
Europe slow to match economic rivals US, China: Draghi

Rugby World Cup chiefs defend handling of Berthoumieu biting incident

'Like failing a math test': US teen Lutkenhaus schooled at worlds

Philippines says one injured in China Coast Guard water cannon attack
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Afghan man gets life in prison for jihadist knife killing in Germany
An Afghan man was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday for a jihadist stabbing spree in Germany last year that killed a police officer and left five people wounded.
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Shipowner linked to giant Beirut port blast held in Bulgaria
A shipowner wanted over a 2020 blast at Beirut port that killed more than 220 people has been arrested in Bulgaria, officials said Tuesday.
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New Zealand build big total in 2nd Test against Zimbabwe
Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls and Rachin Ravindra hit centuries as New Zealand produced a relentless batting performance on the second day of the second Test against Zimbabwe at Queens Sports Club on Friday.
Trump hosts foes Armenia, Azerbaijan in his latest peace initiative
US President Donald Trump will host the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan on Friday, with the two South Caucasus rivals expected to sign a deal advancing peace efforts after decades of conflict.

Nigerian scientists await return of Egusi seeds sent to space
If Earthlings are ever going to colonise Mars, they won't be able to do so on an empty stomach -- and Temidayo Oniosun thinks a helping of Egusi soup, a Nigerian staple, might just hit the spot.

Pioneer spirit drives Swiss solar-powered plane altitude attempt
Swiss pilot Raphael Domjan on Friday made his first attempt of the year at setting a new aviation record: reaching an altitude of 10,000 metres in a solar-powered aeroplane.

Thyssenkrupp to spin off marine division amid defence boom
German industrial titan Thyssenkrupp's shareholders on Friday backed a spin-off of its warship and submarine-building unit, seeking to better position the group to benefit from a European defence boom.

Vance and Lammy talk Gaza, fish as US VP starts UK holiday
British foreign minister David Lammy and JD Vance talked Gaza during a meeting on Friday as the US vice president kicked off his holiday in the United Kingdom.

Israel plans to 'take control' of Gaza City, sparking wave of criticism
Israel's military will "take control" of Gaza City under a new plan approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet, touching off a wave of criticism Friday from both inside and outside the country.

Putin taps key allies ahead of Trump summit, sanctions deadline
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday held consultations with the leaders of China and India, seeking support from his key allies ahead of a likely summit with Donald Trump.

Two tourists die, fires erupt in Greece amid gale-force winds
Two Vietnamese tourists died at sea in Greece on Friday, the coastguard said, as gale-force winds confined many ferries to port, disrupting tens of thousands of summer travellers, and sparked wildfires.

Lens sign France international Thauvin from Udinese
French World Cup winner Florian Thauvin returned to Ligue 1 on Friday when Lens confirmed the signing of the 32-year-old attacking midfielder.

Gold futures hit record on US tariff shock, stocks wobble
Gold futures hit a record high Friday after reports of an unexpected tariff on the precious metal, while stock markets fluctuated as investors tracked US President Donald Trump's latest moves.

Man Utd training ground upgrade will foster 'winning culture': Ratcliffe
Manchester United's revamped training ground is a "world-class performance environment" that can help restore the club to former glories, according to co-owner Jim Ratcliffe.

Two tourists die at sea in Greece amid gale-force winds
Two Vietnamese tourists died at sea in Greece on Friday, the coastguard said, as gale-force winds confined many ferries to port, disrupting travel for tens of thousands of summer travellers, and also sparked fires.

'Optimistic': Champagne growers hope for US tariff shift
Champagne growers say President Donald Trump's tariffs on European goods will hurt sales to the United States, their biggest export market, but hope that the sector may yet escape the new duties.

French firefighters optimistic after controlling vast wildfire
French authorities said Friday that they were counting on better weather conditions to help put out the country's biggest wildfire in at least half a century after firefighters finally managed to bring it under control.

Germany suspends arms exports to Israel for use in Gaza
Germany will halt the export of military equipment to Israel which could be used in the Gaza Strip, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Friday, reacting to Israel's plan to take control of Gaza City.

Stocks waver, gold futures hit record on US tariff updates
Stock markets fluctuated and gold futures hit a record high Friday, tracking the latest twists in US President Donald Trump's tariffs spree.

