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Israeli lawmakers dissolved parliament on Thursday, forcing the country's fifth election in less than four years, with Foreign Minister Yair Lapid set to take over as caretaker prime minister at midnight.

England coach Eddie Jones admitted Owen Farrell "wasn't very happy" after Courtney Lawes was named captain Thursday for the opening Test against Australia, as veteran scrum-half Danny Care was handed a first start since 2018.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Hong Kong had been "reborn of fire" as he arrived Thursday to mark the 25th anniversary of the city's handover, in his first visit since the business hub's democracy movement was crushed.

Most markets fell again Thursday as traders fear that hefty rate hikes to rein in soaring inflation will spark a recession, though a slight improvement in Chinese data provided a little cheer.

England coach Eddie Jones named Courtney Lawes captain Thursday ahead of Owen Farrell for the first Test against Australia, as veteran scrum-half Danny Care was handed his first start since 2018.

Most markets fell again Thursday as traders fear that hefty rate hikes to rein in soaring inflation will spark a recession, though a slight improvement in Chinese data did provide a little cheer.

The gruesome killing of a Hindu tailor has inflamed religious tensions in India and sparked a furious response on social media, including calls for reprisal attacks against the country's Muslim minority.

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Hong Kong Thursday to attend celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the city's handover from Britain to China.

Israeli lawmakers were voting Thursday on a bill to dissolve parliament in a move that will trigger the country's fifth election in less than four years and make Foreign Minister Yair Lapid the new prime minister.

Activists in Sudan have called for mass rallies Thursday to demand the reversal of an October military coup that prompted foreign governments to slash aid, deepening a chronic economic crisis.

Rain and strong winds caused a stand to collapse at the Galle cricket stadium on Thursday, seriously delaying the second day's play in the opening Test between Sri Lanka and Australia.

For many LGBT Russian artists, the invasion of Ukraine and the accompanying political crackdown was the final straw. Helped by a Paris charity, they have found a new home in France.

With its ghost towns and armed men taking on a vast wilderness, one could almost mistake the Svalbard archipelago for the Wild West.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit Hong Kong Thursday, prompting a massive security effort ahead of celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the city's handover to China.

Japan head coach Jamie Joseph on Thursday backed his team to keep their cool in the first rugby Test against France despite temperatures forecast to soar to 35 degrees Celsius by kick-off time in Toyota on Saturday afternoon.

Controversial former Wallaby Israel Folau declared Thursday it was "awesome" to be ending a four-year Test rugby exile by making his debut for Tonga against Fiji at Saturday.

Thousands of Afghan religious scholars and tribal elders gathered in the capital Thursday for a men-only meeting the Taliban hope will rubber-stamp their hardline Islamic rule.

Rain has delayed the start of Thursday's second day of play in the opening Test between Sri Lanka and Australia in Galle.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Thursday praised his dictator father's rule after being sworn in as the country's new leader, completing a decades-long effort to restore the clan to the country's highest office.

Samsung Electronics became the first chipmaker in the world to mass produce advanced 3-nanometre microchips, the company said Thursday, as it seeks to catch up with Taiwan's TSMC.

The son of the Philippines' late dictator Ferdinand Marcos was sworn in as president Thursday, completing a decades-long effort to restore the clan to the country's highest office.

Rafael Nadal tops the bill in the Wimbledon second round on Thursday, eyeing a clear path to the semi-finals as Iga Swiatek seeks a 37th consecutive win.

Veteran lock Cadeyrn Neville and hooker David Porecki were handed Australia debuts Thursday in a powerful pack to face England in the first Test, while playmaker Quade Cooper got the nod over James O'Connor.

Japanese drinks giant Kirin said Thursday it has agreed to a buyout of its shares in a Myanmar joint venture with a junta-linked conglomerate, completing its exit from the market over the 2021 coup.

Ireland on Thursday named all four of their New Zealand-born players in their line-up for the first Test against the All Blacks in Auckland on Saturday.

The Ecuadoran government said late Wednesday it would restart talks with Indigenous-led protesters, mediated by the Catholic Church, as a fresh state of emergency was issued more than two weeks into disruptive and often violent daily rallies against rising living costs.

Most Asian markets fell again Thursday as traders fear that hefty rate hikes to rein in soaring inflation will spark a recession, though a slight improvement in Chinese data did provide some cheer.

Jessica Springsteen has made a success out of a career that could not be further removed from that of her rock legend father Bruce and yet the Olympic silver medallist show jumper told AFP that at times she feared she would never make it.

As the monsoon storms bear down on India, a dedicated group of women hope that after years of backbreaking labour, water shortages will no longer leave their village high and dry.

James Anderson cannot wait to rejoin a "fearless" England team, unlike any he has known in two decades of international cricket, in this week's long-delayed India series finale.

China's factory and services activity picked up in June, official data showed Thursday, fuelled by the easing of Covid-19 restrictions in major cities such as Shanghai and Beijing.

Dozens of vibrantly coloured floating homes have for decades dotted the banks of the River Nile, rare havens of leafy seclusion in the Egyptian capital's hustle and bustle -- but maybe not for much longer.