Ball Ball

• Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans are facing off in Qualifier 1 of the Indian Premier League 2026. • The match is being broadcast and tracked via Cricbuzz, providing live scores, ball-by-ball commentary, and video highlights for viewers in the USA and Canada. • This high-stakes playoff game is critical as it determines which team secures a direct path toward the tournament final.

• Sunderland defeated Chelsea 2-1 in a dramatic final-day Premier League match, securing a spot in the Europa League. • The victory marks a significant achievement for the Black Cats, qualifying for European competition in their first season back in the top flight. • Chelsea's defeat is critical as it means the club will miss out on European qualification entirely for the upcoming season.

• RacketPro (RPO) is expanding pickleball development across Asia, identifying Malaysia as a strategic regional hub and Vietnam as a leading market. • The organization is launching the "RacketPro APAC Pickleball Tour 2026," a major regional initiative covering Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. • The tour will integrate the RPO COEBRA Intensity Program to provide world-class training and professional development for athletes and coaches.

• AC Milan is reportedly willing to sell Rafael Leao at a reduced price, attracting interest from Manchester United, who are also linked to Jarrod Bowen. • Barcelona is scouting 26-year-old Polish defender Jakub Kiwior, currently at Porto and formerly of Arsenal, to bolster their backline. • Premier League clubs, including Brighton and Crystal Palace, are targeting 20-year-old Bayern Munich midfielder Arijon Ibrahimovic following his successful loan spell at Heidenheim.

• Greek teams have emerged as the most dominant force in the modern EuroLeague era, which began with the 2000–01 season. • Greece leads the title count with seven championships, followed by Spain with five, and Turkey and Russia with four each. • Other successful nations include Israel, which has secured three titles, and Italy, which has won one.

At least four people died and dozens of others were injured in the attack Russia used its powerful hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile for a third time in Ukraine as part of a massive attack on Kyiv and its surrounding region that killed at least four people and injured dozens.Russia hit the city of Bila Tserkva in the Kyiv region with the missile, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. He described a Russian assault that hit a water supply facility, burnt down a market, damaged dozens of residential buildings and several schools, as well as the Oreshnik missile strike. Continue reading...

• Barcelona is prioritizing a new striker to replace 37-year-old Robert Lewandowski, targeting Harry Kane (32), Julian Alvarez (26), and Joao Pedro (24). • Manchester United has reportedly agreed to a £46m (€53m) deal to sign 26-year-old Brazilian midfielder Ederson from Atalanta. • Liverpool is reportedly closing in on a deal for Samuel Martinez, a teenage attacker from Colombia.

• India and England are facing off in the second semi-final of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. • The match is being broadcast and tracked via Cricbuzz, providing live scores, ball-by-ball commentary, and video highlights for viewers in the USA and Canada. • This high-stakes encounter is critical as it determines which team will advance to the tournament final.

A ruthless Thomas Tuchel has left several big names at home for his England squad at this summer’s World Cup.There was no space for Harry Maguire, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Cole Palmer or Phil Foden – previous stalwarts in former manager Gareth Southgate’s squads.The announcement comes as the club season nears its end, with a historic week for Arsenal winning its first Premier League title in 22 years, sparking an incredible and diverse celebration from fans.Lucy Hough speaks to sportswriter and columnist Jonathan Liew – watch on YouTube Continue reading...

• Real Madrid is reportedly confident in signing Rodri from Manchester City following Pep Guardiola's departure, while Bayern Munich is eyeing John Stones and Atletico Madrid is interested in Marc Cucurella. • Barcelona has agreed to personal terms with 28-year-old Marcus Rashford to make his loan permanent, though a transfer fee with Manchester United remains undecided. • Liverpool has formally registered interest in 20-year-old Hoffenheim winger Bazoumana Toure, facing competition from Manchester United, Aston Villa, and Newcastle.

• Arsenal are reportedly targeting a move for Bournemouth's Eli Junior Kroupi following the player's role in helping the club secure a Premier League title win. • In other football news, Mikel Arteta is expected to become one of the Premier League's highest-paid managers after agreeing to a lucrative new contract. • Additional reports indicate that Enzo Maresca has started working behind the scenes at Manchester City, while Hansi Flick is keen for Marcus Rashford to remain at his club.

• Goal.com India provides a comprehensive platform for real-time football scores, match results, and upcoming fixtures from global leagues. • The service specifically highlights coverage of the Premier League, offering fans detailed data and live updates on match progress. • This tool is essential for football enthusiasts to track team performance and schedule changes across various international competitions.

