Kylian Mbappé scored twice and Real Madrid beat third-division club Talavera 3-2 in the round of 32 of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.

Mbappé converted a 41st-minute penalty and sealed the victory late in the second half with a shot from outside the area for his 10th goal in his last six matches in all competitions with Madrid. Mbappé also was involved in the play that led to an own-goal by Manuel Farrando in first-half stoppage time.

Staging the Africa Cup of Nations from Sunday is another major step in Morocco's road to becoming a global football power and a dry run as a co-host for the 2030 World Cup.

Three years after reaching the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup, the North African kingdom will host 24 teams from across the continent and welcome spectators to nine new or renovated stadiums in six cities.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he has approved a $35 billion natural gas export deal to Egypt, the biggest gas deal in Israeli history. The agreement could also help repair relations between the two countries strained during the two-year war in the Gaza Strip.

The gas will be delivered to Egypt over the next 15 years by U.S. energy giant Chevron, a key owner of the gas field off Israel's coast in the Mediterranean Sea. Half of the proceeds are expected to go to Israel's state coffers.

Rainfall on Iran's Hormuz Island briefly transformed the coastline of its famed Red Beach into a striking natural scene this week, as red soil flowed into the sea and turned the water shades of deep red.

The beach is known for its vivid red sand and cliffs, created by high concentrations of iron oxide.

Flights were cancelled, children were told to stay indoors and outdoors construction work was banned in Sarajevo Thursday as a thick layer of fog enveloped the Bosnian capital.

Sarajevo traditionally faces severe pollution during winter, mostly from house heating and transport pollution. The city is located in a valley surrounded by mountains which can keep polluted air stuck for days at a time if there is no wind.

Police in London arrested two people who called for "intifada" during a pro-Palestinian protest, which followed a decision by authorities to toughen enforcement of hate speech laws after a deadly attack on a Hanukkah celebration in Australia.

The arrests Wednesday came hours after police in London and Manchester, England, announced a crackdown on protesters using slogans such as "globalize the intifada." The Arabic word intifada is generally translated as "uprising."

The head of the U.N. refugee agency in Lebanon said Thursday that the move by the United States to lift sweeping sanctions on Syria could encourage more refugees to return to their country.

The U.S. Senate voted Wednesday to permanently remove the so-called Caesar Act sanctions after the administration of President Donald Trump previously temporarily lifted the penalties by executive order. The vote came as part of the passage of the country's annual defense spending bill. Trump is expected to sign off on the final repeal Thursday.

Farmers in tractors blocked roads, threw potatoes and eggs, and set off fireworks in Brussels on Wednesday outside a European Union leaders' summit, prompting police to respond with tear gas and water cannons as protesters rallied against a major free-trade deal with South American nations.

Farmers fear that the deal will undercut their livelihoods, and there are broader political concerns that it could also help drive support for the far right.

Saturn's giant moon Titan may not have a vast underground ocean after all.

Titan instead may hold deep layers of ice and slush more akin to Earth's polar seas, with pockets of melted water where life could possibly survive and even thrive, scientists reported Wednesday.

Warner Bros. is telling shareholders of the company that it believes a $72 billion buyout offer from Netflix is superior, and to reject a hostile takeover bid from Paramount Skydance.

Paramount went hostile with its bid last week, asking shareholders to reject the deal with Netflix favored by the board of Warner Bros.