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Australia Davis Cup captain Hewitt handed ban for pushing anti-doping official
Australia Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt has been handed a two-week suspension for "offensive conduct" after being found guilty of pushing a doping control official, the International Tennis Integrity Agency said on Wednesday.

New French PM vows 'profound break' with past to exit crisis
France's new Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu promised a "profound break" with the past on Wednesday as he faced the thorny task of trying to build a government with enough parliamentary support to avoid an early demise.

Israel vows to strike foes anywhere after Qatar attack
Israel on Wednesday warned its enemies they were not safe anywhere, a day after strikes targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar -- a US ally -- drew a rare rebuke from President Donald Trump.

Kony defence urges ICC judges to halt case
The main defence lawyer for Ugandan rebel chief Joseph Kony Wednesday urged International Criminal Court judges to freeze the case against his client, as he cannot challenge evidence in his absence.

British horse racing strikes over proposed tax rise on betting
British horse racing is holding a historic one-day strike on Wednesday in protest against a proposed tax rise on betting that racing chiefs warn could cause "irreparable damage".

Zara owner Inditex shares soar as sales growth revives
Shares in Zara owner Inditex, the world's largest fashion retailer, soared on Wednesday as a positive start to the autumn season enthused investors and eclipsed slower-than-expected sales growth.

Stock markets rise amid geopolitical unrest
Global stock markets rose Wednesday, with some Asian indices reaching record heights, as expectations of more cuts to US interest rates offset escalating geopolitical tensions.

Poland calls urgent NATO talks after Russian drone incursion
Poland gathered its NATO allies for urgent talks on Wednesday, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said, after Russian drones flew into Polish airspace in an overnight attack on Ukraine.

Three dead, three missing in attempts to cross Channel
Three people are believed to have been crushed to death and three others were missing in two separate incidents as migrants attempted to cross the English Channel, French officials said on Wednesday.

Hong Kong legislature rejects same-sex partnerships bill
Hong Kong lawmakers rejected on Wednesday a bill that would have granted limited rights to same-sex couples, with the legislature's conservative pro-Beijing voices prevailing to deal a major blow to the city's LGBTQ community.

'Block everything': protests grip France as new PM starts job
France's new Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu was set to take office on Wednesday as protesters took to the streets in a show of grassroots opposition to President Emmanuel Macron, sparking clashes with police and dozens of arrests.

Von der Leyen urges EU to fight for place in 'hostile' world
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday urged Europe to assert its independence in a "hostile" world, as she condemned Russia's drone incursion in Poland and pushed for tougher action against Israel over Gaza.

Kidnapped Israeli-Russian academic Tsurkov released in Iraq
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday the release of Israeli-Russian academic Elizabeth Tsurkov who was kidnapped in Baghdad in March 2023.

Syrian jailed for life over deadly knife attack at German festival
A Syrian man was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday for killing three people in an Islamist-motivated knife attack at a summer festival in the German city of Solingen last year.

Top EU court upholds nuclear green label
The EU's top court on Wednesday upheld the European Commission's decision to give a sustainable finance label to investments in natural gas and nuclear power, dismissing a complaint by Austria.

Pacific Island leaders back 'ocean of peace' at fraught summit
Pacific Island leaders issued a call for an "ocean of peace" on Wednesday, urging respect for their sovereignty at a summit clouded by China's alleged meddling and great power competition in the strategically vital region.

Israel defends Qatar strikes after rebuke from Trump
Israel's UN envoy defended targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar as the "right" decision on Wednesday, after the strikes on the US ally's soil drew a rare rebuke from President Donald Trump.

'Block everything': France faces disruption as new PM starts job
France's new Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu was to take office on Wednesday facing a day of protests disrupting transport, education and other services in a show of grassroots anger against President Emmanuel Macron.

Ozempic maker Novo Nordisk to cut 9,000 global jobs
Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk announced Wednesday that it would cut 11 percent of its workforce, as the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy faces rising competition for its anti-obesity treatments.

Five athletes who could sparkle at world championships
Noah Lyles, Armand Duplantis and Faith Kipyegon headline the world championships in Tokyo but it is an opportunity for new stars to emerge and add a freshness to the established order.

Asian markets enjoy record day as new US jobs data fans rate cut hopes
Asian markets extended gains on Wednesday, with Tokyo and Seoul emulating a record day on Wall Street as fresh data pointing to a weakening US jobs market ramped up expectations for a series of Federal Reserve rate cuts.

South Korea overturns 60-year ruling on woman's self-defence case
A South Korean court acquitted on Wednesday a woman convicted six decades ago for defending herself against sexual violence, after she challenged the ruling inspired by the country’s #MeToo movement.

Classical music is not Netflix, says Latvian mezzo-soprano Elina Garanca
In her decades-long career, star Latvian mezzo-soprano Elina Garanca has seen the ups and downs of the music industry first hand.

The factors behind violent unrest in Nepal
Nepali youth, digitally savvy but bowed down by unemployment and limited opportunities, hit a breaking point this week, furious at an elderly ruling class they see as out of touch.

Nepal army bids to restore order after deadly protests oust PM
Nepali soldiers patrolled the streets of Kathmandu on Wednesday, seeking to restore order after protesters set parliament ablaze and forced the prime minister to quit in the worst violence to hit the Himalayan nation in two decades.

Trump jeered at Washington restaurant, called 'Hitler of our time'
Viral videos on social media portray the moment protesters began jeering US President Donald Trump at a Washington restaurant Tuesday, shouting "Free DC! Free Palestine! Trump is the Hitler of our time!"

Jamaica, Curacao and Honduras win in World Cup qualifying
Jamaica beat Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 in World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday to stay top of their CONCACAF (North American) group, while Curacao and Honduras also won.

Pacific Islands leaders to back 'ocean of peace' at fraught summit
Pacific Islands leaders will declare an "ocean of peace" urging powers to respect the region's sovereignty, Australia's prime minister said Wednesday at a summit clouded by China's alleged meddling.

South Korea sends plane to fetch detained workers from US
A chartered plane departed Seoul for the United States Wednesday to repatriate hundreds of South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid, flag carrier Korean Air told AFP.

Poland says 'hostile objects' downed in its airspace during Russian attack on Ukraine
Poland said Wednesday that "hostile objects" had been downed by Polish or allied aircraft scrambled in response to multiple violations of its airspace during a Russian attack on Ukraine.

Nepal army patrols after deadly protests oust PM
Nepali soldiers patrolled the streets of Kathmandu on Wednesday, seeking to restore order after protesters set parliament ablaze and forced the prime minister to quit in the worst violence to hit the Himalayan nation in two decades.

Salvaged shipwreck porcelain gets new life in Malaysia
Chinese porcelain shards salvaged from a famous shipwreck are being reimagined in Malaysia, hundreds of years after the Portuguese vessel is said to have sunk in battle.