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Khamenei vows Iran will never surrender
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday the nation would never surrender and warned the United States of "irreparable damage" if it intervenes, while Israel said it had destroyed the internal security headquarters in Tehran.

Bangladesh tighten grip on first Sri Lanka Test
Bangladesh continued their dominance over Sri Lanka on the second day of the first test Wednesday, finishing at a commanding 484 for nine -- despite a few late breakthroughs by the hosts.

England's Pope keeps place for India series opener
England vice-captain Ollie Pope has retained his place at number three for the first Test against India starting on Friday, meaning rising star Jacob Bethell must wait for his return to red-ball internationals.

Itoje to lead Lions for first time against Argentina
Maro Itoje will captain the British and Irish Lions for the first time in their Australia tour warm-up match against Argentina in Dublin on Friday.

Oil rises, stocks mixed as investors watch rates, conflict
Oil prices rose and stock markets diverged Wednesday as investors tracked the Israel-Iran conflict and a looming US interest rate decision.

Iran-Israel war: latest developments
Israel and Iran exchanged fire again on Wednesday, the sixth day of strikes in their most intense confrontation in history, fuelling fears of a drawn-out conflict that could engulf the Middle East.

Iran threatens response if US crosses 'red line': ambassador
The United States is "complicit" in Israel's strikes in Iran, Tehran's ambassador to the United Nations claimed Wednesday, vowing that his country would respond if Washington crosses a "red line".

Iranians buying supplies in Iraq tell of fear, shortages back home
Near the once-bustling Iraqi border crossing of Bashmakh, Iranian driver Fatah stocked up on rice, sugar and tea, staples that have become increasingly hard to get back home.

UK's Catherine, Princess of Wales, pulls out of Royal Ascot race meeting
Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, who is recovering from cancer, has pulled out of attending the Royal Ascot race meeting, her Kensington Palace office said on Wednesday.

Rape trial of France's feminist icon Pelicot retold on Vienna stage
A staged reading of selected fragments of the trial that made Frenchwoman Gisele Pelicot, who survived nearly a decade of rapes by dozens of men, a worldwide feminist icon will premiere in Vienna on Wednesday evening.

Khamenei says Iran will 'never surrender', warns off US
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Wednesday the nation would never surrender as demanded by President Donald Trump and warned the United States it would face "irreparable damage" if it intervenes in support of its ally.

Oil prices dip, stocks mixed tracking Mideast unrest
Oil prices eased and stock markets diverged Wednesday as traders kept a close watch over the Israel-Iran conflict ahead of an interest-rate announcement from the US Federal Reserve.

How Paris's Seine river keeps the Louvre cool in summer
As Paris braces for a heatwave this weekend, a little-known network of underground pipes will be cooling the Louvre museum and other storied landmarks using water from the Seine river.

Welshman Thomas out of Tour of Switzerland as 'precautionary measure'
Former Tour de France champion Geraint Thomas has withdrawn from the rest of the Tour of Switzerland, his Ineos Grenadiers teams announced on Wednesday.

UN says two Iran nuclear sites destroyed in Israel strikes
The UN nuclear watchdog said Israeli strikes on Wednesday destroyed two buildings making centrifuge components for Iran's nuclear programme near Tehran, while Iran said it fired hypersonic missiles as the arch foes traded fire for a sixth day.

South Africans welcome home Test champions the Proteas
Several thousand supporters were at the main airport in Johannesburg on Wednesday to welcome home World Test Championship winners South Africa.

Middle Age rents live on in German social housing legacy
When German pensioner Angelika Stibi got the keys to her new home in the southern region of Bavaria this year, a huge financial weight was lifted from her shoulders.

Israel targets nuclear site as Iran claims hypersonic missile attack
Israel said it struck a nuclear site near Tehran on Wednesday, while Iran said it fired hypersonic missiles as the arch foes traded fire for a sixth day.

China's AliExpress risks fine for breaching EU illegal product rules
Chinese online giant AliExpress must do more to protect consumers from illegal product sales, the European Commission said Wednesday in an interim finding that could open the way to heavy fines.

Liverpool face Bournemouth in Premier League opener, Man Utd host Arsenal
Liverpool will kick off their Premier League title defence at home to Bournemouth on Friday, August 15 while Arsenal head to Manchester United in a blockbuster clash on the opening weekend.

Heatstroke alerts issued in Japan as temperatures surge
Sweltering temperatures prompted heatstroke alerts in multiple Japanese regions on Wednesday, with dozens of people seeking emergency medical care in the capital Tokyo.

Liverpool to kick off Premier League title defence against Bournemouth
Liverpool will kick off their Premier League title defence at home to Bournemouth on Friday, August 15 while Arsenal head to Manchester United in a blockbuster clash on the opening weekend.

Meta offered $100 mn bonuses to poach OpenAI employees: CEO Altman
Meta offered $100 million bonuses to OpenAI employees in an unsuccessful bid to poach the ChatGPT maker's talent and strengthen its own generative AI teams, the startup's CEO, Sam Altman, has said.

Spain pushes back against mooted 5% NATO spending goal
Spain is resisting US President Donald Trump's demands to hike defence spending to five percent of national output, potentially threatening NATO unity at a crucial alliance summit this month.

UK inflation dips less than expected in May
British inflation eased less than expected in May after surging in April, official data showed Wednesday, fuelling expectations that the Bank of England will hold interest rates steady this week.

Oil edges down, stocks mixed but Mideast war fears elevated
Oil prices slipped Wednesday following the previous day's surge but investors remained on edge fearing a US intervention in the Israel-Iran conflict after Donald Trump called for Tehran's "unconditional surrender".
Dozens of Bali flights cancelled after Indonesia volcano erupts
Dozens of flights to and from Indonesia's resort island of Bali were cancelled on Wednesday, authorities said, after a volcano in the archipelago's east erupted, shooting an ash tower 10 kilometres (six miles) into the sky.

Energy transition: how coal mines could go solar
Disused coal mines could be refashioned to place vast fields of solar panels, a new report suggests, providing an unlikely solution to a common obstacle to uptake of the green energy source.

Australian mushroom murder suspect not on trial for lying: defence
An Australian woman accused of killing three lunch guests with deadly mushrooms should not be judged guilty just because she lied after the meal, her defence lawyer said Wednesday.

New Zealand approves medicinal use of 'magic mushrooms'
New Zealand on Wednesday approved the medicinal use of psilocybin, a hallucinogenic compound notably found in so-called "magic mushrooms".

Suspects in Bali murder all Australian, face death penalty: police
Three Australians were arrested in Indonesia over the murder of a male compatriot on the resort island of Bali and face the death penalty, police said Wednesday, after a days-long manhunt.

Taiwan's entrepreneurs in China feel heat from cross-Strait tensions
Bustling Taipei-style shopping streets, majestic temples to the island's deities and thriving factories dot the eastern Chinese city of Kunshan, for years a hub for Taiwanese businesses.