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UN climate chief Simon Stiell on Wednesday warned G20 nations their economies face decimation and they must overcome geopolitical divisions to tackle global warming.

Andrey Rublev's Monte Carlo Masters title defence ended at the first hurdle on Wednesday with a straight-sets defeat by Australian Alexei Popyrin, while Jannik Sinner eased through.

Thai armoured cars patrolled the town of Mae Sot Wednesday as the deep boom of artillery thundered across the border in Myanmar where the junta and an ethnic armed group fought for a second day near a vital trade hub.

US consumer inflation continued to accelerate last month, according to US government data published Wednesday, reducing the chances of an early interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve.

Tyson Fury said Wednesday that "size matters" as he counts down to his undisputed heavyweight world title fight with Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia next month.

Far from the glitzy racetracks where legendary drivers made their mark in the world of Formula One, Himzo Beganovic has turned his dreams of speed into reality along the dirt roads of northwestern Bosnia.

The new CEO of the world's top crypto platform stressed the importance of regulatory compliance for Binance's future success, months after its former chief executive pleaded guilty to violating US anti-money laundering laws and it paid $4.3 billion to settle charges.

The big winner in South Korea's election is the country's most controversial politician: opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, whose party is heading towards a landslide win, making the scandal-plagued liberal a real danger to beleaguered President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Andrey Rublev's Monte Carlo Masters title defence ended at the first hurdle on Wednesday with a straight-sets defeat by Australian Alexei Popyrin, while Jannik Sinner eased through.

Water levels on rivers in Russia and Kazakhstan continued to rise and flood whole villages and cities on Wednesday, with more than 100,000 people evacuated and the Kremlin warning a "very, very tense" situation was expected to worsen.

A ferry service between Senegal's capital Dakar and the southern city of Ziguinchor has resumed to the joy and relief of many who said its months-long suspension had cost them dearly.

Security measures will be reinforced at Champions League quarter-final matches in Paris and Madrid on Wednesday after the Islamic State (IS) group made threats against stadiums.

US President Joe Biden's administration on Wednesday announced the first nationwide tap water standards to protect the public from toxic "forever chemicals" linked to serious health harms ranging from cancers to developmental damage in children.

"World of Warcraft" is returning to China this summer, its developer and local partner said Wednesday, more than a year after dismayed devotees saw the hugely popular video game and other titles pulled from the market in a contract dispute.

The Taliban's hyper-reclusive supreme leader made a rare public appearance Wednesday, an Afghan government spokesman said, berating the international community in a speech for criticising his rule.

Equities mostly rose Wednesday as traders awaited key US inflation data that could have a bearing on Federal Reserve interest rates, and on the eve of a European Central Bank's latest monetary policy decision.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday that "external interference" would not stop Beijing from unifying with Taiwan, as he met the self-ruled island's former leader in a rare display of cross-strait dialogue.

Barry Callebaut, the world's biggest supplier of chocolate to the food industry, said Wednesday that the surge in global cocoa prices had chipped away at profits.

Israeli strikes hit Gaza on Wednesday as Muslims marked the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan and after US President Joe Biden labelled Israel's approach to the war a "mistake".

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned Wednesday that Israel's "disproportionate response" in the Gaza war with Hamas risks "destabilising the Middle East, and as a consequence, the entire world".

Gazans did their best to celebrate the end of Ramadan in the driving rain on Wednesday, as the war raged on with 14 killed, including children, in a strike on their home, the Hamas-run territory's health ministry said.

South Korea's opposition was set to triumph in parliamentary elections on Wednesday, with exit polls suggesting it increased its majority in a major blow to President Yoon Suk Yeol.

World Athletics announced on Wednesday it will become the first international federation to award prize money at an Olympics, beginning at this year's Games in Paris.

US President Joe Biden hosts a lavish state visit for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House on Wednesday, featuring a major upgrade in defense ties against China -- and music by Paul Simon.

British three-time Olympic gold medallist Max Whitlock has announced he will retire from gymnastics after the Paris 2024 Games.

Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from areas at risk of being submerged in water across Kazakhstan and Russia amid the worst flooding in decades, officials said Wednesday.

High youth unemployment, feuding politicians and a cost of living crisis: young South Korean voters told AFP what was on their minds as they voted -- some for the first time -- in elections Wednesday.

Equities mostly rose on Wednesday following a tepid day on Wall Street, with investors lasering in on the release of crucial US inflation data that could have a huge bearing on the outlook for interest rates.

Record-seeking TJ Perenara was on Wednesday named to start at scrum-half in place of the injured Cam Roigard for the Wellington Hurricanes who face a huge challenge to their unbeaten Super Rugby record against the Waikato Chiefs at the weekend.

With the flow of new recruits into the seafaring sector drying up, a German company is exploring a potentially revolutionary measure -- sending ships off without a captain on board.

Niculina Moica felt the weight of history as she pushed open the rusty iron gate to the former Communist prison of Jilava, where she was detained as a teenager.

All Blacks loose forward Ethan Blackadder will make a cautious return for the Canterbury Crusaders on Friday after a horror run of injures, head coach Rob Penney said Wednesday.