AFP Top News

Lucas Bergvall condemned Liverpool to only their second defeat this season as the teenager’s late strike earned Tottenham a controversial 1-0 win in the League Cup semi-final first leg on Wednesday.Bergvall struck with just four minutes left in north London, but Liverpool boss Arne Slot was furious that the Swede was still on the pitch …

Bergvall strikes as Spurs snatch League Cup semi-final lead over Liverpool Read More »

Scores of thousands of Catholic pilgrims swarmed the streets of Manila in search of a miracle Thursday, straining to reach a centuries-old statue of Jesus Christ in an annual display of religious fervour.The procession to the Philippine capital’s Quiapo Church, which started before dawn after an open-air mass, was expected to swell to more than …

Crowds throng as Jesus statue parades through Philippine capital Read More »

Giovana Serrao was not home when a fire lit in a neighboring agricultural field got out of control and destroyed her acai palms on the island of Marajo in the Brazilian Amazon.Paulinho dos Santos remembers the dark nights in November when he would leap out of bed to use buckets of water to douse flames …

‘No more fires,’ demand fed-up Amazon residents Read More »

Opponents of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro condemned a new crackdown on his critics ahead of planned protests Thursday over his inauguration for a highly contested third term later this week.Opposition parties and NGOs reported a wave of detentions ahead of the protests, including a press freedom activist and a politician who ran against Maduro in …

Venezuela repression increases ahead of crunch anti-Maduro protests Read More »

A-list actors, musicians and other celebrities were among the tens of thousands of people affected by terrifying wildfires in Los Angeles Wednesday, as the entertainment industry screeched to a halt amid the chaos.The showbiz capital has been besieged by multiple out-of-control blazes, with Hollywood events including a glitzy awards show and a Pamela Anderson film …

Celebrities flee Los Angeles fires as Hollywood events scrapped Read More »

Gunmen launched an attack on the presidential complex in Chad’s capital N’Djamena on Wednesday, sparking a battle that left 18 attackers and one security personnel member dead and several others injured, the government said.AFP reporters heard gunfire erupt near the site in N’Djamena, with tanks seen on the street, while security sources reported that armed …

Fighting at Chad presidency leaves 19 dead, several injured Read More »

Dozens of evacuated Los Angeles residents stared incredulously at the thick cloud of black smoke blotting out the sun, scarcely able to believe the scale of the wildfires, and fearing that their homes could be destroyed next.They have gathered above Santa Monica Canyon, near the upscale Pacific Palisades neighborhood where devastating flames first broke out …

Displaced LA residents in shock at scale of fire destruction Read More »

Gunfire erupted Wednesday evening inside the presidency in Chad’s capital N’Djamena, with tanks and a heavy security presence on the streets, according to AFP reporters on the scene and security sources.Several hours later, Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah appeared in a video on Facebook, surrounded by soldiers, saying that “the situation is completely under control… the …

Gunfire erupts inside presidency in Chad capital Read More »

Opponents of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday decried a worsening crackdown 48 hours before he is to be sworn in on the back of elections he is widely accused of having stolen.An opposition presidential rival and a press freedom activist were among the latest to be detained, their teams said, amid reports of critics …

Venezuela opposition decry crackdown before Maduro swearing-in Read More »

World-famous actors, musicians and celebrities were among the tens of thousands of people affected by terrifying wildfires tearing through Los Angeles on Wednesday.The entertainment capital was besieged by out-of-control blazes burning on multiple fronts, with glitzy Hollywood events including a Pamela Anderson film premiere cancelled as hundreds of firefighters battled nearby flames whipped up by …

Celebrities flee Los Angeles blazes as Hollywood premieres scrapped Read More »