Novak Djokovic will be allowed to play at the French Open even if he is not vaccinated against COVID-19 as long as the coronavirus situation in France remains stable, organizers said Wednesday.

Russian tennis players, including top-ranked Daniil Medvedev, will also be admitted to play in the tournament but as neutral athletes because of the war started by their country in neighboring Ukraine.

Nursing a nagging foot injury, Rafael Nadal improved to 18-0 this season, edging Reilly Opelka 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5) on Wednesday in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open.

"I can't say it's a dream because I even couldn't dream about that three months ago, two months ago," Nadal said. "I am just enjoying every single moment."

Bayern Munich's uncharacteristic vulnerability has allowed some excitement to creep back into the Bundesliga title race with eight games to go.

The Bavarian club remains the favorite for what would be a record-extending 10th consecutive German championship. But it has dropped points in three of its last five league games, giving Borussia Dortmund the opportunity to cut its lead to only four points.

There were expectations that Italy's European Championship title would translate to success for the country's clubs in continental competition.

The dazzling, quick-passing play of Roberto Mancini's national team that gained admirers worldwide in June and July was nowhere to be seen, though, when Juventus was eliminated by Villarreal in the Champions League — leaving Italy without a representative in the quarterfinals of the elite competition for the second consecutive season.

Senior managers at tech companies would face up to two years in prison if they fail to comply with British rules aimed at ensuring online safety for internet users, the U.K. government said Thursday as it unveiled the draft legislation in Parliament.

The ambitious but controversial online safety bill would give regulators wide-ranging powers to crack down on digital and social media companies like Google, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok.

President Joe Biden will speak Friday with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss ongoing economic competition between the two countries and Russia's war against Ukraine.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced the upcoming phone call in a Thursday statement that said it's "part of our ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication" between the United States and China.

Europe won’t be attempting to send its first rover to Mars this year because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The European Space Agency confirmed Thursday that it is indefinitely suspending its ExoMars rover mission with partner Roscosmos, Russia’s state space corporation. The ESA had previously said that the mission was “very unlikely” because of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Yemen's Huthi rebels are not prepared to hold talks with the government in Saudi Arabia or other "enemy countries", an official said Thursday, after a proposal to meet in Riyadh.

The Iran-backed rebels said they were open to finding a peaceful solution to the seven-year war but baulked at travelling to Saudi Arabia, which leads a military coalition fighting on the side of the government.

Turkey's central bank kept interest rates unchanged for a third straight month Thursday as consumer prices surge at an eye-popping pace, coming after a series of rate cuts last year triggered a currency crisis that has made it difficult for people to buy basic goods.

The latest official statistics showed inflation above 54.4%. The bank said in a statement that inflation has been driven by "rising energy costs resulting from the heightened regional conflict," referring to Russia's war in Ukraine, and supply side factors affecting food prices.

Tired-looking. Unshaven. Wearing jeans and a hoodie. As he runs for re-election next month, French President Emmanuel Macron released unusual pictures of himself working nights and weekends at the Elysee palace, where he is spending most of his time focusing on the war in Ukraine — while avoiding traditional campaign activities.

If it's a campaign strategy it seems to be paying off, reinforcing his position of frontrunner in the presidential race while making it difficult for other contenders to challenge him.