France24.com (en)

The total cost of insured losses from natural catastrophes is estimated at $107 billion, down 24 percent from the previous year, the Zurich-based reinsurance giant said in its preliminary estimates for 2025. The decrease was attributed to a much less severe hurricane season in the North Atlantic than in 2024, said Swiss Re, which serves as an insurer of insurance companies. "For the first time in 10 years, none of these hurricanes made landfall on the US coast, which explains why insured losses from this peril are set to be low in 2025"... Читать дальше...

M23 rebels, backed by Rwanda, on Tuesday agreed to withdraw from the city of Uvira in eastern DRC following a request from US mediators. The group said its withdrawal was a gesture to give the ongoing peace process between Rwanda and DRC a chance to succeed.

Nearly three weeks since the massive deluge ravaged the island, 40-year-old Nurlela picked her way barefoot through uprooted trees and debris, as victims and civil society groups clamoured for international aid. The latest government figures issued on Tuesday put the death toll at 1,030 people. Another 205 remain missing in the aftermath of one of the deadliest natural disasters to hit Sumatra's resource-rich Aceh province, the scene of a killer tsunami in 2004. Nurlela said she had fled with her... Читать дальше...

Using witness testimony, amateur footage and official statements, AFP pieced together a timeline of Sunday's attack that killed 15 people and wounded dozens. Teenage IS supporter Naveed Akram, 24, first caught the eye of Australia's intelligence agency in 2019, when he was a teenager rubbing shoulders with supporters of the Islamic State group in Sydney. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday two of Naveed's associates were later jailed but he was not considered a serious threat and largely fell off the radar. Читать дальше...

Sajid Akram and his son Naveed, who killed 15 people and wounded dozens of others at a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney's Bondi Beach, entered the country on November 1 with the southern province of Davao listed as their final destination. The province on the southern island of Mindanao has a long history of Islamist insurgencies against central government rule. "Sajid Akram, 50, Indian national, and Naveed Akram, 24, Australian national, arrived in the Philippines together last November 1, 2025 from Sydney... Читать дальше...

The women know that mutilating young girls by removing their clitoris and inner labia -- framed as a rite of passage -- is still an entrenched practice in some remote villages of Narok county, around three hours from the nearest tarmac road. One local nurse told AFP some 80 percent of girls in the area are still affected, despite the practice being made illegal in 2011. "Why are you telling people that you have stopped, when we have teenage girls coming to the hospital who have been cut?" asked a woman in the crowd... Читать дальше...

The move brings the ATP into line with the women's WTA tour, which has a long-standing policy, and sports such as Formula One which has its own measures to protect drivers. In October, Danish tennis star Holger Rune called temperatures of more than 30C and humidity soaring past 80 percent at the Shanghai Masters "brutal". "Do you want a player to die on court?" Rune was heard to ask as he wilted in the fierce conditions. The ATP has now acted, saying on Monday it was "strengthening protections for players competing in extreme conditions". Читать дальше...

Manchester United failed to beat Bournemouth (4-4). The Red Devils remain sixth in the table.

US military strikes on three suspected narco-trafficking vessels in the eastern Pacific killed eight people on Monday, US Southern Command said, part of an ongoing campaign that has left more than 90 dead. The command said intelligence showed the vessels were operating along known trafficking routes.

But a year into President Donald Trump's trade war, some of those customers have been lost, with buyers unwilling to stomach higher prices forced by US tariffs on imported steel. "Adding an extra $500 (US$363) on the cost of a $10,000 plow, it's a huge hit," Schulz told AFP, as a heavy snow fell outside the company's factory in London, Ontario, 190 kilometers (120 miles) southwest of Toronto. "It's something we can't afford to just absorb and it's something that customers in the States don't want to pay," Schulz said on the factory floor... Читать дальше...

Yields on Japanese government bonds have risen in recent weeks on worries about Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's budget discipline, while the yen has weakened. Higher BoJ interest rates make Japanese bonds more attractive than other assets, pushing down their prices but sending yields -- which move inversely -- higher. "So far, US corporates have swallowed the burden of tariffs without fully passing (them) through to consumer prices," Ueda told the Financial Times. At the same time, inflation has... Читать дальше...

