The FIFA World Cup 2022 enters the knock-out stages, as for the first time since 1994 no team completes the group stage winning all three matches. Last 16 ties begin on Saturday.

The most-streamed songs of the year according to Spotify and Apple Music, who together command almost half of global music streaming, have been revealed.

Japan, Britain and Italy are close to a defence agreement on a new jet fighter, joining forces to compete with the next generation of warplanes from the U.S. and elsewhere.

Ukraine’s Security Council has proposed a ban on Russian-affiliated religious groups including the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.

If you’re hoping for an Apple iPhone 14 Pro, you’re out of luck. Shipments are weeks late due to ongoing disruption at the key Foxconn factory in Zhengzhou, China.

The U.S. is weighing whether to label Russia’s Wagner Group as a foreign terrorist organisation. The group has been active recently in Ukraine, Syria and Africa.

Former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin, who led China out of isolation after the crushing of protests in Tiananmen Square and led to a decade of explosive growth, has died at 96.

The world’s largest active volcano is erupting for the first time in 38 years, its longest ever quiet period. For the time being lava from Mauna Loa is being contained in its caldera.

The U.S. is considering supplying Ukraine with cheap, small, precision rocket munitions. Boeing and Saab’s GBU-39 bomb can be launched from various systems.

A heavy police presence has been reported in several cities in China, as authorities clamp down following protests against Covid restrictions which erupted over the weekend.

“Maximus”, one of the best preserved Tyrannosaurus rex skulls ever found and around 75% complete, is expected to fetch $15-20m at auction in New York.

The U.S. B-21 Raider stealth bomber will be revealed to the public on Dec 2. It is described by its manufacturer as “the most advanced military aircraft ever built.”

Key economic indicators suggest rampant inflation is falling, but a breakdown in supply chains caused by the pandemic and geopolitical tensions is likely to keep consumer costs volatile.

The authorities in China are detaining protesters demanding an end to stringent Covid restrictions in the biggest wave of civil disobedience since Xi Jinping assumed power.

Oil prices have tumbled as concerns grow over falling demand in China following surging Covid-19 cases and unusual government protests.

Indian Oil Corp. and Israel’s Phinergy are developing metal-air batteries that capture oxygen in the air and, together with water and aluminium, create electricity.

Graphics show birthdays and anniversaries for each day of the week. Next week’s features include Burger King, the Great Smog of London and pop group The Monkees.

Embed “Today in History” into your website and engage visitors every day with a responsive, auto-updating graphic and fact box on international anniversaries and events.

Events in December include the release of the report probing the Jan 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol, a price cap on Russia’s oil, and the release of Avatar: The Way of Water.

The UN Rights Council has demanded Iran end its “disproportionate” use of force against protests calling for improved women’s rights. At least 465 people have been killed.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is threatening to start an offensive against U.S.-backed Kurdish forces in Syria to push them further from Turkey’s southern border.

New Pokémon releases from Nintendo have become the gaming giant’s fastest selling video games, notching up 10 million unit sales in just 72 hours.

Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim has been appointed prime minister by King Al-Sultan Abdullah, after elections on Nov 19 resulted in an unprecedented hung parliament.

Iran is increasing its uranium enrichment activities at two nuclear sites in response to a censure resolution passed against it by the United Nations nuclear watchdog.

The number of mass shootings has again topped 600 in 2022, the third straight year that the U.S. has hit the grim milestone, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

A selection of best-selling holiday season gifts, including a talking microscope, fortune-telling crystal ball and a robot that can draw illustrations for colouring in.

Volcanic activity is increasing in Russia’s far east, with the Shiveluch volcano potentially gearing up for its first powerful eruption in 15 years.

The United States is seeking an expansion of its military presence in the Philippines, as U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris makes a three-day visit to the Southeast Asian country.

Swedish authorities say traces of explosives have been found at the site of the damaged Nord Stream gas pipelines, reaffirming the strongly held view they were sabotaged.

North Korea has launched an intercontinental ballistic missile with sufficient range to hit mainland United States, Japan’s defence minister says.

Paleontologists at the Autonomous University of Barcelona have found an 80 million-year-old fossil believed to be one of the largest marine turtles ever to have lived.

A Dutch court has found three men guilty of the murder of 298 people on board flight MH17, which was shot down by a Russian missile over Ukraine in 2014.

Disasters brought about by climate change are an increasingly expensive risk for insurers. The 10 most expensive disasters of past decade inflicted loses of almost $1 trillion.

Germany has announced the completion of the first of five floating terminals for liquefied natural gas (LNG), as it scrambles to replace supplies of Russian pipeline gas.

The world’s population has hit the eight billion mark, according to the United Nations. More than half of all people live in just seven countries.

The 74th Formula One World Championship, comprising 24 races around the world, commences with the Bahrain Grand Prix and concludes in Abu Dhabi in November.

The Last 16 clash features a clash of continental finalists -- England reached Euro 2020 final, losing to Italy, while Senegal beat Egypt to win Africa Cup of Nations.

The Last 16 clash features Group A winners Netherlands -- with emerging talent Cody Gakpo -- against Group B runners-up USA, at the Khalifa International Stadium.

After an exciting start to the tournament, the group stage concludes as teams battle to secure a place in the Last 16 – with Germany and Belgium hoping to avoid elimination.

The 831 players of the FIFA 2022 World Cup have a total estimated transfer value of €15 billion -- England’s Jude Bellingham is most valuable player in Qatar, valued at €202m.

The FIFA World Cup takes place in Qatar, with 32 teams competing to be crowned World Champions. Follow all the action live in the match centre.

England’s Harry Kane was the Golden Boot winner in 2018 World Cup and will be hoping to repeat the feat in Qatar but will face stiff competition from the world’s greatest strikers.

South American heavyweights Brazil and Argentina are considered the favourites to win the World Cup, with a combined 36% chance, leaving their European rivals trailing.

The UEFA Champions League Last 16 draw pits Real Madrid against Liverpool, while heavyweights Paris St-Germain and Bayern Munich clash and Dortmund tackle Chelsea.

The draw for the knockout round play-off in the UEFA Europa Conference League has taken place, as 16 teams hope continue their European adventure to the final on June 7.

As the tournament reaches the knockout stages, struggling European heavyweights Barcelona and Manchester United are set to clash in a bid to avoid elimination.

The 2023 Tour de France begins in the autonomous Basque Country of northern Spain on July 1, and finishes on the Champs Elysees in Paris on July 23.

The draw for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 sees co-host nation New Zealand open the tournament against Norway at Auckland’s Eden Park on July 20.

The 57th edition of the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup features five North American venues and the first cross-border event in Europe, before the season finale in Andorra.

FIFA aims to enhance Video Assistant Refereeing in Qatar, with a semi-automated system for detecting the position of both the ball and all 22 players.

Women’s football continues to thrive after the success of the European Championships as Europe’s new UEFA Women’s Champions League season kicks off on October 19.

The qualifying draw for UEFA Euro 2024 has taken place in Frankfurt, Germany, with 2020 finalists Italy and England drawn in the same group. Matches begin March 2023.