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Germany has rejected a complete ban on Russian gas and oil imports over Russia invading Ukraine, but voices are growing louder for Berlin to ditch its economic imperative to take a moral stand.

Devin Booker returned from a four-game absence to power Phoenix over Miami 111-90 on Wednesday in a matchup of conference leaders, clinching an NBA playoff berth for the Suns.

EU leaders will scramble Thursday to find ways to urgently address the fallout of Russia's invasion of Ukraine that has imperilled the bloc's economy and exposed a dire need for a stronger defence.

Russia has moved to throttle independent media after its invasion of Ukraine, allowing state television to dominate the airwaves with broadcasting that relentlessly promotes Russian successes and carefully toes the Kremlin line.

The Covid-19 pandemic has been an "El Dorado" for match fixers due to the negative impact the virus has had on the finances of individual sports, a leading sports technology company has told AFP.

The International Paralympic Committee president said Thursday he is still waiting for China's state broadcaster to explain the apparent censorship of his forceful anti-war speech at the opening of the Beijing Winter Games, nearly a week on.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine and spiralling energy prices have upended the economic outlook and left European Central Bank policymakers with the task of navigating the eurozone through a fresh crisis at their meeting on Thursday.

"Real Madrid are still alive," said Karim Benzema, the 34-year-old striker who scored a second-half hat-trick as Paris Saint-Germain again self-destructed in the Champions League knockout stages.

Authoritarian Turkmenistan is quietly preparing for a father-son power transition during a presidential election on Saturday as the world reels and markets jangle over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

First one, then two, then 20: a small Stockholm agency has in recent days been deluged with bids for the rights to air the hit comedy series starring Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, a former actor turned wartime hero.

Asian equities rallied Thursday following a strong bounce on Wall Street and a breathtaking surge in Europe sparked by a plunge in oil prices and bargain-buying following a Ukraine-fuelled rout.

A vast array of solar panels floats on the shimmering waters of a reservoir in northeast Thailand, symbolising the kingdom's drive towards clean energy as it seeks carbon neutrality by 2050.

Singer-songwriter Caetano Veloso, a living legend of Brazilian music, was jailed and exiled by his country's military dictatorship in the 1960s.

Power has been cut to the Chernobyl nuclear plant, Ukraine said Wednesday, but the UN's atomic watchdog said there was "no critical impact on safety".

A tearful Tiger Woods recalled fighting racism as a youth and the support of his parents on Wednesday in an emotional induction ceremony to the World Golf Hall of Fame.

The body of Shane Warne left Thailand early Thursday, flying back to Australia where the cricket superstar will receive a state funeral.

International leaders and Ukraine accused Russia of a "barbaric" attack on a children's hospital in the besieged city of Mariupol, as civilians continued to bear the brunt of the conflict two weeks into Moscow's invasion.

How far should Joe Biden go to limit soaring US gas prices? The US president has launched an oil diplomacy gambit to compensate for banning Russian petroleum, but he risks accusations of propping up authoritarian leaders and undermining his own battle for democracy.

As Moscow's invasion of Ukraine enters its third week, a pall has fallen over Russian artists, long crown jewels of a country whose fine arts are an eminent source of soft power.

Dozens of mainly German and Austrian settlers have flocked to the South American country of Paraguay, seeking to dodge "excessive" European regulations, like mandatory Covid vaccines.

The body of cricketer Shane Warne arrived at a Bangkok airport Thursday to be flown back to Australia where the cricket superstar is to receive a state funeral.

Australia will boost its defence forces by some 30 percent by 2040, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Thursday, describing it as the country's largest military build-up in peacetime.

An escaped cow that went for a stroll along a California highway brought traffic to a halt Wednesday, as drivers joined police in trying to capture the creature.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka returns to Indian Wells, scene of her breakthrough triumph in 2018, with a new outlook on a tennis career plunged into turmoil in 2021.

Dating app Tinder will give US users a way to check if potential dates have been convicted of a violent crime, a check that experts warn has limitations.

Major League Baseball cancelled a further slate of fixtures on Wednesday after a fresh round of marathon labor talks with players ended in deadlock.

The Pentagon on Wednesday conclusively rejected as too "high risk" a plan to transfer fighter jets from Poland to Kyiv to battle Russian forces, pouring cold water for now on Ukraine's bid for more firepower in the skies.

With oil prices high and Americans paying more for gasoline, US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on Wednesday called for oil companies to increase production and offset the spike in pump prices.

Dutch brewer Heineken, Danish beer-maker Carlsberg, and Universal Music Group have become the latest Western firms to halt operations in Russia over Moscow's war in Ukraine.

Karim Benzema said Real Madrid showed they are still "alive" by completing a thrilling comeback to defeat Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday and reach the Champions League quarter-finals.

An apparent Russian air strike destroyed a children's hospital in the besieged Ukrainian port of Mariupol on Wednesday, triggering renewed global outrage two weeks into Moscow's invasion of its ex-Soviet neighbour.

The old French striker outshone the young French striker as Real Madrid reasserted the old order, coming from two goals down to eliminate Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday.