King Charles III's US state visit was a "risk and challenge" that he "grasped in both hands", a palace aide said Sunday as the monarch returned from a widely praised trip.
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In a sprawling office in Hefei, the eastern Chinese electric vehicle hub, hundreds of employees and several robotic arms sat refining software developed jointly by German behemoth Volkswagen and Chinese EV maker XPeng.
Man charged with murdering Indigenous girl in Australian outback
AFP AFP
An Australian man has been charged with murdering a young Indigenous girl in a "deeply distressing" case that has stirred grief across the nation, police said Sunday.
Detectives last week discovered the body of five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby near the outback town of Alice Springs.
Soon after they arrested Jefferson Lewis, 47, who had been beaten unconscious after turning himself in to Indigenous community members.
Northern Territory Police said Lewis had now been charged with murder and two counts of rape.
"This remains a deeply distressing matter," police commissioner Martin Dole told reporters.
"Our thoughts are with Kumanjayi's family, loved ones, and the wider community that have been deeply impacted by these events."
An angry crowd clashed with police as Lewis was treated in hospital after his arrest, demanding they hand over the accused child killer so they could punish him themselves.
Images of the riot showed teargas wafting through the air, a police van in flames and crowds yelling at armed officers keeping people at bay.
Many people outside the hospital shouted that Lewis must face "payback", public broadcaster ABC reported, referring to a traditional punishment in central Australian Indigenous communities.
The girl, referred to as Kumanjayi Little Baby at her family's request, had disappeared from an Indigenous community camp, sparking a vast, days-long search on foot, horseback and by helicopter that gripped much of the country.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said her death had broken hearts across the nation.
"This is the tragic outcome we were all desperately hoping against.
"No words can measure up to the immensity of the grief her family is going through.
"In their time of terrible loss, all Australians hold them in our hearts."
Robin Granites, a spokesman for the family and an elder of the Warlpiri Indigenous group, called for calm in the community.
"It is time now for sorry business, to show respect for our family and have space for grieving and remembering," he said in a statement.
"We need to be strong for each other, we must respect family and cultural practice."
sft/abs
Mizzou track and field Robert Hines finishes second at Rock Chalk Classic
Carys Shelley, Columbia Missourian
Mizzou men's track and field runner Robert Hines finished second in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.42 seconds Friday in Lawrence, Kansas, on Day 2 of the Rock Chalk Classic. This is Hines' second consecutive podium finish, as the senior took third in the event at the Drake Relays, running 10.55 last Saturday in Des Moines, Iowa.
In shot put, Mizzou had three throwers in the top five. Chase Crawford snagged second with a throw of 56 feet, 2 inches, and fellow Tigers Sam Albert (54-2½) and Clayton Kamp (52-2) took third and fourth, respectively.
On the other side of the field in discus, Ames Burton threw a 162-1 for sixth place at the meet.
Saturday's entry was Mizzou's final regular season meet. The Tigers will open their post season campaign with the SEC Outdoor Championships on May 16 at the Hutsell Rosen Track Facility in Auburn, Alabama.
Serene Korda takes three-shot lead at LPGA Mexico
AFP AFP
World number one Nelly Korda cruised into a three-stroke lead at the LPGA Riviera Maya Open, scoring 67 in another flawless round Saturday.
Showing no signs of fatigue after last week's triumph at the Chevron Championship, Korda has gone 43 holes since her sole opening-round bogey at Mexico's El Camaleon Golf Course.
And the 27-year-old American rarely even came close to dropping a shot in a serene third round, which finished with a tap-in eagle for a healthy lead going into the final day.
She stands at 14-under 202, followed by Thailand's Arpichaya Yubol on 11-under, and Japan's Minami Katsu a further stroke back.
Korda said she "would be lying to you if I said that my energy levels were 100 percent" after her major win last week, but insisted she was in Playa del Carmen "to work, not on vacation."
"I think just mentally, just staying in it has been the most important part for this week," she said.
A surging Arpichaya finished her best-of-the-day, bogey-free round of 66 with birdie-birdie, to keep the gap at three.
