India's Modi faces key test as vote count underway

Nigerian Afrobeats sensation Tiwa Savage walked around a music centre in Lagos, smiling, listening and giving words of encouragement to scores of young artists in an elite music training programme.

The multi-talented Savage, a prominent face in Nigeria's flourishing music scene, recently brought together 100 young, aspiring artists -- selected from 2,000 applications -- for instrumental workshops, vocal coaching and masterclasses on the inner workings of the music industry.

The group is the first cohort of her newly established music foundation.

Savage is partnering with the prestigious Berklee College of Music in the United States, where she studied around two decades ago.

"When I'm no longer here, I'm praying that a recipient of this foundation will be the next Michael Jackson, the next Quincy Jones, the next Wizkid, the next great artist or producer or songwriter," said the artist, whose global hits include "Koroba" and "Kele Kele".

Born in Lagos 46 years ago as Tiwatope Omolara Savage and raised partly in Britain, she established herself in the early 2010s after returning to Nigeria. 

She is one of the most influential female voices in Afrobeats, a genre that has attracted a global audience by blending traditional African rhythms with contemporary pop sounds, with its roots in Nigeria.

Vocal drills, musical notes and frequent peals of laughter echoed from the classrooms where Berklee tutors worked with the students. 

"I'm evolving as a beat maker and producer, and refining my piano artistry," said 24-year-old student Aliyu Olukoya, who called the experience "amazing".

The instructors from Berklee -- which is extending its academic programme for the first time to the cultural behemoth that is Africa's most populous country -- adjusted and corrected the students as Savage watched closely.

"Being secure in who you are and what you have to offer, even in a competitive environment, is your superpower, and that's what we teach here," said vocal coach Nichelle J. Mungo, 51, whom Savage met at Berklee.

- 'Too good to just compete locally' -

Savage recalled seeing very few African students at the East Coast American college.

It was there that she started nurturing the idea of making it easier for young Africans to access high-level musical training.

"The problem isn't lack of talent or gift," she told AFP. "The problem is access -- access to education, music education in particular."

"As a musician in whatever capacity, you need to study the industry, especially the global industry, because we're too good to just compete locally," she said.

If Afrobeats is to match the staying power of R&B or rock'n'roll, Savage believes the entire ecosystem needs to become more professional.

"If we only focus on the artists, how are we going to sustain the industry for many, many years and decades to come?" she said, urging the professional development of producers, sound engineers, songwriters and marketers. 

She also aims to raise the profile of talented artists who lack visibility due to limited resources, in a country marked by deep social inequalities.

"I see so much talent," she said, referring to already highly skilled musicians forced to practise without regular access to instruments. 

Several young artists have already caught the attention of the Berklee professors who came to Nigeria to teach. 

After their concert at the National Theatre in Lagos, 18 students received scholarships to Berklee, with a total value of $2.1 million. 

At the popular music hub in Lagos, the Muson Centre, singer Irene Ugwuorah said that being one of the 100 artists selected for the new foundation was a "great opportunity".

"At every moment, at every turn, there's always something to learn. I'm already gaining a lot and I hope to use every single minute to gather as much knowledge as I can to help me grow as an artist," Ugwuorah said.

Savage's foundation provides the training for free and she hopes that will also make it accessible to people from other African countries.

"I definitely, definitely want to make this pan-African. It has to be pan-African. Talent doesn't stop in Nigeria. It's everywhere," she said.

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Resignations, boycotts and threats to cut funding -- the Venice Biennale opens to the press on Wednesday in turmoil over the return of Russia for the first time since the Ukraine war broke out.

The world's largest contemporary art exhibition, which takes place every two years in the Italian canal city, features artists from several nations in conflict, including Ukraine, Israel and the United States -- although Iran has cancelled its plans to attend.

Russia was included for the first time since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, a decision that sparked outrage from Italy's government and the European Union, which threatened to cut two million euros ($2.3 million) in funding for the event.

The Biennale jury last week resigned after saying they would not hand out awards to countries led by figures subject to arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) -- meaning Russia and Israel.

In the end, the Russian pavilion will not be open to the public during the Biennale, which runs from May 9 to November 22.

