AFP news

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday "now is the time" to end the conflict in Gaza, and urged Israel to avoid further escalation with Iran.

Donald Trump may have become involved with a porn star, but if elected president he could try shutting down the entire industry, adult film stars are warning in a push to get young men to vote against the Republican next month.

Anastasia Gridina breaks down when she talks about keeping in touch with her three-year-old daughter Darina -- who is stranded in Ukrainian-occupied territory in Russia's Kursk region.

China's military began a live-fire exercise near Taiwan on Tuesday, maintaining pressure on the self-ruled island after staging large-scale drills and President Xi Jinping called for troops to prepare for war.

Europe's main stock markets dropped Tuesday after gains for Chinese indices, as traders sought to ascertain the outlook for US interest rates ahead of the presidential election.

Donald Trump surrogate Elon Musk's offer of a million dollars to one registered voter in a swing state every day until the US Election Day on November 5 has raised questions about the legality of such a move.

North Korea has not sent troops to Russia to help Moscow fight Ukraine, one of its United Nations representatives said Monday, dismissing Seoul's claims as "groundless rumour".

Apple CEO Tim Cook was in China for the second time this year, he said on social media Tuesday, as the US technology giant seeks to shore up slumping sales in a crucial overseas market.

One of the tightest US election races of modern times enters its final, two-week stretch Tuesday, with Republican Donald Trump making a special pitch to Latino voters as Democratic rival Kamala Harris sits down for a national network interview.

A collection of rare Tintin comic albums is up for auction in Paris on Wednesday, many signed by cartoonist Herge, who wrote "Tintin is just another version of me" on one flyleaf.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel Tuesday to push for a ceasefire in Gaza after his administration called for an end to the war in Lebanon "as soon as possible".

It's a job that didn't exist until recently but becoming an influencer is an ever more popular career path among Gen-Z youth in the modern era of social media.

Inside her cafe in the frontline Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, Anna appeared calm as she poured a capuccino, filling the room with the scent of Java roast.

Jeanne Allaire Kayigirwa was sure she was going to die three times during the Rwandan genocide in which most of her friends and family were massacred.

The untold story of how around 1,000 children were rescued from Rwanda during the bloodiest and most chaotic days of its genocide is finally coming to light three decades after they were saved from the slaughter.

Two dozen world leaders are gathering in Russia on Tuesday for the opening of a summit of the BRICS group, an alliance of emerging economies that the Kremlin hopes will challenge Western "hegemony".

US Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris made a push to woo moderates in her rival's camp in three swing states Monday, while Donald Trump slammed the government's response to Hurricane Helene as he toured the devastated state of North Carolina.

Israel has announced steps to boost aid deliveries to Gaza, but UN figures show a huge drop in supplies getting through to the war-battered territory and humanitarian workers doubt much is reaching those who need it most.

Cher, Mary J. Blige and Ozzy Osbourne were among this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, an elite group formally introduced into the music pantheon Saturday at a star-studded concert gala.

Iraq's Kurdistan voted on Sunday to elect a new parliament for the autonomous oil-rich region, where voters expressed concern over economic struggles and disenchantment with the political elite.

King Charles visited Australia's capital Canberra on Monday, where he was sneezed on by a suit-wearing alpaca, heckled by an Indigenous senator, and applauded for a speech on the country's climate perils.

"Breaking" news, screamed an online post by a conservative American influencer as he pushed disinformation about Kamala Harris, illustrating how journalism lingo has been co-opted as a tool to amplify election falsehoods.

Australian mining giant BHP goes on trial on Monday over one of Brazil's worst environmental disasters, potentially triggering billions of dollars in compensation to be shared among hundreds of thousands of plaintiffs.

Major stock markets dropped Monday and oil prices jumped as traders weighed fresh interest-rate cuts from China's central bank aimed at reigniting the world's second-biggest economy.

A US and a Canadian warship have passed through waters separating Taiwan and China, a week after Beijing held large-scale military drills in the sensitive passage.

Former US president Donald Trump hits the campaign trail in hurricane-hit North Carolina on Monday, having heavily criticized the government's disaster response after at least 124 people were killed there by storm Helene.

Up to 1,000 women and children needing medical care will shortly be evacuated from Gaza to Europe, the head of the World Health Organization's Europe branch said in comments published on Monday.

South Korea summoned the Russian ambassador Monday to criticise Pyongyang's decision to send thousands of soldiers to support Moscow's war in Ukraine, the foreign ministry said, calling for their immediate withdrawal.

French drugmaker Sanofi's Monday confirmation that it plans to sell a controlling stake in its over-the-counter unit to a US investment fund sparked a new political backlash, stoked by fears the deal marks a loss of sovereignty over key medications.