Katsu sank a rare eagle on 17 to get herself right back in the tournament, on 10-under.
The Japanese player had experienced an up-and-down day -- two-over for the front nine, before birdies on three of her next four holes.
Korda had begun the day tied on nine-under 136 with fellow American Brianna Do, who was chasing her first LPGA tour title.
Korda enjoyed a calm, risk-free front nine, her eight pars punctuated only by a birdie on the par-five fifth.
She made a superb save with a long curling putt on nine to retain her solo lead over Arpichaya and China's Liu Yu.
But three-time major winner Korda turned up the tempo down the stretch.Â
On the par-five 13th, her long eagle effort just failed to drop. She settled for birdie, and a dart into the green on the par-three 14th meant a tap in for another.
She struck a perfect driver followed by an aggressive iron on the low-scoring par-five 18th, to finish with a tap-in eagle.Â
Her only mistake of the day came when she twice tried and failed to retrieve the ball from the cup at the final green, laughing at her fumble.
Overnight co-leader Do had a more turbulent day. She had bogeys on the first and fourth, before pulling back birdies on six and nine to briefly move back into joint second.
But she sliced her tee shot into water on 10, carding a double bogey, and finished with a 72 on nine-under, tied for fourth with Liu.
Korda is having a totally dominant season.
She is already chasing her third win of 2026, having captured the Chevron Championship last week, and the season-opening Tournament of Champions
Korda finished second in her other three starts so far this year.
amz/bb
Golden Tempo wins Kentucky Derby in historic triumph for trainer DeVaux
AFP AFP
Golden Tempo roared home to win the 152nd Kentucky Derby on Saturday, making Cherie DeVaux the first woman trainer to capture the iconic race at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.
"I don't even have any words right now, I just can't," an emotional DeVaux told broadcaster NBC as she made her way toward the winner's circle. "I'm just so, so happy for Golden Tempo."
Jockey Jose Ortiz guided Golden Tempo's late surge and held off his brother, Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard early favorite Renegade, to seize his first Kentucky Derby victory in his 11th start.
Renegade finished second by a neck and Ocelli, a 70-1 shot who was a late addition to the field after multiple scratches, was third.
"Jose did a wonderful job, masterful job of getting him there," DeVaux said. "He was so far out of it. He has had so much faith in this horse."
DeVaux is just the second female trainer to saddle a winner in any of US flat racing's Triple Crown races after Jena Antonucci with Arcangelo in the 2023 Belmont Stakes.
She won the Derby in her first opportunity.
"I'm glad I can be representative of women everywhere," she said. "We can do anything we set our minds to."
The start of the race was delayed slightly when Great White reared and flipped on his side going into the starting gate.
He was the second race-day scratch in the $5 million, 1 1/4-mile race, which originally was set for a field of 20 but went off with 18 runners.
bb/js
Mizzou baseball struggles all around in run-rule loss to No. 5 Georgia
Amber Winkler, Columbia Missourian
Tre Phelps fed the trees in the third inning at Foley Field in Athens, Georgia. It was the 126th home run for Georgia this season.Â
This was the first of five home runs that carried out of the ballpark in Game 2 between Mizzou and No. 5 Georgia, which the Tigers dropped 13-3 via run-rule.Â
"We made errors, which we haven't done that," Missouri coach Kerrick Jackson said postgame to Tiger Radio. "Throwing errors, bad plays in the outfield. Just not a characteristic game when it comes to that aspect of it."
The inning prior to the first home run, the Bulldogs plated two runs on a double that was misread from Tyler Macon. Starter Brady Kehlenbrink began the inning by allowing a double and a single to put two on for the fatal extra base hit.
Kehlenbrink allowed a fourth run on a sacrifice fly, then was pulled before the fifth in exchange for Trey Lawrence.Â
Mizzou blew an opportunity to get back in the game when Isaiah Frost went down swinging and Tyler Macon watched three straight pitches in the zone to leave the bases loaded in the fourth. Mateo Serna and Eric Maisonet had singled, and Donovan Jordan was hit by pitch to put a man on each base.Â
This was the second time that sequence of events ended an inning. Just two frames prior, Frost struck out swinging and Macon struck out looking with runners on second and third.
