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What's behind Germany's transport strikes that stranded air, rail and bus travelers?

Thousands of travelers across Germany have found themselves stranded when ground staff walked off the job at seven of the country's biggest airports.

The one-day strike by the Ver.di labor union, which runs until 7:10 a.m. Wednesday, affects several hundred flights at airports in Frankfurt and Munich, Lufthansa's main hubs, as well as Berlin, Duesseldorf, Hamburg, Cologne-Bonn and Stuttgart.

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Japan's exports surged nearly 12% in January in 2nd straight month of gains

Japan's exports surged a stronger than expected nearly 12% in January, helped by robust demand for vehicles, auto parts and machinery.

That helped the nation's trade deficit shrink to 1.76 trillion yen ($12 billion), or about half of what it was a year earlier.

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Sri Lanka repays $20m Iranian oil debt with tea

Cash-strapped Sri Lanka said Wednesday it had exported tea worth $20 million to Iran to partially repay its $251 million oil debts, with Colombo saying Tehran's visiting foreign minister had expressed "satisfaction" at the deal.

"So far $20 million worth of tea has been exported to Iran under the barter trade agreement," Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena's office said in a statement after talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

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Thousands of farmers advance on Madrid in major protest over EU policies

Hundreds of farmers drove their tractors into central Madrid on Wednesday as part of ongoing protests against European Union and local farming policies and to demand measures to alleviate production cost hikes.

The protest, the biggest to take place in the Spanish capital after more than two weeks of daily protests across the country, will include a rally outside the Agriculture Ministry headquarters.

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Argentina's poverty levels hit 57% of population, 20-year high in January

Poverty levels skyrocketed to 57.4% of Argentina's 46 million people in January, the highest rate in 20 years, according to a study by the Catholic University of Argentina.

The findings quickly unleashed accusations between Argentina's former Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and the government of President Javier Milei, who came to power announcing a series of shock measures aimed at tackling the country's severe crisis.

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Indian farmers reject government offer, say will carry on marching to New Delhi

Indian farmers who have been protesting for a week to demand guaranteed crop prices have rejected a proposal from the government, and say they will continue their march to the capital New Delhi.

The protesting farmers began their march last week, but their efforts to reach the city have been blocked by authorities, who have barricaded highways into the capital with cement blocks, metal containers, barbed wire and iron spikes to barricade highways to the capital to avoid a repeat of the 2021 farmers' protests, during which they camped in the city's outskirts for over a year.

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Dubai International Airport had 86.9 million passengers last year in a post-pandemic surge

The number of passengers flying through Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest for international travel, surged last year beyond its total for 2019 — just before the coronavirus pandemic grounded global aviation.

While still shy of its all-time high in 2018, the figures for 2023 showed just how far the airport, known as DXB, has bounced back from the pandemic. The number of passengers passing through its cavernous, air-conditioned terminals that are home to the long-haul carrier Emirates in Dubai, has served as a barometer for the aviation industry worldwide and the wider economic health of this city-state.

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Czech farmers take tractors to Prague in protest over EU agriculture policies

Hundreds of tractors blocked a lane in downtown Prague in a farmers protest Monday over European Union agriculture policies and what they said were unfair practices.

Major organizations representing Czech farmers didn't participate and distanced themselves from the rally after it turned out some organizers were behind recent pro-Russian demonstrations.

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US rivalry with China expands to biotech

U.S. lawmakers are raising alarms about what they see as America's failure to compete with China in biotechnology, warning of the risks to U.S. national security and commercial interests. But as the two countries' rivalry expands into the biotech industry, some say that shutting out Chinese companies would only hurt the U.S.

Biotechnology promises to revolutionize everyday life, with scientists and researchers using it to make rapid advances in medical treatment, genetic engineering in agriculture and novel biomaterials. Because of its potential, it has caught the attention of both the Chinese and U.S. governments.

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Former Bank of China chairman indicted for bribery in nation's long-running anticorruption drive

The former chairman of the Bank of China has been indicted on bribery charges, prosecutors said Monday, adding to a long list of business and government officials who have been brought down by Chinese leader Xi Jinping's yearslong anticorruption drive.

Liu Liange is accused of taking advantage of his positions at the Bank of China and previously as president of the Export-Import Bank of China, the Supreme People's Procuratorate said in a statement posted on social media.

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