AFP news

Ukraine said Friday it was sending more reinforcements to the frontline city of Avdiivka, a main target for Moscow ahead of the second anniversary of the Russian invasion.

Britain's ruling Conservatives lost two more parliamentary seats to Labour in by-elections Friday, highlighting the mountain Prime Minister Rishi Sunak must climb to win a general election due this year.

There was growing concern Friday over a key Gaza hospital a day after a raid by the Israeli army, with the Hamas-run health ministry saying several patients had died there due to a lack of oxygen.

The European Union will have to double its military support to Ukraine to fill a gap left by the United States after months of blockage of new aid by Congress, a research institute that monitors assistance said on Friday.

When German director Wim Wenders revealed his latest inspiration -- Tokyo's public toilets -- newspapers in his country "treated it like a joke", but now the film "Perfect Days" has been nominated for an Oscar.

Chelsea appear lambs to the slaughter ahead of a trip to Manchester City on Saturday as the English champions have hit top form as the business end of the season approaches.

Greece's parliament on Thursday overwhelmingly adopted a bill legalising same-sex marriage and adoption in a landmark reform promoted by the conservative government despite opposition from the powerful Orthodox Church.

OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT and image generator DALL-E, said it was testing a text-to-video model called Sora that would allow users to create realistic videos with a simple prompt.

Rod Stewart, the singer whose hits include "Maggie May," is the latest artist to sell the rights to his music, The Wall Street Journal said Thursday.

Microsoft on Thursday shook up the video game world with word it is making some once-exclusive Xbox video games available for play on rival consoles.

Russia is developing a space-based anti-satellite weapon that is "troubling" for the United States but poses no immediate threat to people on Earth, the White House said Thursday.

Britain is in recession, official data showed Thursday, dealing another blow to embattled Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, whose Conservative party is forecast to lose a general election expected this year.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday a delay in passing new US aid for Ukraine was already hurting Kyiv's forces on the battlefield against Russia.

Israel's vow to push ahead with a "powerful" operation in Gaza's Rafah was met with a growing chorus of international condemnation Thursday, with leaders warning against catastrophic consequences for the 1.5 million Palestinians trapped there.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday revealed his Valentine's Day engagement to girlfriend Jodie Haydon, after "she said yes" to a carefully planned marriage proposal.

A US spaceship attempting a lunar landing lifted off early Thursday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the second such private-led effort this year after the first ended in failure.

Once forecast to become the world's biggest economy, Japan slipped below Germany last year to fourth place, official data showed Thursday, although India is projected to leapfrog both later this decade.

After years of production headwinds, Ubisoft's oft-delayed pirate video game "Skull and Bones" is set to launch on Friday.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated a major Hindu temple and the first in Abu Dhabi while on a two-day visit to the Gulf emirate.

Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto on Thursday looked set to become the new president of the world's third-largest democracy, likely avoiding a runoff vote against election rivals who have yet to concede.

Republicans impeached US President Joe Biden's immigration chief on Tuesday, the culmination of months of attacks on the Democratic administration as they seek to make border security a key issue in November's election.

Influencers on X are monetizing misinformation about conflicts in the Middle East, leveraging the platform's contentious policies that researchers say prioritize engagement over accuracy.

Young men and women flocked to an ancient pagoda in central Hanoi on Wednesday hoping a Valentine's Day offering would help them find a partner -- a major priority for many Vietnamese.

Japan's Sony upgraded its annual net profit forecast on Wednesday but trimmed its PlayStation 5 unit's sales target, with the flagship console currently in its fourth year on the market.

Ukraine's new army chief said Wednesday the situation on the front line was "extremely difficult" as delays to much-needed US military aid cast a shadow over how long Kyiv's troops can hold out.

Indian riot police fired tear gas Wednesday at columns of farmers on tractors seeking to breach heavily guarded roadblocks and march on the capital to demand guaranteed crop prices.

Negotiations to pause the Israel-Hamas war and free the remaining hostages headed into a second day in Cairo on Wednesday, as displaced Gazans braced for an expected Israeli assault on their last refuge of Rafah.

Recalled South African spinner Dane Piedt is eyeing a "famous, famous win" after claiming five New Zealand wickets Wednesday to give the understrength tourists a 31-run lead at stumps on the second day of the second Test.

As carnival celebrations are held across the globe, more than two dozen craftsmen in a quaint studio in northern Albania put the final touches on a series of elegant Venetian masks destined for balls, film sets, and street parties.