AFP news

In the Libyan village of Kabaw in the Nafusa Mountains, M'hamed Maakaf waters an ailing fig tree as climate change pushes villagers to forsake lands and livestock.

France on Monday began less than a fortnight of frenetic election campaigning for snap polls called by President Emmanuel Macron to combat the far right, with star footballer Kylian Mbappe warning the country was at a historic crossroads.

Inuit hunter Hjelmer Hammeken spotted a ringed seal near its breathing hole on the Greenland ice.

France was on Sunday bracing for a frenetic fortnight of election campaigning for snap polls called by President Emmanuel Macron to combat the far right, as star footballer Kylian Mbappe waded into the febrile environment with a warning not to vote for extremes.

Pilgrims on Sunday performed the last major ritual of the hajj, the "stoning of the devil", in western Saudi Arabia as Muslims the world over celebrated the Eid al-Adha holiday.

England manager Gareth Southgate said his side must be "exceptional" to end a 58-year major tournament title drought as they kick off their Euro 2024 campaign against Serbia on Sunday, after the Netherlands grabbed a late 2-1 win over Poland.

World leaders on Sunday backed Ukraine's independence and territorial integrity, and the need for eventual talks with Russia on ending the war -- but left the key questions of how and when unresolved.

Israel's military said Sunday it would "pause" fighting around a south Gaza route daily to facilitate aid deliveries, following months of warnings of famine in the besieged Palestinian territory.

The UK general election is being watched closely after stark warnings that rapid advancements in cyber-tech, particularly AI, and increasing friction between major nations threaten the integrity of 2024's landmark votes.

Palestinian teenagers bounced on trampolines and jumped through hoops inside a towering tent on the outskirts of Ramallah, the financial hub of the occupied West Bank.

Fourteen years of Conservative party rule in the UK have seen Brexit, Covid, economic turmoil and political scandals, leaving many Britons worse off and disenchanted.

Russian officer Farkhad Ziganshin had prepared himself for a life of military service since a young age.

Iran and Sweden announced a prisoner exchange on Saturday in which a former Iranian official was released in Sweden in exchange for a European Union diplomat and a second Swede.

Israel bombed and shelled Gaza on Saturday, witnesses and first responders said, with fallout from the war bringing a resurgence of tensions to the Lebanon border and Yemen.

Catherine, Princess of Wales, on Saturday made a tentative return to public life for the first time since being diagnosed with cancer, attending a military parade in central London to mark Britain's King Charles III's official birthday.

More than 1.5 million Muslims braved extreme heat to reach Mount Arafat on Saturday for the high point of the annual hajj pilgrimage, praying for hours, especially for Palestinians in war-ravaged Gaza.

The military strongman in the east of divided Libya, Khalifa Haftar, has named one of his sons as army chief, tightening his family's grip on the oil-rich region.

Germany thrashed 10-man Scotland 5-1 as the Euro 2024 hosts kicked off the tournament in style in Munich on Friday, the start of a journey they hope culminates in a record fourth continental title.

World leaders headed to Switzerland on Saturday for a first summit on peace in Ukraine, after Vladimir Putin demanded Kyiv effectively surrender if it ultimately wants peace negotiations with Moscow.

Donald Trump, whose attempted White House return is based in part on attacking President Joe Biden as old and feeble, turned 78 Friday -- just three years younger than his election rival -- with growing questions over his own health.

Standing outside the Catholic school where he teaches in eastern France, Charles Lauvergne said he was unsurprised the far right did so well in last week's European elections.

France's snap elections have sparked reconciliation within the country's most prominent far-right family, the latest episode in the saga of the tempestuous Le Pens.

More than one million Muslim pilgrims packed a giant tented city near Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on Friday for a hajj pilgrimage held in sweltering heat and against the grim backdrop of the Gaza war.

France's left put up a united front on Friday, vowing a "total break" with President Emmanuel Macron's policies if it wins historic polls that could propel the far right to major gains in parliament.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Moscow would only halt its offensive on Ukraine if Kyiv effectively surrenders by pulling its troops out of the east and south and dropping its bid for NATO membership.

Hosts Germany kick off Euro 2024 on Friday in Munich against Scotland, the start of a journey the three-time continental champions hope will conclude with victory in the final in Berlin on July 14.

South Africa's newly elected parliament met Friday and was expected to re-elect President Cyril Ramaphosa to form an unprecedented coalition government after his humbled ANC cobbled together a deal.

Israeli strikes hit Gaza on Friday as truce talks with Hamas militants failed to progress and tensions surged on Israel's northern border with Lebanon.

The yen fell and Tokyo stocks rose Friday after the Bank of Japan deferred a plan to cut back its bond purchases as it cautiously moves away from its ultra-loose monetary policy.