
Saudi Arabia's Economic Crisis

Orban and Putin's Shadow Deal

California's Economy: Not Broken

Ukraine's Drones Bleed Russia

Macron says Europe must become 'space power' again

Big-name porn sites back online in France after age check row

Zverev battles into Halle semis, joined by Medvedev

Romania names pro-EU PM after months of instability
Politics
UK MPs vote in favour of assisted dying bill in historic step
Britain's parliament took a historic step towards allowing euthanasia on Friday when MPs backed contentious legislation that would introduce assisted dying for terminally ill people.
Politics
Indonesia President denies G7 snub in Russia visit
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Friday denied snubbing the G7 summit to visit Russia, in a speech at an economic forum alongside Vladimir Putin.
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Olympic sprint champion Jacobs defiant ahead of Berlin return
Olympic 100 metres champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs will return to action for the first time since his shock Tokyo victories in the 60m indoor in Berlin on Friday, just days after denying accusations of doping.

Invasion or not, Ukraine's economy is already paying price
In his open-plan office in the centre of Kyiv, tech executive Dmytro Voloshyn lists off the tricky questions he's dealt with over the last weeks as fears have soared over a possible Russian invasion.

Erdogan in Ukraine as Europe pushes to defuse Russia tensions
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan landed in Kyiv Thursday in an effort to mediate the crisis with Russia, as EU leaders stepped up outreach to the Kremlin to defuse fears Moscow could invade Ukraine.

Erdogan visits Ukraine as Europe pushes to defuses Russia tensions
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan headed to Kyiv Thursday in an effort to mediate the crisis with Russia, as EU leaders stepped up outreach to the Kremlin to defuse fears Moscow could invade Ukraine.

'Where is Scholz?': Germany's new chancellor under fire
Two months into the job, the honeymoon is already over for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, with critics accusing him of being "invisible" on the Ukraine crisis and the coronavirus pandemic.

S. Korea beat Philippines to enter first Women's Asian Cup final
Midfielder Cho So-hyun's fourth-minute goal helped ease South Korea to a comfortable 2-0 victory over the Philippines and enter their first Women's Asian Cup final in India on Thursday.

Stock markets mostly fall before European interest rate decisions
Stock markets mostly dropped Thursday as profit-taking set in after recent strong gains, as traders awaited interest rate updates from the European Central Bank and the Bank of England.

Biden battles accusations of 'weakness' against US rivals
Is Joe Biden "weak" in the face of Russia, Iran or North Korea? This is the accusation leveled by opponents of the US president, who is trying to balance a firm hand with pragmatism to overcome multiple international crises and focus on a rising China.

Cuba runs out of milk, breaking Castro's promise
In the early days of communism in Cuba, Fidel Castro had pledged that every child under seven would have a liter of subsidized milk every day.

Weather at Beijing Olympics should be better than Pyeongchang
Those competing in this month's Beijing Winter Olympics will face frosty temperatures but should be spared the Siberian winds and chill factor that sparked postponements and athlete anger during the last Games in South Korea.

Oil everywhere: Ecuador Amazonians seethe over new spill
There is oil in the water, on the rocks and in the sand where children normally play on the banks of the Coca River in Ecuador.

Five things to know about 60 years of US sanctions on Cuba
Decreed in February 1962 and still in place today, American sanctions against Cuba is one of the world's longest-running boycotts by one country against another.

Meet two women who uncovered clergy sex abuse in Colombia
They were working for a Catholic bishop and had clear-cut orders from Pope Francis himself -- probe reports of pedophile priests in a city in Colombia.

Erdogan visits Ukraine as Europe pushes to defuse Russia tensions
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan headed to Kyiv Thursday in an effort to mediate the crisis with Russia, as EU leaders stepped up outreach to the Kremlin to defuse fears Moscow could invade Ukraine.

Japanese snowboarder Yoshika suffers crash at Beijing Games
Japanese snowboarder Rina Yoshika was taken away in an ambulance after suffering a heavy fall in practice at the Beijing Olympics on Thursday, a team official said.

Spyware used on key figure in Netanyahu trial: reports
Reports that police may have used spyware on a key witness in the trial of former premier Benjamin Netanyahu dominated Israeli headlines Thursday amid global scrutiny of Israeli-made surveillance technology.

20 dead in Argentina after taking toxic cocaine
At least 20 people died and 74 more were hospitalized in a Buenos Aires suburb after consuming cocaine cut with a toxic substance, possibly opioids, Argentine authorities said Wednesday.

Kenya under fire over calls to 'weaken' forest protections
In his 15 years defending one of Nairobi's last green spaces, Simon Nganga has seen off brazen attempts to seize what's left of the lush forest bordered by highways and housing estates.

