Former US president Barack Obama on Tuesday used a tribute to Nelson Mandela to warn of "strange and uncertain times", a day after Donald Trump refused to challenge Vladimir Putin over interference in US elections.

Israel tightened its blockade of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday partly over kites carrying firebombs to burn Israeli farmland as concerns mounted over whether the rudimentary devices could spark another war.

President Donald Trump found himself isolated and under pressure to reverse course Tuesday after publicly challenging the US intelligence conclusion that Russia meddled in the 2016 election during his face-to-face with Vladimir Putin.

Britain's official Brexit campaign, Vote Leave, has been fined and reported to the police for breaking spending rules in the 2016 EU membership referendum, boosting calls Tuesday for a second vote.

The EU is set to fine US internet giant Google several billion euros this week for freezing out rivals of its Android mobile phone system, sources said, in a ruling that risks fresh tensions with Washington.

Peruvian football star Paolo Guerrero can play for his Brazilian club Flamengo when it resumes competition this week, despite his suspension for cocaine use, Switzerland's top court said Tuesday.

The European Court of Human Rights condemned Russia in two separate judgements Tuesday over its investigation into murdered journalist Anna Politkovskaya and its treatment of the protest group Pussy Riot.

Japan and the EU signed a sweeping free trade deal Tuesday saying they were sending a "clear message" against protectionism, as Washington puts up barriers and threatens a trade war.

The EU and Japan signed a sweeping free trade deal Tuesday that officials called a "clear message" against protectionism, as Washington imposes controversial tariffs and threatens a trade war.

"The Acropolis? It's that way." Residents of historic Anafiotika are used to giving directions to tourists, lost in the narrow, winding alleyways of this unique but little-known hillside neighbourhood in the heart of Athens.

The European Union's top officials arrive in Japan Tuesday to sign the single market's biggest trade deal ever and present a united front as Washington upends the international trade order.

Usain Bolt is on the verge of sealing a deal to trial with the A-League's Central Coast Mariners, the Australian club said Tuesday, as the sprint legend pursues his dream of playing professional football.

India has ordered an immediate inspection of all childcare homes run by a religious order founded by Mother Teresa after a nun was arrested over an alleged adoption racket.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un berated officials during inspections of a factory, power station and holiday camp, state media reported Tuesday, with analysts saying the reports show nuclear-armed Pyongyang's desire to focus on economic development.

The World Cup-winning French team returned home to a heroes' welcome on Monday, parading down the Champs-Elysees as hundreds of thousands of cheering fans gave a raucous welcome to the country's newest idols.

British engine maker Rolls-Royce revealed plans this week to develop a hybrid electric vehicle, dubbed the "flying taxi", which takes off and lands vertically and could be airborne within five years.

Secretive "re-education camps" allegedly holding hundreds of thousands of people in a Muslim-majority region in western China are the focus of an explosive court case in Kazakhstan, testing the country's ties with Beijing.

President Donald Trump refused to confront Vladimir Putin over meddling in the US election at their first face to face summit, publicly challenging the findings of the US intelligence community and triggering bipartisan outrage at home.

Donald Trump was fired up. When the US president set off for Europe one week ago he was bent on knocking heads with Washington's allies and finding friendship with Russia.

A 29-year-old Russian woman has been arrested for conspiring to influence US politics by cultivating ties with political groups including the National Rifle Association, the powerful gun rights lobby.

US President Donald Trump asserted Monday that Iran was being roiled by nationwide riots since he pulled out of an international nuclear deal and that Washington supports the protesters.

Desk jockeys in eye-wateringly tight spandex will blur the line between fantasy and reality this week as they invade San Diego for the world's largest celebration of pop culture fandom.

President Donald Trump refused to confront Vladimir Putin over meddling in the US election at their first face to face summit, publicly challenging the findings of the US intelligence community and triggering bipartisan outrage at home.

President Vladimir Putin accused Britain Monday of making baseless allegations against Russia after a former Soviet spy was among four people found poisoned by a nerve agent in southern England.

Dozens of soldiers were feared dead after a Boko Haram attack on a military base in remote northeast Nigeria, security sources said on Monday, as search parties were sent into the bush to locate missing troops.

