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Casting directors finally get their due at Oscars

When a film stays with you, it is often because of the magical chemistry among the actors. You can thank casting directors for that, and finally, the Academy is honoring them too.

Fantastic Mr Stowaway: fox sails from Britain to New York port

A red fox that managed to slip onto a US-bound ship in Britain was discovered by customs officers in the Port of New York, a zoo in the city has said.

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Musical cicadas brought back to UK from France

Cicadas, whose musical courtship calls once echoed around an ancient forest in southern England, have been reintroduced from France by conservationists hoping to re-establish the insect's UK population.

King Tut gold mask to leave Cairo museum after nearly 100 years

After nearly a century in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, King Tutankhamun's iconic gold mask and remaining treasures are set to move to the new Grand Egyptian Museum near the Giza Pyramids.

Billy Boston, 90, becomes rugby league's first knight

Billy Boston has become the first knight in rugby league's 130-year history after being honoured by King Charles III at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.

Emperor penguin populations declining faster than expected

Emperor penguin populations in Antarctica have shrunk by almost a quarter as global warming transforms their icy habitat, according to new research on Tuesday that warned the losses were far worse than previously imagined.

US judge dismisses actor Baldoni's lawsuit against Lively, NYT

A US judge on Monday rejected a $400 million lawsuit that actor Justin Baldoni filed against former co-star Blake Lively and The New York Times after she accused him of sexual harassment and other misbehavior.

Rodin 'copy' sells for $1 million in France

The owners thought the sculpture perched for years on the corner of a piano was a Rodin copy, but after being declared as the real thing the small marble figure has now sold for one million dollars at auction, organisers said Monday.

Frederick Forsyth: adventurer and bestselling spy novelist

A pilot who turned to writing to clear his debts, British author Frederick Forsyth, who died Monday aged 86, penned some 20 spy novels, often drawing on real-life experiences and selling 70 million copies worldwide.

Leaders warn race for minerals could turn seabed into 'wild west'

World leaders on Monday called for global rules to govern the seabed and warned against racing to exploit the ocean floor in a thinly-veiled rebuke of US President Donald Trump.

Monkey business delays Sri Lanka's wildlife survey

Sri Lanka is withholding the results of a survey of crop-destroying wildlife, including monkeys and peacocks, because data collected from some farmers appeared unrealistic, a minister said on Monday.

Tangled humpback whale sparks rescue mission off Australia

Wildlife rescue teams scoured Australia's east coast on Monday to find and free a distressed humpback whale tangled in a rope.

How to move a rhino

Barely feeling the tranquiliser shot, the panic-stricken female rhinoceros ran to take shelter in a wooded area, eluding the low-flying helicopter trying to prevent her escape.

Spain gears up for year-long celebration of surrealist Joan Miro

The torchbearers for one of Spain's most famous artists, Joan Miro, are promising a year-long fiesta of events honouring the surrealist -- and the foundation he set up half a century ago.

Man who let snakes bite him 200 times spurs new antivenom hope

Tim Friede was feeling particularly down on the day after the September 11 attacks, so he went to his basement and let two of the world's deadliest snakes bite him.

Studio Ghibli marks 40 years, but future looks uncertain

Japan's Studio Ghibli turns 40 this month with two Oscars and legions of fans young and old won over by its complex plots and fantastical hand-drawn animation.

Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds become co-owners of Australia SailGP team

Hollywood stars Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds became co-owners of Australia's three-times champion SailGP team on Friday, saying they were "incredibly excited".

Dehorning of S.African rhinos slashed poaching: study

The dehorning of rhinos resulted in a nearly 80-percent reduction in the poaching of the animals during a seven-year study in a major South African conservation area, researchers said Thursday.

Aicha Macky, Niger's taboo-breaking filmmaker

From infertility struggles to the shape of a woman's body, award-winning filmmaker Aicha Macky tackles issues considered taboo in Niger's conservative society.

French singer Nicole Croisille, of 'A Man and a Woman' fame, dies at 88: agent

Nicole Croisille, a French singer who sang on the soundtrack of the hit 1966 film "A Man and a Woman", has died, her agent told AFP on Wednesday. She was 88.

Zimbabwe to cull elephants and distribute meat to people

Zimbabwe will cull dozens of elephants and distribute the meat for consumption to ease the ballooning population of the animals, its wildlife authority said Tuesday.

Nepal celebrates 75th ascent anniversary of Mount Annapurna

Nepal celebrated on Tuesday 75 years since the first ascent of Mount Annapurna, the 10th highest peak in the world, led by French climber Maurice Herzog.

New rare wild orchid seen in UK for first time in 100 years

A new lady's-slipper orchid, once believed to be extinct in the UK, has been spotted in the wild for the first time in 100 years following a decades-long conservation drive, experts said Tuesday.

After 2 months, 40 witnesses, Maradona trial scrapped

After weeks of hearings and testimony from over 40 witnesses, an Argentine court on Thursday nullified the trial of late football legend Diego Maradona's medical team due to a scandal over a TV miniseries.

After 2 months, 40 witnesses, Maradona trial declared null

An Argentine court on Thursday nullified the trial of late football legend Diego Maradona's medical team after a judge stepped down over her role in an unauthorized documentary about the case.

Dua Lipa, public figures urge UK to end Israel arms sales

Pop star Dua Lipa joined some 300 UK celebrities in signing an open letter Thursday urging Britain to halt arms sales to Israel, after similar pleas from lawyers and writers.

Court to rule on future of Maradona caregivers' trial

An Argentine court is set to rule Thursday on how to proceed with the trial of late football legend Diego Maradona's medical team after a judge stepped down over her role in an unauthorized documentary about the case.

At 50, West African bloc teeters amid shifting alliances, security woes

Leaders of ECOWAS are gathering on Wednesday to celebrate 50 years since its formation and are expected to address regional security challenges as the continent also seeks answers in the face of US trade tariffs and aid cuts.

Some 380 UK and Ireland writers denounce Gaza 'genocide'

Nearly 380 writers from the UK and Ireland, including Zadie Smith and Ian McEwan, penned an open letter Wednesday denouncing what they called Israel's "genocide" in Gaza and urging a ceasefire.

Judge in Maradona death trial steps aside after scandal

A judge under fire in the trial over Argentine football legend Diego Maradona's death stepped aside on Tuesday after defense lawyers questioned her impartiality.

King Charles says Canada 'strong and free' as Trump looms

King Charles III hailed Canada as "strong and free" as he delivered a major speech to open parliament in Ottawa against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump's threats to take over the country.

Maradona wrongful death trial in peril as judge under microscope

A judge in the Argentine trial of deceased football legend Diego Maradona's medical team denied wrongdoing Tuesday amid a storm of impartiality concerns, and vowed to continue hearing the case.

King Charles highlights Canadian 'self-determination' as Trump looms

King Charles III stressed Canada's proud independence on Tuesday as he delivered a major speech to open parliament in Ottawa set against US President Donald Trump's repeated threats to take over the country.

Earliest proof of humans using whale bone tools discovered

Scientists announced Tuesday they have discovered the earliest evidence of humans using whale bones, finding weapons made from the remains of the massive mammals dating back more than 20,000 years.

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