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Sony faces $2.7 bn class action from UK PlayStation users
Japanese entertainment giant Sony will face a £2 billion ($2.7 billion) class action lawsuit starting Tuesday in London, accused of allegedly breaching competition law by overcharging millions of UK PlayStation users.
India's economy is booming, but uneven growth clouds ascent
For years India's economy was driven by its vast services sector that saw millions of people working away in low-cost back offices providing consultancy for predominantly western companies.
Israeli strike kills four at Beirut hotel: Lebanon
An Israeli strike on a hotel in central Beirut killed at least four people Sunday, Lebanese officials said, underscoring the widening reach of the US-backed war against Iran as missiles, drones and air strikes pounded targets across the region.
Why have 1,000 ships at times lost their GPS in the Mideast?
The global positioning system (GPS) capabilities of cargo ships, oil tankers and other vessels stuck in the Middle East because of the widening war are likely worse than those in your cell phone.
As Iran conflict spills over, Iraq's Kurds say 'this war is not mine'
On a deserted road not too far from the border between Iran and Iraqi Kurdistan, Satar Barsirini looked up at the sky, now streaked with jets and drones.
Iran fires at Gulf neighbours as Trump threatens more strikes
Iran launched waves of missile and drone attacks on its Gulf neighbours hosting US forces on Saturday and vowed no surrender despite threats from President Donald Trump to widen the conflict.
Trump threatens to escalate bombing as Iran vows no surrender
President Donald Trump threatened to escalate the bombing of Iran on Saturday as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian vowed that he would never surrender, despite a fresh blitz of US and Israeli air strikes that set a Tehran airport ablaze.
Nepal's rapper politician who took on the old guard and won
Nepal's rapper-turned-mayor Balendra Shah won a dramatic parliamentary contest on Saturday, defeating veteran leader KP Sharma Oli in the former prime minister's own constituency after staking his political future on the challenge.
Iran vows no surrender as air strikes hit Tehran airport
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian vowed Saturday that his country would never surrender, as Israel announced a fresh blitz led by 80 fighter jets which set one of Tehran's main airports on fire.
Questions over AI capability as tech guides Iran strikes
The latest bout of fighting between the United States, Israel and Iran has seen AI deployed as never before to sift intelligence and select targets, although the technology's use in war remains hotly debated.
Israel announces new wave of 'broad-scale' strikes on Tehran
Israel announced a new wave of "broad-scale" strikes on Tehran on Saturday as US President Donald Trump said only Iran's unconditional surrender would bring an end to the escalating Middle East war.
Venezuela inflation hit 475% in 2025, the world's highest level
Venezuelan inflation soared to 475 percent in 2025, the highest in the world, driven by a tightening of US sanctions in the lead up to the ouster of leader Nicolas Maduro.
Only nine commercial ships detected crossing Hormuz Strait since Monday
Only nine oil tankers, cargo and container ships, some of which at times concealed their position, have been recorded crossing the Strait of Hormuz since Monday, according to MarineTraffic data analysed by AFP.
Middle East war a new shock for financial markets
The outbreak of war in the Middle East has sent shockwaves through financial markets, with energy prices soaring and stocks sliding, just a year after US President Donald Trump's tariff onslaught rattled investors.
Only nine commercial ships detected crossing the Hormuz Strait since Monday
Only nine oil tankers, cargo and container ships, some of which at times concealed their position, have been recorded crossing the Strait of Hormuz since Monday, according to MarineTraffic data analysed by AFP.
Swiss eyeing fewer F-35 fighters, reshaping defence set-up
Switzerland announced Friday it wanted to buy 30 US F-35A fighter jets rather than 36 after Washington hiked the price, and said its broader defence set-up needed repurposing to face current threats.
Oil prices surge as Mideast war rages, stocks fall on US jobs
Crude prices surged higher Friday as oil fields in Iraq came under attack and US Donald Trump demanded Iran's unconditional surrender, while stocks slumped after data showed a surprise drop in jobs in the United States.
Securing shipping lane from Mideast war 'challenging', say experts
The United States and France have promised to secure oil shipping threatened by the Middle East war, but experts warn warship availability and Iran's wide range of weaponry could make this complicated.
Oil prices climb as Mideast war rages, stocks fall on US jobs
Crude prices surged higher Friday as oil fields in Iraq came under attack and US Donald Trump demanded Iran's unconditional surrender, while stocks slumped after data showed a surprise drop in jobs in the United States.
US retail sales decline as consumer pullback deepens
US retail sales declined by 0.2 percent in January, according to delayed government data released on Friday, missing some analysts' expectations amid persistent concerns that consumption in the world's biggest economy is slowing.
War in Middle East raises stagflation fears in Europe and beyond
Global energy prices have shot upwards after the US and Israel unleashed war in the Middle East, but just how far those shocks will ripple across the economy remains unclear.
Soaring gas prices spark renewed debate about European electricity
A surge in natural gas prices since the Middle East war erupted has sparked renewed debate about Europe's electricity market, where prices are still linked to gas.
Germany's Axel Springer swoops for British newspaper The Telegraph
German media group Axel Springer said Friday it had agreed to buy right-wing British newspaper The Telegraph in a surprise move, as the UK government investigates a rival bid.
US sheds jobs in February in warning sign for Trump's economy
The United States unexpectedly lost jobs in February while unemployment edged up, government data showed Friday, piling pressure on President Donald Trump's economic agenda as key midterm elections approach.
Iran drone strike on Azerbaijan raises fears of Mideast war spreading to Caucasus
Iranian drone strikes on Azerbaijan have raised fears that the Middle East war could spill into the Caucasus, as Baku, an ally of Israel, vows to respond.
Hungary to expel seven Ukrainians as Zelensky, Orban quarrel over Russian oil
Hungary will expel seven detained Ukrainians, the government said Friday, as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky traded threats in a row over stalled Russian oil supplies.
Stocks fluctuate, oil climbs as Mideast crisis rages
Global stock markets fluctuated and oil prices jumped Friday at the end of a volatile week's trading unleashed by the Middle East conflict.
China says 'clearly aware' of economic risks, vows to boost spending
China's leaders are "clearly aware" of challenges facing growth, the head of the country's top economic planning body said on Friday, vowing to boost sluggish domestic consumption.
Most Asian equities drop as Mideast crisis rages, though oil dips
Asian markets mostly down Friday as the war in the Middle East showed no sign of ending, though there was some reprieve from the surge in oil prices after the United States looked to ease supply concerns.
Equities mixed as Mideast crisis rages, though oil dips
Asian markets were mixed Friday as the war in the Middle East showed no sign of ending, though there was some reprieve from the surge in oil prices after the United States looked to ease supply concerns.
Australia forces porn sites to block under-18s from Monday
Australia's online regulator warned porn websites they must block under-18s from Monday under sweeping new restrictions to protect children.
Equities mostly drop as Mideast crisis rages, though oil dips
Most stocks in Asia fell Friday as the war in the Middle East showed no sign of ending, though there was some reprieve from the surge in oil prices after the United States looked to ease supply concerns.