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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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 |