- Booking.com to face tough new EU tech rules
- Survivors hunt for the missing days after Afghanistan floods
- Indonesia flood death toll rises to 43 with 15 missing
- Fierce fighting rocks Gaza after US warning of post-war 'anarchy'
- France announces 'record' foreign investments worth 15 bn euros
- Georgians protest in last stand against 'foreign agent' bill
- Saudi Arabia's billion-dollar football league a work in progress
- Maldives gets IMF debt warning as more Chinese loans loom
- US, Japanese banks lead fossil fuel financing
- China says to sell initial batch of long-dated bonds this week
- US sanctions test China's 'no limits' friendship with Russia
- Sweden's small game studios punching above their weight
- India vote resumes with Kashmir poised to oppose Modi
- Indonesia's Mount Ibu erupts again, spews huge ash tower
- China accused of targeting overseas citizens for political activism
- 18 years on, Germany hopes to relive World Cup 'fairytale' with Euro 2024
- Creaking German trains could derail Euros travel
- Germany set for massive security challenge at Euro 2024
- In US national parks, a historical wound begins to heal
- Loss and hope: US park rangers' climate crisis fight
- Identity crisis: Climate destroying wonders that gave US parks their names
- All Blacks captain Cane to retire from international rugby
- Indonesia flood death toll rises to 41 with 17 missing
- Asian markets mixed as traders pause ahead of US inflation data
- Nuggets outgun T'Wolves, Pacers thrash Knicks to level NBA playoff series
- Cambodia's famed Kampot pepper withers in scorching heatwave
- Germany eyes huge party as it hosts Euro 2024 amid global turmoil
- Archegos founder to go on trial for fraud, market manipulation
- Attacking birth control pills, US influencers push misinformation
- At 101, a US WWII veteran - and pacifist - is honored by France
- Lithuanian president, PM set for election runoff on May 26
- Flop of Premier League's promoted three exposes growing gulf
- Mercedes workers in Alabama to vote whether to join US union
- Blinken: Israel offensive on Rafah would not eliminate Hamas
- Magnificent McIlroy races away to victory at Quail Hollow
- Pacers thrash Knicks to level NBA playoff series
- Gotterup wins maiden PGA Tour title at Myrtle Beach
- Runner-up files bid to annul Chad presidential poll result
- Swiss Eurovision winner Nemo returns to hero's welcome
- Mbappe bids farewell to PSG fans with defeat in final home game
- Microsoft, Amazon to invest billions in French tech
- Atalanta close in on Champions League, Bologna and Juve qualify
- Zhang stuns Sagstrom to win Founders Cup
- De Paul stunner fires Atletico past Celta towards top four finish
- India vote to resume with Kashmir poised to oppose Modi
- Putin removes defence minister Shoigu
- WNBA feeling 'Caitlin Clark effect' as season tips off
- Hawks win NBA draft lottery, will pick first in draft
- Thousands of Georgians join night-time protest despite warnings
- Brilliant Leverkusen stretch unbeaten run to 50, Bayern go second without Kane
Champion Alcaraz passes 'test of fire' to reach Madrid Open last 16
Carlos Alcaraz passed a "test of fire" to breeze into the Madrid Open last 16 with a straight sets victory over Thiago Seyboth Wild on Sunday, demonstrating he is over his injury worries before the French Open.
The double defending champion came through 6-3, 6-3 and will face last year's runner-up Jan-Lennard Struff in the next round after another impressive showing before adoring fans on home soil.
World number three Alcaraz, 20, missed a month prior to Madrid with a forearm issue but returned to crush Alexander Shevchenko in the second round.
Still wearing a protective sleeve on his right arm, he had far too much for Seyboth Wild, who had ousted 28th seed Lorenzo Musetti.
"Maybe today I was a bit nervous about how it would be, Thiago hits the ball so hard, I didn't know how the forearm would hold up," said Alcaraz on court.
"Today was the test of fire, no discomfort, feeling spectacular... from here, we'll be getting better."
Indian Wells champion Alcaraz broke for a 4-3 lead in the first set when Seyboth Wild blinked first and sent a forehand into the net.
The second seed sealed the set with another break when his Brazilian opponent double faulted.
Alcaraz stepped up a gear in the second set, winning 10 of the first 11 points and breaking in the second and fourth games as he raced into a 5-0 lead.
Seyboth Wild battled to a hold and a break to salvage some pride but Alcaraz triumphed on serve when the Brazilian went long.
"I was very comfortable on the court, moving, hitting the ball, as I always say finishing the game isn't easy, it's nerves," added Alcaraz.
Germany's Struff defeated Frenchman Ugo Humbert 7-5, 6-4.
Andrey Rublev came back from 5-0 down in a first set tie-break to beat home favourite Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 7-6 (12/10), 6-4 in a nervy affair.
The world number eight saved five set points to stun his opponent, before a similarly hard-fought second set.
Rublev broke for a 5-4 lead with a shot which the Spaniard chose to leave as he thought it was long, but Hawk-Eye showed it was in by a whisker.
The Russian wrapped up his win with a forehand winner, his second win of the week after four straight defeats prior.
- 'Very tough match' -
Women's world number four Elena Rybakina eased to a 6-1, 6-4 win over Egypt's Mayar Sherif to reach the last 16.
The Kazakh, who has a tour-leading three titles this season after triumphing in Stuttgart last week, broke twice in the first set to move 5-0 ahead on the Spanish clay.
Although Sherif battled harder in the second set, surviving four match points to hold for 5-4 down, Rybakina clinched the victory on serve at the Caja Magica.
"Despite the score, it was a very tough match," said Rybakina, who also leads the tour with 28 wins.
"It was a lot of deuces and we both fought a lot -- I'm really happy with the performance today."
Rybakina will face teenager Sara Bejlek in the next round after the Czech defeated American Ashlyn Krueger 6-3, 6-1.
"I've never played against a player like this," said the 18-year-old. "I will try my best and we'll see how it will go tomorrow."
Mirra Andreeva defeated Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 7-5, 6-1 to return to the last 16 for the second year running.
The 16-year-old Russian won 25 points to nine in the second set against the world number seven from the Czech Republic.
T.Bondarenko--BTB