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World stock markets diverged and the dollar slipped Wednesday ahead of US jobs data as investors weighed the outlook for Federal Reserve interest rates and digested more annual earnings.

For Hong Kong journalists, this week's sentencing of pro-democracy newspaper boss Jimmy Lai cements a climate of fear and self-censorship in the years since Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law.

French AI developer Mistral said Wednesday that it would build data centres in Sweden, its first outside France, as it races to compete with the sector's biggest names.

Tottenham Hotspur have sacked head coach Thomas Frank after less than eight months in charge following a 2-1 defeat at home to Newcastle on Tuesday which left them just five points above the Premier League relegation zone.

South Africa prevailed in a double super over thriller as Afghanistan came up agonisingly short of a famous victory after their T20 World Cup clash ended in a tie on Wednesday.

A Russian drone strike on a house in northeastern Ukraine killed three toddlers and their father and wounded their pregnant mother, officials said Wednesday.

German turbine maker Siemens Energy said Wednesday that its quarterly profits had almost tripled as the firm gains from surging demand for electricity driven by the artificial intelligence boom.

The World Trade Organization must urgently reform itself, its chief warned Wednesday, saying that "I don't think the status quo is an option".

European airlines warned Wednesday that the new entry system for travellers into the Schengen open-borders zone will cause "severe disruption" over peak summer months, and called for action to resolve "critical issues" behind already existing delays.

Gisele Pelicot, the French woman who survived mass rapes organised by her husband at their home, is set to reveal intimate details about her marriage and her decision to go public in her upcoming book, according to extracts published in the media.

The EU on Wednesday said it wanted to tighten drone registration, create no-fly zones and ramp up detection at critical sites after a string of unexplained sightings rocked European countries last year.

A shooter killed nine people and wounded dozens more at a secondary school and a residence in a remote part of western Canada on Tuesday, authorities said, in a rare mass shooting in the country.

Australia captain Mitchell Marsh was ruled out of their opening T20 World Cup match against Ireland in Colombo on Wednesday after being struck in the groin during training, with Steve Smith jetting in as cover.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez vowed Wednesday that justice would be done following two train accidents that claimed 47 lives last month, and insisted the country's rail system "is safe".

From trade deals to cars, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are increasingly joining forces to steer the EU agenda -- risking sidelining French President Emmanuel Macron.

Tajikistan's long-time leader Emomali Rakhmon has not appeared in public for two weeks, raising questions about the health of the president of the Central Asian nation bordering Afghanistan and China.

The EU must "tear down the barriers" that prevent it from becoming a truly global economic giant, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday, ahead of leaders' talks on making the 27-nation bloc more competitive.

Asian and European stock markets rose Wednesday while the dollar slipped as investors weighed weak US consumer data that boosted the case for more interest rate cuts ahead of key jobs figures due later in the day.

Federal prosecutors failed to bring charges Tuesday against six Democratic lawmakers who urged service members to refuse illegal orders, outraging President Donald Trump, who had called for jail time, US media reported.

Under-pressure Dutch brewer Heineken said Wednesday that it would scrap up to 6,000 jobs as it faces what it called "challenging market conditions" with beer volumes down compared to last year.

Asian stock markets rose Wednesday while the dollar slipped as investors weighed weak US consumer data that boosted the case for more interest rate cuts ahead of key jobs figures due later in the day.

He's acted as Nicole Kidman's love interest, delivered an acclaimed directorial debut, and been cast in Sam Mendes' upcoming "The Beatles" films, but Britain's Harris Dickinson insists he's keeping his feet on the ground.

A shooter killed nine people and injured dozens more at a secondary school and residence in a remote part of western Canada on Tuesday, before the suspect took their own life.

Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs ran roughshod over the injury-depleted Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, the French superstar matching his NBA season high with 40 points in a 136-108 rout.

On a misty winter's day in the English midlands, engineers struggled to drag stranded narrowboats from a waterless, mud-filled canal that collapsed weeks earlier, in a delicate, multi-million-pound rescue operation.

A Hong Kong court convicted the father of a wanted pro-democracy activist on Wednesday for handling money belonging to his daughter overseas, the first such verdict issued under the city's homegrown national security law.

Australian police said Wednesday they have charged two Chinese nationals with foreign interference, accusing them of spying on a Buddhist group at the behest of police in China.

Philippine authorities said Wednesday that a ferry may have been overloaded when it sank in the country's south last month, killing dozens of people who received no warning from the ship's crew.

Bangladesh votes on Thursday in the first parliamentary elections since a 2024 uprising ended Sheikh Hasina's 15-year iron-fisted rule -- and also holds a landmark referendum for sweeping democratic reforms.

China coach Ante Milicic admits that the country has fallen far behind the top sides in women's football as the Asian nation attempts to pull off a surprise with back-to-back continental crowns.

Hollywood stars embraced and champagne corks popped at this year's Oscars nominee lunch, the glamorous pre-show gathering that was canceled amid last year's devastating Los Angeles wildfires.

The Indiana Pacers, fueled by 30 points from Pascal Siakam, stunned the New York Knicks 137-134 in an NBA overtime thriller at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.

A mass shooting in a remote part of western Canada killed nine people on Tuesday, including seven who were shot at a secondary school, before the suspect took their own life.

Coach Roberto De Zerbi has left Marseille "by mutual agreement", the French club said early Wednesday, days after they were thrashed 5-0 by bitter rivals Paris Saint-Germain.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will push Donald Trump on Wednesday to take a tougher stance in nuclear talks with Iran, after rushing to Washington to stiffen the US president's resolve.

England Test captain Ben Stokes says that he has undergone successful surgery after being struck in the face by a cricket ball.

New Zealand are scouring the options for a coach to take charge of the All Blacks after Scott Robertson's sacking midway through his four-year contract last month.

Asian stock markets fluctuated Wednesday after a strong start to the week as investors weighed weak US consumer data that boosted the case for more interest rate cuts but stoked concerns about the world's number one economy.

Australian snowboarder Cam Bolton was airlifted to hospital with two neck fractures following a fall in training and is out of the Winter Olympics.