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Belarus freed dozens of political prisoners over the weekend in exchange for the United States lifting some sanctions on the reclusive Moscow-allied country after talks that also implicated Ukraine.

Brazil's Senate on Wednesday began debating a bill that could slash the 27-year jail term of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who was convicted of plotting a botched coup after a failed re-election bid.

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said he shared people's "frustration" that the women's marathon world record held by Ruth Chepngetich still stands despite the Kenyan receiving a three-year doping ban in October.

A restored statue honouring late martial arts legend Bruce Lee was returned to its rightful place Wednesday in a Bosnian town, more than a year after it was stolen, local media reported.

Former Uruguay striker Luis Suarez has signed a contract with Inter Miami for the upcoming season, the Major League Soccer side said on Wednesday.

Warner Bros. Discovery on Wednesday rejected a hostile takeover bid by Paramount launched last week to trump plans by streaming giant Netflix to acquire the Hollywood giant and owner of CNN.

Oil prices surged on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump ordered a blockade of "sanctioned" oil tankers heading to and leaving Venezuela.

An outbreak of a highly contagious cattle disease has left France, the world's top exporter of live animals, struggling since June to prevent devastating impacts on its industry, amid growing protests by farmers.

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy may have mounting legal problems but his status as a top-selling author is not in doubt: his hastily written book about his recent prison experience has sold 100,000 copies in less than a week, according to his publisher.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday warned former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich "the clock is ticking" over the frozen £2.5 billion ($3.4 billion) generated from the sale of the club, which has been earmarked to help Ukraine's war victims.

Warner Bros. Discovery on Wednesday rejected a hostile takeover bid by Paramount launched last week to trump plans by streaming giant Netflix to acquire the Hollywood giant and owner of CNN.

The winners of the 2026 World Cup will receive $50 million in prize money as part of a record financial contribution for the tournament from FIFA, world football's governing body announced on Wednesday.

Men's tennis world number one Carlos Alcaraz announced on Wednesday he is splitting from his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero after seven hugely successful years together with assistant coach Samuel Lopez taking over.

Men's tennis world number one Carlos Alcaraz announced on Wednesday he is splitting from his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero after seven hugely successful years together.

An Iranian boxer sentenced to death on charges of membership of an outlawed group is at imminent risk of execution after his request for a retrial was rejected, rights groups and the exiled opposition said on Wednesday.

The operator of the Snicko technology being used in the Ashes has admitted an error led to a reprieve for Australia's Alex Carey on the first day of the third Test in Adelaide on Wednesday.

Finland's prime minister apologised on Wednesday to citizens of Japan, China and South Korea after MPs sparked outrage by posting pictures of themselves making derogatory squinting gestures.

Doctors in England walked out for the 14th time in less than three years Wednesday in a dispute with the government over pay and jobs.

Dozens of Romanian journalists and several NGOs signed an open letter on Wednesday backing an under-pressure media outlet whose investigation sparked nationwide anti-corruption protests.

The son of famed Hollywood director Rob Reiner could be medically cleared to appear in court as soon as Wednesday to face charges over the killing of his parents, the man's lawyer said.

On a humid Tuesday night in Accra, Zen Garden is alive with sound, movement and memory as Highlife melodies spill into the open air, drawing families, friends and office workers who sway long past midnight as if the weekend has come early.

London's stock market rallied Wednesday as the pound faltered on expectations of cuts to Bank of England interest rates, after data showed UK inflation falling faster than forecast.

France is probing possible foreign interference after a Latvian national was arrested and charged over the discovery on a passenger ferry of malware capable of allowing the vessel's operating systems to be be controlled remotely, the interior minister said Wednesday.

Europe's new Ariane 6 rocket successfully placed two satellites into orbit to join the EU's rival to the GPS navigation system on Wednesday after the mission blasted off from French Guiana.

German business sentiment fell to its lowest level in seven months in December, a survey showed Wednesday, with Europe's beleaguered top economy set to end the year on a gloomy note.

Hundreds of tourists lined up outside the Louvre Museum on Wednesday as its opening was delayed while unions voted on continuing a strike over working conditions at the Paris landmark.

Near the sun-soaked Sydney beach where father-and-son gunmen allegedly killed 15 people by firing into crowds at a Hanukkah festival, Jewish Australians say they feel unsafe and angry.

Equities mostly rose Wednesday even as US jobs data did little to boost expectations for another interest rate cut next month, while oil rallied after President Donald Trump ordered the blockade of "sanctioned" Venezuelan tankers.

Senegal talisman and striker Sadio Mane could have missed out on a glittering football career had he agreed with a wish of his late father.

An emotional Alex Carey called his 106 on home soil in front of family and friends in the third Ashes Test a "special moment" Wednesday, with the century coming just months after his father died.

Johan Eliasch, president of the most powerful winter sports federation, has told AFP that less than two months before the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics there are "many, many lessons to be learned".

An emotional Alex Carey slammed a majestic 106 on his home ground and Usman Khawaja hit a defiant 82 Wednesday to put Australia in the driving seat of the third Ashes Test against England.