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  • A customer holds disposable electronic cigarettes in her shop in Brussels on December 12, 2024. Belgium will ban the sale of disposable e-cigarettes (also known as ‘vapes’) from 1 January 2025, as it received approval from the European Commission to do so. (Photo by Nicolas TUCAT / AFP) (Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT/AFP via Getty Images)Health

    Disposable vapes axed in Belgium in European first to stem youth addiction

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  • In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin meets with the media after a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council at Igora ski resort in the Leningrad region on December 26, 2024. (Photo by Alexandr Demyanchuk / POOL / AFP) (Photo by ALEXANDR DEMYANCHUK/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)Politics

    Kremlin threatens retaliation as European Telegram ban of Russian state media sparks outrage

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  • An aerial drone photo taken on Dec. 25, 2024 shows the plane crash site near Aktau, Kazakhstan. A passenger plane operated by Azerbaijan Airlines from Baku to Grozny crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau on Wednesday, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations MES said. The Embraer 190 aircraft with flight number J2-8243 crashed near Aktau Airport. The ministry reported 28 survivors in the incident, with rescue operations ongoing. There were 67 people on board, including 62 passengers and five crew members, Azerbaijan Airlines said on X. (Photo by Azamat Sarsenbayev/Xinhua via Getty Images)Politics

    Azerbaijan says Russia shot at plane before crash—and demands Moscow admit it

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  • AKTAU, KAZAKHSTAN – DECEMBER 27: Evidence collection efforts are underway at the crash site of an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) passenger plane near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on December 27, 2024. According to the ministry, 62 passengers and five crew members were on board Flight 8432, which caught fire following the crash, adding that emergency responders are working to extinguish it. (Photo by Meiramgul Kussainova/Anadolu via Getty Images)Politics

    Putin apologizes to Azerbaijan and admits Russian air defense was working, but doesn’t take responsibility for plane crash

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  • Mariachis during the launch event of the BYD Co. Shark plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) pickup truck at Expo Santa Fe Mexico in Mexico City, Mexico, on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. It’s unusual for a Chinese brand to unveil a new vehicle outside of its home market, and the move shows Mexico’s growing importance to BYD and other automakers based in China, where growth has slowed. Photographer: Mariceu Erthal/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesTech

    Cheap and comfy Chinese cars are pushing out Mercedes-Benz and BMW in Mexico

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  • Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during a press conference at the prime minister’s office in Tokyo on December 24, 2024. (Photo by Yuichi YAMAZAKI / POOL / AFP) (Photo by YUICHI YAMAZAKI/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)Politics

    Japan approves its largest budget ever, boosts social welfare and defense spending

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  • DELHI, INDIA – OCTOBER 17: Indian Prime Mnister Manmohan Singh awaits the arrival of Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard during her ceremonial reception at the Indian presidential palace Rashtrapati Bhavan on October 17, 2012 in Delhi, India. Gillard is on an official three day visit to India where she is expected to discuss the sale of uranium to the nuclear armed country. (Photo by Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)Politics

    Manmohan Singh, former Indian prime minister known as ‘Mr Clean,’ dies aged 92

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  • Han Duck-soo, South Korea’s prime minister and acting president, speaks during a news conference after lawmakers passed a motion to impeach South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul, South Korea, on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. Han called for a strengthening of military surveillance against the possibility of North Korea’s provocation at his first cabinet meeting as acting leader on Saturday. Photographer: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesPolitics

    South Korea’s opposition prepares to impeach the country’s acting president as political crisis deepens

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  • France’s Prime Minister Francois Bayrou gestures as he addresses journalists during the political TV show “L’Evenement” (The Event) broadcast on French TV channel France 2, in Paris, on December 19, 2024. Francois Bayrou said he hoped to name a government “over the weekend”, “in any case before Christmas” and that a budget would be adopted “in mid-February”, although work on this was interrupted by the motion of censure that toppled the previous government. (Photo by Valentine CHAPUIS / AFP) (Photo by VALENTINE CHAPUIS/AFP via Getty Images)Politics

