Baltic startups take aim at deterring Russia on NATO's eastern flank
OPEC+ tipped to raise production again but new quotas loom
Tourists chase high-octane thrill in China's trending biker capital
De Zerbi unsure over Richarlison's future at Spurs
Culture
Vincent Pastore, who played 'Big Pussy' on 'The Sopranos,' dead at 80
Vincent Pastore, the actor best known for mob enforcer-turned-informant Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero on HBO's hit series "The Sopranos," has died at the age of 80, his manager told AFP on Saturday.
Sports
Tottenham manager De Zerbi 'happy' with pre-season progress
Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi said he was "happy for a lot of things" as they return to London unbeaten in three pre-season games after a 2-1 win over Chelsea in Sydney.
Last news
Australian football pioneer Rasic dies aged 87
Australia remembered Rale Rasic as a pioneer Thursday after the man who took the country to its first football World Cup died aged 87.
City old boy Dzeko caps career with unexpected Champions League final
Edin Dzeko has the chance to crown his career with the biggest prize in football, his former club Manchester City standing in the way of a Champions League triumph which no-one would have expected when he signed for Inter Milan two years ago.
Swiatek in ominous French Open form as Sabalenka targets final
Two-time champion Iga Swiatek looks to reach a third French Open final in four years on Thursday while Aryna Sabalenka puts her 12-match Grand Slam winning run on the line in the Roland Garros semi-finals.
Jokic and Murray dominate as Nuggets take 2-1 lead over Miami
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray dominated the Miami Heat, both making triple doubles, as the Denver Nuggets took a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals and regained their home court advantage with a 109-94 win in game three on Wednesday.
Vanished, shot, murdered: Laos activists spooked by spate of incidents
An isolated murder, a brutal attempted killing and a murky disappearance: Laotian activists have been caught up in a series of alarming recent incidents that have spooked the reclusive communist state's embattled dissident community.
Asian markets turn lower on fresh rate hike worries
Renewed fears that the Federal Reserve will lift interest rates next week sent Asian markets into reverse Thursday, tracking losses across Wall Street and Europe, while traders were looking for measures from China to boost growth.
Prosecutors tell Trump lawyers he is target of classified docs probe: reports
US prosecutors have told Donald Trump's lawyers that he is the target of a probe into his handling of classified documents after leaving the presidency, in a sign he might be indicted, US media reported Wednesday night.
Man City and Inter target Champions League glory in Istanbul final
Manchester City are hoping to get their hands on the Champions League trophy at last, and complete a historic treble, when Pep Guardiola's team face outsiders Inter Milan in Saturday's final in Istanbul.
AI chatbots offer comfort to the bereaved
Staying in touch with a loved one after their death is the promise of several start-ups using the powers artificial intelligence, though not without raising ethical questions.
Priests in Bolivia 'saints by day, demons by night': alleged victim
A Bolivian former seminarian who says he was the victim of a vast sex abuse network in the Catholic Church has told AFP of decades of "hell" meted out to children by men of the cloth.
Myanmar lawyers face harassment, intimidation in junta courts: HRW
Myanmar lawyers defending political detainees in junta-run courts are being harassed and even jailed by military authorities, Human Rights Watch said Thursday, warning that intimidation was forcing many to stop taking cases.
All Blacks winger Fainga'anuku to join French club Toulon
All Blacks winger Leicester Fainga'anuku will join French club Toulon later this year, his New Zealand side the Canterbury Crusaders said Thursday.
Brazil delays key Indigenous land rights trial
Brazil's Supreme Court on Wednesday postponed a critical trial over Indigenous ancestral land rights as demonstrators protested in the capital.
Messi joining MLS side Inter Miami after PSG exit
Lionel Messi on Wednesday announced he will sign for Major League Soccer side Inter Miami, choosing the United States as his next destination over a Barcelona reunion or blockbuster deal to play in Saudi Arabia.
