AFP News Agency

#BREAKING A US judge declared a mistrial in the case of disgraced cinema mogul Harvey Weinstein after jurors again failed to reach a verdict on allegations he sexually assaulted actor Jessica Mann u.afp.com/SRs6

Panda-monium is building ahead of cuddly cub's debut in Indonesia. Satrio Wiratama, nicknamed "Rio," is 170 days old and set to meet his many fans later this month at the Taman Safari Indonesia zoo

🇺🇦 Ukraine has become the envy of some of the world's most powerful militaries in combating long-range drones. But at the same time it is uniquely vulnerable to Russian missiles, and remains almost entirely reliant on its Western allies to counter them. ➡️ u.afp.com/SRsg

How Trump is reshaping Washington, DC From tearing down the White House East Wing to planning to build a giant triumphal arch, in just over a year, US President Donald Trump has undertaken several architectural projects in the country’s capital Washington.

🇵🇸 Wearing traditional Palestinian dresses, the white fabric intricately embroidered in a rainbow of colours, dozens of smiling brides clutched red bouquets as they walked with their grooms past the tents and ruined buildings of Gaza City. 📸 Omar al-Qattaa ➡️ u.afp.com/SRsT

🇳🇬 Tiwa Savage uses her fame to boost African music Afrobeats star Tiwa Savage, a prominent multi-talented figure in Nigeria's music industry, is banking on her fame to foster the "next great artist or producer or songwriter" with her newly established foundation in Lagos.

🐶 A French toy spaniel named Lazare thought to have been "the world's oldest dog" has died aged 30, his carer said on Friday. ➡️ u.afp.com/SRsZ

⛳ Top-ranked defending champion Scottie Scheffler began with a bogey on the 10th hole in Friday's second round of the PGA Championship while Germany's Martin Kaymer also stumbled early. ➡️ u.afp.com/SRm9

🇬🇹 Indigenous groups in Guatemala pray for rain Mayan people in Guatemala take part in the traditional annual rain prayers at the remote Chicabal Lagoon. It is a centuries-old ritual which involves asking for blessings on their crops.

🇬🇧 From Adele to Raye, the UK school nurturing future stars If there is a recipe for success in the entertainment industry, the BRIT School in London perhaps deserves a standing ovation for hitting all the right notes.

🇰🇷 Robot theme park opens in South Korea South Korean entertainment company Galaxy Corporation opens a robot themed park in Seoul -- featuring boxing matches and K-pop performances by humanoid robots.

🇮🇱 🇱🇧 Israel carried out new strikes in southern Lebanon that it said targeted the militant group Hezbollah on Friday, hours before the two countries' envoys were set to meet for a second day of peace talks in Washington. ➡️ u.afp.com/SRmD

🇸🇪 Experimental cafe run by AI opens in Stockholm Although it looks like any other coffee shop, this cafe in Stockholm has artificial intelligence (AI) running the place: hiring employees, creating the menu and taking care of daily supplies.

🇺🇸 In big man US football league, guys score a different kind of goal "Man v Fat Soccer" is a five-a-side football league that encourages big men to shed pounds. The league is thriving in Houston as the Texan city prepares to host several World Cup matches.

⚖️ 🇷🇺 🇺🇦 Thirty-four Council of Europe member states, along with Australia, Costa Rica and the EU as an institution, have said they would join a future special tribunal for Ukraine tasked with prosecuting Russia over its invasion of the country. "The time for Russia to be held to account for its aggression is fast approaching," said Alain Berset, the secretary general of the Council of Europe, which acts as a guardian of human rights and democracy across the continent. Russia was expelled from the Council of Europe -- which is separate from the European Union -- in 2022, following its invasion of Ukraine.

🇯🇵 Japan cleaner goes viral with spa-like service for plushies A worn-out Pikachu plushie, tired teddy bear or stained stuffed animal can all get a new lease of life at a Japanese laundry service, making beloved toys squeaky clean again.

🎙️🎶 A ballad from Australian star Delta Goodrem and a Danish ode to clubbing will fill the airwaves in Saturday's Eurovision grand final in Vienna after making it through the second semi-final, which delivered a message in defence of LGBTQ people. ➡️ u.afp.com/SRmg

🇦🇲 🐻 Rescuing Armenia's captive bears kept as status symbols by the ultra-rich As many as 20 bears are thought to remain captive in Armenia -- a post-Soviet country where oligarchs have been accused of keeping predators as status symbols.

🇨🇳 🇺🇸 Chart showing the US arms sales to Taiwan during the recent US presidents' tenures. [2/2]

🇨🇳 🇺🇸 Chinese leader Xi Jinping's unusually "blunt" warning to US President Donald Trump over Taiwan at the summit in Beijing exposes potentially grave pitfalls in the relationship, although its immediate impact could be limited, analysts say. [1/2] ➡️ u.afp.com/SRmY