WORLD

Taliban authorities were set to celebrate the third anniversary of their takeover of Afghanistan on Wednesday, with a military parade at a former US military base and festivities in key cities.

Thailand's Constitutional Court will decide on Wednesday whether Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin should be kicked out of office over his appointment of a cabinet minister with a criminal conviction.

An Israeli museum that hid some of its most valuable artworks after the October 7 attack has now stashed away even more, fearing a strike by Iran.

Ukraine said Tuesday that its troops had advanced further into Russia's Kursk region and now control 74 settlements after launching a surprise cross-border incursion a week ago.

Polls opened in the Pacific nation of Kiribati on Wednesday, after a campaign dominated by the rising cost of living, rising sea levels and questions about the benefit of deeper ties with China.

Ukraine's top military commander Oleksandr Syrsky was born in Russia and studied in Moscow and yet he is leading an unprecedented assault on Russian territory.

SpaceX is aiming to break new barriers in polar exploration with the first manned space mission over the Earth's poles -- a private flight commanded by a crypto entrepreneur later this year, the company said Tuesday.

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters admits the legal cases facing Manchester City and other top-flight teams have created "uncertainty and frustration" ahead of the new season.

Ukraine said Tuesday it would not hold on to Russian territory captured in its surprise cross-border incursion and offered to stop raids if Moscow agreed a "just peace".

A court in Bangladesh opened a murder investigation into ousted ex-premier Sheikh Hasina and six top figures in her administration Tuesday over the police killing of a man during civil unrest last month.

Gone are the slogans of last week, demanding the "killer dictator" quit: if you ask Bangladesh's youth whether they're hopeful about the future, the writing literally is on the wall.

The leaders of Tanzania's main opposition party Chadema have been released on bail, a party spokesman said on Tuesday, after they were detained in a mass roundup ahead of a youth day rally.

Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir led hundreds of Israelis into the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in annexed east Jerusalem Tuesday and performed prayers marking a Jewish holiday, sources said.

Iran on Tuesday rejected Western calls to stand down its threat to retaliate against Israel for the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran late last month.

Torrential storms lashing India and Nepal have killed hundreds of people since June, official data showed Tuesday, with flooding and landslides causing widespread devastation during the treacherous monsoon season.

US credit rating agency Fitch downgraded Israel a notch on Monday, warning that its ongoing conflict against Hamas in Gaza could last "well into 2025" and weigh on economic activity.

Manchester City's grip on the Premier League title has reached an unprecedented four years but off-field doubts surround the English champions ahead of the new season.

In the far-flung Colombian highlands, beetles are the secret weapon in an innovative project to combat the ever-growing problem of trash buildup.

Donald Trump will be interviewed Monday live on X by its billionaire owner Elon Musk -- an influential supporter -- as the Republican ex-president rejoins the platform following a lengthy absence.

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro called Monday for the state to use an "iron fist" after deadly protests in response to his July reelection, dismissed at home and abroad as a sham.

The United States confirmed Monday it would resume sales of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia, as concerns over human rights in the kingdom's Yemen war give way to US hopes for it to play a role in resolving the conflict in Gaza.

The UK government welcomed Monday the "de-escalation" of far-right inspired disorder and rioting following a knife attack that killed three children, but insisted officials remain on "high alert".

At an aid collection point in Moscow, a small group of volunteers sorted through a mountain of donations left for those fleeing fighting near the Ukrainian border.

International pressure mounted Monday for a ceasefire in Gaza, with Britain, France and Germany issuing a joint plea for an end to fighting between Israel and Hamas with "no further delay".

Two migrants who attempted the crossing died, French authorities said earlier, taking the number of people to lose their life on the dangerous sea journey to 25 since the start of the year.

Amna Hussein sat grieving in a disaster relief tent in eastern Sudan, where she fled with her children after deadly floods displaced thousands in a country already reeling from war.

Tanzanian police have detained leading opposition Chadema party figures including former presidential candidate Tundu Lissu, and rounded up several hundred youth supporters, a Chadema official said on Monday.

Hamas on Sunday urged Gaza mediators to implement a truce plan presented by US President Joe Biden instead of holding more talks, as Palestinians fled a new Israeli military operation.

Asian markets were mixed Monday as investors try to move on from last week's upheaval that was fuelled by US recession worries, with focus on the release of key inflation and retail data.