Instead, musical performances for the exhibit -- "the tree is rooted in the sky" -- will be recorded during this week's press previews and projected on giant outdoor screens during the next six months.

They will involve around 30 "young musicians, philosophers and poets", mostly Russian but also from Mexico, Mali and Brazil, according to the project notes.

"I would like to thank the Biennale for endorsing the idea of having all countries represented here," the exhibition's curator, Anastasia Karneeva, said in a video on Instagram.

- EU opposition -

In 2022, shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, the artists and curators in the Russian pavilion withdrew from the Biennale in protest.

In 2024, Russia was not invited -- but this year, organisers announced in March that it would take part, causing an immediate uproar.

In a letter to Biennale president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, 22 European culture and foreign ministers asked him to reconsider, saying Russia's presence was "unacceptable" given Russia's continued "brutal war of aggression against Ukraine".

"Culture is not separate from the realities societies face," they wrote.

The European Commission later said it intended to "suspend or terminate" its grant of two million euros over three years.

"Cultural events funded by European taxpayers' money should safeguard democratic values, foster open dialogue, diversity and freedom of expression -- values which are not respected in today’s Russia," a spokesman said.

On Monday, the EU reportedly again wrote to the Italian government to request clarification on the conditions under which the Russian delegation is being hosted, amid concerns of a breach of European sanctions on Moscow.

According to leaked documents from an inspection by the Italian culture ministry last week, Biennale organisers argued that Russia has owned the Venice pavilion since 1914, and cannot be stopped from using it.

Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli -- who from the outset expressed the Italian government's opposition to Russia's inclusion -- has said he will not be going to Venice.

- A place of truce -

As a result of the jury's resignation and the "exceptional nature of the ongoing international geopolitical situation", organisers have postponed the award ceremony from May 9 to November 22, the last day of the exhibition.

The Biennale said it will hand out two awards, in which visitors can vote, one of which can be won by any national participant -- including Russia.

This followed the "principle of inclusion and equal treatment", it said in a statement.

"La Biennale seeks to be, and must remain, a place of truce in the name of art, culture, and artistic freedom," it said.

Biennale President Buttafuoco, who took office in March 2024, has maintained this line throughout.

"Art has a power far greater than any form of oppression. Art opens the way for the future and gives us the possibility of erasing catastrophes," he said on Monday.

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The United States is looking for "concrete actions" by Iraq's next prime minister to distance the state from pro-Iran armed groups before resuming financial shipments and security aid, a senior official said Tuesday.

Iraq's ruling coalition has put forward Ali al-Zaidi as the next leader and he quickly received a congratulatory call from President Donald Trump, who had threatened to end all US support if former frontrunner Nouri al-Maliki took office.

But a senior US State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Zaidi must address the "blurry line" between pro-Iran armed groups in the Shia-majority country and the state.

Washington suspended cash payments for oil revenue, which have been handled from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in an arrangement dating to the aftermath of the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, as well as security assistance over a spate of attacks on US interests.

Resuming full support "would start with expelling terrorist militias from any state institution, cutting off their support from the Iraqi budget (and) denying salary payments to these militia fighters," the official said.

"Those are the type of concrete actions that would give us confidence and say that there's a new mindset."

The official said US facilities in Iraq suffered more than 600 attacks after February 28, when the United States and Israel launched their war on Iran.

The attacks have come to a standstill since a shaky April 8 ceasefire between the United States and Iran, with the exception of Iranian strikes in Iraqi Kurdistan.

"I'm not underestimating the severity of the challenge or what it would take to disentangle these relationships. It could start with a clear and unambiguous statement of policy that the terrorist militias are not part of the Iraqi state," the official said.

"Certain elements of the Iraqi state have continued to provide political, financial and operational cover for these very terrorist militias," he added.

The United States piled pressure on Iraq after it appeared that Maliki would be the next prime minister. During his previous stint in office, relations deteriorated with Washington over accusations of being too close to Iran's Shia clerical government and fanning sectarian flames.

Attacks by armed groups in Iraq have struck the US embassy in Baghdad, its diplomatic and logistics facility at the capital's airport and oil fields operated by foreign companies.

