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Zimbabwe's opposition leader on Wednesday accused the ruling ZANU-PF government of plunging the country into crisis by "rigging" a tense election marred by long delays and reports of voter intimidation.

Gregor Townsend wants Scotland to raise their game in their final World Cup warm-up match after choosing to field several frontline players against Georgia rather than keep them fresh for a crunch tournament opener with reigning champions South Africa.

New Zealand head coach Ian Foster insisted Wednesday he had known for a month that predecessor Steve Hansen had agreed to help rivals Australia prepare for the Rugby World Cup.

Eight Republican presidential candidates face off for the first primary debate of the 2024 cycle Wednesday -- with frontrunner Donald Trump bidding to steal the spotlight despite spurning the showdown.

A Russian strike on a school in northeast Ukraine killed four people Wednesday, razing the building to the ground in the Sumy region that borders Russia in an attack that came as the war in Ukraine enters its 19th month.

Delays marred the start of balloting in key districts in Zimbabwe's elections on Wednesday, prompting opposition accusations of vote manipulation after a campaign marked by tension and a clampdown.

The fraudulent organizer of the infamous Fyre Festival is amped for round two, announcing a reprise of the Caribbean event that lacked music, food or adequate shelter and landed its founder in prison.

Stock markets rose Wednesday despite data showing slowing economic activity soothed worries about an extended period of elevated interest rates.

A UK court on Wednesday found a teenager responsible for a hacking campaign that included one of the biggest breaches in the history of the video game industry.

Frankie Dettori upstaged Aidan O'Brien's equine star Paddington to claim a record sixth International Stakes at York on Wednesday.

The head of Spain's conservative opposition Popular Party (PP) will face a parliamentary vote to become prime minister in September even though he lacks the necessary support in the assembly.

The German cabinet on Wednesday signed off plans to help people change their legal gender more easily, but the proposals have stirred criticism from feminists, politicians and even the trans community.

A high-ranking civil servant buried Wednesday in Israel is the latest victim of a crime wave that has killed almost 160 members of Israel's Arab minority this year.

The five BRICS nations are open to expanding the club to new members, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Wednesday, as it pursues greater clout in shaping the world order.

New home sales in the United States bounced upward in July, as a lack of existing real estate pushes buyers into the market for new builds, government data showed Wednesday.

A Russian strike on a school in north-east Ukraine killed four people Wednesday, razing the building to the ground in the Sumy region that borders Russia in an attack that came as the war in Ukraine enters its 19th month.

Scrum-half Ben White is back in the Scotland starting side to face Georgia at Murrayfield on Saturday following a recent pre-Rugby World Cup injury scare.

Stock markets wobbled Wednesday as traders battled to maintain this week's rebound despite worries about an extended period of elevated interest rates.

Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala has torn a thigh muscle in training and "needs to take a break for the time being", the club announced on Wednesday.

As Europe and other regions swelter, a UN researcher cautioned that climate change was enabling increasingly intense and long-lasting heatwaves, which in some areas could soon begin to hit year-round.

India on Wednesday became the first nation to land a craft near the Moon's south pole, a historic triumph for the world's most populous nation and its ambitious, cut-price space programme.

Norway inaugurated the world's biggest floating wind park in the North Sea on Wednesday, an emerging technology considered promising for the transition from fossil fuels to green energy.

Thailand's new prime minister vowed to bring four years of change to the kingdom as he took office Wednesday at the head of a controversial coalition including pro-military parties linked to former coup-makers.

Civilians were killed in attacks in both Russia and Ukraine Wednesday, while Moscow was hit by drones for the sixth night in a row as the war -- which is now hitting Russian territory daily -- dragged into its 19th month.

Sha'Carri Richardson and Noah Lyles went through the motions as they began their 200m campaigns bidding to add to the 100m golds they won earlier in the week at the World Athletics Championships on Wednesday.

Teenage boys rescued from a stranded cable car that dangled over a deep Pakistan ravine for more than 12 hours walked to school on Wednesday to collect their exam results.

Newly-crowned world 100m champion Noah Lyles on Wednesday cruised into the semi-finals of the 200m in his quest to become the first male athlete to win a world sprint double since Usain Bolt in 2015.

Zimbabweans voted in closely-watched elections in which President Emmerson Mnangagwa is seeking a second term after a campaign tainted by a crackdown on the opposition, fears of vote rigging and public anger at the economic crisis.

BRICS leaders on Wednesday will debate admitting new members to their five-nation bloc as it pursues a bigger role in shaping world affairs it sees as dominated by western powers.

Sweden's pole vault king Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis on Wednesday soared into the final at the World Athletics Championships.

Stock markets mostly rose Wednesday as traders battled to maintain momentum in this week's rally despite worries about an extended period of elevated interest rates.

Nicknamed "General Armageddon" for his ruthless methods, Sergei Surovikin was one of the leading commanders of Russia's military campaign in Ukraine until his sacking which was announced on Wednesday.