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Taiwan dispatched forces on Wednesday in response to China's "live-fire" drills off the self-ruled island, Taipei's defence ministry said, condemning the exercises as dangerous.

Hong Kong will cut public spending and restore fiscal balance by mid-2027 after a string of huge deficits, the city's finance chief said Wednesday as he unveiled growth plans including an artificial intelligence institute.

Lydia Ko said Wednesday she would rather grace the fairways on the golf course than strut down the catwalk after appearing on the cover of the latest edition of Vogue in South Korea.

Thousands of mourners, carrying flags and orange balloons, gathered Wednesday for the funeral procession of Shiri Bibas and her sons, who were killed in Gaza captivity and had become symbols of Israel's hostage ordeal.

Former cricketers and pundits have slammed India's "undeniable" advantage of playing all their Champions Trophy matches in Dubai, while the other seven teams have to shuttle between three venues in Pakistan, and the UAE.

In Albania's capital, Baba Mondi envisions a Vatican-like state for his Bektashi faith on a tiny scrap of land that would serve as a model for love and tolerance.

In a workshop tucked away in Beijing's historic Forbidden City, a restorer hunched over a centuries-old figurine, using a cotton bud to delicately clean its dusty crevices after years hidden in storage.

Chinese authorities appear to have censored a document showing plans to spend more than $6.6 million this year on training for two American-born winter sport athletes, including double-Olympic gold medallist Eileen Gu.

Chilean authorities said they restored power to most homes on Wednesday, hours after a massive, rare blackout caused transport chaos in the capital and forced the president to declare a state of emergency and curfew across much of the country.

The number of births in South Korea rose last year for the first time in more than a decade on the back of a rise in marriages, officials said on Wednesday, bucking a trend for a country battling a demographic crisis.

"How many seconds do we have?"

Luka Doncic faced his old team the Dallas Mavericks for the first time since his shock move to the Los Angeles Lakers and served up a triple-double in a 107-99 win on Tuesday.

Football Australia condemned Wednesday "inappropriate and unacceptable" remarks by a radio host about their women's team and urged more respectful commentary on women's sport.

US President Donald Trump is set on Wednesday to convene his first Cabinet meeting since returning to office last month, in an effort to further his agenda with most of his nominees now having been confirmed by Congress.

Israel has agreed to release Palestinian prisoners who were due to be freed last week in exchange for the bodies of four Israeli hostages, Egyptian state-linked media reported, as Washington's top Middle East envoy said talks for a second phase of a Gaza ceasefire deal remained on track.

South Korea's birth rate rose last year for the first time in a decade, official data showed on Wednesday, bucking a trend for a country battling a demographic crisis.

Jordi Cruyff has joined fellow Dutchman Patrick Kluivert at the Indonesian national side as the country steps up its bid to reach a first World Cup since independence.

The front-running Cleveland Cavaliers extended their winning streak to eight games with a 122-82 thrashing of the Orlando Magic on Tuesday.

Asian markets mostly rose on Wednesday after a poor start to the week, with Hong Kong boosted by a rebound in tech firms that had taken a hit from US moves to curb Chinese investments in the country.

An Australian couple have criticised Qatar Airways after a blanket-draped corpse was seated next to them during a long-haul flight.

The EU is expected to roll back a slew of environmental rules on Wednesday as it charges ahead with a deregulation drive in a bid to keep up with the United States and China.

The EU's top team is to embark on an "unprecedented" visit to India this week, as the bloc seeks to broaden its commercial and diplomatic ties to hedge against souring relations with the United States.

The US House of Representatives passed on Tuesday a budget blueprint designed to deliver President Donald Trump's hardline agenda on immigration, tax reform and deep government spending cuts.

Ballgowns are being stitched, bonnets brushed and tea rooms prepped as the United Kingdom prepares to celebrate the 250th birthday of beloved literary icon Jane Austen.

British energy giant BP is set Wednesday to announce a shakeup to its strategy after a difficult trading year and as countries transition to cleaner energy.

US President Donald Trump unveiled plans Tuesday to sell new "gold card" residency permits for a price of $5 million each -- and said Russian oligarchs may be eligible.

Former Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff has been hospitalized in Shanghai for ear inflammation, her team said Tuesday.

Haiti has seen a "wave of extreme brutality" in recent weeks, with numerous killings and thousands forced to flee their homes, a consortium of UN agencies, NGOs and donors is warning.

Pacific microstate Nauru is selling citizenship to fund its retreat from rising seas, President David Adeang told AFP, opening a contentious "golden passport" scheme as other climate financing runs dry.

Intuitive Machines made history last year as the first private company to put a robot on the Moon, although the triumph was marred by the lander tipping onto its side.

India's Kumbh Mela festival wraps up Wednesday, with final ritual river bathing ceremonies ending six weeks of celebration that organisers say have been attended by hundreds of millions of devotees.

An exclusive menu of cocktails for Hollywood's hottest night was unveiled Tuesday, as the drinks for the Oscars after party were announced.