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Russian strikes on military facilities and residential buildings across war-scarred Ukraine Thursday left several dead in attacks President Volodymyr Zelensky described as "missile terrorism".

Wall Street stocks rose on Thursday despite data showing the US economy contracted for a second straight quarter as investors took it as a signal the Federal Reserve may slow interest rate hikes.

Pope Francis celebrated mass Thursday at the oldest Catholic shrine in North America, preaching reconciliation on the fourth day of a visit to Canada as he seeks to reset the Church's relationship with Indigenous people.

Lorena Wiebes sprinted to victory in the fifth stage of the women's Tour de France on Thursday in Saint-Die-des-Vosges.

An "exceptional" marine heatwave is gripping the western Mediterranean with surface temperatures up to five degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter than average, according to experts contacted by AFP.

Lewis Hamilton led the way as colleagues, rivals and friends joined in affectionate tribute to Sebastian Vettel on Thursday after the four-time champion announced he will retire from Formula One at the end of the season.

Everton signed Burnley winger Dwight McNeil on Thursday in a deal worth a reported £20 million ($24 million).

The US economy contracted for a second straight quarter between April and June, government data showed Thursday, adding fuel to recession fears in a headache for President Joe Biden ahead of midterm elections.

Hundreds of internally displaced Afghans who had taken refuge in the capital left for their homes in the country's eastern provinces Thursday, almost a year after the war that forced them to flee ended.

The modern strain of the virus that causes cold sores has been traced back to around 5,000 years ago, with researchers suggesting its spread could have been propelled by the emergence of kissing.

Wall Street stocks slid on Thursday despite data showing the US economy contracted for a second straight quarter.

Liverpool pair Alisson Becker and Diogo Jota have been ruled out of Saturday's Community Shield clash against Manchester City.

Pfizer reported a jump in second-quarter profits Thursday behind a near doubling of revenues driven by sales of its Covid-19 vaccine and therapeutic drug Paxlovid.

Pakistan have withdrawn from the world's biggest international chess tournament in protest at hosts India holding a torch relay for the event through disputed Kashmir, officials said Thursday.

The city of Berlin started switching off spotlights illuminating its historic monuments as part of a national effort to save energy in the face of Russian gas shortages.

The US economy contracted for a second straight quarter between April and June, government data showed Thursday, fueling recession fears just months before key midterm elections in a blow for President Joe Biden.

President Joe Biden and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping spoke by phone Thursday on mounting tensions over Taiwan, a festering trade dispute and their bid to keep the superpower rivalry in check.

Australian rugby league side Manly Sea Eagles sported a rainbow-trimmed Pride jersey to loud applause Thursday as the club's owner said the players who refused to wear it were now open to the idea.

JetBlue Airways plans to acquire low-price carrier Spirit Airlines for $3.8 billion, the companies announced Thursday, in what would establish the fifth largest US airline.

German auto giant Volkswagen said Thursday that it was able to overcome global economic headwinds and supply chain issues to put in a "robust" performance in the first six months of 2022.

During his trip to France to meet President Emmanuel Macron, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is staying at a lavish chateau dubbed "the world's most expensive home" when he purchased it in 2015.

President Joe Biden and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping were set to talk Thursday, amid questions over whether their long distance exchanges can defuse mounting tensions around Taiwan and trade.

European stock markets ran out of steam Thursday as investors digested another hefty Federal Reserve interest rate hike and awaited vital US economic growth data and key results from big-hitters Amazon and Apple.

Most of South Africa is wallowing in endless power cuts, but a remote whites-only farming town in the country's sun-drenched centre is close to producing enough electricity to be self-sufficient.

China's minister for industry and information technology is being investigated for alleged corruption, state media reported Thursday, the latest senior cadre to be snared by Beijing's sweeping crackdown.

Four-time Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel will retire at the end of the 2022 season, he announced on Thursday.

Spinner Prabath Jayasuriya grabbed another five-wicket haul as Sri Lanka thumped Pakistan by 246 runs in the second Test to end the series 1-1 on Thursday.

Three foreign climbers are missing and feared dead on Pakistan's treacherous Karakorum mountain range in the country's far north, an official said Thursday.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday was to host Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for talks in Paris, defying criticism the invitation is deeply inappropriate barely four years after the murder by Saudi agents of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The unmistakable boom of shellfire echoed around the bomb-scarred buildings of western Kharkiv as the mayor of Ukraine's one-time Soviet capital prepared for his interview.

British energy giant Shell said Thursday that its net profit soared more than five-fold to $18 billion in the second quarter, fuelled by resurgent oil and gas prices, and rewarded shareholders with another bumper buyback.

The US Senate passed a bill on Wednesday to boost domestic production of semiconductors, the in-demand microchips that power everything from smartphones to cars to weapons.