Taliban fighters took control of a key district in Afghanistan's northern Kunduz province Monday and encircled the provincial capital, police said, as the insurgent group added to its recent battlefield victories while peace talks have stalemated. ...

Hong Kong's embattled pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily has been hit by a wave of resignations as authorities push to silence the outspoken tabloid and staff mull whether to leave or stay until the bitter end. On late Monday afternoon, Apple Dail...

Myanmar soldiers battled an anti-junta civilian militia with small arms and grenades in the country's second city on Tuesday, with four protesters killed and several members of the security forces injured, authorities said. Fighting has flared acr...

Sydney was battling a fresh Covid-19 cluster on Tuesday just as Melbourne's latest outbreak receded, highlighting Australia's difficulty in quashing persistent small virus flare-ups. Ten people were diagnosed with Covid-19 in Sydney overnight, taki...

In the offices of a small Athens charity offering vocational courses, a group of women are busy editing short films and podcasts under the supervision of an American director. Refugees from Congo, Syria, Afghanistan and Iran, the women are being tr...

Jon Rahm's maiden major at Torrey Pines dominates AFP Sport's golf talking points this week: - Family ties - As eventual US Open winner Jon Rahm stayed loose in case of a playoff after finishing his final round at Torrey Pines on Sunday, TV viewer...

New York City residents cast ballots in a Democratic primary Tuesday that will select the candidate almost certain to take over as mayor tasked with shaping the post-pandemic future of America's largest metropolis. Registered Democrats will choose ...

The Tokyo Olympics have weathered a historic postponement, an unprecedented ban on overseas fans and persistent domestic opposition, but with one month to go, the finish line is finally in sight. The journey to this year's Games has involved a long...

The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Tuesday that Washington had "wrong" expectations for dialogue with Pyongyang and was facing "greater disappointment", state media reported. Kim Yo Jong's comments came after US nationa...

Infectious disease expert Atsuo Hamada still fondly remembers the thrill of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, but with a month until Japan hosts the Games again, he has concerns. The journey to this year's Games has been like no other. After a historic pand...

Colombia's death toll from Covid-19 passed the 100,000 mark on Monday with a new 24-hour record of almost 650 deaths, the health ministry said. After three weeks of demonstrations that have brought thousands of people into the streets to protest t...

Five stars to watch at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which start on July 23 after a year's delay because of the coronavirus pandemic: - Naomi Osaka - The Japanese tennis star's return to action is certain to draw plenty of attention after she withdrew ...

World anti-doping chiefs insist they are not overly worried by athletes who may have tried to take advantage of reduced drugs testing programmes during the coronavirus pandemic. With just one month to go before the Tokyo Olympics, Olivier Niggli, t...

From a historic virus postponement and summer heat fears to unprecedented restrictions on fans, the path to staging the Tokyo Olympics has been far from smooth. With one month until the opening ceremony on July 23, AFP chronicles Tokyo's troubled j...

Media outlets in Hong Kong must not "subvert" the government, the city's leader said Tuesday, rejecting US criticism of recent action against a pro-democracy newspaper under a powerful new security law. Hong Kong has long hosted a vibrant internati...