Latin America’s age trap
Putin's peace threshold
China's silicon reckoning
Saudi Arabia’s Costly Mirage
Missing climber Nirmal Purja redefined mountaineering
UK singer Boy George pulls out of musical after pro-Israel song backlash
British oil giant BP aims to sell North Sea business
Chipmaker Kioxia reports AI-driven 45-fold surge in quarterly net profit
Boulevard
Sony hikes profit outlook on strong gaming earnings
Sony hiked its profit forecasts for the current year on Friday, helped by the Japanese consumer electronics giant's video games division and the weak yen.
Boulevard
Wildfire rages on Crete as strong winds hamper firefighting
Greek firefighters continued on Friday to battle a wildfire ravaging parts of the tourist island of Crete, although conditions had improved, authorities said.
Last news
Iran-US talks begin in push to avert war
Iran and the United States began indirect talks in Switzerland on Thursday, a last-ditch bid to avert war following the biggest American military build-up in the Middle East in decades.
Merz says Germany, China must overcome trade gaps 'together'
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ended his two-day visit to China on Thursday in the tech hub of Hangzhou, identifying "challenges that we must overcome together" after meeting President Xi Jinping and announcing an Airbus deal.
Automaker Stellantis posts massive loss, pivots from EV
Troubled automaker Stellantis, behind brands like Jeep and Fiat, announced Thursday a net loss of 22.3 billion euros ($26.3 billion) for last year, blaming a lack of demand for electric vehicles.
US, Ukraine to meet in Geneva after overnight Russian strikes
US and Ukrainian officials were set to meet in Geneva on Thursday for fresh talks, hours after Russia launched a fresh barrage of missiles and drones at its neighbour overnight.
Seoul hits fresh record on mixed day for stock markets
Seoul's Kospi index hit another record high Thursday on a mixed day for equities following a strong lead from Wall Street but with traders giving a tepid response to forecast-beating earnings from chip titan Nvidia.
Snake-like robot unveiled for Fukushima debris removal
A 22-metre robot arm will help remove a third sample of radioactive debris from inside Japan's stricken Fukushima nuclear plant, its operator said Thursday, as it unveiled the snake-like device.
'Public lynching': Senegal cracks down on LGBTQ+ community
From a rise in arrests to online attacks, Senegal has been under an intensified crackdown on same-sex relations in recent weeks, prompting outcry from human rights groups and driving some in the LGBTQ+ community to consider exile.
Hong Kong sentences father of wanted activist to 8 months in jail
A Hong Kong court sentenced the father of a wanted activist to eight months in prison Thursday under a national security law, after he attempted to terminate his daughter's insurance policy and withdraw funds.
The woman fighting to reclaim her face from Albania's 'AI minister'
Albanian actor Anila Bisha is renowned for playing complex women on the stage and screen, skills honed over a 30-year career, but now she lives in the shadow of her AI avatar and a performance she never gave.
Bulgaria ski station becomes refuge for digital nomads
Climate change may threaten the value of Bansko's prime ski slopes, but the Bulgarian resort has found an all-seasons solution to boost its economy, drawing in a cosmopolitan community of digital nomads.
Thai runner-up party seeks criminal case against election officials
A Thai political party that came second in this month's vote filed a criminal complaint Thursday against the nation's election commissioners, accusing them of violating election laws, the party's deputy told AFP.
North Korea's Kim shuns South but could 'get along' with US
Kim Jong Un said North Korea could "get along" with Washington if it accepted Pyongyang's nuclear status, state media said Thursday, but has dashed any hopes of mended ties with "deceptive" neighbour Seoul.
Spurs win 10th straight, Pistons silence Thunder in battle of NBA's best
The San Antonio Spurs edged the Toronto Raptors 110-107 on Wednesday, pushing their NBA winning streak to 10 games and closing in on Western Conference leaders Oklahoma City Thunder, who fell to the Detroit Pistons.
Germany's Merz visits China AI hub hoping for business deals
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz accompanied entrepreneurs to the Chinese tech hub of Hangzhou on Thursday, hoping to land new contracts a day after meeting President Xi Jinping and sealing an Airbus deal.
