China’s cartel lifeline
Australia limits migration
Venezuela’s Oil Return
Sweden’s welfare reckoning
Rheinmetall sales keep surging despite cancelled naval frigate project
Real Madrid sign Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande
Pogacar teammate Del Toro gets new UAE deal after Tour podium
How online disinformation fuelled Ceuta migrant surge
Economy
Stocks tread water with earnings, tech in focus
Global stock markets were stuck in neutral Thursday as investors assessed the latest batch of corporate earnings, with tech firms back under pressure while awaiting developments over a potential US-Iran deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Economy
Inevitable AI Group Raises $6M From Aleph to Launch AI-Native SaaS Companies
Inevitable AI Group (IAIG), an AI-native venture studio founded by veteran technology entrepreneurs, today announced a $6 million pre-seed funding round led by Aleph. The company is building and launching dozens of AI-native software businesses designed to capitalize on the rapidly changing economics of software development.
Last news
US hiring soars past expectations as unemployment edges down
US job growth beat expectations in January while unemployment crept down, official data showed Wednesday, defying immediate concerns about labor market fragility on the back of President Donald Trump's economic policies.
Stock markets rise as US jobs data beats expectations
World stock markets mostly rose on Wednesday as data showed US job growth beat expectations in January, reassuring investors about the outlook for the world's top economy.
Daniel Siad, the modelling scout with close ties to Epstein
Hundreds of emails containing photographs of young women from around the world suggest modelling scout Daniel Siad may have been a significant recruiter for convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to public documents reviewed by AFP.
France lawmakers urge changes to counter dwindling births
French lawmakers Wednesday urged longer paid parental leave and more financial support to make it easier for people to have more children, after deaths last year exceeded births in France for the first time in decades.
Von Allmen focuses on 'here and now' after making Olympic ski history
Franjo von Allmen may have written his name into the annals of Olympic alpine skiing, but the grounded Swiss racer said ski history was wasted on him.
Actor behind Albania's AI 'minister' wants her face back
An actor whose face was used by Albania's government for an AI chatbot that it promoted to be a "minister" told AFP on Wednesday that she had launched a legal fight to stop the use of her image and accused the government of "exploitation".
Von Allmen joins Olympic skiing greats, Kim seeks snowboard history
Swiss skier Franjo von Allmen joined the Olympic greats on Wednesday by winning his third gold medal of the Milan-Cortina Games, while Chloe Kim stayed on track to make her own history in snowboarding.
Eat less meat, France urges, for sake of health, climate
The French government issued a long-awaited report Wednesday urging people to limit meat consumption for their health and also to fight climate change -- and not everyone in the country of "steak-frites" is thrilled.
Australia cruise past Ireland at World Cup after skipper Marsh ruled out
A depleted Australia shrugged off the loss of their captain Mitchell Marsh to injury to cruise to a dominant 67-run opening T20 World Cup win over Ireland in Colombo on Wednesday.
IOC to try to convince Ukrainian not to wear banned helmet
The International Olympic Committee will try to convince Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych to not wear a banned helmet that depicts victims of the war with Russia at the Milan-Cortina Games, a spokesperson said Wednesday.
Barca missing Rashford, Raphinha for Atletico cup clash
Barcelona will be without both of their left wingers Marcus Rashford and Raphinha for the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg clash at Atletico Madrid on Thursday.
Tractors hit Madrid to protest EU's trade deal with South America
Hundreds of honking tractors rolled into Madrid on Wednesday as Spanish farmers staged a protest against the European Union’s trade deal with four South American countries.
US snowboard star Kim stays on track for historic Olympic hat-trick
US superstar Chloe Kim said "muscle memory" had kicked in as she began her quest for a historic Olympic women's snowboard hat-trick on Wednesday by topping qualifying at Livigno Snow Park.
The obstacles to holding war-time elections in Ukraine
Throughout Russia's four-year invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin -- and more recently the White House -- have said Ukraine must hold elections as part of any peace deal.
