Aberg grabs one-stroke lead at RBC Heritage, Scheffler five back

Disney showcased the first theatrical trailer of the new Marvel franchise film "Avengers: Doomsday" on Thursday during the closing day of CinemaCon in Las Vegas.

The clip -- played twice for the enthusiastic audience at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace -- offered the first look at Robert Downey Jr. as the villainous Doctor Doom.

It marks the actor's return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the death of Iron Man in 2019's "Avengers: Endgame."

The footage also teased several dramatic moments from the movie, including a fight between Gambit and Shang-Chi -- played by Channing Tatum and Simu Liu, respectively -- and Patrick Stewart reprising his role as X-Men's Professor Xavier, warning: "Something's coming, something we may not be able to deter."

At the very end of the trailer, Chris Evans returns as his character Steve Rogers, otherwise known as Captain America, appearing before a surprised-looking Thor (Chris Hemsworth) as the Norse god's Mjolnir hammer flies into Rogers' hands.

Both Evans and Downey Jr. were on the stage at CinemaCon to present the trailer alongside the film's directors, brothers Joe and Anthony Russo.

"I said I would only come back if there was a real reason," Evans told the crowd.

"And in Doomsday, there is a very real reason that these heroes need Steve Rogers."

"Avengers: Doomsday" follows the events of "Avengers: Endgame," bringing together a host of Marvel characters new and old, including the X-Men, previously excluded from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The movie will have its US premiere on December 18, the same day as Denis Villeneuve's "Dune: Part Three."

Theater owners hope the double-whammy will be a box office bonanza, ending the year on a high note amid declining revenues.

- Sequels on the way -

Marvel's presentation was the grande finale of Disney's CinemaCon showcase.

The annual convention allows movie studios to preview their upcoming slates to theater owners and the press.

Tom Hanks, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Queen Latifah were among the superstars to showcase footage from their upcoming Disney films.

Director Jon Favreau introduced the opening scene of his new movie, the latest Star Wars flick "The Mandalorian and Grogu," out next month.

Disney also played clips from the upcoming sequel films "The Devil Wears Prada 2" with Meryl Streep reprising her role as icy fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestly, and "Toy Story 5," the latest Pixar animated film with lifelike toys Woody and Buzz Lightyear coming together more than 30 years since the original released.

pr/dga/jgc/aks

Stock markets fell Friday as investors awaited news of an extension to the Iran-US ceasefire, while crude prices edged back down following the previous day's rally.

The losses follow a healthy, record-breaking week for equities fuelled by hopes the Middle East war, which is heading into a seventh week, could be close to an end after Donald Trump said negotiators were close to a deal.

But worries abound that a shaky truce agreed earlier this month -- and which ends next week -- could fall apart and spark a fresh market rout.

The US president on Thursday struck an optimistic tone, telling reporters that "it's looking very good that we're going to make a deal with Iran, and it's going to be a good deal", adding that talks between Washington and Tehran could resume this weekend.

He also claimed Iran had "agreed to give us back the nuclear dust", using his name for the country's enriched uranium stockpile, and the deal would include "free oil" as well as the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. 

"We had to make sure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon," Trump said at the White House. "They've totally agreed to that. They've agreed to almost everything, so maybe if they can get to the table, there's a difference."

Iran has given no public indication it would surrender its stockpile.

However, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took a tough line on the situation earlier in the day, telling a Pentagon news conference: "If Iran chooses poorly, then they will have a blockade and bombs dropping on infrastructure, power and energy."

Meanwhile, some Gulf Arab and European leaders fear a long-term agreement could take six months to achieve and called for the truce to cover such a time period, Bloomberg reported.

They wanted the Strait of Hormuz -- through which about a fifth of global oil and LNG passes -- opened immediately and have warned in private of a global food crisis if that is not achieved by next month, the report said. 

Stocks fell across the region, with Tokyo, which hit a record high Thursday, among the biggest losers, with Seoul, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore also well down. 

Taiwan's TAIEX fell. On Thursday it hit a market capitalisation of US$4.14 trillion to top the UK's market capitalisation and become the world's seventh biggest, according to Bloomberg data.

