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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.

UK to support consumers as energy price cap rises 54%
The UK government on Thursday stepped in to help the hardest-hit households struggling with the rising cost of living, announcing a £9 billion package to offset soaring energy bills.

Pakistan says 7 troops killed in southwest, rebels claim dozens
Seven Pakistani soldiers and at least 13 militants were killed in clashes in restive Balochistan province, the army said Thursday, while separatists claimed dozens more had died in fighting that was still ongoing.

Adams gets change of scene for Wales at centre for Ireland clash
Josh Adams will play in the centre for Wales for the first time when the Six Nations champions open their campaign against Ireland on Saturday in Dublin.

Federer, Nadal set to team up at Laver Cup
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are set to team up for Europe against the rest of the world in the fifth edition of the Laver Cup later this year.

End of pandemic in sight for Europe: WHO
Two years after the outbreak of Covid-19, Europe could soon enter a "long period of tranquility" due to high vaccination rates, the milder Omicron variant and the end of winter, the WHO said Thursday.

Sri Lanka's Lakmal retires to join Derbyshire
Veteran Sri Lankan fast bowler Suranga Lakmal will retire from international cricket after the team's tour of India ends next month to join the English county club Derbyshire, officials said Thursday.

Rights group slams Lebanon for "flawed" murder probes
Human Rights Watch accused Lebanon on Thursday of "flawed" assassination probes and urged donors to review millions of dollars in aid to security forces in a country where crimes often go unpunished.

Djokovic to speak about Australian Open controversy in '7 to 10 days'
Novak Djokovic on Thursday said he plans to provide his “version” of what happened during the fiasco that led to his deportation ahead of the Australian Open in the coming days.

Curry to captain injury-hit England against Scotland in Six Nations
Tom Curry will captain England in their Six Nations opener away to Scotland on Saturday after Eddie Jones' first two choices as skipper were ruled out through injury.

Olympic sprint champion Jacobs defiant ahead of Berlin return
Olympic 100 metres champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs will return to action for the first time since his shock Tokyo victories in the 60m indoor in Berlin on Friday, just days after denying accusations of doping.

Invasion or not, Ukraine's economy is already paying price
In his open-plan office in the centre of Kyiv, tech executive Dmytro Voloshyn lists off the tricky questions he's dealt with over the last weeks as fears have soared over a possible Russian invasion.
Erdogan in Ukraine as Europe pushes to defuse Russia tensions
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan landed in Kyiv Thursday in an effort to mediate the crisis with Russia, as EU leaders stepped up outreach to the Kremlin to defuse fears Moscow could invade Ukraine.
Erdogan visits Ukraine as Europe pushes to defuses Russia tensions
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan headed to Kyiv Thursday in an effort to mediate the crisis with Russia, as EU leaders stepped up outreach to the Kremlin to defuse fears Moscow could invade Ukraine.

'Where is Scholz?': Germany's new chancellor under fire
Two months into the job, the honeymoon is already over for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, with critics accusing him of being "invisible" on the Ukraine crisis and the coronavirus pandemic.

S. Korea beat Philippines to enter first Women's Asian Cup final
Midfielder Cho So-hyun's fourth-minute goal helped ease South Korea to a comfortable 2-0 victory over the Philippines and enter their first Women's Asian Cup final in India on Thursday.

Stock markets mostly fall before European interest rate decisions
Stock markets mostly dropped Thursday as profit-taking set in after recent strong gains, as traders awaited interest rate updates from the European Central Bank and the Bank of England.

Biden battles accusations of 'weakness' against US rivals
Is Joe Biden "weak" in the face of Russia, Iran or North Korea? This is the accusation leveled by opponents of the US president, who is trying to balance a firm hand with pragmatism to overcome multiple international crises and focus on a rising China.

Cuba runs out of milk, breaking Castro's promise
In the early days of communism in Cuba, Fidel Castro had pledged that every child under seven would have a liter of subsidized milk every day.

Weather at Beijing Olympics should be better than Pyeongchang
Those competing in this month's Beijing Winter Olympics will face frosty temperatures but should be spared the Siberian winds and chill factor that sparked postponements and athlete anger during the last Games in South Korea.

Oil everywhere: Ecuador Amazonians seethe over new spill
There is oil in the water, on the rocks and in the sand where children normally play on the banks of the Coca River in Ecuador.

Five things to know about 60 years of US sanctions on Cuba
Decreed in February 1962 and still in place today, American sanctions against Cuba is one of the world's longest-running boycotts by one country against another.

Meet two women who uncovered clergy sex abuse in Colombia
They were working for a Catholic bishop and had clear-cut orders from Pope Francis himself -- probe reports of pedophile priests in a city in Colombia.

Erdogan visits Ukraine as Europe pushes to defuse Russia tensions
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan headed to Kyiv Thursday in an effort to mediate the crisis with Russia, as EU leaders stepped up outreach to the Kremlin to defuse fears Moscow could invade Ukraine.

Japanese snowboarder Yoshika suffers crash at Beijing Games
Japanese snowboarder Rina Yoshika was taken away in an ambulance after suffering a heavy fall in practice at the Beijing Olympics on Thursday, a team official said.

Spyware used on key figure in Netanyahu trial: reports
Reports that police may have used spyware on a key witness in the trial of former premier Benjamin Netanyahu dominated Israeli headlines Thursday amid global scrutiny of Israeli-made surveillance technology.

20 dead in Argentina after taking toxic cocaine
At least 20 people died and 74 more were hospitalized in a Buenos Aires suburb after consuming cocaine cut with a toxic substance, possibly opioids, Argentine authorities said Wednesday.

Kenya under fire over calls to 'weaken' forest protections
In his 15 years defending one of Nairobi's last green spaces, Simon Nganga has seen off brazen attempts to seize what's left of the lush forest bordered by highways and housing estates.

An armchair guide to the Beijing Olympics' peak moments
The Winter Olympic competition stretches over 18 days, offering the chance for remarkable athletes to showcase their talents in sports that might not be instantly recognisable to the casual fan.

13 killed in rare NW Syria raid by US special forces
US special forces hunted down high-ranking jihadists in a rare airborne raid in northwestern Syria on Thursday, killing 13 people in an operation the Pentagon described as "successful".

Turkey inflation surges to near 20-year high
Turkey's annual inflation rate in January reached its highest level since April 2002, official data showed Thursday, after a currency crisis decimated people's purchasing power.