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Russia on Thursday said Western aid to Kyiv had slowed its offensive in Ukraine but would not thwart its victory, as conflicting reports emerged about efforts to rescue civilians from a besieged steel plant in the devastated city of Mariupol.

Saudi Arabia, Russia and other key oil producers agreed on Thursday to another marginal increase in output, bolstered by risks to demand amid coronavirus restrictions in China.

South Africa on Thursday ended mask-wearing for school children despite a surge of infections driven by two new Omicron sub-variants of coronavirus.

German national carrier Lufthansa on Thursday said it slashed its losses in the first quarter and set its sights on a record summer for tourist traffic as demand recovers from the pandemic.

French ballet star Laurent Hilaire was named director of one of Germany's top dance companies on Thursday, two months after he resigned from Moscow's Stanislavski Theatre over the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Real Madrid added another mind-boggling comeback to the club's long history of magical European nights on Wednesday but the revival against Manchester City may prove to be less about the past and more about the future.

Filipino domestic worker Marites Saliganan loves getting outdoors on her one day off a week, and after Hong Kong's government lifted a pandemic ban on gathering at beaches on Thursday, she and her friends headed for the sand.

A refugee held for eight years in Australia's hardline immigration system earned a finalist spot in the nation's top art prize on Thursday -- for a self-portrait he painted with a toothbrush.

Queen Elizabeth II, who has cut back on public appearances due to poor health and old age, will not attend this summer's royal garden parties, Buckingham Palace said on Thursday.

A third all-English Champions League final in four years seemed to be on the cards but Real Madrid's incredible late comeback against Manchester City on Wednesday has set up a rematch between the Spanish club and Liverpool in Paris on May 28.

Taiwan has opted out of purchasing anti-submarine helicopters from the United States because they are too expensive, its defence minister said Thursday.

Pope Francis, who has suffered from pain in his knee, used a wheelchair for the first time at a public event on Thursday.

Manchester City have become accustomed to Champions League heartache, but the manner of their latest collapse against Real Madrid might be the most painful defeat of all.

Hundreds of Philippine priests on Thursday endorsed the main rival to former dictator Ferdinand Marcos's son, just days ahead of a presidential election they called a "battle for the soul" of the nation.

Stock markets rallied Thursday after the Federal Reserve played down chances of an even bigger US interest rate hike in the near future.

British energy giant Shell on Thursday logged soaring first-quarter net profit as surging oil prices offset a sizeable charge linked to its Russia exit.

Russia said Thursday that a sprawling collection of artworks by the likes of Van Gogh, Cezanne, Matisse and Monet -- the so-called Morozov Collection -- has been safely returned after the show proved a runaway success in Paris.

Turkey's official inflation rate spiralled to nearly 70 percent in April, data showed on Thursday, posing a huge challenge to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose unconventional economic policies are often blamed for the economic turmoil.

More than 1,000 Iraqis were rushed to hospital with respiratory ailments on Thursday due to a sandstorm, the seventh to hit the country in the past month, state media said.

Markets rallied Thursday after the US Federal Reserve played down chances of a huge interest rate hike in the near future, while oil extended gains as the European Union moved to ban imports from Russia.

The streets of Beijing's business district were deserted on Thursday as the government called for people to return to work remotely, with scores of subway stations shut after a national holiday muted by coronavirus curbs.

TikTok on Wednesday announced an ad revenue-sharing program with the social media platform's most prominent creators, moving closer to a model already used by its competitors.

China's strict zero-Covid policy has led to a plunge in confidence among European companies operating in the country as supply chains are tangled, revenue projections fall and staff leave, according to a business group survey released Thursday.

Draught horses Albert and Ivan trot down the streets of Windsor, hauling a barrel-laden cart as pubs stock up on beer ahead of Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee and a hoped-for influx of visitors.

Like a giant elephant trunk, a huge hose sweeps above the hold of a ship in Romania's Black Sea port of Constanta, spilling tons of corn into the vessel before it sets sail.

Under the watchful gaze of former popes in framed photographs hanging on the walls, tailor Ety Cicioni races to stitch the brightly coloured uniforms for pontifical Swiss Guard recruits ahead of their swearing-in ceremony.

It has been 36 years since Tom Cruise donned his aviators, jumped into a fighter jet and ascended Hollywood's A-list with "Top Gun" -- and, finally, a sequel is about to land.

India's top woman discus thrower Kamalpreet Kaur, who finished sixth at last summer's Tokyo Olympics, has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for a banned drug, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison urged a calm response Thursday after the Solomon Islands' leader cited an "invasion" threat and said his nation was being treated like an infant wielding a handgun.

The Seattle Sounders defeated Mexico's Pumas UNAM 5-2 on aggregate to win the CONCACAF Champions League on Wednesday, ending Major League Soccer's 23-year wait to lift the top club tournament for teams from North America, Central America and the Caribbean.

Polls open across the UK on Thursday in local and regional elections that could prove historic in Northern Ireland and heap further pressure on embattled Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Millions of people in Beijing returned to work Thursday, many remotely, with scores of subway stations shut after a national holiday muted by the coronavirus curbs.