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Palestine gave South Korea a major scare in an entertaining 0-0 away draw on Thursday as they attempt to reach the World Cup for the first time.

Britain on Thursday finished building its longest-ever rail bridge after fitting the final segment of the Colne Valley Viaduct for the new high-speed HS2 train line, company bosses announced.

Goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen said Thursday the end of a 12-year wait to succeed Manuel Neuer as Germany's number one goalie felt like "a balm for the soul".

The Democratic Republic of Congo, the epicentre of an mpox outbreak, on Thursday received its first vaccines -- almost half of 200,000 doses donated by the European Union and due to arrive by the end of the week to fight its spread.

Hiring in the US private sector markedly undershot analyst expectations in August, said payroll firm ADP on Thursday, as the health of the labor market comes under scrutiny.

The European Union's aviation safety agency (EASA) said Thursday it will require the inspection of at least some of the Airbus A350s in operation after an engine fire on a Cathay Pacific aircraft.

Premier League stars Kaoru Mitoma and Wataru Endo both scored as Japan thrashed China 7-0 on Thursday to start the third round of Asian World Cup qualifiers with a statement win.

Bahrain stunned Australia 1-0 away on Thursday thanks to an 89th-minute Harry Souttar own goal in a major upset to start the third round of Asian qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.

An ex-Taipei mayor and former presidential candidate was detained on Thursday for alleged corruption after a Taiwanese court reversed a decision to release him, citing the risk of him destroying evidence and colluding with witnesses.

Dmytro Kuleba -- whose resignation as Ukraine's top diplomat was approved on Thursday -- tirelessly toured the world pleading for more military support and for Kyiv to be given the green light to strike targets deep inside Russia.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken headed Thursday to violence-ravaged Haiti to evaluate progress in wresting control from gangs that have taken over much of the impoverished Caribbean nation.

UK prosecutors on Thursday said they were dropping a sexual assault case against Hollywood movie mogul Harvey Weinstein as there was no "realistic prospect of conviction".

Test coach Brendon McCullum says he is ready to be judged on results when he takes charge of England's white-ball teams in a major leadership shake-up.

The Democratic Republic of Congo was Thursday awaiting almost 100,000 mpox vaccine doses from the European Union, with 200,000 due to arrive by the end of the week.

Brazilian striker Vinicius Junior has called for Spain to be stripped of its 2030 World Cup hosting duties unless it makes progress on the issue of racism in stadiums.

Outrage and sorrow greeted the death on Thursday of Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei, who succumbed to severe burns after being doused with petrol and set on fire by her boyfriend.

The Dutch government announced a multi-billion-euro boost in its defence spending Thursday, investing in tanks, jet fighters, and frigates to bolster the NATO alliance against "ruthless Russian aggression."

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday named the European Union's former Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier as new prime minister, following almost two months of political deadlock after snap polls, the presidency said.

Veteran French politician Michel Barnier has held a collection of top jobs as minister, European Union commissioner and negotiator on Brexit during a half-century political career that has seen him tack further to the right in recent years.

Stock markets struggled for direction and the dollar fell Thursday on the eve of key US jobs data that could shed light on the size of potential Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts and health of the world's biggest economy.

Pope Francis appealed for religious unity Thursday as he addressed tens of thousands of people at a football stadium after meeting faith leaders at Southeast Asia's biggest mosque.

Baby elephant twins born last week on a timber camp in Myanmar are thriving after a wobbly first few days in the world, officials told AFP on Thursday.

German police shot dead a gunman who had opened fire on them near Munich's Israeli consulate on Thursday, the anniversary of the hostage-taking at the 1972 Olympic Games.

Noah Malone, one of several young and charismatic stars of the US Paralympic athletics team, credits his mother for pushing her reluctant son to his goals, admitting "I did not even like (the sport) at first."

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday his main aim in Ukraine after 30 months of fighting was to capture the eastern Donbas area -- and claimed that Ukraine's Kursk counter-offensive had made that easier.

On her way to Indonesia's national football stadium, Anastasia Ida Ediati said the long journey to see Pope Francis at an open-air mass was just another sign of her devotion to the Catholic faith.

A spacecraft carrying European and Japanese probes passed closer to Mercury than originally planned overnight after thruster problems delayed the mission to study the little-known, Sun-scorched planet.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday he supported Kamala Harris in November's US presidential election, an apparent wry remark a day after the United States issued indictments accusing Moscow of vote interference.

Hundreds of African political and business leaders filed into China's Great Hall of the People on Thursday eager to forge new partnerships, sign contracts and make industry connections.

A French woman whose husband is accused of enlisting dozens of strangers to rape her while she was drugged told his trial on Thursday that police had saved her by uncovering the crimes.

As climate envoys from the world's top two greenhouse gas producers meet in Beijing this week, experts say China's emissions may finally be nearing their peak.

Around 24 million Algerians are poised to head to the polls on Saturday for a vote in which experts say incumbent President Abdelmadjid Tebboune faces no real risk to his rule as he seeks a second term.