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America's powerful National Rifle Association kicked off a major convention in Houston Friday, days after the horrific massacre of children at a Texas elementary school, but a string of high-profile no-shows underscored deep unease at the timing of the gun lobby event.

Dutch rider Koen Bouwman won the mountainous 19th stage of the Giro d'Italia with a sprint finish climb to Santuario di Castelmonte on Friday.

World number one and defending champion Novak Djokovic eased into the French Open fourth round for the 13th straight year on Friday.

It's the only award that mutt-ers in Cannes, and in a year when war was a constant backdrop to the festival, even the canine-loving Palm Dog award paid tribute to Ukrainians.

The United States spends twice as much on cancer care as the average high-income country, but gets only middle-of-the-table survival results, a study said Friday.

A Frenchwoman and a Spaniard were killed and nine other mountaineers were injured Friday in an ice fall in southwest Switzerland, police said following a rescue attempt involving several helicopters.

The US inflation wave showed signs of waning last month, posting the smallest increase since late 2020, as rising wages supported continued spending by American shoppers, according to government data released Friday.

The United States on Friday imposed fresh sanctions over North Korea's missile launches, including on two Russian banks, after Russia and China blocked action by the UN Security Council.

Aleix Espargaro was quickest in the opening practice sessions for this weekend's Italian Grand Prix on Friday, as MotoGP championship leader Fabio Quartararo struggled for pace.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin on Friday hit out at criticism of Paris Saint-Germain and defended clubs who threaten football's traditional elite, pointedly telling AFP that "things change" in an interview ahead of this weekend's Champions League final.

A lawyer for actor Johnny Depp urged a jury on Friday to find his ex-wife Amber Heard guilty of defamation over domestic abuse allegations and give him his "life back."

Giro d'Italia leader Richard Carapaz suffered a setback to his title bid on Friday, with his key mountain lieutenant Richie Porte withdrawing during the 19th stage.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin on Friday encouraged leagues to "worry about their own situation" in response to remarks by La Liga chief Javier Tebas after Paris Saint-Germain persuaded Kylian Mbappe to stay in France rather than join Real Madrid.

Charles Leclerc topped the times for Ferrari at his home Monaco Grand Prix in Friday's opening free practice, finishing a closely-contested session narrowly ahead of Red Bull's Sergio Perez.

Global stocks pushed higher on Friday as investors hoped that rising global interest rates would curtail sky-high inflation.

Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle and the Leinster of Johnny Sexton meet in the European Champions Cup on Saturday, a sizzling sub-plot given the pair's history of intense rivalry, both in their battle for the Ireland fly-half shirt and as leaders of Irish provinces Munster and Leinster.

Russian forces were closing in Friday on the strategic city of Severodonetsk in a relentless offensive to control Ukraine's Donbas region, bombing residential areas and claiming the capture of a key town.

Coco Gauff, the youngest player left in the French Open, made the last 16 on Friday with a straight-sets win over Kaia Kanepi, the oldest woman in the tournament at 36.

Liverpool's preparations for the Champions League final were boosted by the news that midfielders Thiago Alcantara and Fabinho will be fit to face Real Madrid after injury scares.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic intends to continue playing despite the end of his contract with AC Milan and a lengthy layoff in store following knee surgery, club director Paolo Maldini said Friday.

La Rochelle's hopes of better combatting Leinster's giant pack in Saturday's European Champions Cup were given a boost when giant Australian lock Will Skelton was named in the starting line-up.

Asian and European stocks rose Friday, after a strong performance on Wall Street, as investors hoped that rising global interest rates would curtail sky-high inflation.

Oleksandr Zinchenko says he wants to give Ukrainians something to smile about as his team prepares for next week's World Cup play-off semi-final against Scotland.

Tehran on Friday said "politics" was behind the decision by Canadian football authorities to cancel a friendly against Iran in preparation for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 finals.

Henri Leconte claimed he was so badly abused after he lost the 1988 Roland Garros final that he was even booed when he popped out to buy a baguette -- and he was French.

North Korea says its Covid-19 outbreak has been brought under control, with state media reporting falling caseloads for a seventh straight day Friday as healthcare workers "intensify" testing and treatment.

Russia on Friday pressed its deadly offensive to capture key points in the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine, with more bombing of residential areas and pro-Moscow forces claiming the capture of a key town on the way to Kyiv-controlled territory.

West Ham have confirmed Ukraine international Andriy Yarmolenko will follow Mark Noble out of the London Stadium when his contract expires next month.

Leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), the United States' largest Protestant denomination, published a 205-page list on Thursday of ministers and other church workers who have been accused of sexual abuse.

Sudanese women's activist Amira Osman Hamed has won a Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk, the organisation announced Friday.

China's foreign ministry on Friday accused US Secretary of State Antony Blinken of "smearing" the country, after America's top diplomat delivered a landmark policy speech calling for action to counterbalance Beijing's influence.

US gun lobby group the National Rifle Association (NRA) will hold its annual convention in Texas on Friday, days after a horrific school shooting in the state killed 19 children and two teachers.