AFP news

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday floated the idea of US troops returning to Panama to "secure" its strategically vital canal, a suggestion quickly shot down by the country's government.

Britain's King Charles III told Italy's parliament Wednesday that peace is "never to be taken for granted" before ending a visit to Rome with a surprise visit to a convalescing Pope Francis.

President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday said Russia was "dragging" China into the war in Ukraine, as he accused Beijing of knowing that dozens of its citizens were being recruited by Moscow's army to fight.

US President Donald Trump abruptly backed down Wednesday in his global trade war with a 90 day tariff pause for most countries -- but slapped even more levies against China in what has become a brutal duel between the world's two largest economies.

Rescue workers raced Wednesday to find any remaining survivors under the rubble of a Dominican Republic nightclub, a day after the roof collapsed, killing at least 124 people in the country's worst disaster in two decades.

Germany's next leader, the conservative Friedrich Merz, vowed Wednesday to "move the country forward again" by boosting the economy and defence as he presented a deal to launch his coalition government by early next month.

Meghan Markle, the wife of Prince Harry, revealed Tuesday that she faced medical complications related to her pregnancy in the debut episode of her new podcast.

Billionaire Elon Musk blasted President Donald Trump's senior trade advisor Peter Navarro as "truly a moron" and "dumber than a sack of bricks" on Tuesday in a growing rift over the US tariff policy that has rocked the world.

Japan's famed cherry trees are getting old, but a new AI tool that assesses photos of the delicate pink and white flowers could help preserve them for future generations.

Kim Jong Un's powerful sister slammed US-led efforts to take away North Korea's nuclear weapons, saying the idea of denuclearising the country was a "daydream".

India's central bank cut interest rates in the world's fifth-largest economy on Wednesday as US President Donald Trump's tariffs kicked in and policymakers warned of "challenging global economic conditions".

Barring any eleventh-hour intervention, social media juggernaut Meta will stand trial next week facing serious US government allegations that it abused its market power to acquire Instagram and WhatsApp before they could become competitors.

The mother of an Israeli soldier held hostage in Gaza longs for her son's return, fearing that Israel's renewed bombardment of the territory puts his life at even greater risk.

Indian authorities are readying for the extradition from the United States of a man that New Delhi accuses of helping plan the 2008 Mumbai siege that killed 166 people.

Russia said Wednesday that it was waiting for "explanations" from France after a Russian government employee was detained for hours at a Paris airport in what it called a "shameful spectacle".

Gaza's civil defence agency said an Israeli strike on a residential building in Gaza City killed at least 23 people Wednesday, most of them children or women, as the military said it targeted a "senior Hamas" militant.

Customs duties, or tariffs, have become a political punching ball as the European Union prepares to respond to US President Donald Trump's recent offensive.

The dour mood at Germany's crisis-hit auto giant Volkswagen has given way to angst and fury as US President Donald Trump has escalated a trade war against friends and foes alike.

Hit by three waves of painful US tariffs since President Donald Trump returned to office, the European Union's response has been a high-wire act, balancing calibrated retaliation with a push for negotiations to avert an all-out trade war.

China is trying to tariff-proof its economy by boosting consumption and investing in key industries, but analysts say it remains critically vulnerable to the economic storm triggered by Donald Trump's 104% levies on its goods.

Taiwanese exporters are crunching numbers and talking to American clients as they scramble to figure out how to respond to US President Donald Trump's tariff blitz that threatens to derail their businesses.

The United States will not allow China to "threaten" the operations of the Panama Canal, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned during a visit to the Central American nation on Tuesday.

Equities and oil plunged again Wednesday after Donald Trump ramped up his trade war by hitting China with tariffs of more than 100 percent as sweeping measures against the United States' dozens of partners are set to come into effect.

The United States and China hurtled towards an all-out trade war Tuesday, locked in a high stakes game of brinkmanship as President Donald Trump prepared to unleash a wave of tariffs against dozens of partners.

As the world reels from US President Donald Trump's tariffs onslaught, here is a look back at some major trade wars since the 19th century: - 19th century Opium Wars - In the mid-19th century, two conflicts over the opium trade, which became known as the Opium Wars, pitted China against the British Empire.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired a senior US officer assigned to NATO, the Pentagon announced Tuesday, saying her removal was due to a loss of confidence in her ability to lead.

Rescuers were racing to find survivers Tuesday among the rubble of a Dominican Republic night club where at least 18 people died and dozens were hurt in an early-morning roof collapse.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that Ukrainian troops had captured two Chinese citizens fighting alongside Russian forces, adding that Kyiv would demand an explanation from Beijing and a reaction from its allies.

Troubled Australian casino operator Star Entertainment says it has been thrown an 11th hour multi-million dollar lifeline by US-based casino giant Bally's Corporation.