AFP news

LGBTQ rights remain a social taboo in the Gulf kingdom -- the birthplace of Islam governed by an interpretation of sharia law -- even after social changes ushered in by de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

A mixed bag on corporate earnings also provided little motivation for traders.

It followed a bitter dispute between Burhan and Daglo over the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army -- a key condition for a final deal aimed at resuming Sudan's democratic transition.

Vast foreign subsidies were halted and aid programmes dramatically cut back after the US-backed republic fell in 2021 as many countries refused to deal with the Taliban authorities in Kabul.

The more or less flat results in New York left some looking for direction, with global investors scrutinising mixed earnings reports for major US lenders.

This year, however, many worry they will not even make enough to pay their monthly rent, with inflation hitting its highest levels in decades and political turmoil miring the country in uncertainty.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan's trip -- the first visit to Syria's capital by a Saudi official since the start of the country's civil war in 2011 -- marks a new era in ties between Iran-backed Damascus and Riyadh.

The Kremlin did not say when Putin visited the southern region of Kherson and the eastern region of Lugansk, which Putin claimed to have annexed last September without fully controlling them.

Kilicdaroglu leads a six-party alliance that is posing one of the stiffest electoral challenges of Erdogan's two-decade rule.

Offers to mediate in the Ukraine-Russia conflict have multiplied in recent weeks.

Lula is fresh off a trip to China and the United Arab Emirates, during which he raised eyebrows in the West by accusing the United States of "encouraging the war" in Ukraine.

On April 8, protesters gathered outside parliament in the capital Rabat, with some saying "The rise in prices is a disgrace" and: "We're an agricultural country but vegetables are too expensive."

The billionaire boss of Twitter and Tesla voiced anew his concerns about the danger of AI, saying it has "the potential of civilizational destruction."

The ministers also put Beijing on notice over its "militarisation activities" in the South China Sea and insisted their Taiwan policy was unchanged despite recent controversial comments from France's president.

It said he was an "operational planner responsible for planning terror attacks in the Middle East and Europe".

Recalling a recent visit to Berlin, Netanyahu noted that since Nazi-era Germany "the world has changed, but the calls for our extermination have not ceased, and today come from the regime of horror in Tehran."

The raging battles triggered a wide international outcry with appeals for an immediate ceasefire and dialogue.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was wrapping up an official visit to China and the UAE after returning for a third term in office, said the two countries and others should join a "political G20" to try to end the war.

Brazil and the United Arab Emirates announced a series of deals on combating climate change and advancing biofuels Saturday as President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva paid an official visit to the oil-rich country.

Qin said on Friday that China believed "the only way to resolve the Ukraine crisis is to promote peace and talks".

The West has imposed a slew of sanctions against Russia since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022, including price caps on its oil exports and EU embargoes.

The first plane departed Sanaa, the rebel-held capital, for government-controlled Aden hours after a Saudi delegation departed without a fresh truce but with plans to meet again.

Top luxury brands from Louis Vuitton to Versace have rolled out handbags and shoes, sunglasses and clothing that varies between sober pastels, florals and embroidered prints.

In an interview with French daily Les Echos and news platform Politico, Macron warned against Europe being dragged into a conflict between Washington and Beijing.

AFP was unable to verify the status on the ground in the eastern town, which has turned into the longest and bloodiest fight since Russia invaded Ukraine last year.

Despite Assad not yet controlling all of Syria, the Arab acceptance serves to legitimise his rule over the impoverished and war-wrecked country.

Last year was marked by the eruption of nationwide protests sparked by the death in September of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old ethnic Kurd who had been arrested for allegedly violating the strict dress rules for women.

Friday's nine-nation talks in Jeddah, the Red Sea gateway to Mecca, come after Syria's foreign minister arrived on a previously unannounced visit -- the first since the outbreak of the country's civil war in 2011.

The emergence of the disturbing footage, which AFP was unable to independently verify, sparked fury in Ukraine, with Kyiv saying Russia is "worse than ISIS" -- an acronym for the Islamic State jihadist group.