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Living like sultans: Istanbul's pampered street cats

Kanyon is getting fat: since someone stole his basket, this white cat with grey markings who lives at an Istanbul shopping centre has been showered with snacks, love and affection.

Spanish prosecutors dismiss sex abuse case against Julio Iglesias

Spanish prosecutors on Friday shelved a sex abuse and human trafficking complaint against veteran singer Julio Iglesias, saying Spain's courts had no jurisdiction in the case.

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'We hold onto one another and keep fighting,' says wife of jailed Istanbul mayor

Turkish democracy has taken a heavy beating since the jailing of Istanbul's popular opposition mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, his wife told AFP, saying it has been painful for his family but that the ordeal has made them stronger.

Stranger Things set for final bow: five things to know

The hit science-fiction-horror series "Stranger Things" returns on Friday with three new episodes from its fifth and final season, ahead of the grand finale on January 1.

Norway crown princess likely to undergo lung transplant

Norway's 52-year-old Crown Princess Mette-Marit will likely need to undergo a lung transplant following a deterioration in her chronic lung condition, the palace said on Friday.

Harrison Ford to get lifetime acting award

Harrison Ford is to be given a lifetime achievement award from the main union representing Hollywood actors, the organization announced Thursday.

Australia holds first funerals for Bondi Beach attack victims

Australia will hold the first funerals Wednesday for victims of the Bondi Beach mass shooting, with huge crowds expected to grieve two rabbis slain in the attack.

Nepal starts tiger census to track recovery

Nepal launched on Tuesday nationwide tiger census, a key step in conservation efforts to aid the recovery of the big cats that once faced near extinction in the Himalayan nation.

Rob Reiner's death: what we know

The double killing of movie director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner in their Los Angeles home sent shockwaves through Hollywood and the political world Monday.

$Nobel winner Machado suffered vertebra fracture leaving Venezuela$

Nobel winner Machado suffered vertebra fracture leaving Venezuela

Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado suffered a vertebra fracture during her secret journey out of hiding in Venezuela to Norway last week, her spokesperson said Monday.

UK's king shares 'good news' that cancer treatment will be reduced in 2026

Britain's King Charles III, who has broken royal taboos to talk openly about battling cancer, Friday revealed the "good news" that his treatment will be pared back next year.

Salah admired from afar in his Egypt home village as club tensions swirl

In the Nile Delta village of Nagrig, residents love local son Mohamed Salah from a distance, with ructions between the Egyptian super striker and long-time English club Liverpool doing little to dim his lustre at home.

Indonesia floods were 'extinction level' for rare orangutans

Indonesia's deadly flooding was an "extinction-level disturbance" for the world's rarest great ape, the tapanuli orangutan, causing catastrophic damage to its habitat and survival prospects, scientists warned on Friday.

Thai teacher finds 'peace amidst chaos' painting bunker murals

On the grey walls of a rural Thai school's concrete bunkers, a man calmly paints colourful scenes of helicopters, tanks, fluttering national flags and soldiers carrying the wounded.

Japan bear victim's watch shows last movements

The watch of a Japanese hiker killed by a bear has revealed harrowing details about his last moments, including that the animal returned to his body the next day, a newspaper report said.

French indie 'Clair Obscur' dominates Game Awards

French indie title "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" dominated the annual Game Awards in Los Angeles, winning a record of nine categories including best video game of the year.

'In her prime': Rare blooming of palm trees in Rio

An extraordinary botanical spectacle is drawing crowds in Rio de Janeiro: several talipot palm trees, planted more than six decades ago, are blooming for the first -- and last -- time in their lives.

Dark, wet, choppy: Machado's secret sea escape from Venezuela

Maria Corina Machado's getaway from Venezuela involved a long, "scary" and very wet sea crossing in the dead of night with no lights, according to the US man who says he led the operation.

Machado to come out of hiding after missing Nobel ceremony

Nobel laureate Maria Corina Machado is set to address the world on Thursday, according to the Norwegian government, after the Venezuelan opposition leader was awarded the prestigious peace prize in her absence.

Venezuela's Machado to come out of hiding after missing Nobel peace prize ceremony

Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado is set to address the world on Thursday, according to the Norwegian government, after the Venezuelan opposition leader was awarded the prize in her absence.

Not lovin' it: McDonald's pulls Dutch AI Christmas ad

US burger chain McDonald's said on Wednesday it had removed an AI-generated Christmas advert in the Netherlands after it was filleted online.

Moo dunnit? Dog lets bull, horse into living room in Australia

A lawmaker in Australia was left in udder disbelief when he came home to discover his pet dog had let a bull and a horse into his living room.

Autistic Scottish artist Nnena Kalu smashes Turner Prize 'glass ceiling'

Scotland's Nnena Kalu took home the Turner Prize on Tuesday, with the autistic artist beating four competitors including an Iraqi painter to the prestigious contemporary art award.

Venezuela's 'joropo' dance declared a UNESCO treasure

Venezuela's "joropo" -- a genre blending music, song and fast-paced partner dancing -- was named Tuesday as a UNESCO intangible cultural treasure.

Machado family, heads of state in Oslo to fete elusive Nobel laureate

The family of Maria Corina Machado and heads of state arrived in Oslo on Monday for this week's Nobel Peace Prize ceremony honouring the Venezuelan opposition leader, who lives in hiding but is expected to attend the ceremony.

'One Battle After Another' leads Golden Globes noms with nine

Paul Thomas Anderson's politically charged "One Battle After Another" leads the nominations for the Golden Globes with nine, organizers announced Monday, as the race to the Oscars kicked into high gear.

France's Ugo Bienvenu ready to take animated 'Arco' to Oscars

French animated film "Arco" -- an optimistic adventure financed by Oscar winner Natalie Portman and adored by critics -- seems to have what it takes to make a run to the Academy Awards thanks to director Ugo Bienvenu.

Eurovision reels from boycotts over Israel

The boycotts already announced by four countries over Israel's participation in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest were casting a shadow Friday over the glitzy annual TV extravaganza and its spirit of unity.

Penguins queue in Paris zoo for their bird flu jabs

A curious seagull strolled nonchalantly through the penguin enclosure at a zoo in Paris.

After wins abroad, Syria leader must gain trust at home

One year after ousting Bashar al-Assad, Ahmed al-Sharaa has restored Syria's international standing and won sanctions relief.

Italy to open Europe's first marine sanctuary for dolphins

The Mediterranean's first sanctuary for dolphins that have lived in captivity will open off Italy next year, as demand for re-homing rises with the closure of marine parks across Europe.

Former king's memoirs hits bookstores in Spain

Former King Juan Carlos's memoirs went on sale in Spain on Wednesday, with the publication's warm words for the late dictator Franco stirring debate over the former monarch's legacy.

'Come and kill me': sick ants invite destruction to save colony

Sick young ants release a smell to tell worker ants to destroy them to protect the colony from infection, scientists said Tuesday, adding that queens do not seem to commit this act of self-sacrifice.

Please don't rush: slow changes in Laos 50 years after communist victory

The usually sleepy Laotian capital Vientiane has an uncharacteristic buzz, bedecked with flags and T-shirt vendors ahead of commemorations of 50 years of communist rule Tuesday, but for many young people history carries little weight.

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