AFP news

German airline giant Lufthansa more than doubled its profits in 2023, extending a rebound from the coronavirus pandemic even as it faces fresh risks from a wave of industrial action.

US President Joe Biden faces one of the most critical moments of his political career Thursday with a State of the Union speech aimed at convincing skeptical voters the 81-year-old is fit to beat Donald Trump in November's election.

China's exports sharply accelerated in the first two months of 2024, official figures showed Thursday, providing policymakers a bright spot as they battle to revive the world's second-largest economy.

A Korean-Canadian director's debut feature film -- a quiet romance exploring time, longing and lost chances -- has arrived in South Korea for theatre release after garnering two Oscar nominations.

Rafael Nadal abandoned his planned ATP Tour comeback at the Indian Wells Masters on Wednesday, saying he was not ready for the demands of tournament tennis on the eve of his opening match in California.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi lashed out against the United States and praised his country's partnership with Russia on Thursday, in a wide-ranging press conference where he called the war in Gaza a "disgrace for civilisation".

Phone in hand, Argentina's President Javier Milei has become a social media junkie who tears into opponents, shares bizarre memes, vents and retweets with a gusto that has seen him dubbed an online "troll."

Like her ancestors before her, Emirati astronaut Nora AlMatrooshi has spent much of her life gazing up at the stars and dreaming of flying to the Moon.

Asian shares mostly gained on Wednesday after global markets fell as traders locked in profits following recent tech-driven rallies.

International mediators were set for a fourth day of talks with Hamas in Cairo on Wednesday after US President Joe Biden called on the militant group to agree a truce deal with Israel by the start of Ramadan.

OpenAI, the firm behind ChatGPT, on Tuesday denied Elon Musk's accusations of "betrayal" of its original mission and said it would push to have them dismissed in court.

The widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny called on Wednesday for Russians to stage an election day protest against President Vladimir Putin by forming long queues outside voting stations.

Scientists have developed a mathematical model that promises to optimise training for competitors in 400-metre and 1,500-metre athletics events, according to a study published Tuesday.

China's economic troubles are far from over and leaders admit the country will face an uphill struggle in hitting its goals for 2024, piling on the pressure for stimulus and reforms that experts say are needed to reverse the malaise.

Ten years after her mother disappeared on Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, Grace Nathan still struggles to accept that she is gone.

Clamping down harder and faster on abuses of power by the world's biggest digital companies: such is the promise of the European Union's new legal arsenal, which comes into full force from Thursday.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos took back his spot as the world's richest man on Monday, dethroning Elon Musk on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Singapore struck a deal ensuring Taylor Swift played the city-state but nowhere else in Southeast Asia, the country's prime minister said Tuesday while defending the secretive arrangement.

International mediators were with Hamas negotiators in Cairo Tuesday for talks on a truce to pause nearly five months of fighting in Gaza before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins early next week.

Former top executives of Twitter sued Elon Musk on Monday saying he has failed to pay them nearly $130 million after the billionaire took over the social media company and dismissed them.

Anthropic, a major player in generative artificial intelligence, announced new models to fuel its Claude chatbot, the company said on Monday, as ChatGPT faces more rivals.

From genomic information to internet-connected cars, the United States is rethinking its data protection policies -- with further trade curbs aimed at China in the cards -- as tech like AI brings new risks.

An investor group that offered to buy the struggling US department store chain Macy's in December and was turned down said Sunday it has sweetened its bid.

Britain's Conservative government unveils a pre-election budget Wednesday that could feature voter-friendly measures as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's party badly trails main opposition Labour in polls.

A stunning goal by Democratic Republic of Congo forward Yoane Wissa helped Premier League strugglers Brentford draw 2-2 with Chelsea in a London derby at the weekend.

The European Central Bank is expected to freeze interest rates again this week, with officials wary of starting to cut before they see more evidence that recent falls in inflation will be sustained.

Mediators in Cairo pushed on Monday with efforts towards a Gaza truce after Israel's top ally the United States stepped up pressure for a halt in fighting and more aid to enter the besieged Palestinian territory.

Paris Fashion Week, which runs until Tuesday, has seen no shortage of eye-catching moments this week.

Singapore said Monday its grant to Taylor Swift for her concerts in the city was nowhere near as high as speculated, following media reports that the superstar was offered millions of dollars per gig.