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Uruguay great Luis Suarez refused to apologise on Thursday to Ghanaians over his infamous handball at the World Cup 12 years ago.

Fighting with heavy weapons erupted between government forces and M23 insurgents in eastern DR Congo on Thursday, shaking a five-day-old truce, security sources and rebels said.

Pope Francis will visit the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan early next year, a trip previously postponed due to problems with his knee, the Vatican said Thursday.

Global stocks rose further Thursday as Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell flagged a moderation in interest rate hikes, while China signalled a softer approach to fighting Covid.

Declan Rice believes England should be feared by their World Cup rivals as they gear up for a last-16 showdown with Senegal on Sunday.

The timing could not have been worse for Britain's royal family, not long after one racial reckoning involving Prince Harry and ahead of a new publicity blitz from the maverick "spare heir".

The Spanish prime minister received a booby-trapped letter last week which was "similar" to one which exploded Wednesday at Ukraine's embassy in Madrid, lightly injuring an employee, officials said Thursday.

Stylish Ollie Pope followed openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett in scoring a century Thursday as England enjoyed a run-fest on a flat Rawalpindi Stadium pitch on the opening day of the first Test against Pakistan.

Swedish-Swiss engineering giant ABB, which helped construct a huge power plant near Johannesburg, will pay reparations to South Africa over "criminal conduct" at the struggling power utility Eskom, prosecutors said Thursday.

Unemployment in the eurozone has dropped to a record low, at 6.5 percent in October, the EU's Eurostat statistics office said Thursday.

One of Sao Tome's leading opposition figures says accusations that he sought to mount a coup in the tiny African state were a "sham" and a bid to destroy him.

South Africa's ruling ANC party was due to convene emergency talks on Thursday as pressure mounts for President Cyril Ramaphosa to quit or face impeachment over a burglary that he is accused of concealing at his farm.

When Ghana face Uruguay on Friday in their decisive final World Cup group match, one name will be on the minds of many from the West African country: Luis Suarez.

Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinian militants on Thursday during an arrest raid that sparked gun battles in a West Bank stronghold of hardline factions, said Palestinian officials and Israel's army.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk said on Wednesday one of his companies would in six months be able to implant a device into a human brain that would allow communication with a computer.

Australia will put their bodies on the line to stop Lionel Messi and spring a surprise against Argentina in the World Cup last 16, tough-tackling Milos Degenek warned on Thursday.

World number three Cameron Smith struggled on Thursday in the opening round of the Australian Open, falling behind course record-setting leader David Micheluzzi, while Grace Kim led the women's tournament in Melbourne.

Demonstrations in China sparked by tough anti-Covid policies explode the "myth" of a "harmonious society" and reveal deep discontent with Beijing's rulers, a leader of the Tiananmen Square protests said on Thursday.

Ben Duckett scored a maiden century to match fellow opener Zak Crawley's ton as England put Pakistan to the sword on the opening day of the first Test in Rawalpindi on Thursday.

South Africa's ruling ANC party will hold emergency talks Thursday, the day after a report into scandal-hit President Cyril Ramaphosa paved the way for his possible impeachment.

Opener Jack Crawley completed a quick-fire hundred soon after lunch Thursday on the opening day of the first Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi.

Salvadoran digital newspaper El Faro's employees filed a lawsuit in a US federal court on Wednesday against NSO Group, alleging the Israeli firm's controversial Pegasus software was used to spy on them.

One of Austria's top ski resorts is making as much artificial snow as possible to lay a thick base on the slopes before its energy bills leap.

Asian stocks extended a global rally Thursday and the dollar sank after Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell flagged a rate hike slowdown and China signalled a softer approach to fighting Covid.

Vanuatu is drawing up plans to relocate "dozens" of villages within the next two years, as they come under threat from rising seas, the Pacific nation's climate chief told AFP Thursday.

Mobile apps and state media websites turned black-and-white, flags on some government buildings in Beijing were at half-mast, and flowers were laid as China on Thursday mourned the death of former leader Jiang Zemin.

In the town hall of Has, in Albania's mountainous northeast, the Union Jack flag has pride of place next to a framed photo of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

After years of delays, US automaker Tesla is expected on Thursday to deliver its first battery-powered semi truck, with which it hopes to get a jump start on the nascent electric heavy duty vehicle market by offering longer ranges without recharging.

Asian stocks extended a global rally Thursday and the dollar sank after Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell flagged a rate hike slowdown and China signalled a softer approach to fighting Covid.

France's Emmanuel Macron was set to be hosted by President Joe Biden at the White House Thursday for a state visit mixing sumptuous ceremonies with hard-edged talks on transatlantic trade and how to manage a rising China.

With his distinctive long dreadlocks and slouchy beanie, Abdallah Ahmed has always known his choice of lifestyle means trouble in Sudan, where long-oppressed Rastafarians say they are being targeted anew.

Jailed pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai's trial under Hong Kong's national security law was delayed Thursday as the government asked Beijing to bar Lai from being represented by a British lawyer.