Last news
Health
US opioid crisis victims testify at emotional Purdue Pharma hearing
Dozens of victims of the US opioid crisis expressed their grief and anger as they testified on Tuesday against Purdue Pharma, the maker of the pain pill OxyContin which was ordered to pay billions by a judge ahead of its dissolution.
Boulevard
Australian climber on record sea-to-summit Everest bid
Among the hundreds of climbers hoping to scale Everest this season, 27-year-old Australian Oliver Foran began his journey far away, cycling and then walking all the way from the sea.
Politics
Indian opposition slams Nicobar megaport plan as 'destruction'
Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi said Wednesday a proposed $9 billion megaport and city project on the strategic Great Nicobar Island is "destruction dressed in development's language".
Politics
Pentagon chief to testify on Iran war, peace efforts stall
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth will make his first testimony before Congress on the Mideast war Wednesday, as efforts to end the conflict stalled with the United States reportedly skeptical of Tehran's latest offer to unblock the Strait of Hormuz.
Politics
Anxiety, resentment around AI spur violence against tech's figureheads
Several proponents of artificial intelligence (AI) have become the victims of violent acts in recent days, reflecting the existential dread around the emerging technology -- and the public's growing resentment towards its advocates.
Economy
Mercedes-Benz profit slides amid cutthroat Chinese market
German premium automaker Mercedes-Benz said Wednesday its first-quarter profit fell by almost a fifth as cutthroat competition in China shakes the world's carmakers.
Politics
Hungary's Magyar to push post-Orban EU reset on Brussels visit
Incoming Hungarian leader Peter Magyar on Wednesday pays his first visit to EU chiefs in Brussels since his election win, looking to turn the page on the bad blood of nationalist Viktor Orban's tenure.
Health
Going online helps Pakistan's women doctors back to work
With her four-year-old nestled nearby, doctor Saniya Jafri consults from home in Karachi with a patient on the other side of Pakistan via her laptop.
Sports
Wembanyama's Spurs advance in NBA playoffs, 76ers stay alive
The San Antonio Spurs punched their ticket to the second round of the NBA playoffs on Tuesday, leading wire to wire in a 114-95 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Nature
Tropical forest loss eases after record year: researchers
The pace of tropical forest destruction slowed in 2025 after record losses the year before but remained at worrying levels equivalent to 11 football fields per minute, researchers said Wednesday.
Sports
Tigres edges Nashville in CONCACAF Champions Cup first leg
Angel Correa's goal in the 33rd minute delivered Mexico's Tigres UANL a 1-0 victory over host Nashville of MLS in Tuesday's CONCACAF Champions Cup semi-final first leg match.
Politics
New Zealand officials reject statue remembering Japan's sex slaves
New Zealand officials rejected on Wednesday an application to install a statue commemorating so-called "comfort women" enslaved by Japan before and during World War II after Tokyo suggested it could harm diplomatic relations.
King Charles, Trump toast ties despite Iran tensions
Britain's King Charles and Donald Trump hailed their countries' longstanding ties at a White House state dinner Tuesday -- despite the US president claiming the monarch agreed with him on Iran's nuclear weapons.
Culture
Japan cleaner goes viral with spa-like service for plushies
A worn-out Pikachu plushie, tired teddy bear or stained stuffed animal can all get a new lease on life at a Japanese laundry service making beloved toys squeaky clean again.
Sports
What we learned from cycling's Spring Classics
As attention turns to the build-up to the Giro d'Italia, the first of the year's Grand Tours, AFP looks back at a thrilling set of Spring one-day classics and what we learned about the main protagonists.
Sports
Villa, Forest revive European glory days in semi-final showdown
Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest, two clubs rich in European history, are one step from a first continental final in decades as they meet in the last four of the Europa League.
Sports
Remarkable, ramshackle Rayo chasing Conference League dream amid chaos
After a quarter of a century away from European football, the prospect of modest Spanish side Rayo Vallecano making their first ever final must rank as one of the season's bigger surprises.
Sports
Unbeaten records on the line for Inoue-Nakatani superfight in Tokyo
Japan's Naoya Inoue will face the biggest challenge of his stellar career when he takes on fellow unbeaten countryman Junto Nakatani on Saturday in front of a sell-out 55,000 crowd at the Tokyo Dome.
Technology
Cheaper, cleaner electric trucks overhaul China's logistics
At a dusty lot an hour outside Beijing, a steady stream of vehicles come and go for a quick battery charge -- just one node in China's rapidly expanding network of electric trucks.
Politics
Stocks swing, oil edges up with Iran war peace talks stalled
Asian stocks fluctuated Wednesday while oil prices swung as talks to end the Iran war appeared to be at a standstill and the crucial Strait of Hormuz no nearer being reopened.
Weather
Europe climate report signals rising extremes
Europe endured a historic heatwave across Nordic countries, shrinking glaciers and record sea temperatures in 2025 as the fast-warming continent faces more frequent climate extremes, a new report showed Wednesday.
Politics
Sexual violence in Sudan triggers mental health crisis: UN
The widespread use of rape and other sexual violence as a weapon of war in Sudan has spurred a massive mental health crisis, United Nations agencies and local aid groups warned.
Politics
The loyal, lonely keepers of Sudan's pyramids
Mostafa Ahmed Mostafa is the heir to a long line of groundskeepers who have guarded Sudan's ancient pyramids of Meroe. Now, three years into the war between the army and paramilitary forces, he stands near-solitary sentinel over his heritage.
Sports
'Final mission': NZ name star trio for T20 World Cup defence
Retiring New Zealand cricket greats Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu were named Wednesday in the White Ferns' Women's T20 World Cup squad for their "final mission" of defending the title.
Sports
Embiid-led 76ers beat Boston to avoid NBA playoff exit
Joel Embiid scored 33 points and made eight assists to spark Philadelphia over the Boston Celtics 113-97 on Tuesday, keeping the 76ers from being eliminated in the NBA playoffs.
Economy
An experimental cafe run by AI opens in Stockholm
The avocado toasts and baristas making foamy lattes make it look like any other cafe, except at this one, located in a Stockholm residential neighbourhood, artificial intelligence (AI) is running the place.
Nature
Exiting fossil fuels key to energy security: nations at Colombia talks
The first global talks on phasing out fossil fuels kicked off in Colombia on Tuesday with nations casting an exit from oil and gas as not just a climate priority but vital for energy independence.
Economy
Jerome Powell: Fed chair who stood up to Trump set to finish tenure on top
US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, a soft-spoken central banker who chooses his words carefully, is perhaps an unlikely candidate to become one of the few figures who have stood up to President Donald Trump.
Politics
All eyes on Powell with US Fed expected to hold rates steady
The US Federal Reserve is widely expected to hold interest rates steady on Wednesday after a key policy meeting, likely the last chaired by central bank chief Jerome Powell, a frequent target of President Donald Trump's ire.
Economy
Pentagon makes deal to expand use of Google AI: reports
The Pentagon has arranged a deal to increase its use of Google's artificial intelligence in classified operations, US media outlets reported on Tuesday.
Politics
King Charles urges US-UK reset in speech to Trump
King Charles III called Tuesday for the United States and Britain to renew their longstanding transatlantic alliance, in a speech at a White House state dinner hosted by President Donald Trump amid tensions over Iran and Ukraine.
Weather
France unveils plan to ditch all fossil fuels by 2050
France on Tuesday announced a "first of its kind" plan to phase out coal by 2030, oil by 2045 and gas by 2050 during a global conference aimed at breaking reliance on fossil fuels.