Markets waver after Wall St drop, Alibaba soars
14 killed, 152 missing in Taiwan after barrier lake burst

S. Korea's ex-first lady goes on trial in corruption case

Modern-day Colombian guerrillas are mere druglords: ex-FARC commander
Sports
Australia lose fullback Kellaway ahead of Bledisloe Cup
Australia were dealt a Bledisloe Cup blow on Wednesday when fullback Andrew Kellaway was ruled out of Saturday's clash against New Zealand in Auckland with a calf issue.
Politics
Race for rare minerals brings boom to Tajikistan's mines
In a labyrinth of tunnels running beneath 4,000-metre peaks, Tajik miners are scrabbling to secure antimony, one of the metals at the centre of a worldwide race for rare minerals.
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Diogo Jota: Liverpool's 'exceptional player, exceptional boy'
Diogo Jota was quickly hailed by the Liverpool support as "better than (Luis) Figo" and the shocking death of the Portuguese international on Thursday has left the English champions in mourning.

How will Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' impact US climate policy?
With the passage of his party's "One Big Beautiful Bill," Republican President Donald Trump has largely delivered on his promise of curtailing Joe Biden's landmark climate law.

Tour de France 'nearly man' Roglic finds peace in defeat
Veteran cyclist Primoz Roglic said on Thursday he was at peace with his destiny as he prepares for his latest tilt at the Tour de France, the scene of his memorable last-gasp meltdown in 2020.

Al-Hilal eye more glory against Fluminense at Club World Cup
Having pulled off the biggest upset of the Club World Cup so far, Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal have their eyes on a spot in the semi-finals when they take on Brazil's Fluminense in Orlando on Friday.

Cilic sends fourth seed Draper crashing out of Wimbledon
British fourth seed Jack Draper suffered a shock Wimbledon exit as former finalist Marin Cilic rolled back the years on Thursday to reach the third round.

Trump wins major victory as flagship bill passes Congress
US President Donald Trump on Thursday secured a major political victory when Congress narrowly passed his flagship tax and spending bill, cementing his radical second-term agenda and boosting funds for his anti-immigration drive.

UN expert says firms 'profiting' from 'genocide' of Palestinians
UN rights expert Francesca Albanese on Thursday denounced companies she said "profited from the Israeli economy of illegal occupation, apartheid, and now genocide", in a report that provoked a furious response from Israel.

South American bloc looks to Asia, Europe in face of Trump trade war
South America's Mercosur bloc sought Thursday to expand its markets in the face of US President Donald Trump's global trade war, with Brazil calling for closer ties with dynamic Asian economies.

Netanyahu vows to bring all Gaza hostages home
Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to bring home all the hostages still held by militants in war-stricken Gaza, where the civil defence agency said 73 people were killed Thursday in his country's ongoing offensive.

Footballers play with Franco head at Spain art festival
Spain's fierce passion for football took an unexpected turn on Thursday as two teams faced off playing with an unusual ball: an artistic reproduction of former dictator Francisco Franco's head.

Italy squeeze past Belgium at Euro 2025 as grieving Portugal await Spain
Italy got off to a winning start at Women's Euro 2025 with Thursday's 1-0 success over Belgium as world champions Spain get ready to begin their championship bid against grieving Portugal.

England in Deep trouble after India captain Gill's superb double century
India captain Shubman Gill scored a superb maiden Test double-century before stand-in fast bowler Akash Deep reduced England to 13-2 at Edgbaston on Thursday with two wickets in consecutive balls.

Two dead as wildfires rage near Turkish resort of Izmir
An elderly man and a forestry worker died on Thursday in wildfires in Turkey, as firefighters battled high winds fanning two blazes in the western province of Izmir, lawmakers said.

Jota 'will never be forgotten', says heartbroken Slot
Liverpool manager Arne Slot said Diogo Jota will be remembered as a "friend to everyone" after the Portuguese international died in a car crash on Thursday.

Putin told Trump will not 'give up' aims in Ukraine: Kremlin
Russian leader Vladimir Putin told US President Donald Trump by telephone on Thursday that Moscow will not "give up" on its aims in Ukraine, the Kremlin said.

Verstappen refuses to be drawn on future ahead of British GP
Max Verstappen on Thursday refused to be drawn on questions about discussions with Mercedes and exit clauses in his Red Bull contract when he spoke to reporters ahead of this weekend's British Grand Prix.

Swiatek survives scare to reach Wimbledon third round
Iga Swiatek survived a Wimbledon scare as the five-time Grand Slam champion fought back for a 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 win against American world number 208 Caty McNally on Thursday.

