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South African head coach Rassie Erasmus said he is expecting Saturday's Autumn Series Test with Ireland to be a "colossal challenge" after he named a side he hopes will deliver a first win in Dublin since 2012.

Clothing items sold by Asian e-commerce giant Shein contain dangerous chemicals at levels well in excess of EU rules, Greenpeace charged in a report published on Thursday.

Four-time World Cup winners Italy will face Northern Ireland in the semi-finals of the European playoffs for the 2026 tournament, following the draw on Thursday.

Inexperienced fly-half Carter Gordon was one of five changes made by Australia coach Joe Schmidt on Thursday for this weekend's Autumn Nations Series game with France in Paris.

US retail giant Walmart reported higher quarterly revenue Thursday and raised its outlook, in an expectations-beating earnings report as American households feel the squeeze from rising costs of living.

The European Commission said Thursday it wants to exclude companies involved in fossil fuels from financial products marketed as "sustainable" in the EU, a step long demanded by environmental groups and experts.

Germany's Lufthansa on Thursday expressed an interest for a stake in TAP Air Portugal, joining Air France-KLM in the race for part of the carrier which is set to be privatised.

A daily pill that is cheaper and easier to take than currently available weight loss drugs helps people lose around a tenth of their body weight over nearly 18 months, a study said Thursday.

The frustration of endless delays and the sting of the critics' gibes will finally be put to one side on Saturday as Barcelona return to their partially rebuilt Camp Nou home.

Marina El Khawand was 18 when she saw her home town of Beirut shattered by the giant 2020 port explosion and decided she needed to help.

The United States has presented a plan to Ukraine with a list of sweeping concessions Kyiv could make to potentially end the war with Russia, a proposal that appears to echo many of Moscow's maximalist demands.

Most stock markets rallied on Thursday after strong earnings from chip titan Nvidia eased fears of an AI bubble.

Gregory Alldritt retained the France captaincy despite the return of Gael Fickou in the team announced by head coach Fabien Galthie on Thursday to play Australia in the Autumn Nations Series in Paris this weekend.

Gaza health authorities said fresh Israeli air strikes killed four people Thursday as Qatar, a mediator of the weeks-long ceasefire, warned that renewed attacks threatened to undermine the fragile truce between Israel and Hamas.

Experienced centre Gael Fickou returns for France against Australia in the Autumn Nations Series in Paris this weekend, having been overlooked for the win over Fiji, head coach Fabien Galthie announced on Thursday.

A court in Spain said Thursday it has ordered Facebook owner Meta to pay local media outlets 479 million euros ($552 million) in compensation for "unfair competition" plus 60 million euros in interest.

Steve Smith took a swipe Thursday at "comical" Monty Panesar after the former England spinner urged fans and players to target the stand-in Australia captain during the Ashes over his part in the 2018 "Sandpapergate" affair.

Flanker Harri Deaves will make his debut for Wales against New Zealand on Saturday as one of five changes to the side that beat Japan last week.

Scientists have discovered a giant spider web spanning about half the size of a tennis court and with some 111,000 spiders in a cave on the border between Greece and Albania.

A Chinese woman who faked Philippine nationality to become a town mayor was sentenced Thursday to life in prison on human trafficking charges, a Manila regional court said.

New Zealand coach Scott Robertson rang the changes for their Autumn Nations Series clash with Wales, bringing in 13 fresh faces to the run-on XV that lost to England last week.

Most Asian markets rallied on Thursday after blowout earnings from chip powerhouse Nvidia cooled worries over an AI bubble and overshadowed a Federal Reserve report that dealt a blow to hopes for a December interest rate cut.

Rescuers plucked stranded people from the rooftops of submerged homes as widespread flooding inundated central Vietnam, where authorities said on Thursday at least 16 people were killed.

When Liberia's government signed an agreement with a little-known Dubai company run by a royal sheikh in 2023, the "carbon credit" deal promised to protect vast tracts of forests and offset big polluters' emissions.

England captain Ben Stokes admitted Thursday beating "a seriously good" Australia will be tough but said his team was up for the challenge and had a golden opportunity to rewrite Ashes history.

Months after a deadly uprising, Nepalis are again lining up -- not to demonstrate, but to register to vote and potentially run in the election they helped bring about.

Bangladesh's Mushfiqur Rahim joined an elite club on Thursday by scoring a century in his 100th Test, achieving the feat against Ireland in Mirpur.

Shoppers could face higher prices for phones, laptops and other gadgets next year, manufacturers and analysts warn, as AI data centres hoover up memory chips used in consumer electronics.

Rescuers plucked stranded people from the rooftops of submerged homes as widespread flooding inundated central Vietnam, where authorities said Thursday at least 16 people have died.

Pacific islanders decried on Thursday a wasted chance to draw eyes to their climate troubles, after their bid to co-host next year's COP climate summit was brushed aside.

Opener Jake Weatherald and seamer Brendan Doggett will make their debuts in the first Ashes Test against England in Perth on Friday, Australia skipper Steve Smith said.

Alperen Sengun scored 28 points and Kevin Durant added 20 to lead the Houston Rockets over Cleveland 114-104 on Wednesday while reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City beat Sacramento 113-99.