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83 still in hospital after Swiss fire tragedy

Four days on from the disaster, Swiss police announced all 116 people wounded in the deadly fire had now been identified, alongside the 40 fatalities, most of whom were teenagers.

Swiss authorities believe the fire in Le Constellation bar, in the upscale Alpine ski resort town of Crans-Montana, started in its basement level when sparklers attached to champagne bottles were lifted too close to the sound insulation foam on the ceiling as people celebrated the New Year in the early hours of Th...

Gauff shocked as US reach United Cup quarters, Hurkacz stuns Zverev

But after Taylor Fritz won to level the tie for the United States, Gauff made amends with Christian Harrison in the mixed doubles, beating Ivonne Cavalle-Reimers and Inigo Cervantes 7-6 (7/5), 6-0 to seal a quarter-final spot.

Gauff had won all six of her previous United Cup singles matches for the USA and had a 3-0 record in mixed doubles. It was the first win over a top-five player for Bouzas Maneiro.

"I know Coco and she's a fighter," the 42nd-ranked Bouzas Maneiro said in Perth. "She...

'Two-pope' Catholic Jubilee draws 33 million pilgrims to Rome

Pope Leo XIV will close the basilica's ornate bronze doors in a ceremony on Tuesday, just over 12 months after they were opened by his predecessor Pope Francis, who died in April.

"The entire world came to Rome. Pilgrims arrived from 185 countries" for 35 major events, including a festival for young Catholics and the canonization of the first millennial saint, said Archbishop Rino Fisichella.

The numbers showed the centuries-old institution was still "a dynamic church", he told a press con...

Virtual museum preserves Sudan's plundered heritage

At the museum itself, almost nothing remains of the 100,000 artefacts it had stored since its construction in the 1950s.

Only pieces too heavy for looters to haul off, like the massive granite statue of the Kush Pharaoh Taharqa and frescoes relocated from temples during the building of the Aswan Dam, are still present on site.

"The virtual museum is the only viable option to ensure continuity," government antiquities official Ikhlass Abdel Latif said, during a recent presentation of the p...

French court jails one in Brigitte Macron cyber-bullying trial

The relationship between Emmanuel Macron, 48, and Brigitte, 72, who met while she was a drama teacher at his school, has been the subject of intense interest since he became president in 2017.

Eight defendants were handed suspended terms of four to eight months, while a ninth man was sentenced to six months in jail over his absence from the hearing.

They and a tenth person were ordered to follow a course against hate speech online.

Presiding judge Thierry Donard described the claims of th...

Bangladesh says at least 287 killed during Hasina-era abductions

The commission said some corpses were believed to have been dumped in rivers, including the Buriganga in the capital, Dhaka, or buried in mass graves.

The government-appointed commission, formed after Hasina was toppled by a mass uprising in August 2024, said it had investigated 1,569 cases of abductions, with 287 of the victims presumed dead.

"We have identified a number of unmarked graves in several places where the bodies were presumably buried," Nur Khan Liton, a commission member, tol...

Gauff shocked in United Cup, comeback kid Hurkacz stuns Zverev

Gauff had won all six of her previous United Cup singles matches for the USA and had a 3-0 record in mixed doubles.

It was the first win over a top-five player for Bouzas Maneiro.

"I know Coco and she's a fighter," the 42nd-ranked Bouzas Maneiro said in Perth.

"She's there all the time in the match, so I knew that I had to be there, and even if I’m 4-1 up, I have to be there.

"And that was my mentality in the third set. To be with power every point because even if you are 3-0 or 4-0, y...

Defending Brisbane champion Lehecka wins tough opener

Lehecka, the third seed, saw off his sometime training partner Machac 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2 in almost two-and-a-half hours on Pat Rafter Arena.

The 24-year-old has won two tournaments in his career, both in Australia.

"The weather and the court conditions here are things that I look forward to," he said. "There's no better place to start the season than here."

It was the Czech pair's first meeting on tour, but Lehecka said he and Machac knew each other well.

"It's never easy -- I've known ...

Maduro's fall tests Venezuela's ruling 'club'

What happens to the so-called "club of five" powerful leftist figures, now that two of its most important members -- Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores -- have been captured and sent to the United States to face trial?
'Club of five'
Anointed by his mentor Hugo Chavez before the latter's death in 2013, Maduro kept a tight grip on power until his capture by US forces on Saturday.

Maduro ruled alongside Flores and three other powerful figures: former vice president Delcy Rodriguez -- now Venezu...

'I can't walk anymore': Afghans freeze to death on route to Iran

"He was forced to go, to bring food for the family," his mother, Mah Jan, told AFP at her mud home in Ghunjan village.

"We have no food to eat, we have no clothes to wear. The house in which I live has no electricity, no water. I have no proper window, nothing to burn for heating," she added, clutching a photo of her son.

Habibullah was one of at least 18 migrants who died last month while trying to cross illegally into Iran from Afghanistan's Herat province, according to officials, when t...

Trump declares US 'in charge' of Venezuela and Maduro goes to court

Leftist strongman Nicolas Maduro, 63, faces narcotrafficking charges along with his wife, who was also seized and taken out of Caracas in the shock US assault Saturday, which involved commandos, bombing by jet planes, and a massive naval force off Venezuela's coast.

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency session on Monday at Venezuela's request. This will provide a platform for international concern over US intentions in the country of around 30 million people.

Trump is unlikely fa...

South Korea's Lee to meet Xi with trade, Pyongyang on the agenda

Lee is the first South Korean leader to visit Beijing in six years and his meeting with Xi comes a day after the nuclear-armed North fired two ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan.

The pair will meet for an opening ceremony and a summit before the signing of an agreement and a state banquet, Seoul has said.

