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Oil prices rallied and equities sank Friday as reports said explosions had been heard in Iran and Syria, fuelling fears of an escalation of the Middle East crisis after last weekend's missile attack on Israel by Tehran.

Iran's state media reported explosions in central Isfahan Friday, as US media quoted officials saying Israel had carried out retaliatory strikes on its arch-rival.

Qatar's warning that it was reassessing its role as a mediator between Israel and Hamas has raised concerns about the prospects for a ceasefire and the return of hostages.

After seven years of investigations, crew members from migrant rescue ships accused by Italy of helping human traffickers in the Mediterranean hope to finally clear their names Friday.

Arsenal have no time to dwell on their Champions League exit as they return to Premier League action this weekend with the chance to reclaim top spot.

Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis kicks off his outdoor season at the Xiamen Diamond League meet on Saturday confident that his "inner" competition will keep pushing him to new heights.

Chelsea forward Cole Palmer has emerged as a Player of the Year contender thanks to a dazzling campaign that left Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola to rue what might have been ahead of their reunion in Saturday's FA Cup semi-final.

Dominant European champions Barcelona aim to keep their quadruple quest on track when they face Chelsea in the Women's Champions League semi-finals on Saturday.

Paris Saint-Germain could wrap up the Ligue 1 title as early as next week, which would secure the first trophy of what they hope will be a historic treble after their comeback victory over Barcelona in the Champions League.

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe's decision to award prize money to Olympic gold medallists may have been welcomed by athletes but the move has upset some of his fellow federation bosses and surprised seasoned observers of the Games.

Startled by nighttime pounding on his door, American political strategist Rick Wilson walked out in his underwear to find policemen with guns drawn. They were responding to yet another hoax, increasingly seen as a tool of intimidation in a crucial election year.

Nelly Korda made a strong start to her bid for a record-equalling fifth straight LPGA Tour win with a four-under-par 68 Thursday at the Chevron Championship, the first women's major of the year.

The Eiffel Tower is set for a starring role during the Paris Olympics this year, but the landmark and its park have become symbols of the capital's struggles with cleanliness and crime.

France on Thursday ordered a two-month nighttime curfew for minors in a Guadeloupe city after a surge in youth violence in the overseas territory.

The NHL has given the green light to the Arizona Coyotes sale and move to Utah, the league said on Thursday.

Wesley Bryan shot a nine-under 63 to grab a three stroke lead after the first round of the Puntacana Championship on Thursday.

Collin Morikawa bounced back from his final round disappointment at the Masters, shooting a six-under 65 first round at the PGA Tour's RBC Heritage tournament on Thursday.

The United States on Thursday spoiled a long-shot Palestinian bid for full United Nations membership, vetoing a Security Council measure despite growing international distress over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Liverpool crashed out of the Europa League after a 1-0 win against Atalanta that wasn't enough to overturn their quarter-final deficit, while Bayer Leverkusen's 1-1 draw at West Ham took the German champions into the last four on Thursday.

Lille president Olivier Letang said Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez's attitude was not befitting a player of his calibre after the Argentina international earned his club a place in the Europa Conference League semi-finals.

The dollar pushed higher Thursday behind a series of comments from Federal Reserve officials, dimming hopes for imminent interest rate cuts while US stocks finished mostly lower.

Liverpool were knocked out of the Europa League by Atalanta on Thursday as Jurgen Klopp's final season with the Reds took another downward turn, their Italian opponents reaching the semi-finals 3-1 on aggregate.

Newly-crowned Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen reached the Europa League semi-finals on Thursday and stretched their undefeated run in all competitions this season to 44 matches.

Emiliano Martinez starred in a drama-filled penalty shootout as Aston Villa squeezed past Lille and into the Europa Conference League semi-finals on Thursday following a late Matty Cash goal in normal time.

Liverpool were knocked out of the Europa League by Atalanta with the Italian side reaching the semi-finals 3-1 on aggregate on Thursday.

The US House of Representatives on Saturday will vote on a major aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, and on a possible ban of TikTok.

Kenya's defence chief and nine other top brass died on Thursday in a military helicopter crash in a remote area of the country, President William Ruto said.

A panel of 12 jurors was sworn in on Thursday to sit in judgment of Donald Trump at the unprecedented criminal trial of a former US president.

Netflix topped expectations Thursday as it reported 9.3 million new subscribers and profits of $2.3 billion in the first three months of the year.

India begins voting Friday in a six-week election with an all but assured victory for Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as a weakened opposition is pushed to the sidelines.

Economies in the Middle East and North Africa face a "shadow of uncertainty" from ongoing tensions in the region, a senior IMF official told AFP on Thursday.

Several thousand Bosnian Serbs protested Thursday in Banja Luka against a potential UN resolution to declare July 11 an international day to remember the Srebrenica genocide.