POLITICS & POLICY

President Joe Biden will make the case on Wednesday in Angola that the United States must do better rather than more than China to regain influence in Africa.

France's government on Wednesday faced no-confidence votes that could spell the end of the administration of Prime Minister Michel Barnier, plunging the country into uncharted waters of political chaos.

Syrian government forces launched a counterattack against Islamist-led rebels around the key city of Hama on Wednesday after suffering a string of staggering losses, a war monitor said.

Parliamentary staffers used sofas and fire extinguishers to block soldiers armed with assault rifles and night-vision goggles from entering South Korea's National Assembly to maintain martial law, CCTV footage released Wednesday showed.

Georgian police on Tuesday evening used water cannon and tear gas on the sixth night of pro-EU protests in Tbilisi after the prime minister threatened demonstrators with reprisals amid a deepening crisis in the Black Sea nation.

South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday declared martial law, accusing the opposition of being "anti-state forces" and saying he was acting to protect the country from "threats" posed by the North.

US President-elect Donald Trump has threatened retaliation against governments that challenge the US dollar, vowing "100 percent tariffs" on countries that undercut the US currency.

Ukraine insisted Tuesday that NATO membership was the only "real guarantee" for its security as foreign ministers from the alliance looked set to rebuff Kyiv's push for an invite ahead of Donald Trump's return to the US presidency.

China has fully lifted suspensions on Australian red meat, Canberra said Tuesday, dismantling one of the final barriers in a four-year trade war that hammered US$13 billion of exports.

Israel said it hit dozens of Hezbollah targets in strikes on Lebanon Monday after vowing retaliation for an attack claimed by Hezbollah, the militant group's first since a fragile ceasefire began last week.

Georgian police fired tear gas to disperse thousands of pro-EU demonstrators on Monday, who had rallied in the centre of Tbilisi amid a deepening political crisis in the Black Sea nation.

France's Michel Barnier faced an abrupt end to his premiership Monday after key opposition parties said they would back a no-confidence motion against his government after only three months in power.

The White House is working on a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza but is "not there yet," the US National Security Advisor told NBC on Sunday, with fighting in the conflict raging on as regional leaders meet to discuss the crisis.

US President Joe Biden on Sunday issued an official pardon for his son Hunter, who was facing sentencing for two criminal cases, despite assurances that he would not intervene in his legal troubles.

A coalition of activists in the Philippines lodged an impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday, accusing her of corruption and misconduct.

Liverpool piled on the misery for Manchester City as the Premier League leaders beat the troubled champions 2-0 at Anfield, while Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim earned his first league win with a 4-0 rout of Everton on Sunday.

Deeply divided negotiators failed on Sunday to reach a landmark global treaty to curb plastic pollution, missing a self-imposed deadline, and agreed to extend their talks.

Romanians flocked to the polls on Sunday to elect a new parliament with the far right tipped to gain ground, potentially heralding a shift in the foreign policy of the NATO country bordering Ukraine.

Georgia's Prime Minister on Sunday ruled out new parliamentary elections amid a post-election crisis that has seen his legitimacy questioned both at home and internationally.

An impenetrable barrier against irregural migration for some, a deadly trap for others: a metal fence erected on the Polish-Belarusian border is dividing Poland's authorities and human rights groups.

A monitor of Syria's war said on Saturday that rebels controlled most of Aleppo, reporting Russian air strikes on parts of Syria's second city for the first time since 2016.

Georgia on Saturday said 107 people were arrested during a second night of protests sparked by the government's decision to delay European Union membership talks amid a post-election crisis.

Georgian police on Friday fired water cannon and tear gas on demonstrators, as thousands took to the streets for a second day to protest the government putting off EU membership talks.

Romania on Friday began recounting the votes from last week's dramatic first-round presidential election, amid concerns the ballot might be annulled as authorities pointed to Russia's influence and alleged interference via TikTok.

Supporters and opponents of Britain's assisted dying bill descended on the UK's Westminster parliament on Friday as lawmakers prepared to vote on the issue.

A US offer to give Ukraine anti-personnel mines to help battle Russia's invasion has thrown a landmark global anti-landmine treaty into "crisis", campaigners said Friday, urging Kyiv to snub the proposal.

Taiwan said Friday it detected 41 Chinese military aircraft and ships around the island ahead of a Hawaii stopover by President Lai Ching-te, part of a Pacific tour that has sparked fury in Beijing.

A crackdown on Pakistan's main opposition party that has seen dozens of leaders and lawmakers detained or driven into hiding has sent fear coursing through the movement founded by ex-PM and cricket star Imran Khan.

Jihadists and their Turkish-backed allies shelled Syria's second city Aleppo on Friday, in a major offensive against government troops that has sparked some of the deadliest fighting the country has seen in years.