AFP news

The Australian state of Victoria pulled out of hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games on Tuesday citing major cost blow-outs, leaving organisers fuming as they scrambled to keep the multi-sport event afloat.

Most Asian markets sank Tuesday as further weakness in China's economy fuelled worries about the effects on global growth, overshadowing optimism that the United States is winning its battle against inflation and could avoid a recession.

Sudanese army representatives have returned to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia for talks with their paramilitary foes, a government source said Saturday as the war between rival generals entered its fourth month.

G20 finance ministers and central bank chiefs opened talks Monday on debt restructuring deals, multilateral bank reform and finance to tackle climate change, as they aim to bolster a sagging global economy.

Unforgiving heat scorched parts of the Northern Hemisphere on Monday, triggering health warnings and fanning wildfires in the latest stark reminder of the effects of global warming.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived in the UAE on Monday to discuss cooperation on clean hydrogen, ammonia and recycled carbon fuels ahead of this year's UN climate talks in Dubai. Kishida flew in from Saudi Arabia, where he met de facto leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday. After talks with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, he will head to Qatar on Tuesday. Japan relies almost entirely on imports for its crude oil, with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar accounting for the bulk of its supplies.

Azerbaijan and Armenia held a fresh round of EU-mediated peace talks Saturday, while Russia offered a summit in Moscow in a bid to reassert its lead role in the normalisation process. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met in Brussels for talks aimed at resolving their decades-long conflict for the control of Armenian-populated Karabakh. European Council President Charles Michel, who mediated the discussions, said the exchanges were "frank, honest and substantive".

Twitter has lost roughly half of its advertising revenue, according to owner Elon Musk, since he bought the social media platform for $44 billion last October.

Among meandering alleyways in the historic market of Lebanon's southern city of Sidon, cobblers and menders are doing brisk business, as an economic crisis revives demand for once-fading trades.

An oppressive heat beats down on the central Iraqi province of Babylon, where drought and rising temperatures are hitting bees and honey production hard.

Scorching weather gripped three continents on Sunday, whipping up wildfires and threatening to topple temperature records as the dire consequences of global warming take shape.

The excavator tore into the remnants of the damaged building in southeast Turkey, bringing it crashing down into a cloud of dust -- the latest menace facing survivors of the deadly February quake that ravaged the region.

Redoubling support for war-stricken Ukraine is the "single best" way to aid the global economy, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Sunday, along with boosting emerging economies and tackling debt distress.

Rescuers battled on Sunday to reach people trapped in a flooded tunnel in South Korea, where at least 37 people have died and nine are missing after heavy rains caused flooding and landslides.

The Syrian government recently announced it would allow aid to cross into rebel-held areas after a United Nations mechanism expired, sparking concerns from humanitarian groups.

Ukraine on Sunday said fighting had "intensified" on the eastern front as Russian President Vladimir Putin deemed Kyiv's counteroffensive a failure.

Russia took control of shares belonging to French agribusiness Danone and Danish brewer Carlsberg, according to a decree published on Sunday.

Carlos Alcaraz believes his "dream" Wimbledon triumph against Novak Djokovic can signal a changing of the guard in men's tennis.

Libyan border guards have rescued dozens of migrants who have been left in the desert by Tunisian authorities without water and food, and their numbers are "rising", an officer said Sunday.

Sudanese refugee Mohannad had only been in Cairo a few weeks when his landlady told him he would have to pay triple the rent if he wanted to keep his apartment.

It rained on his parade, but Lionel Messi greeted his new Inter Miami fans and was hailed by the club's owner as "America's number 10" at a damp but celebratory unveiling event on Sunday.

The clock was ticking down Monday on the deal that allows Ukraine to export its grain via the Black Sea, with the agreement set to expire at midnight Istanbul time (2100 GMT).

China's economy grew 6.3 percent year on year in the second quarter, a figure that belies the country's slowing post-pandemic recovery and one that analysts warn is inflated given the low base of comparison with lockdown-wracked 2022.

Asian markets struggled Monday to build on last week's rally, with new data showing China's economy grew less than expected in the second quarter as its post-Covid recovery runs out of steam.

Interest rate hikes are forcing mobile operators to scale back investment in 5G networks, with equipment manufacturer Ericsson reporting Friday a rare net quarterly loss and Nokia lowering its outlook.

Kenya's interior ministry on Thursday said more than 300 people including a lawmaker had been arrested following violent anti-government protests that left nine dead.

ExxonMobil will acquire Denbury Inc., a specialist in enhanced oil recovery and carbon sequestration, for $4.9 billion as it builds out its low-carbon business, the oil giant announced Thursday.

A separatist official in Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan on Thursday called on Russia to ensure free movement on the only road linking the breakaway region to Armenia, warning of dire humanitarian consequences.

US President Joe Biden said Thursday that Russia's Vladimir Putin has already lost the war in Ukraine, expressing hope that Kyiv's counter-offensive would force Moscow to the negotiating table.