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Only nine oil tankers, cargo and container ships, some of which at times concealed their position, have been recorded crossing the Strait of Hormuz since Monday, according to MarineTraffic data analysed by AFP.

Mexico said Friday it would deploy nearly 100,000 security personnel to protect fans at the football World Cup in three host cities, one of which, Guadalajara, has been plagued by cartel violence.

The United States insists it attacked Iran to curb "direct threats" from the Islamic republic, but legal experts say the dangers cited by Washington do not justify war under international law.

Switzerland announced Friday it wanted to buy 30 US F-35A fighter jets rather than 36 after Washington hiked the price, and said its broader defence set-up needed repurposing to face current threats.

British detectives investigating sexual assault claims against late business magnate Mohamed Al-Fayed said Friday they had questioned three women on suspicion of "aiding and abetting rape" and "human trafficking for sexual exploitation".

Crude prices surged higher Friday as oil fields in Iraq came under attack and US Donald Trump demanded Iran's unconditional surrender, while stocks slumped after data showed a surprise drop in jobs in the United States.

Antoine Dupont on Friday urged France to stay focused on beating Scotland at Murrayfield rather than become distracted by thoughts of another Six Nations title.

From Kurdistan in western Iran to the shores of the Gulf and in Tehran, AFP reporters have spoken to Iranians throughout the week to build a picture of their lives under daily US and Israeli bombardment.

Barcelona swept to a domestic treble last season but fell agonisingly short in the Champions League, beaten in the semi-finals by Inter Milan, making it their clear priority this year.

Ukraine is preparing to despatch military drone specialists to Gulf states to help them fend off Iranian-designed drones -- something the Ukrainian army has been doing since the start of Russia's invasion.

Roma, battling for a Champions League spot in Serie A, will be without Argentine striker Paulo Dybala for over six weeks with a knee injury, Italian media reported on Friday.

As US and Israeli war planes pummel Iran with daily strikes, witnesses say that civilian deaths, damage to infrastructure and anxiety are mounting while security forces remain an intimidating presence on the streets.

Maro Itoje has called on England to "take the game to Italy" as they seek to salvage some pride in Rome on Saturday after the collapse of their Six Nations campaign.

Planet Labs PBC, a leading provider of high resolution images taken from space, said Friday it would hold back for 96 hours images of Gulf states targeted by Iranian drone attacks.

Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu has urged his team to rise to a "massive" challenge when they host champions France at Murrayfield on Saturday as they seek to stay in the Six Nations title race.

President Donald Trump said Friday that only Iran's "unconditional surrender" would bring an end to the Middle East war, as Tehran was rocked by some of the heaviest US-Israeli strikes of the spiralling, week-long conflict.

The US Justice Department released additional files Thursday related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including previously withheld FBI interview summaries containing uncorroborated allegations that President Donald Trump sexually assaulted a minor decades ago.

The United States and France have promised to secure oil shipping threatened by the Middle East war, but experts warn warship availability and Iran's wide range of weaponry could make this complicated.

Captain Michele Lamaro said on Friday that if Italy really want to be competitive in the Six Nations, they have to start beating the best teams.

New Zealand will be ready to pounce if India's bowling star Jasprit Bumrah falters in the T20 World Cup final said all-rounder Glenn Phillips on Friday.

Crude prices surged higher Friday as oil fields in Iraq came under attack and US Donald Trump demanded Iran's unconditional surrender, while stocks slumped after data showed a surprise drop in jobs in the United States.

US retail sales declined by 0.2 percent in January, according to delayed government data released on Friday, missing some analysts' expectations amid persistent concerns that consumption in the world's biggest economy is slowing.

Global energy prices have shot upwards after the US and Israel unleashed war in the Middle East, but just how far those shocks will ripple across the economy remains unclear.

The United Nations on Friday demanded swift investigations into fatal Israeli strikes across Lebanon to decide if they complied with international law.

Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior said Friday he has no fixed number one goalkeeper after dropping Robert Sanchez from his starting line-up in midweek.

A surge in natural gas prices since the Middle East war erupted has sparked renewed debate about Europe's electricity market, where prices are still linked to gas.

Israel’s air force has struck deep inside Iran with devastating precision, killing even the country’s supreme leader within minutes of the war’s outbreak -- a feat experts say reflects years of elite pilot training and combat experience.

German media group Axel Springer said Friday it had agreed to buy right-wing British newspaper The Telegraph in a surprise move, as the UK government investigates a rival bid.

The United States unexpectedly lost jobs in February while unemployment edged up, government data showed Friday, piling pressure on President Donald Trump's economic agenda as key midterm elections approach.

Iran's sole competitor at the Paralympics in Milan-Cortina has been forced to pull out of the Games due to the ongoing war in the Middle East, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said on Friday.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Friday that "loyal cooperation" should prevail over "confrontation" in relations with the United States after tensions over Madrid's opposition to Washington's use of its bases against Iran.

In the lobby of a vocational school packed with hundreds of people, Zeinab Moqdad, who fled Beirut's southern suburbs, rages at a new war between Hezbollah and Israel whose consequences she is once again forced to bear.

The United Nations rights chief called Friday for answers after a deadly strike on an Iranian elementary school, as a media investigation concluded the United States was most likely responsible.

AC Milan face Serie A leaders Inter this weekend knowing the derby could offer a last chance to apply pressure.

Italian skier Laura Pirovano vowed to "savour this victory" after finally claiming her first World Cup win on Friday in the first of two downhills on home snow in Val di Fassa.

Iceland's government on Friday proposed that a referendum be held on August 29 on resuming the country's EU membership talks after they were terminated in 2015.

Hungary will expel seven detained Ukrainians, the government said Friday, as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky traded threats in a row over stalled Russian oil supplies.

Shohei Ohtani blasted a home run to ignite Japan's World Baseball Classic campaign as the defending champions thrashed Taiwan 13-0 in their tournament opener in Tokyo on Friday.

A US submarine this week torpedoing an Iranian warship during the Middle East conflict raised the crucial question of who controls the seas during wartime.