The United Nations is holding an emergency meeting as the world expresses horror at the suspected chemical weapons attack in northern Syria that killed dozens of people and left others gasping for breath and convulsing in the streets and overcrowded hospitals.

Russia will miss August's World Athletics Championships in London after their doping ban was extended on Monday, world governing body president Sebastien Coe said.

Maria Sharapova said Wednesday she refused to feel sorry for herself during her doping ban, occupying her time by studying at Harvard, writing a book and even learning how to box.

The draw for the 2018 World Cup finals hosted by Russia will take place in the Kremlin on December 1, the country's Football Union (RFU) chief Vitaly Mutko said Monday.

Norwegian Magnus Carlsen extended his dominance over the chess world by winning the World Chess Championship for the third consecutive time on Wednesday, beating his Russian challenger Sergei Karyakin in a tiebreaker.

Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has been ruled out of Bayern Munich's trip to Russia to face Rostov in the Champions League on Wednesday, the German champions said in a statement.

Russian investigators say they have detained the former deputy governor of Saint Petersburg over suspected fraud during the construction of a World Cup venue.

Russia has chosen a goggled wolf as mascot for the 2018 World Cup.

Mo Farah, Rafael Nadal and Justin Rose are among athletes targeted in the latest leak of confidential medical documents that the world anti-doping agency (WADA) says were hacked by a Russian cyber espionage group.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) says that another batch of athlete data has been leaked by the same Russian cyber espionage group that published confidential medical data earlier this week.

With Cristiano Ronaldo still missing due to injury, European champions Portugal begin their bid to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia with a disappointing 2-0 defeat in Switzerland.

A tearful Nick Kyrgios, a dark horse to win the US Open, retires from his third-round match against Ukraine's Illya Marchenko with a hip injury.

16 migrant workers mostly from Kyrgyzstan die in a fire that broke out at a Moscow warehouse early Saturday, Russian authorities say.

Russian President Putin awards rhythmic gymnast Margarita Mamun during a grand ceremony for Russian Olympic medallists returning home from 2016 Rio Olympics at Kremlin in Moscow.

Russia loses appeal against ban from next month's Rio Paralympics because of a state-sponsored doping programme, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) says.

From the dizzying gymnastics heights of African-American Simone Biles to Indian wrestler Sakshi Malik and Brazilian golden girl Rafaela Silva in judo -- Rio proves a groundbreaking Games for women.

Bangladeshi descent Russian world number one rhythmic gymnast Margarita Mamun wins gold in the women's individual all-around rhythmic gymnastics event at Rio de Janeiro's Olympic Arena.

A Russian boxer controversially adjudged to have beaten world champion Michael Conlan at the Rio Olympics is out of the Games.

Taiwan's former weightlifting world record holder Lin Tzu-chi is suspended from competing in the Rio Olympics 2016.

American teenager Lilly King celebrates stopping tainted Russian swimmer Yulia Efimova from getting an Olympic gold as doping hostilities worsen in Rio.