France is stepping up its military effort in the Sahel, pledging extra troops and calling on the United States to maintain its support, amid a surge in violence linked to Islamist militant groups.

Suicides in Japan have fallen to their lowest number in more than 40 years, bringing the overall figure to below 20,000 a year for the first time since record-keeping began in 1978, according to the National Police Agency.

Russian lawmakers on Thursday approved the appointment of Mikhail Mishustin, Vladimir Putin’s pick to head the Russian government. He has no political experience but is credited with modernizing Russia’s tax system.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has proposed sweeping constitutional changes that could keep him in power well past the end of his term in 2024. Putin has been in power longer than any other Russian or Soviet leader since Josef Stalin.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pledge to turn India into a $5 trillion economy by 2024 needs gross domestic product (GDP) to expand at more than 11% per year -- more than double the current 5% estimated by India’s CSO.

Auschwitz-Birkenau is the most infamous of all Nazi concentration and extermination camps. Its victims are commemorated on January 27 -- Holocaust Memorial Day -- the date of its liberation by Soviet troops in 1945.

A combination of aircraft including helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and larger air-tankers, able to reach the most inaccessible regions, provide a crucial role in battling Australia’s worst bushfires on record.

Scientists have discovered the oldest known solid material on Earth in a meteorite which landed in Australia in the 1960s. The tiny specks of stardust predate our sun by up to three billion years.

A source of protein created by bacteria from carbon dioxide, water and renewable energy is more efficient than photosynthesis used by plants to harness energy from sunlight to create carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

Five candidates are vying to succeed Jeremy Corbyn as leader of Britain’s opposition Labour Party. The result of the contest will be announced at a special party conference on April 4.

Todd Phillips’ box-office smash “Joker” topped the list with 11 Oscar nominations, while Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman”, Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood” and Sam Mendes’ “1917” received 10 nods each.

Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes as seismologists warn that the Taal volcano could erupt at any time, potentially triggering a tsunami.

Protesters gathered on Sunday for a second day of demonstration in Tehran after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard admitted it accidentally shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet, killing all 176 on board.

Australian authorities have urged almost a quarter of a million people to evacuate their homes as hot, windy conditions fuel deadly bushfires across the east coast.

British taxpayers pay an annual Sovereign Grant to the Royal Household to support the monarch’s official business. In 2018-19, the Royal Family cost £67 million, an increase of £19.6 million (41%) compared to the previous year.

Interesting highlights of this year’s CES show from Las Vegas include the Bosch Virtual Visor for cars, and the tiny Air Pix selfie-taking drone – a sneak peek at inventions that will hopefully improve our lives.

The foreign ministers of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan are aiming to settle a long-running feud over a massive dam project on the Nile River, which has raised fears of conflict over scarce water resources.

The Year of the Rat begins for the world’s most populous country, and people born under the sign, the first of the 12 animals on the Chinese zodiac, won’t need coaxing to view Chunwan’s multi-hour New Year’s Eve extravaganza.

The U.S. is deploying thousands of additional troops in preparation for attacks from Iranian forces or their proxies following the killing of Iran’s top military commander Qassem Soleimani.

Libya’s eastern-based forces say they have taken control of the coastal city of Sirte from the U.N.-recognised government in Tripoli, in what would be a key strategic gain.

Egypt’s New Administrative Capital is being built from scratch in the desert 35km east of Cairo. Covering 700 square kilometres, the city is designed to alleviate congestion in Cairo.

A network of foreign militias built by General Qassem Soleimani, the Iranian commander assassinated in Iraq by the U.S., are likely to remain Tehran’s primary weapon in its asymmetric fight against Washington.

The U.S. has killed Iran’s top military leader General Qassem Soleimani -- head of the elite Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) -- in a drone strike ordered by President Trump.

A top priority for Britain’s government will be Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Withdrawal Agreement Bil. The legislation needed to make Brexit a reality must become law before January 31.

France’s armed forces said Monday it had carried out a drone strike for the first time during operations in Mali, in which it said 33 jihadists were killed in the central Malian region of Mopti.

World No.1 Rafael Nadal begins the season just one major victory behind his great rival Roger Federer’s total of 20 Grand Slam titles. Together with Novak Djokovic, they secured 33 of the 40 major titles in the last decade.

The Copa Libertadores, South America’s premier club competition, commences with 19 teams facing play-off rounds for the final four coveted places in this season’s group stage, which begins on March 3.

The 2019-20 PGA Tour continues with the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, San Diego, California. Tiger Woods will aim to secure a record 83rd PGA Tour victory at Torrey Pines to eclipse Sam Snead’s 55-year-old tally.

The new ATP Tour season begins, featuring 63 ATP tournaments across 29 countries, plus the four Grand Slams and the Olympic Games in Japan. It concludes in November with the 50th anniversary of the Nitto ATP Finals.

To mark its 60th anniversary, the tournament will be hosted by 12 cities across Europe for the first time, and kicks off with the opening match between Turkey and Italy, in Rome, with the showpiece finale at Wembley Stadium on July 12.

The 2020 Tour de France starts in the south and takes in all five of the country’s mountain ranges, three of which, the Alps, Massif Central and Pyrenees, are tackled in the first eight days.

The biennial EHF European Men’s Handball Championship is co-hosted for the first time in three countries, Sweden, Austria and Norway as Spain aim to defend the title they secured with victory over four-time winners Sweden in 2018

The draw for the Last 16 in the Champions League pits thirteen-times winners Real Madrid against English champions Manchester City while title-holders Liverpool will face Atletico Madrid.

Five-time champions Sevilla face CFR Cluj of Romania, and Arsenal clash with Olympiacos. Other notable ties of the round include Ajax, Internazionale and Benfica, teams all eliminated from the Champions League.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games medals are made from 72,000 tonnes of recycled small electronic devices and around six million old and unwanted mobile phones, collected across Japan over two years.