AFP news

"Suddenly darker, quieter, poorer": the words of Bayern Munich summed up the mood of a bereaved Germany on Tuesday as the country mourned the legendary footballer Franz Beckenbauer, the man they called "the Kaiser".

Iga Swiatek is in scintillating form as she seeks a maiden Australian Open crown, but she could face a stiff test from defending champion Aryna Sabalenka while two-time winner Naomi Osaka is making her comeback.

Irish musician Sinead O'Connor died last year of "natural causes", a London coroner announced Tuesday.

Coming to the big screen, he is. "The prospect of bringing the Mandalorian and his apprentice Grogu to the big screen is extremely exciting."

A 97-year-old Mel Brooks accepted a lifetime achievement Oscar in Hollywood on Tuesday, more than half a century after he won his only Academy Award with "The Producers."

President Joe Biden was kept in the dark over his defense secretary's cancer diagnosis and subsequent hospitalizations for about a month, the White House admitted Tuesday, as details of Lloyd Austin's deeply unusual disappearance raised questions about leadership of the world's top military.

Since Sudan's war spread to Al-Jazira state south of Khartoum, farmers have watched their livelihoods wither away after fighting between paramilitary forces battling the army wreaked havoc on once-bountiful lands.

Ecuador declared a state of emergency Monday after a dangerous narco boss escaped from maximum security detention and unrest broke out at several prisons in the violence-plagued country.

Bottled water is up to a hundred times worse than previously thought when it comes to the number of tiny plastic bits it contains, a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences said Monday.

A caravan in Mexico of at least 1,000 migrants resumed its march northward towards the US border on Monday, accusing Mexican authorities of failing to fulfill their promise of granting humanitarian visas.

The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan began voting Tuesday in general elections with parties vowing to tackle serious economic challenges, calling into question its longstanding policy of prioritising "Gross National Happiness" over growth.

China's foreign minister said Tuesday that relations with the United States "stabilised" last year, as the two powers seek to put ties on a surer footing in 2024.

Top US diplomat Antony Blinken was set to meet Israeli leaders Tuesday as part of efforts to contain the war in Gaza, a day after strikes in Syria and Lebanon killed high-profile members of Hamas and its ally Hezbollah.

Taiwan issued a national emergency alert on Tuesday as China launched a satellite, days before the self-ruled island holds a crucial presidential election that has heightened security worries.

South Korea's parliament on Tuesday passed a bill banning breeding, slaughtering and selling dogs for their meat, a traditional practice that activists have called an embarrassment for the country.

Tiger Woods said Monday he was ending his longstanding partnership with Nike, drawing a line under a lucrative near three-decade relationship with the iconic sporting goods brand that helped transform him into golf's first billionaire.

United Airlines said Monday it has discovered loose bolts on Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes in its fleet during preliminary inspections following an Alaska Airlines mid-flight incident.

Novak Djokovic is once again red-hot favourite at the Australian Open as he chases an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title, but a wrist problem and the emergence of Carlos Alcaraz puts his all-conquering reign under threat.

Legend Franz Beckenbauer, who left a unique imprint on German football as player, captain and coach, has died at the age of 78, the German football association said Monday.

Manchester United eased the pressure on manager Erik ten Hag by ensuring there was no FA Cup third round shock in a 2-0 win at League One Wigan on Monday.

Now that's what you call airplane mode -- an iPhone that plummeted 16,000 feet (5,000 meters) from an Alaska Airlines flight landed without a single crack in the screen and even a battery still half-charged.

From self-driving baby carriages to ChatGPT in Volkswagen cars, artificial intelligence is expected to be center stage at the CES gadget extravaganza that formally opens Tuesday in Las Vegas.

CES, the annual high tech gadget extravaganza in Las Vegas, again delivers its wave of new inventions and cutting edge technology with artificial intelligence this year's unavoidable buzzword.

The Golden Globes bounced back from years of scandal and dwindling audiences to draw 9.4 million viewers, preliminary figures showed Monday, even as the gala's flailing host was savaged by critics.

Can a deaf, Native American superhero with a prosthetic leg reinvigorate Disney's Marvel franchise, just weeks after its CEO appeared to criticize his filmmakers for prioritizing messaging over storytelling?

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday was expected to name a new prime minister in a long-awaited cabinet reshuffle to reboot the final three years of his presidency.

US top diplomat Antony Blinken said there was "clear interest" in pursuing relations with Israel after talks in Saudi Arabia on Monday, the latest stop in a tour to calm a region inflamed by the Israel-Hamas war.

Al Jazeera said Sunday two of its Palestinian journalists in the Gaza Strip were killed in an Israeli strike on their car, in what the Qatar-based media network claimed was a "targeted killing".

Anders Behring Breivik, the right-wing extremist who killed 77 people in 2011 and is now "suicidal" according to his lawyer, appears in court Monday in his lawsuit against Norway over his prison conditions.