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Walmart said Wednesday it plans to hire 50,000 workers in the United States by the end of April as it seeks to expand its retail operations amid a tight labor market.

Eugene Parker, a pioneering American astrophysicist who developed a mathematical model predicting the stream of charged particles from the Sun known as solar wind, has died aged 94, NASA said on Wednesday.

The world could face its biggest oil supply "shock" in decades as major crude exporter Russia is hit by sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine, the International Energy Agency warned Wednesday.

A powerful 7.3-magnitude quake jolted east Japan on Wednesday night, rattling the capital Tokyo and prompting a tsunami advisory for parts of the northeast coast, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

Mark Cavendish won the Milano-Torino cycling race on Wednesday by taking the bunch sprint to claim his 159th career victory.

England's Charlie Ewels has been banned for three games following his early red card against Ireland in the Six Nations, officials announced Wednesday.

Ecuadoran biologist Jorge Brito was trekking through the forest when he heard what he thought was the chirp of a cricket.

Russia is due to pay interest on its foreign debt Wednesday as sanctions over the Ukraine conflict have raised concerns that Moscow could face its first default in decades.

Ukraine's besieged leader invoked September 11 and Pearl Harbor in an impassioned address Wednesday to the US Congress, imploring Washington to step up military aid and impose a no-fly zone to counter the Russian invasion closing in on Kyiv.

The Justice Ministry awarded President Jair Bolsonaro Brazil's "medal of indigenous merit" Wednesday, drawing criticism for granting the honor to a leader that indigenous groups accuse of "genocide" and "ecocide."

Marco Odermatt became the first Swiss man to win the overall World Cup alpine skiing title since 2010 on Wednesday, while Mikaela Shiffrin stretched her lead in the women's standings.

Prima ballerina Olga Smirnova has quit the Bolshoi in Moscow to join the Dutch National Ballet, it was announced Wednesday, making her the first Russian to quit the fabled company over the war in Ukraine.

Chicago Cubs owners the Ricketts family have confirmed they are leading a consortium that will bid to buy English Premier League club Chelsea, according to press reports on Wednesday.

Ukraine's leader on Wednesday issued an emotive appeal to US lawmakers for greater Western intervention against Russia, which insisted its invasion was going "successfully" despite the West rallying to Kyiv's side via arms and sanctions.

Starbucks announced Wednesday that longtime chief Howard Schultz will return to helm the global coffee shop chain on an interim basis while the company searches for a new leader amid a growing unionization drive.

Unvaccinated players, including Novak Djokovic, will be free to play at this year's French Open "as it stands", the French Tennis Federation (FFT) said on Wednesday.

Ukraine's besieged leader urged the United States Wednesday to reconsider his plea for a no-fly zone, invoking the terror of the September 11 attacks as he ratcheted up pressure on the White House to move aggressively against the Russian invasion closing in on Kyiv.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe admitted Wednesday he had to have a grasp of global issues even though he feels uncomfortable straying from football as he was questioned about the club's Saudi-led ownership.

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam smashed 196 and Mohammad Rizwan 104 not out to deny Australia victory Wednesday and force a dramatic draw in the second Test in Karachi.

Stuck to the door of one Warsaw high school is the sign "Laskavo prosimo do shkoli", or "Welcome to school" in Ukrainian, along with the flags of Poland and Ukraine.

Starbucks announced Wednesday that longtime chief Howard Schultz will return to lead the global coffee shop chain on an interim basis while the company searches for a new leader amid a growing unionization drive.

Rising costs for gasoline caused US retail sales to grow in February, according to government data released Wednesday, though the expansion was slightly below expectations.

The World Trade Organization chief hailed Wednesday a breakthrough between the EU, the United States, India and South Africa on waiving intellectual property rights on Covid-19 vaccines.

Borussia Dortmund advisor Matthias Sammer has spoken openly about the possibility of Erling Haaland moving to Manchester City amid reports Wednesday that a clause in the striker's contract would have to be actioned before April 30.

Ukraine on Wednesday dismissed Russian neutrality proposals, refused to surrender and vowed prosecution of "war crimes" three weeks into an invasion that is drawing ever-increasing Western support against Moscow.

Two dual UK-Iranian nationals have been released from custody, the authorities in Tehran said on Wednesday, ending a lengthy ordeal after years of diplomatic wrangling between the two countries over a cancelled defence deal.

Manchester United were established members of Europe's elite a decade ago but they have been reduced to the status of also-rans in the Premier League and even in their own city.

A hundred technicians are working under armed guard to maintain the defunct Chernobyl nuclear plant in northern Ukraine, held hostage for three weeks by Russian forces who seized the compound in the first hours of the invasion.

For teenager Gleb Gunko, war-torn Ukraine will be his first time in combat. But the cause is nothing new. As a Belarusian, he knows what it means to fight for freedom.

Stocks rallied Wednesday, helped by Ukraine peace hopes and China's pledge to help stabilise markets after recent routs, ahead of a keenly-awaited US interest rate decision.

From airlines in Nigeria to shoppers in Malawi, Africans are feeling the impact of the Ukraine crisis in wrenching increases in the price of fuel, grain and fertiliser.

Marco Odermatt became the first Swiss man to win the overall World Cup alpine skiing title since 2010 on Wednesday while Mikaela Shiffrin stretched her lead in the women''s standings.