From furious protests over government corruption to the Zika epidemic, the road to Rio has been beset with problems, but locals have said visitors can expect a warm welcome.

American goalkeeper Hope Solo was heavily booed during Team USA's opening soccer match in the Rio Olympics.

The news means 13 babies have now been born with the condition in the United States since the Zika epidemic began last year.

The athletes who have decided to attend may be competing under the arms of Christ the Redeemer, but it’s hard to find one redeeming feature to the Olympic Games in Rio, writes KATIE HOPKINS.

Herbalists and witch doctors in Rio de Janeiro say star athletes who skipped this year's Olympic Games shouldn't have worried about contracting Zika while in Brazil.

Normally, two thirds of US citizens oppose abortions after 24 weeks. But a Harvard poll has found that 59 per cent favor abortions of Zika-infected babies at any stage of the pregnancy.

Christine Curry teaches and practices obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Miami Hospital. So far she has treated over a dozen pregnant women with Zika, with many more expected.

It is the biggest one-day spike in diagnoses to date as the city struggles to control the virus. The development means there are now 21 people being treated for local transmission of the virus.

Torrential rain and high winds became the latest misfortune to hit the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, with rowing events canceled and other athletes including cyclists forced to cope with the bad weather.

Until now scientists believed the virus would fade after three months. But this week an Italian man tested positive for Zika 188 days after he was first infected.

Taekwondo star Jade, 23, today launches her bid to defend the Gold medal she won at London 2012, supported by her family including grandfather Martin Foulkes.

My family and I were due to fly to Florida on the 27th August but following medical advice we decided we shouldn't go because I'm pregnant. Now Virgin is refusing to refund us.

Hermine made landfall in Florida early Friday as a Category 1 hurricane with forecasters warning as much as 20 inches of rain on Thursday.

The sudden onslaught of floods and torrential rain brought by Matthew over the weekend to Florida's east coast has destroyed areas of contained water where the species which carry the disease thrives.

It comes after the intense storms last week, leaving swathes of standing water, which is ideal breeding ground for Zika-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

Experts at Washington University School of Medicine in Missouri warn that if the 'dramatic' findings, in mice, apply to humans it could lead to an epidemic of infertility caused by the disease.

The Dept of Commerce says 74m US residents travelled internationally in 2015 - a 9% rise on the previous year. Of those, 33m travelled overseas, with the UK the most popular destination.

TeamGB taekwondo champion Jade Jones kicked her way Olympic history when she won gold to make her the most successful Briton in her sport.

Monroe County residents have backed a proposal to release a lab-developed group of mosquitoes designed to infect the Zika-carrying mosquito population with a fatal disease.

None of the rats tested at Philadelphia's Wistar Institute contracted Zika after getting the vaccine. It is the best result of a Zika vaccine to date, and it is the same being tested in the first human trials.

The mosquito-borne virus sparked global panic this year after millions were infected, causing scores of babies to be born with birth defects such as microcephaly.

Australian swimmer-turned-commentator, Giaan Rooney, has announced she's pregnant with her second child, just months after travelling to Brazil amid the Zika virus concerns

Official data says just 16 Zika-infected babies have been born since the mosquito-born illness swept the Americas last year. However, more than 3,300 pregnant women got the virus in 2016.

FEMA is using modified Air Force C-130 aircraft to spray chemicals in Houston and likely Florida to help control disease-carrying mosquitoes from breeding in the regions following recent storms.

World Cup winners Germany lived up to their billing as as one of the clear favourites for Euro 2016 with a 2-0 victory over Ukraine in their opening game.

EXCLUSIVE: Poland centre-forward Robert Lewandowski is growing increasingly unsettled at Bayern Munich and would now consider a move to the Premier League.

Poland will hope Robert Lewandowski can fire them to an automatic top-two qualification spot for Euro 2016 when they face Ukraine on Tuesday afternoon.

SECRET SCOUT: Sportsmail’s football expert has been busy scrutinising the Euros for prospective Premier League bargains this summer. 

Switzerland and Poland have both reached the knock-out stage of the European Championship for the first time after finishing runners-up in their respective groups.

Fernando Santos took his Portugal side's practice session at the Centre National de Rugby in Marcoussis on Monday. The training base was a happy one after their last-16 win over Croatia.

Lewandowski hasn't lit up Euro 2016 and will need to regain his form from qualifying if Poland are to have any chance of getting past Portugal on Thursday.

Portugal will need Cristiano Ronaldo firing on all cylinders on Thursday night if they are to overcome a stubborn Polish side in Marseille.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal are through to the semi-finals of Euro 2016 despite failing to win a game in normal time in the tournament so far.

Renato Sanches insists any criticism of Portugal has no effect on the players as they reached the semi-finals of Euro 2016 after a penalty shoot-out victory over Poland.

IAN LADYMAN AT STADE VELODROME: Cristiano Ronaldo has been here before and made the wrong call. Portugal exited Euro 2012 on penalties to Spain without their great talisman taking a kick.

Poland’s star player Robert Lewandowski was recovering on Friday from a ‘brutal’ end to his side’s run at Euro 2016. The striker's goal was not enough to see his side overcome Portugal.

Sportsmail revealed Leicester's bid at the weekend and the Premier League champions have now settled on a fee with Cracovia for an initial £5.4million, rising to £7.4m based on performance.

A hat-trick from Robert Lewandowski lifted Poland to a 3-2 victory over Denmark in a thrilling World Cup Group E qualifier in Warsaw on Saturday.

Poland's World Cup qualifier with Romania had to be suspended when a firecracker exploded at the feet of striker Robert Lewandowski. The Bayern Munich man needed medical attention.

The Bayern striker, who scored twice in his country's 3-0 World Cup qualifier win over Romania on Friday, will not be in the squad for the friendly against Slovenia after returning to Germany.

Robert Lewandowski is widely regarded as one of Europe's top marksmen, but the Bayern Munich striker has shown he is more than just a lethal goalscorer with his juggling skills in training.

There are 12 arenas hosting World Cup games with Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium kicking things off as well as bringing the show to and end with the final on July 15. Here's our guide to them all.

Optus won the rights to stream all 64 games of the World Cup to Australian audiences via their online and mobile services. But thousands of viewers were left frustrated by a troubling error message.

Sportsmail provide you with everything you need to know for the World Cup 2018 clash between Poland vs Senegal including how to watch, kick-off time, squads and latest odds.

Portsmouth striker Ronan Curtis has been drafted into the Republic of Ireland squad for Tuesday night's friendly in Poland. The 22-year-old has been added to a depleted party for the game in Wroclaw.

CRAIG HOPE IN WROCLAW: Poland manage to salvage a draw in their friendly with the Republic of Ireland after Mateusz Klich cancelled out Aiden O'Brien's debut goal on Tuesday evening.

Cristiano Biraghi has paid tribute to his former Fiorentina team-mate, the late Davide Astori, after scoring a last-gasp winner for Italy against Poland. Astori tragically passed away earlier this year.

Wojciech Szczesny will be tasked with keeping the ball out of the net when Poland face the Czech Republic. But he has been showing his team-mates how it is done at the other end of the pitch.

England secured their place in the Nations League semi-finals but they will now have a close eye on the Euro 2020 qualification draw as they look to keep their momentum going.

DOMINIC KING AT ASHTON GATE: The result was not what Aidy Boothroyd wanted; there were elements of the performance, meanwhile, that will have left him shaking his head.