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Mexico unveils 100,000-strong security deployment for World Cup
Mexico said Friday it would deploy nearly 100,000 security personnel to protect fans at the football World Cup in three host cities, one of which, Guadalajara, has been plagued by cartel violence.
Voices from Iran: protests, fear and scarcity
From Kurdistan in western Iran to the shores of the Gulf and in Tehran, AFP reporters have spoken to Iranians throughout the week to build a picture of their lives under daily US and Israeli bombardment.
This is how Ukraine has countered Russia's Iran-designed drones
Ukraine is preparing to despatch military drone specialists to Gulf states to help them fend off Iranian-designed drones -- something the Ukrainian army has been doing since the start of Russia's invasion.
Sleepless Iranians count cost of war as damage mounts
As US and Israeli war planes pummel Iran with daily strikes, witnesses say that civilian deaths, damage to infrastructure and anxiety are mounting while security forces remain an intimidating presence on the streets.
Leading satellite firm to hold back Gulf state images
Planet Labs PBC, a leading provider of high resolution images taken from space, said Friday it would hold back for 96 hours images of Gulf states targeted by Iranian drone attacks.
Trump says only Iran's 'unconditional surrender' can end war
President Donald Trump said Friday that only Iran's "unconditional surrender" would bring an end to the Middle East war, as Tehran was rocked by some of the heaviest US-Israeli strikes of the spiralling, week-long conflict.
UN demands swift probe into Israeli strikes on Lebanon
The United Nations on Friday demanded swift investigations into fatal Israeli strikes across Lebanon to decide if they complied with international law.
Elite pilots and US support drive Israel's air power
Israel’s air force has struck deep inside Iran with devastating precision, killing even the country’s supreme leader within minutes of the war’s outbreak -- a feat experts say reflects years of elite pilot training and combat experience.
Sole Iranian competitor out of Paralympics due to Middle East war
Iran's sole competitor at the Paralympics in Milan-Cortina has been forced to pull out of the Games due to the ongoing war in the Middle East, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said on Friday.
Spanish PM says 'cooperation' with US should prevail over 'confrontation'
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Friday that "loyal cooperation" should prevail over "confrontation" in relations with the United States after tensions over Madrid's opposition to Washington's use of its bases against Iran.
Lebanese relive 'nightmare' of displacement from war
In the lobby of a vocational school packed with hundreds of people, Zeinab Moqdad, who fled Beirut's southern suburbs, rages at a new war between Hezbollah and Israel whose consequences she is once again forced to bear.
US must probe Iran school strike 'very quickly', UN says
The United Nations rights chief called Friday for answers after a deadly strike on an Iranian elementary school, as a media investigation concluded the United States was most likely responsible.
Iceland proposes August 29 referendum on resuming EU membership talks
Iceland's government on Friday proposed that a referendum be held on August 29 on resuming the country's EU membership talks after they were terminated in 2015.
Hungary to expel 7 Ukrainians as Zelensky, Orban quarrel over Russian oil
Hungary will expel seven detained Ukrainians, the government said Friday, as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky traded threats in a row over stalled Russian oil supplies.
Who rules the seas? Torpedoed Iran ship brings focus underwater
A US submarine this week torpedoing an Iranian warship during the Middle East conflict raised the crucial question of who controls the seas during wartime.
Mideast war escalates as fresh strikes batter Iran
Fresh strikes rocked Iran and Lebanon Friday as Israel and the United States stepped up their attacks in the spawling Middle East war, with powerful explosions shattering the skies of Tehran.
Decades of planning and US backing helps fuel Israel's air power
Israel's air superiority over Iranian skies in the war with the Islamic republic reflects decades of strategic thinking and a singular partnership with Washington, experts told AFP.
Nepal's rapper-turned-politician takes early lead in key polls
Nepal's centrist party of rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah took an early lead in the high-stakes parliamentary election on Friday, as slow counting continued after the first polls since last year's deadly uprising.
Mideast war is heightening uncertainty, Lufthansa warns
German aviation giant Lufthansa warned Friday it faced a more uncertain outlook because of the unfolding Middle East conflict, and that the fallout showed how vulnerable air traffic remains to geopolitical shocks.
Fresh Israeli strikes on Lebanon as PM warns of 'looming humanitarian disaster'
Fresh Israeli strikes on Friday battered Lebanon, where Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned "a humanitarian disaster is looming" due to mass displacement.
Hong Kong mogul Jimmy Lai won't appeal national security conviction: lawyer
Hong Kong pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai will not appeal against the national security conviction for which he was jailed for 20 years last month, his legal team said on Friday without providing a reason.
Italian general challenges Meloni from the right
A retired general who criticises the EU, wants to send home illegal migrants and says Ukraine should accept a peace deal with Russia is challenging Italy's hard-right government on its own turf.
Hungary detains seven Ukrainians as Kyiv, Budapest quarrel over Russian oil
Kyiv accused Budapest of kidnapping seven of its citizens on Friday, as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he would use "every means" to pressure Ukraine in an escalating row over stalled Russian oil supplies.
Extensive destruction in Beirut's southern suburbs following Israeli strikes
Israeli air strikes left behind massive destruction in Beirut's southern suburbs on Friday morning, with the Israeli military saying it had destroyed Hezbollah targets.
Lufthansa warns of heightened 'uncertainty' from Mideast war
German aviation giant Lufthansa warned Friday it faced heightened uncertainty because of the unfolding Middle East conflict, adding the fallout showed how vulnerable air traffic remains to geopolitical shocks.
Mideast war enters 'next phase' as strikes hit Iran, Lebanon
Fresh strikes rocked Iran and Lebanon on Friday, as Israel vowed to escalate to a new phase in the Middle East war that has spiralled rapidly throughout the region and beyond.
Italy challenges EU over key climate tool
Italy is once again challenging the EU's green transition, pushing for an overhaul of the bloc's carbon trading scheme and changing the way the tool operates to try to cut electricity bills.
Ukraine accuses Hungary of taking 'hostage' bank staff carrying $40 mn
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Hungary on Friday of taking "hostage" a group of Ukrainian bank employees who were reportedly transporting $40 million and nine kilograms of gold.
Heavy attacks hit Tehran as Israel says war in 'new phase'
Heavy attacks were reported in Tehran on Friday after Israel said it was hitting "regime infrastructure" in a "new phase" of the war it launched with the United States against Iran.
Nepal counts votes after key post-uprising election
Counting was underway in Nepal on Friday, after a high-stakes parliamentary election that could reshape the country's leadership following 2025 protests that toppled the government.
Iran missile barrage sparks explosions over Tel Aviv
The latest Iranian missile barrage sparked a wave of explosions across Tel Aviv as firefighters worked to contain a blaze at a residential building near Israel's commercial hub on Friday.
El Salvador's Bukele holding dozens of political prisoners: rights group
The government of El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, known for a harsh crackdown on street gangs and dissent, is holding dozens of political prisoners, a rights group charged Thursday.