- Penrith Panthers win fourth straight NRL title after downing Storm
- Weary Sinner happy for day off after battling into Shanghai last 16
- Pakistan's Masood warns England still a force without Stokes
- Madrid's Carvajal to miss several months after serious knee injury
- Israel pounds Lebanon ahead of Hamas attack anniversary
- Two elephants die in flash flooding in northern Thailand
- Sabalenka targets world number one and Wuhan hat-trick
- Toddler among 4 dead in migrant Channel crossings
- Tunisia votes with Saied set for re-election
- Bagnaia sets 'example' with Japan MotoGP win to cut gap on Martin
- Intense Israeli bombing rocks Beirut ahead of war anniversary
- Mozambique vote: no suspense but some disillusion
- Austrian rapper channels anti-racist rage in Romani hip-hop songs
- Ohtani magic powers Dodgers over Padres in MLB playoff thriller
- Five of the best: Pakistan-England Test thrillers
- Man sets arm on fire as marches across US mark Gaza war anniversary
- Vietnam's young coffee entrepreneurs brew up a revolution
- Trump rallies at site of failed assassination: 'Never quit'
- Too hot by day, Dubai's floodlit beaches are packed at night
- Is music finally reckoning with #MeToo?
- Fans hail Trump's 'guts' as he returns to site of rally shooting
- Lebanon state media says 'very violent' Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Guardians maul Tigers, miracle Mets rally in MLB series openers
- Lebanon state media says Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Miami on track for MLS record points after win in Toronto
- Madrid beat Villarreal but Carvajal suffers knee injury
- Madrid beat Villarreal to move level with Liga leaders Barcelona
- Monaco take top spot in Ligue 1 with win at Rennes
- French rugby player on rape charge whistled but 'serene' on return
- Madrid beat Villarreal to level Liga leaders Barca
- Thuram treble fires Inter past Torino and up to second
- 'Fight': defiant Trump jets in to site of rally shooting
- Toddler among 3 dead in migrant Channel crossings
- Mexico City's new mayor sworn in with pledges on water, housing
- Israel on alert ahead of Hamas attack anniversary
- Guardians maul Tigers in MLB playoff series opener
- Macron criticises Israel on Gaza, Lebanon operations
- French rugby player whistled but 'serene' on return amid ongoing rape case
- Kovacic stars as Man City sink Fulham to get title bid back on track
- Retegui hat-trick fires five-star Atalanta to hammering of Genoa
- Heavyweights Australia, England off to World Cup winning starts
- Visiting UN refugee agency chief decries 'terrible crisis' in Lebanon
- Spinners come to party as England defeat Bangladesh at T20 World Cup
- Search continues for missing in deadly Bosnia floods
- Man City sink Fulham to get title bid back on track
- France's Auradou whistled on Pau return in Perpignan loss amid ongoing rape case
- A 'forgotten' valley in storm-hit North Carolina, desperate for help
- Arsenal hit back in style after Southampton scare
- Thousands march for Palestinians ahead of Oct 7 anniversary
- Hezbollah heir apparent Safieddine out of contact after strikes
IOC to meet Peng Shuai during Beijing Olympics
The International Olympic Committee said on Thursday that it has spoken with Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai again and plans to meet her in Beijing during next month's Winter Games.
Peng, a former world number one in doubles, has been the subject of worldwide concern since alleging in November that she had been "forced" into sex by former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli during an on-off relationship.
Beijing's censors swiftly scrubbed the allegation from China's tightly controlled Internet and the 36-year-old was not seen in public for nearly three weeks.
Zhang has not commented on the allegations while Peng has since made brief appearances that have been widely pushed by Chinese state media reporters as proof of her freedom and well-being.
In one brief video conversation with a Singaporean newspaper she said she had never claimed anyone sexually assaulted her.
An IOC spokesperson said in a statement to AFP that the Olympic body had "kept in touch with (Peng) and had a number of conversations with her" since an initial call in November, with the most recent communication coming "just the past week".
Peng told the IOC she was "looking forward to the upcoming Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 and intends to follow the competitions and her fellow Chinese Olympians closely", according to the statement.
She reiterated that she was "looking forward" to meeting IOC president Thomas Bach and chair of the IOC athletes' commission Emma Terho during the Games, the statement said.
Bach spoke with Peng by video call last November with the IOC releasing a statement saying the tennis star was "safe and well".
That led to accusations that Bach was acting to protect the Olympic hosts.
Bach is currently in Beijing and met President Xi Jinping earlier in the week.
International fears that Peng may not be free have persisted despite her public reappearances, with some fans at the Australian Open recently donning T-shirts bearing the slogan "Where is Peng Shuai?"
The tournament sparked a backlash last weekend when video emerged of security staff ordering spectators to remove the shirts and a banner in support of Peng -- prompting tennis legend Martina Navratilova to brand the move "pathetic".
On Tuesday, tournament chief Craig Tiley said fans could wear the T-shirts as long as they did so peacefully.
The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) suspended its tournaments in China in the wake of Peng's allegations saying they were not yet convinced that she was free to speak freely.
China has not commented directly on Peng's initial social media post, but has said it opposes the "politicisation of sports".
Beijing will host the Olympics on February 4-20.
L.Durand--AMWN