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Polls opened Saturday in Australia's historic referendum on rights and recognition for Indigenous citizens, capping a campaign that has exposed deep fissures between the country's white majority and the descendants of its first inhabitants.

Belgium held out with 10 men to beat Austria 3-2 in Vienna on Friday and ensure a top-two finish in Euro 2024 qualifying group F.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said Friday it will refer Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) objections about its non-compliant status to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

An elderly US man pleaded guilty Friday to the theft nearly 20 years ago of a pair of ruby slippers that Judy Garland wore in the classic film "The Wizard of Oz."

England's understudies earned a 1-0 win against Australia thanks to Ollie Watkins' second half strike, but Jordan Henderson was booed by fans during Friday's friendly at Wembley.

Global markets largely slipped on Friday, while oil prices surged by almost six percent, amid fears that Israel's imminent ground offensive of Gaza could turn a localized war into a regional conflict and impact oil supplies in the crude-rich Middle East.

President Joe Biden announced new "hydrogen hubs" across the United States on Friday as part of efforts to boost the economy with green energy ahead of the 2024 election.

American poet Louise Gluck, winner of the Nobel and Pulitzer prizes for her distinctively austere writing, has died, a Yale University spokeswoman told AFP on Friday.

Kylian Mbappe fired France into next year's European Championships on Friday, scoring twice as Les Bleus kept their unbeaten qualifying record with a 2-1 win over a depleted Netherlands in Amsterdam.

Philadelphia 76ers star guard James Harden said Friday his relationship with Sixers executive Daryl Morey cannot be repaired but he plans to play for the NBA club this coming season.

US health care provider Kaiser Permanente and unions representing tens of thousands of its staff said Friday they had reached a tentative deal to end what was billed as the sector's biggest ever strike.

The global response to the bloodshed in Israel and Gaza has revealed deep divisions, with Western countries increasingly isolated on the global stage, a trend that has gathered pace since the outbreak of the Ukraine war.

In Kibbutz Na'an, near Israel's commercial hub Tel Aviv, Yaakov Godo stood in front of the coffin of his son, Tom, who was shot dead in front of his family by Hamas fighters.

Bangladesh need to start batting with more "responsibility" if they are to keep their World Cup hopes alive, said vice-captain Najmul Hossain Shanto.

The US auto workers union announced Friday no new strike targets, but the group's president said the labor action had entered a new stage involving last-minute walkouts.

A Chechen-origin man fatally stabbed a teacher and severely wounded three other adults Friday at a school in northeastern France, with authorities suggesting a probable link to the ongoing violence in the Middle East.

The World Health Organization said Friday that a mass evacuation of the northern Gaza Strip would be "disastrous" for hospital patients, with hospitals in the south already at full capacity.

Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges turned himself in to authorities in Lincoln County, North Carolina, on Friday after an arrest warrant was issued on domestic violence charges from a 2022 incident.

Superstar pitcher Justin Verlander will take the mound for the defending champion Houston Astros against the visiting Texas Rangers on Sunday, when the Major League Baseball playoffs resume.

North Korea has delivered more than 1,000 containers of military equipment and munitions to Russia in recent weeks for use in Ukraine, the White House said Friday.

New Zealand head coach Ian Foster says he has told his players not to "go into your shell" for Saturday's Rugby World Cup quarter-final with Ireland as "we don't want to die wondering" what might have been.

Australians are poised to reject greater rights and recognition for Indigenous citizens Saturday, voting in a referendum that has exposed deep fissures between the country's white majority and the descendants of its first inhabitants.

Shares of US banks jumped Friday following strong results, but executives cautioned that beneficial industry conditions were moderating and said wars in Ukraine and the Middle East adding uncertainty.

Marcus Smith has been backed by Harlequins teammate Joe Marler to thrive on the international stage after being named as full-back for England's World Cup quarter-final against Fiji on Sunday.

Kane Williamson marked his return to the World Cup with an undefeated 78 as New Zealand cruised past Bangladesh by eight wickets on Friday but the captain was forced to retire hurt with a hand injury.

Dan Biggar is in the final swansong of a glorious international career but the veteran fly-half said on Friday he is not yet ready to hang up his Wales boots.

Canadian-French astrophysicist Hubert Reeves, who was renowned for his work popularizing space science, died Friday aged 91, his son said in a post on Facebook.

Following another month of record-breaking temperatures throughout the globe in September, the year 2023 is all but certain to be the warmest on record, a US agency said Friday.

Natural and man-made disasters have caused $3.8 trillion in crop and livestock losses over 30 years, the UN's Food and Agricultural Organization said on Friday.

The IMF and World Bank have been holding their first annual meetings in Africa in 50 years under pressure to reform a system too outdated to properly help poor nations battered by the effects of climate change.

Hooker Sam Matavesi is ready to play for Fiji against England in the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals despite the death of his father earlier this week, head coach Simon Raiwalui said on Friday.

India skipper Rohit Sharma on Friday said the team remains confident going into a "massive" World Cup clash with arch-rivals Pakistan at the world's biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad.