China widens military footprint with Laos air base
When China opened its first overseas air force base this week, a joint facility in isolated Laos, it was sending a signal -- its foreign military foothold is set to grow, analysts said.
The United States' Ben Shelton on Friday became the first top-10 seed to be booted out of the Shanghai Masters, beaten by 83rd-ranked David Goffin in straight sets.
Opener KL Rahul hit an unbeaten century and together with skipper Shubman Gill steered a dominant India into a 56-run lead over the West Indies on day two of the first Test on Friday.
Fifty years after General Francisco Franco's death, Benidorm still clings to the mass tourism model it pioneered under his dictatorship, even as protests against overtourism sweep other Spanish holiday hotspots.
Some Nobel laureates were straight-A students from the get-go. But others AFP spoke to recounted how they cut class, got expelled, and had doubts about their future.
Sean "Diddy" Combs will be sentenced Friday for his conviction on two prostitution-related counts, crimes prosecutors say deserve more than a decade behind bars as the music mogul seeks "mercy" and a swift release.
Taylor Swift is in a sparkling new era.
The death toll from Typhoon Bualoi in Vietnam rose above 50, the government said Friday, with more than a dozen people still missing days after the storm triggered widespread flooding.
Indonesian families whose children were offered free school meals are joining non-profit groups calling for the flagship government programme to be suspended after thousands of students fell ill from the food.
South Korean Hwang You-min fired a career-best 10-under-par 62 to surge into a three-stroke lead on Thursday after 36 holes in the LPGA Lotte Championship in Hawaii.
Germany's Munich airport restarted flights on Friday after several drone sightings forced its closure overnight, the latest in a string of similar aviation disruptions across Europe.
Captain Harry Wilson on Friday told Australia to send off "ultimate team man" James Slipper with a performance to be proud of in their must-win Rugby Championship Test against New Zealand.
A damaging cyberattack on Japanese beer giant Asahi this week has halted shipments from its breweries and there is no resumption in sight, the company warned Friday, fuelling fears of shortages.
Liverpool have no time to lick their wounds after back-to-back defeats as they prepare for a trip to Chelsea on Saturday while Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim is under severe pressure to beat in-form Sunderland.
Luxembourg will enthrone a new sovereign Friday with Prince Guillaume set to succeed his father, Grand Duke Henri, who officially abdicates on the same day, ending a 25-year reign.
A Thai gunman was sentenced to life in prison on Friday for the murder of a Cambodian opposition politician in Bangkok, a judge said.
Czechs will cast ballots on Friday and Saturday in a general election which the party of self-described "Trumpist" Andrej Babis is expected to top, though without getting a majority.
Taylor Swift is in a new sparkling era.
The only remaining boat in a flotilla carrying aid to Gaza sailed towards the war-torn Palestinian territory on Friday, after Israeli navy interceptions of its fellow vessels drew worldwide protests.
Germany's Munich airport halted flights after several drone sightings, a police spokesperson told AFP early Friday, the latest in a string of similar aviation disruptions across Europe.
Rookie pitcher Cam Schlittler made a spectacular post-season debut, striking out 12 in eight scoreless innings to carry the New York Yankees to a 4-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox and into the second round of the Major League Baseball playoffs on Thursday.
The death toll in a school collapse on Indonesia's main island of Java rose to seven on Friday after two bodies were pulled from the building's ruins, a rescue official said.
Power-hungry data centres run hot, so one Chinese company is planning to submerge a pod of servers in the sea off Shanghai with hopes of solving computing's energy woes.
A surge in tech firms helped Tokyo's Nikkei lead most Asian equities higher on Friday as investors headed into the weekend on a broadly positive note, with US rate-cut hopes out-muscling concerns about a government shutdown.
The group leading Morocco's mass protests called on Friday for the government's dismissal, following days of unrest that have seen the deaths of three people.
Artificial intelligence, the technology upending nearly every corner of society, is creeping into religion, serving up virtual Jesus and automated sermons -- a change drawing mixed reviews from the faithful.
Speed king Cameron McEvoy has urged World Aquatics to make the 25m freestyle sprint an official event, arguing it adds excitement to the sport and will be embraced by fans.
A court in Melbourne ruled Friday that one of Australia's most famous drug kingpins must face a retrial after his defence lawyer was revealed to have been a police informant.
Castres' Australian lock Tom Staniforth said Racing 92 centre Joey Manu has a chance of featuring for New Zealand at the 2027 Rugby World Cup before they meet each other in the French Top 14 on Saturday.
AC Milan have the chance to cap a momentous week on Sunday night as the Serie A giants face rivals Juventus after taking a huge step towards building a new stadium in place of the San Siro.
Real Madrid host Villarreal on Saturday aiming to get their La Liga campaign back on track after a punishing derby defeat last weekend.
The Bundesliga's top four are set to collide this weekend, giving the in-form sides a chance to measure where they stand against title favourites Bayern Munich.
Paris Saint-Germain are fresh from a fine Champions League win in Barcelona, but there are signs that this season might present the best opportunity in a long time for someone else to win the Ligue 1 title.