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Tokyo tanked Friday as it led losses across Asia due to a stronger yen and expectations for more Japanese rate hikes, with equities also slammed after weak data sparked fears of a US recession and a plunge on Wall Street.

Katie Ledecky launched her bid for a fourth straight Olympic 800m freestyle title Friday by beating Ariarne Titmus in the heats during a session marred by a Slovak athlete collapsing on the pool deck.

A fire ripped through a building in the Philippine capital's Chinatown early Friday killing 11 people, authorities said.

Reigning Olympic gold medallist Jakob Ingebrigtsen and world champion Josh Kerr kept on track to resume their rivalry after sailing through qualification for the semi-finals of the men's 1500m on Friday.

Sha'Carri Richardson launched her bid for Olympic redemption with a comfortable victory in the opening heats of the women's 100 metres at the Stade de France on Friday.

AC Milan announced on Friday a new maternity policy that guarantees automatic renewals in the final season contracts of its women's team, calling it a first among Europe's elite clubs.

Hundreds of people gathered at a mosque in Qatar on Friday to farewell slain Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh after his killing in Tehran, an attack blamed on Israel that deepened fears of a regional war.

Reigning Olympic gold medallist Jakob Ingebrigtsen and world champion Josh Kerr kept on track to resume their rivalry after sailing through qualification for the semi-finals of the men's 1500m on Friday.

Journalist Evan Gershkovich and two other Americans touched down in Texas on Friday for medical checks, after being freed by Russia in a huge prisoner swap.

Myanmar military airstrikes hit a hospital in a city controlled by an ethnic minority armed group close to the China border killing 10 people, local media reported on Friday.

US gymnastics great Simone Biles will likely have to bring out the "big guns" again on Saturday as she vies for her third gold medal of the Paris Olympics in a women's vault final that again pits her against defending champion Rebeca Andrade of Brazil.

Demonstrations in Bangladesh after Friday prayers demanded justice for victims of nationwide unrest and police crackdown, after the release of protest leaders failed to quell public anger.

Mourners arrived at a Qatari mosque on Friday to farewell Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh after his killing in Tehran, an attack blamed on Israel that deepened fears of wider war.

Tokyo tanked as it led losses across Asia on Friday due to a stronger yen and expectations for more Japanese rate hikes, while disappointing data sparked a plunge on Wall Street and fuelled fresh fears of a US recession.

Nintendo said Friday that first-quarter net profit more than halved as sales for the seven-year-old Switch slowed down and fans keenly awaited news on the hit console's successor.

South African opera has developed its own uniquely local style -- both in the make-up of its casts and its dramatic themes -- in the three decades since the end of apartheid, experts argue.

Turkey on Friday blocked access to the Instagram social media network, the national communications authority said without explanation, following censorship accusations against the US company by a high-ranking Turkish official.

An Israeli strike that killed seven charity workers in a Gaza aid convoy was the result of "mistaken identification" and a raft of other serious failures, the Australian government found in a report released Friday.

Monsoon downpours caused flash floods that killed 13 people in India's Himalayan foothills, officials said Friday, with helicopters rescuing hundreds stranded near a renowned Hindu shrine.

All Blacks scrum-half TJ Perenara has signed a three-year contract to play club rugby in Japan, New Zealand Rugby said Friday.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris greeted journalist Evan Gershkovich and two other Americans Thursday as they arrived back on US soil after being freed by Russia in a huge prisoner swap.

The NFL's new one-year trial kickoff format, dramatically different from anything in league history, received its public unveiling on Thursday in a pre-season opener halted early by a severe storm.

Two-time Australian Open champions Aryna Sabalenka and Victoria Azarenka will meet in the WTA and ATP Washington Open quarter-finals after Azarenka foiled an upset bid Thursday by China's Wang Yafan.

Japan sweltered through its hottest July since records began 126 years ago, the weather agency said, as extreme heatwaves fuelled by climate change engulfed many parts of the globe.

Tokyo led losses across Asia on Friday due to a stronger yen and expectations for more Japanese rate hikes, while disappointing data sparked a plunge on Wall Street and fuelled fresh fears of a US recession.

Pupils are wilting in ageing school buildings in Japan because poor insulation is cancelling out the effect of air conditioning, leading to drowsy kids and testy teachers.

As Tokyo's millions put in another day's work on the coalface of capitalism, celebrity Marxist philosopher Kohei Saito and his friends are clearing rocks from a muddy mountain stream.

Polly Mack opened and closed her round with back-to-back birdies on her way to nine-under par 63 and a one-stroke lead after Thursday's first round of the LPGA Portland Classic.

Defending champions Canada take on Germany on Saturday in a bid to reach the semi-finals of the Olympic women's football tournament after they made the knockouts despite a points deduction over a spying scandal.

Israel's biggest ever Olympic team has faced a "tough" environment during the Paris Games, the head of their delegation told AFP after a week featuring sometimes hostile crowds, online harassment and tragedy back home.

The children of Victor Bustos wail and cling to his coffin in the living room of his modest home, struggling to comprehend his death during a protest against the disputed reelection of President Nicolas Maduro.

Former president Donald Trump, who has a long history of making incendiary comments about race, has stepped up his attacks on his 2024 White House rival Kamala Harris by claiming she "happened to turn Black" for political advantage.