• BBC Sport provides a comprehensive hub for live football scores, latest results, and upcoming fixtures across multiple tiers of the game. • The coverage spans major competitions and leagues, specifically highlighting the Premier League, the Championship, and the Scottish Premiership. • This service serves as a critical real-time resource for fans to track team standings and match timings across various domestic and international tournaments.

• Express.co.uk is providing comprehensive football coverage, focusing on the latest transfer news, rumors, match results, and upcoming fixtures. • The publication is specifically highlighting the build-up to the England national team's "Three Lions" squad announcement for the World Cup. • This coverage serves as a central hub for fans to track player statistics and team movements during critical transfer windows.

• SportsCafe is providing comprehensive daily coverage of football news, transfer updates, and match scores for 2025, with a specific focus on the Indian market. • The platform tracks both domestic Indian football and major international clubs, including Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Liverpool. • This service allows fans to stay current on breaking highlights and detailed player movements through a filtered search system for teams and tournaments.

• India secured a dominant victory over New Zealand in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 Final, posting a massive total of 255/5. • New Zealand struggled to keep pace with the target, finishing their innings at 159 runs, resulting in a comprehensive win for India. • The victory sparked massive celebrations among the home crowd and players, with Ishan, Abhishek, Arshdeep, and Tilak celebrating with bhangra.

One of two MPs who came in top five of vote could be persuaded to take on Kim Leadbeater’s bill in the Commons Assisted dying campaigners have a narrow path to revive the bill after two MPs who backed the change came in the top five of the new private member’s bill ballot.Supporters of Kim Leadbeater’s original private member’s bill, which ran out of time to be passed, have the chance to use the Parliament Act to bypass the Lords if they can persuade another MP to take it through the Commons again. Continue reading...

Top Republicans fear diverting taxpayer dollars toward the White House ballroom will alienate voters before midtermsSenate Republican leaders are expected to ditch a $1bn proposal for security measures tied to Donald Trump’s White House ballroom following a backlash from members of their own party.Under pressure from Trump, top Republican lawmakers tried to latch the proposal on to a roughly $70bn bill to restore funding to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the border patrol. Continue reading...

Republican senators have queried the timing and lack of detail in secret service bid to add money to the Department for Homeland security billHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.Senate Republicans could strip Donald Trump’s lavish White House ballroom complex from the Department of Homeland Security funding bill after members queried the timing and lack of detail in the $1bn Secret Service request.The US issued a federal criminal indictment against Raúl Castro, Cuba’s former president, potentially paving the way for a US military raid to capture him.Two police officers attacked by rioters at the US Capitol during the January 6 riot sued Donald Trump over plans to create a $1.776bn “anti-weaponization” fund.Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican congressman from a Philadelphia-area district carried by Kamala Harris in 2024, pledged on Wednesday to “try to kill” the $1.776bn slush fund created by Donald Trump’s Department of Justice this week, which could be used to compensate rioters who tried to keep Trump in office after he lost the 2020 election.Republican senator Bill Cassidy denounced two of Trump’s passion projects: $1bn in taxpayer funding for the White House ballroom the president can’t stop talking about, and the $1.776bn slush fund he plans to use to reward supporters who stormed the Capitol to try to keep him in office despite losing the 2020 election.A former federal prosecutor in Florida pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to charges that she illegally emailed herself a copy of the unreleased special counsel report on Trump’s mishandling of classified documents. Continue reading...

• Football Australia is set to report an unprecedented A$15.3 million loss at its annual general meeting next week, according to ESPN. • The governing body is also cutting more than 20% of its workforce and restructuring after years of financial strain linked to the A-Leagues. • ESPN reported that about half of the 2024 loss came from forgiving APL debts, after the league owners paid just under A$1 million in a settlement over historic debts.

• Inner Mongolia Nongxin, a Women’s Chinese Basketball Association side, was banned for three years on Wednesday and stripped of its 2023-24 runners-up finish after a match-fixing investigation. • The CBA said former general manager Guo Jiajie and player Zou Qijia were banned for life, while head coach Yang Zan and rival Shanxi executive Ma Jun received three-year suspensions effective May 20, 2026. • Court documents cited by the league said the officials sought “illegitimate benefits” and were involved in “attempted bribery of non-state functionaries,” underscoring the scale of the scandal.

