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Head coach Scott Robertson on Thursday handed his All Blacks forwards a chance for "redemption" after revamping his backline but leaving the pack nearly untouched for the second Rugby Championship Test against Argentina.

Even if Kylian Mbappe had not completed his long-awaited move to Real Madrid this summer they would still be widely tipped to retain La Liga.

Hundreds of Japanese flights and trains were cancelled Thursday in the middle of a major holiday week as another typhoon roared towards the archipelago.

Asian markets mostly mirrored positive strides on Wall Street in early trade Thursday, as easing US consumer inflation buoyed hopes that a big interest rate cut was around the corner and economic growth in Japan outpaced expectations.

US actress Gena Rowlands, whose six-decade career garnered Oscar nominations and other acclaim, died Wednesday at age 94.

Venezuela's CNE electoral council, under fire after declaring a widely rejected election victory for President Nicolas Maduro, on Wednesday described a UN report disputing the outcome as "rife with lies."

Gena Rowlands, an award-winning US actress best known for starring in the films of her first husband, director John Cassavetes, died Wednesday at age 94, according to US media reports.

Teenage star Lamine Yamal is carrying the weight of expectations as Hansi Flick's Barcelona face the unenviable challenge of dethroning a fearsome Real Madrid side as Spanish champions this season.

Paris Saint-Germain are beginning a new era following the departure of Kylian Mbappe and the reigning French champions have so far kept a low profile as they prepare for life without the superstar forward.

The United States on Wednesday pleaded with Sudan's army to join talks on ending the devastating war as talks opened in Switzerland with only its rival's participation.

Even with two electric fans whirring, retired janitor Chun Loi was sweating profusely in her windowless, one-room flat that swelters during Hong Kong's humid summer.

Hundreds of Bangladeshi students wielding bamboo rods patrolled the site of a planned gathering Thursday of ousted premier Sheikh Hasina's supporters, vowing to quash any show of strength.

Japan will lift its week-old "megaquake" warning later Thursday if there is no further major seismic activity, the disaster management minister said.

Cincinnati Masters top seeds Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek both secured opening triumphs Wednesday over qualifiers, with Swiatek forced to escape an attempted second-round ambush by France's Varvara Gracheva.

From Google to Netflix, prominent US companies are battling internet boycott calls over their perceived political leanings in a polarizing election season that has exposed them to what researchers call "brand disinformation."

England Women's head coach John Mitchell has insisted the expectations surrounding his squad are as nothing compared to the "internal pressure" driving the team ahead of next year's Rugby World Cup.

The president of New York's Columbia University has resigned, US media reported Wednesday, months after pro-Palestinian protests brought national scrutiny to the institution and just weeks before the start of the new school year.

With the 2024/25 La Liga season kicking off on Thursday AFP Sport looks at five key talking points ahead of the campaign.

Taylor Swift will return to the stage in London on Thursday to end the European leg of her "Eras" tour, a week after her Vienna concerts were cancelled due to a suicide attack plot.

Veteran anti-whaling campaigner Paul Watson, detained in Greenland pending an extradition request from Japan, has spent decades battling harpoonists and seal hunters in spectacular high seas confrontations.

American-Canadian anti-whaling activist Paul Watson, arrested in July in Greenland, goes before a judge Thursday who will rule on his continued detention pending his possible extradition to Japan.

Bryson DeChambeau, who captured his second US Open title in June, sees a chance to go lower than his stunning 12-under par 58 when the LIV Golf Greenbrier starts Friday.

Manchester United kick-off the 2024/25 Premier League season at home to Fulham on Friday before Manchester City begin the defence of their title at free-spending Chelsea on Sunday.

The All Blacks made four changes Thursday to their starting side to face Argentina in the second Test, with ex-captain Sam Cane also included on the bench following last weekend's shock defeat to the Pumas in The Rugby Championship.

Lebanon's health ministry said Israeli strikes killed two people in the country's south on Wednesday, with Hezbollah announcing the deaths of two of its fighters, the latest cross-border violence amid fears of a full-blown regional war.

Google on Tuesday confirmed that hackers backed by Iran are targeting the campaigns of US presidential rivals Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

At least 1.4 million girls in Afghanistan have been denied access to secondary education since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, with the future of an entire generation now "in jeopardy", the United Nations' cultural agency said Thursday.

Two French pilots died on Wednesday after their Rafale jets collided in mid-air in eastern France, President Emmanuel Macron said, in a rare accident involving the cutting-edge military aircraft.

Lebanon's health ministry said Israeli strikes killed three people in the country's south on Wednesday, with Hezbollah announcing two of its fighters among the dead, the latest cross-border violence amid fears of a full-blown regional war.

North Korea will reopen to foreign tourism in December after nearly five years of Covid-triggered closure, two specialized tour operators said Wednesday.

Kylian Mbappe struck on his Real Madrid debut to help his new side claim a record sixth UEFA Super Cup with a 2-0 win over Atalanta on Wednesday in Warsaw.

Scottie Scheffler was showing off his Olympic gold medal on Wednesday and preparing to chase a first PGA Tour playoff title, while Rory McIlroy hopes to "flip the script" on a heartbreaking year in the next few weeks.