Last news
Politics
Putin holds 'constructive' talks with US envoy Witkoff ahead of sanctions deadline: Kremlin
Russian President Vladimir Putin held "constructive" talks with US envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Wednesday, the Kremlin said, two days ahead of a US deadline for Russia to halt its Ukraine offensive or face fresh sanctions.
Sports
Liverpool set to cut losses with Nunez move to Saudi: reports
Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez is reportedly closing in on a move to Saudi club Al Hilal, which could allow the Premier League champions to make a fresh bid for Newcastle's Alexander Isak.
Economy
Stocks tick up with eyes on earnings, US tariff deadline
Stock markets edged higher Wednesday as traders assessed the latest corporate earnings and awaited President Donald Trump's next wave of tariffs.
Economy
German broadcast giant backs takeover by Berlusconi group
German broadcasting giant ProSiebenSat.1 recommended Wednesday that its shareholders accept an improved takeover offer from Italy's MediaForEurope group, majority-owned by the family of late former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.
Politics
Pro-Trump nationalist becomes Poland's new president
Poland's new nationalist president Karol Nawrocki called for a "sovereign Poland" and promised to "fight those who are pushing the nation towards decline" as he was sworn in on Wednesday.
Politics
Putin meets US envoy Witkoff ahead of sanctions deadline
Russian President Vladimir Putin met US envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Wednesday, the Kremlin said, two days ahead of a deadline imposed by US President Donald Trump on Moscow to halt its Ukraine offensive or face fresh sanctions.
Economy
UK watchdog bans Zara ads over 'unhealthily thin' model photos
Britain's advertising regulator on Wednesday banned two adverts by Spanish clothing group Zara for featuring models that appeared "unhealthily thin", calling the images "irresponsible".
Boulevard
Natural disasters caused $135 bn in economic losses in first half of 2025: Swiss Re
Natural disasters caused $135 billion in economic losses globally in the first half of 2025, fuelled by the Los Angeles wildfires, Swiss Re said Wednesday.
Politics
Rebuilding in devastated Mariupol under Russia's thumb
Sun-seekers crowded onto the beach in Mariupol in Russian-controlled eastern Ukraine -- a devastated city which Moscow wants to turn into an improbable seaside resort.
Boulevard
One dead, nine injured in huge France wildfire
Hundreds of firefighters on Wednesday battled to halt the spread of a wildfire in southern France that has scorched a vast area, killed one person and injured nine others.
Economy
German factory orders fall amid tariff, growth woes
German industrial orders unexpectedly fell in June, official data showed Wednesday, as Europe's biggest economy struggles with prolonged domestic weakness and volatile US trade policy.
Nature
Turkmenistan's methane-spewing 'Gateway to Hell' loses its anger
People go to the "Gateway to Hell" gas crater in the middle of the Turkmenistan desert expecting an angry cauldron but are now coming away unimpressed.
Economy
Markets tick up but traders wary as Trump tariffs temper rate hopes
Asian equities edged higher Wednesday as traders weighed Donald Trump's trade war and fresh data that indicated further weakness in the US economy but added to interest rate cut speculation.
Economy
A year on, Ugandans still suffering from deadly garbage collapse
When the giant landfill collapsed in Uganda's capital Kampala a year ago, Zamhall Nansamba thought she was hearing an aeroplane taking off.
Economy
Ozempic maker Novo Nordisk posts strong results but competition weighs
Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk posted a sharp rise in second-quarter net profit Wednesday, but rising competition is weighing on sales of its diabetes and obesity treatments Ozempic and Wegovy in the United States.
Economy
Prince Harry cleared of 'bullying' in African charity row
The UK charity watchdog Wednesday cleared Prince Harry of accusations of bullying in a row with an African charity he founded, but deplored that the bitter internal dispute was played out in public.
Economy
Taiwan's orchid growers dig in as US tariffs shoot up
Since the start of US President Donald Trump's global trade war, Taiwanese orchid grower Lee Tsang-yu has watched tariffs on his seedlings shoot from nothing to 20 percent.
Politics
Markets tick higher but traders wary as Trump tariffs temper rate hopes
Asian equities edged higher Wednesday as traders weigh Donald Trump's trade war and fresh data that indicated further weakness in the US economy but added to interest rate cut speculation.
Politics
Cuba activists say detained on anniversary of 1994 anti-Castro protest
Activists, journalists and relatives of jailed dissidents say they were briefly detained or prevented from leaving their homes by state security agents Tuesday on the anniversary of the "Maleconazo," the largest protest Fidel Castro faced during his rule.
Politics
Pro-Trump nationalist to take over as Poland's new president
A Trump supporter backed by the populist opposition will take over as Poland's new president on Wednesday, heralding confrontation with a pro-EU government he has branded "the worst in history".
Politics
Nawrocki: nationalist historian becomes Poland's president
Nationalist historian Karol Nawrocki, who is set to be inaugurated as Poland's new president on Wednesday, is a former amateur boxer with a particular interest in the criminal underworld.
Economy
Lavish 'Grand Mariage' weddings celebrate Comoros tradition, society
It is wedding season in the Comoros, when the diaspora return to the tiny Indian Ocean islands for days-long celebrations that mark an essential rite of passage, the "Grand Mariage".
Culture
Russian cover bands take centre stage as big names stay away
In a Moscow nightclub, some 100 heavy metal fans belted out Metallica's hit song, "For whom the bell tolls!"
Boulevard
Squeezed by urban growth, Nigerian fishermen stick to tradition
In the shadow of luxury apartment buildings under construction on the shores of the reservoir, Maniru Umar dips his oar into the water, pushing his shallow, wooden canoe forward through thick reeds.
Boulevard
One dead, nine injured in wildfire in southern France
A woman died and nine people were injured in a wildfire in southern France that has burned 11,000 hectares, local officials said Wednesday.
Health
Chikungunya in China: What you need to know
Cases of chikungunya fever are rising in southern China, prompting local authorities to take measures to curb its spread.
Economy
Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific unveils deal to buy 14 Boeing jets
Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific said Wednesday it would place a US$8.1-billion order for 14 Boeing jets, its first order with the American aircraft maker for 12 years.
Politics
US envoy Witkoff arrives in Russia ahead of sanctions deadline
US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow on Wednesday, state media reported, where he will meet with Russian leadership as President Donald Trump's deadline to impose fresh sanctions over the war in Ukraine looms.
Boulevard
Indian army searches for scores missing after deadly Himalayan flood
The Indian army brought in sniffer dogs, drones and heavy earth-moving equipment Wednesday to search for scores missing a day after a deadly Himalayan flash flood.
Politics
Steeper US tariffs take effect on many Brazilian goods
US tariffs on many Brazilian products surged Wednesday, as President Donald Trump moved ahead with a pressure campaign against the trial of his right-wing ally Jair Bolsonaro.
Boulevard
Bangladesh mystic singers face Islamist backlash
Sufi singer Jamal has spent decades devoted to his craft but now fears for his future as hardline Islamists gain ground in post-revolution Bangladesh.
Weather
'Not backing down': activists block hydro plants in N.Macedonia
Deep in the rugged forests of North Macedonia, small-hydropower developers are facing off with activists who warn that a thirst for lucrative green energy contracts is threatening the country's rivers.