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Solomon Islands' prime minister dismissed criticism of a new maritime investment deal with China on Wednesday, saying there was nothing "sinister" in the draft agreement.

A Hong Kong court ruled on Wednesday that prosecutors could label organisers of the city's annual Tiananmen vigil "foreign agents" without having to reveal who the group is accused of working for.

When Biniam Girmay chased Mathieu van de Poel across the line in the opening stage of the Giro d'Italia last weekend, he offered further proof that Eritrea is an African hotbed of cycling.

Ukraine said Wednesday it was pushing Russian troops away from the country's second city Kharkiv but facing stiff resistance, as Washington predicted that Vladimir Putin was ready for a long war.

"The Rock", the biggest white diamond ever to be sold at auction, will go under the hammer in Geneva on Wednesday and could fetch up to $30 million -- or more.

All heatwaves today bear the unmistakable and measurable fingerprint of global warming, top experts on quantifying the impact of climate change on extreme weather said Wednesday.

Malaysia's central bank raised its key interest rate on Wednesday for the first time since 2020, in a surprise move aimed at taming inflation.

Out-of-form Virat Kohli says that he has a sure-fire way of drowning out his growing number of critics -- he just mutes the television.

India has relaxed environmental compliance rules for coal mines seeking to ramp up production as power outages exacerbate a sweltering heatwave, a government notice showed.

Asian stocks were mixed on Wednesday, following a volatile day on Wall Street with investors concerned about surging inflation and see-sawing crude prices.

A Hong Kong scholar who helped run a now-disbanded defence fund for democracy protesters was arrested at the airport under the national security law, two legal sourcestold AFP on Wednesday.

A Japanese town that accidentally sent a resident $360,000 in financial aid said on Wednesday it has been forced to file a lawsuit after the recipient refused to return the funds.

Sri Lankan police have been ordered to go on the offensive and use live ammunition to prevent "anarchy", a top official told AFP Wednesday after another night of sporadic arson attacks.

Despite his Oxford education and jet-set lifestyle, the Philippines's president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Junior sailed to victory this week as a champion of the poor.

The son of the late Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos on Wednesday claimed victory in the presidential election, vowing to be a leader "for all Filipinos", his spokesman said.

Veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh was killed by Israeli troops Wednesday as she covered a raid on Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, the network and Palestinian witnesses said.

The casing of a cluster munition stood upright like a fence pole not far from a team of Ukrainian medics rushing a bleeding soldier from the eastern front.

Cambodian fishermen on the Mekong River got a shock when they inadvertently hooked an endangered giant freshwater stingray four metres long and weighing 180 kilos, scientists said on Wednesday.

Badminton world number one Akane Yamaguchi suffered a stunning Thomas and Uber Cup defeat on Wednesday at the hands of a teenage rookie ranked more than 300 places below her.

The fate of New Zealand Rugby's contentious deal with a US private equity firm should be known within a month, after a special general meeting was called by the sport's bosses on Wednesday.

Ferdinand Marcos Junior visited the grave of his dictator father hours after his thumping victory in the Philippine presidential election, his team said Wednesday, posting photos of the intimate moment on social media.

Well-known faces of Cuba's protest have in recent years gone into exile in Madrid, which is rivalling Miami as a haven for Latin American political opponents.

The sound of hip hop mixes with the dull thud of fists walloping heavy bags as a group of Ukrainian boxers unleash combinations, burning off weeks of pent up stress.

Veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh was shot dead by Israeli troops Wednesday as she covered a raid on Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, an AFP photographer reported.

New Zealand will fully reopen to the world in August, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Wednesday, ending one of the toughest anti-Covid-19 border restrictions.

Toyota on Wednesday posted a record full-year net profit helped by strong sales and a cheaper yen, but issued cautious forecasts as the pandemic and war in Ukraine disrupt supply chains.

Russian troops are being pushed away from Ukraine's second city Kharkiv, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, but sounded a note of caution as Washington said Vladimir Putin won't stop with the east and is ready for a long war.

The wildly popular FIFA video-game series will be rebranded EA Sports FC next year, its publisher Electronic Arts said on Tuesday, ending a three-decade relationship with football's governing body.

Tokyo will begin recognising same-sex partnerships from November after revising current rules, officials said Wednesday, becoming the largest city in Japan to do so.

In a country where a Muay Thai right hook is more familiar than a batter's hook shot, Thailand's pioneering women cricketers are winning hearts with smiles, dance moves -- and skill.

With his hand pushed firmly into his cheek and his eyes fixed on the table, Garry Kasparov shot a final dark glance at the chessboard before storming out of the room: the king of chess had just been beaten by a computer.

Asian stocks opened mixed on Wednesday, following a volatile day on Wall Street that had investors concerned about surging inflation and sent global oil prices retreating.