British consumers increased retail spending by 1.7 percent in February from the level in January when they fell more than first thought because of bad weather, official data showed on Thursday. Retail sales, an important indicator of household confidence…
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An elderly German recluse is prepared to return precious paintings stolen by the Nazis from Jewish families including a priceless Matisse, his spokesman said. Cornelius Gurlitt, 81, had stashed around 1,400 long-lost works by European masters in his…
The organisers of golf’s Royal Trophy slammed the new EurAsia Cup in acid terms Thursday, calling it an “an act of aggression” by the European and Asian Tours in a broadside that overshadowed the first day of play. In a dressing-down that was scathing…
The transition to the next-generation Internet protocol IPv6 is set to speed up this year as web addresses under the previous system IPv4 run out, a senior industry figure said at a meeting about the future of the web Thursday. Internet protocol is…
President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said Russia should create its own national payment settlement system, in a clear bid to become more independent of the West amid the controversy over Moscow’s seizure of Crimea. “In countries such as Japan and China…
European countries on Thursday voted to launch a Nations League tournament in 2018 to run parallel to the World Cup and European Championship. The 54 UEFA countries will be divided into divisions with promotion and relegation and offer an extra chance…
Barack Obama will meet Pope Francis for the first time Thursday for talks on a shared agenda to fight inequality which the US President hopes will help boost support at home. The talks between the first Latin-American pope and first African-American…
Air passengers in Germany faced delays, disruption and hundreds of flight cancellations across the country Thursday as ground staff, baggage handlers and maintenance workers walked out over pay. Lufthansa, Germany’s biggest airline and hardest hit by…
Ivorian ex-president Laurent Gbagbo’s right-hand man Charles Ble Goude faced International Criminal Court judges for the first time on Thursday for his alleged role in a deadly post-election standoff three years ago. The leader of the so-called “Young…
Thai satellite images have shown 300 floating objects in the southern Indian Ocean during a search for the missing Malaysian airliner, an official said Thursday. The objects, ranging from two to 15 metres (6.5 to 50 feet) in size, were scattered over…
Thunderstorms and gale-force winds grounded the international air search for wreckage from Flight MH370 on Thursday, frustrating the luckless effort yet again just as new satellite images of floating objects sparked hopes of a breakthrough. It marked…
London equities fell at the start of trading on Thursday following losses on Wall Street as traders remain on edge over the Crimea crisis. The benchmark FTSE 100 index dropped 0.44 percent to 6,576.05 points in early deals compared with Wednesday’s…
A moderate Venezuelan opposition group said it was ready to talk to the protest-hit government of President Nicolas Maduro, in a rare potential step forward following weeks of unrest. “We are ready for a transparent, balanced and fair dialogue, a public…
Britain’s Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg locked horns with the leader of the country’s most anti-EU party in the first of two face-to-face debates ahead of forthcoming European Parliament elections. Clegg, leader of the pro-EU Liberal Democrats, argued…
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti believes his side can still win the La Liga title despite losing for a second time in four days as they slumped to a 2-1 defeat at Sevilla. Two goals from Colombian striker Carlos Bacca was enough to hand Sevilla a…
West Ham United eased their Premier League relegation fears by snapping a run of three consecutive defeats with a 2-1 victory at home to Hull City on Wednesday. Hull were reduced to 10 men mid-way through the first half when goalkeeper Allan McGregor…
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers urged his players to stay calm and embrace the pressure of the Premier League title race after their nervous 2-1 victory over Sunderland. The Reds took a two-goal lead at Anfield in Wednesday’s match thanks to Steven…
Former world number one Novak Djokovic defeated reigning Wimbledon champ Andy Murray 7-5, 6-3 to book his semi-final berth at the Miami ATP Masters. The 26-year-old Serbian recovered from an early break in the second set to notch the victory in one…
Celtic manager Neil Lennon has set his sights on making inroads in Europe after the Glasgow giants clinched their 45th Scottish league title. The Hoops sealed their third successive Scottish Premiership championship in style following an emphatic 5-…
England’s Amir Khan has no qualms about moving up in weight to take on US southpaw Luis Collazo on May 3, saying Wednesday his switch to welterweight was overdue. “It was never easy for me to make 140,” Khan, a former light welterweight world champion…