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Taiwan recognises same-sex marriages between Chinese, Taiwanese
Same-sex Taiwanese-Chinese couples are now legally able to register their marriages in Taiwan, Taipei said Thursday, recognising cross-strait unions for the first time.
Lebanon device blasts: what we know about deadly attacks
Hundreds of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah exploded across Lebanon in unprecedented attacks this week, killing 32 people and wounding more than 3,000 others.
Hong Kong man sentenced 14 months for wearing 'seditious' T-shirt
A Hong Kong man was sentenced to 14 months in jail on Thursday for wearing a T-shirt with protest slogans found to be "seditious" under the city's new national security law.
Lebanon's Hezbollah in disarray after second wave of deadly blasts
Hezbollah was in disarray on Thursday after a second wave of deadly explosions swept through its strongholds across Lebanon, putting pressure on its leader to exact revenge for the operation it blames on Israel.
Two killed during police operation in New Caledonia
Security forces in New Caledonia killed two men during an overnight operation, the public prosecutor said Thursday, taking the death toll to 13 after months of unrest in the French Pacific territory.
Sri Lanka to vote in first poll since economic collapse
Cash-strapped Sri Lanka will vote for its next president Saturday in an effective referendum on an unpopular International Monetary Fund austerity plan enacted after the island nation's unprecedented financial crisis.
Lebanon's Hezbollah in disarray after second wave of device blasts
A second deadly wave of unprecedented explosions in the strongholds of Lebanon's Hezbollah left it in disarray on Thursday, hours before a major speech by its beleaguered leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Saudi crown prince says no Israel ties without Palestinian state
Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler said Wednesday that the kingdom will not establish ties with Israel until a Palestinian state has been created, in a blow to US efforts to seal a normalisation deal.
China the top challenge in US history: senior diplomat
China presents the top challenge to the United States in all of its history, surpassing the Cold War, a top US official said Wednesday, as he urged Europe to get tougher on Beijing.
Hong Kong democracy tycoon's son warns time running out
US lawmakers on Wednesday vowed to keep up pressure to free Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai, whose son warned that time was running out.
US stocks dip despite larger Fed interest rate cut
Wall Street stocks dipped Wednesday after the Federal Reserve announced a half a percentage-point interest rate cut and its chair promised a "careful" approach to lowering rates following progress in countering US inflation.
Fears of all-out war as new Lebanon device blasts kill 20, wound 450
A second wave of device explosions killed 20 people and wounded more than 450 others on Wednesday in Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon, officials said, stoking fears of an all-out war with Israel.
Hundreds of thousands at risk in Sudan's El-Fasher: UN
Senior United Nations officials warned on Wednesday that hundreds of thousands of lives are at risk in the besieged Sudanese town of El-Fasher, amid signs that the fighting could soon escalate.
Venezuelan opposition candidate says letter conceding election was coerced
Venezuela's opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia said Wednesday he had been coerced into signing a letter distributed by Venezuelan authorities in which he supposedly conceded election defeat to strongman President Nicolas Maduro.
Ukraine official claims Russian advance in Kursk has been 'stopped'
Russia's counteroffensive to retake Ukrainian-held territory in the Kursk region has been "stopped", a spokesman from Ukraine's military administration there told AFP on Wednesday, after Moscow said it was beginning to repel the surprise incursion.
Fears of all-out war as new Lebanon device blasts kill 14, wound 450
A second wave of device explosions killed 14 people and wounded more than 450 others on Wednesday in Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon, officials said, stoking fears of an all-out war with Israel.
China the top challenge in US history, top diplomat says
China presents the top challenge to the United States in its history, surpassing the Cold War, a top US official said Wednesday, as he urged Europe to get tougher on Beijing.
US Fed makes larger half-point cut in first reduction since 2020
The US Federal Reserve cut its key lending rate by half a percentage-point Wednesday in its first reduction since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, sharply lowering borrowing costs shortly before November's presidential election.
Brazil fires need harsher punishment: environmental police boss
Brazil's raging wildfires are being driven by people seeking to clear land for agriculture or arsonists out to sow havoc, a top police official told AFP, calling for harsher punishments for environmental crimes.
Fears of all-out war as new Lebanon device blasts kill nine, wound 300
A second wave of device explosions killed nine people and wounded more than 300 in Hezbollah strongholds of Lebanon on Wednesday, officials said, stoking fears of an all-out war in the region.
'Emergency' declared over falling UK butterfly numbers
Conservationists on Wednesday voiced concern at a fall in the number of butterflies found in the UK, declaring a "butterfly emergency" and calling for greater protections for under-threat species.
Russian advance in Kursk 'stopped': Ukraine official to AFP
Russia's counter-offensive to retake Ukrainian-held territory in the Kursk region has been "stopped", a spokesman from Ukraine's military administration there told AFP Wednesday, after Moscow said it was beginning to repel the surprise incursion.
UN members demand end to 'unlawful' Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories
UN member states formally demanded in a non-binding resolution Wednesday an end to the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories within 12 months and sanctions for non-compliance.
Three dead, 100 wounded in new wave of Lebanon device explosions
A second wave of device explosions killed three people and wounded more than 100 in Hezbollah strongholds of Lebanon on Wednesday, officials said, stoking fears of an all-out war in the region.
Taiwan, Hungary deny making Hezbollah pagers
Taiwan and Hungary on Wednesday denied making pagers that exploded while being used by Hezbollah members in Lebanon, killing 12 people.
So where does the oceans' plastic waste come from?
In the form of bottles, tyres, packaging and piping, millions of tonnes of plastic waste are dumped every year in the world's waterways, often ending up in the oceans.
Allied war heroes buried in Netherlands... 80 years on
With full military honours and proud family members looking on, two Allied servicemen were laid to rest Wednesday, 80 years after giving their lives to liberate Europe from the Nazis.
Hezbollah vows vengeance on Israel for pager blasts
Hezbollah vowed on Wednesday to retaliate against Israel after hundreds of paging devices used by the militant group exploded in a deadly wave across Lebanon, raising fears of an all-out war.
Hezbollah vows to avenge Israel after deadly pager blasts
Hezbollah vowed on Wednesday to retaliate against Israel after hundreds of paging devices used by the militant group's members exploded in a deadly wave across Lebanon.
Dutch government seeks opt-out from EU asylum rules
The Netherlands announced Wednesday that it had requested from Brussels an opt-out from the European Union's rules on asylum, days after the coalition government unveiled the country's toughest-ever immigration policy.
Fury as India quashes charges for botched army ambush
Relatives of civilians killed in a botched ambush by the Indian army said Wednesday they were "disgusted" the Supreme Court had quashed criminal proceedings against the soldiers.
Chinese navy sails between Japanese islands near Taiwan
A Chinese aircraft carrier sailed between two Japanese islands near Taiwan for the first time, Japan's military said on Wednesday, in the latest move by Beijing to anger the close US ally.