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Torrential rains from deadly Tropical Storm Ana subsided on Friday leaving tens of thousands of people across three countries in southern Africa cut off by flood damage, without power and living in shelters.

West African leaders on Friday decided to suspend Burkina Faso following a coup but will not impose other sanctions pending the outcome of talks with the junta, a participant at their summit said.

Barcelona's previous board, led by the club's former president Josep Maria Bartomeu, is being investigated by the prosecutor's office, sources told AFP on Friday.

The dog-loving Bidens have finally fulfilled a key White House pledge -- they got a cat.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe said Friday that the club would remain active in the January transfer window as Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimaraes is reportedly set to join from Lyon.

In the final month of 2021, Americans dialed back their spending even as incomes rose thanks to wage increases, while inflation showed signs of moderating, government data released Friday said.

President Vladimir Putin told French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Friday that the West was ignoring Moscow's security concerns over Ukraine but added that Russia would hold off from taking action immediately.

Argentine President Alberto Fernandez unveiled what he called a "reasonable" new debt repayment deal with the International Monetary Fund on Friday, the day a $700-million repayment was due.

Musa Barrow could be forgiven for seeing himself as the superstar in tiny Gambia as the country's football team prepare for their first ever Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final.

Former Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor has been banned from all cricket for three-and-a half years over breaches of the International Cricket Council's anti-corruption code, the world governing body said Friday.

Derby manager Wayne Rooney said on Friday he turned down the chance to be interviewed by Everton to stay with the financially stricken Championship club.

Caterpillar reported a jump in fourth-quarter earnings Friday on surging demand for industrial equipment, but warned that supply chain problems will probably continue to weigh on results in 2022.

German prosecutors on Friday accused six young members of a notorious criminal family of carrying out a "purposefully prepared" heist on a state museum in Dresden, as a trial opened over the spectacular robbery of priceless 18th-century jewels.

Stefanos Tsitsipas said he has spent "countless hours" talking with his father-coach Apostolos over coaching violations after yet another warning helped trigger a semi-final collapse against Daniil Medvedev at the Australian Open Friday.

Italy on Friday sought to accelerate the process of electing a new president after days of deadlock that has paralysed Prime Minister Mario Draghi's government, but parliament remained bitterly divided.

Campaigning wraps up Friday for a tightly-fought weekend general election in Portugal, with polls pointing to a hung parliament and huge gains by the far-right.

Prince Andrew has given up his honorary membership at the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews as he faces a US civil suit for sexual assault.

Rwanda said Friday it would reopen its land border with Uganda next week after a three-year closure, a major breakthrough in repairing relations between the neighbours.

French telecoms multinational Orange said on Friday it had appointed Christel Heydemann as its first female chief executive, replacing Stephane Richard, who is leaving after his conviction in a case over his past work at the finance ministry.

European stock markets tumbled Friday nearing the end of a highly volatile trading week worldwide as investors assessed the economy's recovery outlook faced with soaring inflation, rising interest rates and mixed earnings.

Daniil Medvedev won a tempestuous Australian Open semi-final against Stefanos Tsitsipas on Friday and will face Rafael Nadal, who is bidding to become the all-time men's Grand Slam leader, in Sunday's final.

Hong Kong's economy grew by 6.4 percent in 2021 but the city warned that anti-Covid measures in response to the latest outbreak may stifle further recovery, a government spokesperson said on Friday.

Rugby chiefs on Friday announced that a new law designed to improve player safety in the scrum would be trialled during the Six Nations, which starts next month.

Nearly 40 percent of people in Ethiopia's Tigray are suffering "an extreme lack of food" in the face of an extended de-facto blockade of the war-hit region, a UN agency said Friday.

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline, set to double natural gas supplies from Russia to Germany, has become a key bargaining chip for the West in its bid to stop Moscow from invading Ukraine.

A Japanese gunman was arrested after he allegedly took a doctor hostage and shot him, police said Friday, with local media reporting that the victim had died from his wounds after the 11-hour standoff.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen spoke of her shock and pain on Friday after her niece suggested she would back a rival in this year's presidential election, in what would be a heavy personal and political blow.

A funding crisis battering China's big property developers could start to shake the wider economy and global markets, the IMF warned on Friday, saying deeper reforms were needed to fully curb the threat.

China on Friday revealed a list of visiting dignitaries for next week's Winter Olympics that includes the leaders of Russia, Saudi Arabia and Egypt for an event that is being diplomatically shunned by some Western nations.

Relations have rarely been good between Albania and Serbia. But for Serbian footballers playing in the land of their erstwhile foes, the sport transcends the long standing differences between the rivals.

In her flat on the outskirts of Madrid, Pamela Ponce no longer turns on the heating despite the biting chill coming in through the windows.

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.