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Anthropic takes Trump administration to court over Pentagon row
Anthropic filed suit Monday against the Trump administration, alleging the US government retaliated against the AI company for refusing to let its Claude AI model be used for autonomous lethal warfare and mass surveillance of Americans.
Iran war sends crude prices soaring as Khamenei son takes charge
The Iran war sent oil prices soaring on Monday after Tehran, under new leader Mojtaba Khamanei, fired a new barrage of missiles at its Gulf neighbours and signalled that the strategic Strait of Hormuz would likely remain shut.
Ships brandish China-links to weave through Strait of Hormuz
Ships anchored in the Gulf or transiting the Strait of Hormuz are changing their tracking data to boast links to China in an attempt to evade Iranian attacks, according to data from shipping tracker Marine Traffic analysed by AFP.
G7 'not there yet' on release of oil reserves: French minister
France's finance minister said Monday the G7 was "not there yet" in terms of any release of strategic oil reserves as the world's leading industrialised nations held crisis talks on the economic fallout of the Middle East war.
Stocks slide as oil soars past $100 on Mideast war
Stock markets slumped as energy prices soared on Monday on supply disruptions from the Middle East war drove volatility and fanned inflation fears.
Bangladesh scraps light displays as Mideast war worsens fuel crunch
Bangladesh has tightened security at filling stations, sent students home and even scrapped light displays for independence and Ramadan celebrations, officials said Monday, as the Middle East war worsens the country's energy crunch.
Stocks tumble, oil soars past $100 on Mideast war
Stock markets plunged and energy prices soared on Monday as supply disruptions from the Middle East war drove volatility and fanned inflation fears.
Iran war sends oil price soaring as Khamenei son takes charge
The Iran war sent oil prices soaring on Monday after Tehran marked the appointment of its new supreme leader with a new barrage of missiles targeting Israel and the Gulf energy industry.
Indonesia landfill collapse kills four
A landslide on Indonesia's biggest landfill buried trucks and food stalls, killing four people, rescuers said Monday as they searched for at least five more reported missing.
Equities plunge as energy prices soar on Mideast crisis
Stock markets plunged Monday as oil and gas prices soared on fears about supplies from the Middle East with the US-Israeli war against Iran continuing into a second week with no sign of letting up.
Asian equities plunge as oil soars 30% on Mideast crisis
Asian stock markets plunged Monday as oil prices soared 30 percent on fears about supplies from the Middle East as the US-Israeli war against Iran continued into a second week with no sign of letting up.
France to host G7 finance meeting on Mideast
France will host a video meeting of G7 finance ministers on the Middle East crisis on Monday, as the war fuels fears for the global economy.
Iran fires new missiles as Khamenei's son takes charge
Iran fired missiles at Israel early Monday in the name of the Islamic republic's new leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who was selected to succeed his slain father despite threats by the United States and Israel to target him next.
Iran prepares to name new leader as Tehran fuel dumps burn
Iran was preparing to name a successor to its slain supreme leader on Sunday, after US-backed Israeli strikes destroyed fuel depots in Tehran, sparking blazes that covered the city in acrid smoke.
Bangladesh rations fuel as Mideast war deepens energy crunch
Bangladesh launched fuel rationing on Sunday as the war in the Middle East deepened an energy crunch, creating long queues at filling stations and boiling over into anger.
Young Chinese parents tighten belts as childcare costs rise
New mother Zhang Xiaofei wanted to be financially secure before having a baby, wary of high childcare costs that have been softened only a little by Chinese government cash incentives to boost record-low births.
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.