Was LIV Golf an expensive failure for Saudis? Not everyone thinks so
Throwing more than $5 billion at a divisive new tour and walking away after five seasons does not look like good business, but LIV Golf wasn't all bad news for Saudi Arabia.
Economy
Iran delivered a new proposal for peace talks with the US via mediator Pakistan, state media reported Friday, with negotiations between the two sides frozen despite a weeks-long ceasefire.
Politics
The war in the Middle East has forced the Gulf monarchies to rethink their oil and trade routes, but rerouting them will be no simple task, experts say.
Sports
Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique said on Friday that he was "not frustrated" by the narrow advantage his side hold over Bayern Munich heading into their trip to Germany for the Champions League semi-final second leg.
Politics
Mali's army and its Russian mercenary allies surrendered a strategic northern military stronghold to armed rebels on Friday, as Tuareg separatists and jihadists waged a unified front to bring down the country's junta.
Dozens of activists on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla which was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters off Crete disembarked on Friday in the Greek island, an AFP journalist saw.
Politics
Turkish police on Friday fired tear gas and arrested hundreds of people holding May Day demonstrations in Istanbul, as thousands rallied nationwide.
Politics
German airline Lufthansa on Friday said it had apologised to Russian filmmaker Pavel Talankin for losing his Oscar statuette after US airport security banned him from taking it on a flight from New York.
Economy
A dozen members of the French navy scour screens for blinking lights indicating movement thousands of kilometres away near the Strait of Hormuz.
Sports
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick celebrated the return of winger Raphinha from injury on Friday as the Catalans close in on the Spanish title.
Boulevard
The UN rights chief said Friday he was "deeply concerned" by a Cambodian court rejecting the appeal of detained opposition leader Kem Sokha against his nearly three-decade sentence for treason.
Politics
Dozens of activists on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla which was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters off Crete disembarked on Friday in the Greek island, an AFP journalist saw.
A 45-year-old man appeared in a UK court Friday charged with stabbing two Jewish men in north London earlier this week, in the latest attack to rock Britain's Jewish community.
Economy
Oil prices steadied and stocks diverged Friday in thin holiday trading, as investors awaited the next move in the Middle East crisis and digested corporate earnings.
Politics
German airline Lufthansa on Friday said it was searching for an Oscar statuette belonging to Russian filmmaker Pavel Talankin after reports US airport security banned him from taking it on a flight from New York.
Sports
Eddie Howe said Friday he was certain that Newcastle's Saudi backers remain firmly behind the club's efforts to establish itself as one of the best in the world.
Economy
Three-time Chinese Olympic champion swimmer Sun Yang filed a police report after being subjected to "large-scale" cyberbullying, his team said Friday.
Politics
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele agreed on Friday to recall the South Pacific nation's parliament to face a vote of no confidence after losing a court appeal.
Sports
Arne Slot said Mohamed Salah "deserves a big send-off" as he confirmed he expected the departing superstar to return from injury before the end of the season.
Boulevard
UK police announced Friday they have charged a 45-year-old man over the stabbing of two Jewish men in north London, the latest in a string of attacks targeting Britain's Jewish community.
Politics
Solomon Islands' Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele must recall the Pacific Island nation's parliament to face a vote of no confidence, an appeal court ruled on Friday.
Sports
Japan's retired former world champion figure skater Shoma Uno said Friday that he was "ready to take gaming beyond being just a hobby" after joining a professional eSports team.
Sports
A Japanese professional baseball umpire who was struck on the head by a bat during a game two weeks ago is still unconscious, local media said.
Sports
Japan's Junto Nakatani said he won't be intimidated when he faces fellow unbeaten countryman Naoya "Monster" Inoue on Saturday in front of 55,000 fans at a sold-out Tokyo Dome.
Sports
The Minnesota Timberwolves eliminated Nikola Jokic's Denver Nuggets while the New York Knicks put on one of the most dominant displays in NBA playoff history, destroying Atlanta to advance Thursday.
Sports
The Minnesota Timberwolves knocked Nikola Jokic's Denver Nuggets out of the NBA playoffs with a 110-98 win Thursday to claim their first-round series 4-2.
Tehran's air defences were activated to counter small aircraft and drones late Thursday, as the White House signalled that it will not be reined in by a congressional deadline on the Iran war.
Sports
Arsenal have a chance to crank up the pressure on Manchester City this weekend as they seek to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League.
Sports
Paris Saint-Germain have not been afforded a weekend off this time in between the two legs of their Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich, but they could instead take a big step towards clinching yet another Ligue 1 title.
Sports
Espanyol have not won a single game in 2026 and if they finally break that run against Real Madrid on Sunday it could hand their city rivals Barcelona the Spanish title.
Sports
RB Leipzig can achieve their "season goal" of returning to the Champions League as the top-four race in the Bundesliga comes to a head this Saturday.
Sports
A match away to title-holders Bordeaux-Begles side is tough enough but Bath also face an injury crisis ahead of their European Champions Cup semi-final that could lead to a senior debut for a teenage playmaker.
Sports
Former Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius thought his career was over after his error-strewn performance cost his side the Champions League final, eight years later he is finding redemption at fallen German giants Schalke.
Politics
King Charles III arrived in Bermuda on Thursday after wrapping up a marathon US state visit aimed at healing ties between Washington and London strained by the war in Iran.
Boulevard
An angry crowd clashed with Australian police outside a hospital treating the suspected killer of a five-year-old Indigenous girl in the outback town of Alice Springs.
Politics
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz as well as tensions in the Red Sea are reshaping trade routes, with Africa becoming a hub of global container ship traffic, according to logistics and maritime sources.
Things to know
Across much of India, an energy crunch caused by the Iran war has prompted long queues for cooking gas cyclinders. That's not a problem for Gauri Devi.
Nature
In the middle of a field filled with bright red poppies, Afghans frolic among the spring flowers in a tradition deeply rooted in the country's north.
Culture
A vibrating violin behind a fiery curtain, a Greek cruise ship singer and a song about star-crossed planets are among the favourites to win this year's Eurovision Song Contest.
Economy
Oil prices edged up Friday after the previous day's wild swings, with investors awaiting the next move in the Middle East crisis, while stocks rose in holiday-thinned trade following a tech-led record day on Wall Street.