Athens News - News from Athens, the political, economic and cultural centre of Greece, the European Union and the whole world

Asian equities edged higher Wednesday as traders weigh Donald Trump's trade war and fresh data that indicated further weakness in the US economy but added to interest rate cut speculation.

Activists, journalists and relatives of jailed dissidents say they were briefly detained or prevented from leaving their homes by state security agents Tuesday on the anniversary of the "Maleconazo," the largest protest Fidel Castro faced during his rule.

A Trump supporter backed by the populist opposition will take over as Poland's new president on Wednesday, heralding confrontation with a pro-EU government he has branded "the worst in history".

Nationalist historian Karol Nawrocki, who is set to be inaugurated as Poland's new president on Wednesday, is a former amateur boxer with a particular interest in the criminal underworld.

It is wedding season in the Comoros, when the diaspora return to the tiny Indian Ocean islands for days-long celebrations that mark an essential rite of passage, the "Grand Mariage".

In a Moscow nightclub, some 100 heavy metal fans belted out Metallica's hit song, "For whom the bell tolls!"

In the shadow of luxury apartment buildings under construction on the shores of the reservoir, Maniru Umar dips his oar into the water, pushing his shallow, wooden canoe forward through thick reeds.

A woman died and nine people were injured in a wildfire in southern France that has burned 11,000 hectares, local officials said Wednesday.

Cases of chikungunya fever are rising in southern China, prompting local authorities to take measures to curb its spread.

Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific said Wednesday it would place a US$8.1-billion order for 14 Boeing jets, its first order with the American aircraft maker for 12 years.

US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Wednesday, state media reported, where he will meet with Russian leadership as President Donald Trump's deadline to impose fresh sanctions over the war in Ukraine looms.

The Indian army brought in sniffer dogs, drones and heavy earth-moving equipment Wednesday to search for scores missing a day after a deadly Himalayan flash flood.

US tariffs on many Brazilian products surged Wednesday, as President Donald Trump moved ahead with a pressure campaign against the trial of his right-wing ally Jair Bolsonaro.

Sufi singer Jamal has spent decades devoted to his craft but now fears for his future as hardline Islamists gain ground in post-revolution Bangladesh.

Deep in the rugged forests of North Macedonia, small-hydropower developers are facing off with activists who warn that a thirst for lucrative green energy contracts is threatening the country's rivers.

A wildfire in southern France slowed overnight into Wednesday after injuring nine people and burning through 11,000 hectares of vegetation, local officials said.

Rugby Australia has signalled that more overseas-based players will be allowed to represent the Wallabies, shifting away from a strict policy that has heavily favoured domestic players.

South Korean star Son Heung-min has not even been officially announced as joining Los Angeles FC of MLS, but excited fans are already waiting to welcome him.

Asian investors trod warily Wednesday amid lingering uncertainty over Donald Trump's trade war, while another round of data indicated further weakness in the US economy but added interest rate cut speculation.

South Korean star Son Heung-min has not even been officially announced as joining Los Angeles FC of MLS but excited fans are already waiting to welcome him.

US second seed Taylor Fritz overcame a late niggle while serving for the match on Tuesday to beat Andrey Rublev 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) and reach the ATP Toronto Masters semi-finals.

Donald Trump's sudden concern about starving Palestinians was a major shift for the US president, who had previously ignored the endless cries for help from aid groups. So what changed?

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka advanced to the semi-finals of the WTA Canadian Open on Tuesday with a comprhensive 6-2, 6-2 triumph over 10th seed Elina Svitolina.

US second seed Taylor Fritz overcame a late niggle while serving for the match on Tuesday to beat Andrey Rublev 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) and reach the ATP Toronto Masters semi-finals.

The NFL sold its NFL Network and Sunday RedZone television show to ESPN on Tuesday in exchange for a 10% equity stake in the US-based sports television network.

As the United States ramps up tariffs on major trading partners globally, President Donald Trump is also disrupting strategies that could be used -- by Chinese companies or others -- to circumvent them.

Donald Trump on Tuesday established a task force that he will lead on the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, a Democrat-run city that has frequently clashed with the Republican US president.

Music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, who is to be sentenced in October for his conviction on prostitution-related charges, is seeking a pardon from President Donald Trump, one of his lawyers said Tuesday.

Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted accomplice of Jeffrey Epstein, asked a judge on Tuesday to reject a US Justice Department request to unseal the grand jury transcripts in her criminal case and that of the late notorious sex offender.

A luxurious superyacht seized by the US authorities from sanctioned Russian billionaire Suleiman Kerimov is headed to the auction block.

Danish 16th seed Clara Tauson stunned reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys 6-1, 6-4 on Tuesday and advanced to the semi-finals of the WTA Canadian Open.

President Donald Trump's administration on Tuesday announced it would terminate 22 federal contracts for mRNA-based vaccines, questioning the safety of a technology credited with helping end the Covid pandemic and saving millions of lives.

US envoy Steve Witkoff will meet on Wednesday with Russian leadership in Moscow as President Donald Trump's deadline to impose fresh sanctions over Russia's war in Ukraine looms.

Wall Street stocks fell Tuesday as a rally ran out of steam following lackluster economic data, while investors monitor ongoing trade talks ahead of new tariff hikes set to take effect later this week.

Japan marks 80 years since the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on Wednesday with a ceremony reminding the world of the horrors unleashed, as sabre-rattling between the United States and Russia keeps the nuclear "Doomsday Clock" close to midnight.

US envoy Steve Witkoff will meet on Wednesday with Russian leadership in Moscow, an American source confirmed, as President Donald Trump's deadline to impose fresh sanctions over Russia's war in Ukraine looms.

Record heat, massive fires, deadly floods... August has barely begun, but the summer of 2025 is already marked by a cascade of destructive and deadly weather in the northern hemisphere.

Brazilian congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro is hailed by some as a slayer of tyrants in defense of his coup-accused father.

US President Donald Trump signaled Tuesday that fresh tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals and semiconductors could be unveiled within the coming week, in his ongoing push to reshape global trade.