Featured
Last news
Centenarian WWII vet marries sweetheart, 96, in Normandy after D-Day events
It might have been the longest wait but on Saturday 100-year-old American World War II veteran Harold Terens married his 96-year-old fiancee in Normandy, just days after being honoured on the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in northern France.
Israel 'disgusted' at inclusion on new UN human rights blacklist
The upcoming inclusion of Israel on a UN list of countries and armed forces determined to be failing to protect children in war prompted a furious Israeli response Friday.
US stocks edge lower as traders weigh jobs report
Wall Street stocks seesawed Friday as a hotter-than-expected US jobs report soothed worries about the economy but fueled concerns that the Federal Reserve would keep interest rates higher for longer.
US stocks rise as traders weigh jobs report
Wall Street stocks seesawed Friday as a hotter-than-expected US jobs report soothed worries about the economy but fuelled concerns that the Federal Reserve would keep interest rates higher for longer.
BYD says to build second EU factory despite EV slowdown
Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD is still committed to building a second factory in Europe and will roll out hybrid cars as the EV market slows down, a group executive told AFP.
Stock markets fall as US jobs report stokes rate concerns
Stock markets retreated Thursday as a hotter-than-expected US jobs report raised concerns that the Federal Reserve would keep interest rates higher for longer.
US hiring surges past expectations as job market still strong
US job growth blew past estimates in May while unemployment also edged up, according to government data released Friday, underscoring the labor market's resilience as policymakers seek to cool the economy gradually.
European stock markets decline before US jobs report
Stock markets retreated and the dollar steadied Friday before US jobs data that could play a key role in the Federal Reserve's plans for cutting interest rates, with the central bank's next policy decision looming.
Samsung workers in South Korea stage first strike: union
Workers at tech giant Samsung Electronics in South Korea staged the first strike at the company on Friday, the head of a major union representing tens of thousands of people said.
Japan household spending sees first rise in 14 months
Japan's household spending rose in April for the first time in 14 months, official data showed Friday, as wages grow at the fastest pace in three decades.
Asian markets swing as traders eye major US jobs report
Asian markets fluctuated Friday and investors trod cautiously ahead of US jobs data that could play a key role in the Federal Reserve's plans for cutting interest rates, with the bank's next policy decision looming next week.
Samsung workers in S. Korea stage first strike: union
Workers at tech giant Samsung Electronics in South Korea staged the first strike at the company on Friday, the head of a major union representing tens of thousands of people told AFP.
Boeing Starliner crew aboard ISS after challenging docking
A Boeing Starliner capsule carrying its first ever astronauts docked with the International Space Station on Thursday after overcoming unexpected challenges arising from thruster malfunctions and helium leaks.
European stocks up as ECB cuts rate, US stocks mixed
European stock markets rose Thursday as the European Central Bank cut interest rates for the first time since 2019 -- but gains were muted as sticky inflation blurs the outlook for more reductions.
Disputes flare in Brazil between landowners, occupiers
At the heart of Brazil's savannah, Adonilton Rodrigues toils on a small plot he illegally occupies as part of a movement battling the country's old land-ownership inequalities.
Boeing's Starliner docks with ISS on first crewed mission
A Boeing Starliner capsule carrying its first ever NASA astronauts docked with the International Space Station on Thursday after overcoming some challenges affecting its propulsion system.
Thruster problems delay Boeing Starliner docking with ISS
The planned docking of a Boeing Starliner capsule carrying its first astronauts to the International Space Station has been delayed as teams work to troubleshoot problems affecting the propulsion system, NASA said Thursday.
ECB makes first rate cut since 2019 but sees 'bumpy road'
The European Central Bank cut interest rates for the first time since 2019 on Thursday as eurozone inflation gradually eases, but president Christine Lagarde said the path ahead was unclear and warned of a "bumpy road".
European stocks up as ECB cuts rate
Europe's main stock markets were up but pared some gains Thursday as the European Central Bank cut interest rates for the first time since 2019 while warning that inflation would remain sticky.