The South Korean leader, accompanied by a delegation of business and tech leaders, hopes to secure pledges to expand economic cooperation with his country's largest trading partner....

'Not about condoms': Chinese shrug off contraceptive tax

Consumers must now pay a 13 percent value-added tax for contraception including condoms, after Beijing removed exemptions on the products from January 1.

Childcare and marriage brokerage services are exempt.

The government has sought to boost China's flagging birth rate, concerned about the rapidly ageing and shrinking population, as well as record low marriage rates.

But young people in Beijing told AFP that taxing contraceptives will not address the root issues they say are stopping pe...

'Free our president', Maduro supporters demand at rally

A group of pro-Maduro paramilitaries and bikers accompanied the demonstrators, who waved red, blue and yellow Venezuelan flags.

"Free our president," read a placard held by a man with a red flannel shirt which bore the image of Maduro's predecessor and mentor, late socialist firebrand Hugo Chavez.

"Venezuela is no-one's colony," another placard read, a swipe at US President Donald Trump's announcement Saturday that Washington would "run" Venezuela during an unspecified transitional period....

South Korea's Lee to meet Xi with trade, Pyongyang on the agenda

Lee is the first South Korean leader to visit Beijing in six years and his meeting with Xi on Monday came a day after the nuclear-armed regime in Pyongyang fired two ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan.

The pair will meet for an opening ceremony and a summit before the signing of an agreement and a state banquet, Seoul has said.

The South Korean leader, accompanied by a delegation of business and tech leaders, hopes to secure pledges to expand economic cooperation with his country's l...

Atletico title hopes dented in Real Sociedad draw

Diego Simeone's side pulled level with third-placed Villarreal on 38 points but have played two more matches than them and lost more ground in the Spanish title race.

Alexander Sorloth headed Atletico ahead early in the second half but Goncalo Guedes levelled five minutes later to secure Real Sociedad's American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo a point in his first game at the helm.

Hosts Real Sociedad started well, with Mikel Oyarzabal firing narrowly wide from distance and Jan Oblak forced to ...

Colombian guerrillas vow to confront US 'imperialism'

The powerful National Liberation Army (ELN), which controls cocaine trafficking routes along Colombia's border with Venezuela, called on "all patriots" to "confront the imperial plans against Venezuela and the peoples of the Global South."

Security experts say the ELN also has rear bases within Venezuela that were tolerated by Maduro.

Dissident members of the defunct FARC rebel army, who vie with the ELN for control of drug-producing regions near Venezuela, also vowed resistance to Trump....

Delcy Rodriguez: From Maduro's 'tigress' to acting Venezuelan president

A fierce defender of Maduro, who was snatched by US forces in an extraordinary raid early Saturday, Rodriguez is now seeking to portray herself as a steady hand to lead the country's political transition.

A lawyer by training, 56-year-old Rodriguez has served in successive governments of Maduro and his firebrand predecessor Hugo Chavez, including as foreign minister.

Maduro's vice president since 2018, she also assumed the role of minister of hydrocarbons in 2024 -- a key post in a country...

France, UK conduct joint strikes against IS in Syria

France said it was part of Operation Inherent Resolve, a US-led international offensive against IS in Iraq, Syria and also Libya.

The British Ministry of Defence said it cooperated with France on Saturday night to strike an underground facility in Syria that had likely been used by the Islamic State group to store weapons.

"Royal Air Force aircraft have completed successful strikes against Daesh in a joint operation with France," the ministry said in a statement, using the Arabic acronym f...

Liverpool held by Fulham after last-gasp Reed rocket

Gakpo had seemingly put Liverpool on course for victory at Craven Cottage with his strike in the fourth minute of stoppage-time.

But Reed hauled Fulham level with a superb long-range blast to dent Liverpool's push to finish in the Premier League's top four.

On a controversial afternoon in west London, Arne Slot's side had trailed to Harry Wilson's first-half goal.

Fulham's opener had been awarded after VAR rejected the initial offside decision against Wilson.

While that appeared to be th...

Third 'Avatar' film passes the $1 billion mark worldwide

The third installment in director James Cameron's blockbuster series has now earned $306 million in the United States and Canada, and another $777 million abroad, putting the total at $1.08 billion, Exhibitor Relations reported.

"Fire and Ash" stars Zoe Saldana as Na'vi warrior Neytiri and Sam Worthington as ex-Marine Jake Sully, who must battle a new foe threatening their family's life on the planet Pandora.

It is the fourth Cameron film to pass the $1 billion mark, with the first two "A...

US says ready to work with new Venezuelan authorities

Secretary of State Marco Rubio's comments indicated that Washington is not seeking complete regime change and sought to clarify President Donald Trump's earlier statement that the United States will "run" the Latin American country of about 30 million people.

Rubio told NBC's "Meet the Press" that the US was fighting drug traffickers, "not a war against Venezuela."

The streets of Caracas were calm in the wake of Saturday's raid, in which US commandos swooped into Caracas on helicopters, ba...

Spanish protesters slam 'imperialist aggression' in Venezuela

The demonstrators held up numerous banners, including one showing US President Donald Trump greedily swallowing a can of oil in the colours of the Venezuelan flag.

Another proclaimed "Trump aggressor", while one banner read "No to imperialist aggression against Venezuela".

Several protesters carried flags of the far-left Podemos party, or Spain's communists, while others held aloft Venezuelan colours.

Following his dramatic abduction, Maduro now finds himself in a New York jail awaiting a...

Raw emotion as mourners pay tribute to Swiss fire victims

The police said 24 of the 40 people killed in the New Year blaze have now been identified, including 11 minors and six foreign nationals.

The owners of Le Constellation, the bar that quickly turned into an inferno, are under criminal investigation.

A mass dedicated to the victims was held at a small chapel some 300 metres down the road from the gutted bar, outside which well-wishers have left an abundance of flowers, candles and messages of sympathy.

