100 years of Route 66: Take the ultimate driving trip on America’s ‘Mother Road’

With its glowing neon signs, retro diners and restored motels, Route 66 continues to attract travellers wanting to experience one of the world’s most iconic road trips.

Latest news bulletin | April 9th, 2026 – Morning

Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond this April 9th, 2026 - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel.

Long COVID could cost OECD countries €116 billion a year over the next decade

The chronic condition could cost OECD countries billions per year, with the total comparable to the annual health budgets of the Netherlands or Spain, a new report shows.

Breast implants, baby toys, paint: The surprising everyday sources of microplastics

The report also found that some climate technology could actually make microplastic exposure worse.

Birds not missiles should fly in the skies, Taiwan opposition leader says in China

TAIPEI, April 9 - Birds not missiles should fly in the skies, Taiwan opposition leader Cheng Li-wun said on Thursday in Shanghai, citing a World War One poem on the need to promote peace, even as China keeps up its daily military activities around the island

As ties warm, Vietnam's top leader scheduled to visit China

BEIJING, April 9 - Vietnam's top leader To Lam will visit China next week, Chinese state news agency Xinhua said on Thursday, as ties between the two nations continue to warm.

Africa: Over 1,000 Humanitarians Have Been Killed in Three Years, Security Council Hears

[UN News] At least 326 humanitarians were killed in the line of duty across 21 countries during 2025, bringing the total killed over three years to over 1,010. The International Red Cross warned the Security Council on Wednesday that "we are losing our humanity in war."

Africa: Global Trade in Wild Birds Is Poorly Monitored - the Risks to Wildlife, Ecosystems and Human Health

[The Conversation Africa] Birds have, for centuries, been captured from the wild to be kept in cages - valued for their looks, songs and ability to imitate sounds. Data compiled by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), the global agreement that

Africa: Credit and Credibility - Rating Agency Errors Come With a Cost

[The Conversation Africa] The rating agency S&P Global's Africa Credit Rating Trends 2025 reviews the past year's rating activities and analyses the continent's prospects for 2026. It is an important document because it interprets underlying drivers of creditworthiness. It

Africa: Countries Suffer When Credit Rating Agencies Lack Data - How to Fix the Problem At Source

[The Conversation Africa] Some developing country governments spend years making the reforms that international financial institutions want - only to find that their efforts are not rewarded.

Chinese sports authorities crack down on cyberbullying of diving prodigy Quan Hongchan

Quan, a three-time Olympic gold medallist, has previously spoken out about toxic comments over her weight and the intense pressure she's faced to diet.

Myanmar’s Min Aung Hlaing appoints new Cabinet, military still dominates

The Cabinet list approved on April 9 signals a business as usual approach by President Min Aung Hlaing.

Myanmar's Min Aung Hlaing appoints new cabinet, military still dominates

April 9 - Myanmar's parliament approved a list of 30 ministers to serve in the cabinet of junta chief Min Aung Hlaing on Thursday following his appointment as president last week, with the military still holding a dominant role.

Vietnam proposes May roll-out of free bus rides in Ho Chi Minh City

Under the plan, free travel would apply to 109 subsidised routes and 26 non-subsidised routes.

US has left Malaccan states no choice but to charge tolls

For decades, the rules-based international order provided an often-functional “guarantee” that the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints would remain open, navigable and shielded from the friction of great power competition. That era is now over. In the span of a single

Pakistan declares Islamabad holidays ahead of US-Iran talks

The holidays on April 9 and April 10 apply only to the Islamabad Capital Territory.

Watch: BBC asks Artemis II crew a question in space

The BBC’s Science Editor Rebecca Morelle has spoken to the Artemis II crew ahead of their likely splashdown on Saturday.

Trump says US military to stay around Iran until Tehran complies with deal

April 8 (Reuters) - U.S President Donald Trump said all U.S. ships, aircraft, and military personnel would stay in place in and around Iran until it fully complied with a deal. "All U.S. Ships, Aircraft, and Military Personnel, with additional Ammunition, Weaponry, and anything

Consumers urged to ‘completely avoid’ UK-caught cod as population plunges

Marine Conservation Society warns that fish numbers have reached dangerous point of decline Consumers should “completely avoid” buying UK-caught cod, the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) has said, as it warned that populations have reached a dangerous point of decline despite

What if dark matter came in two states?

The absence of a signal could itself be a signal. This is the idea behind a new study published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, which aims to redefine how we search for dark matter, showing that it may not be necessary to find the same "clues" everywhere

‘You, Me & Tuscany’ Review: Plenty of Sun but No Real Heat in a Romcom Outing for Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page

Few would stretch as far as calling “Under the Tuscan Sun” a classic, and yet that easy-breezy Diane Lane vehicle from 2003 has an enduring cultural presence of sorts: It still pops up with some regularity on TV schedules and in-flight menus, and in those more quaintly dated

AI-generated doctors in health ads must be labelled: S. Korean govt

Current guidelines have no provisions covering AI-generated characters.

Waiting for DeepSeek: New model to test China’s AI ambitions

Despite reports and rumours about its imminent release, the "V4" model is nowhere in sight.

George Clooney Blasts White House’s ‘Infantile Name Calling’ Amid Trump’s Iran War Threats

"Families are losing their loved ones. Children have been incinerated," said the actor. "The world’s economy is on a knife’s edge"

Watch: Pope Leo XIV spins basketball on his finger, with help from Harlem Globetrotters

US exhibition squad, the Harlem Globetrotters, met the pontiff in the Vatican, helping him to spin a basketball on the tip of his finger.

