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Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison derided his Labor Party opponent Wednesday as an unreliable "loose unit" on the economy as he fought to catch up in the opinion polls 10 days from May 21 federal elections.

Triple Olympic swimming champion Adam Peaty has been ruled out of the upcoming World Championships in Budapest with a foot injury, he said Wednesday.

Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, a respected veteran of the Al Jazeera network, was shot dead Wednesday as she covered an Israeli army raid in the occupied West Bank.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison derided his Labor Party opponent Wednesday as an unreliable "loose unit" on the economy as he fought to catch up in the opinion polls 10 days from the federal election on May 21.

Seeking to address "over-tourism" at popular destinations, Airbnb unveiled Wednesday a new feature that encourages users to search by trip category, not only destination.

An elderly Catholic cardinal critical of Beijing and a Cantonese pop star are among a group of veteran democracy advocates who have been arrested under Hong Kong's national security law, legal and police sources said Wednesday.

Democrats in the US Senate were due to lead a vote Wednesday to codify the right to abortion into federal law in a bid to pin down Republicans on the deeply divisive issue ahead of crucial midterm elections, even though they expect the measure to fail.

Sri Lanka's economy will "collapse" unless a new government is urgently appointed, the central bank chief warned Wednesday, as security forces fanned out on the streets to restore order after spasms of mob violence.

Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed Wednesday while covering clashes in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, was among Arab media's most prominent figures and widely hailed for her bravery and professionalism.

The deployment of unprecedented sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine war has left companies with a complex legal minefield to navigate, prompting them to hire more lawyers to avoid costly missteps.

The Super League project "is over once and for all or at least for 20 years," UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said on Wednesday.

Rafael Nadal eased into the last 16 of the Italian Open on Wednesday with a straightforward 6-3, 6-1 win over John Isner, while Alexander Zverev beat Sebastian Baez.

The son of the late Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos on Wednesday claimed victory in the presidential election, vowing to be a leader "for all Filipinos", his spokesman said.

Soldiers stood behind wrought-iron barricades and next to burnt-out buses in the heart of Sri Lanka's capital Colombo Wednesday, guarding almost deserted streets after a convulsion of deadly clashes.

The renaissance of Italian men's tennis has pleased no one more than a legend of the sport, Nicola Pietrangeli, who told AFP he believes Jannik Sinner will be in the top five by the end of the year.

The United States staging a first Rugby World Cup would be a "game-changer" for the sport in the country, according to Eagles international Nick Civetta.

European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde hinted Wednesday at a first interest rate hike in July to tackle soaring inflation, echoing the actions of other major central banks and heralding the end of the eurozone's cheap money era.

Cyber experts are urging Africa to up its game in the face of criminals targeting the continent's fast-growing internet economy with scams and theft.

Frank Wilczek, the Nobel-winning theoretical physicist whose research transformed humanity's understanding of the fundamental forces of nature, was announced Wednesday as the winner of the prestigious 2022 Templeton Prize.

Thousands of South Koreans poured into the presidential Blue House in leafy northern Seoul on Wednesday, after President Yoon Suk-yeol made good on a campaign promise to return the once-fortified compound to the people.

China's censors scrambled to wipe out online debate over its zero-Covid strategy on Wednesday after the World Health Organisation (WHO) criticised the country's hardline approach to crushing the virus.

Former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum is now in contention to become England's new Test head coach, according to British media reports.

Solomon Islands' prime minister dismissed criticism of a new maritime investment deal with China on Wednesday, saying there was nothing "sinister" in the draft agreement.

A Hong Kong court ruled on Wednesday that prosecutors could label organisers of the city's annual Tiananmen vigil "foreign agents" without having to reveal who the group is accused of working for.

When Biniam Girmay chased Mathieu van de Poel across the line in the opening stage of the Giro d'Italia last weekend, he offered further proof that Eritrea is an African hotbed of cycling.

Ukraine said Wednesday it was pushing Russian troops away from the country's second city Kharkiv but facing stiff resistance, as Washington predicted that Vladimir Putin was ready for a long war.

"The Rock", the biggest white diamond ever to be sold at auction, will go under the hammer in Geneva on Wednesday and could fetch up to $30 million -- or more.

All heatwaves today bear the unmistakable and measurable fingerprint of global warming, top experts on quantifying the impact of climate change on extreme weather said Wednesday.

Malaysia's central bank raised its key interest rate on Wednesday for the first time since 2020, in a surprise move aimed at taming inflation.

Out-of-form Virat Kohli says that he has a sure-fire way of drowning out his growing number of critics -- he just mutes the television.

India has relaxed environmental compliance rules for coal mines seeking to ramp up production as power outages exacerbate a sweltering heatwave, a government notice showed.

Asian stocks were mixed on Wednesday, following a volatile day on Wall Street with investors concerned about surging inflation and see-sawing crude prices.