Cynthia Erivo, co-star of Wicked, stated that public reactions to her Wicked co-star said reactions to the incident, which included suggestions she was Grande’s ‘bodyguard’, reflect an insidious view of Black womenWicked star Cynthia Erivo has said that reactions to the incident at the Singapore premiere of Wicked: For Good, in which she stepped in to fend off a red-carpet invader who grabbed co-star Ariana Grande, revealed “the insidious nature of how we view Black.
Saman Athaudahetti completed a 40-day, 13,000-kilometer train journey across India. He traveled on 24 different trains between February and March. The trip fulfilled his long-held desire to explore the country, some 13,000 kilometres, km, and 24 trains crisscrossing India. that sums up Saman Athaudahetti’s February and March, as he chased his long-held dream of exploring this neighbouring country through its railway network.
An Inner Mongolia farmer sought two shepherds for his 3,000 sheep. His job posting went viral. It attracted applicants including university graduates, factory workers, and white-collar professionals. Many city dwellers are seeking an alternative to demanding work schedules. The shepherd's life offers a perceived escape from the pressures of urban employment. When an Inner Mongolia farmer sought two herders to tend his 3,000 sheep, he was swamped with applicants including graduates, factory labourers and white-collar workersA Chinese farm owner’s recruitment drive for shepherds has ended in success after his job advert seeking people to work on his Inner Mongolia ranch went viral, drawing the attention of city dwellers struggling to find work and highl.
South Korea's Ministry of National Defense has revealed plans to build its first domestic nuclear-powered submarine. This move could shift the nation's security posture from a US client to an undersea strategic power. The project carries significant financial, technological, and proliferation risks. South Korea’s push for nuclear-powered submarines could transform it from a US security client into an undersea strategic power, while at the same time accruing steep financial, technological and proliferation risks.
The Taliban enacted a new divorce law that permits child marriage in Afghanistan. This legislation codifies the existing reality for many Afghan girls, who face forced marriages, delayed legal recourse, and silence interpreted as consent. The Taliban has issued a new law on divorce that explicitly acknowledges child marriage is permitted in Afghanistan. Two former child brides told RFE/RL that the law formalizes a reality many Afghan girls are already living: forced marriage, delayed justice, and silence treated as agreement.
Rescuers located five of seven individuals trapped for a week in a flooded cave in Laos. Divers navigated submerged passages amidst continuous rain to reach the group, who were found sitting on a rock surrounded by water. Video appears to show divers discovering group sitting on a rock surrounded by flood waterRescuers have reached five of seven people who have been trapped for a week in a flooded, remote cave in Laos, after days spent navigating narrow, inundated passageways amid persistent rain. Video footage shared on social media by rescue divers showed the five men crouched together on a rocky ledge in a dark c.
China's updated import rules are restructuring agricultural supply chains across Asia. Sharp contrasts have emerged across Asia’s agricultural trade landscape, revealing how China’s updated import rules are restructuring supply chains throughout the region. In Brazil’s Sao Paulo, Chinese meat buyers are willing to pay a premium for beef certified free from deforestation. A purchasing team from the Tianjin Meat Industry Association, driving shifts in China’s consumption [] The post.
Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, Olha Stefanishyna, stated Kyiv needs a surge of air defense systems to intercept ballistic missiles from Russia. She told RFE/RL that Ukraine is prepared to finance these additional systems. The ambassador described the need as desperate. Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, Olha Stefanishyna, told RFE/RL that Ukraine is "desperate" to strike an agreement with the United States on military support to intercept ballistic missiles launched from Russia, adding that Ukraine is prepared to finance the additional systems.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic visited China on May 25, 2026, signing over 20 bilateral agreements. The deals cover infrastructure and artificial intelligence. This visit signals Belgrade's deepening ties with Beijing. It occurs as the international system fragments into competing power blocs. Hungary's recent pivot towards Brussels is noted in this context. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s state visit to China on May 25, 2026, sent a major geopolitical and geoeconomic signal at a moment when the international system is becoming increasingly fragmented between competing power blocs.
Canada will purchase Saab’s GlobalEye early warning aircraft to patrol its Arctic territory. The decision marks a shift away from US defense suppliers. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the plan on Wednesday. The purchase aims to reduce Canada's reliance on American defense firms. Mark Carney announces purchase of Saab’s GlobalEye early warning aircraft to patrol Arctic territoryCanada has announced plans to buy a fleet of early warning planes from Sweden’s Saab rather than a competing option from Boeing, as the country seeks to reduce reliance on US defense firms. Mark Carney, the prime minister, said on Wednesday that Canada would opt for Saab’s GlobalEye, which is based o.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced support for Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed support for Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian during a short stopover at Yerevan's Zvartnots airport on May 26, less than two weeks before parliamentary elections in the Caucasus nation.
