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Oil majors go slow on green transition despite pressure
Most oil majors are stepping up investments in green energy but they are facing a barrage of recriminations and protests from activists for their refusal to completely forsake fossil fuels.
Philip Morris boss campaigns to sell more heated tobacco
US tobacco giant Philip Morris International is fighting to get Britain, France and other countries to make it easier to promote alternatives to cigarettes such as heated tobacco and vaping.
European stock markets struggle on US debt nerves
Europe's stock markets struggled Friday with investors nervous as a deadline to avert a calamitous US default draws closer.
Beloved Hong Kong bun festival returns after three years
Clanging gongs, dragon dances and costumed children paraded on poles Friday heralded the return of the Bun Festival to Hong Kong's island of Cheung Chau after three years of a pandemic-induced hiatus.
Growing old on the Croisette: Loach leads Cannes silver foxes
While much talk at Cannes this year has been about the unprecedented seven women directors in competition, an impressive cavalcade of ageing maestros has charmed the French Riviera festival, with 86-year-old Ken Loach entering the race on Friday.
Berlin police probe Pink Floyd's Roger Waters over Nazi-style uniform
Berlin police said Friday they were investigating Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters for incitement to hatred after he donned a Nazi-style uniform at a concert in the German capital.
Travel industry looks to Chinese tourists to cap post-Covid rebound
The return of Chinese tourists to destinations worldwide will top off a spectacular post-coronavirus global tourism revival this year, according to industry leaders.
Equity markets mostly rise on US debt ceiling optimism
Hopes that lawmakers are edging closer to a deal to hike the US debt ceiling lifted spirits on trading floors Friday, though investors remain nervous as a deadline to avert a calamitous default draws closer.
In Sudan's capital, risking death in search of water
Fighting in Sudan has left hundreds of thousands of Khartoum residents without running water, with some forced to risk their lives and seek it out during brief lulls in violence.
Asian markets mostly rise on US debt ceiling optimism
Hopes that lawmakers are edging closer to a deal to hike the US debt ceiling lifted spirits in Asia on Friday, though traders remain nervous as a deadline to avert a calamitous default draws closer.
Difficult times bring Russia and Cuba closer together
For the first time since the breakup of the Soviet Union, Russia is taking an intense interest in Cuba as Moscow has become increasingly isolated over its invasion of Ukraine.
Global stocks struggle but tech shares lifted by AI
Global stock markets wobbled Thursday as the US debt standoff dragged on and Germany entered recession, but tech shares surged after US chip firm Nvidia reported bumper earnings thanks to the AI boom.
Lufthansa signs deal for stake in Italy's ITA Airways
Lufthansa agreed on Thursday to buy a stake in ITA Airways, created from the ashes of state-owned Alitalia, marking the German airline giant's expansion in a key European market.
France charges five military personnel over 2021 Channel migrant boat tragedy
French prosecutors Thursday charged five military personnel over failing to come to the resue of dozens of people aboard a stricken migrant boat crossing the Channel to Britain in 2021, a judicial source said.
Animal rights activists 'rescue' lambs from farm on royal estate
Animal rights campaigners said on Thursday they had "rescued" three lambs from slaughter on a farm on King Charles III's Sandringham estate in eastern England.
Dark, lustful and complex: It's a woman's world at Cannes
From a sex offender to far-from-perfect mothers and girls unabashedly exploring their sexuality, this year's Cannes Film Festival has thrown out the stereotype of the one-dimensional female character.
Markets struggle but tech shares soar over AI
Global stock markets struggled Thursday as the US debt standoff dragged on and Germany entered recession, but tech shares surged after US chip firm Nvidia reported bumper earnings thanks to the AI boom.
Japan central bank chief admits 'big gap' on women officials
A "big gap" exists between female representation at Japan's central bank and its overseas counterparts, the bank's new governor Kazuo Ueda acknowledged Thursday.
Police Scotland is 'institutionally racist': chief constable
Police Scotland is "institutionally racist" and "discriminatory", the force's chief constable said on Thursday, after a review into its culture.
Graft case MEP Kaili allowed to remove electronic tag
Greek MEP Eva Kaili, the face of the "Qatargate" corruption scandal, has been allowed to remove an electronic ankle tag and freed from house arrest pending trial, prosecutors said Thursday.
Turkey's pro-Kurdish party keeps faith in Erdogan rival
Turkey's pro-Kurdish party decided Thursday to continue backing the main opposition leader despite his overtures to far-right parties in the runup to this weekend's historic presidential runoff.
UK's Sunak vows to cut immigration as figures hit new high
Net migration in the UK hit a record 606,000 in 2022, official figures showed on Thursday, heaping pressure on the government, which has pledged to cut dependency on foreign labour.
Markets struggle on German recession, US debt woes
Global stock markets struggled Thursday following news that Europe's biggest economy Germany has entered recession, and after Fitch warned that the US debt standoff could threaten its gold-plated credit rating.
Armenians hacked with Pegasus spyware during war: NGO
At least a dozen Armenian journalists, NGO workers and officials had their phones hacked with the notorious Pegasus spyware while the country fought with Azerbaijan, a rights group said Thursday.
South Korea launches homegrown rocket after delay
South Korea launched its homegrown Nuri rocket on Thursday, officials said, a day after it was forced to postpone due to a technical glitch just hours before lift-off.
And now the weather: cloudy with scattered showers of plastic
Diplomats from 175 countries gathering in Paris for plastics treaty talks on Monday may want to pack an umbrella, but not just because there's a chance of rain.
Guam 'weathers storm' as Typhoon Mawar moves west
Typhoon Mawar was moving away from Guam on Thursday, prompting the governor of the US territory to declare the island had "weathered the storm."
Germany in recession as inflation, higher interest bite
Germany fell into a recession around the turn of the year, official figures published Thursday showed, as inflation and higher interest rates curbed demand in Europe's largest economy.
High-stakes talks to end plastic pollution resume
Negotiations on a global treaty to combat plastic pollution will resume Monday, with nations under pressure to stem the tide of trash amid calls from campaigners to limit industry influence on the talks.
Most markets down as US debt impasse sparks Fitch ratings warning
Most Asian equities sank Thursday on fears of a US default as the struggle to hammer out a debt deal led Fitch to warn the country's gold-plated credit rating was at risk.
US, Microsoft warn Chinese hackers attacking 'critical' infrastructure
State-sponsored Chinese hackers have infiltrated critical US infrastructure networks, the United States, its Western allies and Microsoft said Wednesday while warning that similar espionage attacks could be occurring globally.
Singapore economy beats estimates but govt warns of global risks
Singapore's economy posted better-than-expected results in the first quarter of 2023, official data showed Thursday, but the government warned that the global outlook remains gloomy.