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Eileen Gu and Beverly Zhu were both born and raised in the US before deciding to represent China, but their contrasting fortunes at the Beijing Olympics highlight the fine line between love and condemnation for the host nation's naturalised athletes.

Equity markets rose Wednesday following a positive performance on Wall Street as traders prepared for the release of highly anticipated US inflation data, while sentiment was also buoyed by signs of easing Russia-Ukraine tensions.

South Korea said Wednesday it was dropping its vaunted "trace, test and treat" programme as a surge in Omicron cases threatens to overwhelm the country's healthcare system.

The Covid lockdown this week of a relatively unknown Chinese city sent global prices of aluminium rocketing to a 14-year high.

From behind bars, Philippine senator and human rights campaigner Leila de Lima is running for re-election in an against-the-odds campaign that gives her the chance to once again "go after" President Rodrigo Duterte.

Shoppers thronged Hong Kong's markets fearing a shortage of food Wednesday, familiar scenes in a city that is back under gruelling Covid restrictions in contrast to much of the world.

When temperatures plunged well below freezing in Ankara and energy prices soared, Dondu Isler had to make a tough choice to both stay warm and keep her soaring utility bills down.

Asian markets rose Wednesday following a positive performance on Wall Street as traders prepared for the release of highly anticipated US inflation data, while sentiment was also buoyed by signs of easing Russia-Ukraine tensions.

Slovakia's Petra Vlhova produced a stunning second leg to win Olympic slalom gold on Wednesday after Mikaela Shiffrin slid out of medal contention with a botched first run.

Armed with its most charismatic leader in decades, France's Communist party aims to return to its glory days in the upcoming presidential election and win back voters who have drifted to the right.

A relatively flat campaign in which opponents have failed to score points is playing into the hands of French President Emmanuel Macron as he bids for a second term, even if much can still change ahead of the April elections.

Taiwan's push to grow its presence on the world stage as China poaches its diplomatic allies saw Taipei roll out the red carpet on Wednesday to a new friend in a similar position -- Somaliland.

American snowboard legend Shaun White breathed a heavy sigh of relief after leaving it until his second and last run to qualify for the final of the halfpipe at the Beijing Olympics on Wednesday.

The medals ceremony for the team figure skating at the Beijing Olympics has been delayed by a legal issue, the IOC said on Wednesday.

Wrapped up against the cold in a padded camouflage jacket, a Ukrainian border guard cradles his automatic rifle as he looks out over a barbed wire-topped fence into the expanse of Russia beyond.

Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges combined for 58 points and JaVale McGee provided a much-needed spark off the bench as the Phoenix Suns won their third straight game with a 114-109 victory over Philadelphia.

Birk Ruud led from the start to win Beijing Olympic gold in style in the men's freeski Big Air on Wednesday -- even carrying a Norwegian flag in his hand for his third run.

Toyota on Wednesday posted a forecast-beating net profit of $6.8 billion for the three months to December, even as a global chip crunch and a pandemic-driven parts shortage forced production cuts.

Two prominent advocates for survivors of sexual abuse pilloried Australia's prime minister Wednesday, decrying "weasel words" and a response to widespread abuse that had not "measured up".

Paintings by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera are among the cultural jewels whose looming sale has sparked concerns about the future of one of Mexico's most important private art collections.

Malta is best known for its Mediterranean sun but Beijing Olympic snowboarder Jenise Spiteri is on an unlikely mission to get her island nation into winter sports.

The WHO Wednesday urged rich countries to pay their fair share of the money needed for its plan to conquer Covid-19 by contributing $16 billion as a matter of urgency.

Mikaela Shiffrin's Beijing Olympics threatened to turn into a winter nightmare after she slid out of the slalom as fellow American star Chloe Kim starred and then sprawled in snowboard Wednesday.

Toyota on Wednesday logged a forecast-beating net profit of $6.8 billion for the three months to December, even as a global chip crunch and a pandemic-driven parts shortage forced production cuts.

New Zealand anti-vaccine mandate protesters faced off with police outside parliament Wednesday, as demonstrators camped inside the Wellington legislature's grounds vowed to stay "as long as it takes".

Mikaela Shiffrin said she felt "awful" after the American's Beijing Olympics went from bad to worse on Wednesday when she slid out of the slalom.

Birk Ruud led from the start to win Beijing Olympic gold in the men's freeski Big Air final on Wednesday -- even carrying a Norwegian flag in his hand for his third jump.

France's Alexis Pinturault will have a crack at an elusive Olympic gold when he takes on the Beijing 2022 men's alpine combined on Wednesday.

Hindu worshippers from across India gather each morning to pray in Ayodhya, near where a historic mosque was torn down three decades ago by religious zealots -- triggering inter-faith riots that killed thousands of people.

One after the other, quickly, carefully, keeping their heads down, a group of Afghan women step into a small Kabul apartment block -- risking their lives as a nascent resistance against the Taliban.

While the closure of cinemas during the pandemic has eaten into popcorn sales, demand for the microwavable form of the popular snack has reached new records, according to Europe's biggest producer.

Mikaela Shiffrin said she felt "awful" after the American ski star's Beijing Olympics campaign went from bad to worse on Wednesday when she slid out of the slalom.