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Fifteen people died and around a dozen were injured in northern Iraq when a fuel tank exploded, causing a building to collapse, authorities said Friday as search operations ended.

World Cup chiefs on Friday banned beer sales around stadiums in a stunning u-turn just two days before kickoff as Cristiano Ronaldo prepared to jet in to Qatar.

Say hello to ronnagrams and quettametres: International scientists gathered in France voted on Friday for new metric prefixes to express the world's largest and smallest measurements, prompted by an ever-growing amount of data.

UN climate talks that were supposed to end Friday were extended by a day in an effort to break a deadlock over creating a fund for developing countries devastated by the fallout from global warming.

Resurgent Italy host sliding South Africa in Genoa on Saturday as the nation in form and with coach Kieran Crowley insisting the Azzurri have a chance against the World Champions.

FIFA and Qatar on Friday banned beer sales around the eight World Cup stadiums in a stunning policy u-turn just two days before the start of the tournament.

Iran has accused foreign foes of trying to spark "civil war" by stoking the protests over Mahsa Amini's death -- harsh language that, analysts warn, could presage an even bloodier crackdown.

Europe's main stock markets rallied Friday as investors fished for bargain shares and shrugged off losses elsewhere.

The World Cup always provides a stage for young players to make a name for themselves and the younger generation will be eagerly awaiting Sunday's start of the 2022 edition.

Lewis Hamilton topped the times ahead of his Mercedes team-mate George Russell in Friday’s opening practice at this weekend’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the ‘silver arrows’ continuing where they left off after a one-two triumph in Sao Paulo last Sunday.

Scrum-half Maxime Lucu will replace World Rugby player of the year Antoine Dupont in France's side to face Japan in the Autumn Nations Series this weekend, Les Bleus head coach Fabien Galthie said on Friday.

Japan head coach Jamie Joseph said on Friday he had dropped ex-Clermont winger Kotara Matsushima to the bench for this weekend's Autumn Nations Series Test with France for "physicality reasons".

The French electricity grid operator warned Friday of a "high risk" of network strain due to ongoing nuclear power plant outages, which could see businesses and households forced to curb usage to avoid outright power cuts.

Defending champions France are hoping Karim Benzema and Raphael Varane will be fit enough to feature in their opening World Cup match against Australia, with teammate Adrien Rabiot insisting both are "determined to play".

Protesters in Iran have set on fire the ancestral home of the Islamic republic's founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini two months into the anti-regime protest movement, images showed on Friday.

Germany's biggest trade union agreed Friday to hefty wage hikes that are expected to cover almost four million workers facing soaring inflation, averting a major strike in Europe's top economy.

One of the world's first cities came close to being wiped off the map during tragic floods this summer in Pakistan. Though Mohenjo Daro survived, it has become a symbol of the threat global warming poses to humanity's cultural heritage.

FIFA's president promised the World Cup would be like "Disneyland" while rights groups say workers have been through hell, but one thing is certain -- there will never be another World Cup like Qatar 2022.

Rescuers searched for more victims on Friday after a fuel tank explosion that killed at least 11 people and caused a house to collapse in northern Iraq, according to local authorities.

The 2022 World Cup gets underway on Sunday in Qatar, with France hoping to become the first team to successfully defend the title since Brazil 60 years ago.

Swedish officials confirmed Friday that the September blasts which destroyed sections of the Nord Stream pipelines carrying natural gas from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea were acts of sabotage.

After a 12-year build-up engulfed by a desert storm of controversy, the World Cup finally kicks off in Qatar on Sunday with Lionel Messi aiming to crown his glittering career by winning football's greatest prize.

From subversive superheroes to sports documentaries, Hollywood A-lister Ryan Reynolds said he is focused on exploring new forms of storytelling, as he received a prestigious film industry honor.

Australia winger Awer Mabil said Friday that France were only human as the underdogs prepared for their daunting World Cup opener against the defending champions.

The US government recommended on Thursday that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was immune from legal action over the 2018 murder of a dissident journalist, according to court documents.

French President Emmanuel Macron urged an end to "confrontation" Friday as he relaunched his strategy for the Asia-Pacific region after a bitter row over a cancelled submarine contract with Australia.

Digital currencies need more regulation to stamp out funding for terror operations, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Friday at a major international forum to combat financing of extremist groups.

Vice President Kamala Harris told Asian leaders on Friday that the United States is committed to the region for the long haul, rejecting doubts about its engagement as China expands its clout.

Sri Lanka's World Cup-winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga has been ordered to pay $70,000 in a defamation case arising from a long-running feud over control of the island nation's cash-rich cricket board.

UN climate talks entered their last day Friday with rich and developing nations deadlocked over creating a fund for countries devastated by the impacts of global warming -- and the EU warning its offer was final.

Brooklyn's Royce O'Neale notched a triple-double that included the game-winning tip-in in the last second Thursday as the Nets beat the NBA's West-leading Trail Blazers 109-107 in Portland.

"We're screwed," said Alphonse Fwamba Mutombo, standing on a plot of rubble overlooking an open-cast cobalt mine in Kolwezi, southeastern DR Congo.