In today’s newsletter: Behind the packed stadiums and record revenues lies a growing tension​ of a sport thriving financially while the supporters who built it ​are increasingly ​left behindGood morning. The men’s football season is reaching the sharp end. This week, Arsenal were crowned Premier League champions and last night Aston Villa won the Uefa Europa League. The men’s Fifa World Cup is just around the corner.But fans in England are also at the sharp end: rising prices inside and outside grounds, kick-off times being altered on the whim of TV channels, and a creeping sense that some clubs are desperate to replace the “legacy fan” with a premium-paying “high-yield customer”.UK politics | Andy Burnham is backing Shabana Mahmood’s controversial changes to the immigration system, his allies have said, in a blow to those in Labour who hope to soften them.AI | The Electoral Commission has called for new legal controls over misinformation from AI chatbots, after a thinktank found they had made serious mistakes during the recent Scottish election.Ebola | Doses of a potential vaccine against the Bundibugyo virus that is causing an Ebola outbreak in central Africa will not be available for six to nine months, the World Health Organization said.Middle East | Israel’s far-right national security minister has sparked a diplomatic crisis by publishing footage of Israeli security forces abusing international activists who were detained as they tried to sail to Gaza with aid.UK news | Rainwater harvesting, the use of grey water in homes and an urgent campaign to reduce water usage across society are vital to prevent water shortages of 5bn litres a day by 2055, the government has been told.In the weeks leading up to the World Cup, soccer writer Jonathan Wilson will explain how the tournament became a global phenomenon with cultural, social and political weight that extends far beyond each game. Sign up for the newsletter here. Continue reading...

President says $400m building costs to be funded by private donors, but has asked for taxpayers to cover security costsShouting over the banging and clanging sounds from heavy construction equipment, Donald Trump on Tuesday gave a group of reporters a closer look at the construction for the White House ballroom he’s building on the site of the former East Wing to mount a defense of the project that has hit a speed bump in Congress.The administration has asked for $1bn from taxpayers for security additions on the White House campus, including for the ballroom. But the Senate parliamentarian ruled the proposal could not be included in a bill to fund immigrant enforcement agencies for three years, and several Republican lawmakers have balked at the price tag in an election year where voters are grappling with gasoline, grocery and other prices spurred to new heights by the Iran war and the disruption in oil supplies. Continue reading...

Naegohyang FC due to play Suwon FC in semi-final of Asian Women’s Champions League on WednesdayA North Korean women’s football club has arrived in South Korea for an AFC Women’s Champions League semi-final, marking the first visit by athletes from the isolated state to the South in eight years.The delegation of 27 players and 12 staff entered the country on Sunday before Wednesday’s match between Naegohyang FC and South Korea’s Suwon FC Women in Suwon. Continue reading...

• Australia’s CommBank Junior Matildas beat Vietnam 2-0 in the AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup 2026 quarter-final, sealing a first-ever place at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. • Football Australia said Frida Karaberis and Leyla Hussein scored the goals as the side advanced to the semi-finals and matched its best continental finish. • The result matters because it gives Australia a historic berth at the Morocco 2026 tournament and underlines the country’s growing youth pipeline.

• The Philadelphia 76ers have shaken up their front office by parting ways with Daryl Morey as president of basketball operations. • This move comes amid ongoing NBA playoff action and precedes the draft combine, signaling a major organizational reset for the franchise. • Morey's departure raises questions about the Sixers' future direction, especially after recent postseason disappointments and roster challenges.

• University at Buffalo women's basketball announced the signing of Holy Cross transfer Asia Wilson, a Rochester, NY native with three remaining years of eligibility. • Wilson appeared in 27 games for Holy Cross in 2025-26, helping the Crusaders achieve 23 wins, a Patriot League Championship, and an NCAA Tournament berth. • The addition of Wilson strengthens Buffalo's roster as the program looks to build on recent success and compete at a higher level.

Exclusive: Where parties fielded multiple candidates in last week’s vote, those at top of list were more likely to be pickedFancy your chances in politics? Then perhaps you should change your name to Aaron Aaronson or Aaliyah Aardvark, figures from last week’s local elections in England suggest.A Guardian analysis of election results compiled by the website Democracy Club points to a striking alphabet effect. In wards where a party fielded three candidates, those listed nearer the top of the ballot paper – with a surname nearer the start of the alphabet – finished ahead of their party colleagues in 2,200 cases, or 65% of the time. Continue reading...