That came even after the S&P 500 and Nasdaq enjoyed record closes on Wall Street.

Analysts said traders were heading into the weekend to positioning for any surprise developments.

Oil prices dropped more than one percent, a day after sharp gains, though both main contracts remain just below $100 a barrel.

There was some support from a 10-day ceasefire agreed between Israel and Lebanon that took effect at 2100 GMT Thursday.

Tel Aviv has sent troops into its northern neighbour since militant group Hezbollah launched rocket attacks in support of Iran last month. 

Hezbollah has not officially said if it will recognise the ceasefire but one of its lawmakers told AFP on Thursday that the group would respect it if Israeli attacks on its militants stopped.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the 10-day ceasefire with Lebanon offered an opportunity for a "historic peace agreement", but insisted that the disarmament of militant group Hezbollah remained a precondition.

Trump said he will invite the countries' leaders to the White House.

"While investors remain buoyed by talks of an extension in the US-Iran ceasefire and an announced Israel-Lebanon 10 day ceasefire, risk sentiment remains fragile as an immediate deal remains unlikely given that the countries remain far apart on key issues," wrote National Australia Bank's Skye Masters.

Fiona Cincotta of City Index, said: "While risks remain -- particularly around disruptions to key shipping routes such as the Strait of Hormuz -- markets are increasingly pricing in a scenario where oil prices have peaked unless tensions re-escalate."

But she warned "the outlook remains fragile. A breakdown in diplomacy or renewed escalation could quickly reverse recent gains".

- Key figures around 0230 GMT -

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 1.0 percent at 58,930.87 (break)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.9 percent at 26,163.88

Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.3 percent at 4,042.62

West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 1.6 percent at $93.21 a barrel

Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 1.1 percent at $98.31 a barrel

Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1776 from $1.1784 on Thursday

Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3517 from $1.3529

Dollar/yen: UP at 159.36 yen from 159.14 yen

Euro/pound: UP at 87.12 pence from 87.09 pence

New York - Dow Jones: UP 0.2 percent at 48,578.72 (close)

London - FTSE 100: UP 0.3 percent at 10,589.99 (close)

dan/ane

Title-chasing Manchester City face leaders Arsenal in a seismic showdown at the top of the Premier League on Sunday.

Troubled Chelsea desperately need a win against Manchester United in the race for Champions League qualification, while Liverpool are also in search of a morale boost in the Merseyside derby. 

AFP Sport looks at three talking points ahead of the weekend's action:

Arsenal must improve in 'defining' moment

Declan Rice doesn't care what the critics say about Arsenal's untimely loss of form, but the midfielder is well aware they must improve to win their "title-defining" clash with Manchester City.

Mikel Arteta's side travel to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday nursing a a six-point lead over second-placed City as they target a first English title since 2004.

Arsenal have spluttered in recent weeks, losing the League Cup final against City, suffering a shock FA Cup quarter-final defeat against second tier Southampton and crashing to a damaging loss against Bournemouth in the top-flight.

Even Arsenal's progress to the Champions League semi-finals came with an asterisk after they laboured to a nervy goalless draw that secured a 1-0 aggregate victory against Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday.

The Gunners have won just one of their last five matches in all competitions, while City are approaching top gear, having beaten Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea in their last three games.

"There's no beating around the bush. We have to perform better than we did against Bournemouth and probably Sporting as well," Rice said.

"Recently, we have made too many errors. The Etihad is the ultimate test but it's why we play this game. So, bring it on. 

"It's beautiful. I can't wait. When you're a kid, you're watching the Premier League, you see these big matches, these title-defining moments and it comes down to if you're going to be ready and how much do you want it?"

Chelsea Man Utd

Rocked by a miserable run of just one win in their last seven league games, Chelsea are on the brink of falling out of the battle for Champions League places.

Liam Rosenior's sixth-placed side have no margin for error in Saturday's game against third-placed Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.

They are seven points behind United, who lost to Leeds in their last match, and four adrift of fifth-placed Liverpool with six games to play.

