Lawson opens 1st disaster-support convenience store ahead of Japan quake anniversary

It plans to expand the number of disaster relief stores to 100 across the country by fiscal 2030.

Tech firms lead Asian markets rally as Seoul, Tokyo hit records

Japan start-up’s ‘flying car’ makes demo flight in Tokyo for first time

The battery-powered aircraft is capable of flying 15km to 40km.

Heavy rains leave at least 28 dead and dozens missing in Brazil’s Minas Gerais

Heavy rains and landslides in southeastern Brazil have killed at least 28 people and left more than 40 missing, with the worst impact reported in the state of Minas Gerais, according to local authorities and rescue teams.

East Africa: Foreign Affairs State Minister Confers With UN Special Envoy for Horn of Africa

[ENA] Addis Ababa -- Hadera Abera, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, held talks today with Guang Cong, the United Nations Special Envoy to the Horn of Africa, at his office.

Months after floods, Indonesian survivors frustrated by slow response

About 26,000 flood survivors are still displaced after a monsoon deluge hit their villages in Sumatra last year.

Japan to deploy missiles on island near Taiwan by 2031

The remote Yonaguni island lies on the frontlines of self-governing Taiwan's growing tensions with China.

Petro signs petition sheet backing a constituent assembly push in Colombia

Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Tuesday signed one of the official sheets being used by a left-leaning citizens’ committee to collect signatures in support of calling a National Constituent Assembly. The move came during a Cabinet meeting livestreamed on the presidency’s

Trump: Iran developing missiles that can reach U.S., has missiles that reach Europe

Kanye West Mansion Trial Opens With Clash Over Demolition of ‘Architectural Gem’

Tony Saxon claims he was injured meeting the music mogul's demands, but Ye's lawyer says Saxon "destroyed" the $57 million house designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando

Africa: What Do My Students Know? Using Early Grade Assessment Data to Inform Teaching in the Kingdom of Eswatini

[World Bank] In Eswatini, a new project equips teachers with formative assessment tools to track student progress in English, mathematics, and siSwati. By identifying learning gaps early, educators can adjust instruction immediately. This initiative, part of a broader effort to

Southern Africa: Newly Released 2025 Scorecard Unveils Progress and Setbacks On Health and Gender Equality Across Southern Africa

[WHO-AFRO] Johannesburg -- The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has launched its biennial scorecard, a critical tool that tracks progress on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) across its 16 Member States. New data, including from demographic health

Japan demands swift release of national detained in Iran

TOKYO, Feb 25 - A Japanese national has been detained in Iran and must be swiftly released, the Japanese government said on Wednesday.

Trump lauds his online drug platform as prescription drug win

President Trump boasted proudly of his work on lowering drug costs during his State of the Union address on Tuesday, holding up his "most favored nation" (MFN) policy and TrumpRx.gov as proof of having accomplished what his predecessors did not. "I'm also ending the wildly

Trump Touts Economic Record and Slams Immigrants in Divisive State of the Union Speech

President Trump touted his economic achievements and attacked immigrants and Democrats in a divisive State of the Union address on Tuesday. Trump also criticized the Supreme Court, which struck down his emergency tariffs last week, and repeatedly castigated the Democratic side

When feral cats are away, potoroos and bandicoots are more likely to play

All animals need to eat to survive, grow and reproduce. To do so, they also need to avoid being eaten. This is a big challenge for many of Australia's native mammals, because when they search for food, they must also escape the attention of introduced predators, namely, feral

Omar heckles Trump during comments about Somali community

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) loudly heckled President Trump as he made a number of divisive comments about Somali immigrants during the State of the Union address. Omar could be heard calling Trump a liar as the president said he would ignite a “war on fraud” he pinned on the

Elusive Shein boss hails Chinese roots in rare public appearance

His speech follows years of the firm focusing away from China as it moved its headquarters to Singapore.

New Zealand mayor swims to allay sewage contamination fears

Despite bringing in experts from Australia, the cause of the issue remains unknown.

Africa: Ivermectin Was Touted As a Cure for Covid, Now It's Being Tested for Cancer. but What Can It Actually Treat?

[The Conversation Africa] Ivermectin was originally celebrated as a revolutionary treatment for parasitic disease in humans and animals. It has since evolved into a focal point of misinformation and heated debate.

Trump says US hockey goaltender will get Presidential Medal of Freedom

President Trump announced at the State of the Union address Tuesday that he would give the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Team USA hockey goaltender Connor Hellebuyck after he recorded 41 saves in the gold medal game against Canada. Trump marveled at one of Hellebuyck’s most

Africa: Africa's Militaries Have Always Relied On Imported Weapons - Why a Shift to Homegrown Defence Is Now Under Way

[The Conversation Africa] Africa's militaries are built on imported power. Foreign countries such as China, Russia, the United States, Turkey and France dominate Africa's weapons market. Between them they supply everything from small arms to attack helicopters, unmanned systems

Nepali migrant workers influence polls, but can’t vote

Unable to find jobs at home, some 2.5 million Nepalis – 7.5 per cent of the population – work abroad.

Rep. Al Green escorted out of chamber as Trump begins State of the Union

Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) was escorted out of the House chamber on Tuesday shortly after President Trump began delivering his State of the Union address. Green held up a sign that read, “BLACK PEOPLE AREN'T APES" as Trump entered. Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) went up to talk to

Delving into 'deep time': What NZ's ancient past reveals about its present

We know Aotearoa New Zealand is home to many geographically and biologically special features. Yet few of us know it also has its very own measure of "deep time." Known as the New Zealand Geological Timescale, it has just undergone its most comprehensive revision in 20 years.

