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Russian private military contractors in the Central African Republic told AFP they took any threats to the upcoming elections in the volatile country "extremely seriously" and were ready to "repel any provocations".

The newest US document dump on Jeffrey Epstein is sprawling, uneven and heavily redacted -- but tucked inside are moments that have sharpened scrutiny on President Donald Trump's long-acknowledged past association with the notorious sex offender.

The UK government said Tuesday it will raise inheritance tax thresholds for farmers' estates from £1 million to £2.5 million, signalling a major climbdown of a policy that triggered months of protests.

A Pakistani firm won an auction Tuesday with a $482 million bid for a majority stake in the embattled national carrier PIA, a deal seen as a litmus test of the government's pledge to sell off loss-making state companies.

Wall Street's main stock indices briefly slid lower on Tuesday as much stronger-than-expected US growth figures befuddled hopes for further interest rate cuts, while gold and silver struck fresh records.

The Democratic Republic of Congo edged out Benin 1-0 in their opening game at the Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday, with Theo Bongonda scoring the only goal of the Group D clash.

A new batch of files released Tuesday by the US government in relation to the notorious late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein contains numerous references to Donald Trump, including documents detailing flights he took on his then close friend's private jet.

A Russian strike could collapse the internal radiation shelter at the defunct Chernobyl nuclear power station in Ukraine, the plant's director has told AFP.

South Africa's two-time World Cup winning captain Siya Kolisi will return to the Stormers in July 2026, the Cape Town-based franchise announced on Tuesday.

Italy's competition authority said on Tuesday it had fined low-cost airline Ryanair more than 255 million euros ($300 million) for allegedly abusing its dominant position to block travel agencies' access to its services.

Algeria captain Riyad Mahrez is confident his side can make up for poor showings at the last two editions of the Africa Cup of Nations as the 2019 champions prepare to begin their campaign in Morocco on Wednesday.

A Croatian court sentenced a 20-year-old to the maximum 50 years in prison for stabbing a seven-year-old pupil to death at a school in December last year and wounding four other people.

Thousands of new documents linked to the case of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were made available Tuesday by the US Department of Justice (DOJ), amid mounting criticism over the pace of the publication and heavy redactions.

Stock markets steadied on Tuesday, while gold and silver hit fresh records as optimism for US rate cuts helped investors ease into the festive break.

Bangladesh on Tuesday summoned the top Indian envoy as fresh protests erupted outside its high commission in New Delhi over the mob lynching of a Hindu worker in Dhaka.

Alexander Isak is expected to be out of action for two months after fracturing his leg against Tottenham, with Liverpool manager Arne Slot accusing Tottenham's Micky van de Ven of making a "reckless challenge".

Thailand on Tuesday rejected a request by Cambodia to hold bilateral talks in a neutral country, leaving a planned meeting to negotiate an end to deadly border clashes in doubt.

Pulling out the stops in a high-octane promotional campaign, Timothee Chalamet has fully immersed himself in the role of "Marty Supreme", a 1950s table tennis player consumed by grand ambitions, says director Josh Safdie.

Vlada Ovchinnikova stood posing for her boyfriend at a stall offering mugs of steaming wine, as children rode horses on a brightly-lit merry-go-round in front of a giant Christmas tree.

When her children, trembling with fear, ask where the family can go to escape Israel's continued bombardment in southern Gaza's Khan Yunis area, Umm Ahmed has no answer.

Turquoise waves splash against the white sand beaches of the Bijagos archipelago, where locals fear rising sea levels will swallow their islands whole.

Most markets rose Tuesday, while gold and silver hit fresh records as optimism for more US interest rate cuts and an easing of AI fears helped investors prepare for the festive break on a positive note.

Cambodia has asked Thailand to hold bilateral talks in the neutral venue of Kuala Lumpur, according to a letter seen by AFP on Tuesday, with the nations set to negotiate truce terms after two weeks of deadly border clashes.

In Bilyana Nikolova's grocery store in Chuprene, a village in northwestern Bulgaria, prices are now displayed in levs and euros on hundreds of food products and other items.

England managing director Rob Key pledged Tuesday to investigate whether players' drinking on a mid-Ashes beach break went too far, after reports said it had been like a "stag-do."

The US economy is expected to post another solid economic growth reading Tuesday, but the much-delayed figures likely will not settle debate on the labor market, AI and other variables.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder got back to winning ways with a 119-103 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.

US tech giant Amazon said it has blocked over 1,800 North Koreans from joining the company, as Pyongyang sends large numbers of IT workers overseas to earn and launder funds.

President Donald Trump on Monday reiterated that the United States needed Greenland for "national security" after his appointment of a special envoy to the Danish Arctic island triggered a new spat with Copenhagen.

Brock Purdy threw five touchdowns as the San Francisco 49ers all but ended the Indianapolis Colts' hopes of reaching the postseason with a 48-27 victory on Monday.

Australia skipper Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon were on Tuesday ruled out of the final two Ashes Tests against England with the veteran spinner facing surgery and an extended period on the sidelines.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter opened a lavish new mountain resort complete with "cosy" leisure spaces, barbecue restaurants and hot tubs, state media said Tuesday.

Equities extended a global rally Tuesday, while gold and silver hit fresh records as optimism for more US interest rate cuts and an easing of AI fears helped investors prepare for the festive break on a positive note.

Australia's most populous state was set Tuesday to approve sweeping laws cracking down on guns and giving authorities the power to ban protests after the nation's deadliest mass shooting in decades.

When her children, trembling with fear, ask where the family can go to escape Israel's continued bombardment in southern Gaza's Khan Yunis area, Umm Ahmed has no answer.

Grieving mother Lee Hyo-eun returns every weekend to the airport where her daughter and 178 others died last year, desperate for the truth about South Korea's deadliest airline disaster.

Myanmar's military has ruled the country for most of its post-independence history, presenting itself as the only force capable of guarding the fractious Southeast Asian nation from rupture and ruin.

Myanmar's military-run elections are being pilloried abroad and shunned at home, but neighbouring China has emerged as an enthusiastic backer of the pariah poll.

Myanmar's junta is set to preside over voting starting Sunday, touting heavily restricted polls as a return to democracy five years after it ousted the last elected government, triggering civil war.