A defeat against United would put Chelsea's Champions League hopes in grave danger, increasing the pressure on boss Liam Rosenior after his team were booed off following last weekend's 3-0 loss to Manchester City.

Blues midfielder Andrey Santos insisted the players are determined to turn the tide.

"We understand the fans are frustrated," he said. "We are frustrated too. When you talk about Chelsea, you talk about winning games, which we're not doing. 

"It's a difficult moment but we have to work hard and keep going. Of course we believe we can finish in a Champions League place."

Wounded Liverpool face Everton test

Unceremoniously dumped out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, Liverpool aim to make amends in their first appearance at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday.

Arne Slot's side lost 4-0 on aggregate to PSG, turning the heat up on the Liverpool boss.

Slot suffered another blow this week when France striker Hugo Ekitike was ruled out for the rest of the season with an Achilles injury.

But Reds midfielder Ryan Gravenberch knows beating Everton in the first Merseyside derby at their plush new arena would lift Liverpool's anxious fans and, more importantly, strengthen their bid to qualify for the Champions League.

"We have to pick ourselves up as Sunday is waiting," he said.

"We just want to play in the Champions League next year. We have to give it our all."

Fixtures:

Saturday (1400 GMT unless stated)

Brentford v Fulham (1130), Leeds v Wolves, Newcastle v Bournemouth, Tottenham v Brighton (1630), Chelsea v Manchester United (1900)

Sunday (1300 GMT unless stated)

Aston Villa v Sunderland, Everton v Liverpool, Nottingham Forest v Burnley, Manchester City v Arsenal (1530)

Monday

Crystal Palace v West Ham (1900)

smg/dmc

The sound of tinkling bells drifts through an alley in central Seoul, an unmistakable sign that a shaman is near -- although in this case the mystic is a robot powered by artificial intelligence.

Many South Koreans still place great value in shamanic traditions, which purport to divine a person's future based on the day and time they were born.

Practitioners, known as "mudang", wear long, colourful robes and perform dances and chants to commune with the gods -- sometimes even walking on sharp blades to demonstrate their spiritual connection.

However, at Vinaida, a cultural products store in the capital, they are computer-generated avatars on screens.

Visitor Kim Da-ae, 36, called it a "unique experience".

A visit with a real shaman can feel "scary and burdensome", she told AFP.

"But I was just walking by and read this AI sign... So I walked in with a light heart."

Portraits of virtual shamans resembling characters from the popular animation "KPop Demon Hunters" greet passersby at Vinaida, which means "I pray earnestly" in Korean.

Inside a booth, Kim typed her name, gender and date of birth into a computer, before a shaman -- a suspended mask with the image of a human face projected onto it --  asked her to explain her concern through a headset.

The technology combines voice recognition with a generative AI chatbot so that the shaman and the customer can interact.

It then refers to a centuries-old belief system called "saju", or the "four pillars of destiny", to interpret their fate according to the year, month and day of their birth.

Customers then receive a plastic "talisman" bearing a digital QR code that they can scan with their phones to read their fortunes in detail.

Across the room, a bespectacled robot uses a camera and a mechanised arm to sketch and "read" a visitor's face, foretelling their prospects.

"A bright, well-balanced fortune. Resilient in the face of change, with auspicious relationships," an impressed Kim read from a printout.

"I felt a sense of similarity with my fate because it matched my own personality, like valuing relationships while also being practical," she said.

- Twist on tradition -

Fortune-telling is deeply embedded in South Korean life, with newspapers publishing daily horoscopes based on "saju" principles.

Recent cultural hits such as "KPop Demon Hunters" -- Netflix's most-watched film of all time -- have riffed on shamanic traditions.

Vinaida has attracted around 100 visitors a day since opening in February, according to manager Kim Hae-seol. Each service costs up to 8,000 won ($5.50).

"Customers have something tangible or meaningful to take away, which is probably why there aren't many who feel dissatisfied," Kim Hae-seol said.

"We thought it had the potential to succeed, so we seized on this concept."

Customers can talk to the virtual shamans in four languages -- Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese.