How Thailand’s gas bet is driving up costs - and pollution

Thailand’s dependence on gas is coming under renewed scrutiny as rising costs and global disruptions expose economic and environmental risks embedded in its power system.

George Santos says he's becoming a first-time parent

Former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), who had a brief but notable stint in Congress in 2023, said he is becoming a parent for the first time. “So, we are having kids next year, and that's a big deal for us,” Santos said on Meghan McCain’s livestreamed show “Citizen McCain.”

Lights, camera, algorithm: China’s AI microdramas go viral - but spark copyright fears

While massively popular among young Chinese social media users, AI microdramas are fuelling concerns that the technology is eroding copyright - and potentially livelihoods.

Escaped wolf forces school closure in South Korea

The male wolf had escaped from a zoo at a theme park in Daejeon.

Chinese researcher's death after questioning in US prompts anger in Beijing

The semiconductor researcher was found dead after “hostile questioning” by US law enforcement.

Jenna Ortega Says She Almost Quit Acting Before Landing ‘You’ Role: ‘”It Was a Good Run” Sort of Thing’

Jenna Ortgea said during a recent appearance on Kid Cudi’s “Big Bro” podcast that she was seriously considering giving up acting until she landed the part of Ellie Alves on Netflix‘s “You.” “I didn’t know what else I was gonna do,” Ortega said. “I’ve never really considered

As U.S. retreats, Iran seeks to sway cease-fire to establish new regional order

Tehran aims now not only to remove Trump's threat that the Iranian 'civilization will die' and to settle passage in the strait, but also to draw out a new map of regional control in a security agreement under which it preserves the status of a regional power

Crude rises, stocks fall on fears over nascent Iran ceasefire

Oil prices climbed and stocks fell Thursday on fears over the nascent US-Iran ceasefire after Tehran threatened to resume hostilities after Israel launched a major bombardment of Lebanon. Equity markets across the globe soared and crude plunged Wednesday after US President

Soaring petrol prices are hurting more than your wallet

Australians don't need an economist to tell them they're hurting at the petrol pump. They feel it every time they pull into a service station, every time they rethink a planned holiday, or every time they've had to squeeze another household bill to fill the tank. But the cost

China taps telecom executive as senior colonel for reserve force

Senior colonel is the highest officer rank in China's Reserve Force.

‘The Housemaid’ Author Freida McFadden Reveals Her True Identity: ‘I’m Tired of This Being a Secret’

“The Housemaid” author Freida McFadden said during a recent interview with USA Today that “it’s time” to unveil her true identity. She said her real name is Sara Cohen, and she works as a brain doctor when not writing books. “I’m at a point in my career when I’m tired of this

Iran oil shock stirs memories of 1997 Asian Financial Crisis — but here’s why history may not repeat itself

The Hormuz disruption is hammering Asian economies with surging energy costs and weakening currencies, but a repeat of the crisis three decades ago is unlikely.

US senator urges Taiwan parliament to pass stalled defence spending plan

Bay Area-based tech company announces shocking layoff of nearly a quarter of its workforce

The tech company becomes the latest to announce shocking number of layoffs, gutting nearly a quarter of its workforce.

Trump slams NATO after meeting with Mark Rutte

President Trump went after the NATO alliance following a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte -- comments that came after the Trump administration had recently expressed frustration with members of the alliance. “NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T

Respiratory viruses lingering longer than usual this year

While spring has officially begun, concerns about respiratory viruses are lingering longer than usual, with cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cropping up later than expected and a new COVID-19 variant spreading across much of the country. The Centers for Disease

Iran's economy was weak before the war, now it's worse

Even before the war in sanctions-hit Iran, inflation was running at nearly 50 percent and anger over the economy had fuelled massive anti-government protests. After more than five weeks of conflict, problems have only mounted. Beyond the daily fear of attacks, the most

Key Indian state polls begin in test for Modi's party

Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party is trying to expand into regions where it has struggled to gain a foothold.

Spotted a jellyfish bloom recently? Here's what may have triggered it

On a calm summer's morning in southern Australia, the water can look deceptively clear, until you see thousands of gelatinous shapes washing ashore. In January, thousands of pink lion's mane jellyfish washed into Port Phillip Bay, prompting beach warnings and startling swimmers

Military service draws men in Thailand as sluggish economy squeezes job prospects

Voluntary enlistment in the South-east Asian nation has climbed steadily over the past five years.

Malaysians suddenly cannot find Farm Fresh milk easily – and it has nothing to do with cows

From milk to shampoo, a plastic squeeze has sent ripples across Malaysia.

Trump criticises Nato as alliance chief describes meeting as 'very frank'

The US president says Nato "wasn't there when we needed them" during the Iran war.

Olivia Munn Says Male Co-Star Refused to Film Scene Being Saved by Woman and Stopped Production for ’45 Minutes’: ‘She Can’t Save Me. We’re Not Doing This’

Olivia Munn said during a recent appearance on “The Drew Barrymore Show” that one of her former male co-stars refused to be saved by her in a scene and stopped production for “45 minutes” to fight off the story beat. “There have been a few times where I’ve been filming

Uruguay considers relocating HIF Global's green hydrogen megaplant to ease tensions with Argentina

Uruguay's government is considering relocating within the department of Paysandú the synthetic fuels plant planned by multinational HIF Global, in an effort to simultaneously defuse diplomatic tensions with Argentina and advance what would be the largest private investment in