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Brazil called for a "new globalization" to address poverty and climate change as it opened a meeting Wednesday of finance ministers from the world's top economies, but the Ukraine and Gaza wars risked overshadowing the appeal.

Erling Haaland's five-goal haul in an FA Cup demolition of Luton sent an ominous warning to Manchester City's Premier League title rivals that the Norwegian is hitting top form in time for a momentous month in the title race.

Sporadic shots were heard Wednesday in Chad's capital near the headquarters of an opposition party, accused by the government of an overnight attack on the internal security agency's offices which left several dead.

US President Joe Biden is set to issue an executive order Wednesday aimed at limiting the flow of sensitive US personal data abroad -- amid concerns they could be misused by countries including China.

Major stock markets fell Wednesday as investors locked in profits ahead of a key US inflation measurement while cryptocurrency bitcoin topped $60,000.

Max Verstappen on Wednesday brushed aside suggestions his bid for a fourth consecutive world title may be affected by speculation around his Red Bull boss Christian Horner.

US President Joe Biden reported to a hospital Wednesday for his last yearly medical examination before November's election as scrutiny intensifies over the 81-year-old's fitness and mental acuity for a second term.

Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki said Wednesday he believes Hamas understands why it should not be part of a new government in the Palestinian territories.

A new animated Disney series set in a futuristic Lagos has won over its first viewers with a Sci-Fi play on life in the Nigerian megacity.

Bitcoin passed the $60,000 mark on Wednesday, approaching its all-time high and continuing its unbridled rise since the approval of a new type of investment indexed to the cryptocurrency.

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) on Wednesday announced a "multi-year strategic partnership" with the ATP, the governing body of men's tennis, extending the kingdom's influence on international sport.

Three India players had their contracts upgraded Wednesday by the national cricket board after stellar performances, as it expanded its players' list from 26 to 30.

Germany on Wednesday hailed the "courageous steps" taken by Armenia and Azerbaijan as the Caucasus neighbours began peace talks in Berlin, in a new push to resolve a decades-long conflict.

Fighting raged Wednesday in the besieged Gaza Strip, where the reported death toll neared 30,000 as mediators insisted a truce in the Israel-Hamas war could be just days away.

Last year was the safest ever for commercial air travel, despite a massive rebound in passenger flights, an airline industry group said Wednesday.

Mossi Traore is the only French designer in the official Paris fashion week line-up to operate outside the chi-chi boulevards of the capital, staying faithful to the mixed suburb where he grew up.

Pro-Russian rebel officials in Moldova's breakaway region of Transnistria appealed to Russia for "protection" on Wednesday, amid fears the territory could become a new flashpoint in Moscow's conflict with neighbouring Ukraine.

Former Manchester United defender John O'Shea will take charge of the Republic of Ireland's March friendlies after being named interim head coach by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) on Wednesday.

The world generated 2.3 billion tonnes of municipal waste last year and the pile of trash is set to grow another two-thirds by 2050, the UN said Wednesday, warning of devastating costs for health, economies and the environment.

The United Nations on Wednesday kicked off the withdrawal of MONUSCO peacekeeping forces from the Democratic Republic of Congo by handing over a first UN base to national police, an AFP team saw.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday appealed to Balkan leaders for greater backing to help fend off Russian forces, noting an ammo shortage was impacting frontline troops.

More than 50 UK-based broadcast journalists have sent an open letter to the Israeli and Egyptian embassies calling for "free and unfettered access" to Gaza for foreign media, British media reported Wednesday.

Pro-Russian rebel officials in Moldova's breakaway region of Transnistria gathered for a rare meeting Wednesday, amid fears the territory could open a new flashpoint in Moscow's conflict with neighbouring Ukraine.

Prince Harry lost a court challenge against the UK government on Wednesday over a decision to change the level of his personal security when he visits the country.

Burkina's celebrity stuntman, 72 years young, sped down the dusty road lying back on his moped seat, feet draped over the handlebars -- and no protective gear.

Major stock markets dropped Wednesday as investors digested corporate news and awaited key inflation numbers, while cryptocurrency bitcoin closed in on $60,000 thanks to feverish demand.

A French government plan to enshrine the "freedom" to have an abortion in the constitution is to be tested Wednesday in a crucial vote in the right-dominated Senate.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's funeral is planned for Friday in a Moscow church, his allies said two weeks after his shock death in an Arctic prison.

Church bells tolled, transport came to a halt and marchers gathered across Greece on Wednesday as the country marked a year since the "national trauma" of its deadliest train crash, which killed 57 people and injured dozens more.

In a new comedy film that challenges Ukraine's lingering homophobia, an activist reassures a bewildered family hosting him, saying: "I'm gay, not a Martian."

Ukraine has been locked in an existential fight for its freedom ever since Russia sent armed soldiers with no insignia -- dubbed the "little green men" -- to take over the Crimea peninsula on February 28, 2014, following a pro-EU revolution in Kyiv.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Tuesday slammed "completely unacceptable" errors by its Gemini AI app, after gaffes such as images of ethnically diverse World War II Nazi troops forced it to stop users from creating pictures of people.