New Paris Saint-Germain head coach Luis Enrique swerved multiple questions about the future of the club’s star attacker Kylian Mbappé during his official unveiling on Wednesday.

Enrique, the former manager of Barcelona and the Spanish national team, signed a two-year contract with the French club and was asked several times by members of the media about the possibility of Mbappé leaving this summer.

Despite publicly declaring he wants stay in Paris for the upcoming 2023/24 season, the 24-year-old is said to be unhappy in the French capital and, according to multiple reports last month, Mbappé informed PSG that he will not be extending his contract, leaving the club with a decision to make: sell their star player this summer or let him walk for free in 2024.

But Enrique avoided saying anything concrete about the future of the club’s all-time leading goal scorer. Asked if he can guarantee Mbappé’s staying next season, he said: “That’s a professional secret and I can’t give you any updates, but we will try to have the best squad possible.

“When I signed I knew that everything was open in the squad. Some things can happen in the market. … He’s got a contract and we don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes because things are constantly changing. We’ll have a strong squad, I’m sure of that.”

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi was more emphatic, saying: “Our position is very clear – very clear. If Kylian Mbappé wants to stay, we want him to stay. But he needs to sign a new contract.

“We cannot let the best player in the world right now leave for free. That is impossible. This is a French club, and as he has said, he is not planning to leave for free. If somebody has changed his mind, it is not our fault. We are not going to let one of the best players in the world leave for free. It is very clear.”

The future of Mbappé will be one of the biggest question marks hanging over Enrique’s beginning as PSG manager after joining on Wednesday.

“I count on all the players who have a contract – both current ones and players who we’re trying to sign. I also count on those players,” the Spaniard said.

“Who they are – that’s something that forms part of the day to day and that’s something that you know the market and football are changing constantly, but we’ll surely have a great squad, a great team and the fans will be proud. What I talk to [Al-Khelaifi] about interests the president and myself – and Mr. [PSG football advisor, Luis] Campos.

Enrique joins as a highly-decorated coach, having won a Champions League title, two Spanish league titles and three Spanish domestic cups during his time as Barcelona manager.

The 53-year-old has also managed Spain over two stints, the highlights being the semifinals of Euro 2020 and the final of the UEFA Nations League in 2021. He has also managed Italian club Roma and Celta Vigo in Spain.

Before he was a manager, Enrique was a successful player too, enjoying trophy-laden stints at both Real Madrid and Barça.

During his time at both clubs, he won a combined three league titles and three domestic cups.

He was also regular for the Spain national team during his time as a player, winning 62 caps for La Roja.

Enrique replaces Christophe Galtier, who was released from his position as head coach earlier on Wednesday.

In a statement, PSG said it gave “tribute to (Galtier’s) professionalism and commitment” during his year at the club.

In his one and only season at the helm, Galtier won the French League title – the club’s 11th Ligue 1 trophy making it the most successful club in the history of the French championship.

However, despite the star-studded nature of the squad, PSG once again suffered a humiliating from the Champions League in the knockout stages, losing to Bayern Munich.

Earlier in July, French public prosecutors announced that Galtier is to stand trial in Nice, France, over allegations of psychological harassment and racial discrimination.

The prosecutor’s press release noted that his office opened a preliminary investigation into Galtier and his son, John Valovic, following press reports in April that Galtier allegedly made statements that there were too many Black and Muslim players on the team.

In an April statement issued by Galtier’s lawyer, the coach “firmly denies” the allegations, describing them as “insulting and defamatory.” Galtier’s lawyer, Olivier Martin, announced at the time the immediate opening of “the necessary legal proceedings” in the statement.

Tennis great Roger Federer says he hopes his former rival Rafael Nadal can retire from the sport “on his own terms” following the Spaniard’s recent struggles with injury.

Nadal hasn’t played competitive tennis since injuring a hip muscle during his second-round Australian Open defeat by Mackenzie McDonald in January. The 22-time grand slam champion said in May that next season will be his last on the tour.

Federer was beset by injuries in the final years of his career, overcoming knee surgery once to return and win three more grand slams, before further injuries eventually got the better of him.

