AFP news

China's central bank on Monday cut two benchmark interest rates in a bid to boost lending and kickstart growth in the world's second-largest economy.

Stock markets diverged and the dollar dropped Monday as Joe Biden's decision to drop out of the US presidential race fuelled fresh uncertainty.

Uncertainty is hanging over Venezuela as it prepares for presidential elections next Sunday that many fear incumbent Nicolas Maduro will attempt to steal from the opposition candidate outshining him in polls.

World leaders lined up to pay tribute to Joe Biden after he announced Sunday he was dropping out of the US presidential race.

Russia said Sunday its forces had captured two frontline villages in Ukraine, Andriivka in the eastern Lugansk region and Pishchane in the northeast Kharkiv region.

Tadej Pogacar hailed a new "golden age" for cycling after securing a third Tour de France title on Sunday to add to his 2020 and 2021 triumphs.

For years Kamala Harris faced criticism that she was not up to the job of being a heartbeat away from the US presidency.

Thousands flocked to a coastal town in western Indonesia Sunday to watch a clash between ornate mythical effigies before they are cast into the sea, in a centuries-old ritual born from a Shiite holy day of mourning.

After a long estrangement, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad may be edging towards a meeting, but analysts say normalisation will likely be gradual due to thorny issues.

Over the next two weeks, the quarterly results of Big Tech giants will offer a glimpse on the bankability of artificial intelligence and whether the major investments AI requires are sustainable for the long haul.

Chinese officials pledged Friday to help ease debt pressure on local governments through reforms to the tax system, after a key political gathering in the capital focused on jumpstarting the faltering economy.

Police in Bangladesh's capital banned all public rallies on Friday, a day after the deadliest round of student protests so far saw government buildings torched by demonstrators and the imposition of a nationwide internet blackout.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's wife Begona Gomez on Friday invoked her right to remain silent during questioning before a Madrid judge handling the preliminary corruption inquiry into her business ties.

The European Union and Serbia signed a deal Friday to develop the supply of lithium batteries that are seen as a crucial building block needed to power Europe's transition to a green economy.

Hong Kong microbiologist Yuen Kwok-yung has done battle with some of the world's worst threats, including the SARS virus he helped isolate and identify.

US video streaming companies are joining forces to attract new viewers, boost ad sales, and finally turn a profit -- something only Netflix has managed to accomplish so far.

French lawmakers on Thursday re-elected a member of President Emmanuel Macron's centrist bloc as speaker of the lower house, a first breakthrough in attempts to form a majority amid deadlock following snap elections.

Multiple investigations are being conducted into the attempted assassination of former US president Donald Trump at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Shane Lowry shot to the top of the leaderboard at five under par as Rory McIlroy was among the big names to struggle on day one of the 152nd British Open at Royal Troon.

US President Joe Biden was reportedly coming closer to dropping out of the White House race Thursday as allies including Barack Obama were said to have expressed concerns that he can no longer win the 2024 election.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday said it was "extremely important" that the United States maintains its backing for Ukraine, after former president Donald Trump chose a sceptic of aiding Kyiv as his election running mate.

Donald Trump predicted an "incredible victory" Thursday in accepting the Republican presidential nomination from a party euphoric over his escape from assassination and buoyed by the apparent implosion of Joe Biden's reelection campaign.

Airlines, banks, TV channels and other business across the globe were scrambling to deal with one of the biggest IT crashes in recent years on Friday, apparently caused by an update to an antivirus program.

A drone claimed by Yemen's Houthi rebels slipped through Israel's vaunted air defence system on Friday to hit a Tel Aviv building near a US embassy annex, killing a civilian.

China's leadership vowed Thursday to resolve "risks" plaguing the economy, state media said, but were yet to offer any concrete steps to pull the country out of its financial woes.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday called for Europe to stay united in support of Kyiv as he arrived for a summit in Britain with leaders from around the continent.

President Cyril Ramaphosa will lay out the new government's vision for South Africa on Thursday, opening parliament after elections in May forced his long-ruling ANC into an uncomfortable coalition.

Taiwan chip giant TSMC said Thursday net profit jumped by more than a third in the second quarter of 2024, buoyed by global demand for generative artificial intelligence products.

Donald Trump will get the red carpet treatment Thursday as he accepts the Republican nomination to run for US president in a hotly-anticipated speech capping a historic party convention dominated by the weekend attempt on his life.