Jean-Marie Lovey, the Bishop of Sion i...

New clashes in Iran as protests enter second week: rights groups

At least 12 people including members of the security forces have been killed since the protests kicked off with a shopkeeper's strike in Tehran on December 28, according to a toll based on official reports.

Overnight, protests featuring slogans criticising the Islamic republic's clerical authorities were reported in Tehran, Shiraz in the south, and in areas of western Iran where the movement has been concentrated, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) monitor....

114 killed in week of attacks in Sudan's Darfur: medical sources

Since April 2023, Sudan has been gripped by a war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which in October seized the army's last holdout position in Darfur.

The RSF has since pushed west to the Chadian border and east through the vast Kordofan region, where a drone strike on the North Kordofan capital of El-Obeid on Sunday caused a blackout in the key army-controlled city.

A medical source reported Sunday that 51 people were killed the day before in drone strikes...

Cunha rescues Man Utd in draw with rivals Leeds

Rubem Amorim's side trailed to Brenden Aaronson's second half strike before Cunha dragged them level moments later.

In a bitter rivalry keenly felt among two feuding fan-bases, Leeds have now gone eight matches without a win over United since an FA Cup triumph at Old Trafford in 2010.

United's failure to take all three points cost them a chance to move into the Premier League's top four.

Amorim's men sit in fifth place after winning just one of their last five league games.

After a disap...

'An enormous triumph," amputee Baumel wins Dakar Rally first stage

Navigator Baumel was back at the race just 11 months after his right lower leg was amputated after being run over while helping someone who had broken down on the road in France.

Last January it had looked as if life behind the wheel was in the past for the successful co-driver and navigator.

"Just being here is an enormous triumph," said the 49-year-old, who got into his car on Sunday carrying his prosthetic limb.

Driving a mini the pair won the perilous 305km first stage at Yanbu, Saudi...

Denmark irritated by wife of Trump aide posting pic of US-flagged Greenland

Katie Miller -- wife of Trump's deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller -- put the contentiously altered image of the Danish autonomous territory on her X feed late Saturday, after the US military operation against Venezuela.

Her post had a single word above it: "SOON".

Denmark's ambassador to the US, Jesper Moeller Soerensen, reacted on Sunday with his own post saying "we expect full respect for the territorial integrity" of Denmark, above a link to Katie Miller's image.

Trump has repeate...

Myanmar junta says to release over 6,000 prisoners in annual amnesty

The military has arrested thousands of protesters and activists since its February 2021 coup that ended Myanmar's brief democratic experiment and plunged the nation into civil war.

Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has pardoned 6,134 imprisoned Myanmar nationals, the National Defence and Security Council said in a statement.

Fifty-two foreign prisoners were also to be released and deported, it said in a separate statement.

The yearly prisoner amnesty "on humanitarian and compassionate grounds",...

Venezuelan capital quiet, streets empty after US strike

While a few hundred Maduro supporters gathered to clamor for his freedom, the streets were otherwise eerily quiet.

"I felt the explosions lift me out of bed. In that instant I thought: 'My God, the day has come,' and I cried," Maria Eugenia Escobar, a 58-year-old resident of the city of six million people, told AFP.

The strikes started around 2:00 am local time, with dozens of detonations that some people at first mistook for fireworks.

Windows rattled from the shockwaves and residents r...

North Korea fires ballistic missiles in first test of 2026

Sunday's launch follows a US military operation against Pyongyang's socialist ally Venezuela that snatched President Nicolas Maduro out of his country -- for decades a nightmare scenario for North Korea's leadership, which has long accused Washington of seeking to remove it from power.

Seoul's defence ministry said it had detected "several projectiles, presumed to be ballistic missiles" fired from near the North Korean capital Pyongyang around 7:50 am (2250 GMT Saturday).

The missiles "fle...

Venezuelans in Florida rejoice over Maduro's fall, fret over future

Now these Venezuelans -- forced to flee their country due to financial hardship or political persecution -- are hoping for a better future for Venezuela after years of political and economic crisis.

Before dawn, Venezuelans started gathering outside El Arepazo, a popular restaurant in Doral, a Miami-area city where more than 40 percent of the population hails from Venezuela.

"We woke up with the news that someone finally had done justice, and this fills us with happiness," said Douglas Zar...

Venezuelans in Spain rejoice at prospect of return home

Cries of "He's gone, he's gone" and "He's fallen, he's fallen" filled the air as the spontaneous, lively demonstration unfolded, with improvised singing and dancing filling the Spanish capital's Puerta del Sol square.

Sporting hats in the colours of Venezuela and brandishing the national flag, the demonstrators applauded an improvised effigy of a handcuffed Maduro held aloft above the crowd.

"I came to celebrate," said Pedro Marcano, 47, who says he is "grateful for the great service the U...

Key Trump quotes about US operation in Venezuela

Here are the highlights of the press conference, in Trump's own words:
On what comes next for Venezuela
"We're going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition."

"The people that are standing right behind me, we're going to be running it. We're going to be bringing it back." (Behind him were Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, senior aide Stephen Miller, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and top US General Dan Caine)
On wor...

Soundproofing foam in focus in probe of deadly Swiss bar fire

The question of whether safety standards were respected has been debated since the fire broke out at Le Constellation bar in Switzerland's glitzy resort town Crans-Montana at around 1:30 am (0030 GMT) on Thursday, as the venue was crammed with young partygoers.

Beatrice Pilloud, the lead prosecutor in Switzerland's southwestern Wallis canton, told reporters Friday that the leading hypothesis was that "sparklers or Bengal candles attached to champagne bottles and lifted too close to the ceil...

