US Fed expected to hold rates steady ahead of key midterm elections
Meta, Snap head to trial in another case about social media's harms
Can this Latin Grammy-winner help Democrats win back Congress?
French Senate passes bill to make protesters pay for unrest damage
Politics
Tuvalu has 'limited' power to halt its fossil fuel investments: NZ govt papers seen by AFP
A low-lying Pacific nation urging drastic climate action has "limited ability" to halt its own government investments in fossil fuel companies, external advisers wrote in internal documents obtained by AFP.
Nature
India evacuates tens of thousands as Cyclone Arnab makes landfall
Ferocious winds and torrential rain lashed India's southeastern coast as Cyclone Arnab made landfall on Wednesday, forcing nearly 100,000 people to evacuate their homes in two states, authorities said.
Last news
Ukraine warns of outages after 'massive' attack on power plants
Ukraine on Wednesday warned of possible power shutdowns across the country after a "massive" wave of Russian missiles and drones targeted the battered Ukrainian energy system.
Bubbling profits for AB InBev despite Bud Light boycott
The world's largest brewer AB InBev on Wednesday toasted a jump in profits in the first quarter, despite a drop in beer sales driven by a Bud Light boycott in the United States.
AstraZeneca withdraws Covid vaccine as demand dives
Anglo-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca on Wednesday said it was withdrawing Covid vaccine Vaxzevria, one of the first produced in the deadly pandemic, citing "commercial reasons" following a slump in demand.
Ukraine suffers new wave of attacks on infrastructure
Ukraine's air force on Wednesday said it had downed dozens of Russian missiles and drones fired in an overnight barrage that targeted Ukrainian energy facilities.
US long jump legend Lewis sees little scope for progression
US long jump legend Carl Lewis does not see any immediate progression in what he dubbed the "toughest" of all field events, questioning the mental fortitude of easily distracted, up-and-coming athletes.
Palestinian symbol protest clouds Eurovision contest
Eurovision song contest organisers apologised after a Swedish singer breached a ban on political symbols by wearing a pro-Palestinian scarf as he performed.
Markets mixed as traders weigh rates outlook
Equity markets were mixed Wednesday as the latest global rally ran out of steam due to a lack of major catalysts, while investors contemplated the outlook for monetary policy.
Sangakkara backs Samson as India keeper for T20 World Cup
Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson has made his case to be India's first-choice wicketkeeper at the T20 World Cup, the team's director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara has said.
Spain struggles to stamp out drug trade in poor south
The killing of two police by drug traffickers has focused attention on smuggling networks in southern Spain, where poverty makes it easy for gangs to recruit youngsters.
Japanese auto giant Toyota posts record net profit
Toyota reported record annual net profit of more than $30 billion on Wednesday but the world's largest automaker by sales warned that the current year would be less spectacular.
Malaysia plans to introduce 'orangutan diplomacy': minister
Malaysia intends to gift orangutans to palm oil-purchasing countries as part of an initiative similar to China's panda diplomacy, the commodities minister said on Wednesday.
Table-topping Hurricanes beef up for Super Rugby showdown in Auckland
The Wellington Hurricanes have beefed up their starting side for Saturday's top-of-the-table Super Rugby showdown at the Auckland Blues, adding captain Brad Shields, plus All Blacks Jordie Barrett and TJ Perenara.
Rubbish, climate change help boost Portugal's white stork numbers
Above a flowering meadow in southern Portugal, three white stork nestlings click their beaks, adding to the chorus of a thriving stork population that has settled year-round in the country.
Europe's 'Swifties' await icon with open arms
When a pair of "Swifties" in The Netherlands tried to get a local Taylor Swift fan night going two years ago, club owners turned up their noses -- doubting the US megastar would be a hit with the hip crowd.
Israel launches fresh Gaza strikes as negotiators work towards truce
Israel struck targets in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday after seizing the main border crossing with Egypt, where negotiators were working to make good on their "last chance" to cement a ceasefire deal.
