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China described the war in Gaza as a "disgrace to civilisation" and called on Thursday for an immediate ceasefire as the conflict stretched into its sixth month despite efforts by mediators to reach a truce.

US President Joe Biden faces one of the most critical moments of his political career Thursday with a State of the Union speech aimed at convincing skeptical voters the 81-year-old is fit to beat Donald Trump in November's election.

China's exports sharply accelerated in the first two months of 2024, official figures showed Thursday, providing policymakers a bright spot as they battle to revive the world's second-largest economy.

China's foreign minister gave a rare press conference to foreign media on Thursday, outlining Beijing's positions on major global issues as it holds annual political meetings known as the Two Sessions.

The Dalai Lama, wrapped in red and yellow robes, urged chanting monks and nuns in his latest public prayers to help heal the world with their "compassionate heart".

Hong Kong's appeal court lowered the bar for sedition convictions on Thursday in a ruling expected to affect ongoing trials of news outlets and the government's new national security law.

Tests on generative AI tools found some continue to allow the creation of deceptive images related to political candidates and voting, an NGO warned in a report Wednesday, amid a busy year of high-stake elections around the world.

A Korean-Canadian director's debut feature film -- a quiet romance exploring time, longing and lost chances -- has arrived in South Korea for theatre release after garnering two Oscar nominations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to hold a rally in main city of Indian-administrated Kashmir on Thursday, on his first visit since the disputed region's semi-autonomy was cancelled in 2019.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi lashed out against the United States and praised his country's partnership with Russia on Thursday, in a wide-ranging press conference where he called the war in Gaza a "disgrace for civilisation".

Kimono-clad Mayuko Kashiwazaki delivers her lines in guttural tones and transforms into an evil snake in the lead role of a Japanese Noh play where, unusually, most of the cast are women.

England skipper Ben Stokes won the toss and elected to bat against India on Thursday as the visitors look for a consolation win in the fifth Test.

Australian rugby league star Spencer Leniu admitted on Thursday to using a racist slur against an opponent during a showcase match in the United States, apologising for any distress caused.

Travelling 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) by air between two capitals on the same continent does not seem like a challenge. But it can be one in Africa.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un brandished a gun while inspecting a major operational training base, urging his military to intensify "actual war drills", state media reported Thursday.

Last month was the warmest February on record globally, the ninth straight month of historic high temperatures across the planet as climate change steers the world into "uncharted territory", Europe's climate monitor said Thursday.

Equities fluctuated in Asian trade Thursday as investors try to assess the Federal Reserve's plans for interest rates after boss Jerome Powell indicated they would start to come down this year.

A missile fired by Yemen's Huthi rebels hit a bulk carrier in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday, with the crew reporting three people killed and at least four wounded, the US military said.

Rafael Nadal abandoned his planned ATP Tour comeback at the Indian Wells Masters on Wednesday, saying he was not ready for the demands of tournament tennis on the eve of his opening match in California.

China will be a global force for peace and stability, the country's foreign minister Wang Yi said at a press conference in Beijing on Thursday.

The EU's landmark curbs on how tech titans do business online kick in from Thursday, but just how far Brussels succeeds in bringing the giants to heel will hinge on bitter battles that still lie ahead.

Four adults who ran a heavily fortified compound and were awaiting the resurrection of a kidnapped toddler they thought could help them rid the world of the CIA, the FBI and the American military were given life sentences by a US judge on Wednesday.

After two centuries of non-alignment and two years of torturous diplomacy, Sweden on Thursday becomes the 32nd member of NATO, a major step for a country once careful not to anger Russia.

Brazil proved too much for Mexico as they cruised into the final of the CONCACAF women's Gold Cup with a 3-0 victory in San Diego on Wednesday.

New Zealand public broadcaster TVNZ said Thursday it plans to cut nearly 10 percent of its staff, a week after its free-to-air TV news rival said it was closing altogether.

Alongside antique Korans and ancient Afghan coins, rocket launchers and homemade bombs are displayed in a Mazar-i-Sharif museum as a testament to the Taliban's victory over foreign soldiers.

Libya may sit on Africa's biggest oil reserves, but many families are struggling with rapidly rising consumer prices as the festive Muslim holy month of Ramadan nears.

Andre Britz pulled over his pick-up truck on a rocky mountain track to show off the nature-preserving powers of southern Africa's spekboom shrub.

Former All Blacks prop Jeffery Toomaga-Allen is ready to go to "dark places" to help the Queensland Reds halt the table-topping Waikato Chiefs this weekend.

Israel's war cabinet, seen as a symbol of national unity in the war against Hamas, has been shaken by political rivalry between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and centrist Benny Gantz, analysts say.

Phone in hand, Argentina's President Javier Milei has become a social media junkie who tears into opponents, shares bizarre memes, vents and retweets with a gusto that has seen him dubbed an online "troll."

Like her ancestors before her, Emirati astronaut Nora AlMatrooshi has spent much of her life gazing up at the stars and dreaming of flying to the Moon.