ISTANBUL, Oct 31 — United States (US)-based coffeehouse chain Starbucks Corporation reported a sales decline for the third consecutive quarter, according to its financial results statement released on Wednesday, Anadolu Agency reported.

SEOUL, Oct 31 — North Korea fired a long-range ballistic missile into the sea off its east coast early today, said South Korea and Japan, a day after Seoul reported the North was making preparations to test-launch an intercontinental ballistic missile.

WASHINGTON, Oct 30 — The United States (US) imposed curbs on hundreds of targets in fresh action against Russia on Wednesday, aiming sanctions circumvention in a signal that the US is committed to countering evasion.

BRUSSELS, Oct 30 — The European Union (EU) has decided to increase tariffs on Chinese-built electric vehicles to as much as 45.3 per cent at the end of its highest profile trade investigation that has divided Europe and prompted retaliation from Beijing.

BRUSSELS, Oct 29 — As Kamala Harris and Donald Trump enter the final days of their close-fought White House contest, Europe is jittery about the potential impact of the United States (US) presidential election on the war in Ukraine and the continent's security.

BEIRUT, Oct 29 — Lebanese armed group Hezbollah has elected deputy head Naim Qassem to succeed secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli air attack on Beirut's southern suburb over a month ago.

TOKYO, Oct 29 — The number of elementary to high school students who committed suicide in Japan stood at 513 in 2023, just below the record high of 514 set the previous year, Jiji Press reported, citing a government report today.

BEIRUT, Oct 29 — Israel’s military campaign in southern Lebanon has caused vast destruction in more than a dozen border towns and villages, reducing many of them to clusters of grey craters, according to satellite imagery provided to Reuters by Planet Labs Inc.

HANOI, Oct 29 — Vietnam is expected to maintain a looser monetary policy, with interest rates projected to drop by 0.7 percentage points next year, reported Xinhua, quoting Vietnam News today.

JAKARTA, Oct 29 — The Indonesian authorities have crushed an organised human smuggling network in South Aceh that was involved in the illegal transportation of both Rohingya refugees and Acehnese into neighbouring countries.

JAKARTA, Oct 29 — Indonesia is looking into options for importing one million tonnes of rice from India next year, said coordinating minister for food affairs Zulkifli Hasan today.

SYDNEY, Oct 29 — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended free flight upgrades he received from Qantas, following allegations he had liaised directly with the national carrier's former chief executive officer (CEO) to get him bumped up to business class.

BEIJING, Oct 29 — China's State Security Ministry said on Tuesday that it had retrieved spying devices both on the ocean surface and in the depths of the sea, including underwater "lighthouses" that could guide the transit of foreign submarines.

ISTANBUL, Oct 29 — The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) condemned Israel’s decision Monday to ban it from operating in the country, calling the passage of the legislation “unprecedented” and warning of severe repercussions for Palestinians, particularly in Gaza.

MANILA, Oct 28 — Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte confirmed a "death squad" existed under his watch to control crime when he was Davao City mayor, but gave conflicting accounts of its makeup, first saying it was run by police officers, then by gangsters.

JAKARTA, Oct 28 — Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) plans an "aggressive" expansion in Indonesia that will see it create a hub for its operations in East Java and invest in exploration in the country's far-flung eastern regions.

TOKYO, Oct 28 — Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has said he will continue to lead the government and tackle growing economic and security challenges after his ruling bloc suffered a crushing defeat in the general election yesterday, reported Xinhua.

TOKYO, Oct 28 — The make-up of Japan's future government was in flux today after voters punished Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's scandal-tainted ruling coalition, leaving no party with a clear mandate to lead the world's fourth-largest economy.

JERUSALEM, Oct 28 — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected an initiative proposed by Egypt on Sunday for a short-term ceasefire with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.

MANILA, Oct 27—Military aircraft from Singapore and Malaysia arrived in the Philippines on Saturday to assist in ongoing relief operations following the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (Trami).