US allies, foes alarmed by capture of Venezuela's Maduro

US President Donald Trump said Nicolas Maduro and his wife would be taken to New York to face federal charges after military strikes and an operation which he described as looking like a "television show".

The Venezuelan government decried what it termed a "extremely serious military aggression" by Washington and declared a state of emergency.

Countries such as Russia and Iran, which had longstanding ties with Maduro's government, were quick to condemn the operation but their alarm was als...

US military seizes Maduro in bombing raid on Venezuelan capital

A months-long standoff ended swiftly and violently in a high-risk operation that Trump touted as an "amazing" success.

US-backed opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who won the Nobel Peace Prize last year, posted on social media: "the hour of freedom has arrived."

She called for the opposition's candidate in the 2024 election, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, to "immediately" assume the presidency.

But the United Nations chief said he was "deeply concerned that the rules of international law...

Sudanese flee across border and back to escape overrun oil town

Now, the 25-year-old mother of five -- paralysed from the waist down -- lies shell-shocked on a cot in the Abu al-Naga displacement camp, a dusty transit centre just outside the eastern city of Gedaref, nearly 800 kilometres (500 miles) from home.

But her family's actual journey was much longer, crossing the South Sudan border twice and passing from one group of fighters to another, as they ran for their lives with their children in tow alongside hundreds of others.

"We fled with nothing,"...

Real Madrid's Alonso unsure of Mbappe absence length

The French striker was diagnosed with a knee strain on Wednesday, expected to keep him out for at least three weeks.

"We'll try to make it happen quickly, it depends a lot on how he feels, but we'll try to get him back as quickly as possible," Alonso told a news conference.

"When is as soon as possible? That's the question. I don't know."

The coach said he hopes Mbappe will be back to take part in the Spanish Super Cup, with Los Blancos facing rivals Atletico Madrid in the semi-final on J...

Trump says Venezuela's Maduro captured in 'large scale' US strike

Trump's stunning announcement follows months of steadily mounting US military and economic pressure on leftist leader Maduro and his country's oil-export-dependent economy.

"The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country," Trump said on Truth Social.

"This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement."

Trump add...

Saudi-backed forces make advances in Yemen's Hadramawt: military officials

The Saudis and Emiratis have for years supported rival factions in Yemen's fractious government. But the UAE-backed secessionist Southern Transitional Council's recent offensive to capture Hadramawt angered Riyadh and left the oil-rich regional powers on a collision course.

Following repeated warnings and air strikes, including on an alleged Emirati weapons shipment this week, the Saudi-led coalition launched a wave of attacks on Friday, including on the Al-Khasha military camp in Hadramawt...

Iran security forces member stabbed, shot dead at protest: agency

The protests began on Sunday as an expression of discontent over high prices and economic stagnation, but have since expanded to include political demands.

The first deaths were reported as demonstrators clashed with authorities on Thursday, with at least eight people killed so far, including members of the security services, according to official figures.

"Ali Azizi, a member of the Basij, was martyred after being stabbed and shot in the city of Harsin during a gathering of armed rioters,...

US bombs Caracas, Maduro captured: Trump

"The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country," Trump said on Truth Social, around two hours after explosions rocked Venezuela's capital Caracas.

There was no confirmation from Venezuela's government of the fate of the leftist Maduro, in power since 2013.

His government accused the United States of an "extremely serious milit...

UN chief calls on Israel to reverse NGOs ban in Gaza

Guterres "calls for this measure to be reversed, stressing that international non-governmental organizations are indispensable to life-saving humanitarian work and that the suspension risks undermining the fragile progress made during the ceasefire," his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

"This recent action will further exacerbate the humanitarian crisis facing Palestinians," he added.

Israel on Thursday suspended 37 foreign humanitarian organizations from accessing the ...

Lens move four points clear of PSG at top of Ligue 1

Lens have held top spot since November 30 and will stay there for at least another fortnight as next weekend is given over to the French Cup.

After an even first 20 minutes, the game turned when Toulouse striker Emersonn was sent off for an ugly challenge on Odsonne Edouard.

Lens did not benefit from the one-man advantage until the start of the second half when they laid siege to the Toulouse goal.

Wesley Said broke the deadlock with a curling shot in the 57th minute before captain Adri...

2025 was UK's hottest and sunniest year on record

The previous record of 10.03C was set in 2022.

"2025 now joins 2022 and 2023 in the top three warmest years since 1884," the Met Office said in a statement, noting the United Kingdom's mean temperature through last year was 10.09C.

"This is an increasingly clear demonstration of the impacts of climate change on UK temperatures," it added.

"It is also only the second year in this series where the UK's annual mean temperature has exceeded 10.0C."

It means four of the UK's last five years n...

Tech campaigner decries US 'punishment' after visa sanctions

Ahmed, a US permanent resident, heads the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), a nonprofit watchdog that researches the harmful effects of online disinformation. He was among five European figures whom the State Department recently said would be denied visas.

The department accused the group of attempting to "coerce" tech platforms into censoring Americans' viewpoints, a charge they reject. The European Union and several member states strongly condemned the US sanctions.

The US annou...

Ukraine says 19 wounded in Russian strike on Kharkiv housing area

The attack came a day after Russia accused Kyiv of a strike on a hotel and a cafe in Ukraine's occupied south, killing 27 people, and warned of "consequences" -- but Ukraine said the attack targeted a military gathering that was closed to civilians.

Kharkiv regional governor Oleg Synegubov said on Telegram after Russia's attack on Friday that "a total of 19 people suffered blast injuries, glass wounds, and abrasions", adding that a six-month-old baby was among them.

AFP images from the sit...

Budanov: Enigmatic spy chief set to become Zelensky's top aide

Referred to as the man "without a smile" in Ukrainian media, the 39-year-old has revealed little about his background or personal life, and maintains a low profile.

