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Olympic chief Bach hits out at 'chilling' reaction of Valieva coach
Thomas Bach said Friday it was "chilling" to see how Kamila Valieva's coach treated the Russian teenager after a doping scandal engulfing the skater culminated in an error-strewn performance at the Beijing Olympics.

Ukraine's Russian speakers worry about being 'saved' by Putin
Kyiv driving instructor Andriy Atamanyuk does not want to be saved by Vladimir Putin despite the Kremlin chief's pledge to fight "discrimination" against Russian speakers in Ukraine.

Czech bobsledder shows deafness no barrier at Beijing Olympics
Bobsleigh teams begin their charge over the ice with encouraging shouts, but Czech Republic racer Jakub Nosek has to rely on his team-mates' "rhythm" at the Olympics.

Ukraine and separatists trade claims of new shelling
The Ukrainian military and their Russian-backed separatist foes traded allegations of fresh ceasefire breaches on Friday, a day after the shelling of a kindergarten sent international tensions soaring.

Six African countries to get own mRNA jab production
Six African countries have been chosen to establish their own mRNA vaccine production, the World Health Organization said Friday, with the continent largely shut out of access to Covid jabs.

Olympic sponsor Airbnb profits from Xinjiang, Tibet listings
Olympic sponsor Airbnb has hundreds of listings in Xinjiang and Tibet, two regions where China stands accused of widespread human rights abuses and forced cultural assimilation, new research reveals.

Markets mixed as Ukraine fears return, oil extends losses
Equity markets were mixed Friday following a steep drop on Wall Street fuelled by renewed fears that Russia will soon invade Ukraine, adding to long-running angst about the Federal Reserve's plans to hike interest rates.

Hong Kong foreign domestic workers 'abandoned' in virus crisis
Hong Kong's foreign domestic workers are being "abandoned" in the current coronavirus wave sweeping the city, with some forced to sleep rough or being denied treatment after testing positive, charities warned Friday.

'F1 materials' rev high-speed Germany to Beijing Olympic gold
Germany have dominated sliding sports at the Beijing Olympics on high-speed sleds using materials "basically similar to Formula One", says one of the men who builds them.

Boy trapped three days down Afghan well dies after rescue
A five-year-old boy trapped for three days down a remote Afghan village well died moments after being pulled out alive, officials said Friday.

India court sentences 38 to death over 2008 bombings
An Indian court sentenced 38 people to death on Friday over a string of bomb blasts in 2008 that killed dozens in the city of Ahmedabad, in one of the country's biggest mass death sentences.

Asian markets mixed as Ukraine fears return, oil extends losses
Asian markets were mixed Friday following a steep drop on Wall Street fuelled by renewed fears that Russia will soon invade Ukraine, adding to long-running angst about the Federal Reserve's plans to hike interest rates.

Sri Lanka clears police, defence chiefs over Easter bombings
Sri Lanka's High Court on Friday acquitted two top officials accused of "crimes against humanity" for failing to prevent the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings that killed 279 people.

Istanbul skyline row erupts over new build near iconic mosque
The soaring minarets of the 16th-century Suleymaniye mosque paint the postcard image of Istanbul, but that is now blighted by rickety wooden scaffolding at a nearby construction site, sparking fury on social media.

Refugees in Greece face hunger, homelessness despite status
Two minutes into a Greek jobs fair interview, Hashim, a 21-year-old Afghan refugee, is offered work as a waiter at a swanky Corfu hotel.

Finland beat pesky Slovakia to reach Beijing hockey final
Finland powered into the final of the Beijing Olympics men's ice hockey for the first time in 16 years on Friday with a 2-0 win over Slovakia.

IOC chief rebukes Beijing Olympics organisers for political statements
The IOC called an immediate meeting with Chinese organisers to remind them to keep politics out of the Beijing Olympics, president Thomas Bach said Friday, after a local spokeswoman hit back at "lies" about Xinjiang.

'Grateful' Gu wins halfpipe gold for third medal of Beijing Games
Californian-born Chinese sensation Eileen Gu said she felt "a deep-seated sense of gratitude" after winning her second gold of the Beijing Olympics and third medal overall in Friday's halfpipe.

South Africa in trouble as New Zealand's Henrys dominate 1st Test
Henry Nicholls and Matt Henry spearheaded a commanding display as New Zealand built a 387-run first-innings lead that left South Africa in deep strife on day two of the first Test on Friday.

Why crypto creators want to stay anonymous
The two lifelong friends from Florida never sought the limelight, but then they built a multi-million-dollar empire selling digital art and people wanted to know who they were.

Rescuers near boy trapped in Afghan well, but rock blocks progress
Rescuers worked through the night to try to reach a five-year-old boy trapped for three days in an Afghan well, but an official said Friday a large rock was blocking their final access to the shaft.

Germany accuses Russia of 'Cold War demands' before security conference
Germany accused Russia on Friday of endangering Europe's security with demands that recall the Cold War, as Western leaders arrived for a Munich Security Conference set to be dominated by the Ukraine crisis.

Bach 'disturbed' by Valieva's Olympic performance
IOC president Thomas Bach said Friday it was "chilling" to see how Kamila Valieva's coach treated the Russian teenager after a doping scandal engulfing the skater culminated in an error-strewn performance at the Beijing Olympics.

IOC's Bach says Valieva's coach 'chilling' after Olympic collapse
IOC president Thomas Bach said Friday it was "chilling" to see how distraught Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva was treated by her coach after falling several times in the Beijing Olympics final.

Colombian police interrupt drug kingpin hearing, cite escape plans
Colombian police halted a hearing Thursday for a notorious drug trafficker who was arrested late last year, saying they had found plans for a possible escape.

Embiid scores 42 as Sixers down Bucks
Joel Embiid scored 42 points to win his personal duel with Giannis Antetokounmpo as the Philadelphia 76ers scored a 123-120 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday.

US stars Scally and Reyna face off in battle of the Borussias
US teenagers Joe Scally and Giovanni Reyna are hoping to face off for the first time in the Bundesliga when Borussia Moenchengladbach travel to Borussia Dortmund on Sunday.

Little-known bullfighting tradition lives on in UAE village
Far from Dubai's gleaming skyscrapers and renowned camel races, a bullfight is under way in the emirate of Fujairah, where the tradition continues unbeknown to most in the United Arab Emirates.

New Zealand police reject calls to clear anti-vax camp
New Zealand police ruled out forcibly clearing anti-vaccination protesters camped around parliament in Wellington on Friday, saying they did not want to provoke violence on the streets of the capital.

Sustainable designs to take centre stage at London fashion
Emerging and sustainable designers will get a chance to shine at London Fashion Week from Friday with major brands such as Burberry, Victoria Beckham and Vivienne Westwood either absent or sticking to digital formats for the five-day catwalk extravaganza.

IOC president Bach 'very disturbed' by Valieva Olympic performance
IOC president Thomas Bach said Friday he was "very disturbed" by Russian skater Kamila Valieva's performance in the Beijing Olympics final when she fell several times and seemed overwhelmed by the doping scandal that has engulfed her.

Tunisians fear more economic pain as IMF talks loom
Every day at the family grocery stall in a Tunis market, Bilel Jani sees the reality of a biting economic crisis, which for many has overshadowed Tunisia's latest political turmoil.