Lebanese officials began much-delayed talks with the International Monetary Fund Monday on support measures aimed at lifting the country out of its worst-ever economic crisis.

"We hope the negotiations will be concluded as soon as possible, but given the complexity of the issues it is possible that other rounds will be held," Deputy Prime Minister Saadeh al-Shami, who heads the Lebanese delegation, said in a statement.

Airlines must operate more flights in Britain this summer as demand recovers from the pandemic -- or lose lucrative take-off and landing slots, the UK government warned Monday.

As winter deepens, a grim situation in Afghanistan is getting worse. Freezing temperatures are compounding misery from the downward spiral that has come with the fall of the U.S.-backed government and the Taliban takeover.

Aid groups and international agencies estimate about 23 million people, more than half the country, face severe hunger and nearly 9 million are on the brink of starvation. People have resorted to selling possessions to buy food, burning furniture for warmth and even selling their children.

Global stock markets mostly sank on Monday, hit by fears over simmering Ukraine tensions -- and a painful pre-weekend selloff on Wall Street.

Friday will never be the same again.

For those with means in Dubai, the former first day of the weekend carried a gluttonous party tradition — an hourslong affair with infinite supply of seafood, pizza, dessert and Veuve Clicquot Champagne set to pulsing music known simply in this city-state as "Friday brunch."

There will be “no new taxes” in the 2022 state budget, “contrary to what is being rumored,” Finance Minister Youssef Khalil said after Monday’s Cabinet session.

Mexico's plan to favor its own state-owned electrical power plants and limit energy sales by private, foreign-built projects could affect U.S. investment in Mexico, officials said during bilateral talks this week.

According to statements issued Friday, the U.S. government has "real concerns with the potential negative impact" on U.S. firms and investments.

Crisis-hit Lebanon will sign a deal with Jordan next week to bring in electricity via Syria to help ease grueling power cuts, Energy Minister Walid Fayyad has told AFP.

French energy conglomerate TotalEnergies has asked the American and French governments to support targeted sanctions against Myanmar's oil and gas funds, the largest single source of income for the country's military leaders.

In a letter to Human Rights Watch released Thursday, the CEO of Total, Patrick Pouyanné, said the company was using all the tools at its disposal to stop funding the junta that took over Myanmar's government and its bank accounts in February 2021, including those that receive hundreds of millions of dollars each year from the Yadana gas field.

The shortage of parts caused by the coronavirus pandemic is further denting production at Toyota, Japan's top automaker.

Production at 11 plants in Japan will be halted Friday, Saturday and next Monday, Toyota Motor Corp. said.