Aukus: UK, US and Australia launch pact to counter China

Having to stay at home during the Covid pandemic has been tough on millions of people around the world. The restrictions have hampered training for elite athletes, especially ahead of Tokyo 2020. But some managed to keep themselves in shape through new and unusual methods.

Afghanistan has gone through a lot of transformation in the last 20 years and is a different country to the one the Taliban left in 2001, the author of The Kite Runner has said. Khaled Hosseini told BBC World News that his one sliver of hope was that the Taliban would realise the country had…

Artificial intelligence is changing how we interact with everything, from food to healthcare, travel and also religion. Experts say major global faiths are discussing their relationship with AI, and some are starting to incorporate this technology into their worship. Robot priests can recite prayers, perform funerals, and even comfort those experiencing a spiritual crisis. BBC…

The Oprah Winfrey interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has helped put republicanism back on the agenda in Australia, the historian and biographer Prof Jenny Hocking has said. She told BBC World News: “The interview has really shown us once again just how out of touch the monarchy is with Australian values and…

The environmental impact of plastic is resulting in the creation of new ways to reduce its impact through the use of deposit schemes and the development of alternative packaging materials. BBC Click’s Lara Lewington finds out more. See more at Click’s website and @BBCClick

Free and and fair trade is in the European Union’s DNA, but the EU will have to take measures if AstraZeneca does not deliver the agreed quantities of Covid-19 vaccinations, an Austrian MEP says. Export controls or even export bans should be considered if that does not work, Angelika Winzig told BBC World News. The…