International Business Times AU - Economy

'Constant Terror' In Rafah As Gazans Brace For Israeli Invasion

Palestinians in Rafah told AFP Saturday they were living in "constant terror" as Israel vows to push ahead with its planned assault on the south Gaza city flooded with displaced civilians.

US Fed To Meet Amid Dwindling Hopes Of Summer Rate Cuts

The US Federal Reserve is highly likely to keep interest rates unchanged later this week, as policymakers contend with a recent uptick in inflation that has sharply cut the chance of a summer start to interest rate cuts.

Kenyan Patients Suffer As Doctors' Strike Grinds On

Desperate to have her five-month-old daughter treated for a skin infection in Kenya, Celine Nyaga rode for an hour on the back of a motorcycle, cradling her baby in her arms.

Blinken To Saudi As Window Shrinks On Middle East Mega-deal

Washington's top diplomat will travel to Saudi Arabia on Sunday as the deadline approaches on a landmark -- and, analysts say, long-shot -- deal that would see the kingdom recognise Israel.

Liverpool Premier League Title Hopes Suffer Blow, Sheffield Utd Relegated

Liverpool's fading Premier League title hopes were dealt a near-fatal blow on Saturday as West Ham rescued a draw against Jurgen Klopp's men while Sheffield United dropped through the relegation trap door.

Russia Hits Ukrainian Energy Sites In Massive Attack

Russia launched a massive missile strike at Ukraine overnight, damaging four power plants in the latest barrage targeting the country's energy supply, officials in Kyiv said on Saturday.

China's EV Execs Bullish On Western Pressure At Beijing Car Show

Electric vehicle executives at a top car show in China were bullish on prospects for growth, despite a gruelling price war and mounting Western pressure on the industry.

Migrants Eyeing Europe Bide Their Time In Tunisia

Thousands of sub-Saharan migrants have huddled in Tunisian olive groves for months, living in makeshift tents and surviving on meagre rations while keeping their hopes alive of reaching Europe.

Team From Gaza Mediator Egypt Heads To Israel: Source

A delegation from mediator Egypt is travelling to Israel on Friday, a source close to the Israeli government told AFP, in what local media said is a bid to reignite stalled hostage-release negotiations.

Olympic Chief Bach Backs World Doping Body Over Positive Chinese Tests

The head of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach has backed the World Anti-Doping Agency in a row over its handling of positive drug tests by 23 Chinese swimmers.

Indian Election Resumes As Heatwave Hits Voters

India's six-week-long election resumed Friday with millions of people lining up outside polling stations in parts of the country hit by a scorching heatwave.

Xi Tells Blinken US, China Should Be 'Partners, Not Rivals'

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday told top US diplomat Antony Blinken that the world's two biggest economies should be "partners, not rivals", but that there were a "number of issues" to be resolved in their relations.

Kenyan Rugby Player Turned TikTok Star Cooks To Fight Depression

Hamas Studying New Israeli Truce Proposal As Mediators Seek To Revive Talks

Hamas said it was studying on Saturday the latest Israeli counterproposal regarding a potential ceasefire in Gaza, a day after a delegation from mediator Egypt reportedly arrived in Israel in a bid to jump-start stalled negotiations.

Portugal Marks 50 Years Of Democracy With Far Right On Rise

Portugal on Thursday marked 50 years since a military coup ended a decades-long dictatorship and 13 years of colonial wars in Africa, an anniversary that comes as a far-right party gains prominence.

Macron Warns 'Mortal' Europe Needs Stronger Defence

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday warned that Europe faced an existential threat from Russian aggression, calling on the continent to adopt a "credible" defence strategy less dependent on the United States.

Frozen In Time: Colombian Town's Unexplained Mummies

In a small town high in the Colombian Andes, Clovisnerys Bejarano kneels before a glass box holding the petrified corpse of her mother, who died 30 years ago, but looks as if she might just be asleep.

Tabloid Head Wanted To 'Protect' Trump From Salacious Stories

A key witness in the criminal trial of Donald Trump detailed Thursday how he worked with the former president's personal lawyer to kill a Playboy model's story about a sexual relationship with the Republican.

Russian Women Face Violence From Ukraine Veterans

Olga drew her index finger abruptly across her neck as she recounted the threats her husband levelled at her after he returned to Russia, wounded from fighting in Ukraine.

Rescue Pup To Meme Star: The Real-life 'Dogecoin' Dog

Her fluffy face now frail, Kabosu still flashes the enigmatic smile that made her the go-to meme dog for millennials and inspired a $23 billion cryptocurrency beloved by Elon Musk.

