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Devin Haney remained unbeaten and undisputed with a narrow points win over Vasiliy Lomachenko on Saturday. The American, 24, entered Las Vegas with an undefeated record of 29-0, and he improved that tally by edging out Lomachenko 116-112, 115-113, 115-113 on the judges’ scorecards, retaining his lightweight titles in the process. For Lomachenko, who was the smaller, older fighter at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, the only adjective that mattered was ‘undisputed’ – a status that has eluded the Ukrainian throughout a storied career. Lomachenko, 35, is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and has held world titles at featherweight, super-featherweight, and unified gold at lightweight. Yet he has never been undisputed, and Haney denied the veteran that accolade on Saturday (20 May), narrowly outpointing “Loma”. A highly-competitive fight featured numerous rounds that were almost too close to call, though Haney was favouring an effective right hook to the body in the first half of the bout. Meanwhile, Lomachenko could not muster the same power but was intermittently stinging the “Dream” with flurries of short, straight punches, with his jab also piercing Haney’s defence. Lomachenko seemed to secure the clearest rounds – the 10th and 11th – but could not quite take the final frame, which all three judges scored in favour of Haney, preventing a majority draw. For Haney, it was a second straight successful defence of the undisputed gold. The American outpointed George Kambosos Jr in the Australian’s home country in June to unify all the belts, before repeating the result in October – in Melbourne once again. Meanwhile, Saturday’s main event marked a third professional defeat for Lomachenko, who last suffered a loss in 2020 when he was surprisingly outpointed by Teofimo Lopez. Lomachenko responded to that result with three straight wins, the third coming in December after the 35-year-old spent much of 2022 in Ukraine, aiding his country’s defence against the Russian invasion. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Katie Taylor beaten by Chantelle Cameron on Irish homecoming Joe Rogan is right: Tyson Fury has ‘no chance in hell’ against Jon Jones McGregor Forever: The problem with the new Conor McGregor documentary

A British three-year-old girl who was stabbed in a playground attack in France was awake and watching television on Friday Emmanuel Macron said – as he also praised the heroism of a young Catholic pilgrim who fended off the knifeman with a backpack. The French president said he had heard “positive” news about the four children – aged between 22 months and three years old – injured in the attack in a lakeside park in Annecy. Two men in their 70s were also injured. Mr Macron and his wife Brigitte, visited three of the children and their families in hospital in Grenoble about 100km (62 miles) from Annecy. The British girl who received surgery, named as Ettie, had “woken up” and was “watching TV”, said President Macron. According to Agence-France Presse, he added: “Doctors are optimistic” suggesting that “everything is going the right way”. A Dutch toddler – who was being treated in Geneva – and two French cousins aged two and three, were also said to be in a stable condition. Mr and Ms Macron later travelled to Annecy, where they sat at the bedside of one of the injured men, who was both knifed and wounded by a shot that police fired as they detained the suspected attacker. Mr Macron said he is regaining consciousness. The second injured adult was discharged from a hospital and was among dozens of people that Mr Macron met and thanked, his left elbow still bandaged. “The first thing doctors told me ... is that these children were saved by the swiftness of the collective intervention,” Mr Macron said. “Thank you immeasurably for your courage.” One of those was Henri, 24, a Catholic pilgrim who is on a nine-month walking and hitchhiking tour of France’s cathedrals and happened to be in the Alpine town of Annecy when the attack occurred. French media hailed Henri as “the hero with a backpack” after he was shown in a video using a weighty backpack he was carrying to swing at the assailant and fend off his blade. “You experienced very hard moments, traumatising,” Mr Macron said. “I am very proud of you.” Henri had a heavy backpack and was holding another in his hand when the attacker slashed at him. Henri continued to harass him, pursuing the man inside a playground – where he stabbed a child in a stroller – and then out of the park again, carrying his backpacks. Henri appeared to hurl one at the assailant at one point and then pick it up again to take another swing. Henri said he was powered by his Catholic faith. “When you know that you’re loved by God and that he saved our lives, you can act without thinking too much about your own [life] to try and save those of the children,” he told French broadcaster BFMTV. Henri asked Mr Macron to be invited to the reopening of Notre Dame in Paris next year, following repairs to the cathedral damaged in a fire in 2019. “I’ll take care of it personally,” the French leader replied. The management graduate said to BFMTV that that he was not the only civilian who put themselves in harm’s way. He had “acted like any