AFP news

Western leaders Thursday on the beaches of northern France marked 80 years since the D-Day landings to liberate Europe from Nazi occupation, mindful of the over two-year war raging again in Europe after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Russia's central bank chief called Thursday for Russia to be an "open economy" despite the barrage of Western sanctions and trading restrictions it has been hit with over its Ukraine offensive.

Taiwan thanked the United States on Thursday for approving the sale of equipment and parts for F-16 fighter jets, saying it would help the island defend itself against China.

A volcano in eastern Indonesia erupted three times on Thursday, belching an ash tower five kilometres into the sky and spewing lava against a backdrop of lightning, according to the Geological Agency.

A hospital in central Gaza said Thursday at least 37 people were killed in Israeli bombardment overnight of a UN-run school which the Israeli military said housed a "Hamas compound".

Markets extended a surge on Wall Street Thursday as another round of soft US jobs data ramped up bets on the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates this year.

Park Choong-kwon was once a member of an elite North Korean unit that developed long-range missiles.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was preparing Thursday to be sworn in for a third term after an unexpectedly close election that forced his party into a coalition government.

England are ready to make Euro 2024 "headlines" as the Group C favourites prepare to launch their bid for a first major trophy in 58 years.

In an electoral system in which money is the ultimate kingmaker, Donald Trump has been courting the country's billionaires -- and they have their checkbooks ready.

Starship, SpaceX's massive prototype rocket that may one day send humans to Mars, is poised for its next flight on Thursday.

Euro 2024 favourites France beat Luxembourg 3-0 in an international friendly on Wednesday with superstar striker Kylian Mbappe on the score sheet.

More than one in four children under the age of five globally live in "severe" food poverty, UNICEF has warned -- meaning more than 180 million are at risk of experiencing adverse impacts on their growth and development.

Tests on a leading AI tool allowed the creation of deceptive and incriminating images of President Joe Biden and Donald Trump, a watchdog said Wednesday, despite pledges to block fake photos of the presidential contenders ahead of elections in November.

Boeing's outgoing CEO Dave Calhoun will testify before a US Senate panel later this month to answer questions about safety and production issues at the aircraft manufacturer, the company said Wednesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday criticised the West's delivery of long-range weapons to Ukraine, arguing Moscow could arm other countries with similar weapons to attack Western targets.

Joe Biden is looking to convince voters of his leadership credentials with a striking flurry of major announcements on Gaza, Ukraine and the Mexican border, analysts say.

Apple is expected to make the case next week that it is not being left behind as tech world rivals blaze ahead with artificial intelligence.

Trump is expected to receive the Republican presidential nomination at the party's convention in Milwaukee, which is to begin just four days after his July 11 sentencing in New York for his conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

The director of French classic "Amelie" said he was fascinated but occasionally scared by artificial intelligence as he launched a first-ever festival for AI-generated movies on Wednesday.

Humanity now faces an 80 percent chance that Earth's temperatures will at least temporarily exceed the key 1.5-degree Celsius mark during the next five years, the UN predicted Wednesday.

A South African minister was arrested and charged with corruption on Wednesday, as his ANC party wrangles with how to form a new government after major election losses.

Living on canned beans and meat, the 70-year-old Egyptian has been hiding out in a Mecca apartment for weeks, hoping to evade a Saudi dragnet and perform the hajj pilgrimage illegally.

The next-generation Ariane 6 rocket, a crucial programme for Europe's space ambitions, is due to lift off on July 9 following years of delays, the European Space Agency said Wednesday.

Israel's military pounded central Gaza with heavy air strikes on Wednesday as US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators planned to resume talks on a truce and hostage release deal.

Italy's competition authority on Wednesday fined global tech giant Meta 3.5 million euros ($3.8 million) for a lack of transparency in its use of data and management of Instagram and Facebook accounts.

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday began a state visit to France marking 80 years since the World War II D-Day landings, with a new war shadowing Europe as Ukraine battles Russian invasion.

Donald Trump faced Republican voters for the first time as a convicted felon on Tuesday during the final state primaries for the 2024 presidential nomination, where he continued to sweep up votes.

Tucked away in the basement of an old mall lies gleaming Singapore's only heavy metal bar, where music fans brush shoulder-to-shoulder with international rockers who helped pioneer the genre.