A trial involving Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery and Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema is back on track, with the two facing up to three years in prison on charges of soliciting an underage prostitute.

The criminal court trial had initially been set for June but was adjourned for procedural reasons. It resumed Monday — but without Ribery or Benzema present. They are legally entitled to be represented by their lawyers instead, although their absence may make an unfavorable impression on the jury.

One of Sepp Blatter's former advisers has launched a bid to succeed his former boss as FIFA president in 2015.

Former deputy secretary general Jerome Champagne said Monday that he will seek the five required nominations to stand in the FIFA election.

Barcelona and Atletico Madrid both stumbled to draws on Sunday, tightening the Spanish league title race with Real Madrid now only one point behind the co-leaders.

Barcelona's potent attack led by Lionel Messi was held 1-1 at Levante, leaving the door open for Atletico to later claim sole possession of the league lead.

At Arsenal's Highbury Stadium, Edu played on one of football's finest pitches. Award-winning Arsenal groundsman Paul Burgess became so well-known for his green fingers that he was eventually lured away by Real Madrid.

So when Edu returned home to Brazil in 2009 to finish his career, the worn and sorry state of some Brazilian football fields was an eye-opener. Even now, as the World Cup host rushes to ready itself, Edu says pitches in Brazil aren't on a par with those in Europe, where he played for eight years, at Arsenal and Valencia.

With Maria Sharapova following Serena Williams out of the Australian Open in the second major upset in 24 hours, attention turned quickly to defending champion Victoria Azarenka's bid for a third consecutive title.

Third-seeded Sharapova lost 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 to Dominika Cibulkova in a fourth-round match Monday on Rod Laver Arena, struggling with her serve in the second and third sets and making 45 unforced errors as she tried to claw her way back.

Two-time defending champion Victoria Azarenka shifted the spotlight from a tense rematch to her personal life with a center-court remark to rapper boyfriend Redfoo: She wants a ring with bling.

She may have been joking. Or not.

Working on her blog in California one day, Vietnamese democracy activist Ngoc Thu sensed something was wrong. The keyboard was sticky. Cut-and-paste wasn't working. She had "a feeling that somebody was there" inside her computer. Her hunch turned out to be right.

A few days later, her personal emails and photos were displayed on the blog, along with defamatory messages. She couldn't delete them; she was blocked out of her own site for several days as her attackers kept posting private details.

Stars turned out in throngs for Saint Laurent's menswear show, the highlight of the last day of fall-winter 2014 Paris shows which included Lanvin, Paul Smith and Thom Browne.

Here are some key moments and tidbits from the finish line of the colorful menswear season.

Thousands of doctors across Nepal have stayed away from work to support a colleague who has been on a hunger strike for days demanding reforms in medical education.

Tens of thousands of patients have been deprived of medical services because of the doctors' strike. Only emergency services are being provided.

Scientists at the European Space Agency are expecting an important call.

Their comet-chasing probe Rosetta is due to wake from an almost three-year hibernation at 11 a.m. Monday (1000 GMT; 5 a.m. EST) and phone home to say all is well.