NBA Suns set to waive star guard Paul: report
Chris Paul, a 12-time NBA All-Star guard, has been told he will be released by the Phoenix Suns after three seasons with the club, league telecaster TNT reported Wednesday.
Sunak announces first AI summit, pitching UK role from US
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday announced a world-first summit on artificial intelligence, seeking a leading role for the UK in limiting potential doomsday risks as he visited Washington.
Zverev back in French Open semi-finals after 'worst year' as Swiatek moves on
Alexander Zverev made an emotional return to the French Open semi-finals on Wednesday, one year after a horror ankle injury sent his career into a tailspin, as Iga Swiatek set up a last-four clash with Brazilian trailblazer Beatriz Haddad Maia.
Ruud makes second straight French Open semi-final
Casper Ruud will play Alexander Zverev in the French Open semi-finals after the Norwegian fourth seed beat Denmark's Holger Rune 6-1, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 on Wednesday.
Canada awaits wildfire help, as thousands more may flee
Canada's Quebec province, hit hard by unprecedented wildfires that have ravaged the country, on Wednesday eagerly awaited the arrival of reinforcements from abroad to help beat back blazes that are overwhelming its firefighting capacity.
West Ham beat Fiorentina to win Europa Conference League
Jarrod Bowen's dramatic 90th-minute goal secured West Ham their first major European trophy since 1965 with a 2-1 win over Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final on Wednesday.
California Love: Tupac honored with star in Hollywood
Slain rap legend Tupac Shakur was honored with a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame on Wednesday, almost three decades after the best-selling artist was gunned down in a drive-by shooting.
Brazilian Amazon deforestation falls 31% under Lula
Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon fell by 31 percent in the first five months of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's administration versus the same period last year, officials said Wednesday.
Rocket man Messi ready to fire MLS lift-off
Argentine superstar Lionel Messi's impending move to Inter Miami is set to be the biggest deal in the history of Major League Soccer and turbo-charges the league's aim to enter the American mainstream.
Canada wildfires shroud New York in apocalyptic haze
Smoke from Canadian wildfires shrouded New York in an apocalyptic smog Wednesday as cities along the US East Coast issued air quality alerts and thousands evacuated their homes in Canada.
From Pele to Beckham -- four superstars who left football's elite leagues
Argentine football superstar Lionel Messi's move to spend the final years of his stellar career in the United States will come as a crushing blow to Barcelona fans who dreamed of a return to the club that nurtured him.
Lionel Messi decides to join MLS side Inter Miami
Lionel Messi on Wednesday announced he will sign for Major League Soccer side Inter Miami, choosing the United States as his next destination over a Barcelona reunion or blockbuster deal to play in Saudi Arabia.
Messi brings glory years in Europe to a close with Miami move
About to turn 36, Lionel Messi could hang up his boots content that his glorious career is complete after he led Argentina to victory at last year's World Cup.
Lionel Messi joins MLS side Inter Miami
Lionel Messi on Wednesday announced he will sign for Major League Soccer side Inter Miami, choosing the United States as his next destination over a Barcelona reunion or blockbuster deal to play in Saudi Arabia.
Vaquitas still exist, but barely: sea 'panda' survey
The vaquita, a small porpoise on the verge of extinction, is still hanging in there, said scientists Wednesday who had spotted about a dozen specimens of Mexico's "panda of the sea" on an expedition in May.
Canada's Quebec expects thousands more to flee wildfires
Canada's Quebec province, now the epicenter of a devastating wildfire season that has ravaged the country, expects thousands more people to be forced to flee advancing fires, its leader said Wednesday.
Hawaii volcano erupts again
One of the world's most active volcanoes has erupted again, with lava spewing from Kilauea in Hawaii on Wednesday.
Pope awake and joking after hernia operation
Pope Francis was said to be awake and cheerful Wednesday after undergoing a three-hour hernia operation which has revived concerns over the 86-year-old's increasingly fragile health.