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Beijing's decision to decline a meeting between US and Chinese defence chiefs is "unfortunate", particularly given recent "provocative" Chinese behaviour, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday.

For years, a band of science-loving "troll hunters" hounded climate change deniers off Twitter -- but Elon Musk's takeover has upended their efforts, with many ousted accounts back, pushing fresh disinformation.

Russia launched an air attack on Kyiv early Thursday, killing at least three people including two children and bringing fresh terror to the city after a week of strikes.

The world's largest grassroots Holocaust memorial project has laid its 100,000th personalised plaque, as the US ambassador to Germany honoured her family members who fled the Nazis with an emotional ceremony.

Asian markets mostly rose Thursday after the US House passed a bill to avoid a painful default, as traders turn their attention to the Federal Reserve's next policy meeting and China's struggling economy.

Under flashing disco lights, residents at a Singapore care home held hands and danced to golden oldies as part of an initiative to help those with dementia.

Twelve years ago, Manchester City triggered a seismic shift in English football by beating treble-chasing Manchester United at Wembley. Now City's own treble bid will come under threat from resurgent United in Saturday's FA Cup final.

Barcelona face Wolfsburg in the Champions League final on Saturday, aiming to assert themselves early as the decade's dominant force in women's football, as Lyon did in the 2010s.

European leaders meet Thursday at a summit held on one of the most vulnerable points on the continent's strategic frontline, in a show of diplomatic force designed to pressure Moscow.

US lawmakers voted Wednesday to raise the national borrowing limit as a crucial first step to averting a catastrophic default, greenlighting a pact struck between Washington's warring parties after weeks of brinkmanship and fraught backroom deal-making.

NATO foreign ministers meeting in Oslo Thursday will try to narrow divisions on Ukraine's push to join, upping spending and finding a new alliance chief, ahead of a July summit.

Fernando Alonso returns to the scene of the last of his 32 Formula One victories this weekend hoping that a bumper crowd and an unexpected slice of luck will help deliver his 33rd.

Jose Mourinho threw his future as Roma manager into further doubt on Wednesday, saying he was "too tired" after the bitter pain of losing his first major European final to Sevilla.

US lawmakers were set to vote Wednesday on an 11th-hour deal to raise the national borrowing limit and avert a potentially catastrophic credit default, struck between Washington's warring parties after weeks of nervy, high-stakes negotiations.

Jimmy Butler said there was no lingering bad blood between the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets on Wednesday as the two teams prepared to face off in the NBA Finals.

Sevilla found their Europa League magic formula on Wednesday, beating Roma 4-1 on penalties after a 1-1 draw to make it seven wins in seven finals in Europe's second-tier competition.

Novak Djokovic defiantly insisted on Wednesday "it's something I stand for" regarding the controversy over his explosive comments about Kosovo earlier this week at the French Open.

Amazon on Wednesday agreed to pay $30.8 million to settle Ring and Alexa privacy complaints filed by US regulators, including accusations that employees spied on female customers, according to court documents.

US actor and Scientologist Danny Masterson on Wednesday was found guilty of raping two women at his home in the Hollywood Hills.

Russia said it was evacuating hundreds of children from villages due to intensifying shelling in the border region of Belgorod, where the situation was deemed "alarming" by the Kremlin.

Novak Djokovic brushed aside the furore surrounding his recent comments about clashes in Kosovo by easing into the French Open third round on Wednesday, after world number one Carlos Alcaraz also progressed.

Novak Djokovic brushed aside the furore surrounding his comments about clashes in Kosovo by easing into the French Open third round on Wednesday with a straight-sets win over Marton Fucsovics.

Denis Shapovalov admitted Wednesday that he "looks up" to Carlos Alcaraz, describing the world number one as "super humble" ahead of their French Open third round clash.

Cameron Norrie and Lucas Pouille both called for video replay to be introduced at the French Open after a row over an apparent double bounce which benefited the Briton on Wednesday.

Global stocks fell Wednesday as Chinese and European economic data raised worries about slowing growth, while markets awaited a key congressional vote to lift the US debt limit.

America's first federal trial over China's alleged attempts to forcibly repatriate its citizens under a campaign known as "Operation Fox Hunt" got underway in New York on Wednesday.

Chile's state-owned Codelco copper company, the world's top producer of the metal, closed its Ventanas smelter Wednesday in an area dubbed "Chile's Chernobyl" for the grim environmental impact of heavy industry.

Firefighters on Wednesday faced a grueling uphill battle against wildfires in Canada's Nova Scotia province, including one threatening suburbs of Halifax.

Nikola Jokic brushed off suggestions the Denver Nuggets were favorites for the NBA Finals on Wednesday, insisting the top seeds were preparing for the "hardest game" of their lives against the Miami Heat.

The truth is out there -- but we're going to need to look harder.

Two senior Federal Reserve officials indicated Wednesday that they may support skipping an interest-rate hike in June to give the Fed more time to assess the health of the US economy.

US politicians raced to secure backing for a cross-party deal to raise the national debt limit and avert a first-ever default as they faced a growing backlash from conservatives ahead of a crucial Wednesday evening vote.