French person would”, he said. “Many other people intervened in whatever way they could. I saw a park employee try to hit the attacker with his big plastic spade.” Henri’s father, Francois, said he believed that his son’s dogged pursuit helped dissuade the attacker from stabbing more victims before police wrestled him to the ground. “He took a lot of risks – when he wasn’t armed, with just his backpacks,” the father said. “He didn’t stop running after him for many minutes, to stop him from coming back and massacring the kids even more ... Really very courageous.” Francois asked that their last name not be published, expressing concerns about their family being thrust suddenly and inadvertently into the public eye at a time of shock and outrage in France provoked by the attack. Henri had posted on Instagram in late May about being two months into a nine-month pilgrimage which would see him walk and hitchhike across France, having started in Provence. Many flocked to his social media pages to hail his courage, with one person writing: “May God bless you. You did what you could at that moment, you did not give up, you did not run. You are an angel.” “Bravo for your courage and bravery, you saved lives today, you can be proud of yourself my friend,” wrote one commenter, while another said: “France has a hero tonight, a humble hero.” Many of the hundreds who wrote to share their thanks and “deep respect” for his “incredible” bravery called for him to be awarded the Legion of Honour, the highest French order of merit, while others living across France offered to host him as he continues his pilgrimage. The suspect – a Syrian man with refugee status in Sweden – has had his custody extended and is due to undergo a psychiatric assessment. The 31-year-old is thought to have been living homeless in Annecy and recently had an asylum claim rejected in France, thanks to already holding the status in Sweden. On that French application he said he was a “Syrian Christian”. No terrorist motive is suspected. Commenting on the suggestion that the suspect in Thursday’s attacks also identifies as a Christian, Henri said it was “profoundly unchristian to attack the vulnerable”. A mass was held in Annecy Cathedral in tribute to the victims and their families later on Friday, church authorities said. Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report Read More ‘You are an angel’: France hails ‘backpack hero’ who confronted knifeman in ‘unspeakable’ Annecy attack Everything we know about suspected France playground attacker after toddlers stabbed British girl injured in Annecy stabbing was on holiday at time of attack British girl injured in Annecy stabbing was on holiday at time of attack France hails ‘backpack hero’ who confronted knifeman in ‘unspeakable’ Annecy attack Annecy locals attend mass as Mayor says injured children are ‘stable’

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It only took a moment for Jamaica’s plan to unravel. After keeping three clean sheets in their historic progression from the group stages, a goal was all it took for their World Cup dream to finally appear out of reach. As Deneisha Blackwood was caught under the high ball, Colombia found the quality they had long been searching for: Catalina Usme cushioned it perfectly on her left foot and a step later, it was guided into the far corner. For the first time in four matches at this World Cup, Jamaica and goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer conceded, and if this last-16 tie desperately needed a goal, so did Colombia’s entire approach. After taking the lead, they finally began to look like the team that shocked Germany in topping Group H, and who will now look to do the same against England in the quarter-finals. Playing Jamaica didn’t suit them. Facing the Lionesses might. When Colombia stunned the World Cup and beat Germany, it was a victory built on how effectively they disrupted the two-time champions when they were in possession. Not having as much of the ball allowed Colombia to pick, press and frustrate. But in the last-16 it was Jamaica who were succeeding in frustrating them. Jamaica barely left their half when the game was goalless, sitting deep and cancelling Colombia out with their defensive shape and resilience. Colombia were faced with having to create their own impetus, they struggled for fluency in a poor game and Jamaica’s plan, for 51 minutes at least, was working. But then Usme struck and as Jamaica were forced to open up, Colombia were released. They became the side that England will not enjoy facing, as Linda Caicedo showed the glimpses that the Lionesses need to somehow control. Colombia immediately looked more threatening as Caicedo, a nimble and electric dribbler from the left, had space to weave and drive. A goal up, Colombia were able to combine their combativeness in midfield with the 18-year-old’s speed and quality in attack. It should concern England, who were disrupted by Haiti in their opening game while being stretched by Michelle Dumornay. They are likely to face a similar challenge in Colombia, yet the South American side, who reached the final of last year’s Copa America, have a much sharper and more experienced edge. Of course, England have since settled on a new formation since that ragged opening display against Haiti and