Mizzou was just 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position in the game.
"We just didn't swing (the bat) when we had an opportunity score runs," Jackson said.
The Tigers finally plated two runs, but both came without runners on base. Kam Durnin hit a solo home run to left in the fifth inning to bring the first run home.Â
Donovan Jordan then took the first pitch of the sixth deep over an ad reading "JordanAir" on the left field wall. The right fielder's third home run of the season carried 393 feet.Â
After a wide throw from Blaize Ward allowed a runner to reach base to leadoff the sixth, then a double gave a run right back. It was unearned for Lawrence.
The next one was not. Lawrence loaded the bases and hit a batter to plate another run for Georgia in the inning. A double play ended the inning with a man at each station.Â
Mizzou plated another run in the seventh as Jase Woita smashed a 409-foot solo shot deep over the right field wall. This marked the Tigers' third home run of the game.Â
A pitching change to reliever Isaiah Salas did not go well for the Tigers. Five more runs scored on a string of hits and a throwing error by Durnin in the seventh. It was capped off by a solo home run from Georgia's Kolby Branch to make it 11-3.Â
Two more runs reached home in the eighth to reach the 13-run mark and reach the run-rule.Â
Mizzou baseball will try to salvage the series against Georgia at 11 a.m. Sunday.Â
Midweek cancelation
Due to expected inclement weather next week, Mizzou announced the cancelation of its midweek game against No. 19 Arizona State. The game was supposed to be at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Taylor Stadium.Â
This is the third midweek overall and second consecutive that the Tigers have had canceled due to weather this season.Â
After the conclusion of the Georgia series, Mizzou will next face Vanderbilt at 6 p.m. Friday at Taylor Stadium.Â
Mizzou legend Karissa Schweizer wins USATF 5,000-meter Championships in Indianapolis
Jacob Louraine, Columbia Missourian
Mizzou legend Karissa Schweizer is once again a national champion but this time among the ranks of the pros.Â
The six-time NCAA title-winner won the USATF women's 5,000-meter championship crown Friday in Indianapolis, clocking in at 14 minutes, 58.38 seconds to top a deeply competitive field.
Schweizer was the only athlete to record a sub-15 effort, and it was her first-ever road race at that distance.
"I was just out there, and it felt so smooth, and you don't get many of those days, so I just really soaked it in," Schweizer said in an interview after the race. "I made my move, and I just didn't look back."
Schweizer held off Emma Grace Hurley, who placed second in 15:00.79. Hurley and Schweizer met on the roads of Chicago on March 22 in the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle. Hurley barreled through the Windy City in the 8,000-meter road race in 24:29, and Schweizer was the runner-up in 24:56. Hurley's time marked an American 8,000 record, breaking a 21-year-old benchmark by seven seconds.
While they've been pitted against one another in their last two meetings, they'll next race under the same flag, as both Schweizer and Hurley advanced to the World Athletics Road Running Championships with their top two finishes. The pair will take on the world Sep. 19 in Copenhagen, Denmark.Â
King Charles grasped 'opportunity' on US trip, palace says
Jessica HOWARD-JOHNSTON AFP
King Charles III's US state visit was a "risk and challenge" that he "grasped in both hands", a palace aide said Sunday as the monarch returned from a widely praised trip.
Charles left for the UK from Bermuda Saturday following what a senior royal aide called a "historic" visit to the United States, aimed at healing strained ties between Washington and London.
The highlight of the four-day visit was the 77-year-old king's speech to US Congress on Tuesday -- the first such address since his mother, queen Elizabeth II spoke there after the Gulf War in 1991.
The speech, marking 250 years since American independence, was "high stakes", the aide involved in the visit told reporters.
The king urged the importance of NATO and called for a "just and lasting peace" in Ukraine, despite US President Donald Trump's critical stance on the bloc and Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky.