In the end, Federer was only fit enough to bring the curtain down on his remarkable career by playing doubles alongside Nadal at the Laver Cup in London and the Swiss superstar hopes his long-time rival and friend can be more competitive in his final year.

“Everybody had their own reasons why they were crying. I think you realize how fortunate we are to still be playing at this later stage of our careers because tennis players used to retire at 30. I mean, 26 for [Björn] Borg, 32 for [Pete] Sampras, 36 for [Andre] Agassi. This was like playing deep and now here we are all sitting there around 35-40.

“We all know how fortunate we are and so I think Rafa knew that, too. So seeing him going through this more difficult period now, obviously I’ve been there and I just hope that he can go out on his terms [and] he can still play a little bit.

“I still hope we’ll see not just the doubles like I did, but more than that. I still believe that’s going to happen.”

‘Incredible stuff’

Heading into Wimbledon, few fans – if any – will have been betting against Djokovic successfully defending his title at this year’s tournament.

The Serb looked at his imperious best on the grass in his straightforward first-round win over Pedro Cachín and another title in SW19 would equal Federer’s records of five straight Wimbledon crowns – held jointly with Borg – and eight overall.

Federer believes Djokovic is the “big, big favorite” this year and welcomes the 23-time grand slam champion breaking his records and setting new benchmarks in the sport.

“Honestly, I think it’s great for him,” Federer said. “I had my moments. For me, having won my eighth or my fifth in a row or whatever it may be, that was my moment. So if somebody equals that or passes that, this is their thing, their moment.

“I know nowadays it’s especially media driven as well as player driven. I was driven as well by trying to break records, to equal records, but I think as you sit back, you have a totally different perspective as you’re not in it anymore. You start relaxing, just very proud of your achievements.

“So I hope he does it to be honest, because I think anything more he does adds to tennis history, goes above and beyond just talking tennis. He goes into global sports, like when he went to 23 in Paris. This is incredible stuff. Great news and it’s good for the game. So I think he’s the heavy favorite and I wouldn’t be surprised if he wins Wimbledon again.”

Federer the coach?

Since retiring, Federer has become something of a part-time coach to his four children – not that they’re always eager to listen to his advice.

As he settles into family life away from the demands of being a professional tennis player, constantly traveling the world and spending little time at home, returning to the tour as a full-time coach isn’t something that currently appeals to the 41-year-old.

However, pointing to the change of heart his former coach Stefan Edberg had, it’s not something Federer is ruling out entirely.

“I think the coaching on the tour like we know it I think is difficult for me,” Federer said. “Having four children at the age of, twin boys nine now and twin girls 14, I want to be there for them and I can’t see myself going on tour, honestly.

“If it’s mentoring or if somebody comes to Switzerland and says: ‘Look, let’s have a good week,’ I can see that in the future happening. I mean, Stefan Edberg never thought he was going to coach and he ended up coming on tour with me for two years.”

Reflecting on the ascendancy of tennis’ new star and world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, Federer predicted a bright future for the 19-year-old Spaniard.

“I think he will achieve incredible, great things in the future, which means multiple slams,” said Federer.

“It will be interesting for me to see especially how he’s going to play at Wimbledon and especially the first few matches … it’s soft, it’s it’s slippery. You’ve got to take that little extra step. You start losing confidence in your movement. Next thing you know, you’re not playing so well. And then things become tricky.

“But I think he’s got all the tools, so I think he’s got a lot of different ways to win matches, and I think that’s what the champions are made of.”

Just Stop Oil activists disrupted two matches at Wimbledon on Wednesday after running onto Court 18 and sprinkling orange confetti and jigsaw puzzle pieces on the playing surface.

In the first incident, security was able to quickly usher one activist away while another, wearing a Just Stop Oil T-shirt, sat crossed legged on the court before finally being taken off.

Many in the crowd booed the activists as players Grigor Dimitrov and Sho Shimabukuro were forced to take their seats while ground staff cleared up the confetti.

“Following an incident on Court 18, two individuals have been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass and criminal damage and these individuals have now been removed from the Grounds,” Wimbledon tweeted after the incident.

Shortly after the activists ran onto the court, a rain delay caused the match to be temporarily suspended for a short while but play shortly resumed.