Workers in Spain, Germany and Poland plan to walk off the job on Tuesday as online retailing giant Amazon carries out its major summer sales event called Prime Day.

Netflix shares plunged Monday after the leading streaming television service said subscriber growth fell short of expectations in the recently ended quarter.

As a teenager Meera Nepali was terrified as she went into labour with her first child at home in a remote village, miles from a hospital with nobody but her mother-in-law to help.

"The Acropolis? It's that way." Residents of historic Anafiotika are used to giving directions to tourists, lost in the narrow, winding alleyways of this unique but little-known hillside neighbourhood in the heart of Athens.

Inside a nomadic yurt pitched next to her family home in northern Kyrgyzstan a young woman's female relatives sob loudly in a traditional ceremony marking 40 days since her death.

A crime or a right? That's the question posed by the influential Catholic Church three weeks out from a Senate vote on whether to adopt a bill that would decriminalize abortion in Argentina.

Striking images of World Cup celebrations at a Paris bar targeted in the deadly November 2015 attacks ricocheted around social media Monday, potent symbols of France's resolve to not live in fear despite a persistent terror threat.

About 50 children sit on a bare classroom floor in front of their teacher in what could be any lesson in Mozambique, except that they are not learning in Portuguese, the country's official language.

Victoria Mubarakah sits in the shade of a grapevine in her ancestral village in Syria, nostalgic and happy after a long trip from her home in the United States.

Green-domed mosques still dominate the skyline of China's "Little Mecca", but they have undergone a profound change -- no longer do boys flit through their stone courtyards en route to classes and prayers.

Ghana may be one of the most religious countries in the world, despite being constitutionally secular, but a project to build a new national cathedral has not met universal approval.

"Now I'm going to get to work faster!" exulted a smiling Rosa Lima, 52, one of the first passengers on a new cable car line in La Paz that reaches into the heart of the Bolivian capital.

With its colourful hammocks and table tennis table, a new tech hub in the Lagos metropolis wouldn't look out of place among the start-ups on the other side of the world in Silicon Valley.

Women sharpen their knives before setting about stinking piles of fish skins, flesh and bones that cover the floor at an unusual artisanal tannery in western Kenya.

The screen portrayal of a cancer sufferer whose illegal import of foreign medicines into China spurred national policy changes has become a box-office smash as audiences flock to a rare Chinese film on a hot-button issue.

The World Health Organization has recognised "compulsive sexual behaviour" as a mental disorder, but said Saturday it remained unclear if it was an addiction on a par with gambling or drug abuse.

Led by a huge rainbow flag, tens of thousands of gay rights supporters paraded through Seoul's city centre Saturday as conservatives protested loudly at what they called "obscenity".

At first glance, it may seem like just a black truck filled with bottles of water, but a closer look reveals a darker —- or rather murkier —- side to what's sloshing around inside.

India has been shaken by a spate of mob killings sparked by a hoax about child kidnappers spread on WhatsApp.

Fuchsia-coloured lights glow over a miniature garden where tiny plants pack a wealth of flavour and nutrients headed for the tables of Michelin-starred French chefs.

At the heart of the spread of fake news are the algorithms used by search engines, websites and social media which are often accused of pushing false or manipulated information regardless of the consequences.

The slick freestyle football moves of a Malaysian Muslim girl have boosted her into the spotlight in a country where the sport is dominated by men.

US cigarette maker Philip Morris suffered a setback Friday in a long-running suit when Canada's Supreme Court denied it access to personal data on people suffering from tobacco-related diseases.

In the last instalment of his adventures, film-goers saw James Bond dice with death in the Austrian Alps. Now in the same location, 3,000 metres above sea level, a museum dedicated to the world of the fictional spy has opened its doors.

French authorities said Friday that they would curtail climbers' access to Mont Blanc for at least a week due to severe overcrowding on Europe's highest peak.

The EU on Friday said back pain caused European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker to stumble at a NATO summit and denied "insulting" insinuations that he was drunk.

Economists know that when people invest time or money in something, it's hard for them to pull out -- even when their project is doomed.

