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Global temperatures were stuck at near-record highs in April, the EU's climate monitor said on Thursday, extending an unprecedented heat streak and raising questions about how quickly the world might be warming.

Stock markets and the dollar rose Thursday as US President Donald Trump touted plans to unveil a "major trade deal" with Britain, boosting hopes for other countries' tariff negotiations.

Thick black smoke billowed Thursday from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in a sign that cardinals again failed to elect a new head of the Catholic Church.

Madasar Choudhary said his sister saw two children killed in the town of Poonch that bore the brunt of this week's shelling by Pakistan, with India saying a total of 13 people died there.

Paramilitary drones struck army-held areas of eastern and southern Sudan for a fifth straight day Thursday, army sources said, prompting an exodus of civilians from Port Sudan, seat of the army-backed government.

First responders in Gaza said Thursday that their operations were at a near standstill, more than two months into a full Israeli blockade that has left food and fuel in severe shortage.

Pakistan's army said Thursday it shot down 25 Indian drones, a day after the worst violence between the nuclear-armed rivals in two decades.

China's Xi Jinping was in Moscow on Thursday for a state visit ahead of the Kremlin's grand Victory Day celebrations, as Ukraine accused Russia's army of launching air strikes just hours into a supposed truce.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees said Thursday that Israel closed three of its schools in annexed east Jerusalem, months after an Israeli ban on its activities took effect.

The United States and Britain were reportedly set to announce a trade agreement on Thursday that could have implications for President Donald Trump's tariffs assault, but the scope of the deal could be limited.

An Indonesian animated movie is smashing regional box-office records and could be set for wider success as it prepares to open beyond the Southeast Asian archipelago's silver screens.

Asian markets were mixed Thursday ahead of weekend tariff talks between China and the United States, while London was boosted by reports that a "major trade deal" flagged by Donald Trump was with Britain.

Dubai's Emirates Group, which includes the Middle East's biggest airline, announced on Thursday gross annual profit of $6.2 billion, its third record in three years.

An Australian woman accused of triple murder sent her children to the movies before serving up a toxic mushroom lunch that killed her guests, a court heard on Thursday.

Japanese gaming giant Nintendo forecast Thursday that it would sell 15 million units of its hotly awaited Switch 2 console in the current financial year but warned US tariffs could hit its bottom line.

Australian Greens leader Adam Bandt conceded the loss of his own parliamentary seat Thursday, blaming a flood of votes that swept to the triumphant Labor Party.

Japanese auto giant Toyota forecast on Thursday a 35 percent year-on-year drop in net profit for the current financial year, citing Donald Trump's vehicle tariffs among other factors.

EU lawmakers are set on Thursday to give the green light to downgrading wolf protections in the bloc, in line with a landmark change to conservation rules late last year.

They feature in the Duchess of Sussex's "With Love, Meghan" Netflix cooking show. They've been spotted in rapper Snoop Dogg's kitchen. Top chefs can't live without them, and TikTok posts draw millions.

Falsetto voice and angelic smile: Johannes Pietsch, alias JJ, has emerged as Austria's best chance of winning this year's Eurovision song contest since the triumph of bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst 11 years ago.

Japanese auto giant Toyota on Thursday forecast a 35 percent year-on-year drop in net profit for 2025-26 citing Donald Trump's vehicle tariffs among other factors.

The Eurovision Song Contest is meant to be about celebrating music and cultural diversity, but politics inevitably seeps in, challenging the competition's long-standing claim to neutrality.

Faced with fresh flight safety problems at a major US airport, the Trump administration is set Thursday to unveil a modernized air traffic control system.

Indian and Pakistani soldiers exchanged gunfire overnight in Kashmir, New Delhi said Thursday, a day after the worst violence between the nuclear-armed rivals in two decades.

The New York Knicks rallied again from 20 points down to snatch a 91-90 victory over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday as the Oklahoma City Thunder bounced back in historic style in the NBA playoffs.

A rare New Zealand snail has been filmed for the first time squeezing an egg from its neck, delighting scientists trying to save the critically endangered meat-eating mollusc.

The Eurovision Song Contest comes shimmering into Basel on Sunday with a glitzy parade kicking off a week of high-octane revelry building up to the May 17 grand final.

Donald Trump will announce a trade deal with the United Kingdom on Thursday, US media reported, after the president touted a "major" upcoming agreement on social media.

India great Mahendra Singh Dhoni will not rush into a decision about retirement when the Indian Premier League ends this month, saying he will listen to his body as his 44th birthday approaches.

Iraqi Mohammed Jalal lost 10 years of his life seeking asylum in Germany, without success. Instead of being granted refuge, he was sent back to the land he had fled.

Asian stocks extended their rally Thursday on hopes for an easing of trade war tensions as China and the United States prepare for weekend talks and after Donald Trump flagged a "major trade deal" later in the day.

As cardinals gather in the Vatican to elect a new pope -- with a Filipino among the favourites -- the church in Asia's most Catholic country is grappling with a decline in those with a vocation for the priesthood.

New Zealand Rugby recorded sizeable losses in yearly accounts released Thursday, with chief executive Mark Robinson saying its commercial model was "not sustainable" despite a contentious private equity cash injection.

New Zealand Rugby recorded sizeable losses in yearly accounts released Thursday, with chief executive Mark Robinson saying its commercial model was "not sustainable" despite a contentious private equity cash injection.

Anticipation gripped the Catholic world Thursday as the cardinals tasked with choosing a new pope prepared to retreat behind the heavy doors of the Vatican's Sistine Chapel for their second day of voting.

A new online voting system aimed at boosting turnout among the Philippines' millions of overseas workers ahead of Monday's mid-term elections has been marked by confusion and fears of disenfranchisement.

The Bank of England is widely expected to cut its key interest rate by a quarter point Thursday as US President Donald Trump's planned tariffs threaten to weaken economic growth.

Donald Trump's proposal to put 100 percent tariffs on foreign movies left many filmmakers scratching their heads. But it did highlight a problem plaguing Hollywood: cinema is rapidly abandoning its long-time home.

Merwil Gutierrez, 19, was among 200 Venezuelans controversially deported by the Trump administration to El Salvador in March without due process or any criminal charges, says his father who has heard nothing for weeks.