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Dinesh Chandimal's century in Galle powered Sri Lanka to 306-3 at stumps on Thursday's opening day of the second Test against New Zealand.

Shakespeare will meet Radiohead in a new stage production of "Hamlet" due to premiere next year, set to a reworked version of the band's "Hail to the Thief" album.

A Hong Kong judge on Thursday jailed a former chief editor of pro-democracy news outlet Stand News for sedition, handing down a 21-month prison term in the landmark case.

US President Joe Biden announced on Thursday a "surge" in assistance to Ukraine, including nearly $8 billion in military aid and new long-range munitions, ahead of a White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Chinese stocks surged and major European indices mostly rallied Thursday as China signalled further stimulus measures aimed at lifting the world's second-biggest economy out of the doldrums.

Shares in French video game giant Ubisoft plunged nearly 20 percent Thursday after it dropped its profit targets following a delay to its latest "Assassin's Creed" title.

France full-back Melvyn Jaminet returned to training with club Toulon this week despite his lengthy suspension for making racist comments on social media earlier this year.

AC Milan go into Friday night's clash with Lecce with a spring in their step and the Serie A summit in their sights after kick-starting their season with victory in the Milan derby.

Francesco Bagnaia said Thursday he plans to challenge MotoGP championship leader Jorge Martin with an aggressive strategy at this weekend's Indonesia Grand Prix as he tries to chip away at the Spaniard's 24-point lead.

Toulon assistant coach Andrea Masi said on Thursday they are "extremely disappointed" to be losing New Zealand winger Leicester Fainga'anuku at the end of the season.

Pope Francis kicked off a four-day visit to Luxembourg and Belgium Thursday with an appeal for international diplomacy and negotiations amid flaring conflicts across the globe.

US Open finalist Taylor Fritz crashed out of the Japan Open in the first round on Thursday and Frances Tiafoe and Stefanos Tsitsipas joined him on a day of shocks in Tokyo.

Dinesh Chandimal's unbeaten century in Galle powered Sri Lanka to 194-2 at tea on the opening day of the second Test against New Zealand on Thursday.

Israel flatly rejected on Thursday a push led by key backer the United States for a 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon, as it vowed to keep fighting Hezbollah militants "until victory".

Germany's economy is expected to shrink slightly in 2024, leading economic institutes said on Thursday, as the traditional manufacturing powerhouse continues to stagnate.

Air strikes and shelling rocked Khartoum on Thursday as the army attacked paramilitary positions throughout the Sudanese capital, eyewitnesses and a military source told AFP.

Hong Kong property behemoth New World Development announced Thursday that its chief executive officer Adrian Cheng has been replaced, as the firm reported an annual loss of over US$2.5 billion.

Switzerland's central bank on Thursday cut its key interest rate by a quarter percentage point for the third time this year, citing the strong Swiss franc and lower inflationary pressure.

German chemicals giant BASF said Thursday it would focus on cost cutting and strengthening its "core businesses" in the years ahead as it unveiled details of a major overhaul.

China's military was on "high alert" Thursday and Beijing said it had lodged a complaint with Tokyo after a Japanese warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait for the first time.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and other top leaders admitted Thursday that the world's number two economy was facing new "problems" and vowed to resolve a long-running crisis in the housing sector.

US Open semi-finalist Frances Tiafoe and fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas both exited the Japan Open in the first round on Thursday, while champion Ben Shelton advanced.

A visibly tired Pope Francis arrived in Luxembourg on Thursday, kicking off a four-day visit to the small nation and neighbouring Belgium that follows a gruelling Asia-Pacific trip.

China said on Thursday that its launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the Pacific Ocean was "legitimate and routine", insisting that its nuclear stance remained defensive after the rare test prompted an outcry from countries in the region.

China said Thursday it was "highly vigilant" and had lodged a complaint with Tokyo after a Japanese warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait for the first time.

Vibrator with your vindaloo? An Amsterdam-based takeaway firm is adding sex toys to their delivery service for customers who fancy a happy ending to their meal.

Hong Kong and Shanghai led another rally across markets on Thursday as China unveiled further economy-boosting measures following a raft of stimulus this week.

Dinesh Chandimal scored a half-century to help Sri Lanka reach 102-1 at lunch on the opening day of the second Test against New Zealand in Galle on Thursday.

The world's longest-serving death row prisoner was acquitted on Thursday, more than half a century after his murder conviction, when a Japanese court ruled that evidence had been fabricated.

The United States and its allies pressed for a 21-day ceasefire in the sharp escalation of fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah that has threatened to plunge Lebanon into an all-out war.

New Zealand recalled veteran Beauden Barrett at fly-half to face Australia in the Bledisloe Cup rematch on Saturday as they strive to snap a Wellington hoodoo and rediscover their killer instinct.

"Barbie" director Greta Gerwig paid tribute to risk-takers in the "terrifying" entertainment industry as she was honored for her pioneering filmmaking at a prestigious Hollywood gala on Wednesday.