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Philips said Wednesday its first-quarter profits had doubled, maintaining its sales forecasts as the Dutch electronics and medical device manufacturer seeks to turn the page on a scandal involving faulty sleep machines.

Net profits came in at 146 million euros ($171 million), compared with a net profit of 72 million euros in the same quarter last year and 397 million euros in the fourth quarter of 2025.

"We delivered a good start to 2026... reflecting disciplined execution against our plan in an uncertain macro-environment," chief executive Roy Jakobs said in a statement.

The firm stuck to its full-year sales forecast of growth between 3.0 and 4.5 percent in 2026, which it said incorporated possible uncertainties from US tariffs.

In the first quarter, it recorded sales of 3.9 billion euros, compared with 4.1 billion euros in the first three months of 2025.

Sales were driven by strong performance in Europe and North America, said Jakobs.

In February, Philips posted its first annual profit after three straight years of losses, turning in a better-than-expected gain of 897 million euros.

Once famous for making lightbulbs and televisions among other products, Amsterdam-based Philips in recent years has sold off subsidiaries to focus on medical care technology.

Since 2021, the company has been battling a series of crises over its DreamStation machines for sleep apnoea, a disorder in which breathing stops and starts during sleep.

Millions of devices were recalled over concerns that users were at risk of inhaling pieces of noise-cancelling foam and fears it could potentially cause cancer.

In April 2024, it announced it had reached a $1.1 billion deal to settle US lawsuits over the faulty machines.

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BOZEMAN,MT- Presley Whitaker, the wife of Montana State Head Rodeo Coach Kyle Whitaker was in a incident involving a horse.

Kyle Whitaker posted to Facebook that his wife got a rope wrapped around her arm and was drugged until she a fence, her job was broken and her hand was severed. He went on to say that she was flown to Salt Lake City, they attempted to reattach her hand but unfortunately the damage had already been done. He added his thanks to families who supported him in the immediate aftermath.

The rodeo team posted online they are working on an official fundraising page to support the family. When more information is available we will update this web copy.

Just yesterday, Kyle Whitaker was named Big Sky Coach of the year. The team made it congratulations post, and acknowledged the injury, asking for prayers.

This is a developing story, updates will be made here. 

Strasbourg could this week reach the first European final in their history, at the end of a turbulent season for the club which belongs to the same BlueCo consortium that owns Chelsea.

The team coached by Englishman Gary O'Neil host Rayo Vallecano at their Stade de la Meinau on Thursday in the second leg of their Conference League semi-final, looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first meeting.

Neither team has made it to the last four of a European competition before, and the winner will progress to the final in the German city of Leipzig on May 27 against Crystal Palace or Shakhtar Donetsk.

Not so long ago, the prospect of lifting a European trophy would have felt like a pipe dream for Strasbourg fans.

The club from a city which sits on France's border with Germany and is the seat of the European Parliament, have been French champions just once, in 1979.

Before this campaign, their best run in Europe came in 1980, when they lost to Ajax in the European Cup quarter-finals, although there was a memorable win against Liverpool in the UEFA Cup in 1997.

But the involvement of BlueCo in all of this is a point of tension for Strasbourg's supporters.

"We needed someone to accompany us to get to this step," the club's president Marc Keller, an ex-Strasbourg player, told RMC radio after the team beat German side Mainz in the last round.

He pointed out that Strasbourg were languishing in the regional, amateur fourth and fifth tiers of French football 15 years ago, after running into financial difficulties and going into liquidation.

They returned to Ligue 1 in 2017 after almost a decade away, and had managed to establish themselves again in the top flight.

However, Strasbourg hardly looked like becoming competitors in Europe before BlueCo took over in June 2023, a year after buying Chelsea.

"We were conscious that we had gone as far as we could with our existing model," insisted Keller.

- Silent protests -

Significant money has since been invested in new players, and Strasbourg qualified for this edition of the Conference League after an exciting last campaign under English coach Liam Rosenior.

Some talented players have come to Strasbourg from Chelsea, albeit mostly on loan, but what fans have noticed above all is something else: if a player or coach does really well in Alsace, the chances are they will soon be off to Stamford Bridge.