The viral spread of hoaxes and misinformation ahead of the US election and Brexit referendum two years ago was a wake-up call for many established news media, who have gone on the offensive to shore up their credibility and help filter out fake news.

Lounging on a sofa in his flowing robes, a gold crown resting on his snowy hair and a stuffed white toy tiger at his feet, Paul Delprat looks every bit a monarch.

Table tennis players from North and South Korea played alongside each other at an international tournament Tuesday, winning their matchups in the latest instalment of Korean sporting diplomacy.

AC Milan's appeal against a European ban for breaking UEFA's financial fair play rules will be heard Thursday by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the court announced.

Peruvian football star Paolo Guerrero can play for his Brazilian club Flamengo when it resumes competition this week, despite his suspension for cocaine use, Switzerland's top court said Tuesday.

Justin Rose says he can repel the host of young Americans who hold all the major golf titles and claim The Open crown this week despite a mediocre record.

West Ham United manger Manuel Pellegrini believes the London club's record signing, Felipe Anderson, will give his team a "new dimension".

American superstar Tiger Woods returns to The Open after three years saying said on Tuesday that it is his best long-term chance to add to his 14 Major victories.

Australia's all-time leading goal-scorer Tim Cahill retired from international football Tuesday, ending an illustrious career that has taken him to four World Cups.

Once dismissed as too small to be a professional, Australia's Tim Cahill, who retired from international football Tuesday, became a giant of the game and his nation's most prolific goalscorer.

Usain Bolt is on the verge of sealing a deal to trial with the A-League's Central Coast Mariners, the Australian club said Tuesday, as the sprint legend pursues his dream of playing professional football.

The World Cup-winning French team returned home to a heroes' welcome on Monday, parading down the Champs-Elysees as hundreds of thousands of cheering fans gave a raucous welcome to the country's newest idols.

South Korean outfielder Choo Shin-soo will realize his dream to play among the world's greatest players in Tuesday's 89th Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

Russia on Monday jailed four members of Pussy Riot feminist punk group for 15 days after they invaded the pitch during the World Cup final dressed in police uniforms.

Jordan Spieth feels he is back in the groove and capable of becoming the first player since Irishman Padraig Harrington in 2007/08 to win back to back Opens.

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred declared the sport's "steroid era" all-but over Monday but said new US betting laws will provide another challenge for the sport's integrity.

Boston Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale will make a record-tying third consecutive start in Tuesday's 89th Major League Baseball All-Star Game, facing Washington ace Max Scherzer in his home ballpark.

The Open gets underway at Carnoustie golf course on Thursday.

The governing body of diving in the United States has been accused of ignoring allegations of sexual abuse in a case which echoes the scandal that rocked gymnastics, reports said Monday.

Cristiano Ronaldo said Monday that he's "different" from other players of his age who move to China or Qatar for mega-money deals, during an official unveiling as a Juventus player in which he said he wanted to help bring Champions League success to his new club.

The 2021 Rugby League World Cup is set to be played solely in England, with 80 percent of games in the 13-a-side code's northern heartlands, organisers said Monday.

Hotfoot from creating a stir at the World Cup Diego Maradona arrived in Belarus on Monday to begin the latest chapter in his colourful career.

Retired France and Arsenal star Thierry Henry said on Monday that he was quitting as a football analyst with British broadcaster Sky Sports to focus on a coaching career.

Cristiano Ronaldo said that he's "different" from other players of his age who move to China or Qatar for mega-money deals, during his official unveiling as a Juventus player on Monday.

Pakistan batsman Azhar Ali has joined Somerset for the remainder of their first-class English County Championship fixtures this season, the southwest club said Monday.

India may be one of cricket's top one-day teams, but batting coach Sanjay Bangar has said they have work to do deciding their middle-order for next year's World Cup in England.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin tried to lighten the mood at a post-summit news conference with American leader Donald Trump on Monday by tossing him a World Cup football.

Former runner-up Romain Bardet has played down his Tour de France hopes ahead of a crucial three-day block of climbing in the French Alps which he says could put Team Sky firmly in command.

Tour de France organisers are preparing for a potential Alpe d'Huez backlash against defending champion Chris Froome as his bid for a record-equalling fifth yellow jersey moves up a notch in the French Alps.

