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Monk ends barefoot Sri Lanka trek with a dog and plea for peace

Monk ends barefoot Sri Lanka trek with a dog and plea for peace

A saffron-robed Buddhist monk ended a gruelling barefoot walk across Sri Lanka on Tuesday with an impassioned appeal for world peace and kindness towards animals. Accompanied by a rescued stray dog, Texas-based Vietnamese monk Pannakara walked 210 kilometres (131 miles) to reach the capital Colombo, where he was

US judge lets ex-prosecutor Comey sue over political firing

US judge lets ex-prosecutor Comey sue over political firing

A US judge ruled Tuesday that Maurene Comey, a former federal prosecutor who alleges her firing was politically motivated, can proceed with a lawsuit against the Trump administration despite government objections. Comey is the daughter of former FBI director James Comey -- a prominent critic of US President Donald Trump -- and

Macron urges Andorra to 'move forwards' on decriminalising abortion

Macron urges Andorra to 'move forwards' on decriminalising abortion

French President Emmanuel Macron called on Andorra Tuesday to "move forwards" on decriminalising abortion during a visit to the principality, which maintains one of Europe's last total bans on abortion. His comments come as the micro-state, nestled in the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain,

Jazz legend John Coltrane's son hits the high notes

Jazz legend John Coltrane's son hits the high notes

Ravi Coltrane has a tough task: honour his father John and fellow legend Miles Davis without imitating them, he tells AFP, beer in hand during an interview in Poland. The younger Coltrane has teamed up with multiple Grammy winner Terence Blanchard for a series of concerts across Europe marking the

ICC orders $8.5mn compensation for victims of Malian war criminal

ICC orders $8.5mn compensation for victims of Malian war criminal

The International Criminal Court on Tuesday ordered $8.5 million in compensation to be paid to victims of the Malian former jihadist leader Al Hassan, who was found guilty in 2024 of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The court said it had awarded "collective community-based reparations ... focused

EU parliament adopts new rules to protect cats, dogs

EU parliament adopts new rules to protect cats, dogs

EU lawmakers on Tuesday approved the first ever common European rules for cats and dogs including bans on abusive practices and illegal pet trading. The European Union is home to over 72 million dogs and 83 million cats, according to the European Commission. The 27-country bloc has so far

EU lawmakers back blockbuster long-term budget

EU lawmakers back blockbuster long-term budget

The European Parliament on Tuesday threw its weight behind a more ambitious and bigger long-term EU budget, demanding new taxes to ramp up future spending. The EU executive last year proposed a nearly two-trillion-euro ($2.3-trillion) long-term budget bazooka for 2028-2034 that includes paying