Guessand says he jumped at chance to join Aston Villa after sealing move
Evann Guessand said he "didn't think twice" when offered the chance to sign for Aston Villa after completing a move from Nice on Friday.
Israel to 'take control' of Gaza City, sparking wave of criticism
Israel's military will "take control" of Gaza City under a new plan approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet, touching off a wave of criticism Friday from both inside and outside the country.

Accumulating bitcoin a risky digital rush by companies?
US President Donald Trump's media group and Tesla, the electric carmaker owned by tech billionaire Elon Musk, are among an increasing number of companies buying huge amounts of bitcoin.

Liverpool's Slot hints at fresh Isak bid despite 'attacking power'
Liverpool manager Arne Slot refused to rule out an improved bid for Newcastle's Alexander Isak as the Premier League champions consider adding to their formidable firepower, with Darwin Nunez set to leave for Saudi Arabia.

PSG to sign Lille goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier: source
European champions Paris Saint-Germain have reached agreement with Lille to sign highly-rated goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier, a source close to the negotiations told AFP on Friday.

Oil industry presence surges at UN plastic talks: NGOs
Environmental NGOs are raising concerns about the growing presence of petrochemical industry lobbyists at talks to forge a global treaty to combat plastic pollution.
Husband feared Australia's mushroom killer had poisoned him before
Australia's recently convicted mushroom murderer also tried to poison her husband with bolognese pasta and chicken korma curry, according to testimony aired Friday after a suppression order lapsed.
Kirsty Coventry's mettle tested by Russian Olympic debate, say former IOC figures
International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry is in the spotlight on how she handles her "baptism of fire" over Russia, former IOC executives have told AFP.

Kipyegon says a woman will run a sub-four minute mile
Faith Kipyegon said she believes a woman will break the four-minute barrier for the mile "in this generation or the next", and the challenge is what keeps her training.

Tokyo soars on trade deal relief as most Asian markets limp into weekend
Japanese stocks rallied Friday on a broadly negative day for Asian markets, fuelled by relief that Tokyo and Washington had settled a tariff issue that raised concerns about their trade deal.

Israel to 'take control' of Gaza City after approving new war plan
Israel's military will "take control" of Gaza City under a plan proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and approved by his security cabinet, his office said in a statement Friday.

Australian A-League side Western United stripped of licence
Melbourne-based A-League club Western United was stripped of its licence Friday, leaving the beleaguered side on the brink of folding just three years after winning the domestic title.

'Back home': family who fled front buried after Kyiv strike
College sweethearts Mykyta and Sofia Lamekhov had simple dreams: safety for their family and a fresh start at life, away from the war they thought they had left behind in east Ukraine.

Indonesia cracks down on pirate protest flag
Indonesia is cracking down on a viral pirate flag that is spreading as a symbol of political protest ahead of independence day.

Israeli army will 'take control' of Gaza City: PM's office
Israel's security cabinet has approved a plan proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the military to "take control" of Gaza City, his office said in a statement Friday.
Australian mushroom murderer accused of poisoning husband
Australia's recently convicted mushroom murderer also tried to poison her husband with a chicken korma curry, according to accusations aired Friday after a suppression order lapsed.

Coventry's mettle tested by Russian Olympic debate, say former IOC figures
International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry is in the spotlight on how she handles her "baptism of fire" over Russia, former IOC executives have told AFP.

Library user borrows rare Chinese artwork, returns fakes: US officials
A California library user who allegedly took home rare Chinese manuscripts and returned fake ones in their place has been charged with $216,000-worth of theft, US officials said Thursday.

Parisians hot under the collar over A/C in apartments
As summer temperatures rise, many Parisians are warming to the idea of installing air conditioning in their apartments, ending a longstanding resistance to what is considered a basic comfort in many capitals elsewhere.

Crypto group reportedly says it planned sex toy tosses at WNBA games
A cryptocurrency group has said it organized a spate of "stunts" in which sex toys were tossed on courts at WNBA games, US media reported on Thursday.

American Shelton tops Khachanov to win first ATP Masters title in Toronto
Ben Shelton became the first American to win an ATP Masters 1000 title in Canada in more than two decades as he defeated Karen Khachanov 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) in Toronto final on Thursday.

Tokyo soars on trade deal relief as Asian markets limp into weekend
Japanese stocks rallied Friday on a mixed day for Asian markets, fuelled by relief that Tokyo and Washington had settled a tariff issue that raised concerns about their trade deal.