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US conservatives boycott Bud Light after transgender partnership
The popular US beer Bud Light has long carved out an all-American brand for itself -- finding success in its ubiquity by being available in seemingly any bar, yet establishing a niche along the way with patriotic cultural conservatives.
K-pop star Moonbin of boy band Astro dies at 25
K-pop star Moonbin, a member of the boy band Astro, has died, his music label and South Korean police said Thursday, prompting an outpouring of grief from fans.
67 million children missed out on vaccines because of Covid: UNICEF
Some 67 million children partially or fully missed routine vaccines globally between 2019 and 2021 because of lockdowns and health care disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the United Nations said Wednesday.
Florida extends 'Don't Say Gay' law to all school years
Florida on Wednesday extended its controversial ban on lessons related to gender identity and sexual orientation to all school grades, a move pushed by the southern US state's Republican governor and likely presidential candidate Ron DeSantis.
Tesla profits fall on vehicle price cuts sending shares down
Tesla reported a drop in first-quarter earnings Wednesday as price cuts at Elon Musk's electric vehicle company boosted demand but hit profit margins.
No more red envelopes: Netflix ejects DVD service
After shipping out more than five billion DVDs in its trademark red envelopes, Netflix has finally called time on the movies-by-mail subscription service that launched the Hollywood streaming colossus.
UN chief to host May meeting on Afghanistan in Doha
The UN secretary-general is convening an international meeting on Afghanistan May 1-2 in Doha, where envoys will seek a "durable way forward" for the war-ravaged nation, his spokesman said Wednesday.
HSBC urges shareholders to vote against proposed split
Bank giant HSBC on Wednesday reached out to shareholders, urging them to vote down a proposal by its largest stakeholder, Chinese insurer Ping An, to split the business.
Interest rate concerns, inflation hobble stock markets
Stubbornly high UK inflation and worries about future central bank moves to tame rampant consumer prices helped drag down stocks across much of the world on Wednesday.
EU pledges more cash in Ukraine grain standoff, Bulgaria bans imports
Brussels on Wednesday offered an extra 100 million euros of support for EU farmers to ease a standoff over Ukrainian grain after Bulgaria became the latest country to approve a temporary ban on food products from the war-hit nation.
Iraq's Yazidis mark New Year still haunted by IS horrors
One by one, members of Iraq's minority Yazidi community light oil lamps to mark their New Year at a sacred shrine, but for Omar Sinan the celebration cannot erase the atrocities of jihadist rule.
Family planning in India: A woman's burden
Occasional screams sounded from the operating theatre in a rural Indian clinic as a heavily sedated woman named Kajal waited to have her tubes tied, long the country's preferred family planning method.
European Space Agency chief eyes tapping private industry partners
European Space Agency director Josef Aschbacher promised a "transformation" of the continent's space sector in the coming years during an interview with AFP, including more collaboration between government and private industry.
Spain's exiled former king makes second visit home
Spain's disgraced former king Juan Carlos returned home on Wednesday for the second time since he moved to Abu Dhabi in 2020 amid fraud investigations.
World stock markets retreat, with eyes on central banks
Global stock markets retreated Wednesday as traders digested stubbornly high UK inflation and mulled central bank moves in the fight against rampant consumer prices.
German union calls for new rail strike Friday
German transport union EVG on Wednesday called for a rail strike as workers demand higher wages to cope with high rates of inflation, the latest industrial action in Europe's largest economy.
UK inflation holds above 10% on rampant food prices
UK inflation slowed last month but held above 10 percent on soaring food prices, official data showed Wednesday, further fuelling a cost-of-living crisis despite a series of aggressive interest-rate hikes.
Markets mixed as traders enter 'defensive mode' with eyes on Fed
Markets were mixed on Wednesday as traders tried to assess the Federal Reserve's next moves in the fight against inflation, with some appearing to adopt a "defensive" approach.
UK inflation eases but holds above 10%: data
UK inflation slowed slightly last month but held stubbornly above 10 percent, official data showed Wednesday, further fuelling a cost-of-living crisis despite an aggressive series of interest-rate hikes.
Soaring inflation dampens Eid holiday spirit in crisis-hit Pakistan
The holiday that marks the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan used to be a guaranteed earner for Pakistan's small shops and businesses -- a big-spending week that could match the take from the rest of the year.
Asian markets down after lacklustre session on Wall Street
Asian markets opened mostly down on Wednesday following a tepid lead from Wall Street, with traders trying to assess the Federal Reserve's next moves in the fight against inflation.
AI-generated song imitating Drake yanked from streaming services
A new song created using AI software to imitate Canadian singers Drake and The Weeknd has been removed from streaming services after quickly racking up millions of listens and sparking debate over the new technology.
United Airlines reports Q1 loss but bullish on summer
United Airlines reported a quarterly loss on Tuesday but offered a bullish summer outlook in light of travel demand that it said still shows no sign of ebbing.
Goldman earnings take shine off US stocks
Strong Chinese economic growth boosted markets in Asia and Europe on Tuesday, but Wall Street stocks sagged on disappointing bank earnings.
Southwest Airlines temporarily halts US departures on tech issue
Southwest Airlines temporarily grounded all US flights Tuesday due to a technology problem, delaying more than 1,700 departures and hitting its share price.
UN says 34 million Afghans in poverty under Taliban rule
The number of Afghans in poverty nearly doubled to 34 million as the nation was racked by the collapse of the US-backed government and the Taliban takeover, the United Nations said Tuesday.
EU strikes deal to boost chip production
The European Parliament and EU member states reached an agreement Tuesday on how to boost the supply of semiconductors in Europe, as the bloc races to reduce its dependence on Asian suppliers.
HSBC's largest shareholder outlines bank break-up strategy
HSBC's largest shareholder ramped up pressure on the bank to break up its business on Tuesday, saying it was underperforming and has failed to "address key business model challenges".
UK overhauls energy regulation after meter scandal
Britain cracked down Tuesday on energy suppliers' forced installation of prepaid meters following outrage as some of their most vulnerable customers faced higher bills during a cost-of-living crisis.
Goldman Sachs results hit by slowdown in corporate mergers
A slowdown in corporate transactions and weak trading results weighed on Goldman Sachs' first-quarter results on Tuesday, sending shares lower.
Electric vehicles are key battleground at Shanghai Auto Show
China was the road to the future for foreign brands at the Shanghai Auto Show on Tuesday who are racing to catch up with Chinese competitors in the crucial electric vehicle market.
Erdogan's chief rival defends Kurds ahead of vote
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's chief rival in next month's election defended Kurdish rights on Tuesday and accused the Turkish leader of inflating ethnic tensions for political gain.