In September, Dutch striker Emmanuel Emegha, Strasbourg's captain, announced he would join Chelsea next season, upsetting many fans.

In January, Chelsea decided to poach Rosenior, whose own comments did little to calm the anger among supporters.

"I hope the fans are proud in a way that somebody who's worked here has been identified to be the manager of a Champions League-winning club and current club world champions," he suggested.

He was replaced by O'Neil, under whom Strasbourg have already lost in the French Cup semi-finals.

"Thursday's game is the biggest in the club's history. We will need the same support and energy that we got against Mainz," said O'Neil.

The problem is that the club's most vociferous supporters have, since last season, chosen to express their displeasure at the ownership by staging a silent protest in the first 15 minutes of matches.

What is happening at Strasbourg is "what the future could look like for the vast majority of clubs," said Ultra Boys 90, a leading supporters group, in an open letter earlier this year.

"They will be relegated to the role of feeder teams, without their own resources, with no soul and no link to where they come from."

The silent protest is expected to take place as usual on Thursday, even if Ultra Boys 90 are calling on fans to gather ahead of kick-off to welcome the team bus to the ground.

The stadium has been recently renovated, with a huge new main stand having taken capacity to around 32,000.

It is almost always sold out now, but many of the fans who fill it are unhappy, or at least conflicted, about the direction in which the club is heading.

Even if they might be heading for a European final, with the chance of lifting a trophy won last season by none other than Chelsea.

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On May 8, 2025, Robert Francis Prevost became the first pope from the United States, taking the name Leo XIV. 

Here are five things to know about his first year as head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.

- Understatement, tradition - 

Leo has an understated style which contrasts that of his Argentine predecessor Francis, who was known for his spontaneous and at times fiery temperament. 

Equally at ease in Italian and Spanish as his native English, the American rarely offers off-the-cuff remarks. He listens, consults and prefers long-term reflection over swift decision-making. 

The 70-year-old has revived several traditions abandoned by Francis, such as wearing the red mozzetta, or short cape, for formal occasions.

He has also moved back into the papal apartments in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace, which Francis rejected in favour of a more modest Vatican guesthouse, and has resumed the use of the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo.

- Social priorities - 

In line with his 19th-century namesake Leo XIII, who championed workers' rights during the Industrial Revolution, the pope has warned repeatedly of the challenges posed by the new technological revolution, specifically artificial intelligence. 

He has warned that AI can lead to "social control" and has denounced the ravages on the environment caused by the search for rare earth metals needed in technological devices. 

Leo's first major publication, "Dilexi Te", put the fight against poverty at the centre of the Catholic Church's mission.

During a recent tour of Africa, he denounced inequality, corruption, and the unjust exploitation of natural resources by "tyrants". 

Like Francis, and in keeping with the two decades he spent as a missionary in Peru, Leo has also made the plight of migrants a key part of his agenda. This summer, he will visit two landing points for arrivals from Africa, Spain's Canary Islands and Italy's Lampedusa.

- Fraught relationship with Trump - 

For the past month, Leo's papacy has been dominated by a clash with US President Donald Trump.

At first, he left it to US bishops to speak out against the administration's policies, only directly criticising Trump's immigration clampdown after several months.

His anti-war rhetoric has been growing since January and culminated in his condemnation of Trump's threat to destroy Iran as "truly unacceptable".

The US president slammed the pontiff as "WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy" -- to which Leo replied that he had a "moral duty to speak out".

Observers said the episode marked a turning point, cementing the pope's refusal to allow himself to be used for political ends.

- The challenge of unity - 

Faced with ongoing tensions within the Catholic Church between conservative and reformist factions, the pope has multiplied his appeals for unity, reflected in his motto: "In Illo uno unum" (One in Christ). 

By allowing the return of the Latin mass in St Peter's Basilica, Leo reached out to traditionalists. 

To address criticism dating from Francis's time that the pope ruled unilaterally, Leo has also sought the input of more voices.

He summoned cardinals from around the world to Rome for two councils -- one in January, another in June -- to involve them more closely in the Church's major decisions.

He has nonetheless faced challenges to his authority, including from the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X, a traditionalist Catholic community which has threatened to ordain new bishops without Vatican approval. 

