AFP news

Stocks rallied Monday after Chinese and US officials made "substantial progress" at trade talks in Geneva and slashed their tit-for-tat tariffs for 90 days, fuelling hopes the two sides will pull back from a standoff that has rattled global markets.

Donald Trump on Sunday defended plans to receive a new Air Force One as a gift, after reports he will accept a luxury Boeing jet from Qatar despite strict rules on presents for US presidents.

The United States and China announced Monday an agreement to drastically reduce tit-for-tat tariffs for 90 days, de-escalating a trade war that has roiled financial markets and raised fears of a global economic downturn.

Hamas's armed wing said it would release on Monday a US-Israeli hostage held in Gaza since October 2023, even as Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of an "intensification" of fighting in the war-ravaged territory.

The glitz and glamour of the Cannes film festival returns to the French Riviera on Tuesday.

Zhao Xintong's historic World Snooker Championship title is set to spur the game to even greater heights in China and sparked predictions the country could come to dominate the sport.

Doctors often start exams with the so-called "eyeball test" -- a snap judgment about whether the patient appears older or younger than their age, which can influence key medical decisions.

Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad is giving President Donald Trump three months before his fellow Americans force him to rethink his stringent global tariff strategy, accusing the US leader of "living in an old world".

Japanese electronics giant Panasonic, which supplies batteries to Tesla, said Friday it will target 10,000 job cuts worldwide as part of efforts to boost profitability.

Germany's Friedrich Merz began his maiden visit to Brussels Friday with expectations riding high that the changing of the guard in Berlin can bring fresh momentum to Europe at a time of dizzying global challenges.

Chinese exports rose last month despite the trade war raging with the United States, official data showed Friday ahead of talks between the world's top two economies towards easing the standoff.

Russian President Vladimir Putin evoked the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany to rally his country round the Ukraine offensive at a grand military parade in Moscow in front of his key allies on Friday.

Leo XIV urged the Catholic Church to "desperately" counter a lack of faith in his first homily as pope Friday, a day after the modest cardinal largely unknown to the world become the first US head of the 2,000-year institution.

Most equities rose Friday on growing optimism that the worst of Donald Trump's trade war is past after he reached a deal with Britain and suggested he could lower tariffs on China as officials prepare for high-stakes talks this weekend.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates announced Thursday an accelerated timeframe for giving away his fortune as he touted artificial intelligence as a game-changer to boost public health and save lives globally.

US President Donald Trump branded Fed Chair Jerome Powell a "fool" on Thursday after the central bank announced another pause in rate cuts and warned of higher risks to inflation and unemployment goals.

Japanese auto giant Toyota forecast on Thursday a 35 percent year-on-year drop in net profit for the current financial year, citing Donald Trump's vehicle tariffs among other factors.

First responders in Gaza said Thursday that their operations were at a near standstill, more than two months into a full Israeli blockade that has left food and fuel in severe shortage.

China's Xi Jinping was in Moscow on Thursday for a state visit ahead of the Kremlin's grand Victory Day celebrations, as Ukraine accused Russia's army of launching air strikes just hours into a supposed truce.

Dubai's Emirates Group, which includes the Middle East's biggest airline, announced on Thursday gross annual profit of $6.2 billion, its third record in three years.

Japanese gaming giant Nintendo forecast Thursday that it would sell 15 million units of its hotly awaited Switch 2 console in the current financial year but warned US tariffs could hit its bottom line.

Faced with fresh flight safety problems at a major US airport, the Trump administration is set Thursday to unveil a modernized air traffic control system.

Pakistan's army said Thursday it shot down 25 Indian drones, a day after the worst violence between the nuclear-armed rivals in two decades.

The United States and Britain were reportedly set to announce a trade agreement on Thursday that could have implications for President Donald Trump's tariffs assault, but the scope of the deal could be limited.

Thick black smoke billowed Thursday from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in a sign that cardinals again failed to elect a new head of the Catholic Church.

Paris Saint-Germain clinched a place in the Champions League final as goals by Fabian Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi gave them a 2-1 win over Arsenal in the second leg of their last-four tie on Wednesday, securing a 3-1 aggregate triumph.

The UN's human rights chief told AFP Wednesday that Israel's plan for an expanded offensive in the Gaza Strip represented "a very dangerous moment" for civilians there.

Hansi Flick's brilliant young Barcelona side won hearts in this season's Champions League and re-established themselves at Europe's top table but fell agonizingly short of reaching the Munich final after one of the competition's greatest semi-finals.

German premium carmaker BMW said Wednesday that it expected to largely ride out the impact of US tariffs over the coming year, and that it hoped to soften their impact.