Around 1.6 million young Ukrainians are being forced by Russia into a system of military indoctrination that could amount to a crime against humanity, according to OSCE-mandated independent experts.
What does a world leader do with a gun and six bullets? That was the conundrum NATO leaders faced after the Turkish president offered them each a revolver after the Ankara summit.
The El Nino weather pattern picked up strength over the past month and is highly likely to "rank among the largest" ever recorded when it peaks between October and December, US forecasters said Thursday.
- Kicking off: New York football enthusiasts defy pitch shortage
- Jorge Jesus to take over as Portugal coach after World Cup exit
Economy
Fendi celebrates the first haute couture show by newly seated designer Maria Grazia Chiuri in its home city of Rome on Thursday, along with a homage to longtime couturier Karl Lagerfeld.
July 09, 2026
RECENT NEWS
French skipper Alexia Barrier is set to make history when she competes in the transatlantic single-handed Route du Rhum yacht race in November.
July 09, 2026
RECENT NEWS
Two thirds of the European Union's population may have been exposed to harmful levels of ozone pollution during last month's record-breaking heatwave, a report exclusively shared with AFP warned Thursday.
July 09, 2026
Oil prices, stock markets and the dollar were steadier Thursday as investors assessed the outlook for Middle East peace efforts after the US and Iran exchanged fresh strikes.
July 09, 2026
The Russian athletics federation announced Thursday they will appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) challenging World Athletics extending the blanket ban on their track and field athletes.
July 09, 2026
Politics
Italy on Thursday ordered the expulsion of two Russian military attaches accused of spying, with its foreign minister condemning "serious and unacceptable acts of interference" by Moscow.
July 09, 2026
RECENT NEWS
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has now claimed 600 lives, figures published by the World Health Organization showed Thursday -- only three days after the figure topped 500.
German exports unexpectedly rose in May, their fourth straight monthly increase, official data showed Thursday, as Europe's biggest economy defied headwinds from the Iran war.
The United States and Iran traded new strikes on Thursday that killed several people in the Islamic republic as Iranian authorities prepared for the burial of longtime supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler, best known for her powerful, haunting love song "Total Eclipse of the Heart" has died aged 75 in hospital in Portugal, her family announced Thursday.
July 09, 2026
Things to know
Thousands of fans attended a Kabul funeral Thursday for Afghan fast bowler Shapoor Zadran, who helped shape the country's early rise in international cricket.
July 09, 2026
RECENT NEWS
Myanmar has appointed former North Korea coach Jorn Andersen to lead its men's national football team, the country's football federation said on Thursday.
Oil prices fell Thursday, clawing back some of the previous day's surge, as investors assessed the outlook for Middle East peace talks after the US and Iran exchanged fresh strikes and Donald Trump said their ceasefire was over.
Star fly-half Finn Russell returns to the Scotland team for a Nations Championship match against world champions South Africa in Pretoria on Saturday.
The death toll from devastating floods in southern China's Guangxi region rose to 39 on Thursday, with nine people still missing, state media reported, as residents went about cleaning up.
July 09, 2026
- Tour de France yellow jersey protocol: 90 minutes of 'stress'
- Italy recall Allan, Lynagh for All Blacks Nations Championship Test
- Crude stabilises after US-Iran flare-up rocked peace hopes
- Rookie fly-half Meredith thrown in for Wallabies debut against France
- Playmaker Jalibert moves to fullback as France swing axe for Australia clash
- Taiwan warns of 'destructive' winds as typhoon nears
- Australian sprint star Gout out of U20 worlds with hamstring tear
- Farrell rings changes for Ireland's Japan clash