Featured
Last news
Stocks rise but recession fears linger
US and European stock markets rose Friday after a global rout, but investors remain anxious that inflation-fighting interest rate hikes could spark a recession.
DR Congo soldier killed in gunfire on Rwandan border
A DR Congo soldier was killed in the country's flashpoint eastern region on Friday in an exchange of fire at a border post with Rwanda, police said, while Rwanda said two of its soldiers were wounded.
UAE seeks Iran assurance on 'peacefulness' of nuclear programme
The United Arab Emirates urged Iran on Friday to provide reassurances on the peaceful nature of its nuclear programme after the International Atomic Energy Agency denounced Tehran's lack of cooperation.
Russia gas squeeze threatens Europe's stockpiling plans
With France becoming the latest country to be cut off from Russian natural gas, and supplies sharply reduced in Italy and Germany, Europe's summer stockpiling plans are looking shaky.
Saudi crown prince to visit Turkey in first since Khashoggi murder
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will visit Turkey next week, the Turkish president said Friday, as Ankara and Riyadh heal a bitter rift following the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul.
European stocks rebound despite recession fears
Europe's main equity markets rebounded Friday from a global rout, but investors remained anxious that rising interest rates would spark a fresh recession.
EU backs Ukraine's 'European dream' as Russia cuts gas supplies
Europe sent a powerful symbol of solidarity with Ukraine on Friday, when Brussels backed Kyiv's bid for EU candidate status, even as Russia shelled frontline Ukrainian cities and cut back gas supplies to the West.
Final campaign push ahead of poll test for France's Macron
President Emmanuel Macron and his allies made a final push Friday for votes in tense elections for parliament, where the centrist president is at risk of losing his majority in the face of a resurgent left-wing alliance.
China launches third aircraft carrier in major military milestone
China on Friday launched its biggest and most modern aircraft carrier, the first designed and built entirely in the country, marking a major military advance for the Asian superpower.
Danube offers lifeline for Ukrainian grain exports
In the Ukrainian port of Izmail, on the Danube river that marks the border with Romania, rows of trucks filled with grain stand in line.
China launches third aircraft carrier: state media
China on Friday launched its third aircraft carrier, the first designed and built entirely in the country, marking a major military advance for the Asian superpower.
WTO strikes landmark deals package after tense talks
The World Trade Organization concluded hard-won deals Friday on fishing subsidies, food insecurity and Covid-19 vaccines in a landmark bundle of agreements secured through hectic round-the-clock talks.
Control without invasion: Other actions China could take against Taiwan
As Xi Jinping's China increasingly flexes its muscles on the global stage, concerns it may take military action against Taiwan have risen.
'Life goes on' for unfazed Taiwanese on frontline islands
Since moving from Taiwan's capital to the outlying Penghu islands for the peace and the fishing 11 years ago, Lin Chih-cheng has grown accustomed to the roar of Chinese fighter jets puncturing the lull of the surf.
A Chinese invasion of Taiwan: Too costly to countenance?
On Taiwan's tiny Penghu islands, the missile bases that sit next to white-sand beaches and bustling fish markets are a visceral reminder of the constant threat of attack from China.
EU to give fast-tracked opinion on Ukraine membership bid
The European Commission will meet Friday to give its fast-tracked opinion on Ukraine's bid for EU candidacy, a step closer to membership for the country a day after the bloc's most powerful leaders visited Kyiv as it battles Russia's invasion.
Top Australian diplomat visits Solomons to address security concerns
Australia's foreign minister landed Friday in Solomon Islands to address relations frayed by the Pacific nation's cosy ties and recent security pact with China.
French parliamentary election: what's at stake?
France goes to the polls on Sunday for the final round of parliamentary elections which are crucial for centrist President Emmanuel Macron's plans for his second term.
Putin's health: pivotal yet shrouded in uncertainty
Baths in blood extracted from the antlers of Siberian deer. Excrements scooped up by loyal officials to evade analysis. Mysterious absences for emergency medical treatment.
Colombians vote in high stakes presidential runoff
Colombians vote Sunday in a presidential runoff that features promises of radical change in a country saddled with widespread poverty, violence and other woes.
