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Belgium on Friday announced it is probing Russian "interference" in the European Parliament following allegations that lawmakers took money to spread Kremlin propaganda ahead of the June EU elections.

Thailand's Central Group said Friday it has bought the iconic KaDeWe department store in Berlin from insolvent Austrian real-estate giant Signa.

Large American banks reported solid earnings Friday behind still-high interest rates while offering varying views on the likelihood the United States can avoid a near-term recession.

Aid workers in Haiti's capital are demonstrating great courage to brave the gangs, the stray bullets and the risk of abduction just to go to work every day, according to humanitarians operating in the chaos-wracked Caribbean nation.

Chelsea have spent more than £75 million ($93 million) on agents' and intermediaries' fees during transfer deals, according to figures released by the Football Association on Friday.

Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas kept alive his hopes of a third Monte Carlo Masters title on Friday as he breezed into the semi-finals dismissing Russia's Karen Khachanov 6-4, 6-2.

Donald Trump goes on trial Monday for allegedly covering up hush money payments to hide affairs ahead of the 2016 presidential election which propelled him into the White House.

INEOS Grenadiers owner Jim Ratcliffe has urged cycling's governing body to take "real action" to address mounting issues with rider safety.

Humankind's two closest primate relatives are often said to embody contrasting sides of our nature: peace-loving bonobos versus violence-prone chimpanzees.

The lakes where Africa's flamingos congregate in spectacular numbers are producing less food for the iconic birds as their water levels rise, researchers said Friday, threatening the survival of a much-loved species.

Four bills submitted by Poland's ruling coalition to ease the near-total abortion ban on Friday passed a first hurdle in parliament amid a heated debate on relaxing one of Europe's strictest reproductive laws.

Donald Trump becomes the first US ex-president to go on criminal trial Monday -- pushing the nation's legal and electoral systems to the limit less than seven months before Americans decide whether to return the scandal-plagued Republican to the White House.

Mikel Arteta will put his admiration for the "unbelievable" Unai Emery on hold this weekend as the Arsenal manager aims for a crucial win against Aston Villa.

Tiger Woods struggled to start a difficult 23-hole walk aimed at making Masters history while Max Homa and Nicolai Hojgaard charged after leader Bryson DeChambeau as the first round of the 88th Masters concluded on Friday.

The electoral commission said Friday it had appealed to South Africa's highest court to rule on whether ex-president Jacob Zuma can stand in a general election in May as political tensions heighten.

Wall Street stocks slid on Friday despite banks beating expectations at the start of earnings season as oil and gold prices shot up amid worries about the conflict in the Middle East widening.

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino said it is unfair to make judgements on his disappointing debut season with the club due to the Blues' injury problems.

Erik ten Hag admits it is vital for Manchester United to appoint the right director of football after the departure of his close ally John Murtough.

Ange Postecoglou has warned Tottenham's hierarchy Newcastle should serve as a cautionary tale for the dangers of failing to build a squad capable of coping with a Champions League campaign.

Gaza's Tabatibi family is in mourning for the second time in less than a month, after separate Israeli bombardments on buildings they were sheltering in killed more than 60 of their kin.

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti predicted Friday that Kylian Mbappe and football's other brightest young stars would bounce back strongly after disappointing showings in the Champions League.

Erling Haaland has room for improvement according to Pep Guardiola, but the Manchester City boss defended the Norway striker from mounting criticism over his performances.

Will Harrison nailed a drop goal in extra time as the NSW Waratahs snapped a five-match losing streak to beat the Canterbury Crusaders in a 43-40 thriller Friday that saw the lead change 12 times.

Tiger Woods began a 23-hole walk aimed at making Masters history while three early contenders chased leader Bryson DeChambeau as the first round of the 88th Masters resumed Friday.

Thailand's foreign minister warned that his country would not tolerate any violation of its sovereignty, during a visit on Friday to the border with Myanmar following days of clashes that have dislodged junta troops from their positions in the neighbouring country.

Fighting near the Myanmar-Thai border has sent thousands fleeing into Thailand but hasn't closed a lane of ramshackle shops in no-man's land offering bootlegged whisky, Chinese aphrodisiacs and Burmese cigarettes.

Belgian prosecutors have opened a probe into Russian "interference" in the European Parliament following allegations lawmakers were paid to spread Kremlin propaganda, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said Friday.

Residents reported heavy Israeli fire in central Gaza on Friday, with regional tensions soaring after Iran threatened reprisals over a strike in Syria this month that killed two Iranian generals.

Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas kept alive his hopes of a third Monte Carlos Masters title as on Friday he breezed into the semi-finals dismissing Russian opponent Karen Khachanov 6-4, 6-2.

At the age of 102, Melanie Berger-Volle will carry the Olympic torch as high as she can, despite her fragile shoulder, to champion the values of friendship between peoples that she defended during her time with the French Resistance in the Second World War.

Pope Francis will visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore in September, the Vatican announced Friday, an ambitious trip that could test the 87-year-old's increasingly fragile health.

Europe's stock markets rose Friday after the European Central Bank signalled a likely June interest rate cut, with London boosted by fresh hope that Britain has escaped from recession, as dealers also awaited the start of the US earnings season.