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Street protests grip Sri Lanka as economic crisis escalates
Street protests gripped Sri Lanka Friday as demonstrators blocked main roads across the country, a day after hundreds tried to storm the president's home in anger over an unprecedented economic crisis.
On patrol with Kharkiv's elite 'Spetsnaz' police force
Shouts, the doors are kicked down and a window smashed. In a matter of seconds, the hotel is surrounded and its occupants find themselves on the ground, wrists tied, or with their hands against the wall and a Kalashnikov in the small of their back.
Survivors of Mariupol theatre strike recall 'horror' of strike
Two women that survived the Russian airstrike on a theatre sheltering civilians in Ukraine's besieged city of Mariupol earlier this month told AFP about the "horror" they endured.
Russian director in Germany after travel ban lifted
Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov was permitted to leave the country and has travelled to Berlin, his team told AFP on Friday.
Ukraine eyes Romanian port for key farm exports
Faced with a Russian blockade of its own ports, Ukraine is seeking to export the farm goods that many countries depend on via the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta.
War disfigures the cities of southern Ukraine
It is here on the charming Deribasovska pedestrian street that Viktor Oliynik has planted his easel to capture in pastel colours the wartime transformation of Odessa, whose architectural gems are now partially hidden behind sandbags.
Smoke signals: US House to vote for cannabis decriminalization
US lawmakers were expected to vote Friday to decriminalize marijuana nationwide, eliminating punishments for providing or possessing the drug in a major step towards bringing federal laws in line with the states.
EU warns China against backing Russia's Ukraine war
Top EU officials warned China's leader Xi Jinping at a virtual summit Friday that any attempt to aid Russia's war in Ukraine could hurt business ties between the two economic superpowers.
First aid convoy in three months to enter Ethiopia's Tigray soon: UN
The first international aid convoy in three months will soon enter Ethiopia's war-stricken Tigray region, the UN said on Friday, one week after the government and Tigrayan rebels agreed to a conditional truce.
Ukraine air strike hits fuel depot in Russia: governor
A Russian governor on Friday accused Ukrainian helicopters of bombing a fuel storage depot in western Russia, sparking a huge fire, in Kyiv's first reported air strike on Russian soil.
Russia's Lavrov praises India's stance on Ukraine
Russia's foreign minister on Friday praised India's refusal to condemn the Ukraine invasion, saying Moscow and Delhi would find ways to circumvent "illegal" Western sanctions and continue to trade.
Russia offers to educate Depardieu on Ukraine
The Kremlin on Friday offered to "explain" Moscow's actions in Ukraine to French actor Gerard Depardieu after he denounced Russian President Vladimir Putin's "crazy, unacceptable excesses".
Ukrainian Paralympian escapes Russian-held city to safety
With her wheelchair perched on her lap, Ukrainian world champion powerlifter Raisa Toporkova escaped with friends from the occupied city of Enerhodar where Russian forces were shelling Europe's largest nuclear power facility.
EU pushes China to rethink Russia ties over Ukraine
The EU sought Friday to convince China's leaders at a virtual summit not to back Russia in its war on Ukraine as the conflict threatened to hit vital trade ties between the economic superpowers.
UN says 'tragedy must stop' as 4.1 million Ukrainians flee
The number of Ukrainian refugees fleeing Russia's war in their country has crossed 4.1 million, the United Nations said Friday, adding: "This tragedy must stop".
Moscow accuses Kyiv of air strike in Russia in new snag for talks
Moscow on Friday accused Kyiv of carrying out its first air strike on Russian soil, further dashing hopes of any deescalation in President Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine.
Stocks rise, oil steady before US jobs data, IEA meet
The world's major stock markets mostly rose and oil prices steadied Friday as investors awaited US jobs data for an update on the world's biggest economy, faced with soaring global inflation.
Ukraine war pushes eurozone inflation to new record
Spiralling energy bills and disruptions caused by the war in Ukraine caused consumer prices in the eurozone to surge by a new record of 7.5 percent, EU statistics agency Eurostat said Friday.
Moscow accuses Kyiv of airstrike in Russia in new snag for peace talks
Moscow on Friday accused Kyiv of carrying out its first airstrike on Russian soil, further dashing hopes of any deescalation in President Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine.
