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Berrettini looks ahead after milestones at Open
Matteo Berrettini said he will learn from the experience of playing Grand Slam great Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals at the Australian Open Friday and become a better player.

Top SoftBank exec quits after reported clash over compensation
Japanese investment giant SoftBank Group said Friday its chief operating officer Marcelo Claure is leaving the company, following reports that his demands for as much as $1 billion in compensation had fuelled an internal clash.

Six rockets target Baghdad airport, damaging plane: sources
Six rockets were fired Friday at the Iraqi capital's airport, causing damage but no casualties, security sources said, the latest in a string of attacks the US blames on Iran-linked militias.

Google to invest $1 bn in India's number two mobile operator
Google will invest up to $1 billion in India's second-largest mobile operator, Airtel, the companies said Friday, as the Android-maker looks to bolster its presence in the vast nation's booming telecoms market.

Pain free, play freer: Late bloomer Collins enjoys time of her life
"No pain, no gain" is a mantra often heard anywhere elite athletes train. Danielle Collins has had more than her fair share of pain on the long road to a first Grand Slam final.

Multi-talented Barty on a mission, with a smile
Multi-talented Ashleigh Barty has been a professiona cricketer, won a golf tournament and collected two tennis Grand Slam titles, with a third beckoning at the Australian Open on Saturday.

Collins looking for 'the zone' to deny Barty Australian Open title
Danielle Collins faces a daunting task in the Australian Open final on Saturday against a world number one who is aiming to become the first homegrown women's champion in 44 years, backed by a fiercely partisan crowd.

Nadal on brink of history after beating Berrettini to reach Open final
Rafael Nadal marched into the final of the Australian Open to be just one match away from becoming the all-time men's Grand Slam leader after overcoming Matteo Berrettini in their semi-final on Friday.

Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan agree ceasefire after clashes kill two
Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan said Friday they had agreed a ceasefire after shootouts at their contested border left two Tajik citizens dead.

Toyota keeps top-selling automaker title despite chip crunch
Toyota retained its crown as the world's top-selling automaker on Friday, having overcome a chip shortage and supply chain woes to beat Volkswagen for a second straight year.

Philippines to re-open to vaccinated foreign tourists
The Philippines will re-open to fully vaccinated tourists from most countries on February 10 and lift quarantine requirements, officials said Friday, nearly two years after closing its borders to contain the coronavirus.

Rattled by Russia, Finland and Sweden revisit NATO debate
The threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine has reignited debate in Finland and Sweden over whether they should join NATO to fend off any possible eastern aggression.

Judge cancels major US oil and gas exploration sale
A judge on Thursday canceled the sale of oil and gas exploration leases of some 80 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico, after environmental groups sued the Biden administration citing major concerns.

Tajikistan says two dead after clashes with Kyrgyzstan
Tajikistan said Friday that two of its citizens were killed and 10 injured during overnight clashes at its contested border with Kyrgyzstan, where a ceasefire is now in place.

Hong Kong outbreak exposes flaws in 21-day quarantine policy
Hong Kong's U-turn on its mandatory three-week quarantine for arrivals follows growing scrutiny of the strict policy after a coronavirus outbreak was traced to a woman infected during her hotel stay.

Favourite son Eto'o is pride of Cup of Nations host city Douala
Samuel Eto'o left for Europe to become one of the greatest African footballers of all time but it was in the city of Douala that he first made his name and where residents continue to idolise the former Barcelona superstar.

China Unicom says no 'justifiable grounds' for US ban
China Unicom said Friday there were no "justifiable grounds" for a US order that banned the company from operating in the country on national security concerns.

Not easy being green: China's 'health codes' define Covid-era life
Days after buying over-the-counter medicine from a pharmacy in Beijing, university student Yu was stunned to find her prized green health code -- the essential rating needed to enter the city's shops, offices and public transport -- was gone.

Covid-hit Dupont 'lifts spirits' with Toulouse return after GQ cover shoot
France captain Antoine Dupont is expected to play his first game in seven weeks on Saturday as champions Toulouse welcome Racing 92 in the French Top 14 after the scrum-half suffered a knee issue and contracted coronavirus.

China quietly locks down area near Beijing with Olympics a week away
Chinese authorities locked down an area neighbouring the capital city of Beijing this week following a handful of reported Covid cases, but made no public announcements about the fresh restrictions with just a week until the Winter Olympics.

Kyrgyzstan says ceasefire reached with Tajikistan after lethal clashes
Kyrgyzstan said it had reached a ceasefire with Central Asian neighbour Tajikistan on Friday following the latest lethal flare up at the pair's contested border.

Ex-government workers mine for salvation in Afghan mountains
In the bone-splitting chill of the Afghan mountains, Mohammad Israr Muradi digs through coarse earth spilling from the open mouth of an emerald mine.

Mladenovic-Dodig win Australian Open mixed doubles title
France's Kristina Mladenovic and Croatia's Ivan Dodig were crowned Australian Open mixed doubles champions Friday with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Australian pair Jaimee Fourlis and Jason Kubler.

Debacle on ice: The strange journey of China's Olympic hockey team
The Chinese men's hockey team were lined up as lambs to the slaughter for the NHL's stars and nearly barred from their own Olympics. Now, against all hope, they just might not get blown off the ice.

Unique expo places Saint Laurent among Paris treasures
Tucked away like Easter eggs in the most prestigious Paris museums, a unique commemoration of designer Yves Saint Laurent cements his status among the greats of French cultural history.

US, Canada win to lead CONCACAF World Cup race
Canada and the United States stayed on course for World Cup qualification with crucial wins on Thursday as Mexico reignited their campaign with victory over Jamaica.

Myanmar's Suu Kyi: Prisoner of generals
Myanmar's latest democracy struggle enters its second year with its best-known figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi isolated from the fight, a prisoner of the generals behind the coup and facing the rest of her life in prison.

German industry seeks ladder out of supply chain woes
A new warehouse with a freshly unboxed smell is the consequence of the coronavirus pandemic for the German ladder, stool and scaffold-maker Munk.

The Myanmar nun who faced down a junta
Almost a year after she knelt in the dust to beg Myanmar police not to shoot anti-coup demonstrators, Sister Ann Rose Nu Tawng still shakes at the memory of the day she says God saved her.

'Living in a dark era': one year since Myanmar's coup
Hours before Myanmar's new parliament was due to convene last February, troops rounded up lawmakers in dawn raids, ending a brief democratic interlude and setting the stage for months of bloodshed.

Asian markets mixed as torrid week draws to close
Asian markets were mixed on Friday, at the end of a broadly damaging week for global investors as the Federal Reserve gave notice that the days of ultra-cheap cash were coming to an end quicker than some had envisaged.

Beijing Olympics ready to go but controversies, Covid weigh heavy
A Winter Olympics overshadowed by diplomatic boycotts and concerns about human rights, Covid and the safety of Peng Shuai begins next Friday in a vast "bubble" in the Chinese capital Beijing.