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Mystery drones won't interfere with Santa's work: US tracker

Santa Claus has no need to worry about recent mystery drone sightings over New Jersey, a US Air Force general said Tuesday, as an annual tradition of "tracking" Saint Nick swung into action.

Banned Russian skater Valieva stars at Moscow ice gala

Russian figure skating star Kamila Valieva, serving a four-year ban for doping, received a standing ovation as she stole the show at an ice gala in Moscow on Saturday.

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Oscar nominees 'grateful' to be back in the ballroom

Oscar nominees from Steven Spielberg and Will Smith to first-time Bhutanese director Pawo Choyning Dorji gathered at a Los Angeles ballroom Monday, as Hollywood's award season enters its final stretch.

Spain's former king Juan Carlos to stay in UAE: royal family

Spain's former king Juan Carlos said he will stay in Abu Dhabi despite the closure of investigations into his financial dealings that led to his self-imposed exile in the UAE, the Spanish royal family announced on Monday.

Sri Lanka's most sacred elephant dies aged 68

Sri Lanka's most sacred elephant passed away aged 68 on Monday, prompting an outpouring of grief and a presidential order for the huge cadaver to be stuffed and preserved for posterity.

Gyllenhaal's 'Lost Daughter' triumphs at indie Spirit Awards

Maggie Gyllenhaal's "The Lost Daughter," a drama about the challenges and taboos surrounding motherhood, was named the year's best indie film at the Spirit Awards on Sunday.

Who killed Pasolini? Italy still questions century after birth

Provocative Italian filmmaker and poet Pier Paolo Pasolini had no shortage of enemies, but half a century after his brutal murder on a beach, his death remains a mystery.

Spain shelves probes into ex-king's finances

Spanish prosecutors have dropped all investigations into the finances of former king Juan Carlos, court documents showed Wednesday, potentially paving the way for his return from exile in the UAE.

Queen Elizabeth returns to work after Covid

Queen Elizabeth II resumed public engagements Tuesday after falling ill with Covid, as her son and heir Prince Charles was quoted as saying that she is "a lot better".

Queen Elizabeth II returns to duties after Covid scare

Queen Elizabeth II held two virtual audiences on Tuesday, Buckingham Palace said, after she was forced to cancel engagements last week due to Covid.

Benedict Cumberbatch gets Hollywood star

British actor Benedict Cumberbatch was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday, just weeks before he learns whether he has won an Oscar.

Boring to 'historic': the awakening of Germany's Olaf Scholz

Often described as predictable and "robotic", Chancellor Olaf Scholz has become emboldened since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, smashing policy taboos to steer Germany into "a new era" that could reshape its role on the world stage.

Five things to know about Ukraine

As Russian troops approach the Ukrainian capital in an all-out offensive, here are five facts about the country that has long been disputed by great empires.

Sean Penn visits Ukraine to make documentary on Russian invasion

US actor and director Sean Penn is in Kyiv making a documentary about Russia's invasion, the Ukrainian president's office said Thursday.

Dogs show signs of mourning after loss of canine companions

Dogs are deeply affected by the deaths of canine companions, eating and playing less and seeking attention more following a loss, a large scientific study said Thursday.

Queen cancels virtual audiences due to Covid

Queen Elizabeth II cancelled two engagements on Thursday after she tested positive for coronavirus at the weekend, Buckingham Palace said.

Queen cancels virtual audiences due to Covid: palace

Queen Elizabeth II has cancelled two engagements on Thursday after she tested positive for coronavirus at the weekend, Buckingham Palace said.

Prince Harry sues major British newspaper group

Britain's Prince Harry has launched new legal action against one of the country's biggest newspaper groups, a spokesperson said Wednesday.

'Rust' shooting victim husband 'angry' as Baldwin denies blame

The husband of the "Rust" crew member shot dead by Alec Baldwin on a movie set said he holds the US actor responsible and was "so angry" to see him denying blame.

Mexican town toasts tequila fish saved from extinction

Residents of a small town in western Mexico are celebrating the reintroduction into the wild of the tequila fish -- an endemic species saved from the brink of extinction.

Chilean film 'Bestia' depicts torture with animation

Nominated for this year's Oscars, Chilean short film "Bestia" (Beast) uses animation, an art form more often associated with children's movies, to deal with a macabre topic: the sexual torture of women.

