Last news

No magic fix: 'Harry Potter' stars banned from driving
Two stars of the "Harry Potter" films, including actress Emma Watson, were each banned from driving for six months Wednesday after being caught speeding in separate incidents.

Israel bombs Syria army HQ after warning Damascus to leave Druze alone
Israel said it bombed Syrian army headquarters in Damascus on Wednesday after warning the Islamist-led government to leave the Druze minority alone in its Sweida heartland where a monitor says sectarian clashes have killed nearly 250 people.

'Incredible' Stokes put body on line for England: Root
England captain Ben Stokes put his body on the line to inspire his side's dramatic victory over India at Lord's, according to team-mate Joe Root.

Stocks steady as traders weigh inflation data, trade deal
Major stock markets turned steadier Wednesday as traders weighed a spike to US inflation that pared bets on Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts.

Liverpool eye blockbuster bid for Newcastle's Isak: reports
Liverpool are considering a blockbuster £120 million ($160 million) bid for Newcastle striker Alexander Isak despite the Magpies' desire to hold onto the Sweden star, according to reports on Wednesday.

Italy sorts vast piles of post for popular Pope Leo
Leo XIV has not long been pope, yet the American head of the Catholic Church already receives 100 kilogrammes of letters a day, faithfully sorted by the Italian post office.

Stellantis pulls plug on hydrogen fuel cell vans
Jeep-maker Stellantis said Wednesday it was pulling the plug on plans to build light vans using hydrogen fuel cells, saying it saw no prospects for it to be commercially viable.

Nvidia's Huang says 'doing our best' to serve Chinese market
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said on Wednesday his firm was "doing our best" to serve China's vast market for semiconductors after meeting Beijing officials.

Man irked by Japan go-karting noise arrested for attempted arson
A Japanese man enraged by the noise of go-karting popular with foreign tourists was arrested Wednesday for trying to set fire to the motor vehicles, according to police and local media.

Global health aid sinks to 15-year low in 'era of austerity'
Sweeping foreign aid cuts led by the United States will cause international health funding to plummet to the lowest level in 15 years, a study said Wednesday, warning the world has entered a new "era of global health austerity."

German Wellbrock wins world 10km swim after water quality delay
Germany's Florian Wellbrock won the men's 10km at the world championships in Singapore on Wednesday after the race had been postponed for several hours because of poor water quality.

Markets mixed as traders weigh trade deal, US inflation data
Asian markets were mixed Wednesday as they weighed Indonesia's trade deal with Washington and a spike in US inflation that saw investors pare their bets on Federal Reserve interest rate cuts.

Indonesian shoemakers fear Trump tariffs despite lower levy
At a leather boot shop in the Indonesian city of Bandung, workers handle an order from Texas but owner Etnawati Melani says she fears such business will dwindle when Donald Trump's tariffs hit exports.

Indonesia hails 'new era' with US after Trump trade pact
Indonesia's leader on Wednesday hailed a "new era" of trade relations with the United States, after Donald Trump said he slashed the tariff rate faced by Southeast Asia's biggest economy from 32 percent to 19 percent.

Wallabies get Valetini fitness boost ahead of Lions Test
Flanker Rob Valetini has resumed training in a big boost for Australia ahead of the first Test against the British and Irish Lions, with assistant coach Geoff Parling Wednesday "very hopeful" the dynamic forward will be fit.

Pakistan's quiet solar rush puts pressure on national grid
Pakistanis are increasingly ditching the national grid in favour of solar power, prompting a boom in rooftop panels and spooking a government weighed down by billions of dollars of power sector debt.

Thai ex-PM Thaksin appears on stand in royal defamation case
Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra testified in court on Wednesday, seeking to defend himself against royal defamation charges in a watershed case for his faltering political dynasty.

Dutch tech giant ASML sees profits rise but warns on 2026
Dutch tech giant ASML said Wednesday it booked higher net profits in the second quarter of 2025 compared with the same period last year but warned that geopolitical headwinds had darkened the 2026 outlook.

Tajikistan's apricot farmers grapple with climate change
Tajik apricot farmer Uktam Kuziev is worried about the future now that climate change is threatening Central Asia's vital fruit harvest.

Silver says NBA to study possible expansion beyond 30 teams
NBA team owners authorized league officials to begin an in-depth analysis regarding expansion on Tuesday, but NBA commissioner Adam Silver said there was no timetable for any changes.

Schwarber's homer hat-trick lifts NL over AL in MLB All-Star Game
Kyle Schwarber smashed three home runs on three swings in a tie-breaker swing-off to lift the National League over the American League 4-3 in Monday's 95th Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

British Open: Five contenders to watch
The British Open returns to Royal Portrush this week as the world's top golfers descend on Northern Ireland, all with eyes on the Claret Jug.

McIlroy returns to Portrush as Schauffele defends British Open crown
A raucous reception will greet Rory McIlroy as the British Open returns to Royal Portrush and Northern Ireland on Thursday for the first time since Shane Lowry's 2019 triumph.

UN expert on Palestinians says US sanctions are a 'violation' of immunity
The UN's unflinching expert on Palestinian affairs Francesca Albanese said Tuesday that Washington's sanctions following her criticism of the White House's stance on Gaza are a "violation" of her immunity.

Hong Kong stocks lifted by Nvidia rally on mixed day in Asia
Tech firms led another rally in Hong Kong stocks Wednesday after US titan Nvidia said it would resume exports of key chips to China after Washington pledged to remove licensing curbs.

Cuban minister resigns after downplaying poverty
The labor minister in economically depressed Cuba resigned Tuesday amid an uproar over her claim that people rummaging through garbage cans were only pretending to be poor and not truly desperate.

Thai ex-PM Thaksin due in dock for royal defamation case
Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is set to testify in court on Wednesday, seeking to defend himself against royal defamation charges in a watershed case for his faltering political dynasty.

EU sets stage for big battle over long-term budget
The European Commission will kickstart two years of tense negotiations when it unveils its proposal Wednesday for the EU's long-term budget including funding reforms that risk renewed confrontation with farmers.

'Epstein files' explained: Why Trump is under pressure
A perceived lack of transparency over the US investigations into notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has carved a rare chasm between President Donald Trump and his typically loyal Republican base.

David vs Goliath: Inside the legal battle to help Trump's deportees in El Salvador
A small group of overstretched and outmatched lawyers is fighting for the rights of men deported by the Trump administration and held in a notorious Salvadoran prison -- a David vs. Goliath battle that may end up in international courts.

Skimming the Sun, probe sheds light on space weather threats
Eruptions of plasma piling atop one another, solar wind streaming out in exquisite detail -- the closest-ever images of our Sun are a gold mine for scientists.

Prosecutor asks Brazil Supreme Court to find Bolsonaro guilty of coup
A prosecutor asked Brazil's Supreme Court on Tuesday to find ex-president Jair Bolsonaro guilty of plotting a coup, in closing arguments after a trial that saw US President Donald Trump try to intervene on behalf of his right-wing ally.