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A collapse in North America's bat population led to a surge in pesticide use by farmers as an alternative way to protect crops from insects -- in turn triggering a rise in infant mortalities, a study revealed Thursday.

Ecuadoran officials said they had thwarted an attack Thursday carried out by an explosive-laden drone on La Roca prison, which houses ex-vice president Jorge Glas, arrested in a raid on the Mexican embassy in April.

Armand Duplantis admitted to feeling "wrecked" after an exhibition 100m race, while Sha'Carri Richardson and Letsile Tebogo steamed to sprint victories at the Zurich Diamond League meeting on Thursday.

Paralympic superstar Bebe Vio was denied gold again on Thursday as Italy had to settle for a wheelchair fencing team bronze medal, while the USA prepared to face Canada in a bid to reach the men's wheelchair basketball final.

Kylian Mbappe returns to action for France for the first time since Euro 2024 in Friday's UEFA Nations League clash against Italy, with the superstar forward insisting he is not dwelling on that disappointing campaign.

American Yared Nuguse offered up a perfectly-timed attack to claim victory in a top-quality re-run of the Olympic final to win the men's 1500m at the Zurich Diamond League on Thursday.

Millions of Brazilians, including the president, have flocked to social media platforms such as Threads or Bluesky, where Portuguese has become the most spoken language in the few days since Elon Musk's X was shut down in the country.

Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro, both daughters of billionaires, can set up an all-American US Open women's final on Thursday, insisting that hard work and dedication rather than parental privilege have driven them to the peak of the sport.

Botswana's Letsile Tebogo produced a devastating finish to claim a thrilling victory in the men's 200m at the Diamond League met in Zurich on Thursday.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on a rare visit to Haiti on Thursday heard guarded optimism about wresting control from gangs as he pressed the violence-ravaged country to take concrete steps toward elections.

Venezuela's opposition chief Maria Corina Machado on Thursday called on the world to recognize candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia as president-elect after a disputed election in the oil-rich nation.

World champion Sha'Carri Richardson went some way to avenging her Olympic defeat by Julien Alfred by reversing the tables in the 100m at the Diamond League meet in Zurich on Thursday.

A punishing heat wave gripping California and parts of the southwestern United States was intensifying Thursday as forecasters warned of dangerous temperatures.

Republican White House candidate Donald Trump unveiled a plan Thursday to install billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk at the head of a government efficiency commission to eliminate "trillions" of dollars in wasteful spending.

German police shot dead a man who opened fire on them Thursday in what they treated as a foiled "terrorist attack" on Munich's Israeli consulate on the anniversary of the 1972 Olympic Games killings.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded quick results from his new top team after the biggest government reshuffle since Russia invaded his country in 2022.

France's new right-wing Prime Minister Michel Barnier promised Thursday to address the grievances of the French but also implement "change" as he took office following almost two months of political deadlock.

Donald Trump announced Thursday that if elected president he would appoint billionaire Elon Musk to lead an audit of government spending and implement "drastic" reform.

One of Colombia's biggest left-wing guerrilla groups says peace talks are "blocked" over the government's failure to cancel warrants for the arrest of its leaders.

A collapse in North America's bat population led to a surge in pesticide use by farmers as an alternative way to protect their crops -- in turn triggering a rise in infant mortalities, a study revealed Thursday.

Nicaragua on Thursday freed 135 political prisoners who flew to safety in Guatemala in the latest such deal negotiated by the United States with strongman Daniel Ortega.

Hamas called on the United States Thursday to "exert real pressure" on Israel to reach a Gaza ceasefire agreement as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there is no deal in the making.

From Lady Gaga's Batman-inspired mask to Julianne Moore's glittery gold gown resembling an Oscar, stars at Venice have given fans standout red carpet moments worthy of the world's oldest film festival.

US soccer icon Alex Morgan, who inspired the Americans to two Women's World Cup football crowns, announced Thursday that she will retire after a final club match Sunday.

Joe Biden's son Hunter offered to plead guilty in his tax evasion trial on Thursday, as jury selection was about to get under way in a case that has been an embarrassment and a distraction for the US president.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday paid a rare visit to violence-ravaged Haiti to evaluate progress in wresting control from gangs that have taken over much of the impoverished Caribbean nation.

Spaniard Urko Berrade soloed to victory in Thursday's 18th stage of the Vuelta a Espana in the Basque Country as Australia's Ben O'Connor held the overall race lead.

Test coach Brendon McCullum says he wants to make England's white-ball teams feel "10 feet tall and bulletproof" when he takes charge of the limited-overs sides in a major leadership shake-up.

Stock markets struggled and the dollar mostly fell Thursday on the eve of key US jobs data that could shed light on the size of potential Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts and health of the world's biggest economy.

Cole Palmer has not been included in Chelsea's squad for the opening stages of the UEFA Conference League in a bid to manage the England star's minutes in a season that could run till mid-July.

Francesco Bagnaia has put his horror crash in Aragon behind him as the MotoGP champion attempts to reclaim top spot from Jorge Martin at this weekend's San Marino and Rimini Riviera Grand Prix.

Andriy Sybiga was appointed Ukraine's new foreign minister by lawmakers on Thursday, part of the biggest government reshuffle since the full-scale Russian invasion.