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Sports set to start at Beijing Olympics but controversies weigh heavy

The sporting action gets under way at the Beijing Winter Olympics on Wednesday, two days before the opening ceremony of a Games overshadowed by diplomatic boycotts and concerns about human rights and Covid.

Art sleuth returns statue to France almost 50 years after heist

A Dutch art detective has returned a rare Roman statue that was considered one of France's most important treasures to the museum from which it was stolen nearly 50 years ago.

Brits on platinum pudding quest for queen's jubilee

"It would be such an honour!": Amateur British cooks are battling to create the best Platinum Jubilee pudding to mark 70 years of Queen Elizabeth II's reign.

Queen Elizabeth II to mark 70 years on the throne

Queen Elizabeth II on Sunday becomes the first British monarch to reign for 70 years, heralding the start of her Platinum Jubilee year despite her retreat from public view.

Taco-a-day or meal-a-month, US restaurants join subscription craze

For Jebin Tuladhar, the past two years have been like walking a tightrope as he tried to steer Shanti, the Indian restaurant chain he manages in Boston, through the pandemic.

Eruption-hit Tonga closes borders as Covid detected

Volcano-devastated Tonga will close its borders Wednesday after Covid-19 was detected in the previously virus-free Pacific kingdom as it struggles to recover from last month's deadly disaster, officials said.

Starbucks reports higher profits, but Omicron adds costs

Starbucks reported higher quarterly profits Tuesday, but said an unexpectedly costly hit from the latest Covid-19 wave would lead to further price increases.

Pharma giants to pay $590 mn to US Native Americans over opioids

A group of pharmaceutical companies and distributors agreed to pay $590 million to settle lawsuits connected to opioid addiction among Native American tribes, according to a US court filing released Tuesday.

Pharma groups to pay $590 mn to US Native Americans over opioids

A group of pharmaceutical companies and distributors agreed to pay $590 million to settle lawsuits connected to opioid addiction among US Native American tribes, according to a US court filing Tuesday.

22 dead, dozens injured as flooding hits Ecuador capital

The heaviest flooding to hit Ecuador in two decades has killed at least 22 people in Quito, inundating homes, swamping cars and sweeping away athletes and spectators on a sports field, officials said Tuesday.

Man United's Greenwood further arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and threats to kill

Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood has been further arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and threats to kill as police were again granted more time to question the 20-year-old.

Four giants: The major players in video game industry

The global video game industry has undergone a series of blockbuster takeovers, most recently Sony's acquisition of Bungie and Microsoft's move for Activision.

Canadian Indigenous visit to Vatican reset for late March

A Canadian Indigenous delegation announced Tuesday it will travel next month to the Vatican to meet with Pope Francis and discuss abuses at church-run residential schools.

The race is on to translate viral app Wordle

Wordle, the simple word game that has taken the English-speaking world by storm, is sparking spontaneous efforts to develop similar games for other languages.

Chinese, French oil majors seal deal for Uganda megaproject

Chinese and French oil giants sealed a landmark $10-billion deal on Tuesday to develop Uganda's energy resources and build a vast regional oil pipeline, a megaproject that has incensed environmental groups.

Amnesty joins other rights group in condemning Israeli 'apartheid'

Amnesty International on Tuesday labelled Israel an "apartheid" state that treats Palestinians as "an inferior racial group," joining the assessment of other rights groups which the Jewish state vehemently rejects.

Rights groups blame Taliban for missing journalists

The Taliban have arrested two Afghan journalists working for a local news channel, rights groups said Tuesday, weeks after two women activists went missing.

Pet owners go private to jet 'fur babies' out of Hong Kong

Bags packed and ready to go, Hong Kong house cats Teddy and Newman were all set for leaving on a private jet plane -- an expensive last resort for their owners as the city piles on pandemic restrictions.

Japan parliament adopts resolution on China rights issues

Japan's parliament on Tuesday passed a rare resolution expressing concern about rights issues in China, including the treatment of its Uyghur Muslim population and Hong Kong, days before the Beijing Olympics open.

