India's island choke point
China’s lithography leap
China’s cartel lifeline
Australia limits migration
Defiant Sabalenka motivated by US Open defeat
South Africa defeat New Zealand 43-28 to complete 3-1 series victory
Houthis say hit Saudi base after renewed fighting with Yemeni govt forces
Rybakina triumphs in US Open, denies Sabalenka three-peat
Sports
Gilbert Arenas questions Jonathan Kuminga's decision to join Minnesota
Former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas criticized Jonathan Kuminga's two-year, $12.4 million agreement with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Kuminga has defended the move by saying he wanted to join a winning culture after contract discussions with the Lakers did not produce a deal.
Sports
Akron fan's honorary play-calling stint ends with opening-drive fumble
Akron season-ticket holder Marty Whims II served as honorary offensive coordinator for the opening drive against Robert Morris on Saturday. His stint ended when receiver Marcel Williams fumbled on third-and-11.
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France, Switzerland agree on Rhone, Lake Geneva water management
France and Switzerland on Thursday signed two agreements on how to manage their shared waters of Lake Geneva and the River Rhone -- an increasingly pressing issue as climate change takes its toll.
US trade gap widest in 4 months as imports surged ahead of tariffs
The US trade deficit expanded more than expected in July to its widest in four months, government data showed Thursday, on a surge in imports before a fresh wave of President Donald Trump's tariffs kicked in.
Portugal mourns 16 killed in Lisbon funicular crash
Portugal held a day of national mourning on Thursday after one of Lisbon's famous funicular trains violently derailed and killed 16 people, including foreigners, and leaving five seriously injured.
Alarm in Germany as 'dangerous' Maddie suspect set to walk
German law enforcement authorities have voiced alarm that the "dangerous" chief suspect in the 2007 disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann will soon leave prison and could flee the country.
Italian fashion icon Giorgio Armani dead at 91
Italian fashion legend Giorgio Armani, king of a high-end lifestyle empire, has died at the age of 91 "surrounded by his loved ones", his company said Thursday.
Pro-Palestinian protests rock Spain's Vuelta cycling race
Spain's premier cycling race, La Vuelta, has been shaken by pro-Palestinian protests which riders believe have put them at risk and threaten to derail the event.
Tourists and locals united in grief after Lisbon funicular crash
Tourists and locals wrestled with shock and dismay on Thursday in Lisbon, a day after one of city's famed funiculars -- climbing railways that serve both communities -- came off the tracks and crashed, killing 16 people.
Comedy writer at centre of UK free-speech row in court on harassment charge
Award-winning comedy writer Graham Linehan, whose recent arrest reignited a UK row over freedom of speech, appeared in court Thursday to face separate charges over "abusive and vindictive" posts against a transgender person.
Europe leaders call Trump after Ukraine security guarantees summit
European leaders on Thursday spoke to US President Donald Trump after holding a summit with President Volodymyr Zelensky on security guarantees for Kyiv in the event of a peace accord to end Russia's three-and-a-half war against Ukraine.
French museum hit by 9.5 mn euro porcelain heist
Thieves snatched three porcelain works worth millions of euros and classed as national treasures in a heist at a French collection in the small hours of Thursday, the museum said.
Berlusconi media group takes control of German broadcaster
Italy's MediaForEurope (MFE) announced Thursday it had taken control of one of Germany's biggest private broadcasting groups, as it seeks to build a pan-European group able to compete with streaming giants.
European court faults France over sexual consent rules
The European rights court on Thursday found France's laws on sexual consent are insufficient, ruling against the authorities in a case involving a woman who accused her boss of coercing her into an abusive relationship.
Rain adds to misery of Afghan quake survivors
Four nights and days since the earth shook and levelled his home in eastern Afghanistan, Khan Zaman Hanafi thought he had endured the worst, until the rain came.
Rubio eyes tough-security ally in Ecuador
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to discuss bolstering security cooperation Thursday in violence-swept Ecuador, as he champions a shoot-first crackdown on the region's criminal groups.
