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Tackling taboos: Japanese university club teaches Ainu traditions
When Yuko Honda, a professor at Japan's Sapporo University, tried to start a scholarship for Ainu Indigenous students and a club to celebrate their culture, she ran into fierce resistance.
Colombia, Venezuela revive trade deal after 4-year suspension
The leaders of Colombia and Venezuela on Thursday renewed a trade deal that had been suspended for four years, in the latest rapprochement between the neighbors.
New generation revives Okinawa's once-banned Indigenous body art
Moeko Heshiki is no ordinary tattoo artist: she is one of the few people keeping the once-banned tradition of hajichi body art alive for the Indigenous Ryukyu people of Japan's Okinawa region.
US envoy to Afghanistan apologizes for 'inappropriate' tweets
The top US diplomat to Afghanistan on Thursday apologized for tweets that suggested struggling Afghan women might find inspiration in African American history and culture -- particularly the #BlackGirlMagic social media movement.
All hands on deck as UN meets to protect high seas
UN member states are meeting in New York from Monday with the aim of launching a long-berthed high-seas treaty, a crucial step toward the goal of protecting 30 percent of the planet by 2030.
Paris, London stocks hit all-time highs as Wall Street tumbles
The London and Paris stock exchanges leapt to all-time highs Thursday, boosted by strong corporate results, but Wall Street fell on renewed concerns about future interest rate hikes.
US opposes UN bid to denounce Israeli settlements
The United States on Thursday voiced opposition to a proposed UN Security Council resolution that would demand Israel end settlements in the occupied territories, despite Washington's criticism of its ally on the issue.
Biden says will contact Xi in wake of balloon shoot-down
President Joe Biden on Thursday said he would talk to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in the wake of the US Air Force shooting down what Washington says was a high-tech Chinese spy balloon earlier this month.
'Abandoned': Turkish town awaits help 11 days after quake
Dozens of arms frantically reach for heaters and blankets handed out by a private donor, illustrating the desperation and rage gripping swathes of Turkey 11 days after its disastrous quake.
King Charles faces 'not my king' protest on walkabout
King Charles III on Thursday encountered a group of anti-monarchy activists while on walkabout in the city of Milton Keynes north of London.
Paris, London stocks hit all-time highs but Wall Street tumbles
The London and Paris stock exchanges leapt to all-time highs on Thursday as strong corporate results propelled European markets, but Wall Street fell on renewed concerns about future interest rate hikes.
Wagner chief slams 'bureaucracy' slowing Russian offensive
The head of Russia's mercenary outfit Wagner said on Thursday it could take months to capture the embattled Ukraine city of Bakhmut and slammed Moscow's "monstrous bureaucracy" for slowing military gains.
Stocks mostly fall but Paris hits record high
The Paris stock market hit an all-time high on Thursday but Wall Street and most European indices fell on renewed concerns about future interest rate hikes.
Struggling 'peripheral France' at centre of new protests
France is in the grip of a fresh wave of protests, with support for demonstrations particularly strong in small and medium-sized towns, often overlooked areas of the country that are simmering with resentment, experts say.
Spain passes trans law allowing gender self-determination
Spanish lawmakers on Thursday voted through a transgender law letting anyone 16 and over change gender on their ID card even as similar measures elsewhere have sparked division over the complexities of the issue.
'We knew': NATO chief looks back at Russia's Ukraine invasion
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says he went to sleep on the eve of February 24, 2022 knowing full well the carnage that would be unleashed coming within hours.
Syria quake survivors battle cold in tents and vehicles
Since the earthquake destroyed her home, Syrian teacher Suzanne Abdallah has lived in a small truck crammed with her family members, just a stone's throw from where their house stood.
Rohingya refugees land on Indonesia's west coast
At least 69 Rohingya refugees, many of them women and children, landed on Indonesia's west coast Thursday in a wooden boat, an official with the United Nations refugee agency said.
Belarus and Ukraine face off across 'tense' border crossing
Beyond piled-up tyres and barbed wire, a Ukrainian flag flutters across from Belarusian border guards patrolling an increasingly tense frontier.
Tensions brew in Germany over refugee arrivals
The main road through the northern German village of Upahl is lined with wooden placards, their bright letters standing out against the grey sky and muddy fields.
Spain set to approve trans rights bill
Spanish lawmakers were set to adopt Thursday a contentious bill allowing anyone over 16 to change gender on their ID card, even as similar measures elsewhere have struggled with divisions over the complexities of the issue.
Wagner chief says Russia's 'monstrous bureacracy' impeding Ukraine fight
The head of Russia's mercenary outfit Wagner said it could take months to capture the embattled Ukraine city of Bakhmut and slammed Moscow's "monstrous bureaucracy" for slowing military gains.
Israel foreign minister in first post-invasion visit to Kyiv
Foreign Minister Eli Cohen arrived in Kyiv on Thursday for the first visit to Ukraine by an Israeli minister since the Russian invasion nearly a year ago, his office said.
Questions mount for Scotland's SNP as Sturgeon quits
Calls mounted within the Scottish National Party (SNP) on Thursday to postpone a special conference aimed at reviving its push for independence, after the surprise resignation of leader Nicola Sturgeon.
Quake fallout inflames migrant tensions in Turkey disaster zone
A Turkish volunteer runs down a pile of rubble, dragging a Syrian man with a bloodied face as last week's catastrophic earthquake whips migrant tensions.
Markets rise as traders evaluate strong US economy
Asian and European markets rose Thursday, extending gains in New York, as a forecast-busting US retail sales report showed American consumers remained confident despite elevated inflation and the prospect of more interest rate hikes.
US says Bangladesh sanctions to remain until police reform
The United States will not lift sanctions on an elite Bangladesh police unit accused of extrajudicial killings until it is reformed, a top US envoy visiting the country has said.
Leopard tank jibe exposes Germany's deepening leadership rift
At a prominent carnival season event this year, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock admitted she thought about turning up disguised "as a leopard".
TikTokers jailed as Iraq targets 'decadent content'
Dancing to Iraqi pop made TikTok personality Om Fahad a hit among tens of thousands of followers, but now she is in prison, caught up in a state campaign targeting "decadent content".
Russian refuseniks hide in fear to evade Ukraine conflict
The documents issued to Dmitry by the Russian military carry an ominous hand-written designation: "Category One. State of Health B".
Fake 'fact-checks' seek to obscure Russian role in war
A Russian missile smashed a Ukrainian apartment complex, killing dozens. Pro-Russian propagandists offered a slick counter-narrative that shifted the blame away from Moscow -- using pseudo fact-checking as a tool of disinformation.
Engage or escape? Anti-govt young Russians face dilemma
Still reeling from the Kremlin's decision to send troops to Ukraine, Masha Yanchevskaya is one of many young Russians torn between trying to "heal" society or seclude themselves from it.