At "Piggy's Palace", his farm in the Dutch countryside, Erik Stegink watches his pigs cavort in the mud and fight over chunks of broccoli, lines of worry etched on his face.. But Stegink -- whose farm features a playground with a slide for the pigs and allows people to hug the hogs on weekends -- is doing his best to give Dutch farmers a voice.
The decision on whether Russian athletes should compete in the Paris Olympics is the biggest headache facing organisers 500 days out from the opening ceremony, former senior IOC officials have told AFP. Last year's invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing war has prompted many observers to argue that Russia should be banned.. Another former IOC marketing executive, Terrence Burns, who since leaving the organisation has played a key role in five successful Olympic bid city campaigns, says the issue of Russia "is the biggest challenge for Paris and indeed the Olympic movement."
Japan's government eased its mask guidelines on Monday, recommending them only on crowded trains and in hospitals or care homes, but there was little sign residents were keen to unmask.. The country is one of the last places in Asia to end nationwide masking recommendations, and on Monday morning most commuters kept their faces covered, on trains and outdoors.
It takes as long to train to be a puppeteer at the world-famous Salzburg Marionette Theatre as it does to become a doctor. . The puppets and their startlingly lifelike movements take years to master, which is why the Austrian theatre's work has UNESCO World Heritage status.
In a first test of a Texas law that bans nearly all abortions, a man is suing three women he says helped his ex-wife obtain abortion pills to end her pregnancy.. Silva's suit comes days after five women in Travis County, Texas sued the state, saying they had been denied abortions despite having dangerous or unviable pregnancies.
Long considered side players, the key role of women in the Sicilian Mafia was highlighted by the arrest of Matteo Messina Denaro's sister, accused of managing his affairs while the mobster was a fugitive.. Convinced that the patient was using a false name but was really the fugitive mobster, police launched an operation, arresting him at a health centre a little over a month later.
From Oscars favorites "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and "RRR" to an unprecedented four acting nominations, Asian representation in Hollywood has finally achieved a remarkable and overdue breakthrough this year, industry insiders say.. Could this be the year representation goes beyond a few, specific individuals?
A transgender child's desire to join her school's female running team could be decided by the US Supreme Court after West Virginia on Friday asked the high court to rule on the controversial case.. Backed by the American Civil Liberties Union, Pepper-Jackson, 11 at the time, sued in 2021 to block the West Virginia law so that she could join her school's girls cross-country team.
Facebook owner Meta is working on a new "text sharing" social media network, it said Friday, in a project seen as a potential rival to embattled Twitter.. "We're exploring a standalone, decentralized social network for sharing text updates," Meta, which also owns Instagram, said in a short emailed statement.
Facebook owner Meta is working on a new "text sharing" social media platform, it said Friday, in a project seen as a potential rival to embattled Twitter.. "We're exploring a standalone, decentralized social network for sharing text updates," Meta said in a short emailed statement.
