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England captain Leah Williamson feared severe period pain could have scuppered her hopes of leading the team to victory at this year's women's European football Championships.

Kosovo's biggest border crossing with Serbia was closed on Wednesday as months of tensions again flared, prompting Washington and Brussels to urge an immediate de-escalation of tensions.

British experts on Wednesday said 2022 was set to be the UK's warmest on record after a year of several heatwaves alongside minimal rainfall.

Pope Francis said Wednesday that Benedict XVI, who in 2013 became the first pontiff to resign in six centuries, is "very ill" and urged people to pray for him.

Christian Eriksen said he was "sad" that Cristiano Ronaldo is no longer with Manchester United but insisted that the club can push on without one of the biggest name's in their history.

A court in Ivory Coast on Wednesday handed down life terms to four men convicted of abetting a jihadist attack on a resort that left 19 people dead.

Stock markets diverged on Wednesday as investors looked for a traditional "Santa Claus rally" to close the year.

Mikaela Shiffrin overcame her nerves to complete an outstanding double as she won her second giant slalom in successive days in Semmering on Wednesday.

Families embraced and wept in emotional reunions Wednesday after the first commercial flight in 18 months between Ethiopia's capital city and the war-torn Tigray region to the north.

Kosovo closed its biggest border crossing with Serbia, police said Wednesday, after Serbs set up more barricades on their side in one of the region's worst crises in years.

A Turkish appellate court on Wednesday upheld the conviction of a leading critic of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan whose jailing has added to tensions in Ankara's uneasy ties with the West.

Kai Havertz believes Chelsea's 2-0 victory over Bournemouth can spark a winning run in the Premier League after a faltering spell before the World Cup.

World champion Vincent Kriechmayr showed his class as he conquered the icy conditions to win the downhill in Bormio on Wednesday, the 14th World Cup of his career.

Mikaela Shiffrin completed an outstanding double as she won her second giant slalom in successive days in Semmering on Wednesday.

Russians are used to celebrating the New Year -- the country's main holiday -- with pomp, joy and high spirits.

Kosovo closed its biggest border crossing with Serbia, police said Wednesday, after Serbs set up more barricades on their side in one of the worst regional crises in years.

Belgian side Club Brugge on Wednesday sacked its coach Carl Hoefkens due to disappointing domestic results, despite him guiding the outsiders to the knockout stages of the Champions League.

Cameron Redpath is set to play alongside Scotland team-mate Finn Russell at Bath next season after agreeing a contract extension with the English Premiership club.

European stocks rose Wednesday, as London played catch-up with Frankfurt and Paris after a long Christmas break.

France winger Damian Penaud will leave Clermont to join Top 14 rivals Bordeaux-Begles on a three-year contract at the end of the season, Bordeaux announced on Wednesday.

Andy Murray revealed his amazement Wednesday at how a British-Iranian citizen watched his 2016 Wimbledon singles triumph while in solitary confinement in a Tehran prison.

For Russians who have been fighting on Ukraine's side as part of the "Freedom of Russia" legion since President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine, secrecy is of the utmost importance.

Swiss world champion Lara Gut-Behrami clocked the fastest time in the first run of the second giant slalom in Semmering on Wednesday, ahead of Tuesday's winner Mikaela Shiffrin.

Pope Francis said Wednesday that former pontiff Benedict XVI, 95, is "very ill", and urged people to pray for him before going to be by his side.

Pope Francis said Wednesday that former pontiff Benedict XVI, 95, whose health has steadily been deteriorating, is "very ill" and called on the faithful to pray for him.

French United Cup teammates Caroline Garcia and Alize Cornet spent Christmas at 39,000 feet in their haste to get to Perth for Thursday's start of the ATP-WTA United Cup.

Doctors working despite being infected, beds filled with dozens of elderly straining to breathe -- on the front lines of China's worst-ever Covid outbreak, hospitals are struggling.

Greek tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas on Wednesday told rival Nick Kyrgios to "enjoy his holidays", after the Australian stunned his team by withdrawing from the United Cup at the last minute.

Hong Kong authorities on Wednesday asked Japan to remove restrictions on direct flights from the city, which were imposed following the explosion of coronavirus cases in mainland China.

Beijing's sudden pivot away from containing Covid-19 has caused jitters around the world, with the United States saying it may restrict travel from China following its decision to end mandatory quarantine for overseas arrivals.

World number one Iga Swiatek said Wednesday she will put a breakthrough 2022 season behind her to concentrate on staying at the pinnacle of the women's game.

Australia closed in on winning the second Test and the series against South Africa on Wednesday after Alex Carey struck a maiden century to leave them in a commanding position.