Author: Press Room

European shares and US stock futures turned lower on Wednesday, putting the brakes on a strong rally fuelled by investors scooping up shares on the cheap and weak economic data easing fears over interest rate rises.The regional Stoxx 600 slipped 0.7 per cent in morning trading, having closed 3.1 per cent higher on Tuesday. Futures contracts tracking Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 fell 0.8 per cent after the broad gauge also ended the previous session up 3.1 per cent.Tuesday’s moves took the S&P 500’s advance over two days to 5.7 per cent — its strongest such rally since the depths…

This is the moment a Swedish MEP cut her hair in the European Parliament to show solidarity with anti-government protesters in Iran.It is one of several shows of support across Europe in recent days. Iran has been rocked by more than two weeks of protests following the death of 22-year-old Masha Amini on 16 September after she was stopped by Iran’s morality police for allegedly not adhering to the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code. “Until the women of Iran are free. We are going to stand with you”, said Abir Al-Sahlani as she cut her hair in front of MEPs in Strasbourg. …

Hundreds of hot air balloons lifted off Saturday morning, marking the start of an annual fiesta that has drawn pilots and spectators from across the globe to New Mexico’s high desert for 50 years now. As one of the most photographed events in the world, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta has become an economic driver for the state’s largest city and a rare — and colourful — opportunity for enthusiasts to be within arm’s reach as the giant balloons are unpacked and inflated.Three of the original pilots who participated in the first fiesta in 1972 and the family members of…

Carlos Alcaraz and Casper Ruud have plotted different courses since meeting in the US Open final a month ago.World No. 1 Alcaraz chose only to play the Davis Cup following his remarkable maiden Grand Slam victory. World No. 3 Ruud opted instead for a stacked schedule that soon took him from New York to the other side of the world.Neither choice looked completely optimal after shock defeats in Astana and Tokyo this week.TennisNadal v Djokovic: Who could break Federer’s one-surface title record?3 HOURS AGOAlcaraz was beaten by lucky loser David Goffin in his first match in Astana, ending his streak…

Burkina Faso’s overthrown military chief agreed to step down two days after army officers announced his deposition in the country’s second coup in a year. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba “offered his resignation in order to avoid confrontations with serious human and material consequences”, according to a statement on Sunday by mediators. Influential religious and community leaders held mediation talks between Damiba and the new self-proclaimed leader, Captain Ibrahim Traore, to resolve the crisis. “President Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba proposed his own resignation in order to avoid clashes,” said Hamidou Yameogo, a spokesman for the mediation efforts. Damiba set “seven conditions” for stepping…

This is the second in a three-part series on Roraima in the context of Brazil’s general elections. The project was supported by the Pulitzer Center’s Rainforest Journalism Fund. Boa Vista, Brazil – Standing centre-stage at a campaign event, Antonio Denarium closes his eyes and holds his hands open in prayer. Below him in the crowd, dozens of others perform the same gesture, commonly associated with Brazil’s evangelical Christian community. Courting the religious vote is a shrewd move for any politician here in Roraima, a conservative corner of Brazil’s Amazon on the border with Venezuela and Guyana. Seeking re-election as state…

The victory of Francois Legault’s election campaign has some economists concerned over the prospect of continued labour shortages in Quebec. The leader of the Coalition Avenir Quebec won in a landslide victory Monday on a platform of combating inflation, income tax cuts and French-language preservation.The president of business group Conseil du patronat Du Quebec Karl Blackburn says that the economy needs to be a central issue for the premier’s new mandate as the province faces labour shortages and inflation. Many economists see higher immigration numbers as a way to fill the labour shortfall.On the campaign trail, Legault spoke frequently about…

Child and adolescent psychologist Clare Rowe says the reintegration of children of Islamic State fighters from Syrian camps is a “complex and difficult issue”. The National Security Committee has finalised plans to bring home 16 women and 42 children after risk assessment from ASIO agents cleared the families who have been detained since the fall of the Islamic State caliphate in 2019.“Most Australians can’t bear the thought of these children staying in camps,” Ms Rowe told Sky News Australia.“As a developmental expert, I know that most of your world view and core values and your developmental processes that are extremely…

Treading water. Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo are muddling through their day to day amid the singer’s alleged cheating scandal, a source exclusively reveals in the latest issue of Us Weekly. “It’s been a horrible time for them, Behati especially,” the insider says, noting that the Maroon 5 front man, 43, has been “extremely busy with his new Las Vegas stint” during the tumultuous time. The pregnant model, 34 — who confirmed in September that she is expecting the couple’s third child — has been seen beside Levine as they weather the storm. “They’re just doing their best to be…

The coastal storm that has some energy from Ian will finally begin to move away from the East Coast, but there will still be another day of unsettled, cool weather for the mid-Atlantic and Northeast.  NATIONAL GUARD BRINGS SUPPLIES TO ISLANDS CUT OFF FROM FLORIDA AFTER HURRICANE IAN The next big weather story will be the incredibly strong cold front that will push the coldest air of the season from the Plains all the way down to the Gulf Coast over the next few days, bringing temperatures down 20-25 degrees.  Widespread morning lows will sink into the low- to mid-20s for North…