Pistons point guard Cunningham produced another potent offensive display in a back-and-forth duel that saw the lead change hands 15 times before Detroit pulled away in the final minutes. Cunningham, averaging just under 27 points this season, rattled in six three-pointers in 11-of-21 shooting from the field to help Detroit improve to 21-5 in the Eastern Conference. But Detroit were made to work hard for their fourth straight win after a dogged performance from Boston, who led by as many as 12 points... Читать дальше...

The figures are stark: nearly 1.3 million people are homeless across the 27-nation bloc -- more than the entire population of Brussels. Over the past 15 years, housing prices have surged by 60 percent, while rents have climbed almost 30 percent, according to Eurostat data. "For too many Europeans today, home has become a source of anxiety," European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen said in a recent speech addressing the challenge. Responding to a crisis that affects all EU member states, the... Читать дальше...

Carmakers and their backers have lobbied hard for Brussels to relax the ban over the past year -- in the face of fierce competition from China and a slower-than-expected shift to electric vehicles (EVs). The European Commission is expected to propose replacing it with a less ambitious 90-percent emission-reduction target, in a move critics say risks undermining the EU's green agenda and deterring investments in electrification. "This is a critical milestone for the future of the sector. There is a lot at stake," Sigrid de Vries... Читать дальше...

A father and son killed 15 people at Bondi Beach on Sunday, targeting a Jewish festival that marked the start of Hanukkah. Footage showed the fruit seller ducking between parked cars as the shooting unfolded and then wresting a gun from one of the assailant's hands. "He was trying to get a cup of coffee and found himself at a moment where people were being shot in front of him," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said after a bedside visit with heavily bandaged Ahmed. "He decided to take action... Читать дальше...

British folk musician Emily Portman got a shock in July when she received a message from a fan congratulating her on her new album -- even though she hadn't released one since 2022. That's when she discovered "Orca" on numerous streaming platforms including Spotify and Apple Music. The titles of the songs resembled something she might have created herself, but "very quickly I recognised it was AI-produced music", she said. According to the independent artist, the AI behind "Orca" was "trained" on her previous albums... Читать дальше...

After a healthy tech-led run-up this year, traders appeared to be seeing it out on a tepid note amid questions over the huge sums pumped into artificial intelligence and indications the Federal Reserve will pause cutting interest rates. All eyes are on the release later in the day of US November jobs data and the delayed reading for October, which will be followed on Thursday by consumer price index figures. The readings will be pored over for some idea about the Fed's plans for borrowing costs... Читать дальше...

Chile on Sunday voted in far-right leader Jose Antonio Kast, making it the latest country in Latin America to ditch the left. As many voters are looking for solutions to economic woes, US President Donald Trump has also upped the ante vowing to pull US support for some countries if leftist candidates are elected.

President Donald Trump sued the BBC on Monday for defamation, accusing the British public broadcaster of misleadingly editing clips of his January 6, 2021 speech to suggest he urged supporters to storm the US Capitol, while omitting remarks calling for peaceful protest.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday a father and son who opened fire at a Jewish festival on Sydney’s Bondi Beach appeared to be driven by Islamic State ideology. Sajid Akram and his son Naveed killed 15 people at a Hanukkah celebration, in what authorities called an antisemitic terrorist attack.

France’s first lady Brigitte Macron apologised on Monday for using a slur against activists that triggered a feminist backlash and a social media trend against her. Speaking to Brut, Macron, 72, said she was sorry if she hurt women, but defended the remarks as private comments.

The government of Trinidad and Tobago said on Monday it would allow the US military access to its airports in the coming weeks, as tensions rise between Washington and Venezuela. Authorities said a newly installed US radar in Tobago is for crime-fighting and denied the country would be used to launch attacks.

Despite logging record a trade surplus, economic data for November showed China's domestic woes are deepening.  Retail sales grew at their slowest pace in three years and investment slowed sharply, signalling Chinese people and businesses are becoming increasingly cautious. Plus, Roomba maker iRobot has filed for bankruptcy after struggling with competition, debt, tariffs and Amazon's buyout offer later being called off. It's now being taken private by its main Chinese supplier.