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Counter-terrorism forces arrested two women for slavery on Thursday as they returned to Australia from Syria, where they allegedly committed "crimes against humanity" while supporting Islamic State jihadists.

Oil prices fell and global stock markets traded mixed Thursday awaiting an update on a US plan to end the Middle East war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

France's far-right leaders have met the ambassadors of Germany and Israel in recent months as their party, once deemed antisemitic, seeks to court foreign envoys in the run-up to next year's presidential elections.

Another sick passenger from the hantavirus-hit cruise ship landed in Europe on Thursday, as the vessel headed to a Spanish island and health officials scrambled to map the outbreak of the potentially deadly human-to-human strain.

The top US diplomat, Marco Rubio, went to the Vatican on Thursday for talks with the first US pope, Leo XIV, against the backdrop of sharp tensions between the White House and the Vatican.

A group of women linked to Islamic State jihadists arrived in Australia on Thursday, returning home years after allegedly sneaking into Syria to join the group's self-declared caliphate.

British energy giant Shell announced Thursday rising net profits for the first quarter as the Middle East war sent oil and gas prices soaring in volatile trading.

Oil sank again Thursday and Tokyo's Nikkei index led another strong rally across Asia stocks, fuelled by growing optimism the Iran war is close to ending and the revival of demand for all things AI.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India remains "steadfast as ever" in its determination to defeat terrorism and its "enabling ecosystem", marking one year since a deadly clash with arch-enemy Pakistan.

By miming children juggling ammunition found on the ground or driven mad by fear, the four acrobats hope to express what is too painful for words: how their native Burkina Faso's jihadist conflict has ruined countless childhoods.

Iran denied on Thursday attacking a South Korean cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz this week, as US President Donald Trump said a deal to end the war was "very possible" but warned Washington would resume bombing if talks failed.

Synthetic shuttlecocks, shorter games and a new generation of stars are all part of the "evolution" of badminton, a top official told AFP, saying the sport can't afford to sit still.

Mounds of slimey carcasses pile up on a riverbank in Jakarta where authorities are fighting an uphill battle against a fast-breeding invasive fish flourishing in Java island's heavily polluted waterways.

Fallou softly whispers that since his mother's death he has chosen to remain quiet, while young Sokhna recounts the many nightmares she has had following her father's disappearance: for the children of Senegalese migrants lost at sea, the torment of grief is long-lasting.

How big is the jet fuel threat to Europe's summer holidays? The EU says it is not facing shortages yet, but it is readying for the worst -- and weighing options including using US kerosene as a back-up.

Victor Wembanyama's San Antonio Spurs thrashed the Minnesota Timberwolves 133-95 to level their NBA playoff series as the New York Knicks edged Philadelphia for a 2-0 lead Wednesday.

Australia will look to stave off energy shortages by forcing major gas companies to reserve 20 percent of their exports for domestic use, Energy Minister Chris Bowen said Thursday.

Southeast Asia's AirAsia signed a $19 billion deal to buy 150 Canadian-made Airbus A220-300 jets, the two companies said, with the low-cost carrier adding Thursday that it could double the order to meet future demand.

Japan fired surface-to-ship missiles and sank an old warship in waters between the Philippines and Taiwan as part major military exercices that include US forces, angering China.

Son Heung-min's Los Angeles FC were thrashed 4-0 in Wednesday's second leg by Deportivo Toluca to set up an all-Mexican CONCACAF Champions Cup final.

Jonas Vingegaard will make his Giro d'Italia debut on Friday when he begins his bid to win both the Italian Grand Tour and the Tour De France in the same year, thus emulating his great rival Tadej Pogacar.

Roma have a return to the Champions League firmly within their sights ahead of Sunday's trip to Parma as both Juventus and AC Milan's hope's of finishing in Serie A's top four are threatened by the resurgent capital club.

Tokyo's Nikkei index soared Thursday to lead another strong rally across Asia stocks, fuelled by growing optimism the Iran war is close to ending and the revival of demand for all things AI.

Australian cricket star David Warner will "accept responsibility" for drink-driving, his lawyer told reporters on Thursday after a Sydney court hearing.

Jalen Brunson spearheaded a late surge as the New York Knicks edged a razor-tight NBA playoff clash against the Philadelphia 76ers 108-102 to take a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference semi-final series on Wednesday.

America's top diplomat, Marco Rubio, will visit the first US pope, Leo XIV, on Thursday, seeking to ease tensions between Washington and the Vatican while also promoting President Donald Trump's interests.

In an airy office in South Korea, workers comb through social media, uncovering AI-generated content whose growing sophistication is testing toughened election laws ahead of local polls.

Australian authorities on Thursday reversed a ban on public watch parties in Melbourne's Federation Square for the 2026 football World Cup after the decision sparked an outcry.

Yerson Granados used to fish off Colombia's Caribbean coast for a living, but when he discovered the havoc he was wreaking on coral reefs, he changed his ways.

The Lobito Corridor mega-project linking three African countries is shifting from blueprint to proving ground in the global race for critical minerals.

The chief executive of the Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR) project to link southern African mines to an Angolan export port says his priority is the business of the operation, not the geopolitical tussle over Africa's minerals.

US President Donald Trump will host his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the White House on Thursday -- the latest test of the ideological opposites' tenuous relationship, with security and investment topping the agenda.