BUSINESS

Britain treated Donald Trump to an elaborate ceremonial welcome featuring a gun salute and mounted horses as the US president's unprecedented second state visit began under tight security on Wednesday.

AI companies have sucked up the world's entire music catalogue and are guilty of "wilful, commercial-scale copyright infringement", a major music industry group told AFP. "The world's largest tech companies as well as AI-specific companies, such as OpenAI, Suno, and Udio, Mistral, etc. are engaged in the largest copyright infringement exercise that has been seen," John Phelan, director general of the International Confederation of Music Publishers (ICMP), told AFP. For nearly two years, the Brussels-based body, which brings together major record labels and other music industry professionals, investigated how generative artificial intelligence (AI) companies used material to enrich their services.

Nepal flew flags at half-mast during a national day of mourning Wednesday for the 73 people killed during youth-led anti-corruption protests that toppled the government.

The top suspect in the 2007 disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann in Portugal was freed from a German prison on Wednesday, an AFP journalist at the scene reported.

Celebrated director Park Chan-wook's star-studded murder comedy will open Asia's biggest film festival Wednesday, which launches its first fully fledged competition lineup as South Korea projects its soft power worldwide.

Asian stock markets were mixed Wednesday as investors bided their time ahead of an expected US interest rate cut later in the day.

The US Federal Reserve is poised to make its first interest rate cut of 2025 on Wednesday, but it battles competing forces in the path forward -- with heightened political pressure and likely divisions among its ranks.

The casino industry's quest to bring gambling to Manhattan faces a key test this week when an advisory panel weighs a Times Square proposal that has enraged much of Broadway.

Arsenal won 2-0 away to Athletic Bilbao as the league phase of this season's Champions League kicked off on Tuesday, with two Kylian Mbappe penalties giving Real Madrid a narrow win over Marseille while Juventus and Borussia Dortmund drew an eight-goal thriller.

For Kiani, entrepreneurship has never been merely about building companies; it has been about solving pressing problems with persistence and vision.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday extended a delay on enforcing a ban against TikTok until December 16, marking the fourth postponement of a law designed to force the app's sale from its Chinese owner.

The suspect in the murder of prominent US conservative political activist Charlie Kirk has been formally charged with his murder, prosecutors in Utah announced on Tuesday.

Colombia on Tuesday halted arms purchases from the United States, its biggest military partner, after Washington decertified the South American country as an anti-drugs ally for failing to halt cocaine trafficking.

Faith Kipyegon cemented her status as an athletics legend on Tuesday by winning her fourth world 1500 metres title whilst Cordell Tinch's decision to return to the sport paid off with 110m hurdles gold.

The US Federal Reserve started a key interest rate meeting Tuesday, hours after Donald Trump's new appointee narrowly won confirmation to join the central bank -- while another top official fights her removal by the president.

India's Jindal Steel International has made an offer for Thyssenkrupp's steel division, the German company said Tuesday, in what would be a mega-deal for the struggling industrial titan.

With his all-American good looks, Robert Redford, who died on Tuesday aged 89 was the eternal "Sundance Kid", a US screen legend both in front of and behind the camera.