World News

Turkiye's central bank lowers key interest rate to 47.5%, 1st cut in 2 yrs

Citing slowing inflation, the bank's Monetary Policy Committee said it was reducing its one-week repo rate to 47.5 per cent from the current 50 per cent

US weekly jobless claims fall 1,000 to 219,000: Labour department

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits fell by 1,000 to a seasonally adjusted 219,000 for the week ended Dec. 21, the Labor Department said

Over 10k migrants died in 2024 trying to reach Spain by sea, says aid group

Tens of thousands of migrants left West Africa in 2024 for Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago close to the African coast that has increasingly been used as a stepping stone to continental Europe

Republicans plan to move quickly in efforts to overhaul voting procedures

In the new year, Republicans will be under pressure to address Trump's desires to change how elections are run in the US, something he continues to promote despite his win in November

China revises up 2023 GDP by 2.7%, sees little impact on 2024 growth

In previous five-yearly economic censuses, China revised up the size of the economy for 2018 by 2.1 per cent and for 2013 by 3.4 per cent

Trump endorses 'The Great' Wayne Gretzky to run for 'Governor of Canada'

Who is Wayne Gretzky and why does President-elect Donald Trump want him in politics

Russian bank VTB says on track for record profit of $5.5 billion in 2024

Bank said it was still on track to hit profit target of 550 billion roubles in 2024 despite a significant depreciation in the value of many of its assets in November as a result of monetary tightening

China's BYD slams reports of poor conditions at Brazil's factory site

Task force led by Brazilian prosecutors said it had rescued 163 Chinese nationals it said were working in slavery-like conditions

Russia's CBRF to resume regular forex operations under budget rule in 2025

Under Russia's budget rule, the finance ministry sells foreign currency from its rainy day National Wealth Fund (NWF) to make up for any shortfall in revenue from oil and gas exports

World Bank raises China's GDP forecast for 2024, 2025; adds some warnings

Thanks to the recent policy easing and near-term export strength, the World Bank sees China's gross domestic product growth at 4.9 per cent this year, up from its June forecast of 4.8 per cent

Foiled Ukrainian plots to kill senior officials, their families: Russia

FSB, the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB, said that the Russian citizens had been recruited by the Ukrainian intelligence services

South Korea opposition says it will vote to impeach acting President Han

The court is trying the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol over his Dec 3 declaration of martial law

Israeli strike kills 5 Palestinian journalists in Gaza, say officials

The strike hit a car outside the Al-Awda Hospital in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp in the central part of the territory

China's first batch of 2025 fuel export quota flat compared to a year ago

State-owned oil firms Sinopec and CNPC, the key receivers of these quotas, were given combined allowances of 13.34 million tonnes, or 70 per cent of the 19 million tonnes

Bird strike, Russian missiles among Azerbaijan plane crash conspiracies

As investigators cite a possible bird strike for the plane crash, viral videos and social media speculation raise questions about shrapnel damage and a potential Russian defense system involvement

China approves construction of world's largest hydropower dam in Tibet

The dam, which will be located in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, could produce 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually

Afghanistan summons Pakistani envoy over airstrikes in Paktika province

Pakistani side has been clearly informed that protecting Afghanistan's national sovereignty is a red line for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

Trump's Christmas sarcasm: Vows to buy Greenland, and control Panama Canal

Trump shared an unconventional Christmas message with sarcastic remarks targeting political issues such as Panama Canal, Canada's tax policies, Greenland, drawing sharp contrasts with Biden's approach

Decoded: Why Trump wants Panama Canal back and what it means for the world

Donald Trump criticised Panama Canal fees as a 'rip-off' and raised alarms about China's influence near the canal, sparking a renewed debate over its trade role and sovereignty

China keeps interest rates steady, drains record cash in policy adjustment

The authorities also withdrew a net 1.15 trillion yuan ($158 billion) from the financial system with the tool, the most since 2014