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Russia said Wednesday that it will send an empty spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) next month to bring home three astronauts whose planned return vehicle was damaged by a strike from a tiny meteorite.

The British and Japanese prime ministers signed what Downing Street called a "hugely significant" new defence deal allowing UK troops to deploy in Japan as the pair met in London on Wednesday.

Aston Villa signed Spanish defender Alex Moreno from Real Betis for a reported £13 million ($15 million) on Wednesday.

Dodging the kind of meteorite strike that forced Russia to plan a space station rescue mission is nearly impossible, yet the greater threat to spacecraft is actually the man-made debris in orbit, experts say.

The Czech Republic, which holds the first round of its presidential election on Friday and Saturday, is an ex-communist country that has been a part of the European Union since 2004.

Three candidates -- a billionaire ex-premier, a former NATO general and an economist -- lead the polls ahead of Friday's first round of Czech presidential election.

Ukraine will be able to win the war in 2023 if it receives more Western weapons, particularly long-range missiles and heavy tanks, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak told AFP Wednesday.

Greece's former king Constantine II, who has died aged 82, will have a private funeral next week and be buried at the former royal estate of Tatoi, his family and officials said Wednesday.

Russia and Ukraine on Wednesday agreed a new prisoner swap during rare talks in Turkey during which they also discussed the creation of a "humanitarian corridor" in the war zone.

The fate of Soledar in eastern Ukraine was up in the air on Wednesday, with Russian mercenary group Wagner claiming to control the gateway town while the Kremlin cautioned against declaring victory prematurely.

At least five people were killed and several wounded by a suicide bomber near the Afghan foreign ministry in Kabul Wednesday, where a Chinese delegation had been due to meet, officials and witnesses said.

Germany and Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich thanked his family for picking him up out of a post-World Cup "hole", which he had described as "the worst day of my life".

Global stock markets mostly rallied Wednesday as investors were buoyed by optimism over China's reopening and looming data expected to show a further slowdown in US inflation.

US air authorities ordered an hours-long grounding of flight departures nationwide Wednesday following an outage affecting a key system used by pilots before takeoff.

Joao Felix is aiming to reignite his career at Chelsea on loan after underwhelming at Atletico Madrid, whom he joined for an eye-watering 126 million euros ($135 million) in 2019.

French billionaire Bernard Arnault announced Wednesday that his daughter Delphine would head his LVMH luxury empire's Dior fashion house in a leadership shuffle also featuring a new CEO at flagship brand Louis Vuitton.

Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix has joined Chelsea on loan for the rest of the season, the struggling Premier League club announced on Wednesday.

Conservationists are workingto rid a remote French southern Indian Ocean island of rodents and stray cats by the end of next year to protect prized albatrosses and other birds.

German police pressed ahead on Wednesday with clearing a camp of anti-coal activists in an abandoned town which has become emblematic of the country's struggle to transition away from fossil fuels amid an energy crisis.

A Turkish court on Wednesday released an internationally respected medic who outraged President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by backing a probe into the army's alleged use of chemical weapons in Iraq.

Spinner Mohammad Nawaz took four wickets to help Pakistan restrict New Zealand to 261 all out Wednesday after opener Devon Conway hit a century in the second day-night international in Karachi.

French Football Federation president Noel Le Graet has been forced to stand down just weeks after France's defeat in the World Cup final following a series of controversies, the body said on Wednesday.

A former Iranian prison official sentenced to life in Sweden for crimes committed during a 1988 purge of dissidents appeared in court again Wednesday as his appeal trial opened.

India celebrated a rare Hollywood triumph Wednesday after movie "RRR" won a Golden Globe for best song, seeing off competition from superstars Taylor Swift and Rihanna.

A suicide bomber blew himself up near Afghanistan's foreign ministry where a Chinese delegation had been due to meet on Wednesday, causing more than 20 casualties, Taliban officials and witnesses said.

Award-winning Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof, jailed half a year ago over protests related to a building collapse, has been released for two weeks because of health concerns, his lawyer said Wednesday.

The US Federal Aviation Authority ordered a temporary halt to all domestic flight departures Wednesday, after a major system outage that disrupted air traffic across the country.

Russia said Wednesday it would send a rescue capsule next month for three crew members of the International Space Station, after a meteorite damaged the spacecraft that was due to return them to Earth.

Owen Farrell is set to be available for England's opening Six Nations match against Scotland despite receiving a four-match ban for a dangerous tackle during a game for club side Saracens, the Rugby Football Union announced on Wednesday.

Britain's government stood accused Wednesday of actively undermining talks with union leaders in a bid to encourage strike action and depress workers' wages across the economy.

The French government on Wednesday played down the prospect of mass strikes and protests over pension reform which are expected to start next week.

Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix has joined Chelsea on loan for the rest of the season, the Premier League club announced on Wednesday.