AFP news

All five people aboard a submersible missing near the wreck of the Titanic died -- likely in an instant -- after their vessel suffered what the US Coast Guard said Thursday was a "catastrophic implosion" in the ocean depths.

The head of the Red Cross federation, the world's largest humanitarian network, is stepping down, a spokesman confirmed Thursday, following a row in Italy surrounding the Rome Pride event.

The United Nations has put Russian military forces and proxy armed groups on its "list of shame" over the killing and maiming of hundreds of children in its war against Ukraine, according to a document seen by AFP Thursday.

Foreign donors have pledged 60 billion euros ($66 billion) of new financial support for Ukraine, the UK said Thursday, as an international conference aimed at funding the war-ravaged country's reconstruction closed.

A "catastrophic implosion," such as that believed to have destroyed the Titan submersible, would have happened with incredible force and speed given the crushing water pressure on the floor of the ocean.

The Titanic inspired a tear-jerking blockbuster and expeditions to its watery gravesite -- including a fatal one this week -- but viral TikTok videos peddle a stunning conspiracy theory: the ship never sank.

Equity markets sank Friday and oil extended a sharp selloff after a string of interest rate hikes by central banks revived worries about the global economy.

The death of at least 23 migrants during an attempt to cross into Spain's North African enclave of Melilla from Morocco one year ago prompted an outcry over police actions, but advocates say no-one has been held responsible.

Turkey on Thursday pivoted away from years of unconventional economics promoted by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as the central bank nearly doubled its key interest rate to fight inflation and steady the troubled lira.

Swathes of northern China sweltered in 40-degree heat on Thursday, weather data showed, as parts of Beijing and the nearby megacity of Tianjin recorded their highest temperatures for years.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank officials are joining dozens of economic leaders for a two-day summit in Paris, aiming to tackle the interlinked challenges of poverty alleviation and climate change.

The father and son aboard the missing Titanic tourist submersible hail from one of Pakistan's most prominent and wealthiest families, who are known for their philanthropic contributions to the country.

Iran's top diplomat arrived in Kuwait Wednesday, the third leg of a Gulf tour that saw him hold "constructive" talks with his Omani counterpart in Muscat earlier in the day. It came a day after Tehran held discussions in Doha on its nuclear programme with Qatari and European Union officials, the latest in a flurry of diplomatic moves by the Islamic republic as it seeks to reduce its isolation, improve its economy and project strength.

Making coffee for a soldier outside a shopping centre in eastern Ukraine, 24-year-old Nina said she gets news on the war with Russia that has rocked her country from social media.

The US Federal Reserve expects to keep raising interest rates but at a slower pace, Fed chair Jerome Powell told a congressional hearing Wednesday.

United States lawmakers on Wednesday invited the chiefs of the PGA Tour, LIV Golf and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund to testify at a hearing looking into their shock deal that has rocked the golf world.

Dozens of global leaders will gather in Paris Thursday for a summit to tease out a new consensus on international economic reforms to help debt-burdened developing countries face a growing onslaught of challenges, particularly climate change.

Heatwaves across Asia and beyond have already broken records this year, while the arrival of the El Nino climate phenomenon will mean even more extreme temperatures.

Turkey was widely expected Thursday to pivot away from years of unconventional economics promoted by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and dramatically raise interest rates to fight inflation and steady the troubled lira.

Markets fell in Asia on Thursday as traders contemplated the prospect of more central bank interest rate hikes as they struggle to tame persistently high inflation.

Twitter owner and Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Wednesday he discussed potential "significant investments" in India after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the United States.

Israelis and Palestinians held funerals Wednesday for teenagers killed in a shooting targeting Israelis and an army raid on a Palestinian city, as violence rages in the occupied West Bank.

Death hangs over the Pakistan village of Bandli like a shroud, as residents absorb news that as many as 24 young local men may be among hundreds feared drowned in last week's Greek migrant boat tragedy.

Turkish defence manufacturers are out in force at this week's Paris Air Show, the first in four years during which conflicts including Russia's invasion of Ukraine have spotlighted the country's now-coveted weapons.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's influential partner in his ruling coalition warned Tuesday the government needs to take "painful" economic recovery measures that include interest rate hikes.

The United States, on behalf of 27 countries, condemned Tuesday the open-ended nature of the UN investigation into alleged human rights violations in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the "disproportionate" attention on Israel.

Rescue teams are scrambling to find five people on a tourist submersible that went missing near the wreck of the Titanic in the North Atlantic on Sunday.

Rescuers trying to find the orca-sized submersible that vanished on its way to visit the wreck of the Titanic are facing a gargantuan task that will test the limits of technical know-how -- with only a very slight chance of success, experts say.

Renewed artillery exchanges rocked greater Khartoum early Wednesday as Sudan's warring generals resumed fighting just minutes after the latest US and Saudi-brokered ceasefire expired.