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OpenAI announced Friday a massive $110 billion funding round valuing the ChatGPT maker at $730 billion, with SoftBank, Nvidia and Amazon each making multi-billion-dollar commitments as the artificial intelligence company races to meet surging global demand.

Daniil Medvedev is one victory away from repeating a title run for the first time in his career after he punched his ticket to the Dubai final with a 6-4, 6-2 success over top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime on Friday.

US and European markets mostly fell on Friday with tech stocks suffering, while oil prices jumped as a standoff between Iran and the United States deepened.

France's foreign minister said Friday that if a drone seen this week near a French aircraft carrier visiting Sweden turned out to be Russian -- a claim Moscow called "absurd" -- it would be a "ridiculous provocation".

Artisans in white coats greeted guests at the Tod's fashion show in Milan Friday, crafting the Made in Italy leather and needlework items for which the company -- and country -- is renowned.

Michael Carrick insisted on Friday Harry Maguire has a long-term future at Manchester United as the "impressive" defender enters the final months of his contract.

Liam Rosenior can't wait for Chelsea's blockbuster Champions League last 16 clash with Paris Saint-Germain after they were paired with the "fantastic" holders in Friday's draw.

Waving placards reading "Broken Agreements, Sacrificed Futures", hundreds of workers from chemical titan BASF protested in Berlin Friday over plans to axe jobs in Germany and shift them to Asia.

Deep in the desert of Niger, scientists have unearthed an unknown species of dinosaur, a giant fissvery of its kind in more than a century.

Fast bowler Salman Mirza vowed on Friday that Pakistan will finish the Super Eights with a flourish against already-eliminated Sri Lanka, whether or not they still have hopes of reaching the semi-finals.

In the Iraqi mountains near Iran, an exiled Kurdish Iranian commander told AFP that whether or not the US launches strikes on Iran, he will still seek regime change in order to win self-determination for the Kurds.

Germany's Emma Aicher reduced the gap to World Cup downhill leader Lindsey Vonn, whose season ended with her horror crash at the Olympics, after finishing fourth behind race winner Corinne Suter in Soldeu on Friday.

Pep Guardiola said Manchester City have learnt valuable lessons from their long-running Champions League rivalry with Real Madrid after they were pitted against the Spanish club in Friday's last 16 draw.

On a bridge next to the Kremlin on a drizzly Friday morning, a lone Russian police officer stood looking at the half-dozen bunches of flowers laying in memory of slain opposition figure Boris Nemtsov.

India's economy grew at a faster pace than expected in the last quarter of 2025 driven by solid consumer spending, data released Friday showed, using a new framework that calculates economic output more accurately.

The UN rights chief voiced alarm Friday at the deteriorating situation in South Sudan, calling for "urgent action" to avert a return to full-scale civil war.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed on Friday to fight "the extremes in politics" after left-wing and hard-right parties both beat his ruling Labour in a crunch vote in a traditional stronghold.

BASF signalled on Friday it would shift jobs from its home market of Germany to Asia, as the struggling chemical giant seeks to aggressively cut costs.

Rodrigo Duterte killed thousands during his anti-drug campaign, an International Criminal Court prosecutor alleged Friday, as the crimes against humanity hearing against the former Philippines president wrapped up.

Real Madrid and Manchester City will face off in a Champions League knockout tie for the fifth season running after being drawn Friday to play each other in the last 16, while reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain will take on Chelsea.

Mohamed Salah may be experiencing the worst goal drought of his Premier League career but Liverpool manager Arne Slot believes the Egypt striker is paying the price for his own high standards.

Stock markets mostly rose Friday with traders relieved by the tech sector holding firm despite concerns over massive AI investments.

The United States authorised the departure of non-emergency embassy staff from Israel on Friday, as it threatened strikes on Iran and pressed its biggest military build-up in the Middle East in decades.

The European Union will implement a mammoth trade deal with the South American Mercosur bloc while waiting for a top court's ruling on its legality, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said Friday.

Cambodian monks chanted blessings and scattered flowers Friday over 74 cultural artefacts returned to the country after being plundered by a notorious British antiques smuggler.

Looking out at the blue and yellow cranes towering over the Black Sea horizon, Viktor Berestenko worries about the relentless Russian bombardment of Odesa, Ukraine's southern port city.

Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany said the scale of the Bundesliga match at Borussia Dortmund on Saturday means victory would be like winning "a mini title".

Britain's ruling Labour party slumped Friday to a humiliating third-place finish as it lost a crunch vote in a traditional stronghold to the left-wing Greens, heaping fresh pressure on embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Exiled Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya told AFP in an interview that her country must not become a "consolation prize" for Russian President Vladimir Putin amid intense efforts to end the Ukraine war.

Manchester United's decision to sack Ruben Amorim as their manager could end up costing the Premier League giants almost £16 million ($22 million) according to financial figures released by the club.

Marco Bezzecchi set a new track record to finish fastest ahead of defending world champion Marc Marquez in practice for the season-opening Thailand MotoGP on Friday.

Iran said Friday that in order to reach a deal, the United States will have to drop its "excessive demands", tempering the optimism expressed after talks seen as a last-ditch bid to avert war.