AFP news

On a baking-hot day at Melbourne Park, men's seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and women's sixth seed Ons Jabeur also tasted victory, ahead of Naomi Osaka's Grand Slam comeback in the evening session.

Taiwan's president-elect Lai Ching-te hailed the island's "solid partnership" with Washington on Monday as he welcomed a US delegation -- which China said it "firmly opposed".

The critically adored show charting the back-stabbing dynastic squabbles of an ultra-wealthy family has a whopping 27 nominations. It is the frontrunner for six awards including best drama, which it has won twice previously.

Health officials in Hamas-run Gaza reported on Monday more than 24,000 deaths in the war with Israel which has sent shockwaves across the region, as the fighting passed the grim 100-day milestone.

The United Nations said on Monday it needs $4.2 billion this year to provide humanitarian aid in Ukraine and help millions who have fled, urging people not to forget the war-torn country's plight as the Gaza war dominates attention.

The German economy shrank slightly in 2023, official data showed Monday, as costly energy, high interest rates and cooling foreign demand took their toll on Europe's export giant.

US and British forces struck rebel-held Yemen early on Friday after weeks of disruptive attacks on Red Sea shipping by the Iran-backed Houthis who say they act in solidarity with Gaza.

Guatemala's president-elect Bernardo Arevalo has faced a judicial onslaught seen as an attempt by the country's powerful economic and political elite to perpetuate rampant corruption.

Electric bicycle makers at CES touted slick features like ChatGPT as they rode a trend of people wanting to enjoy a breeze in their face without sweat on their brow.

Manchester City appear ominously poised to strike in the Premier League title race as Pep Guardiola welcomes back key players for Saturday's trip to Newcastle, while Manchester United can ill-afford another damaging defeat when Tottenham visit Old Trafford.

Andy Murray has welcomed a move by global tennis bodies to minimize the scourge of late finishes, saying it will make the game "a wee bit" more professional.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet a senior Chinese official in Washington on Friday on the eve of Taiwan's elections, as the United States seeks to discourage Beijing from taking action against Taipei.

President Joe Biden said Thursday that US and British air strikes against Yemen's Houthis were "defensive" and warned of further measures if the Iran-backed rebels keep attacking ships in the Red Sea.

Oil prices surged four percent on Friday after US and UK forces launched strikes against Iran-backed Houthi rebels following their attacks on ships in the Red Sea, fuelling worries about a wider conflict in the crude-rich region.

Troops patrolled the streets of Papua New Guinea's capital on Friday, under a state of emergency following riots that killed 16 across the country's two largest cities.

Israel said Friday it was not seeking to destroy the Palestinian people, as it hit back at what it called a "profoundly distorted" and "malevolent" genocide case against it at the UN's top court.

The world's political and business elites will convene in Davos next week, with wars in Gaza and Ukraine set to dominate the annual gabfest in the Swiss Alps.

A French actor has accused a director 25 years her senior of manipulating her into a relationship as a teenager, contributing to criticism that the arts have provided cover for abuse.

The bombardment killed at least 59 people and wounded dozens more across the besieged territory, the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will visit Kyiv on Friday to launch "a major new package of support" for Ukraine and increase military funding for this financial year to GBP2.5 billion ($3.2 billion), his office said.

US President Joe Biden has good news to sell on the economy as he seeks reelection in November -- but voters don't seem to be buying it.

The online shopping giant also said it was slashing hundreds of staff in its entertainment division, targeting both movie streaming service Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studio, the home of James Bond.

Elon Musk's X has shed more than 1,000 staff globally from teams responsible for stopping abusive content online, according to new figures released Thursday by Australia's online watchdog.

Hundreds of Chinese companies were at the annual CES gadget extravaganza, shrugging off US-China political trade tensions and focusing on taking care of business.

Since Monday, narco gunmen have kidnapped police and prison guards, opened fire in a TV studio during a live broadcast, set off explosions in public places in several cities, and threatened random executions.

The positive vibes across Asian and European trading floors followed gains Wednesday on Wall Street, where tech firms bounced after a relatively dour start to the year and dealers were gearing up for annual earnings from the world's biggest companies.

Israel bombarded the southern Gaza Strip Thursday as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed in Egypt on the final leg of regional talks aimed at preventing the Israel-Hamas war from spreading.

Violence erupted in Port Moresby on Wednesday evening after a group of soldiers, police officers and prison guards launched protests over unexplained deductions to their pay.

But while the Cup of Nations has been an endless tale of disappointments, Morocco soared to dizzy heights at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, becoming the first African and Arab semi-finalists.