
Seven-Day Sanctions Showdown

Trump vs. EU: A good deal?

Zelenskyy anti-graft gamble

Why China props up Putin

US raises bounty on Venezuela's Maduro to $50 mn

Lebanon cabinet meets again on Hezbollah disarmament

France's huge wildfire will burn for days: authorities

Bolivia right-wing presidential hopeful vows 'radical change'
Politics
Trump says would meet Putin without Zelensky sit-down
US President Donald Trump said Thursday he would meet with Vladimir Putin for upcoming talks on the Ukraine war even if the Russian leader had not sat down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Politics
Trump offers data to justify firing of labor stats chief
US President Donald Trump on Thursday alleged that jobs data had been "purposely" altered by the government's commissioner of labor statistics to bolster his predecessor Joe Biden, presenting different figures in the wake of her firing.
Last news

US, Belarus army chiefs speak to avoid drill 'miscalculation': Pentagon
US and Belarusian defense chiefs held rare telephone talks on Thursday to avoid a "miscalculation" during Russia-Belarus joint military drills, the Pentagon said, at a time of heightened tensions over the Kremlin's massing of troops near Ukraine.

NBA Nets trade Harden to 76ers in deal for Simmons, others: reports
Three-time NBA scoring champion James Harden was traded by the Brooklyn Nets to the Philadelphia 76ers in a deal for Australian Ben Simmons and others, according to mutliple reports Thursday.

US woman held hostage saved after failing to share Wordle score
A woman in the US city of Chicago was rescued from being held hostage for hours, after her failure to share her daily Wordle score alerted her family something was wrong.

Boxer-turned-mayor Klitschko vows 'to take up arms' for Ukraine
Heavyweight boxing champion turned Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko says he is ready "to take up arms" defending Ukraine against a feared Russian invasion.

Russia launches Belarus drills, revving up fears of Ukraine invasion
Russia rolled its tanks across Belarus on Thursday for live-fire drills that drew an ominous warning from NATO and added urgency to Western efforts to avert a feared invasion of Ukraine.

Musk to give rare presentation on ambitious Starship rocket
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk is set Thursday night to deliver an eagerly-awaited update on SpaceX's Starship, a prototype rocket the company is developing for crewed interplanetary exploration.

Macron calls for 14 new reactors in nuclear 'renaissance'
French President Emmanuel Macron called Thursday for a "renaissance" for the country's nuclear industry, saying he wanted up to 14 new reactors to power the country's transition away from fossil fuels.

Canada truckers block new border crossing, fuel copycat protests
Trucker-led protests against coronavirus restrictions in Canada shut down a new US border crossing on Thursday, as copycat movements gathered steam as far afield as Europe and New Zealand.

'12 hurt' in Yemen rebel drone attack on Saudi airport
Twelve people were injured by falling debris Thursday as the Saudi military blew up a Yemeni rebel drone targeting an airport close to the border, officials said.

Stocks slide as US inflation surges
US stock markets slid on Thursday as data showed inflation jumping to a four-decade high, raising concerns that the Federal Reserve may move aggressively with interest rate hikes.

USA spoils host China's hockey debut in 8-0 thrashing
The United States spoiled Olympic hosts China's first-ever appearance in men's hockey with an 8-0 thrashing on Thursday as the geopolitical rivals faced off in a wide-open Beijing tournament lacking NHL glamour.

Luc Montagnier: HIV discoverer who ended a pariah
French researcher Luc Montagnier, who has died at 89, shared the Nobel medicine prize for his vital early discoveries on AIDS, but was later dismissed by the scientific community for his increasingly outlandish theories, notably on Covid-19.

NATO seeks new chief and women top candidates' list
When outgoing NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg returns home to head Norway's central bank later this year the western alliance will need a new champion, and for the first time she is expected to be a woman.

California suit accuses Tesla of racial segregation at factory
California has sued Telsa alleging discrimination and harassment against Black workers at the electric carmaker's San Francisco area factory, which the complaint called a "racially segregated workplace."

Vettel defends race director after controversial end to F1 season
Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel believes Michael Masi should remain in his role as Formula One race director despite his controversial call that effectively decided the 2021 world title.

Astra warns on falling Covid treatment sales after record year
British Covid vaccine maker AstraZeneca on Thursday warned that coronavirus product sales and profit margins would drop this year as the pandemic recedes and after record-high group revenue in 2021.

Trucker protests disrupt car plants in US, Canada
Large automakers have cut back production at several US and Canadian plants due to trucker-led protests over Covid rules that have blocked a key bridge between the two countries, the carmakers said Thursday.

