India's island choke point
China’s lithography leap
China’s cartel lifeline
Australia limits migration
Australian Simmons makes NBA comeback with Kings: reports
WHO says key warehouse destroyed by attack in Ukraine
Two broken threads on Bayeux Tapestry, no major damage: French minister
Hesson says Pakistan players used to 'chaos' after shake-up
Politics
Meloni marks record in power with eye on 2027 elections
Giorgia Meloni on Friday celebrated her hard-right government becoming the longest-lasting in Italy's postwar history with a rally in the southern port of Bari, as she gears up for elections next year.
Boulevard
Bosnian Serb war criminal to be buried Monday, amid EU backlash
War criminal Ratko Mladic will be buried in Belgrade next week, his son told media Friday, as a European Union official cancelled a visit to Serbia over the "glorification" of the former Bosnian Serb military leader.
Last news
Critically endangered elephant, unborn baby suspected poisoned in Indonesia
A critically endangered Sumatran elephant and its unborn baby were found dead from suspected poisoning in western Indonesia, a conservation official said on Thursday.
Zimbabwe's ballooning jumbo herds a growing threat to humans
Seventy-five-year-old Hanganani Gideon Dube has walked with a slight limp and his speech been laboured since he miraculously survived being trampled by an elephant in northwestern Zimbabwe.
World number 227 adds Pliskova to French Open casualty list
Karolina Pliskova became the sixth top 10 women's seed to exit the French Open on Thursday when she was knocked out by world number 227 Leolia Jeanjean.
Is Ukraine the attack helicopter's grave?
Is the war in Ukraine sounding the death knell for attack helicopters? The large number destroyed has sparked a debate among experts over whether the aircraft are under-performing or being used poorly by Russian forces.
Russian central bank slashes rate to rein in ruble
Russia's central bank cut its key interest rate Thursday following an emergency meeting, as authorities seek to rein in the ruble which has surged in value despite the conflict in Ukraine.
Shakib takes five wickets as Bangladesh bowl out Sri Lanka for 506
Shakib Al Hasan and Ebadot Hossain claimed nine wickets between them to bowl out Sri Lanka for a formidable 506 runs at the second Test in Dhaka on Thursday.
Shanghai to gradually reopen schools in June as lockdown eases
Schoolchildren in Shanghai will gradually resume some in-person classes in June with daily Covid-19 tests, the local government said Thursday, as the Chinese metropolis gradually emerges from a lengthy lockdown that brought it to a standstill.
Rhule ready to roll for La Rochelle
Springbok discard Raymond Rhule has overcome a dislike of running, the gym and stretching to establish himself as a vital cog for La Rochelle going into Saturday's European Champions Cup final against Leinster.
Germany vows Putin 'won't win' Ukraine war as Russians advance
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed Thursday that Vladimir Putin will neither win the Ukraine war nor dictate the terms for peace, as Russian troops made fresh attempts to take a key eastern city.
Stocks diverge, ruble slides tracking economic unrest
Europe's top stock markets rose Thursday after a mixed Asian showing, as traders assessed chances of a global recession in the wake of runaway inflation.
After long trek to Davos, Ukrainians await more Western aid
Ukraine's foreign minister, lawmakers and mayors made long journeys by car, train and plane to the Swiss Alps to convince global elites to send more help to repel Russian invaders.
Eleven babies die in Senegal hospital fire
Eleven newborn babies perishedin a hospital blaze in the western Senegalese city of Tivaouane late on Wednesday, president Macky Sall said.
Blinken to call for China to adhere to rules
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will call for China to abide by international rules as he delivers a major speech Thursday on America's relationship with its rival.
'One in a million' Klopp makes Liverpool a European giant again
"We are not here by any kind of magic," said Jurgen Klopp of Liverpool's third appearance in a Champions League final in five years. "We deserve this."
Taliban 'making women invisible' in Afghanistan: UN expert
The Taliban government's restrictions on women are aimed at making them "invisible" in Afghan society, a UN human rights observer said Thursday during a visit to the nation.
