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NFL commissioner opens door for Swift Super Bowl performance
Pop icon Taylor Swift, recently engaged to Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce, is a definite "maybe" to perform at the Super Bowl, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told NBC's Today show on Wednesday.

US strike marks shift to military action against drug cartels
US President Donald Trump's deadly strike on an alleged drug-smuggling boat from Venezuela marks a significant escalation from law enforcement to military action against cartels that his administration has branded as terror groups.

Trump offers more US troops to Poland's nationalist president
US President Donald Trump offered Friday to send more troops to Poland as he welcomed the country's new nationalist president Karol Nawrocki to the White House with a military flyover.

Florida to scrap all vaccine mandates, West Coast states push back
A top health official in Florida on Wednesday vowed to end all vaccine mandates in the state, including school requirements, likening the measure to prevent childhood diseases to "slavery."

First Bond game in a decade seeks licence to thrill
Developing the first James Bond video game in over a decade has felt like returning "back home" for IO Interactive, the Danish studio known for its own globe-trotting agent fantasy series "Hitman".

Wildfire tears through California gold rush town
A historic California Gold Rush-era town lay in ruins Wednesday after lightning storms sparked almost two dozen wildfires.

'Downton Abbey' stars tread red carpet for finale
The stars of "Downton Abbey" walked the red carpet in London Wednesday for one last time as the hugely successful English country house saga finally comes to an end.

Islamic State claims deadly attack on Pakistan rally
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility Wednesday for a suicide bombing that authorities said killed 15 people and wounded dozens more at a political rally in southwestern Pakistan.

Israel says expecting one million Gazans to flee new offensive
Israel estimates that its imminent offensive on Gaza City would displace one million Palestinians, a senior military official said Wednesday, as Gaza's civil defence reported dozens killed across the territory.

Kaouther Ben Hania: the director bringing Gaza into focus at Venice
Kaouther Ben Hania, whose movie about Gaza was the talk of the Venice Film Festival on Wednesday, is a Franco-Tunisian director who blurs the boundaries of reality with her hard-hitting works.

New York's Met Opera unveils Saudi collaboration to boost finances
The Metropolitan Opera in New York announced Wednesday an agreement to perform in Saudi Arabia and provide artistic training in the oil-rich kingdom as it works to shore up a creaky financial outlook.

'Ketamine Queen' pleads guilty over Matthew Perry death
A dealer dubbed the "Ketamine Queen" pleaded guilty to supplying the drugs that killed "Friends" actor Matthew Perry, when she appeared in a California court on Wednesday.

Florida to end 'slavery' of vaccine mandates
A top Florida health official on Wednesday vowed to end all vaccine mandates, including school immunization requirements, likening the measures to prevent childhood diseases to slavery.

Clippers dodged NBA salary cap with phony job for Leonard - report
The Los Angeles Clippers circumvented NBA salary cap rules by paying superstar Kawhi Leonard $28 million for a job that didn't exist, according to allegations in the Pablo Finds Out podcast on Wednesday.

Gaza drama gets 23-minute ovation at Venice premiere
A gut-wrenching new film about a five-year-old girl killed by Israeli forces in Gaza last year was given a 23-minute standing ovation after its premiere at the star-studded Venice Film Festival on Wednesday.

Nagelsmann warns Wirtz 'needs time' to shine at Liverpool
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann on Monday backed new Liverpool recruit Florian Wirtz to return to his best form after a low-key start to his Premier League career.

Epstein victims compiling list of sexual abusers
Victims of notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein said Wednesday they were compiling a confidential list of his associates who abused underage girls.

Director Julian Schnabel hits out at boycott calls over Israel
US director Julian Schnabel has hit out at calls to boycott Scottish actor Gerard Butler who has been targeted by activists for his alleged previous support for the Israeli military.

Bangladesh win T20 series against Netherlands 2-0 after no result
Bangladesh won their three-match T20 series against the Netherlands 2-0 after rain forced the final match to be abandoned on Wednesday.

Trump offers more US troops in talks with Poland's nationalist president
President Donald Trump hosted new Polish President Karol Nawrocki on Wednesday at the White House with a military flyover and an offer to send more US troops to the eastern European ally.

US West Coast states announce new agency for vaccine guidelines
California, Washington and Oregon announced Wednesday they will form a new public health body to issue vaccine guidelines, saying the move is needed to counter the Trump administration's growing "politicization" of science.

Lost for 50 years, Nobel patents found in Swedish summer home
A dozen patents belonging to Swedish inventor and philanthropist Alfred Nobel and lost for almost 50 years were recently found in a Swedish couple's summer house, the Nobel Foundation told AFP.

Stocks bounce as global bond selloff eases
European and US equities mostly rebounded Wednesday as a global bond selloff eased, with shares in Google parent Alphabet jumping after a favourable court ruling.

Trump 'attacking US universities': ex-Harvard president
The Trump administration is attacking higher education institutions in the United States as authoritarian governments seek to quash independent thought, the former president of Harvard University said Wednesday.

Pro-Palestinian protest forces Vuelta stage to be shortened
The 11th stage of the Vuelta a Espana cycling race was shortened on Wednesday as dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrated at the finish line, organisers said.

Putin vows not to back down in Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday vowed to carry on fighting in Ukraine if a peace deal cannot be reached, striking a defiant tone a day before Kyiv's allies gather in Paris to discuss security guarantees.

Docu-drama gives 'voice' to Gaza victims at Venice Festival
A harrowing film that premiered at the Venice Film Festival Wednesday about a five-year-old girl killed by Israeli forces in Gaza last year gives a "voice and face" to Palestinian victims of the war, its director said.

Bolsonaro lawyers tell Brazil court acquittal 'imperative'
The defense team of Brazilian ex-president Jair Bolsonaro told the close of his trial for coup plotting on Wednesday that an acquittal was "imperative" to avoid what it presented as a potential miscarriage of justice.

At least 21,000 children disabled in Gaza war: UN committee
At least 21,000 children in Gaza have been disabled since the war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, 2023, a United Nations committee said Wednesday.

Trump welcomes nationalist Polish president for talks dominated by Ukraine
US President Donald Trump hosted new Polish President Karol Nawrocki on Wednesday for talks focused on the war in Ukraine -- featuring a flyover as the right-wing leader arrived at the White House.

Putin says not heard of Jude Law film portrait
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday he had not heard about "The Wizard of the Kremlin", a film starring Jude Law as the Russian leader that premiered at the Venice Film Festival.

'Block everything': France on alert ahead of nationwide protest
French authorities are bracing for a day of nationwide protests led by far-left activists next week, with intelligence officials warning the movement's decentralised nature makes its scale and impact difficult to predict.