Pallade Veneta - News from Venice, Veneto, Venetia and Italy, as well as from around the world

Easy half-centuries from Sri Lanka openers Dimuth Karunaratne and Pathum Nissanka made short work of Afghanistan on Wednesday in a nine-wicket drubbing that clinched a 2-1 ODI series win for the hosts.

Ukraine's dam break is posing "no short-term risk" to Europe's biggest atomic plant, despite falling water levels in a reservoir used to cool its reactors, according to the UN nuclear watchdog agency.

The European Commission has followed the United States in approving the world's first vaccine for the Respiratory Syncytial Virus, to be used by adults aged 60 and over, its maker GlaxoSmithKline said Wednesday.

The Turkish lira sank to a new low against the dollar on Wednesday, more than a week after the re-election of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Chinese snooker vowed Wednesday to crack down on betting and launch an education drive after 10 players from the country were banned from the sport, two for life.

Markets swung Wednesday as data showed ongoing weakness in China's economy as speculation swirls that officials will unveil fresh stimulus measures, while investors held out hope the Federal Reserve will skip an interest rate hike this month.

The OECD slightly raised its growth outlook for the world economy on Wednesday as inflation eases and China has dropped Covid restrictions, but it warned the recovery faces a "long road".

China's total trade with Russia in May soared to levels not seen since the beginning of Moscow's war in Ukraine, official data showed Wednesday, as Beijing steps up support for its sanctions-hit ally.

Dushmantha Chameera took four wickets in two fiery spells to help dismiss Afghanistan for just 116 runs inside 23 overs in Wednesday's deciding third ODI against Sri Lanka.

The Asian Tour called it "a massive stride forward" for golf Wednesday after the PGA Tour announced a shock merger with the Saudi-backed LIV circuit, ending the sport's two-year civil war.

Spain's elBulli, repeatedly voted the world's best restaurant before it closed over a decade ago, is set to reopen as a museum dedicated to the culinary revolution it sparked.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak flew in to Washington late Tuesday lobbying for Britain to take a lead role in regulating artificial intelligence, after a dire warning of the technology's existential dangers.

China's exports fell in May for the first time since February, data showed Wednesday, breaking a two-month growth streak as a post-Covid rebound faded and adding to speculation that officials will unveil fresh stimulus measures.

Most markets crawled higher Wednesday on speculation that China will unveil measures to support its struggling economy, while investors held out hope the Federal Reserve will skip an interest rate hike this month.

US Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday renewed calls for Israel to ensure independence of its judiciary, after major protests against changes pushed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Millions of Chinese students sit for notoriously tough college entrance exams on Wednesday, the first since the country lifted zero-Covid rules that forced classes online for months on end.

Even on a weekday, there's a queue at Tokyo's vegan Izakaya Masaka, including many tourists eager to try meat-free versions of Japanese classics like fried chicken and juicy dumplings.

Brazilian tennis player Thiago Seyboth Wild appeared in court in Rio de Janeiro to respond to allegations of domestic violence against his ex-girlfriend, his office said Tuesday.

US special climate envoy John Kerry told AFP that the world's population will not be tenable in 2050, when it is projected to hit nearly 10 billion, but refrained from asking Americans to give up steaks.

Zeinab was fleeing war-torn Sudan's capital to seek safety when she found herself pinned to the ground, a rifle to her chest, as a paramilitary fighter raped her.

Holger Rune and Casper Ruud go head-to-head at the French Open on Wednesday in a repeat of their bad-tempered quarter-final of 2022.

Manchester City are on the brink of a historic treble as Pep Guardiola targets Champions League vindication in Saturday's final against Inter Milan.

Among the millions of fresh-faced high schoolers sitting China's dreaded "gaokao" college entrance exam on Wednesday, Liang Shi sticks out like a sore thumb -- a grey-haired, self-made millionaire stubbornly taking the test for the 27th time.

An earthquake shook parts of western Haiti on Tuesday, killing at least four people and injuring three dozen others, authorities said, with more victims feared trapped under the rubble.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed human rights with Saudi Arabia's crown prince Tuesday during a trip aimed at boosting ties with the long-time ally, which has forged closer relations with Washington's rivals.

Some time during a 200-mile race, maybe when she has been awake all night, ultra runner Courtney Dauwalter will probably start hallucinating.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised concerns over human rights in Saudi Arabia during a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday, a US official said.

PGA Tour chief Jay Monahan said he understood being branded a "hypocrite" after brokering the stunning merger with LIV Golf.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday that the partial destruction of the Kakhovka dam in Ukraine was "another devastating consequence" of Russia's invasion of its neighbor.

Stefanos Tsitsipas pledged Tuesday to cut out "naps and melatonin" after admitting virtually sleepwalking into a French Open defeat by Carlos Alcaraz.

In their second major action against a big crypto player in two days, US regulators sued Coinbase on Tuesday, alleging its failure to register as a securities exchange venue exposed investors to risk.

Oil prices slid Tuesday as dealers mulled the weak demand outlook after having rallied the previous day on output cuts from key crude producer Saudi Arabia.