Detained Eritrean Orthodox ex-leader dies at 94
The former head of Eritrea's Orthodox church, who spent more than a decade under house arrest, has died aged 94, church officials and a London-based religious rights group said Thursday.

France says won't stand for Canada-style 'Freedom Convoys'
French police warned Thursday they would prevent so-called "Freedom Convoys" from blockading Paris, as protesters against Covid rules began to drive towards the capital.

Libya parliament names rival PM in challenge to unity govt
Libya found itself with two prime ministers Thursday, after its parliament named a rival to replace the existing unity government's chief Abdulhamid Dbeibah, threatening a new power struggle in the war-torn nation.

Pochettino says PSG have both eyes on Rennes revenge
Even with a huge lead in Ligue 1 and the Champions League looming, Paris Saint-Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino said Thursday his team has a basic motivation to beat Rennes - "revenge".

US consumer price inflation hits four-decade high in January
Inflation in the United States was as hot as ever last month, with consumer prices seeing their largest annual jump in nearly four decades as costs rose for a wide range of items.

Arthouse favourite Andre Wilms dies aged 74
French actor Andre Wilms, who appeared in a string of arthouse hits by cult Finnish film director Aki Kaurismaki, has died at the age of 74.

Twitter sticks with ambitious targets despite earnings miss
Twitter on Thursday reported that revenue and its user base grew less than expected, but the platform stuck with ambitious growth targets for the coming years.

EU chief unveils 150-bn-euro investment plan for Africa
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday unveiled plans to muster investment of more than 150 billion euros for Africa, proclaiming Europe to be the continent's biggest and "most reliable" partner.

Brazil's Bolsonaro condemns Nazism after podcast row
President Jair Bolsonaro has waded into a swirling controversy over Nazism unleashed by a popular podcast in Brazil, saying it should be repudiated along with every other totalitarian ideology, including Communism.

Infantino says World Cup will be health 'benchmark' for global sporting events
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said Thursday this year's World Cup finals in Qatar will become a "benchmark" for holding future global sporting events during a health crisis.

Sting sells entire songwriting catalog to Universal
Sting has sold his songwriting catalog -- including solo works as well as hits with The Police like "Roxanne" -- to Universal Music Group, the company said Thursday, the industry's latest such blockbuster transaction.

Gender flip of film classic opens Berlin fest under virus cloud
A gender-swapped update of a German cult classic on Thursday opened the Berlinale, Europe's first major international film festival of the year, which organisers are staging as a live event despite surging coronavirus infections.

Largest ever cut diamond at auction sells for £3.2 million
The Enigma, the largest cut diamond ever to come to auction, went under the hammer in London on Wednesday for £3.16 million ($4.3 million, 3.8 million euros) having recently gone on display for the first time.

YouTube woos creators to fend off competition
YouTube on Thursday laid out goals for the year that included making the lives of creators easier and boosting a popular format that rivals TikTok.

Jamaican bob team proud to add to 'Cool Runnings' legacy
Jamaica's bobsleigh crew at the Beijing Olympics say it's an honour to carry on the legacy of the pioneers who represented the Caribbean island at the 1988 Games as told in the movie "Cool Runnings".

Indonesia to buy French warplanes as Paris boosts Asia alliances
Indonesia on Thursday ordered 42 Rafale fighter jets from France and may acquire two French submarines, as Paris and Jakarta seek to strengthen military ties in the face of growing tensions in the Asia-Pacific.

Russian Olympic skater Valieva tested positive for banned drug: reports
The 15-year-old figure skating sensation Kamila Valieva, who led Russia to team gold at the Beijing Olympics this week, tested positive for a banned heart medication before the Games, Russian media have reported.

Pollution clean-up aims to create Gaza's first nature reserve
The road meandering towards Gaza Valley is notorious for the stench of pollution choking the plant and animal life that once flourished in the Palestinian enclave's biggest wetland.

French minister condemns headscarf ban for Muslim footballers
France's gender equality minister threw her support on Thursday behind Muslim women footballers who are seeking to overturn a ban on players wearing headscarves on the pitch.

Bangladesh cricketer tried in rare adultery case
Bangladeshi national cricketer Nasir Hossain has gone on trial charged with adultery after a man claimed the batsman illegally married his wife, lawyers said Thursday.

Ireland suffer huge blow as Sexton ruled out of France clash
Ireland's talismanic captain Johnny Sexton will miss this weekend's Six Nations clash with France in Paris due to a hamstring injury, the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) said on Thursday.

ArcelorMittal sees financial 'risk' in decarbonisation
Global steel giant ArcelorMittal posted on Thursday a record annual profit in 2021 but warned that reducing its carbon emissions posed a financial risk to the group.