- Tennis and White Sox -

Behind the gravity of his office, Leo cultivates ordinary tastes that make him more relatable -- he is a fan of tennis and swimming and wears a smartwatch under his cassock. 

Although he no longer goes to the gym, he continues to indulge his love of sport on Tuesdays, his day off, at Castel Gandolfo. 

A proud Chicago native, Leo remains a loyal supporter of the White Sox baseball team, happily echoing the team's slogans when they are shouted out by passers-by during papal drive-bys. 

The mathematics graduate never skips his daily game of Wordle, an online game in which players must guess a word in six attempts, competing with his brother John. 

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David Attenborough, a leading voice on climate change and biodiversity loss whose landmark documentaries transformed popular understanding of the natural world for a global audience, marks his 100th birthday on Friday.

Attenborough's natural history series, such as "Life on Earth", in which he had a famous encounter with mountain gorillas in Rwanda, have brought the most remote corners of the planet into living rooms worldwide.

"He's taken us all to places that we would never otherwise go. That's a huge gift," botanist Sandra Knapp, director of research at London's Natural History Museum, told AFP.

The BBC is leading the celebration of the Briton's centenary with a full week of programming dedicated to his life.

Classic episodes of series including "Planet Earth II" and "Blue Planet II" are being reshown along with others such as "Life in the Freezer" and "Paradise Birds" available on the BBC's iPlayer service.

The centrepiece will be a 90-minute live show on his birthday from London's Royal Albert Hall.

Knapp said Attenborough's programmes had "expanded people's horizons" and been an inspiration to many.

Jean-Baptiste Gouyon, professor of science communication at University College London (UCL), said Attenborough had made natural history as popular as football.

Attenborough's programmes succeeded in instilling in the public an unparallelled passion and wonder for the natural world, said Gouyon.

Attenborough's lifelong passion for the natural world began as child, and he went on to study geology and zoology at university.

Prince William, heir to the UK throne, has described him as a "national treasure". Attenborough was also a firm favourite of the late Queen Elizabeth II, who knighted him in 1985.

Showing Attenborough's cross-generational appeal, US singer-songwriter Billie Eilish has praised his "deep love and knowledge of our planet", adding: "The animal kingdom brings out the childlike curiosity within us all."

- Mountain gorillas -

Attenborough has often reflected on his "luck" in being able to "find and film rare creatures that few outsiders have seen in the wild".

And he has said he has been able "to gaze on some of the most marvellous spectacles that the wild places of the world have to offer".

In 2006, he added his voice to those raising the alarm on climate change and biodiversity loss.

He declared himself "no longer sceptical" about the issue, having waited for conclusive proof that humanity was changing the climate.

Attenborough's broadcasting career spanning nearly eight decades has been closely associated with the BBC, which he joined in the early 1950s.

"Life on Earth", released in 1979, has alone been watched by 500 million people worldwide, while dozens of documentaries and associated books have made him a household name.

Recalling the series' highlight, when he unexpectedly found himself up close with a group of mountain gorillas, Attenborough described the experience as "bliss" and "extraordinary".

"I was simply transported," he said ahead of his centenary, reliving how the adult female twisted his head and looked straight into his eyes and her two youngsters sat on him as the cameras rolled.

- 'Modern colonialism' -

Still making documentaries well into his nineties, he used his 2025 film "Ocean" to condemn the industrial fishing methods of wealthy nations, which he called "modern colonialism at sea".

Despite his fame, the broadcaster -- whose brother was the late actor and film director Richard Attenborough -- has always refused to be seen as a celebrity.

Gouyon said Attenborough always made sure to direct the viewer's gaze back to the subject matter.

On the threat to the natural world, Attenborough has said he hopes humanity will be able to change course.

"Perhaps the fact that the people most affected by climate change are no longer some imagined future generation, but young people alive today... will give us the impetus we need to rewrite our story, to turn this tragedy into a triumph," he said at the UN Climate Summit in Glasgow in 2021.

"We are, after all, the greatest problem-solvers to have ever existed on Earth," he said.

At 100, Attenborough no longer wanders the world's jungles and deserts.

But he has continued to tell the story of the planet closer to home.

