A contested high-speed train line between Italy and France has become a key battleground for a divided populist government in Rome, with part of the coalition demanding the project be scrapped.

Business leaders are expected to lead a rally on Saturday urging Rome to forge ahead with the 8.6-billion euro ($9.8-billion) tunnel through the Alps for the line linking Turin to Lyon, which has already been partially dug.

South Korea has earmarked more than $260 million to build new railways and roads in the North, an official said Thursday, as Seoul pushes ahead with cross-border projects despite international sanctions on Pyongyang.

The figure comes as Seoul and Washington follow increasingly divergent approaches to Pyongyang, with the South pursuing engagement while the U.S. insists pressure on it should be maintained until it denuclearizes.

Moscow is intensifying efforts to wean its economy off the dollar as Washington considers tough new sanctions that could deny Russia access to foreign debt markets and cut its banks from the greenback.

President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly slammed the U.S. unit's dominance on the world's stage but the country's previous efforts to de-dollarize its economy have so far had little success.

German sporting goods maker Adidas Wednesday lifted its profit expectations for 2018 after a "strong" third quarter saw brisk global demand for its sportswear and sneakers, but sales in western Europe slipped.

EU officials on Tuesday poured cold water on hopes of holding a special summit this month to seal a Brexit divorce, saying talks have made some progress -- but not enough.

One source close to the negotiations with London told AFP: "I think the summit will be in December. For the time being not enough progress on Irish border question to have a summit in November."

Wall Street stocks rose in opening trading Wednesday after Democrats won control of the House of Representatives in key midterm elections even as President Donald Trump's Republican party increased its Senate majority.

Former US Treasury secretary Henry Paulson warned Wednesday of the risk of an "economic iron curtain" unless the United States and China step up efforts to ease soaring trade tensions.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday laid the foundation stone for the kingdom's first nuclear research reactor, state media said, as the kingdom seeks to diversify its energy mix.

Australia's central bank on Thursday said the economy was "performing well" and lifted its growth outlook while keeping interest rates at a record low but warned there were concerns about global trade.

Inflation in Turkey surged to over 25 percent in October from the same period the year earlier, the highest annual rate for over 15 years, official statistics showed on Monday.