But he is credited with some of Kyiv's most audacious attacks inside Russia and occupied Ukrainian territory -- including an explosion on the Russian-built Crimean Bridge in 2022.

Regarded as a legend among Ukrainians but a wanted criminal in Russia, the combat veteran will now have unparallelled access to Zelensky and be at th...

Swiss investigators rush to identify victims of New Year's fire

It is not yet clear what set off the blaze at Le Constellation, killing around 40 people and injuring about 115 others, many seriously.

Bystanders described scenes of panic and chaos as people tried to break the windows to escape and others, covered in burns, poured into the street.

Swiss police warned it could take days or even weeks to identify everyone who perished, an agonising wait for family and friends.

"We've tried to reach our friends. We took loads of photos and posted them on I...

Maduro elusive on US attack, open to dialogue

"Wherever they want and whenever they want," Maduro said of the idea of dialogue with the United States on drug trafficking, oil and migration in an interview on state TV.

Maduro's government has neither confirmed nor denied what President Donald Trump announced Monday: a US attack on a docking facility that served Venezuelan drug trafficking boats.

Asked point-blank if he confirmed or denied the attack, Maduro said Thursday "this could be something we talk about in a few days."

The attac...

Trump blames bruised hand on aspirin, denies falling asleep

In the interview defending his health, Trump also changed his previous statement about receiving an MRI scan in October, saying it was instead a quicker CT scan.

Trump, who at 79 is the oldest person to assume the US presidency, told the Journal "my health is perfect" and expressed frustration with scrutiny of his well-being.

Trump has based much of his political image on projecting vigor -- whether through his frequent interactions with journalists, constant social media posting, or AI me...

The Crans-Montana fire: a Swiss tragedy that raises questions

Around 40 people were killed and over 100 others injured in the blaze at the New Year's party.

As investigators begin the gruelling task of identifying the victims and trying to determine what happened, here are some of the main issues they will seek to probe.
How did the tragedy occur?
"It was around 1:30 am (0030 GMT) when smoke was spotted" coming out of Le Constellation bar at the heart of the upscale resort, police commander Frederic Gisler told reporters.

A few seconds later, a witn...

Leftist Mamdani begins first day as New York mayor

The 34-year-old Democrat -- virtually unknown a year ago -- was officially sworn in as mayor of the largest city in the United States just past midnight as New Yorkers rang in the new year.

New York's first Muslim mayor took the oath of office during a private ceremony at a decommissioned subway stop under City Hall.

Later on Thursday, Mamdani is scheduled to take part in a larger, ceremonial inauguration with speeches from left-wing allies Senator Bernie Sanders and congresswoman Alexan...

Hakimi, Salah and Osimhen head star-packed AFCON last-16 cast

Paris Saint-Germain defender Hakimi was crowned 2025 African player of the year in November. Liverpool attacker Salah and Galatasaray striker Osimhen were the runners-up.

After 36 matches spread across six groups, the 16 survivors from 24 hopefuls clash in eight second-round matches over four days.

Fit-again Hakimi is set to lead title favourites Morocco against Tanzania, Salah will captain Egypt against Benin and Osimhen-inspired Nigeria tackle Mozambique.

AFP Sport looks at the match...

Israel says it 'will enforce' ban on 37 NGOs in Gaza

The groups will now be required to cease their operations by March 1, which the United Nations has warned will exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.

"Organisations that have failed to meet required security and transparency standards will have their licenses suspended," the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism said in a statement on Thursday.

Several NGOS have said the requirements contravene international humanitarian law or endang...

Deadly fire ravages New Year celebration in bar at luxury Swiss ski resort

Police, firefighters and rescuers rushed to the popular resort, one of the top-ranked ski destinations in Europe, with Swiss media reporting the toll could soar into the dozens.

The "fire of undetermined origin" broke out in a bar popular with tourists, police in the Wallis canton in southwestern Switzerland said in a statement.

A police spokesman named the bar as Le Constellation, which has a capacity of 300 people and another 40 people on its terrace, according to the Crans-Montana webs...

Taiwan's president vows to defend sovereignty after China drills

Beijing launched missiles and deployed dozens of fighter jets, navy ships and coastguard vessels this week to encircle Taiwan's main island, in exercises condemned by Taipei as "highly provocative".

China claims democratic Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to annex it.

"My stance has always been clear: to steadfastly defend national sovereignty, strengthen national defence and whole-of-society resilience, comprehensively establish effective deterrence capabili...

N. Korea's Kim hails 'invincible alliance' with Russia in New Year's letter

Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to support Russia's nearly four-year invasion of Ukraine, according to South Korean and Western intelligence agencies.

At least 600 have died and thousands more have sustained injuries, according to South Korean estimates.

Analysts say North Korea is receiving financial aid, military technology and food and energy supplies from Russia in return.

On Thursday Kim praised his men fighting in an "alien land", congratulating their "heroic" defence of the ...

Trump bashes Clooney after actor becomes French

Trump, whose administration has backed anti-immigration parties in Europe, said key ally France had a "horrendous" problem with crime and immigration.

An official decree seen by AFP on Monday showed that 64-year-old Oscar winner Clooney, his wife Amal Alamuddin Clooney and their two children had become French citizens.

"Good News! George and Amal Clooney, two of the worst political prognosticators of all time, have officially become citizens of France which is, sadly, in the midst of a maj...

Trump says pulling National Guard from three cities -- for now

The Republican had sent troops into several cities run by Democrats during his first year back in power, in what he called a crackdown on illegal immigration and crime.

Local leaders slammed the moves as authoritarian overreach and launched a string of successful legal challenges, with the US Supreme Court last week blocking the Chicago deployment.

"We are removing the National Guard from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, despite the fact that CRIME has been greatly reduced by having the...