As Amazon marked its "Prime Day" with price cuts across a range of products, founder and chief executive saw his net worth hit new peaks, increasing his lead over fellow billionaires.

Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill led some 100,000 people in a nightime procession Tuesday to mark 100 years since the Bolsheviks murdered tsar Nicholas II and his family, amid a simmering conflict between the state and the Church over their remains.

With a $113-million budget, the most expensive Chinese film ever made has become a flop of historic proportions, pulled from theatres on its opening weekend after bringing in a paltry $7.3 million.

The European Court of Human Rights condemned Russia on Tuesday over its investigation into murdered journalist Anna Politkovskaya and its treatment of the protest group Pussy Riot in two separate judgements.

Four decades have passed since the Rydell High gang twisted, hand jived and crooned their way into the hearts of teenagers the world over -- but we're all still hopelessly devoted to "Grease."

Johnny Depp has reached a settlement with his former business managers, his representatives said Monday, allowing the Oscar-nominated American actor to avoid a trial over his finances that promised paparazzi fervor.

Desk jockeys in eye-wateringly tight spandex will blur the line between fantasy and reality this week as they invade San Diego for the world's largest celebration of pop culture fandom.

Harvey Weinstein's one-time production company no longer exists. On Monday, its new owners confirmed they had concluded the purchase of The Weinstein Company and introduced its successor, Lantern Entertainment.

Six Paris metro stations were temporarily renamed in honour of France's World Cup winning champions after their 4-2 rollercoaster victory against Croatia.

Fast-rising rapper Cardi B on Monday topped nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards, where Jay-Z and Beyonce's ornate work shot at the Louvre and the politically charged "This is America" also enjoyed recognition.

Fast-rising rapper Cardi B on Monday topped nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards, outpacing Jay-Z and Beyonce who were recognized for their ornate work filmed at the Louvre.

Spain's former king Juan Carlos is once again in the spotlight after his former mistress claimed he was involved in money laundering, sparking calls for an investigation.

Fresh genetic tests on bones of Russia's last tsar and his family murdered a century ago have confirmed their authenticity, investigators said Monday.

"Who is America?" is both the title of Sacha Baron Cohen's first foray into television satire in more than a decade and the existential question on the lips of liberals living through the Trump presidency.

Sony's "Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation" booked a stay at the top of the North American box office, taking $44.1 million in ticket sales, according to industry estimates Sunday.

With smooth minimalist electro pop and lush vocal harmonies, Milk and Bone has found a growing audience while charting an unusual path for French Canadian artists -- singing entirely in English.

Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao, who won back the welterweight world title in stunning fashion on Sunday, is idolised by tens of millions in the poverty-afflicted Philippines after rising from the streets to the pinnacle of boxing.

Manny Pacquiao rolled back the years as he stopped WBA welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse on Sunday -- the 39-year-old Filipino icon's first knockout win since 2009.

Celebrations marking the 100th anniversary of Nelson Mandela's birth have focused attention on South Africa's progress since the euphoric 1994 elections that marked the end of apartheid.

The screen portrayal of a cancer sufferer whose illegal import of foreign medicines into China spurred national policy changes has become a box-office smash as audiences flock to a rare Chinese film on a hot-button issue.

Femi Kuti has spent his life railing in song against the ills holding back Africa. But these days he is feeling some optimism.

Nancy Sinatra Sr, the teenage sweetheart and first wife of legendary singer Frank Sinatra, has died. She was 101.

Scarlett Johansson has quit an upcoming movie role as a transgender criminal following an angry backlash against her casting, she revealed in an interview reported widely in US media on Friday.

Britain's best known football song "Three Lions" topped the British pop charts on Friday -- two days after England was knocked out of the World Cup semi-finals by Croatia.

It was the soapy period drama about the upstairs-downstairs lives and loves at an English country estate that enjoyed astonishing success on both sides of the Atlantic -- and now it's back. "Downton Abbey" the movie is in the works.

Colombian pop star Shakira on Friday visited the village in Lebanon where her paternal grandmother was born, an AFP journalist said.

