Kabul, Afghanistan | Unable to use her hands, arms, or legs, Afghan artist Robaba Mohammadi has defied unlikely odds in a country that routinely discriminates against women and disabled people.

Moscow, Russia |Vasilisa Ermakova may be too young for school, but the six-year-old Russian girl has already made a name for herself as a snowboarding prodigy.

Vasilisa spends five hours a day barrelling down slopes outside Moscow and has even smashed a number of national records.

"She wants to go train every day and she asks for snow, even in summer," says her mother Natalia.

Coached by her father -- himself a former competitive snowboarder -- from the age of three, Vasilisa has mastered 360-degree jumps off large snow banks and even 540-degree spins.

"I'm flying like a bird," she says after landing one of the tricks.

Her Instagram account has attracted more than 36,000 followers and the attention of major sports brands that now sponsor her training.

In summer, Vasilisa hones her skills on a skateboard and has set a Russian record in her age group for a descent at 48 kilometres (30 miles) an hour.

That record however did not make it into the Guinness Book of World Records, ironically because she is too young.

"They told us that she had to be at least 16 to set such a record," her mother said, smiling. "And Vasilisa has done it already."

Anton, Vasilisa's father, has high hopes for his daughter. "I hope one day she'll win the X-Games," a popular extreme sports event, he said. "Or that she'll be an Olympic champion."

Vasilisa shares these dreams, her mother says. "She says she wants to have lots of medals."

But away from the slopes, Natalia says her daughter is "just a girl who loves singing, drawing, and snowball fights."

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Buzau, Romania |

Steluta Duta was a teenaged orphan living on the streets when, one cold January day in 2002, she stepped through the door of a boxing gym in the town of Buzau and embarked on her unlikely path to becoming an elite athlete.

Duta, whose first name means "little star", has fought for almost two decades in the ring, with every punch thrown bringing her closer to what she calls "a normal life, away from misery" and becoming an inspiration for others like her.

Romania is one of the poorest in the European Union, with 38 percent of children at risk of social exclusion and poverty, according to Eurostat.

Becoming a boxer "was my only chance, my gamble", Duta, a short woman with cropped hair dyed blond, tells AFP during a break from her training at the gym in Buzau, a town in southeastern Romania.

At 38, Duta is a three-time silver medallist at the sport's World Championships and a three-time gold medal-winner at the European Championships in the light flyweight category.

"If it wasn't for that day she entered the gym, she would now be another one of those living under a bridge and sniffing glue," says a tearful Constantin Voicilas, 69, who has been Duta's coach and mentor throughout her career and has been training promising boxers for more than four decades.

When Duta left her orphanage aged 17, she initially became homeless and even thought about suicide.

"Back then I lied to (Voicilas) and said I had a place to sleep so he would let me box," Duta recalls.

When Voicilas learned the truth he converted part of the gym into a bedroom to make sure she had somewhere to sleep.

- Sport as a lifeline -

Duta overcame formidable odds to build a successful career in Romania.

A Save the Children report released in late 2019 cited a host of threats to child welfare, particularly in rural areas: high education dropout rates, limited access to healthcare and a prevalence of physical and emotional abuse as a form of discipline.

Duta is now helping the next generation to fight those obstacles in the ring.

At the Buzau boxing gym, she often spars with Bianca Lacatusu, a shy teenager 20 years her junior. 

Lacatusu also had a tough childhood.

Her parents died when she was seven months old, when she was placed with a foster family who later handed her over to an orphanage.

"I like to fight... I don't know how the Master found me, but I'm glad he did," Bianca tells AFP, using Voicilas's nickname.

Lacatusu says that Duta has been an inspiration to her -- and that she dreams of one day defeating her in the ring.

Adrian Lacatus, the national boxing team coach who has worked closely with Duta, says that girls from tough backgrounds often display this will to succeed. 

"Children from poor families are used to difficulties, they don't throw in the towel at the first hurdle," he says. 

He says with confidence that among the girls he is currently coaching in Bucharest, "many will write history".

- 'No grudge' -

One of them is already well on her way. 

