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Sports
McIlroy confident ahead of Pebble Beach title defense
Defending champion Rory McIlroy makes his US PGA Tour season debut in Thursday's opening round of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, confident in his game and a return to familiar equipment.
Mourning Canada in 'shock' after deadliest school shooting in decades
Canada was in mourning Wednesday, Prime Minister Mark Carney said, after a lone shooter killed at least nine people, including seven at a school, and injured dozens more in a remote western town.
Economy
US top official in Venezuela for oil talks after leader's ouster
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright was in Venezuela on Wednesday for talks with acting president Delcy Rodriguez and oil industry executives on harnessing the country's vast reserves of crude.
Politics
Ukraine will only hold elections after ceasefire, Zelensky says
Ukraine will only hold elections once it has security guarantees in place and a ceasefire with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday, pushing back at suggestions he was planning to stage fresh ballots under US pressure.
Politics
WHO urges US to share Covid origins intel
The World Health Organization on Wednesday urged Washington to share any intelligence it may be withholding on the Covid-19 pandemic's origins, despite the United States quitting the WHO.
Economy
TotalEnergies can do without Russian gas: CEO
French fossil fuels giant TotalEnergies said Wednesday it will abide by a European ban on imports of Russian liquefied natutral gas (LNG) due to come into force next year and said it can easily replace the supplies.
Economy
Instagram CEO denies addiction claims in landmark US trial
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri on Wednesday rejected the notion that users could be clinically addicted to social media, as he testified in a landmark California trial over whether his company knowingly hooked children on its platform for profit.
Politics
Israel's Netanyahu pushes Trump on Iran
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met President Donald Trump at the White House to push for a harder line in Iran nuclear talks Wednesday, with the Middle East still on edge over the threat of US military action.
Economy
EU leaders push rival fixes to reverse bloc's 'decline'
EU leaders told industry executives on Wednesday they were committed to transforming the bloc's lagging economy into a global powerhouse able to confront US and Chinese competition.
Economy
BMW recalls hundreds of thousands of cars over fire risk
German carmaker BMW is to recall hundreds of thousands of cars worldwide over a potential risk of engine starters sparking a fire, a company spokesman confirmed to AFP Wednesday.
Sports
Norris quickest in Bahrain as Hamilton calls for 'equal playing field'
World champion Lando Norris topped the timesheets during Wednesday's pre-season testing in Bahrain as former champion Lewis Hamilton called on the FIA to make sure that all 11 Formula One teams would start the new season "on an equal playing field".
Politics
Colombia election favorite vows US-backed strikes on narco camps
Colombia's right-wing presidential frontrunner told AFP on Wednesday that he would seek US support for a bombing campaign to rout cocaine-producing armed groups during his first 90 days in office.
Boulevard
French court to rule on July 7 in Marine Le Pen appeal trial
A Paris appeals court said Wednesday it will rule on July 7 in a fraud case against far-right leader Marine Le Pen, in what is expected to be a pivotal moment for French politics.
Sports
Jones says England clash 'perfect game' for faltering Scotland
Huw Jones believes a Calcutta Cup clash at home to England is the "perfect game" for a Scotland side looking to bounce back from defeat in their Six Nations opener by Italy.
Economy
Norway's ex-diplomat seen as key cog in Epstein affair
Norway's former high-profile diplomat Terje Rod-Larsen helped Jeffrey Epstein weave his web of dignitaries, acting as a go-between for the convicted sex offender in exchange for rewards, media has reported.
Sports
Swiatek fights back to reach Qatar Open quarter-finals
Iga Swiatek came from a set down to defeat Daria Kasatkina on Wednesday and keep her bid for a fourth Qatar Open title alive by reaching the quarter-finals.
Technology
AI cracks Roman-era board game
A smooth, white stone dating from the Roman era and unearthed in the Netherlands has long baffled researchers.
Sports
Motie spins West Indies to victory over England at World Cup
Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie tore the heart out of England's much-vaunted middle order Wednesday as the West Indies won by 30 runs in their T20 World Cup clash in Mumbai.
Sports
NBA bans 4 from Pistons-Hornets brawl, Stewart for 7 games
Detroit Pistons forward Isaiah Stewart was suspended seven games by the NBA and three others from a brawl between Detroit and Charlotte were also banned by the league on Wednesday.
Culture
Shakira to rock Rio's Copacabana beach with free concert
Pop superstar Shakira will perform a free concert on Rio de Janeiro's iconic Copacabana beach, following in the footsteps of Madonna and Lady Gaga, city authorities said Wednesday.
Weather
Cyclone batters Madagascar's second city, killing 31
A cyclone packing violent winds has killed at least 31 people in Madagascar's second-largest city, ripping roofs off buildings, causing flooding and felling trees, the Indian Ocean island's disaster authority said Wednesday, releasing an updated toll.
Politics
Stocks spin wheels despite upbeat US jobs data
Optimism over better-than-expected jobs data in the United States proved short lived with stocks failing to hold onto gains as investors worried about delays to interest rate cuts.
Sports
Arsenal boss Arteta lauds 'extraordinary' Frank after Spurs axe
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta described Thomas Frank as "extraordinary" after the Dane was fired by Tottenham on Wednesday, but said football managers are all vulnerable to the sack.
Culture
New drones provide first-person thrill to Olympic coverage
Whether chasing skiers as they fly down the mountain or tracking the luge as it tears around bends, new drone-mounted cameras are offering Winter Olympics viewers a wild ride.
Economy
Instagram CEO to testify at social media addiction trial
Instagram's CEO Adam Mosseri takes the stand Wednesday in a landmark trial that could determine whether social media giants knowingly hooked children on their platforms for profit.
Boulevard
Deadly mass shooting in Canada: What we know
Canada was reeling after a mass shooting targeting a school in a remote mining town, with nine people gunned down in one of the deadliest attacks in the country's history.
Politics
NATO launches 'Arctic Sentry' mission after Greenland crisis
NATO on Wednesday said it had launched a new mission to bolster security in the Arctic, in a move to assuage US President Donald Trump after he backed off claims on Greenland.
Politics
Israel's Netanyahu at White House to push Trump on Iran
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday, after rushing to Washington to push the US president to take a tougher stance in nuclear talks with Iran.
Boulevard
Canada stunned by deadliest school shooting in decades
Canada was in mourning Wednesday, Prime Minister Mark Carney said, after a lone shooter killed at least nine people, including seven at a school, and injured dozens more in a remote western town.
Boulevard
US lawmakers grill attorney general over Epstein file release
US lawmakers grilled US Attorney General Pam Bondi on Wednesday over the Justice Department's slow release of the Jeffrey Epstein files and the redactions made to the documents about the convicted sex offender.
Weather
Cyclone kills 20 in Madagascar as 2nd-largest city '75% destroyed'
A cyclone packing violent winds killed at least 20 people as it struck Madagascar, toppling houses and causing major flooding, the Indian Ocean island's disaster authority said Wednesday.
Boulevard
French court rejects bid to reopen probe into black man's death in custody
France's top court on Wednesday ruled against reopening an investigation into the 2016 death of a young black man in police custody, closing a case that triggered national outcry -- though his family vowed to take it to Europe's highest court.