US trade gap widens to largest in 18 months
The US trade deficit expanded slightly less than analysts expected in April, to the widest since late 2022, as imports rose more quickly than exports, according to government data released Thursday.
ECB starts cutting rates, but warns on inflation
The European Central Bank made its first interest rate cut since 2019 Thursday, reducing borrowing costs from record highs, but gave few clues about its next move while warning of continuing inflation pressures.
Boeing Starliner spacecraft springs more leaks on way to ISS
Boeing's Starliner crew capsule, which is making its way to the International Space Station on its first mission carrying astronauts, has developed two helium leaks since entering orbit but remains stable and on course for docking, NASA said.
Europe stocks advance before expected ECB rate cut
Europe's main stock markets climbed higher Thursday, with sentiment buoyed by rising expectations of an imminent interest-rate reduction from the European Central Bank.
Russian central bank chief calls for 'open economy'
Russia's central bank chief called Thursday for Russia to be an "open economy" despite the barrage of Western sanctions and trading restrictions it has been hit with over its Ukraine offensive.
Spain's Disfrutar named world's top restaurant by 50 Best
Barcelona restaurant Disfrutar was named Thursday as the best in the world by the influential 50 Best list in a year dominated by Spanish and Latin American restaurants.
Markets track Wall St records as US jobs fuel rate cut hopes
Markets extended a surge on Wall Street Thursday as another round of soft US jobs data ramped up bets on the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates this year.
Solar investment outstrips all other power forms: IEA
More money is pouring into solar power than all other electricity sources combined, with investments set to reach half a trillion dollars this year, the world's top energy research body said Thursday.
ECB to start cutting rates from record highs
The European Central Bank is expected to start cutting interest rates from record highs Thursday, its first reduction in nearly five years, but volatile inflation means the path ahead is uncertain.
Asian markets track Wall St record as US jobs fuel rate cut hopes
Asian markets extended a surge on Wall Street Thursday as another round of soft US jobs data ramped up bets on the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates this year.
Armed Syrian Kurdish women stand guard over precious wheatfields
Holding a weapon in one hand and fixing her scarf with the other, Yasmine Youssef patrols one of northeast Syria's vast wheatfields, a vital source of income in the country's breadbasket.
Chile's lithium dreams raise water concerns in the desert
As night falls in Chile's Atacama desert, the world's driest, a drilling machine extracts brine to measure levels of lithium -- a crucial mineral for the global switch to cleaner energy, but harmful in its own way.
After a bitter break-up, Trump makes up with billionaire donors
In an electoral system in which money is the ultimate kingmaker, Donald Trump has been courting the country's billionaires -- and they have their checkbooks ready.
More than 1 in 4 children under age 5 face 'severe' food poverty: UNICEF
More than one in four children under the age of five globally live in "severe" food poverty, UNICEF has warned -- meaning more than 180 million are at risk of experiencing adverse impacts on their growth and development.
US Republicans block bill protecting access to contraception
Republicans in the US Senate on Wednesday blocked a bill recognizing a legal right to contraception, introduced as part of a Democratic effort to highlight threats to reproductive freedoms as a key issue in November elections.
UN nuclear watchdog board passes resolution criticising Iran
The UN nuclear watchdog's board of governors has passed a resolution criticising Iran's lack of cooperation with the agency, diplomats told AFP on Wednesday, a decision Tehran slammed as "hasty and unwise".
Work-life balance, housing shortage prompts Irish exodus
As Europe goes to the polls, skewed work-life balance, housing and cost of living crises are key issues for people across the continent.
Apple faces pressure to deliver on AI at developer conference
Apple is expected to make the case next week that it is not being left behind as tech world rivals blaze ahead with artificial intelligence.
New York halts controversial driver congestion charge
New York dropped a controversial plan Wednesday that would have charged drivers to enter central Manhattan, amid criticism that it would hit businesses and poorer motorists disproportionately.
The disability comedy besting blockbusters in France
A low-budget French comedy about a camp for disabled people has become a "societal phenomenon" in France, trouncing Hollywood blockbusters like "Dune 2" and Mad Max spin-off "Furiosa".