Sumo moves to beat Japan summer heat as temperatures rise
Sumo chiefs are planning measures to beat Japan's increasingly punishing summer heat, including avoiding venues that don't have air conditioning and lightening the load on weary wrestlers.
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La Rochelle win at wet Bath in Champions Cup opener
La Rochelle held off a second-half fightback by Bath in the Somerset mist on Friday to win their opening Champions Cup pool game 24-20.
Georgia police fire water cannons at pro-EU protesters
Police in Georgia on Saturday fired water cannons to disperse pro-EU protesters rallying for a ninth consecutive day against the prime minister's decision to shelve talks on joining the European Union.
Lookman fires Atalanta past AC Milan and top of Serie A
Ademola Lookman fired Atalanta top of Serie A with the late, decisive goal in Friday's 2-1 win over AC Milan which moved them two points ahead of Napoli.
World No.1 Scheffler grabs lead at Hero World Challenge
Top-ranked defending champion Scottie Scheffler fired a bogey-free eight-under par 64 to seize a two-stroke lead after Friday's second round of the Hero World Challenge.
Zelensky slams Putin after Russian strikes kill 12
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday slammed Russia and its President Vladimir Putin over two aerial attacks that killed at least 12 people.
Syria's Assad: the president who led a bloody crackdown
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad oversaw a merciless crackdown on a pro-democracy revolt that morphed into one of the bloodiest wars of the century.
Musk's millions for Trump make him biggest US political donor
Tech billionaire Elon Musk spent at least $270 million to help Donald Trump win the US presidency, according to new federal filings, making him the country's biggest political donor.
NFL ends probe of latest sex assault allegation against Watson
The NFL has ended it's review of sexual assault allegations against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson in September, saying there was insufficient evidence that he violated league rules, US media reported Friday.
German skaters Hase and Volodin defend Grand Prix Final gold
German figure skaters Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin danced to a runaway defence of their pairs gold title at the ISU Grand Prix Final in Grenoble on Friday.
Hague court lays fresh charges against ex-Kosovo leader Thaci
Prosecutors with a special international court in The Hague on Friday charged Kosovo's former president Hashim Thaci, who is on trial for war crimes, with obstruction and contempt of court.
World's oldest known wild bird is expecting again, aged 74
Parenting can be tough, even for the young and energetic, but one elderly albatross is about to go through it all again -- at the ripe old (and apparently record-setting) age of 74.
Pogacar wins Velo d'Or award after towering season
Cycling superstar Tadej Pogacar was awarded the Velo d'Or, as men's rider of the year, on Friday in recognition of his Giro d'Italia, Tour de France and world championship sweep.
Fresh rallies in Georgia after PM said 'won battle' with pro-EU protesters
Thousands of defiant pro-EU protesters in Georgia staged a fresh rally Friday after the prime minister claimed victory in a "battle" against the opposition, amid a deepening post-electoral crisis.
Murisier pips Odermatt for Beaver Creek World Cup downhill win
Switzerland's Justin Murisier won the alpine World Cup downhill at Beaver Creek on Saturday, holding off superstar compatriot Marco Odermatt to claim his first World Cup victory.
UK's Catherine reflects on 'difficult times' at Christmas service
Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, hosted a Christmas service at Westminster Abbey on Friday that reflected on "the most difficult times" as she returns to public life after her cancer diagnosis.
NBA fines Celtics forward Brown for throat-slash gesture
Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown was $25,000 by the NBA for making an inappropriate gesture on the playing court during a game on Wednesday, the league announced on Friday.
Damascus gripped by anxiety in face of rebel offensive
Like many others in the Syrian capital Damascus, student Shadi chose to stay home so he could keep up with the pace of events since rebels launched a shock offensive last week.
Inter beat Parma to close in on Serie A leaders Napoli
Inter Milan moved a point behind Serie A leaders Napoli on Friday after seeing off Parma 3-1 at the San Siro ahead of a key Champions League clash at Bayer Leverkusen.
Murder, memes and snark: A killing lays bare US health care frustrations
Jokes, snark, and a striking absence of sympathy have dominated public sentiment since the murder of a US health insurance executive -- exposing deep frustration and anger with the nation's medical system.
Iran plans to 'significantly increase' enriched uranium production: IAEA
Iran plans a major increase in the production rate of highly enriched uranium, the UN nuclear watchdog said Friday in a confidential report seen by AFP.
TikTok closer to US ban after losing court appeal
TikTok edged closer to being banned in the United States after it lost an appeal on Friday against a law requiring the video-sharing app to divest from its Chinese parent company by January 19.
EU and S.America countries conclude divisive trade deal
The EU and four South American countries concluded a huge but controversial trade deal on Friday despite fierce opposition from France, which called the agreement "unacceptable."
Hamilton fights to keep emotions in check on 'surreal' Mercedes farewell
Lewis Hamilton said his final Friday practice with Mercedes had been "very surreal" as he fought to keep his emotions in check after 12 years with the team.
Prince William, Zelensky to attend Notre Dame reopening
Britain's Prince William and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have joined a growing VIP guestlist for the reopening of Notre Dame cathedral on Saturday, with the latter expected to seek talks with US president-elect Donald Trump over Kyiv's faltering war effort.
Biden eyes preemptive pardons as Trump plots revenge: reports
President Joe Biden is considering preemptive pardons for several prominent names facing possible retribution from the incoming Trump administration, US media has reported.
TikTok faces US ban after losing court appeal
TikTok faces a US ban after it lost an appeal on Friday against a law requiring the video-sharing app to divest from its Chinese parent company by January 19.
Paris stocks rally as Macron fights on, jobs data boosts Wall Street
US stocks mostly rose Friday after a report showed a healthy jobs market and Paris rallied as President Emmanuel Macron vowed to serve out his full term and end France's political crisis.
Nissanka leads strong Sri Lanka batting reply
Pathum Nissanka made 89 to lead a strong Sri Lankan batting effort on the second day of the second Test against South Africa at St George's Park on Friday.
London police make 500 arrests using facial recognition tech
London's Metropolitan Police force said on Friday that it had used facial recognition technology to make more than 500 arrests in 2024 for offences ranging from shoplifting to rape.
Pandemic treaty talks round wrapping up without a breakthrough
A bonus round of talks striving to finish a landmark global agreement on handling future pandemics was set to close Friday without a breakthrough.
Statue of former Syrian president toppled in Hama
The image is particularly symbolic: A statue of former President Hafez al-Assad, the father of Syria's current ruler Bashar, was toppled in Hama after Islamist-led rebels overran the country's fourth-largest city, video authenticated by AFP showed.
De Bruyne difficult to replace for Man City: Guardiola
Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City face an almost impossible job in replacing Kevin De Bruyne thanks to the impact the Belgian has made over the past 10 years.