Pallade Veneta - News from Venice, Veneto, Venetia and Italy, as well as from around the world

Championship leader Oscar Piastri calmly delivered a near-flawless lap under acute pressure on Saturday to claim pole position for McLaren ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Castres lost 34-29 at Bordeaux-Begles in the French Top 14 on Saturday as the visitors returned to action following the tragic death of Fijian Josaia Raisuqe.

Chilean-American actor Pedro Pascal urged Hollywood to "fuck the people that try to make you scared" on Saturday while admitting it was "scary" to speak out against US President Donald Trump.

Australian Luke Plapp broke away on a 50km solo attack to win a hilly stage eight of the Giro d'Italia on Saturday as veteran Italian all-rounder Diego Ulissi grabbed the overall lead.

Three Iranian men appeared in a London court Saturday charged with spying for Iran's intelligence services, as the UK interior ministry said they had arrived "by irregular means including small boats".

A South Korean court issued arrest warrants on Saturday for two people accused of blackmailing Tottenham Hotspurs captain Son Heung-min.

Yuki Tsunoda survived a spectacular high-speed crash that saw his Red Bull car somersault into the barriers after only six minutes action in Saturday's qualifying for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Rory McIlroy was forced to switch drivers at the PGA Championship after his regular driver was found to be non-conforming to rules in a test at Quail Hollow, according to a radio report.

More than 20 people have died after severe storms swept through the US states of Missouri and Kentucky, laying waste to local communities and cutting off electricity to nearly 200,000 people, authorities said.

The city of Paris on Saturday inaugurated a memorial dedicated to people persecuted for being homosexual during the Second World War but also "throughout history", mayor Anne Hidalgo said.

The Foro Italico (Italian Forum) has lived up to its name this past week as Jannik Sinner and Jasmine Paolini have given home fans a local hero to cheer for in both singles finals at the Italian Open.

The New York Knicks thrashed the Boston Celtics 119-81 to send the defending champions crashing out of the NBA playoffs on Friday.

Dangerous weather near Quail Hollow delayed the start of Saturday's third round of the PGA Championship just as Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele were preparing to begin play.

Just hours before Saturday's Eurovision Song Contest grand final, organisers were tight-lipped about whether ailing superstar Celine Dion might make an emotional appearance, 37 years after winning the competition.

After enjoying Barcelona's La Liga title celebrations Hansi Flick said Saturday he would love to repeat them every season.

Lando Norris outpaced team-mate and championship leader Oscar Piastri to top the times for McLaren in another convincing 1-2 in Saturday's third and final free practice ahead of this weekend's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

The Eurovision Song Contest evokes a world of intrigue with song rules, juries and votes that draw out the drama until a winner is crowned.

A video posted online of two orcas circling in an algae-infested pool in southern France has brought a fresh wave of worldwide concern for cetaceans Wikie, 24, and her 11-year-old calf Keijo.

Real Madrid signed Spain defender Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth on Saturday after agreeing to pay his £50 million ($59 million) release fee.

The Eurovision Song Contest has seen a surge in punter interest at the bookmakers, becoming a major betting event, experts said ahead of Saturday's giant glamfest in Basel.

It has taken nearly 80 years, but a Nigerian movie will finally be screened in a hallowed official slot at the Cannes film festival Sunday.

Acclaimed film director Fatih Akin said he fears ending up behind bars if he returns to Turkey, with his manager there in jail accused of attempting to overthrow the government.

Olympic high jump champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh said Saturday she wants to "show people that Ukraine continues fighting" as she seeks to lay down a marker in Tokyo ahead of September's world championships.

The Arab League is meeting in Baghdad on Saturday to discuss Gaza and other regional crises, but some key leaders are expected to miss the talks that come straight after US President Donald Trump's Gulf tour.

Rock star Bono made an impassioned plea for the West to stand by Ukraine at the Cannes film festival, saying it was keeping Europe free from fascism.

A Russian drone attack on a minibus carrying civilians killed nine people on Saturday, authorities said, a day after Moscow and Kyiv agreed a large-scale prisoner swap at talks in Turkey.

Australia's government said Saturday it was "appalled" by a Russian-controlled court's 13-year penal colony sentence for an Australian man who was captured while fighting for Ukraine.

South Korea's ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol left his conservative party on Saturday as it gears up for snap elections triggered by his impeachment over a bid to impose martial law.

The Israeli military said Saturday it had launched "extensive strikes" as part of a fresh offensive in Gaza, after rescuers reported 100 people killed in the besieged Palestinian territory.

The Arab League is meeting in Baghdad on Saturday to discuss Gaza and other regional crises, but some key leaders are expected to miss the talks that come straight after US President Donald Trump's Gulf tour.

With its golden sand and blue waters, the beach front in central Israel looks much like any other stretch of Mediterranean coast, but a closer look reveals something unusual peeking through the rippling surf: black shark fins.

In a blaze of laser lights, artists from 26 countries were preparing to rip the roof off at Saturday's Eurovision Song Contest final, the world's biggest live music television event.