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Trump welcomes nationalist Polish president for talks dominated by Ukraine
US President Donald Trump hosted new Polish President Karol Nawrocki on Wednesday for talks focused on the war in Ukraine -- featuring a flyover as the right-wing leader arrived at the White House.

Putin says not heard of Jude Law film portrait
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday he had not heard about "The Wizard of the Kremlin", a film starring Jude Law as the Russian leader that premiered at the Venice Film Festival.

'Block everything': France on alert ahead of nationwide protest
French authorities are bracing for a day of nationwide protests led by far-left activists next week, with intelligence officials warning the movement's decentralised nature makes its scale and impact difficult to predict.

Treat carbon storage like 'scarce resource': scientists
The amount of carbon dioxide that can be stored underground is vastly overestimated, new research said Wednesday, challenging assumptions about the "limitless" potential this approach holds to reducing global warming.

Ryanair slashes winter seats in Spain over airport fees
Irish budget airline Ryanair on Wednesday said it would slash more than one million winter seats in Spain over "excessive airport fees", sparking "extortion" accusations from the national airport operator.

European fans take aim at hosting league matches overseas
European supporters groups on Wednesday said plans by the Spanish and Italian football federations to host league matches overseas were "absurd".

Impact of US judge's ruling on Google's search dominance
Google has escaped a breakup of its Chrome browser in a major US competition case, but the judge imposed remedies whose impact remains uncertain just as AI starts to compete with search engines.

Days after quake, Afghan survivors still await aid
Rescue teams struggled Wednesday to reach survivors as night approached days after a powerful earthquake in eastern Afghanistan, as access to remote areas remained obstructed.

Xi, Putin, Kim meeting 'direct challenge' to international system: EU top diplomat
The presence of the leaders of Russia and North Korea alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping at a massive parade in Beijing Wednesday was part of efforts to build an anti-Western "new world order", the EU's foreign policy chief said.

Harrowing docu-drama gives 'voice' to Gaza victims at Venice Festival
A gut-wrenching film premiering at the Venice Film Festival Wednesday about a five-year-old girl killed by Israeli forces in Gaza last year gives a "voice" to Palestinian victims of the war, its director said.

UK govt pledges to keep grip on spending ahead of budget
Britain's finance minister Rachel Reeves on Wednesday promised to keep a "tight grip" on public spending as interest rates soar on the UK's long-term debt, and set November 26 for her annual budget speech.

Director tells Venice that Gaza film gives 'voice' to victims
The director of a new film about a five-year-old girl killed by Israeli forces in Gaza told the Venice Film Festival Wednesday she wanted to give "a voice and a face" to victims.

EU presents Mercosur deal for member states' approval
The EU put forward a huge trade deal with South American bloc Mercosur for approval by member countries Wednesday, reassuring chief critic France it came with "robust" safeguards to protect farmers.

Iran's small businesses hit by rolling blackouts
Pizzeria owner Saeed is unable to take or serve orders at his restaurant in the Iranian capital, his business stalled by rolling power outages that have compounded the country's many economic woes.

Scotland's Townsend extends contract until 2027 Rugby World Cup
Gregor Townsend said the chance to coach Scotland at another Rugby World Cup was "exciting" after extending his contract until the 2027 tournament in Australia.

Homeless and fearful, Afghan quake survivors sleep in the open
Families huddled hungry and homeless days after a deadly earthquake hit eastern Afghanistan, not daring to set foot in the few remaining buildings for fear an aftershock could bring them down.

Espanyol fan who racially abused Williams sentenced to prison
An Espanyol fan who racially abused Athletic Bilbao striker Inaki Williams was sentenced to a year in prison on Wednesday by a Barcelona court.

Global bond selloff spreads to Japan, gold hits record high
A global bond selloff extended on Wednesday, sending yields in Japan to record levels, and gold reached a new peak, as investors fret over mounting government debt.

Ferdinand says 'nice guys don't win' after Isak transfer saga
Players should not be vilified for forcing through transfer moves, former England star Rio Ferdinand told AFP on Wednesday following the Alexander Isak saga, adding: "Nice guys don't win."

UN pushes nations to submit overdue climate plans
The United Nations on Wednesday urged nations late in turning in their climate plans to do so quickly, with major polluters among dozens of countries still to unveil new commitments.

Arrest of comedy writer sparks UK free speech row
The arrest of an Emmy award-winning comedy writer for social media posts about transgender people has reignited a UK row over freedom of speech, with one government minister saying Wednesday "we need to look at" the law.

Indonesian islanders take on Swiss cement group in climate case
A Swiss court on Wednesday weighed whether to hear a landmark climate case pitting residents of a tiny Indonesian island being swallowed by rising sea levels against cement giant Holcim.

Homage to Shaker feminist in Venice film from Mona Fastvold
With "The Testament of Ann Lee", a movie about the founder of the 18th-century Shaker religious movement screening at the Venice Film Festival, director Mona Fastvold sought to honour a figure "on the verge of being erased from memory".

Hommage to Shaker feminist in Venice film from Mona Fastvold
With "The Testament of Ann Lee", a movie about the founder of the 18th-century Shaker religious movement screening at the Venice Film Festival, director Mona Fastvold sought to honour a figure "on the verge of being erased from memory".

Singapore to order Meta clamp down on govt impersonator scams
Singapore will order Meta to crack down on scammers pretending to be government officials, a type of fraud that has boomed in the city-state and cost victims tens of millions of dollars, authorities said Wednesday.

England moves to ban sale of energy drinks to children
High-caffeine energy drinks such as Red Bull will be banned for sale to youths under 16 in England under plans announced by the government on Wednesday.

Japan's ex-Suntory chief says CBD was for jet lag
The CEO of Japanese spirits giant Suntory who resigned over a drugs probe said Wednesday he was innocent, and that he was recommended cannabidiol to cope with his hard travel schedule.

Sax-playing pilot Anutin plots path to Thai premiership
Saxophonist, occasional pilot and heir to a construction fortune, Anutin Charnvirakul was once banned from politics but is now the leading candidate to become Thailand's next prime minister.

Pomp, pageantry, prowess at Beijing's military parade
Cheers and gasps could be heard around Beijing on Wednesday as China's capital lit up with pomp, pageantry and patriotism for a massive parade showcasing the country's latest military hardware.

Shell abandons huge biofuel project in Netherlands
British oil giant Shell announced Wednesday it has abandoned construction of one of Europe's largest biofuel plants in the Netherlands, as it focuses on its fossil fuels business.

Japan's long-term borrowing costs, gold hit record highs
A global bond selloff extended into Asia on Wednesday with yields in Japan hitting record levels, while gold reached a new peak as investors fret about public finances in countries from Japan to the United States.

'Roasted alive': Greek wildlife suffers as climate changes
A badly burned tortoise that survived a Greek wildfire wriggles in an Athens animal clinic despite lots of painkillers, one of the latest victims of climate change that is playing havoc with the country's wildlife.