This was "a measure of how much he personally cares" and proves that he "will always be guided by the truth", the royal aide said.
- 'Warmth and laughter' -
His words won praise from Trump's opponents, with senior Democrat Gregory Meeks hailing the king's "impassioned call for a renewed commitment to NATO".
And the speech appeared to have gone down well with Trump, too.
The president told journalists Friday that Charles "is just a great person. He's a high quality person. I love the job he did in Congress".
The rapport between the king and president continued as they met behind closed doors in the Oval Office, the royal aide said with "an awful lot of warmth and laughter" amid serious topics.
By contrast, Trump has repeatedly lambasted Prime Minister Keir Starmer, particularly over his stance on Iran.
The palace aide denied any awkwardness over the differences in warmth of relationship, stressed the king's visit was on the government's request and there is "not a competition" between the monarchy and Downing Street.
On the contrary, the king and queen "have been able to help the government", the aide said, and the king himself viewed the US leg of his trip as particularly "positive".
"What looked like risk and challenge was also a phenomenal opportunity. One that was grasped in both hands by the King," the aide said.
- 'A personal triumph' -
British media lavished praise on the visit: The Daily Telegraph called it "a triumph" and a "reassertion of our shared values", while for The Times, it was a "star-spangled success".
"I think it was a personal triumph," for Charles, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told AFP, citing the king's "superb" speech to Congress, with "brilliant jokes".
"He got it right and every nuance seemed perfect. It pleased everybody," Fitzwilliams said of the address.
The visit proved a "boost" at a "very difficult time for the monarchy," the royal expert said.
Undergoing cancer treatment and after a bitter rift with his son, Prince Harry, Charles this year saw his brother, the former prince Andrew, arrested over ties to the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump reacted to the royal visit by lifting whisky tariffs, a major trade concession, in honour of Charles.
But Fitzwilliams urged caution on future consequences for the UK, citing Trump's "unpredictability".
Trump "loves all things British royal. But not necessarily the British government," he said.
burs-am/jj
Young stretches PGA lead to six at Doral
AFP AFP
World number four Cameron Young stumbled early but rallied to stretch his lead to six strokes after Saturday's third round of the PGA Cadillac Championship.
The 28-year-old American followed an opening bogey with four birdies and a bogey to fire a two-under par 70 and stand on 15-under 201 after 54 holes on the Blue Monster course at Trump National Doral in Florida.
"It was a little bit difficult to find a rhythm, just the wind and the direction it blew was really tricky," Young said. "Every hole was a substantial cross wind."
"It's really just a matter of trying to manage that and give yourself as many opportunities as you can."
World number one Scottie Scheffler fired a 69 to seize a share of second place on 207 with South Korean Kim Si-woo and Norway's Kristoffer Reitan.
Americans Ben Griffin and Matt McCarty shared fifth on 208 with Canada's Nick Taylor.
Stormy forecasts for Sunday afternoon have prompted organizers to have players make morning starts in the final round in threesomes off the first and 10th tees.
"Today was kind of a good test run of how tomorrow will be," Young said. "I'm sure it will not be as easy as I want it to be. Sounds like the weather's not going to be great.
"It'll be a fight from the beginning and just looking to execute the way that I did for the most part today -- just keep it in front of me and try to make some putts."
Young, who turns 29 on Thursday, won the Players Championship in March and shared third last month at the Masters.
After starting the day with a five-stroke lead, Young found water with his second shot on the way to a bogey at the par-five first hole while Taylor sank a six-foot birdie putt to close within three.
"It wasn't my best shot," Young said of his dampened shot. "With a good bounce it's not in the water. With an average bounce it's kind of close. I happened to get a bad one. I can't be mad for hitting driver, 6-iron at the middle of the green on one.
"This place is difficult and it will do that to you. Good reminder today wasn't going to be easy and set the tone for how the rest of the day went, just in terms of grinding through it and trying to make the best of the opportunities you do get."
Young rolled in a birdie putt from just inside 20 feet at the fifth, then sank a 32-foot chip in from the left rough for birdie at the seventh to reach 14-under with a four-stroke lead.