Singaporean tourist Amos Chun was trying his luck when AFP visited the shop on Wednesday.

The robot shaman told him to "avoid impulse spending" -- advice he took to heart.

"It's quite a good reading, coming from AI," Chun said, laughing.

"Because that's something that I do."

kjk/mjw/pbt

A wolf that escaped from a South Korean zoo was recaptured on Friday, authorities said, after he caused a school closure, a huge nine-day search and a government gaffe over an AI-generated image.

The young male canine, named Neukgu, dug himself out of his enclosure in the central city of Daejeon on April 8 and had been on the run ever since.

Authorities deployed hundreds of officers, drones and thermal cameras to track down the elusive runaway, who kept slipping through the net despite several sightings.

He was finally caught in the early hours of Friday, with the Daejeon city government writing on X: "Welcome back, #Neukgu!"

Authorities finally caught up with the 30-kilogramme fugitive after receiving a tip about a sighting in a park in Daejeon, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing city officials.

Officials shot Neukgu with a tranquiliser dart and captured him alive, it said.

The city government posted a video of nighttime rescuers hauling a sleepy-looking Neukgu onto a sack and heaving him into a crate.

It posted photos on X of the shaggy returnee lying asleep on a veterinary bed with a muzzle over his snout.

"Veterinary examination results: Both pulse and body temperature are within normal range," the post added.

"We would like to thank everyone who offered their support to ensure Neukgu's safe and healthy return. We also apologise to the public for the anxiety and concern (this incident) has caused," the government said in a statement.

Neukgu, who was born in 2024, made his daring breakout by digging out of his enclosure and damaging a fence on his way to freedom.

His escape prompted a local elementary school to close over safety concerns, and the local government dispatched hundreds of firefighters, police officers and military troops in a bid to get him back.

Animal rights activists called for better animal protection measures after the wolf's return, noting a 2018 escape from the same facility in which a puma, Bborong, was reportedly shot dead.

"The fact that Neukgu has returned to his cage at the zoo does not signify a 'happy ending' to the incident," the Korean Animal Welfare Association said in a statement.

After his escape, an image purporting to show a light-brown wolf trotting through a Daejeon intersection was shared widely online.

The city government and several major media outlets widely shared the image, which turned out to have been generated by artificial intelligence.

An AFP analysis confirmed that the image was inauthentic. 

AFP had initially redistributed the image and later withdrew it.

mjw/cdl/tc

French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday chair a meeting of allies to consider sending a multinational force to ensure security and free-flowing trade in the Strait of Hormuz once the current conflict between Iran and the US and Israel ends.

Iran imposed the blockade on the critical shipping bottleneck as soon as the US and Israel launched the war against the Islamic republic on February 28, leading to a surge in global energy prices. Even with a shaky ceasefire in place, the US is now imposing its own blockade on Iranian ports.

European leaders are now worried that if the blockade continues, consumers will feel the effects through higher inflation, food shortages and flight cancellations as jet fuel runs out.

The leaders joining Starmer and Macron from 1200 GMT for the meeting -- which will mostly be held via video -- are due to call for a return to full freedom of navigation and address the economic consequences of the blockade.

But they will also "prepare the deployment, when conditions are met, of a strictly defensive multinational military mission, in order to ensure freedom of navigation," according to the invitation sent by the Elysee which was seen by AFP.

Officials have emphasised that such a force would only be deployed when the war came to an end. Macron and Starmer have also led efforts to create a European force to support Ukraine, which again would only be deployed when the war against Russia ends.

Starmer is expected to tell the meeting that "the unconditional and immediate reopening" of the strait "is a global responsibility", his Downing Street office said in a statement.

Starmer is to say both he and Macron have a clear commitment "to establish a multinational initiative to protect freedom of navigation" to reassure commercial shipping and support mine clearance operations, it added.

A French presidential official, asking not to be named, said allies needed to be sure "we have an Iranian commitment not to fire on passing ships and a US commitment not to block any ships leaving or entering the Strait of Hormuz."

