China’s cartel lifeline
Australia limits migration
Venezuela’s Oil Return
Sweden’s welfare reckoning
England recall batsman Lawrence for Pakistan series
'Don't have to hide': Thai IDs, legal work give hope to Myanmar refugees
Siemens shares plunge on disappointing guidance raise
Stocks mixed with tech firms back under pressure
Sports
New Australia coach Kiss gives Japan starts to Ross, Amatosero
Les Kiss handed lock Miles Amatosero and prop Aidan Ross their first starts for Australia as the new coach named his first team Thursday since taking over from Joe Schmidt.
Sports
How Blundell's old school tactic ended England's 'Bazball' era
Wicketkeeper Tom Blundell believes his standing up to the stumps in England -- a move that helped kill off the "Bazball" era -- was a case of New Zealand shelving their egos for the good of the team.
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Cooper wins Olympic freestyle moguls gold after dramatic tie-break
Australian freestyle skier Cooper Woods won Olympic men's moguls gold in dramatic fashion on Thursday, with a tiebreak needed to separate him from Canadian great Mikael Kingsbury.
Italy's 'naval blockade' to stem migration too vague, critics say
A new Italian bill allowing for a "naval blockade" to temporarily ban the arrival of migrants by sea violates international law and will lead to more deaths, rescue groups warned Thursday.
Turkey's central bank lifts 2026 inflation forecasts
Turkey's central bank on Thursday increased its estimates for inflation as officials try to rein in soaring price increases that have weighed on the economy for years.
Tottenham 'not a big club' says Postecoglou after Frank sacking
Ange Postecoglou insisted Tottenham Hotspur were "not a big club" following the sacking of head coach Thomas Frank on Wednesday.
Belgian police raid EU commission in real estate probe
Police raided the premises of the European Commission in Brussels Thursday in a probe into a 2024 real estate deal done with the Belgian state, a source close to the investigation told AFP.
Zelensky blasts Olympics ban for Ukrainian athlete over memorial helmet
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday that the decision to ban skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych from the Winter Olympics for refusing to ditch a helmet depicting victims of the war with Russia plays "into the hands of aggressors".
Pro-Kremlin accounts using Epstein files to push conspiracy: research
Pro-Kremlin social media accounts are using the latest Jeffrey Epstein files to bolster efforts to spread baseless claims that Russia has saved Ukrainian children from sex trafficking, research by AFP and a London-based think-tank showed Thursday.
Odermatt sets sights on Olympic giant slalom -- and gold
Marco Odermatt is the self-proclaimed leader of the Swiss men's team, but Olympic gold in Bormio has so far eluded the all-rounder, who has set his sights on rectifying that in Saturday's giant slalom.
Cinema's power to 'change the world' in focus at Berlin Film Fest
Berlin Film Festival jury president Wim Wenders on Thursday hailed the power of cinema to "change the world" as the event's 76th edition kicked off, promising an eclectic selection of films reflecting current upheavals.
France pick uncapped Brau-Boirie in new centre pairing for Wales
Centre Fabien Brau-Boirie will make his Test debut for France against Wales in the Six Nations this weekend after head coach Fabien Galthie on Thursday named a new centre pairing as the only two changes to his starting line-up.
Man Utd's Ratcliffe's apologises for 'language' on immigration
Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe apologised Thursday for his "choice of language" after saying the "UK has been colonised by immigrants".
UK economy struggles for growth in fresh blow to government
Britain's economy grew less than expected in the final quarter of 2025, according to official data Thursday, dealing a fresh blow to embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his government.
EU vows swift reforms to confront challenge from China, US
EU leaders Thursday vowed to act boldly to bolster Europe's economy faced with twin threats from China and the United States, as they huddled in a Belgian castle to bridge differences on the path ahead.
UK nursery worker faces jail for serial child sex abuse
A UK childcare worker appeared in court Thursday to be sentenced for years of child sexual abuse, as the government considers making CCTV mandatory in nurseries after a string of similar cases.