Alexandra Gheorghe's delicate features belie her hardscrabble childhood.

But at 17 she has already won a silver medal at the European Championships and is now training with Lacatus for future competitions.

For her part, Duta is preparing for two national competitions later this year and is determined to fight on for two more years until the age of 40. 

After that, she wants to focus on coaching and her personal life.

"I want to be healthy and to have a family. To be a good mother, first of all," she says.

"Without parental love, it's all in vain." 

Amateur boxing is not lucrative, so Duta's finances have not matched her success in the ring.

The champion still pays rent for a two-room apartment in Buzau that she hopes to buy someday.

When asked if she feels that the Romanian state supports her, Duta points towards her coach, joking: "You're my state!" 

"Yes, the Republic of Voicilas", he replies.

But Duta has used her meagre savings to renovate the house where her biological mother lives with two of her younger siblings -- despite the fact she gave Duta up right after she was born.

"I hold no grudge," Duta says.

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Pune, India | Like many Indian women, college student Suvarna Dongare dreads getting caught short when she is out and about, with hygienic public toilets in short supply across the country.

So she was pleasantly surprised to find a pink women-only "washroom-on-wheels" in a public park in western India -- one of several facilities dotting the city of Pune, where a pair of entrepreneurs have transformed run-down buses into hop-on toilets.

"I came to the park and wanted to visit the bathroom urgently. These toilets are very comfortable and felt safe," 18-year-old Dongare told AFP.

For a relatively affordable five-rupee-fee (seven US cents), any woman can board the toilet to use the facilities, breastfeed babies or purchase sanitary napkins and diapers.

Launched in 2016 by entrepreneurs Ulka Sadalkar and Rajeev Kher, the "Ti Toilet" project -- "ti" means "her" in the local Marathi language -- has 12 mobile washrooms, on average used by more 200 women daily. The buses are powered by solar panels mounted on top of the vehicle.

Sadalkar said the pair, who run a portable sanitation business, came up with the idea as part of a series of projects focused on improving hygiene in the city.

"We believe women deserve access to clean and safe washrooms and it is their basic right," she told AFP, adding that the duo wanted to open 1,000 toilets across India in the next five years.

"We focused a lot on aesthetics in refurbishing these buses and provided clean toilets, television sets, temperature monitors with an attendant in tow."

Manisha Adhav, 40, who operates one of the toilets, told AFP she felt "proud working here as we are doing something for women". 

"Women bless me ... as they come here from far away areas as well because there aren't enough public washrooms around."

Even as India went on a building spree constructing millions of toilets as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship "Clean India" programme, experts said the lack of water or electricity meant many remain unused.

State governments have struggled to maintain public toilets, which are often poorly lit, unmanned, and reek of urine and faeces. 

These too are mostly used by men, with women -- fearing for their safety -- going long hours without using such facilities.

Modi in October declared India free of open defecation and said 600 million people had been provided with access to toilets.

But experts questioned the claims and said sanitation and safety remain intertwined for millions of Indian women.

Finding "clean and safe washrooms in public spaces is not easy during emergencies. We are trying to change that," Adhav said. 

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Lima, Peru |Peru unveiled a priceless manuscript containing the memoirs of former Inca leaders that had disappeared during Chile's occupation of Lima during the 1879-84 Pacific War.

The manuscript -- called "Memories of the Peruvian monarchy or outline of the Inca's history" -- was written in the 1830s by Justo Apu Sahuaraura Inca (1775-1853), a descendent of the Inca emperor Huayna Capac (1493-1525).

"The value of this document from 1838 is incalculable. It was always considered an extremely rare jewel of a document, we don't have another of its type," Gerardo Trillo, director of the Protection of Collections at Lima's National Library, told AFP about the manuscript that was found in Brazil.

Sahuaraura was a member of the indigenous nobility in Cusco, the old Inca capital, and dedicated his time to preserving the memory of the Inca empire, which lasted 100 years between the 15th and 16th centuries and covered a vast area from the south of Colombia to the center of Chile.

The author styled himself as "the last descendent of the Inca's imperial line."

