AFP news

Authorities last month unveiled several stimulus policies -- from interest rate cuts to relaxing home-buying rules -- after struggling since the end of Covid restrictions to reignite growth and get business activity back on track.

Officials meeting in Baku next month for the COP29 summit hope to agree on new finance targets to help developing countries respond to climate change, including ditching fossil fuels.

Far-right gains in several European countries have helped put migration issues atop the agenda as home affairs ministers from the bloc's 27 states meet in Luxembourg ahead of a gathering of EU leaders later this month.

Recent months have seen a spate of violent clashes between Chinese and Philippine vessels in waters around disputed reefs and islands in the South China Sea.

7-Eleven is the world's biggest convenience store chain and has more than 85,000 outlets worldwide, around a quarter of those in Japan.

Determining how to address Google's wrongs is the next stage of a landmark antitrust trial that saw the company in August judged a monopolist by US District Court Judge Amit Mehta.

Netanyahu is set to speak with US President Joe Biden on Wednesday about Israel's response to last week's missile attack by Iran, Hezbollah's main backer, US news outlet Axios reported, citing US officials.

Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has governed Japan almost uninterrupted for decades -- albeit with frequent leader changes -- and is almost certain to be re-elected.

Brazil's Supreme Court said Tuesday it was lifting a ban on Elon Musk's social network X, which was blocked in its biggest Latin American market for over a month amid a row over disinformation.

The stadium began hosting concerts again earlier this year after it completed a years-long revamp that included an undulating metal roof, new lighting, shops, VIP areas and a retractable pitch.

The disputed South China Sea will also be on the agenda at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gathering, after months of violent clashes between Chinese vessels and Philippine and Vietnamese fishermen.

Croatia will host 12 regional states plus Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, on his latest trip to rally backing from allies as the looming US election throws Ukraine's fortunes into doubt.

Despite indicators showing the US economy is moving in a healthy direction, many Americans remain pessimistic about business and job prospects -- a mood that poses a frustrating problem for Vice President Kamala Harris in her neck-and-neck race with Donald Trump for the White House.

In a statement, Pyongyang said it would "cut off roads and railways" that might have someday facilitated travel between the two Koreas.

In the final run-up to the announcement, Nobel-watchers are struggling to predict this year's laureate, with wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, famine in Sudan, and a collapsing climate painting a grim picture of world affairs.

One of the poorest countries in the world, the discovery in 2010 of vast offshore gas deposits in the north raised hopes of boosting government revenues.

After blockbuster performances in the wake of last month's announcements to kickstart growth, traders were left deflated Tuesday after a news conference that fell short of expectations and revived worries about the outlook.

Japan's biggest retailer Seven & i last month rejected ACT's initial offer, saying the $40 billion proposal undervalued its business and could face regulatory hurdles.

The Japanese gamemaker did not give a target date for the release but said it had "started the development of a film production" with the Hollywood behemoth.

About 33,000 Boeing workers in the Pacific Northwest have been on strike for nearly a month in a fight focused on higher wages and improved retirement benefits.

The Tesla CEO has so far offered few details about exactly what will be unveiled at Thursday's event, dubbed "We, Robot," which will take place at Warner Brothers studio in Los Angeles.

Lawmakers have accused the 59-year-old deputy to President William Ruto of corruption, undermining the government and practicing ethnically divisive politics, among a host of other charges.

Gun manufacturers and owners are objecting to a 2022 rule from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) that requires ghost guns, like other firearms, to have serial numbers and for purchasers to undergo background checks.

An independent appeals panel was unveiled Tuesday to decide disputes between social media firms and their users in the European Union over content posted on their platforms.

Ukrainian media have reported that six North Korean military officers were killed in a Ukrainian missile attack on Russian-occupied territory near Donetsk on October 3.

Foxconn, also known by its official name Hon Hai Precision Industry, is the world's biggest contract electronics manufacturer and assembles devices for major tech companies, including Apple.

The playmaker called time on a sensational career on Tuesday aged 40, most of which he spent pulling the midfield strings for Barcelona's most decorated side.

The Iran-backed Hezbollah said it had fired rockets at the Israeli city of Haifa, after the Israeli military reported 85 projectiles crossing from Lebanon.

Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government cancelled Kashmir's partial autonomy to control its affairs in 2019, a sudden decision accompanied by mass arrests and a months-long communications blackout.