Putin's peace threshold
Saudi Arabia’s Costly Mirage
Latin America’s age trap
China's silicon reckoning
Boomers: Selfish or Scapegoats?
Beijing's new Taiwan playbook
Unexpected economic twist
AI and the Future of Wealth
Magaia salvages last-gasp WAFCON draw for South Africa
Ryu leads in bid for third straight major at women's British Open
Forever chemicals and pesticides under Trump: what to know
Fire-hit France region 'coming up for air' as main blaze calms
Boulevard
US announces steep water cuts for three states amid Colorado River crisis
The US federal government on Friday unveiled its plan for future management of the beleaguered Colorado River, with significant water reductions ahead for several western states in response to record-breaking droughts worsened by climate change.
Sports
Wembanyama to get signature shoe in Nike contract extension: reports
French NBA star Victor Wembanyama has agreed to a contract extension with Nike that will include his own signature shoe, according to multiple reports on Friday.
Fentanyl trade unravels
Russia’s dollar pivot
Israel riled by US-Iran pact
Red sea gambit with Eritrea
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Nature
Strengthening El Nino 'adding fuel to a planet already on fire': UN chief
A strengthening El Nino that could shatter all-time records is "adding fuel to a planet already on fire" and pushing the world into "uncharted territory," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Friday.
Eddie Howe resigns as Newcastle boss to 'recharge'
Eddie Howe confirmed on Friday he had stepped down as Newcastle manager to "recharge and take a break" following a turbulent end to his five-year spell at St James' Park.
Nature
High winds hamper firefighting efforts in western Turkey
Hundreds of firefighters were on Friday battling strong winds to quench a wildfire in southwestern Turkey as high winds stoked a new blaze, complicating efforts to bring the fires under control, a minister said.
Sports
Chelsea's Mudryk cleared to play after doping ban appeal
Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk has been cleared to resume his career after the Football Association and the World Anti-Doping Agency "resolved his appeal" against a ban for failing a doping test.
Sports
Howe resigns as Newcastle boss
Eddie Howe has stepped down as Newcastle manager to "recharge and take a break" following a five-year spell at St James' Park, the club confirmed on Friday.
Culture
A side of oysters for France's flat-out firefighters
As the smoke from France's worst wildfire in over 75 years rose over the Bassin d'Arcachon, a pair of nearby firefighters tucked into a plate of oysters plucked from the bay west of Bordeaux.
Sports
Full-scale tour will benefit All Blacks, says coach Rennie
New Zealand's first full-scale rugby tour of South Africa in 30 years will have significant benefits for them, head coach Dave Rennie said in Cape Town on Friday.
Sports
England cricket chief Key refuses to rule out Stokes return
England cricket chief Rob Key has left the door open for a dramatic international comeback by former Test captain Ben Stokes, who announced his shock retirement in late June.
Boulevard
New blazes in Greece as strong winds hamper firefighting
New wildfires fed by strong winds broke out in Greece Friday, giving firefighters little respite and forcing Civil Protection officials to order the partial evacuation of part of a suburb west of Athens.
Sports
Springboks star Feinberg-Mngomezulu back for Argentina Test
Star fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu was included on Friday in the 26-man South Africa squad for a one-off Test in Argentina on August 8 after recovering from ankle surgery.
Boulevard
French, Italian winegrowers face earliest ever harvest
Scorching summer temperatures have disrupted life for millions of Europeans but for winegrowers in Italy and France, who are harvesting their grapes unusually early, the hot weather offers pros as well as cons.
Sports
Chelsea fined £10mn, handed suspended transfer ban for breaching agent rules
Chelsea were fined £10 million ($13.4 million) and given a suspended two-window transfer ban on Friday after an appeal hearing into sanctions imposed for multiple breaches of Football Association rules.
Nature
Residents defend Spain’s ancient 'El Abuelo' tree from flames
As a wildfire closed in, residents of the town of El Tiemblo grabbed shovels and rakes to defend an elder -- "El Abuelo," a centuries-old chestnut tree, one of Spain's most treasured.
UK court rejects challenge against new Chinese embassy in London
An English court on Friday threw out a challenge against planning permission for a Chinese "mega" embassy in central London, but residents seeking to block the contentious project vowed to fight on.
Nature
Forever chemicals and pesticides: what to know
Since returning to power, President Donald Trump's administration has approved five new pesticides that many scientists and environmental advocates say are PFAS "forever chemicals" -- a class of highly toxic substances being gradually phased out globally.
Sports
Spaniard Santi Denia takes over as Czech Republic coach
Santi Denia, who guided his native Spain to 2024 Olympic gold, has been appointed head coach of the Czech Republic, the national federation (FACR) announced on Friday.
Boulevard
Bodies of four climbers found near Pakistan avalanche site: police
Search teams in Pakistan found four bodies after an avalanche on one of the world's highest mountains, with six people still missing from an expedition led by renowned British-Nepali climber Nirmal Purja, police said on Friday.
