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Boulevard
Pope Leo prepares to visit polarised, secular Spain
Pope Leo XIV heads to Spain on Saturday for a visit with a strong focus on immigration and politics, in a traditionally Catholic country where religious observance is fast declining.
Sports
Formula One ace Leclerc extends contract with 'second family' Ferrari
Charles Leclerc has agreed a multi-year extension with his "second family" Ferrari days out from his home Monaco Grand Prix, the Formula One team announced on Wednesday.
Politics
Hundreds flee as South Africa anti-migrant mobs go door-to-door
Hundreds of foreigners fearing for their lives have taken shelter in community halls on South Africa's south coast, saying mobs of locals were going door-to-door telling them to leave the country.
Storm Jangmi dumps torrential rain on Tokyo
A severe tropical storm brought torrential rain to Tokyo on Wednesday, swelling rivers, grounding flights and sparking calls to evacuate for hundreds of thousands of people across wide swathes of Japan.
Politics
Drone strikes close Kuwait airport as Iran and US clash in Gulf
A drone strike on a passenger terminal in Kuwait's international airport wounded several people Wednesday and forced air traffic to be suspended, as Iranian and US forces traded attacks in the Gulf.
Economy
Ukraine drones hit Saint Petersburg as flagship economic forum opens
Ukrainian drones hit energy and military sites in Saint Petersburg early Wednesday morning as officials gathered for a flagship economic forum in the city, Russian and Ukrainian authorities said.
Sports
Iran World Cup squad to reach Mexico early Sunday
Iran's World Cup squad will arrive early on Sunday in Mexico where they will be based for the duration of the global football tournament, a team statement said Wednesday.
Boulevard
Indian stars push to end elephants in Bollywood
Bollywood stars are campaigning to end the use of elephants in Indian films, saying that life-size robot replicas and AI-generated images do the job without cruelty.
Politics
OECD cuts 2026 global growth forecasts over Mideast war fallout
The war in the Middle East has dented economic growth prospects worldwide, with a more severe shock likely if no effective ceasefire is agreed before 2027, the OECD warned Wednesday.
Oil prices rise on Iran peace worries, Asian stocks build on tech rally
Oil prices extended gains Wednesday as Middle East peace talks stuttered, though stocks mostly rose on the back of continued demand for all things linked to artificial intelligence.
Politics
'Blind spots': drone alert lays bare Lithuania poor shelter access
When a drone threat alert blared out in Lithuania's capital Vilnius urging residents to seek shelter, Ruta Gaskauskaite hurried down to the nearest one, only to discover it was locked.
Sports
French UFC fighter Gane blocking out politics before White House bout
French mixed martial artist Ciryl Gane said he is blocking out the political noise ahead of his unprecedented fight at the White House in Washington.
Sports
England aim to erase Ashes scars against New Zealand
England will have a chance to prove they have learned from their Ashes drubbing when they face New Zealand in the first Test of their home season at Lord's on Thursday.
Sports
50 years after Olympic glory, Comaneci's homecoming sparks hope of new path to perfection
In the small Romanian town of Onesti, people chanted Nadia Comaneci's name on Sunday as the gymnast who received the first perfect 10 in Olympic history returned home 50 years after the feat.
Sports
'No hiding' as Haiti thrash New Zealand in pre-World Cup friendly
Coach Darren Bazeley called it "really disappointing" as his New Zealand side suffered a demoralizing 4-0 World Cup warm-up defeat to fellow qualifiers Haiti on Tuesday, in a match delayed by lightning in Florida.
Politics
Military seeks prison time for Indonesian soldiers in acid attack
Indonesian military prosecutors sought two-and-a-half years in prison on Wednesday for each of the four soldiers charged over an acid attack on an activist critical of the armed forces' perceived expanding role in government.
Technology
'Animalistic horror': Russia puts war art on display
In a dark exhibition space in Saint Petersburg, visitors stare at giant paintings of Russian battles down the centuries, including World War II, Afghanistan -- and Z-marked fighters in Ukraine.
Boulevard
German alleged rape victim battles time limit on abuse cases
Claudia Wuttke had no idea she may be a rape victim until police showed her a series of screenshots taken from the laptop of her former husband.
Economy
As crises balloon, so do EU nations' deficits
More and more EU countries are being thrown in the public spending sin bin over their mushrooming deficits, with Bulgaria expected to be added Wednesday.
Weather
Japan's samurai spirit still burns in cooler conditions
Japan's thousand-year-old samurai horse festival has survived wars, earthquakes and a nuclear disaster. Now it's battling a new challenge -- climate change.
Politics
Solomons PM says to review secretive security pact with China
New Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale said Wednesday he would be reviewing a secretive 2022 security pact with Beijing, which rattled Canberra and Washington by opening the door to Chinese forces in the South Pacific.
Economy
Oil prices rise on Iran peace worries, stocks build on tech rally
Oil prices extended gains Wednesday as Middle East peace talks stuttered, though stocks mostly rose on the back of continued demand for all things linked to artificial intelligence.
Sports
Sabalenka homes in on French Open semis
World number one Aryna Sabalenka can take her quest for a maiden French Open title into the last four on Wednesday, while Felix Auger-Aliassime will be hoping it's la dolce vita as he eyes a first major crown.
Technology
Trump signs AI order giving government access to powerful models
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order creating a voluntary framework under which AI developers will share advanced models with the government before public release.
Boulevard
Pope to mark centenary of death of 'God's architect' Antoni Gaudi
Pope Leo XIV will celebrate mass next week at Barcelona's Sagrada Familia, the unfinished basilica designed by famed architect Antoni Gaudi, a fervent Catholic whose cause for sainthood is advancing in the Vatican.
Politics
Migrant journeys in focus ahead of pope visit to Spain's Canaries
Haruna Ndom, 18, set out two years ago on a days-long journey across the Atlantic in a fragile boat with dozens of other migrants.
Weather
Flood warnings as storm moves towards Tokyo
A severe tropical storm moved towards Tokyo on Wednesday, with forecasters warning of floods after torrential rain battered swathes of the country and prompted calls to evacuate for hundreds of thousands of people.
Sports
Scotland's Tartan Army to bring 'the party' on World Cup return
"No Scotland, no party" is a popular refrain of the Tartan Army and for the first time in 28 years the World Cup will be treated to the Scottish fans' vibrant blend of noise, colour and passion.
Politics
Thousands protest Jared Kushner-linked resort project in Albania
Thousands of Albanians protested Tuesday against a coastal tourism complex allegedly linked to US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Technology
EU to unveil plan to wean itself off US, Asia tech
The EU will set out on Wednesday how the 27-country bloc hopes to slash its dependence on American and Asian technology, and favour European digital alternatives.
Politics
Solomons PM says to review security pact with China
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale said Wednesday he would be "reviewing" his country's secretive 2022 security pact with China, which rattled Canberra and Washington.
Economy
Will SpaceX IPO make Elon Musk a trillionaire?
He is already the richest man in the world, but when SpaceX finally makes its hotly anticipated stock market debut, Elon Musk could become the planet's first trillionaire.