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Trump pressures US Senate with divisive cabinet picks

Questions -- and, for some, outrage -- intensified over several of President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet picks Friday, as Washington awaits announcements for more major positions including head of the FBI and Treasury.

US finalizes up to $6.6 bn funding for chip giant TSMC

The United States will award Taiwanese chip giant TSMC up to $6.6 billion in direct funding to help build several plants on US soil, officials said Friday, finalizing the deal before a new administration enters the White House.

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France's Le Pen says 'so close' as election battle enters crucial stage

French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said Thursday she had never been "so close" to power at a jubilant final rally before this weekend's election, which polls suggest is an increasingly tight battle between her and President Emmanuel Macron.

Russian Nobel laureate Muratov assaulted on train

Russian journalist and Nobel Peace prize laureate Dmitry Muratov was Thursday assaulted on a train by a person who sprayed him with paint, his newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported.

Revoke Russian investor passports, Zelensky urges Cyprus

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday urged Cyprus to revoke passports issued to Russians through an investment scheme and stop private yachts docking in its marinas.

Pakistan PM Khan faces boot after court orders parliament restored

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan faces being booted from office at the weekend after the Supreme Court ruled Thursday that parliament had been illegally dissolved and a no-confidence vote on his government must go ahead.

Le Pen in final push ahead of tight French election battle

French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen made a final push for votes Thursday, three days ahead of an election which polls project as an increasingly tight battle against President Emmanuel Macron.

US Treasury secretary calls for improved cryptocurrency rules

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Thursday called for increased oversight of cryptocurrencies, after President Joe Biden last month green-lit work on creating a digital American dollar.

Kenya unveils $28 billion budget to spur recovery

Kenya's finance minister on Thursday unveiled a $28 billion budget aimed at helping the economy recover after the Covid-19 pandemic threw hundreds of thousands of people out of work.

Kyiv warns of Russian attack as civilian deaths mar talks

Ukraine warned residents in the east of the country Thursday to take their "last chance" to flee a feared Russian assault, as outrage over civilian deaths around the capital Kyiv cast a shadow over halting negotiations to stop the six week-old conflict.

US Senate votes to end normal trade ties with Russia

The US Senate voted unanimously Thursday to end normal trade relations with Moscow and codify the ban on Russian oil, as the White House ratcheted up pressure on President Vladimir Putin over his invasion of Ukraine.

Advocacy groups ask US to crack down on gun industry ads

Likening "unfair and deceptive" firearms advertising to that of tobacco products, gun safety advocates Thursday asked US regulators to crack down on the industry.

Second Iran cleric dies after knifing at shrine

A suspected jihadist attack at a revered shrine in Iran has claimed the life of a second Shiite Muslim cleric, state television said on Thursday.

Russia sanctions throw spotlight on Putin's guarded private life

Western sanctions targeting not just the inner circle of Russian President Vladimir Putin but also his family have thrown a rare and unwanted spotlight on his private life, which the Kremlin has guarded with the fiercest secrecy.

US bans exports to three Russian airlines for sanctions violations

The US government has banned exports to Russia's state airline Aeroflot as well as two other carriers for flying aircraft in violation of sanctions, the Commerce Department said Thursday.

US House speaker Pelosi tests positive for Covid

Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic speaker of the US House of Representatives, has tested positive for Covid-19, her spokesman said Thursday.

Stocks waver as investors brace for US Fed tightening

US and European stocks fluctuated Thursday after minutes from central banks showed US policymakers ready to aggressively wind back easy-money policies while their eurozone counterparts disagreed over their own way forward.

Yemen president cedes powers to council as ceasefire holds

Yemen's president said Thursday he is handing his powers to a new leadership council, in a major shake-up in the coalition battling Huthi rebels as a fragile ceasefire takes hold.

UN inaction on China abuses 'huge disappointment': Uyghur campaigner

The UN rights chief has miserably failed to address China's "genocide" against the Uyghur minority, a leading campaigner told AFP, demanding that a long-delayed report on abuses be released "immediately".

Yemen president cedes powers to council as peace talks beckon

Yemen's president said Thursday he is handing his powers to a new leadership council, in a major shake-up in the coalition battling Huthi rebels as a fragile ceasefire takes hold.

Spat over AU envoy drives new wedge between Somalia's leaders

Somalia's feuding leaders were locked in a fresh dispute Thursday after the prime minister ordered the expulsion of the African Union's envoy -- a move rejected by the president as "illegal".

