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Just before he left New York for the war in Ukraine, American Vietnam veteran Steven Straub had the country's blue and yellow flag tattooed on his arm along with the words "free Ukraine".

A farm worker who took part in a road block protest in Peru died Wednesday following clashes with police while several others were injured, a hospital said.

Augusta National's iconic "Amen Corner" trio of holes promises to pose even more of a challenge to Tiger Woods and the rest of the field at the 86th Masters.

There are now 50,000 known different species of spider crawling the Earth, the World Spider Catalog announced Wednesday -- and there might be another 50,000 out there.

The US and Britain announced new sanctions against Russia Wednesday after Ukraine said hundreds of civilians were found dead around its capital, as Kyiv warned residents in the east of the country to get out "now" ahead of a feared assault.

With Tiger Woods set to tee off at the Masters just 14 months after suffering severe leg injuries in a car crash, AFP looks at other athletes who beat the odds and returned to action after being involved in accidents or attacks:

Tiger Woods has talked the talk, now he'll have to walk the walk as he chases a record-tying sixth Masters title only 14 months after suffering severe leg injuries in a car crash.

Tiger Woods may have grown into a role as an elder statesman of golf, but Jon Rahm says that hasn't made the 15-time major champion keen to spill the secrets of his success.

The White House announced sanctions Wednesday targeting Russia's top public and private banks and two daughters of Vladimir Putin, adding pressure on the country's economy and its elite over the invasion of Ukraine.

The jury in the London trial of Boris Becker retired on Wednesday to consider its verdicts in a case in which the German is accused of failing to hand over trophies he won after he was declared bankrupt in 2017.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro vetoed a bill Wednesday that would have provided aid funds to artists and cultural programs hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, triggering an outcry from opposition lawmakers, who vowed to override him.

The United States announced on Wednesday that it has indicted Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev for sanctions violations.

With many clubs reeling from the financial fallout of the pandemic and competitive inequality growing despite existing fair play rules, UEFA will on Thursday unveil changes in its tactics for levelling European football's economic playing field.

Russia said Wednesday it had been forced to make foreign debt payments on dollar-denominated bonds in rubles, raising the prospect of a potential default amid unprecedented Western sanctions over the Ukraine conflict.

Thousands of Greeks demonstrated in Athens against soaring prices Wednesday as a general strike shut down public services.

Thousands protested in Sudan against military rule on the anniversary Wednesday of previous popular uprisings, most recently against autocrat Omar al-Bashir three years ago.

Thailand on Wednesday banned styrofoam packaging and single-use plastics from national parks as it fights a scourge of waste threatening wildlife.

JetBlue Airways announced Tuesday a bid to acquire Spirit Airlines for $3.6 billion, setting up a bidding war with Frontier Airlines in the discount flying market.

The EU is preparing to hit Russian coal with sanctions.

Troops and rangers in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park in eastern DR Congo have carried out attacks on indigenous Pygmies living in the famed wildlife haven, a rights watchdog said on Wednesday

Western powers were readying new sanctions against Russia on Wednesday after Ukraine's president called for tougher action and accused Moscow of atrocities during the six-week war.

A military court in Burkina Faso on Wednesday handed down a life term to former president Blaise Compaore over the 1987 assassination of revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara.

Times have been so good for luxury watchmakers that they are running behind demand, forcing some to delay the release of new collections and others to invest more in production capacity.

A military court in Burkina Faso on Wednesday handed down a life term to former president Blaise Compaore over the 1987 assassination of revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara.

Nearly 35,000 more Ukrainians fled west in 24 hours to escape the Russian war in their country, the United Nations said Wednesday.

Long-time NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom, whose advocacy on Xinjiang and Tibet has ruffled feathers, hopes to bend UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet's ear on Thursday about her forthcoming China visit.

Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Russia's veteran firebrand with a flair for political theatre who appeared to predict Russia's military action in Ukraine, died at the age of 75 on Wednesday.

The jersey worn by Diego Maradona when he scored twice against England in the 1986 World Cup, including the infamous "hand of God" goal, is to be auctioned off later this month, Sotheby's announced Wednesday.

Global equities sank Wednesday on bets the Federal Reserve will act more aggressively to bring inflation under control, while oil prices rebounded.

Jenny Leung, who lost her job as a waitress last month due to Hong Kong's zero-Covid strategy, has one question: "What was it all for?"

The United States and EU were readying new sanctions against Russia on Wednesday, after Ukraine's president showed the UN Security Council harrowing images of violence and accused Moscow of widespread atrocities.

A large white tent in a shopping centre car park in Zaporizhzhia has become the meeting place for thousands from southern Ukraine who have fled the Russian invasion and left everything behind.