Last news

Eriksen could be in action 'within weeks', says Brentford boss
Brentford boss Thomas Frank said Thursday he hoped new signing Christian Eriksen would be in action within "weeks" but could not make a full assessment until he had seen him train.

Barca official resigns after calling Nadal an 'enemy of the state'
A Barcelona official has resigned after calling Rafael Nadal, a known supporter of Real Madrid, an "enemy of the state".

Scotland boss Townsend laughs off Jones' Six Nations mind games
Gregor Townsend said on Thursday England coach Eddie Jones' suggestion that Scotland are "red-hot favourites" for this weekend's Calcutta Cup clash at Murrayfield was just a "song and dance" routine from his opposite number.

Lampard admits tough task as he prepares for Everton bow
Frank Lampard admitted on Thursday he has a tough job on his hands to revive the fortunes of struggling Everton after taking over as manager following Rafael Benitez's dismissal.

Race on to find laced cocaine that killed 20 in Argentina
Investigators in Argentina raced Thursday to track down laced cocaine and remove it from circulation after 20 people died and dozens were sent to hospital poisoned.

Facebook parent Meta sheds $200 bn in stock plummet
Facebook's parent firm Meta on Thursday lost over $200 billion in stock value -- comparable to the size of New Zealand's economy -- after results that raised doubts about the troubled social media giant's future.

US services sector growth ebbed in January amid Omicron
Growth in the US services sector slowed modestly in January amid the surging Omicron variant of Covid-19 and lingering supply chain problems, according to a survey released Thursday.

Erdogan offers Ukraine-Russia summit as Europe pushes to defuse tensions
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered Thursday on a visit to Kyiv to hold a Ukraine-Russia summit, as EU leaders stepped up outreach to the Kremlin to defuse fears Moscow could invade.

Biden says 'major terrorist' blew himself up in US raid
President Joe Biden said Thursday a global "terrorist threat" was removed when the head of the Islamic State group blew himself up after US special forces swooped on his Syrian hideout in an "incredibly challenging" nighttime helicopter raid.

Myanmar junta slams 'dictating' UN rights chief
Myanmar's junta on Thursday slammed "dictating" remarks by the United Nations human rights chief and accused the body of interfering in its affairs after it called for the world to ramp up pressure on the generals.

ECB chief opens door to 2022 rate hike as inflation soars
European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde on Thursday left open the possibility of interest rate hikes this year for the first time, as the eurozone comes under pressure from soaring prices.

Greenwood arrest was a factor in Lingard's failed move: Man Utd boss Rangnick
Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick said Thursday that Mason Greenwood's arrest and suspension by the club was a factor in the decision to keep Jesse Lingard at Old Trafford.

Brazil's Bolsonaro tweets support for podcaster Rogan
Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro tweeted his support for embattled American podcast host Joe Rogan, whose spreading of disinformation about Covid-19 has caused a firestorm of controversy on streaming service Spotify.

Meta slump drags stocks lower, oil falls
Stock markets fell Thursday, dragged down by a massive plunge in the shares of Facebook parent company Meta following disappointing earnings.

European oil port terminals hit by cyberattack
Major oil terminals in some of Western Europe's biggest ports have fallen victim to a cyberattack at a time when energy prices are already soaring, sources confirmed on Thursday.

Aubameyang hails chance of a lifetime after signing for Barcelona
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang called joining Barcelona "the opportunity of his life" on Thursday and backed the club to regain its place among Europe's elite.

Japanese snowboarder Yoshika out of Beijing Games after crash
Japanese snowboarder Rina Yoshika is out of the Beijing Olympics after injuring her spine in a heavy fall in practice on Thursday, the Japanese Olympic Committee said.

ECB sees longer inflation but stands pat on policy
European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde said Thursday that record inflation would stay high longer than expected, but the ECB stuck to its ultra-loose monetary policy as it sees prices cooling this year.

The pianist who escaped a sect and topped the charts
From a violent French sect to living on the streets of LA to the top of the music charts, pianist Riopy's incredible journey is the epitome of the idea that music can save your life.

IS chief blows himself up during US raid in Syria
US special forces carried out a nighttime airborne raid Thursday in northwestern Syria during which the head of the Islamic State group blew himself and his family up, the White House said.

Cyprus tourist arrivals rebound to half pre-Covid level
Tourist arrivals to the Mediterranean island of Cyprus rebounded last year but were still down roughly 50 percent from a pre-pandemic record, official data showed on Thursday.

Ashley Cole reunited with Lampard as Everton assistant
Ashley Cole has reunited with former Chelsea and England team-mate Frank Lampard after agreeing to join Everton as first-team coach.

Gray returns for Scotland's Six Nations clash against England
Jonny Gray has been recalled by Scotland for their Six Nations opener at home to England on Saturday.

Ski jumpers 'really sad' at Covid-hit Kramer's Beijing absence
Ski jumper Marita Kramer's virus-enforced absence from the Beijing Olympics is "really sad", her rivals said Thursday, but blows the field wide open with the favourite ruled out.

Beijing Games set to open as Peng Shuai allegations back in spotlight
Thomas Bach will meet Peng Shuai at the Beijing Winter Olympics to assess her "physical integrity and her mental state", the IOC chief said Thursday, as controversy dogged the Games right up to the eve of the opening ceremony.

Australia-born Hansen set for Ireland Six Nations debut
Australia-born winger Mack Hansen will make his Test debut for Ireland in their Six Nations opener agianst champions Wales on Saturday.

WHO sees pause, even end of pandemic for Europe
The World Health Organization on Thursday offered Europe hope of a "long period of tranquility" and even "enduring peace" in the war on coronavirus, with a growing list of nations lifting almost all Covid curbs.

Curry to captain England in Six Nations opener against Scotland
England coach Eddie Jones compared Tom Curry with New Zealand great Richie McCaw after naming the flanker as captain for Saturday's Six Nations opener away to Scotland.

US says IS leader 'taken off battlefield' in Syria raid
US special forces carried out a brazen nighttime airborne raid in northwestern Syria during which the head of the Islamic State group was "taken off the battlefield", US President Joe Biden said on Thursday.

ECB sits tight as inflation pressure rises
The European Central Bank stuck to its ultra-loose monetary policy on Thursday, despite record inflation in the eurozone putting the Frankfurt-based institution under mounting pressure.

Top India diplomat to boycott Beijing Games over torchbearer
India's top diplomat in Beijing will skip the Winter Games after a Chinese soldier involved in a deadly Himalayan skirmish took part in the Olympic torch relay, officials said Thursday.

BoE agrees second rate hike in row as inflation soars
The Bank of England on Thursday lifted its main interest rate for the second time in a row in a bid to tackle decades-high inflation.