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France police raid far-right party offices over campaign financing
The leader of France's National Rally said police seized documents from the far-right party's headquarters Wednesday, a raid prosecutors said was linked to a French probe into alleged illegal campaign financing.

Commerzbank commits to strategy as UniCredit ups direct stake
German lender Commerzbank said Wednesday it was committed to its strategy after Italian bank UniCredit formally upped its stake in its rival, laying the ground for a potential takeover bid.

Deadly temperatures blasted western Europe in record hot June
Western Europe sweltered through its hottest June on record last month, as extreme temperatures blasted the region in punishing back-to-back heatwaves, the EU climate monitor Copernicus said Wednesday.

Volkswagen US deliveries fall as Trump tariffs bite
Europe's largest automaker Volkswagen said Wednesday that sales into the United States had taken a hit, underscoring the impact of President Donald Trump's drastic trade measures.

England recall Archer after injury exile for third Test against India
Jofra Archer will make his long-awaited return to Test cricket at Lord's this week, after more than four years of injury-induced exile.

Red Bull sack team chief Horner after two decades in charge
Christian Horner is to leave his role as Red Bull team principal with immediate effect after 20 years, the Formula One team announced on Wednesday.

Macron turns to politics on second day of UK state visit
French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to Britain turned to politics Wednesday as London is expected to press Paris for new measures to curb undocumented immigration.

Ukraine says Russia launched largest drone, missile attack of war
Russia pummelled Ukraine with its largest missile and drone attack in more than three years of war, claiming to have targeted an airfield in a region bordering EU and NATO member Poland.

Red Bull sack team chief Horner afer two decades in charge
Christian Horner is to leave his role as Red Bull team principal with immediate effect after 20 years, the Formula One team announced on Wednesday.

Toll of Air India disaster rests at 260 as focus turns to crash report
Indian forensic investigators have identified all 260 people killed in last month's crash of a London-bound passenger plane, health authorities said Wednesday, ahead of a hugely anticipated preliminary report into what went wrong.

Iraq's Kurdistan enjoys all-day state electricity
More than 30 percent of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region now has 24-hour state electricity, authorities said Thursday, with plans to extend full coverage by the end of 2026.

Israel, Hamas defiant as US presses for ceasefire
Israel's bid to crush Hamas's capabilities and bring the hostages home dominated talks between Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump, the Israeli prime minister said, even as the Palestinian militants vowed no surrender in Gaza.

Lidl owes French rival $50 mn after ads ruled deceptive
German supermarket chain Lidl faces a 43-million-euro ($50 million) payout to a French rival after an appeals court ruled its ads to be deceptive.

Spain PM announces anti-graft plan as scandal rocks govt
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday announced an anti-corruption plan designed with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development in a bid to salvage confidence in his scandal-hit government.

Marseille wildfire that closed airport 'receding'
A wildfire that disrupted plane and train in Marseille, France's second largest city, decreased in intensity on Wednesday, officials said.

Demna to bow out at Balenciaga with farewell Paris fashion show
Provocative Georgian designer Demna will bow out after 10 years at Balenciaga on Wednesday during Paris Haute Couture Week before taking the reins at Gucci.

Markets mixed as Trump flags fresh tariffs, eyes on trade talks
Stocks were mixed Wednesday as investors assessed Donald Trump's latest tariff threats, while keeping an eye on trade talks after the US president warned he would not again extend a deadline to reach deals.

Mattel launches Barbie doll with diabetes
Mattel has launched its first Barbie doll with type 1 diabetes in a bid to foster a greater sense of inclusion and empathy among children, a company vice-president said Tuesday.

Cricket's Indian Premier League value surges to $18.5 bn: report
The Indian Premier League's business value has been estimated at $18.5 billion with reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru its wealthiest franchise, according to a report by an investment bank.

Dutch art sleuth recovers stolen trove of UNESCO-listed documents
A Dutch art sleuth has recovered a priceless trove of stolen documents from the 15th to the 19th century, including several UNESCO-listed archives from the world's first multinational corporation.

Japan imperial couple visit WWII memorial, hail 'deep friendship' in Mongolia
Japan's imperial couple commemorated compatriots who died in internment camps after the end of World War II during the first state visit to Mongolia by a Japanese emperor.

Exiled Chinese lawyers grieve loss of civil society decade after crackdown
Ten years ago, human rights lawyer Li Fangping was enjoying a peaceful evening in his hometown in central China with his young son when he heard a knock on the door.

Netanyahu says reaffirmed hostages release, Hamas defeat in Trump talks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he discussed efforts to release hostages held in Gaza and the ongoing military campaign to defeat Hamas during talks at the White House with US President Donald Trump.

The long slow death of Norway's wild salmon
Waist-deep in a rain-swollen river, Christer Kristoffersen cast his line, landed it gently on the water, and caught ... nothing. Norway's iconic wild salmon is in dramatic decline, a victim of fish farming and climate change.

Climate change made European heatwave up to 4C hotter: study
Human-caused climate change made recent European heatwaves up to 4C hotter in many cities, scientists said on Wednesday, pushing temperatures into deadly territory for thousands of vulnerable people.

Can Kenya attract the outsourcing jobs of the AI future?
In a leafy Nairobi suburb, a Kenyan firm helps foreigners track shoplifters, monitor lung damage from Covid-19 and identify whales -- tapping into the outsourcing market's artificial intelligence-boosted boom.

Taiwan kicks off military drills in face of China threat
Taiwan began its annual military drills on Wednesday with troops joined by the largest-ever mobilisation of reservists for 10 days of training aimed at defending against a Chinese invasion.

China's snaps 4-month consumer decline but factory price deflation deepens
Consumer prices in China rose slightly in June, official data showed on Wednesday, snapping a four-month decline even as factory gate prices were bruised by a fierce trade war with Washington.

China's 'new farmers' learn to livestream in rural revitalisation
Gao Chaorong knows what it takes to turn out good crops of sweet potatoes, peanuts and wheat, but tasty produce is no longer enough to draw China's app savvy crowd.

Asian markets mixed as Trump flags fresh tariffs, eyes on trade talks
Stocks were mixed Wednesday as investors assessed Donald Trump's latest tariff threats, while keeping an eye on trade talks after the US president warned he would not again extend a deadline to reach deals.

Rotten insects, viral videos and climate change: S.Korea battles 'lovebug' invasion
K-pop's BTS are grossed out by them. A YouTuber ate them. Hikers plough through them: South Korea is dealing with a "lovebug" invasion that experts say highlights worsening climate change.

Bitter pill: Cuba runs low on life-saving medicines
Cuban Jessica Rodriguez never knows if she will find the medicines that keep her four-year-old son alive in a country that has all but run out of essential drugs.