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New Zealand approves medicinal use of 'magic mushrooms'
New Zealand on Wednesday approved the medicinal use of psilocybin, a hallucinogenic compound notably found in so-called "magic mushrooms".
N. Korea to send army builders, deminers to Russia's Kursk
North Korea will send military builders and sappers to help restore Russia's Kursk region after Ukraine's incursion, Moscow's security chief said, in a fresh sign of deepening ties between the two countries.
G7 summit minus Trump rallies behind Ukraine
Group of Seven leaders on Tuesday vowed greater support for Ukraine but stopped short of joint condemnation of Russia for its growing attacks, at a summit missing Donald Trump.
Iran says hypersonic missiles fired at Israel as Trump demands 'unconditional surrender'
Iran claimed early Wednesday to have fired hypersonic missiles at Israel in the latest round of overnight strikes between the archfoes, hours after Donald Trump demanded the Islamic republic's "unconditional surrender".
Oil stabilises after surge, stocks drop as Mideast crisis fuels jitters
Oil prices stabilised Wednesday after surging the previous day on fears of a US intervention in the Israel-Iran conflict sparked by Donald Trump calling for Tehran's "unconditional surrender".
Paul Marshall: Britain's anti-woke media baron
Unlike Rupert Murdoch, he is barely known, but the UK has a new right-wing media mogul: Paul Marshall who has quietly built a powerful empire that reaches millions of Britons.
China downplayed nuclear-capable missile test: classified NZ govt papers
China tried to mislead foreign governments in 2024 by playing down the importance of a nuclear-capable missile test over the Pacific Ocean, New Zealand diplomats privately warned in documents obtained by AFP.
US Fed set to hold rates steady as it guards against inflation
The US central bank is expected to hold interest rates steady Wednesday after its key policy meeting, as officials gauge the impact of tariffs on inflation -- and despite President Donald Trump's calls for rate cuts.
US judge orders Trump admin to resume issuing passports for trans Americans
A federal US judge on Tuesday ordered the Trump administration to resume issuing passports to transgender Americans with "X" as their gender designation, a practice suspended since Donald Trump's return to the White House.
India, Canada return ambassadors as Carney, Modi look past spat
India and Canada agreed Tuesday to return ambassadors to each other's capitals, turning the page on a bitter spat over an assassination as Canada's new leader welcomed counterpart Narendra Modi.
'What are these wars for?': Arab town in Israel shattered by Iran strike
An Arab town in northern Israel paid a heavy price for the ongoing air war between Iran and Israel when a ballistic missile slammed into a home there, killing four people and upending life in the small community.
Curfew lifted in LA as Trump battles for control of California troops
Calm appeared to be returning to protest-hit Los Angeles on Tuesday as the mayor lifted a nighttime curfew, while President Donald Trump battled to keep control of California troops he deployed to the city.
Argentine ex-president Kirchner begins six-year term under house arrest
Argentina's ex-president Cristina Kirchner began serving a six-year fraud sentence under house arrest on Tuesday, after a judge granted her request to avoid prison in a case that dramatically ended her two-decade career.
G7 minus Trump rallies behind Ukraine as US blocks statement
Group of Seven leaders minus President Donald Trump on Tuesday vowed greater support for Ukraine, as the United States blocked a joint call to pressure Russia, which is ramping up attacks on its neighbor.
Trump demands 'unconditional surrender' as Iran reels
President Donald Trump on Tuesday demanded "unconditional surrender" from Tehran and warned the United States could easily assassinate its supreme leader as Iran and US ally Israel traded devastating fire for a fifth day.
France to hold next G7 summit in Evian spa town
Next year's summit of the Group of Seven powers will take place in Evian, the French spa town known for its eponymous mineral water, President Emmanuel Macron announced Tuesday.
Iran confronts Trump with toughest choice yet
President Donald Trump faces potentially the hardest choice of his time in the White House, as he weighs up whether the United States should join Israel's bombing campaign against Iran.
UK MPs vote to decriminalise abortion for women in all cases
UK MPs on Tuesday voted to end contentious prosecutions of women in England and Wales for terminating a pregnancy, paving the way for a huge overhaul of how the country's abortion laws are enforced.
Brazil sells rights to oil blocks near Amazon river mouth
Brazil sold extraction rights to 19 oil and gas blocks near the mouth of the Amazon river Tuesday, at an auction slammed by environmentalists months before the country is to host a UN climate summit.
Trump says won't kill Iran's Khamenei 'for now' as Israel presses campaign
President Donald Trump said the United States would not kill Iran's supreme leader "for now" and appeared to demand Tehran's surrender, as US ally Israel traded fire with its arch foe for a fifth day on Tuesday.
G7 rallies behind Ukraine after abrupt Trump exit
Group of Seven powers, holding talks Tuesday at a summit that Donald Trump left early, promised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fresh support as Russia stepped up attacks on its neighbor.
Escalation or diplomacy? Outcome of Iran-Israel conflict uncertain
Israel has inflicted damage on strategic sites and killed key figures within Iran's military leadership during five days of aerial attacks that showed no sign of abating Tuesday, but whose ultimate outcome is unclear, analysts say.
Spain says 'overvoltage' caused huge April blackout
A major power outage that paralysed the Iberian Peninsula in April was caused by "overvoltage" on the grid that triggered "a chain reaction", according to a government report released Tuesday.
Russian strikes kill 10 in 'horrific' attack on Kyiv
Russia launched dozens of drones and missiles at Kyiv in the early hours of Tuesday, killing at least 10 people and wounding dozens of others, as negotiations faltered between Kyiv and Moscow.
China's Xi in Kazakhstan to cement 'eternal' Central Asia ties
Xi Jinping celebrated China's "eternal friendship" with Central Asia at a summit in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, as the Chinese leader blasted tariffs and sought to assert Beijing's influence in a region historically dominated by Russia.
How much damage has Israel inflicted on Iran's nuclear programme?
Israel's strikes on Iran have targeted several of its nuclear facilities as it claims the country is seeking to develop nuclear weapons -- an accusation Tehran denies.
French ex-PM Fillon given suspended sentence over wife's fake job
Former French prime minister Francois Fillon was on Tuesday given a four-year suspended prison sentence over a fake jobs scandal that wrecked his 2017 presidential bid.
US retail sales slip more than expected after rush to beat tariffs
US retail sales declined more than expected in May, government data showed Tuesday, dragged by a slowdown in auto sales as consumers pulled back after hurrying to get ahead of President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs.
Russian strikes kill 16 in 'horrific' attack on Kyiv
Russia launched dozens of drones and missiles at Kyiv in the early hours of Tuesday, killing at least 16 people and wounding dozens of others, as negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow break down.
Gaza rescuers say Israel army kills more than 50 people near aid site
Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli forces on Tuesday killed more than 50 aid seekers in the southern city of Khan Yunis, the latest deadly incident near an aid site in the Palestinian territory.
Tehranis caught between fear and resolve as air war intensifies
As Israeli air strikes on Tehran show no sign of abating, many residents have fled the Iranian capital. But for others, escape is not an option.
Trump says wants 'real end' to Israel-Iran conflict, not ceasefire
US President Donald Trump said he wants a "real end" to the conflict between Israel and Iran, not just a ceasefire, as the arch foes traded fire for a fifth day on Tuesday.