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Women will be allowed to take part in the main Viking-inspired torchlight procession on the remote Scottish island of Shetland for the first time next year, organisers said on Wednesday.

La Liga president Javier Tebas accused Nasser Al-Khelaifi of lying and arrogance on Wednesday after Paris-Saint Germain's president defended his club's lavish spending to keep Kylian Mbappe.

Pakistan selectors Wednesday recalled fit-again Yasir Shah for the two Test match series against Sri Lanka next month, after the leg-spinner's career was put on hold by nagging injuries last year.

Sadio Mane's transfer from Liverpool to Bayern Munich is a coup for the Bundesliga champions, who have signed a ready-made replacement for either wantaway striker Robert Lewandowski or winger Serge Gnabry.

Authorities in Iran have banned an Iranian movie about the struggles of a family in the sanctions-hit country after it was feted at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

A resurgence of Covid-19 cases in Europe, this time driven by new, fast-spreading Omicron subvariants, is once again threatening to disrupt people's summer plans.

A powerful earthquake struck a remote border region of Afghanistan overnight killing at least 1,000 people and injuring hundreds more, officials said Wednesday, with the toll expected to rise as desperate rescuers dig through collapsed dwellings.

Bayern Munich have signed Sadio Mane from Liverpool, both clubs confirmed on Wednesday, as the Senegal attacker has signed a three-year deal with the Bundesliga champions.

Israeli lawmakers voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to advance legislation to dissolve parliament and call an early election, after Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said his eight-party coalition was no longer tenable.

Equities and oil prices tumbled Wednesday after a brief respite from last week's painful rout across world markets, with recession fears building as central banks hike interest rates to combat decades-high inflation.

Prince Charles laid a wreath on Wednesday at a memorial to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda during the first visit to the country by a British royal.

Senegal forward Sadio Mane has revealed that he turned down offers from other clubs to join Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, who are expected to confirm his transfer.

Down at a shooting range in Zaporizhzhia in south-eastern Ukraine, six women are learning how to use Kalashnikov assault rifles as part of an urban combat training programme.

French President Emmanuel Macron pressed on with efforts Wednesday to end the crisis created by his failure to retain a parliamentary majority but with no solution in sight to an impasse that jeopardises his reform plans.

Kate Bush, in a rare interview, has described her return to the top of the music charts as "quite shocking" after Netflix drama "Stranger Things" wowed a new generation of fans.

US President Joe Biden will ask Congress Wednesday to suspend the federal gas tax for three months as skyrocketing prices cause widespread anger among Americans just months before crucial mid-term elections.

A powerful earthquake struck a remote border region of Afghanistan overnight killing at least 920 people and injuring hundreds more, officials said Wednesday, with the toll expected to rise as rescuers dig through collapsed dwellings.

Todd Boehly was Wednesday named as Chelsea's new chairman to replace Bruce Buck and will act as interim sporting director after the club confirmed the departure of Marina Granovskaia.

Monkeypox may soon have a new name after scientists called for a change to dispel stereotypes of Africa being seen as a crucible of disease.

Players who have signed up to the breakaway Saudi-backed LIV Golf series will be allowed to compete in next month's 150th British Open, organisers the R&A announced on Wednesday.

Swedish great Sarah Sjostrom, who is seeking a first World Championships gold in the 100m freestyle, advanced from a depleted talent pool in the heats in Budapest on Wednesday.

Equities and oil prices tumbled Wednesday after a brief respite from last week's painful rout across world markets, with recession fears continuing to build as central banks hike interest rates to combat decades-high inflation.

Israeli lawmakers were holding a first vote Wednesday on a government bill to dissolve parliament and call an early election, after Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said his eight-party coalition was no longer tenable.

A powerful earthquake struck a remote border region of Afghanistan overnight killing at least 255 people and injuring hundreds more, officials said Wednesday, with the toll expected to rise as rescuers dig through collapsed dwellings.

Equities and oil prices tumbled Wednesday after a brief respite from last week's painful rout across world markets, with recession fears continuing to build as central banks hike interest rates to combat decades-high inflation.

The famous Hong Kong Sevens could return in November for the first time in more than three years under a Beijing Olympics-style "closed-loop" system, organisers told AFP Wednesday.

Transgender former rugby player Caroline Layt said she was assaulted by her teammates nearly two decades ago, and now she fears a new generation of players is being punished for being themselves.

British annual inflation has hit a fresh 40-year high, official data showed Wednesday, further eroding workers' wages and pressuring the Bank of England to keep on raising interest rates.

Sri Lankan casino magnate Dhammika Perera entered parliament on Wednesday with a mandate to revive the bankrupt island nation's wrecked economy -- working alongside a premier who once accused him of corruption.

A powerful earthquake in Afghanistan killed at least 100 people and injured dozens more, officials said Wednesday, with the toll expected to rise as rescuers reach remote areas.

Indonesian President and G20 chair Joko Widodo will visit the leaders of Ukraine and Russia this month to discuss the economic and humanitarian fallout of Moscow's invasion, his foreign minister said on Wednesday.

The cluster of dots on the Atlantique 2's screens may seem like a confusing mess to the untrained eye, but not to the crew of the French naval surveillance aircraft tasked with telling friend from foe in the Baltic Sea.