Asian stocks mostly rose on Friday in line with a rally on Wall Street as a drop in oil prices eased inflation concerns, while the yen dropped against the dollar even after the Bank of Japan hiked interest rates to a three-decade high.
A Pakistan court blocked on Friday an order by the country's medical board for dozens of Afghans studying to be doctors to be expelled from colleges and universities and sent home.
Polling stations opened early Friday in Russia's Far East, kicking off a three-day election that President Vladimir Putin's party is all but guaranteed to win in the fifth year of war with Ukraine.
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Sports
Josh Allen threw a perfect housewarming for Buffalo's brand new NFL stadium as the Bills comfortably beat the Detroit Lions 41-31 on Thursday.
September 18, 2026
RECENT NEWS
Mideast turmoil, AI set to dominate UN gathering of world leaders
Politics
September 18, 2026
An Australian athlete who sparked an outcry when she kept competing despite soiling herself midway through an event in Beijing apologised Friday and forfeited her points from winning.
September 18, 2026
RECENT NEWS
South Korea's Olympic committee said Friday it filed a complaint with Asian Games organisers in Nagoya for featuring a Japanese warlord at a welcoming ceremony.
September 18, 2026
Five baby orangutans abandoned in an Indian forest have exposed a "massive" exotic wildlife trade, with traffickers smuggling increasingly rare species into the country, experts say.
September 18, 2026
Under an unmarked block of concrete in a Nairobi cemetery lie the remains of Judy, an HIV-positive Kenyan sex worker, who died just hours before she was due to meet AFP last month, one more victim of US aid cuts.
September 18, 2026
Culture
Ed Sheeran faces boycott calls and desertions, leaving the British singer with a career crisis that underlines how even the world's biggest stars are being sucked into the politics of the war in Gaza.
September 18, 2026
RECENT NEWS
Sharon Sharabi shot into the limelight in Israel after the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023 as he pleaded for the return of hostages dragged into Gaza, including his two brothers.
Inside a beauty salon in northern Sudan, a woman in a striped dress sat patiently as henna artist Najwa Mubarak painted crimson floral patterns across her hands, preserving a cherished tradition that is under threat.
Veteran goalkeeper and captain Mat Ryan was axed Friday as Australia coach Tony Popovic omitted 10 members of his World Cup squad for two friendlies against Brazil.
Michael Carrick needs a win at Fulham to ease the mounting pressure on troubled Manchester United while Tottenham are desperate for their first Premier League goal of the season against fellow strugglers Aston Villa.
September 18, 2026
Politics
The United States has approved a $24.3 billion sale of 48 F-35 stealth warplanes to Saudi Arabia, the State Department said Thursday, the kingdom's latest major arms purchase since the start of the Iran war.
September 18, 2026
RECENT NEWS
A cherished 16th-century Mexican manuscript that tells the history of the Aztecs in pictograms went on display Thursday in Mexico City, nearly two centuries after it was whisked off to France.
Juventus began their quest for Europa League glory with a 5-0 thrashing of NEC Nijmegen, while Bournemouth secured an impressive victory at Real Sociedad on their European debut on Thursday.
Venezuela has unblocked some news sites that had been censored for years, its telecom regulator said Thursday, just as US-backed political transition talks were set to resume.
Stock markets rose on Thursday a day after the US Federal Reserve raised interest rates as expected to cool inflation pressures, with falling oil prices also bolstering sentiment.
September 17, 2026
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