AFP news

The world's first major summit on artificial intelligence (AI) safety opens in the UK on Wednesday, with political and tech leaders set to discuss possible responses to the society-changing technology.

Generic ghosts and vague vampires haunted the Hollywood picket lines this Halloween, as striking actors tried to scare studio bosses by refusing to dress up as any of their famous characters.

The Federal Reserve is widely expected to announce Wednesday that it will keep interest rates at a 22-year high in a bid to tackle inflation without harming the buoyant US economy.

Donald Trump's two adult sons are expected to begin taking the witness stand this week in the civil trial for financial fraud that threatens to deal a heavy blow to his business empire.

President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Wednesday expressed his "shame" at crimes committed during Germany's colonial rule in Tanzania and pledged to raise awareness of the atrocities in his own country.

From Hollywood's death-dealing Terminator to warnings from genius Stephen Hawking or Silicon Valley stars, fears have been fueled that artificial intelligence (AI) could one day destroy humanity.

An accord signed a year ago between the rivals in Ethiopia's Tigray war has brought peace to the shattered region, but ignited yet another conflict in the increasingly fractured nation.

Electric vehicle sales are surging in Jordan, a trend drivers and showrooms attribute to high petrol prices more than any concerns about air pollution and climate change.

President Joe Biden's administration on Tuesday approved a plan to build the United States' largest ever offshore wind farm, which would power hundreds of thousands of homes with clean energy.

Former crypto tycoon Sam Bankman-Fried struggled on Tuesday to explain his behavior during the last days of his FTX empire, as prosecutors shone a light on his willingness to take massive risks.

Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels on Tuesday pledged more attacks against Israel if its war on Hamas in Gaza continues, saying it had already fired drones and ballistic missiles in three separate operations.

Egypt is preparing to treat wounded Palestinians from the bombarded Gaza Strip starting Wednesday, with the opening of a border crossing to people after weeks of war, medical and security sources said.

Saudi Arabia is in line to host the 2034 World Cup after FIFA announced that the kingdom had submitted the only "expression of interest" in hosting the tournament.

Lebanon's caretaker prime minister said Monday he was working to ensure his country does not enter the Hamas-Israel war, even as Hezbollah and Israel have been exchanging cross-border fire.

On a rainy afternoon in Shenzhen, damp passengers jostle their way onto the megacity's buses, the quiet foot soldiers of an electric revolution for coal-guzzling China's public transport network.

World oil prices sank Monday as traders hoped a region-wide conflict could still be avoided and Israel said its forces killed dozens of Hamas militants in clashes in Gaza.

More than 10,000 Afghans living in Pakistan rushed to the borders on Tuesday, just hours before a deadline for 1.7 million people to leave Pakistan voluntarily or face arrest and deportation.

Israel's United Nations ambassador displayed a yellow star on his chest Monday as he addressed the Security Council, provocatively pledging to wear the badge until members of the body condemn Hamas "atrocities".

Repeated attacks on American troops in the Middle East risk drawing the United States into a conflict with Iran even as Washington strives to prevent fighting between Israel and Hamas from spiraling into a regional war.

Israeli troops pushed deeper into Gaza Tuesday, driving tanks and armoured bulldozers through the rubble of shattered buildings, scouring for Hamas militants who carried out the worst attack in the country's history.

In a muddy wetland in Oman's capital, environmental scientist Zakiya al-Afifi measures the bark of a mangrove tree, estimating its capacity to absorb the carbon dioxide that is slowly heating the planet.

The Emirati oil boss preparing to take the helm of UN climate talks said he is stunned to hear that environmentalists suspect him of duplicity on climate change.

A Turkish court on Wednesday rejected a prosecutor's attempts to shut down a leading anti-femicide campaign group on charges of violating administrative laws and "morality".

Oil cuts by Saudi Arabia and Russia will cause a "significant" global supply shortfall through the end of the year, raising the risk of further market volatility, the International Energy Agency said Wednesday.

Dozens of people died in a fire at an apartment block in Vietnam's capital Hanoi, state media said Wednesday, with witnesses reporting screams from inside and a small child was thrown from the building.

President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un arrived at the Vostochny Cosmodrome Wednesday, Russian agencies said, set for rare talks that could lead to a weapons deal the United States has warned would violate international sanctions.

Iran has imposed curbs on the internet in the year since protests erupted over Mahsa Amini's death, forcing people to find other ways to run their businesses or keep in touch with loved ones.

Natural disasters are now happening so frequently that reinsurers -- the firms that sell insurance to insurance companies -- are scaling back their exposure to such risks.

Did banking giant UBS make "the deal of the century" when it bought one of the world's biggest banks for a pittance as it teetered on the edge of the abyss?