However, during the next match between Katie Boulter and Daria Saville on the same court, another activist staged a similar protest, running onto the court and littering it with orange confetti and puzzle pieces.

Wimbledon again tweeted an update: “Following a further incident on Court 18, one individual has been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass and criminal damage.”

The London Metropolitan police confirmed that two men and a woman are now in custody.

Wimbledon is the latest sporting event to be targeted by the group. Last week, activists disrupted the first day of the second Ashes Test after spilling orange powder onto the outfield at Lord’s Cricket Ground.

Protesters also interrupted the World Snooker Championships by climbing onto the table and throwing a bag of orange powder paint over the playing surface.

In a statement after the first protest, Just Stop Oil said the two activists at Wimbledon were “demanding that the UK government halts all new licences and consents for oil, gas and coal.”

In a statement published by Just Stop Oil, one of the protesters said: “Forget strawberries and cream, scientists are warning of impending food shortages, mass displacement and war.

“We are facing new pandemics, economic inflation and increasingly authoritarian governments who will attempt to crush civil unrest. This is a crisis and it needs a crisis response.

“I want a safe future, not just for my grandchildren but for all children around the world and the generations to come.”

English football club Forest Green Rovers named Hannah Dingley as its interim head coach Tuesday, making her the first female head coach in English professional football.

Dingley replaces outgoing coach Duncan Ferguson, who was appointed Forest Green manager in January, but was unable to stop the team from being relegated to League 2, the lowest tier of professional English football.

Dingley’s position as head coach is a temporary one as the club looks to find a full-time solution.

“I’m really excited for this next step of my career,” Dingley said in a statement Tuesday.

“Pre-season has just begun and the full season kicks off very soon. It’s an exciting time in football. I am grateful for the opportunity to step up and lead such a progressive and forward-thinking club.”

Dingley joined Forest Green four years ago and remains the only woman in charge of a men’s English Football League Academy, according to a statement from the club.

“Hannah was the natural choice for us to be first team interim Head Coach – she’s done a fantastic job leading our Academy and is well aligned with the values of the club,” Forest Green chairman Dale Vince said Tuesday.

“It’s perhaps telling for the men’s game that in making this appointment on merit, we’ll break new ground – and Hannah will be the first female Head Coach in English (men’s) football.”

Dingley will lead Forest Green onto the pitch Wednesday for its friendly match at Melksham Town.

Under Vince’s ownership, Forest Green has become well known for attempting to make a difference off the pitch.

In 2017, Forest Green became the world’s first vegan club, according to the Vegan Society. Some of its players even switched to a plant-based diet, and it puts sustainability at the heart of everything it does.

FIFA also named Forest Green the “greenest club in the world” in 2017 and it continues to find innovative ways to lower its carbon footprint – such as organic pitches and electric team coaches.

It squats on the Las Vegas skyline like an enormous spaceship, black and mysterious – until night falls, when it will glow like the Earth from space.

The MSG Sphere won’t open to the public for almost three more months, when U2 christens the entertainment venue with a series of concerts. But anticipation is growing.

Cue the superlatives. At 366 feet tall and 516 feet wide, it’s being billed as the world’s largest spherical structure. Its bowl-shaped theater reportedly contains the world’s highest-resolution wraparound LED screen. And its exterior is fitted with 1.2 million hockey puck-sized LEDs that can be programmed to flash dynamic imagery on a massive scale – again, reportedly the world’s largest. It was fully illuminated for the first time Tuesday night to celebrate the Fourth of July.

It’s not easy to move the needle in a city that boasts the Bellagio’s dancing fountains, a half-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower, the second-tallest observation tower in the Western Hemisphere and a beam of light that can be seen for hundreds of miles.

But Sphere is inspiring rapturous reactions from those who have seen it.

“There’s nothing like it. It’s light years ahead of everything that’s out there,” says U2’s The Edge while touring the venue in a recent Apple Music video.

“It’s absolutely stunning to look up and see what’s in front of you,” says Rich Claffey, Sphere’s chief operations officer. “I’ve been in the entertainment business for almost 40 years. I’ve never seen anything like this, and I’m not exaggerating. It is off the charts.”

The Sphere’s exterior will be illuminated every day and night with animations and other imagery, sometimes tied to the season. For example, it could transform into a giant pumpkin at Halloween and a snow globe at Christmas.

