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Digital art in spotlight as Dubai makes crypto hub bid
Art Dubai, the Middle East's largest annual contemporary art fair, has featured for the first time digital works, as the wealthy Gulf emirate seeks to position itself as a crypto-assets hub.
Shanghai tailors keep qipao dress tradition alive
Zhou Zhuguang surveys his Shanghai workshop and rows of workers meticulously stitching high-collared Chinese dresses known as qipao, some of which sell for nearly $5,000.
Agriculture giant Brazil nervously eyes Ukraine war
Agricultural powerhouse Brazil is nervously watching the impact of Russia's war on Ukraine, uncertain whether the upside -- an expected boost to Brazil's corn exports -- will outweigh the hit to its crucial fertilizer imports.
Europe new 'hotspot' for arms imports: report
Europe saw the world's biggest rise in arms imports in the past five years, a trend set to accelerate following recent rearmament commitments amid the threat posed by Russia, researchers said Monday.
UN agencies condemn attacks on health care in Ukraine
UN agencies on Sunday called for an immediate ceasefire and an end to attacks on healthcare professionals and facilities in Ukraine, which have killed a dozen people, describing them as acts of "unconscionable cruelty".
'Batman' again tops N.America box office in a slow month
"The Batman" held fast to its leading position in North American theaters this weekend, with a strong take estimated at $66 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.
Moroccan carrier launches Israel flights after Covid delay
Royal Air Maroc took off from Morocco's economic capital Casablanca bound for Tel Aviv on Sunday, in the carrier's first direct flight to the Jewish state since the two countries normalised ties in 2020.
Saudi women drive for extra cash as costs climb
Like other Saudi women, Fahda Fahd couldn't legally drive until 2018, but her lime-green Kia is now a route to extra cash as living costs rise in the conservative kingdom.
Tram ride through wartime Kyiv stirs memories of lost city
The world-weary conductor nudged her rusty red tram past the barricade and shook her head at the tragedy she has seen befall Kyiv since Russian forces invaded Ukraine.
Abramovich's superyacht cruises in to Montenegro marina
A superyacht belonging to the Russian billionaire owner of Chelsea football club sanctioned over Russia's invasion of Ukraine anchored off Montenegro Saturday, an AFP photographer said.
Eastern Europe embraces Ukraine refugees as workforce
Eastern European countries are embracing the millions of Ukrainians fleeing Russia's invasion as a potential workforce but analysts warn it be challenging to integrate them all.
Family of transgender 8-year-old takes on Texas governor
Standing in front of a half-American, half-rainbow flag outside her home, Rebekah Bryant is outraged by a Texas order that considers medical hormonal treatments for transgender minors to be a crime.
Texas court suspends investigations of parents of transgender minors
A Texas judge on Friday blocked investigations into the parents of transgender minors, halting for the time being a controversial directive by the southern US state's governor.
Saudi blogger Raif Badawi released after 10 years in prison
After 10 years in prison for "insulting Islam," Saudi blogger and human rights activist Raif Badawi, who has become a symbol of freedom of expression around the world, was released on Friday.
In Ukraine hospital, war-wounded children make slow recovery
A plaster on his eye, eight-year-old Dima Kasyanov lies unconscious on a hospital bed in Ukraine's second city Kharkiv after a Russian missile blasted through his home.
Volkswagen profits surge despite selling fewer cars
Volkswagen said Friday its net profits jumped last year despite selling fewer cars due to the semiconductor shortage as buyers forked out for better-equipped cars.
UN authorization to fight piracy in Somali waters ends
The Security Council quietly let a deadline pass for it to renew UN authorization to fight piracy in waters off lawless Somalia, diplomats said.
Russia curbs Instagram over 'death to invaders' posting rule
Russia moved on Friday to restrict Instagram access and launched a criminal case against its owner Meta, as Moscow fired back at the tech giant for allowing posts calling for violence against Russian forces.
Suffocated by sanctions, Russia squeezes foreign firms leaving
Russia is piling huge pressure on foreign companies fleeing the country following Moscow's decision to send troops to Ukraine even as some tycoons warn that the seizure of assets would take the country "back to 1917".
