Former Premier League referee Coote gets suspended sentence for indecent image
Former Premier League referee David Coote was given a suspended prison sentence on Thursday after admitting making an indecent image of a child, with the judge describing his "spectacular fall from grace".
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New clashes hit Iran as opposition urges protests, strikes
Security forces used tear gas and live fire to disperse protesters in Iran, rights groups said Thursday, as people angered by economic crisis kept up their challenge to the authorities and exiled opposition groups urged new protests as well as strikes.
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Stocks retreat as traders eye geopolitics, US jobs data
Stock markets fell Thursday as an early-year rally ran out of steam, with investors locking in profits ahead of the release of key US jobs data this week.
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'Girl with a Pearl Earring' to be shown in Japan, in rare trip abroad
Johannes Vermeer's painting "Girl with a Pearl Earring" will be displayed in Japan later this year, the Dutch Mauritshuis museum said Thursday, a rare outing abroad for one of the world's most famous artworks.
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Syria tells civilians to leave Aleppo's Kurdish areas
Syria's military warned civilians in two besieged Kurdish neighbourhoods in the city of Aleppo to leave on Thursday, as it prepared to conduct a fresh wave of strikes targeting Kurdish positions.
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Farmers enter Paris on tractors to rage against trade deal
French farmers rolled into Paris on tractors Thursday in a show of anger against an EU trade deal with South American bloc Mercosur they fear will create unfair competition, as the government warned against "illegal" protest actions.
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'Sign of life': defence boom lifts German factory orders
Factory orders in long-struggling Germany unexpectedly posted a sharp jump in November, boosted by higher demand for defence equipment as Europe rushes to rearm, official data showed Thursday.
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China confirms extradition of accused scam boss from Cambodia
Accused scam boss Chen Zhi has been extradited to China from Cambodia, Beijing confirmed on Thursday, after he was indicted by the United States over alleged multibillion-dollar fraud.
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Japan's Fast Retailing raises profit forecast after China growth
Japanese retail giant Fast Retailing lifted its 2025-26 annual net profit forecast on Thursday, buoyed by a strong performance in mainland China.
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Olympic champion Zheng out of Australian Open
Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen announced on Thursday that she was withdrawing from the Australian Open later this month due to a lack of physical conditioning.
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