AFP news

Joko Widodo has led Indonesia for a nearly a decade pledging to do things differently, but he stands accused of manoeuvring to build his own political dynasty in next month's presidential vote in a country long known for its nepotistic politics.

Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison, less than two weeks before the country votes in an election his party has been hamstrung from contesting.

Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva received a four-year ban from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday for failing a doping test prior to the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Some searches including the terms "Taylor Swift" on X turned up no results on Monday after the company, formerly known as Twitter, apparently moved to prevent the spread of AI-generated porn videos using the star's likeness.

One of fashion's biggest breakout successes, France's Jacquemus, sought to move past recent turbulence in his business with a glamorous show in front of stars including Julia Roberts and Kylie Jenner on Monday.

The killing of three US troops is dragging the United States further into a proxy war with Iran that President Joe Biden had hoped to avoid and that he still hopes can be contained.

Japan's Moon lander has come back to life, the space agency said Monday, enabling the craft to proceed with its mission of investigating the lunar surface despite its rocky start.

Bangladeshi Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus vowed Sunday to overcome scores of court cases that his supporters say are politically motivated to achieve his environmental and economic policies.

One man was killed after gunmen opened fire inside a Catholic church in Istanbul during Sunday mass in what appeared to be a targetted attack.

The trial of a Swedish EU diplomat wrapped up in Tehran on Sunday, with Iranian prosecutors seeking the maximum penalty for the man accused of spying for Iran's arch-foe, Israel.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has hailed the test launch of a new strategic cruise missile from a submarine as a key moment in building the nation's naval power, state media said Monday.

Haiti's government said Sunday it remains hopeful for a "swift and positive outcome," after a Kenyan court ruled against Nairobi's plan to deploy police officers to support the troubled island nation's security forces.

More than two months after Yemen's Huthi rebels captured the Galaxy Leader cargo ship and detained its crew, the Iran-backed rebels have turned the vessel into a domestic "tourist attraction".

Iran's foreign minister was in Pakistan for talks Monday, as both nations sought to ease tensions after deadly cross-border strikes threatened diplomatic relations.

UK Business Minister Kemi Badenoch on Sunday said she had sacked the chairman of the Post Office amid tensions over the scandal of hundreds of subpostmasters wrongly convicted of theft due to faulty accounting software.

Israeli flag carrier El Al said Friday it will scrap direct flights to South Africa following "a significant fall in demand by Israeli travellers" to the country and other destinations.

A top Boeing executive has apologized for the problems highlighted by the mid-flight blowout of a door plug on an Alaska Airlines flight, as two airlines began returning the troubled 737 MAX 9 planes to service.

The world's largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas, set sail from Miami on its maiden voyage Saturday, carrying what amounted to the population of a small city.

A Hong Kong court on Monday ordered the liquidation of China's property giant Evergrande, but the firm said it would continue to operate in a case that has become a symbol of the nation's deepening economic woes.

A Hong Kong court on Monday issued a winding-up order for Chinese real estate giant Evergrande, as the embattled firm teeters on the brink of bankruptcy.

Pakistan's preeminent rights activist describes the upcoming election as a messy melodrama staged by an emboldened military, unlikely to bring down the curtain on a cast of crises plaguing the country.

Thousands of supporters of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos and his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte gathered for rival rallies on Sunday, putting on a public display of a deepening rift between the powerful clans.

Aryna Sabalenka said the Australian Open will always be her "special place" after blowing China's Zheng Qinwen off court on Saturday to become the first woman to defend her title in more than a decade.

Jannik Sinner stormed back from two sets down to beat Daniil Medvedev in an energy-sapping five-set Australian Open final on Sunday, claiming his first Grand Slam title.

Pop music icon Taylor Swift is reportedly ready to make a lightning trip from Japan next month to see boyfriend Travis Kelce's Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

Hundreds of concertgoers attended the "PAPJAZZ" music festival in Haiti's capital this week, which returned for the first time since 2021 with a modified schedule and strict security precautions amid the city's dire security situation.

The dousing of a glass-covered Mona Lisa in pumpkin soup is the latest in a string of cases of priceless artworks being targeted by environmental activists.

A drone attack on a base in Jordan killed three American troops Sunday, with President Joe Biden blaming Iran-backed militants and vowing to hold the perpetrators to account.

A video showing renovation work at Egypt's Menkaure pyramid at Giza has triggered social media criticism, with one expert decrying its "absurdity".