'Heroic spirits': Women rush to Ukraine's defence
The woman who was Ukraine's first female volunteer to get a full military contract wants the new recruits in her charge to drop all notions about the romance of war.
War and inflation threaten world economy
The world economy's fragile recovery from the Covid-induced crisis is now threatened by Russia's war in Ukraine and soaring commodity prices.
Brazil February inflation rate hits seven-year high
Brazil's inflation rate hit a seven-year high for the month of February, the government said Friday, as hefty fuel-price hikes took effect that will only exacerbate surging prices, a sore spot for President Jair Bolsonaro.
European stocks surge on bargain hunting
European stock markets jumped Friday as investors fished for bargains after recent Ukraine-driven losses, with London buoyed also by news of an economic rebound for Britain.
European stocks climb on bargain hunting
European stock markets climbed Friday as investors fished for bargains after recent Ukraine-driven losses, with London buoyed also by news of an economic rebound for Britain.
South Sudan to face its worst hunger crisis yet: WFP
More than 70 percent of South Sudan's population will face extreme hunger this year as conflict and climate-related disasters deepen food scarcity, the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) warned Friday.
International 'uncertainty' will slow China's growth, premier warns
China will find it hard to maintain high growth in an increasingly uncertain world, Premier Li Keqiang warned Friday, after Beijing set its lowest GDP target in decades.
Russian forces shell another Ukraine city, Kyiv a 'fortress'
Russian shelling hit civilian targets in central Ukraine's Dnipro city on Friday, as Moscow's troops edged closer to Kyiv, where officials said the capital was being transformed into a "fortress".
China's ride-hailing giant Didi to halt Hong Kong listing: report
China's leading ride-hailing company Didi Global has put plans to list in Hong Kong on hold, a report said Friday, as it struggles to appease Beijing over its handling of user data.
Italy's Draghi walks sanctions tightrope over Russian energy
Even as Italy's Mario Draghi voices firm opposition to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the country's dependence on Russian gas puts the prime minister in a tight spot.
In about-face, Guatemala president calls for strict abortion law to be shelved
Guatemala's President Alejandro Giammattei on Thursday called on Congress to shelve a new law ramping up prison sentences for women who choose to have an abortion, while banning both gay marriage and teaching on sexual diversity.
Let's talk about sex: Paralympian breaks taboo
Athletes at Beijing's Winter Paralympics are not just breaking down sports barriers on the slopes and ice -- Argentinian skier Enrique Plantey is pushing for a bedroom revolution.
Asian markets drop as inflation spike fans rate fears
Asian markets sank Friday as traders resumed their Ukraine-fuelled selling after the previous day's bounce, with data showing US inflation at a 40-year high adding pressure on the Federal Reserve to ramp up interest rates.
Facebook allows calls for violence against 'Russian invaders'
Facebook has temporarily eased its policy on violent speech after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, allowing statements like "death to Russian invaders" but not credible threats against civilians, the tech giant said Thursday.
Russia ramps up ties with Sudan as Ukraine war rages
As much of the West seeks to isolate Russia after it invaded Ukraine, experts say Moscow is boosting relations with its longtime African ally Sudan, eyeing its gold wealth and strategic location.
Radioactive fuel, contaminated water: the Fukushima clean-up
Eleven years after a devastating tsunami hit Japan's northeast, thousands of workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant are involved in the complex and decades-long process of decommissioning the site.
Four endangered American crocodiles are born in Peru
A Lima zoo announced Thursday the birth in captivity of four American crocodiles, an endangered species, after a successful artificial incubation.
Facebook eases rules to allow violent speech against 'Russian invaders'
Facebook said Thursday that due to the invasion of Ukraine it has temporarily eased its rules regarding violent speech to allow statements like "death to Russian invaders," but not credible threats against civilians.
IMF expects to cut global growth forecast due to Ukraine war
The IMF expects to cut its global growth estimate due to the economic damage caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said Thursday.
'Scourge to humanity': victims of opioid abuse address Sacklers
Survivors of opioid abuse and relatives of victims delivered emotional and stinging rebukes on Thursday to members of the Sackler family, owners of Purdue Pharma, accused of fueling the US addiction crisis.