The world's eight billion people Saturday ushered in 2023, bidding farewell to a turbulent 12 months marked by war in Europe, stinging price rises, Lionel Messi's World Cup glory and the deaths of Queen Elizabeth, Pele and former pope Benedict.
A fresh round of explosions rocked Kyiv less than an hour into 2023, after Russia had attacked Ukraine with missiles targeting the capital and other cities ahead of New Year's Eve celebrations.
Croatia on Sunday switched to the euro and entered Europe's passport-free zone -- two major milestones for the country after joining the EU nearly a decade ago.
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Sports
US footballer Bobby Smith does not hold back his tears when paying tribute to "King" Pele: the rise of the game in the United States owes almost everything to the Brazilian legend, says his former New York Cosmos teammate.
December 31, 2022
RECENT NEWS
Two dead, 200 rescued in Lebanon migrant boat sinking: army
Politics
December 31, 2022
World number five Aryna Sabalenka is aiming to hold onto the momentum from her season-ending run at the WTA Finals when she starts as second seed at the Adelaide International next week.
December 31, 2022
RECENT NEWS
Only hours after Cristiano Ronaldo penned a two-year contract with Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr, crowds flocked to a football kit store in Riyadh to buy the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's new club jersey.
December 31, 2022
When Kurt and Anna-Maria Spennesberger heard the news about former pope Benedict XVI's death, they immediately got into their car and drove 200 kilometres to the former pontiff's southern German birth town Marktl.
December 31, 2022
The peaceful death of Benedict XVI in a monastery in the Vatican contrasts with the painful, violent or sometimes mysterious deaths of many of his predecessors.
December 31, 2022
Politics
Russian strikes on Saturday targeted Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv, just hours before New Year's Eve celebrations while President Vladimir Putin told Russians that "historical rightness" was on their side.
December 31, 2022
RECENT NEWS
Barcelona stumbled in the Spanish title race with a 1-1 draw against rivals Espanyol in a bad-tempered Catalan derby on Saturday, levelling Real Madrid at the top of La Liga.
The Brazilian barber who cut Pele's hair for more than 60 years is lamenting the loss of both a customer and a close friend.
Marcus Rashford gave the perfect response to his benching for disciplinary reasons as the Manchester United forward's late strike clinched a 1-0 win at Wolves on Saturday.
Romanian teenager Cosmin sweats profusely under a gigantic bearskin costume as he prances to the exhilarating sound of drums, flutes and whistles to welcome the New Year.
December 31, 2022
Things to know
For the first time in modern history, a sitting pope will preside over his predecessor's funeral next week, with Pope Francis leading a "simple" ceremony for Benedict XVI, who died Saturday.
December 31, 2022
RECENT NEWS
Sweden's Mattias Ekstrom drove his Audi hybrid to victory in the 13km-long prologue of the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
President Xi Jinping said Saturday the "light of hope is right in front of us" as China faces an explosion of Covid-19 cases after an abrupt lifting of restrictions.
The world's eight billion people began ushering in 2023 on Saturday and bidding farewell to a turbulent 12 months marked by war in Europe, stinging price rises, Lionel Messi's World Cup glory and the deaths of Queen Elizabeth, Pele and former pope Benedict.
Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford was dropped to the bench for Saturday's Premier League match at Wolves for "internal disciplinary" reasons.
December 31, 2022
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