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Burundi has "accelerated" the withdrawal of some troops from DR Congo, a senior military source told AFP Thursday, as the UN warned the small Great Lakes nation was seeing its biggest influx of refugees from its conflict-riven neighbour in 25 years.

Volodymyr Zelensky was meeting Thursday with US envoy Keith Kellogg after Donald Trump branded the Ukrainian leader a "dictator" and said the Russians "have the cards" in any talks to end the war.

Global stock markets turned lower on Thursday and gold hit a record high as traders fretted over the impact of US President Donald Trump's tariffs and immigration measures on growth and inflation.

In-form Shubman Gill made an unbeaten 101 to anchor India's chase in a six-wicket win over Bangladesh as the two teams began their Champions Trophy campaign on Thursday in Dubai.

Interim Wales coach Matt Sherratt insisted Thursday that a Six Nations showdown against Ireland was no time for experimentation despite the team being on a record streak of 14 consecutive Test defeats.

Guerrilla fighters carried out four bomb attacks that wounded six people in northeast Colombia overnight, officials said Thursday, stoking concerns for a fragile peace process.

Netflix said Thursday that it would spend $1 billion over four years producing films and series in Mexico, in a boost to the government's efforts to attract investment in the face of US tariff threats.

Amazon MGM Studios will take creative control of the James Bond franchise following a landmark joint venture agreement with longtime producers Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, the parties announced Thursday.

President Donald Trump repeatedly claims that US-EU trade ties are unfair and that Europe is abusing the United States as justification for threatening tariffs.

Russian military courts sentenced more than 1,000 people on terrorist charges last year, President Vladimir Putin said Thursday, referring to a massive wave of prosecutions during the Ukraine offensive.

Israel denounced Hamas as "monsters" on Thursday after the Palestinian militant group staged a handover ceremony in Gaza for the bodies of four hostages, who they said included Shiri Bibas and her two young sons.

Andrey Rublev converted his eighth match point against second seed Alex de Minaur to seal a semi-final spot at the Qatar Open on Thursday.

A 16-year-old boy killed two women in a knife attack at a discount shop in the Czech Republic on Thursday, police said, adding the motive remained unclear.

President Donald Trump took a slap shot at Canada on Thursday, again suggesting a US takeover of the northern neighbor as a "fifty first state" and urging the US hockey team to prevail in a closely watched grudge match.

EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic said Thursday that reciprocity in tariffs should apply to both the bloc and Washington, after talks with his counterparts in US President Donald Trump's administration.

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa opened on Thursday a Group of 20 foreign ministers meeting with a call for "cooperation" amid geopolitical tensions and "rising intolerance".

Spain's former football federation chief Luis Rubiales, who on Thursday was convicted of sexual assault and fined over his forcible kiss on the lips of star player Jenni Hermoso, is a combative personality whose career was marked by controversies.

Global stock markets turned mostly lower on Thursday and gold hit a record high amid Federal Reserve concerns that US President Donald Trump's tariffs and immigration measures could reignite inflation.

France's Senate on Thursday backed a bill to ban undocumented immigrants from getting married in France as the government seeks to clamp down on illegal immigration, in a draft law the left has described as unconstitutional.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen has told AFP that Europe must massively rearm in the face of "mixed signals" from the United States under Donald Trump.

A Spanish court on Thursday convicted and fined former football chief Luis Rubiales of sexual assault over the forced kiss he gave star forward Jenni Hermoso but acquitted him of the charge of coercion

Scotland co-captain Finn Russell has been passed fit to play against England in the Six Nations at Twickenham on Saturday following a concussion.

France's parliament on Thursday voted to limit the production and sale of some items containing polluting and health-threatening "forever chemicals" including cosmetics, most clothing and ski wax in the Alpine nation.

Gareth Anscombe was handed the keys to No 10 as interim Wales coach Matt Sherratt rang the changes for Saturday's Six Nations Test match against Ireland.

Burundi is dealing with its biggest influx of refugees in 25 years as families flee the escalating conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the United Nations refugee agency said.

Italy's Jonathan Milan prevailed in a tight sprint to claim Thursday's wind-battered UAE Tour fourth stage with Tadej Pogacar retaining the leader's red jersey.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot will talk to Darwin Nunez about his attitude after accusing the striker of letting a costly miss at Aston Villa affect his effort levels in the rest of the game.

South Korea's ousted premier said on Thursday that he had opposed suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law, testifying for the first time at his former boss's impeachment trial about the events of a night that threw the country into turmoil.

Walmart reported solid fourth-quarter results Thursday behind higher US sales, but shares tumbled after its quarterly and annual projections missed estimates.

A Spanish court on Thursday convicted former football chief Luis Rubiales of sexual assault over the forced kiss he gave star forward Jenni Hermoso and fined him 10,800 euros ($11,300).

Mercedes-Benz warned of looming cost cuts Thursday and gave a bleak outlook for 2025 after its profits plunged almost a third last year amid a slump in China and slowing electric car sales.

Towhid Hridoy struck his first ODI century and with Jaker Ali helped Bangladesh reach 228 from 35-5 against India as the two teams opened their Champions Trophy campaign on Thursday in Dubai.

The European Central bank on Thursday reported a record loss in 2024 after it had aggressively hiked eurozone interest rates in response to soaring inflation.

Romanian director Radu Jude is hoping for a second victory at the Berlin film festival with his latest production which was shot on an iPhone in just 10 days.

A Sri Lankan passenger train derailed Thursday after smashing into a family of elephants, with no passengers injured but six animals killed in the island's worst such wildlife accident, police said.

Outgunned Ukrainian forces have slowly lost territory to Russian troops over recent weeks. But in the capital Kyiv, the ground is shifting rapidly beneath President Volodymyr Zelensky's feet.

Global stock markets were mixed on Thursday and gold hit a record high amid Federal Reserve concerns that US President Donald Trump's tariffs and immigration measures could reignite inflation.

They may be the trendy footwear of choice for Hollywood A-listers and pop stars, but Birkenstock sandals are not works of art, Germany's top court ruled Thursday.

Pope Francis passed another peaceful night in hospital, "got up and had breakfast in his armchair", the Vatican said Thursday, the day after reporting a slight improvement in his condition.