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Rubio headed to Paris for Ukraine war talks
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was headed Wednesday to Paris for talks on ending the war in Ukraine, his office said.

Australian PM vows not to bow to Trump on national interest
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised on Wednesday to defend Australia's interests in its trade tangle with the United States, in a televised debate ahead of May 3 national elections.

New attacks target France prison guard cars, home
Assailants targeted cars and a building lobby linked to prison staff in France overnight, the authorities said Wednesday, the latest in a series of coordinated attacks that have put the government on edge.

Global trade uncertainty could have 'severe negative consequences': WTO chief
Global trade is expected to plummet this year in the wake of President Donald Trump's tariff offensive, fuelling uncertainty that threatens "severe negative consequences" for the world, the World Trade Organization warned Wednesday.

Google facing £5 bn UK lawsuit over ad searches: firms
Google on Wednesday said it would "vigorously" defend itself after some 250,000 UK businesses filed a multi-billion-pound legal claim against the US tech giant for allegedly overcharging for online advertising.

Onana to return in goal for Man Utd against Lyon: Amorim
Andre Onana will start in goal for Manchester United in their season-defining Europa League match against Lyon on Thursday, manager Ruben Amorim has confirmed.

Tiktok bans user behind Gisele Pelicot 'starter kit' meme
Tiktok has banished a user who posted a "starter kit" meme targeting Gisele Pelicot, a French feminist icon who survived nearly a decade of rapes by dozens of men, the popular video app said Wednesday.

'Put it on': Dutch drive for bike helmets
It's a world-famous scene: a steady and slightly chaotic stream of cyclists pedalling out of Amsterdam's Centraal Station, heading for the canals and cafes of the Dutch capital. Almost no one is wearing a helmet.

China's Xi meets Malaysian leaders, vows to 'safeguard' Asia allies
President Xi Jinping on Wednesday urged greater cooperation with Malaysia in the face of "shocks to the global order", during the Chinese leader's regional tour against the backdrop of a US trade war.

France urges release of jailed Russian journalists who covered Navalny
France on Wednesday urged Russia to immediately release four journalists sentenced to long prison terms for their association with the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Gabon striker Boupendza dies after 11th floor fall
Gabon international striker Aaron Boupendza died on Wednesday at the age of 28 when he fell from the 11th floor of a building in China, according to the national football federation (Fegafoot).

UK top court rules definition of 'woman' based on sex at birth
Britain's Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that the legal definition of a "woman" is based on a person's sex at birth, a landmark decision with far-reaching implications for the bitter debate over trans rights.

PSG keep Champions League bid alive, despite old ghosts reappearing
Paris Saint-Germain's bid to win a first Champions League crown remains on course but the French giants only just survived a bumpy ride against Aston Villa on Tuesday as old ghosts almost came back to haunt them.

Stocks retreat as US hits Nvidia chip export to China
European and Asian stock markets mostly retreated Wednesday after the US government imposed restrictions on exports of a key Nvidia chip to China, the latest trade war salvo between the world's biggest economies.

China's Xi meets Malaysian leaders in diplomatic charm offensive
Chinese President Xi Jinping met Malaysia's king on Wednesday in a state visit analysts said was aimed at burnishing Beijing's credentials as a reliable partner and "not a hegemon".

Israel says no humanitarian aid will enter Gaza
Israel said Wednesday it would keep blocking humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, where a relentless military offensive has turned the Palestinian territory into a "mass grave", a medical charity reported.

Anxiety clouds Easter for West Bank Christians
In the mainly Christian Palestinian town of Zababdeh, the runup to Easter has been overshadowed by nearby Israeli military operations, which have proliferated in the occupied West Bank alongside the Gaza war.

Pocket watch found on Titanic victim to go on sale in UK
A pocket watch, tickets and money found among the belongings of passengers on the Titanic are among items on sale at a UK auction later this month.

UK top court rules definition of 'a woman' based on sex at birth
Britain's Supreme Court ruled Wednesday the legal definition of a "woman" is based on a person's sex at birth, a landmark decision with far-reaching implications for the bitter debate over trans rights.

All Black Ioane to join Leinster on six-month 'sabbatical'
All Black centre Rieko Ioane is to join Champions Cup semi-finalists Leinster for next season, the player and his New Zealand franchise Blues announced on social media on Tuesday.

Barca suffer morale blow in Dortmund amid quadruple hunt
Barcelona reached the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2019 but Wednesday's defeat by Borussia Dortmund gave the Catalans cause for concern.

China tells Trump to 'stop threatening and blackmailing'
China told Washington on Wednesday to "stop threatening and blackmailing" after US President Donald Trump said it was up to Beijing to come to the negotiating table to discuss ending their trade war.

Iran FM says uranium enrichment 'non-negotiable' after Trump envoy urged halt
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday that Iran's enrichment of uranium as part of its nuclear programme was "non-negotiable" after US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff called for a halt.

Automakers hold their breath on Trump's erratic US tariffs
US President Donald Trump's aggressive but fast-changing trade policy has foisted difficult questions on carmakers that they have not yet been forced to answer.

Cycling fan admits throwing bottle at Van der Poel was 'stupid'
The spectator who threw a water bottle at Mathieu van der Poel during the Paris-Roubaix race last weekend has apologised for his "stupid gesture".

Troubled Red Bull search for path back to fast lane
Ailing Red Bull arrive on the Red Sea for this weekend's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah desperate to prevent their 2025 season sinking into mediocrity.

China's forecast-beating growth belies storm clouds ahead: analysts
Forecast-beating growth in China's first quarter may have offered Beijing's economic planners some much needed good news -- but analysts warn they should strap in for tariff-induced woes further down the line.

ASML CEO sees growing economic 'uncertainty' from tariffs
Dutch tech giant ASML warned on Wednesday of growing economic uncertainty due to US tariffs but the company kept its 2025 sales forecast intact.

Heineken beer sales dip, tariffs add to uncertainty
Heineken said Wednesday its beer sales were down in the first quarter but kept profit forecasts for the year unchanged despite noting increased uncertainty from tariffs.

Rehab centre for Russian veterans from Ukraine fills up
"Ded", a Russian veteran of Moscow's offensive against Ukraine, still limps on his new prosthetic leg after the amputation.

Dutch flower industry grasps thorny pesticide issue
As Margriet Mantingh gazes at flowers stretching as far as the eye can see at the world's biggest flower market near Amsterdam, all she sees is a huge bouquet of pesticides.

Solar boom counters power shortages in Niger
Solar panels like the ones on the roof of Elhadj Abdou's house are an increasingly common sight in Niger's capital, which is often hit by power cuts.