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Germany knife attack on children reignites pre-vote migrant debate

A deadly knife attack on a kindergarten group in Germany, where an Afghan man was arrested at the scene, reignited a bitter immigration debate Thursday, a month before elections.

'Shattered souls': tears as UK child killer sentenced to life

A judge on Thursday jailed for life a British teenager who killed three young girls in a frenzied stabbing spree, as the families wept in court at horrific details of the "extreme violence" he inflicted on them.

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Malaysia agrees to resume search for missing MH370 plane

Malaysia announced on Friday it has agreed to launch a new search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which disappeared 10 years ago in one of aviation's greatest enduring mysteries.

'You always feel vulnerable': Britons impacted by no-fault evictions

Sitting by the fireplace in her house in the south of England, Jackie Bennett recalls the shock she felt when she received out-of-the-blue an eviction notice giving her just two months to move out.

Cod is king in Portugal at Christmas

Salt cod has long been a national staple in Portugal, where it is said there are as many recipes for this humble fish as there are days in the year.

Macron extends visit cyclone-hit Mayotte after locals vent anger

French President Emmanuel Macron extended his visit to cyclone-devastated Mayotte on Friday after angry residents vented exasperation and despair over the scale of the disaster.

Rescuers extend search for Vanuatu quake survivors

Rescuers say they have expanded a search for survivors in quake-rocked Vanuatu to "numerous places of collapse" beyond the stricken capital, as the reported death toll climbed to 10.

Bride, groom, spy: India's wedding detectives

From an anonymous office in a New Delhi mall, matrimonial detective Bhavna Paliwal runs the rule over prospective husbands and wives -- a booming industry in India, where younger generations are increasingly choosing love matches over arranged marriage.

In wartime Bethlehem, Christmas joy hard to find

On Bethlehem's Manger Square, Christmas decorations and pilgrims are notably absent for a second wartime festive season in the Israeli-occupied West Bank city.

Brazil bar gets 24K Magic moment with Bruno Mars visit

Lacador, a small bar in the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte, has got its uptown funk on following a surprise visit by US pop hitmaker Bruno Mars.

Suspect in health CEO killing charged with murder in New York

The man accused of gunning down a US insurance executive in Manhattan -- a killing that tapped into widespread anger with the American health care system -- appeared in a New York court Thursday to face federal charges including murder.

Panama says 55 migrants have died crossing jungle this year

Fifty-five US-bound migrants have died and 180 children have been abandoned this year while crossing the treacherous Darien jungle from Colombia, Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino said Thursday.

Oklahoma carries out the 25th and final US execution this year

An Oklahoma man who killed a 10-year-old girl was put to death on Thursday in the 25th and final execution in the United States this year.

Outrage, relief: emotions mixed following French mass rape trial verdict

Silence fell in the courtroom after a French judge delivered his verdict on Thursday, finding all 51 defendants guilty in the mass rape trial that has horrified the country.

Gisele Pelicot hailed as hero after ex-husband jailed in France mass rape trial

French woman Gisele Pelicot, who survived a decade of sexual abuse by her husband and dozens of strangers, said she hoped her ordeal would help make the world a better place for "women and men alike" as her former spouse was jailed for 20 years.

Influencer Andrew Tate avoids Romania trafficking trial for now

A Romanian court on Thursday granted an appeal by controversial influencer Andrew Tate, refusing to put him on trial over human trafficking charges for now, and referring the case back to prosecutors.

Locals shout out their grievances as Macron visits Mayotte

Distraught and angry inhabitants of Mayotte shouted out their grievances to French President Emmanuel Macron Thursday, five days after the Indian Ocean archipelago was devastated by a cyclone.

'A very difficult ordeal': Gisele Pelicot's statement after mass rape trial

Gisele Pelicot's ex-husband was jailed on Thursday for 20 years over her drugging and mass rape by strangers recruited online, in a case that shocked France and resonated around the world.

France footballer Paul Pogba's brother sentenced to year in prison in extortion case

A Paris court on Thursday sentenced a brother of France midfielder Paul Pogba to a three-year prison term, with two years suspended, after convicting him in a high-profile extortion case.

Dominique Pelicot: the 'monster' whose facade crumbled

His loved ones knew him as a devoted family man. But he had for years been recruiting dozens of strangers to rape his drugged wife without her knowledge.

Macron hears accounts of despair in Mayotte after cyclone disaster

Distraught and angry inhabitants of Mayotte shouted out their despair to French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, five days after the Indian Ocean archipelago was devastated by a cyclone, with lacking water and food, and fear of looting topping the grievances.

Ex-husband of Gisele Pelicot found guilty in France mass rape trial

A court on Thursday convicted a French man of aggravated rape for committing and orchestrating the mass rape of his now former wife Gisele Pelicot with dozens of strangers who he recruited online, after an over three month trial that shocked France.

Sony buys 10% of 'Elden Ring' owner for $320 mn

Japanese electronics titan Sony said Thursday it had paid more than $300 million for a 10 percent stake in the media conglomerate behind the smash-hit game 'Elden Ring'.

France's Macron arrives in cyclone-hit Mayotte to assess devastation

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday arrived in Mayotte to assess the devastation wrought by Cyclone Chido on the Indian Ocean archipelago, as rescuers raced to search for survivors and supply desperately needed aid.

International rescuers join search for Vanuatu quake survivors

Overseas rescuers joined a hunt for survivors in the rubble of shattered buildings in earthquake-struck Vanuatu on Thursday, with officials saying the toll of nine dead is set to rise.

France's Macron in cyclone-hit Mayotte to assess devastation

French President Emmanuel Macron is set to arrive in Mayotte Thursday to assess the devastation wrought by Cyclone Chido on the Indian Ocean archipelago, as rescuers race to search for survivors and supply desperately needed aid.

Storm fears overshadow India coast decades after tsunami

The deadly tsunami that swamped India's southern coast two decades ago was a one-off disaster, but storms that are growing ever more intense spark panic each time howling gales whip up waves.

Rescuers fly in to join search for Vanuatu quake survivors

Foreign rescuers joined a hunt for survivors in the rubble of shattered buildings in earthquake-rocked Vanuatu on Thursday, with officials saying the toll of nine dead is set to rise.

Hanoi karaoke bar fire kills 11, arson suspected

A fire ripped through a karaoke bar in the Vietnamese capital, killing 11 people and injuring two others in a case of suspected arson, police said Thursday.

Verdicts awaited in rape trial that shocked France

The French man who has admitted to enlisting dozens of strangers to rape his heavily-sedated wife on Thursday faces being jailed for up to 20 years as the court issues its verdicts after a three-month trial that shocked France and resonated around the world.

Spain targets Airbnb in illegal ads probe

Spain's leftist government on Wednesday opened an investigation into holiday rental platform Airbnb for allegedly failing to take down adverts for thousands of apartments without a tourist licence.

Stone tablet engraved with Ten Commandments sells for $5 million

A stone tablet carrying engravings of the Ten Commandments sold for $5 million at auction on Wednesday, Sotheby's announced.

Notre Dame cathedral unveils controversial new stained glass windows

Designs for six new stained glass windows in fire-damaged Notre Dame cathedral were unveiled for the first time on Wednesday, with contemporary French painter Claire Tabouret chosen for a project intended to add a modern flourish to the 12th-century masterpiece.

'Ordinary and out of the ordinary': covering France's mass rape trial

France's trial of a man who drugged his wife so dozens of strangers could rape her while unconscious has been both ordinary and extraordinary, AFP journalists who have been covering it say.

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