Hundreds of firefighters battle Japan forest blazes
Hundreds of firefighters were battling wildfires in the forests of northern Japan on Saturday, as authorities urged more than 3,200 people to evacuate from their homes, government officials said.
Politics
Palestinians in the West Bank and a central area of Gaza head to the polls Saturday for municipal elections in a first vote since the Gaza war, marked by a narrow political field and widespread disillusionment.
Politics
Outside a high school classroom in Vilnius, several students look apprehensive as they discuss their looming futures -– university, the job market and, for many of them, serving in the military.
Sports
Nelly Korda made the best 36-hole major start of her career on Friday, firing a second consecutive seven-under par 65 to seize a six-stroke lead at the LPGA Chevron Championship.
Boulevard
Peru's electoral tribunal on Friday rejected calls for a new election in Lima following irregularities during the April 12 vote and confirmed a presidential runoff will be held June 7.
Politics
Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez and her Colombian counterpart Gustavo Petro pledged military cooperation to combat "mafias" on their shared border, as Petro became the first foreign leader to visit Venezuela since the ouster of strongman Nicolas Maduro.
Politics
Iran's foreign minister arrived in Islamabad on Friday and US envoys headed to the Pakistani capital in a bid to kickstart a new round of peace negotiations amid a fragile ceasefire.
Technology
The governor of Maine on Friday vetoed a temporary ban on building large data centers that aimed to rein in rampant construction driven by the AI race.
Sports
Former Barcelona defender Hector Bellerin snatched Real Betis a late point in a 1-1 La Liga draw against Real Madrid on Friday to do his former side a favour in the Spanish title race.
Sports
Lens fought back from three goals down to earn a 3–3 draw at Brest on Friday, but the result all but extinguished their hopes of prising the Ligue 1 title away from Paris Saint‑Germain.
Economy
OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman has apologized to a Canadian town devastated by a February mass shooting, saying he was "deeply sorry" the company did not notify police about the killer's troubling ChatGPT account.
Politics
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to propose legislation within weeks to proscribe Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, a report said Friday.
Sports
RB Leipzig moved closer to a Champions League return after thumping Union Berlin 3-1 at home on Friday and handing coach Marie-Louise Eta her second straight Bundesliga defeat.
Sports
Jim Furyk was named United States captain for the 2027 Ryder Cup on Friday by the PGA of America, tasking him with obtaining the first US triumph in Europe since 1993.
Politics
Major Wall Street indices closed at fresh records as markets cheered the latest batch of earnings reports and US and Iranian officials headed to Pakistan for expected peace talks.
Politics
The European Union and United States signed an agreement Friday to coordinate on the supply of critical minerals needed for key industries including defense, as China's dominance becomes a growing concern.
Politics
Like something straight out of a spy movie, lots of cloak and dagger was required before AFP could meet three Ukrainian drone manufacturers on the fringes of a hush-hush defence forum in Paris earlier this month.
Boulevard
An arbitration court in Brazil has removed US businessman John Textor from managing Botafogo football team, which he owns, the Brazilian club announced Friday.
Economy
After taking the pill for a decade, Elodie Monnier Legrand decided to try "natural" birth control, an increasingly popular trend that requires tracking fertility to avoid becoming pregnant.
Sports
Nelly Korda made the best 36-hole major start of her career on Friday, firing a second consecutive seven-under par 65 to seize a seven-stroke-lead at the LPGA Chevron Championship.
Economy
The EU is seeking more progress in easing the effects of US steel tariffs, its trade chief Maros Sefcovic said Friday, adding that talks are "going in a positive direction."
Technology
Google is planning to invest up to $40 billion in Anthropic, the artificial intelligence firm confirmed Friday, expanding a long-standing alliance between the two companies.
Sports
Virat Kohli punished Gujarat Titans for dropping him on nought with a blistering half-century as Royal Challengers Bengaluru breezed to a five-wicket victory In the Indian Premier League on Friday.
Politics
A bomb attack against a military base in the Colombian city of Cali wounded one person on Friday, health authorities said, amid fears of violence ahead of May 31 presidential elections.
Politics
Iran's foreign minister and envoys of US President Donald Trump were heading to Pakistan, their respective governments said Friday, in the first concrete sign of movement on renewed peace negotiations in nearly two weeks.
Politics
After months of delay, the UN labour agency has appointed Trump administration official Sheng Li as its deputy director general, despite Washington's failure to pay its dues for two years.
Boulevard
Slain Hollywood director Rob Reiner's son Jake paid an emotional tribute Friday to his parents, allegedly slain by his brother Nick, calling it "almost too impossible to process."
Technology
Elon Musk and Sam Altman bonded over artificial intelligence in a project that became OpenAI, but a clash of visions will see the polarizing figures face off in court in a trial that opens next week.
Sports
Jannik Sinner took a first step towards a potential record fifth consecutive Masters 1000 title with a 6-7 (6/8), 6-1, 6-4 victory over Benjamin Bonzi in the Madrid Open second round on Friday.
Politics
Havana's real estate market is showing glimmers of revival as investors bet that a political and economic revolution is coming to the Communist-governed island.
Politics
The head of a global vaccine organisation told AFP on Friday that aid cuts by the United States and other donors have forced it to slash its malaria programme in Africa, threatening tens of thousands of children's lives.
Health
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva underwent surgery Friday that removed a lesion on his scalp, less than six months before the presidential elections.
Sports
Two-time reigning French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz said on Friday he will not play at this year's tournament as he recovers from a wrist injury.
Economy
EU leaders had their swords already drawn when they plunged into intense discussions Friday over the 27-country bloc's next seven-year budget, with the usual frugal nations pushing to contain spending.
Oil prices fell on Friday after it appeared a second round of Middle East talks was back on, bolstering prospects for an end to a war that has crippled energy shipments from the Gulf.
Politics
Israel and Lebanon extended their shaky ceasefire by three weeks on Friday, as Iran's foreign minister prepared for meetings with officials in Pakistan, which has been mediating efforts to end the wider Middle East war.
Boulevard
A bill to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales failed in parliament on Friday after getting bogged down in Britain's unelected upper house, as campaigners vowed to fight on.
Sports
Alex Marquez was fastest in Spanish MotoGP practice on Friday in Jerez on his Gresini with a sizeable 0.333s advantage over second-quickest Fabio Di Giannantonio.
Sports
Former New Zealand and Essex all-rounder Doug Bracewell has been given a two-year suspension after testing positive for cocaine during an English County Championship match last year.
Boulevard
The US Justice Department dropped a criminal probe against Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Friday, clearing the way for his replacement's Senate confirmation, amid concerns over President Donald Trump's attacks on the independent central bank.