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Rutte seals NATO top job after lone rival drops out
Outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Thursday clinched the race to become the next head of NATO at a pivotal time for the alliance, after sole challenger Romanian President Klaus Iohannis pulled out.
Is the founder of the modern Olympics being cancelled?
France likes to honour its late pioneers and visionaries, but the aristocratic Frenchman who founded the modern Olympics is proving to be a troublesome figure for organisers of the Paris 2024 Games.
French-Chinese probe to hunt universe's biggest explosions
A French-Chinese telescope satellite will blast off this weekend on a mission to hunt down gamma-ray bursts, the most powerful explosions in the universe.
Bank of England freezes rate before UK election
The Bank of England on Thursday kept its key interest rate at a 16-year high despite slowing UK inflation, opting against a cut before Britain's general election next month.
Croatia coach Dalic complains he is taken for granted
Under-fire Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic hit out at his critics on Thursday after their Euro 2024 draw with Albania, defending his team selection and complaining that he is taken for granted.
S. Korea to 'reconsider' ban on weapons sales to Ukraine
Major weapons exporter South Korea will "reconsider" a longstanding policy that bars it from supplying arms directly to Ukraine, a presidential official said Thursday, after North Korea and Russia signed a defence deal.
Kuwait announces power cuts as demand spikes in summer heat
Kuwait has announced temporary power cuts in some parts of the country during peak consumption hours, saying it is struggling to meet increased demand spurred by extreme summer heat.
Over $1 billion pledged to create 'African vaccine market'
World leaders, health groups and pharmaceutical firms announced $1.2 billion in funding at a summit Thursday to produce vaccines in Africa, which is facing numerous health crises including rising cholera outbreaks.
Two-time defending champion Vingegaard to ride in Tour de France
Two-time defending champion Jonas Vingegaard will ride in this year's Tour de France after recovering from the serious injuries he suffered earlier in the season his team Visma-Lease a Bike announced on Thursday.
Contepomi sweeps changes in first Argentina squad
New Argentina coach Felipe Contepomi has named a much-changed squad for next month's Tests with France and Uruguay, leaving out 15 members of the set-up at last year's Rugby World Cup.
Anti-Semitism fears stalk Jewish voters' choice in France
Left-leaning Jewish associations and individual voters in France are struggling to make a choice ahead of snap parliamentary polls, with the far right expected to make massive gains and the hard left mired in allegations of anti-Semitism.
Iraqis flock to river or ice rink to escape searing heat
In the sizzling Baghdad heat, Mussa Abdallah takes to the Tigris river during the day to cool off, while others opt for ice skating to escape the relentless temperatures.
European equities advance before Bank of England rate call
European stock markets rose Thursday as dealers awaited the Bank of England's latest decision on interest rates, after Switzerland cut borrowing costs and Norway kept its status quo.
'When we win, I mean nothing', says Croatia coach Dalic
Under-fire Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic hit out at his critics on Thursday after their Euro 2024 draw with Albania, saying that when his team are successful he "means nothing".
Sudan one of world's 'worst crises' in decades: medical charity
The ongoing civil war in Sudan has provoked one of the world's worst humanitarian crises in decades, the international chief of the medical charity Doctors Without Borders said Thursday.
Wary England set for Jones reunion in steamy Japan Test
England come face to face with former boss Eddie Jones when they play his new-look Japan in a Test in sweltering Tokyo on Saturday.
Death toll tops 1,000 after hajj marked by extreme heat: AFP tally
The death toll from this year's hajj has exceeded 1,000, an AFP tally said on Thursday, more than half of them unregistered worshippers who performed the pilgrimage in extreme heat in Saudi Arabia.
Israel-Hezbollah tensions drive fears of widening Gaza war
Fears of a regional war rose Thursday after Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah movement said none of Israel would be spared in a full-blown conflict, and Israel said it had approved plans for a Lebanon offensive.
Steve Cooper named manager of Premier League Leicester City
Leicester City have appointed former Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper as their new manager, the newly promoted Premier League club said on Thursday.
Russia and Vietnam vow to strengthen ties as Putin visits
Russia and Vietnam pledged Thursday to deepen ties as President Vladimir Putin made a state visit aimed at bolstering his alliances to counter Moscow's growing isolation over the war in Ukraine.
As UK election looms, Bank of England set to sit tight on rate
The Bank of England was set to hold its interest rate steady on Thursday despite slowing UK inflation, with higher price risks and Britain's looming election preventing a cut, according to analysts.
Japan seeks more visitors despite overtourism woes
Japan's tourism chief said Thursday its ambitious goal of luring 60 million foreign tourists a year -- more than double the current level -- is well within reach, despite surging overtourism concerns.
Jones says Japan will have 'red-hot go' against England
Eddie Jones vowed Japan will have "a red-hot go" against his former team England when the two sides meet in Tokyo on Saturday.
Ohtani's disgraced ex-interpreter cut from Japan textbook
Shohei Ohtani's disgraced former interpreter will be removed from a school textbook that had celebrated his work, a Japanese publisher said Thursday.
New Zealand's 'unbelievable' Hirini back from injury for Games gold bid
Gold medallist Sarah Hirini was named Thursday in New Zealand women's rugby sevens squad for the Paris Olympics, just six months after surgery for a serious knee injury.
Russia pounds Ukraine energy sites in latest 'mass' attack
A Russian missile and drone barrage damaged a Ukrainian power plant and other energy facilities overnight, officials said on Thursday, the latest in a series of strikes that have pushed its grid to the brink.
England wary of 'bold' former boss Jones in Japan Test
Skipper Jamie George expects former boss Eddie Jones to have a few more tricks up his sleeve when England face a much-changed Japan in Tokyo on Saturday.
Climate change made deadly heat 35x more likely in US, Mexico, C. America
Deadly heat that blanketed the United States, Mexico and Central America recently was made 35 times more likely due to global warming, an international network of climate scientists said on Thursday.
Raped by Russian soldiers, Ukraine women speak out to erase stigma
When invading Russian troops advanced towards Kyiv and the first explosions rang out in the suburbs, Daria Zymenko took refuge in Gavronshchyna, her parents' village near the Ukrainian capital.
'Nature's mirror': Climate change batters Albania's butterflies
Bright yellow, black, red and blue, Alexanor butterflies once fluttered abundantly on southwestern Albania's flowery slopes. Now, like many related species, scientists say they are disappearing due to human impacts, including climate change.
Germany's coalition in impasse over 2025 budget
The three parties in the German government are locked in a bitter dispute over the 2025 budget, with experts warning the stalemate could be the final straw for the uneasy coalition.
Rebel Spanish nuns declare schism with Vatican over property deal
A community of nuns in a 15th century convent in northern Spain has split with the Roman Catholic Church because of a property dispute and doctrinal wrangling that has seen them join up with a renegade priest.