AFP news

Guatemala's president-elect Bernardo Arevalo has faced a judicial onslaught seen as an attempt by the country's powerful economic and political elite to perpetuate rampant corruption.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet a senior Chinese official in Washington on Friday on the eve of Taiwan's elections, as the United States seeks to discourage Beijing from taking action against Taipei.

President Joe Biden said Thursday that US and British air strikes against Yemen's Huthis were "defensive" and warned of further measures if the Iran-backed rebels keep attacking ships in the Red Sea.

Oil prices surged Friday after US and UK forces launched strikes against Iran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen following attacks on ships in the Red Sea, fuelling worries about a wider conflict in the crude-rich region.

China's exports fell last year for the first time in seven years, data showed Friday, as tensions with the United States and a stuttering global economic recovery compound Beijing's struggles to kickstart growth at home.

Troops patrolled the streets of Papua New Guinea's capital on Friday, under a state of emergency following riots that killed 16 across the country's two largest cities.

Israel will on Friday hit back at what it describes as "atrocious" allegations it is committing "genocide" in Gaza, in a closely watched landmark case before the UN's top court.

A French actor has accused a director 25 years her senior of manipulating her into a relationship as a teenager, contributing to criticism that the arts have provided cover for abuse.

Technology causes us to lose sleep, but can it also give it back? "The reality about sleep is, the more you work for it, often, the more it will elude you," she said, explaining that the sleep metrics "can actually be anxiety provoking."

A loud whirring sound incites fear that a giant swarm of insects has overtaken Eureka Park, one of the venues for the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Andy Murray has welcomed a move by global tennis bodies to minimise the scourge of late finishes, saying it will make the game "a wee bit" more professional.

Bernardo Arevalo has survived months of judicial machinations to stop his inauguration Sunday as Guatemala's new president -- the target, according to himself and observers, of a corrupt elite desperate to cling to power.

US President Joe Biden has good news to sell on the economy as he seeks reelection in November -- but voters don't seem to be buying it.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday replaced his foreign minister but maintained other key figures in their posts, in a reshuffle that tilted his cabinet to the right and leaves all the top ministries in the hands of men.

European planemaker Airbus said Thursday that it secured 2,094 net plane orders last year, a record for the group as airlines prepare for further global passenger growth and seek out more fuel-efficient planes.

Hertz said Thursday it will sell one-third of its electric vehicle (EV) automobiles to resize its fleet in line with slowing demand growth for emission-free transport.

Donald Trump ignored warnings from the judge in his New York civil fraud trial Thursday and turned closing arguments into an election campaign attack, claiming that prosecutors are out to stop his political comeback.

Indian IT giants TCS and Infosys both signalled weak revenue growth in quarterly results Thursday as a client spending slowdown deepened a seasonally weak time for the sector.

Music icon Elton John has put a variety of personal items up for auction at Christie's in New York, including monogrammed silver leather platform boots, a grand piano and a triptych by street artist Banksy.

Manchester City appear ominously poised to strike in the Premier League title race as Pep Guardiola welcomes back key players for Saturday's trip to Newcastle, while Manchester United can ill-afford another damaging defeat when Tottenham visit Old Trafford.

President Joe Biden said Thursday that US and British forces had launched air strikes against Iran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen in "defensive action" after attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.

Greece will legalise marriage and adoption by same-sex couples, the prime minister said on Wednesday, but gave no timeframe on the sensitive issue in the staunchly Orthodox Christian state.

Polish President Andrzej Duda on Wednesday said he was shocked over the arrest of a former interior minister and his aide in a high-profile case that saw one of the detained men launch a hunger strike.

Elon Musk's X has shed more than 1,000 staff globally from teams responsible for stopping abusive content online, according to new figures released Thursday by Australia's online watchdog.

To the believers, the oft-promised autonomous car revolution is "clearly happening" -- they point to the myriad displays at the Consumers Electronics Show in Las Vegas that defy the industry's bad headlines.

Xiaoyu Fan smiled as she looked around a bustling China Pavilion at the Consumer Electronics Show Wednesday as gadgets like bladeless fans were displayed and deals were being made.

Papua New Guinea's prime minister declared a 14-day state of emergency in the capital on Thursday, after 15 people were killed in riots as crowds looted and burned shops.

The UK government on Thursday announced plans for what it said was the country's "biggest expansion of nuclear power for 70 years" to bolster its energy independence and meet carbon emission targets.

Morocco coach Walid Regragui was just five months and 20 days old when the country won the Africa Cup of Nations for the only time in 1976.