Timberwolves stun Thunder, Warriors hold off Rockets

Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – The short-handed Minnesota Timberwolves halted Oklahoma City’s seven-game NBA winning streak, beating the Western Conference-leading Thunder 116-101 on Thursday on the eve of the All-Star break.

Golden State star Stephen Curry drives to the basket in the Warriors' NBA victory over the Houston Rockets

Indonesia hands lengthy sentences to Javan rhino poachers

Jakarta (AFP) – An Indonesian court has handed lengthy prison terms to poachers who killed dozens of rare Javan rhinos, court rulings seen by AFP Friday showed, drawing praise from conservationists who said it would help deter lucrative wildlife crime.

A policeman guards suspected poachers over their involvement in the killing of critically endangered Javan rhinos

Zelensky at Munich security meet as Trump

Munich (Germany) (AFP) – President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to meet US Vice President JD Vance in Germany on Friday with a warning against trusting Russia’s Vladimir Putin, as concerns mount in Kyiv and among its European allies that the Ukraine war will be settled over their heads.

This handout photograph taken and released by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service on February 12, 2025, shows Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky speaking during a phone call with the US president while sitting at his office in Kyiv

Most Asian stocks rise as US tariffs give breathing space

Hong Kong (AFP) – Asian markets mostly rose Friday in line with a rally on Wall Street as traders were buoyed by news that Donald Trump’s latest, sweeping reciprocal tariffs would not likely be implemented until April, giving time for negotiations.

Donald Trump signed an Executive Order on reciprocal tariffs Thursday but his commerce secretary nominee said they might not be implemented until April, giving room for negotiations

After the party, Mexican agave farmers face tequila hangover

Zapotlanejo (Mexico) (AFP) – From George Clooney to LeBron James, American celebrities have cashed in on tequila’s soaring popularity. But in Mexico, producers of the agave plant used to make the country’s most famous liquor are nursing a nasty hangover.

An agave producer works at a plantation in Mexico's western state of Jalisco

Lebanon marks 20 years since Rafic Hariri killed as power balance shifts

Beirut (Lebanon) (AFP) – Lebanon on Friday marks 20 years since former prime minister Rafic Hariri’s assassination amid seismic political changes that have weakened Hezbollah and its backers and could herald a comeback for Hariri’s son Saad.

A giant billboard bears portraits of Lebanon's slain former prime minister Rafic Hariri (L) and his son Saad Hariri