Pallade Veneta - News from Venice, Veneto, Venetia and Italy, as well as from around the world

A curious seagull strolled nonchalantly through the penguin enclosure at a zoo in Paris.

Streaming giant Netflix has agreed to acquire film and television studio Warner Bros. Discovery for nearly $83 billion, the two US companies announced Friday.

Heavy rains triggered fresh landslide warnings in Sri Lanka's worst-affected central hills on Friday, as the death toll from last week's Cyclone Ditwah neared 500.

Joe Root said England were "well and truly" still in the day-night second Ashes Test despite Australia seizing a 44-run lead on day two Friday in Brisbane.

Enzo Maresca said he had no choice but to rotate his Chelsea squad when questioned Friday over his team's damaging 3-1 defeat at Leeds in midweek.

Italy's President Sergio Mattarella called Friday for an Olympic truce to be respected during the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games as conflicts in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip continue.

Series leader Lando Norris topped the times for McLaren ahead of title rival Max Verstappen and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in Friday's opening practice ahead of this weekend's decisive season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

A relentless Australia took a 44-run lead over England in the day-night second Ashes Test in Brisbane on Friday, with aggressive opener Jake Weatherald and Steve Smith leading the charge.

Major stock markets mostly rose and the dollar gained slightly Friday as investors awaited the release of key US inflation data that could cement expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates next year.

President Donald Trump laid out a radical realignment of US foreign policy Friday, shifting the longtime superpower's focus from global to regional, brutally criticizing Europe as facing "civilizational erasure" and putting a top priority on eliminating mass migration.

Istanbul prosecutors on Friday ordered the arrest of 46 people, among them 29 football players, as part of a sprawling investigation into illegal betting on Turkish matches.

The European Union hit Elon Musk's X with a 120-million-euro ($140-million) fine Friday for breaking its digital rules, in a move that risks a fresh clash with US President Donald Trump's administration.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said Friday that midfielder Mikel Merino has earned the right to be considered for a striking role even when all his other forwards are fit.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday he was ready to continue "uninterrupted shipments" of fuel to India, as New Delhi faces heavy US pressure to stop buying oil from Moscow.

President Donald Trump's administration said in a long-awaited new strategy document Friday that the United States will shift from its historic global role toward increasing dominance in Latin America and vigorously fighting migration.

World Athletics has ditched a reform to the long jump that would have replaced the traditional board behind which jumps must be made.

A small French town is to offer expectant mothers 1,000 euros from next year to give birth at the local maternity ward in a bid to save it from closing.

One year after ousting Bashar al-Assad, Ahmed al-Sharaa has restored Syria's international standing and won sanctions relief.

Arne Slot insisted Friday that Liverpool have taken a "step forward" in their past two matches and believes Florian Wirtz is finally finding his feet as he attempts to save the club's season.

The draw for the 2026 World Cup takes place in Washington on Friday, with Donald Trump set to play a prominent part in a star-studded ceremony that will map the path to glory for contenders at the first-ever 48-team finals.

Double World Cup-winning Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has extended his contract until 2031, the South African rugby federation announced Friday.

Former Manchester United and England star Jesse Lingard said Friday that he will leave FC Seoul next week after two seasons in South Korean football.

Jake Weatherald blazed 72 and Marnus Labuschagne hit a sparkling 65 as Australia narrowed England's lead to 106 by dinner on day two of the day-night second Ashes Test on Friday.

Equity markets rose going into the weekend on Friday following a broadly positive lead from Wall Street as a mixed bag of US data did little to change expectations the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates next week.

Rory McIlroy fended off disaster by making the cut at the Australian Open as home favourite Min Woo Lee holed an eagle and four birdies to surge into contention Friday during a dramatic second round.

German industrial orders rose far more than expected in October, official data showed Friday, raising hopes that a long downturn in Europe's biggest economy may have bottomed out.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted Russia's President Vladimir Putin Friday, with defence and trade ties centre stage as New Delhi faces heavy US pressure to stop buying Moscow's oil.

Heavy rain in Vietnam triggered flooding that killed at least two people and caused more than a dozen landslides, state media said Friday, adding to what authorities called the "most unusual" year of natural disasters in the country's history.

The Mediterranean's first sanctuary for dolphins that have lived in captivity will open off Italy next year, as demand for re-homing rises with the closure of marine parks across Europe.

A Hong Kong university has suspended the operations of its student union after a message was posted on campus expressing condolences and urging justice for the victims of a major fire.

Most Asian markets rose going into the weekend Friday following a broadly positive lead from Wall Street as a mixed bag of US data did little to change expectations the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates next week.

Scantily clad in a sequin leotard and silver heels, a Nigeria dancer swayed to "Money" by Cardi B in an oversized cocktail glass.

Tanzania's white beaches and safari lodges are emptier than usual as the country counts the cost to its crucial tourism sector from the mass killing of protesters during recent election unrest.

Switzerland hopes to have yodelling recognised by the United Nations this month to help protect the ancestral sing-song tradition of the Alpine nation's herders and shepherds.

Free-flowing opener Jake Weatherald crunched an unbeaten 59 but Australia lost dangerman Travis Head as they chipped away at England's lead on day two of the day-night second Ashes Test on Friday, racing to 130-1 at tea.

At a bus stop in central Tbilisi, two tagged dogs dozed on a bench as some commuters smiled at them and others cast angry glances.

Survivors in Indonesia were piecing back shattered lives Friday after devastating floods killed more than 1,500 people across four countries, with fears of fresh misery as more rain looms.

Jahmyr Gibbs ran for three touchdowns and the Detroit Lions never trailed in a 44-30 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in a clash crucial to the NFL playoff hopes of both teams.

An ancient dam, pandas and ping-pong: French leader Emmanuel Macron concluded his fourth state visit to China on Friday in the southwestern city of Chengdu, striking a more relaxed note after tough discussions on Ukraine and trade with his counterpart Xi Jinping a day earlier.