Russia launched a large overnight attack on Kyiv, Ukraine. The overnight Russian attack on Ukraine, which centred on the capital, Kyiv, reportedly involved some 90 missiles, including a powerful hypersonic ballistic missile and 60 drones. The senior UN official in the country called for an end to civilian harm.
The World Health Organization chief warned of global vulnerability to infectious diseases following recent Ebola and hantavirus outbreaks. He called for urgent action and improved pandemic preparedness at the close of the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva. The recent Ebola and hantavirus outbreaks demonstrate that the world is still vulnerable to rapidly spreading infectious diseases, Tedros Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), warned on Saturday at the close of the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva.
Ukrainian doctor Inna Soldatenko fled her home in Kharkiv on February 24, 2022, after waking to explosions. She now works within the United Kingdom's National Health Service, assisting other refugees. On 23 February 2022, in her home city of Kharkiv, Dr Inna Soldatenko finished work, collected her daughter from school, cooked dinner and prepared a lecture for her students. The next morning, she awoke to explosions.
The U. S. President, Donald Trump, threatened to "blow up" Oman. President said Oman must "behave" or he would "blow them up," when he was asked if he would accept a short-term deal to allow Iran and the Gulf state to control the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran began partially restoring internet access after 88 days of digital isolation. After 88 days of digital isolation, described by NetBlocks as the “longest nationwide Internet shutdown in modern history,” Iran has begun partially restoring Internet access. To unpack what this means, RFE/RL spoke with Charles Dunne, a former senior US diplomat and national-security official.
The UN aviation agency urged governments and flight operators to follow post-COVID safety guidelines. As a deadly Ebola strain continues to spread in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with cases confirmed in neighbouring Uganda, the UN aviation agency is urging governments and flight operators to closely follow guidelines put in place following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo faces over 900 suspected Ebola cases and 220 deaths. World Health Organization head Tedros Ghebreyesus noted the epidemic is spreading faster than containment efforts. There are more than 900 suspected cases of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and 220 suspected deaths, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Ghebreyesus, said on Monday.
Bonolo Selelo and Tsholofelo Kumile are pursuing legal action in Botswana. Bonolo Selelo and Tsholofelo Kumile are going to court for right to wed but face fierce opposition from church groupsBonolo Selelo was at Botswana’s national museum for a Gaborone Pride event when she spotted Tsholofelo Kumile and was struck by her good looks. The two initiated a conversation and when Kumile expressed anxiety about what a tarot reading at the event might hold, Selelo thought nothi.
U. S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended a proposed $1.5 trillion military budget for FY2027 before Congress. The White House stated this 66% increase signals a commitment to defeating adversaries. The proposal aims to deliver on President Trump's defense objectives. Earlier this month, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stood in front of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to defend the Trump administration’s record-breaking US$1.5 trillion military budget proposal for FY2027.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council that wars and arms races are dangerously eroding the world order. He warned that climate shocks and the weakening of international law are straining the multilateral system. Guterres stated the UN Charter faces one of its gravest tests in decades. The system was established to prevent a third world war. The UN Charter is facing one of its gravest tests in decades, Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council on Tuesday, warning that wars, arms races, climate shocks and the erosion of international law are placing intense pressure on the multilateral system established to prevent a third world war.
Inmates at Venezuela's Barinas prison occupied the facility's roof on Sunday Inmates at Barinas prison allege they were peacefully protesting when prison staff opened fire, leaving some woundedInmates at Venezuela’s western Barinas prison staged a protest on its roof on Sunday, piling flaming mattresses and calling for the removal of the facility’s director, who they accused of overseeing guards as they shot unarmed prisoners.“We want justice.
Canada is handing asylum seekers rejected at its border to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). As Canada tightens asylum rules, refugees reuniting with family say they were turned over to ICE and jailed for months after failed border claimsAs each day in US detention passes, Markens Appolon can feel the life he had dreamed of slipping away. The 25-year-old fled Haiti to escape the rampant gang violence that upended his university studies in economics, and planned to join family in Montreal.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres stated the organization's founding principles are under "profound strain." He addressed the Security Council during a high-level debate on strengthening the UN-centred international system. Discussions focused on defending the UN Charter and reforming global governance. The meeting comes amid mounting pressure on multilateralism and deepening geopolitical divisions. The Security Council is meeting for a high-level debate on strengthening the UN-centred international system amid mounting pressure on multilateralism and deepening geopolitical divisions.
Khalida Popal and Javier Zanetti are among 16 football stars appointed as With the World Cup just days away, 16 greats of the game have been appointed Football for the Goals (FFTG) Champions, using their profiles to raise awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and advocate for a better future for people and the planet.
