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The Net-Zero Banking Alliance, a UN-backed initiative seeking carbon neutral investments by banks, announced Friday its immediate shutdown -- at a time of faltering climate commitments in the United States and Europe.

Stock markets mostly rose Friday driven by investor optimism over AI and US rate-cut hopes, which overshadowed concerns about a government shutdown dragging on.

France captain Antoine Dupont has launched a broadside at French rugby bosses, claiming that salary cap controls in the Top 14 are "too invasive" for the players.

Enzo Maresca said Friday he does not believe his Chelsea team have a "discipline problem" following a spate of red cards as he prepares for the visit of Premier League leaders Liverpool.

Aston Martin veteran Fernando Alonso was fastest in first practice for the Singapore Grand Prix on Friday, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc second and Red Bull's Max Verstappen third.

Taylor Swift is in a sparkling new era.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said Friday that the temporary closure of Munich airport after drone sightings was a "wake-up call" about the threat from drones, which have caused a string of similar aviation disruptions across Europe.

Hundreds of people, including European royalty, thronged Luxembourg Friday to witness the enthronement of Grand Duke Guillaume as monarch after his father, Henri, officially abdicated ending a 25-year reign in the tiny EU nation.

Jude Bellingham was a notable omission from Thomas Tuchel's England squad announced on Friday for this month's double-header against Wales and Latvia.

Sarah Mullally was on Friday named the new Archbishop of Canterbury, becoming the first woman to lead the Church of England -- which can trace its origins to the Roman empire -- and the global Anglican community.

The Carrefour name has disappeared from storefronts in some Arab countries, with pro-Palestinian shoppers and activists hailing the shift as a victory for their boycott of brands perceived as being linked to Israel.

World Cup champion Federica Brignone, who suffered a horror injury at the end of last season, doesn't know if she will be able to ski this winter but the Italian wants to "give her all" to compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics on home soil.

The organisers of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla said Israel intercepted its last remaining boat on Friday, after the interceptions of its fellow vessels drew protests worldwide.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Dhruv Jurel and Ravindra Jadeja hit half-centuries to stretch India's lead to 164 against the West Indies on day two of the first Test on Friday.

The Philippine military chief said Friday he rejected calls for the armed forces to topple President Ferdinand Marcos as Manila was rocked by street protests last month against government corruption.

A Hamas official told AFP on Friday that the group still needed time to study a plan put forward by US President Donald Trump to end nearly two years of devastating war in Gaza.

Newly crowned world champion Marc Marquez fell twice on Friday in a crash-filled practice for the Indonesia MotoGP as Marco Bezzecchi clocked a blistering fastest time.

Britain was on heightened alert Friday to ensure the Jewish community's safety following an attack outside a Manchester synagogue on a Jewish holiday that killed two people and seriously injured three.

A Helsinki court on Friday dismissed a case against three members of a ship from Russia's "shadow fleet" suspected of cutting Baltic Sea cables, saying it was beyond its jurisdiction.

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker has been ruled out until after this month's international break after injuring his hamstring in the Champions League defeat at Galatasaray.

A tanker from Russia's "shadow fleet" detained by the French navy was heading towards the Suez Canal Friday with its captain back on board, according to data from maritime websites and a source close to the case.

A Hamas official told AFP on Friday that the group still needed time to study a plan for Gaza put forward by US President Donald Trump and backed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The United States' Ben Shelton on Friday became the first top-10 seed to be booted out of the Shanghai Masters, beaten by 83rd-ranked David Goffin in straight sets.

Opener KL Rahul hit an unbeaten century and together with skipper Shubman Gill steered a dominant India into a 56-run lead over the West Indies on day two of the first Test on Friday.

Fifty years after General Francisco Franco's death, Benidorm still clings to the mass tourism model it pioneered under his dictatorship, even as protests against overtourism sweep other Spanish holiday hotspots.

Some Nobel laureates were straight-A students from the get-go. But others AFP spoke to recounted how they cut class, got expelled, and had doubts about their future.

Sean "Diddy" Combs will be sentenced Friday for his conviction on two prostitution-related counts, crimes prosecutors say deserve more than a decade behind bars as the music mogul seeks "mercy" and a swift release.

Taylor Swift is in a sparkling new era.

The death toll from Typhoon Bualoi in Vietnam rose above 50, the government said Friday, with more than a dozen people still missing days after the storm triggered widespread flooding.

Indonesian families whose children were offered free school meals are joining non-profit groups calling for the flagship government programme to be suspended after thousands of students fell ill from the food.

South Korean Hwang You-min fired a career-best 10-under-par 62 to surge into a three-stroke lead on Thursday after 36 holes in the LPGA Lotte Championship in Hawaii.

Germany's Munich airport restarted flights on Friday after several drone sightings forced its closure overnight, the latest in a string of similar aviation disruptions across Europe.