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'Unscientific' Japan megaquake rumours spook Hong Kong tourists
Unfounded online rumours warning that a huge earthquake will soon strike Japan are taking a toll on travel firms and airlines who report less demand from worried Hong Kongers.

South Korea police arrest two over Son Heung-min 'blackmail'
Two people have been arrested for allegedly blackmailing Spurs and South Korea captain Son Heung-min, police said Thursday.

Mexican influencer shot dead during live stream
A Mexican social media influencer was shot dead during a live stream on TikTok, where she had tens of thousands of followers, authorities said Wednesday.

Crypto industry praises Trump, calls for market clarity
The start of President Donald Trump's term earned rave reviews at the world's leading crypto conference Wednesday, but top industry lawyers said digital platforms wanted regulatory clarity while the Republicans control Congress.

'Assassin's Creed' no saviour for struggling Ubisoft
A bumper release for the latest "Assassin's Creed" instalment did not save French video games giant Ubisoft from falling back into the red in its 2024-25 financial year, the company said on Wednesday.

Sean Combs's ex Cassie to face defense grilling at second day in court
Sean "Diddy" Combs's former partner Casandra Ventura is expected to be grilled by the fallen music mogul's defense lawyers Wednesday as she returns to court for a second day of testimony.

Ousted Myanmar envoy charged with trespass in London residence row
Myanmar's ex-ambassador to London has been charged with trespass for refusing to leave his ambassadorial residence, police said Wednesday, after he was stripped of his post by the military junta following a 2021 coup.

Court raps Brussels for lack of transparency on von der Leyen vaccine texts
A top court Wednesday ruled the European Commission failed the transparency test by declining to release text messages sent by Ursula von der Leyen to the head of Pfizer as the bloc tried to secure Covid vaccines.

France summons cryptocurrency businesses after kidnappings
The French interior minister said Wednesday he will meet with cryptocurrency professionals to discuss how to prevent future kidnappings for ransom following several such high-profile cases in France.

S. Korea Starbucks in a froth over presidential candidates names
Starbucks in South Korea has banned customers from using the names of the country's presidential candidates -- or the disgraced ex-president -- for their orders, the coffee giant told AFP on Wednesday.

Human Rights Watch warns of migrant worker deaths in 2034 World Cup host Saudi Arabia
Human Rights Watch on Wednesday said abuses were being committed on giant construction sites in Saudi Arabia and warned of the risks to migrant workers building stadiums for the 2034 World Cup.

Judgment day in EU chief's Covid vaccine texts case
A top court is to rule Wednesday on whether the EU failed the transparency test by declining to release text messages sent by Ursula von der Leyen to the head of Pfizer as the bloc tried to secure Covid vaccines.

Misinformation clouds Sean Combs's sex trafficking trial
From doctored photos of sex-fueled parties to a racy AI-generated song, a flood of misinformation surrounding music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs threatens to distort public perception of his closely watched New York trial.

Menendez brothers resentenced, parole now possible
Lyle and Erik Menendez, who have spent more than three decades behind bars for the grisly shotgun murders of their parents in the family's luxury Beverly Hills home, could soon walk free after a judge on Tuesday reduced their life sentences.

UN agency finds Russia responsible for 2014 downing of airliner over Ukraine
The United Nations aviation agency has blamed Russia for the downing of a Malaysian jetliner over Ukraine in 2014, leading to the deaths of 298 people, a ruling dismissed by Moscow on Tuesday as "biased."

'I thought I was going to die,' Kardashian tells Paris robbery trial
Reality TV star Kim Kardashian told a Paris court on Tuesday she feared she would be killed by the masked men who robbed her at gunpoint of some $10 million of jewellery in her hotel room in 2016.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs' ex Cassie expected to testify
Sean "Diddy" Combs's former partner Casandra Ventura is expected to testify at his trial Tuesday with a now infamous clip of the fallen music mogul allegedly beating the singer expected to dominate questioning.

French court convicts Depardieu of sexual assault
A Paris court on Tuesday handed French cinema icon Gerard Depardieu an 18-month suspended sentence after convicting him of sexually assaulting two women on a film set in 2021.

Medical charity condemns Israel's use of hunger as 'weapon of war' in Gaza
A months-long Israeli blockade is worsening acute malnutrition in the Gaza Strip, medical charity Medecins du Monde warned on Tuesday, accusing Israel of using hunger as "a weapon of war".

Gerard Depardieu: a tarnished French film icon
Gerard Depardieu was a titan of French cinema for more than 50 years but a sexual assault conviction, a string of other allegations and several instances of lewd behaviour now cast a long, dark shadow over what was once a glittering career.

Tariffs set to level up game console prices
The US tariffs barrage and the bounding cost of producing games have prompted manufacturers like Sony and Microsoft to announce price hikes on consoles, in an industry shift experts say is set to last.

Jaded young Chinese reset lives with rural 'retirement'
Wang Dong hasn't worked for months and doesn't plan to, whiling away his days at a lakeside town as one of a growing number of young Chinese "retiring" in the countryside.

Verdict due in Depardieu sexual assault case
A Paris court is to deliver a verdict Tuesday in the sexual assault trial of French cinema icon Gerard Depardieu, in a case that has further tarnished the reputation of one of France's greatest stars.

'Unlimited power': Testimony against Sean Combs tells of lurid violence
The courtroom fell eerily silent as the footage of Sean "Diddy" Combs beating, kicking and dragging his then-girlfriend began -- a video already seen worldwide but which took on new gravity played before the jurors who will determine his future.

Nazi files found in champagne crates in Argentine court basement
A hoard of World War II-era Nazi propaganda and membership documents has been unearthed in the basement of Argentina's Supreme Court, where it has lain, stashed in champagne crates, since 1941.

Israel urges ICC to drop arrest warrants against PM
Israel has asked the International Criminal Court to dismiss its arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant while ICC judges reconsider complex jurisdictional questions.

Poland to close Russian consulate in Krakow over 'sabotage'
Poland's top diplomat said on Monday he ordered the closure of a Russian consulate over "sabotage", after authorities accused Russia of orchestrating a fire that destroyed a Warsaw shopping centre last year.

Kim Kardashian testifies in Paris multi-million-dollar robbery trial
A-list celebrity Kim Kardashian is to testify in a Paris court on Tuesday, an eagerly awaited appearance nearly a decade after being robbed of millions of dollars of jewellery during the French capital's fashion week.

Film legend Bardot backs Depardieu ahead of sexual assault verdict
Brigitte Bardot has defended two French actors accused of sexual assault including fellow screen legend Gerard Depardieu, saying they should be allowed to "get on with their lives" in an interview with French channel BFM broadcast Monday.

Peru hopes local miracle gets recognition under new pope
In the small Peruvian town of Eten, the faithful flock every year to celebrate an apparent 17th century miracle featuring images of the child Jesus, a sacred phenomenon not yet recognized by the Vatican.

Blessings but not tips from Pope Leo at Peru diner
When Pope Leo XIV dined out as a bishop in the Peruvian town of Chiclayo, his appetite was big and his tips came in the form of blessings rather than cash, staff recall.

Pope Leo XIV warns of spectre of global war in first Sunday address
Pope Leo XIV condemned the spectre of a "third world war" in his first Sunday address, addressing international crises just days after becoming the Catholic Church's new leader.