Dumornay, although the future of Sarina Wiegman’s 3-5-2 could also be now under consideration due to Lauren James’ suspension. What the system has given England is greater defensive solidity and the Lionesses have yet to concede from open play at the World Cup. They came under significant spells of pressure against Nigeria, but England still did not concede as many high-quality chances than they did against Haiti. Wiegman’s side have been less open and more disciplined with Jess Carter and Alex Greenwood alongside Millie Bright. Even as Nigeria targeted the sides of England’s back three, in what was an excellent tactical performance from Randy Waldrum’s side, Carter and Greenwood’s individual defending was exceptional. It will need to be again on Saturday, with Carter facing the eye-catching Caicedo and Greenwood likely to face the unpredictable Mayra Ramírez, who has licence to roam inside from the right channel. If England do keep their 3-5-2 and look to control possession, Lucy Bronze and Rachel Daly will again be asked to push high and wide, leaving Carter and Greenwood with another match of considerable defensive responsibility. Jamaica would have been a completely different test and had they defeated Colombia, Lorne Donaldson’s side would have played the same way against England. That they reached the last-16 at all was credit to their remarkable defensive organisation but it only took a moment for that to slip as Blackwood was caught under the switch to the far post. Jamaica finished the World Cup having scored once and conceded once - that they reached the last-16 at all was a remarkable achievement. Jamaica’s late assault on the Colombia goal was too little and too late. Drew Spence’s header that sneaked past the post was the closest they came, but Jamaica may regret not showing more adventure in the first half and they struggled to bring Khadija Shaw into the match. The Lionesses would have been more confident facing a low block, although it is aso fair to question whether Wiegman’s side would have been anywhere near as dangerous without James when they thrashed China 6-1 in the group stages. But that performance and Wiegman’s deployment of 3-5-2 came with China in mind. The England manager needed a response after two uninspiring 1-0 wins against Haiti and Denmark, and so found the formation that unlocked something new and unpredictable from England while exploiting China’s obdurate system. Now James’ suspension has given Wiegman a reason to go on the front foot again, and to make the changes that will cover for the absence of their star forward, but to pick holes in Colombia as well. And with their quarter-final opponent set, Wiegman and England can get to work. Read More Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Who and when do England play next? Lionesses route to the World Cup final Lauren James apologises after World Cup red card Lauren James apologises after World Cup red card Trump goes on unhinged rant blaming Biden and ‘wokeness’ for USWNT’s World Cup loss A timeline of Donald Trump’s spat with Megan Rapinoe

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Silvio Berlusconi, the boastful billionaire media mogul who was Italy’s longest-serving premier, despite scandals over his sex-fueled parties and allegations of corruption, has died. A one-time cruise ship crooner, Berlusconi used his television networks and immense wealth to launch his long political career, inspiring both loyalty and loathing. To admirers, the multiple-time premier was a capable and charismatic statesman who sought to elevate Italy on the world stage. To critics, he was a populist who threatened to undermine democracy by wielding political power as a tool to enrich himself and his businesses. Born in 1936 in Milan to a bank clerk father and housewife mother, he attended a Catholic college, the start of a complicated relationship with the church, which supported him until the mounting allegations of sleaze “superceded the limits of decency”, in the view of at least one weekly Catholic newspaper. His capacity to entertain emerged early when he worked on cruise ships and played bass with a band, performing George Gershwin hits like “I Got Rhythm” in the dancehalls of Milan before being sacked for devoting more time to flirting with punters (“marketing and PR”, he called it) than playing music. After graduating in law, Berlusconi turned down a job as a cashier at the bank where his father had worked in order to strike out as a property developer. His ambition was notable. To pull off an early make-or-break deal, he persuaded a secretary to tell him when her pension fund director boss would be taking a seven-hour train journey so as to ensure he could secure the seat next to him. Later, when the flight path put off buyers over his Milano 2 residential development, he had alternative routes opened. A modest plan to make his homes more attractive by offering a local cable TV service, Telemilano, which showed light entertainment and reruns of American soap operas such as Dallas, grew into a network of local channels until, by the end of the 1980s, his trash TV empire of game shows and barely-clothed hostesses came to dominate Italian airwaves. As well as hauling in advertising revenue, Berlusconi’s channels allowed him to give favourable coverage towards