AFP news

Reigning champions Italy were placed in the same group as Spain in Saturday's draw for Euro 2024, while France will come up against the Netherlands and England avoided any of the toughest opponents.

Julia Roberts, who stars in the new apocalyptic comedy-drama "Leave the World Behind", says the end of humanity would be a good time to indulge herself.

Heavily indebted Chinese property giant Evergrande has until late January to put together a restructuring plan, a Hong Kong court ruled Monday, extending a deadline that could lead to its liquidation.

Bitcoin on Monday rose past $40,000 for the first time since May last year, boosted by hopes that the United States will soon allow broader trading of the world's biggest cryptocurrency.

Eleven hikers were found dead Monday and another 12 were missing after a volcano erupted in Indonesia, with rescuers racing to carry injured and burned survivors down the mountain on foot.

North Korean "smuggling networks" are registering ships in Pacific nations to disguise themselves while trafficking oil, according to former United Nations sanctions experts and documents obtained by AFP. With strict sanctions limiting Pyongyang's ability to import fuel, North Korean smugglers have adopted increasingly creative methods to deceive authorities and dodge scrutiny.

Turkey's annual inflation rate ticked up slightly in November, the state statistics agency said on Monday, showing further signs of levelling off following a series of sharp interest rate hikes.

A group of human rights organisations took the Dutch government to court on Monday, arguing its supply of parts for F-35 fighters contributes to violations of international law in Gaza.

The United Arab Emirates is choking under "alarmingly high" air pollution levels fed by its fossil fuel industry, Human Rights Watch warned on Monday as the oil-rich country hosts the UN's COP28 climate talks in Dubai.

Rains lashed southern India's city of Chennai on Monday ahead of the landfall of a powerful cyclone, with a crocodile spotted swimming the streets and cars floating away.

Dozens of Israeli tanks rolled into southern Gaza on Monday, witnesses said, despite global concern over mounting civilian deaths and fears the war on Hamas will spread elsewhere in the Middle East.

Hong Kong's largest national security case, in which 47 pro-democracy activists are accused of subversion, closed on Monday with a verdict expected in three or four months.

The UK's defence department is facing a GBP16.9 billion ($21.4 billion) shortfall in its equipment budget due to inflation and demands from the government's updated strategy, the public spending watchdog said Monday.

The military leaders of Burkina Faso and Niger said Saturday they would quit the G5 anti-jihadist force in Africa's Sahel region, the latest blow to the fight against insurgents in one of the world's most troubled zones.

Extra police patrolled one of South Africa's most violent townships Sunday after a "mob" tied-up and burned to death seven men accused of a crime wave, police and residents said.

A Russian man pleaded guilty on Thursday to involvement in developing the Trickbot malware used to extort businesses, including hospitals during the Covid pandemic, the US Justice Department said.

Canadian firm First Quantum Minerals on Thursday asked Panama's government to suspend the contracts of some 7,000 workers at Central America's biggest copper mine, due to be closed under a court ruling.

In humans, nodding off for a few seconds is a clear sign of insufficient sleep -- and can be dangerous in some situations, such as when driving a car.

Australia's women's football team won the country's highest sporting honour on Friday for causing a "seismic shift" in the national game with their World Cup exploits.

Cellphones will be banned in schools across New Zealand, conservative Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Friday, as his fledgling government looks to turn around the country's plummeting literacy rates.

Meta filed a lawsuit late Wednesday arguing that US regulators planning to change the terms of a 2020 privacy settlement are overstepping their authority and should be stopped.

European stock markets rose Friday after Asian indices closed mixed, with a cooler inflation environment offset by recession risks.

A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked a ban on TikTok set to come into effect next year in Montana, saying the popular video sharing app was likely to win its pending legal challenge.

If we are to save the planet, we are going to have to use energy far more efficiently.

Israel resumed its deadly bombardment of Gaza on Friday, vowing to destroy suspected Hamas positions in the densely-inhabited Palestinian territory after a week-long truce expired despite global calls for its extension.

Tourists are abandoning the Middle East region due to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, putting at risk nations like Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt, whose economies depend heavily upon international tourism.

Europe is ploughing billions into its defence industry, with record sums being spent since Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine, but experts say the EU must make bolder moves to be battle ready.

Guinea-Bissau's army said Friday it was holding the leader of the security forces unit involved in overnight clashes in the capital and had the situation under control.

President Felix Tshisekedi, who once vowed to transform DR Congo into "the Germany of Africa", has promised to create jobs if he is re-elected, after a first term marked by economic growth but soaring inflation.