- New Hezbollah chief says open to truce with Israel if offer is made
- Spain’s warning system under scrutiny as flood toll rises
- Stocks mostly retreat, bitcoin close to record high
- I'll be back-ing Kamala: Schwarzenegger says supporting Harris
- France court jails ex-doctor in latest Rwandan genocide trial
- Champions Inter Milan thump Empoli in Serie A
- Johnson the inspiration for England's Itoje as All Blacks lie in wait
- US, S.Korea call for North to withdraw troops from Russia
- In hurricane-hit N.Carolina, voters find a way to cast ballots
- Yankee fans who interfered with Betts grab barred for game five
- Spain races to save victims as floods kill 95
- Lebanon hospital's burns unit bears scars of Israel-Hezbollah war
- Migrant dies trying to cross Channel, three more bodies found
- Spain races to save victims as floods kill 73
- Smog-beset Pakistan megacity curbs rickshaws, restaurants
- England captain Stokes's house burgled by masked robbers while family inside
- McDavid will miss 2-3 weeks with ankle injury for NHL Oilers
- Brussels hopes to advance Ukraine, Moldova entry talks in 2025
- Georgia president refuses prosecutors' summons after alleging vote-rigging
- First case of latest mpox variant detected in UK: health authority
- I'll be backing Harris: Schwarzenegger endorses Democratic ticket
- Stocks diverge, bitcoin close to record high
- Harris fends off 'garbage' fallout, Trump pushes 'cheating' claims
- 'Peace among ourselves' crucial to save nature: UN chief
- French court acquits man who killed incurably ill wife
- New Hezbollah chief open to truce with Israel if offer is made
- Brazil trial begins over murder of iconic activist Franco
- Russia eats away at territory, and Ukrainian morale
- Trump's election fraud claims raise alarms of 2020 repeat
- Spain races to save victims as floods kill 72
- UK's Labour govt hikes taxes in first budget
- Medvedev loses to Australian Popyrin at Paris Masters
- Germany dodges recession but inflation rises sharply
- Harris seeks distance from Biden 'garbage' comments
- Spain races to save victims as floods kill 64
- Riyadh Air orders 60 Airbus planes
- US economic growth solid despite slight slowdown as election nears
- Eurozone economy grows more than expected
- UBS smashes forecasts with $1.4 bn net profit
- Chinese EV giant BYD beats Tesla in quarterly revenue for first time
- US economic growth solid but below expectations as election nears
- Jurgen Klopp to target player welfare in Red Bull role
- Volkswagen sees 'painful' cost cuts ahead as profit plunges
- Spain races to save victims as floods kill 62
- Tuberculosis cases hit record high: WHO
- Bangladesh stumble to 38-4 in reply to mammoth South Africa total
- Volcanoes 'hidden source' of CO2 in past climate change: study
- Stocks falter, bitcoin close to record high
- Eurozone economy grows faster than expected
- Mediators to propose Gaza truce amid deadly Israeli strikes
Vu pulls out of LPGA China event giving Boutier shot at number one
Top-ranked Lilia Vu withdrew from the Blue Bay LPGA in China before the second round on Friday, opening the door for Celine Boutier to become world number one.
Boutier will become the first golfer from France, man or woman, to be ranked number one if she finishes solo third or better on Sunday at the Jian Lake Blue Bay course on Hainan Island.
"Lilia Vu has withdrawn from the Blue Bay LPGA before the second round due to injury," the LPGA Tour said, without elaborating.
World number three Boutier has ground to make up to finish in the top three.
She was nine shots off the lead going into the weekend after a second-round one-under 71 left her at level par for the tournament.
The lead is shared by South Korea's An Na-rin on nine-under 135, after a second-round 65, and American Sarah Schmelzel, who continued her recent good form with a 69 to follow her opening 66.
Australia's Minjee Lee led overnight, but is two shots back after a level-par 72 on Friday in the $2.2 million event that concludes a three-tournament Asian swing.
Boutier, 30, who won her first major last season at the Evian Championship in her native France, was second last week at the HSBC Women's World Championship in Singapore, a shot behind winner Hannah Green of Australia.
The Frenchwoman will need a big improvement on Saturday and Sunday to get into the third place she needs, which is currently held by South Korea's Choi Hye-jin on eight under par.
Boutier, now in her eighth season on the LPGA Tour, finished third in her only previous appearance at Blue Bay in 2018.
The 26-year-old American Vu has been struggling with back issues and also withdrew during the final round in Singapore five days ago.
"Yeah, last week my body wasn't feeling great overall physically, and it was just Sunday that I couldn't handle," she admitted on Tuesday.
Vu had carded a level-par 72 in the opening round of the Blue Bay on Thursday before pulling out.
F.Dubois--AMWN