    Macron unveils new government under Francois Bayrou—France’s fourth prime minister of the year

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  • GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – NOVEMBER 05: Prince Charles, Prince of Wales visits Glasgow Central Station to view two alternative fuel, green trains as part of Network Rail’s “Green Trains @ COP26” event on November 5, 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland. 2021 sees the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference which will run from 31 October for two weeks, finishing on 12 November. It was meant to take place in 2020 but was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. (Photo by Jane Barlow-WPA Pool/Getty Images)Lifestyle

    The nation’s favorite chocolate is ‘disappointed’ as Britain’s King Charles strips Cadbury of its royal warrant—for the first time in 170 years

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  • US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo testifies during a US Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies hearing on the proposed 2025 budget for the Commerce Department on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on May 15, 2024. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)Tech

    The U.S. launches investigation of Chinese-made chips, used in everything from cars to medical devices

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  • This photograph shows perfumes from “Parfums de Marly”, a luxury and niche perfume brand, in its Paris boutique on December 12, 2024. Parfums de Marly, which should reach $600 million in sales in 2024 was created in 2009 by Julien Sprecher, an enthusiast of the 18th century, who draws its inspiration from “this period when modern perfumery was invented”, “where Louis XV gave incredible parties at the Château de Marly”. (Photo by Grégoire CAMPIONE / AFP) (Photo by GREGOIRE CAMPIONE/AFP via Getty Images)Retail

    ‘People don’t want to smell like others anymore’—this largely unknown perfume brand doesn’t advertise, but its sales have still risen 50%

    By Katell Prigent and AFP
  • Makoto Uchida, chief executive officer of Nissan Motor Co., from left, Toshihiro Mibe, chief executive officer of Honda Motor Co., and Takao Kato, chief executive officer of Mitsubishi Motors Corp., attend a news conference in Tokyo, Japan, on Monday, Dec. 23, 2024. Honda and Nissan took their first historic steps toward merging and creating a new force in the world’s automotive industry as aggressive competition from China forces legacy carmakers to rethink their business models. Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesFinance

    Honda comes to the rescue of a struggling Nissan as Japanese auto giants start merger talks

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  • A man uses his smartphone as he sits on a sidewalk in Ho Chi Minh City on December 23, 2024. Social media users in Vietnam on platforms including Facebook and TikTok will need to verify their identities as part of strict new internet regulations that critics say further undermine freedom of expression in the communist country. The law, which comes into force on December 25, 2024, will compel tech giants operational in Vietnam to store user data, provide it to authorities on request, and remove content the government regards as “illegal” within 24 hours. (Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP) (Photo by NHAC NGUYEN/AFP via Getty Images)Tech

    Teens in Vietnam will now be limited to one hour of gaming per session

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  • Night scenery of Ginzan Onsen , a famous hot spring town and tourist destination in Obanazawa, Yamagata, Japan, with bridges over a stream flanked by old buildings on a cold snowy winter evening The photograph captures the mesmerizing night scenery of Ginzan Onsen, a renowned hot spring town and popular tourist destination located in Japan. The town is nestled within a picturesque valley surrounded by lush mountains and features traditional wooden ryokan-style buildings lining both sides of a charming stone-paved street. Soft, warm light emanates from the traditional lanterns and the illuminated interiors of the ryokans, creating a cozy and inviting ambiance. In the foreground of the image, a serene river meanders through the town, reflecting the illuminated structures and adding a sense of tranquility to the scene. The combination of the vibrant reflections and the dark, starry sky overhead creates a captivating contrast that highlights the beauty of the town’s architecture and natural surroundings. Ginzan Onsen is famous for its historic and preserved atmosphere, evoking a sense of nostalgia for a bygone era. The photograph perfectly captures this timeless charm, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the enchanting atmosphere of this charming hot spring town, making it a must-visit destination for travelers seeking a blend of cultural authenticity and relaxation.Lifestyle

    This snowy Japanese town is cracking down on tourism after traffic jams blocked emergency vehicles

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