Soccer's five-times World Player of the Year Lionel Messi should be acquitted on tax evasion charges against him, Spain's public prosecutors' office said on Friday as the trial drew to a close. Neither Messi nor his father Jorge Horacio Messi attended the hearing in a Barcelona court where closing arguments were given. Both are accused by the Spanish tax office of defrauding the government of 4.2 million euros ($4.8 million) between 2007 and 2009 but have denied any wrongdoing. Speaking on whether or not Lionel Messi was aware of the alleged fraud, state prosecutor Raquel Amado said: "There is no evidence that anyone explained it to him ... the prosecutor sustains that Lionel Andres Messi should be acquitted."
Barcelona captain Carles Puyol will leave the club at the end of the season following a persistent battle with a knee injury.
Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel will go into Sunday's Malaysian Grand Prix as a heavy favourite, buoyed by a comprehensive season-opening victory in Melbourne a fortnight ago to kick off his world title defence.
The coronavirus pandemic has spread to 146 countries with the worldwide death toll from the virus surpassing the 7,000 mark on Monday. Among the more than 1,73,000 cases recorded globally are government officials, celebrities and sports personalities as authorities around the world grapple to contain the spread of coronavirus. Hollywood actor Tom Hanks and his wife, actress and singer Rita Wilson, British actor Idris Elba, and Sophie Trudeau, wife of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, are some of the most well-known faces to be infected so far.
Mercedes opened their Formula One season by dominating practice at the Australian Grand Prix on Friday, with Nico Rosberg edging his world champion team mate Lewis Hamilton in both sessions at Albert Park.
A coy Sebastian Vettel was determined not to get carried away with a blistering start to his world title defence at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday.
As the Formula One season unfolds this weekend, Raja Sen lists what to look out for.
As the Formula One season unfolds this weekend, Raja Sen lists what to look out for.
Formula One commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone says the Australian Grand Prix is as important to the sport as the iconic Monaco race but he could not force Melbourne to keep it if it was too expensive for the city.
A double strike from Sunil Chhetri and another fine finish from Miku set up an impressive 3-0 win for Bengaluru FC against FC Pune City in the Indian Super League football match, in Pune, on Monday.
Known as one of the most brilliant theoretical physicists since Albert Einstein, here are a few glimpses of Stephen Hawking's life.
To lure health-conscious consumers, who prefer lower intake of sugar, Mondelez is launching a variant of its most sold product Dairy Milk bar with 30 per cent less sugar.
World champion Hamilton stormed to pole with a record lap of one minute 21.164 seconds at Albert Park, with a gap of more than six-tenths of a second to the second placed Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen.
If she succeeds, Sarita Shah, principal investigator at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, United States, may be able to help those in most parts of the developing world, including India, fight drug-resistant tuberculosis.
The Art Gallery of Ontario will host an exhibition titled the 'Maharaja: The Splendor of India's Royal Courts' from November 20, 2010 to February 27, 2011.
In a cruel twist of fate, an Australian family who lost two of their members in the MH370 crash learned on Friday that two more from their extended family were on the ill-fated Malaysian plane shot down over Ukraine.
The cottage had been a royal gift to Abdul Karim by Queen Victoria, then Empress of India, in recognition of his service and as a sign of her affection towards her Indian aide and confidant.
Ferrari's new team principal Mattia Binotto said earlier in the year that Vettel, as the team's "champion", would be given priority over Leclerc in certain racing situations, though he later clarified the drivers would be "free to fight".
The award was conferred to Singh in recognition for his valuable contribution in a capacity as Honorary Consul General of Monaco in Delhi for last 20 years.
Lionel Messi scored a penalty for the third Champions League game in a row with the Spaniards maintaining their winning start to the group stage.
Police have launched an investigation after Paris St Germain's players were confronted by angry supporters upon their return to the French capital on Wednesday following their 6-1 Champions League defeat in Barcelona, the Ligue 1 club has said.
Brazilian soccer great Pele "is in better condition" though he remains in an intensive care unit being treated for a urinary tract infection, the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo said on Friday.
'He was nominated for the Nobel Prize 9 times and several scientists wrote to the academy pointing out the injustice.' Ambassador T P Sreenivasan remembers E C G Sudarshan, the legendary physicist who passed into the ages on Monday, May 14.
World No 2 Andy Murray overwhelmed Italy's Andreas Seppi 6-2, 7-5 and second seed Rafael Nadal crushed veteran Italian Paolo Lorenzi 6-1, 6-1 to reach the China Open second round on Tuesday.
McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton has been fined A$500 ($445) but avoided conviction for reckless driving outside Melbourne's Australian Grand Prix circuit in March.
Lionel Messi scored a record eighth Champions League hat-trick as Barcelona kick-started their campaign with a 4-0 home win over PSV Eindhoven, although they had defender Samuel Umtiti sent off late in the second half on Tuesday.
Former world number one Carlos Moya fought back tears on Wednesday as he formally announced his retirement from tennis at the age of 34 due to a recurring foot injury.
Melbourne may not continue to host the Australian Grand Prix after the current contract runs out in 2014, the Premier of the state of Victoria John Brumby said on Wednesday.
Jeff Bezos of Amazon tops the list for the second consecutive year with networth of $147 billion.
A compelling cast of players, two attacking teams propelled by great pace and a clash between neighbours to boot.
Defending champion Andy Murray and ATP finals hopefuls Mikhail Youzhny and Fernando Verdasco all made surprise early exits from the Valencia Open on Wednesday. World number four and top seed Murray fell 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 to Argentine Juan Monaco in the second round, while world number 10 Youzhny pulled out at the start of the day with a back problem.
In other matches, super-sub Messi helped Barca romp past Atletico
More than 8.5 million troops perished in World War I, which ended 100 years ago this Sunday. Fighting ended with an armistice signed on November 11, 1918. As the world pays tribute to the fallen, here are rare and unseen photographs that show the daily life of soldiers in the trenches, destruction of towns and military leaders during the World War I as the world marks the centenary year of the mega war, which began in 1914. The photos are from a collection of hundreds of glass plates taken by an unknown photographer left behind by a viscount (nobleman) in the French army.
Vitantonio Liuzzi kept his cool in a rollercoaster of a race to finish seventh and win six invaluable points for Force India while Karun Chandhok was among the 14 drivers who lasted the distance in the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on Sunday.
A Neymar double, a spectacular volley from Luis Suarez and a goal for Lionel Messi saw top of the table Barcelona's unstoppable strike force sweep aside Real Sociedad 4-0 in La Liga on Saturday.
American Haley Anderson claimed the first gold medal of the world swimming championships when she pipped Brazil's Poliana Okimoto to the line to win the women's open water 5km event on Saturday.
La Liga leaders Barcelona earned a narrow 1-0 win over Real Valladolid to move seven points clear at the top, while Real Madrid lost 2-1 at home against Girona to fall to third behind Atletico Madrid.
'Tragically, compassion is in short supply in our ancient capital city, as the horrific violence in recent weeks testified,' points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
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