Nordic leaders call Putin as local truce begins in Ukraine
Rybakina looking to clinch year-end number one in Tokyo
Osaka unveils crane outfit in Tokyo before win over Paolini
Tech firms track Wall St rally on mixed day for stock markets
Sports
Ronaldo in line for Portugal return after fallout with coach
Cristiano Ronaldo is in Portugal's preliminary squad for next month's Nations League matches, opening the door to an international return after his fallout with coach Jorge Jesus, a federation source told AFP on Tuesday.
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Kane says Ballon d'Or win 'feels like a dream' as tributes pour in
Harry Kane said Tuesday that his Ballon d'Or triumph "feels like a dream" as tributes poured in for the first English winner of the award in a generation.
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Police clear pro-Gaza sit-in at top Paris university
Police entered Paris' Sciences Po university on Friday to remove dozens of students staging a pro-Gaza sit-in in the entrance hall, AFP journalists saw, as protests fire political debate about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Klopp says 'pressure is off' after Liverpool's late-season collapse
Jurgen Klopp said the "pressure is off" after his Liverpool team dropped out of the Premier League title race, urging his men to rediscover their best form in the final few games of his Anfield reign.
'Everyone wants to beat us': Leverkusen boss Alonso chasing invincibility
With his Bayer Leverkusen side three games from a record-breaking unbeaten season, manager Xabi Alonso said Friday he knows the team has a target on their heads.
TJ Perenara sets Super Rugby try record in Hurricanes win
All Blacks scrum-half TJ Perenara claimed a record 63rd Super Rugby try as the Wellington Hurricanes sealed a 41-12 home win over the New South Wales Waratahs on Friday.
Paris drag queen targeted over Olympic torch relay role
A French drag queen chosen to take part in the torch relay for the Paris Olympics has been abused online and criticised by conservatives after being unveiled in a video this week.
Campus protests over Gaza war hit Australia
Hundreds of supporters of Israel and Gaza faced off at a Sydney university Friday, bringing echoes of US college protests and Middle East tumult to a campus and continent on the other side of the world.
Japan town begins blocking Mt Fuji view from 'bad-mannered' tourists
Work has begun in a small Japanese town to erect a barrier blocking views of the country's most famous sight, Mount Fuji, after locals complained of bad behaviour by photo-hungry tourists.
Kenya floods death toll tops 200 as cyclone approaches
The death toll from flood-related incidents in Kenya has crossed 200 since March, the interior ministry said Friday, as a cyclone barrelled towards the Tanzanian coast.
Premier League leaders Arsenal hope for Man City slip-up in title race
Arsenal resume their quest for Premier League glory against Bournemouth this weekend knowing they have no margin for error with Manchester City hot on their heels.
Madrid can seal La Liga title with Girona assistance
La Liga leaders Real Madrid have their first chance to be crowned champions this weekend, although they require a helping hand from this season's shock challengers Girona to make it happen.
Non to English at the Paris Olympics, say French MPs
Having long battled the creeping use of English in advertising, music and film, French MPs have declared a new struggle: keeping their home Olympics this year free from anglicisms.
Lyles, Bol, Jacobs headline world relays with Olympic places up for grabs
Double world individual sprint champion Noah Lyles heads up a raft of top track stars who will compete in the World Athletics Relays in the Bahamas on the weekend, with Olympic qualification up for grabs.
Russia, Belarus Olympic volunteers shown the door over 'security' fears
When Diana, a Russian national living in France, received notification late last year that she had been selected as a volunteer for the Paris Olympics, she was ecstatic.
Heatwave swells Asia's appetite for air-conditioning
A record-breaking heatwave is broiling parts of Asia, helping drive surging demand for cooling options, including air-conditioning.
Markets track Wall St higher as rate hopes rise, eyes on US jobs
Hong Kong led gains across most Asian and European markets Friday thanks to a surge in tech giants, while the yen extended gains against the dollar on revived hopes for US interest rate cuts.
States doing less to support press freedom: watchdog
Media watchdog group Reporters Without Borders warned of declining government support for press freedom as it unveiled its annual world rankings on Friday, highlighting Argentina among the countries where the situation has deteriorated.
'Fuel for water': Heatwave piles misery on Myanmar displaced
Zay Yar Tun fills his truck with water for delivery to refugees in the parched hills of war-ravaged eastern Myanmar, where a heatwave is adding to the misery of life in displacement camps.
Cockfights still rule the roost in India's forest villages
The swing of a talon and a flurry of feathers leaves a rooster motionless, a cockfight bout viewed as cruel by many but which binds disparate Indian forest communities together.
Greenland women seek justice over forced contraception
Henriette Berthelsen was separated from her family at 11 and forced to wear a contraceptive coil, a trauma she buried until she and 142 other Greenlandic women sued the Danish state.
Hamas considering latest Gaza truce offer in 'positive spirit'
Hamas says it is considering in a "positive spirit" a Gaza truce deal, while the UN warned rebuilding the devastated Palestinian territory would require efforts not seen since World War II.
SK Hynix says high-end AI memory chips almost sold out through 2025
South Korean semiconductor giant SK Hynix said Friday its entire 2024 production of high-end memory chips was sold out and most of next year's line was gone too, reflecting the huge demand for cutting-edge AI hardware.
Xi heads to Europe to defend Russia ties
Xi Jinping heads to Europe on Sunday to defend China's "no limits" alliance with Russia, first to key Ukraine backer France, then to Serbia and Hungary, which have close ties to the Kremlin.
Luxury brands lure Chinese shoppers despite slowdown
Sipping champagne and nibbling fried dumplings, Shanghai's rich and influential posed by Louis Vuitton signs at a runway afterparty –- a lavish affair designed to win customers in China's crucial market.
Asian markets track Wall St higher as rate hopes rise, eyes on US jobs
Hong Kong led another rally across Asian markets Friday thanks to a surge in tech giants, while the yen extended gains against the dollar on revived hopes for US interest rate cuts.
China to launch first probe to return samples from Moon's far side
China is set Friday to launch a probe to collect samples from the far side of the Moon, a world first as Beijing pushes ahead with an ambitious programme that aims to send a crewed lunar mission by 2030.
Spain's fashion and beauty group Puig poised for IPO
The iconic Nina Ricci, Paco Rabanne and Jean-Paul Gaultier labels make their market debut Friday as Spanish fashion and beauty group Puig begins trading on the Madrid stock exchange.
Israel builds 'cyber dome' against Iran's hackers
Israel's Iron Dome defence system has long shielded it from incoming rockets. Now it is building a "cyber dome" to defend against online attacks, especially from arch foe Iran.
US election disinformation targets non-citizen voting
Illegal immigration on the US southern border is a top talking point among Republican politicians, but some are taking it a step further by promoting disinformation about non-citizens voting in the presidential election.
Paul Auster's wife deplores reporting on US writer's death
The wife of US writer Paul Auster, who died due to lung cancer complications, said Thursday that her family was "robbed" of "dignity" after a friend quickly confirmed his death to media outlets.
Red Bulls wary of Miami threat in MLS clash
New York Red Bulls head coach Sandro Schwarz has warned his team against focusing solely on Lionel Messi as they prepare for a daunting away clash against Inter Miami on Saturday.
F1 hopes Miami brings needed lift to drab season
With world champion Max Verstappen and Red Bull utterly dominating Formula One yet again, there is a distinct lack of tension ahead of Sunday's Miami Grand Prix.
Rains, mudslides kill 29 in southern Brazil's 'worst disaster'
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday visited the country's south where floods and mudslides caused by torrential rains have killed 29 people, with the toll expected to rise.