The southern Indian state of Kerala has defended its decision to introduce Zumba classes in public schools, after the move sparked protests from religious groups earlier this week. Some 14,000 state-run schools in Kerala have been asked to organise dailyZumba sessions as part of an anti-drug campaign launched by the government last month. The decision has been bitterly opposed by some Hindu and Muslim organisations in the state, who say the dance is a form of “cultural invasion”. They are urging parents and teachers to boycott the programme, saying it goes against their religious beliefs and moral values. While the...

 South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said that it remained unclear whether Seoul and Washington could conclude their tariff negotiations by the deadline set by President Donald Trump for next week, noting Thursday that both nations were still working to clarify their positions and identify areas of agreement. Speaking at his first news conference since taking office last month, Lee also reiterated his intentions to improve badly frayed ties with North Korea, though he acknowledged that mutual distrust between the Koreas is too deep to heal anytime soon. Trump’s tariff hikes and other “America First” policies are major challenges for Lee’s month-old government,...

Hong Kong’s government on Wednesday proposed a registration system that would recognize same-sex partnerships formed overseas, granting such couples more rights in the city. In a document submitted to the legislature, the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau said the proposed system would allow registration for same-sex adult couples who have married, formed civil partnerships or civil unions overseas, provided these relationships were legally recognized in those jurisdictions and one of them is a Hong Kong resident. After the registration, the couples would have rights including the ability to participate in medical decisions for their loved ones, provided consent is given....

 Turkish authorities on Wednesday arrested four staff members of a satirical magazine on charges of inciting “public hatred and enmity” over a controversial cartoon that officials claim depicts the Prophet Muhammad, Turkish state television reported. The cartoon, published in the weekly LeMan magazine, sparked a backlash from government officials and religious groups, culminating in protests outside the magazine’s Istanbul offices. Authorities claim that the cartoon violates laws against provoking hostility and social divisions. The magazine denies the allegations. In a statement, LeMan said the illustration portrays a Muslim named Muhammad, not the Prophet, and was intended to highlight the suffering of Muslims during...

Airstrikes and shootings killed 82 Palestinians in Gaza overnight, including 38 while attempting to get much-needed humanitarian aid, hospitals and the Health Ministry said Thursday. Israel’s military did not have immediate comment on the strikes Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Five people were killed around sites associated with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the newly created, secretive American organization backed by Israel to feed the Gaza Strip’s population, while 33 others were killed waiting for aid trucks in other locations across the Gaza Strip. —ASSOCIATED PRESS

 Haiti’s gangs have gained “near-total control” of the capital and authorities are unable to stop escalating violence across the impoverished Caribbean nation, senior U.N. officials warned Wednesday. An estimated 90% of the capital Port-au-Prince is now under control of criminal groups who are expanding attacks not only into surrounding areas but beyond into previously peaceful areas, Ghada Fathy Waly, executive director of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, told the U.N. Security Council. “Southern Haiti, which until recently was insulated from the violence, has seen a sharp increase in gang-related incidents,” she said. “And in the east, criminal groups...

 Thailand’s new Cabinet members took their oaths of office Thursday, including the suspended prime minister who is under an ethics investigation for her remarks to a senior Cambodian leader. Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended as prime minister Tuesday, the same day Thailand’s king endorsed a Cabinet lineup in which she would be the culture minister. Paetongtarn was smiling as she arrived at Government House for the swearing-in ceremony with other new members, but did not answer questions. Acting Prime Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit led the new Cabinet members at the ceremony to receive the endorsement from King Maha Vajiralongkorn at the Dusit Palace. A...

 South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said that it remained unclear whether Seoul and Washington could conclude their tariff negotiations by the deadline set by President Donald Trump for next week, noting Thursday that both nations were still working to clarify their positions and identify areas of agreement. Speaking at his first news conference since taking office last month, Lee also reiterated his intentions to improve badly frayed ties with North Korea, though he acknowledged that mutual distrust between the Koreas is too deep to heal anytime soon. Trump’s tariff hikes and other “America First” policies are major challenges for Lee’s month-old government,...