- 'Major consequences' -

The meeting, which is set to gather some 30 leaders of European countries but also Asian and Middle Eastern nations mainly by video conference, is also a chance for Europe to display its capacities after having largely been sidelined by the US in diplomatic efforts to end the war.

Key EU players German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will be attending in person, their offices confirmed.

The talks according to the Elysee will involve "non belligerent countries" meaning that neither Iran, Israel nor the United States will be involved.

"The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has major consequences for the global economy, and therefore for the daily lives of French citizens and French businesses," France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Thursday.

Downing Street said planning is already underway for a "combined military effort as soon as conditions allow". Military chiefs are due to meet next week for further discussions at the UK's military command headquarters in Northwood outside London, it added. 

According to the French presidency, the meeting will also address concerns over the more than 20,000 seafarers aboard the hundreds of ships which have been trapped by the blockade.

"What we want to do is build a credible proposal which is essentially a third way between the maximum pressure previously practiced by the United States on Iran and the resumption of war," said the French presidential official.

Merz, whose country was initially reluctant to be involved in any mission for Ukraine, said Berlin was "willing in principle to take part" but cautioned that "we are still very far from that".

He also added the leaders would discuss the involvement of the United States. But the French presidential official said Washington -- as a belligerent power in the conflict -- should not be involved in this mission.

bur-sjw/yad

The IMF and World Bank said Thursday they are restoring relations with Venezuela, further legitimizing the interim government and opening new doors to financial support.

"Guided by the views of International Monetary Fund members representing a majority of the IMF's total voting power, and consistent with long standing practice, the Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva today announced that the IMF is now dealing with the Government of Venezuela, under the administration of acting President Delcy Rodriguez," it said in a statement.

Over recent days, the Fund polled its members on whether they saw Rodriguez as the legitimate leader of Venezuela.

The World Bank quickly followed the Fund in recognizing the Rodriguez government, saying in a statement, "Guided by the outcome of the IMF's polling process, the World Bank Group today announced that it is resuming dealings with the Government of Venezuela, under the administration of acting President Delcy Rodríguez."

Recognition of the Rodriguez government by both institutions paves the way them to formally begin economic data-gathering, provide technical advice,  and to potentially offer financial support to the government, if Venezuela were to ask for it.

Relations between the financial institutions and Venezuela broke down in March 2019 when the Fund recognized the country's opposition -- which controlled parliament -- as the legitimate government of the South American country.

Rodriguez was the country's vice president until early January, when US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a shock overnight operation. Rodriguez was subsequently made interim president.

Since then, Washington has exerted heavy pressure on the country to open its economy to foreign investment -- especially its energy sector.

"Trump frequently and publicly talks about how much he likes Delcy and how closely they're working together," Henry Ziemer at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington told AFP. "But the institutional recognition is, I think, an important next step -- going beyond the personal to the institutional."

"It's important for Delcy's appearance of legitimacy," he said.

Beyond the funds that could now flow from the IMF and the World Bank, the institutional recognition could reassure foreign private investors who were anxious about taking bets on the country.

"I think as many green lights is good, I should say necessary for foreign direct investment to start flowing into Venezuela," Ziemer said, while noting that the security situation was still fragile.

The announcement comes during the week-long IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings that has drawn thousands of government officials, economists, investors and observers to Washington.

Behind the scenes, the US has encouraged greater engagement with Venezuela under Rodriguez.

On Tuesday the US eased sanctions on the Venezuelan Central Bank, while on the same day US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent previewed this decision, saying the Fund was "working on bringing Venezuela back in, to make it look more like a normal economy."

Rodriguez, a veteran of the left-wing "Chavista" Venezuelan political movement, is the first woman to sit atop Venezuela's government.

Her position over the long-term is not guaranteed, however.

Last week, Venezuela's opposition called for fresh presidential elections, citing the country's constitution.

pnb/mlm/sla

Sweden's Ludvig Aberg fired eight birdies in a crisp eight-under par 63 on Thursday to take a one-stroke lead in the US PGA Tour RBC Heritage, where world number one Scottie Scheffler was five off the pace.

