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New York on Wednesday joined a wave of Democrat-run US states to roll back mask mandates, a symbolic step towards restoring normal life in one of the early pandemic epicenters in America.

The only suspected assailant still alive after the terror attacks that rocked Paris in November 2015 said Wednesday that "I didn't kill anyone, I didn't hurt anyone" as he took the stand for the first time in the trial over the jihadist massacres.

The UN's top court on Wednesday ordered Uganda to pay the Democratic Republic of Congo $325 million over a brutal war two decades ago, just a fraction of what Kinshasa demanded.

Dewi Lake says Wales must be more physical in Saturday's Six Nations clash against an in-form Scotland after their hammering by Ireland in their tournament opener.

West Ham on Wednesday fined Kurt Zouma the "maximum amount possible" for mistreating his pet cat as the RSPCA charity said it had taken two animals belonging to the France defender into care.

Fast bowler Prasidh Krishna led India's inspired bowling to outplay West Indies by 44 runs in the second one-day international and clinch the series on Wednesday.

Scientists in Britain announced Wednesday they had smashed a previous record for generating fusion energy, hailing it as a "milestone" on the path towards cheap, clean power and a cooler planet.

As Tony Ukety peers into a microscope in an effort to wipe out a devastating tropical disease, he is acutely aware that there is a more immediate threat looming outside the walls of his research centre.

Germany's foreign minister on Wednesday unveiled former Greenpeace chief Jennifer Morgan as her special climate envoy, as part of a pledge to put the battle against global warming "at the top" of the diplomatic agenda.

Germany extended their domination of the luge track in Beijing on Wednesday as Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt won the men's doubles title for the third straight Winter Games.

The death toll from Tropical Cyclone Batsirai has risen to 80, Madagascar's authorities said Wednesday, releasing data from the regions hardest-hit by the storm that left bodies buried under their collapsed homes.

West Ham on Wednesday fined defender Kurt Zouma the "maximum amount possible" for mistreating his pet cat as the RSPCA charity said it had taken two animals belonging to the France international into care.

FIFA hopes the rolling out of its semi-automated offside technology being trialled at the Club World Cup will not only speed up decision-making but offer increased clarity for football supporters.

A bullet-torn shirt and photos of freedom fighters are among the exhibits documenting Indonesia's struggle for independence from the Dutch in a groundbreaking show at Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum.

England will scrap the legal requirement to self-isolate after testing positive for Covid-19 later this month if infection levels remain stable, Prime Minister Boris Johnson unexpectedly announced Wednesday.

Andrew Strauss said on Wednesday he is adamant that James Anderson and Stuart Broad still have a future in Test cricket after England's two most successful Test bowlers were left out of next month's tour of the West Indies.

Spain's King Felipe VI has tested positive for Covid-19 but is experiencing only mild symptoms, the royal palace said Wednesday.

The only assailant still alive after the terror attacks that rocked Paris in November 2015 said Wednesday that "I didn't kill anyone, I didn't hurt anyone" as he took the stand for the first time in the trial over the jihadist massacres.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday ramped up efforts to stop Russia from invading Ukraine, as Kyiv and Moscow said they saw 'positive signals' toward resolving the crisis.

Antonio Conte has opened the door to a possible Tottenham return for Christian Eriksen after saying it would be a "good opportunity" to work with the Denmark international again.

US ski star Mikaela Shiffrin's Beijing Olympics threatened to turn into a winter nightmare but there was long-awaited redemption for snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis as she won Team USA's first gold of the Games on Wednesday.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said on Wednesday he was the "solution, not the problem" following former captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's departure from the club after a series of disciplinary problems.

Stock markets climbed Wednesday on the eve of highly anticipated US inflation data, with sentiment buoyed by easing geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine.

More than 110,000 people have signed an online petition calling for West Ham defender Kurt Zouma to be prosecuted as part of a growing backlash over his abuse of his pet cat.

Vietnam on Wednesday arrested a high-profile environmentalist known for taking on the energy industry on suspicion of tax evasion, state media said.

Snowboard cross rider Lindsey Jacobellis said her infamous fall that cost her a title in 2006 had "kept her hungry" as she won the United States' first gold medal of the Beijing Olympics on Wednesday.

Britain's trade with the European Union has been dented by Brexit, with businesses facing greater costs, paperwork and border delays since the UK's full withdrawal, a watchdog panel of MPs said Wednesday.

British driver Lando Norris has extended his contract with McLaren until 2025, the Formula One team announced on Wednesday.

Japan is offering Europe part of its liquified natural gas imports over fears supplies will be disrupted by tensions surrounding a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, Tokyo's trade minister said Wednesday.

World leaders are under pressure to conclude years of talks on an agreement to protect open oceans that help sustain life on Earth, cover almost half the planet and currently fall under no country's laws.

The death toll from Cyclone Batsirai, which left Madagascar on Monday morning, has risen to 30, according to an updated count from authorities, and could rise further as bodies continue to be found in the rubble of collapsed houses.

Slovakia's Petra Vlhova produced a stunning second leg to win Beijing Olympic slalom gold on Wednesday after Mikaela Shiffrin slid out of medal contention with a botched first run.

A revered athletics powerhouse at the Summer Olympics, Kenya has only ever seen two of its nationals competing at the Winter Games.

Two prominent advocates for sexual abuse survivors pilloried Australia's prime minister Wednesday, decrying "weasel words" and a response to widespread abuse that had not "measured up".

Babar Azam will captain a strong 16-man Pakistan squad named Wednesday to face Australia on their first tour of the South Asian nation in nearly a quarter of a century.

Eileen Gu and Beverly Zhu were both born and raised in the US before deciding to represent China, but their contrasting fortunes at the Beijing Olympics highlight the fine line between love and condemnation for the host nation's naturalised athletes.

Equity markets rose Wednesday following a positive performance on Wall Street as traders prepared for the release of highly anticipated US inflation data, while sentiment was also buoyed by signs of easing Russia-Ukraine tensions.

South Korea said Wednesday it was dropping its vaunted "trace, test and treat" programme as a surge in Omicron cases threatens to overwhelm the country's healthcare system.

The Covid lockdown this week of a relatively unknown Chinese city sent global prices of aluminium rocketing to a 14-year high.