China says to impose extra 55% tariffs on some beef imports

The price of beef in China has trended downwards in recent years, with analysts blaming oversupply and a lack of demand as the world's second-largest economy has slowed.

At the same time imports have surged, with China representing a hugely important market for countries such as Brazil, Argentina and Australia.

Investigators found that beef imports had damaged China's domestic industry, Beijing's commerce ministry said in a statement. The probe covered fresh, frozen, bone-in and boneless b...

Leftist Mamdani to take over as New York mayor under Trump shadow

After the clocks strike midnight (0500 GMT Thursday), bringing in 2026, Mamdani will take his oath of office at an abandoned subway stop, taking the helm of the United States' largest city. He will be New York's first Muslim mayor.

His office says the understated venue for the swearing-in reflects his commitment to working people, after the 34-year-old Democrat campaigned on promises to address the soaring cost of living.

But it remains to be seen if Mamdani -- virtually unknown a year ag...

Israel begins demolishing 25 buildings in West Bank camp

The buildings, home to some 100 families, are in the Nur Shams camp, a frequent site of clashes between Palestinian militants and Israeli forces.

Israeli military bulldozers and cranes tore through the structures early Wednesday, sending thick plumes of dust into the air, an AFP journalist reported. Many residents watched from a distance.

"Being torn away from our homes, our neighbourhoods and our memories is deeply painful," said Mutaz Mahr, whose building was being demolished.

"The occu...

US grants temporary licence to Russian-controlled Serbian oil firm NIS: Serbian minister

France plans social media ban for children under 15

The initiative is backed by President Emmanuel Macron, who said earlier this month that parliament should start debating such a proposal in January. Australia this month imposed a social media ban on under 16s, in a world first.

"Many studies and reports now confirm the various risks caused by excessive use of digital screens by adolescents," the French draft says.

Chidren with unfettered online access were exposed to "inappropriate content" and could suffer from cyber-harassment or exper...

Hoping for better year ahead, Gazans bid farewell to 'nightmare' of 2025

For residents of the battered territory, daily life is a struggle for survival.

Much of Gaza's infrastructure lies in ruins, electricity remains scarce and hundreds of thousands of people live in makeshift tents after being repeatedly displaced by the two years of fighting that began with Hamas's attack on Israel in October 2023.

"We in the Gaza Strip are living in an endless nightmare," said Hanaa Abu Amra, a displaced woman in her thirties living in Gaza City.

"We hope that this nightma...

Iran government building attacked as top prosecutor responds to protests

Spontaneous protests, driven by dissatisfaction at Iran's economic stagnation, began on Sunday in Tehran's largest mobile phone market, where shopkeepers shuttered their businesses, and have since drawn in students across the country.

"A portion of the provincial governors' office door and its glass were destroyed in an attack by a number of people," said Hamed Ostovar, the head of the judiciary in the city of Fasa, as quoted by the justice ministry's Mizan agency, without specifying how th...

Pistons pound Lakers as James marks 41st birthday with loss

The Lakers' final home game of the year got under way in a festive atmosphere, with the Crypto.com Arena hoping to salute James as he celebrated his birthday.

But the Lakers, missing the injured Austin Reaves and Gabe Vincent, were always chasing the game against a Pistons line-up who led for most of the contest.

The home side threatened to haul themselves back into contention after tying the game at 79-79 midway through the third quarter.

That though was the cue for Detroit to crank up t...

Taiwan coastguard says Chinese ships 'withdrawing' after drills

China launched missiles and deployed dozens of fighter jets, navy ships and coastguard vessels around the island on Monday and Tuesday in live-fire drills aimed at simulating a blockade of the Taiwan's key ports and assaults on maritime targets.

Taipei, which slammed the two-day war games as "highly provocative and reckless", said the manoeuvre failed to impose a blockade on the island.

Communist China has never ruled democratic Taiwan, but Beijing claims the island of 23 million people is...

Leftist Mamdani to take over as New York mayor under Trump shadow

After the clocks strike midnight, bringing in 2026, Mamdani will take his oath of office at an abandoned subway stop, taking the helm of the United States' largest city. He will be New York's first Muslim mayor.

His office says the understated venue for the oath-taking reflects his commitment to working people, after the 34-year-old Democrat campaigned on promises to address the soaring cost of living.

But it remains to be seen if Mamdani -- virtually unknown a year ago -- can deliver on ...

French duo stripped of Sydney-Hobart race overall win

New Caledonia-based duo Michel Quintin and Yann Rigal claimed victory for BNC in the overall Tattersall Cup, determined by a complicated handicap formula which allows smaller boats to compete with bigger and faster rivals.

But a race panel later added more than one hour to their finishing time after upholding a complaint by second-placed Min River over an incorrectly secured sail.

"Not in my wildest dreams did I think this would come true for me," said Min River co-skipper Jiang Lin afte...

Senegal top AFCON group, DR Congo to face Algeria in last 16

Sadio Mane's Senegal, African champions in 2022, came into the final round of group games needing to beat Benin in Tangier and hope that their Congolese rivals did not manage to move above them on goal difference.

Senegal ran out 3-0 winners against Benin, with Abdoulaye Seck and Habib Diallo scoring before skipper Kalidou Koulibaly was sent off in the second half. Cherif Ndiaye then added a late penalty.

DR Congo beat already-eliminated Botswana 3-0 at the same time in Rabat, meaning the ...

Drones dive into aviation's deepest enigma as MH370 hunt restarts

Armed with cutting-edge deep-sea robots and smarter data, US investigators are scouring the seabed for clues that have eluded governments, experts and grieving families for more than a decade.

MH370 took off from Kuala Lumpur just after midnight on March 8, 2014, bound for Beijing on what should have been an uneventful six-hour flight.

