Featured
Last news

International media groups urge Israel to allow access to Gaza
International news agencies Agence France-Presse (AFP), Associated Press (AP) and Reuters as well as the BBC on Thursday called on Israel to allow journalists in and out of Gaza, which is subject to a strict blockade.

Russian attack kills displaced Ukrainian family, officials say
A Russian overnight attack on the border region of Kharkiv killed three members of a Ukrainian family who had earlier fled their homes to escape Russian advances, authorities announced Thursday.
Stocks mostly rise on EU-US trade deal hopes
Stock markets mostly extended gains Thursday as optimism grew that the European Union could soon strike a trade deal with the United States, following the Japan-US agreement.

Troops kill at least 95 'bandits' in northwest Nigeria
Nigerian troops killed at least 95 members of an armed criminal gang in a shootout and airstrikes earlier this week, according to a situation report shared with the UN and seen by AFP on Thursday.

Gaza today: under debris and in darkness
In 21 months of war in Gaza, the destruction and damage of 70 percent of buildings has buried the Palestinian territory under millions of tonnes of debris and plunged it into darkness, according to data from the UN and NASA analysed by AFP.
Thailand, Cambodia clash with jets and rockets in deadly border row
Thailand launched air strikes on Cambodian military targets on Thursday as Cambodia fired rockets and artillery, killing at least 11 civilians, in a dramatic escalation of a long-running border row between the two neighbours.

UN says Taliban committing 'rights violations' against Afghan returnees
The United Nations said Thursday that Taliban authorities were committing human rights violations, including torture and arbitrary detention, against Afghans forced to return by Iran and Pakistan.

Hamas says responded to latest Gaza ceasefire proposal
Hamas said on Thursday that it had responded to an Israeli proposal for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, as pressure mounted for a breakthrough to end almost two years of devastating conflict that has triggered a humanitarian crisis for civilians.

Tariff negotiations with US 'not finished', says Philippines
Negotiations over the Philippines' new 19 percent US tariff rate are "not finished", a key government economic adviser said Thursday, tamping down fears over the deal's potential impact on the agriculture sector.

Thailand, Cambodia clash with jets, rockets, artillery in deadly border row
Thailand launched air strikes on Cambodian military targets on Thursday as Cambodia fired rockets and artillery, killing a civilian, in a dramatic escalation of a long-running border row between the two neighbours.

Xi says China, EU must deepen trust but bloc chief urges 'real solutions'
Chinese President Xi Jinping said China and the EU must deepen trust in a turbulent world but the bloc's chiefs called for "real solutions" to move past an inflection point as they met in Beijing on Thursday.
Civilians wounded as Cambodia, Thailand trade fire in fresh border clashes
Thailand's army said three civilians were wounded in a Cambodian rocket strike on Thursday as the two countries' militaries clashed again in an escalating row over a disputed border.

North Korea's Kim urges troops to prepare 'for real war'
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has urged his military to be ready "for real war" as he observed a firing contest of artillery units, Pyongyang state media said Thursday.

Cambodia, Thailand trade fire in fresh border clashes
Cambodian and Thai troops exchanged fire in a new round of clashes on Thursday, hours after the two sides downgraded diplomatic relations in an escalating row over a disputed border.

Xi says China, EU must deepen trust in turbulent world
Chinese President Xi Jinping said China and the EU must deepen trust in a turbulent world, as he hosted the European bloc's bosses for a summit in Beijing on Thursday.

Asian markets extend gains on US trade deal hopes
Asian markets extended the week's gains Thursday on optimism other countries will follow up Japan's US trade deal with ones of their own, with speculation building that the European Union is on course.

'Please, something to eat': Cubans forced to beg in economic crisis
William Abel peers inside a plastic bag he dug out of a trash can in Havana while scrounging for his next meal. It contains rice, vegetables, a meatless chicken bone and flies competing for the spoils.

'A free Ukraine': Kyiv protests law threatening anti-corruption bodies
At a rare protest in central Kyiv demonstrators rallied Wednesday against a law that curbs the power of anti-corruption agencies, warning the fight for Ukraine's democracy was taking place both on the battlefield and at home.

White House pushes Obama 'coup' story to distract from Epstein
The White House pulled out all the stops Wednesday to promote claims that Barack Obama headed a "treasonous conspiracy" against Donald Trump, seeking to redirect public attention from uproar over its handling of the Jeffrey Epstein affair.

Stigma haunts Gambians accused in state witch purge: study
The years have passed but the stigma remains for Gambians accused of being witches, who were detained more than a decade ago under the abusive dictatorship of Yahya Jammeh, research published Wednesday revealed.

US judges order Abrego Garcia release, block immediate deportation
A Salvadoran man who was wrongly deported and then returned to the United States to face human smuggling charges should be released pending trial and not be immediately taken into immigration custody, federal judges said Wednesday.

EU leaders poised for thorny talks in China summit
EU bosses Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa are in Beijing on Thursday for talks with top Chinese leaders over areas of friction from trade to the Ukraine war -- with low hopes of a breakthrough on any front.

US-EU tariff talks progress as Trump announces Japan deal
United States and European officials signaled progress in tariff talks Wednesday, after US President Donald Trump announced a pact with Japan and China said its vice premier would attend bilateral negotiations next week.

Ukraine demands Zelensky-Putin talks, Russia proposes brief truces
Ukraine on Wednesday proposed direct talks within weeks between its President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia's Vladimir Putin, but Moscow tempered prospects for progress at a fresh round of talks in Istanbul on Wednesday.

Thousands protest in Kyiv against law curbing anti-graft agencies
Several thousand people rallied in central Kyiv on Wednesday in an unprecedented protest against a law signed off by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that removes the independence of two key anti-corruption bodies.

Merz, Macron huddle over NATO and EU-US trade row
French President Emmanuel Macron met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin on Wednesday as they sought to present a united front on the US-EU trade row, NATO security and other pressing issues.

Republicans skittish over Epstein votes close US House early
The Republican leadership in the House of Representatives on Wednesday sent lawmakers home early for a six-week summer break to avoid being forced into awkward votes on the probe into the late, politically connected sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Gambians protest corruption following recent scandals
Thousands of Gambians protested Wednesday in Banjul alleging government corruption and calling for justice over a number of scandals that have rocked the country.

Russia, Ukraine begin talks in Istanbul
Russia and Ukraine began a fresh round of talks in Istanbul on Wednesday but the Kremlin played down any expectations of a breakthrough after three and a half years of war.
Israel denies Gaza 'mass starvation' accusations
Israel on Wednesday hit back at growing international criticism that it was behind chronic food shortages in Gaza, instead accusing Hamas of deliberately creating a humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory.

WHO chief says 'large proportion' of Gaza's people 'starving'
The World Health Organization's chief warned Wednesday of widespread starvation in Gaza, saying food deliveries into the war-ravaged Palestinian territory were "far below what is needed for the survival of the population".

Macron appoints military advisor as new army chief
President Emmanuel Macron has appointed his closest military advisor, an experienced fighter pilot, as the new chief of staff of France's armed forces, Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said Wednesday.