Mongolia's wildlife at risk from overgrazing
The icy peaks of Jargalant Mountain are supposed to belong to snow leopards, whose numbers have dwindled to fewer than 1,000 in Mongolia, but hard-pressed herders are increasingly pushing into the vulnerable animals' traditional habitat.
Toyota posts record yearly net income, revenue
Toyota said Wednesday that it enjoyed a record net profit of 4.94 trillion yen ($31.9 billion) in the year to March on revenues of 45.1 trillion yen, which was also an all-time high.
'A blessing': Rains refill Iraq's drought-hit reservoirs
The reservoir behind the massive Darbandikhan dam, tucked between the rolling mountains of northeastern Iraq, is almost full again after four successive years of drought and severe water shortages.
Milking venom from Australia's deadly marine animals
Imagine feeling like an elephant is sitting on your chest, you can't breathe, there's a sense of impending doom and the pain is so intense you want to die.
Top-seeded Celtics, Thunder win playoff openers
The top-seeded Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder rolled to convincing victories in their opening NBA playoff series on Tuesday.
US halts bomb shipment to Israel over Rafah concerns
The United States paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over fears it would invade the southern Gaza city of Rafah, an official said Tuesday, marking the first time in the conflict that President Joe Biden has squeezed military aid to the key US ally.
Global car giants seek tech allies in China's cutthroat EV market
Struggling foreign automakers in China are looking for help from local tech giants to try to stay competitive in the world's biggest electric car market, where shiny smart screens, assisted driving and sophisticated map technology are in high demand.
Mbappe denied dream PSG farewell after Champions League exit
Kylian Mbappe will not get his dream farewell from Paris Saint-Germain after their shock Champions League exit at the hands of Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday deprived him of playing his last game for the club in the final at Wembley next month.
Celtics rout Cavs to take playoff series opener
Jaylen Brown and Derrick White combined for 57 points as the Boston Celtics scored a dominant 120-95 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers to take a 1-0 lead in their best-of-seven NBA playoff series on Tuesday.
Kim Jong Un mourns death of North Korea's former propaganda chief
North Korea's former propaganda chief, credited with masterminding the personality cult surrounding the ruling Kim dynasty, has died, state media said Wednesday, with leader Kim Jong Un photographed bowing at his funeral bier.
US centenarian to marry at Normandy, 80 years after Allied landing
Americans Harold Terens and Jeanne Swerlin promise their courtship is "better than Romeo and Juliet": He is 100, she's 96, and they marry next month in France, where the groom-to-be served during World War II.
Ritacuba Blanco: death of a Colombian glacier
Just a few months ago, the Colombian mountain peak of Ritacuba Blanco was covered in an unbroken layer of white ice and snow, just as it had been for as long as anyone can remember.
US restorationist solves 60-million-year-old dinosaur fossil 'puzzles'
Before a T. rex can tower over museum visitors or a Triceratops can show off its huge horns, dinosaur fossils must first be painstakingly reconstructed -- cleaned, fit together and even painted.
US touts action on irregular migration at Guatemala gathering
Washington is redoubling efforts to disrupt irregular migration, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday at regional talks in Guatemala, as the hot-button issue looms large once again over US elections in November.
China's Xi in Serbia for talks to boost economic ties
Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold talks with his Serbian counterpart in Belgrade on Wednesday, as Beijing seeks to deepen its political and economic ties with friendlier countries in Europe.
Boeing Starliner crewed mission postponed to May 17
The first crewed launch of Boeing's Starliner spaceship to the International Space Station has been pushed to May 17 after engineers said a faulty rocket valve needs to be replaced for the high-stakes mission, NASA said Tuesday.
NBA fines Denver's Murray $100,000 for heating pad toss
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray was fined $100,000 by the NBA on Tuesday for throwing multiple objects toward a game official during live play, the league announced.