Last news
New Zealand Rugby appoints Patsy Reddy as first woman chair
New Zealand Rugby on Wednesday named former governor general Patsy Reddy as chair, the first woman to hold the position in the 130-year history of the governing body.
Asian stocks hit as recession fears overshadow China reopening hope
Asian stocks extended a global sell-off Wednesday while oil held losses on growing fears Federal Reserve monetary tightening will tip the US economy into recession.
China announces nationwide loosening of Covid restrictions
China announced Wednesday a nationwide loosening of Covid restrictions following protests against the hardline strategy that grew into calls for greater political freedoms.
New Zealand Rugby appoints Patsy Reddy as first female chairperson
New Zealand Rugby on Wednesday named former governor general Patsy Reddy as the first female chairperson in its 130-year history.
Belgian Christmas tree growers grapple with price spikes
Christmas tree producers in Belgium are struggling for seasonal cheer as they wrestle with the impact of high energy costs and inflation fuelled by the war in Ukraine.
E-cigarette maker Juul reaches settlement with 10,000 plaintiffs
US e-cigarette manufacturer Juul Labs said on Tuesday it had reached a settlement with about 10,000 plaintiffs in California after the company was accused of marketing its products to teenagers.
Webb telescope promises new age of the stars
The James Webb Space Telescope lit up 2022 with dazzling images of the early universe after the Big Bang, heralding a new era of astronomy and untold revelations about the cosmos in years to come.
China's November imports, exports plunge due to Covid rules
China's imports and exports plunged in November to levels not seen since early 2020, official figures showed Wednesday, as severe Covid restrictions hit the economy hard.
Heat will stay on in Europe this winter, but after?
Europe is likely to scrape through this winter without cutting off gas customers despite reduced Russian supplies, but even adjusting to colder homes and paying more may not be enough in coming years, analysts say.
Democrats capture Senate seat in Georgia runoff
Joe Biden's party won a new US Senate seat on Tuesday with Democrat Raphael Warnock's victory in Georgia, according to television networks.
China's November imports, exports plunge owing to Covid rules
China's imports and exports plunged in November to levels not seen since early 2020, as strict Covid restrictions hit the economy hard, according to official figures released Wednesday.
World economy faces more pain in 2023 after a gloomy year
This was supposed to be the comeback year for the world economy following the Covid pandemic.
As AI rises, lawmakers try to catch up
From "intelligent" vacuum cleaners and driverless cars to advanced techniques for diagnosing diseases, artificial intelligence has burrowed its way into every arena of modern life.
Falsehoods plague elections as voters tackle Trumpian tactics
From the United States to Brazil and Israel, a barrage of election-related misinformation hammered voters around the world in 2022, but many pushed back against the conspiracy-laden Trumpian tactic of sowing distrust in the democratic process.
After year of climate disasters, world off-track to curb warming
Catastrophic floods, crop-wilting droughts and record heatwaves this year have shown that climate change warnings are increasingly becoming reality and this is "just the beginning", experts say, as international efforts to cut planet-heating emissions founder.
Prime time or Netflix? Streaming wars come to Thailand
International streaming platforms were among the biggest pandemic winners, seeing subscriber numbers soar, but US giants have turned abroad as countries re-opened -- with Thailand firmly in their sights.
Honduras suspends rights in two largest cities to fight gangs
Honduran police on Tuesday moved en masse into poor urban areas to tackle criminal gangs "head on" after a decree by President Xiomara Castro to temporarily suspend certain rights.
Germany's homegrown cannabis industry awaits legalisation
In the east German countryside, close to Dresden, a former abattoir is now home to the biggest indoor cannabis farm in Europe.
Asian equities, oil prices dragged by recession fears
Asian investors extended a sell-off across global markets Wednesday while oil held losses on growing fears Federal Reserve monetary tightening will tip the US economy into recession.
Cummins out of 2nd West Indies Test, Smith to captain Australia
Steve Smith will captain Australia in the second Test against the West Indies after skipper Pat Cummins was ruled out due to injury Wednesday with Scott Boland replacing him.
Pumping 'new black gold', Saudi DJs sense big opportunities
Ravers sporting face paint and flashing LED sunglasses jump in time to the thudding beats of Dish Dash, a DJ act whose rise mirrors that of the Saudi music scene.
Xi travels to Saudi for three days of Mideast outreach
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday for three days of meetings with regional leaders likely focused on energy.
Honduras suspends rights to fight gangs
Honduran police on Tuesday moved en masse into poor urban areas to tackle criminal gangs "head on" after a decree by President Xiomara Castro to temporarily suspend certain rights.
India at 75: Rising power finding its place on global stage
Three-quarters of a century after independence, India is a nuclear power about to become the world's most populous country, and its economy has overtaken its former coloniser's to become the globe's fifth biggest.
The long road to bring Iraq's IS jihadists to justice
The horrors of the Islamic State group's rule over northern Iraq may be in the past, but efforts to bring the jihadists to justice are still gathering pace.
Iraq's Mosul healing slowly, five years after IS defeat
Five years after it emerged from the Islamic State group's jihadist rule, Iraq's once thriving cultural centre of Mosul has regained a semblance of normalcy despite sluggish reconstruction efforts.
UK pubs feel Christmas pressure as inflation bites
Inside the Mad Hatter pub in central London's South Bank district, everything is ready: the big tree, the bright lights, the fun Christmas signage.
UN biodiversity talks open, billed as 'last chance' for nature
High-stakes UN biodiversity talks open in Montreal Wednesday, in what is being billed as the "last best chance" to save the planet's species and ecosystems from irreversible human destruction.
Polls close in Georgia runoff Senate vote, a new test for Biden
Election officials in the US state of Georgia on Tuesday began counting votes in a hotly contested Senate race between a pastor and a former American football star with high stakes for Joe Biden's presidency.
'Quadgod' Malinin among newcomers hunting Japan's Uno in ISU Grand Prix final
US teenager Ilia Malinin, who made history after landing the first quad axel jump in competition, will be among a group of newcomers aiming to upset Japanese world figure skating champion Shoma Uno in the ISU Grand Prix final in Turin starting Thursday.
Djokovic to begin Australian Open campaign at Adelaide International
Novak Djokovic will begin his bid for a 10th Australian Open title at the Adelaide International, organisers said Wednesday, after the Serbian was granted a visa to enter the country.
Hall of Fame boxing ref Mills Lane dies
Mills Lane, the iconic boxing referee who officiated the Mike Tyson-Evander Holyfield "Bite Fight" and myriad other championship bouts, has died, the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame confirmed on Tuesday.