Judge says Justice Department may not search Washington Post reporter's seized devices

A judge told the Justice Department in a Tuesday filing that it cannot search a Washington Post reporter’s seized devices. In the filing, U.S. Magistrate Judge William Porter said the U.S. government could not “open, access, review, or otherwise examine any of” Post reporter

Malaysia blocks same-sex dating websites Grindr and Blued

Communications agency mulls over legal options against mobile app.

Al Green Forced Out of State of the Union Over Sign on Trump Racism

Texas Representative Al Green was once again escorted out of President Trump’s State of the Union—this time for holding up a sign that read “Black People Aren’t Apes.” Green’s sign was a reference to Trump’s racist post on Truth Social earlier this month depicting Former

Nepal’s rapper-turned-mayor in pole position to become prime minister

The musician who cut his political teeth when he became the mayor of the capital Kathmandu in 2022.

Neve Campbell Could Not ‘Live With Myself’ if She Accepted Unfair ‘Scream 6’ Paycheck: ‘My Value to This Franchise Was Bigger’

Neve Campbell recently told CBS Mornings that she “didn’t think I could live with myself” if she accepted the offer return for “Scream 6.” “When I made that decision, I just didn’t think I could live with myself walking on set,” Campbell said. “I just didn’t feel right. I just

Pennsylvania Democrats win state House special elections, keeping majority intact

Pennsylvania Democrats are projected to win two special elections for state House, keeping their majority intact, according to Decision Desk HQ. Democrats Ana Tiburcio and Jennifer Mazzocco won their Tuesday elections to represent Pennsylvania House Districts 22 in Lehigh

When Capcom brought in a professional screenwriter for the original Resident Evil 2, it was his idea to fully embrace the series' goofy puzzles: 'We’ll just have to make the police chief a weirdo!'

In an alternate timeline, Resident Evil could've become a lot more serious.

Alexandria bids farewell to historic tram in latest urban upheaval

Along Egypt's Mediterranean coast, the oldest tram in Africa and the Middle East rumbles for a final few weeks before its removal -- the latest urban upheaval Alexandrians say is hollowing out their city's identity. Government plans to replace the colourful streetcars on one of

Watch live: Spanberger delivers Democratic response to Trump's State of the Union address

Newly installed Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger will give the Democratic response to President Trump's State of the Union address tonight. In January, Spanberger was sworn in as the first female governor of the commonwealth. She previously served in Congress for six years and

Trump claims US 'transformation' in second term at State of the Union

President Trump delivered the first State of the Union address of his second term Tuesday, claiming a "transformation" for the country, which comes as he faces low approval ratings and as Republicans are in danger of losing the House majority during the midterms. "I can say

Democrat wins special state House election in Maine

Democrat Scott Harriman has defeated Republican Janet Beaudoin in Tuesday's special election to represent Maine's 94th state House district, according to Decision Desk HQ. Harriman, a Lewiston city councilor, won the special election for the Lewiston-based state House seat

Anger over plans to abolish New Zealand’s dedicated environment ministry

Critics say proposal to fold department into a new ‘mega ministry’ will dilute accountability and put nature protections at risk New Zealand’s government is seeking to abolish its dedicated environment ministry to cut down on bureaucracy, a move critics say could dilute

Trump-appointed judge finds DHS in contempt over detainee transfer

A federal judge appointed by President Trump held the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in civil contempt for violating the court’s order when they transported a detainee to a Texas facility in January. In a Monday ruling, Minnesota District Court Judge Eric C. Tostrud

The global M&A boom is rolling into 2026 as AI sparks deal frenzy — but cash is getting tight

Markets are betting that the global M&A surge has not yet finished, as Wall Street recovered its appetite for large-scale financings.

The veteran 'insider' shaping Iran's nuclear policy

When US and Iranian negotiators meet on Thursday in Geneva, Iran's top security chief Ali Larijani will be Tehran's key player behind the scenes. Adept at balancing ideological loyalty with pragmatic statecraft, Larijani will not attend the talks, but is central to Tehran's

UN data shows 6.5 million people at risk of severe hunger from drought

Nearly 6.5 million people in Somalia are facing severe hunger as worsening drought, conflict and global aid cuts intensify the country's humanitarian crisis, the federal government and U.N. agencies said Tuesday.

New Xbox CEO On Company Strategy: “The Plan’s The Plan Until It’s Not The Plan”

Asha Sharma offered only vague responses when asked about what to expect from Xbox's next era

David Ellison to Attend Donald Trump’s State of the Union Address After Paramount Ups Warner Bros. Bid

Paramount Skydance boss David Ellison will be in attendance at Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night. The news comes hours after his studio upped its bid for the entirety of Warner Bros. Discovery to $31 per share. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina

Here’s how to watch Trump’s State of the Union address

‘Happy Birthday’ Review: Egypt’s Oscar Submission Is an Accomplished Debut About a Young Cairo Girl’s Difficult Life

From the trifecta of prizes “Happy Birthday” earned during its Tribeca world premiere in 2025 to the multiple audience awards and other kudos it collected on the international festival circuit, plus, its selection as Egypt’s Oscar submission, the poignant drama is surely one of

The Gentle Giant: Oliver Sacks and the Art of Choosing Empathy Over Vengeance

An existential lesson gleaned from a brush with death and foolishness.

‘Gugu’s World’ Review: A Radiant Queer Coming-of-Age Charmer From Brazil

The Brazilian film “Gugu’s World” starts quite literally true to its title by showing the audience its lead character’s room, full of everything he loves. Director Allan Deberton crams much story and characterization in those opening frames. From Gugu’s soccer trophies to his