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Australia coach Eddie Jones on Friday picked Ben Donaldson to start at fly-half with Tate McDermott returning from concussion to partner him in the half-backs for this weekend's must-win World Cup clash with Wales.

Violence-wracked Somalia is seeking a three-month delay in the planned reduction of African Union troops after suffering "several significant setbacks" in its fight against Al-Shabaab militants, according to a government letter seen by AFP.

Eurozone economic activity shrank further in September but the rate of decline has slowed, a key survey showed on Friday.

Max Verstappen laid down a marker with the fastest times in both practice sessions for the Japanese Grand Prix on Friday, as he looks to put one hand on his third-straight Formula One title.

Sri Lanka swept aside Thailand on Friday in a rain-affected women's cricket quarter-final at the Asian Games and Bangladesh joined them in the last four after their clash with Hong Kong was washed out.

Xbox-owner Microsoft has closed in on its $69-billion takeover of "Call of Duty" video-game maker Activision Blizzard after the UK said Friday that a revamped deal addressed regulatory concerns.

Scotland coach Gregor Townsend has made four changes to his starting XV for their second World Cup Pool B match against Tonga in Nice on Sunday.

France captain Antoine Dupont sustained a facial fracture in the record victory over Namibia, but has not yet been ruled out of the World Cup, the French federation announced Friday.

Most stock markets rose Friday, reversing early losses and a sell-off on Wall Street, as traders contemplate further interest rate hikes by central banks struggling to tame inflation.

Max Verstappen laid down a marker with the fastest time in the second practice for the Japanese Grand Prix on Friday, as he looks to put one hand on his third straight Formula One title.

A mystery illness is decimating the chicks of New Zealand's endangered yellow-eyed penguins, and scientists say they may have found the cause.

Hosts China will look to top the Asian Games swimming medals table for the first time since 2014 with confidence sky-high after the world championships.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa on Friday, seeking to rally support for his country as it fights the Russian invasion.

Flyweight world champion Hasanboy Dusmatov will be one of the favourites for gold when boxing gets under way at the Asian Games on Sunday, with qualification for the Paris Olympics also up for grabs.

Volunteer firefighters are scorching Australia's forest undergrowth, reducing fuel for what is expected to be the fiercest fire season since the monster "Black Summer" blazes.

Wushu fighter Khalid Hotak sweats in his chest padding as he spars with a teammate in a Kabul gym, defying financial worries to prepare for the Asian Games as best he can.

It was supposed to be a good-news story out of the damaged Amazon rainforest: a project that replanted hundreds of thousands of trees in an illegally deforested nature reserve in Brazil.

Abir Jassem is busy preparing stuffed vegetables at a kitchen in Iraq's Mosul, where after years of unrest a women-run catering service has helped single mothers like her achieve financial security.

K-pop powerhouse BTS didn't get one, star footballer Son Heung-min did: South Korea grants limited exemptions from military service and for the first time eSports players can earn one.

The Bank of Japan stuck to its ultra-loose monetary policy Friday, though officials face increasing pressure to turn more hawkish as the yen weakens and after fresh data showed inflation remained stubbornly high.

Max Verstappen went fastest on Friday in the first practice for the Japanese Grand Prix, as he looks to put one hand on his third straight Formula One title this weekend.

When the EU launched an investigation into Chinese electric car subsidies, Brussels wanted the world to know that it will protect the automotive sector that is the jewel in Europe's industrial crown, even if it upsets Beijing.

For millions of Chinese tourists, Thailand used to be a happy land of water fights, lantern festivals and delicious food.

Crypto investor Jenny first learned about digital assets at a Hong Kong store that promoted cryptocurrency exchange JPEX in March -- but by September she was among more than 2,000 "inexperienced" victims police said the platform had defrauded.

Lynn Williams scored twice in a first-half goal blitz as the United States defeated South Africa 3-0 on Thursday in their first game since the women's World Cup.

As if putting in their "weakest performance" in Diego Simeone's reign last weekend wasn't enough -- to use the coach's own words -- Atletico Madrid were also sucker-punched in the Champions League ahead of the Madrid derby on Sunday.

Chile are making history by appearing at their first Rugby World Cup but their captain Martin Sigren was a pioneer for the South American country long before their opening defeat to Japan.

Former winners England face Chile for the first time in the Rugby World Cup on Saturday with all eyes on the returning Owen Farrell.

Mack Hansen is a "breath of fresh air" and unlike many in rugby's professional era the Ireland wing says it as he sees and warns that media training turns you into "a robot."

Ireland and South Africa will meet for the first time in a Rugby World Cup on Saturday in a blockbuster that pitches the world number one Irish against the defending champions.

Bitter rivals Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille meet in Ligue 1 on Sunday with the build-up to French football's biggest game overshadowed by a crisis engulfing the 1993 Champions League winners.

Manchester United face old nemesis Vincent Kompany at Burnley this weekend in desperate need of a Premier League win while Arsenal host in-form Tottenham in a tantalising north London derby.