AFP news

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban will host dozens of European leaders in Budapest later this week boosted by his "dear friend" Donald Trump's US election victory, but with relations with other EU states increasingly strained.

The mood at US election watch parties shifted significantly as results began to show a swing towards Donald Trump in a number of key states early Wednesday.

Japanese auto giant Toyota kept its annual net profit forecast unchanged on Wednesday, despite logging a 26 percent drop for the first half of this financial year.

David Warner was named captain of Big Bash League team Sydney Thunder on Wednesday, a fortnight after having his lifetime ban on any leadership role in Australian cricket lifted.

The dollar surged, stocks rallied and bitcoin struck a record high Wednesday as the world gears up for a Donald Trump presidency that analysts say could rekindle inflation.

Snow has finally fallen on Mount Fuji, photographs shared by local authorities and residents showed Wednesday, after the Japanese mountain's longest-ever stint with bare slopes.

Bomb threats targeted scores of polling places in several battleground states on a tense US Election Day, with authorities pointing toward suspected Russian involvement.

Thousands of Israelis rallied in Tel Aviv late Tuesday to protest the sacking of defense minister Yoav Gallant, calling on his successor Israel Katz to prioritize a hostage deal to return the captives still held in Gaza.

Palestinians in war-ravaged Gaza told AFP on Tuesday that whoever emerges victorious in the US presidential election must end the conflict in the territory, which has taken an appalling human toll.

US tech giant Meta illegally harvested sensitive data including on sexual orientation from nearly a million South Korean Facebook users and shared it with advertisers, Seoul's data watchdog said Tuesday.

French tyre company Michelin said Tuesday it would close two French plants by early 2026 and German parts maker Schaeffler announced 4,700 job cuts, the latest signs of struggles in the European auto industry.

American voters deliver their verdict Tuesday after an extraordinarily turbulent election that will either make Kamala Harris the first woman president in US history or deliver Donald Trump a comeback that sends shockwaves around the world.

The world's first wooden satellite has blasted off on a SpaceX rocket, its Japanese developers said Tuesday, part of a resupply mission to the International Space Station.

Myanmar's embattled junta chief arrived in China Tuesday -- his first reported visit since leading a coup in 2021 -- but analysts say the invitation is only a lukewarm endorsement from his key ally and could backfire.

Nintendo downgraded its annual sales forecast on Tuesday as net profit plunged 60 percent year-on-year in the first half, with fans awaiting the announcement of a new console.

Striking workers at Boeing approved a new contract proposal on Monday, ending a more than seven-week stoppage that had cost the beleaguered aviation giant billions.

Energy giant Saudi Aramco reported a 15 percent year-on-year drop in third quarter profit on Tuesday, citing low oil prices.

Kylian Mbappe was always going to leave an enormous void when he left Paris Saint-Germain, and the French side are struggling in this season's Champions League without the goals of their former star.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang said Tuesday he was "fully confident" the country would hit its economic goals this year, lauding recent stimulus measures and suggesting there was still room for more.

North Korea fired a salvo of short-range ballistic missiles early Tuesday, Seoul's military said, Pyongyang's second launch in days and just hours before Americans vote for a new president.

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations on Monday accused Turkey of "malice," after Ankara submitted a letter signed by 52 countries calling for a halt in arms deliveries to Israel over the war in Gaza.

Lawmakers grilled the first four would-be members of the next European Commission on Monday, with a personal tale of bereavement bringing unexpected poignancy to the start of hearings to confirm Ursula von der Leyen's top team.

For many Moldovans, President Maia Sandu, who won re-election on Sunday, has become a symbol of change as she seeks to chart a new pro-European path for the former Soviet republic.

Quincy Jones, who has died at the age of 91, was a jazzman, composer and tastemaker whose studio chops and arranging prowess connected the dots between the 20th century's constellation of stars.

Irish budget airline Ryanair reported falling net profit for the second quarter on Monday and revised down its passenger growth target following delays in deliveries of Boeing aircraft.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma came under fire Monday as India chewed over a 3-0 Test series home defeat to New Zealand, with critics calling the team ageing and low on confidence.

Ukrainian soldier Anton Sushko, severely wounded, thought he was finally safe when he spotted a rescue team after crawling for hours through the battlefield in eastern Ukraine.

Bitter rivals Kamala Harris and Donald Trump embark on a final frenzied campaign blitz Monday with both hitting must-win Pennsylvania on the last day of the tightest and most volatile US presidential election in memory.

World leaders kick off UN climate talks next week, days after a knife edge US election that could send shockwaves through global efforts to limit dangerous warming.