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A truck-sized asteroid will pass near Earth on Thursday in one of the closest approaches to our planet ever recorded, NASA said, emphasising that it poses no danger.

M23 rebels in eastern DR Congo clashed with soldiers and rival militias on Thursday, according to officials, who said the group's fighters had also cut a vital road in the turbulent region.

Hundreds of campaign groups on Thursday condemned the appointment of an oil boss to lead UN climate talks in the United Arab Emirate, saying it threatened the meeting's "legitimacy".

The International Olympic Committee's efforts to find a "pathway" for Russians to take part in the 2024 Paris Games despite the invasion of Ukraine were strongly criticised by Britain on Thursday.

Consumption patterns in wealthy European Union countries are having detrimental environmental impacts in poorer EU nations, a study Thursday found, exposing harmful inequalities on the continent.

England star Ben Youngs has urged the Rugby Football Union to provide "clarity" over its controversial plan to change tackle rules in the amateur game.

South Korea striker Oh Hyeon-gyu vowed to repay Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou for his persistence after finally completing his dream move to Europe.

Brazilian tightrope walker Rafael Bridi set a new record by walking more than 500 meters between two buildings, more than 100 meters above ground in Sao Paulo.

A blistering wave of Russian strikes targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure killed 11 people on Thursday, a day after Germany and the United States pledged heavy tanks for Kyiv.

The Dubai Desert Classic was hit by a deluge of biblical proportion with Thursday's opening round behind closed doors hit by a lengthy delay.

Israeli forces in a West Bank raid killed nine Palestinians Thursday, officials in the occupied territory said, while the Israeli military said troops traded fire with Islamist militants during a "counterterrorism operation".

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Eritrea on Thursday for a one-day surprise visit, the information ministry announced, as part of an African tour aimed at drumming up support for Moscow.

Sales of new US homes exceeded expectations in December but slumped for all of 2022, according to government data released Thursday, as higher mortgage rates weighed on potential buyers.

Climate extremes in the Amazon rainforest are directly affecting those in the Tibetan Plateau, scientists said Thursday, warning that the Himalayan region crucial for the water security of millions was close to a potentially disastrous "tipping point".

Stock markets rose on Thursday as US data showed the world's top economy grew at a slower pace in 2022 but finished the year on a stronger note.

Relatives of passengers who died in the twin Boeing 737 MAX crashes are scheduled to confront the airplane maker Thursday in a US court, some four years after the tragedies in Ethiopia and Indonesia.

German prosecutors said Thursday there was no indication of a terrorist motive in a knife attack on a train that killed two teenagers and wounded several other passengers.

A lengthy legal dispute over a never-made film starring French actress Eva Green reached London's High Court on Thursday.

Turkey's pro-Kurdish party should back the main opposition candidate instead of fielding its own against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in May elections, its elder statesman told AFP from jail.

Qatar is battling to host a peace meeting between the presidents of rivals DR Congo and Rwanda, even though a summit this week was called off amid rising tensions, diplomats say.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes Premier League leaders Arsenal are benefitting from the patience showed to Mikel Arteta in his early years in charge of the Gunners.

Scientists have discovered the long-buried secret of a 17th-century French aristocrat 400 years after her death: she was using gold wire to keep her teeth from falling out.

The US economy grew at a slower pace in 2022, the Commerce Department said Thursday, as activity eased in the final months of the year and recession fears loomed.

Egypt unveiled Thursday a gold-laced mummy and four tombs, including of an ancient king's "secret keeper", discovered in the Saqqara necropolis south of Cairo.

Beaten Magda Linette said Thursday that making a maiden Grand Slam semi-final at the age of 30 had been reward for years of "hard work and sacrifices".

The Danish government's plan to abolish a public holiday to help fund the defence budget amid the war in Ukraine is putting Denmark's cherished welfare model at risk, the country's biggest trade union warned.

Moves to reintegrate Russian athletes for next year's Paris Olympics were strongly criticised by the British government on Thursday.

Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina will clash in Saturday's Australian Open women's final after both won in straight sets in the last four in Melbourne.

French-Malian megastar Aya Nakamura appeared in court Thursday over allegations of mutual domestic violence with her ex Vladimir Boudnikoff, just a day before her new album is released.

Israeli forces in a West Bank raid killed nine Palestinians Thursday, said officials in the occupied territory, while the Israeli military said troops traded fire with Islamist militants during a "counterterrorism operation".

Aryna Sabalenka will face Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open final after overpowering unseeded Magda Linette 7-6 (7/1), 6-2 in a semi-final played in chilly conditions on Rod Laver Arena on Thursday.

A general strike Thursday paralysed Cyprus for three hours, affecting schools, hospitals, government services and the private sector, as labour unions demand wages be adjusted to decades-high inflation rates.