- Palestinian seeds join Arctic 'doomsday vault'
- Ariana Grande concert attack survivors win UK harassment case
- Blinken on new quest for Saudi ties with Israel
- UK and Germany sign 'milestone' defence deal
- Seoul says N.Korea sent more troops to Russia, Kyiv urges their surrender
- Mehidy, Jaker keep Bangladesh alive against South Africa
- Stock markets mixed, oil prices drop
- Stokes forecasts spin battle in Pakistan-England decider
- Volvo Cars cuts sales forecast on market headwinds
- South Africa 'shattered' by divorce of rugby star Kolisi
- Putin touts 'multipolar world order' at flagship BRICS summit
- Deutsche Bank profits boosted by legal settlements
- WHO says 'intense bombardment' halts Gaza polio vaccinations
- UK's Starmer plays down Trump team claims of interference
- Son of Singapore's founder granted asylum in UK
- Mehidy, Jaker take Bangladesh into lead over South Africa in Test
- Stocks mixed as rate cut bets are trimmed, US vote in focus
- Seven dead, thousands evacuated as tropical storm batters Philippines
- Pant fit for second Test as Gill gives India selection 'headache'
- S. Korean Olympic shooter Kim keeps cool over newfound fame
- UN chief in Russia for Putin's BRICS summit
- Markets mixed as rate cut bets are trimmed, US vote in focus
- US says 'now is the time' to end Gaza war
- Harris to face voters' queries in crucial Pennsylvania
- Mehidy fifty steers Bangladesh towards parity at 201-6
- King Charles arrives in Samoa, where Commonwealth looks to shed stodgy image
- Ohtani 50-50 baseball sells for record-breaking $4.39 million
- Morikawa says 'winning is tough' ahead of Japan title defence
- New Zealand's Bowes smashes record-breaking 103-ball double ton
- Troubled Boeing faces investors and awaits strike vote
- Indian capital chokes as 'hazardous' air pollution returns
- Thousands flee homes as fierce tropical storm batters Philippines
- Tokyo Metro shares rocket on debut
- Israel says killed Nasrallah's apparent successor in Beirut strike
- Climate change worsened deadly Africa floods, scientists say
- Los Angeles Dodgers baseball icon Fernando Valenzuela dead at 63
- Indian capital's 'hazardous' air pollution season starts
- King Charles visits Samoa, where Commonwealth looks to shed stodgy image
- Cattle disease wreaks havoc in Libya
- Fernando Valenzuela: Iconic pitcher sparked 'Fernandomania'
- Warner offers to come out of retirement for India Test series
- Deyverson double gives Atletico Mineiro upper hand over River Plate
- Taipei says Chinese aircraft carrier group sailed through Taiwan Strait
- LeBron, Bronny James make NBA history with father-son appearance
- Deyverson double gives Atletico upper hand over River Plate
- Tokyo Metro: Asia's oldest subway goes public
- Shiffrin eyes 100 World Cup wins as legend Hirscher returns
- Asian markets mixed as rate cut bets are trimmed; US vote in focus
- From Colombia's jungle to the world's fish tanks
- Celtics dominate Knicks to launch NBA title defense
French Olympic surfer Fierro rides the waves to victory in Tahiti
Vahine Fierro became the first French surfer to win the women's Tahiti Pro on the waves of Teahupo'o on Wednesday, two months before the Olympics surfing events are held at the French Pacific island.
Fierro, 24, was born on the neighbouring island of Huahine and with this success marked herself down as one of the favourites for Olympic gold.
"It's crazy. There was so much power in the waves, I'm speechless," she said after using her local knowledge to help beat Costa Rica's Brisa Hennessy in the final.
Nearly 16,000 kilometres (9,950 miles) from the French capital, the French Pacific island of Tahiti was chosen to host the surfing events.
This week's event is officially a World Surf League event but it is really a chance to whet the appetite at one of the world's top surfing venues.
Teahupo'o is a small village in the southwest of the Tahiti peninsula, with a backdrop of misty mountains, where every year a few hundred residents welcome the elite surfers and their teams in their wooden bungalows.
Surfers from all over the world were won over by Teahupo'o in the early 2000s after the publication of a photo of American surfer Laird Hamilton spinning on his board inside what appeared to be a watery translucent tube.
The Paris Olympics organisers were won over by the picture-postcard landscape in 2021 when Teahupo'o was designated an Olympic site, generating both enthusiasm and concern among the local population.
One source of friction was the installation of a new aluminium tower for judges in the lagoon, which is being used for the first time this week.
Environmentalists were furious after a barge used by construction workers damaged coral that forms parts of the sea bed at the site, but the local organisers say the situation has calmed down.
Women were banned from participating at Teahupo'o for 16 years until 2022 for safety reasons because of the razor-sharp coral in some parts of the seabed.
L.Harper--AMWN