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Donald Trump becomes the first US ex-president to go on criminal trial Monday -- pushing the nation's legal and electoral systems to the limit less than seven months before Americans decide whether to return the scandal-plagued Republican to the White House.

Mikel Arteta will put his admiration for the "unbelievable" Unai Emery on hold this weekend as the Arsenal manager aims for a crucial win against Aston Villa.

Tiger Woods struggled to start a difficult 23-hole walk aimed at making Masters history while Max Homa and Nicolai Hojgaard charged after leader Bryson DeChambeau as the first round of the 88th Masters concluded on Friday.

The electoral commission said Friday it had appealed to South Africa's highest court to rule on whether ex-president Jacob Zuma can stand in a general election in May as political tensions heighten.

Wall Street stocks slid on Friday despite banks beating expectations at the start of earnings season as oil and gold prices shot up amid worries about the conflict in the Middle East widening.

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino said it is unfair to make judgements on his disappointing debut season with the club due to the Blues' injury problems.

Erik ten Hag admits it is vital for Manchester United to appoint the right director of football after the departure of his close ally John Murtough.

Ange Postecoglou has warned Tottenham's hierarchy Newcastle should serve as a cautionary tale for the dangers of failing to build a squad capable of coping with a Champions League campaign.

Gaza's Tabatibi family is in mourning for the second time in less than a month, after separate Israeli bombardments on buildings they were sheltering in killed more than 60 of their kin.

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti predicted Friday that Kylian Mbappe and football's other brightest young stars would bounce back strongly after disappointing showings in the Champions League.

Erling Haaland has room for improvement according to Pep Guardiola, but the Manchester City boss defended the Norway striker from mounting criticism over his performances.

Will Harrison nailed a drop goal in extra time as the NSW Waratahs snapped a five-match losing streak to beat the Canterbury Crusaders in a 43-40 thriller Friday that saw the lead change 12 times.

Tiger Woods began a 23-hole walk aimed at making Masters history while three early contenders chased leader Bryson DeChambeau as the first round of the 88th Masters resumed Friday.

Thailand's foreign minister warned that his country would not tolerate any violation of its sovereignty, during a visit on Friday to the border with Myanmar following days of clashes that have dislodged junta troops from their positions in the neighbouring country.

Fighting near the Myanmar-Thai border has sent thousands fleeing into Thailand but hasn't closed a lane of ramshackle shops in no-man's land offering bootlegged whisky, Chinese aphrodisiacs and Burmese cigarettes.

Belgian prosecutors have opened a probe into Russian "interference" in the European Parliament following allegations lawmakers were paid to spread Kremlin propaganda, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said Friday.

Residents reported heavy Israeli fire in central Gaza on Friday, with regional tensions soaring after Iran threatened reprisals over a strike in Syria this month that killed two Iranian generals.

Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas kept alive his hopes of a third Monte Carlos Masters title as on Friday he breezed into the semi-finals dismissing Russian opponent Karen Khachanov 6-4, 6-2.

At the age of 102, Melanie Berger-Volle will carry the Olympic torch as high as she can, despite her fragile shoulder, to champion the values of friendship between peoples that she defended during her time with the French Resistance in the Second World War.

Pope Francis will visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore in September, the Vatican announced Friday, an ambitious trip that could test the 87-year-old's increasingly fragile health.

Europe's stock markets rose Friday after the European Central Bank signalled a likely June interest rate cut, with London boosted by fresh hope that Britain has escaped from recession, as dealers also awaited the start of the US earnings season.

Glasgow could step in to host a scaled-back Commonwealth Games in 2026 as organisers struggle to find a willing host for the multi-sport event.

Flooding in the Russian city of Orenburg became "critical" Friday forcing "mass evacuations" as the Ural river level rises, the mayor said.

Naomi Osaka said she was driven by the fear of letting her teammates down after helping Japan take control of their Billie Jean King Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan on Friday.

South Africa's electoral commission said Friday that it had appealed to the country's highest court to rule on whether ex-president Jacob Zuma can stand in a general election in May.

A high-profile Vietnamese real estate tycoon was sentenced to death on Thursday in one of the biggest corruption cases in history, with an estimated $27 billion in damages.

Massive overseas and domestic investments offer Japan a chance to reclaim its tech crown, but to become a convincing alternative to China the country must embrace rapid innovation, experts say.

As air raid sirens rang out on the morning of October 7, Bilha Inon and her husband Yakovi sheltered in the safe room of their home in Netiv Haasara in southern Israel.

Beijing on Friday criticised the United States, Japan and the Philippines and defended its actions in the South China Sea as "lawful" after US President Joe Biden hosted a trilateral meeting in Washington.

With her owner holding her leash, Philippine pooch Hazel sniffs through rubble in a simulated search for survivors of a major earthquake in the capital Manila.

Asian markets fell Friday as traders struggled to build on Wall Street's positive lead, with hopes for a June interest rate cut fading, while earnings season gets underway in the United States amid optimism for companies' profit outlooks.

Relations between the United States and the Philippines have been in overdrive since President Ferdinand Marcos took power in June 2022, fuelled by China's growing assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific region.