AFP news

An all-European crew including Turkey's first astronaut are poised to blast off to the International Space Station in a mission with Axiom Space, as countries hungry for a taste of space turn increasingly to the private sector.

Russia said Wednesday it had targeted a group of French fighters in a long-range strike on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, an attack authorities said injured more than a dozen civilians.

Apple's iPhone for the first time became the world's biggest selling smartphone after rival Samsung's 12-year run as leader, data showed.

France will deliver to Ukraine a new batch of around 40 SCALP long-range cruise missiles as well as hundreds of bombs as Kyiv fights the Russian invasion, President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday that he had "no regret" over defending screen icon Gerard Depardieu's presumption of innocence after the actor was charged with rape and accused of sexual harassment.

President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday sought to breathe new life into his final term with a promise for a "stronger and fairer" France, at a rare news conference peppered with a string of announcements aimed at forging greater civic responsibility and security.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Wednesday his country's priority for 2024 was to gain control over its skies, as Russia's full-scale assault enters its third year.

Namibia produced the biggest shock so far in an Africa Cup of Nations full of upsets in the Ivory Coast by snatching a 1-0 triumph over former champions Tunisia on Tuesday.

The job cuts to its "large customer" sales team are intended to result in better support for small and medium size businesses advertising on Google's platform, according to the internet giant.

Khurma had to borrow her neighbour's shoes to walk to Pul-e Alam city to collect a cash handout being given to the growing number of vulnerable Afghans who are struggling to survive the winter.

The figures were in line with expectations and even beat Beijing's target but will likely pile fresh pressure on officials to unveil more stimulus measures to kickstart business activity and get the country's army of consumers spending again.

Forty-five hostages are expected to receive medication under the agreement, according to the French presidency. After the drugs arrive at a hospital in the southern Gaza border town of Rafah on Wednesday, it said, they will be received by the International Committee of the Red Cross, divided into batches and immediately transferred to the hostages.

Pakistan denounced the strike, near the nations' shared border late on Tuesday, as "completely unacceptable", saying it was unprovoked.

The huge gap between how women and men's health are treated costs $1 trillion a year worldwide, the World Economic Forum said on Wednesday.

Stock markets and oil prices slumped Wednesday as investors reacted to weak Chinese growth data and an unexpected rise in UK inflation.

Air strikes and artillery fire targeted Khan Yunis throughout the night, said an AFP correspondent in the southern Gaza Strip's biggest city.

More than 20 humanitarian groups have expressed serious concern about the military escalation in Yemen, warning it will delay shipments and push up prices in the heavily aid-dependent country.

Iowa's first-in-the-nation Republican nominating contest for the US presidential election could hardly have been scripted better for Donald Trump, whose historic performance leaves his rivals fighting for scraps.

Ukraine has pushed for the West to seize $300 billion in frozen Russian assets to pay for its reconstruction.

France's new Education Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera is coming under increasing pressure over her decision to have her children attend a private school, a row overshadowing President Emmanuel Macron's attempt to relaunch his second term with a government reshuffle.

The North Korean leader also said Pyongyang would not recognize the two countries' de facto maritime border, the Northern Limit Line, and called for constitutional changes allowing the North to "occupy" Seoul in war, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

Sadio Mane's Senegal are hoping to retain the trophy they won in Cameroon two years ago and were too strong for their Gambian neighbours, who played the whole second half with 10 men.

Zelensky will share the spotlight on the second day of talks at the Swiss Alpine ski village with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, the highest-ranking Beijing official to attend the World Economic Forum since 2017.

The first refugee to be elected to New Zealand's parliament resigned Tuesday over alleged shoplifting, which she said was related to personal stress and trauma.

Iga Swiatek survived a tough test against former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin to reach the second round in Melbourne on Tuesday as Carlos Alcaraz prepared to make his bow.

Legendary entertainer Elton John on Monday joined a select club of winners of the awards grand slam -- the so-called EGOT -- when he added an Emmy to his suite of career prizes.

More than 100 days into the war, the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has come under intense international pressure to end the fighting as civilian deaths soar and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens.

ChatGPT maker OpenAI has said it will introduce tools to combat disinformation ahead of the dozens of elections this year in countries that are home to half the world's population.

The government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has come under mounting international pressure to end its offensive in Gaza launched in response to Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attacks.