Mathews, Chandimal each hit tons to extend Sri Lanka lead
Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal each struck hundreds to guide Sri Lanka towards a sizeable first-innings lead in the second Test against Bangladesh in Dhaka on Thursday.
Ukraine's children of war roam rubble of eastern front
The darting eyes of the sullen boy sitting all alone on a slab of a destroyed Ukrainian apartment tower moved to the sound of shellfire.
Barking mad: Indian stadium closes early 'so official can walk dog'
Delhi authorities on Thursday ordered all sports facilities to stay open until 10:00 pm after a media report claimed that one stadium shuts early every evening -- so that an official can walk his dog.
Liverpool's Diaz from indigenous community that breeds 'toughness'
Running around barefooted on a dust bowl of a pitch, a young indigenous Colombian began kicking a ball more than 20 years ago. Now that boy, Luis Diaz, is on the verge of becoming champion of Europe with Liverpool.
Marcos Jr says Philippines to uphold South China Sea ruling
Philippine president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr said Thursday he would uphold an international ruling against Beijing over the disputed South China Sea, insisting he would not let China trample on Manila's maritime rights.
Australia bidding to host UN climate summit, set new emissions target
Australia will present a more ambitious UN emissions target "very soon" and is bidding to co-host a COP summit with Pacific island neighbours, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Thursday, signalling a ground shift in climate policy.
Hundreds stranded after ransomware attack on Indian airline
Hundreds of Indian air travellers were stranded inside their planes after the low-cost airline SpiceJet cancelled or delayed flights due to an "attempted ransomware attack", the company has said.
Asian markets mostly down as Li remarks overshadow Fed minutes
Asian markets mostly fell Thursday as Chinese Premier Li Keqiang warned the world's number two economy was in some ways worse off now than during the early days of the pandemic.
Mathews, Chandimal give Sri Lanka lead over Bangladesh
Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal shared 103 in an unbroken sixth-wicket stand to give Sri Lanka a narrow first-innings lead in the second Test against Bangladesh in Dhaka on Thursday.
For Ukraine's Roma, discrimination adds to agonies of war
Forced to flee fighting, Lyudmyla was assured the authorities would rehouse her in a town in western Ukraine. But when she arrived, they took one look at her and turned her away.
In a village near Kharkiv, life under constant shelling
"This is how we live, running to our cellars. Maybe we should leave," cries retired nurse Larysa Kosynets, heading for safety before Russian shells start slamming into her village near the eastern Ukraine city of Kharkiv.
Marcos says Philippines to uphold South China Sea ruling
Philippine president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr said Thursday he would uphold an international ruling against Beijing over the disputed South China Sea, insisting he would not let China trample on Manila's maritime rights.
Australia's ousted conservatives eye China hawk as leader
Australia's conservatives appear poised to install hardline China hawk Peter Dutton as the country's new opposition leader, after the party was swept from power at last weekend's election.
'The pandemic won't stop us': the Beijingers skirting Covid rules
Mothers hosting playdates near cordoned-off parks, mahjong maestros huddled in streets and youngsters slugging night-time beers on barricaded sidewalks -- Beijingers are making the most of the small spaces available as China's coronavirus controls close in.
Western powers sound alarm on China plan for South Pacific
Western powers sounded the alarm Thursday over leaked plans to dramatically expand China's security and economic reach in the South Pacific, in what one regional leader called a thinly veiled effort to lock island states into "Beijing's orbit".
Pakistan's ex-PM Khan issues ultimatum on elections after mass rally
Pakistan's ousted prime minister Imran Khan on Thursday warned the government to stage fresh elections or face more mass protests, after leading thousands of supporters to the capital Islamabad in a showdown with his political rivals.
Four bombs kill at least 16 in Afghanistan
The death toll from four bombs that ripped through minibuses and a mosque in Afghanistan has risen to at least 16, officials said Thursday, with some of the attacks claimed by the Islamic State group.