Less than an hour later, its transponder went dark, wiping the Boeing 777 from civilian radar. Military screens later showed the aircraft veering sharply we...

10 countries warn of 'catastrophic' Gaza situation

The warning came a day after US President Donald Trump warned Palestinian militant group Hamas there would be "hell to pay" if it fails to disarm in Gaza, as he presented a united front with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"As winter draws in, civilians in Gaza are facing appalling conditions with heavy rainfall and temperatures dropping," the ministers of Britain, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Japan, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland said in a joint statement released ...

Johnson still a Spurs player despite Palace interest, says Frank

Several British media outlets, including the BBC and Sky Sports, reported that the Eagles have had a £35 million ($47 million) bid for the 24-year-old accepted but that Johnson is yet to green light the move.

The former Nottingham Forest winger is also attracting interest from Bournemouth, who look set to lose their top scorer Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City in the early days of the January transfer window.

"Brennan has been a top professional," said Frank at his pre-match press confere...

I.Coast ruling party's dominance leaves opposition on brink

With the opposition all but out of the picture, Ouattara's party now boasts nearly 80 percent of seats in parliament, largely controls the Senate and dominates municipal and regional councils, in one of west Africa's fastest-growing economies and the world's top cocoa producer.
Electoral dominance
Supporters of the Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) put its success down to a dynamic economy and stability in a troubled region under Ouattara's watch since coming to power in...

Trump says US hit dock for Venezuela drug boats

The US leader's confirmation of the incident comes as he ramps up a pressure campaign against Venezuela's leftist President Nicolas Maduro, who has accused Trump of seeking regime change.

"There was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs," he told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida as he hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"So we hit all the boats and now we hit the area, it's the implementation area, that's where they implement...

China conducts second day of military drills around Taiwan

The two-day war games, code-named "Justice Mission 2025", started on Monday and were slammed by Taipei as "military intimidation" by Beijing.

China claims Taiwan as part of its sovereign territory and has refused to rule out using military action to seize the island democracy.

AFP journalists in Pingtan -- a Chinese island that is the closest point to Taiwan's main island -- saw a volley of rockets blasting into the air on Tuesday morning at around 9:00 am (0100 GMT), leaving trails of whi...

Hosts Morocco cruise as South Africa reach Cup of Nations last 16

African player of the year Achraf Hakimi made his comeback from almost two months out injured for Morocco as Mali also qualified for the next round and Mohamed Salah was rested for Egypt's 0-0 draw against Angola.

Morocco are the tournament favourites as the host nation and Africa's top-ranked team but they were booed off by supporters following a 1-1 draw against Mali in their last outing.

Nevertheless, Walid Regragui's team knew a win against Zambia at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium ...

Media on Bardot: France's biggest 'sex symbol' or 'crazy cat lady'

Images of the screen legend were splashed across media outlets around the globe following the announcement of her death on Sunday aged 91 .

All highlighted her lasting cinema and style impact, though many also noted prominently her decision to give up her film career to defend animal rights -- and her becoming a far-right supporter.

The New York Times saw Bardot as having "redefined mid-20th century movie sex symbolism", highlighting her "unapologetic carnal appetite" on screen.

It added,...

Brigitte Bardot to be buried in Saint-Tropez cemetery

Bardot, who died on Sunday aged 91 after decades as an animal rights campaigner, had said she wanted to be laid to rest in her garden with a simple wooden cross on her grave -- like those of her pets.

"I'd rather be there than in the Saint-Tropez cemetery, where a crowd of idiots might damage the graves of my parents and grandparents," she told Le Monde newspaper in 2018.

Despite her wishes, an official at the Saint-Tropez town hall said the plan is for her to be laid to rest in the town's...

India's navy sails back to the future with historic voyage

But none of its vessels is as unusual as its newest addition that sets sail on its maiden Indian Ocean crossing on Monday -- a wooden stitched ship inspired by a fifth-century design, built not to dominate the seas but to remember how India once traversed them.

Steered by giant oars rather than a rudder, with two fixed square sails to catch seasonal monsoon winds, it heads westward on its first voyage across the seas, a 1,400-kilometre (870-mile) voyage to Oman's capital Muscat.

Named Kaun...

Puel back as Nice manager after Haise exits

Puel, who was previously in charge at Nice between 2012-16, "begins today his priority mission of improving the team's performance", Nice said in a statement.

Nice thanked Haise and his assistants "for their commitment and the work accomplished in the red and black colours and wishes Claude Puel a good return to the bench".

Puel spent his entire playing career with neighbouring Monaco before becoming manager of the club.

He then went on to manage Lille, Lyon and Saint-Etienne in Ligue 1,...

Emirates mining company challenges Guinea licence withdrawal

Guinea, which has been run by a junta since a coup in 2021, has cancelled dozens of licences for international and domestic companies mining bauxite, gold, iron ore or diamonds over recent months.

Axis International, which is headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, had operated Guinea's second-biggest bauxite mine with estimated reserves of more than 800 million tonnes since 2010.

The company said it has appealed to the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Dispute (ICSI...

Myanmar pro-military party official says 'winning' junta-run poll

The armed forces snatched power in a 2021 coup, but on Sunday opened voting in a phased month-long election they pledge will return power to the people.

The massively popular but dissolved National League for Democracy (NLD) of democratic figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi did not appear on ballots, and she remains jailed since the military putsch which triggered a civil war.

Campaigners, Western diplomats and the United Nations' rights chief have condemned the vote -- citing a stark crackdown on...

Myanmar pro-military party 'winning' junta-run poll first phase: source

The armed forces snatched power in a 2021 coup, but on Sunday opened voting in a phased month-long election they pledge will return power to the people.

The massively popular but dissolved party of democratic figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi did not appear on ballots, and she remains jailed since the military putsch which triggered a civil war.

