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Women's basketball takes centre stage at the Asian Games on Thursday when hosts China clash with Japan for gold, as the number of doping cases mounts.

New Zealand bowlers led by Matt Henry kept England in check to 282-9 despite Joe Root's 77 in the opening match of the World Cup on Thursday.

The UK government is facing calls to crack down on the backyard breeders of XL bully dogs, and even to cull the breed, following a string of horrifying attacks.

France's highest mountain, Mont Blanc, has shrunk by over two metres in height over the past two years, researchers said on Thursday, measuring the Alpine peak at 4,805.59 metres (15,766.4 feet).

Japan are ready to summon their inner samurai as they enter the "death zone" when taking on Argentina in what is a winner-takes-all match to qualify as World Cup Pool D runners-up.

The United States offered no fresh cash to the world's largest climate fund on Thursday, overshadowing pledges of financial support for nations most vulnerable to global warming and infuriating campaigners.

Last month was the hottest September on record by an "extraordinary" margin as the world flirts dangerously with breaching a key warming limit, the EU climate monitor said on Thursday.

South Korea cut neighbours North Korea and their giant centre Pak Ji Na down to size to win bronze in the Asian Games women's basketball on Thursday in Hangzhou.

The Venice overpass from which a bus plunged killing 21 people this week had been earmarked for renovation for years and had a hole in the barrier which was due to be closed, it emerged Thursday.

Norwegian author Jon Fosse is an all-rounder whose writing is defined more by form than content -- what is not said is often more revealing than what is.

The Swedish Academy on Thursday awarded the Nobel literature prize to Norwegian playwright Jon Fosse, whose plays are among the most widely staged of any contemporary playwright in Europe.

Asian and European stocks rose Thursday after modest Wall Street gains as investors kept a wary eye on US bond yields, while oil sank further on stubborn demand fears.

China's Tian Tao denied North Korea a sixth Asian Games weightlifting gold when he won the men's 96kg division on Thursday from Ro Kwang Ryol, who took silver.

Argentina take on Japan in Nantes on Sunday in both team's last Pool D match, with veteran Pumas hooker Agustin Creevy describing it as "another final".

Indian rescue teams searched on Thursday for 102 people missing after a devastating flash flood triggered by a high-altitude glacial lake burst killed at least 14, officials said.

Shanghai Masters top seed Carlos Alcaraz said Thursday he was ready for the tournament and would change what he did wrong in Beijing, where he crashed out of the China Open this week.

Marylebone Cricket Club has expelled one member and suspended two others following an ugly altercation with Australia players during the second Ashes Test against England at Lord's.

Bangladesh on Thursday received the first uranium delivery for its Russia-backed nuclear plant, a project aimed at bolstering its overstretched energy grid but complicated by sanctions on Moscow.

US Open champion Coco Gauff shook off an indifferent first-set performance to glide into the women's quarter-finals of the China Open with victory over Russia's Veronika Kudermetova in Beijing on Thursday.

England and New Zealand opened the Cricket World Cup on Thursday faced with a largely empty stadium -- and those in the crowd donned tops and face-paint in the national colours of India.

The Nobel Prize in Literature to be announced Thursday could go to an overtly political author like a Kremlin critic, or crown a safer or lesser-known writer, experts say.

A lot is at stake in Ireland's Rugby World Cup pool match with Scotland and the atmosphere is set to be even more febrile as there is a "little bit of animosity" between them, former Irish lock Jean Kleyn has claimed.

Thai police on Thursday arrested three men accused of selling a gun and ammunition to a 14-year-old suspected of carrying out a deadly shooting at a Bangkok mall.

Young Kazakh rider Yevgeniy Fedorov was gifted gold by decorated teammate Alexey Lutsenko as they crossed the line nearly six minutes ahead of the rest in the Asian Games men's road race on Thursday.

Countries desperate for Asian Games success are dangling houses, money, cars and even government jobs as incentives to athletes to bring home medals from Hangzhou.

Defending champions England took on New Zealand in the opening game of the Cricket World Cup on Thursday at the start of a marathon tournament which could dictate the event's place in the future of the sport.

The world's largest climate fund was seeking fresh cash at a donor conference on Thursday, with all eyes on what the United States will provide for vulnerable nations impacted by climate change.

Indian rescue teams searched on Thursday for 102 people missing after a devastating flash flood triggered by a high-altitude glacial lake burst killed at least 10, officials said.

Typhoon Koinu left at least one person dead on Thursday as it grazed Taiwan's southern tip, lashing the island with the strongest winds it has ever recorded and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of homes.

Asian and European markets posted modest gains Thursday, rebounding from previous losses after a strong lead from Wall Street.

Hong Kong film legend Chow Yun-fat on Thursday lamented China's "difficult" censorship while conceding the mainland market's crucial financial importance for filmmakers.

Elon Musk's social media platform X has stripped headlines from news articles shared by users, in a move likely to further worsen relations with media groups.