Global health champion Paul Farmer dies at 62

Paul Farmer, an American physician and medical anthropologist renowned for his innovative work in providing health care to poorer countries, died Monday at age 62, his Partners in Health group said.

Billionaire Icahn steps up campaign against McDonald's pig farm practices

Billionaire Carl Icahn has nominated two allies to the board of McDonald's, the company confirmed Sunday, part of the activist investor's campaign against pig-farming practices used in the fast-food giant's supply chains.

UK 'always' Prince Harry's home, security case hears

A lawyer for Prince Harry told a London court Friday that the UK "will always be his home", appealing a government refusal to provide the British royal with police protection even if he pays for it.

Mysteries and music: listening in to underwater life

When marine researchers started recording sounds in the seagrass meadows of the Mediterranean Sea they picked up a mysterious sound, like the croak of a frog, that resounded within the dense foliage -- and nowhere else.

Rescued condors spread wings in Chilean Andes

Pumalin and Liquine, two juvenile condors rescued from certain death, have been released back into the wild in a much-needed boost for a dwindling species emblematic of the Chilean Andes.

Hunt on for great white shark that killed Sydney swimmer

Sydney authorities on Thursday deployed baited lines to try to catch a giant great white shark that devoured an ocean swimmer, as beach communities in Australia's largest city were rocked by the first such attack in decades.

Prince Andrew's settlement 'worth £12 mn' as anger mounts in UK

Disgraced British royal Prince Andrew faced a call Wednesday to "live out his retirement in ignominy" after reportedly settling a sexual assault lawsuit for a whopping £12 million ($16.3 million, 14.3 million euros).

Who is Prince Andrew's accuser Virginia Giuffre?

Prince Andrew has settled a sexual assault lawsuit brought against him by Virginia Giuffre, agreeing to make an unspecified donation to her charity established in support of sex trafficking victims.

Teen follows sister's tailwinds in global flight bid

A daredevil British-Belgian teenager is bidding to become the youngest person to fly solo around the world -- after his elder sister managed her own inspirational feat just weeks ago.

French stores bring back chitchat at the checkout

Every day at 9:00 am sharp, 72-year-old Gisele shows up at her local hypermarket in western France to "cheat loneliness".

Hundreds wed at Valentine's Day ceremony in Mexico

With tears in their eyes and smiles beneath their face masks, more than 660 couples tied the knot Monday at a Valentine's Day mass wedding in Mexico.

Oscars adds 'fan favorite' prize voted by Twitter

Next month's Oscars will include a new "fan favorite" prize for the year's most popular film as voted for by Twitter users, organizers said Monday seeking to lure viewers back to a ceremony that has seen audiences plummet.

Prince Harry: The troubled playboy grows up

Prince Harry, whose engagement to US actress Meghan Markle was announced on Monday, has been transformed in recent years from an angry young man into one of the British royal family's greatest assets.

Camilla tests positive, days after Prince Charles

Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, has tested positive for coronavirus a few days after her husband Prince Charles, their office in London said Monday.

Kanye West documentary-maker 'disappointed' by Netflix editing row

The director of Netflix's new Kanye West documentary was left disappointed -- though not surprised -- by the controversial rapper's last-minute demand to recut a movie decades in the making, he told AFP.

Cate Blanchett defends cinema as serials thrive

Double Oscar winner Cate Blanchett on Saturday made a passionate defence of cinema in the face of competition from the serial format ahead of Saturday's Goya Awards, Spain's equivalent of the Oscars.

Hollywood feelgood factor lives on for Wrexham football fans

"It's put us on the map," says Richard Williams as he reflects on an eventful year since Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney made a small Welsh town international news by buying Wrexham football club.

US court reinstates gray wolf endangered species protections

A US court has struck down a Trump-era decision to remove federal protections for gray wolves across much of the country, in a move hailed by conservationists who said the listing was vital for the species' recovery.

Iranians get behind wheel to mark Islamic revolution

Thousands of Iranians drove through Tehran on Friday to mark the 43rd anniversary of the country's Islamic Revolution, staying in vehicles rather than marching on foot amid Covid restrictions.

Prince Charles tests positive for Covid for second time

Prince Charles, the eldest son and heir to Queen Elizabeth II, is isolating after testing positive for coronavirus for the second time, his office said on Thursday.

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