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Economy
Gold tops $4,000 for first time as safe haven shines
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.
Politics
EU wants key sectors to use made-in-Europe AI
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.
Sports
De Minaur, Rinderknech through to Shanghai quarter-finals
Australia's Alex de Minaur cruised through to the Shanghai Masters quarter-finals on Wednesday, ousting Portugal's Nuno Borges 7-5, 6-2.
Economy
Gisele Pelicot says 'never' gave consent to accused rapist
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.
Nature
Thousands stranded as record floods submerge Vietnam streets
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.
Sports
Sabalenka battles to keep Wuhan record alive, Pegula survives marathon
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.
Technology
Trio wins chemistry Nobel for new form of molecular architecture
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.
Sports
Tarnished image and cheating claims in Malaysia football scandal
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".
Politics
Hamas says 'optimism prevails' in Gaza talks with Israel
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.
Sports
Family affair as Rinderknech joins Vacherot in Shanghai quarters
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.
Politics
New documentary shows life in Gaza for AFP journalists
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.
Sports
Tennis stars suffer, wilt and quit in 'brutal' China heat
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.
Weather
Wildlife flee as floods swamp Indian parks
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.
Weather
Record flooding hits Vietnam city, eight killed in north
Record floods submerged streets in several communities in Vietnam on Wednesday, with at least eight people killed this week, the government said.
Sports
Battling cancer made Vendee Globe win 'more complicated', says skipper Dalin
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.
Sports
England, Portugal, Norway closing in on 2026 World Cup
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.
Economy
Child protection vs privacy: decision time for EU
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.
Things to know
Bear injures two in Japan supermarket, man killed in separate attack
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.
Politics
In Simandou mountains, Guinea prepares to cash in on iron ore
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.
Sports
Morikawa says not to blame for 'rude' Ryder Cup fans
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".
Boulevard
Far right harvests votes as climate rules roil rural Spain
Standing by a barn brimming with hundreds of bleating sheep, Jesus del Socorro Cuevas leads the far right's charge against "dictatorial" EU environmental regulation in his corner of rural Spain.
Economy
'Return to elegance': highlights from Paris Fashion Week
A historic Paris Fashion Week has wrapped up after 10 days of Spring-Summer 2026 womenswear shows, featuring many new faces and hailed by critics as marking a "return to elegance".
Politics
Britain's storied Conservative party faces uncertain future
They were an electoral powerhouse, the party of political titans Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher and Benjamin Disraeli. But Britain's once-towering Conservatives end their annual meeting on Wednesday with their very future under threat.
Weather
New Zealand's seas warming faster than global average: report
The seas around New Zealand are warming much faster than global averages, scientists said Wednesday in a new study warning how climate change could batter the island nation.
Nature
Snakebite surge as Bangladesh hit by record rains
In the swamplands along Bangladesh's mighty Padma River, snakes slithering through villages have become an unrelenting menace, leaving residents terrified and hospitals overwhelmed with bite victims.
Sports
Yankees deny Blue Jays playoff sweep as Mariners beat Tigers
Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm smashed home runs to spark the New York Yankees over Toronto 9-6 on Tuesday to stay in contention in the Major League Baseball playoffs.
Boulevard
Australia police foil 'kill team' gang hit near daycare centre
Australian police foiled an alleged organised crime hit by a so-called kill team near a Sydney daycare facility, authorities said Wednesday.
US, Qatar, Turkey to join third day of Gaza peace talks in Egypt
Qatar's prime minister and senior delegates from the United States and Turkey will join Hamas and Israeli negotiators on Wednesday for a third day of talks aimed at ending the Gaza war.
Economy
Gold tops $4,000 for first time as traders pile into safe haven
Gold prices broke $4,000 for the first time Wednesday as investors piled into the safe haven over expectations for US interest rate cuts and worries over the US government shutdown.
Economy
Indian garment exporters reel under US tariffs
When Donald Trump was elected, Indian garment exporter R.K. Sivasubramaniam thought the new US president would boost business and invested heavily in anticipation of a boom.
Politics
NBA back in China after six-year absence sparked by democracy tweet
The NBA returns to the lucrative China market this week with two pre-season games following a six-year absence after a team official tweeted his support for pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
Technology
Energy storage and new materials eyed for chemistry Nobel
The development of new compounds and novel ways of storing energy are some of the research fields commentators say could be contenders for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry announced Wednesday.