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US President Donald Trump on Wednesday named "Rocky" star Sylvester Stallone and country music great George Strait among the recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors, as he pursues a controversial overhaul of the storied arts institution.

The Israeli military said on Wednesday that it had approved the framework for a new offensive in the Gaza Strip, as Hamas condemned what it called "aggressive" Israeli ground incursions in Gaza City.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and his European allies urged US President Donald Trump on Wednesday to support Kyiv and push for a ceasefire when he meets Russia's Vladimir Putin in Alaska this week.

Stock markets rose Wednesday, with Wall Street building on the previous day's record highs after steady US inflation data fuelled hopes that the US Federal Reserve will cut interest rates.

Two-time former champion Venus Williams is set to make her 25th US Open appearance after receiving a wild card into the women's singles.

Nearly 20,000 residents of a community in western Canada were on standby Wednesday as a wildfire engulfed a mountain overlooking the city of Port Alberni, the latest area threatened in the country's second-worst fire season on record.

Kulsum Beghum sorts waste at a landfill in Dhaka. Her blood contains 650 microplastic particles per millilitre, according to an analysis funded by a waste pickers' union.

Typhoon Podul pounded Taiwan on Wednesday, shutting down businesses in the south, grounding flights and knocking out power for thousands of households, while parts of China made preparations for the storm to make landfall.

Russia's offensive in eastern Ukraine was gaining speed and seizing ground Wednesday as European leaders were to hold online talks with US President Donald Trump ahead of his Alaska summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin.

Stock markets rose Wednesday, with Wall Street building on the previous day's record highs after steady US inflation data fuelled hopes that the US Federal Reserve will cut interest rates.

Typhoon Podul pounded Taiwan on Wednesday, shutting down businesses, grounding flights and knocking out power for tens of thousands of households, while parts of mainland China made ready for the storm.

Forget ice cream, sorbet or even the beloved Italian gelato -- when Romans swelter in a heatwave, they turn to the traditional "grattachecca".

Russia's offensive in eastern Ukraine was gaining speed and seizing more ground Wednesday ahead of a summit in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin.

Turkey's foreign minister and his Syrian counterpart on Wednesday warned Israel not to stir up chaos in Syria and demanded an end to all external interventions aimed at destabilising the war-torn country.

Negotiators from 184 countries remained riven Wednesday on how to curb plastic pollution, less than 36 hours before they were slated to deliver a binding global treaty.

Stock markets rose and the dollar fell Wednesday on growing prospects of cuts to US interest rates after soft inflation data, with Japan's Nikkei hitting a fresh record high.

Improvements in cancer survival rates in England and Wales have slowed down significantly since 2010, according to a major study released Wednesday, leading to calls for an urgent national cancer plan.

A Hong Kong court on Wednesday found J-pop artist Kenshin Kamimura guilty of indecent assault after he harassed a woman working as his interpreter at a restaurant earlier this year.

Greece on Wednesday battled to contain more than 20 wildfires including one menacing its third-largest city Patras as a heatwave stoked blazes and forced the evacuation of thousands in southern Europe.

For a woman who has dominated women's rugby union over the last decade, Portia Woodman-Wickliffe retains an infectious enthusiasm as she approaches what is likely to be her final competition, the 2025 Women's World Cup.

Bournemouth completed the signing of centre-back Bafode Diakite from Lille on Wednesday to help fill the void left by Illia Zabarnyi's move to Paris Saint-Germain.

Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim, famed for his critiques of political repression, neoliberalism and Western hegemony, has died at the age of 88, the culture ministry announced on Wednesday.

The Israeli military said on Wednesday it had approved the framework for a new offensive in the Gaza Strip, as Hamas condemned what it called "aggressive" Israeli ground incursions in Gaza City.

Cristian Romero has been named as Tottenham's new captain after the departure of club legend Son Heung-min.

A multi-million pound conservation programme in England helped save 150 struggling species but "time is running out" to halt the decline, the head of Natural England, which led the initiative, said Wednesday.

Marcus Rashford decried Manchester United's lack of strategy as leaving the English giants in "no man's land" after joining Barcelona on loan.

Elon Musk has accused Apple of unfairly favoring ChatGPT on its App Store and threatened legal action, triggering a fiery exchange with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Tuesday.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders were to hold urgent talks with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, hoping to convince him to respect Kyiv's interests in his looming summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin.

Nepal has waived climbing fees for 97 mountains, officials said on Wednesday, hoping to steer people to its lesser-known peaks and boost local economies.

The Ariane 6 rocket on Wednesday blasted off carrying Europe's next generation satellite for warning against extreme weather events.

Swiss pilot Raphael Domjan beat the altitude record for a solar-powered electric plane in a flight that took him soaring to 9,521 metres, his team announced Wednesday.

Typhoon Podul pounded Taiwan on Wednesday, shutting down businesses in the south, grounding hundreds of flights and knocking out power for tens of thousands of households.

Markets rose Wednesday on growing hopes of US interest rate cuts after soft inflation data, with Japan's Nikkei hitting a second record high in as many days.

Two men and a woman driven by disinformation and denying the Russian invasion of Ukraine are the unlikely protagonistsof a Czech documentary that will premiere this month.

Australia cricket chief Todd Greenberg on Wednesday said a slimmer Test calendar could benefit smaller nations because the five-day game was better "where it means something".

Spanish coach Jose Riveiro has laid down the law to the stars of African giants Al Ahly of Egypt as they prepare for another CAF Champions League campaign.

CAF Confederation Cup contenders Djoliba of Mali hope gifts of motorbikes can steer them to success in a competition where they once finished runners-up.

Australian scientists have discovered a razor-toothed whale that prowled the seas 26 million years ago, saying Wednesday the species was "deceptively cute" but a fearsome predator.

Britain, France and Germany have told the United Nations they are ready to reimpose UN-mandated sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme if no diplomatic solution is found by the end of August, according to a joint letter obtained by AFP.