.

Half-fit Messi called up by Argentina

Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella has called up Lionel Messi for the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers against Colombia and Ecuador, even though the Barcelona forward is only half-fit.

Messi, recovering from a thigh injury which limited his participation in the Catalan club's Champions League semi-final rout by Bayern Munich, is a key figure in the squad to play Colombia in Buenos Aires on June 7 and then travel to Quito for a match against Ecuador four days later.

Di Luca positive for EPO before Giro: report

Italian cyclist Danilo Di Luca, currently competing at the 96th Giro d'Italia, tested positive for EPO in an out-of-competition test before the race, a report said Friday.

Di Luca, who has already served a ban for testing positive at the Giro, tested positive for the banned blood booster at the end of April, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.