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France captain Antoine Dupont said on Friday he is in perfect shape to start this weekend's Rugby World Cup quarter-final with South Africa weeks after undergoing surgery for a broken cheekbone.

George North will become the first Welsh player to compete in four World Cup quarter-finals when he runs out against Argentina in Marseille on Saturday.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Jordan's king Friday about how to address a looming humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip as Israel readies a US-supported offensive following deadly attacks by Hamas.

South Africa head coach Jacques Nienaber said he believed his surprise starting half-backs of Manie Libbok and Cobus Reinach are the best men for orchestrating the defeat of hosts France in Sunday's Rugby World Cup quarter-final.

New Zealand's centre-left prime minister, Chris Hipkins, says he is "going full-tilt" to win a general election Saturday, vowing to defy polls indicating an end to his brief reign since his charismatic predecessor Jacinda Ardern stepped down.

Hong Kong added on Friday two major shark families to a list of endangered animals, whose trade in the city will now be tightly controlled under new CITES regulations.

Israel on Friday gave Palestinians 24 hours to leave Gaza City ahead of an expected ground offensive in retaliation against Hamas for the deadliest attack in Israeli history.

AS Roma forward Stephan El Shaarawy was called up to the Italy team on Friday after Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Zaniolo were sent home amid a probe into alleged gambling offences.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned Friday that trust between the bloc and China had been eroded, blaming the trade imbalance between the two on "difficulties" faced by European companies in the world's second-largest economy.

South Africa sprang a major surprise on Friday selecting Cobus Reinach and Manie Libbok at scrum-half and fly-half respectively with their 2019 World Cup winning duo Faf de Klerk and Handre Pollard on the bench for the Rugby World Cup quarter-final with hosts France this weekend.

In a working-class neighbourhood of Myanmar's Yangon, plastic waste is piled a metre high, the toxic product of what a recent investigation said is rampant dumping of Western trash.

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday issued an emotional, final-day plea to salvage a landmark referendum on Indigenous rights, his voice trembling as he told voters: "Kindness costs nothing."

Three years after the pandemic wiped out the live music scene, fans are flocking again to see their favourite stars on stage, with Taylor Swift and Beyonce raking it in with tours that are giving local economies a boost.

Taylor Swift fans sporting friendship bracelets and glittery cowboy boots packed into early screenings of the pop megastar's concert film at movie theaters across the United States on Thursday.

Top scientists have launched a yearly report series to plug knowledge gaps ahead of crunch climate talks, with their global warming "countdown clock" vying for the attention of world leaders and ordinary citizens alike.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday began a tour of Arab capitals as he seeks to build pressure on Hamas while Israel readies a likely massive offensive on the Gaza Strip following the militants' attacks.

Israel's Maccabi Ra'anana lost to the NBA's Brooklyn Nets 135-103 on Thursday to begin a US tour, but sent a defiant message with their determination to play.

Israel has called for the immediate relocation of 1.1 million people in Gaza amid its massive bombardment in retaliation for Hamas's attacks, with the United Nations warning of "devastating" consequences.

Mike Skinner of The Streets has returned "rejuvenated" with a new album and his own self-made movie, optimistic for the future of music as it sits on the cusp of an AI revolution.

Pyo Ye-rim, a hairstylist who became an advocate for the legal rights of school bullying survivors in South Korea, has died in an apparent suicide, local police said. She was 27.

The sharpest image of the 2019 World Cup is that of a triumphant Siya Kolisi, the first black player to captain South Africa in a Test, lifting the Webb Ellis trophy after the 32–12 win over England in Yokohama.

Luciano Spalletti is looking for a solution to Italy's long-standing striker problem as the Azzurri gear up for two crucial Euro 2024 qualifiers with Malta and England.

Israel has throughout its history been targeted by hostage-taking in standoffs resolved by both force and diplomacy, but the mass seizure of citizens by Palestinian militant group Hamas presents the authorities with an unprecedented quandary.

Patrick Mahomes threw a touchdown pass and Harrison Butker kicked four field goals to lead defending NFL champion Kansas City over Denver 19-8 on Thursday.

Nick Castellanos smashed two solo home runs for the second consecutive game and the Philadelphia Phillies beat Atlanta 3-1 on Thursday to advance in the Major League Baseball playoffs.

The United States has extended a waiver to Taiwanese semiconductor giant TSMC to supply US chip-making equipment to its factories in China, the island's economic affairs minister said Friday.

A stunning 85th-minute equalizer from Eduard Bello earned Venezuela a rare draw at Brazil while world champions Argentina made it three wins out of three in South American World Cup qualifying with a hard-earned 1-0 win over a determined Paraguay on Thursday.

New Zealand has a plan to tax farmers for their livestock's burps and farts -- and it's causing a stink ahead of Saturday's general elections.

Ireland will seek to at last break through their World Cup glass ceiling by beating New Zealand to reach the semi-finals for the first time on Saturday.

Bed-ridden as a teenager with rheumatoid arthritis, James Lowe has taken an unlikely route to lining up for Ireland against his native New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals on Saturday.

After beginning the professional era as a team of nomads, Argentina had finally found a home for their players until the Covid pandemic scattered them to the four corners of the planet.

Buoyed by a record run chase, Babar Azam's Pakistan are on the hunt for their first ever World Cup win over India in Saturday's blockbuster match between cricket's biggest rivals in a 132,000-capacity arena patrolled by 11,000 police officers.