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Iran accused Israel on Thursday of wanting to spread war in the Middle East, as diplomatic efforts sought a regional de-escalation following the killings of Tehran-allied militant leaders.

North Korean Olympians have not received Samsung smartphones, unlike athletes from other countries, the IOC told AFP on Thursday, hours after Seoul suggested that providing them the phones could violate UN sanctions against the nuclear-armed North.

Police launched a manhunt Thursday for Carles Puigdemont -- the Catalonia leader who fled over his role in a failed 2017 independence bid -- after he returned to Spain to address supporters before vanishing into the crowd.

US sprinters laid down an Olympic relay gauntlet to their rivals on Thursday ahead of a possible Noah Lyles sprint double, while marathon swimmers took the plunge into the River Seine.

Rescue services said Thursday they had stopped looking for two German mountaineers who went missing when a giant bloc of ice broke off a Mont Blanc glacier in the French Alps.

Flying taxis could whisk passengers across Paris or help with emergency medical care from December, operators said on Thursday, while acknowledging that the dream of showing off the scheme during the Paris Olympics was impossible.

Eight-time champions India came from behind to collect their 13th men's Olympic hockey medal with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Spain in the bronze medal match on Thursday.

Doug Emhoff, the Second Gentleman of the United States as husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, on Thursday announced the US would make an exceptional contribution over $2 million to UN cultural agency UNESCO to boost the fight against anti-Semitic hatred.

The US women's basketball team ride a 59-game Olympic winning streak into their semi-final showdown with Australia on Friday, eyeing two more for a record-setting eighth straight Olympic gold medal.

US stocks snapped higher on Thursday as unemployment data eased recession concerns, while European and Asian equities struggled.

Before Muhammad Yunus, who returned to Bangladesh on Thursday to lead a caretaker government after a student-led uprising, several dissidents, winners of the Nobel Peace Prize, ruled their country over the past 35 years.

Deliveroo shares surged more than ten percent Thursday after the international food delivery app struck its first six-month net profit, an achievement described as a "major milestone" by its boss.

Ukraine could soon unleash robot dogs on its front lines, replacing soldiers for perilous missions like spying on Russian trenches or detecting mines.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview published Thursday that he was "sorry" that Hamas was able to carry out its October 7 attack, without explicitly taking responsibility.

Donald Trump scheduled a short-notice media event Thursday at his Florida resort as rumblings of discontent hit his presidential campaign and poll numbers surge for his election rival Kamala Harris.

Israel committed a costly "strategic mistake" with its killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week, Iran's acting foreign minister told AFP in an interview on Thursday.

Chelsea have signed Boca Juniors defender Aaron Anselmino for an undisclosed fee, the Premier League club announced Thursday.

Thierry Henry admits he doesn't want to wake up from his Olympic dream as his France team look to top off their campaign by winning gold in the men's football final against Spain on Friday.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed on Thursday not to ease up efforts to stop further far-right riots in English towns and cities, after more anticipated street violence failed to materialise overnight.

European and Asian stock markets mostly fell Thursday, with analysts warning that this week's volatility has some time to run.

No need to wrestle your dog into the bath anymore. Italian luxury fashion house Dolce & Gabbana has launched a new perfume for canine companions.

On the hills of the Contessa Entellina vineyard in western Sicily, the harvest is already well underway, the grapes ripening earlier than usual because of drought and high temperatures.

Leading Chinese chipmaker SMIC announced Thursday a sharp year-on-year drop in profits during the second quarter, as a domestic price war and technological rivalry between Beijing and Washington show no signs of abating.

If they handed out gold medals for unorthodox Olympic costumes, Raven Saunders would already be on top of the podium.

Newcastle have signed Denmark Under-21 striker William Osula from Sheffield United for an undisclosed fee, the Premier League club announced Thursday.

Sha'Carri Richardson and Gabby Thomas, the newly crowned Olympic 100 and 200m champions, steered the United States into the final of the women's 4x100m relay after winning their heat in 41.94 seconds on Thursday.

Carles Puigdemont, the former leader of Catalonia who fled Spain over his role in a failed 2017 independence bid for the wealthy region, returned to Spain on Thursday after seven years on the run despite a pending arrest warrant but promptly disappeared again.

Russia's army was fighting a major Ukrainian border incursion for the third day running, Moscow said Thursday, with independent analysts saying Kyiv's troops had advanced up to 10 kilometres (six miles) into Russia.

The UK government and police breathed a sigh of relief on Thursday after further anticipated far-right riots failed to materialise overnight and thousands of anti-racism protesters massed on the streets instead.

Newly crowned Olympic 400 metres men's champion Quincy Hall may have a set of gold teeth to go along with his medal but he likes to emphasise how he was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus hailed Bangladesh's "second independence" as he returned Thursday to lead his country back to democracy after a student-led uprising ended the 15-year rule of Sheikh Hasina.

Rights advocates are alarmed by a bill introduced to Iraq's parliament that, they fear, would roll back women's rights and increase underage marriage in the deeply patriarchal society.