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Russia risks becoming embroiled in a "terrible quagmire" if it invades Ukraine, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss warned Friday, raising the spectre of a prolonged, bloody and sapping conflict for Moscow.

Italy's parliament begins voting for a new president Monday, with Prime Minister Mario Draghi tipped for election in a high-stakes version of musical chairs which threatens the survival of the government.

Vietnamese are paying hundreds of dollars for gold plated tiger models as gifts as Lunar New Year draws near, bucking a major economic slowdown caused by the pandemic.

French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova said her rivals should be "scared" after pulling off a gritty comeback win against Jelena Ostapenko on Friday at the Australian Open.

Hong Kong's government Friday warned local animal lovers not to obstruct its ongoing cull of small animals, a policy triggered when hamsters in a pet shop tested positive for the coronavirus.

India and Pakistan will lock horns in a blockbuster T20 World Cup group clash for the second year running after the fixtures for the October-November 2022 tournament in Australia were announced on Friday.

South Korea's short track speed skaters head to the Beijing Olympics next month hoping to leave behind high-profile scandals and bring glory to a country deeply passionate about the breakneck sport.

A missing World War II plane has been identified in India's remote Himalayas nearly 80 years after it crashed with no survivors, following a treacherous search that led to the deaths of three guides.

Victoria Azarenka compared her bid for a third Australian Open title to climbing a ladder on Friday -- now she needs to make sure she does not fall off.

The US Treasury on Thursday extended by one year a rule that shields Citgo, a US-based unit of Venezuela's state-owned oil company PDVSA, from being seized by creditors, the department said.

The United States and its allies have warned Moscow Thursday of grave consequences if "any" of the tens of thousands of troops massed on the border were to cross the border into Ukraine.

At least 17 people were killed and 59 injured Thursday in a devastating explosion in a western Ghana town after a truck carrying explosives intended for a mine collided with a motorcycle, the government said.

Festive garlands, white tablecloths and enticing bottles appear the moment passengers board the Eastern Express for an epic journey across Turkey's snow-capped Euphrates plateaus.

US Open champion Daniil Medvedev said he was eyeing the world number one ranking with uncertainty over Novak Djokovic's immediate playing future.

Jurgen Klinsmann rates Robert Lewandowski as the best Bundesliga striker of the modern era with the Bayern Munich star poised to inflict more misery on struggling Hertha Berlin this Sunday.

Manchester City could move 14 points clear at the top of the Premier League on Saturday but erstwhile challengers Chelsea are looking nervously over their shoulders after a slump in form.

Emma Raducanu says a key lesson from her first Australian Open is that "I've got that fight in me" after the teenager adapted her game and gritted her teeth to play through pain with nasty blisters.

Five candidates are battling to take over the United Nations' International Labour Organization, winding up two days of hearings on Friday that set out contrasting visions for the ILO's future.

A giant 18-wheel transport truck is barreling down a multi-lane Texas highway, and there is no one behind the wheel.

Former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin is serving 22 years in prison for the murder of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American.

Hundreds of traditional fisherman living just outside the Peruvian capital fear their livelihoods are ruined following an oil spill caused by a volcanic eruption thousands of miles away.

Irina Karamanos, an avowed feminist and partner of Chile's leftist president-elect Gabriel Boric, has drawn fire from women's groups for her decision to accept the "anachronistic" role of first lady.

The White House launched a charm offensive, complete with a Tom Hanks video, to mark Joe Biden's first year as president Thursday, but dire new polls and a major congressional setback told another story.

The "Doomsday Clock," representing the judgment of leading science and security experts about perils to human existence, remains at 100 seconds to midnight this year, with advances like Covid-19 vaccines balanced by rising misinformation and other threats.

Top seed Ashleigh Barty and defending women's champion Naomi Osaka can set up a mouth-watering last-16 clash as the Australian Open reaches the third round on Friday, with Rafael Nadal also in action as he targets a 21st Slam title.

Reigning champions Algeria were dumped out of the Africa Cup of Nations after an abject 3-1 defeat against the Ivory Coast as the group stage came to a conclusion on Thursday with Tunisia, Equatorial Guinea and tiny tournament debutants the Comoros all securing places in the last 16.

The US Justice department charged four Belarus officials with air piracy Thursday for last year's forced diversion of a Ryanair flight in order to arrest a dissident on board.

UK transport chiefs on Friday said that bothersome on-board train announcements would be cut in a bid to offer more peaceful journeys, a move it dubbed a "bonfire of the banalities".

Netflix on Thursday reported cooling subscriber growth as fierce competition and the pandemic weigh heavy despite hits like "Squid Game" and "Money Heist."

A tearful Adele postponed her Las Vegas residency Thursday, a day before it was due to begin.

World number four Patrick Cantlay roared out of the gate on the way to a 10-under-par 62 on Thursday and a share of the first-round lead in the US PGA American Express alongside rookie Lee Hodges.

Mexico recorded 33,308 murders last year, marking a 3.6 percent decrease compared with 2020, in a country long plagued by drug cartel violence, official figures showed Thursday.