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Mexico's Abraham Ancer retained his one-shot lead at the halfway stage of the Saudi International on Friday as a slew of big names from the rebel LIV Golf tour failed to make the cut.

War, budget cuts, a pandemic and a crash: For all its trials, Europe's ExoMars mission might be more deserving of the name Perseverance than NASA's Martian rover.

Mackenzie McDonald and Tommy Paul gave the United States a 2-0 lead in their Davis Cup qualifier against Uzbekistan on Thursday as the 123-year-old competition entered a new era.

Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has brushed off calls to step down from the national side, saying he's "sure" he will return from a serious leg injury to play international football again.

Acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi has been released on bail after starting a hunger strike to protest against his almost seven-month detention, supporters said on Friday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday his forces would hold out as long as possible in war-battered Bakhmut, as he hosted a summit with EU chiefs who praised Kyiv's push for reforms needed to join the bloc.

The body of Burkina Faso's revered revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara is to be buried alongside 12 comrades at the spot where in 1987 they were assassinated, the country's ruling junta said on Friday.

Chelsea have dropped Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and left out new £36 million ($44 million) signing Benoit Badiashile from their Champions League squad for the rest of the season.

The Brazilian Football Confederation said Friday it had sent a letter to FIFA calling for a crackdown on racism in the sport, after a series of incidents targeting players including Brazil star Vinicius Junior.

The president of the 2024 Paris Olympics organising committee on Friday said athletes should not "suffer" from decisions they do not control amid an escalating row over allowing Russians and Belarusians to compete.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and other government officials on Friday held their first meeting with Tigrayan leaders since a November peace deal, officials and state media said.

Jamie Ritchie said he would not take the Scotland captaincy for granted as he prepared to lead his side in their Six Nations opener against England on Saturday.

Ukraine said Friday it had started replacing millions of regular light bulbs with energy-saving LED lamps as part of an EU-funded project to help with energy shortages caused by Russian strikes.

Pope Francis on Friday urged the leaders of South Sudan to make "a new start" for peace, warning that history would remember them for their actions, as he began a three-day visit to the violence-wracked country.

A 24-year-old man has been arrested over the theft of two emperor tamarin monkeys from Dallas Zoo, police said Friday, adding he was detained after being spotted at the city aquarium.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp say they are bewildered by Chelsea's huge spending spree during the January transfer window.

Tottenham assistant manager Cristian Stellini said on Friday that Antonio Conte could be in charge for the clash with Manchester City just days after he had surgery to remove his gallbladder.

American car manufacturer Ford will return to Formula One in 2026 with a link-up with world champions Red Bull, the company said on Friday.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday scrapped a long-planned Beijing trip aimed at easing escalating tensions between the two superpowers, after the Pentagon said that China sent a spy balloon over the United States.

The head of Ukraine's anti-corruption agency insisted Friday that the Russian invasion had triggered a substantial and "irreversible" fall in graft in what has long been one of Europe's most corrupt countries.

The head of Ukraine's anti-corruption agency insisted Friday that the Russian invasion had triggered a substantial and "irreversible" fall in graft in what has long been one of Europe's most corrupt countries.

French authorities on Friday started demolishing a seaside block of flats that has come to symbolise the country's battle against climate change-linked coastal erosion.

Britain's Jockey Club has scrapped dress codes at its 15 courses, including some of horse racing's most illustrious venues, generating a mixed response in Friday's newspapers.

Experts have warned that the recent detection of bird flu in mammals including foxes, otters, minks, seals and even grizzly bears is concerning but emphasised that the virus would have to significantly mutate to spread between humans.

The Basilica of Saint-Denis on the northern outskirts of Paris may be less famous than Notre-Dame, but when Emmanuel Putanier was asked to restore the historic monument's stained glass windows to their former glory, he jumped at the chance.

Twelve migrants have died in the Central Mediterranean, Italian officials and a rescue charity said Friday, as a debate rages over Rome's crackdown on NGOs operating in the world's deadliest crossing.

The president of the 2024 Paris Olympics organising committee on Friday said athletes should not "suffer" from decisions they do not control amid an escalating row over allowing Russians and Belarusians to compete.

Eddie Jones has warned England to beware of the threat from Finn Russell when his former side try take on Scotland in their Six Nations opener at Twickenham on Saturday.

Wales captain Ken Owens has urged his team to "put pride back in the shirt" when they kick off their Six Nations campaign against Ireland on Saturday.

China voiced regret Friday for an "unintentional" breach of US airspace by what it said was a civilian airship -- but the Pentagon called a spy balloon -- with a long-planned Beijing visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken hanging in the balance.

A surge in hiring in the United States renewed worries about aggressive interest rate hikes, bolstering the dollar and sending stocks lower.

Eintracht Frankfurt goalkeeper Kevin Trapp has extended his contract until 2026, the club announced on Friday.