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France is experiencing a "very worrying" drought that has spurred a record number of water restrictions for the time of year, the ecology minister said on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka is intensifying a military-backed drive to contain the spread of mosquito-borne dengue fever, a senior official said Wednesday, as the death toll climbed to 49 since the start of the year.

Burglars tried to break in to the Barcelona home of Spain star Lamine Yamal on Wednesday, shortly after he helped La Roja reach their second World Cup final, police and media said.

German chemical giant BASF raised its earnings forecast for the year Wednesday after hiking prices for some products following the outbreak of the Iran war, but warned of heightened uncertainty.

European stock markets retreated Wednesday as oil prices built on recent strong gains, with traders focused firmly on the Middle East conflict and technology sector.

Germany's continued World Cup failures are a result of structural, political and cultural problems in German society, Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro said in on Tuesday.

Stuart Broad believes England must add an extra fast bowler to their attack if they are to be competitive at next year's 50-over World Cup in southern Africa.

As England gears up for the World Cup semi-final Wednesday, there will be one name on everyone's lips: Jude Bellingham, the star midfielder who powered the Three Lions through to the marquee clash against Argentina.

Myanmar's leader Min Aung Hlaing will next month make his first official visit to Thailand since stepping down as junta chief to become civilian leader, Thailand's foreign minister told AFP Wednesday.

Sudan's rival factions are profiting from control over the country's resources and the "war economy" was sustaining the conflict, the United Nations said Wednesday.

Veteran Belgian defender Thomas Meunier said he was "hugely excited" to "begin a new chapter" after he signed for Premier League side Sunderland on a free transfer on Wednesday.

Twenty-six Meta employees have filed a lawsuit accusing the tech giant of using artificial intelligence to select workers for mass layoffs, a claim strongly denied by the trillion dollar company.

Iran reported fresh US strikes Wednesday on a port city that is home to the country's only civilian nuclear plant, as Washington reimposed a naval blockade in a return to war between the foes.

A Kenyan court refused to grant Rastafarians the right to smoke weed on religious grounds in a ruling Wednesday.

Indian badminton star Pusarla Venkata Sindhu said Wednesday that "everybody is beatable" as she targets a medal at the world championships on home soil in New Delhi next month.

Generative AI chatbots capable of writing emails and computer code, translating, organising a trip or coming up with gift ideas are now readily available, prompting some to ask whether human brainpower could suffer for lack of use.

Global infant vaccination levels improved slightly last year, the UN said Wednesday, but warned that drastic funding cuts, conflicts and misinformation were deepening dangerous coverage gaps and allowing outbreaks to surge.

Chinese users of AI-powered companion bots have bid heart-rending farewells to their virtual buddies as national regulations took effect Wednesday aimed at curbing the risk of emotional dependency.

The death toll from a devastating Bangkok bar fire has risen to 32, authorities said Wednesday, as Thailand pledged a nationwide overhaul of entertainment venue regulations.

The world's tallest unoccupied skyscraper was meant to boast a rooftop pool and a luxury hotel after completion, but instead it has stood deserted in the Chinese port city of Tianjin for years.

Two badminton veterans enjoyed 16 minutes of fame at the Japan Open on Wednesday when they appeared in the main draw of a high-level tournament after a lifetime of trying.

Cubans were gradually getting power back on Wednesday, after the third nationwide power outage in less than 10 days, the national electricity company said.

The United States on Tuesday expanded its sanctions targeting Iran's oil sector, taking further aim at the network of petroleum shipping magnate Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, the Treasury Department said.

Strong demand for AI systems pushed up sales forecasts and drove a gain in second-quarter profits Wednesday at Dutch tech giant ASML, which manufactures chip-making machines to power the tech industry.

Every year, tens of thousands of birds glide over the rusting remains of one of the Mediterranean's largest saltworks, to rest in the rare paradise it left behind.

Australian Rules football chiefs removed Indigenous ex-player Nicky Winmar from the game's hall of fame on Wednesday following his conviction for assault against a woman.

Dutch tech giant ASML, which makes cutting-edge machines to manufacture semiconductor chips, Wednesday posted a gain in second-quarter net profits compared with the same period in 2025.

France was on Wednesday set to move closer to joining the ranks of countries that guarantee the right to assisted dying, after the long journey to adoption of a controversial bill championed by President Emmanuel Macron.

US forces struck Iran and reimposed a naval blockade on its ports as Tehran hit Washington's Gulf allies on Wednesday, vowing the Strait of Hormuz would stay closed "until the US ends its aggression".

Australian Olympic champion Mollie O'Callaghan said Wednesday she had been told to "stop swimming immediately" last month because of spinal stress fractures, but has been cleared to race at next week's Commonwealth Games.

Australia will enact laws to regulate how artificial intelligence data centres use power and water, and to protect creative copyright, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Wednesday.

Lionel Messi's Argentina clash with England in a marquee World Cup semi-final on Wednesday, with Spain lying in wait after shattering French hopes of a third triumph.

China's economy grew at its weakest pace in more than three years during the second quarter, data showed Wednesday, missing expectations even as strong exports driven by the global AI boom helped offset trade disruptions caused by the Middle East war.

Robotic transporters carrying silicon wafers whizz by on overhead rails at a new factory that Kioxia, one of Japan's most valuable companies, hopes can help it meet overwhelming AI-driven demand.

Seoul led gains across Asian equity markets Wednesday as tech firms bounced back following a softer-than-expected US inflation print that soothed worries about a possible interest rate hike this month.

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) filed a lawsuit Tuesday to block Paramount Skydance's proposed takeover of Hollywood studio Warner Bros. Discovery, arguing the $110 billion acquisition would violate federal antitrust law and harm writers.

She thought she was leaving Nigeria to work at a mobile phone shop in Mali to save money for university.

The UK government said Tuesday it will introduce an overnight social media curfew for children aged 16 and 17, after Prime Minister Keir Starmer last month announced an under-16 social media ban.

France arrived in the World Cup semi-finals hailed as the most scintillating attacking force to grace the tournament since Brazil's fabled 1982 side.