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Colombia has handed over a chunk of deceased drug lord Pablo Escobar's ranch, famous for its "cocaine" hippos, to women caught up in the country's armed conflict, President Gustavo Petro said Wednesday.

A flotilla carrying aid to Gaza said Israeli forces were on Wednesday intercepting its latest bid to break an Israeli blockade of the war-battered Palestinian territory.

President Donald Trump signaled Wednesday that he plans to push Chinese leader Xi Jinping on US soybean purchases when they meet, as American farmers grapple with fallout from his trade wars.

France has detained two senior crew members of a tanker linked to Russia, which data showed was off the Danish coast last month during mysterious drone flights, prosecutors said on Wednesday.

US investigators have begun a new probe into the death of "gonzo journalist" Hunter S. Thompson, 20 years after he died from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound.

British primatologist Jane Goodall, who transformed the study of chimpanzees and became one of the world's most prominent wildlife advocates, has died at the age of 91, her institute announced Wednesday.

Anthony Gordon scored a pair of penalties as Newcastle eased to a 4-0 win away to Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise on Wednesday to pick up their first points in the Champions League.

British primatologist Jane Goodall imitated chimpanzees, sat with them in trees and shared their bananas during her trail-blazing research in Tanzania into the apes' true nature.

Marcus Thuram is likely to miss France's upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers with Azerbaijan and Iceland after Inter Milan said Wednesday that the striker has a hamstring injury.

Efforts to swiftly end the US government shutdown collapsed Wednesday as Democrats in Congress rejected proposals to resolve an acrimonious funding stand-off with President Donald Trump and the White House threatened public sector jobs.

Jane Fonda and hundreds of Hollywood celebrities have relaunched a Cold War-era free speech protest movement, warning that the Trump administration is engaged in a coordinated campaign to silence critics.

Hurricane Imelda, now a Category 2 storm, was churning toward Bermuda on Wednesday with sustained winds of 100 mph (160 kph), threatening damaging waves and flooding.

The US Supreme Court on Wednesday barred Donald Trump from immediately firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, as the president mounts multiple challenges that have tested the independence of the central bank.

The French navy was Wednesday on board a tanker from Russia's "shadow fleet" stationed off France, AFP journalists at the scene said, after data showed it was off the Danish coast last month during mysterious drone flights.

Canada on Wednesday denied a request from a controversial theme park to export 30 beluga whales to China, saying the refusal was necessary to protect the mammals from exploitation.

Northern Irish designer Jonathan Anderson drew a standing ovation from a celeb-packed crowd as he launched a bold first women's ready-to-wear collection for Dior on Wednesday during Paris Fashion Week.

A German man went on a deadly gun, explosives and arson rampage against his family and then killed himself on Wednesday, sparking security fears in Munich that shuttered the Oktoberfest for seven hours.

Efforts to bring a quick end to the US government shutdown floundered Wednesday when senators rejected a plan to resolve an acrimonious funding stand-off between President Donald Trump and Democrats in Congress.

President Donald Trump has appointed himself troller-in-chief during a US government shutdown, mocking rival Democrats with sometimes racially tinged memes and hoping they take the blame.

The US Supreme Court on Wednesday barred Donald Trump from immediately firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, as the president mounts multiple challenges that have tested the independence of the central bank.

Wall Street stocks shrugged off early losses on Wednesday as the US government started to shut down after Democrats and President Donald Trump failed to break a deadlock over spending.

Israel issued a final warning Wednesday for people to flee Gaza's main city, as Hamas weighed US President Donald Trump's plan to end nearly two years of war in the Palestinian territory.

Northern Irish designer Jonathan Anderson drew a standing ovation as he launched a bold first women's ready-to-wear collection for Dior on Wednesday during Paris Fashion Week.

Asian Cricket Council chief Mohsin Naqvi, who also heads Pakistan's cricket board, said Wednesday that India are "welcome" to collect their Asia Cup trophy from his office in Dubai.

Pope Leo XIV urged people Wednesday not to resign themselves to the global crisis of climate change but play an active part in stopping it, at an event with "Terminator" star Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Just before nightfall on Wednesday, the near-deserted streets of Afghanistan's capital Kabul suddenly filled with people -- mobile phones everywhere had pinged back to life.

Asian fast-fashion giant Shein said Wednesday it had picked France to open its first permanent physical stores in November.

Rescuers pulled five survivors from a collapsed school in Indonesia on Wednesday as frantic parents demanded searchers speed up efforts to find dozens of children believed still trapped in the rubble two days on.

Germany's famed Oktoberfest was briefly shut Wednesday after threats against it by a man who had torched his parents' home with family inside, and was later found with an explosives-laden backpack.

Japanese trainer Takashi Saito hopes he has absorbed the bitter lessons of his first failed tilt at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe when he takes another shot at Europe's most prestigious race on Sunday with Croix du Nord.

Jannik Sinner won the 21st title of his career by thrashing American teenager Learner Tien at the China Open on Wednesday as women's top seed Iga Swiatek was dumped out in the last 16 in a shock.

British fashion designer Stella McCartney is showcasing plant-based alternatives to real feathers in her latest collection, as the animal-rights campaigner takes on the "barbaric" farming of birds for clothing.

Mobile networks and the internet were restored across Afghanistan on Wednesday, 48 hours after the Taliban authorities shut down telecommunications.

Wall Street stocks slid on Wednesday as the US government started to shut down after Democrats and President Donald Trump failed to break a deadlock over spending.

The United States entered a government shutdown Wednesday with President Donald Trump and Democrats in an acrimonious stand-off and banking on the other side to blink first in what could be a prolonged crisis.

Germany's famed Oktoberfest was briefly shut Wednesday after threats against it by a man who appeared to have torched his parents' home with family inside, and was later found with an explosives-laden backpack.

Iga Swiatek's tennis collapsed in the final set as Emma Navarro stunned the top seed and 2023 China Open champion 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 in Beijing on Wednesday.

A flotilla carrying aid to war-battered Gaza said Wednesday it would stay its course despite what it called "intimidation tactics" by the Israeli military.

Facebook owner Meta on Wednesday defended its advertising model in a 550-million-euro trial in Spain over alleged breaches of EU data protection rules brought by more than 80 Spanish media organisations.