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Iran has released a 19-year-old Franco-German national days after throwing out spying charges against him, France's foreign minister told AFP on Wednesday.

The leader of Britain's Conservatives vowed to return the party to its roots Wednesday as she tries to revive the fortunes of a once-electoral powerhouse whose very future is now under threat.

Gisele Pelicot, the Frenchwoman who became a feminist hero in a mass rape trial last year, was thrust into the national spotlight once again Wednesday, telling the one man who still denies raping her he must "take responsibility" for his actions.

Tensions mounted ahead of the closing on Friday of Spanish banking giant BBVA's hostile takeover bid for smaller national rival Sabadell whose uncertain outcome will be announced on October 17.

The global economy is doing better than expected, even as it faces prolonged uncertainty and underwhelming medium-term growth prospects, the head of the IMF said Wednesday.

Plant-based "steaks" and "veggie burgers" may be on the way out in the European Union after the bloc's parliament voted Wednesday to restrict such labels to meat only, in a win for disgruntled farmers.

Former FBI director James Comey pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to felony charges in a case widely seen as an escalation of President Donald Trump's campaign of retribution against political opponents.

Top US negotiators joined discussions Wednesday aimed at bringing the Gaza war to an end, with the negotiations' Egyptian host saying he had received "encouraging" signs so far.

Germany's economy will eke out meagre growth in 2025 before picking up speed next year, the government Wednesday said as it raised forecasts, but called for "decisive reforms" for a sustained recovery.

Gold topped $4,000 an ounce for the first time Wednesday as investors flocked to the safe investment on worries over the US government shutdown, France's political crisis and global economic uncertainty.

The CEO of Serie A on Wednesday slammed Adrien Rabiot's criticism of UEFA's decision to allow AC Milan to play a league fixture in Australia.

Born into a family of Palestinian refugees in Jordan with little schooling, Nobel chemistry laureate Omar Yaghi on Wednesday paid tribute to science's "equalising force".

Australia's Alex de Minaur cruised through to the Shanghai Masters quarter-finals on Wednesday, ousting Portugal's Nuno Borges 7-5, 6-2.

In Sazlibosna village, along the planned route of the vast Canal Istanbul project, 68-year-old Yasar Demirkaya fidgets with worn prayer beads as he sips tea at a cafe, uncertain about the future.

Joe Root insists England can end their 10-year long Ashes drought as they bid to finally "bring the urn home" from their tour to Australia later this year.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer touted "unparalleled" opportunities opening up in India as he made his inaugural visit to the country on Wednesday, seeking to promote a trade deal signed this summer.

England captain Harry Kane could miss Thursday's friendly against Wales after the Bayern Munich striker was unable to train on Wednesday.

Tennis players who are caught up in doping or corruption investigations will be entitled to a new series of support packages which were announced by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) on Wednesday.

Russia said Wednesday that momentum towards reaching a peace deal in Ukraine had largely vanished following Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump's presidential summit in Alaska, dimming hopes for a quick end to the three-and-a-half year war.

Gold surpassed $4,000 an ounce for the first time Wednesday as investors piled into the safe haven investment over various economic concerns including the US government shutdown.

The EU on Wednesday told European businesses in critical sectors to ramp up their uptake of artificial intelligence and pushed for the bloc to cut its dependence on foreign AI providers.

Australia's Alex de Minaur cruised through to the Shanghai Masters quarter-finals on Wednesday, ousting Portugal's Nuno Borges 7-5, 6-2.

Gisele Pelicot, who became a feminist hero in a mass rape trial last year, testified in court on Wednesday, telling the one man who still denies raping her that she "never" gave him her consent.

Record floods submerged streets and inundated homes in Vietnam on Wednesday, leaving tens of thousands of people stranded, with at least eight killed this week.

Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka battled hard Wednesday to keep her unbeaten record in Wuhan intact, having to come from behind to beat Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.

Japan's Susumu Kitagawa, UK-born Richard Robson and American-Jordanian Omar M. Yaghi on Wednesday won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing so-called metal–organic frameworks, the Nobel jury said.

Damaging accusations of cheating and forgery are at the heart of a football eligibility scandal in Malaysia which a senior government minister said "tarnishes the country's image".

Hamas said Wednesday that "optimism" was prevailing in indirect talks with Israel aimed at ending the Gaza war, with the militant group submitting a list of prisoners it wants released in exchange for freeing Israeli hostages as part of an agreement.

Arthur Rinderknech joked his family WhatsApp groups were "buzzing a lot" after he joined his cousin Valentin Vacherot in the Shanghai Masters quarter-finals on Wednesday.

A new documentary tells the story of AFP journalists who were trapped in the Gaza Strip at the beginning of the Israeli offensive, witnessing the destruction of their own reality through a lens.

Novak Djokovic threw up, Alexander Zverev poured sweat out of his shoe and Emma Raducanu quit her match with dizziness -- and the bad news for the world's top tennis players is that more baking weather is to come in China this week.

A herd of elephants, along with tigers and leopards, have escaped after raging floods in India submerged two of West Bengal's famed wildlife sanctuaries, state officials said Wednesday.

Record floods submerged streets in several communities in Vietnam on Wednesday, with at least eight people killed this week, the government said.

It is tough enough for any sailor just to complete the non-stop round-the-world Vendee Globe, let alone win it but winning it while battling cancer, as French skipper Charlie Dalin did in January, is another kind of toughness altogether.

England and Portugal are in pole position to win their respective 2026 World Cup qualifying groups with two games to spare, with several other European nations also hoping to secure berths at the finals in the upcoming matches.

Does protecting children justify snooping on private messages? That is the sensitive question facing EU countries Wednesday as they wrangle over a push to combat child sexual abuse material online.

An agitated bear roamed the aisles of a supermarket in central Japan, injuring two men and frightening shoppers while separately a man was found dead in a suspected mauling, officials and reports said Wednesday.

At the foot of the Simandou mountains in southeast Guinea's lush tropical forest, thousands of workers, trucks and excavators are digging up the hills.

Collin Morikawa admitted Wednesday that rowdy US fans crossed a line at the Ryder Cup but said he was not to blame despite calling for "absolute chaos".