Transgender religious order gets rare approval at India Hindu festival
Stuck in eternal drought, UAE turns to AI to make it rain
Trump's chip tariff threats raise stakes for Taiwan
Galatasaray accuse Mourinho of 'racist statements' after derby
Fears of US public health crises grow amid falling vaccination rates
Latin American classics get the streaming treatment
Fires, strikes, pandemic and AI: Hollywood workers can't catch a break
Their dreams dashed by Trump, migrants make return journey home
Judge declines to immediately grant AP access to White House events
Confusion reigns as US federal workers face Musk job deadline
Lebanon says refuses Israeli demand to stay in five southern locations
Beirut (Lebanon) (AFP) – Lebanon’s parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri said on Thursday that Beirut rejected Israel’s demand to remain in five southern locations after a February 18 deadline for fully implementing a ceasefire deal.
Injury forces Olympic champion Hodgkinson out of 800m record bid in own race
London (AFP) – Olympic 800 metres champion Keely Hodgkinson has been forced to abandon a world record attempt this weekend after the British middle-distance star withdrew from her own event, the Keely Klassic, with a hamstring injury.
North Korea destroys family reunion centre in 'inhumane act', Seoul says
Seoul (AFP) – North Korea is demolishing a venue that for decades hosted tearful reunions of families separated by the Korean War and the division of the country, Seoul said Thursday, decrying the “inhumane” move.
Asian stocks rise, oil falls as Trump fans Ukraine peace hopes
Hong Kong (AFP) – Asian markets mostly rose Thursday and oil prices extended losses as forecast-topping US inflation was overshadowed by hopes for an end to the Ukraine war after news Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin had discussed peace talks.
Saudi art biennale seeks to modernise Islamic tradition
Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) (AFP) – Under a vast canopy of tents in the Saudi city of Jeddah, religious artefacts are on display alongside contemporary art pieces, part of the kingdom’s bid to transform its ultraconservative image.
Tens of thousands go hungry in Sudan after Trump aid freeze
Cairo (AFP) – For the first time in nearly two years of war, soup kitchens in famine-stricken Sudan are being forced to turn people away, with US President Donald Trump’s aid freeze gutting the life-saving schemes.
Chinese authorities play cash
Luliang (China) (AFP) – Moments after registering their marriage, Zhang Gang and Weng Linbin posed in front of a red backdrop adorned with a Chinese government emblem, fanning out the wad of cash they had received as an incentive to wed.
New York, Paris, Berlin to mark anniversaries of iconic Christo art
New York (AFP) – New York, Paris and Berlin are celebrating the anniversaries this year of iconic art installations that saw some of their most prominent landmarks wrapped in fabric by the late artists known as Christo and Jeanne-Claude.
Musk's DOGE team raises major cyber security concerns
Washington (AFP) – Young engineers deployed across the US government as part of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency have triggered alarm throughout Washington’s security establishment.
Facing egg shortage, Americans bring chickens home to roost
Houston (AFP) – A Houston poultry supply company is selling chickens like there is no tomorrow, as sky-high prices for eggs prompt some Americans to produce their own at home.
