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After weeks of chaos and vicious infighting, US Republicans were hopeful Wednesday that the party can finally rally round its latest nominee for House speaker -- a staunch Donald Trump ally who spearheaded legal efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday rejected the "misrepresentations" of his remarks a day earlier on Palestinian grievances that infuriated Israel.

Surfers are due to catch the first waves of the Paris Olympics in nine months in Tahiti, some 15,000 kilometres (9,300 miles) from the French capital, but a plan to build a giant tower in a legendary surf spot is causing consternation.

Global stock markets edged down in subdued trade Wednesday, but Asia rallied after China unveiled plans for $137 billion (129 billion euro) in extra debt to boost infrastructure spending.

Former captain Angelo Mathews said Sri Lanka will "fight fire with fire" against England as the veteran all-rounder plots his second successive World Cup upset over the defending champions.

Kalle Rovanpera embarks on this weekend's Central European Rally with his second successive world title tantalisingly within his grasp.

TikTok said Wednesday it pulled four million "violative" videos in the EU in September, in its first transparency report since a new law against illegal and harmful content came into force across the bloc.

The Sudanese army said Wednesday it has accepted an invitation to resume US- and Saudi-brokered talks aimed at ending more than six months of conflict with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

Glenn Maxwell admitted he "wasn't expecting" to hit a record 40-ball Cricket World Cup century on Wednesday.

Glenn Maxwell hit the fastest World Cup century in 40 balls to power Australia to a mammoth 399-8 against the Netherlands on Wednesday.

French judges were expected on Wednesday to deliver their verdict in the trial of a notorious armed criminal who escaped prison in a hijacked helicopter in a Hollywood-style getaway that stunned the country.

Springbok full-back Willie Le Roux insisted that South Africa would not under-estimate the All Blacks when the two teams meet in what promises to be a titanic encounter in Saturday's Rugby World Cup final.

California governor Gavin Newsom said he spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping on climate cooperation at a meeting on Wednesday in Beijing, the latest in a string of visits to China by US politicians.

A dig in northern Iraq has unearthed a 2,700-year-old alabaster sculpture of the winged Assyrian deity Lamassu, which was found largely intact despite its large dimensions.

Centre Manu Tuilagi and scrum-half Ben Youngs will start Friday's Rugby World Cup third place play-off in what could be their final England appearances.

Australia's David Warner hit his sixth World Cup century to pull level with batting great Sachin Tendulkar and put his team on course for a huge total against the Netherlands in a World Cup clash on Wednesday.

Hong Kong leader John Lee used his policy address on Wednesday to sound the alarm on the threat of "soft resistance" -- a vague term used by Chinese politicians to signal a new chapter in their crackdown against dissent.

Art is "probably the only help one has to cope" in a world being traumatised by the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, one of Austria's most famous artists told AFP.

High altitude, an Italian debut in Florence and a finale on the French Riviera are on the itinerary of the 3,492km route for the 2024 Tour de France unveiled on Wednesday.

Dutch brewing giant Heineken said Wednesday that it sold less beer in the third quarter, noting that higher prices and the poor economic outlook was affecting consumer demand.

Europe's main stock markets slid in subdued trade Wednesday, but Asia rallied after China unveiled plans for $137 billion in extra debt to boost infrastructure spending.

Wales full-back Leigh Halfpenny announced his retirement from Test Rugby on Wednesday, saying it was a difficult decision to step away.

Moeen Ali said Wednesday that "everything is a must-win now" as faltering defending champions England face a Cricket World Cup day of reckoning.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday he was cancelling plans to visit Israel because of its "inhumane" war against Hamas militants in Gaza.

The raging war between Israel and Hamas is already battering the economies of nearby countries, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund told a Saudi investor forum on Wednesday.

Hurricane Otis was downgraded to a Category 4 storm after making landfall near Mexico's Pacific beach resort of Acapulco on Wednesday, though it was still generating "damaging" winds and "life-threatening" storm surge, according to US forecasters.

David Warner and Steve Smith hit half-centuries to give Australia a solid start against the Netherlands in a World Cup clash on Wednesday.

Jawaher al-Aqraa says it will be a "miracle" if she survives the Gaza war but in the meantime she is singing to "block out" the roar of Israeli fighter jets over the Palestinian territory.

Japan's top court said on Wednesday that obliging transgender people to be sterilised in order to change their legal gender was unconstitutional.

The main UN aid agency in besieged Gaza warned it will have to stop operations by the end of Wednesday because it is running out of fuel, as Hamas said overnight Israeli strikes killed at least 80 people.

Russia claimed Wednesday it was exhausting Ukraine's army, 20 months into a campaign where neither side has made signficant gains.

Melting glaciers, unbearable heat and space junk: a month before crunch climate talks in the United Arab Emirates, a UN report published Wednesday warns about irreversible impacts to the planet without drastic changes to connected social and physical systems.