Anti-racism body slams Man Utd co-owner for 'disgraceful' immigration comments
A leading British football anti-discrimination body on Thursday slammed as "disgraceful" comments by Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe claiming the "UK has been colonised by immigrants".
Mercedes-Benz net profit nearly halves amid China, US woes
German carmaker Mercedes-Benz reported Thursday its lowest annual profit since the Covid pandemic, as it counted the cost of US tariffs and cutthroat competition in China.
Comeback queen Brignone wins super-G at Winter Olympics
Federica Brignone crowned a sensational comeback from injury to win the women's super-G at the Winter Olympics on Thursday and bring gold medal joy to the host nation.
European stocks rise tracking earnings, US jobs
European stock markets rose Thursday as traders digested a string of company earnings and a stronger-than-expected US jobs report, which boosted optimism about the health of the world's largest economy.
Hermes sales rise despite US tariffs, currency headwinds
French luxury house Hermes reported Thursday an increase in 2025 sales even though it faced steep US tariffs and a weak dollar, which made its leather handbags and other goods more pricey for customers worldwide.
Russia confirms ban on WhatsApp, says it failed to abide by law
Russia has blocked the popular messaging service WhatsApp over its failure to comply with local legislation, the Kremlin said Thursday, urging its 100 million Russian users to switch to a domestic alternative.
Ukraine skeleton racer Heraskevych banned from Olympics over memorial helmet
Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified from the Winter Olympics on Thursday after refusing to back down over his banned helmet, which depicts victims of his country's war with Russia.
Counting begins in landmark Bangladesh polls after deadly uprising
Counting began on Thursday in Bangladesh's first election since a deadly 2024 uprising, with powerful political heir Tarique Rahman bullish about defeating an Islamist-led coalition.
England coach Tuchel extends contract through to Euro 2028
Thomas Tuchel has signed a new contract that will see him remain head coach of the England national football team through to the end of Euro 2028 in the UK and Ireland, the Football Association announced on Thursday.
Pro-Kremlin accounts using Epstein files to push conspiracy: AFP research
Pro-Kremlin social media accounts are using the latest Jeffrey Epstein document release to bolster their efforts to spread baseless claims that Russia has saved Ukrainian children from sex trafficking, AFP research showed Thursday.
France picked uncapped Brau-Boirie at centre to face Wales
Centre Fabien Brau-Boirie will make his Test debut for France against Wales in the Six Nations this weekend after head coach Fabien Galthie on Thursday named him as one of two changes to his starting line-up.
Thomas Tuchel extends contract as England coach until Euro 2028
Thomas Tuchel has signed a new contract that will see him remain head coach of the England national football team through to the end of Euro 2028 in the UK and Ireland, the Football Association announced on Thursday.
England coach Tuchel set to sign new deal until 2028 - report
England football coach Thomas Tuchel is set to sign a new contract that will see the German remain in charge of the national side until 2028, according to a report in The Times.
Death toll in Madagascar cyclone rises to 35
A cyclone packing violent winds has killed at least 35 people and caused devastation in Madagascar's second-largest city, the Indian Ocean island's disaster authority said Thursday, releasing an updated toll.
Shanaka fireworks as Sri Lanka thrash Oman at T20 World Cup
Dasun Shanaka hammered the fastest half-century by a Sri Lankan in T20Is as the co-hosts thrashed Oman by 105 runs at the T20 World Cup on Thursday in Pallekele for their second win in Group B.
Sanofi says board has removed CEO Paul Hudson
French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi has removed Paul Hudson as chief executive, thanking him Thursday for "valuable contributions" but without giving any reason for his surprise exit.
Struggling Nissan forecasts $4.2 bn full-year net loss
Japanese automaker Nissan said on Thursday it expected to suffer a net loss of 650 billion yen ($4.2 billion) in its fiscal year that ends in March, as it struggles with sluggish sales.
Venezuela to debate historic amnesty bill for political prisoners
Venezuela could pass a landmark bill on Thursday granting amnesty to political prisoners, marking an early milestone in the transition from the rule of toppled leader Nicolas Maduro.