AFP news

Oscar Piastri wrapped up a dream weekend in Bahrain to leave McLaren with their two drivers atop the drivers standings.

Peruvian writer and Nobel literature laureate Mario Vargas Llosa died on Sunday at the age of 89, his family announced, ending the era of Latin America's literary golden generation.

Social media juggernaut Meta stands trial on Monday facing serious US government allegations that it abused its market power to acquire Instagram and WhatsApp before they could become competitors.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned that protectionism "leads nowhere" and that a trade war would have "no winners", state media said, as he arrived in Vietnam on Monday on the first leg of a Southeast Asia tour.

Markets on Monday welcomed a US tariffs reprieve for electronics, but President Donald Trump warned no country would get "off the hook" in his trade war -- especially China.

Coachella 2025 boasted A-lister guest appearances, a dose of leftist politics, orchestral fusion and Y2K fashion.

The helicopter tour company behind a crash in New York that killed six people last week is shutting down, US authorities said Sunday.

Hungary's parliament on Monday is expected to approve constitutional changes further clamping down on rights for LGBTQ people and other groups, part of Prime Minister Viktor Orban's "Easter cleanup" against his domestic opponents.

Pop star Katy Perry will be the biggest name in an all-woman group set to touch the edge of space Monday, roaring into the cosmos on one of billionaire Jeff Bezos's rockets.

South Korea's impeached ex-leader Yoon Suk Yeol embraced supporters as he left the presidential residence in the capital Seoul on Friday, after being stripped of his duties.

US envoy Steve Witkoff was in Russia on Friday, the Kremlin said, his third visit to the country as Washington pushes for a ceasefire in Ukraine.

Indian investigative agencies on Friday questioned a man they extradited from the United States and charged with being a "mastermind" of the deadly 2008 Mumbai siege.

A massive black hole at the heart of a galaxy in the Virgo constellation is waking up, shooting out intense X-ray flares at regular intervals that have puzzled scientists, a study said Friday.

Iran is seeking a "real and fair" agreement with the United States on its nuclear programme, a senior aide to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Friday, setting the stage for a diplomatic showdown this weekend in Oman.

Gaza rescuers said a pre-dawn Israeli air strike Friday killed 10 members of the same family, while the UN stated that dozens of recent Israeli attacks on the Palestinian territory had left only women and children dead.

Britain's economy grew far more than expected in February, official data showed Friday, in a rare piece of good news for the Labour government as it grapples with unpredictable US tariffs.

Mohamed Salah ended months of speculation over his future by signing a new two-year contract with Premier League leaders Liverpool on Friday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged the European Union on Friday to join hands with Beijing in resisting "unilateral bullying", in reference to swingeing tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump.

The US Senate approved Donald Trump's nominee to be the nation's top military officer on Friday after the president abruptly fired the previous chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff this year.

In most places, a night at the opera conjures up images of polite audiences in eveningwear sitting upright to enjoy a bit of Bel Canto.

China said Friday it would raise tariffs on US goods to 125 percent but would ignore further levies by President Donald Trump because it no longer makes economic sense for importers to buy from America.

China on Thursday urged the United States to meet it "halfway" as US President Donald Trump imposed more levies on Chinese goods but, in a huge relief to global markets, paused tariffs on other countries.

The Cannes Film Festival was on Thursday set to unveil the movies that will vie for its coveted Palme d'Or prize next month amid pressure on its bosses to take a stand on tackling abuse in the entertainment industry.

McLaren's Lando Norris holds a wafer-thin advantage over four-time world champion Max Verstappen going into this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix.

The World Trade Organization chief said Wednesday the US-China tariff war could reduce trade in goods between the two economic giants by 80 percent, pulling down the rest of the world economy.

With sweeping tariffs targeting key US trading partners, President Donald Trump sent the world economy into a tailspin Wednesday before backing down hours later -- with a 90-day reprieve for all but China.

After Israel killed a string of its leaders, Hamas anointed new commanders to top ranks, this time shrouding their identities in secrecy to protect them from assassination.

Stocks rocketed Thursday as a relief rally spread through markets after Donald Trump paused crippling tariffs on US partners, with Chinese investors even brushing off his decision to ramp up duties on Beijing to 125 percent.

Electricity consumption by data centres will more than double by 2030, driven by artificial intelligence applications that will create new challenges for energy security and CO2 emission goals, the IEA said Thursday.