AFP news

Vodafone and Three, the UK division of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison, are set to create Britain's biggest mobile phone operator after the country's competition regulator backed the deal Thursday.

Shopping app Temu has been forced to suspend its services in Vietnam after it failed to register with authorities, state media said on Thursday.

The more than five-year reconstruction of Notre Dame cathedral has featured some near-miraculous recoveries, as well as several controversies.

The OPEC oil cartel and its allies are expected Thursday to extend their supply cuts to avoid a sharp drop in prices in a global market awash in crude.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer will unveil Thursday a "plan for change" for Britain as he attempts a de facto relaunch of his government following a bumpy first five months in power.

Arsenal worked their set-piece magic to beat Manchester United 2-0 on Wednesday, ending Ruben Amorim's unbeaten start to life in the Old Trafford hotseat and closing the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool.

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier on Thursday was meeting Emmanuel Macron to submit his resignation after losing a vote of no confidence in parliament, with the president urgently seeking ways to halt growing political and financial chaos.

President Lai Ching-te spoke Thursday to Republican US House Speaker Mike Johnson, the Taiwanese leader's office said as he visited the American territory Guam during a Pacific tour that has angered China.

UNESCO on Wednesday welcomed attieke, the quintessential dish of Ivory Coast, and the skills involved in making the fermented ground cassava meal into its list of humanity's intangible cultural heritage.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman expressed confidence Wednesday that Elon Musk would not use his proximity to Donald Trump to harm business rivals, calling such actions "profoundly un-American."

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday that he was "not concerned" the US central bank would lose its independence, despite President-elect Donald Trump's suggestion that he should have input into interest rate decisions.

Nearly 14 years after the start of Syria's civil war, White Helmets rescue group chief Raed Saleh sees no way out of a conflict that has reignited.

Gaza's civil defense agency said the Israeli military issued evacuation calls Wednesday as it heavily bombarded the northern town of Beit Lahia as part of an intensive two-month operation.

US President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday nominated Jared Isaacman, the online payments billionaire and the first private astronaut to ever perform a spacewalk, as the next head of NASA. The nod could spark questions about potential conflicts of interest, given Isaacman's extensive financial ties to Elon Musk, who is set to co-chair a government efficiency commission and is one of Trump's closest advisors.

President Joe Biden will make the case on Wednesday in Angola that the United States must do better rather than more than China to regain influence in Africa.

Syrian government forces launched a counterattack against Islamist-led rebels around the key city of Hama on Wednesday after suffering a string of staggering losses, a war monitor said.

South Koreans took to the streets Wednesday for a day of rage laser-focused on President Yoon Seok Yeol, whose failed attempt at imposing martial law sparked anger and dismay in the vibrant democracy.

Lucy Letby, the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history, has been questioned in prison over further baby deaths and collapses at two hospitals where she worked, police said Wednesday.

The UN on Wednesday appealed for more than $47 billion to deliver vital aid next year in a world ravaged by surging conflicts and the climate crisis, but warned many in need would not be reached.

The OECD warned Wednesday that protectionist trade measures pose a major risk to disrupting the world economy, just weeks before Donald Trump is set to return to the White House.

The draw for the expanded FIFA Club World Cup takes place in Miami on Thursday, offering a first glimpse into the fine detail of a tournament that has been viewed with indifference or even outright hostility across parts of the football world.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te arrived in the tiny Pacific nation of Tuvalu on Wednesday, as part of a trip aimed at shoring up international support for Taiwan as China seeks to poach its few remaining allies.

South Korean stocks sank Wednesday while the won rebounded from earlier losses after President Yoon Suk Yeol dramatically declared martial law overnight before reversing the decision hours later.

Scottish artist Jasleen Kaur won the prestigious Turner Prize on Tuesday, as the UK contemporary art award celebrated its 40th anniversary.

Amazon on Tuesday unveiled a suite of artificial intelligence models in its boldest move yet to compete with tech giant rivals in the fast-growing generative AI sector.

Antony Blinken, America's French-speaking, Europhile top diplomat, paid his last visit to NATO headquarters in Brussels Tuesday on a bittersweet trip ahead of Donald Trump taking over in the United States.

There are probably easier ways to set a world record, but Rudiger Koch has found his method 11 meters (36 feet) under the sea.

Ukraine insisted Tuesday that NATO membership was the only "real guarantee" for its security as foreign ministers from the alliance looked set to rebuff Kyiv's push for an invite ahead of Donald Trump's return to the US presidency.

Germany's blue-chip DAX stock index jumped above 20,000 points for the first time Tuesday following gains on US and Asian markets, defying multiple headwinds battering Europe's biggest economy.