AFP news

The M23 armed group and Rwandan forces launched a new offensive on Wednesday in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, days before the Rwandan and Congolese presidents are due to attend a crisis summit.

The US Treasury said Tuesday that Elon Musk's government reform team can read data from its highly sensitive payment system but not alter it, after Democratic lawmakers raised the alarm over the move and called for an investigation.

Google on Tuesday updated its principles when it comes to artificial intelligence, removing vows not to use the technology for weapons or surveillance.

Nissan shares plunged on Wednesday as reports said the struggling Japanese carmaker was walking away from merger talks with rival Honda.

China's new tariffs on US imports like oil, coal and cars are relatively modest in scale, suggesting that Beijing is hoping for a last-minute deal but also giving them the option to inflict more pain if needed, analysts say.

The Kremlin on Wednesday dismissed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky saying he was ready for direct talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin as "empty words".

Australia has banned DeepSeek from all government devices on the advice of security agencies, a top official said Wednesday, citing privacy and malware risks posed by China's breakout AI program.

French oil and gas giant TotalEnergies said Wednesday it would reduce its low-carbon energy investments while Norwegian peer Equinor scaled back its renewables ambitions as the companies reported sharp drops in annual profits.

The European Commission announced Wednesday it would seek to impose new fees on e-commerce imports, as part of efforts to tackle a surge of "harmful" products into the bloc -- the bulk of them from China.

Beijing accused the United States Wednesday of "suppression" after its postal service said it was suspending parcels from China and Hong Kong, a move that could hit e-commerce giants Temu and Shein.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said Palestinians would "love" to leave their embattled homeland in Gaza and live elsewhere if given an option.

Swedish police indicated Wednesday that a gunman who slaughtered 10 people at an adult education centre shot himself as the country mourned its worst mass killing.

Philippine lawmakers on Wednesday voted to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte, who has fallen out spectacularly with the country's leader, paving the way for a Senate trial that could see her removed from office.

Sweden reeled Wednesday from the deadliest mass shooting in its history after 10 people plus the suspected gunman were killed in a shooting at an adult education centre in the central city of Orebro.

Baltic states Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are to disconnect from the Russian power grid on Saturday, a politically-charged move that severs their Soviet-era energy ties with Moscow.

Equity markets stumbled Wednesday and gold hit a new record as investors kept tabs on China and the United States after they exchanged tariffs, sparking fears of another debilitating trade war between the economic superpowers.

The leaning minaret of Mosul in northern Iraq has been restored using its original brickwork, years after it was reduced to rubble under Islamic State group rule.

Around 10 people were killed on Tuesday in a shooting at an education centre in Sweden, including the suspected gunman, with the Swedish prime minister branding it the "worst mass shooting" in the country's history.

In Ecuador's presidential election, both top candidates want a second chance.

OpenAI chief Sam Altman signed a deal with tech giant Kakao in South Korea on Tuesday as the US firm seeks new alliances after Chinese rival DeepSeek shook the global AI industry.

China on Tuesday said it would probe US tech giant Google over violations of anti-monopoly laws after Washington slapped 10 percent levies on Chinese goods.

Swiss banking giant UBS said it remained on track to substantially wrap up its mega-merger with Credit Suisse by the end of 2026, after once again posting better-than-expected quarterly results on Tuesday.

Two Panamanian lawyers filed a complaint Monday to cancel the concession of a Hong Kong-based company for operating two ports on the Panama Canal, following US President Donald Trump's threats to seize the vital waterway.

Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will meet President Donald Trump on a visit to the United States this week, top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said on Tuesday.

Countries and economic blocs around the world are at different stages of regulating artificial intelligence, from a relative "Wild West" in the United States to highly complex rules in the European Union.

China has made good on its threats to retaliate in the escalating trade war with the United States, imposing tariffs on American imports of energy, cars and machinery parts.

Asian equities rose with the Mexican peso and Canadian dollar Tuesday after Donald Trump said he would delay the imposition of stiff tariffs on imports from the US neighbours, soothing trade war worries for now.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet President Donald Trump on Tuesday, as Israel and Hamas say they are ready for negotiations on a new phase in their fragile Gaza ceasefire.

From retaliatory tariffs on US goods like car parts and soy beans to controls on raw minerals essential for American manufacturing -- analysts say China has plenty of options if it wants to reply to fresh US levies.