Sagem Wireless and Agence France Press (AFP) partner to provide sports news and multimedia content through PUMA WORLD portal

Global news agency AFP has launched a mobile news application for the Apple iPhone.

Agence France-Presse announced today the launch of its iPhone application “AFP Mobile” on the Apple App Store. The application for iPhone and iPod Touch enables users to read the latest news from all over the world, delivered with accuracy, speed and in-depth by AFP’s worldwide network of journalists. It gives access to the global news agency’s multimedia content in English, Spanish, Portuguese and German, including breaking world news from wars and conflicts to politics, sport and entertainment, as well as the latest major developments in health, science and technology.

The Philippine Center For Investigative Journalism has won Agence France-Presse's Kate Webb Award for its fearless work in the world's deadliest country for reporters, the agency announced Thursday. The PCIJ has for two decades braved the wrath of powerful interests in the Philippines to expose corruption, the dangers of which were highlighted last month when 31 Filipino journalists were killed in a political massacre.

Eleven international news agencies have launched a joint Facebook page to interact with news consumers across the globe during the United Nations climate conference in Copenhagen.

Getty Images, the leading provider of digital media, and Agence France-Presse, the global press agency, today announced an extension of their global relationship, to provide customers in Italy with a comprehensive news photography service, which will leverage the complementary strengths and experiences of the two partners in the Italian market. The goal of the agreement is to increase the breadth, depth, reach and quality of services provided to their customers in Italy.

AFP has joined forces with the Austrian news agency <a rel="external" href="http://www.apa.at">APA </a> to develop an Event Manager, a multilingual application for the editorial management of news events. It is one of the cornerstones of <a rel="external" href="http://www.afp.com/afpcom/en/content/news/project-rich-media-news">AFP's Rich Media News Agency Project </a>, an ambitious project to transform the agency and sharpen its multimedia edge.

We are coming to the end of a year of multiple crises. We had the financial crisis, of course, which disrupted the global economy, halted growth and pushed up unemployment. But 2009 was also the year that threw into question the entire economic model of the media, notably the written press.

AFP hosted the twice-a-year meeting of<a href="http://www.minds-international.com/"> Minds International Association</a> in Paris from October 8-9. <a href="http://www.minds-international.com/">Minds International</a> is a network of research and development centres for 17 European and North American news agencies (including the Associated Press) which promotes the sharing of best practices, business models, new technology, platforms, products and services.

AFP is preparing full multimedia coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics, being held February 12-28 in Vancouver, Canada. AFP will provide extensive coverage with more than 70 journalists, video reporters, photographers and technicians on the ground in Canada.