AFP news

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats narrowly beat the far-right AfD in a state election Sunday in the formerly communist east, a rare bit of good news for his party.

The "Pact for the Future" is the United Nations' master plan for tackling challenges that lie ahead for humanity, with 56 "actions" covering everything from peacekeeping to the potential threats posed by artificial intelligence.

A regional military escalation is not in Israel's "best interest," White House National Security spokesman John Kirby said on Sunday, as heightening cross-border tensions between Israel and Lebanon have led to fears of an all-out war.

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is due Monday in Washington for a first official visit at a time of soaring tensions in the Middle East, seeking to highlight economic and technological cooperation.

The Bank of Japan left interest rates unchanged on Friday, but governor Kazuo Ueda said further hikes remain on the cards if the economy grows as predicted.

A study on the origin of Covid-19 provided new evidence on Thursday supporting the theory that humans first caught the virus from infected animals at a Chinese market in late 2019.

UK state debt is as big as the country's economic output for the first time since the 1960s, data showed Friday, as the new government warns of tough fiscal decisions before its maiden budget.

Graham Arnold has quit as coach of the Socceroos, Football Australia said Friday, following a poor start to the third round of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.

Israel said it pounded Lebanon's Hezbollah, just hours after the group's leader vowed retribution for deadly explosions that targeted its communication devices, killing 37 people and wounding thousands.

US President Joe Biden will host the leaders of Australia, Japan and India at his Delaware home this weekend to bid farewell to the so-called "Quad" group that he has pushed as a counterweight to China.

Two people from Taiwanese companies were questioned as part of a probe into pagers that exploded while being used by Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon, investigators said Friday, as top officials insisted the devices were not from the island.

Kamala Harris held a star-studded rally hosted by talk show legend Oprah Winfrey on Thursday in a bid to bedazzle voters, as rival Donald Trump criticized Jewish Americans for not voting for him.

A previously unknown piece of music composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart when he was probably in his early teens has been uncovered at a library in Germany, researchers said Thursday.

The Titan submersible had to abort a dive just days before the implosion that killed its five passengers as they explored the wreck of the Titanic, an ex-employee of the company that operated the vessel testified on Thursday.

A years-long analysis shows that social media titans engaged in "vast surveillance" to make money from people's personal information, according to the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

One of dozens of men accused of raping a Frenchwoman drugged unconscious by her husband told a court Thursday he realised something was wrong during their encounter that he now concedes was sexual assault.

A series of deadly explosions targeting Hezbollah members this week in Lebanon came only days after Israel announced plans to expand its war in Gaza to its northern border with Lebanon.

Elon Musk's X social media platform went back offline in Brazil Thursday, a day after it resumed service in contravention of a judicial ban, internet providers said.

Outgoing NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday cautioned the United States and Europe against "isolationism" in his parting speech, as Donald Trump vies to return to the White House.

Hundreds of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah exploded across Lebanon in unprecedented attacks this week, killing 32 people and wounding more than 3,000 others.

Israel said Thursday it bombed Hezbollah sites in Lebanon, piling pressure on the militant group already reeling after a series of deadly explosions targeting its communications systems that it blamed on Israel.

The coming winter will prove the "sternest test yet" for Ukraine's energy grid, the International Energy Agency said on Thursday, as the EU announced additional aid to help the country weather Russia's attacks on its power infrastructure.

Bangladesh fast bowler Hasan Mahmud rattled India with four wickets to leave the hosts on 176-6 at tea on the first day of the first Test at Chennai on Thursday.

A group of companies including Meta and Spotify blasted the European Union Thursday for its "fragmented and inconsistent" decision-making on data privacy and artificial intelligence (AI).

Cash-strapped Sri Lanka will vote for its next president Saturday in an effective referendum on an unpopular International Monetary Fund austerity plan enacted after the island nation's unprecedented financial crisis.

An engine defect in the Airbus A350 plane that led to the cancellation of dozens of Cathay Pacific flights in early September could have escalated into "extensive damage", according to the results of a Hong Kong probe released Thursday.

The development of artificial intelligence should not be guided by market forces alone, UN experts cautioned on Thursday, calling for the creation of tools for global cooperation.

Feel drained after a long video call? Whether for work meetings, distance learning at school or just catching up with friends and family, video calls have become a part of daily life for many people -- particularly since the Covid pandemic.

Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler said Wednesday that the kingdom will not establish ties with Israel until a Palestinian state has been created, in a blow to US efforts to seal a normalisation deal.