Powerful earthquake off Indonesia kills 20, sparks mass evacuations

Rescuers combed through debris for survivors Saturday after a powerful earthquake struck off Flores island in eastern Indonesia, killing at least 20 people and sending thousands fleeing. As the full scale of the disaster unfolded, rescue official Fathur Rahman told AFP at least 20 people were confirmed dead from four different towns on the island, popular with tourists. "From the reports we have received, 20 people have died, six are injured, and two are still buried," Fathur said by telephone f

2026-08-15 10:40:37:00

Trump says will 'soon' declare Hormuz strait US territory

US President Donald Trump on Friday said he would "soon" declare the Strait of Hormuz waterway part of US territory after defeating Iran. "After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated -- pretty soon I'll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States," he said with a chuckle during a political rally at a police academy in New York state. "It's true," he added. Trump, together with Israel, launched a war against Iran on February 28 with the stated aims of en

2026-08-15 10:23:52:00

Typhoon Dolphin makes landfall in China after flight cancellations, evacuations

Typhoon Dolphin made landfall in densely populated eastern China on Sunday, meteorological authorities said, after the storm triggered more than 1,000 flight cancellations, evacuations and a top-level alert. China's east coast has been preparing for the storm's arrival in recent days, with work and transport services suspended in some areas along its predicted path. The centre of the typhoon moved over the coastline near Yuhuan City in Zhejiang Province at about 5:30 pm (0930 GMT), China's Natio

2026-08-09 22:03:41:00

Ukraine's Zelensky visits Russian ally Serbia as Moscow pounds Kyiv

President Volodymyr Zelensky was making his first official visit to Serbia -- a rare European country still closely aligned with Moscow -- on Saturday as Ukraine seeks to bolster international support in the face of intensifying Russian strikes. Zelensky was to hold talks with his counterpart Alexander Vucic at the presidential palace on Saturday, after another intense bombardment of Kyiv and the surrounding region overnight killed at least four people. Diplomacy is at a standstill more than fou

2026-08-08 17:11:57:00

China draws up safety rules for autonomous vehicles

BEIJING (AFP) -- China has drawn up new safety rules for the growing number of autonomous vehicles on its roads, including a mandatory deactivation override, the government said Tuesday. The standards taking effect July 1, 2027 will cover autonomous vehicles that require a human back-up driver, as well as independently operating vehicles such as the robotaxis made by US manufacturer Waymo. Under the new rules, manufacturers will have to ensure autonomous systems can match the safety of human dri

2026-08-04 20:40:48:00

Top North Korea official blasts ASEAN for urging denuclearisation

The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attacked the bloc of Southeast Asian nations on Monday for seeking a denuclearised Korean peninsula, blasting the position as "stupid and foolish." At its annual regional forum last week, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations expressed "grave concern" over Pyongyang's ongoing nuclear weapons development and stressed the importance of dialogue "to realize lasting peace and stability in a denuclearized Korean Peninsula." North Korea has l

2026-07-27 08:25:33:00

Civilian plane crash kills 11 in France: local authorities

TOMBLAINE, France (AFP) -- A civilian aircraft carrying skydivers crashed near the eastern French town of Tomblaine on Sunday, killing all 11 people on board, local authorities said, in one of France's deadliest light aircraft accidents. The crash killed five instructors, five students, and the pilot, said Yves Seguy, the prefect of the eastern department of Meurthe-et-Moselle. "There were no bystanders among the victims," he added, speaking at a press conference. The aircraft, registered in Ger

2026-06-28 21:57:02:00

Iran warns challenge to Hormuz routes will spike Middle East tensions

TEHRAN (AFP) -- Iran's top diplomat warned Sunday that any attempt to bypass the Strait of Hormuz routes agreed with the United States would "increase tensions" in the Middle East, as the countries traded attacks and accusations of violating a fragile truce. The exchanges underscored the fragility of a Pakistan-brokered agreement aimed at ending a war launched by the United States and Israel in February, which disrupted shipping through the strait and rattled global energy markets. "Any attempt

2026-06-28 21:09:18:00

Yoon Ina stretches lead to five strokes Women's PGA Championship

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- Yoon Ina conjured five birdies in a three-under par 69 on Friday to push her lead to five strokes in the Women's PGA Championship, where Nelly Korda was six adrift in her bid for a third straight major title. Yoon, whose Thursday 63 matched the lowest first round in the history of the event, built a 36-hole total of 12-under 132 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota, where she'll take the lead into the weekend in a major championship for the first time. "It's a

2026-06-27 11:30:24:00

Trump, Iran's president sign deal to end Mideast war

US President Donald Trump and Iran's president signed a deal Wednesday meant to end the Middle East war, with Tehran agreeing to dilute its enriched uranium in return for large-scale economic relief. Trump put his signature to the memorandum of understanding during dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Palace of Versailles following a G7 summit, a US official told AFP. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, quoted by the state news agency IRNA, said the document "was fi

2026-06-18 08:22:57:00