Campaigners, Western diplomats and the United Nations' rights chief have condemned the vote -- citing a stark crackdown on dissent and a candidate list ...

Bondi victims' families demand national probe into antisemitism

Father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram are accused of targeting a Hanukkah event on Sydney's Bondi Beach on December 14, killing 15 people and wounding dozens in what authorities have described as an antisemitic terrorist attack.

Seventeen families urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in an open letter to "immediately establish a Commonwealth Royal Commission into the rapid rise of antisemitism in Australia" and examine "law enforcement, intelligence, and policy failures that led to the Bon...

South Korea's ex-first lady accused of taking over $200,000 in bribes

Kim Keon Hee, the wife of disgraced ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol, was arrested in August and is under investigation for alleged stock manipulation and receving gifts from the cult-like Unification Church.

She has also been accused of meddling in parliamentary elections.

In an announcement concluding their investigation, prosecutor Min Joong-ki said South Korea's institutions were "severely undermined by abuses of power" by Kim.

Kim allegedly "illegally intervened in state affairs behind the...

China's BYD poised to overtake Tesla in 2025 EV sales

The two groups are expected soon to publish their final figures for 2025, and based on sales data so far this year, there is almost no chance the American company led by Elon Musk will retain its leadership position.

At the end of November, Shenzhen-based BYD, which also produces hybrid vehicles, had sold 2.07 million EVs so far in 2025.

Tesla, for its part, had sold 1.22 million by the end of September.

Tesla's September figures included a one-time boost in sales, to nearly half-a-milli...

North Korea tests cruise missiles in show of 'combat readiness'

Leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the drill -- staged Sunday over the Yellow Sea to the west of the Korean peninsula -- and called for "unlimited and sustained" development of his nuclear weapons forces, the state-run Korean Central News Agency said.

The goal of the exercise was to review the "counter-offensive response posture and combat capability of long-range missile sub-units," KCNA said.

The missiles flew for more than two hours, state media said, sharing photos of the missiles being fired ...

Algeria advance to AFCON last-16, Cameroon hold Ivory Coast

Defending champions Ivory Coast failed to join the trio after drawing 1-1 with Cameroon in a lively Marrakesh showdown.

Elsewhere, Mozambique ended a 39-wait for a first AFCON victory by beating Gabon 3-2 while Sudan got back into contention for a last-16 slot by beating Equatorial Guinea 1-0 in Casablanca.

Captain Mahrez converted from the spot midway through the first half and Algeria then held on to win a bruising contest against a determined Burkinabe outfit.

The penalty that decided ...

Mahrez penalty takes Algeria through to Cup of Nations last 16

Captain Mahrez converted from the spot midway through the first half at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat and Algeria then held on to win a bruising contest against a determined Burkina outfit.

Algeria, African champions in 1990 and in 2019, have the maximum six points after two games in Group E and are yet to concede a goal, with Vladimir Petkovic's side living up to their billing as one of the pre-tournament favourites.

Burkina Faso and Sudan come next on three points each and play e...

Guinea junta chief headed for victory in presidential vote

As the polling stations began to close from 1800 GMT, officials began counting the votes.

By running, the strongman reneged on a pledge not to stand for office and to hand the west African country back to civilian rule by the end of 2024.

Since seizing power in 2021, Doumbouya has cracked down on civil liberties, and protests have been banned while opponents have been arrested, put on trial or driven into exile.

Some 6.8 million people were eligible to choose between the nine approved can...

Nkunku breaks Serie A goal duck to fire AC Milan top

Nkunku ended a league goal drought stretching back to February when he doubled Milan's lead two minutes after half-time with a penalty he earned.

Five minutes later he was on hand to tap home the third and give the hosts a two-point lead over local rivals Inter Milan.

The 28-year-old's only previous goal for Milan since signing from Chelsea for an initial 37 million euros ($43.6 million) in August came against Lecce in the Italian Cup in September.

"He's a sensitive lad, one who is keen ...

Trump says has 'productive' talks with Putin before Zelensky meet

Trump's renewed upbeat tone comes despite wide skepticism in Europe about Putin's intentions after Russia carried out another massive bombardment of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv just as Zelensky was heading to Trump's Florida estate.

"I just had a very good and productive telephone call with President Putin of Russia," Trump announced on his Truth Social platform.

Trump is set to meet Zelensky at 1:00 pm (1800 GMT) in the dining room of his Mar-a-Lago estate, where he frequently brings both ...

Touadera on path to third presidential term as Central African Republic votes

Polling stations will open at 0500 GMT and close at 1700 GMT with 2.3 million voters asked to select their president and legislators, as well as municipal and regional representatives.

After changing the constitution to allow him to seek a third term, Touadera is in pole position out of a seven-strong field.

The 68-year-old president concluded his campaign with a rally in a 20,000-seat stadium in Bangui, before a large and enthusiastic crowd.

The campaign unfolded without major inciden...

Iraqis cover soil with clay to curb sandstorms

Iraq has long suffered from sand and dust storms, but in recent years they have become more frequent and intense as the country falls prey to the effects of climate change.

Sand and dust storms -- driven by severe drought, rising temperatures and deforestation -- have cloaked cities and villages in an endless ochre haze, grounded flights and filled hospitals with patients suffering from breathing difficulties.

Iraqi authorities have warned that these suffocating storms will intensify furth...

Myanmar junta stages election after five years of civil war

Former civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi remains jailed, while her hugely popular party has been dissolved and was not taking part.

Campaigners, Western diplomats and the UN's rights chief have all condemned the phased month-long vote, citing a ballot stacked with military allies and a stark crackdown on dissent.

The pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party is widely expected to emerge as the largest one, in what critics say would be a rebranding of martial rule.

The Southeast A...