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Fate of two child hostages grips Israel after Gaza deal
The fates of a baby and his four-year-old brother, taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, 2023, have been on everyone's mind in Israel since the announcement of a Gaza ceasefire.
US 'confident' Gaza truce will go ahead as Israel launches new strikes
The United States said Thursday it was "confident" that a fragile Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal would take effect on time, even as Israel carried out new air strikes ahead of a cabinet vote on the accord.
EU's ex-tech chief joins Bank of America as advisor
The EU's influential former tech enforcer Thierry Breton will join Bank of America's advisory council, he told AFP on Thursday, a move denounced by one lawmaker as flouting a lobbying ban.
French PM survives first no-confidence vote in parliament
French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou on Thursday survived his first vote of no confidence in parliament after the motion, brought by the leftist opposition, failed to gain traction on the far right.
Oligarchs already own much of US - can they buy democracy?
They increasingly own everything from access to space to how we get news on Earth and now outgoing President Joe Biden warns America's new breed of Donald Trump-allied oligarchs could gobble up US democracy itself.
'Impossible' to protect all undersea infrastructure: NATO commander
NATO members face an "impossible task" trying to protect their vast network of critical undersea cables and pipelines from sabotage, the head of the alliance's centre for securing the infrastructure said Thursday.
Wall Street stocks rally loses steam
Strong bank earnings failed to sustain a rally on Wall Street, but stocks in Europe and Asia pushed higher.
US Treasury nominee says Trump can usher in 'economic golden age'
Donald Trump's nominee for Treasury chief spoke Thursday of ushering in "a new economic golden age," as he faced grilling by lawmakers about the incoming US administration's economic agenda.
US could cut interest rates 3 or 4 times this year: Fed official
The US Federal Reserve could cut rates three or four times this year if inflation data cooperates, with a first cut possible before July, a senior bank official said Thursday.
European carmakers warn against EU-US trade war
Europe's biggest automakers called on the European Union Thursday to avoid a "trade conflict" with the United States, days before Donald Trump officially returns as president.
Israel strikes Gaza and accuses Hamas of backtracking on deal
Israel carried out fresh air strikes on Gaza on Thursday and accused Hamas of backtracking on parts of a fragile ceasefire and hostage release deal ahead of an expected vote by its cabinet.
Blasts in Kyiv as UK's Starmer inks 'landmark' 100-year accord
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed a "landmark" 100-year partnership agreement with Ukraine during an unannounced visit to the war-torn country on Thursday, seeking to shore up support for Kyiv before Donald Trump returns to the White House.
Air strikes in Gaza crush joy of ceasefire deal
After news of a ceasefire agreement sparked mass rejoicing in Gaza, residents woke up Thursday to columns of smoke, rubble and more deaths following new Israeli air strikes.
Cyprus hails new access to US defence goods
Cyprus on Thursday heralded a move by United States President Joe Biden allowing the strategic Mediterranean country access to military equipment.
Israel accuses Hamas of backtracking on fragile ceasefire deal
Israel accused Hamas on Thursday of backtracking on parts of a fragile ceasefire and hostage release deal in the Gaza war, and carried out fresh air strikes ahead of an expected vote by the cabinet.
Blasts in Kyiv as UK's Starmer visits to ink '100-year' accord
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Kyiv on Thursday on an unannounced visit to sign a "100-year accord" and shore up support for Ukraine before Donald Trump's return to the White House.
Spain raises flag at Damascus embassy after 12-year closure
Spain raised its flag at Madrid's Damascus embassy Thursday, in the presence of its top diplomat more than a decade after suspending activity and as Western countries resume ties following Syrian president Bashar al-Assad's ouster.
Spanish FM raises flag at Damascus embassy after 12-year closure
Spain's Foreign Minister raised his country's flag at their Damascus embassy on Thursday more than a decade after Madrid suspended diplomatic activity and as Western countries resume ties following President Bashar al-Assad's ouster.
South Korea's president arrest: what happens next?
Impeached leader Yoon Suk Yeol made history this week as the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested, ending a weeks-long standoff. But analysts say the country's political crisis is far from over.
South Korea's Yoon avoids fresh questioning after dramatic arrest
South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol refused to appear for fresh questioning by investigators Thursday, a day after his dramatic arrest over a failed martial law declaration.
AFP photographer's search for his mother in the Nazi camps
AFP photographer Eric Schwab recorded the horrors of the Holocaust -- the crematoria, the piles of skeletal bodies and emaciated faces -- as he went from one Nazi extermination camp to the next in the spring of 1945 searching for his mother.
Life after the unthinkable: Shoah survivors who began again in Israel
For years, Auschwitz survivor Naftali Furst kept his story to himself.
Israeli cabinet to vote on Gaza ceasefire deal
Israel's cabinet was expected to meet Thursday to approve a ceasefire and hostage-release deal with Hamas, Israeli media reported, a day after mediators announced an agreement they hope will lead to a permanent end to the Gaza war.
Biden warns of Trump 'oligarchy' in dark farewell speech
US President Joe Biden urged Americans Wednesday to stand guard against a "dangerous" oligarchy forming under Donald Trump as he delivered a dark farewell address before stepping down next week.
Asian stocks follow Wall St higher on welcome US inflation data
Asian markets extended a global rally Thursday after below-forecast US inflation provided a much-needed shot of relief to investors and revived hopes for interest rate cuts this year.
Biden warns of dangerous 'oligarchy' in dark farewell speech
US President Joe Biden urged Americans Wednesday to "stand guard" against a "dangerous" oligarchy forming under Donald Trump as he delivered a dark farewell address before stepping down next week.
South Korea's Yoon to avoid fresh questioning after dramatic arrest
South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol faced renewed questioning Thursday, a day after his dramatic arrest over a failed martial law declaration, but his lawyers said he would not take part.
Behind the Gaza deal: a US odd couple and last-minute snags
The Israel-Hamas deal was made possible by 18-hour days and a "remarkable" partnership between Joe Biden and Donald Trump's Mideast envoys -- but even then it seemed it might come apart at the last minute.
Cuba frees jailed protesters in Biden terror list deal
Cuba began releasing people Wednesday who had been jailed for protesting against the regime under a deal that saw departing US President Joe Biden remove the communist island from a list of terrorism sponsors.
Thousands across Gaza celebrate ceasefire deal
Crowds of Gazans chanted and embraced on Wednesday as news spread that a ceasefire and hostage release deal had been reached between Israel and Hamas aimed at ending more than 15 months of war in the Palestinian territory.
Qatar, US announce Gaza truce, hostage release deal
Qatar and the United States announced Wednesday a ceasefire and hostage-release deal between Israel and Hamas, adding that they hoped it would pave the way for a permanent end to the war in Gaza.
Quake-stricken Vanuatu heads to polls in snap election
The Pacific nation of Vanuatu votes in a snap general election on Thursday that some observers fear could be a distraction after last month's deadly earthquake.