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The United States on Wednesday seized a Russian-linked oil tanker in the North Atlantic after pursuing it from off the coast of Venezuela, in an operation condemned by Moscow.

The United States has "maximum leverage" over Venezuela's interim authorities following the capture of Nicolas Maduro and will dictate decisions they make, the White House said Wednesday.

Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham backed team-mate Vinicius Junior on Wednesday to overcome his goal drought ahead of the Spanish Super Cup semi-final clash against Atletico Madrid.

Chinese-born tycoon Chen Zhi, who was indicted by the United States on fraud and money-laundering charges for running a multibillion-dollar cyberscam network from Cambodia, has been arrested there and extradited to China, Phnom Penh said Wednesday.

Pakistan underlined their credentials as serious contenders for the upcoming T20 World Cup with a commanding six-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the opening match of the three-game series in Dambulla on Wednesday.

Well-wishers lined the streets in Brigitte Bardot's hometown of Saint-Tropez on Wednesday for the funeral of the French screen icon, who was buried in a seaside cemetery after dying last month of cancer.

Oil prices fell further Wednesday after President Donald Trump said Venezuela would turn over millions of barrels to the United States.

A historian of the Nazi occupation of France was being sued Wednesday by her own relatives for alleged libel after she promoted her first novel as inspired by her family's history.

Where did our species first emerge? Fossils discovered in Morocco dating back more than 773,000 years bolster the theory that Homo sapiens originally appeared in Africa, scientists said in a study Wednesday.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said the Premier League leaders must win trophies if they were to be remembered like the "Invincibles" side that last won the title for the Gunners in 2004.

Brazil's far-right ex-president Jair Bolsonaro was taken to a hospital Wednesday, AFP journalists observed, after hitting his head in a fall in prison, where he is serving 27 years for leading a failed coup d'etat.

Even if Elon Musk's dream of robotaxis for everyone is a long way off, sleek electric cars powered by artificial intelligence packed the Consumer Electronics Show, promising to liberate people from the tedium of driving.

Gary O'Neil replaced Liam Rosenior as Strasbourg coach on Wednesday declaring that he had received other offers in the year he had been out of work but "none of them felt quite like this".

The United States should pressure Russia by "carrying out some sort of operation" to remove Chechen head Ramzan Kadyrov from power, just like it did with Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday.

US President Donald Trump has stepped up his designs on taking over Denmark's autonomous territory Greenland, but questions abound about why he has taken an aggressive stance when the US already has extensive access to the Arctic island.

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone and captain Koke backed striker Julian Alvarez on Wednesday despite a poor run of form ahead of the Spanish Super cup semi-final derby clash against Real Madrid.

The United States on Wednesday seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic after pursuing it from off the coast of Venezuela, in an operation set to ratchet up tensions with Moscow.

Oil prices wavered Wednesday after President Donald Trump said Venezuela would turn over millions of barrels to the United States and seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said on Wednesday that he was "sad" to see rival boss Ruben Amorim sacked by Manchester United as he reflected on the brutal nature of their trade.

France on Wednesday officialised a ban on food imports containing traces of five pesticides currently banned in the EU, a move aimed at easing farmers' opposition to the Mercosur trade deal with four South American nations.

Snow, ice and high winds brought transport chaos to swathes of Europe for a third day on Wednesday, with hundreds of flights cancelled and passengers stranded.

Hiring in the US private sector bounced back in December, data from payroll firm ADP showed on Wednesday, but the figure still missed analyst expectations as the employment market cools.

Two-time Grand Tour winner Simon Yates announced on Wednesday that he was retiring from professional cycling, just seven months after winning the Giro d'Italia.

The United States has started an operation to seize a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic after it evaded a partial blockade around Venezuela, multiple US media said Wednesday.

The board of entertainment and news giant Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) urged shareholders Wednesday to reject an updated takeover bid by rival Paramount, saying it is inferior to Netflix's offer.

Well-wishers lined the streets in Brigitte Bardot's hometown of Saint-Tropez on Wednesday for the funeral of the French screen icon as her husband revealed she had died from cancer.

A Dutch court broke the hearts of a couple after ruling that their marriage, whose wedding vows were drafted with the help of artificial intelligence, was not valid.

Germany's greenhouse gas emission cuts slowed sharply in 2025 as the North Sea experienced its warmest year on record, piling pressure Wednesday on the conservative-led government to boost climate protection efforts.

Bordeaux-Begles's France scrum-half Maxime Lucu is at risk of missing the start of the Six Nations with a knee sprain, his club coach Yannick Bru said on Wednesday.

The White House has said President Donald Trump is discussing options including military action to take Greenland -- despite a warning from Denmark that an attack would spell the end of NATO.

Title-holder Yazeed Al-Rajhi was forced to pull out of the Dakar Rally due to mechanical problems, organisers said on Wednesday.

The United Nations on Wednesday said decades-long discrimination and segregation of Palestinians by Israel in the West Bank were intensifying, and called on the country to end its "apartheid system".

Washington and Kyiv teams in Paris were on Wednesday expected to tackle Ukraine talks' "most difficult issues" including territory following a breakthrough in European-led negotiations, Ukraine's leader said.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Venezuela will hand over tens of millions of barrels of oil to the United States, just days after a US raid toppled the country's anti-American president, leaving a more cooperative leader in charge.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot insists his reigning English champions can still do "special things" this season as they prepare to face Premier League leaders Arsenal following a faltering start to their title defence.

Well-wishers lined the streets in Brigitte Bardot's hometown of Saint-Tropez on Wednesday for the funeral of the French screen icon as her husband revealed she had died from cancer.

Oil prices extended losses Wednesday after President Donald Trump said Venezuela would turn over millions of barrels to the United States, while equities wavered after a record-breaking start to the year.

Iran on Wednesday hanged a man convicted of spying for its arch enemy Israel, the judiciary said, the latest such execution on espionage charges in a trend that has troubled rights groups.

Gary O'Neil has replaced Liam Rosenior as Strasbourg coach, the French club announced on Wednesday.