Boulevard
UK court dismisses challenge against new Chinese embassy in London
A top British court on Friday threw out a challenge against planning permission for a Chinese "mega" embassy in central London, but residents seeking to block the contentious project vowed to fight on.
Boulevard
Turkey fights to last major blaze inland from Bodrum
Hundreds of firefighters were battling strong winds to quench a wildfire in southwestern Turkey as other wind-fuelled blazes along its Mediterranean coast were brought under control.
Culture
Tyla drops Lagos show as South Africa, Nigeria row over immigration
South African singer-songwriter Tyla has removed a scheduled show in Nigeria as tensions over anti-immigrant violence hamper relations between the two countries.
FIFA plan hit by senior advisor resigning, AFC opposition
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) joined UEFA and CONCACAF in condemning world football's governing body FIFA's proposed private investment plan, saying on Friday they were alarmed it had reached the point a "World Cup boycott has entered public discourse".
AC Milan 'in tears' at death of Italian football legend Baresi
Italian defender Franco Baresi, the captain of AC Milan in the 1980s and 1990s when they won three European Cups and six Italian league titles, has died at the age of 66, the club announced on Friday.
Bodies of four climbers recovered near northern Pakistan avalanche site, police say
Search teams found four bodies near the site of an avalanche in northern Pakistan that left 10 people missing from a climbing expedition led by renowned British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja, police said on Friday.
Sports
Missing climber Nirmal Purja redefined mountaineering
Acclaimed British-Nepali climber Nirmal Purja, who is missing after an avalanche on Pakistan's Broad Peak, is a trailblazer who summited the world's tallest mountains and smashed records.
Culture
UK singer Boy George pulls out of musical after pro-Israel song backlash
British singer Boy George pulled out of a West End production of the musical "Jesus Christ Superstar" after facing a backlash for releasing a pro-Israel song, "We Will Dance Again".
Boulevard
Sony hikes profit outlook on strong gaming earnings
Sony hiked its profit forecasts for the current year on Friday, helped by the Japanese consumer electronics giant's video games division and the weak yen.
Boulevard
Wildfire rages on Crete as strong winds hamper firefighting
Greek firefighters continued on Friday to battle a wildfire ravaging parts of the tourist island of Crete, although conditions had improved, authorities said.
Sports
Baresi -- the 'Johan Cruyff of defenders'
Franco Baresi, the iconic sweeper and captain who embodied AC Milan's dominance in the 1980s and 1990s and was widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders in football history, has died aged 66.
Sports
Legendary Italian football defender Franco Baresi has died: AC Milan
Italian defender Franco Baresi, the captain of AC Milan in the 1980s and 1990s when they won three European Cups and six Italian league titles, has died at the age of 66, the club announced on Friday.
Sports
Alonso says new Chelsea signing Lacroix has 'winner's mentality'
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso Friday said new signing Maxence Lacroix has a winner's mentality and will boost their defensive line, hailing his "strong personality".
Boulevard
Drugged Malaysian pilot risks death penalty for smuggling in Indonesia
A Malaysian pilot who tested positive for meth, MDMA, and cocaine after flying a passenger plane to Indonesia risks the death penalty for allegedly smuggling more than 70,000 ecstasy tablets in his suitcase, officials said Friday.
Sports
World Cup must be kept out of private hands: Chelsea manager Alonso
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso said on Friday football must be kept out of private hands and remain "for the people" after FIFA proposed selling a stake in the business operations of the World Cup.
Boulevard
Sniffer dogs search mall wrecked after Japan quake
Sniffer dogs in Japan helped rescuers Friday make a final sweep of a shopping mall wrecked by an explosion after a big earthquake, as the death toll from the tremor three days earlier hit 35.
Boulevard
Greek visa scheme gives Turks easier entry to islands in EU
For Ikra Altumsek, and many other Turkish tourists, a visa-on-arrival scheme to visit several of Greece's Aegean islands has greatly simplified travel to this corner of the EU, previously off-limits without a hard-to-get Schengen visa.
Boulevard
Explosion at coal mine kills 34 in southern Pakistan
A blast at a coal mine killed at least 34 workers in southern Pakistan, the provincial disaster agency said on Friday, as rescuers searched for more missing miners.
Sports
Ferrand-Prevot bids to defend Tour de France Femmes title
Pauline Ferrand-Prevot begins the Tour de France Femmes this weekend determined to repeat last year's triumph, but the Frenchwoman faces a tough challenge in a field headed by in-form Dutch rival Demi Vollering.
Boulevard
Renowned Nepali climber among 10 missing after Pakistan avalanche
Renowned Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja is among 10 missing after an avalanche in northern Pakistan where they were on a climbing expedition, the country's alpine club said.
Boulevard
Ukrainian drones send Crimea's tourism industry into freefall
In a resort town on the southern coast of the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula, ice cream vendor Anatoli was at his wits' end.
Things to know
The last trio: S.Africa's zoo elephants await their fate
The last three elephants still in a traditional South African zoo entered their enclosure in single file, fruit and vegetables scattered on the ground to encourage natural foraging.