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Princess Kate hails role of 'human connection' in children's development
Britain's Princess Catherine on Thursday hailed the importance of "human connection" in early childhood development, after her husband Prince William revealed their three children have not been given phones.

'Concerned' Djokovic to meet 204th-ranked Vacherot in Shanghai semis
Novak Djokovic said Thursday he was "concerned" about his physical state, but still dispatched Belgium's Zizou Bergs 6-3, 7-5 to set up a Shanghai Masters semi-final against tournament surprise package Valentin Vacherot.

Israel PT cycling team to miss Lombardy Tour by 'mutual agreement': organisers
Organisers of cycling's prestigious Giro di Lombardia, RCS on Thursday announced that the Israel Premier-Tech team that has been targeted by pro-Palestinian protesters will not take part in Saturday's race.

Nepal welcomes Gaza ceasefire deal, calls for citizen's release
Nepal on Thursday welcomed the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, urging the release of all hostages, including the lone Nepali held in Gaza.

Ukraine's Zelensky says Russia seeking 'chaos' with new energy strikes
President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of sowing "chaos" with fresh strikes on Ukraine's energy grid, while escalating drone attacks forced Kyiv to begin new evacuations of children from frontline villages.

Police meet fresh 1,000-strong protest in Madagascar with tear gas
At least 1,000 anti-government demonstrators marched on Thursday through Madagascar's capital, where police fired tear gas to try and disperse the latest youth-led protest of the past two weeks.

Sabalenka, with help from Djokovic, and Swiatek reach Wuhan quarters
World number one Aryna Sabalenka raced into a fourth consecutive Wuhan Open quarter-final Thursday, having revealed she spent time on holiday last month practising with Novak Djokovic.

Myanmar junta says it targeted rebels in deadly attack on protest
Myanmar's military confirmed on Thursday that it had attacked a protest, where dozens were killed according to residents, with the junta saying rebel fighters were among the crowd.

Home comforts beckon as under-fire Wirtz returns to Germany duty
After a difficult start in Liverpool, midfielder Florian Wirtz will hope a return to the familiar surroundings of international duty with Germany will ignite a turnaround in form.

Silver price hits decades high as gold rush eases
The price of silver hit a three-decade high on Thursday as investors kept flocking to safe havens amid geopolitical and economic uncertainty, but gold eased off a record run.

Laszlo Krasznahorkai: Hungary's 'master of apocalypse'
Hungarian writer Laszlo Krasznahorkai, who won the Nobel literature prize on Thursday, has been described as the postmodern "master of the apocalypse".

Ferrari goes electric with four-seat coupe but shares get shocked
Ferrari will begin its cautious shift to electric vehicles in 2026 with its first battery-powered four-seat coupe, but shares plummeted Thursday over a long-term profit outlook that fell short.

Monaco sack coach Hutter, line up Pocognoli: sources
Monaco sacked their Austrian coach Adi Hutter on Thursday and are set to replace him with Belgian Sebastien Pocognoli, sources told AFP.

500 US troops deploy in Chicago ahead of court hearing
Five hundred US troops deployed in the Chicago area on Thursday as part of President Donald Trump's hardline immigration crackdown, despite strenuous objections of local leaders seeking a judge's order to block the mobilization.

Djokovic to meet 204th-ranked Vacherot in Shanghai Masters semi-final
Novak Djokovic looked far from his best Thursday but dispatched Belgium's Zizou Bergs 6-3, 7-5 to set up a Shanghai Masters semi-final against tournament surprise package Valentin Vacherot.

UK-Balkans meet targets people-smuggling, Russian disinformation
Britain announced funding to help tackle people-smuggling and Russian disinformation as she hosted counterparts from the Western Balkans for a summit in Northern Ireland on Thursday.

Guillotine abolitionist Robert Badinter to enter France's Pantheon
Robert Badinter, a justice minister who ended the death penalty in France in 1981, is to enter the country's Pantheon mausoleum of outstanding historical figures on Thursday.

Top conservation group meets in UAE on growing threats to nature
The world's top conservation body kicked off its world congress Thursday in the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi, where it will unveil its updated "red list" of threatened species a day later.

EU to probe alleged Hungarian spying
The European Union said Thursday it would probe allegations that member state Hungary sought for years to spy on the bloc's decision-making.

Mbappe 'relaxed' and ready to play in France's World Cup qualifiers
France captain Kylian Mbappe said Thursday he was feeling relaxed with his life in Madrid and was in good shape as his nation seeks to move to the brink of World Cup qualification as they face Azerbaijan in Paris.

Hungary's Krasznahorkai, 'master of the apocalypse' wins literature Nobel
The Nobel Prize in Literature was on Thursday awarded to Laszlo Krasznahorkai, considered by many as Hungary's most important living author, whose works explore themes of postmodern dystopia and melancholy.

Danish wind giant Orsted to cut workforce by a quarter
Danish offshore wind energy giant Orsted announced Thursday plans to cut 2,000 jobs, or a quarter of its workforce, by 2027 as its business struggles in the United States.

Pope hails role of news agencies in 'post-truth', AI world
Pope Leo XIV Thursday hailed the work of news agencies as a bulwark in an increasingly "post-truth" world, and warned of the dangers of relying on artificial intelligence for information.

EU chief survives confidence votes in fractious parliament
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen survived two confidence votes Thursday in the European Parliament -- touting "strong support" from the assembly despite the tensions laid bare by the challenge.

Michelin Guide gets an appetite beyond restaurants
France's famed Michelin Guide, a reference for fine dining for more than a century, is expanding into hotel and wine recommendations as it aims to become a global lifestyle brand.

Hungary's Laszlo Krasznahorkai wins Nobel literature prize
The Nobel Prize in Literature was on Thursday awarded to Laszlo Krasznahorkai, considered by many as Hungary's most important living author whose works explore themes of postmodern dystopia and melancholy.

Shein's Paris store kicks up a storm in France
Asian e-commerce giant Shein's decision to set up shop in a historic Parisian department store has ruffled feathers in the fashion capital.

Markets diverge tracking AI concerns, Gaza deal
European and Asian stock markets traded mixed Thursday as investors assessed the outlook for the global AI-fuelled rally, Federal Reserve interest rates and the US government shutdown.

Pope Leo puts poor, marginalised centre stage in first major text
Pope Leo XIV called Thursday for the poor and marginalised, including migrants, to be at the centre of the Catholic Church's mission, in the first major publication of his papacy.

French cycling sprinter Demare announces retirement
French sprinter Arnaud Demare announced on Thursday that he would retire from professional cycling after Sunday's Paris-Tours one-day classic.

'They're coming back': Israelis await return of Gaza hostages
Thousands of jubilant Israelis gathered in a Tel Aviv square Thursday, hopeful for the return of hostages held in Gaza, after two years of fear and worry.

World no. 204 Vacherot stuns Rune to reach Shanghai semi-finals
Qualifier Valentin Vacherot battled back to stun world number 11 Holger Rune and reach the Shanghai Masters semi-finals on Thursday, winning 2-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4.