Rubio meets US pope in bid to ease tensions
The top US diplomat, Marco Rubio, went to the Vatican on Thursday for talks with the first US pope, Leo XIV, against the backdrop of sharp tensions between the White House and the Vatican.
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Women linked to IS fighters return to Australia from Middle East
A group of women linked to Islamic State jihadists arrived in Australia on Thursday, returning home years after allegedly sneaking into Syria to join the group's self-declared caliphate.
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Shell profit jumps as Mideast war fuels oil prices
British energy giant Shell announced Thursday rising net profits for the first quarter as the Middle East war sent oil and gas prices soaring in volatile trading.
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Oil sinks, Tokyo leads Asia stock surge on growing Mideast peace hopes
Oil sank again Thursday and Tokyo's Nikkei index led another strong rally across Asia stocks, fuelled by growing optimism the Iran war is close to ending and the revival of demand for all things AI.
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India vows to crush terror 'ecosystem', a year after Pakistan conflict
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India remains "steadfast as ever" in its determination to defeat terrorism and its "enabling ecosystem", marking one year since a deadly clash with arch-enemy Pakistan.
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Circus tackles jihadist nightmares of Burkina Faso's children
By miming children juggling ammunition found on the ground or driven mad by fear, the four acrobats hope to express what is too painful for words: how their native Burkina Faso's jihadist conflict has ruined countless childhoods.
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Iran denies ship attack as Trump warns of renewed bombing, eyes deal
Iran denied on Thursday attacking a South Korean cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz this week, as US President Donald Trump said a deal to end the war was "very possible" but warned Washington would resume bombing if talks failed.
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Badminton looks to future with 'evolution and innovation'
Synthetic shuttlecocks, shorter games and a new generation of stars are all part of the "evolution" of badminton, a top official told AFP, saying the sport can't afford to sit still.
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Troubled waters: Jakarta battles deadly, invasive suckerfish
Mounds of slimey carcasses pile up on a riverbank in Jakarta where authorities are fighting an uphill battle against a fast-breeding invasive fish flourishing in Java island's heavily polluted waterways.
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Senegal's children mourn in silence when migrant parents disappear
Fallou softly whispers that since his mother's death he has chosen to remain quiet, while young Sokhna recounts the many nightmares she has had following her father's disappearance: for the children of Senegalese migrants lost at sea, the torment of grief is long-lasting.
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