In the manuscript he traced Inca history until the arrival in South America of the Spanish colonizers, using now extinct documents.

The text includes information about Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, the son of a Spanish conquistador and Inca noblewoman, thought to be the first mixed-race person in the history of the Americas.

The manuscript also includes accounts of the Spanish conquest of Cusco, as well as an Inca chronology.

"It's a pretty rare and strange manuscript because it has colored sheets that represent the different Incas," said Trillo.

He said the manuscript was stolen from the National Library during the Chilean occupation of Lima from 1881-83, a war that pitted Peru and Bolivia against Chile.

Chile has returned more than 4,500 books taken from Peru's National Library during the occupation.

However, this manuscript was acquired in 1970 by Brazilian private collectors, who agreed in November to return it to its rightful owners.

"It took a decade of negotiation for this manuscript to be returned," said Trillo.

It has since been digitalized and can be consulted online.

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Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates |Eid al-Qobeissy's two birds perch majestically in the waiting room of Abu Dhabi's falcon hospital, awaiting a routine check-up ahead of their hunting trip to Azerbaijan.

Like other well-travelled residents of the United Arab Emirates, the falcons will make the journey with their devoted owner on a well-worn route from a country where the creature is both a national symbol and treasured tradition.

"This has been a hobby of mine since 2007," said the 26-year-old, gently stroking one of the prized birds of prey, which wear leather hoods to keep them calm and quiet.

After waiting in the pristine white-marbled reception area of the animal hospital, the falcons will undergo blood tests in order to complete paperwork for the trip.

They are among about 11,000 falcons the hospital treats annually, a number that has more than doubled in the past 10 years. 

"Falcons have a very special place in the heart of the Emiratis," said the hospital's director Margit Muller.

"Here, falcons are not considered birds, they are considered children of the Bedouins because, historically, falcons were used to hunt meat, allowing the Bedouin’s family to survive in this very harsh desert life."

In 2010, UNESCO added falconry to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

- Talons and training - 

The Abu Dhabi facility is the world's largest falcon hospital, frequented by falconers from across the Gulf region.

As well as check-ups and routine trimming of talons, it also conducts complicated surgery and offers a training programme for veterinary students from more than 40 countries to learn about avian medicine. 

"The very complicated procedures are either broken legs or broken wings, or when a falcon has a really messy accident that results in big injuries," Muller said. 

"Very long surgeries... can take up to three or four hours. That is the longest we can keep a falcon under anaesthesia."

Opportunities to take a falcon hunting are limited in the UAE, where it is only permitted in designated reserves.

That means that for many birds, the hospital is an essential stop-off before heading to popular overseas hunting destinations including Morocco, Kazakhstan and Pakistan.

Emirati falconers are only legally allowed to own captive-bred birds, which must have their own passports that comply with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) for transport.

Animals other than guide dogs are not usually allowed in the cabins of the UAE's main carriers, but for falcons exceptions are made. 

Abu Dhabi's Etihad permits falcons in the cabin or as checked baggage, and Dubai's Emirates allows birds to travel alongside their owner to certain destinations in Pakistan.

"The most popular destination for falconers travelling with their falcons in the passenger cabin is Pakistan," an Emirates spokeswoman told AFP.

- Girl power -

While the hospital has its own programme and facilities to breed falcons that can be purchased, most of the birds are imported to the UAE from breeders in the Americas and Europe.

"They stay with the falconer for as long as they live," Muller said. "They will not be released because they are captive-bred falcons."

Muller added that the most sought-after and expensive falcons are females, which can carry up to five times their own body weight. They are also considered the most beautiful.

"The female is usually one third bigger than the male, and more powerful," she said, adding that captive-bred female falcons can cost upwards of 100,000 euros ($108,000).

For falconer Salem al-Mansouri from Abu Dhabi, the tradition is much more than an expensive pastime -- it is a symbol of Emirati culture. 

"Falcons were used to hunt, and you can say that it was the only method for hunting for survival, especially when travelling long distances hundreds of years ago," the 30-year-old told AFP.

"We inherited it from our grandfathers and fathers, who taught us, and now we teach the next generation."

