Booking over 20 flights: Some Chinese travellers stockpiling air tickets before fuel surcharge hike

Domestic travel demand remains robust despite weaker consumer sentiment overall in China.

Cannes Film Festival Unveils 2026 Selection (Updating Live)

Artistic director Thierry Fremaux unveils the program for the 79th edition of the world's biggest film festival.

March smashes heat records for continental US

March's persistent unseasonable heat was so intense that the continental United States registered its most abnormally hot month in 132 years of records, according to federal weather data. And the next year or so looks to turn the dial up on global warmth even more, as some

Cannes Film Festival Unveils 2026 Lineup (Updating Live)

The 79th edition of Cannes Film Festival will favor the auteurs this year, with Nicolas Winding Refn, Asghar Farhadi, Pedro Almodóvar, Paweł Pawlikowski, Laszlo Nemes and Ryusuke Hamaguchi among the directors expected to premiere new films on the Croisette. After a 2025 edition

South Korean man makes over 100 prank calls to police to be sent to jail but gets huge bill instead

The calls prompted the dispatch of 168 police officers, disrupting operations, authorities said.

Rand Paul is facing an ICE funding dilemma

As Homeland Security chair, the Kentucky Republican has to decide whether to back party-line immigration enforcement funding.

Poland's Catholic Church prepares parishes as crisis centres amid war fears

The Polish Bishops' Conference has established a special working group to develop an action plan in the event of an armed conflict reaching Poland, as "most Poles will first turn to the church for help, and only then to municipal institutions and offices," officials say.

Italy says EU should consider pausing budget rules if Iran crisis persists

ROME, April 9 (Reuters) - European Union authorities should consider a temporary suspension of budget deficit rules if the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran flares up again, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told parliament on Thursday. Meloni also said her government was ready to take

Africa: Gulf Shock, African Shield

[Independent (Kampala)] Cairo, Egypt -- Africa's multilateral lender, African Export-Import Bank, has approved a $10 billion emergency facility to shield African and Caribbean economies from the fallout of escalating tensions in the Gulf, as policymakers race to contain a fresh

Your DNA has a secret “second code” that decides which genes get silenced

Not all parts of our genetic code are equal, even when they appear to say the same thing. Scientists have discovered that cells can detect less efficient genetic instructions and selectively silence them. A protein called DHX29 plays a key role in this process by identifying

Cannes Unveils Lineup for 79th Edition: Watch Live

The countdown to the 2026 edition is on as artistic director Thierry Fremaux unveils the program for the world's biggest film festival.

Maple syrup or nutella? PM Carney calls Canadian Artemis astronaut

Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen told Prime Minister Mark Carney on Wednesday that "teamwork is willingness" during an Earth-to-space call celebrating the achievements of the historic lunar journey.

Houston, we have a problem ... with the toilet

After a successful trip around the moon, everything has been going smoothly on the Orion spacecraft's journey back to Earth—except for the $23 million toilet, which has gotten clogged.

Israel’s Lebanon strikes threaten to blow up US-Iran ceasefire

Just hours after the leaders of the United States, Israel and Iran reached a temporary ceasefire, it was clear that each party had its own version of what had been agreed to. Hundreds of people in Lebanon have been killed in Israeli airstrikes in the past 24 hours, immediately

Russia detains former Radio Free Europe freelance journalist on treason charge

MOSCOW, April 9 - Russia's Federal Security Service said on Thursday that it had detained a former Radio Free Europe freelance journalist on suspicion of treason for passing information to Ukrainian intelligence.

Ocean protections clash with mining pressure in Indonesia's most diverse marine ecosystem

There is an explosion of color beneath the surface in Raja Ampat, a remote archipelago in eastern Indonesia where sharks, mantas and sea turtles glide alongside vast schools of fish through sea fan coral formations, some of which are only found in its waters.

Swiss researchers test robot dog designed to speed up Moon and Mars exploration

In recent trials, the dog-like robot completed missions three times faster than human-guided alternatives.

Batam ferries cut Singapore trips as fuel prices soar

Additionally, operators have also introduced a surcharge up to S$6 to combat raising fuel prices.

Spain condemns Israeli attacks on Lebanon, reopens Tehran embassy

MADRID, April 9 (Reuters) - Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares on Thursday accused Israel of violating international law and a newly brokered two-week ceasefire in the Middle East by carrying out airstrikes on Lebanon on Wednesday. Spain has emerged as one of the most

China hopes 'relevant parties' can grasp chance at peace in Iran war

BEIJING, April 9 (Reuters) - China's foreign ministry said it hoped the "relevant parties can grasp this chance at peace and bring the region back to stability as soon as possible" after the U.S. and Iran agreed to a ceasefire in the weeks-long Middle East war. China said it

Mediawan’s Ego Productions, Korea’s Flix Oven Sign Co-Production Understanding (EXCLUSIVE)

Ego Productions, the French premium label within the Mediawan Group, and Seoul-based Flix Oven have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop and produce films and series. The agreement was formalized during French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Korea

Campaigners demand action to break UK’s ‘addiction’ to herbicides

Use of glyphosate has risen 10-fold in 30 years, raising fears for public health It was Scottish farmers in the 1980s who pioneered the practice of spraying glyphosate on their wheat just before harvest. Struggling in the damp glens to get their crop to dry evenly, they came up

9 Things a Woman Couldn’t Do in 1971

More than a century after women’s suffrage in the United States, it’s not enough to bone up on the platforms of female primary candidates (though that’s an excellent start). A Twitter user and self-described Old Crone named Robyn urged her fellow Americans to take a good long

