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The United States unveiled further export controls Wednesday on advanced computing semiconductors, boosting due diligence requirements for businesses as it seeks to prevent diversion of tech to China despite existing restrictions.

Rescuers pulled more bodies from a disused gold shaft in South Africa where the toll climbed to 78 Wednesday as police try to clear out illegal miners who have been underground for months.

Despite four years in prison for blasphemy, Mubarak Bala defends his atheist beliefs but says he keeps a low profile now in the face of threats in his mostly conservative Muslim region of Nigeria.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Wednesday that humanity had unleashed a "Pandora's box of ills," including "out of control technology" that risks upending "our very existence."

Outgoing US President Joe Biden's administration on Wednesday announced a ban on Red Dye No 3, a controversial food and drug coloring long known to cause cancer in animals.

Hamas has approved a Gaza truce and hostage release deal, Palestinian sources close to negotiations said Wednesday, after mediator Qatar expressed hope an agreement to end the war could be reached very soon.

US consumer inflation rose for a third straight month in December as energy prices jumped but a widely-watched measure eased slightly, raising hopes that underlying inflation may be moderating.

Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm will mount a battle of the No.1 players on the DP World Tour and LIV Golf Tour at the $9 million Hero Dubai Desert Classic, which begins Thursday.

Stock markets surged on Wednesday, buoyed by robust US bank earnings and encouraging inflation data from the United States and Britain.

Social media giant TikTok plans to completely shut down its operations in the United States this Sunday if a ban ordered by legislators goes through as planned, a report said.

Ghana's newly elected President John Mahama has announced plans to investigate his predecessor's contested $400 million National Cathedral project, a stalled religious landmark that for critics become a symbol of fiscal irresponsibility.

Simon Easterby stuck with the tried and tested in his first squad as interim coach of two-time defending Six Nations champions Ireland on Wednesday, naming just one uncapped player in a 36-man roster.

Jonny Gray was recalled to the Scotland squad for the Six Nations on Wednesday, almost two years since the second row's most recent Test appearance.

United Nations rights chief Volker Turk on Wednesday said transitional justice was "crucial" for Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, during the first-ever visit by someone in his post to the country.

US consumer inflation rose for a third straight month in December as energy prices rose, according to government data published Wednesday, adding pressure on the Federal Reserve to pause rate cuts.

Malick Thiaw will sit out AC Milan's match with Juventus and the Champions League game against Girona after the Serie A club said on Wednesday that he has a hamstring injury.

Hugo Auradou and Oscar Jegou, who were investigated for rape in Argentina before the case was dismissed last month, were both named Wednesday in France's 42-man squad for the Six Nations.

South African Henk Lategan moved back atop the overall standings after the 10th stage of the Dakar Rally on Wednesday won by Spain's Ford driver Nani Roma.

Mozambique's new president Daniel Chapo vowed to unite the country Wednesday upon taking the oath of office under heavy guard following weeks of deadly political unrest.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin met Vietnam's President Luong Cuong Wednesday, seeking to bolster support from its long-standing ally as Moscow's isolation over the war in Ukraine grows.

Czech teenager Jakub Mensik sent three-time Grand Slam finalist Casper Ruud tumbling out of the Australian Open on Wednesday and then warned: "New blood is coming."

Survivors of sexual violence emerging from Syria's prisons need reparations, urged Nobel laureate Denis Mukwege, renowned for his work with victims of sexual violence during conflict.

West Ham manager Graham Potter has said he is more than happy to work with the players he already has if the London club are unable to bolster their squad by recruiting a new striker during the January transfer window.

World number two Alexander Zverev kept his Australian Open title charge on track Wednesday with a straight-sets victory over Spain's Pedro Martinez.

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti on Wednesday demanded a rapid reaction from his team after their capitulation against rivals Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final.

Coco Gauff extended her unbeaten start to the year on Wednesday but admitted she will need to serve better if she is to stay alive at the Australian Open.

The long-awaited grudge match between Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr is set to finally take place in London in April after a delay of several years, it was announced Wednesday.

Germany's economy shrank for a second straight year in 2024, official figures showed Wednesday, with little hope of a speedy recovery as Europe's traditional powerhouse is also mired in political crisis.

A record 94 million foreign tourists craving for sun, sand and culture flocked to Spain in 2024 as the sector drives the country's bullish economy, the tourism minister said on Wednesday.

Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra almost fell victim to a phone scam using AI to impersonate a foreign leader's voice, she said Wednesday.

European stock markets rose Wednesday as traders focused on inflation data in Britain and the United States.

Three-time Grand Slam finalist Casper Ruud was sent tumbling out of the Australian Open in the second round by fast-rising Czech teenager Jakub Mensik on Wednesday, the highest men's seed to fall.