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Pope Francis kicked off a four-day visit to Luxembourg and Belgium Thursday with an appeal for international diplomacy and negotiations amid flaring conflicts across the globe.

US Open finalist Taylor Fritz crashed out of the Japan Open in the first round on Thursday and Frances Tiafoe and Stefanos Tsitsipas joined him on a day of shocks in Tokyo.

Dinesh Chandimal's unbeaten century in Galle powered Sri Lanka to 194-2 at tea on the opening day of the second Test against New Zealand on Thursday.

Israel flatly rejected on Thursday a push led by key backer the United States for a 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon, as it vowed to keep fighting Hezbollah militants "until victory".

Germany's economy is expected to shrink slightly in 2024, leading economic institutes said on Thursday, as the traditional manufacturing powerhouse continues to stagnate.

Air strikes and shelling rocked Khartoum on Thursday as the army attacked paramilitary positions throughout the Sudanese capital, eyewitnesses and a military source told AFP.

Hong Kong property behemoth New World Development announced Thursday that its chief executive officer Adrian Cheng has been replaced, as the firm reported an annual loss of over US$2.5 billion.

Switzerland's central bank on Thursday cut its key interest rate by a quarter percentage point for the third time this year, citing the strong Swiss franc and lower inflationary pressure.

German chemicals giant BASF said Thursday it would focus on cost cutting and strengthening its "core businesses" in the years ahead as it unveiled details of a major overhaul.

China's military was on "high alert" Thursday and Beijing said it had lodged a complaint with Tokyo after a Japanese warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait for the first time.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and other top leaders admitted Thursday that the world's number two economy was facing new "problems" and vowed to resolve a long-running crisis in the housing sector.

US Open semi-finalist Frances Tiafoe and fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas both exited the Japan Open in the first round on Thursday, while champion Ben Shelton advanced.

A visibly tired Pope Francis arrived in Luxembourg on Thursday, kicking off a four-day visit to the small nation and neighbouring Belgium that follows a gruelling Asia-Pacific trip.

China said on Thursday that its launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the Pacific Ocean was "legitimate and routine", insisting that its nuclear stance remained defensive after the rare test prompted an outcry from countries in the region.

China said Thursday it was "highly vigilant" and had lodged a complaint with Tokyo after a Japanese warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait for the first time.

Vibrator with your vindaloo? An Amsterdam-based takeaway firm is adding sex toys to their delivery service for customers who fancy a happy ending to their meal.

Hong Kong and Shanghai led another rally across markets on Thursday as China unveiled further economy-boosting measures following a raft of stimulus this week.

Dinesh Chandimal scored a half-century to help Sri Lanka reach 102-1 at lunch on the opening day of the second Test against New Zealand in Galle on Thursday.

The world's longest-serving death row prisoner was acquitted on Thursday, more than half a century after his murder conviction, when a Japanese court ruled that evidence had been fabricated.

The United States and its allies pressed for a 21-day ceasefire in the sharp escalation of fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah that has threatened to plunge Lebanon into an all-out war.

New Zealand recalled veteran Beauden Barrett at fly-half to face Australia in the Bledisloe Cup rematch on Saturday as they strive to snap a Wellington hoodoo and rediscover their killer instinct.

"Barbie" director Greta Gerwig paid tribute to risk-takers in the "terrifying" entertainment industry as she was honored for her pioneering filmmaking at a prestigious Hollywood gala on Wednesday.

Pope Francis is to pay a rare visit to Luxembourg before heading to Brussels on Thursday, a trip to "the heart of Europe" he will use to discuss the continent's role in the world.

The European Union's decision to name a Hungarian as its health commissioner has raised eyebrows in his country, which itself has crumbling hospitals and no health minister.

Rohingya refugee Shonjida has endured years of boredom, misery and violence in Bangladesh -- but last month's overthrow of autocratic ex-premier Sheikh Hasina has given her fresh hope for the future.

Mpox epicentre DR Congo is less than a week away from the start of a vaccination campaign, but the rollout faces challenges in a vast country with limited roads, often in poor condition.

Olivier Giroud was on target as Los Angeles FC kept their dream of a rare domestic double alive after defeating Sporting Kansas City 3-1 to win the US Open Cup final on Wednesday.

The "several thousand" Russian civilians still living in territory occupied by Ukrainian troops are mostly elderly and largely cut off from the outside world, with no electricity or phone network, according to Ukrainian soldiers.

Maryna Skromnaya was ready to face shelling and explosions to get her hair done at a salon in Pokrovsk, the eastern Ukrainian city under intense Russian attack.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will present his "victory plan" to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris Thursday, but a blazing row with Donald Trump underscored how the US election could soon upend support for Kyiv.

The world's longest-serving death row prisoner was acquitted by a Japanese court on Thursday, more than half a century after his 1968 murder conviction.

Argentina's most violent city, Rosario -- best known as the hometown of soccer star Lionel Messi -- has in recent months seen a drastic, and some say suspicious, fall in murders.