"Anytime you are bogey free and you make eight birdies, it's a good day," said Aberg, who said solid work with his irons was key to his bogey-free effort at Harbour Town Golf Links at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

"(I) Felt like I was hitting the flights I was trying to do," he said. "I was on the correct side of the flags, those kind of things that I really like to see. Then a few putts went in on the back nine that I didn't really do on the front."

Three-under through the first eight holes, Aberg kickstarted a back-nine surge with a nine-foot birdie at the 10th.

"It was a tricky read, kind of up and over, double breaker, and that was really nice," said Aberg, who got up and down for par at 11 before another birdie at 12.

That was followed by a 22-foot birdie putt at the par-three 14th, and back to back birdies at 16 and 17.

"It was nice to see the putt on 14 go in," he said. "It was the longest putt I made today, I think. Obviously hit the right shot, short left, and then a good putt to end it off."

Aberg had a one-stroke lead over American Harris English and Norway's Victor Hovland.

Half a dozen players shared fourth on six-under 65, a group that included former US Open champions Matt Fitzpatrick and Gary Woodland.

Rory McIlroy, coming off his second straight Masters triumph on Sunday, skipped the elite signature event.

World number one Scottie Scheffler, who finished runner-up to McIlroy at Augusta National after his weekend surge left him one stroke behind the Northern Ireland star, carded a three-under par 68.

Scheffler's week started with a bogey at the par-four first, where his tee shot went out-of-bounds on the right.

"It was looking like it was going to hit those trees and I guess it flew right through them and hit (a) path and went out of bounds," said Scheffler, who admitted he didn't even know there was an out-of-bounds lurking there.

He got on track with birdies at the third, fifth and sixth and after a bogey at the seventh picked up two more strokes coming in.

"I feel like I did some good stuff out there," Scheffler said. "Conditions were tough late in the day. (I) would have liked to have had a better start, but outside of that, I felt like I executed pretty well."

bb/amz

Aston Villa demolished Bologna and Nottingham Forest beat Porto in the Europa League on Thursday to set up an all-English showdown in the semi-finals.

Leading 3-1 from the quarter-final first leg, Unai Emery's team swatted aside Bologna with a 4-0 victory at Villa Park.

Forest, 12 spots below fourth-placed Villa in the Premier League, defeated 10-man Porto 1-0 in Nottingham to secure a 2-1 aggregate success.

Villa are into their second European semi-final under Emery after making the last four in the Conference League in 2024.

Europa League specialist Emery has won the tournament four times -- three with Sevilla and one at Villarreal -- and also finished as a runner-up with Arsenal.

Ollie Watkins had scored twice in the first leg in Italy and the England striker tormented Bologna again in the 16th minute.

It was an eye-catching goal as Villa's flowing 14-pass move climaxed with Morgan Rogers setting up Watkins for a tap-in from six yards.

Watkins' 100th goal for Villa made him the club's top scorer in European competitions with 10, overtaking Peter Withe and John McGinn.

Villa missed a 25th minute penalty after Martin Vitik handled a header from Rogers, whose spot-kick was saved by Federico Ravaglia.

But it was only a temporary reprieve for Bologna as Emiliano Buendia struck with a fierce blast in the 26th minute.

Rogers made up for his penalty miss in the 39th minute, netting for the first time in 12 games with a drive that beat Ravaglia at his near post.

Ezri Konsa's 89th-minute volley capped Villa's dominant display.

"We needed to get the first goal, it was very important. They are a dangerous team away from home," Villa captain John McGinn said. 

"A great first half gets us to a semi-final, I'm delighted."

At the City Ground, two-time European champions Forest booked their first continental semi-final since the 1983-84 UEFA Cup.

Porto defender Jan Bednarek was dismissed in the eighth minute for an ugly foul that caught Chris Wood on the knee and forced the New Zealand striker to limp off injured.

- Emotion at Forest -

Forest quickly took advantage of their numerical superiority as Morgan Gibbs-White's shot from the edge of the penalty area took a hefty deflection before looping into the back of the net in the 12th minute.

Gibbs-White celebrated by holding up a shirt with Elliot Anderson's name on it in a tribute to the Forest star, who missed the game due to the death of his mother.

