AFP news

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.

Feb 05, 2025

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.

Feb 05, 2025

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.

Feb 05, 2025

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.

Feb 05, 2025

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

Feb 05, 2025

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.

Feb 05, 2025

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.

Feb 05, 2025

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.

Feb 05, 2025

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.

Feb 05, 2025

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.

Feb 05, 2025

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.

Feb 04, 2025

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.

Feb 04, 2025

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.

Feb 04, 2025

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.

Feb 04, 2025

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.

Feb 04, 2025

The US government's giant humanitarian agency closed its headquarters to staff Monday amid moves by Elon Musk, the world's richest person and President Donald Trump's controversial aide, to seize control in actions decried by critics as "plain illegal."

Feb 04, 2025

Prime Minister Francois Bayrou on Monday moved to force through France's budget without a vote but looked certain to keep his job -- for now -- thanks to support from the Socialists in the bitterly divided parliament.

Feb 04, 2025

US President Donald Trump paused tariffs on Mexico for one month after last-minute talks Monday -- but there was no breakthrough yet in negotiations with Canada on an issue that has sparked fears of a global trade war.

Feb 04, 2025

Mexican agricultural and auto-parts producers called Sunday for "dialogue" to head off the trade war prompted by US President Donald Trump's decision to impose 25 percent tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada.

Feb 04, 2025

Stock markets slumped, the dollar rallied and oil prices rose Monday as US President Donald Trump eyed more tariffs after launching trade wars with Canada, China and Mexico, heaping pressure on the global economy.

Feb 04, 2025

US tech giant OpenAI on Monday unveiled a ChatGPT tool called "deep research" that can produce detailed reports, as China's DeepSeek chatbot heats up competition in the artificial intelligence field.

Feb 04, 2025

Eurozone inflation ticked up slightly in January to 2.5 percent, edging higher for a fourth consecutive month driven by energy price increases, official data showed on Monday.

Feb 04, 2025

An east Ukrainian crime boss and separatist wanted by Kyiv was killed with one other person in a blast at a luxury residential complex in Moscow on Monday, Russian media reported.

Feb 04, 2025

EU leaders meeting in Brussels Monday warned there would be no winners in a trade war with the United States, insisting they would hit back if President Donald Trump imposes tariffs.

Feb 04, 2025

The World Health Organization's chief hit back Monday at US President Donald Trump's reasons for pulling the United States out of the WHO -- and again urged Washington to reconsider.

Feb 04, 2025

Fast-moving floodwaters rose Monday in northeastern Australia after forcing many to flee, blacking out homes, and sweeping away a chunk of a critical bridge.

Feb 03, 2025

Whenever Sema Genc enters a room, the first place she looks is the ceiling: would it hold up in an earthquake, or would she be trapped under the rubble again?

Feb 03, 2025

Music's brightest stars on Sunday rocked the red carpet at the Grammy Awards, bringing some high drama, serious style -- and, as ever, lots of skin.

Feb 03, 2025

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to begin talks Monday on brokering a second phase of the ceasefire with Hamas, his office said, as he visits the new Trump administration in Washington.

Feb 03, 2025