AFP news

Hong Kong stocks rallied Tuesday as traders returned from an extended weekend break to forecast-beating Chinese factory data that lifted hopes for the world's number-two economy.

Bright green coca plantations blanket the mountains along the narrow Micay canyon, the heartland of Colombia's holdout guerrillas who rule their fiefdom like a mini-state.

An Israeli strike killed several people delivering food aid to the besieged Gaza Strip on Monday, their organisation said, with the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory reporting that four of them were foreigners.

The US conglomerate General Electric, co-founded more than 130 years ago by Thomas Edison, is opening a new chapter in its history on Tuesday: its break-up into three independent entities which will then concentrate on their disparate core businesses.

Thousands of angry Israelis took to the streets on Monday for the third consecutive night to demand Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quit -- and the demonstrators say they are not going away.

Israeli air strikes destroyed the Iranian embassy's consular annex in Damascus Monday, Syrian and Iranian officials said, with a top Revolutionary Guard commander among eight reported to have been killed amid worsening regional tensions.

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said Monday the Israeli military had withdrawn tanks and vehicles from the complex housing the besieged territory's main hospital, Al-Shifa, days after the launch of a major operation on the site.

A digital tool considered vital in tracking viral falsehoods, CrowdTangle will be decommissioned by Facebook owner Meta in a major election year, a move researchers fear will disrupt efforts to detect an expected firehose of political misinformation.

Ekrem Imamoglu's second victory in an Istanbul city election on Sunday cemented his standing as Turkey's top opposition leader in a new blow to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling party.

Turks were voting on Sunday in municipal elections, with all eyes on Istanbul, the national "jewel" that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hopes to pry away from the opposition.

Deadly airstrikes pounded the Gaza Strip overnight as talks towards a truce between Israel and Hamas were set to resume in Cairo Sunday, according to Egyptian state television.

The United States is grappling with a shortage of maintenance workers in the aviation industry, with baby boomers retiring and others changing jobs during the pandemic.

The death of six Latino workers who were fixing potholes when a Baltimore bridge collapsed highlights the crucial role immigrants play in keeping America running, say advocates.

Manchester United lost more ground in the battle for a place in next season's Champions League after a dramatic finale in a 1-1 draw at Brentford on Saturday, as Son Heung-min fired Tottenham to a 2-1 win over Luton.

Pope Francis took part in the Easter Vigil service at the Vatican on Saturday, a day after the last-minute cancellation of his presence at a major Good Friday procession revived questions about his health.

One thought lingers all day in the mind of Diana Ruiz: How will the Cuban mother feed her 6-year-old son, a dilemma faced by parents across an island hit by blackouts and food shortages.

Fans and critics alike are lavishing praise on "Cowboy Carter," Beyonce's rhinestone-studded, history-rich honky tonk of an album that's rising in the charts after Friday's hotly anticipated release.

Jeffrey Donaldson, the leader of Northern Ireland's main pro-UK Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and one of its best known politicians, resigned on Friday after police charged him with reported sex offences.

Years after false posts began circulating on social media purporting Brigitte Macron is a transgender woman, the French first lady remains the target of fake claims with the transphobic disinformation spreading to the United States.

His soldier son toured Afghanistan with insurgents in his crosshairs, but American traveller Oscar Wells has a different objective -- sight-seeing promoted by the Taliban's fledgling tourism sector.

Beyonce's "Cowboy Carter" is a full-throated ode to her southern roots, a rollicking revue of an album that also deals a vital history lesson on the Black lineage of country music.

Accused of "betraying" fans, subject to relentless online and real-world public abuse, K-pop star Karina recently issued a grovelling, handwritten apology.

The future of the Commonwealth Games has once again been plunged into doubt since Malaysia declined to host the 2026 edition last week, but according to former Olympic marketing guru Michael Payne "it would be wrong to write the event off just yet."

Disgraced cryptocurrency wunderkind Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in jail on Thursday -- a stunning descent for a figure who seemed poised to lead an emerging sector less than two years ago.

China is the biggest electric vehicle market in the world, a battle royale featuring both established carmakers as well as upstarts such as Xiaomi, which launched its first EV on Thursday.

China on Thursday announced the lifting of punitive tariffs on Australian wine, in a sign that the precarious bilateral relationship could be improving despite setbacks.

Battles and bombardment pounded the Gaza Strip on Thursday, after Washington said Israel agreed to reschedule cancelled talks with tensions worsening between the allies.

The Swedish city of Malmo is preparing to host the Eurovision Song Contest in early May under high security, amid protests over Israel's participation during its ongoing war with Hamas.

Beyonce has been a showbiz fixture for nearly three decades, shapeshifting from girl group lead and pop empress to Hollywood actor and business mogul.