AFP news

Wall Street led a global markets bloodbath Thursday as countries around the world reeled from President Donald Trump's trade war, while the White House insisted the US economy would emerge victorious.

Syria accused Israel on Thursday of mounting a deadly destabilisation campaign after a wave of strikes on military targets, including an airport, and a ground incursion killed 13 people.

At a garment factory in Ho Chi Minh City that exports T-shirts and underwear to the United States, staff were alarmed by "shocking" trade tariffs imposed on Vietnam that could severely impact their business.

Syrian state media said Israel struck near a defence research centre in Damascus and hit central Syria on Wednesday, as Israel said it struck "military" capabilities and a monitor reported four dead.

The European Union is "ready for a trade war" with the United States and plans to "attack online services" in response to Donald Trump's new tariffs, the French government spokeswoman said Thursday.

Nintendo fans excited over the upcoming Switch console said Thursday they were disappointed by the high price tag, as US tariffs bite.

Across Asia, factory workers, directors, trade associations and analysts voiced concern Thursday that US President Donald Trump's stinging tariffs could put jobs at risk and hammer key sectors of industry.

Australia has just sweltered through its hottest 12 months on record, a weather official said Thursday, a period of drenching floods, tropical cyclones and mass coral bleaching.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told nervous NATO members on Thursday that Washington remained committed to the alliance, but said they must agree to massively ramp up their spending targets for defence.

The head of Myanmar's junta arrived in Bangkok on Thursday for a regional summit as the death toll from his country's devastating earthquake passed 3,000.

Asia's manufacturing powerhouses were desperately seeking talks with Washington on Thursday after Donald Trump announced 10 percent "reciprocal" tariffs, and even more for some longtime US allies.

US President Donald Trump has slapped punishing new tariffs on imports of Chinese goods, deepening a trade war between the world's two largest economies.

US President Donald Trump intensified a global trade war Wednesday as he slapped sweeping tariffs on imports from allies and foes alike, sending markets into a tailspin and upending decades-long free trade norms.

Equity markets suffered a bloodbath Thursday after Donald Trump delivered a "haymaker" blow with sweeping tariffs against US partners and rivals, fanning a global trade war that many fear will spark recessions and ramp up inflation.

South Korea's Constitutional Court is set to rule Friday on whether to strip impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol of office over his abortive declaration of martial law which plunged the country into political chaos.

What is being billed as a "revolution" for the sport of athletics gets under way in Kingston on Friday with the opening meeting of US sprinting legend Michael Johnson's ambitious Grand Slam Track series.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Budapest early Thursday on his first trip to Europe since 2023 and in defiance of the International Criminal Court (ICC)'s arrest warrant against him.

Liverpool moved closer to the Premier League title with a 1-0 win in the Merseyside derby against Everton on Wednesday, while Manchester City beat Leicester 2-0 to bolster their bid to reach the Champions League.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen said in an interview published Wednesday that she would use all possible legal avenues to stand in 2027 elections despite a ban on her running and hailed the promise of a speedy appeal of her criminal conviction.

"They are our eyes," said Karin happily after releasing the arm of one of the specialised "image whisperers" guiding her and other blind people around Geneva's Red Cross museum.

Tesla sales kept falling in March in many European markets as it suffered from a double blow of boycotts against the policies of its founder Elon Musk and an ageing model line-up.

Stock markets diverged Wednesday as investors fretted over what shape US President Donald Trump's fresh wave of tariffs would take later in the day.

Gaming giant Nintendo is set to unveil the successor to its phenomenally popular Switch console on Wednesday.

The United States said Tuesday it has approved the possible sale of $5.58 billion in F-16 fighter jets to the Philippines, as Washington backs its ally in rising tensions over China.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio heads Wednesday to a NATO meeting in Europe as transatlantic tensions soar, with President Donald Trump slapping tariffs on Europeans and challenging Denmark's sovereignty over Greenland.

Artificial intelligence risks taking Japanese anime artists' jobs but nothing can replicate Hayao Miyazaki, the creative lifeblood of the studio behind classics such as "Spirited Away", his son told AFP. Thanks to ChatGPT's new image generator, the internet is awash with pictures imitating Studio Ghibli's whimsical style, raising fresh debate over potential copyright infringements.

The World Health Organization is facing a gaping deficit this year and through 2027 following the US decision to withdraw, even after dramatically slashing its budget, a media report indicated Wednesday.

Val Kilmer, one of the biggest Hollywood actors of the 1990s who shot to fame playing Iceman in the original "Top Gun", has died aged 65 after a career of memorable hits and on-set bust ups.

Israel has been gripped by allegations linking aides of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to financing from Qatar, which hosts Hamas leaders and helped broker the release of hostages from Gaza.