Win or lose, Simone Biles has already claimed a slice of history at the Tokyo Olympics. The reigning all-around champion -- long-regarded as the greatest gymnast of all time -- has become the first athlete to be awarded their own emoji on Twitter. ...

The Dominican Republic's President Luis Abinader received a third Covid vaccine dose on Wednesday and urged the population of the tourism-reliant Caribbean nation to follow his example. The 54-year-old, who had previously received two doses of the ...

International Olympic Committee vice-president John Coates on Thursday denied bullying a female politician to attend the Tokyo Games opening ceremony, after some labelled him a "mansplaining dinosaur". Coates, also the head of the Australian Olympi...

Pyongyang sweltered on Wednesday as state media issued warnings about a heatwave across North Korea. This summer, the country recorded higher-than-average temperatures that are hovering around 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) in the capit...

China on Thursday said a WHO proposal to audit Chinese labs as part of further investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic showed "disrespect" and "arrogance towards science". Last week, the World Health Organization said a second st...

Sifan Hassan may have raised eyebrows when she announced an unprecedented bid for triple Olympic gold in the 1500m, 5000m and 10,000m, but on previous form she looks tailor-made to make history in Tokyo. The 28-year-old, born in Ethiopia but now a ...

Australia's prime minister on Thursday apologised for the country's glacial vaccine rollout, as Sydney recorded a record jump in new coronavirus infections. Scott Morrison is under fierce public pressure to improve a vaccination rate currently lang...

South Africa's jailed ex-president Jacob Zuma was granted compassionate leave from prison on Thursday so he can attend his brother's funeral, the government said. Zuma, 79, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for contempt of court last month after...

One of the strangest Olympics in history will get off to an equally unusual start when the Tokyo 2020 opening ceremony takes place in front of thousands of empty seats on Friday. Just 1,000 dignitaries will be present at the 68,000-seat Olympic Sta...

People obtaining a national identity document in Argentina were able to mark their gender with an "X" beginning Wednesday, under a presidential decree that puts the nation at the forefront of such issues in Latin America. This new option, which ext...

It's been a rocky road for Tokyo 2020, from virus postponement to multiple scandals and unprecedented restrictions on fans. Here, AFP chronicles Japan's troubled journey to the Olympics. - 2013: Tears and cheers - News presenters shed tears and c...

Will Claye says the darkest moment of his life could ultimately lead to the greatest achievement of his career. In January last year, the US triple jumper was facing up to the grim prospect that his chances of competing at a third Olympics were ove...

After years of climate-worsened damage to its vibrant corals, Australia's vast Great Barrier Reef could this week be added to UNESCO's list of endangered World Heritage sites. Along with six other sites globally that are grappling with issues like ...

Seven Hong Kong government supporters who took part in a violent assault on democracy supporters and commuters were jailed on Thursday for what the trial judge described as an "indiscriminate attack". The jailings came exactly two years after a gan...

A new attempt at purifying New Delhi's notoriously polluted air will see forty giant fans push out filtered air in the heart of the Indian capital's posh downtown shopping district. But the $2 million "smog tower" has no shortage of doubters who s...