Striker Olivier Giroud scored twice and winger Mathieu Valbuena set up three goals as France began its World Cup preparation in fine style with a 4-0 win against Norway on Tuesday.

Paul Pogba headed France into the lead in the 15th minute and, after France's performance had dropped in intensity, Giroud got things going early in the second half with an expertly-taken goal. Substitute Loic Remy scored shortly after he coming on, and Giroud rounded off a good night for coach Didier Deschamps' team with a glancing header.

Indigenous protesters in traditional headdress clashed with police in Brazil's capital Tuesday, resulting in one officer being shot in the leg with an arrow and the cancellation of a ceremony to open the exhibition of the World Cup trophy.

In clashes broadcast live on television, riot police fired tear gas into small pockets of protesters as they approached Brasilia's new stadium that will host Cup matches. Protesters were seen picking up the gas canisters and tossing them back at officers, along with stones and pieces of wood.

Much to her dismay, Li Na is familiar with this feeling.

She earns a Grand Slam championship, is heralded at home, then shows up at subsequent major tournaments and seemingly forgets how to win.

Veteran Mark Bresciano said Wednesday the Socceroos plan to "shock the world" as they departed for Brazil to headlines asking: "Will Australia be the worst team at the World Cup?"

The inexperienced Australians, the lowest ranked team in the World Cup at 59, face a daunting task against Spain, the Netherlands and Chile in Group B.

Romanian fourth seed Simona Halep reached the French Open second round on Tuesday with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Russia's Alisa Kleybanova.

Halep, playing on the Philippe Chatrier court for the first time, goes on to face either Heather Watson of Britain or Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic.

Bayern Munich striker Claudio Pizarro has agreed to stay for another year at the club.

The Bundesliga side says that the 35-year-old Peruvian extended a contract which was due to expire on June 30.

English fourth-tier side Tranmere Rovers have appointed Rob Edwards as their new manager, the Merseyside club announced Tuesday.

The appointment of the 41-year-old former Wales international comes after Tranmere suspended former manager Ronnie Moore in February after he was charged by the FA for breaching betting rules and then sacked him last month after he pleaded guilty.

Roger Federer racked up a record-equaling 59th career win at the French Open on Sunday while Serena and Venus Williams edged closer to a third-round sister showdown.

Federer kicked off his 16th consecutive Roland Garros with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 win over Slovakia's Lukas Lacko, his first victory since becoming a father of twins for the second time.

Nico Rosberg turned his controversial pole position on Saturday into a faultless victory on Sunday when his Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton lost both his vision and his lead in the drivers’ championship.

As mounting attention on their rivalry created a tense atmosphere around the Mercedes team, Rosberg delivered a flawless demonstration of speed, race-craft and good manners to claim a second successive triumph in the Monaco Grand Prix.

Russia's ice hockey team avenged their defeat at the Sochi Olympics as watched by President Vladimir Putin they overpowered Finland 5-2 to take gold at the world championships in Minsk on Sunday.

As Western-friendly chocolate baron Petro Poroshenko claimed victory in Sunday's presidential elections in Ukraine, Putin was focusing on an ice hockey game in which Russia claimed a fifth world title.