There was another emotional moment at half-time when former Forest striker Tony Woodwork was presented with a winners' medal from the 1980 European Cup.

Woodcock's strained relationship with then Forest boss Brian Clough led him to be denied a medal after he left the club during their run to win the competition for a second successive season.

Forest had a narrow escape when Porto's William Gomes hit the woodwork from close-range in the second-half and they rode their luck again in the closing minutes as Alan Varela struck the crossbar. 

Playing in Europe for the first time since the 1995-96 UEFA Cup, Vitor Pereira's side will hope their Europa run provides a boost in their battle to avoid relegation.

"The club and the supporters deserve it. I have a fantastic team. They have the spirit, character and quality," Pereira said.

"It's too much to think Villa now. I will think about it after Burnley this weekend."

Freiburg swept into the Europa League semi-finals for the first time with a 3-1 win against Celta Vigo.

After taking the first leg 3-0 in Germany, Julian Schuster's side finished the job in Vigo, winning 6-1 on aggregate thanks to Igor Matanovic's opener and Yuito Suzuki's double.

In the semi-finals, Freiburg will play Sporting Braga, who came from behind to win 4-2 at Real Betis, sealing a 5-3 aggregate triumph.

smg/ea

Hungary's outgoing nationalist prime minister Viktor Orban on Thursday called for a "complete renewal" of his party after suffering a crushing election defeat that ended 16 years in power.

Orban lost on Sunday to political newcomer, conservative pro-EU Peter Magyar, whose party won a two-thirds parliamentary majority in a vote marked by record turnout in the central European country.

"We cannot continue the way we have been operating until now," Orban said in his first interview since the defeat, broadcast live on the YouTube channel Patriota.

"A complete renewal is needed, and this applies not only to Fidesz (Orban's party), but to the entire national side," he said.

After a "significant" loss, Orban said he was "trying to somehow come out of this shock" and that, as party leader, he took "full responsibility".

"The first and most important task is to manage the handover of government," he said, adding the process was already under way.

"The second task is to convene the necessary bodies for renewal, such as the national assembly of delegates and the party congress. This work is already ongoing," he added.

The outgoing prime minister has also decided to skip a final EU summit next week in Cyprus before formally handing over to Magyar in early May.

"Prime Minister Viktor Orban will not attend the informal meeting of EU heads of state and government on April 23–24 due to his duties related to the handover of government," Hungary's EU minister Janos Boka wrote on Facebook earlier Thursday.

His absence will spare him a potential showdown over his continued veto of a 90-billion-euro ($106 billion) EU loan for Ukraine.

That move was the latest in a raft of decisions by Orban, an ally of US President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin, that have infuriated Brussels.

The EU previously froze aid to Hungary due to concerns over Orban's perceived democratic backsliding.

Magyar has vowed to dismantle the nationalist administration and repair relations with the EU so it will unfreeze billions of dollars of EU funds.

- EU talks -

Following Magyar's victory, EU officials will visit Hungary Friday for talks with the incoming government.

"These are preliminary talks that are taking place in order to make sure that once the government is in place, really, action can be taken if appropriate, and that we do not waste any time," said EU spokeswoman Paula Pinho.

Magyar's "regime change" also gathered pace on Thursday when the Tisza party leader said he will not use the office in a monastery towering over Budapest that was Orban's seat of power.

"Under the TISZA government, the prime minister's office will not be located in the Carmelite Palace, but in a ministry building near the parliament," Magyar said in a Facebook post.

Orban moved his office from near parliament to the Carmelite Monastery in Budapest's historic Castle Quarter in 2019.

Critics had condemned the cost of the renovation and the heavy security around the former cultural centre overlooking the Danube that the government appropriated in 2014.

Magyar has also vowed to suspend news coverage by state-run outlets that opponents said had become an Orban mouthpiece.

Staff of the MTI national news agency demanded the restoration of "editorial autonomy," in a letter seen by AFP on Thursday, with one editor saying they had "had enough of unlawful, external political interference".

burs-mg-jza/giv/rh