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It is 15 years since Jenson Button claimed the Formula One drivers championship but as the World Endurance Championship (WEC) prepares to get underway at the end of February, the Briton told AFP he is eyeing new peaks, not least the iconic Le Mans 24 Hour race.

Damian Lillard drilled a buzzer-beating three-pointer to lift the Milwaukee Bucks to a stunning 143-142 NBA overtime victory over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.

"Oppenheimer," Christopher Nolan's epic movie about the creation of the atomic bomb, cleaned up at the Critics Choice Awards on Sunday, winning best picture and seven other prizes over its rivals as the Oscars race heats up.

China's economy likely grew at its weakest annual rate for more than three decades in 2023, data is expected to show Wednesday, as it was battered by a crippling property crisis, sluggish consumption and global uncertainties.

US Open champion Coco Gauff swept into the Australian Open second round on Monday but Wimbledon winner Marketa Vondrousova was sent packing as Naomi Osaka readied for her Grand Slam comeback.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he was "floored" by his team's 48-32 NFL playoff exit to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, labelling it the most painful playoff he had experienced.

Coco Gauff eased into the second round of the Australian Open on Monday, beating unseeded Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-3, 6-0 in a one-sided affair on centre court.

Grayson Murray sank a 38-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole to win a three-man playoff on Sunday at the US PGA Tour Sony Open, completing a stunning personal comeback.

North Korea said Monday it had successfully test-fired a new ballistic missile tipped with a hypersonic maneuverable warhead, the latest breakthrough in its pursuit of advanced weaponry to threaten South Korean and US targets.

Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova crashed out of the Australian Open at the first hurdle Monday, succumbing to Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska 6-1, 6-2.

The world's wealthiest five men have more than doubled their fortune since 2020, the charity Oxfam said on Monday, as it called on nations to resist the ultra-rich's influence over tax policy.

The Dallas Cowboys crashed out of the NFL playoffs with a humiliating 48-32 defeat to the seventh-seeded Green Bay Packers in the wildcard round on Sunday.

Nikola Jokic was just one of three Denver players to score 25 points on Sunday and the defending champion Nuggets kept Indiana's high-octane offense in check in a 117-109 NBA victory over the Pacers.

Ecuador's security forces on Sunday took back control of several prisons that had fallen into the hands of gang members, after securing the release of more than 200 officials held hostage inside the jails.

Artificial intelligence poses risks to job security around the world but also offers a "tremendous opportunity" to boost flagging productivity levels and fuel global growth, the IMF chief told AFP.

Golden State star Draymond Green appeared poised to return from his NBA suspension on Monday against the Memphis Grizzlies after the Warriors removed him from their injury report.

Mohamed Salah saved Egypt from an embarrassing defeat in their opening game at the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday, while Nigeria were held by Equatorial Guinea despite Victor Osimhen getting on the scoresheet.

Naomi Osaka makes her comeback to Grand Slam tennis on day two of the Australian Open Monday, while Daniil Medvedev has vowed to turn over a new leaf and be "more mature" on court.

Torrential rains that turned avenues into rivers killed at least 11 people in Rio de Janeiro, the fire department told AFP Sunday.

North Korea successfully test-fired an intermediate-range solid-fuel ballistic missile, state-run news agency KCNA confirmed early Monday, categorizing the launch as part of its "regular activities for developing powerful weapon systems."

Vinicius Junior admitted he was "no saint" after inspiring Real Madrid to win the Spanish Super Cup on Sunday with a hat-trick in a 4-1 thrashing of rivals Barcelona in Saudi Arabia.

Substitute Garry Rodrigues pounced in injury time to give Cape Verde a shock 2-1 win over four-time former champions Ghana in their opening game at the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday.

Kylian Mbappe scored and Gianluigi Donnarumma saved a penalty as Paris Saint-Germain surged eight points clear at the top of Ligue 1 on Sunday with a 2-0 victory over last season's runners-up Lens.

Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez criticised his team for their inadequate performance in a humbling 4-1 defeat by Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final on Sunday.

A trio of French goals helped AC Milan strengthen their place in Serie A's Champions League positions in Sunday's 3-1 win over Roma.

Italian forward Danilo Gallinari and US center Mike Muscala were traded from the Washington Wizards to the NBA-worst Detroit Pistons on Saturday for forwards Isaiah Livers and Marvin Bagley III.

Residents on France's Reunion Island were confined to their homes early Monday, as the authorities issued the highest alert for what they said could become a devastating tropical storm.

The swearing-in ceremony of Guatemala's president-elect Bernardo Arevalo was delayed Sunday as Congress, controlled by his opponents, was locked in debate over the admission of new lawmakers.

Vinicius Junior struck a first-half hat-trick to fire Real Madrid to Spanish Super Cup glory in a thumping 4-1 win over rivals Barcelona on Sunday in Saudi Arabia.

Lava flowing from a volcano that erupted on Sunday near the Icelandic fishing port of Grindavik has engulfed at least three homes just hours after villagers were evacuated to safety, authorities said.

Several young protesters chanting "Trump, climate criminal" briefly disrupted an Iowa campaign event by the former US president on the eve of the state's first-in-nation vote in the Republican presidential nomination race.

Palestine conceded a goal after just 64 seconds in a 4-1 loss to Iran at the Asian Cup on Sunday, while tournament favourites Japan survived a scare before beating Vietnam 4-2.