WORLD

Historically, 14th Feb is linked to emperor Claudius II and the legend of Saint Valentine, who is said to have secretly helped Christian couples wed against the monarch's ruling.

Muslim scholar Ali Selim should be sacked after calling for female circumcision (FGM) to become legal in Ireland, says Dublin imam Dr Umar Al-Qadri.

The demand for rescue cats is so much higher in London that rescue centers across the country send moggies to the capital for rehoming.

More than one third of the White House staff left their positions in the first year of Donald Trump's presidency; a rate unmatched in the previous five administrations.

Rick Blood, the former deputy mayor of Mendham Township in New Jersey, has resigned following public backlash against a Facebook post he wrote supporting Donald Trump.

The father of an autistic girl has accused the mother of slipping bleach into their daughter's drinks. "Miracle Mineral Solution" is a fake cure circulating on the web.

The French government has announced it will introduce a "Universal National Service" for young citizens, as President Emmanuel Macron delivers on one of his campaign pledges.

This most important of Hindu festivals falls on Tuesday 13 through to Wednesday 14 February 2018.

"Surprise, the lying liar @realDonaldTrump lied again," one Twitter user wrote.

Nearly 3,000 dogs are competing to win Best in Show at the 142nd annual Westminster Kennel Club dog show in New York.

Twitter users roasted White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders over her "ridiculous" and "bullsh*it" defence of Trump's response to the Rob Porter scandal.

The day is promoted by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) in an effort to reduce the spread of HIV through safe sex practices.

Israel will boycott the Israeli Film Festival in Paris over its screening of Foxtrot - an Israeli film in which IDF soldiers kill and bury four Arab youths.

President Jovenel Moise condemns charity over claims staff paid for prostitutes while delivering aid following earthquake.

"First, we were approached by a manager who let us know that customers were very distressed by my shirt and that children might see it," Andy wrote on Facebook.

Southwestern Airlines flight was carrying 139 passengers when it had to be evacuated at John Wayne Airport in Santa Monica.

The footage was shared on social media and shows the boy lying on the ground, asking the rebels if they plan to shoot him.

Behind the ostrich feathers and sequins, the parades tackle serious matters such as crime, corruption, drugs, poverty and intolerance towards the LGBT community.

Kim Jong-un has called for "livening up of the warm climate of reconciliation" between the two Koreas after the successful visit of a Northern delegation to the Winter Olympics.

The celebrations are meant to mark the last day of feasting and celebration before the start of the Lenten period of fasting and abstinence.

The US and the UK are fighting over what to do with the so-called Isis Beatles, Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh who were captured in Syria.

The National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC has unveiled new portraits of former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama.

The daughter-in-law of US President Donald Trump was taken to hospital after police say she opened a letter filled with white powder. Authorities think it was nonhazardous.

Former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili has been abducted by armed men from a restaurant in Kiev, Ukraine, after a court rejected his appeal against extradition to Georgia.

A nightclub in Tomsk has allegedly offered a woman a membership and three free drinks if exchange for performing oral sex while on stage.

Malaysian newspaper Sinar Harian sparks outrage after publishing checklist how to recognise LGBT people. Homosexuality is illegal in Malaysia and carries a 20-year prison sentence.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised to continue strikes in Syria despite the risk of sparking a conflict with Iran via its Syrian and Lebanese proxies.

CNN slammed by leading public figures for its praise of North Korean diplomat's visit to South Korea.

Around 138,000 houses and flats have been damaged or completely destroyed by the bitter conflict, say experts.