Afghanistan quake deadliest in decades, killing over 2,200
The death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan at the weekend rose sharply to more than 2,200 on Thursday, according to a new toll, making it the deadliest in decades to hit the country.
Coffee and cash: how Hamas pays its civil servants in secret
One of thousands of public servants in Gaza's Hamas-run government, Karim, a public works ministry employee, received what seemed like an ordinary message on his phone: an invitation "for a coffee".
Stock markets mixed with eyes on US jobs data
Stock markets diverged and global bonds stabilised on Thursday as investors looked to US jobs data to cement rate-cut bets.
China's Xi holds talks with North Korea's Kim in Beijing
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un met for talks in Beijing on Thursday, state media reported, while the North Korean leader is in China on a rare foreign visit.
Seniors back to work as ageing Germany battles pension burden
At age 70, Pete Maie appears nervous at the start of a job interview to work as a part-time parcel delivery driver for a German logistics company.
Spence on brink of history as first Muslim England player
Tottenham's Djed Spence said the opportunity to make history as the first male player who publically identifies as a Muslim to represent England was a "blessing" as he prepares for a potential debut.
Portugal holds day of mourning as crash toll rises to 17 dead
Portugal held a day of national mourning on Thursday as the death toll from the derailment of one of Lisbon's iconic funiculars rose to 17 people, with 21 injured.
Taiwan star Shu Qi channels her childhood trauma into directorial debut
Taiwanese megastar Shu Qi told AFP that she used her troubled childhood growing up with an alcoholic father as the basis for her directorial debut which premieres at the Venice Film Festival Thursday.
France's Ozon under the gun with big screen take on Camus classic
French director Francois Ozon has dared to do what so many other filmmakers have shied away from -- adapting one of French literature's most-read classics, Albert Camus's "The Stranger", for the big screen.
Zelensky meets European leaders on Ukraine security guarantees
European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky were meeting in Paris on Thursday to agree security guarantees for Kyiv in the event of a peace accord with Russia to end the three-and-a-half-year war sparked by Moscow's 2022 invasion.
Kolisi returns but won't captain Springboks against All Blacks
Siya Kolisi has been cleared to play in South Africa's Rugby Championship Test against the All Blacks on Saturday but will not be captain in a surprise move by coach Rassie Erasmus.
French women's boxing team barred from world champs over late gender test results
The French women's team have been barred from the boxing world championships because the results of their gender tests were not delivered on time, the French Federation (FFBoxe) said Thursday.
Asia markets mixed as Chinese stocks lose steam
Asian stock markets diverged on Thursday, with Tokyo and Seoul tracking gains made the previous day on Wall Street even as a selloff of Chinese equities intensified.
'Biggest' Women's Asian Cup can help drive change, says top official
Next year's Women's Asian Cup can help break down barriers for women in the region, a lead organiser told AFP, saying it will be the biggest tournament in its history.
Searchers retrieve bodies as Afghan quake toll expected to rise
Volunteers and rescuers were pulling nore bodies from the rubble of destroyed buildings in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday, four days after an earthquake that inflicted a death toll that was already at nearly 1,470 people, Taliban authorities said.
China's Xi at centre of world stage after days of high-level hobnobbing
Two blockbuster events in China this week were a successful exposition of President Xi Jinping's vision of a new world order -- one that puts him and his country firmly at its centre while sidelining his rival the United States.
Australia's Schmidt warns of 'super tough' Argentina test
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt predicted Thursday a "super tough" clash in humid conditions against a rampant Argentina, with no room for complacency in a wide-open Rugby Championship.
Daniel Craig leads Hollywood stars to Toronto for 50th film fest
Hollywood stars arrived in Toronto Thursday for a celebratory 50th edition of North America's biggest film festival, with new movies from Daniel Craig, Sydney Sweeney and Matthew McConaughey among a packed lineup.