Some people are already joking on Twitter that its enormous, swirling visuals will cause traffic accidents.

The venue will host music, film events and some sports

Sphere was designed by Populous, the global architecture firm behind many of the world’s top sports arenas. Construction costs, inflated by the pandemic, have climbed to $2.3 billion – more than Sphere’s glitziest Vegas neighbors, including the Bellagio and Allegiant Stadium.

The globe seats almost 18,000 people, sits one long block east of the fabled Las Vegas Strip and will be connected by a pedestrian walkway to the Venetian resort complex.

It’s scheduled to open September 29 with “U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere,” a series of 25 concerts built around the Irish band’s landmark 1991 album “Achtung Baby” and running through mid-December. Ticket prices start at $140.

The venue also will host exclusive screenings of “Postcard From Earth,” a film by Darren Aronofsky that promises to take full advantage of Sphere’s vast screen by offering viewers an eye-popping tour of the planet.

“Most music venues are sports venues. They’re built for sports – they’re not built for music. They’re not built for art,” says U2’s Bono in the Apple Music interview.

“This building was built for immersive experiences in cinema and performance … you can’t come here and see an ice hockey game.”

In November the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix’s street circuit will pass through the Sphere property, and the arena eventually hopes to host boxing, mixed martial arts and other events as well.

But Sphere’s main draw may be as a venue for live music – especially the marquee residencies for which Vegas is known.

The acts onstage will be dwarfed by the towering 16K LED screen, which wraps over and around much of the audience and can augment the concert experience with trippy animations or close-ups of the performers.

“The screen goes from ground (level) to 250 feet high, all the way around…” says Claffey, the Sphere operations officer. “It keeps you fully immersed when you’re sitting in that bowl. I used to love IMAX in New York City, but this will blow that away.”

Sphere’s producers promise next-level audio as well. Claffey says that more than 160,000 speakers spread around the bowl will deliver the same pristine sound to every seat, whether someone is in the top row or down on the floor.

The venue also is equipped with haptic seats that can vibrate to match whatever is happening onscreen – an earthquake, for example – and 4D machines that can create wind, temperature and even scent effects.

“The way I describe it to my friends and family is, it’s the entertainment venue of the future,” Claffey says.

If it all sounds a little over the top, well – this is Vegas.

It remains to be seen whether Sphere can deliver on its extravagant promises. But if it works, the live-music experience may never be quite the same.

Cell phones, tablets and smartwatches will be largely banned from classrooms in the Netherlands from January 1, 2024, the Dutch government said on Tuesday, in a bid to limit distractions during lessons.

Devices will only be allowed if they are specifically needed, for instance during lessons on digital skills, for medical reasons or for people with disabilities.

“Even though mobile phones are intertwined with our lives, they do not belong in the classroom,” education minister Robbert Dijkgraaf said in a statement.

“Students need to be able to concentrate and need to be given the opportunity to study well. Mobile phones are a disturbance, scientific research shows. We need to protect students against this.”

The ban is the result of an agreement between the ministry, schools and related organizations.

Schools can find their own way to organize the ban, Dijkgraaf said, but legal rules will follow if this does not yield enough results by the summer of 2024.

South Korea is getting older – and its care facilities are changing to match.

The number of child care facilities in the country has shrunk by almost a quarter in just a few years, reflecting authorities’ unsuccessful campaign to encourage couples to have more babies.

In 2017, there were more than 40,000 child care facilities, according to new government figures released Friday – by the end of last year, that number had fallen to roughly 30,900.

Meanwhile, as the population rapidly ages, the number of elderly facilities has boomed from 76,000 in 2017 to 89,643 in 2022, according to the country’s health and welfare ministry.

Elderly facilities include senior care homes, specialized hospitals, and welfare agencies that help the elderly navigate social services or protections. Meanwhile, the child care facilities listed include public services as well as private and corporate ones.

The shift illustrates a years-long problem South Korea has thus far failed to reverse. It has both one of the world’s fastest aging populations and the world’s lowest birth rate, which has been falling continuously since 2015 despite authorities offering financial incentives and housing subsidies for couples with more babies.

