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Pope prays for victims of oppression at Christian festival
Pope Francis, who recently recovered from bronchitis, prayed for all "oppressed" peoples on Friday as he led Feast of the Immaculate Conception celebrations in a cold and grey central Rome.
Hamas brutality doesn't justify 'punishment' of Palestinians: UN chief
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Friday that Hamas brutality could never justify "collective punishment" of Palestinians as Israel presses its campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Battles rage across Gaza ahead of rare UN vote
Israeli forces maintained a relentless bombardment and ground invasion across Gaza on Friday, two months after Hamas's deadly attack sparked a war that has decimated the Palestinian territory, triggering an extraordinary UN bid for a ceasefire.
UN Security Council meets on escalating Guyana-Venezuela row
The United Nations Security Council is to meet behind closed doors Friday on the fast-escalating row between South American neighbors Venezuela and Guyana over a disputed oil-rich region.
Hamas brutality can't justify 'collective punishment' of Palestinians: UN chief
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday that Hamas brutality could never justify "collective punishment" of Palestinians as Israel presses its campaign against Hamas in the Gaza strip.
IOC clears Russians to compete in Paris as neutrals
Olympic chiefs on Friday gave the green light to the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes at next year's Paris Games as neutrals, outside of team events and as long as they did not actively support the war on Ukraine.
Strong US jobs data weakens Wall Street stocks
Data showing that hiring unexpectedly accelerated in the United States last month gave a cold shower to hopes for an interest rate cut early next year, sending bond yields and the dollar higher and Wall Street stocks lower.
Key moments in Vladimir Putin's rule
From the rise of the former KGB officer to the Kremlin to his invasion of Ukraine, AFP looks at key moments in the rule of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is bidding to remain in power until 2030.
Macron defends allowing Jewish ritual at Elysee palace
French President Emmanuel Macron felt compelled Friday to justify allowing a Jewish ritual at the Elysee palace after critics accused him of failing to respect France's secular traditions.
Putin says he will run for re-election in 2024
President Vladimir Putin said Friday he will run for re-election in 2024, Russian news agencies reported, allowing the Kremlin leader to extend his decades-long grip on power into the 2030s.
France's Macron says Notre Dame Cathedral to reopen on time
French President Emmanuel Macron promised on Friday that the restoration of Paris's Notre Dame Cathedral, badly damaged by fire in 2019, would be completed in time for its planned reopening next December.
Stock markets mostly rise before US jobs
Stock markets mostly gained and the dollar firmed Friday before the release of key US jobs data, but Tokyo was knocked by the yen's recent rally.
Israel squeezes Gaza cities ahead of rare UN vote
Israeli forces squeezed Gaza's main cities Friday, two months after Hamas's deadly attack sparked a war that has killed thousands, left the Palestinian territory in ruins, and triggered an extraordinary UN bid for a ceasefire.
'A new normal': Migrants huddle in open-air camps on US border
Hundreds of migrants who cross into the United States from Mexico each day are being herded into open-air camps, where they have no access to food or water.
Learn to forget? How to rein in a rogue chatbot
When Australian politician Brian Hood noticed ChatGPT was telling people he was a convicted criminal, he took the old-fashioned route and threatened legal action against the AI chatbot's maker, OpenAI.
Zimbabwe ruling party eyes supermajority in votes without opponents
Zimbabwe will hold nine by-elections on Saturday with opposition candidates largely absent as President Emmerson Mnangagwa cements his control over the mineral-rich nation.
UN Security Council to consider urging Gaza ceasefire
The UN Security Council meets on Gaza Friday under acute pressure from Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and will vote on urging an immediate ceasefire after weeks of ruinous war.
Hunter Biden indicted on tax evasion charges
Hunter Biden was indicted late Thursday on multiple counts of tax evasion, the second time this year President Joe Biden's troubled son has been charged by a special counsel investigating his personal and business dealings.
Israel pursues Hamas in and around Gaza's biggest cities
Israel pressed on with its offensive in and around Gaza's main cities on Friday, more than two months after Hamas's deadly attack sparked a war that has claimed thousands of lives and left the Palestinian territory in ruins.
Armenia, Azerbaijan agree to take steps towards normalisation
Arch-foes Armenia and Azerbaijan said Thursday they would exchange prisoners of war and work towards normalising their relations, in a joint statement hailed by the EU as a "breakthrough".
No surprises in store as Egypt heads to polls
Egypt is gearing up this month for a presidential election certain to win incumbent Abdel Fattah al-Sisi a third term in office, despite rising public discontent as the country faces its worst ever economic crisis.
Calls mount for calm as Guyana-Venezuela border tensions soar
Calls mounted Thursday for calm to prevail as Venezuela said it saw a "provocation" in joint US-Guyana military exercises and vowed to pursue the "recovery" of an oil-rich region both neighbors claim as their own.
Showdown in Texas after judge says 'yes' to abortion under strict law
A closely watched abortion case in Texas triggered a showdown on Thursday between a district judge and the state's attorney general, underlining the legal perils facing both doctors and patients when it comes to emergency terminations.
As Venezuela-Guyana tensions soar, US mounts military exercises
Venezuela on Thursday condemned as "provocation" the announcement of joint US-Guyanese military exercises, as soaring tensions with its neighbor over a disputed oil-rich region prompted the UN Security Council to call an urgent meeting.
Ukrainians urged to save power after plant hit
Ukraine urged residents to save electricity Thursday after a power plant near the front line was hit by shelling, the first such warning this winter as temperatures plunge below freezing.
US, Mexico to boost cooperation in foreign investment screening
The United States and Mexico plan to form a working group on foreign investment screening, aimed at guarding against national security threats, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Thursday.
Urban fighting rages in Gaza as war enters third month
Heavy urban combat raged in and around Gaza's biggest cities on Thursday as the bloodiest-ever war between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas entered its third month since the militants' attack on October 7.
EU states make last-ditch effort to back spending rules reform
EU finance ministers will try to hammer out an agreement over dinner on Thursday to reform bloc-wide spending rules after months of bitter divisions, especially between France and Germany.
Under-pressure UK PM insists Rwanda migrant plan 'will work'
UK leader Rishi Sunak insisted Thursday that his latest immigration plan would work, as the issue threatened to tear apart his ruling Conservatives, putting his premiership in jeopardy.
Ex-PM Johnson hits out at 'version' of Partygate which prompted his downfall
Former UK prime minister Boris Johnson on Thursday hit out at "absolutely absurd" portrayals of partying in Downing Street during the Covid pandemic, as he faced a second day of questioning at a public inquiry.
UK to raise BBC licence fee after two-year freeze
The UK government announced Thursday that the BBC licence fee will rise after a two-year freeze, but the broadcaster indicated the increase would not be enough to ward off further cuts.
Macron hosts Hungary's Orban in bid to break Ukraine deadlock
French President Emmanuel Macron meets Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Thursday in a bid to break the deadlock ahead of an EU summit after the Hungarian leader threatened to block further backing for Ukraine.