WORLD

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos said Monday he did not blame people for taking part in street protests "one bit" as anger mounts over a corruption scandal involving phony flood control projects.

US President Donald Trump arrives in the UK late Tuesday for a state visit with his wife, Melania -- a rare privilege made at the invitation of King Charles III. These pomp-filled visits are organised at the recommendation of the British government to strengthen diplomatic, trade or personal relations with certain countries and their leaders.

On the Island of the Dolls in Mexico City, hundreds of plastic toys wearing little more than rags hang from trees, their glass eyes staring down at visitors.

The first ever trial of a former British soldier accused of murdering victims of the Bloody Sunday massacre opens Monday in Belfast, in a landmark moment in Northern Ireland's conflict-scarred recent history.

Tens of thousands of people protested in Ankara ahead of a key court hearing Monday targeting Turkey's main CHP opposition party that could see its leadership upended.

Donald Trump will get the red carpet treatment this week on an unprecedented second UK state visit, as Britain counts on royal pomp and circumstance to woo the unpredictable US president.

Macau's first "patriots only" legislative polls on Sunday saw one of the worst turnout rates in recent years, preliminary results showed, after authorities disqualified a dozen candidates and arrested a former opposition lawmaker.

Two ships set sail Sunday evening from the Greek island of Syros to join the Global Sumud Flotilla, an international mission aiming to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid, AFP journalists saw.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva pushed back Sunday against harsh US criticism of the conviction this week of his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro on coup charges.

Romania on Sunday strongly condemned the entry of a Russian drone into its airspace during an attack on neighbouring Ukraine, with the foreign ministry summoning Moscow's ambassador over the incident.

The man arrested over conservative influencer Charlie Kirk's assassination was romantically involved with a transgender roommate and had "leftist ideology," Utah's governor said Sunday, confirming details likely to inflame the contentious national debate over the killing.

Oblique Seville and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden recorded their first major victories in winning the men's and women's 100 metres world titles on Sunday, making it honours even between sprint powerhouses Jamaica and the United States.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Sunday Britain would not tolerate people feeling intimidated "because of their background or the colour of their skin" after a large far-right protest was marked by battles with police.

China and the United States kicked off the latest round of trade talks on Sunday in Madrid, where they are set to thrash out their TikTok dispute and President Donald Trump's promised hefty tariffs.

Nepal's new leader vowed Sunday to follow protesters' demands to "end corruption" as she began work as interim prime minister, after "Gen Z" youth demonstrations ousted her predecessor.

Surrounded by incubators, a red tube snaking into her tiny nose, four-day-old Grace-Ella is being fed donated breastmilk at the only facility in Kenya that offers the life-giving service.

In removing Indonesia's finance minister and U-turning on protester demands, the leader of Southeast Asia's biggest economy is scrambling to restore public trust while seizing a chance to install loyalists after deadly riots last month, experts say.

Australia will spend an initial Aus$12 billion (US$8 billion) to upgrade shipyard facilities for a future fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, the government said Sunday.

Oscar Garcia Santaella's Mexican restaurant is hurting badly as US immigration agents stage raids in Texas: his customers are afraid to leave home and some of his staff are wary of coming to work.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said eliminating Hamas leaders would end the war in Gaza, as top US diplomat Marco Rubio said hours ahead of his visit to Israel that its strike against Hamas in Qatar would not derail their alliance.

The United States is "not happy" about Israeli strikes targeting Hamas in Qatar, but the attack will not change Washington's allied status with Israel, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday as he departed for the region.

Clashes erupted on Saturday as more than 100,000 people turned out in central London for a rally organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, with police arresting nine people after facing "unacceptable violence" trying to control the crowds.

Nepal's capital on Saturday took a step back towards normality after deadly anti-corruption protests, as daily life returned with a curfew eased and an interim prime minister sworn into office.

I read a headline recently that said, "Success is often born from rejection." Immediately upon reading it, I thought of many other ways success is also born from, including purpose, service, surprise, failure, teamwork, silence, tenacity, determination, pause, full steam ahead, awakenings, rest, communication, and so on.

Brazilian ex-president Jair Bolsonaro has been sentenced to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup.

Israeli military operations killed 50 people in Gaza on Friday, the territory's civil defence agency said, as the army stepped up its attacks on Gaza City.

Nepal's first woman Supreme Court chief justice Sushila Karki will be sworn in to lead the government in the Himalayan nation after deadly protests ousted the prime minister.

Russia's central bank on Friday cut its key interest rate, but warned inflation was still too high, amid growing fears of an economic slowdown after bloated spending on the Ukraine offensive.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will leave Saturday on a trip to Israel to offer support before French-led moves to recognize a Palestinian state, the State Department said.