Tag: World

Sydney to kick off global New Year parties with dazzling spectacle

by Glenda KWEK Agence France Presse SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Australia’s largest city Sydney will put on its biggest-ever fireworks display to welcome the New Year and kick off a wave of celebrations for billions around the world. A record amount of pyrotechnics, as well as new fireworks effects and colours, will light up the harbor city’s skyline for 12 minutes and dazzle the more than 1.5 million spectators expected to crowd foreshores and parks. […]

Asian markets sink with Wall St on global outlook fears

HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Asian markets mostly fell Tuesday following a sharp retreat on Wall Street fuelled by increasing worries about the global economy, while investors await the Federal Reserve policy meeting this week. A speech by President Xi Jinping later in the day is also on the radar, with hopes for some clues about possible reforms to China’s economy and plans for the next year. After a broadly upbeat start to the week, […]

Road accident deaths swell to 1.35 million each year: WHO

by Nina LARSON Agence France-Presse GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — Road accidents kill someone every 24 seconds, with a total of 1.35 million traffic deaths around the world each year, the World Health Organization said Friday, demanding global action. The number of fatalities annually has swelled by around 100,000 in just three years, with road accidents now the leading killer of children and young people between the ages of five and 29, the UN health agency […]

Asian markets sink with Wall St as confusion, uncertainty reign

HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Asian markets fell Wednesday following a rout on Wall Street, as investors were bombarded by a “perfect storm” of problems from trade to Brexit that erased the positivity seen at the start of the week. The glum mood overshadowed hints from Donald Trump at more time to resolve the China-US trade row, as well as soothing comments from China about their desire to push on with a weekend agreement between […]

Earth needs climate ‘reality check’, space pioneer warns

KATOWICE, Poland (AFP) — The world needs a “reality check” on the threat posed by climate change, NASA astronaut Mae Jemison said Tuesday at a UN summit to chart mankind’s path away from runaway global warming. Jemison, the first African-American woman in space, brought a little galactic perspective to the COP24 talks in Poland, calling on delegates from nearly 200 countries to tackle “the most difficult problem we’ve ever faced.” “When people say save the […]

Asian markets mostly rise ahead of Trump-Xi, oil extends gains

  HONG Kong, China (AFP) — Asian markets mostly rose Friday bringing a broadly upbeat week to a positive end as attention turns to the much-anticipated meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. Energy firms enjoyed gains after a rally in oil prices, while high-yielding and emerging market currencies continued Thursday’s advances against the dollar as the Federal Reserve shows signs it will slow down its pace of interest rate hikes. While the outcome of […]

Dollar down, most Asia stocks up as Trump-Xi talks loom

HONG KONG, China (AFP) — The dollar extended losses in Asia while most equities rose after the head of the Federal Reserve hinted at a softer pace of interest rate hikes, though investors remain wary about the weekend’s crunch trade talks between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. US markets were sent soaring Wednesday after Fed chief Jerome Powell said borrowing costs were still historically low but only “just below” the neutral level, a rate that […]

Asian markets mostly up as investors weigh China-US trade row

HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Asian markets mostly rose Monday but investors were keeping a close eye on the China-US trade row after Donald Trump’s optimistic comments on a possible deal were offset by a war of words between his vice president and Xi Jinping. The mood across the region was a little calmer at the start of the week, providing some much-needed support after the volatility of seven days ago, with oil stabilizing and […]

Skin cancer deaths rates soar, mostly for men: study

by Marlowe HOOD Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (Eagle News) — Skin cancer deaths among men have soared in wealthy nations since 1985, with mortality rates among women rising more slowly or even declining, researchers told a medical conference in Glasgow Sunday. Reasons for the discrepancy between sexes are unclear but evidence suggests men are “less likely to protect themselves from the sun” or heed public health warnings, lead researcher Dorothy Yang, a doctor at the […]

Asian markets rise as energy firms are boosted by oil surge

HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Most Asian markets rose on Wednesday, with energy firms surging along with oil prices, as traders await the conclusion of a key Federal Reserve policy meeting. While worries about the China-US trade row continue to erode confidence, the strong US economy and healthy corporate outlook are providing some buoyancy for now. The weekend decision by major producers from inside and outside OPEC to maintain output — despite Donald Trump’s call […]

Markets mostly rise between trade war salvos

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Global stocks mostly pushed higher on Wednesday as investors looked past the latest tit-for-tat tariffs by China and the United States. US President Donald Trump said he will impose 10 percent levies starting next week on another $200 billion of imports from China, prompting Beijing to target $60 billion of US goods with five to 10 percent taxes. Beijing rejected Trump’s claim that it was tailoring retaliatory tariffs goods […]

Global stocks mixed amid trade worries, big US hurricane

  NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Global stocks were mixed on Wednesday, with Wall Street gyrating on the latest headlines connected to myriad trade conflicts and US airlines and insurers falling ahead of the arrival of a major hurricane. Bourses in London, Paris and Frankfurt all finished solidly higher, with some investors hunting for bargains after recent weakness, traders said. “Stocks have ticked up although traders remain nervous about the state of global trading […]