In "Wild London", broadcast in early 2026, he marvels at the wildlife of the British capital, his birthplace, from foxes and beavers to hedgehogs and harvest mice.

After all his travels, he has confided that his favourite place remains Richmond, an affluent and leafy suburb in southwest London.

He has lived in the riverside town for many years, and still resides in the family home he shared with his late wife Jane and their two children.

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A man accused of murdering 15 people in an antisemitic mass shooting at Australia's Bondi Beach is facing a raft of fresh charges, court records released Wednesday showed. 

Naveed Akram is accused of opening fire as families thronged Bondi Beach for a Hanukkah celebration in December. 

The 24-year-old has already been charged with dozens of serious crimes, including 15 murders and committing an act of terrorism.

Court records showed he is now facing 19 additional charges, including multiple counts of shooting with intent to murder, wounding with intent to murder, and discharging a firearm with intent to resist arrest.

Akram, who is being held in a high-security prison, is yet to indicate how he will plead.  

His father and alleged co-conspirator Sajid, 50, was shot and killed by police during the assault. 

The charges were released after a sweeping inquiry opened public hearings into Australia's deadliest mass shooting for 30 years.

"The sharp spike of antisemitism that we have witnessed in Australia has been mirrored in other Western countries and seems clearly linked to events in the Middle East," inquiry chief Virginia Bell said in opening remarks earlier this week.

"It's important that people understand how quickly those events can prompt ugly displays of hostility towards Jewish Australians simply because they are Jews."

The mass shooting has sparked national soul-searching about antisemitism and widespread anger over the failure to shield Jewish Australians from harm.

Australia announced a suite of gun law reforms following the shootings, including a nationwide gun buyback scheme.

- 'Meticulously planned' -

The buyback scheme has since stalled as the federal government struggles to convince Australia's states and territories to sign on.

Naveed Akram was flagged by Australia's intelligence agency in 2019, but he slipped off the radar after it decided that he posed no imminent threat.

Police documents released following the attack said he and his father had carried out "firearms training" in what was believed to be the New South Wales countryside prior to the shooting.

They said the suspects "meticulously planned" the attack for months, releasing pictures showing them firing shotguns and moving in what they described as a "tactical manner".

The pair also recorded a video in October railing against "Zionists" while sitting in front of a flag of the Islamic State jihadist group and detailing their motivations for the attack, police said.

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A group of 13 Australians related to alleged Islamic State jihadists is returning home from Syria, Australian authorities said Wednesday, warning some will face arrest.

The four women and nine children, who had been living in Roj camp in Syria, are expected to land in Sydney and Melbourne airports on Thursday, according to local media.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said he received an alert Wednesday morning when the group's travel booking was made.

"The government is not assisting and will not assist these individuals," he told a news conference.

"They made an appalling, disgraceful decision. If any of these individuals find their way back to Australia, if they have committed crimes, they can expect to face the full force of the law, without exception."

Police said they collected evidence in Syria as they investigated whether Australians had committed crimes under Australian law, including travelling to a prohibited area and engaging in slave trade.

"Some individuals will be arrested and charged," Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said.

She did not indicate when they would be arrested, and said others in the group will remain under investigation.

"Children who return in the cohort will be asked to undergo community integration programmes, therapeutic support, and countering violent extremism programmes," she added.

- 'Horrific choice' -

The Australian government has issued an exclusion order preventing another woman in the Syrian camp from entering Australia.

"These are people who have made what is a horrific choice to join a dangerous terrorist organisation and to place their children in an extraordinary situation," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters.

Australia's Human Rights Commission president Hugh de Kretser in March urged the government to support the return of 34 Australian women and children living in the Roj camp, where they have been held for seven years, noting Australian citizens had previously returned from the camp in 2019, 2022 and last year.

Australia made it an offence to travel to the Islamic State's stronghold of Raqqa province in Syria between 2014 and 2017, an attempt to stop its citizens joining the militant group.

A woman who returned from Syria in 2022 was later charged by Australian police with entering a terrorist controlled area.

Around 2,000 foreign national women and children remain living in Roj camp, displaced after the collapse of Islamic State in March 2019, Syrian officials said in March.

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