Pitch for World Cup final installed at US stadium
The grass pitch for the World Cup final was installed Thursday at a stadium near New York, a milestone as anticipation builds for the top football tournament.
Technology
Performances by AI-generated actors will not be eligible for Golden Globe awards, organizers said Thursday, days after they were also ruled out of Oscars contention.
Sports
Lukas Kuebler scored in each half as Freiburg beat Braga 3-1 at home on Thursday to win 4-3 on aggregate and and qualify for the Europa League final where they will face Aston Villa.
Sports
Rayo Vallecano are through to the first European final in their history after ending Strasbourg's hopes with a 1-0 win in France in the second leg of their UEFA Conference League last-four tie on Thursday, as a 2-0 aggregate success set up a decider against Crystal Palace later this month.
Sports
Aston Villa reached their first European final for 44 years in memorable style with a 4-0 demolition of Nottingham Forest in the Europa League semi-finals on Thursday.
Politics
President Donald Trump and his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday hailed a positive three-hour meeting in Washington, as the ideological opposites sought to smooth tensions.
Sports
Colombian pop idol Shakira on Thursday teased the new official song for the 2026 World Cup, releasing a brief video of the track filmed at Brazil's iconic Maracana Stadium.
Sports
Crystal Palace swept past Shakhtar Donetsk 5-2 on aggregate to reach their first-ever European final on Thursday, giving manager Oliver Glasner the chance of a fairytale end to his golden reign.
Politics
The price of a roundtrip rail ticket from New York to the nearby stadium that will host the final and seven other matches at football's World Cup is being cut from $150 to $105, following outrage from fans, an official said Thursday.
Economy
Global stocks mostly fell Thursday as US indices pulled back from records while Washington awaited Tehran's response to a US plan to end the Middle East war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Sports
Aryna Sabalenka breezed into the third round of the Italian Open on Thursday with a straight-sets win over Barbora Krejcikova, 6-2, 6-3.
Politics
President Donald Trump on Thursday said the European Union must ratify its trade deal with the United States by July 4 or face "much higher" tariffs, after European officials fell short of agreement on the pact.
Boulevard
A total of 30 passengers left the hantavirus-stricken Hondius during its call at the remote British island of Saint Helena, the cruise ship's Dutch operator said Thursday.
Sports
Real Madrid said they would punish midfielders Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni after a clash on Thursday at the club's training ground which left the former needing hospital treatment.
Technology
France's parliament on Thursday definitively adopted legislation to simplify the return of artworks looted during the colonial era to their countries of origin.
Sports
Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti is set to be handed a four-year contract extension taking him through to the 2030 World Cup, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said Thursday.
Politics
Abdoulaye Diarra was beaten and burnt alive near his home in the Malian capital, wrongly accused of being a "terrorist" because of his shabby clothes and long hair.
Politics
The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on a Cuban military conglomerate that controls nearly 40 percent of the island's economy, as well as a Canadian mining company, as part of a mounting pressure campaign.
Sports
Australia's Mitchell Marsh hit 111 to set up a tense nine-run win for Lucknow Super Giants in a rain-hit IPL clash against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Thursday.
Economy
Google faces a fresh UK lawsuit accusing it of abusing its dominance in online display advertising, the claimants announced Thursday, in the latest antitrust action against the US tech giant.
Sports
The New York Yankees' Jasson Dominguez was injured slamming into a wall as he took a superb leaping catch in the first inning on Thursday, eventually leaving the field on a medical cart.
Health
New York will invest $12 million of settlement funds from opioid manufacturers to recruit 500 specialists to help treat people battling addiction, the city's mayor said Thursday.
Politics
President Donald Trump said in an interview published Thursday that he would not pay the $1,000-plus ticket price for the United States' first World Cup match, piling pressure on FIFA over its sky-high costs.
Sports
Daniel Dubois is determined to make the "trash" Fabio Wardley eat his words when he faces the reigning champion in an all-British bout for the World Boxing Organization heavyweight title in Manchester on Saturday.
Economy
France will ban the sale of cannabidiol (CBD) edibles from May 15, while still allowing it to be sold to be smoked, AFP learnt from several sources on Thursday.
Politics
Two attacks in central Mali claimed by Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists have killed more than 30 people, local, security and administrative sources told AFP on Thursday.
More than 75 survivors have been awarded "full compensation" for suffering sexual abuse at the hands of late Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed, and nearly another 200 claims are being processed, a company scheme told AFP Thursday.
Economy
The fuel blockade imposed on Cuba by the United States amounts to "energy starvation", and has "grave consequences" for human rights and development, three UN special rapporteurs said Thursday.
Politics
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday warned allies of Russia against attending its May 9 WWII victory parade, as Moscow doubled down on its threat to strike Kyiv on the day.
Sports
Millwall head into the English Championship play-offs with their sights set on a "fairytale" return to the top-flight after 36 years, while Southampton, Middlesbrough and Hull hope to end much shorter exiles from the Premier League.
Things to know
The hantavirus that has broken out on the cruise ship MV Hondius is much less transmissible than Covid, the head of the Dutch unit treating one of the patients told AFP Thursday.
Israeli and Lebanese envoys will sit down for a fresh round of peace talks in Washington next week, even as Israel presses its campaign against the militant group Hezbollah in spite of a ceasefire.
Economy
Six years after registering Spain's first Covid case, the Canary Islands are awaiting the arrival of a cruise ship struck by a deadly hantavirus outbreak that is reviving painful memories.
Politics
The IOC on Thursday lifted its ban on Belarusian athletes competing in the Olympics, although restrictions on Russian athletes remain in place.
Economy
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned on Thursday of the risks to global financial stability posed by cyberattacks powered by advanced artificial intelligence tools, calling for greater international cooperation on the issue.
Sports
Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler has agreed a new three-year contract extension which will keep him with the Seagulls until at least 2029, the Premier League club announced Thursday.
Health
The World Health Organization said Thursday there were now five confirmed hantavirus cases from the Atlantic cruise ship outbreak, with three more suspected -- and warned further cases were possible.
Sports
Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi said he had no qualms about profiting from Aston Villa's weakened team after criticism of a vital win in his club's fight to avoid relegation.
Jannik Sinner called on Thursday for Grand Slam tournaments to show tennis players respect in a row over prize money, as Novak Djokovic pledged his support to the players in their battle with the sport's major events.
Economy
Germany will generate less tax revenue in the coming years, in large part due to the "irresponsible" Middle East war launched by US President Donald Trump, the finance minister warned Thursday.