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China says Xi to pay state visit to S. Africa, attend BRICS summit next week
Chinese leader Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to South Africa next week, the foreign ministry said Friday, while confirming the president will attend the BRICS summit in Johannesburg.
Ecuador to vote in election dominated by 'horror' of violence
Ecuador will hold a presidential election Sunday after a campaign marked by the murder of a top candidate and vows to tackle the lawlessness that has engulfed the once-peaceful nation.
Biden to ramp up three-way Japan, S.Korea ties in sign to China
US President Joe Biden on Friday will announce new security cooperation at a first-of-a-kind three-way summit with the leaders of Japan and South Korea, hoping to send a message of strength to China which has already made clear its displeasure.
Stocks struggle as spiking US bond yields, China fears temper optimism
Global stocks mostly fell Thursday as US treasury bond yields rose further from multi-year highs amid festering worries about China's economic woes.
French government holds crisis meeting as heatwave mounts
France's government held a crisis meeting Thursday to discuss measures to tackle a heatwave in which temperatures could climb beyond 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) this weekend.
Why a surprisingly strong US economy is pushing up bond yields
Yields on the 10-year US government bond are flirting with a 15-year high this week, amid growing fears that strong growth and low unemployment could keep interest rates higher for longer.
In Senegal, a village mourns its sons dead at sea in migrant tragedy
Under a cloudy sky in the coastal Senegalese village of Fass Boye, the local chief's voice resounds over a loudspeaker, calling villagers to pray for the souls of their lost loved ones.
Ukraine port ship reaches Turkey despite Russian blockade
A civilian cargo vessel sailing from Ukraine reached Turkish waters on Thursday in defiance of a Moscow blockade that saw another ship come under attack from Russian military personnel.
West African military chiefs weigh Niger mission after coup
West African military chiefs met in Ghana on Thursday to discuss a possible armed intervention to reverse a coup in Niger, as Germany called for EU sanctions against the rebel leaders.
Stocks struggle as rate hikes, China fears temper optimism
US stocks attempted a rebound Thursday as shares elsewhere mostly retreated on fresh worries over interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve as well as China's economic woes.
French government to hold crisis meeting as heatwave mounts
France's government said Thursday it would hold a crisis meeting to tackle a heatwave that could reach its high point at the weekend, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne's office told AFP Thursday.
West African military chiefs meet over Niger coup
West African military chiefs met in Ghana on Thursday to coordinate a possible armed intervention to reverse a coup in Niger, as Germany called for EU sanctions against the rebel leaders.
France's Sarkozy blasted for call to compromise with Russia
France's former president Nicolas Sarkozy has stirred outrage in Kyiv and Paris by suggesting Russia's invasion of Ukraine could be ended with new referendums in occupied territories.
Spain Socialists win first parliamentary battle, securing speaker role
Spanish lawmakers on Thursday elected the Socialist party's candidate for parliamentary speaker following a closely-watched vote that augurs well for Pedro Sanchez's efforts to return as prime minister.
Ukraine vows long fight to counter Russia's 'grip' on Africa
Ukraine will make "long-term" efforts to deepen ties with African countries as it seeks to counter Russia's influence on the continent, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told AFP this week.
Spain MPs elect new speaker with Catalan separatists in focus
Spain's new parliament began meeting Thursday after an inconclusive July election with lawmakers to choose a new speaker in a closely-watched vote in which the hardline Catalan separatist party JxCat will play a key role.
South Africa and Russia, the 'strange bedfellows'
South Africa's hosting of a BRICS summit next week has turned a spotlight on ties between Pretoria and the Kremlin that are cosy and, for some, a puzzle.
Pakistan police guard Christian colony after mob attack over 'blasphemy'
Police were guarding a Christian neighbourhood in central Pakistan on Thursday, after hundreds of Muslim men rampaged through its streets setting fire to churches and ransacking homes over accusations of blasphemy a day earlier.
Spain's parliament opens with Catalan separatists in focus
Spain's parliament reconvenes on Thursday after an inconclusive July general election, with all eyes on hardline Catalan separatist party JxCat which unexpectedly emerged as kingmaker.
West African military chiefs to meet over Niger coup
West African military chiefs are set to meet Thursday in Ghana to coordinate a possible intervention aimed at reversing Niger's coup.
US court restricts access to abortion pill, ruling on hold
A US federal appeals court on Wednesday imposed restrictions on a widely used abortion pill, but the ruling will remain on hold as the Supreme Court decides whether to hear the case.
Over 60 dead in migrant boat sinking off Cape Verde: UN agency
More than 60 people are believed to have died after a migrant boat from Senegal was found off West Africa's Cape Verde islands, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Wednesday.
Moscow shows off seized Western military equipment
In the Moscow region's Patriot Park, dedicated to the achievements of the Russian army, an officer wearing a green cap stood in front of a captured US MaxxPro armoured vehicle.
Mob burns Pakistani churches, vandalises cemetery over alleged blasphemy
Hundreds of Muslim men set fire to churches and vandalised Christian homes during a rampage in eastern Pakistan on Wednesday, officials said, after Christians were accused of blasphemy.
Truce holds in Libya after clashes kill 55
Tripoli's worst armed clashes in a year have killed 55 people and wounded 146, Libyan media reported Wednesday, as a truce took hold.
Children, pregnant woman among latest UK 'small boats' arrivals
Scores of migrants, many of them children and a pregnant woman, arrived in small boats on England's south coast on Wednesday, undeterred by the dangerous Channel crossing from France which claimed at least six lives over the weekend.
German govt okays 'controlled' use of cannabis
The German government approved a draft law Wednesday legalising the purchase and possession of cannabis for recreational use, with the health minister pushing back against criticism of the controversial plans.
Seventeen troops killed in new Niger attack
Seventeen troops died in a jihadist ambush in Niger, the government said, in a reminder of the nation's deep security crisis as its military rulers face off against neighbours determined to reverse last month's coup.
Cargo ship exits Ukraine port despite threat from Russian navy
Kyiv announced Wednesday a cargo vessel had exited its southern port of Odesa along a new maritime corridor, despite an earlier warning from Russia it could target vessels using Ukrainian ports.
US beefs up Gulf deployment over Iran oil tanker threat
As Iranian seizures threaten oil tankers plying the Gulf, the United States is raising its military presence -- a move long demanded by Gulf Arab states who accused Washington of retreating from the region.
UK annual inflation drops to 15-month low
Britain's annual inflation rate dropped sharply in July to a 15-month low, official data revealed Wednesday, off the back of lower energy prices and in line with economists' expectations.
Ukraine says recaptured village of Urozhaine on southern front
Kyiv said Wednesday its forces had liberated the settlement of Urozhaine in the industrial Donetsk region as part of a grinding push to wrest Russian forces along the southern front in Ukraine.