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Pope Francis embarks on his fifth visit to Africa on Tuesday, flying to the Democratic Republic of Congo and then South Sudan to plead for peace in the two violence-plagued nations.

Pakistan is gripped by a major economic crisis, with the rupee plummeting, inflation soaring and energy in short supply as IMF officials visit to discuss a vital cash injection.

When energy prices blew up last year in the wake of Russia's war in Ukraine, Belgian glassblower Christophe Genard had no other option but to close for three months.

As Britain endures a cost-of-living crisis, public libraries and other community hubs are providing "warm spaces" for vulnerable members of society to stay safe and access free food this winter.

Rising demand from Europe has added to a US natural gas investment boom even as the industry struggles to overcome opposition to pipeline construction.

Bodies were still being pulled Tuesday from the wreckage of a mosque blast that targeted police officers in northwestern Pakistan, killing more than 80 people and wounding 150 more.

Two years after a coup snuffed out Myanmar's short-lived democratic experiment, the country's military is planning elections that analysts warn could spark further bloodshed as opposition to junta rule rages on.

Right-wing ideologues funded by fossil fuels, fame-seeking narcissists and doubt mongers monetising their content are pushing climate disinformation that undermines the fight against global warming, researchers say.

False information about climate change flourished online over the past year, researchers say, with denialist social media posts and conspiracy theories surging after US environmental reforms and Elon Musk's Twitter takeover.

China's factory activity expanded in January after months of contraction, official data showed Tuesday, as the world's second-largest economy stirs back to life after Beijing ended strict Covid curbs.

Even before his onions are fully grown, Philippine farmer Luis Angeles races to harvest the crop and cash in on eye-watering prices for a vegetable that has become a luxury item in the country.

France is bracing for major transport blockages on Tuesday, with mass strikes and protests set to hit the country for the second time in a month in objection to a planned reform to raise the retirement age.

Asian markets drifted Tuesday as investors bided their time ahead of a key Federal Reserve policy decision later in the week, while data showing a bounce in Chinese economic activity failed to excite.

China's factory activity expanded in January after four months of contraction, official data showed Tuesday, as its economy rebounded following the relaxation of strict Covid-19 curbs.

Memphis police said Monday a seventh officer has been suspended over the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols, a young Black man whose death shocked the United States and has seen five officers fired and charged with murder.

Former France back-row Olivier Magne said off-the-field problems bedevilling the country's rugby are "sad" to see as Les Bleus prepare to start the defence of their Six Nations crown on Sunday.

One of the last Club World Cups in its current format begins on Wednesday in Morocco, where Real Madrid will be favourites to continue Europe's dominance of the much-maligned FIFA competition.

Eighty years after the devastating battle for Stalingrad in southern Russia, one of the bloodiest chapters of World War II, volunteers like Andrei Oreshkin are still retrieving remains of killed Soviet soldiers.

The Battle of Stalingrad, which turned the tide of World War II 80 years ago when German forces capitulated to the Red Army, remains a powerful symbol of patriotism in Russia as it presses its war in Ukraine.

New Wallabies coach Eddie Jones on Tuesday declared that he's "not the messiah", but he is aiming to win this year's World Cup in France.

Black buffaloes wade through the waters of Iraq's Mesopotamian marshes, leisurely chewing on reeds. After years of drought, winter rains have brought some respite to herders and livestock in the famous wetlands.

A new Australian budget airline, Bonza, launched its first flight Tuesday, promising cheap tickets, onboard craft beer, snags (sausages) and a relaxed approach to crew uniforms.

EMBARGOED. HOLD HOLD HOLD.

When the New York Youth Symphony recorded its debut album during the pandemic's dark early days, violinist Jessica Jeon was just 12 years old.

Decked out in helmet, belt, gold-plated armor and sandals, Juan Pablo Huanacchini Mamani gazes out vacantly from the Ollantaytambo Inca ruins in Peru.

Samsung Electronics said Tuesday that its fourth-quarter operating profits plunged nearly 70 percent, the biggest drop in more than eight years, as the global economic slowdown dealt a blow to electronics and chips sales.

Boeing is set to officially bid farewell to the original jumbo jet, the 747, as it makes its final commercial delivery of an aircraft that democratized flying and serves US presidents.

Yogi, Paddington and Winnie the Pooh, move over. There's a new bear in town. Or on Mars, anyway.

The White House said Monday that the national and public health emergencies declared just as the Covid-19 pandemic took grip three years ago will officially end May 11.

President Joe Biden said Monday the United States would not provide F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, as Kyiv expands the list of weaponry it needs to be better able to drive Russia forces from occupied territories.

The wife of a jailed Bolivian opposition leader accused the government Monday of having used a hidden camera to film "intimacy" between her and her husband on a prison visit.

Peru's Congress on Monday debated a bill to bring forward elections in a bid to end weeks of protests and roadblocks that have left dozens dead.