An armchair guide to the Beijing Olympics' peak moments
The Winter Olympic competition stretches over 18 days, offering the chance for remarkable athletes to showcase their talents in sports that might not be instantly recognisable to the casual fan.

13 killed in rare NW Syria raid by US special forces
US special forces hunted down high-ranking jihadists in a rare airborne raid in northwestern Syria on Thursday, killing 13 people in an operation the Pentagon described as "successful".

Turkey inflation surges to near 20-year high
Turkey's annual inflation rate in January reached its highest level since April 2002, official data showed Thursday, after a currency crisis decimated people's purchasing power.

Putin slams doping sanctions ahead of Olympics
President Vladimir Putin on Thursday slammed sanctions against Russia over doping in sports ahead of a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing at the Winter Olympics.

Nintendo raises profit forecast but cuts Switch sales outlook
Nintendo raised its full-year net profit forecast Thursday, citing strong performances by recent game releases, but it again cut its sales target for the Switch owing to global supply chain problems.

Tragic team-mate inspires Australian snowboarders at Beijing Olympics
Australia's Olympic snowboard team vowed Thursday to go for gold at the Beijing Games in honour of two-time world champion Alex "Chumpy" Pullin, who died spearfishing aged 32.

Shell swings into huge profit as oil price recovers
Energy giant Shell surged back into profit last year as oil prices rocketed on recovering demand with economies reopening from pandemic lockdowns.

Texas butterfly sanctuary shuts citing threats from Trump supporters
A butterfly sanctuary caught in the crossfire of polarizing conspiracy theories on illegal immigration to the United States said it will shut its doors Thursday, citing security concerns after receiving threats from supporters of former president Donald Trump.

Wizards surprise Embiid's Sixers, Nets slide continues
Spencer Dinwiddie delivered a triple-double of 14 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists to power the short-handed Washington Wizards to a 106-103 NBA victory over the 76ers in Philadelphia on Wednesday.

World's first malaria vaccine making inroads in western Kenya
Lucy Akinyi's three children were infected with malaria so often she would be at their local health clinic in western Kenya every other week getting them treated.

Love in the time of corona: Mountain 'tease' for Kilde and Shiffrin
Norwegian speedster Aleksander Aamodt Kilde has caught the spotlight this season not just for his on-piste form, but also as half of skiing's glamour couple alongside American girlfriend Mikaela Shiffrin.

Myanmar foreign minister barred from ASEAN meet: Cambodia
Myanmar's junta suffered a fresh diplomatic blow Thursday as regional bloc ASEAN barred its top diplomat from attending an upcoming meeting of foreign ministers.

Taliban closer to international recognition, says foreign minister
The Taliban are inching closer towards international recognition but any concessions Afghanistan's new rulers make will be on their terms, the regime's foreign minister said in an interview with AFP.

'Let the light in': Romanian Roma actress smashes stigma with new play
As a child, Roma actress and playwright Alina Serban didn't see herself represented on television, in movies or books, her stigmatised community shunned from the cultural mainstream.

Belgian Olympian 'safe' after tearful plea from Covid isolation
Skeleton racer Kim Meylemans said Thursday she was "safe" and back in the Beijing Olympic Village having been released from a Covid isolation facility following a tearful post on Instagram.

Racers revel in nerve-racking debut on untested Olympic downhill
Intimidating, stressful, nerve-racking, but great fun: just some of the reactions of the ski racers after Thursday's first men's downhill training run on the untested man-made Olympic speed slope.

Cyclone Batsurai injures 12 on France's La Reunion island
At least twelve people were injured on the French Indian Ocean territory of La Reunion Thursday as tropical cyclone Batsirai skirted the island, hitting it with torrential rains and powerful winds and leaving all residents confined to their homes.

Bach says controversial Beijing Olympics 'will change winter sports'
The Beijing Olympics will "change the scale of winter sports forever", IOC president Thomas Bach said Thursday, on the eve of a Games beset by concerns about human rights and Covid.

Tiny Taiwan Winter Olympics team weathers frosty Beijing ties
Only four Taiwanese athletes will compete at the Winter Olympics, in frosty temperatures rivalling Beijing and Taipei's relations -- which have plunged to their lowest point in years.

20 dead in Argentina after taking toxic-laced cocaine
At least 20 people died and 74 more were hospitalized in a Buenos Aires suburb after consuming cocaine cut with a toxic substance, possibly opioids, Argentine authorities said Wednesday.

Wreck of British explorer James Cook's Endeavour found: researchers
The wreck of Captain James Cook's famed vessel the Endeavour has been found off the coast of the US state of Rhode Island, Australian researchers said Thursday.