AFP news

Sales of electric and hybrid vehicles jumped more than 40 percent in China last year, as demand for new energy models continues to surge and the sector remains entrenched in a gruelling price war.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was heading on Thursday to Rome for talks with European counterparts on bringing stability to Syria in the face of flare-ups with Turkey, capping what is likely his final trip.

A top Waymo executive said Wednesday the United States could lead globally on autonomous driving, expressing hope that a national standard under the incoming Trump administration would boost safety.

Chinese companies have turned out in force again at this year's Consumer Electronics Show, with their prospects overshadowed by the threat of steeper tariffs from incoming US president Donald Trump.

Jimmy Carter was to be honored Thursday with a state funeral at Washington's National Cathedral, amid a groundswell of tributes honoring the 39th US president and the last from the so-called Greatest Generation.

Sergio Conceicao has brought back the feelgood factor to AC Milan as the seven-time European champions host Cagliari on Saturday still on a high from a dramatic Italian Super Cup triumph over local rivals and Serie A kings Inter Milan.

Australia is deeply concerned by Meta's decision to scrap US fact-check operations on its Facebook and Instagram platforms, a senior minister said Thursday.

Ukraine's Western allies will gather with President Volodymyr Zelensky at a US base in Germany on Thursday in their last such meeting before Donald Trump returns to the White House in less than two weeks.

Hundreds of thousands of Catholic pilgrims swarmed the streets of Manila in search of a miracle Thursday, straining to reach a centuries-old statue of Jesus Christ in an annual display of religious fervour.

Dozens of evacuated Los Angeles residents stared incredulously at the thick cloud of black smoke blotting out the sun, scarcely able to believe the scale of the wildfires, and fearing that their homes could be destroyed next.

France on Wednesday urged the European Commission to protect its member states with "the greatest firmness" against interference in political debate particularly from the billionaire owner of social media platform X, Elon Musk.

Indonesia on Wednesday upheld a ban on iPhone 16 sales despite Apple's $1 billion pledge to invest in the country after a negotiation deadlock, citing the company's failure to meet domestic market requirements.

Doubts are still lingering over the future participation of the three South African teams in the Champions Cup as clubs continue to send weakened sides to Europe.

Hundreds of supporters of South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol rallied outside his residence Wednesday as investigators prepared a fresh attempt to arrest him.

Venezuela's "colectivos," groups of armed civilian volunteers accused of committing violence on behalf of Nicolas Maduro's pariah regime, are poised to pounce on opposition protests called for the eve of the president's swearing-in ceremony.

South Korea's Samsung Electronics said Wednesday it expected fourth-quarter profits to fall sharply from the previous quarter and miss forecasts as it struggled to meet robust demand for chips used in artificial intelligence servers.

In a provocative and headline-grabbing Tuesday speech on his territorial ambitions for the United States, incoming US leader Donald Trump was heavy on intimidation but light on details -- leaving many wondering how seriously the comments should be taken.

Thousands of rescuers were searching for survivors in freezing conditions Wednesday after a devastating earthquake in China's remote Tibet region killed at least 126 people.

The body of late US president Jimmy Carter was transferred Tuesday in a grand and solemn military ceremony to the US Capitol, where it will lie in state until a national funeral later this week.

Tech leaders continue to fall in line around Donald Trump, with Facebook's announcement that it would end its US fact-checking program the latest victory for the president-elect and his billionaire advisor Elon Musk.

NASA announced Tuesday it may turn to Elon Musk's SpaceX or Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin to help reduce the soaring costs of returning Martian rocks collected by the Perseverance rover to Earth.

Tech giant Meta's shock announcement that it is ending its US fact-checking program triggered scathing criticism Tuesday from disinformation researchers who warned it risked opening the floodgates for false narratives.

There is not a "snowball's chance in hell" that Canada will merge with the United States, outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday, while his foreign minister added the country will "never back down" from threats by Donald Trump.

Peter Yarrow -- one third of the beloved folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, whose anthems epitomized the 1960s protest movement -- died Tuesday in New York.

Dazzling televisions that routinely star at the Consumer Electronics Show opening here Tuesday are getting ever smarter with an eye toward being at the heart of AI-centered lifestyles.

Carlos Sainz's defence of his Dakar Rally title ended prematurely on Monday when the Spaniard was forced to pull out after the marathon 48-hour stage won by Lithuanian driver Rokas Baciuska.

A Chinese-owned cargo ship suspected of damaging a subsea telecoms cable off Taiwan has stopped transmitting its location on the high seas, Taiwan's coast guard said Tuesday.

South Korea's ruling and opposition parties agreed on Tuesday to form a joint parliamentary task force to probe the recent Jeju Air plane crash that left 179 people dead.

A devastating earthquake in China's remote Tibet region killed at least 95 people and collapsed "many buildings" on Tuesday, state media reported, with tremors also felt in neighbouring Nepal's capital Kathmandu and parts of India.