Experts attribute this low birth rate to various factors, including demanding work cultures, stagnating wages, rising costs of living, the financial burden of raising children, changing attitudes toward marriage and gender equality, and rising disillusionment among younger generations.

By the late 2000s, the government had begun warning that policy measures were needed to encourage families to grow. Last September, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol admitted that more than $200 billion has been spent trying to boost the population over the past 16 years.

But so far nothing has worked – and the effects have been increasingly visible in the social fabric and day-to-day life.

Many elementary, middle and high schools are closing around the country due to a lack of school-age children, according to Korean news agency Yonhap, citing the education ministry. Figures from the country’s official statistics body show the overall number of middle and high schools have remained stagnant for years, only rising by a few dozen since 2015.

In Daejeon, south of Seoul, one such abandoned school has become a popular spot for photographers and urban explorers; images show eerily empty hallways and a school yard overgrown by wild grass.

Similar crises have been seen in other East Asian countries with falling birth rates. One village in Japan went 25 years without recording a single birth. The arrival of a baby in 2016 was heralded as a miracle, with elderly well-wishers hobbling to the infant’s house to hold him.

Meanwhile, South Korea’s expanding elderly population has meant an explosion in demand for senior services, placing strain on a system scrambling to keep up.

South Korea has the highest elderly poverty rate among the OECD nations (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), with more than 40% of people over 65 years old facing “relative poverty,” defined by the OECD as having income lower than 50% of median household disposable income.

“In Korea, the pension system is still maturing, and current generations still have very low pensions,” the OECD wrote in a 2021 report.

Experts point to other factors such as global economic trends, the breakdown of old social structures that saw children looking after their parents, and insufficient government support for those struggling financially.

That means a number of homeless elderly people – part of a generation that helped rebuild the country after the Korean War – having to seek assistance from shelters and soup kitchens.

The rapid rise in elderly facilities in recent years may help alleviate some of these problems. But longer-term concerns remain about the future of Korea’s economy, as the number of young workers – who are crucial in propping up the health care and pension systems – slowly dwindle.

Scotland has concluded a day of festivities celebrating British monarch King Charles III’s recent coronation.

The highlight of Wednesday’s proceedings in the capital, Edinburgh, was a service of national thanksgiving during which the King was presented with the Scottish crown jewels.

Known as the “Honours of Scotland,” these regalia are Britain’s oldest crown jewels, with some parts dating back to around the early 16th century. The sword, however, is a recent commission. “The Elizabeth Sword” – named after the late Queen Elizabeth II – will be the new sword of state, replacing a sword given to James IV by Pope Julius II in 1507, due to its fragility, according to the Scottish government.

The service was preceded by a “people’s procession” and a royal procession to the cathedral, and rounded off with a gun salute. A Royal Air Force flypast also featured, coloring the skies with the trails of red, white and blue.

The people’s procession, which featured 100 individuals representing Scottish life, was escorted by the Royal Regiment of Scotland, its Shetland pony mascot Corporal Cruachan IV, Police Scotland, and music by cadet musicians from the Combined Cadet Force Pipes and Drums and the Cadet Military Band. Not everyone was celebrating, however. Shouts of “Not my King” could be heard from nearby protestors.

Charles arrived at the cathedral in the royal procession in the state Bentley, accompanied by Queen Camilla. He was wearing the Royal Navy full ceremonial tailcoat as Admiral of the Fleet, and adorned with the Order of the Garter sash and Order of the Thistle star. Over the uniform, he wore the mantle of the Order of the Thistle, the collar of the order and a hat with a plume of the order.

Camilla wore a long white dress by British designer Bruce Oldfield. Oldfield, with whom she has a longstanding relationship, also designed the coronation outfit she wore in May. Her outfit was similarly embellished with the Thistle robe and hat, including the star and collar. This was the first time Camilla had worn the Thistle garb since being appointed to the order on June 16.

Prince William and Catherine, known in Scotland as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay, arrived at the cathedral in the royal Rolls-Royce.

The crown jewels made their own separate journey to St. Giles’ from Edinburgh Castle for the service, accompanied by the King’s Body Guard for Scotland, the Royal Company of Archers, and an honor guard of armed forces personnel. More than 800 members of the armed forces are said to have been directly involved in Wednesday’s events.

