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US President Donald Trump said he spoke to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin Wednesday about Ukraine and Iran, warning that the Kremlin leader had "very strongly" pledged to respond to Kyiv's stunning drone attack on Russian bombers.

The European Commission gave the green light on Wednesday for Bulgaria to adopt the euro from next year, putting the Balkan country on course to become the 21st member of the single currency area.

Packed crowds in India celebrating their cricket team's victory ended in a deadly stampede on Wednesday with 11 mainly young fans crushed to death, the local state's chief minister said.

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday it is "extremely hard" to reach a deal with China as a trade impasse persisted, while his doubling of metal tariffs fueled tensions with key partners.

French authorities want to give legal rights to the River Seine to better defend the world-famous waterway in court and protect its fragile ecosystem, part of a global movement to grant legal personhood to nature.

An inspired Lois Boisson delighted Roland Garros as the French world number 361 downed Mirra Andreeva on Wednesday to set up a French Open semi-final against Coco Gauff, while Jannik Sinner secured a last-four meeting with either Novak Djokovic or Alexander Zverev.

Jannik Sinner booked himself a second consecutive semi-final appearance at Roland Garros on Wednesday with a typically ruthless straight-sets victory over unseeded Kazakh Alexander Bublik.

French visitors to major adult websites Pornhub, YouPorn and RedTube were met Wednesday with a message denouncing privacy risks from government demands that they verify users' ages.

At least 11 people were killed in a stampede Wednesday as a tightly packed crowd celebrated the victory of their home cricket team in the Indian city of Bengaluru, the state's chief minister said.

With shops planning midnight launch parties after a run on pre-orders, Nintendo releases the Switch 2 on Thursday, hoping to score record early sales for a games console.

France's 361st-ranked Lois Boisson continued her "incredible" Paris adventure on Wednesday, dispatching world number six Mirra Andreeva in a thrilling two-set battle to reach the French Open semi-finals.

Edmund White, the influential American novelist who chronicled gay life and his own sexual odyssey through his work, including dozens of books, several short stories and countless articles and essays, has died, his agent said Wednesday. He was 85.

Coco Gauff said on Wednesday she will pretend the French crowd "are cheering for me" when she faces home favourite Lois Boisson in the Roland Garros semi-finals.

An inspired Lois Boisson delighted Roland Garros as the French world number 361 downed Mirra Andreeva on Wednesday to set up a French Open semi-final against Coco Gauff, before Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic both chase men's last-four berths.

Working day and night in front of maps, screens and seemingly endless data, Saudi officials have harnessed artificial intelligence to help manage the million-strong sea of pilgrims during the hajj.

France's 361st-ranked Lois Boisson continued her dream run at the French Open, defeating world number six Mirra Andreeva to advance to the semi-finals at Roland Garros on Wednesday.

Stock markets advanced Wednesday despite data showing US private sector job growth nearly dried up last month, reviving fears about the economy.

President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday said that Russia was giving Ukraine an ultimatum at peace negotiations but said he was ready to hold direct talks with Russia's Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump "any day".

A stampede broke out Wednesday as a tightly packed crowd celebrated the victory of their home cricket team in the Indian city of Bengaluru, resulting in deaths, a senior government official said.

Edmund White, the influential American novelist who chronicled gay life through his semi-autobiographical work, including dozens of books, several short stories and countless articles and essays, has died, his agent said Wednesday. He was 85.

Germany's government on Wednesday put forward a sweeping package of corporate tax breaks aimed at boosting investment and pulling Europe's largest economy out of the doldrums.

The world's most populous nation India will conduct a census in 2027, its first since 2011, the government said Wednesday, which will also count caste -- a controversial accounting not done since the country's independence.

Patrick Kluivert said he is "very confident" Indonesia will get a positive result against China in front of a sell-out crowd in Jakarta on Thursday to move closer to a historic World Cup spot.

Thirteen people went on trial in Paris on Wednesday over a "racist" insult targeting Franco-Malian singer Aya Nakamura, who faced criticism from the far right and harassment over her performance at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony.

A Czech state-run company signed Wednesday a deal with South Korea's KHNP to build two nuclear reactors in the EU country after a court dismissed a bid by France's EDF to block the deal.

Astronomers announced Wednesday they have discovered a massive planet orbiting a tiny star, a bizarre pairing that has stumped scientists.

US novelist Edmund White, who died Tuesday aged 85, established himself as a leading chronicler of gay emancipation through a trailblazing, largely autobiographical body of work.

World Boxing on Wednesday apologised to the Algerian federation saying it had been incorrect to name boxer Imane Khelif in a statement announcing mandatory gender testing to determine the eligibility of male and female athletes wanting to take part in its competitions.

US private sector hiring hit its slowest pace since 2023 in May, according to data Wednesday from payroll firm ADP, significantly missing expectations in a month where all eyes are on the effects of President Donald Trump's trade war.

A 24-year-old Franco-Moroccan man suspected of masterminding a series of kidnappings targeting cryptocurrency entrepreneurs in France has been arrested in Morocco, France said.

China will fight to stay alive in the hunt for a World Cup spot with hopes of a "perfect performance" when they face Indonesia in a crucial qualifier on Thursday, coach Branko Ivankovic said.

A convicted Swedish jihadist went on trial in Stockholm on Wednesday accused of war crimes for his role in the 2014 killing of a Jordanian pilot who was burned alive in Syria.