When Taylor stumbled with a double bogey at seven, Young's lead was five over Norway's Reitan and McCarty.
Young sank a 17-foot birdie putt at 11 but missed a six-footer for birdie at the par-five 12th and found a bunker off the tee on the way to bogey at the par-three 13th.
But he bounced back with a birdie putt from just inside 19 feet at the par-three 15th and parred in from there, making an eight-foot putt to save par at 18.
- Greens 'pretty tricky' -
Scheffler, a four-time major winner, dropped his approach at the 18th inches from the hole and tapped in to put himself into Sunday's last group.
"It was definitely windier out there," Scheffler said. "The greens weren't as firm as I anticipated them to be, but the fairways are, and there's a lot of crosswinds out there so it's hard to hold the fairways.
"Definitely a challenging day to make a lot of birdies but I gave myself a few looks and was able to make a few.
"Greens have been pretty tricky this week. Just keep giving myself looks, get hot with the putter and see what happens."
js/amz
Verstappen sees light at the end of tunnel
AFP AFP
Four-time world champion Max Verstappen said he could "see light at the end of the tunnel" after claiming an impressive second place in Saturday's qualifying for Sunday's Miami Grand Prix.
The 28-year-old Dutchman, frustrated by progress at Red Bull and the driving experience of racing in the new hybrid era of F1 cars, said his team's upgrades had made his car far more comfortable and pleasing to drive.
"For sure, the car has not been great in the previous races," said Verstappen, whose previous best grid position this year was eighth.
On Sunday, he will start alongside championship-leading Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes, who claimed his third consecutive pole on Saturday.
"From my side, I never felt comfortable with the layout of the car," said Verstappen. "I think over these last few weeks the team has been pushing flat-out to try and bring upgrades to the car and make me feel more comfortable with a lot of things and it really paid off.
"I feel more in control of the car again and then I can push a bit more. The upgrades are working and to be on the front row is way better than I expected heading into this weekend.
"Now, let's start with a good start. I've not had a lot of them this year. We'll try to have a look at that, for sure, and see what the weather will do tomorrow, but I'm already very happy with where we are.
"From here there's like light at the end of the tunnel, and we can just push on and try to close the gap further."
Red Bull, in common with most leading teams, made use of F1's enforced five-week hiatus due to the conflict in the Middle East to deliver major upgrade packages for their cars.
While Verstappen purred with satisfaction, his friend and rival -- defending world champion Lando Norris of McLaren, who won Saturday morning’s sprint race in convincing style from pole -- was unhappy at qualifying only fourth.Â
"I think we did a good job but I think the others just did a really bad job yesterday and did what they should have done today... so I have no complaints.
"It was trickier today with the wind and the high temperatures and I was struggling a big more for whatever reason. We didn't change anything. It was just the conditions."
He revealed also that, like team-mate Oscar Piastri, he had struggled with power deployment problems and found it difficult to have a fully charged battery pack.
"It wasn't right and we didn't have a clean run," he said. "And we need to understand why."
str/js
Celtics' Tatum ruled out for decisive game seven against Sixers
AFP AFP
Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum was ruled out of game seven of the team's NBA playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday with an Eastern Conference semi-final berth on the line.
Tatum was ruled out less than two hours before tip-off in the deciding game after being listed as "questionable" on an earlier injury report.
Celtics coach Joe Mazulla told reporters at his pre-game press conference that Tatum had "discomfort" in his left knee that was bad enough to prompt the coach and team medical staff to rule Tatum out.
Tatum had exited late in the third quarter of Thursday's game-six blowout loss to the Sixers but downplayed the issue after the game.
Tatum ruptured his right Achilles tendon in last year's playoffs and missed the first 62 games of this campaign before making his season debut on March 6.
The second-seeded Celtics held a 3-1 lead in the series before dropping two straight against their old rivals.
It is the 23rd playoff clash between Boston and Philadelphia.
Boston has won the last six, knocking Sixers star Joel Embiid out of the playoffs three times -- in 2018, in 2020 and in 2023.
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