Actor and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger downplayed the Trump administration’s climate scepticism Tuesday and threw his weight behind the Vatican’s environmental initiative instead.

In a vibrant ceremony marking the country’s biggest festival, a two-year-old girl was paraded through the ancient alleys of the capital on Tuesday to begin her life as Nepal’s new Kumari, or “living goddess,” a figure revered by both Hindus and Buddhists.

The US federal government entered a shutdown on Wednesday after the Senate failed to agree on a last-minute spending bill.

Thousands of young demonstrators marched through Madagascar’s capital, Antananarivo, on Tuesday demanding the resignation of President Andry Rajoelina after days of deadly youth-led protests over electricity and water shortages.

The price of gold surged to a record high of $3,870 per ounce on Tuesday, fueling a powerful rally across the sector and catapulting the market debut of Zijin Gold International, which saw its shares soar over 66% on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

It’s a silver lining for South Africa’s electricity market and wider economy: utility Eskom made a 16 billion rand profit in the financial year ending in March 2025, the first since 2017. But some uncertainties remain.

The politician, who leads the opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters, was charged with contravening the Firearms Control Act.

In a display of deepening solidarity, Niger’s military leader, General Abdourahamane Tiani, was received with warm camaraderie by his Malian counterpart, General Assimi Goïta, during a working visit to Bamako on Tuesday.

Protestors clashed with police across Morocco Tuesday night, as youth-led demonstrations demanding better education and healthcare entered their fourth day.

Ethiopia claimed Monday that its recently inaugurated dam has helped lessen floods that have hit Sudan, as speculation rose over whether it has actually caused the deluges. At the same time, Sudan’s rainy season, lasting from June to October, can lead to floods due to heavy rains.

A powerful offshore earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 struck the central Philippines late Tuesday, shaking buildings, sending residents running into the streets and damaging a stone church.

Slovenian climber Domen Škofic achieved a world first in Austria’s Aigen im Ennstal after scaling the wings of a Red Bull Blanix glider in mid-flight.

The Democratic Union of Builders, a party launched just months ago by President Brice Oligui Nguema, has taken the lead in the first round of legislative elections, winning 55 out of 145 seats in the National Assembly.

The UN Security Council has voted to strengthen the mandate of the Kenya-led multinational force in Haiti, transforming it into a “Gang Suppression Force” with the authority to detain suspected gang members, a major shift from its previously limited role.

Seven months after the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2773, urging the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda to end hostilities, the UN’s top envoy in Congo says peace remains “mostly a promise.”

The Democratic Union of Builders, a party launched just months ago by President Brice Oligui Nguema, has taken the lead in the first round of legislative elections, winning 55 out of 145 seats in the National Assembly.

Protesters took to the streets to demand the resignation of President Andry Rajoelina.

The agreement, introduced in 2000, came to an end on Tuesday. Its potential reactivation remains uncertain.

A military court convicted the former head of state on Tuesday. He was being tried in absentia.

Ibiza has been left reeling after torrential rain from ex-hurricane Gabrielle turned the island into a scene of chaos.

A ceremony at the Saint-Roch church in Paris honoured the late actress Claudia Cardinale. Hundreds gathered to pay their respects, among them leading figures from the world of cinema.

A two-year-old girl was carried through the streets of Kathmandu on Tuesday to be installed as Nepal’s new living goddess during the country’s largest annual festival.

Israelis visiting the Nova music festival memorial site expressed cautious hope on Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled a 20-point plan to end the Gaza war and secure the release of hostages.

At least 22 people were killed and 100 injured since the protests began on Thursday, according to the United Nations.

South Africa’s ambassador to France has been found dead at the foot of the Hyatt Regency hotel, a high-rise tower in Porte Maillot in the west of Paris, newspapers Le Parisien and Le Figaro reported on Tuesday.

As the war in Gaza nears its third year, a faint glimmer of hope is emerging. Hamas is currently reviewing a ceasefire proposal that has already been approved by US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Most of the money, $22 million, will support a project to build a new White House ballroom, while $2.5 million will go to groups that joined the lawsuit, including the American Conservative Union.

Government officials have been meeting with oil union leaders after a nationwide strike erupted over the firing of 800 workers at the Dangote Refinery, Africa’s largest.

It’s been three years since Ibrahim Traoré seized power in Burkina Faso through a coup d’état. He justified his takeover by claiming previous leaders had failed to protect the country from jihadist violence and promised to restore security within months. But on the ground, little has changed.

African businesses are on tenterhooks as they wait to see if the African Growth and Opportunity Act – a trade initiative aimed at sub-Saharan Africa – will be renewed before it expires on Tuesday. The White House says President Trump supports it but the clock is ticking.

At least one student was killed and dozens more were injured or feared trapped after a four-storey prayer hall collapsed at an Islamic boarding school in Indonesia’s East Java province on Monday.

Protesters led by young people clashed with police and blocked highways over the weekend during some of the biggest anti-government demonstrations Morocco has seen in years, denouncing what they called the government’s misplaced priorities.

It fielded had Teboho Mokoena in its March win against Lesotho, despite the fact that he had a one-game ban.

He has been charged with undermining the credibility of the state, opposing legitimate authority, and inciting public disorder.

Palestinian group, Hamas’ negotiating team is reportedly studying the proposal.

The presidential campaign officially opened on Saturday in a subdued atmosphere, marked by a candidate defying a separatist lockdown, another building a coalition, and the conspicuous absence of both the long-ruling incumbent and a prominent opposition figure.

Guinea is set to hold its first presidential election on December 28 since the 2021 military coup, following a decree broadcast on state television.

President Andry Rajoelina dissolved his government on Monday in response to escalating, youth protests over severe water and electricity shortages, a crisis the United Nations reports has left at least 22 people dead and over 100 injured in the most significant challenge to his authority in years.

For centuries, the communal hammam has been the beating heart of Moroccan social life, a sanctuary for cleansing and connection.

At least 20 litres of rain per square metre fell in just 15 minutes on Sunday, unleashing flash floods across Spain’s Zaragoza province and leaving vehicles stranded.