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Rome, Italy |An ancient tomb thought to belong to Rome's founder Romulus was presented to the world on Friday, after months of investigation by history sleuths.

Miami, United States | 

In the heart of Miami, among the towering skyscrapers that rise above Biscayne Bay, the eye-catching new luxury condo building by late star architect Zaha Hadid dominates the skyline.

The unique curved "exoskeleton" design of the One Thousand Museum building has created buzz. The futuristic structure is the only residential space in downtown Miami with a helipad.

The high-rise also honors the legacy of the Iraqi-British architect, who died in Miami in 2016 at age 65, when the 62-story tower was built up to about the eighth floor.

"We felt a big obligation to make sure we got this particular project right because Miami was her second home," said Chris Lepine, who took over as director of the $300 million project after her death.

"She spent a lot of time here, had a lot of friends."

Hadid -- sometimes dubbed "Queen of the Curve" for her love of the form -- was the first woman to win the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize, and also won two Stirling Prizes, Britain's highest honor for architecture. 

Forbes once named her one of the most influential women in the world.

Among her acclaimed projects are Beijing Daxing International Airport and the London Aquatic Centre for the 2012 Olympics.

About six months ago residents began moving into the Miami building -- which has been in the works since 2012.

"We wanted to make sure that we left this landmark of her achievements," Lepine said.

One Thousand Museum -- Hadid's first tower in the Western Hemisphere -- is now the crown jewel of her design firm, which is based in London.

It has 84 units, two pools, a juice bar and the helipad, among other high-end amenities. It is 709 feet (216 meters) tall. 

In the gym, a swirling tornado spiral staircase snakes up to the spa.

The penthouses offer stunning views of the park surrounding the Perez Art Museum Miami, the bay and then out to the Miami Beach and the Atlantic Ocean.

The structure's signature curves stand out among the traditional linear buildings near One Thousand Museum.

"There are 360 angles. Why only use one of them? Why only use 90 degrees?" said Lepine, paraphrasing his late boss. 

- Form and function -

The building's "exoskeleton," as architects call it, flows from the base to the top of its exterior, and sinks at times between the tower's windows.

That structure is not just for aesthetics -- it is functional. It is made of white fiberglass-reinforced concrete, and allowed the design team to play with open spaces inside, without the need for columns.

"The exoskeleton for us was a real look at how architecture could be synthesized with structure into an overall very elegant expression," Lepine said.

The flexibility and finishing of the novel material used in this "permanent formwork" technique allowed for a fluid look.

One Thousand Museum was developed by Louis Birdman, Gilberto Bomeny, Gregg Covin and Kevin Venger.

Prices start in the $5 million range, and shoot up to $24 million for units that take up an entire higher floor. 

Residents hail from about 20 different countries. A handful of apartments are still on the market. 

"It has all the basic elements of a residential tower, but I think configured in a way that's very, very clever, very creative and in a way that sort of stands out," Lepine said.

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Washington, United States |His message is clear, his supporters enthusiastic and his pockets flush with cash -- Bernie Sanders is the clear favorite to win the Democratic presidential nomination.

The Vermont senator looks to be the most likely Democratic candidate at this point to take on Republican Donald Trump in November's presidential election.

The next nominating contest in the Democratic race is in South Carolina on Saturday followed by "Super Tuesday" on March 3, when 14 states will go to the polls.

These are some of the factors that have put Sanders, a 78-year-old self-described "democratic socialist," in pole position to capture the nomination that he lost to Hillary Clinton in 2016:

- Clear message -

On the campaign trail, Sanders delivers simple policy positions: tax the rich, raise the minimum wage, health care for all, free college tuition and a battle against climate change.

An impassioned speaker, he rails against "corporate greed," the fossil fuel industry and corrupt Wall Street elites.

Sanders was asked over the weekend on CBS's 60 Minutes if the Democratic Party has moved away from the center and towards him on the left.

"In many ways, they have," he said "And the ideas that seemed radical four years ago are now kind of mainstream."

