The Trump administration reached a trade deal with Taiwan on Thursday, with Taiwan agreeing to remove or reduce 99% of its tariff barriers, the office of the U.S. Trade Representative said.

The agreement comes as the U.S. remains reliant on Taiwan for its production of computer chips, the exporting of which contributed to a trade imbalance of nearly $127 billion during the first 11 months of 2025, according to the Census Bureau.

World shares were mixed on Friday, following sharp Wall Street losses on a sell-off of technology-related stocks that investors fear could lose out from artificial intelligence disruptions.

U.S. futures edged lower. The future for the S&P 500 fell less than 0.1%, while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.1% lower.

A key measure of inflation fell to nearly a five-year low last month as apartment rental price growth slowed and gas prices fell, offering some relief to Americans grappling with the sharp cost increases over the past five years.

Inflation dropped to 2.4% in January compared with a year earlier, down from 2.7% in December and not too far from the Federal Reserve's 2% target. Core prices, which exclude the volatile food and energy categories, rose just 2.5% in January from a year ago, down from 2.6% the previous month and the smallest increase since March 2021.

The first solar eclipse of the year will grace Antarctica, and only a lucky few will get to bask — or waddle — in its glow.

Tuesday's annular solar eclipse, known as a " ring of fire," will only be visible in the southernmost continent, home to research stations and diverse wildlife.

Friday the 13th will be remembered as a lucky day for Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo Norway's cross-country skiing star won an eighth gold medal at the Milan Cortina Olympics Friday, tying an all‑time Winter Games record. The 29‑year‑old claimed victory in the men's 10-kilometer interval‑start race, for his third gold at the 2026 games.

Will three races still ahead of him, Klaebo now shares the record with three other Norwegian athletes who have all retired: Marit Bjoergen and Bjoern Daehlie in cross-country skiing and Ole Einar Bjoerndalen in the biathlon. Klaebo again gained vital ground in the final hill and clocked 20 minutes, 36.2 seconds, showing rare signs of fatigue as he collapsed at the finish line of the race considered to be his toughest challenge.

Indonesia has begun training a contingent of up to 8,000 soldiers it plans to send as part of an international peacekeeping force to Gaza, the first firm commitment to a critical element of U.S. President Donald Trump's postwar reconstruction plan.

Indonesia has experience in peacekeeping operations as one of the top 10 contributors to United Nations missions, including in Lebanon, and has been deeply involved in providing humanitarian aid to Gaza, including funding a hospital.

Puerto Rico is making its mark this week on two monumental stages: the Super Bowl halftime show and — with a single athlete — the Winter Olympics.

Music and sport are among the island's few opportunities to wave its flag for the world to see. But the question of which people get to represent Puerto Rico remains a complicated one, tied up in its history, identity and status as a U.S. territory, rather than a full-fledged state. Reactions to the performances this week show the evolution of who is welcome to do so.

It's not just people — in China, the robots are also getting ready to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

Friday was dress rehearsal day for four cute humanoid robots, each about 95 centimeters (3 feet) tall at a mall in western Beijing. Curious onlookers stopped to watch.

Britain's High Court ruled Friday that the government's decision to outlaw the protest group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization was unlawful, but it kept the ban in place pending another hearing while the government prepares an appeal.

Judges Victoria Sharp, Jonathan Swift and Karen Steyn said "the nature and scale of Palestine Action's activities" did not meet the "level, scale and persistence" that would justify proscription.

Another round of U.S.-brokered talks between envoys from Russia and Ukraine will take place next week in Geneva, days ahead of the fourth anniversary of the all-out Russian invasion of its neighbor, officials in Moscow and Kyiv said on Friday.

The meeting will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies.