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European and Asian stock markets mostly rose Thursday as investors tracked a raft of company results and the outlook for interest rates.

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Thursday give his most important state of the nation address in an election year when his ruling party risks losing its parliamentary majority for the first time.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Thursday found France guilty of unlawfully employing a controversial police tactic to encircle protesters during a 2010 demonstration.

In Israel's biblical city of Nazareth, the basilica is empty, restaurants and shops that usually thrive on Christian pilgrims are closed, and many hotels have been shut for months.

Iraq on Thursday condemned a US air strike that killed a senior commander from a pro-Iran armed group accused of having been involved in attacks on American troops in the region.

Head coach Fabien Galthie admitted France were experiencing "a difficult moment" after their 38-17 humbling by Ireland but added he still had faith in his players for Saturday's Six Nations away match against Scotland.

A German navy frigate set sail for the Red Sea on Thursday with the aim of protecting commercial ships from attacks by Yemeni rebels, as part of a planned European Union mission.

Sri Lanka won their one-off Test match against Afghanistan by 10 wickets, but skipper and captain Kusal Mendis said Thursday they face a tougher challenge on the eve of their three-match ODI series.

The UK sale of sets, costumes and props from the hit Netflix drama "The Crown" was due to end Thursday after several showpiece items smashed estimates and netted tens of thousands of pounds.

Brentford manager Thomas Frank has claimed Ivan Toney could stay with the club next season despite interest from Premier League rivals.

"The instructions were very clear: when you see a thief, you chase him until you arrest him and you beat him up brutally," says Daniel Kamau Wainaina, a former security guard on a Kenyan pineapple plantation owned by US food giant Del Monte.

Shares in shipping giant Maersk dived on Thursday after it warned of an uncertain 2024 earnings outlook linked to an oversupply of container vessels and Yemeni rebel attacks in the Red Sea.

Senegal opposition groups tried to mobilise Thursday after President Macky Sall sought to quell widespread public outcry at the delay to this month's presidential election, which has also drawn international condemnation.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday sought to advance a deal to free Gaza hostages in talks with Israeli moderates as he closed a Middle East tour without securing a pause in fighting.

Thai insurance tycoon Nualphan Lamsam became the first woman appointed as president of Thailand's football association on Thursday.

Millions of Pakistanis voted Thursday in an election marred by rigging allegations, with authorities suspending mobile phone services throughout the day and the country's most popular politician in jail.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered troops to prepare to enter Gaza's crowded southern city of Rafah, even as new talks aimed at securing a truce with Hamas were set to open Thursday in Cairo.

Glowing lava spewed early Thursday from a new fissure on Iceland's Reykjanes peninsula, the third eruption to hit the area since December, deepening worries about the area's viability for towns and villages.

American ski superstar Mikaela Shiffrin is to miss this weekend's World Cup meet at Soldeu because she does not wish to cut corners in her recovery from a knee injury.

The medals awarded at this year's Paris Olympics and Paralympics will feature a hexagon-shaped piece of iron taken from the original Eiffel Tower in their centre, organisers said as they unveiled their design on Thursday.

Large numbers of Russian forces are storming the frontline Ukrainian town of Avdiivka, its Ukrainian mayor said Thursday, escalating a months-long effort to capture the industrial hub.

Russia's election commission on Thursday blocked pro-peace politician Boris Nadezhdin from running in next month's presidential election, the candidate said in a post on social media.

British consumer goods giant Unilever on Thursday said its net profit dropped 15 percent last year to 6.5 billion euros ($7 billion) as sales flattened as the group hiked prices.

Sparklers, rockets and spinning sunflowers with flammable petals -- the fireworks stores in China's Hangzhou are stuffed with treats for pyrotechnic-loving customers, who count themselves lucky to live somewhere they are allowed to set them off.

Millions of Pakistanis voted Thursday in an election marred by rigging allegations, with authorities suspending mobile phone services throughout the day and the country's most popular politician in jail.

Son Heung-min was supposed to have been the star of the show in the semi-finals but instead it was Mousa Al-Tamari whose sparkling display fired Jordan to the brink of Asian Cup glory.

An Asian Cup full of late goals and surprises reaches a climax on Saturday when hosts and holders Qatar face a Jordan side looking to make yet more history.

Girona's remarkable La Liga title charge reaches a critical crossroads on Saturday when they visit league leaders Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

A volcanic eruption started on the Reykjanes peninsula in southwestern Iceland on Thursday, the third to hit the area since December, authorities said.

Butter chicken, one of India's most loved dishes, is at the centre of a culinary storm with two competing restaurant chains claiming to be the inventors of the lip-smacking preparation.

Qatar took a big gamble replacing coach Carlos Queiroz with Tintin Marquez just one month before the Asian Cup but they are now one win away from retaining their title.

Stocks mostly rose Thursday following another record on Wall Street, with strong earnings, a resilient US economy and Chinese moves to boost the country's markets playing up against fading hopes for an early Federal Reserve interest rate cut.