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Little enthusiasm as Palestinians gear up for local polls
With local elections due next week, West Bank Palestinians are struggling to muster enthusiasm for their first ballot since the Gaza war, discouraged by limited political choice and the difficulty of voting under Israeli occupation.
Iran's shadow oil trade endures near Singapore despite war
Near Singapore, thousands of miles from the Strait of Hormuz, ship-to-ship transfers of Iranian oil have continued during the Middle East war, helping Tehran evade sanctions and maintain trade with China.
South Africa's firebrand Malema handed jail term on gun charges
A South African court sentenced radical left-wing opposition leader Julius Malema to five years in jail on Thursday for firing a rifle into the air at a rally eight years ago.
US threatens to resume strikes if Iran spurns peace offer
The United States threatened Thursday to resume air strikes on Iran and maintain a naval blockade of its ports if Tehran refuses to accept a deal to end the war that has engulfed the Middle East.
Lufthansa accelerates cost cuts, closing subsidiary, as fuel prices surge
Lufthansa said Thursday that it was accelerating savings plans by closing a regional subsidiary as the German aviation giant struggles with surging fuel costs due to the Iran war and a wave of labour strikes.
Stocks rise as optimism over Mideast war takes hold
Stock markets advanced Thursday on expectations that a Mideast ceasefire would soon let oil and gas tankers resume transmit through the Strait of Hormuz, easing inflation pressures that have upended economies worldwide.
S.African left-wing leader sentenced to jail term on gun charges
A South African court sentenced radical left-wing opposition leader Julius Malema to five years in jail on Thursday for firing a rifle into the air at a rally eight years ago.
Commodities exports through Strait of Hormuz collapse, except for Iran
Iran was the top exporter of commodities through the Strait of Hormuz in March, as shipments from other countries fell off a cliff with Tehran's blockade of the vital waterway, data by analytics firm Kpler showed.
Russian strikes kill at least 19 across Ukraine
A massive Russian drone and missile barrage killed at least 19 people in cities across Ukraine, more than four years into the war with talks on ending the conflict stalled.
S.African left-wing leader Malema jailed for five years on gun charges
A South African court sentenced radical left-wing opposition leader Julius Malema to five years in jail on Thursday for firing a rifle into the air at a rally eight years ago.
Pope condemns 'endless cycle' of death in 'bloodstained' Cameroon region
Pope Leo XIV condemned "an endless cycle of destabilisation and death" on a visit Thursday to a "bloodstained" region of Cameroon that has been gripped by an English-speaking separatist conflict for nearly a decade.
WADA targets India's performance-enhancing drugs production
A crackdown on India's performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) production -- the biggest globally -- is key to tackling the doping menace and protect the athletes, World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) chief Witold Banka told AFP on Thursday.
Tokyo stocks hit record high as Iran peace hopes grow
The Tokyo stock market reached a record high Thursday on heightened optimism that the United States and Iran would extend their ceasefire, hold fresh talks on ending their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil and gas traffic.
Outpouring of emotion as Turkey buries school shooting victims
Crowds gathered for the funerals of eight children and a teacher in southern Turkey on Thursday, killed when a 14-year-old opened fire at a school in a crime that has plunged the country in to shock and the community into grief.
Pakistani army chief in Iran to discuss new round of US talks
The influential chief of Pakistan's armed forces visited Iran to meet the head of Tehran's negotiators on Thursday, as Washington considers agreeing to another round of peace talks in Islamabad.
Leading economists call for windfall profit taxes on energy firms
Prominent economists called Thursday for governments to introduce windfall profit taxes on energy companies who are set to reap financial benefits from the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Israel minister says Netanyahu to talk to Lebanon leader Thursday
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will speak to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, one of his ministers said Thursday, in what would be a historic first.
In Lebanon shelters, women care for tiny babies, face pregnancy
Mariam Zein cradled her 11-week-old son on a mattress on the floor where she and her family have sheltered near Beirut since the Israel-Hezbollah war upended her young family's life.
Pope heads to Cameroon conflict zone with message of peace
Pope Leo XIV was expected to pray for peace on Thursday in Cameroon's troubled northwest region, plagued by a near decade-long separatist insurgency that has killed thousands.
Trump says Israel, Lebanon leaders to hold talks Thursday
US President Donald Trump said the leaders of Israel and Lebanon will speak on Thursday in what would be a historic first, but there was no confirmation from either side.
Russian strikes kill at least 16 across Ukraine
A massive Russian drone and missile barrage killed at least 16 people in cities across Ukraine, more than four years into the war with peace talks stalled, Ukrainian officials said on Thursday.
Australian court overturns protest limits after Bondi Beach attack
A law clamping down on protests following an antisemitic mass shooting at Australia's Bondi Beach was overturned by a court on Thursday, a written ruling showed.
Tokyo record leads stocks higher as Iran peace hopes grow
Japanese stocks hit a record high as most equity markets rose Thursday on heightened optimism the United States and Iran will extend their ceasefire for further talks to end their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Turkey to hold funerals for school shooting victims
Turkey will hold funerals for nine victims killed in a school shooting by a 14-year-old, an attack that has sent shockwaves across the country, with authorities saying the suspect had referenced a US mass killer in a WhatsApp profile image.
Fresh Russian barrage kills 14 in Ukraine
Russian strikes killed at least 14 people in Ukraine, local authorities said Thursday, after Moscow rained missiles and drones on its neighbour in overnight attacks.
Syria's Kurds register for citizenship after decades of marginalisation
In a packed hall in Qamishli's sports stadium in northeast Syria, Firas Ahmad is one of dozens of Kurds waiting to apply for citizenship after many in the minority were barred from doing so for decades.
Strikes kill three in Ukraine, two in Russia, including children
Overnight strikes killed three people including a boy in Ukraine and two children in Russia, officials from both countries said on Thursday.
Trump turmoil sees Spain's Sanchez emerge as progressive star
Spain's Pedro Sanchez hosts a summit of world progressives this week with greater global clout as turbulent relations with US President Donald Trump bolster his image as a left-wing hero.
Russia rains strikes across Ukraine, killing three
Russia pummelled Ukraine with drone and missile attacks overnight, killing three including a child and triggering air alerts in the capital Kyiv, officials said Thursday.
Trump's triumphal arch gets official name
It's been dubbed the "Arc de Trump." But now President Donald Trump's latest building project has an official name -- the "United States Triumphal Arch."
Australia to boost defence spending citing growing threats
Australia will raise defence spending to 3.0 percent of GDP by 2033 as armed conflicts flare worldwide, the government said Thursday.
Left-winger Sanchez climbs to second place in Peru vote count
Left-wing candidate Roberto Sanchez climbed to second place in Peru's presidential election on Wednesday, positioning himself as a surprise rival to conservative frontrunner Keiko Fujimori in a June runoff.