The royal party’s arrival at St. Giles’ was marked by three pipers from Charles’ former school, Gordonstoun.

Between the prayers, hymns and the presentation of the Honours, five songs commissioned by Charles specifically for the service were performed, including one in Gaelic.

A 21-gun salute from the 12th Regiment Royal Artillery sounded at the end of the service before the royal procession returned to the Palace of Holyroodhouse to watch the flypast.

The celebrations came amid Charles’ first annual Holyrood Week – or Royal Week – during which the monarch travels across Scotland to celebrate its culture, achievement and community.

Shohei Ohtani, one of baseball’s biggest stars, says that he is dealing with a middle finger blister and is unlikely to pitch in the MLB’s All-Star Game.

Ohtani, who had been voted as a two-way All-Star due to his pitching and batting proficiency, left Tuesday’s Los Angeles Angels game against the San Diego Padres in the sixth inning after giving up consecutive home runs to Xander Bogaerts and Jake Cronenworth.

Afterwards, Ohtani told reporters through an interpreter that he is not likely to pitch at the ‘Midsummer Classic’ in Seattle on July 11 with the blister but hopes to be able to do so in the Angels’ first game back against the Houston Astros on July 15. He said he will continue to bat.

The Japanese two-way star’s blister came days after he said he was suffering from a cracked nail on his right middle finger.

The 29-year-old was given a day of extra rest and he used an acrylic nail to try to solve the issue, but it proceeded to deteriorate as Tuesday’s game went on.

“I think it’s basically the same thing as last time,” Ohtani said. “It wasn’t fully healed. It just kind of got worse as the game went on.”

He pitched with less velocity against the Padres and it showed in the results. By the time he left the game, Ohtani had allowed five runs and seven hits, whilst also striking out five and walking four. The back-to-back homers allowed were a first for Ohtani in his MLB career.

Ohtani had been coming off American League Player of the Month honors in June; pitching with a 3.26 earned runs average with 37 strikeouts and while batting, has hit 15 home runs including 29 runs batted in.

It capped off an unfortunate evening for the Angels who, as well as eventually losing 8-5 to San Diego, lost superstar center fielder Mike Trout with a fractured bone in his left wrist.

Trout, a three-time American League MVP, suffered the left hamate fracture when he fouled a ball in the eight inning. He is expected to be out for about four to eight weeks.

“I kind of knew it wasn’t good,” Trout told reporters afterwards. “It’s just a freak thing. I had a lot of guys reach out who had the surgery or the injury before. Some guys came back in four weeks. Some guys took longer. We’ll see how it goes.”

Former world No. 1 and three-time grand slam champion Ashleigh Barty has welcomed her first child with her husband, Garry Kissick.

The pair announced the arrival of their son, Hayden, in a joint Instagram post Tuesday captioned “Our beautiful boy.”

“Welcome to the world, Hayden!” they wrote.

Last year, Barty stunned the tennis world by announcing she was retiring from the sport at age 25 while she was the world No. 1. Her retirement announcement came after she had won three grand slam titles in as many years – the 2019 French Open, Wimbledon in 2021 and the 2022 Australian Open.

“I know how much work it takes to bring the best out of yourself. I’ve said it to my team multiple times, it’s just I don’t have that in me anymore,” said Barty in March 2022 when she retired.

“I don’t have the physical drive, the emotional want, and everything it takes to challenge yourself at the very top of the level anymore, and I just know that I am spent. I just know physically, I have nothing more to give. That, for me, is success,” she said.

She added that she had been thinking about retirement for “a long time,” and the decision was cemented after winning Wimbledon and the Australian Open.

Those victories were “my perfect way to celebrate what an amazing journey my tennis career has been,” she said.

In total, she has won 15 singles titles and 12 doubles titles on the WTA Tour, and was the first Australian to win the Australian Open singles title since 1978.

But Barty’s prodigious talents are not just limited to the tennis court – she also played cricket professionally for the Brisbane Heat in the Women’s Big Bash League, and is a keen golfer.

In 2020, Barty won the women’s championship at the Brookwater Golf Club near Brisbane and 15-time major winner Tiger Woods once reportedly described her as having a “great swing.”