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Israeli air strikes and clashes between troops and Palestinian militants rocked Gaza on Wednesday, as Israel's army warned it had readied an "offensive" against the Lebanese Hezbollah movement on the country's northern front.

North Korea fully supports Russia's war in Ukraine, leader Kim Jong Un told President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday during a state visit to Pyongyang, which has raised fears of more sanctions-busting military cooperation.

All Blacks lock Patrick Tuipulotu has bounced back from a knee injury to captain the Auckland Blues in Saturday's sell-out home Super Rugby final against the Waikato Chiefs.

Farmer Bao Mingchen gestured to a dry pipe where water typically irrigates a patch of crops, the soil now cracked under a drought hitting China's vast agricultural hinterland.

A deadly fire erupted at a huge military ammunition depot in Chad's capital N'Djamena, sending powerful explosions into the night sky and shaking buildings miles from the blast.

Heavily armed police officers wearing face masks entered a luxury home at daybreak last week in Spain's southern Costa del Sol to arrest a 40-year-old suspected drug trafficker.

British inflation slowed in May to the central bank's two-percent target, official data showed Wednesday, boosting Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's struggling election campaign.

Torrential rains in Bangladesh have triggered landslides burying alive at least nine people and forcing thousands to flee to higher ground, police and government officials in the low-lying nation said Wednesday.

French police arrested eight people in Pacific territory New Caledonia Wednesday, prosecutors said, including one of the leaders of the pro-independence CCAT movement that organised weeks of sometimes deadly unrest last month.

As night falls in central Scotland, beavers appear in a pond under the fascinated gaze of a group of nature enthusiasts.

Late evening, downtown Krakow goes from historic landmark to hub for stag nights, pub crawls and wild parties. Now, fed up with the ruckus, disgruntled locals are taking Poland's second city to court.

Athletes on Tuvalu train on the airport runway in the absence of a running track, but the tiny Pacific nation will still manage to send a one-man sprint team to the Paris Olympics.

Russian President Vladimir Putin enjoyed a red carpet welcome, a military ceremony and an embrace from North Korea's Kim Jong Un during a state visit Wednesday to Pyongyang where they both pledged to forge closer ties.

A tongue-twisting German rap about rhubarb has become the latest unlikely musical hit to storm the internet, racking up millions of views and inspiring a viral dance routine.

The European Union is expected on Wednesday to rebuke nearly 10 governments, including France and Italy, over their excessive spending after new budget rules entered into force this year.

Spain are hoping the "exceptional" Fabian Ruiz can again be the difference-maker when they look to build on an impressive win against Croatia in their second Euro 2024 outing against Italy on Thursday.

Judo world champion Huh Mi-mi was born and raised in Japan, but she will represent South Korea at next month's Paris Olympics to fulfil the wishes of her late grandmother.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te said Wednesday that China was attempting to force the self-ruled island into submission but that it would not bow to pressure.

A deadly fire erupted late Tuesday at a huge military ammunition depot in Chad's capital N'Djamena, causing weapons to fire into the air, the government and witnesses said.

China will send 11 swimmers implicated in a doping scandal to next month's Paris Olympics, after the country named its squad for the Games.

The US Justice Department on Tuesday accused Chinese "underground bankers" of helping Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel launder more than $50 million in drug trafficking proceeds.

Hollywood's alleged "wokeness" is a frequent target for right-wing commentators and politicians.

The Edmonton Oilers held off a furious late rally to defeat the Florida Panthers 5-3 and keep their dreams of an improbable Stanley Cup Final comeback alive on Tuesday.

A Kansas businessman shipped banned avionics equipment to Russia through Armenia, the UAE and other third countries. A French firm falsified documents to help unscrupulous European exporters circumvent sanctions.

Equities rose across most of Asia on Wednesday following yet another record day in New York fuelled by data that boosted US interest rate cut hopes, though expectations were tempered by cautious comments from Federal Reserve officials.

Kane Williamson has stepped down as captain of New Zealand's white-ball teams, the Black Caps said Wednesday, days after they crashed out in the group stage of the T20 World Cup.

In 2023, a newborn Javan rhino in Indonesia raised hopes for the highly endangered species. Now, conservationists fear poachers have killed up to a third of the surviving population, possibly with inside help.

Regan Smith clocked a world record 57.13sec to win the 100m backstroke at the US Olympic swimming trials on Tuesday, throwing down a challenge to Aussie Kaylee McKeown six weeks before the Paris Games.

Baseball icon Willie Mays, one of the greatest players in the sport's history beloved for dazzling skill and athletic grace, died Tuesday aged 93, his family announced.

Gareth Southgate must solve his Phil Foden conundrum as the England playmaker struggles to reproduce his brilliant Manchester City form at international level.

South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa is to be sworn in as president at a ceremony in Pretoria on Wednesday, after his weakened African National Congress (ANC) struck a government coalition deal.

Willie Mays was so good that even one of baseball's greatest plays couldn't define his Hall of Fame career.