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Sardar Azmoun is Iran's third top scorer in history with a successful club career behind him but is set to miss out on the 2026 World Cup in an exclusion shadowed by political controversy.

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape told AFP the South Pacific island nation won't allow foreign military bases, even as Australia steps up its presence at a naval port seen as central to blocking China in any regional conflict.

A Russian drone struck an apartment building in NATO-member Romania early Friday, wounding two people in the latest spillover from the war in Ukraine and prompting strong condemnation from the Atlantic alliance and the European Union.

Hasina Bibi clutched her hungry four-year-old daughter as she waited at an India-Bangladesh border post, trying to leave as fears grow of an Indian crackdown on undocumented migrants.

Ministers gathered for a digital G7 meeting in Paris Friday, with host France expecting they will find common ground on online child protection but diverge over the environmental impact of computing.

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket unleashed a massive fireball into the sky as it exploded during a test on Thursday, in the latest blow to billionaire Jeff Bezos's space ambitions.

Dorcas Mapenzi fears the worst if Ebola comes to the Kingonze camp, where she lives alongside more than 25,000 other displaced people in the conflict-hit eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Global betting revenue for the upcoming World Cup is likely to be "in excess of $50 billion", betting expert Darren Small told AFP, for an event he labelled "the biggest circus in town."

Bordeaux-Begles' Fiji winger Salesi Rayasi says claiming a French Top 14 and Champions Cup double will be a challenge before they head to Toulon in the league on Sunday.

Arsenal seek to finally conquer Europe by wresting the Champions League crown from holders Paris Saint-Germain, who are themselves targeting back-to-back titles in Budapest on Saturday.

Holders Argentina arrive at the World Cup aiming to become the first team in more than half a century to successfully defend their title.

Erling Haaland propelled Norway back to the World Cup for the first time in 28 years and spearheads a golden generation ready to thrive on the global stage.

After a remarkable 14-year spell in charge capped by one World Cup triumph and another run to the final, Didier Deschamps is hoping to go out on a high as he gets ready to step down as France coach following the upcoming tournament in North America.

Winners in 2018 and runners-up in 2022, France arrive at this World Cup as one of the leading contenders, but the planet's top-ranked team face stiff tests against Senegal and Norway in Group I, which also features outsiders Iraq.

With Jannik Sinner's shock French Open exit blowing the men's draw wide open, Novak Djokovic will look to pounce on the opportunity in his pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam title.

Lionel Messi will turn 39 during the upcoming World Cup and could have been forgiven for quitting international football after leading Argentina to glory in Qatar in 2022, but he remains his country's talisman as they aim to retain the trophy in North America.

Thirty-two years after overseeing the hugely successful 1994 World Cup – the tournament that forced America to take football seriously – Alan Rothenberg believes soccer is firmly on track to replace the NFL as the most popular sport in the United States.

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket exploded during a test Thursday on the launch pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida, though officials said no injuries were reported from the incident.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth is the headline speaker at Asia's premier defence summit opening Friday, but China's top officials aren't expected despite weighty questions like Taiwan and the war in Iran.

For years, 36-year-old Ukrainian artist Olena Kharakhulakh had put her art on hold, choosing instead a steady job designing glass objects for a company.

Her mum thought she was a "weird kid" when she wanted to study art, she forged a path for black women in mixed martial arts and her family was at the centre of an alien mystery.

Spectators at a top beach volleyball competition in Japan this weekend will be banned from taking photos or videos after organisers said fans had been responsible for "malicious" shots of players.

Japan's population dropped by a record 2.5 percent in the span of five years, census data showed Friday, as the world's fourth-largest economy struggles to overcome demographic woes.

There were no naked robots in sight at a fashion show held in Seoul with a high-tech twist, where pairs of people and humanoids hit the catwalk in matching outfits.

How do you choose just 30 artifacts from millions to encapsulate 250 years of American history?

Victor Wembanyama scored 28 points as the San Antonio Spurs forced a decisive game seven in their thrilling NBA Western Conference finals series against Oklahoma City, leading throughout an emphatic 118-91 win Thursday.

Indigenous chief Bepdjo Mekragnotire is once again preparing to lead a group of warriors to chase wildcat gold miners away from his people's territory in Brazil's Amazon rainforest.

Asian stock markets surged and oil prices receded on Friday, boosted by optimism that the United States and Iran will reach a deal to end their war that has hobbled global energy supplies.

The man accused of helping dozens of people worldwide commit suicide by selling them poison is set to appear in a Canadian court on Friday, where he is expected to plead guilty to 14 crimes.

A Russian influence campaign hijacked hundreds of Bluesky accounts -- many belonging to influential Americans -- to spread propaganda, researchers said, in a striking disinformation tactic that weaponized authentic identities rather than relying on fake accounts.

In a crowded Kathmandu restaurant far from Nepal's famed icy peaks, Billi Bierling questions climbers about their ascents, preserving each triumph in the Himalayan Database, mountaineering's revered 60-year-old register of success.

The EU executive is set for much-heralded talks Friday on ramping up Europe's trade defences to shield critical industries from Chinese rivals -- with a growing chorus pressing for a crackdown.