Post-uprising polls won't shake Nepal's delicate India-China balance
Nepal votes next week for the first time since deadly anti-corruption protests toppled the government, but analysts say any winner will likely maintain the delicate diplomatic balance between its two giant neighbours, India and China.
S.Korea's Park Chan-wook to head Cannes festival jury
South Korean director Park Chan‑wook, renowned for his thriller "Oldboy", will preside over the 79th Cannes film festival jury in May, organisers announced Thursday.
Australian ex-PM says 'more important than ever' to ditch UK monarchy
Australia ditching the British monarchy is "more important than ever" and voters would likely back a head of state elected by its parliament, former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull told AFP on Thursday.
Dressed for succession? Kim Jong Un, daughter fuel speculation with matching coats
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un donned matching jackets with his daughter at a military parade, state media photos showed Thursday, stoking speculation she is being groomed as heir.
US-Ukraine talks to open in Geneva after overnight Russian strikes
Kyiv and Washington were set to open a new round of talks in Geneva Thursday aimed at ending Moscow's four-year invasion of Ukraine, as Russia launched fresh strikes overnight.
Export ban sparks rush to process lithium in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe's ban on raw lithium exports is forcing Chinese miners to rethink their strategy, speeding up plans to process the metal locally instead of shipping it to China's vast rechargeable battery industry.
Pakistani sculptor turns scrap into colossal metal artworks
Sparks fly and metal groans in a cavernous workshop on the outskirts of Islamabad, where Pakistani artist Ehtisham Jadoon fuses discarded car parts into colossal pieces inspired by "Transformers" movies and dinosaurs.
Epstein files reveal links to cash, women, power in Africa
Jeffrey Epstein built close ties with powerful figures in Senegal and Ivory Coast, files released by the US government last month show, detailing the late sex offender's influence network across Africa.
Where are Southeast Asia's data centres?
New data centres are springing up worldwide as demand soars for artificial intelligence and cloud computing, with Asia one of the sector's fastest growing regions.
Where AI lives: Southeast Asia's data centre boom
Nonstop buzzing fills a windowless Microsoft data centre near Jakarta, part of a tech construction boom sweeping Southeast Asia that promises economic opportunities but is also hungry for resources.
Seoul hits fresh record on mixed day for Asia markets
Seoul's Kospi index hit another record high Thursday on a mixed day for Asian equities following a strong lead from Wall Street but with traders giving a tepid response to forecast-beating earnings from chip titan Nvidia.
Kyiv residents pool together for solar panels and batteries amid Russian strikes
When Russian strikes cut off the power, heating and water to swathes of the Ukrainian capital in -20C temperatures, Denys Biletsky was prepared.
North Korea's Kim says could 'get along' with US but shuns South
Kim Jong Un said North Korea could "get along well" with the United States if Washington acknowledges its nuclear status, but dashed hopes of a diplomatic thaw with Seoul, state media reported Thursday.
Cuba kills four on US-registered speedboat trying to 'infiltrate'
Cuba said it thwarted gunmen trying to infiltrate from the United States as its coastguard opened fire Wednesday at a Florida-registered speedboat near its shores, killing four people and wounding six.
UK Labour party threatened by hard-right, leftists in heartland
Britain's ruling Labour party faces a crunch poll on Thursday that is expected to showcase growing support for the hard-right and leftists as the country's traditional two-party system fractures.
Australian PM sorry after saying sexual assault survivor 'difficult'
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese apologised for any "misinterpretation" Thursday after describing a sexual assault survivor who became an advocate for women as "difficult".
Kim Jong Un spurns olive branch from 'hostile' South Korea
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has spurned Seoul's efforts to mend diplomatic relations, saying Pyongyang has "absolutely no business dealing with" his nation's "most hostile" enemy, state media said Thursday.
DR Congo sanctuary resists bloody forest sell-off
The soft singing of workers rings out at daybreak in the Congolese village of Romee, whose wooded haven is threatened by a scramble for forest land that has sparked deadly violence.