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Job gains in the US private sector picked up in February, payroll firm ADP said Wednesday, a sign that could give the Federal Reserve some pause as it mulls the timing of interest rate cuts.

The European Union is poised to use artificial intelligence and other tools to create a "cyber shield" protecting critical infrastructure and sectors from threats, officials said Wednesday.

A reciprocal agreement between Kenya and Haiti to send police from the East African nation to the violence-wracked country has raised hopes the Nairobi-led, UN-backed multinational peace mission could deploy soon.

Donald Trump marched towards a White House rematch with President Joe Biden in November as his final Republican rival Nikki Haley was reportedly set to drop out Wednesday after a heavy defeat in the "Super Tuesday" primaries.

Envoys pushed on with efforts for a Gaza truce and hostage release deal in Cairo talks Wednesday, hoping to halt nearly five months of fighting before the start of Ramadan next week.

Wales have dropped George North and will field a new centre duo of Joe Roberts and Owen Watkin at home to France on Sunday when they go in search of a first win in this season's Six Nations.

British Open officials have made no concessions to LIV Golf after announcing changes to exemption categories for the tournament on Wednesday.

European and Asian stock markets mostly rose Wednesday before a UK budget and Fed testimony and on the eve of a eurozone rate decision, while bitcoin and gold remained elevated one day after striking record peaks.

Jude Bellingham has been suspended for Real Madrid's next two La Liga matches after he was sent off against Valencia last weekend, the Spanish football federation said Wednesday.

Spanish prosecutors on Wednesday called for Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti to be jailed for four years and nine months, saying he had failed to declare earnings to the tax office.

The widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny called on Wednesday for Russians to stage an election day protest against President Vladimir Putin by forming long queues outside voting stations.

Spanish prosecutors on Wednesday called for Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti to be jailed for four years and nine months, saying he had failed to declare earnings to the tax office.

A German man who deliberately got vaccinated for Covid-19 a whopping 217 times did not report any side effects from his many jabs, according to researchers studying possibly the "most vaccinated person in history".

In war-torn Sudan, where chaos and fuel shortages have ground normal motor traffic to a halt, people once more rely on donkey carts -- even for urgent trips to the hospital.

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting Wednesday on violence-wracked Haiti, where marauding gangs are threatening a bloody civil war unless absent Prime Minister Ariel Henry steps down.

Ukraine launched a drone attack on a Russian metal plant in a border region on Wednesday, causing a fire at a fuel tank, the local governor said.

A surprise deal reached one year ago to mend ties with Iran has paid dividends for Saudi Arabia, largely shielding it from the Israel-Hamas war and related unrest, analysts say.

Hong Kong's justice minister said Wednesday the city does not plan to ban social media under a proposed national security law after a public consultation document included suggestions that some apps should be barred.

From the outside, Seoul's main hospitals seem unchanged: ambulances pull up, patients walk in, staff in white coats walk around purposefully. But for weeks, South Korean healthcare has been struggling.

International mediators were set for a fourth day of talks with Hamas in Cairo on Wednesday after US President Joe Biden called on the militant group to agree a truce deal with Israel by the start of Ramadan.

OpenAI, the firm behind ChatGPT, on Tuesday denied Elon Musk's accusations of "betrayal" of its original mission and said it would push to have them dismissed in court.

Two children in red, yellow and violet shirts ran along the perimeter of one of the oldest football pitches in London, cheering on their team.

Asian shares mostly gained on Wednesday after global markets fell as traders locked in profits following recent tech-driven rallies.

Boldly dressed in black bikini bottoms, a lacy bra and knee protectors, Filipina call centre agent Chriselle Guno sashays to the beat of Britney Spears' "Toxic", spins and straddles a metal chair.

Canterbury Crusaders have signed New Zealand-born back Johnny McNicholl from Welsh club Llanelli Scarlets as cover for the injured All Blacks star Will Jordan and British and Irish Lions full-back Leigh Halfpenny.

The "stunning" Himalayan cricket ground beneath snowcapped peaks for this week's fifth Test against India can help sweeten the disappointment for England that the series has already been lost.

Britain's Conservative government is on Wednesday expected to use a budget update to unveil tax cuts for millions of workers, in an attempt to woo voters before a general election.

It may have deadly animals and wild weather, but Palm Cove in Australia's northeast has been named the world's best beach, beating rivals in Hawaii, Greece and Fiji.

In a field in the Kyiv region, Lyudmyla Martyniuk was standing by silos filled with grain that should be heading for export, but for a blockade on the Polish border disturbing a market already impacted by Ukraine's war with Russia.

The aftermath of France's dour start to the Six Nations, including a humbling to Ireland and a draw with Italy, has continued to overshadow the build-up to Sunday's trip to Wales.

A boom in internet sales has boosted the lower end of the art market and could ultimately doom showroom auctions, said the boss of sector-tracker Artprice, which published its annual report Wednesday.

Masters champion John Rahm said Wednesday that the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) was not "a good system" after LIV Golf formally withdrew its application to join.