friendly politicians who helped him protect his commercial interests, which now included publishing houses and the football team AC Milan. When he entered politics himself, these contacts would prove indispensable. The Clean Hands corruption probes that took out a generation of Italian politicians eventually provided the motivation for that move. Power, he reasoned, would not only protect himself from prosecutors but allow him to defend his businesses. Headline-grabbing proposals included a million new jobs and lower taxes. A political outsider positioned as an enemy of the establishment, Berlusconi was in many ways a prototype for Donald Trump. Running a successful Serie A side like the “rossoneri” was one of his main qualifications for high office, he felt. When challenged by an economist over his tax plans, he replied: “How many intercontinental [football cups] have you won?” In 1994, he took 21 per cent of the vote in the general election and found himself prime minister, beginning a two decade-long domination of Italian politics through which he shamelessly advanced his own interests. His personal lawyers, now on the state payroll as MPs, spent their time drawing up laws to get him out of trouble, including immunity from prosecution for the prime minister and a tax amnesty that saved his company 120m euros. His communication minister meanwhile amended competition rules allowing him to retain his media empire. His calling to international relations was evident when he made himself foreign minister as well as prime minister, wooing foreign leaders such as Tony Blair and Putin by inviting them to his James Bond-esque Sardinian villa, complete with fake volcano. Cherie Blair described her evening there as the best of her life. But gaffes such as calling America’s first black president Barack Obama “suntanned” and suggesting a German MEP should play a concentration camp guard made him an international laughing stock. His standing took a further hit in 2009 when his second wife, Veronica Lario, publicly accused him of “frequenting minors”. When a 17-year-old Moroccan nightclub dancer, known as Ruby-the-Heartstealer, who was arrested for a petty crime, told police she knew Berlusconi, the claim set in motion a chain of events that would bring about the mogul’s downfall. Ironically, if Berlusconi had not interceded claiming she was the niece of Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian despot, the case might have ended there. Investigators, their hackles raised by Berlusconi’s meddling, discovered that a harem of showgirls and models regularly visited his villas for sex parties where they received lavish gifts and envelopes of cash. The drip-feed of salacious details appalled even Italy, where mistresses are less taboo for rich men. Thousands took to the streets in protests that expressed women’s frustration at their humiliating role in Berlusconi’s Italy. But, ultimately, it was not the “bunga bunga” parties that undid him, but his inability to cope as Italy’s debt reached unsustainable levels in 2011 and he was forced to resign in favour of technocrats. Out of office, he remained in the spotlight, thanks to his own media empire and as the defendant in dozens of trials, throughout which he claimed he was the victim of a plot by a left-wing judiciary. After years when, Teflon-like, he had wriggled out of every writ, his eventual conviction for tax fraud in 2014 and subsequent sentencing to community service in a home for Alzheimer’s sufferers represented rock bottom, but, as usual, Berlusconi proved irrepressible, entertaining residents with bingo games and singalongs - a revival of his old cruise ship act. His final years went some way towards rehabilitating his image. He became the oldest member of the European Parliament, his centrist pro-European politics far preferable, in the eyes of German chancelleor Angela Merkel, to the dangerous populist ideals that surged in Europe. When, in February 2021, his party joined a government led by that most establishment of figures, former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi, his triumphant comeback was complete. His return to government represented an unlikely final twist in the story of a figure who had risen from selling electric hairbrushes to being the richest and most powerful man in Italy and the object of global fascination as (depending on your point of view): a media mogul, marketing genius, football club owner, political trailblazer, womaniser and showman. For every Italian that hated him for his monopolistic control of the media and abuse of power, there was another who admired his business acumen and was amused by his lowbrow larks. As the writer Curzio Malaparte wrote, Berlusconi’s qualities and defects “are the qualities and defects of all Italians”. Berlusconi is survived by 12 grandchildren and five children: Pier Silvio, Marina, Barbara, Eleonora and Pierluigi. Read More Perhaps the most surprising part of the Italian crisis is that Berlusconi has emerged as a selfless voice of reason Italy’s comeback kid: How Silvio Berlusconi has managed to re-enter politics, despite all the scandals Silvio Berlusconi tells female reporter her handshake is so strong 'no one will want to marry her' Silvio Berlusconi dead: Billionaire former Italian prime minister dies aged 86