Ukraine warns of 'last chance' to flee as Russia prepares eastern attack

Ukraine urged its residents in the east of the country Thursday to take their "last chance" to flee mounting Russian attacks, after devastation around the capital Kyiv shocked the world.

Le Pen vows headscarf fines in tight French election battle

French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen vowed Thursday to issue fines to Muslims who wear headscarves in public, as candidates made a final push for votes three days ahead of an election seen as increasingly close.

Australia, Myanmar junta meeting 'unacceptable': HRW

Human Rights Watch on Thursday slammed a meeting between Australia's ambassador to Myanmar and the military junta chief, saying it was "lending credibility" to a regime accused of war crimes.

UK denies climate retreat despite rethink on fossil fuels

Britain insisted Thursday it was sticking to its climate change goals despite unveiling a new energy strategy that foresees new drilling for North Sea fossil fuels.

Yemen's Hadi cedes powers to new leadership council as peace talks beckon

Yemen's president announced Thursday he is handing his powers to a new leadership council, in a major shake-up in the coalition battling Huthi rebels as a fragile ceasefire takes hold.

Sri Lanka president asks experts to plan debt restructure

Sri Lanka's beleaguered president has appointed an expert panel to organise a debt restructure to claw the country out of a crippling economic crisis that has sparked huge protests demanding his resignation.

Spain's Sanchez visits Morocco as tensions ease

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visits Morocco on Thursday, after Madrid reversed decades of policy on the Western Sahara to end a year-long diplomatic crisis, a U-turn that has angered Algeria.

Australia frees refugees from Djokovic detention hotel: activists

Australia on Thursday released the last refugees held in a former hotel where tennis superstar Novak Djokovic was spectacularly detained earlier this year, activists said.

Civilians try to flee east Ukraine as Russia prepares attack

Desperate evacuation attempts from eastern Ukraine were under way Thursday as authorities warned of an imminent Russian offensive, following the devastation around Kyiv that has shocked the world.

Yemen's president transfers power to new leadership council

Yemen's president announced Thursday he is handing his powers to a new leadership council, in a major shake-up in the coalition battling Huthi rebels as a fragile ceasefire takes hold.

Russian, Belarusian runners banned from Boston Marathon

Russian and Belarusian runners will not be allowed to take part in this year's Boston Marathon because of the invasion of Ukraine, organisers said on Wednesday.

Fleeing Russians help Uzbekistan chase IT dreams

Hit by regular power cuts and with popular sites like Twitter and TikTok blocked, the Central Asian nation of Uzbekistan hardly seems a likely candidate for a tech boom.

Asia tracks Wall St losses as Fed prepares to tighten screws

Asian equity markets fell Thursday after minutes from the Federal Reserve's latest policy meeting indicated it is preparing to aggressively wind back its monetary policy, while oil prices bounced back from another big drop.

From Kyiv to the Venice Biennale: Ukrainian artwork saved from war

On the day Russia invaded Ukraine, Maria Lanko loaded her car with several works of art and, like thousands of other Kyiv residents, headed west.

Putin's daughters, sanctioned by US, hidden from public eye

Little is known publicly about Russian President Vladimir Putin's daughters, sanctioned on Wednesday by the US government over Moscow's "atrocities in Ukraine."

Red Cross evacuee convoy arrives from Russian-held city

A Red Cross convoy arrived in the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia on Wednesday after failing to reach the besieged port city of Mariupol, an AFP journalist on the scene reported.

Turkey fishermen fear mines in Black Sea

Turkish fisherman Sahin Afsut fears the worst: hitting a mine and "disappearing underwater in the blink of an eye".

IS captives were forced to sing 'Hotel Osama': French hostage

A French journalist held by the Islamic State in Syria testified Wednesday that he and other hostages were forced by their captors to sing a depraved parody of the Eagles song "Hotel California" called "Hotel Osama."

In tragic Bucha, people search for the missing

As Bucha emerges from the horror of the Russian occupation, townspeople are desperate to know the fate of loved ones. Some know how their story ends. Others still wait to find out, hoping against hope it will not end in tragedy.

Protester killed as Sudanese protest 3 years after anti-Bashir sit-in

A Sudanese protester was killed Wednesday as thousands rallied against last year's military coup on the anniversary of previous popular uprisings, most recently against autocrat Omar al-Bashir three years ago.

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