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US, European stock markets look to ring out year with gains
Wall Street stocks moved higher on Tuesday, looking to ring out the year with gains as did Europe's main stock markets, as all eyes turn to 2025 and the impact that the policies of US President-elect Donald Trump will have on the global economy.

US farmers fret over Trump's deportation plans
Lifelong farmer Joe Del Bosque knows that America can't live without immigrants, but he worries that many of his countrymen think it can't live with them either.

Global markets rode AI, interest rate roller coaster in 2024
Despite political upheavals, stock markets and bitcoin smashed records in 2024, fuelled by investor enthusiasm for AI, falling interest rates, and hopes of tax cuts.

European stock markets end year with gains
Europe's main stock markets ended the year Tuesday with solid gains, as all eyes turn to 2025 and the impact that the policies of US president-elect Donald Trump will have on the global economy.

Asian stocks dip as Santa snubs Wall Street
Asian stocks ended the year in the red on Tuesday after worries about 2025 and profit-taking turned Wall Street's usual holiday-period "Santa Claus rally" into a mini-rout.

More than half of Syrian children out of school: Save the Children to AFP
About half of school-age children in Syria are missing out on education after nearly 14 years of civil war, Save the Children told AFP on Monday, calling for "immediate action".

No Santa rally for stocks as equities slide
Global stock markets mostly fell Monday in jittery holiday trading ahead of a potentially tumultuous 2025 when Donald Trump returns to the White House.

Stock markets, dollar retreat
European and Asia stock markets mostly fell Monday in jittery holiday trade ahead of a potentially tumultuous 2025 when Donald Trump returns to the White House.

Anguish for South Korea plane crash relatives amid grim salvage
Cries of anguish echoed through a lounge at Muan International Airport in South Korea on Monday as families waited for news of relatives killed in the weekend's Jeju Air plane crash.

New year nerves hit Asian stocks
Asia stocks mostly fell Monday in jittery holiday trade ahead of a potentially tumultuous 2025 when Donald Trump returns to the White House.

Ex-husband convicted in French mass rape trial will not appeal: lawyer
The Frenchman convicted of drugging and raping his then wife and soliciting dozens of men to do the same for more than a decade will not appeal his verdict, his lawyer said Monday.

Belgium becomes first EU country to ban disposable e-cigarettes
Wildly popular with young people for their dizzying array of flavours, including apple, watermelon and cola, the time is up for disposable e-cigarettes in Belgium -- the first EU country to ban them.

Asia stocks mostly down after Wall St losses
Asia stocks mostly fell in thin holiday trade on Monday after tech losses killed off the traditional year-end lift on Wall Street at the end of last week.

Taliban leader bans windows overlooking women's areas
The Taliban's supreme leader has issued an order banning the construction of windows in residential buildings that overlook areas used by Afghan women and saying that existing ones should be blocked.

179 dead in South Korea's worst plane crash
A Jeju Air plane carrying 181 people from Thailand to South Korea crashed on arrival Sunday, smashing into a barrier and bursting into flames, killing everyone aboard except for two flight attendants plucked from the wreckage.

At least 177 dead in South Korea's worst plane crash
A Jeju Air plane carrying 181 people from Thailand to South Korea crashed on arrival Sunday, smashing into a barrier and bursting into flames, leaving all but two feared dead.

Three die in clandestine Channel crossing attempt
Three migrants died Sunday in an attempt to cross the English Channel from France to Britain, a local mayor told AFP.

All but two feared dead after South Korea plane crashes with 181 aboard
A Jeju Air plane carrying 181 people from Thailand to South Korea crashed on arrival Sunday, smashing into a barrier and bursting into flames, leaving all but two feared dead.

Japan's Wajima craftmakers see hope in disaster-hit region
Lacquerware maker Takaho Shoji hunches over his desk in the disaster-hit city of Wajima in central Japan, applying another layer of coating to a dark, wooden box.

Suriname rules out state funeral for ex-dictator Bouterse
Suriname's government announced Saturday that the small South American nation will not hold a state funeral for its ex-president Desi Bouterse, who this week died a fugitive from justice aged 79.

Turkey's pro-Kurd party meets jailed PKK leader
A delegation from Turkey's main pro-Kurdish DEM party on Saturday visited jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who is serving life on a prison island off Istanbul, party officials said.

EU universal charger rules come into force
EU rules requiring all new smartphones, tablets and cameras to use the same charger came into force on Saturday, in a change Brussels said will cut costs and waste.

Tech slump slays Santa rally, weak yen lifts Japan stocks higher
Hopes for a Santa Claus rally on Wall Street fell Friday as tech stocks slid lower, while a weaker yen lifted Japanese equities.

Montenegro to extradite crypto entrepreneur Do Kwon to US
Montenegro announced on Friday that it would extradite South Korean cryptocurrency entrepreneur Do Kwon to the United States, following a year and a half of dizzying court rulings and subsequent reversals over his removal.

Brazil views labor violations at BYD site as human 'trafficking'
Authorities in Brazil said Friday they are probing Chinese auto giant BYD and one of its contractors for suspected "trafficking" of Chinese workers building a factory in the South American country.

Weak yen lifts Japan stocks higher, Wall Street slides
A weaker yen lifted Japanese equities on Friday, while Wall Street's major indices slid in quiet holiday trading.

Tourists return to post-Olympic Paris for holiday magic
Holidaymakers are returning to Paris for winter holiday magic as the tourism industry rebounds, inspired by the successful Olympic Games and the re-opening of Notre Dame cathedral.

Global stocks rise as Japan led Asia gains on a weaker yen
Global stocks mostly rose on Friday, as European markets returned from the Christmas break tracking Asia gains after a weaker yen lifted Japanese equities.

Asian markets mostly rise but political turmoil holds Seoul back
Asian markets mostly rose on Friday, with Japanese shares gaining on a weaker yen, although Seoul shares plunged as South Korea's political crisis deepened with a second impeachment vote.

Move over Mercedes: Chinese cars grab Mexican market share
The growing popularity of Chinese sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks has shaken up Mexico's luxury car market, hitting sales of traditionally dominant brands such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

Japanese shares gain on weaker yen after Christmas break
Japanese stocks rose Friday on a weaker yen after a muted day on Wall Street following the Christmas holiday.

Fleeing Myanmar, Rohingya refugees recall horror of war
They clung on through years of conflict in Myanmar but a surge of fighting has driven tens of thousands more Rohingya to flee, escaping with little more than harrowing tales of war.