Ex-guerrilla takes on maverick in race to be Colombia's president
A former leftist guerrilla and a millionnaire businessman will go head-to-head on Sunday hoping to become the new president of Colombia following a tense campaign in which no candidates appeared safe.
Trump unleashed mob after VP rejected election plot: probe
Donald Trump pressured his vice president to go along with an illegal plot to overturn the 2020 US election and whipped up a mob that put his deputy's life in danger when he refused, congressional investigators and former administration aides said Thursday.
US urges Russia 'humane treatment' of Americans captured in Ukraine
The United States on Thursday urged Russia to treat any American volunteers captured while fighting alongside Ukrainian troops as prisoners of war guaranteed humane treatment.
Ecuador roads blockaded on fourth day of fuel price protests
Indigenous Ecuadorans used burning tires, tree trunks and stones Thursday to block access to the capital, Quito, on the fourth day of protests against high fuel prices and living costs.
On US border, Mexican trans social worker offers expert advice
Mexican trans social worker Brigitte Baltazar saw her dreams shattered when she was deported from the United States, where she had fought for 20 years for a better life.
Trump election plot would have spurred 'revolution': ex-judge
A retired federal judge testified Thursday that Donald Trump's demand for Mike Pence to reject the results of the 2020 US election would have triggered a "revolution" had the vice president obeyed.
US urges Russia to open Ukrainian ports for grain exports
US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack called on Russia Thursday to rapidly open Ukraine's ports to permit the export of millions of tonnes of stockpiled grain.
US targets Chinese, Indian brokers in new Iran sanctions
The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on Iranian petrochemical producers as well as Chinese and Indian brokers, expanding pressure amid a deadlock in negotiations on restoring a nuclear deal.
EU leaders back Ukraine membership bid in trip to war-torn Kyiv
The European Union's most powerful leaders on Thursday embraced Ukraine's bid to be accepted as a candidate for EU membership, in a powerful symbol of support in Kyiv's battle against Russia's invasion.
Gazprom defends gas cuts as prices in Europe soar
Russian energy giant Gazprom on Thursday defended gas cuts to Europe as prices soared and tensions raged between Russia and the West over Ukraine.
LGBTQ tolerance billboards spark uproar in Ghana
Large billboards promoting LGBTQ tolerance have been torn down in Ghana's capital and other areas this month after sparking outrage in the West African country.
EU leaders vow to back Ukraine in visit to war-torn Kyiv
The leaders of major EU powers France, Germany and Italy vowed Thursday to help Ukraine defeat Russia and to rebuild its shattered cities, in a visit to a war-torn Kyiv suburb.
US airborne raid captures top IS operative in Syria
US coalition forces said they captured a senior Islamic State group bomb maker in a pre-dawn raid Thursday that, witnesses said, saw troops in helicopters swoop down on an isolated house in rebel-held northwestern Syria.
French left, Macron allies trade barbs ahead of tight polls
France's left-wing forces and allies of centrist President Emmanuel Macron exchanged bitter accusations Thursday ahead of the final round of tightly-contested parliamentary elections, where the French leader risks losing his overall majority.
Europe stocks tank as central banks fail to quell recession fears
European stock markets tumbled Thursday on fears of recession, despite central bank efforts to tame soaring inflation.
DR Congo to combat sectarian 'stigmatisation' amid Rwanda tensions
The Democratic Republic of Congo has pledged to combat stigmatisation and "manhunts," the national broadcaster said Thursday, a day after an anti-Rwanda protest descended into sectarian looting.
US airborne raid nets top IS operative in Syria
US coalition forces said they captured a senior Islamic State group bomb maker in an airborne operation before dawn Thursday in northern Syria.
Markets mostly fall as early Fed rate hike rally fades
Equity markets mostly fell Thursday and the dollar advanced as an early rally fuelled by a "dovish" Federal Reserve interest rate hike gave way to the prospect of an extended period of tight monetary policy.
Asian markets mixed as Fed rate hike rally fades
Asian markets were mixed Thursday as an early rally fuelled by a "dovish" Federal Reserve interest rate hike gave way to the prospect of an extended period of tight monetary policy.