Sri Lanka steps up security as anger over economic crisis boils over
Sri Lanka was under heavy security on Friday after hundreds of protesters tried to storm the president's home in a night of violence and anger at the unprecedented economic crisis.
Ukrainian refugee to train with Man City
Ukraine under-21 international Andrii Kravchuk will train with Premier League champions Manchester City after travelling to Britain as a refugee.
Markets mixed at start of new quarter, while oil extends losses
Equities were mixed Friday after their worst quarter since the early days of the pandemic as traders assess the impact of the war in Ukraine and the Federal Reserve's plans to fight surging inflation by ramping up interest rates.
Kuti family keeps up Fela's Afrobeat legacy
In the Kuti family, music is clearly in the genes.
Polish pushbacks to Belarus go on as Ukrainians welcomed
Poland has welcomed two million refugees from war-torn Ukraine at lightning speed and with open arms. Yet just north of that border, the EU member continues to push back those crossing from Belarus.
Hungary's Orban faces first united opposition in tight vote
After a tense campaign dominated by Russia's invasion of neighbouring Ukraine, Hungarians will vote in a general election on Sunday with polls giving the edge to incumbent nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Russia regrouping for 'powerful strikes', Zelensky warns
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Russia is consolidating and preparing "powerful strikes" in the country's east and south, including besieged Mariupol, where a new attempt will be made Friday to evacuate civilians from the devastated city.
Sri Lanka steps up security as anger over crisis boils over
Sri Lanka's capital was under heavy security on Friday after hundreds of protesters tried to storm the president's home in a night of violence and anger at a dire economic crisis.
Asian markets fall further and oil extends steep losses
Equities fell Friday after their worst quarter since the early days of the pandemic as traders assess the impact of the war in Ukraine and the Federal Reserve's plans to fight surging inflation by ramping up interest rates.
Russia forces regrouping to attack south, Ukraine president warns
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Russia is consolidating and preparing "powerful strikes" in the country's south, including besieged Mariupol, where a new attempt will be made Friday to evacuate civilians from the devastated city.
Scandal-tainted candidates face off in Costa Rican presidential run-off
Costa Ricans head to the polls on Sunday to elect a new president, facing a choice between a candidate once investigated for corruption and another once demoted over sexual harassment allegations.
Former soldier reveals Argentine torture in Falklands war
Some soldiers were buried up to their necks in snow, others tied to posts by their limbs.
Ukrainian girl's risky pipeline dash from Russians
The little girl in the pink bobble hat looks warily down at the water as the Ukrainian soldier carries her across a long, narrow pipeline on the frontline east of Kyiv.
Former Brazilian judge Sergio Moro ends campaign for president
Sergio Moro, a former anti-corruption judge and leading third-party candidate in Brazil's presidential election, announced Thursday he is ending his campaign.
Italian aid worker recalls brutal treatment by IS 'Beatles'
An Italian aid worker described being beaten with a rubber cable and waterboarded in harrowing testimony Thursday at the trial of a jihadist accused of being one of his Islamic State captors known as the "Beatles."
Russians leave Chernobyl with Ukrainian troops as hostages: Kyiv
Russian troops on Tuesday vacated Ukraine's Chernobyl nuclear power plant after weeks of occupation, but took an unspecified number of captive Ukrainian servicemen with them, officials in Kyiv said on Thursday.
UN Security Council votes for new Somalia peacekeeping force
The UN Security Council on Thursday voted unanimously for a new African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia, where Al-Shabaab insurgents have been seeking to overthrow the fragile government for more than a decade.
Putin's gas threat as Ukraine, West dismiss de-escalation claim
Russia threatened Thursday to turn off its gas taps to Europe, opening up a new front in its war in Ukraine amid growing scepticism over Moscow's claim it is scaling back its onslaught.
War in Ukraine could 'drag on for awhile' as Russia eyes Donbas: Pentagon
Russia may be repositioning some of its forces around the Ukrainian capital Kyiv to send them to the eastern Donbas region, where Ukrainian forces have been putting up fierce resistance, the Pentagon said Thursday.
Biden says unprecedented use of oil stockpile will ease US fuel costs 'pain'
President Joe Biden announced Thursday a record release from US strategic oil reserves to "ease the pain" of soaring domestic fuel prices, saying the "wartime" measure will defuse Russia's leverage as an energy power.