French President Emmanuel Macron began a round of thorny consultations with political leaders on Friday, hoping to cobble together a viable ruling coalition after last month's inconclusive election.

Taiwan leader urges unity on Chinese attack anniversary. Taiwanese must "unite as one" against the threat from China, President Lai Ching-te said Friday from an outlying island just a few kilometres from the Chinese mainland, on the anniversary of a deadly artillery attack.

Flood deluge worsens in Bangladesh with millions affected. Flash floods wrought havoc in Bangladesh on Friday as the country recovers from weeks of political upheaval, with the death toll rising to 13 and millions more caught in the deluge.

With huge data centres set to drive up already outsized energy demand, the tiny city-state of Singapore is looking to Australia's deserts and Malaysia's rainforests for clean power.

Humpback whale freed from Sydney Harbour after 22-hour ordeal. A juvenile humpback whale was freed Friday after it was entangled in ropes and buoys in the harbour of Australia's largest city for 22 hours.

Pacific leaders confront 'polycrisis' of rising seas and climbing tensions. Pacific island leaders gather for a key summit in the Kingdom of Tonga on Monday, aiming to navigate rapidly rising seas, damaging great power rivalries and violent unrest in New Caledonia.

No 'surprise guest' at DNC after speculation grips social media. Online speculation about a "special guest" at the Democratic National Convention's final night proved to be misguided when no unscheduled stars crashed the party.

A massive 2,492-carat diamond -- the second largest in the world -- has been discovered in Botswana, the Canadian mining company that found the stone announced Thursday.

UK Labour's move to tax private schools stirs passions. UK's Labour government has vowed to tax private schools in order to boost public education and create thousands of teaching posts, but the policy is causing concern for families already hard-pressed to meet the fees.

Harris vows 'new way forward' for America as she accepts nomination. Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic presidential nomination in Chicago on Thursday before a rapturous crowd, pledging a "new way forward" and warning that Donald Trump will take America backward if he wins November's blockbuster election.

As red, white and blue balloons streamed onto a Chicago stage and people danced in the aisles, Kamala Harris waved to supporters and basked in the crowd's adulation after the speech of her political life.

Harris basks in party's adulation as she accepts presidential nomination. As red, white and blue balloons streamed onto a Chicago stage and people danced in the aisles, Kamala Harris waved to supporters and basked in the crowd's adulation after the speech of her political life.

It was Kamala Harris's big night Thursday but she wasn't the only US Democrat to knock it out of the park during a week of rousing speeches, celebrity cameos and lashings of hope and joy.

Harris accepts Democratic nomination with pledge of 'new way forward'. Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic presidential nomination in Chicago on Thursday before a rapturous crowd, pledging a "new way forward" if she beats Republican Donald Trump in November's blockbuster election.

Houston rookie Spencer Arrighetti threw six shutout innings and Astros newcomer Ben Gamel had a pair of run-scoring hits in a 6-0 victory against the host Baltimore Orioles on Thursday night. Shawn Dubin worked two innings and Caleb Ferguson threw in the ninth to complete the combined three-hitter in the opener of a four-game series between American League playoff contenders. Gamel came through at the plate in his Astros debut. Before Thursday, Gamel -- a veteran of more than 700 games -- had played in only 24 games across a two-season span. This year, he batted .217 in 18 games with the New York Mets before he was claimed off waivers by the Astros. The Astros are back on track after losing their previous two games. They've won 12 of 15 overall. The Orioles left seven runners on base as they lost for the fifth time in their last seven games. Arrighetti (6-11) held the Orioles to three hits and one walk with six strikeouts. Arrighetti had completed at least five innings in his past seven starts but had only one victory in that span. The Astros were just 1-7 in his last eight games. Orioles ace Corbin Burnes (12-6), the American League starter in the All-Star Game last month, lost his second straight game. He gave up six runs (five earned) on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings with two strikeouts and two walks. Burnes didn't allow a hit through the first three innings, but Jose Altuve drew a leadoff walk in the fourth. Altuve scored on Yordan Alvarez's one-out single before Gamel drove in the second run of the inning with a two-out single. Gamel provided another two-out, run-scoring single in the sixth as the Astros stretched their lead. Houston went up 4-0 after Jake Meyers' bunt produced another sixth-inning run. The outburst continued with Shay Whitcomb's two-run single, putting an end to Burnes' stint. Limited to three hits, the Orioles got a first-inning double from Gunnar Henderson and a second-inning double from Ryan Mountcastle, but neither hit resulted in a rally. --Field Level Media.

Paul Skenes threw six shutout innings to help the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 7-0 win against the visiting Cincinnati Reds in the opener of their four-game series on Thursday evening. Skenes (8-2) limited the Reds to two hits in the 17th start of his rookie season. The right-hander struck out nine and walked one on 87 pitches. Bryan De La Cruz had three hits and three RBIs, Bryan Reynolds had two hits, an RBI and a run scored and Yasmani Grandal homered for the Pirates, who had lost three of four. Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo (9-6) breezed through the first four innings before running into trouble in the six-run fifth. He allowed five runs on just two hits, struck out nine and walked three in 4 2/3 innings. Lodolo gave up a two-out walk to Connor Joe in the second, but that was the only baserunner until De La Cruz hit a ground-rule double down the right field line with two outs in the fourth. Lodolo couldn't get out of the fifth inning, however. He issued a one-out walk to Jared Triolo, a two-out walk to No. 9 hitter Michael A. Taylor and then hit Isiah Kiner-Falefa with a pitch to load the bases. Reynolds hit a grounder up the middle that shortstop Elly De La Cruz stopped. He tried a backhand flip to second for the forceout, but was late, allowing Triolo to score for a 1-0 lead. Kiner-Falefa continued around second base on the play and headed toward third, which was still occupied by Taylor. Instead of running toward third base, Reds second baseman Santiago Espinal threw the ball to third, allowing Kiner-Falefa to safely return to second and keep the bases loaded. Joey Bart was then hit by a pitch, forcing in a run to make it 2-0 and end Lodolo's night. Jakob Junis came in and Bryan De La Cruz greeted him with a double over the head of right fielder Amed Rosario, scoring all three runners for a 5-0 lead. Oneil Cruz followed with an RBI single up the middle to make it 6-0. Grandal blasted a solo home run in the sixth to extend the lead to 7-0. --Field Level Media.

Once 'canceled,' The Chicks take center stage at Democratic Convention. More than two decades after country music shunned them for famously repudiating then US president George W. Bush, The Chicks sang the national anthem at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday.

Nestle CEO Schneider to step down after eight years at helm. Nestle chief executive Mark Schneider is leaving the Swiss food group after eight years in charge and will be replaced by Latin America boss Laurent Freixe, the company said Thursday.

A new volcano erupted on the Reykjanes peninsula in southwestern Iceland late Thursday, spewing hot lava into the air in the sixth eruption to hit the region since December, authorities said.

Harris accepts Democratic nomination with vow to unite America. Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic presidential nomination in Chicago on Thursday in front of a rapturous crowd, pledging a "new way forward" if she beats Republican Donald Trump in November's blockbuster election.