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Live and Let Buy: James Bond auction nets record haul for charity
A James Bond sale in London featuring the fictional superspy's Aston Martin cars, suits and wristwatch has raised £6.9 million ($7.8 million) for charity -- more than all previous 007 sales at the auction house combined.
'Bella Ciao', protest anthem the world loves to sing
From Ukraine to Chile, protesters worldwide have long rallied to the stirring Italian anthem "Bella Ciao", now being sung by demonstrators in solidarity with women in Iran.
In Senegal, ancient male rite collides with modern times
The dancers are a blaze of colour, swirling amid a deafening, pounding noise.
Gunman murders at least 30 in Thai nursery attack
A former police officer stormed a nursery in Thailand on Thursday, shooting dead at least 30 people, most of them children, before killing himself and his family.
Tsunoda given hero's welcome ahead of Japanese Grand Prix
Four years ago Yuki Tsunoda was watching the Japanese Grand Prix from the stands -- now giant pictures of his face welcome him to the Suzuka circuit as he prepares to drive in Sunday's race.
North Korea fires two ballistic missiles, blames US for 'escalation'
North Korea fired two ballistic missiles Thursday and claimed its recent blitz of sanctions-busting tests were necessary countermeasures against joint military drills by the United States and South Korea.
Hamilton says 'imperative' Formula One cost cap rules enforced
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton said Thursday that any team breaking Formula One's cost cap must be punished, after governing body FIA pushed the findings of an investigation back to next week.
Lost Cubist painting by Leger found on back of another canvas
Art experts in the Netherlands said Thursday they had discovered an important painting by the French Cubist Fernand Leger that had been hidden for more than a century on the back of another canvas.
Mickelson says world golf rankings need LIV events to be credible
Six-time major winner Phil Mickelson on Thursday backed moves to award world ranking points for events on the breakaway LIV Golf circuit, saying it would help maintain the "credibility" of the global leaderboard.
Markets mostly up as focus turns to key US jobs report
Equity markets rose Thursday as traders fought to extend this week's global rally, though concerns about the impact of a huge oil output cut on inflation tempered hopes that central banks could soon ease their rate hike campaigns.
Rising tennis star Tiafoe reaches Japan Open quarter-finals
Frances Tiafoe came through a second set battle on Thursday to reach the Japan Open quarter-finals, then said he wasn't bothered by rising expectations because "I wanna win for me".
Hong Kong's Tony Leung says acting gets more rewarding with age
Legendary Hong Kong film star Tony Leung said that after 40 years in the business, he's having more fun than ever playing diverse roles -- though he's still hoping to be cast as a serial killer.
Verstappen looks for 'perfect weekend' in Japan to retain title
Max Verstappen said Thursday that he needs "a perfect weekend" to clinch his second straight Formula One championship at this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix.
Sydney smashes annual rainfall records
Australia's most populous city Sydney smashed a 70-year annual rainfall record Thursday after a year marked by devastating east coast floods.
Myanmar junta jails Japanese filmmaker for 10 years
Myanmar's junta has jailed a Japanese filmmaker for 10 years, more than two months after he was arrested while filming an anti-coup protest, a military spokesman said Thursday.
Lebanon years away from gas riches despite Israel deal: analysts
Lebanon is nearing agreement with Israel over a maritime dispute involving offshore gas fields, but the cash-strapped country still faces an uphill struggle towards unlocking potential hydrocarbon riches, analysts say.
In Spain, the long fight to find Franco era's 'stolen babies'
When the bones of her twin sister who died at birth were exhumed, Maria Jose Robles's worst fears were confirmed: their DNA didn't match, suggesting she was one of the newborns snatched during the Franco dictatorship.
Inflation puts squeeze on Spain's legendary lunch menu
Dreamt up in the 1960s to attract tourists, Spain's three-course "menu del dia", or set lunch menu, has long been seen as the best deal in town.
Month before COP27, host Egypt faces heat over rights, climate action
A month before Egypt hosts the UN climate change conference, Cairo is finalising the list of world leaders coming as it weathers criticism over its human rights and environmental records.
Ex-Australia captain Paine out cheaply on return from sexting scandal
Former Australia captain Tim Paine was out cheaply Thursday in his first match since a sexting scandal ended his international career, with his return failing to inspire his state side Tasmania.
For Saudi fan, road to World Cup is a desert trek
The idea hit Abdullah Alsulmi earlier this year, while he was watching a television show in which a senior Qatari official promised an "exceptional" experience at the upcoming World Cup.
Iranian Kurd exiles in Iraq under fire as protests rage
As protests flare across Iran over the death of young Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini, the Kurdistan region of neighbouring Iraq has paid a price, coming under bombardment from the Islamic republic's forces.
Myanmar jails Japanese filmmaker for 10 years: diplomatic source
Myanmar's junta has jailed a Japanese filmmaker for 10 years for encouraging dissent against the military and violating an electronic communications law, a diplomatic source told AFP on Thursday.
Grandmaster Hans Niemann defends reputation after cheating claims
American international grandmaster Hans Niemann said Wednesday he "won't back down," after the chess platform chess.com reported he has "probably cheated more than 100 times" in online games.
Woodman to Scarratt: Five to watch at the women's Rugby World Cup
The women's Rugby World Cup begins Saturday in New Zealand with the hosts and England, who are on a record 25-match winning streak, among the favourites.
The censor cannot hold: the pressure of controlling China's internet
As a teenager in rural China, Zeng Jiajun used his internet know-how to watch a banned documentary on the bloody military crackdown in Tiananmen Square.
'A time to help': Indonesians ran to aid of fleeing fans in stadium stampede
As one of the deadliest disasters in the history of football unfolded before his eyes at an Indonesian stadium, photographer Adi Bowo Sucipto put his camera down and rushed to help.
China's Zhao out of Hong Kong Masters snooker with Covid
Hong Kong's bid to reboot its pandemic-hit international sports scene ran into a hiccup on Thursday as snooker player Zhao Xintong withdrew from a high-profile tournament after testing positive for Covid.
Zero-Covid in China key to Xi legacy as he eyes third term
For many in China, years of gruelling lockdowns and privacy invasions aimed at extinguishing Covid have caused misery.
'Watched the whole time': China's surveillance state grows under Xi
When Chen picked up his phone to vent his anger at getting a parking ticket, his message on WeChat was a drop in the ocean of daily posts on China's biggest social network.
Asian markets drift as global rally peters, focus now on US jobs
Asian markets were mixed Thursday as this week's global rally ran out of juice, with concerns about a huge oil output cut's impact on inflation tempering hopes that central banks could soon ease back on their rate hike campaigns.
Crowd-pleaser or obscure pick for literature Nobel?
The Nobel Literature Prize will be announced on Thursday, with speculation in literary circles split over whether it will go to an overdue bestselling author or a relative unknown lifted into the spotlight.