History-maker Von Allmen wins third Olympic gold
Franjo von Allmen became only the third male skier in history to win three gold medals at a single Winter Games when he claimed victory in Wednesday's super-G in Bormio.
Depleted Australia reach 182-6 as skipper Marsh ruled out of Ireland clash
A depleted Australia, rocked by the loss of their captain Mitchell Marsh to injury, eked out 182-6 against Ireland on Wednesday in their opening T20 World Cup match in Colombo.
Dutch court orders investigation into China-owned Nexperia
A Dutch court on Wednesday ordered a formal investigation into alleged mismanagement at Nexperia, a Chinese-owned chip firm at the centre of a global tug-of-war over critical semiconductor technology.
US snowboard star Kim stays on track for Olympic hat-trick
US snowboard superstar Chloe Kim began her bid for a historic women's Olympic halfpipe hat-trick in style on Wednesday, dominating qualifying at Livigno Snow Park.
Spurs sack Frank after miserable eight-month reign
Tottenham Hotspur have sacked head coach Thomas Frank after less than eight months in charge following a 2-1 defeat at home to Newcastle on Tuesday, which left them a mere five points above the Premier League relegation zone.
Stock markets mixed, dollar dips before US jobs data
World stock markets diverged and the dollar slipped Wednesday ahead of US jobs data as investors weighed the outlook for Federal Reserve interest rates and digested more annual earnings.
Hong Kong journalists face 'precarious' future after Jimmy Lai jailed
For Hong Kong journalists, this week's sentencing of pro-democracy newspaper boss Jimmy Lai cements a climate of fear and self-censorship in the years since Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law.
French AI firm Mistral to build data centres in Sweden
French AI developer Mistral said Wednesday that it would build data centres in Sweden, its first outside France, as it races to compete with the sector's biggest names.
Frank sacked by Spurs after Newcastle defeat
Tottenham Hotspur have sacked head coach Thomas Frank after less than eight months in charge following a 2-1 defeat at home to Newcastle on Tuesday which left them just five points above the Premier League relegation zone.
South Africa pip Afghanistan in double super over T20 thriller
South Africa prevailed in a double super over thriller as Afghanistan came up agonisingly short of a famous victory after their T20 World Cup clash ended in a tie on Wednesday.
Three Ukrainian toddlers, father, killed in Russian drone attack
A Russian drone strike on a house in northeastern Ukraine killed three toddlers and their father and wounded their pregnant mother, officials said Wednesday.
Siemens Energy trebles profit as AI boosts power demand
German turbine maker Siemens Energy said Wednesday that its quarterly profits had almost tripled as the firm gains from surging demand for electricity driven by the artificial intelligence boom.
WTO must reform, 'status quo is not an option': chief
The World Trade Organization must urgently reform itself, its chief warned Wednesday, saying that "I don't think the status quo is an option".
European airlines warn of 'severe disruption' from new border checks
European airlines warned Wednesday that the new entry system for travellers into the Schengen open-borders zone will cause "severe disruption" over peak summer months, and called for action to resolve "critical issues" behind already existing delays.
French rape survivor Gisele Pelicot to reveal pain and courage in memoirs
Gisele Pelicot, the French woman who survived mass rapes organised by her husband at their home, is set to reveal intimate details about her marriage and her decision to go public in her upcoming book, according to extracts published in the media.
EU eyes tighter registration, no-fly zones to tackle drone threats
The EU on Wednesday said it wanted to tighten drone registration, create no-fly zones and ramp up detection at critical sites after a string of unexplained sightings rocked European countries last year.
Shooter kills 9 at Canadian school, residence
A shooter killed nine people and wounded dozens more at a secondary school and a residence in a remote part of western Canada on Tuesday, authorities said, in a rare mass shooting in the country.
Australia captain Marsh out of World Cup opener, Steve Smith to fly in
Australia captain Mitchell Marsh was ruled out of their opening T20 World Cup match against Ireland in Colombo on Wednesday after being struck in the groin during training, with Steve Smith jetting in as cover.