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Belgium are not in "crisis mode" ahead of their crucial World Cup match against Croatia despite rumours of infighting and division in the squad, full-back Timothy Castagne said on Wednesday.

US employers eased their hiring pace in November, with job creation slowing the most since early 2021, as the central bank's interest rate hikes trickle through the economy, payroll firm ADP said Wednesday.

Clashes broke out between police and protesters in a southern Chinese city, part of a wave of Covid lockdown-sparked demonstrations across the country that have morphed into demands for political freedoms.

Turkey said on Wednesday Sweden's new government was more determined to address Ankara's security concerns in return for NATO membership but called for "concrete steps".

Swedish fashion retailer H&M said Wednesday it would cut some 1,500 jobs worldwide as a result of a cost-cutting programme launched following its decision to leave the Russian market.

Troubled Scandinavian airline SAS, which has filed for bankruptcy in the United States, reported Wednesday deeper losses in the fourth quarter.

Kenyan President William Ruto on Wednesday launched a low-interest credit scheme to boost financial access for the country's poorest citizens, fulfilling a key campaign promise made to voters.

A court Wednesday begun handing down verdicts in Mozambique's biggest corruption scandal, in which the government unleashed a financial earthquake by trying to conceal huge debts.

The traditional knowledge held by Cuba's light rum masters was on Wednesday added to UNESCO's list of intangible heritage, a prestigious designation that recognizes a tradition dating back eight generations on the island.

European equities and the euro rose Wednesday as eurozone inflation slowed but remained elevated on high energy costs.

Vuelta and world road race champion Remco Evenepoel said on Wednesday he will ride the Giro d'Italia in 2023, rather than the Tour de France.

At least 16 people were killed and 24 others wounded Wednesday by a blast at a madrassa in Afghanistan's northern city of Aybak, a doctor at a local hospital told AFP.

Angolan tycoon Isabel dos Santos says she is the victim of "political persecution" engineered by President Joao Lourenco, her father's successor at the helm of the oil-rich southern African country.

Football fans looking for a respite from Lebanon's crushing economic crisis have found a challenge in simply watching the World Cup after the bankrupt state failed to pay for broadcasting rights.

The release from prison of the far-right killer of South African anti-apartheid hero Chris Hani hung in the balance on Wednesday, amid fierce bids to block the move.

It is as much a part of French culture as the Eiffel Tower or Edith Piaf but the origins of the humble baguette, which UNESCO on Wednesday added to its List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, remain a mystery.

For Iranians, their football team's World Cup loss against the United States was cause for either sadness or exuberant joy, depending on where they stand on a two-month-old protest movement.

European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday floated the idea of a "specialised court" to put Russia's top officials on trial over the war in Ukraine.

The French baguette -- "250 grams of magic and perfection," in the words of President Emmanuel Macron, and one of the abiding symbols of the nation -- was given UNESCO heritage status on Wednesday.

Marnus Labuschagne cracked a masterful unbeaten 154 while Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith hit 50s as a dominant Australia took control of the opening Test against the West Indies at Perth Stadium on Wednesday.

Wales will leave Qatar with mixed emotions -- pride at reaching their first World Cup in 64 years mingled with a sense of bitter disappointment that they failed to do themselves justice.

Belgium launched its biggest-ever criminal trial on Wednesday, the landmark prosecution of alleged jihadists accused of directing or aiding 2016 suicide bombings in Brussels' metro and airport that killed 32 people.

Former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin died Wednesday at the age of 96, state media reported, hailing him as a great communist revolutionary who helped quell the 1989 pro-democracy protests.

The UK's most senior police officer of colour has said the duchess of Sussex faced "disgusting" threats to her life during her time in the royal family.

Marnus Labuschagne cracked a masterful unbeaten 154 while Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith hit 50s as a dominant Australia took control of the opening Test against the West Indies at Perth Stadium on Wednesday.

Gareth Southgate says England will go into the World Cup knockout stage in better shape and with more belief than in their 2018 run to the semi-finals.

Britain's government on Wednesday rejected union pay demands after ambulance workers joined nurses in voting to go on strike.

Former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin, who steered the country through a transformational era from the late 1980s and into the new millennium, died Wednesday at the age of 96, state news agency Xinhua said.

Jiang Zemin led China through an era of stunning transformation after coming to power in the traumatic aftermath of the Tiananmen Square crackdown.

Half the world's democratic countries are experiencing an erosion of democracy, intensified by war in Ukraine and economic crisis, an international think tank said in a report on Wednesday.

Markets rose Wednesday on hopes that China will further ease its strict Covid containment measures following widespread protests, though gains were tempered by leaders' warnings of a crackdown on dissent.

Experts hailed full data Wednesday showing a new drug can slow cognitive decline in Alzheimer's patients, but warned improvements were comparatively small and the treatment can have serious side effects.