Rapper 50 Cent denies allegations he attacked his ex-girlfriend and trashed her condo.

The "In da Club" singer's lawyer says there's no warrant outstanding on the domestic violence and vandalism charges against 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson.

Marion Bartoli wasted little time in advancing to her second Wimbledon final, dancing and grunting her way to a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Kirsten Flipkens on Thursday.

The 15th-seeded Frenchwoman jumped ahead 3-0 in the first set and broke early in the second for another 3-0 lead. Flipkens, a Belgian seeded 20th, was making her first semifinal appearance at a major tournament.

Australian veteran Simon Gerrans defends the yellow jersey as riders set off on Thursday's sixth stage of the Tour de France, a flat route that will favor sprinters like Mark Cavendish and Peter Sagan.

Cavendish shook off illness and a drop in form to earn his 24th career Tour stage win on Wednesday and close the gap on archrival Sagan in the contest for the top sprinter's green jersey.

Chelsea and Vitesse Arnhem have reached an agreement over the transfer of midfielder Marco van Ginkel to the English Premier League club.

The 20-year-old Dutch player will move to Stamford Bridge subject to a medical, agreement of personal terms and legal documentation, the Blues said in a statement on Thursday.

The Vatican has posted a 2.2 million euro ($2.85 million) budget surplus for 2012, an improvement from the previous year and some good news as it struggles to cope with a scandal involving its embattled bank.

In its annual financial statement Thursday, the Holy See said better management had helped it recover from one of its worst deficits a year earlier, when it booked a 14.9 million euro shortfall.

Ryan Giggs will have a player-coaching role next season at Manchester United, in a move that is likely to alleviate the pressure on new boss David Moyes.

The 39-year-old Giggs has spent his entire career at United since making his debut in 1991. He has been taking his coaching diplomas and is due to attain the UEFA Pro License, United said in a statement on Thursday.

Veteran Peru striker Claudio Pizarro has signed a one-year contract extension with Europe and Bundesliga champion Bayern Munich.

Pizarro is in his second spell at Bayern after returning to the club from Werder Bremen last year. In total, he has made 281 appearances for Bayern and scored 112 goals.

British babies born the same day as Prince William and Kate's first child will receive their own royal gift in the form of a "lucky" silver penny.

The Royal Mint announced Thursday that it has minted 2,013 silver coins bearing a shield of the Royal Arms, to be given to newborns who share their birthday with the third in line to the British throne.

The Statue of Liberty, closed since the destruction wrought by Superstorm Sandy, reopened to the public this Fourth of July as Americans across the country mark the U.S. Independence Day holiday with fireworks and barbecues.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other officials presided over a celebratory ribbon-cutting Thursday to mark the reopening of the national landmark. Some repairs to brick walkways and docks are still underway, but much of the work has been completed since Sandy swamped most of the national landmark's 12-acre (5-hectare) site.

The annual Fourth of July hot dog eating contest was set to roll Thursday in Coney Island, with chomp champs Joey Chestnut and Sonya Thomas defending their respective men's and women's titles.

Chestnut, 29, is a six-time winner who set the record — 68 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes — in 2009 and tied it last year. Thomas, 45, powered through 45 dogs to take the women's championship last year and also won in 2011, the first year women competed separately.