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Los Angeles under state of emergency due to warehouse fire

Los Angeles was under a state of emergency Saturday as fire crews fought a days-long battle against a stubborn warehouse blaze that has filled the air with acrid black smoke.

Counter-terror cops probe suspected anti-Muslim 'attacks' in Edinburgh

Scottish police said Saturday counter-terrorism officers were investigating several attacks the previous evening in Edinburgh in which five men were wounded, suspected anti-Muslim incidents condemned by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

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New York's Knicks fever leaves World Cup in the cold

The World Cup carnival arrived in New York on Saturday, but it was drowned out by the city's fervor over the hometown Knicks and the possibility of bringing an NBA title to the Big Apple.

Albania targets 20 in crime crackdown, possible ties to Trump-linked project

Albanian prosecutors said Saturday they had demanded the arrest of 20 people over alleged drug-trafficking and money-laundering, with media saying some may have ties to a resort project linked to relatives of Donald Trump.

Ghana protests to Canada after player Partey is denied visa for World Cup

Ghana said Saturday it has formally lodged a protest over Canada's refusal to issue a visa for the World Cup to player Thomas Partey, who is facing trial in Britain on rape charges.

Six Georgians jailed for theft of rare Russian books in France

Six Georgians have been sentenced to up to seven years' jail in France over the theft of rare editions of Russian literary classics, including by 19th-century luminary Alexander Pushkin, from prestigious French libraries.

Newly minted trillionaire Musk under fire over Belfast riots

Elon Musk, newly crowned the world's first trillionaire, faced renewed criticism Friday over anti-immigrant riots in Belfast after researchers said violent narratives he amplified on his platform X amassed millions of views.

Venezuelan mining towns devoid of life after army operation

A major military operation against criminal gangs in southeastern Venezuela has left a trail of ghost towns and abandoned mines in its wake.

What World Cup? New York gripped by Knicks frenzy

It will be Knicks vs. the World Cup in New York on Saturday, and only one winner.

In partial victory, Blake Lively wins legal fees from Justin Baldoni

US actor Justin Baldoni must pay legal fees but not damages to "It Ends with Us" co-star Blake Lively, a New York judge ruled Friday, settling a years-long legal battle.

Ghana World Cup player Partey, facing rape trial in UK, denied Canada visa: FIFA

Ghana player Thomas Partey, who is facing trial in Britain on rape charges, has been denied a visa to enter Canada to play in the World Cup, FIFA said on Friday.

Plane trouble delays pope's return after migrant-focused Spain visit

Pope Leo XIV on Friday wrapped up a week-long visit to Spain that highlighted migrant issues, but his return to Rome was held up after his plane experienced a technical problem.

Judge rejects bid to halt removal of Trump name from Kennedy Center

A US federal judge on Friday rejected a bid by the board of the Kennedy Center and the Justice Department to halt the removal of President Donald Trump's name from the performing arts venue.

Contemporary art giant David Hockney dies aged 88

British artist David Hockney, one of the most influential and defining figures in contemporary art whose paintings captured the world in brilliant colour, has died aged 88, his publicist announced Friday.

'I don't want to limit myself': Chinese star Xin Zhilei on new experiences

Chinese actress Xin Zhilei said she was keen for new experiences and did not want to limit herself, as she helped kick off the Shanghai International Film Festival on Friday.

Pope urges migrants to integrate during Canary Islands visit

Pope Leo XIV renewed his support for migrants on Friday in the Canary Islands, saying "all of us are migrants" and urged newcomers to do their part to integrate, on the final day of a weeklong visit to Spain focused on migration issues.

South Korea ex-president gets 30 years in jail over North drone incursion

A South Korean court handed former president Yoon Suk Yeol a 30-year prison sentence on Friday for sending drones into North Korea to "manufacture" a crisis ahead of his disastrous martial law bid.