At a rally in Texas, one of the states voting on Super Tuesday, Sanders said his campaign "is about beating Trump but it is about more than that."

"It is the story of the labor rights movement in this country. It is the story of the civil rights movement in the country. It is the story of women's rights in this movement. It is the story of the gay rights movement in this country. It is the campaign about the environmental movement in this country," he said.

- Enthusiastic support -

David Barker, a professor of government at American University, said one of things Sanders shares with Trump is a "very committed base."

Sanders also appears to have managed to expand his 2016 support among young white voters to include that of more Hispanics and African-Americans.

Sanders, during that Texas rally, said he has built a "multigenerational, multiracial coalition."

"Our movement is about bringing working-class people together, black and white and Latino, Native American, Asian American around an agenda that works for all of us and not just the billionaire class," he said at the last debate.

In the Nevada caucuses, Sanders won the support of voters in every group under the age of 65 and also attracted a majority of Latino support.

Among his prominent backers is the young and dynamic New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

At the same time, Sanders' rivals have denounced a toxic streak among his more ardent supporters known as "Bernie Bros," accused of aggressive and at times sexist online tactics.

The upcoming primary in South Carolina is seen as a key test of the depth of Sanders' support among African-American voters -- key to a Democratic victory in November.

A skilled debater, Sanders has also proved to be adept at using social media and -- critically -- attracting donations.

Sanders raised $25.1 million in January, the most in a month since he entered the race, taking the total raised to $121 million.

- Indefatigable -

Despite suffering a heart attack in October and having two coronary stents inserted, Sanders is a tireless campaigner 

"Follow me around the campaign trail, three, four, five events today," he challenged a reporter who asked at the last debate about his health. "See how you're doing compared to me."

Born on September 8, 1941 in Brooklyn, New York, Sanders would be 79 when he assumes office, making him the oldest US president ever to enter the White House.

- November election -

Sanders' avowedly leftist leanings have some Democrats worried that he would prove to be a weak opponent against Trump in the November election.

Trump has already played on lingering Cold War fears among Americans by labelling Sanders a "communist" and referring to him as "Crazy Bernie."

Expressing the fears of some moderate Democrats, former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg called Sanders "polarizing" at the last debate.

"Americans don't see where they fit if they've got to choose between a socialist who thinks that capitalism is the root of all evil and a billionaire who thinks that money ought to be the root of all power," Buttigieg said.

But a number of polls give Sanders a fighting chance against Trump -- a polarizing figure himself.

The latest CBS News/YouGov poll of registered voters, for example, has Sanders up by three points nationally over Trump in a head-to-head race.

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Frankfurt am Main, Germany | European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde  said risks to the eurozone economy had become "less pronounced" in the wake of a US-China trade truce even as President Donald Trump reignited a trade spat with Europe.

Speaking to reporters after chairing her second meeting as president, Lagarde said the bank's ultra-easy money policies remained necessary in the face of stubbornly low inflation and slow growth.

But she hinted that the ECB was more optimistic about the euro area outlook following the partial US-China trade deal struck after two years of tensions that roiled the global economy.

"Risks related to geopolitical factors, rising protectionism and vulnerabilities in emerging markets remain tilted to the downside, but have become less pronounced as some of the uncertainty surrounding international trade is receding," Lagarde told reporters in Frankfurt.

She said the US-China deal had reduced uncertainty but would also have knock-on effects on other countries, creating winners and losers.

The ECB would now "very carefully" study the impact of the deal, she said.

But Trump already appeared to be gearing up for his next trade battle, after saying in Davos on Wednesday that the European Union was next in his line of sights.

"The European Union is tougher to deal with than anybody. They've taken advantage of our country for many years," Trump told Fox Business Network.

He also threatened to impose crippling tariffs on EU-built cars unless the EU budges on a transatlantic trade deal.

Asked about the flare-up in tensions, Lagarde said she took "some comfort" from the upbeat sounds that followed Trump's meeting with European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen in Davos.

"While we all know that the results of those meetings are preliminary, the tone and the determination on both sides to draw positive conclusions from that meeting...I  think is to be taken as a positive signal."

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