AFP news

Blindfolded, handcuffed and bundled out of his secret prison for the first time in eight years, Bangladeshi barrister Ahmad Bin Quasem held his breath and listened for the sound of a cocked pistol.

Equities marched higher Wednesday after hopes for a Federal Reserve interest rate cut next month were boosted by data showing US wholesale prices rose less than forecast last month.

US-mediated Sudan ceasefire talks were to kick off in Switzerland on Wednesday, even though the Sudanese government is set to stay away.

While France basks in the glow of the dazzling Paris Olympics, French football is trying to shake off a hangover from its own disastrous summer as the first Ligue 1 season of the post-Kylian Mbappe era begins this weekend.

"I'm a software engineer," says Josephine Wright, cocktail in hand, as she introduces herself to another woman at a bar in west London.

Polls opened in the Pacific nation of Kiribati on Wednesday after a campaign dominated by the increasing cost of living, rising sea levels, and questions about the benefit of deeper ties with China.

The Hindu sacred month of Shravan honours the god of destruction Lord Shiva, and in northern India, it has become increasingly associated with mob violence by saffron-clad devotees.

Manchester City face a strong challenge from Arsenal as the champions look to win an unprecedented fifth successive Premier League title.

The UN voiced concern Tuesday over a "climate of fear" in post-election Venezuela as lawmakers mulled a package of laws critics say target opponents of strongman Nicolas Maduro.

Ukraine said Tuesday that its troops had advanced further into Russia's Kursk region and now control 74 settlements after launching a surprise cross-border incursion a week ago.

Greek emergency services fought back Tuesday against a massive wildfire that scorched the Athens suburbs, killing a woman, causing widespread damage and sending thousands of people fleeing from their homes.

Iran could launch a "significant" attack on Israel as soon as this week, the White House said Monday, as US President Joe Biden discussed the crisis with European leaders.

The United States confirmed Monday it would resume sales of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia, as concerns over human rights in the kingdom's Yemen war give way to US hopes for it to play a role in resolving the conflict in Gaza.

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro called Monday for the state to use an "iron fist" after deadly protests in response to his July reelection, which has been dismissed at home and abroad as a sham.

The Earth was hit Monday by an intense solar storm that could bring the northern lights to night skies further south than normal, a US agency announced.

Mercedes-Benz Korea released the names of its electric vehicle battery suppliers on Tuesday, bowing to public outrage after one of its cars burst into flame in a parking lot earlier this month.

Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir led hundreds of Israelis into the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in annexed east Jerusalem Tuesday and performed prayers marking a Jewish holiday, sources said.

A court in Bangladesh opened a murder investigation into ousted ex-premier Sheikh Hasina and six top figures in her administration Tuesday over the police killing of a man during civil unrest last month.

Asian stocks rose again Tuesday as worries about a US recession that sent markets into turmoil last week eased ahead of key inflation data, while oil prices held gains on concerns about a broader war in the Middle East.

Iran on Tuesday rejected Western calls to stand down its threat to retaliate against Israel for the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran late last month.

Manchester City's grip on the Premier League title has reached an unprecedented four years but off-field doubts surround the English champions ahead of the new season.

Donald Trump will be interviewed Monday live on X by its billionaire owner Elon Musk -- an influential supporter -- as the Republican ex-president rejoins the platform following a lengthy absence.

Tanzania's main opposition party demanded Monday the release of its top leaders who were detained in a mass roundup ahead of a banned youth day rally, a move condemned by rights activists as "troubling".

A massive wildfire in Athens' northeastern suburbs on Monday forced thousands of residents to flee their homes and sparked a Greek government appeal for international help.

A massive wildfire blazed its way into Athens' northeastern suburbs on Monday as hundreds of firefighters battled to contain it, forcing thousands of residents to flee their homes and sparking a Greek government appeal for international help.

From cameos in K-pop videos to cooking chimichangas with celebrity chefs, movie stars like Ryan Reynolds are trying ever-more unorthodox stunts to reach fragmented Gen-Z audiences, according to Disney's marketing chief.

Global stock markets mostly rose Monday as investors tried to move on from upheaval fuelled by US recession worries, with focus shifting to the week's release of American inflation figures and other key data.

Adored by her classmates and defiant even after police seized her, student Nusrat Tabassum is one of the many women who helped spearhead the movement that toppled autocratic ex-premier Sheikh Hasina.

International pressure mounted Monday for a ceasefire in Gaza, with Britain, France and Germany issuing a joint plea for an end to fighting between Israel and Hamas with "no further delay".