A year after deadly Air India crash, families await answers

Families of those killed in last year's Air India plane crash gathered at the site on Friday to mark the anniversary of the disaster, still awaiting answers about its cause.

India migrant evictions seed fear in Bangladesh border towns

Rice farmer Mohammad Ismail Hossain fears violence could blight his quiet fields in southwestern Bangladesh, on the front line of a growing Indian push to expel undocumented migrants.

S. Korea's ex-president gets 30 years over North Korea drone incident

A South Korean court sentenced ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison on Friday for sending military drones into North Korea, saying he planned the action as pretext for his disastrous martial law declaration in 2024.

Yangon's furtive party scene belies junta claims of normality

In a blaring nightclub in wartime Myanmar, partied-out revellers doze until dawn by the dancefloor, wary of journeying home despite the end of a post-coup curfew.

Displaced families bury Hezbollah dead in temporary graves

At a cemetery in southern Lebanon, Ghada Hussein clutched images of her son, a Hezbollah fighter killed in an Israeli strike and buried in a temporary grave because the family cannot return to her border village.

Thailand condemns Chinese Uyghurs to death for 2015 shrine bombing

Two Chinese Uyghur men were sentenced to death Thursday for carrying out a 2015 attack on a Bangkok shrine that killed 20 people, a long-awaited verdict in Thailand's deadliest bombing case.

Thailand sentences Chinese Uyghurs to death in 2015 shrine bombing case

Two Chinese Uyghur men were sentenced to death on Thursday for carrying out a 2015 attack on a Bangkok shrine that killed 20 people, a long-awaited verdict in Thailand's deadliest bombing case.

'Victory' or 'peace': Russian Orthodox believers question Church's war stance

Inside a majestic domed church at one of Russia's oldest monasteries, bearded priests in red-and-gold frocks recite prayers calling for "victory" in the four-year war against Ukraine.

Several arrested outside NBA Finals in New York

Police arrested several unruly fans near Madison Square Garden in New York Wednesday night, where basketball fans gathered for Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Spurs and the Knicks, an AFP photographer observed.

S.Korea hits Coupang with record fine over e-commerce data leak

South Korea hit e-commerce giant Coupang with a record $408 million fine Thursday over a leak that allegedly exposed more than 30 million customers' data and has provoked the ire of US lawmakers.

South Asia monsoon risks both floods and drought: experts

South Asian communities face "serious hazards" from intense rains this season, even though the approaching monsoon is expected to bring lower than normal rains overall, risking drought, experts warned on Thursday.

Northern Irish police use water cannon on second night of protests

Police used water cannon late Wednesday to disperse small crowds who had gathered for a second night in Northern Ireland as UK authorities blamed far-right activists for stoking anger on social media following a brutal Belfast stabbing.

French pop icon Bruel charged with rape, sexual assault

French pop icon Patrick Bruel was charged with rape and sexual assault on Wednesday, after nearly two dozen women came forward to make allegations against him, some dating back to the 1990s.

Hong Kong files charges over deadliest fire in decades

Hong Kong filed manslaughter charges against several people and companies on Wednesday over the world's deadliest residential building fire in decades, which killed 168 people at a public housing estate last year.

Belfast girds for more violence after stabbing suspect held

Belfast steeled itself Wednesday for a second night of violence directed at immigrants in Northern Ireland, unrest that authorities say is being stoked by far-right activists on social media.

Amnesty accuses Israel of 'ethnic cleansing' of West Bank Bedouins

Amnesty International accused Israel on Wednesday of an "ethnic cleansing" campaign against Bedouin and herding communities in the occupied West Bank, saying the measures aimed to accelerate the annexation of the Palestinian territory.

6-7, Bad Bunny, AI: Pope targets the young

Six-sevening crowds and joking about Bad Bunny, AI and football rivalries -- 70-year-old Pope Leo XIV has appealed to a younger crowd during his visit to Spain as part of his efforts to revive the Catholic Church.

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