AFP news

Father Bashar Basiel moved freely in and out of his parish in the occupied West Bank until Israeli troops installed gates at the entrance of his village Taybeh overnight, just hours after a ceasefire began in Gaza.

A deadly knife attack on a kindergarten group in Germany, where an Afghan man was arrested at the scene, reignited a bitter immigration debate Thursday, a month before elections.

Secluded in his stronghold in southern Afghanistan, reclusive Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada is the cornerstone of the movement that has ruled the country unchallenged since reclaiming power in 2021, strictly enforcing Islamic law.

Earlier this month, soldiers swooped by helicopter into a vast mining complex in western Mali and made away with three tonnes of gold -- all done on the orders of the military government.

The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor on Thursday said he was seeking arrest warrants against senior Taliban leaders in Afghanistan over the persecution of women, a crime against humanity.

The families of children killed and wounded by a teenager in a knife rampage that sparked the country's worst riots in years wept in court Thursday as prosecutors described the frenzied attack.

Meta-owned Instagram has been wooing creators from TikTok as the China-based video-snippet sharing app's future remains uncertain in the United States.

For years, as disputes over names on the map riled up nationalist passions in several parts of the world, US policymakers have watched warily, trying to stay out or to quietly encourage peace.

Global stock markets mostly rose Thursday following a tech-fuelled rally on Wall Street spurred by US president Donald Trump's massive AI-investment announcement.

Donald Trump will star in an eagerly-anticipated online appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday, addressing global elites whose annual gabfest has been consumed by the US president's days-old second term.

The US film industry's first major gathering since wildfires devastated Los Angeles begins Thursday at Sundance, where Olivia Colman and John Lithgow will kick off the indie movie festival under somber circumstances.

The Kremlin said Thursday it saw nothing new in US President Donald Trump's calls for Russia to end its military offensive in Ukraine, and that Moscow was ready for "mutually respectful" dialogue with him.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman promised on Thursday to pile $600 billion into US trade and investments as he congratulated Donald Trump on his return to the White House.

Political activists in Germany said Thursday they had projected an image of Elon Musk's infamous raised-arm salute and the word "Heil" onto the outside of his Tesla plant.

When Bashar al-Assad ruled Syria, merchants like Youssef Rajab kept much of their imported stock hidden for fear of arrest for breaking the law.

A Palestinian official said hundreds of people began leaving their homes in a flashpoint area of the West Bank on Thursday as Israeli forces pressed a deadly operation there.

Donald Trump is back in the White House, promising to use the United States's vast economic weight to hit back at China for its alleged unfair trade practices and role in the deadly American fentanyl crisis.

The United States' new top diplomat Marco Rubio reaffirmed the country's "unwavering support" for Israel, days into a fragile ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and a large-scale raid in the occupied West Bank.

This year's Oscar nominations will be unveiled Thursday in an announcement delayed by the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, with transgender cartel musical "Emilia Perez" expected to lead a highly competitive field.

Donald Trump's return to the White House has darkened the mood in Germany a month before elections, as multiple crises shake the foundations on which Europe's biggest economy built its post-war prosperity.

US President Donald Trump's threat to seize the Panama Canal over alleged undue Chinese influence may really be aimed at limiting Beijing's growing diplomatic and economic presence in Latin America, experts say.

Prince Harry dramatically settled Wednesday his long-running lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch's UK tabloid publisher, which agreed to pay him "substantial damages" after admitting intruding into his private life, including by hacking his phone.

Former Syrian detainee Mohammed Najib has suffered for years from torture-induced back pain.

Olympic host France retained its spot as the world's top tourist destination in 2024 with 100 million visitors, holding off stiff competition from countries including Spain, the tourism ministry said on Tuesday.

Iga Swiatek will look to continue her march to a maiden Australian Open title on Wednesday while Jannik Sinner's powers of recovery will be tested in a quarter-final against home hope Alex de Minaur.

The EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said Wednesday that the bloc must heed US President Donald Trump's demand to spend more on defence, as she issued a stark warning over the threat from Russia.

There will always be border disputes in Asia, and China should not be singled out because of tensions in the South China Sea, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Wednesday.

Although the sun may be setting on the era of free trade, crypto supporters say a new dawn is rising for digital currencies thanks to US President Donald Trump.

Netflix on Tuesday said it added nearly 19 million subscribers during the holiday season to finish out last year with more than 300 million subscribers.