AFP news

A judge on Thursday suspended a scheme masterminded by billionaire Elon Musk to slash the size of the US government by encouraging federal workers to quit through a mass buyout.

The Kansas City Chiefs chase a historic hat-trick of Super Bowl titles when they take on the Philadelphia Eagles here Sunday as New Orleans hosts the NFL showpiece just five weeks after a deadly attack in the city's party district.

Global experts began debating the threats and promise of artificial intelligence (AI) at a gathering in Paris on Thursday and Friday, ahead of a summit of world leaders on the fast-moving technology.

Making his debut as the top US diplomat, Marco Rubio has conducted most business entirely in Spanish, forging quick bonds with Latin American leaders.

Swedish police said Thursday the victims of the country's worst mass shooting were of multiple nationalities, as Syria and Bosnia said their citizens were among the dead.

The freeze in aid funding by Donald Trump's new US administration has left humanitarian workers seeing a large proportion of their budget cut off and fearing millions will be affected as programmes are suspended.

Google parent company Alphabet has stopped making diversity and inclusion a workplace priority, according to a filing Wednesday with US regulators.

Stock markets rose Thursday on easing trade tensions and thanks to some strong company earnings, analysts said.

Standing by his winter wheat field on a plot of land where tall electricity pylons are set to be built, John Stacey feels far from bright about the future.

Nissan's board is in the process of abandoning merger talks with Honda and could be open to other partners, a source close to the matter told AFP on Thursday and local media reported.

Cocaine "is no worse than whisky" and is only illegal because it comes from Latin America, said Colombian President Gustavo Petro during a live broadcast of a government meeting.

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday seeking to ban transgender athletes from participating in women's sports, in his latest move targeting transgender people since returning to office.

Luxury giant Gucci announced Thursday it was parting ways with its chief designer Sabato De Sarno following a sales slump, in the latest shakeup at a major European label.

The EU on Thursday told online fashion giant Shein to hand over information on risks linked to illegal products on its site, paving the way for a second probe into the Chinese-founded firm.

Rwandan-backed M23 said Thursday it wanted to "liberate all of the Congo" in its first public meeting since seizing the eastern city of Goma after deadly clashes, as its fighters advanced towards another regional capital.

Last month was the hottest January on record, Europe's climate monitor said Thursday, despite expectations that cooler La Nina conditions might quell a streak of record-breaking global temperatures.

At first glance, it's a happy image -- hundreds of smiling faces torn from newspapers and pasted into a frame.

Israel's defence minister ordered the army on Thursday to start making preparations to allow for "voluntary" departures from the Gaza Strip, after US President Donald Trump floated a proposal to move Palestinians out of the territory.

At an open-cast mine, Abdullahi Ibrahim Danjija carefully chisels away at a hunk of whitish rock before stuffing a sack with the pieces which break off the walls.

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.