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Russian strikes battered cities across Ukraine early Friday, killing at least 19 people as Kyiv said preparations for a highly anticipated offensive against Moscow's forces were nearly complete.

Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel said on Friday his side still had a chance to revive their season with a Bundesliga title, despite sitting second with five games to play.

Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane said an "honest conversation" with chairman Daniel Levy had paved the way for an encouraging 2-2 draw with Manchester United that helped stem a rising tide of discontent among the club's supporters.

British music retailer HMV said Friday it will return to the site of its once-flagship store on London's Oxford Street after a turnaround in fortunes for the emblematic company.

Turkey's main pro-Kurdish party and its leftist allies called on voters Friday to back President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main rival in the May 14 polls.

Pope Francis during his visit to Budapest called Friday for recovery of the European spirit and rejection of "adolescent belligerence" amid rising nationalism and war in Ukraine.

One hundred metres underground inside a pit in northern China, miners extract lumps of coal with the flick of a finger on a smartphone, as the country tries to drag the traditionally dangerous and dirty work into the digital era.

World champion Max Verstappen led the one and only practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as Formula One returned with a bang on Friday.

European stock markets retreated Friday as official data confirmed the eurozone is struggling to grow.

The verdict in the trial of "Football Leaks" hacker Rui Pinto, due on Friday, has been postponed until July 13, a Lisbon court announced.

A high-profile Kenyan pastor appeared in court on Friday suspected of links to the discovery of dozens of bodies in mass graves that has been dubbed the "Shakahola forest massacre".

ExxonMobil reported Friday that first-quarter profits more than doubled to $11.4 billion, as the US oil giant returned over $8 billion to shareholders during the period.

Fighting raged in Sudan on Friday, despite rival forces agreeing to extend a truce aimed to stem nearly two weeks of warfare that has killed hundreds and caused widespread destruction.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said on Friday his side are not yet "out of the woods" as they try to finish a see-saw season by qualifying for the Champions League.

The BBC's chairman on Friday announced his resignation after his involvement in a loan for then UK prime minister Boris Johnson raised questions about the broadcaster's vaunted impartiality.

Ramesh Mendis grabbed a five-wicket haul and Prabath Jayasuriya became the fastest-ever spinner to 50 Test scalps Friday as Sri Lanka thrashed Ireland by an innings and 10 runs in the second Test.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stayed home for a third day Friday following a stomach ailment that has interrupted his campaign to extend his rule to beyond 20 years.

Reigning champions Manchester City will go top of the Premier League table this weekend with victory over Fulham, building on their midweek demolition of title rivals Arsenal.

A senior Taliban leader warned the United Nations Security Council Friday to give up its "failed policy of pressure" after members adopted a resolution condemning Kabul's growing restrictions on women.

Russian strikes battered cities across Ukraine early Friday, killing at least 16 people as Kyiv said preparations for a highly-anticipated offensive against Moscow's forces were nearly complete.

Germany teetered on the brink of recession Friday after official data showed the economy stagnated in the first quarter despite expectations for a slight rebound, as the energy crisis weighed on Europe's top economy.

This year is already shaping up to be another bad one for glaciers in the Swiss Alps, with the snowpack covering them around 30 percent below the 10-year average, according to the scientist tracking their decline.

The eurozone economy lumbered forward in the first quarter, official data showed Friday, expanding just 0.1 percent over the previous quarter as high inflation and interest rates weigh on activity.

China said Friday that a near-collision in the South China Sea between a Chinese coast guard ship and a Philippine patrol vessel carrying journalists was caused by the latter's "premeditated and provocative action".

BBC chairman Richard Sharp on Friday announced his resignation after an inquiry found he had breached rules for failing to declare his involvement in arranging a loan for then prime minister Boris Johnson.

Ramesh Mendis took five wickets and Prabath Jayasuriya became the fastest-ever spinner to 50 Test wickets Friday as Sri Lanka thrashed Ireland by an innings and 10 runs in the second Test.

His forehead beaded with sweat, Titus Katana has been digging for days to find the remains of victims of a Kenyan starvation cult that once counted him as a follower.

James Bond star Eva Green on Friday won a court case in the UK over her $1 million (£810,000) acting fee for the never-made science fiction film "A Patriot".

South African Kirsten Neuschaefer made history late on Thursday by becoming the first female mariner to win a solo round-the-world race as she crossed the line on the French coast after 235 gruelling days in the Golden Globe.

The Stone of Destiny, a sacred slab of sandstone that became a symbol of Scottish nationhood, left Edinburgh Castle for London late Thursday, where it will play a key role in King Charles III's coronation.

Si Jiahui's fairytale run to the World Snooker Championship semi-finals is reward for a childhood spent around his father's smoky pool club and having to endure bouts of homesickness.

Asian stocks enjoyed solid gains on Friday after a big finish on Wall Street, with renewed investor confidence and strong earnings by major industry players driving shares up.