European and Asian markets rose on Friday, tracking Wall Street gains, as China said it was considering a US offer to negotiate steep tariffs.

U.S. markets had forged higher Thursday following strong results from tech giants Microsoft and Meta that helped offset lingering economic worries.

Transgender women have been banned from playing in women's and girls' cricket in England and Wales after the governing body announced a change in policy on Friday.

British comedian and actor Russell Brand appeared in a London court on Friday to face five charges of rape and other sexual offences and said .

Brand, 49, who became known internationally as the husband of pop star Katy Perry after forging a career in Britain with his risque comedy routines, was charged last month.

Gaza's civil defense agency said Israeli strikes killed at least 20 people Friday in the Palestinian territory, devastated by war and under a total Israeli aid blockade for two months.

Israel's army said Friday it intercepted two missiles fired towards its territory from Yemen within 12 hours, with at least one attack claimed by the Arabian Peninsula country's Houthi rebels.

Lebanese authorities warned Hamas Friday that it would face the "harshest measures" if it carried out any attacks from Lebanon.

The warning by the Higher Defense Council, Lebanon's top military body, came weeks after several Lebanese and Palestinians were detained on suspicion of firing rockets from Lebanon into northern Israel.

Lebanon's health ministry said two people were killed in Israeli strikes in the south of the country on Thursday, despite a fragile ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel.

Israel's military said Friday it launched air strikes near the presidential palace in Damascus after the Israeli defense minister threatened intervention if Syrian authorities failed to protect the Druze minority.

Syria's Druze spiritual leader has condemned a "genocidal campaign" against his community after sectarian clashes killed 102 people.

A group of activists organizing an aid boat for Gaza said it was attacked on Friday by Israeli drones in international waters off Malta as they headed towards the Palestinian territory.

The United States said it expected new nuclear talks to take place soon with Iran but President Donald Trump vowed to enforce sanctions and called for global boycott of "any amount" of Iranian oil or petrochemicals.

Iran said that a fourth round of talks with the Trump administration, which had been set to take place this weekend in Rome, had been delayed.