AFP news

Excited fans queued in the cold from morning to buy merchandise at Tokyo Dome before the four shows, part of the megastar's global Eras Tour -- the first billion-dollar-tour ever.

At least seven people were killed and 31 injured when a rain-induced landslide hit a gold-mining village in a mountainous region of the southern Philippines, officials said Wednesday.

US military action has so far failed to halt attacks by Iran-backed groups on Washington's forces in the Middle East and shipping in the Red Sea, with the threats persisting despite recent heavy air strikes.

The result has no tangible bearing on the race for the Republican nomination because it didn't carry any delegates -- the outcome of a row between state authorities and the Nevada GOP, which will hold a separate caucus this week.

A crackdown on independent media and the absence of any real opposition boosted the certainty of an easy win for Aliyev, whose troops recaptured the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave in September.

The corridor to the Angolan port of Lobito has been part-funded by Washington as part of its efforts to help Western companies compete with China for access to African minerals.

Rome's most majestic forum has recovered some of its former glory with a partial reconstruction of the imposing columns of Trajan's basilica -- using funds from a now-sanctioned Russian oligarch.

Its bottom line put the French energy conglomerate ahead of its global peers Shell, BP, Exxon-Mobil and Chevron which all reported lower earnings in the face of weaker energy prices.

There have been multiple security incidents in the run-up to the vote, with at least two candidates shot dead and dozens more targeted in attacks across the country.

Mats Ljungqvist said there had been "in-depth cooperation" with Germany over the September 2022 seabed operation and he would "hand over material that can be used as evidence in the German investigation."

The wave of strikes came as the EU's top diplomat was in the Ukrainian capital and with Kyiv calling on its Western allies to ramp up supplies of much-needed military aid, including air defenses.

Beijing has pledged more funding for the Maldives since pro-China President Mohamed Muizzu took power in November. Muizzu thanked China last month for its "selfless assistance" for development funds after a visit to Beijing.

Unlike Elizabeth, who cultivated an air of mystery and distance, Charles has shown himself to be much more accessible, at ease smiling and shaking hands with crowds at public events.

Truss spent just 49 days in office before she was ousted by her own party in October 2022 after her disastrous mini-budget spooked financial markets and sank the pound.

Australia's government said Tuesday it had expressed "outrage" to China over a suspended death sentence handed to Chinese-Australian dissident writer Yang Jun.

The announcement came less than five years after the Gulf kingdom fully opened up to tourism and as fears persist that the ongoing Israel-Hamas war could engulf the wider region.

The new independent panel will be led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna, who will work with three European research organizations, the UN said in a statement.

Heavy strikes and fighting in Gaza killed at least 99 people overnight, mostly women and children, said the health ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory that has been under almost four months of bombardment.

But scandals involving rigged engine and safety tests at Toyota subsidiaries led the company to slightly revise down its sales volume target for the financial year.

Two days ago, furious fans in Hong Kong booed Messi and club co-owner David Beckham, shouting "Refund", after the Argentina great failed to take the field for a sold-out friendly.

The annual results sparked fresh fury from the green lobby but herald a new era under new chief executive Murray Auchincloss, following the dramatic sacking of his predecessor Bernard Looney.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will try to build on the momentum from Europe's success in agreeing new aid for war-torn Ukraine when he heads to Washington this week, where President Joe Biden is struggling to overcome opposition to a US package.

The 14-time Grammy winner this month kicks off the Asia-Pacific leg of her "Eras" world tour with dates in Japan, Australia and, in March, Singapore.

Sales grew in the first three quarters for major releases including the new Zelda game, the company said, while the Super Mario movie helped sell games from the Mario franchise.

UBS chief Sergio Ermotti hailed the group's position nearly a year after it was strongarmed by Swiss authorities into a takeover aimed at averting a wider financial crisis.

Cannabis was taken off the list of banned narcotics in June 2022 under the previous government, which included the pro-legalisation Bhumjaithai party.

Footage on Indian television showed a tower of flame after the explosion at the firecracker plant, with dozens of ambulances sent and army helicopters called in to evacuate the wounded.

The OECD now expects a 2.9 percent expansion, up from 2.7 percent in its previous forecast in November, as it sharply lifted the outlook for the United States, the world's top economy.

Nearly 205 million people are eligible to cast their ballots in the February 14 vote that will determine the successor to popular two-term President Joko Widodo, who is barred from running to lead the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation again.