Pope Leo XIV condemned "an endless cycle of destabilisation and death" on a visit Thursday to a "bloodstained" region of Cameroon that has been gripped by an English-speaking separatist conflict for nearly a decade.
A crackdown on India's performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) production -- the biggest globally -- is key to tackling the doping menace and protect the athletes, World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) chief Witold Banka told AFP on Thursday.
The Tokyo stock market reached a record high Thursday on heightened optimism that the United States and Iran would extend their ceasefire, hold fresh talks on ending their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil and gas traffic.
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Politics
The influential chief of Pakistan's armed forces visited Iran to meet the head of Tehran's negotiators on Thursday, as Washington considers agreeing to another round of peace talks in Islamabad.
April 16, 2026
RECENT NEWS
Pope Leo XIV was expected to pray for peace on Thursday in Cameroon's troubled northwest region, plagued by a near decade-long separatist insurgency that has killed thousands.
April 16, 2026
RECENT NEWS
French conservative billionaire Vincent Bollore came under attack from dozens of authors on Thursday at one of his flagship publishing brands, as he continues to reshape the country's media landscape.
April 16, 2026
Football fans have expressed outrage at the exorbitant price of transit fares to get to World Cup matches, following reports that US transport authorities have jacked up prices just for this summer's tournament.
April 16, 2026
Spanish energy group Repsol said on Thursday it has reached an agreement with the Venezuelan government to regain control of its oil business in the country and sharply increase production over the coming years.
April 16, 2026
Sports
Paris Saint-Germain's dream of retaining the Champions League title remains alive and they could have yet another Ligue 1 crown all but wrapped up by the time they play the first leg of their semi-final tie in Europe.
April 16, 2026
RECENT NEWS
US President Donald Trump said the leaders of Israel and Lebanon will speak on Thursday in what would be a historic first, but there was no confirmation from either side.
French oil and gas giant TotalEnergies said Thursday its production in the first quarter of the year was expected to have remained stable despite the Middle East war hitting its output in the region.
A massive Russian drone and missile barrage killed at least 16 people in cities across Ukraine, more than four years into the war with peace talks stalled, Ukrainian officials said on Thursday.
Turkey cracked down Thursday on social media posts praising two school shootings in two days which have left the country reeling, ordering dozens of arrests ahead of funerals for the victims, who were mostly children.
April 16, 2026
Economy
Britain's biggest supermarket chain Tesco warned Thursday that its profits could be impacted by the Mideast war lifting food costs, as it posted higher earnings for its last financial year.
April 16, 2026
RECENT NEWS
British no-frills airline EasyJet on Thursday said it expects to post a deeper first-half loss compared with one year earlier after the Middle East war sent jet fuel prices soaring.
French luxury group Kering vowed Thursday to "reignite desirability" of its flagging Gucci label, once the jet set's most coveted brand, as it seeks to turn around its financial performance.
Rice farmers Siriporn and Amnat Taidee used to burn their paddy fields between plantings -- a common method of clearing crop residue partly blamed fortoxic smog that blankets much of Thailand every spring.
A law clamping down on protests following an antisemitic mass shooting at Australia's Bondi Beach was overturned by a court on Thursday, a written ruling showed.
April 16, 2026
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