Queen Elizabeth II welcomed US President Donald Trump for tea at Windsor Castle on Friday -- a meeting which many Britons find the toughest part of his already contentious trip to swallow.

Japan has amassed enough plutonium to make 6,000 atomic bombs as part of a programme to fuel its nuclear plants, but concern is growing that the stockpile is vulnerable to terrorists and natural disasters.

British engine maker Rolls-Royce revealed plans this week to develop a hybrid electric vehicle, dubbed the "flying taxi", which takes off and lands vertically and could be airborne within five years.

A revolutionary gene editing technique hailed as the future of disease eradication and mooted for a Nobel prize may be less precise and cause more cell damage than previously thought, researchers said Monday.

Fresh genetic tests on bones of Russia's last tsar and his family murdered a century ago have confirmed their authenticity, investigators said Monday.

A club-and-machete wielding mob in Indonesia butchered nearly 300 crocodiles in an act of revenge after a local man was killed by one of the reptiles, authorities said Monday.

A blistering heatwave smothered swathes of flood-hit western Japan Monday, hampering clean-up efforts as survivors and relief workers toil in stifling temperatures a week after devastating inundations that killed more than 200 people.

Women sharpen their knives before setting about stinking piles of fish skins, flesh and bones that cover the floor at an unusual artisanal tannery in western Kenya.

Is it a blue whale or not? The slaughter in Iceland of what is claimed was a member of the endangered species has triggered outrage and left experts puzzled about its true identity.

Fuchsia-coloured lights glow over a miniature garden where tiny plants pack a wealth of flavour and nutrients headed for the tables of Michelin-starred French chefs.

The two companies leading the pack in the pursuit of space tourism say they are just months away from their first out-of-this-world passenger flights -- though neither has set a firm date.

A tiny but critically endangered lizard found in Argentina's extensive Vaca Muerta petroleum field could pose a major challenge to companies planning multimillion-dollar investments in the area.

Economists know that when people invest time or money in something, it's hard for them to pull out -- even when their project is doomed.

A massive iceberg drifting off Greenland has triggered fears of flooding if it breaks up, leading the authorities to evacuate a high-risk zone.

Eight critically endangered black rhinos died after being moved to a new reserve in southern Kenya, the government said Friday, doubling the number of deaths from similar operations in the previous dozen years.

Climate change has helped melt nearly a fifth of Colombia's mountaintop glacier cover in just seven years, the government said Thursday.

Driving through the endless dunes and cacti of the Chihuahuan desert in northern Mexico, a shimmering blue field suddenly appears on the horizon -- not a mirage, but the largest solar park in Latin America.

A French farmer kept quiet for years after stumbling across the skull of an extinct ancestor of the elephant near the Pyrenees mountains, the Natural History Museum of Toulouse has told AFP.

For months, a major recycling facility for the greater Baltimore-Washington area has been facing a big problem: it has to pay to get rid of huge amounts of paper and plastic it would normally sell to China.

Nepal on Thursday gifted China a pair of endangered one-horned rhinos in a diplomatic gesture to its powerful neighbour and major investor.

New Zealand scientists have performed the first-ever 3-D, colour X-ray on a human, using a technique that promises to improve the field of medical diagnostics, said Europe's CERN physics lab which contributed imaging technology.

Indonesia will take a controlling stake in one of the world's biggest gold and copper mines for $3.85 billion, the government said Thursday, as it moves to claw back control of the country's vast natural resources.

Male mice develop a thicker penis if they grow up around other males, a study has revealed.

Nepal's last known dancing bear has finally found a home in neighbouring India, to the relief of animal activists who feared for his safety after the death of his buddy.

People who had lived with a fear of heights for decades became less afraid after virtual reality (VR) therapy that saw them riding a flying whale, researchers said Thursday.

Rock icon Patti Smith will lead a fresh benefit concert to combat climate change on the sideline of talks in San Francisco, organizers said Wednesday.

The remains of crudely fashioned stone tools unearthed in China advances the presence of human ancestors in Asia by around 200 millennia to 2.1 million years ago, scientists said Wednesday.

A Turkish court on Wednesday handed jail terms of up to 22 years to five top managers convicted of negligence over Turkey's worst ever mining disaster, which claimed hundreds of lives.