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Canada said Wednesday it would boost its diplomatic presence in central and eastern Europe as well as the Caucasus, opening four new embassies to "help counter Russia's destabilizing activities" in the region, as the war in Ukraine drags on.

Anthony Joshua insists he is "hungry" to regain the world heavyweight title as the dethroned champion sets his sights on knocking out Oleksandr Usyk in their rematch in Saudi Arabia.

Ukrainian tennis player Lesia Tsurenko on Wednesday criticised Russian "lies" over a missile strike on a shopping mall, saying she knew people affected by the attack after reaching the third round of Wimbledon.

Defending champion Novak Djokovic reached the Wimbledon third round for the 16th time on Wednesday as potential semi-final opponent Casper Ruud crashed out.

He has spent years protesting outside Britain's parliament with his trademark yellow ribbon hat, "Stop Brexit" shouts and blaring music.

US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi received Communion at St. Peter's Basilica Wednesday, according to a local news report, after being barred from the sacrament in her home city of San Francisco.

The husband of slain Kenyan distance runner Agnes Tirop is seeking a plea bargain after initially denying a charge of murder, his lawyer said on Wednesday.

England pace bowler James Anderson hopes to prove his fitness in time for Friday's Test against India after missing the conclusion of the clean sweep of New Zealand.

For nearly 90 years, anyone in France needing to know what time it is down-to-the-second could ring up the Paris Observatory and get an automated, astronomy-based response.

The United States vowed on Wednesday to shore up Europe's defences in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as NATO declared Moscow the West's greatest threat.

Regional leaders voiced alarm Wednesday over escalating tensions between Ethiopia and Sudan in a disputed border area and appealed for dialogue to stem the crisis.

Olympic 100m champion Marcell Jacobs makes his Diamond League return from injury in Stockholm on Thursday, seeking to find a competitive rhythm a little more than two weeks out from the world championships.

Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday met Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, the day after the politician put her government on collision course with London by announcing plans to hold another independence referendum.

France captain Charles Ollivon said on Wednesday his focus is on this weekend's first Test with Japan and not returning as skipper.

Harmony Tan pulled out of the Wimbledon doubles tournament on Wednesday, just hours after she had stunned Serena Williams, leaving her partner "sad, disappointed and angry".

Australia's Nathan Lyon on Wednesday said the first Test is in the balance after his five-wicket haul helped bowl out Sri Lanka for 212 but the hosts hit back with three wickets on day one.

Asian and European stock markets mostly nursed losses Wednesday on resurgent fear that sharp interest rate hikes, aimed at tackling runaway inflation, could spark recession, dealers said.

Britain has extended steel tariffs for another two years to protect its ailing industry, the government said Wednesday, breaching World Trade Organization obligations.

A French appeals court on Wednesday turned down Italy's request to extradite 10 former members of left-wing Italian extremist groups exiled in France for their involvement in violence decades ago.

Three-time Formula One world champion Nelson Piquet on Wednesday apologised "wholeheartedly" to Lewis Hamilton after using a racially offensive term to describe the Mercedes star.

It could be the world's most powerful telephone.

Dozens of people held a vigil for 51 migrants who died when they were abandoned in a suffocatingly hot tractor-trailer in Texas near the border with Mexico.

Madrid will offer "total collaboration" with the Spanish and Moroccan investigations into the deaths of 23 migrants during a mass attempt to enter Spain's Melilla enclave, Pedro Sanchez said Wednesday.

Nathan Lyon's five-for helped Australia bowl out Sri Lanka for 212, before the hosts hit back with three wickets in a fast-moving opening Test on Wednesday.

With her 41st birthday just months away and without a Grand Slam title since 2017, Serena Williams faces searching questions over her future after a painful first-round Wimbledon exit.

Global stock markets nursed steep losses Wednesday on resurgent fear that sharp interest rate hikes, aimed at tackling runaway inflation, could spark recession, dealers said.

The United States will reinforce Europe's defences with a wave of new military deployments, President Joe Biden announced Wednesday, as more Russian missiles smashed into Ukrainian cities.

Serena Williams insists she remains "motivated" to keep playing tennis despite her fast-approaching 41st birthday and the absence of a Grand Slam title since 2017.

Tour de France title challengers Primoz Roglic and Jonas Vingegaard of Jumbo Visma believe their team's two-leader strategy can finally deliver cycling's most treasured title after consecutive narrow defeats.

Turkey said Wednesday it would seek the extradition of 33 alleged Kurdish militants from Sweden and Finland under a deal to secure Ankara's support for the Nordic countries' NATO membership bids.

Germany will reinstate its so-called debt brake in 2023 after suspending it for three years to cope with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, sources in the finance ministry said Wednesday.

The head of the African Union Commission voiced concern on Wednesday over "escalating military tension" between Ethiopia and Sudan, calling for restraint and dialogue.