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S. Korea halts loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts against North
South Korea on Wednesday halted loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts into the nuclear-armed North, the defence ministry said, adding it was a bid to "restore trust" under Seoul's new administration.

Man City sign midfielder Reijnders in time for Club World Cup
Manchester City on Wednesday announced the signing of Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan for a reported fee of £46.3 million ($62.4 million), with the midfielder eligible to play in the Club World Cup.

Paris tech fair opens with AI and trade war in the spotlight
Drawing high-powered tech CEOs and a presidential visit, the Vivatech trade fair opened in Paris on Wednesday with a centre-stage role for AI dogged by transatlantic trade tensions.

Musk regrets some of his Trump criticisms, says they 'went too far'
Elon Musk, the world's richest person and Donald Trump's former advisor, said Wednesday he regretted some of his recent criticisms of the US president, after the pair's public falling-out last week.
Austria mourns mass school shooting as bomb found at suspect's home
Austria began three days of mourning Wednesday for the 10 people killed in a school shooting as investigators revealed they found a makeshift bomb at the home of the suspect.

Man City sign AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders
Manchester City on Wednesday announced the signing of Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan on a five-year deal for a reported fee of £46.3 million ($62.4 million).

Hong Kong warns downloading game could be national security crime
Hong Kong police have warned downloading a mobile game in which players can attempt to overthrow a stand-in for China's Communist Party could constitute a national security crime, as it vanished from Apple's local App Store Wednesday.

Equities rally after China-US framework on trade
Stocks rose Wednesday as investors welcomed a China-US agreement to lower trade tensions that stoked hopes the economic superpowers will eventually reach a broader tariff deal.

Labubu toy sculpture sold for $150,000 at China auction
A Beijing auction house has sold a four-foot-tall sculpture of a viral plush toy character for more than $150,000, as global demand for the Chinese-designed Labubu dolls reaches fever pitch.

Police make 'mass arrests' in LA during nighttime curfew
Los Angeles police began arresting people in the city's downtown late Tuesday, as groups gathered in violation of an overnight curfew after a fifth day of protests against Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.

Russia launches deadly strike on Kharkiv amid stalled peace talks
Fresh Russian strikes on Ukraine's northeastern city of Kharkiv killed three people and wounded 60 including children early on Wednesday, authorities said, as Moscow pushed ahead with its relentless attacks after rejecting an unconditional ceasefire.

Dutch girl footballers tackle crippling knee injuries
Fifteen-year-old Esmee Stuut sprints between cones on a football pitch in the Netherlands, her every movement captured on camera as part of a study into a crippling knee injury that affects girls more than boys.

Nintendo's Switch 2 scores record early sales
The Switch 2 has smashed records to become the fastest-selling console ever after gamers snapped up 3.5 million units in its first four days, Nintendo said Wednesday.

ECB's Lagarde slams 'coercive trade policies' in Beijing visit
European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde warned Wednesday that "coercive trade policies" risked harming supply chains and the global economy, and called for a de-escalation of a tariff standoff that has wiped billions off markets.

UK expected to boost defence, health in major spending review
Britain's Labour government will unveil its day-to-day spending and investment plans for the coming years on Wednesday, with big funding increases to defence and healthcare expected, along with cuts elsewhere.

Larkham says Brumbies peaking at right time ahead of Super Rugby semi
ACT Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham said Wednesday his team were peaking at the right time and can upset the Waikato Chiefs in the Super Rugby semi-finals.

Man-in-demand Woodkid composes for Death Stranding sequel
French singer and director Woodkid has composed the music for the hotly awaited "Death Stranding 2" video game, with the 42-year-old telling AFP that the songs unfold "almost like origami."

Monsoon-loving Indian expats chase rain in UAE desert
After Muhammed Sajjad moved from India to the United Arab Emirates a decade ago, he missed his native Kerala's monsoon season, so he embarked on an unlikely quest: finding rain in the desert.

Former student kills 10 in Austrian high school shooting
Austria will observe a national day of mourning and a minute's silence on Wednesday after a former student shot dead 10 people at a high school in an unprecedented case of gun violence that stunned the Alpine country.

Australian murder suspect denies drying deadly mushrooms
An Australian woman accused of murdering three people with death cap mushrooms denied Wednesday that she turned the fungi into dry powder for the fatal meal.

A step too far? New Club World Cup set to have far-reaching impact on football
FIFA's expanded Club World Cup which gets underway in the United States this weekend is a controversial addition to the global football calendar and one that could have a far-reaching impact on the sport in the years to come.

Rare earths: China's trump card in trade war with US
China is counting on one crucial advantage as it seeks to grind out a deal to ease its high-stakes trade war with the United States -- dominance in rare earths.
Brazil, Ecuador book World Cup berths, Uruguay on brink
Brazil booked their place at the 2026 World Cup in North America on Tuesday with a lacklustre 1-0 home victory over Paraguay, the first win of Carlo Ancelotti's reign.

South Africa aim to banish choker tag in WTC final against Australia
South Africa will aim to banish their reputation as international cricket's serial chokers when they face holders Australia in the World Test Championship final at Lord's this week.

Trump orders names restored to military bases honoring Confederates
President Donald Trump said Tuesday he has ordered the restoration of the names of several US military bases that honored officers who fought for the Confederacy in the American Civil War.

Wallabies coach Schmidt hails 'leader' Gordon ahead of Lions tour
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt hailed Jake Gordon as "a leader" Wednesday with the experienced scrum-half emerging as a potential captain against the British and Irish Lions.

Tears, tattoos, Cartier watches: fan frenzy at BTS army discharge
South Korea's Yeoncheon county, just kilometres from the heavily fortified border with the nuclear-armed North, is best known for its honey. But on Wednesday, it was flooded with K-pop supergroup BTS fans.

Pochettino problems mount as US routed 4-0 by Switzerland
An experimental United States line-up crashed to a 4-0 friendly home defeat to Switzerland on Tuesday, deepening the gloom around Mauricio Pochettino's squad one year out from hosting the World Cup.

Mapping Ireland's peatlands to help cut carbon emissions
Mapping more accurately than ever Ireland's peatlands, which are vital as carbon sinks but whose boundaries can be hard to determine, could help fight global warming, researchers say.

Brazil book World Cup berth, Uruguay on brink
Brazil booked their place at the 2026 World Cup in North America on Tuesday with a 1-0 home victory over Paraguay, the first win of new coach Carlo Ancelotti's reign.

French Tesla customers sue over brand becoming 'extreme right'
Around 10 French clients with leases on Teslas are suing the US carmaker, run by Elon Musk, because they consider the vehicles to be "extreme-right" symbols, the law firm representing them said on Wednesday.

Toxic Thailand rivers pinned on Myanmar mines
A sprawling new mine is gouged into the lush rolling hills of northeast Myanmar, where civil war has weakened the government's already feeble writ, and pollution levels are rising downstream in Thailand.