New York Times buys 'Wordle'

The New York Times announced Monday it had bought Wordle, a phenomenon played by millions just four months after the game burst onto the Internet, for an "undisclosed price in the low seven figures."

Trials to resume for Nicaragua government opponents: prosecution

Criminal trials will resume this week for 46 opponents of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's government, including seven presidential hopefuls precluded from contesting November elections, the prosecutor's office said Monday.

Rescuers dig desperately in mud for Brazil flood survivors

Knee-deep in the mud left by a horrific landslide in southeastern Brazil, dozens of rescue workers and volunteers raced Monday to find any remaining survivors before it was too late.

Pakistan police call for PUBG game ban after family massacre

Pakistani police called Monday for the wildly popular PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) game to be banned after a teenager confessed to killing four members of his family in a rage after bingeing for days playing online.

Cyprus court quashes UK woman's 'false gang rape' conviction

The Cyprus Supreme Court on Monday overturned the conviction of a young British woman who had been found guilty of lying about being gang-raped by up to 12 Israeli tourists.

Hong Kong sees first 'seditious publication' jailings since handover

Hong Kong's courts jailed two people for publishing seditious content on Monday, the first time the colonial-era law has been used to secure a conviction for printed content since the city's 1997 handover to China.

Cyprus church to suspend unjabbed priests

The leader of the Cyprus Orthodox Church has warned he would suspend a dozen unvaccinated priests from Tuesday if they continue to defy church rules on Covid-19.

Thai fishing crews fear five-year recovery after oil spill

The nightly armada of bobbing green lights from squid boats has all but disappeared near the site of an oil spill in the Gulf of Thailand, as devastated local crews brace for lost income and damaged fish stocks.

In food world, debate rages about recipe plagiarism

Pastry chef Nick Malgieri was scrolling through a food blog when he came upon a recipe for panettone, a puffy sweet bread that the author said conjured up fond memories of Christmases spent with his Italian grandmother.

'Mark of the Antichrist': Greek holy men sow vaccine mistrust

In a remote monastery in northern Greece, an Orthodox abbot delivers a blunt message to dozens of his maskless worshippers: Covid-19 vaccines are "the mark of the Antichrist".

Despite Covid, it's home or bust for China holiday travellers

The pandemic prevented Shanghai schoolteacher Chen Hainan from returning to her hometown to reunite with family for the past two Lunar New Year holidays, but not even lingering virus concerns and repeated Covid tests will keep her away this time.

Stray bullets kill bystanders as US shootings soar

A baby in his car seat. A man in bed. A girl walking with her mother: Stray bullets killed each of them days apart as surging gun violence ripples through the United States.

Erdogan threatens to punish Turkish media over 'harmful content'

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened Turkish media with legal action over content "incompatible with national and moral values," in a move seen by critics as an attempt to stifle the dissent.

Tropical Storm Ana leaves trail of destruction in Madagascar

Residents in an inundated neighbourhood of Madagascar's capital Antananarivo are returning with dread to see what remains of their homes and harvests, three days after Tropical Storm Ana relented.

Erdogan sacks statistics chief after record inflation

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sacked the head of the state statistics agency, according to a decree published Saturday, after releasing data showing last year's inflation rate hit a 19-year high of 36.1 percent.

DR Congo court set for verdict in murder of UN experts

A military court in Democratic Republic of Congo Saturday is set to pronounce a long-awaited verdict in a mass trial over the 2017 murder of two UN experts in a troubled central region.

Joe Exotic loses appeal, gets new 21-year jail term

Joe Exotic, the jailed former private zoo owner who shot to fame as the star of the "Tiger King" series, on Friday failed to convince a US judge to release him and received a new sentence of 21 years for attempted murder.

Minister blames 'reckless' opening of stadium gate for deadly Cameroon crush

A stampede that led to the deaths of eight people outside an Africa Cup of Nations stadium was caused by a "reckless" decision to open a gate in the face of a "flood of people", Cameroon's sports minister said Friday.

'Reckless' opening of stadium gate caused deadly Cameroon crush: minister