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Switzerland's president held last-gasp talks with the US secretary of state on Wednesday after she rushed to Washington to avert a surprise steep hike in tariffs -- but her chances of meeting Donald Trump were unclear.

French firefighters on Wednesday battled to halt the spread of a wildfire in the south of the country that has left one person dead as emergency workers in Spain fought a fire that has forced the evacuation of more than 1,500 people from a resort.

Stock markets edged higher Wednesday as traders assessed the latest corporate earnings and awaited President Donald Trump's next wave of tariffs.

Comeback queen Lindsey Vonn has appointed former Norwegian ski star Aksel Lund Svindal as coach to help her prepare for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Independent journalist Jim Acosta faced a torrent of online criticism Wednesday after he posted an "interview" conducted with an AI avatar of a US school shooting victim.

Darth Vader's lightsaber, used to chop off Luke Skywalker's hand in Star Wars classic "The Empire Strikes Back", went on display in London on Wednesday, ahead of its US sale next month.

Switzerland's president met with her country's business representatives Wednesday in Washington -- ahead of scheduled talks with the US secretary of state -- in a last-minute visit as she scrambles to avoid a surprise tariff hike.

Israel's military will have to execute any government decisions on Gaza, the defence minister said Wednesday after reported disagreements over the prospect of a full occupation of the Palestinian territory.

An Italian media group majority-owned by late leader Silvio Berlusconi's family moved closer to taking over a German broadcasting giant Wednesday, sparking warnings from Berlin that its journalistic independence must be maintained.

Italy's government on Wednesday approved a controversial 13.5-billion-euro ($15.6-billion) project to build what would be the world's longest suspension bridge connecting the island of Sicily to the mainland.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said the Gunners believe this season will be different as they aim to get over a series of near misses at winning silverware.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday signed a decree that would allow Russia to increase its greenhouse gas emissions by a fifth by 2035 compared with 2021 levels.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held "constructive" talks with US envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Wednesday, the Kremlin said, two days ahead of a US deadline for Russia to halt its Ukraine offensive or face fresh sanctions.

Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez is reportedly closing in on a move to Saudi club Al Hilal, which could allow the Premier League champions to make a fresh bid for Newcastle's Alexander Isak.

Stock markets edged higher Wednesday as traders assessed the latest corporate earnings and awaited President Donald Trump's next wave of tariffs.

German broadcasting giant ProSiebenSat.1 recommended Wednesday that its shareholders accept an improved takeover offer from Italy's MediaForEurope group, majority-owned by the family of late former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Poland's new nationalist president Karol Nawrocki called for a "sovereign Poland" and promised to "fight those who are pushing the nation towards decline" as he was sworn in on Wednesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin met US envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Wednesday, the Kremlin said, two days ahead of a deadline imposed by US President Donald Trump on Moscow to halt its Ukraine offensive or face fresh sanctions.

Britain's advertising regulator on Wednesday banned two adverts by Spanish clothing group Zara for featuring models that appeared "unhealthily thin", calling the images "irresponsible".

Natural disasters caused $135 billion in economic losses globally in the first half of 2025, fuelled by the Los Angeles wildfires, Swiss Re said Wednesday.

Sun-seekers crowded onto the beach in Mariupol in Russian-controlled eastern Ukraine -- a devastated city which Moscow wants to turn into an improbable seaside resort.

Hundreds of firefighters on Wednesday battled to halt the spread of a wildfire in southern France that has scorched a vast area, killed one person and injured nine others.

German industrial orders unexpectedly fell in June, official data showed Wednesday, as Europe's biggest economy struggles with prolonged domestic weakness and volatile US trade policy.

People go to the "Gateway to Hell" gas crater in the middle of the Turkmenistan desert expecting an angry cauldron but are now coming away unimpressed.

Asian equities edged higher Wednesday as traders weighed Donald Trump's trade war and fresh data that indicated further weakness in the US economy but added to interest rate cut speculation.

When the giant landfill collapsed in Uganda's capital Kampala a year ago, Zamhall Nansamba thought she was hearing an aeroplane taking off.

Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk posted a sharp rise in second-quarter net profit Wednesday, but rising competition is weighing on sales of its diabetes and obesity treatments Ozempic and Wegovy in the United States.

The UK charity watchdog Wednesday cleared Prince Harry of accusations of bullying in a row with an African charity he founded, but deplored that the bitter internal dispute was played out in public.

Since the start of US President Donald Trump's global trade war, Taiwanese orchid grower Lee Tsang-yu has watched tariffs on his seedlings shoot from nothing to 20 percent.

Asian equities edged higher Wednesday as traders weigh Donald Trump's trade war and fresh data that indicated further weakness in the US economy but added to interest rate cut speculation.

Activists, journalists and relatives of jailed dissidents say they were briefly detained or prevented from leaving their homes by state security agents Tuesday on the anniversary of the "Maleconazo," the largest protest Fidel Castro faced during his rule.

A Trump supporter backed by the populist opposition will take over as Poland's new president on Wednesday, heralding confrontation with a pro-EU government he has branded "the worst in history".