Sardar Azmoun is Iran's third top scorer in history with a successful club career behind him but is set to miss out on the 2026 World Cup in an exclusion shadowed by political controversy.
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape told AFP the South Pacific island nation won't allow foreign military bases, even as Australia steps up its presence at a naval port seen as central to blocking China in any regional conflict.
A Russian drone struck an apartment building in NATO-member Romania early Friday, wounding two people in the latest spillover from the war in Ukraine and prompting strong condemnation from the Atlantic alliance and the European Union.
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Technology
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket unleashed a massive fireball into the sky as it exploded during a test on Thursday, in the latest blow to billionaire Jeff Bezos's space ambitions.
May 29, 2026
RECENT NEWS
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth is the headline speaker at Asia's premier defence summit opening Friday, but China's top officials aren't expected despite weighty questions like Taiwan and the war in Iran.
May 29, 2026
RECENT NEWS
For years, 36-year-old Ukrainian artist Olena Kharakhulakh had put her art on hold, choosing instead a steady job designing glass objects for a company.
May 29, 2026
Her mum thought she was a "weird kid" when she wanted to study art, she forged a path for black women in mixed martial arts and her family was at the centre of an alien mystery.
May 29, 2026
Spectators at a top beach volleyball competition in Japan this weekend will be banned from taking photos or videos after organisers said fans had been responsible for "malicious" shots of players.
May 29, 2026
Economy
Japan's population dropped by a record 2.5 percent in the span of five years, census data showed Friday, as the world's fourth-largest economy struggles to overcome demographic woes.
May 29, 2026
RECENT NEWS
There were no naked robots in sight at a fashion show held in Seoul with a high-tech twist, where pairs of people and humanoids hit the catwalk in matching outfits.
How do you choose just 30 artifacts from millions to encapsulate 250 years of American history?
Victor Wembanyama scored 28 points as the San Antonio Spurs forced a decisive game seven in their thrilling NBA Western Conference finals series against Oklahoma City, leading throughout an emphatic 118-91 win Thursday.
Indigenous chief Bepdjo Mekragnotire is once again preparing to lead a group of warriors to chase wildcat gold miners away from his people's territory in Brazil's Amazon rainforest.
May 29, 2026
Economy
Asian stock markets surged and oil prices receded on Friday, boosted by optimism that the United States and Iran will reach a deal to end their war that has hobbled global energy supplies.
May 29, 2026
RECENT NEWS
The man accused of helping dozens of people worldwide commit suicide by selling them poison is set to appear in a Canadian court on Friday, where he is expected to plead guilty to 14 crimes.
A Russian influence campaign hijacked hundreds of Bluesky accounts -- many belonging to influential Americans -- to spread propaganda, researchers said, in a striking disinformation tactic that weaponized authentic identities rather than relying on fake accounts.
In a crowded Kathmandu restaurant far from Nepal's famed icy peaks, Billi Bierling questions climbers about their ascents, preserving each triumph in the Himalayan Database, mountaineering's revered 60-year-old register of success.
The EU executive is set for much-heralded talks Friday on ramping up Europe's trade defences to shield critical industries from Chinese rivals -- with a growing chorus pressing for a crackdown.
May 29, 2026
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