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Battle-hardened former world number one Andy Murray staged a defiant new fightback Thursday to beat French qualifier Alexandre Muller to a place in the Qatar Open semi-finals and declared himself ready to win another title before he retires.

World champion Max Verstappen set the pace as pre-season Formula 1 testing got underway in Bahrain on Thursday.

Pop superstar Rihanna will perform at the Oscars next month, organizers said Thursday, just weeks after she made her long-awaited -- and visibly pregnant -- return at the Super Bowl.

The owners of the world's last dedicated Meccano toy factory have said it will close by next year after more than half a century in France because of rising costs.

France's leading rolling news channel BFMTV on Thursday said it has sacked an anchor after a probe into alleged external influence in his work, according to a company message seen by AFP.

Sergio Ramos retired from international duty with Spain on Thursday, saying new coach Luis de la Fuente told him he did not count on him.

Australia captain Meg Lanning described it as "one of the best games I have played in" after her team gained a five-run win over India in a thrilling Women's T20 World Cup semi-final at Newlands in Cape Town on Thursday.

From pandas to sea lions to tigers, hundreds of wildlife species across the globe are contaminated by potentially harmful "forever chemicals", according to a review of hundreds of peer-reviewed studies.

Prince William on Thursday hailed British football commentator John Motson as "a legend whose voice was football" following the broadcaster's death at the age of 77.

The main EU governing institutions on Thursday banned their staff from installing TikTok on devices used for work amid concerns over data protection, in a move that provoked an angry response from the company.

US and European stocks turned in mixed performances on Thursday, while oil bounced higher on Chinese demand expectations.

Australia reached their seventh successive Women's T20 World Cup final when a thrilling Indian run chase fell agonisingly short at Newlands on Thursday.

England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has agreed a new contract with Everton to end speculation over a move to a Premier League rival.

Former tennis world number one Andy Murray staged another defiant fightback Thursday to beat French qualifier Alexandre Muller and reach the Qatar Open semi-finals.

The Joan Mitchell Foundation has sent a cease and desist letter to Louis Vuitton alleging the luxury brand is using reproductions of the artist's paintings in handbag advertisements without authorization.

Climate change and unchecked construction in flood- and landslide-prone areas are making disasters like the violent storm that killed at least 48 people in southeastern Brazil ever more frequent, according to a leading expert.

First Lady Jill Biden said the United States was committed to helping African nations get a louder voice at the UN and other international bodies, as she visited Namibia on Thursday.

England coach Steve Borthwick said he had "incredible sympathy" for Welsh rugby players after a strike-threatened Six Nations clash between the arch-rivals was given the green light.

Facebook parent company Meta said Thursday it had taken down two fake account networks with links to the governments of Cuba and Bolivia that were used to spread official propaganda and discredit the opposition.

Canadian mining giant First Quantum Minerals announced Thursday the suspension of its operations at a major mine in Panama, saying it was being blocked from exporting copper abroad.

The United Nations is expected to vote Thursday on a resolution demanding Russia withdraw its troops from Ukraine, one year after it invaded the country.

US stocks bounced higher Thursday following a streak of downcast sessions, while European shares were also mostly higher.

US President Joe Biden said Thursday that Washington is nominating former Mastercard Chief Executive Ajay Banga to lead the World Bank, after its current chief David Malpass announced plans to step down early.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday expressed confidence in his country's victory over invading Russian forces with fears mounting of strikes on the war's first anniversary.

He says he has helped the Kremlin gain ground in Ukraine, but he has ruffled feathers among Russian elites.

Several thousand solar panels bake under an unseasonably warm February sun in Plains, Georgia, one of the many projects that bolster the environmental record of local icon and former US president Jimmy Carter.

A six-decade archive charting pop icon David Bowie's career will open in London in 2025, providing a "new source book for the Bowies of tomorrow", a museum director said Wednesday.

Japanese director Makoto Shinkai admits that he "didn't have an eye on the global market" when making "Suzume".

French schools were set Thursday to hold a nationwide minute of silence for a teacher stabbed to death the previous day by one of her pupils with no apparent motive.

Milan's catwalks may be the epicentre of global fashion this week, but it's Seoul and K-Pop fans who are front and centre in the battle for new luxury customers.

Meta on Thursday said that tens of millions of people in Iran are using Instagram despite government efforts to block the service due to months-long protests.

Wales coach Warren Gatland has insisted his team need no extra motivation heading into Saturday's Six Nations match against England after a week of off-field disruption over player contract issues.