Coils of red-robed and white-capped women are becoming ominous fixtures of the mass anti-government protests roiling Israel. Heads bowed and hands clasped, they are dressed as characters from Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel, “The Handmaid’s Tale,” and are growing in numbers as the protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's policies intensify. They say they are trying to ward off what they believe will be a dark future — much like the novel's chilling dystopia where women are stripped of their rights — if the government follows through on its plan to overhaul the judiciary.

Hong Kong’s most popular boy band Mirror, a major driving force behind the revival of the local pop music scene, has launched its first English song, hoping to bring the city’s tunes to music lovers globally. The 12-member group is part of a new wave of local singers being embraced by Hong Kongers at a time when the city has been beset by the COVID-19 pandemic and political challenges over the past three years. Its members told The Associated Press in an interview that its new single “Rumours” is somewhat “sexy” and “sensual” and accompanied by wavy dance moves, a stark contrast to its previous powerful dance songs and funky music. Member Ian Chan says they hope to bring Cantopop, sung in Cantonese, to more places.