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Health
'Oh, gosh': Inside the race to test for cruise ship hantavirus
It was the start of a long weekend in South Africa on Friday when Lucille Blumberg received an email from a fellow infectious disease specialist about an unknown illness on a cruise ship.
Politics
Wave of arrests, abductions after attacks on Mali junta
Malian opposition figures and military personnel have been detained or abducted following large-scale attacks by jihadists and separatists on junta positions, security, legal and family sources told AFP on Wednesday.
Health
Virus-hit cruise ship evacuees head to Europe
A medical plane that left Cape Verde following the evacuation of a cruise ship hit by the hantavirus landed in Spain's Canary Islands on Wednesday, while a second flight headed for the Netherlands.
Virus-hit cruise ship evacuees head to Spain, Netherlands
A plane that left Cape Verde following the evacuation of a cruise ship hit by the hantavirus landed in Spain's Canary Islands on Wednesday, while a second flight headed for the Netherlands.
Sports
FIFA extends Prestianni ban worldwide
FIFA announced on Wednesday it had extended Gianluca Prestianni's suspension worldwide after the Benfica winger was originally banned by European football's governing body UEFA.
Economy
EU risks financial hit if Chinese suppliers forced out: trade group
A group representing Chinese companies warned Wednesday the EU would suffer hundreds of billions of euros in losses if Chinese telecoms suppliers are banned in the bloc over cybersecurity concerns.
Economy
G7 decries 'economic coercion' in swipe at China
The trade ministers of the Group of Seven leading industrialised nations Wednesday criticised "economic coercion" by powers placing arbitrary restrictions on exports, particularly critical minerals, in a clear swipe at China.
Culture
Pioneering CNN founder Ted Turner dead at 87
Ted Turner, the flamboyant US entrepreneur who transformed television news with the creation of CNN in 1980, has died at the age of 87, the network said Wednesday.
Things to know
CNN founder Ted Turner: 20th century media giant
Ted Turner created CNN in 1980, revolutionizing the way America, and the world, got their news, and then went on to become one of the most prominent business leaders and philanthropists of his era.
Economy
Trump threatens new Iran strikes, piling on pressure for peace deal
US President Donald Trump threatened Iran on Wednesday with renewed bombing if it did not agree to a peace deal, piling on pressure after he abandoned an effort to reopen the Strait of Hormuz citing hopes for a breakthrough.
Sports
Forest to make late decision on Gibbs-White fitness for Villa Europa semi
Nottingham Forest will make a late call on Morgan Gibbs-White's fitness as they prepare for the second leg of their Europa League semi-final at Aston Villa on Thursday.
Boulevard
Malian singer Rokia Traore gets suspended jail in Belgian custody case
Malian singer Rokia Traore was handed a two-year suspended prison sentence by a Brussels court on Wednesday in a long-running dispute over the custody of her daughter.
Economy
Disney shares jump after results top expectations
Disney shares jumped in pre-market trading Wednesday as the entertainment giant reported better than expected revenues and profits, thanks in part to growth in its streaming business.
Boulevard
Cruise ship passenger with hantavirus being treated in Zurich
A former passenger on a cruise ship stricken by a deadly hantavirus outbreak is being treated in a Zurich hospital having tested positive for the disease, Swiss authorities said Wednesday.
Boulevard
Ryanair's O'Leary urges pre-flight morning booze ban
Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary has urged a ban on serving alcohol in airport bars before morning flights in an effort to tackle drunk and aggressive passengers.
Culture
Ghana artist's billboard campaign takes aim at fast fashion fallout
On a busy roadside in Accra, a billboard that would normally advertise soft drinks is draped in a cascade of worn shirts -- frayed collars, faded blues and greys and a striking circular pattern stitched at its centre.
Economy
Hopes rise for Iran deal as US halts guiding ships in Hormuz
The United States and a key mediator in the Middle East war expressed new hope of talks leading to a peace deal with Iran on Wednesday, after President Donald Trump halted a plan to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
Economy
Biogas helps cut bills, deforestation in east DR Congo
Julienne Mukelenge no longer worries about toxic fumes or power cuts when cooking at her home in Goma, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, after switching to biogas, a renewable energy source that is cheaper and locally produced.
Culture
Protests as Venice Biennale opens in turmoil over Russian presence
Bare-breasted activists protested at the Venice Biennale on Wednesday, incensed over the return of Russia for the first time to the prestigious art festival since the Ukrainian war broke out.
Politics
Zelensky says Russia choosing war as dual ceasefires falter
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that Russia had decided to reject efforts to halt fighting and save lives by launching fresh attacks on Ukraine, which had called a unilateral ceasefire.
Culture
Paris gets taste of Nigeria's Nollywood
Paris gets a taste of Nigeria's film industry on Wednesday with the start of the NollywoodWeek festival, with movies exploring love, family and duty, shorts and documentaries.
Sports
Simeone, Atletico at crossroads after Arsenal Champions League KO
Arsenal's Champions League elimination of Atletico Madrid condemned Diego Simeone's side to a fifth straight season without silverware, inevitably raising questions over the Argentine coach's future.
Economy
Indonesia eyes e-commerce ban for under-16s: minister to AFP
Indonesia's government is mulling an e-commerce ban for under-16s, the communications minister told AFP Wednesday, hot on the heels of Jakarta imposing a sweeping social media prohibition for teens.
Health
Three evacuated from hantavirus-hit cruise ship
Emergency crews on Wednesday evacuated three people from a cruise ship stricken with a deadly outbreak of hantavirus, the UN's health agency said, as experts confirmed a rare strain that can be transmitted between humans.
Politics
US pauses guiding ships through Hormuz, cites Iran deal hopes
President Donald Trump said he was pausing the US military operation to guide stranded commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz shortly after it began, citing a chance to seal a deal that would end two months of war with Iran.
Economy
Venezuela to ICJ: Rights to oil-rich region 'inalienable'
Venezuela's rights to the oil-rich territory of Essequibo are "inalienable", its representative told the top UN court on Wednesday at hearings aimed at resolving a centuries-old border dispute with Guyana.
Politics
Former Russian insider says fear pushed elites to embrace Putin war
Fear and distrust took hold in Moscow soon after Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Boulevard
Evacuations 'ongoing' from hantavirus-hit cruise ship
Evacuations were taking place Wednesday from a cruise ship stricken with a deadly outbreak of hantavirus, the World Health Organization said, as experts confirmed a rare strain that can be transmitted between humans.
Politics
Oil tumbles and stocks rally on peace hopes, Samsung tops $1 trillion
Oil prices dived again Wednesday on fresh hopes for an end to the Iran war, while Samsung blasted past the $1 trillion valuation mark in an equity markets rally stoked by the AI tech boom.
Sports
Asia football fans sweat on broadcast rights as World Cup nears
Swathes of football-mad Asia from China and India to Malaysia and Thailand are yet to confirm broadcast rights for the biggest-ever World Cup with kick-off barely one month away.
Politics
US pauses Hormuz escorts, Trump says progress on Iran deal
The United States will pause escorting commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz barely a day after it began doing so, President Donald Trump said, citing a desire to reach a peace deal with Iran.
Boulevard
Cambodian PM's cousin says owned 30% of scam-linked firm
A cousin of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said Wednesday he owned a 30 percent stake in a digital payments platform linked to cyberscams and money laundering and sanctioned by Washington.