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Sports
Former Premier League referee Coote gets suspended sentence for indecent image
Former Premier League referee David Coote was given a suspended prison sentence on Thursday after admitting making an indecent image of a child, with the judge describing his "spectacular fall from grace".
Boulevard
New clashes hit Iran as opposition urges protests, strikes
Security forces used tear gas and live fire to disperse protesters in Iran, rights groups said Thursday, as people angered by economic crisis kept up their challenge to the authorities and exiled opposition groups urged new protests as well as strikes.
Politics
Stocks retreat as traders eye geopolitics, US jobs data
Stock markets fell Thursday as an early-year rally ran out of steam, with investors locking in profits ahead of the release of key US jobs data this week.
Culture
'Girl with a Pearl Earring' to be shown in Japan, in rare trip abroad
Johannes Vermeer's painting "Girl with a Pearl Earring" will be displayed in Japan later this year, the Dutch Mauritshuis museum said Thursday, a rare outing abroad for one of the world's most famous artworks.
Politics
Syria tells civilians to leave Aleppo's Kurdish areas
Syria's military warned civilians in two besieged Kurdish neighbourhoods in the city of Aleppo to leave on Thursday, as it prepared to conduct a fresh wave of strikes targeting Kurdish positions.
Farmers enter Paris on tractors to rage against trade deal
French farmers rolled into Paris on tractors Thursday in a show of anger against an EU trade deal with South American bloc Mercosur they fear will create unfair competition, as the government warned against "illegal" protest actions.
Economy
'Sign of life': defence boom lifts German factory orders
Factory orders in long-struggling Germany unexpectedly posted a sharp jump in November, boosted by higher demand for defence equipment as Europe rushes to rearm, official data showed Thursday.
China confirms extradition of accused scam boss from Cambodia
Accused scam boss Chen Zhi has been extradited to China from Cambodia, Beijing confirmed on Thursday, after he was indicted by the United States over alleged multibillion-dollar fraud.
Economy
Japan's Fast Retailing raises profit forecast after China growth
Japanese retail giant Fast Retailing lifted its 2025-26 annual net profit forecast on Thursday, buoyed by a strong performance in mainland China.
Sports
Olympic champion Zheng out of Australian Open
Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen announced on Thursday that she was withdrawing from the Australian Open later this month due to a lack of physical conditioning.
Sports
England's Brook 'deeply sorry' for nightclub fracas
England's white-ball captain Harry Brook issued an apology on Thursday saying he was "deeply sorry" for an altercation at a New Zealand nightclub ahead of the Ashes.
Boulevard
New clashes in Iran as opposition urges more protests
Security forces used tear gas to disperse protesters in Iran as people angered by the economic situation in the Islamic republic kept up their challenge to the authorities and the exiled opposition Thursday urged them to step up their actions.
Economy
Equity markets mostly down as traders eye US jobs data
Equity markets mostly fell Thursday as the rally that has characterised the start of the year paused with investors looking ahead to the release of key US jobs data this week.
Sports
England cricket board launches immediate review into Ashes debacle
The England and Wales Cricket Board said it had launched an immediate and "thorough" review following the tourists' defeat in the fifth and final Ashes Test on Thursday.
Economy
Dancing isn't enough: industry pushes for practical robots
Humanoid robots danced, somersaulted, dealt blackjack and played ping-pong at the Consumer Electronics Show this week, but some in the industry are impatient for them to become more useful, not just a promise of things to come.
Politics
Asian markets mostly down as traders eye US jobs data
Asian markets mostly fell Thursday as the rally that has characterised the start of the year paused with investors looking ahead to the release of key US jobs data this week.
Boulevard
Australia to hold royal commission inquiry into Bondi Beach shooting
Australia will hold a royal commission inquiry into the mass shooting that killed 15 people at Bondi Beach, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Thursday, as he faced public demands for answers.
Sports
Sabalenka accuses tour chiefs over 'insane' tennis schedule
World number one Aryna Sabalenka accused tennis authorities on Thursday of failing to put player welfare first over what she called an "insane" tennis season.
Economy
Cambodia to liquidate bank founded by accused scam boss
A Cambodian bank founded by accused scam boss Chen Zhi, who has been indicted by the United States over multibillion-dollar fraud and extradited to China, was ordered liquidated Thursday, Cambodia's central bank said.
Economy
Farmers enter Paris on tractors in protest at trade deal
French farmers rolled into Paris on tractors Thursday morning in a show of dissent against a free trade deal they fear will create unfair competition.
Boulevard
Viral 'Chinese Trump' wins laughs on both sides of Pacific
Outstretching his hands in a signature Donald Trump pose, impersonator Ryan Chen mimics the US president's voice and gestures with such accuracy that he has become a social media phenomenon with his funny videos.
Sports
Stokes vows to stay on but 'wrongs to put right' after crushing Ashes defeat
Ben Stokes vowed Thursday to stay on as England captain and said he believes coach Brendon McCullum will too, while admitting there were "wrongs to put right" after a crushing 4-1 Ashes defeat.
Boulevard
Lidl to drop broadcast TV ads in France
German hard discount food retailer Lidl announced Thursday it would halt spots on broadcast television in France, where it is one of the country's top advertisers.
Sports
Stokes admits 'wrongs to put right' after crushing Ashes defeat
England captain Ben Stokes said Thursday there were a lot of "wrongs to put right" after a crushing 4-1 Ashes series defeat to Australia.
Sports
Sabalenka impresses again in Australian Open warm-up, vows more to come
World number one Aryna Sabalenka said she still had room for improvement after a second dominant win in the Brisbane International on Thursday.
Australia win final Test to seal 4-1 Ashes triumph over England
Australia won the final Ashes Test against England by five wickets on Thursday to seal a dominant 4-1 victory after a gruelling series, sending the retiring Usman Khawaja out on a high.
Sports
Gilgeous-Alexander to the rescue as Thunder sink Jazz in overtime
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander rescued the Oklahoma City Thunder with a game-tying buzzer-beater before finishing with 46 points in a 129-125 overtime victory against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday.
Sports
From Diaz to 'Mazadona' - five new faces starring at AFCON
The Africa Cup of Nations reaches the quarter-final stage this weekend with a series of mouthwatering ties between the continent's heavyweights. AFP Sport picks out five stars enjoying their first AFCON to look out for in the last eight:
Economy
Startups go public in litmus test for Chinese AI
Leading Chinese artificial intelligence startup Zhipu AI soared as it went public in Hong Kong on Thursday, a day before rival MiniMax also makes its market debut in a litmus test for the country's rapidly developing sector.
Sports
Death of Bazball: Five things we learned from Ashes series
Australia sealed a thumping 4-1 Ashes win over England with a five-wicket victory in the final Test at Sydney on Thursday.
Sports
Australia's emotional Khawaja bows out for final time with Ashes win
Australia batsman Usman Khawaja admitted he found it hard to control his emotions after playing the final Test of a distinguished 88-Test career on Thursday.
Economy
Asian markets mixed as traders eye US jobs data
Asian markets were mixed Thursday as the rally that has characterised the start of the year paused with investors looking ahead to the release of key US jobs data this week.