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Military salutes and K-pop madness shake up Colombia campaigning
Colombia's hard-right presidential candidate's bombastic campaigning methods have included adopting a military salute, comparing himself to a tiger and co-opting the national football jersey as his own symbol.
Recovery of ship traffic in Hormuz limited, but signs emerge
Maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz remains at levels before the Iran-US agreement, says the Kpler maritime tracking platform, but there are signs of recovery ahead of Friday's official reopening.
What happens when the Strait of Hormuz re-opens?
The vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane is expected to re-open on Friday after nearly four months, following the signing of a US-Iran agreement to end the Middle East war.
Oil and stocks both steady as US-Iran peace talks approach
Markets were giving little away on Wednesday, with small gains and losses across the main stocks and moderate increases in oil prices, ahead of the start of US-Iran peace talks and a rate decision from the Federal Reserve.
US retail sales beat expectations in May as energy costs stay high
US retail sales surged past expectations in May, government data showed Wednesday, boosted by higher spending at gas stations as energy costs remained elevated amid fallout from the Middle East war.
'Heartbreaking': Afghan govt staff abandon smartphones
Government workers in different parts of Afghanistan have started switching off their smartphones, following an order imposed Wednesday that they told AFP came from Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.
BBC eyes compulsory redundancies in cost-cutting drive
The BBC will axe some programming and may impose compulsory redundancies to deliver hundreds of millions of pounds of previously announced savings, its new Director-General Matt Brittin told staff Wednesday.
Japan puts the heat on suspected ice cream cartel
Summer is coming, a boom time for ice cream makers, but Japanese authorities have raided six major firms on suspicion of colluding to raise prices.
MEXC May Report: SPACEX Launchpad Oversubscribed 15.5x, US Equity Futures Volume Jumps 85%
MEXC, a pioneer in 0-fee digital asset trading, has published its May 2026 Trading Highlights report. Crypto-native users moved aggressively into traditional asset exposure throughout the month. US equity futures volume jumped 85%, the SPACEX(PRE) Launchpad hit a record-breaking 15.5x oversubscription, and new token spot trading volume per user grew 36% as capital rotated from Meme assets into RWA and AI infrastructure.
MEXC Prediction Markets Launches Combo to Enable Multi-Event Combination Trading
MEXC, a pioneer in 0-fee digital asset trading, has officially launched Combo, a new feature within its prediction markets ecosystem, in partnership with its collaborators. This marks the first time a centralized platform has introduced multi-event combination trading capabilities to prediction markets globally, through its partner.
Iranian tankers exit US blockade zone ahead of peace talks
The first tankers carrying Iranian oil exited a US blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, a tracking website said on Wednesday, two days before Washington and Tehran launch talks on an agreed peace deal still scant on details -- including Iran's nuclear programme and the lifting of sanctions.
US Fed set to hold rates steady at Warsh's first meeting in charge
The US Federal Reserve is expected to hold interest rates steady on Wednesday at Kevin Warsh's first meeting in charge of the central bank, with rate hikes potentially on the horizon to combat surging inflation.
After three sessions, SpaceX already among world's most valuable companies
SpaceX shares surged again Tuesday, lifting Elon Musk's rocket company into the world's top five in market value for most of the session as a record-breaking IPO gives way to a torrid buying frenzy.
Surging SpaceX overtakes Amazon to become 5th biggest company
SpaceX shares surged again Tuesday, lifting Elon Musk's rocket company above Amazon into fifth place in market value as a record-breaking IPO gives way to a torrid buying frenzy.
BMW downgrades 2026 targets on Mideast war, China woes
German carmaker BMW downgraded its 2026 targets Tuesday due to turmoil from the Middle East war and worsening business in key market China, and vowed to step up cost-cutting efforts.
Campaigners urge G7 chiefs to protect children from AI risks
Many governments have begun cracking down on young people's access to social media, but campaigners have appealed to G7 leaders meeting in France to move quickly on regulating generative artificial intelligence too.
Paris store to part ways with Shein after ownership change
French department store BHV Marais will end its partnership with Shein after its operating company said Tuesday it was selling the Paris outlet, following criticism of its deal with the Asian e-commerce giant.
US Federal Reserve kicks off first meeting with Warsh as chair
US Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh kicked off his first meeting in charge of the central bank's rate-setting committee on Tuesday, with policymakers largely expected to keep rates steady as the fallout of the Iran war ripples through the world's largest economy.
Oil drops below $80 on US-Iran deal
Oil prices dropped below $80 a barrel Tuesday on optimism over the promised reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, easing inflation pressures on global economies even though traders are eyeing the risk of Iranian "service fees" on ships transiting the strait.
How can France-UK mission help reopen Strait of Hormuz?
A military mission set up by France and Britain to help re-open the Strait of Hormuz is ready to deploy, following the announcement of a US-Iran deal to end the Middle East war.
EU to ban plant-based 'steaks' but veggie 'burgers' sizzle on
The EU parliament Tuesday passed a ban on marketing plant-based foods as "steak" or "bacon" -- though veggie "burgers" will get to stay on European menus.
Russian oil producer rations fuel as Ukraine attacks bite
Russian oil producer Tatneft has introduced fuel rationing at hundreds of petrol stations across the country, AFP learnt on Tuesday, as increased Ukrainian attacks hit Russia's refining capacity.
EU clears major hurdle on US tariff deal
The European Parliament gave a final sign off on Tuesday to a tariff deal with the United States as the EU seeks to close a volatile chapter of transatlantic trade relations.
Mideast war peace deal boosts German investor morale
German investor confidence jumped sharply in June, a key survey showed Tuesday, as the outlook improves for Europe's biggest economy following the announcement of a US-Iran peace deal.
Iran says talks on final US deal to begin this week
Iran said Tuesday that talks with the United States on its nuclear programme and sanctions relief would likely begin later this week, as President Donald Trump said the Strait of Hormuz would "completely open" once the foes sign their deal.
Stocks extend rally, oil falls further as peace optimism builds
Equities extended their rally and oil prices fell further on Tuesday, fuelled by the US-Iran peace deal and as tech firms tracked another blockbuster performance by SpaceX.
Bank of Japan hikes interest rate to 31-year high
The Bank of Japan hiked interest rates to a 31-year high on Tuesday as it battles inflation caused by the Middle East war -- even after Washington and Tehran agreed a peace deal.
Stocks extend rally, oil flat as peace optimism builds
Tokyo topped 70,000 and Seoul piled on more than two percent as equities extended their rally on Tuesday fuelled by the US-Iran peace deal and as tech firms tracked another blockbuster performance by SpaceX.
Deadline looms for UniCredit's hostile bid for Commerzbank
Tuesday marks the final day for UniCredit's hostile and highly political takeover offer for Commerzbank, as Italy's second-largest bank has its sights on an ambitious pan-European banking merger.
Bank of Japan hikes rate to 31-year high
The Bank of Japan hiked interest rates to a 31-year high Tuesday as it battles inflation caused by the Middle East war, even after Washington and Tehran agreed a peace deal.
India eyes biofertilisers after Mideast war stoked supply fears
Under a shed in north India, women scoop cow dung, lumps of unrefined sugar and flour to produce biofertiliser -- part of a growing effort to tackle anxieties over the supply of chemical fertilisers.
Most stocks rise, oil flat following peace deal-fuelled rally
Equities mostly rose Tuesday and oil prices held losses following the previous day's euphoric rally sparked by the US-Iran peace deal that will reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz.