AFP news

Tech firms are fighting the scourge of deepfakes, those deceptively realistic voices or videos used by scammers that are more available than ever thanks to artificial intelligence.

Chinese internet and gaming giant Tencent said on Wednesday that profits in the fourth quarter of 2024 surged 90 percent as the firm accelerates a push into artificial intelligence (AI).

Russia represents a threat for all European nations -- regardless of how far they lie from Moscow, EU chief Antonio Costa told AFP ahead of a leaders' summit on Thursday.

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Tuesday a Can$6 billion (US$4.2 billion) deal with Australia to develop an Arctic radar system, warning that Canada must take more responsibility for its defence as US priorities shift.

Hamas said it remained open to negotiations while calling for pressure on Israel Wednesday to implement a Gaza truce after its deadliest bombing since the fragile ceasefire began in January.

Uganda's role in eastern DR Congo has largely gone under the radar during recent violence but its complex approach aims to secure long-standing security and economic interests in the mineral-rich area, experts say.

Asian markets were mixed and gold hit another record high Wednesday as trade war worries cast a shadow and geopolitical concerns returned to the fore.

Donald Trump's rumbling conflict with the judiciary burst into open confrontation on Tuesday as Supreme Court Justice John Roberts issued a rare public rebuke of a US president over his call for the impeachment of a federal judge.

Young, urban women in Afghanistan are increasingly ditching the all-enveloping blue burqa with a face mesh that has become a symbol of the Taliban's oppression of women.

Malaysia is making great strides in its effort to become a major player in the global semiconductor industry as it looks to capitalise on a surge in demand driven by the AI explosion but analysts warn it faces headwinds.

The race to succeed Thomas Bach as president of the International Olympic Committee reaches a climax on Thursday with Juan Antonio Samaranch Junior, Sebastian Coe and Kirsty Coventry believed to be neck and neck but clear of the remaining quartet.

Hungarian lawmakers passed a bill on Tuesday aimed at banning Budapest's annual Pride march, the latest in a series of measures under Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government, which critics say curtail the rights of the EU country's LGBTQ community.

Despair mixed with anger in Kocani, North Macedonia on Tuesday in the wake of a horrific nightclub fire that left dozens dead and even more injured, prompting demands for justice.

German lawmakers gave the green light Tuesday for a colossal spending boost for defence and infrastructure pushed by chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz amid deep fears in Europe over the future strength of the transatlantic alliance.

Istanbul's powerful mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's biggest political rival who has had hurdle after hurdle thrown at him to stop him making a bid for Turkey's top job.

Premium carmaker Audi said Monday it will cut 7,500 jobs by 2029 in Germany, citing "immense challenges" as the country's auto industry battles slowing electric vehicle demand and rising Chinese competition.

A pair of astronauts stranded in space for more than nine months were finally headed home Tuesday after their capsule undocked from the International Space Station.

Starbucks has been ordered to pay $50 million to a customer who was burned when hot tea spilled on his lap at a California drive-through.

Nvidia chief Jensen Huang is expected to showcase cutting-edge chips for artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing on Tuesday, shrugging off talk of China's DeepSeek disrupting the market.

Bone and muscle deterioration, radiation exposure, vision impairment -- these are just a few of the challenges space travelers face on long-duration missions, even before considering the psychological toll of isolation.

European stocks rose on Tuesday as investors prepared for Germany's lawmakers to vote on a massive spending boost for defence and infrastructure, while escalating geopolitical fears supported commodities.

Shares in Chinese EV giant BYD surged to a record high Tuesday after it unveiled new battery technology it says can charge a vehicle in the same time it takes to fill up a petrol car.

A 46-year-old man convicted of rape and murder is to be put to death by nitrogen gas in the southern state of Louisiana on Tuesday, the first of four executions scheduled this week in the United States.

Russian pensioner Olga Shkuratova trembled, clutching a scrap of paper bearing a handwritten phone number for her son.

US military, be warned: after years of fighting in rugged terrain and weathering thousands of air strikes, Yemen's Huthi rebels are not to be taken lightly, experts say.

Australia voiced unease on Tuesday over anonymous letters reportedly offering hefty rewards for information on a Hong Kong activist now living in Melbourne.

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will hold a highly-anticipated phone call Tuesday to discuss the Ukraine war, with Kyiv and its European allies demanding that Russia agree to an unconditional US-proposed ceasefire.

Hit by massive funding cuts and a crackdown on student protesters, Columbia University is under fire from US President Donald Trump, putting the world of higher education on tenterhooks.

Colombian influencer Sara Samaniego braids her long straight hair, checks her make-up in a mirror, places her phone in the center of a ring light and flashes a big smile for the camera.