AFP news

Yulia's husband was different from most Ukrainians captured by the Russian army, usually prisoners of war whose fate moved crowds.

The Thai king on Sunday formally appointed Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the 37-year-old daughter of controversial billionaire ex-premier Thaksin, as Thailand's new prime minister.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday his forces were strengthening their positions in Russia's Kursk region, where Kyiv has been mounting a major ground offensive for more than 11 days.

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who has mostly been in hiding since July 28 presidential polls, led a "Protest for the Truth" in Caracas Saturday against Nicolas Maduro's disputed claim of having won reelection.

Deadly Israeli strikes hit Lebanon and Gaza on Saturday as the US secretary of state headed back to Israel aiming to finalise a Gaza truce agreement, which diplomats say could help avert a wider regional conflagration.

Kyiv said Friday its incursion into Russian territory had advanced, claiming it aimed to force Russia to negotiate on "fair" terms, as Moscow's troops announced new gains in eastern Ukraine.

The WHO on Thursday warned further imported cases of the new, more dangerous mpox strain in Europe were likely, after Sweden announced the first such infection outside Africa in an outbreak that has killed hundreds in the DR Congo.

Russia is putting generative artificial intelligence to work in online deception campaigns, but its efforts have been unsuccessful, according to a Meta security report released Thursday.

Though the Sudanese army is still staying away from ceasefire talks in Switzerland, the US envoy convening the negotiations told AFP they were nonetheless in daily contact -- and making progress on humanitarian aid.

Members of Congress on Thursday called on Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg to give them details regarding ads for opiods and other illicit drugs on the tech titan's platform.

Stock markets mostly rallied Friday after encouraging US retail sales data reassured investors about the health of the world's biggest economy.

Kamala Harris is expected to take on companies unfairly jacking up prices as she sets out her economic agenda Friday in her first major policy announcement as the Democratic Party's presidential nominee.

The EU on Friday formally requested that Meta detail steps it is taking on transparency after the Facebook and Instagram owner scrapped a widely-used tool for tracking disinformation online.

The smell of fuel wafts from storage tanks to Dovi Sonny's apartment -- a long-time irritant, and now a major worry after Hezbollah revealed that the facility in northern Israel was in its sights.

Negotiators seeking a Gaza ceasefire were set to meet for a second day in Qatar on Friday, while top European diplomats were expected in Israel to stress the urgency of averting a wider war.

Turning heads as they cruise past office buildings and malls, driverless taxis are slowly spreading through Chinese cities, prompting both wariness and wonder.

As monsoon rains were about to break over Pakistan, 14-year-old Shamila and her 13-year-old sister Amina were married off in exchange for money, a decision their parents made to help the family survive the threat of floods.

When Nicolas Maduro was declared president-elect for a third successive term, Colombian-based Venezuelan migrant Jose Ochoa started packing his bags for the long and dangerous trek to the United States.

Ukraine has claimed fresh advances in its offensive into Russia, saying on Thursday it seized over 1,100 square kilometres in the biggest attack by a foreign army on Russian soil since World War II. Ukraine said it now controlled dozens of settlements and Sudzha, a town eight kilometres (five miles) from the border.

Five people who allegedly supplied illicit ketamine to "Friends" star Matthew Perry in a bid to exploit his drug addiction for profit have been charged in relation to his overdose death, US officials said Thursday.

The presidents of Brazil and Colombia, with US backing, called Thursday for fresh elections in Venezuela after international condemnation of last month's vote the opposition says strongman Nicolas Maduro stole.

Fans flocked to London's Wembley Stadium on Thursday ahead of Taylor Swift's return to the stage a week after her Vienna concerts were cancelled due to a foiled suicide attack plot.

Once a day, Umm Omar picks up the phone and calls her late husband, humouring their four-year-old daughter who does not understand yet her father was killed early in the Gaza war.

Britain's economy grew 0.6 percent in the April-June period, a slight slowdown compared with the first three months of the year, official data showed on Thursday.

Pressure built for a Gaza ceasefire to be agreed at talks set to resume Thursday in Qatar to avert a wider war involving Iran, after months of fighting between Israel and Hamas militants.

Mobs vowing to guard Bangladesh's student-led revolution roamed the site of a planned rally for ousted premier Sheikh Hasina on Thursday, beating up some of her suspected supporters with bamboo rods and pipes.

Thousands took to the streets of Kolkata early Thursday to condemn the rape and murder of a local doctor, demanding justice for the victim and an end to the chronic issue of violence against women in Indian society.

Kylian Mbappe enjoyed a "great night" as he struck on his Real Madrid debut to help his new side claim a record sixth UEFA Super Cup with a 2-0 win over Atalanta on Wednesday in Warsaw.

Afghanistan's Taliban rulers celebrated three years in power on Wednesday with a military parade paying homage to their homemade bombs used in war, fighter aircraft and goose-stepping security forces.