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Tadhg Beirne said Friday it was a "special, special moment" to be captaining Ireland after being handed the armband to lead the team out for the first time against Japan.

Pacific Islands denounced China's ballistic missile test because they say it landed in the heart of their shared "blue continent", politicians and analysts told AFP.

A landfill fire on the outskirts of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, has been put out after burning for more than a week as evacuees returned home, a disaster agency spokesman said on Friday.

Australian captain Harry Wilson insisted Friday that he had complete faith in flyhalf Declan Meredith, who will be making his Test debut against France in Brisbane on Saturday.

European champions Spain are on a World Cup collision course with Kylian Mbappe's France if they can beat Belgium in the quarter-finals on Friday.

Five people were killed in a landslide in the Philippines, and hundreds in Taiwan were evacuated from their homes, as the biggest typhoon in decades swept towards the region on Friday.

The medieval Bayeux Tapestry arrived in London in the early hours of Friday after a hugely complicated journey to leave France for the first time in more than 900 years for an exhibition in the British capital.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi lands in New Zealand on Friday touting a free trade deal that has sparked a backlash despite promises it will unlock jobs and economic riches.

North Korea will strengthen its nuclear force "both in quality and quantity" and expand the role of its military intelligence agency focused on South Korea, state media said Friday.

The medieval Bayeux Tapestry was on its way to London on Friday, undertaking a hugely complicated journey to leave France for the first time in more than 900 years for an exhibition in the British capital.

Scientists have detected the highly contagious H5 bird flu in an Australian seabird for the first time, the government said Friday.

Syrian officials said late Thursday the country had captured an IS-linked cell responsible for two bomb blasts during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Damascus earlier this week.

Saluting the red banner of revolution deep in Myanmar's jungle, retreating rebels swear to keep fighting for democracy -- but after five years of civil war the cause is flagging.

A lanky businessman ventures into a hole-in-the-wall restaurant and savours his meal alone.

Hundreds of people in Taiwan have been evacuated from their homes, and many schools and offices closed, as the biggest typhoon in decades sweeps towards the region on Friday.

Australia's Twenty20 Big Bash League will open its season this year in Chennai -- the first foreign cricket league to play in the huge Indian market.

South Korea's Kospi led gains across most Asian markets Friday as a record-breaking US share sale by chip titan SK hynix breathed fresh life into the tech sector after weeks of selling.

The vuvuzelas finally fell quiet in Morocco on Thursday as the only African team left in the World Cup came up against the insurmountable hurdle of France and Kylian Mbappe.

From remote-controlled trucks delivering life-saving aid in dangerous settings to mobile phone data analysis flagging mass displacement, humanitarians are eyeing ways in which artificial intelligence can speed up and improve their operations.

The last thing Zarina Giyassova recalls before she lost consciousness in a deadly gas explosion was people "burning and screaming" in the inferno unleashed by the blast.

Indian designers are a growing presence at Paris Haute Couture Week -- "overdue" representation for a country that has long played a role behind the scenes, the latest newcomer, Manish Malhotra, told AFP.

South Korean chip giant SK hynix set pricing for its mega US listing on Friday, raising $26.5 billion as it takes advantage of the AI boom in what will be one of the world's biggest ever stock sales.

Coach Rudi Garcia said "everyone" expects his Belgium team to be eliminated by Spain in Friday's World Cup quarter-final, but backed his side to pull off a famous victory.

Venezuela's devastating earthquake threatens to set back momentum for a democratic transition, with the United States under President Donald Trump even more set on prioritizing stability over elections.

Australia might "blow hot and cold" but they cannot be taken lightly, France coach Fabien Galthie says with both teams desperate to bounce back from gut-wrenching defeats when they meet in the Nations Championship on Saturday.

The best of Lamine Yamal is yet to come at this World Cup, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente warned, ahead of Friday's quarter-final clash with Belgium in Los Angeles.

France captain Kylian Mbappe insisted Thursday his team were not getting carried away about their chances of winning another World Cup despite reaching the semi-finals thanks to a 2-0 win over Morocco on Thursday.

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry would love to play with LeBron James, but he knows he's not the only one who feels the same as the NBA's all-time leading scorer ponders where he'll play next.

France coach Didier Deschamps paid tribute to forward Kylian Mbappe after he scored his eighth goal of the World Cup to fire Les Bleus into the semi-finals on Thursday with a 2-0 victory over Morocco.

Ireland coach Andy Farrell says Japan are "bang in form" and pose a threat, but Eddie Jones' side will need something special to topple a team on a five-match win streak when they meet on Saturday.

Top Silicon Valley executive Fidji Simo announced Wednesday she is leaving her full-time role at OpenAI to go part-time as an advisor and focus on recovery from a chronic illness.

Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi promised that his team will bounce back from their World Cup quarter-final exit against France on Thursday and keep building as they prepare to co-host the next tournament in 2030.

Iran on Friday laid to rest its former supreme leader Ali Khamenei over four months after his killing in an airstrike, as two days of US and Iranian attacks raised fears of a return to all-out war.

All Blacks coach Dave Rennie said he won't be caught out by an under-par Italian performance in the opening round of the Nations Championship when the two teams meet in Wellington on Saturday.

Lionel Messi has scored in every World Cup match so far, but after two gruelling knockout ties, will age finally catch up with the 39-year-old in the quarter-final against Switzerland?

Rory McIlroy made a fine start to the Scottish Open after a five-under-par 65 on Thursday gave him a share of the first-round lead.

South Korean chip giant SK hynix on Friday priced its mega US listing at $149 per share, raising around $26.5 billion in what will be the world's second largest stock sale after SpaceX.

England's quest to end 60 years of World Cup pain comes up against Norway's scoring machine Erling Haaland in a Miami showdown for a place in the semi-finals on Saturday.

The medieval Bayeux Tapestry began a hugely complicated journey on Thursday that will see it leave France for the first time in more than 900 years for an exhibition in the British capital.