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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© Agence France-Presse

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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© Agence France-Presse

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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Stockholm, Sweden |Teen eco warrior Greta Thunberg said she has registered both her own name and her "Fridays For Future" global protest movement as trademarks in order to prevent them from being hijacked for fraudulent purposes. 

Jerusalem-

Paris, France | 

Mit El Harun, Egypt | Residents of the Egyptian village of Mit al-Harun have for decades eked out a living by recycling old tyres into baskets, landscaping materials and alternative fuels.