Venice Launches Five-euro Entry Fee

Venice launched a new scheme Thursday to charge day-trippers for entering the historic Italian city, a world first intended to ease the pressure of mass tourism -- but many residents are opposed.

Heatstroke Kills 30 In Thailand This Year As Southeast Asia Bakes

Millions of people across South and Southeast Asia sweltered through unusually hot weather on Thursday, as the Thai government said heatstroke has already killed at least 30 people this year.

Pro-Palestinian US Campus Protests Grow As Police Crack Down

Pro-Palestinian protests spread to more college campuses in the United States on Thursday as authorities appeared to be running out of patience and police began to push back forcefully.

Microsoft, Google Earnings Shine As AI Drives Revenue

Microsoft and Google on Thursday drubbed quarterly earnings expectations as the tech titans continued investing heavily in artificial intelligence promising to shake up the way people live.

DR Congo Accuses Apple Of Using 'Blood Minerals' From War-torn East

The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo is accusing Apple of using "illegally exploited" minerals extracted from the country's embattled east in its products, lawyers representing the African country said Thursday.

Japan Anime Studio Draws On Talent Of Autistic Artists

Diagnosed with autism, Shoko Sakuma says she struggled working in accounting but now she is putting her childhood love of drawing to work in a special Japanese animation studio.

The Indian Villagers Who Lost Their Homes To The Sea

The gentle roar of the ocean lulled Indian mother-of-two Banita Behra to sleep each night, until one day the encroaching tide reached her doorstep.

End Of The Road? Philippine Jeepneys Face Uncertain Future

The first jeepneys rolled onto the streets of the Philippines just after World War II -- noisy, smoke-belching vehicles initially made from leftover US Jeeps that became a national symbol.

Oman, UAE Deluge 'Most Likely' Linked To Climate Change: Scientists

Global warming caused by fossil fuel emissions "most likely" exacerbated the intense rains that lashed the UAE and Oman last week, causing deaths and widespread flooding, an expert group of scientists said Thursday.

Ahead Of Feared Rafah Invasion, Palestinians Mourn Bombardment Dead

Palestinians on Thursday mourned over people killed in Israeli bombardment of Rafah, the southern Gaza city where Israel says it is advancing plans for a ground invasion.

Further Trump Trial Delay Looms As Supreme Court Weighs Immunity Claim

The US Supreme Court appeared skeptical on Thursday of Donald Trump's claim that a former president is "absolutely immune" from criminal prosecution but looked set to issue a ruling that could further delay his election subversion trial.

Columbia University Drops Deadline For Dismantling Pro-Palestinian Protest Camp

Columbia University backed off late Thursday from an overnight deadline for pro-Palestinian protesters to abandon an encampment there as more college campuses in the United States sought to prevent occupations from taking hold.

Reach Me's AI and NLP-Powered Platform: A Game-Changer for Efficient and Effective Influencer Campaigns

Reach Me, a pioneering platform powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP), is helping small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) harness the power of influence.

Tensions Rise As US Pro-Palestinian Student Protests Spread

Increasingly confrontational pro-Palestinian rallies by students protesting the death toll from the Israel-Hamas conflict erupted across US college campuses Wednesday, triggering tense faceoffs with police in Texas and California.

Anger Among Ukrainians In Poland As Kyiv Halts Passport Renewals

Hundreds of Ukrainians crammed up against a closed passport office in Warsaw on Wednesday, furious over Kyiv's suspension of consular services for fighting-aged men in a bid to force them to return home and bolster troop numbers.

North Koreans In China Vanish As Border Reopens

After fleeing famine in North Korea, Kim Cheol Ok laid low in China for decades -- until a doomed run for freedom got her sent back to her repressive homeland, her family says.

The Myanmar 'Water Brothers' Salvaging Shipwrecks On The Tide

Diving into the darkness of the Yangon River, Than Nyunt starts another murky sortie in his months-long mission to salvage a sunken ship using the power of the moon.

Augmented Reality Meets Ancient Healing: AR Acupuncture's Pioneering Fusion

ARA's AR platform offers a more advanced, immersive, and interactive learning experience than traditional online training.

Blinken Calls For US, China To Manage Differences

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Thursday on the United States and China to manage their differences "responsibly" as he went on a charm offensive ahead of expected tough talks.

Blinken Due In China Seeking Pressure But Also Stability

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was due in China on Wednesday, as the United States ramps up pressure on its rival over its support for Russia while also seeking to manage tensions with Beijing.