AFP news

The French economy grew 1.1 percent in 2024 but shrank in the fourth quarter as a political crisis gripped the country after a boost from the Paris Olympic Games, official data showed Thursday.

Hopes faded for a 74-year-old man in Japan whose truck was swallowed by a sinkhole as a difficult rescue operation entered its third night Thursday, with the chasm widening and locals urged to limit water use to aid efforts.

Despite US President Donald Trump's sabre-rattling, the European Central Bank is set to press on with interest rate cuts Thursday as officials increasingly voice confidence that the fight against inflation is on track.

Pristine samples of the asteroid Bennu transported to Earth contain the "basic building blocks" for life, shedding new light on the perennial question of how life began on our planet.

A passenger jet carrying 64 people crashed into Washington's Potomac River Wednesday after colliding midair with a military helicopter, with US media reporting multiple bodies pulled from the dark, near-freezing water.

Afghanistan's women cricketers on Thursday played their first game since fleeing the Taliban three years ago, a charity match in Australia that captain Nahida Sapan said she hoped would spark "a movement for change".

Manchester United and Tottenham are among the sides aiming to ensure direct passage to the Europa League last 16 in Thursday's league phase finale with nine places in the knockout stages up for grabs.

Home-made hit "The Count of Monte Cristo" topped the nominations released Wednesday for the Cesars, France's version of the Oscars, followed closely by international awards season front-runner "Emilia Perez".

With around six million dollars and a stockpile of chips acquired before Washington banned their export to China, startup DeepSeek has produced what Chinese tech titans couldn't -- a world-class AI chatbot.

Journeying across India for the pinnacle celebration of the Hindu calendar, Laxmi and her family were sleeping by the roadside Wednesday as they waited to cleanse themselves in the sacred Ganges river.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr faces a pivotal Senate hearing Wednesday where he will be grilled on his history of promoting vaccine misinformation and plans to upend US science agencies as he bids to become President Donald Trump's health secretary.

After three interest rate cuts in a row, the US Federal Reserve is expected to take a breather on Wednesday and signal it will remain on pause until the data changes, despite pressure to cut from President Donald Trump.

Taiwan will consider supporting its domestic industry the government said Wednesday, after US President Donald Trump warned he will soon place tariffs on overseas-made semiconductor chips.

Tesla is set to report earnings Wednesday for the first time since President Donald Trump -- a close ally of CEO Elon Musk -- returned to the White House.

Britain's finance minister Rachel Reeves is on Wednesday expected to announce controversial plans for a third runway at London's Heathrow airport as the Labour government seeks to kickstart economic growth.

The mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have invited US President Donald Trump to visit this year for the 80th anniversary of the World War II atomic bombings, officials said Wednesday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed that Pyongyang's nuclear programme would continue "indefinitely", state media reported Wednesday, days after new US President Donald Trump said he would make renewed diplomatic overtures to the reclusive leader.

As the clock ticks down on TikTok's 75-day reprieve from divesting from its Chinese owners or being banned in the United States, several contenders are in the running.

Chinese startup DeepSeek, which has sparked panic on Wall Street with its powerful new chatbot developed at a fraction of the cost of its competitors, was founded by a hedgefund whizz-kid who believes AI can change the world.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen met on Tuesday in a show of unity after US President Donald Trump again stressed his designs on Greenland.

Nepali airlines have resumed rescue helicopter flights to the Everest region, an aviation industry official announced Tuesday, following weeks of suspension prompted by protests from locals citing environmental impact and loss of income from trekkers.

When President Donald Trump learned Colombia had pushed back on US deportations, his threat of a massive trade war laid out the stakes: cooperate, or else.

A tiny silver fish which is an important food source in the North Sea will take centre stage Tuesday as the European Union and Britain square off over post-Brexit fishing rights.

Filming in dirty, bug-infested rooms with scant breaks and shared sex toys: Colombia's "webcam models" are speaking out about abuse in one of the world's top providers of adult webcam content.

For President Donald Trump's allies, his crackdown on the "illegal and immoral discrimination" of equal opportunities programs reflects a shifting US electorate that has lost patience with ineffective and performative political correctness.

Survivors of the Holocaust have entrusted their memories of the Nazi death camps to artificial intelligence to ensure that generations to come can access recollections of the genocide of six million Jews.

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand believes Marcus Rashford has no future at the club after manager Ruben Amorim said he would rather have his goalkeeping coach in his matchday squad.

Billionaire hedge fund manager Scott Bessent won Senate approval Monday to become US Treasury secretary, placing him at the forefront of implementing Donald Trump's economic agenda -- which is already triggering global jitters.

The US Justice Department fired a number of officials on Monday who were involved in the criminal prosecutions of President Donald Trump.