The British actor Patrick Stewart has died at 86, a statement released on Thursday said. Stewart was an acclaimed actor in Britain with the Royal Shakespeare Company before he starred in the beloved sci-fi TV show "Star Trek" in the 80s and later in the "X-Men" franchise.

A humanitarian aid mission is set to enter the Ukrainian town of Oleshky, a Ukrainian official said on Thuirsday, as a localised truce between Kyiv and Moscow, brokered by US first lady Melania Trump, held for a third day. Some 2,000 residents in the Russian occupied city have been cut off from essential supplies amid reports that many are starving.

At least 13 people were killed when a Russian drone struck a busy railway station in Ukraine's Dnipro on Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, describing the attack as "horrific" and urging Kyiv's allies not to ease sanctions on Moscow.

Sanrio, the company behind the hugely successful Hello Kitty franchise, has apologised and ended its commercial tie-up with a Japanese TV drama after Chinese state media accused the show of "smearing China", sparking a social media backlash.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee apologised on Thursday for a fire that ravaged a residential tower block in Tai Po in November 2025, killing 168, injuring 79 and displacing thousands of others. Housing Secretary Winnie Ho resigned Wednesday for her department's failure to supervise the maintenance work. A three-month investigation into conduct will follow, alongside proposals to criminalise bid rigging in relation to the building's US $38 million renovation contract.

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde will step down on February 7, 2027, nearly nine months before her term expires, the ECB said Thursday. Her successor will be appointed by the European Council under EU treaty rules.

A shooter suspected of killing one person and wounding five others last week in the town of Trappes, near Paris, is set to be held in pre-trial detention and will appear before judges on Thursday, France’s anti-terrorism prosecutor said.

North Korea fired around a dozen short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast on Thursday, Seoul's defence ministry said. The North Korean capital Pyongyang has stepped up weapons tests in recent weeks despite South Korea's offer of military talks.

Spain entered three days of mourning on Thursday after a high-speed train collision killed 68 people and injured scores. The incident has prompted fresh questions about rail safety and management. 

With more than 90% of the ballots counted on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc has gained 53 seats, with the opposition at 67, including 48 for Gadi Eisenkot's centrist bloc and 19 for the Arab-majority parties. The Israeli president called on the parties on Wednesday to "do everything" to form a government coalition and avoid a return to the polls. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.

Canada and the European Union will pursue closer ties but have dropped a proposal for associate EU membership, according to a joint declaration ahead of Thursday’s summit in Montreal. Prime Minister Mark Carney is seeking to reduce Canada’s reliance on the US, despite warnings from Donald Trump.

Questions are being raised about Spain's rail safety as authorities launch an official investigation into the cause of Wednesday's high-speed train collision, which killed at least 68 people and wounded around 100 more, in the country's second fatal rail crash this year. 

Alvin Hellerstein, a top US judge who was handling the trial against deposed Venezuelan leader Nicholas Maduro and previously oversaw lawsuits stemming from the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre and multiple cases involving President Donald Trump, died on Wednesday aged 92.

Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to woo African leaders and government delegates on Wednesday as they gathered in Moscow for the third Russia-Africa Summit to discuss trade, security, arms deals and grain supplies as part of the Kremlin's strategic efforts to expand its footprint in Africa.

Influential US labour union co-founder, feminist, and civil rights icon Dolores Huerta died on Wednesday in Bakersfield, California, her family said. Credited with coining the enduring "Si, se puede!" rallying cry later adapted by former US president Barack Obama, Huerta continued her activism on race, poverty, LGBTQ and women's rights issues until the last months of her life. 

The outbreak of fighting between rival forces in southern Ethiopia last week has led some 50,000 people to seek refuge in neighbouring Kenya, the United Nations said Wednesday, citing local authorities.

A plane carrying Brazil's defeated presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro stopped briefly in Ecuador on Wednesday before flying on to an unknown destination. The US State department said it would welcome Bolsonaro after his defeat to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and amid legal troubles.

At least 64 people have been killed on Wednesday after two high-speed trains collided in Spain's central Toledo province, regional authorities confirmed. High-speed rail services between Madrid and Andalusia have been suspended. 

France's Senate on Wednesday approved a bill authorising rioters to be held financially accountable for damage caused during social unrest, with penalties of up to €10,000 and possible welfare benefit seizures. Rights groups warn the legislation could undermine the public's fundamental right to protest.

Human rights groups on Tuesday urged countries to reject UAE diplomat Lana Nusseibeh’s bid to become United Nations secretary general citing allegations that Abu Dhabi funds Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The UAE denies the accusations. Nusseibeh, 48, is seeking to become the first woman to lead the UN.