AFP news

Major stock markets mostly fell Monday as more weak Chinese economic data offset optimism over an expected US interest-rate cut.

Pope Francis, 87, flies to Indonesia Monday on the first leg of an ambitious four-nation tour, with inter-faith ties set to dominate his visit to the world's most populous Muslim-majority country.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday intensified efforts to find a new prime minister after almost two months of deadlock following inconclusive legislative elections, hosting two former presidents and two potential candidates.

One woman has died, schools have been shuttered and tens of thousands of people were without power Monday, as wild storms lashed Australia.

After wolves swooped from the forest and savaged her lambs, Austrian sheep farmer Renate Pilz feels like giving up.

Coco Gauff joined Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz on the US Open scrap-heap Sunday as the defending champion crashed out to Emma Navarro in a blizzard of mistakes.

Anti-whaling activist Paul Watson's detention in a Greenland prison pending his possible extradition to Japan has not prevented him from continuing his fight to save the animals, he told AFP in an interview.

Nestled between mountains in a secluded corner of West Virginia, a giant awakens: the Green Bank Telescope begins its nightly vigil, scanning the cosmos for secrets.

George Clooney and Brad Pitt brought a jolt of electricity -- and old-school Hollywood glamour -- to Venice Sunday, joking, teasing and presiding over a public love fest as their new film "Wolfs" premiered.

Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Sunday presented the final report of his government, defending his legacy a month before turning power over to his successor -- along with a congressional supermajority and a highly controversial judicial reform plan.

Germany's far-right AfD won a landmark first regional vote on Sunday in the former East German state of Thuringia, exit polls showed, in a blow to Chancellor Olaf Scholz ahead of national elections in 2025.

Luis Diaz starred as Liverpool routed arch rivals Manchester United 3-0 to extend their perfect start under new boss Arne Slot, while Chelsea suffered fresh frustration in a 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Russia said Sunday it had repelled a "massive" Ukrainian drone attack on energy and fuel plants in Moscow and 14 regions, one of the largest such strikes since the start of the two and half-year conflict.

African leaders descend on China's capital this week, seeking funds for big-ticket infrastructure projects as they eye mounting great power competition over resources and influence on the continent.

Jannik Sinner avoided plunging through the US Open trapdoor which claimed Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz when he stormed into the last 16 on Saturday as fellow world number one Iga Swiatek stayed on course for a second New York triumph.

France's arrest of Telegram chief Pavel Durov has raised fears in Russia that the popular messaging app -- used both by the Kremlin and its opponents -- could be blocked, depriving them of one of the last sources of critical, uncensored news.

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris said Saturday that her Republican rival Donald Trump "disrespected sacred ground" at a US military cemetery during a contentious pre-election visit.

Oasis's reunion concerts in the UK and Ireland next year have sold out, the British music legends said late Saturday, after a day-long struggle for millions of frustrated fans.

Israel pressed on with a large-scale military operation in the occupied West Bank for a fourth day on Saturday, as fierce fighting raged in the nearly 11-month Gaza war.

Novak Djokovic's latest bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title crashed to a halt on Friday as 28th-ranked Alexei Popyrin knocked the defending champion out of the US Open third round.

Biologist Cesar Garzon was searching for a small, endangered parakeet in southern Ecuador when he was warned he may be kidnapped, highlighting the danger for scientists in the biodiverse country engulfed in narco violence.

For several months, Yampiere Lugo has been going door to door, urging young people in North Carolina to vote in November.

Aerial strikes on Russian and Ukrainian border cities killed at least a dozen people on Friday, bombardments that came as Kyiv dismissed its air force commander in a major military shake-up.

A French retiree goes on trial Monday accused of recruiting dozens of strangers online to rape his wife after he drugged her into unconsciouness, in a case that has horrified the country.

Basel will host the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest after the Swiss border city was chosen Friday to stage the 69th edition of the glitzy annual TV extravaganza.

The king of New Zealand's Maori died on Friday after heart surgery, with aides saying the beloved 69-year-old monarch, praised as a symbol of national unity, had "passed to the great beyond".

China's campaign of confrontation, from remote reefs in Southeast Asia to Taiwan and far-flung Japanese islands, is designed to wear down regional rivals competing with it for contested territories, analysts say.

Pacific leaders wrapped up a key summit in Tonga on Friday, endorsing a major joint policing initiative and rebuffing moves from China's regional allies to sideline long-term partner Taiwan.

Two women dominated Bangladeshi politics for decades. - Dynasties forged in blood - The decades-old contest between Zia and Hasina is a dynastic battle that predates the political career of both women.