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Senegal opposition groups tried to mobilise Thursday after President Macky Sall sought to quell widespread public outcry at the delay to this month's presidential election, which has also drawn international condemnation.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday sought to advance a deal to free Gaza hostages in talks with Israeli moderates as he closed a Middle East tour without securing a pause in fighting.

Thai insurance tycoon Nualphan Lamsam became the first woman appointed as president of Thailand's football association on Thursday.

Millions of Pakistanis voted Thursday in an election marred by rigging allegations, with authorities suspending mobile phone services throughout the day and the country's most popular politician in jail.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered troops to prepare to enter Gaza's crowded southern city of Rafah, even as new talks aimed at securing a truce with Hamas were set to open Thursday in Cairo.

Glowing lava spewed early Thursday from a new fissure on Iceland's Reykjanes peninsula, the third eruption to hit the area since December, deepening worries about the area's viability for towns and villages.

American ski superstar Mikaela Shiffrin is to miss this weekend's World Cup meet at Soldeu because she does not wish to cut corners in her recovery from a knee injury.

The medals awarded at this year's Paris Olympics and Paralympics will feature a hexagon-shaped piece of iron taken from the original Eiffel Tower in their centre, organisers said as they unveiled their design on Thursday.

Large numbers of Russian forces are storming the frontline Ukrainian town of Avdiivka, its Ukrainian mayor said Thursday, escalating a months-long effort to capture the industrial hub.

Russia's election commission on Thursday blocked pro-peace politician Boris Nadezhdin from running in next month's presidential election, the candidate said in a post on social media.

British consumer goods giant Unilever on Thursday said its net profit dropped 15 percent last year to 6.5 billion euros ($7 billion) as sales flattened as the group hiked prices.

Sparklers, rockets and spinning sunflowers with flammable petals -- the fireworks stores in China's Hangzhou are stuffed with treats for pyrotechnic-loving customers, who count themselves lucky to live somewhere they are allowed to set them off.

Millions of Pakistanis voted Thursday in an election marred by rigging allegations, with authorities suspending mobile phone services throughout the day and the country's most popular politician in jail.

Son Heung-min was supposed to have been the star of the show in the semi-finals but instead it was Mousa Al-Tamari whose sparkling display fired Jordan to the brink of Asian Cup glory.

An Asian Cup full of late goals and surprises reaches a climax on Saturday when hosts and holders Qatar face a Jordan side looking to make yet more history.

Girona's remarkable La Liga title charge reaches a critical crossroads on Saturday when they visit league leaders Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

A volcanic eruption started on the Reykjanes peninsula in southwestern Iceland on Thursday, the third to hit the area since December, authorities said.

Butter chicken, one of India's most loved dishes, is at the centre of a culinary storm with two competing restaurant chains claiming to be the inventors of the lip-smacking preparation.

Qatar took a big gamble replacing coach Carlos Queiroz with Tintin Marquez just one month before the Asian Cup but they are now one win away from retaining their title.

Stocks mostly rose Thursday following another record on Wall Street, with strong earnings, a resilient US economy and Chinese moves to boost the country's markets playing up against fading hopes for an early Federal Reserve interest rate cut.

Nepali mercenaries are fighting for Russia in Ukraine, lured to kill far from their Himalayan homeland by promises of a passport and cash, but wounded returnees warn anyone tempted to join the war: "Do not come."

French luxury giant Kering said Thursday its sales and net profit fell in 2023, warning its investment strategy will weigh on results this year as it refocuses its business around its flagship brand Gucci.

Pakistan suspended mobile phone and data services nationwide on Thursday for election day, in a move a digital rights group said was "inherently undemocratic".

Asian stocks were mixed Thursday following another record on Wall Street, with strong earnings, a resilient US economy and Chinese moves to boost the country's markets playing up against fading hopes for an early Federal Reserve interest rate cut.

Bobi Wine has worn many hats -- pop star, politician, and now, the star of an Oscar-nominated documentary, which the 41-year-old Ugandan credits with giving him "an extended lease of life".

Defaced and destroyed, books torn up and political messages scrawled across their pages: the evidence of an alleged far-right vandalism spree at a city library in Berlin covers an entire table.

West African foreign ministers hold emergency talks on Thursday confronted by a major political crisis in Senegal and weakened by disputes with military rulers in three coup-hit countries.

Former Manchester United and England midfielder Jesse Lingard said he wanted to "enjoy playing football again" after signing for South Korea's FC Seoul on Thursday.

Former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan has portrayed himself as the anti-establishment candidate in Indonesia's presidential campaign, climbing to second place in polls on the back of a message that includes opposing a costly capital move to Borneo.

A Polish pensioner has been dubbed "Bat-mum" for taking care of ailing bats from her ninth-floor flat as the nocturnal mammals increasingly struggle with the effects of climate change.

With his latest film in the running for an Oscar, Italian director Matteo Garrone is hoping to shine light on the desperate plight of migrants -- all without broaching politics.

Millions of Pakistanis voted Thursday in an election marred by allegations of poll rigging, with the country's most popular politician in jail and a military-favoured candidate tipped to win.