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US says Iran halts executions as Gulf allies pull Trump back from strike
The United States on Thursday said Iran halted 800 executions of protesters under pressure from President Donald Trump, after Gulf allies appeared to pull him back from military action over Tehran's deadly crackdown on demonstrations.
Goldman Sachs' profits jump on hot merger market
Goldman Sachs' quarterly profits jumped on robust merger activity as clients seize a "window" of opportunity during the Trump administration, bank officials said Thursday.
Venezuela's sidelined Machado arrives at White House for Trump talks
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado arrived at the White House on Thursday for talks with US President Donald Trump, who has sidelined her since toppling Nicolas Maduro -- and who openly covets her Nobel Peace Prize.
Oil prices slump after Trump eases concerns over Iran
Oil prices tumbled Thursday after US President Donald Trump appeared to dial down threats of imminent military action on crude producer Iran.
Syrians flee Kurdish-controlled area near Aleppo
Syrians began fleeing an area east of Aleppo city on Thursday after the army gave civilians a deadline to leave amid fears of an escalation in clashes with Kurdish forces.
Pressure piles on Musk's X to curb sexualised deepfakes
More governments vowed crackdowns Thursday to prevent Grok, the AI chatbot on Elon Musk's X platform, from undressing or sexualizing images of real people in their jurisdictions, in a face of a growing backlash against the deepfakes.
Fatal back-to-back Thailand crane failures tied to same firm
The collapse of a highway construction crane killed two people near Bangkok on Thursday, with Thailand's leader vowing to blacklist the building firm which was also involved in a crane failure the day before that left 32 dead.
Oil prices tumble after Trump eases concerns over Iran
Oil prices slumped Thursday after US President Donald Trump appeared to dial down threats of imminent military action on crude producer Iran.
Russia expels UK diplomat accused of being spy
Russia said Thursday it was expelling a British diplomat, calling him an undercover spy in an accusation blasted by London as "malicious" and "baseless."
German economy returns to growth, but headwinds fierce
Germany's economy eked out meagre growth in 2025 and dodged a third straight year of recession, data showed Thursday, but Europe's languishing industrial powerhouse still faces huge challenges to return to long-term health.
Musk's Grok AI bot barred from undressing images after backlash
Elon Musk's platform X announced measures to prevent its AI chatbot Grok from undressing images of real people, but the Philippines on Thursday said it would become the latest country to block the online tool in a growing global backlash.
Uganda votes under internet blackout and polling delays
Ugandans found polling stations still not open hours after voting was due to start Thursday, as President Yoweri Museveni seeks to extend his 40-year rule amid an internet shutdown and a police crackdown on the opposition.
'Silent crisis': the generation of Salvadorans deprived of a dad
Jade comes home from school each day to feed the chickens at her home in the Central American nation of El Salvador with her classmates' taunts ringing in her ears.
Trump to host Venezuelan opposition leader sidelined by US
US President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Thursday with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, whose pro-democracy movement he has sidelined since toppling her country's leader, and whose Nobel Peace Prize he openly envies.
Taiwan's TSMC logs net profit jump on AI boom
Taiwanese chipmaking titan TSMC announced Thursday a forecast-busting net profit for the fourth quarter in a sign of sustained global demand for AI technology.
Fatal back-to-back crane failures tied to same Thai firm: minister
The collapse of a highway construction crane killed two people near Bangkok on Thursday, with a Thai minister saying the building firm was also involved in a crane failure the day before that left 32 dead.
Uganda votes under internet blackout and police crackdown
Uganda was on edge as it headed for elections on Thursday, with President Yoweri Museveni expected to extend his 40-year rule amid an internet shutdown and a police crackdown on the opposition.
Spanish singer Julio Iglesias prepares defence against abuse allegations: Hola! magazine
Veteran Spanish singer Julio Iglesias is preparing his defence against sexual abuse and human trafficking allegations by two women ex-employees that have dominated headlines in Spain, celebrity magazine Hola! reported.
Trump says Iran killings stopped, Tehran says 'no plan for hanging'
US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he had been told the killings of protesters in Iran had been halted, but added that he would "watch it and see" about threatened military action.
US stocks fall again as Iran worries lift oil prices
Wall Street stocks fell again Wednesday as investors shrugged off solid bank earnings and US data while oil prices jumped on rising tensions between Washington and Tehran.
'Bridgerton' premieres in Paris promising 'Cinderella with a twist'
The promoters of Bridgerton, the most English of TV series, chose Paris Wednesday to launch the fourth series of the hit show whose key plotline promises to be "Cinderella with a twist", according to star Yerin Ha.
Battle over Chinese-owned chipmaker Nexperia rages in Dutch court
A Dutch court held hearings Wednesday to weigh whether to order an investigation into Nexperia, a Chinese-owned chip company at the centre of a global tug-of-war over critical semiconductor technology.
Italian influencer Ferragni acquitted in Christmas cake fraud trial
Italian fashion influencer Chiara Ferragni was acquitted Wednesday of aggravated fraud over charity endorsement deals in a case that has led to greater regulation of the sector in Italy.
Ryanair hits out at 'stupid' Belgium over aviation taxes
Low-cost airline Ryanair on Wednesday announced it is mulling a cut to flights in Belgium, especially at its major European hub of Charleroi Airport, because of Belgian authorities' "stupid" taxes.
African manufacturers welcome US trade deal, call to finalise it
African manufacturers on Wednesday welcomed US lawmakers' approval for renewing their duty-free access but called for urgency in finalising the deal.
'We can't make ends meet': civil servants protest in Ankara
Hundreds of angry civil servants marched through Ankara Wednesday demanding a realistic pay rise as they battle poverty amid the soaring prices and double-digit inflation.
Oil prices extend gains on Iran unrest
Oil prices rose further Wednesday on the political instability in major crude producer Iran, helping safe-haven gold to a new record high and weighing on the dollar.
Italian influencer Ferragni awaits verdict in Christmas cake fraud trial
Italian fashion influencer Chiara Ferragni on Wednesday was awaiting a verdict in a trial in which the Instagram star is accused of fraud over charity endorsement deals.
Dutch court hears battle over Nexperia
A Dutch court held hearings Wednesday to weigh whether to order an investigation into Nexperia, a Chinese-owned chip company at the centre of a global tug-of-war over critical semiconductor technology.
Luxury retailer Saks Global files for bankruptcy
US luxury retail group Saks Global, the parent company of Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, said Wednesday it had filed for bankruptcy.
Asian markets mostly up with politics bump for Tokyo
Asian markets largely rose on Wednesday as speculation about a snap election in Japan pushed up Tokyo shares, and oil prices dipped after a surge fuelled by instability in Iran.
China's trade surplus hit record $1.2 trillion in 2025
China reported strong trade numbers for 2025 on Wednesday, as its surplus rose year-on-year to a record $1.2 trillion despite a slump in exports to the United States after President Donald Trump hiked tariffs.