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Sandstorms have engulfed the Middle East in recent days, in a phenomenon experts warn could proliferate because of climate change, putting human health at grave risk.

When Finland decided to seek NATO membership on Sunday, the owner of a small brewery in Savonlinna, Petteri Vanttinen, 42, decided to celebrate by launching a new beer in honour of the military alliance.

Rory McIlroy finally delivered the sizzling major start he has waited years to unleash, firing a five-under par 65 to grab the lead Thursday at the PGA Championship.

Three-time Cy Young Award-winner Max Scherzer is expected to miss six to eight weeks with an oblique muscle strain, baseball's New York Mets said Thursday.

The US Congress on Thursday approved a gargantuan $40 billion aid package for Ukraine to help fight Russia's invasion as President Joe Biden rallied behind the historic NATO membership bids of Sweden and Finland.

Johnny Depp's career and finances were already in serious trouble before his then-wife Amber Heard accused him of domestic violence in 2016, his former agent and business manager testified on Thursday.

Tiger Woods struggled to a four-over par 74 in Thursday's opening round of the PGA Championship, foiled by poor iron shots and soreness in his surgically repaired right leg.

The first batch of asylum seekers sent to Rwanda from the UK under a controversial new deal will likely arrive in the East African nation "in the next few weeks", officials in Kigali said Thursday.

"Blade Runner" and "Chariots of Fire" composer Vangelis, the Oscar-winning electronic music pioneer whose distinctive musical style defined a generation of film soundtracks, has died aged 79, Greece's prime minister said on Thursday.

Formula One driver Kevin Magnussen said Thursday he felt uncomfortable at being told not to wear his wedding ring when racing as opposition to the sport's 'bling ban' intensified in the paddock.

The 14th edition of the Biennale of Contemporary African Art, the continent's largest contemporary art event, opened Thursday in Senegal's capital with the top prize awarded to an Ethiopian painter.

Rory McIlroy, chasing his first major title since 2014, seized the early clubhouse lead in Thursday's opening round of the PGA Championship while Tiger Woods struggled in his second comeback event after severe leg injuries.

Coats and scarves have come out prematurely in Brazil, as the south of the tropical country experiences a record-breaking cold spell, a menace for both homeless people and crops.

Downtown crowds cheered Italy's Stefano Oldani home as he broke clear for his first professional win on stage 12 of the Giro d'Italia on Thursday, while surprise Spaniard Juan Pedro Lopez held the leader's pink jersey.

Carlos Sainz faced the prospect of his lifelong dream turning into a painful nightmare on Thursday when he revealed his fears about the back problems caused by this year's 'ground effect' Formula One cars.

Superstar Rihanna and rapper A$AP Rocky have reportedly welcomed a baby boy, according to pop industry news website TMZ.

Defending champion Novak Djokovic, 13-time winner Rafael Nadal and new teenage star Carlos Alcaraz were drawn in the same half of the French Open on Thursday.

Nobel laureate Jose Ramos-Horta was inaugurated as East Timor's president on Friday, pledging to break a longstanding political deadlock in Southeast Asia's youngest country as it celebrated its 20th independence anniversary.

Twitter on Thursday said it will put warning labels on demonstrably false posts about Russia's war in Ukraine under a new "crisis misinformation policy."

"Blade Runner" and "Chariots of Fire" composer Vangelis, the electronic music pioneer and sole Greek to win an Academy Award for best original score, died late Tuesday aged 79.

A 21-year-old gunman opened fire at a secondary school in northern Germany on Thursday, badly injuring a female member of staff before being arrested, police said.

A crowd of Jewish worshippers broke through police barriers on Thursday at an annual pilgrimage in Israel's Mount Meron, a year after 45 people were crushed to death in a stampede.

A headline-grabbing libel case over an online spat between two England footballers' wives wrapped up on Thursday, after lifting the lid on tabloid double-dealing and the lives of the rich and famous.

Spain's former king made his first trip home on Thursday after nearly two years in exile following a string of financial scandals, sparking widespread criticism.

"Blade Runner" and "Chariots of Fire" composer Vangelis, the electronic music pioneer and sole Greek to win an Academy Award for best original score, has died at the age of 79.

Harley-Davidson suspended most assembly operations and shipments for two weeks due to an unspecified supply chain problem, the motorcycle maker announced Thursday.

Ukrainians donned colourful embroidered shirts on Thursday for a normally light-hearted annual celebration that this year is being viewed as a symbol of national unity against Russia's invasion.

Jordan's King Abdullah II said Thursday his half-brother Prince Hamzah, accused of involvement in a coup plot last year, is in a state of "delusion" and will remain under house arrest.

Newly-appointed England Test coach Brendon McCullum says improving the team's flagging fortunes will also help secure the red-ball game's international future.

President Joe Biden left Thursday for South Korea and Japan to cement US leadership in Asia at a time when the White House's attention has been pulled back to Russia and Europe -- and amid fears of a North Korean nuclear test during his trip.

Russian movie director Kirill Serebrennikov on Thursday said that boycott of his country's cultural activities in reaction to the ongoing war in Ukraine were understandable, but could go too far.

Sudanese security forces arrested leading anti-coup figures on Thursday, their party said, during protests by thousands against last year's military takeover.