Soundscapes from nearby forests are more uplifting than those from faraway places, research suggests

Listening to one-minute-long audio recordings of forests had positive effects on people's short-term well-being, especially when the recordings were from local temperate forests. Study participants residing in Germany perceived soundscapes as more awe-inspiring and restorative

Banijay Entertainment Acquires Global Rights to Indian Fitness Format ‘Battleground’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Banijay Entertainment has secured worldwide rights to “Battleground,” a fitness-driven competition format originated by Mumbai-based Rusk Media. The format fuses athletic competition, reality-style drama and audience interactivity, following fitness creators through a

Berlin opens Süd Ost Galerie, a new open-air street art landmark

Germany has unveiled a new open‑air street art destination in Berlin, where the 450‑metre Süd Ost Galerie now stretches along Grenzweg in the south‑east of the capital.

Newsletter: NATO holds after Rutte-Trump talks amid fragile ceasefire with Iran

Also in this newsletter: After US-Iran ceasefire deal, Europe faces tough questions.

War-fuelled diesel crunch hits Bangladesh farmers in key planting season

The crunch is disrupting irrigation, raising concerns about plant growth and lower yields for farmers.

IMF approves $893 million in loans for Sri Lanka, warning of Middle East war shock

It also urged Colombo to accelerate reforms to guard its post-2022 economic recovery.

As school absentees increase, Japanese dads turn to izakaya support group

As the drinks flowed, the other dads began to tell their own stories.

Mexico: Miner rescued alive after 14 days trapped underground

After 14 days trapped in a flooded gold and silver mine, a worker has been pulled out alive while two others have died.

Lebanon must be covered by ceasefire agreement, French foreign minister says

PARIS, April 9 (Reuters) - The ceasefire agreed by Iran and the United States must also cover military actions in Lebanon, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Thursday, adding France condemned "massive" Israeli strikes the previous day. Barrot added that he expects

8 Analyst-Favorite Mega-Caps to Watch as Market Sentiment Improves

Philippines unveils new coast guard command in disputed South China Sea

The site will now have a commodore-level commander and a permanently stationed ship.

Falklands launches consultation on proposed National Nature Reserves

The Falkland Islands Government (FIG) has launched a public consultation to seek views on its proposal to designate or expand National Nature Reserves. The proposal seeks to designate 10 new National Nature Reserves and expand 5 existing National Nature Reserves.

‘Humboldt USA’ Is a Timely “Fraught Love Letter” to a Naturalist, Challenging Our Notions of Technology and Environmentalism (Exclusive Clip)

G. Anthony Svatek's feature, debuting at Switzerland's Visions du Réel festival, explores the legacy of Alexander von Humboldt and his concept of interconnectedness by visiting U.S. places named after him.

House prices and rents went up in Q4 2025

In the fourth quarter of 2025, house prices in the EU rose by 5.5%, while rents increased by 3.2% compared with the fourth quarter of 2024. Compared with the third quarter of 2025, house prices increased by 0.8% and rents by 0.6%. This information comes from data on house

Pay to pee? Debate in South Korea over cafes charging toilet fee

Legal experts said the practice is permissible, though backlash may be inevitable.

What is Björk doing for this year’s total solar eclipse? A rave, of course

Billed as the Echolalia Festival, the one-day event sits in the path of totality of the total solar eclipse on 12 August.

Africa: All of Africa Today - April 9, 2026

[allAfrica]

Shallow Indonesian 4.9-magitude quake damages houses, injures residents

Japanese town sours on crowds coming to see cherry blossoms, Mount Fuji

Nepal ex-PM Oli released from police custody 12 days after arrest

He was questioned for his alleged role in a deadly 2025 crackdown on protesters.

FAO food commodities prices up in March; concern with energy and fertilizer costs

World food commodity prices rose in March for the second month in a row, due largely to higher energy prices linked to the conflict escalation in the Near East, according to the latest benchmark measure released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Israeli strikes on Beirut kill at least 182 and wound hundreds

Lebanon spent the night digging through rubble after Israeli strikes hit busy commercial and residential districts in central Beirut late on Wednesday, killing at least 182 people and wounding 890, according to the health ministry.

The hidden tradeoff behind today’s most popular weight loss drugs

Weight loss drugs and bariatric surgery may work differently, but they lead to surprisingly similar results inside the body. Both significantly reduce fat while also causing a modest loss of muscle, reshaping overall body composition. Since muscle helps protect against early

Oil pushes past $97 again as markets eye ceasefire doubts

Oil clawed back above $97 a barrel Thursday as investors bet the US-Iran ceasefire will not last, and the near-shut Strait of Hormuz is doing little to convince them otherwise.

Dan Levy’s Netflix Crime Comedy ‘Big Mistakes’ Wastes a Perfect Cast on a Lacking Plot: TV Review

Created by “Schitt’s Creek” Emmy-winner Dan Levy and “I Love L.A.” creator Rachel Sennott, Netflix’s “Big Mistakes” is an absolutely unhinged crime comedy about two siblings who get embroiled in a world of fuckery. More than a high-stakes thriller (though there are plenty of

Ed Miliband hold firm! North sea oil and gas drilling won’t help anyone other than Nigel Farage | Zoe Williams

It’s worrying to watch Labour entertain Reform’s fantasies about fossil fuels. Only renewables will bring lower bills and higher energy security Ed Miliband is facing a dilemma, apparently. Reform UK is suggesting new oil and gas licences in the North Sea as a way to cut fuel