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Top-ranked South Africa host second-placed Ireland on July 6 and 13 in a Test series that has captured the imagination of the rugby world.

South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus gazed across the Stade de France in Paris at celebratory Ireland supporters and was overheard saying "this is a bitter one to swallow".

Turkey defender Merih Demiral will miss his team's Euro 2024 quarter-final clash with the Netherlands after UEFA suspended him for two games on Friday for making an alleged ultra-nationalist salute.

Liverpool's new manager Arne Slot insists he can cope with the pressure of following in the footsteps of Anfield icon Jurgen Klopp.

The London stock market advanced Friday after Britain's centre-left Labour Party clinched an expected landslide election victory to end 14 years of right-wing Conservative rule.

Turkey defender Merih Demiral will miss his team's Euro 2024 quarter-final clash with the Netherlands after UEFA suspended him for two games on Friday for making an alleged ultra-nationalist salute.

Jude Bellingham is available for England's Euro 2024 quarter-final with Switzerland after he was given on Friday a suspended one-game ban for his controversial celebration after scoring against Slovakia in the previous round.

Wimbledon chiefs said Friday they had launched a social media monitoring service to protect players from online abuse.

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrived in Moscow Friday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, on a trip the EU said threatened to undermine the bloc's stance on the Ukraine war.

Catania airport on the Italian island of Sicily was closed on Friday after Mount Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe, erupted and spewed ash into the sky, disrupting air travel.

Manchester City on Friday announced they had signed Women's Super League record goalscorer Vivianne Miedema on a three-year deal after the Netherlands international's contract with Arsenal expired.

Israel's spy chief was expected in Qatar on Friday for the latest effort to free hostages held by Hamas Palestinian militants in Gaza, almost nine months into the Israel-Hamas war.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's wife arrived at a Madrid court to testify before a judge Friday as part of a preliminary corruption probe into her business ties, but the hearing was quickly suspended with a new date set for July 19.

Britain's new prime minister Keir Starmer is an ex-human rights lawyer and public prosecutor who will have to focus his relentless work ethic and methodical mind on fixing the country.

Gatherings have been banned this weekend in the restive French Pacific territory of New Caledonia during the second round of France's parliamentary polls.

Blindfolded, beaten and sometimes bitten by dogs, Gazans released from Israeli prisons allege being tortured amid the Israel-Hamas war, which rights groups say has worsened conditions for detainees.

Iranians voted on Friday in a presidential runoff election where the choice is between a reformist advocating improved ties with the West and an ultraconservative former nuclear negotiator.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's wife arrived at a Madrid court to testify before a judge Friday as part of a preliminary corruption probe into her business ties in a case that has infuriated the Socialist leader.

Refugees and migrants face extreme violence, abuse and exploitation on land routes crossing Africa to get to the Mediterranean, with far more believed to be dying there than at sea, a UN-backed report said Friday.

Asian markets were largely down on Friday, a day after Tokyo's indexes hit record highs, with traders preparing for a key US jobs report.

It will be tough for Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez to top his penalty shoot-out heroics from the run to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022 but that certainly won't stop him trying.

Tourist resorts in Mexico steeled Friday for a hit from Hurricane Beryl, which is expected to bring ferocious winds and a dangerous storm surge to the Yucatan Peninsula after slamming Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.

Liz Truss, Britain's shortest-serving prime minister, suffered further political ignominy Friday when she sensationally lost her seat in parliament at the British general election.

Members of Berlin's large Turkish community have vowed to paint the town red when their team comes to the German capital to play the Netherlands in Euro 2024 on Saturday.

China's AI sector showed confidence this week at a major fair in Shanghai that it would overcome restrictions imposed by the West, with companies rolling out cutting-edge products developed by a growing pool of young talent.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday makes his first visit to Russia since the invasion of Ukraine, walking a fine line between maintaining a longstanding Moscow alliance while courting closer Western security ties.

Cable car, urban rail link or ring road -- Kinshasa has big plans for alleviating its traffic chaos but for now, travelling into the megacity remains a daily headache for millions of people.

Scotland's pro-separatist Scottish National Party was virtually wiped out at the UK general election on Friday, suffering a devastating blow to its withering independence movement.

A record number of Cabinet ministers lost their seats on Friday in Britain's general election, leaving only a couple of obvious contenders for the party leadership if Rishi Sunak resigns.

US President Joe Biden is hoping a televised interview on Friday will steady his imperiled reelection bid -- but a repeat of his disastrous debate performance could be his downfall.

Polls opened Friday for Iran's runoff presidential election, the interior ministry said, pitting reformist candidate Masoud Pezeshkian against ultraconservative Saeed Jalili in the race to succeed Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a May helicopter crash.

Keir Starmer on Friday will become Britain's new prime minister, as his centre-left opposition Labour party swept to a landslide general election victory, ending 14 years of right-wing Conservative rule.