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The Ireland team that confronts New Zealand in Saturday's Rugby World Cup quarter-final is brimming with "confidence" and "belief" and ready to take the Irish into the semi-finals for the first time, said Caelan Doris.

Zheng Qinwen called it "a big step" after advancing to her third semi-final of the year with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina at the Zhengzhou Open on Friday.

Grigor Dimitrov said he was playing some of the best tennis of his career as he marched into the Shanghai Masters semi-finals on Friday and a clash with Andrey Rublev.

Fabian Picardo was sworn in for a fourth consecutive term as leader of Gibraltar Friday after his centre-left alliance narrowly won an election in the tiny British overseas territory.

Xbox maker Microsoft closed its blockbuster acquisition of Activision Blizzard, whose video games include "Call of Duty" and "Candy Crush", sealing one of the biggest technology tie-ups in history after overcoming final hurdles on Friday.

JPMorgan Chase reported another highly profitable quarter Friday, but warned inflation could persist and said wars in Ukraine and the Middle East mean this "may be the most dangerous time the world has seen in decades."

Journalist Marina Ovsyannikova, who fell ill in France where she lives in exile after protesting the offensive in Ukraine on Russian state TV, said Friday that tests had not revealed poisoning.

Police have arrested a 22-year-old woman in England suspected of having made a speech backing Hamas, despite laws forbidding explicit support for banned organisations, the local force said Friday.

Palestinians carried belongings through the rubble-strewn streets of Gaza City Friday in search of refuge as Israel's army warned residents to flee immediately before an expected ground offensive in retaliation against Hamas for the deadliest attack in Israeli history.

Artist Saype, known for his murals around the world, unveiled on Friday a piece painted on rubble in the southern Turkish city Antakya, devastated by February's deadly quake.

Mushfiqur Rahim hit a fine half century to lead Bangladesh to 245-9 against New Zealand in their World Cup clash on Friday as veteran Black Caps fast bowler Trent Boult claimed a 200th one-day international wicket.

The EU failed Friday to agree extending the use of glyphosate -- a weedkiller the WHO fears could be carcinogenic -- because of division among the bloc's 27 member countries, a European Commission spokesman said.

A man of Chechen origin stabbed to death a teacher and severely wounded two other adults Friday at a school in northeastern France, with prosectors opening a probe into a suspected act of terror.

Argentina will aim to gang up on Wales's Louis Rees-Zammit in their World Cup quarter-final in Marseille, his opposite number Mateo Carreras said on Friday.

Stock markets slid Friday, having made strong gains earlier in the week, while oil prices surged on worries the Israel-Hamas conflict could impact supplies in the crude-rich Middle East.

Owen Farrell and Marcus Smith will both start for England against Fiji in the World Cup quarter-final in Marseille on Sunday.

France captain Antoine Dupont said on Friday the French coaching staff did not pressurise him to play in this weekend's Rugby World Cup quarter-final against defending champions South Africa.

Defiant Pakistan captain Babar Azam declared Friday that "records are meant to be broken" as his team looks to break free of India's World Cup stranglehold when the bitter rivals clash on Saturday.

Cricket's more than 100-year Olympic exile moved closer to ending after the sport was approved for inclusion at the 2028 Los Angeles Games by the International Olympic Committee's executive board.

The heads of the IMF and World Bank urged member nations on Friday to boost the funding firepower of the global lenders to help poorer countries combat poverty and climate change.

Grigor Dimitrov marched into the Shanghai Masters semi-finals with a 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 defeat of Chile's Nicolas Jarry on Friday to close on a first ATP title in six years.

Natural and man-made disasters have caused $3.8 trillion in crop and livestock loses over 30 years, the UN's Food and Agricultural Organization said on Friday.

Xbox-maker Microsoft and Activision Blizzard, whose video games include "Call of Duty" and "Candy Crush", are set to seal one of the biggest technology tie-ups after overcoming final hurdles Friday.

An Israeli embassy worker in Beijing was attacked on Friday, Israel's foreign ministry said.

Taiwanese semiconductor giant TSMC said Friday it has applied for -- and expects to receive -- permanent authorisation from Washington to allow the export of US chip-making equipment to its China-based factory.

France captain Antoine Dupont said on Friday he is in perfect shape to start this weekend's Rugby World Cup quarter-final with South Africa weeks after undergoing surgery for a broken cheekbone.

George North will become the first Welsh player to compete in four World Cup quarter-finals when he runs out against Argentina in Marseille on Saturday.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Jordan's king Friday about how to address a looming humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip as Israel readies a US-supported offensive following deadly attacks by Hamas.

South Africa head coach Jacques Nienaber said he believed his surprise starting half-backs of Manie Libbok and Cobus Reinach are the best men for orchestrating the defeat of hosts France in Sunday's Rugby World Cup quarter-final.

New Zealand's centre-left prime minister, Chris Hipkins, says he is "going full-tilt" to win a general election Saturday, vowing to defy polls indicating an end to his brief reign since his charismatic predecessor Jacinda Ardern stepped down.

Hong Kong added on Friday two major shark families to a list of endangered animals, whose trade in the city will now be tightly controlled under new CITES regulations.

Israel on Friday gave Palestinians 24 hours to leave Gaza City ahead of an expected ground offensive in retaliation against Hamas for the deadliest attack in Israeli history.