Roman bigfoot? UK archaeologists probe 'unusually large' shoes
A stash of "unusually large" 2,000-year-old shoes dug up at a Roman site in northern England has left archaeologists searching for an explanation, they told AFP on Thursday.

Djokovic denies Wimbledon celebration is politically motivated
Novak Djokovic insists his post-match victory celebration at Wimbledon is not a show of support for political protests in Serbia.

Thousands evacuated as Greek, Turkish wildfires rage
A wildfire fanned by gale-force winds on the southern Greek island of Crete has forced the evacuation of thousands of residents and tourists, officials said Thursday.

Australian top order wobbles once more against West Indies quicks
Australia's top-order batting was again exposed by the West Indies fast bowlers as the tourists lost four wickets for 93 on the opening morning of the second Test on Thursday in Grenada.

Gaza civil defence says Israeli forces kill 69 people
Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli forces killed at least 69 people on Thursday, including 15 in a strike on a school sheltering Palestinians displaced by the war nearing its 22nd month.

Defending champion Krejcikova battles into Wimbledon third round
Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova moved into the third round with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 win over American world number 67 Caroline Dolehide on Thursday.

Refuge at risk: Mexican drug rehab centers in cartels' crosshairs
Mexican rehabilitation centers were supposed to provide sanctuary to drug users trying to kick their addictions. Instead, they became targets for the same ultra-violent cartels that traffic illegal narcotics.

Hidden gem: Angola opens up to tourists in a pivot from oil
When Feliesiano Muteca started surfing a decade ago, he had the waves at Cabo Ledo on Angola's long Atlantic coastline pretty much to himself.

'Doubts' over US support boost need for EU cooperation, Zelensky says
Doubts over US military aid to Ukraine reinforce the need for increased cooperation with the EU and NATO, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday as he met European Union leaders in Denmark.
Stocks climb as strong US jobs data soothes growth worries
Stock markets rose and the dollar held steady Thursday as strong jobs data showed the resilience of the US economy.

US Supreme Court to weigh transgender athlete bans
The US Supreme Court agreed on Thursday to wade into the hot-button issue of transgender athletes in girls and women's sports.

Russell shrugs off reports, expects to sign new F1 deal within weeks
George Russell on Thursday shrugged aside reports that he is set to be replaced at Mercedes by arch-rival Max Verstappen of Red Bull, saying he expects to sign a new Silver Arrows contract in "the next couple of weeks".

Girmay has golden dream for Africa at Tour de France
Biniam Girmay admits he feels the pressure of being the sole African on the start line for the 2025 Tour de France that kicks off on Saturday in the northern French city of Lille.

US trade deficit widens in May as Trump tariffs fuel uncertainty
The US trade deficit widened more than expected in May, with both imports and exports declining as US President Donald Trump's tariffs sent shock waves through the economy and snagged supply chains.

Joy riders give Paris bike share system a flat
Paris's public bike sharing system, Velib, is losing more than 600 bicycles per week to joy riders, threatening to overwhelm the scheme and leaving users frustrated, its operator said Thursday.

Hollywood star Reeves in driving seat for Cadillac series
Hot on the heels of Brad Pitt's recently released film F1: The Movie, another Hollywood star is set to front a behind-the-scenes series on Cadillac’s journey to join the F1 grid next year.
6 dead, 30 missing after ferry sinks on way to Indonesia's Bali
At least six people were dead and dozens unaccounted for Thursday after a ferry sank in rough seas on its way to the Indonesian resort island Bali, according to rescue authorities who said 29 survivors had been plucked from the water so far.

India captain Gill piles on the runs against England with maiden Test double century
India captain Shubman Gill scored a superb maiden Test double-century as he again led from the front against England in the second Test at Edgbaston on Thursday.

Djokovic routs Evans to step up history bid at Wimbledon
Novak Djokovic crushed British wildcard Dan Evans in the Wimbledon second round as he stepped up his bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title, while defending women's champion Barbora Krejcikova seeks to prolong her love affair with the All England Club.

Mali junta chief granted renewable presidential mandate
Mali's military authorities on Thursday granted the junta chief a five-year presidential mandate, renewable "as many times as necessary" and without election.
Thousands evacuated as Greece wildfire rages on Crete
A wildfire fanned by gale-force winds on the southern Greek island of Crete has forced the evacuation of thousands of residents and tourists, officials said on Thursday.

Zverev revelations spark Wimbledon discussion about mental health
Mental health is not often spoken about in tennis but the three-time Grand Slam finalist Alexander Zverev's candid revelations at Wimbledon have made it a talking point at this year's tournament.