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France is preparing to welcome over a hundred heads of state and government, royalty and US First Lady Jill Biden for the Summer Olympics which begin with a dazzling ceremony on the river Seine on Friday.

The French tax authorities have claimed Olympics sponsor Coca-Cola owes it millions of euros, documents showed Wednesday, in the latest such allegation just days before the Summer Games kick off.

The International Olympic Committee awarded the 2034 Winter Olympics to Salt Lake City on Wednesday but warned they could be stripped of the Games if US authorities maintain their feud with the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Simeera Hassan works at a women's community centre in East London, where she says many mothers are "really struggling" because of limits on UK government child welfare payments and a wider cost-of-living crisis.

French rapper Naps must face trial for rape, an investigating magistrate has ruled, after allegedly assaulting a woman in her sleep in 2021.

Australia laid down a marker to home favourites France and double Olympic champions Fiji, kicking off the rugby sevens tournament Wednesday with a 21-14 win over Samoa at a packed Stade de France.

Five members of Australia's women's water polo team have tested positive for Covid-19 just days before the Paris Olympics, officials said Wednesday.

Germany on Wednesday banned the Hamburg Islamic Centre, an association that has been under investigation for several months over its alleged support for Lebanon's Hezbollah group and its links to Iran.

Katie Ledecky Wednesday threw down the gauntlet to Ariarne Titmus and Summer McIntosh ahead of a blockbuster 400m Olympic freestyle showdown, warning: "I like my chances."

Multiple Olympic gold medallist Katie Ledecky said Wednesday that questions remain over the case of Chinese competitors who failed doping tests, urging transparency from authorities.

The sporting programme at the Paris Olympics began on Wednesday as men's football kicked off and a huge police operation was put in place for Israel's first appearance at the Games.

New Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said Wednesday that he did not expect "any problems at all" when Argentina's Enzo Fernandez rejoins the squad ahead of the start of the Premier League season.

The pan-European rights body Council of Europe called Wednesday on Jersey to enhance its implementation of anti-money laundering measures as it recognised the island’s strengthened legal framework.

South Africa centre Andre Esterhuizen has been banned for four matches after being red-carded in a Test against Portugal last weekend, World Rugby announced on Wednesday.

Hungary falls well short of EU democratic standards, notably on corruption, bribery, political funding, conflicts of interest and lack of media independence, according to a European Commission evaluation published Thursday.

The fearsome Komodo dragon, native to Indonesia and the world's largest living lizard, has a coat of iron on its razor-like teeth to help it kill its prey, scientists found in a study published Wednesday.

Conflict, economic turbulence and extreme weather scuppered efforts to curb hunger last year, with around nine percent of the world's population affected, UN agencies said on Wednesday.

On an improvised pitch in war-ravaged Gaza, a young player and goalkeeper block out the boisterous crowd and focus solely on the football as they square off.

Reigning Olympic BMX freestyle champion Logan Martin had some of his equipment stolen by thieves who broke into a team van in a "crazy start" to the Australian's title defence.

Refugee Olympic team canoeist Saman Soltani told AFP that being unable to return to Iran two years ago could have either "broken you down" -- or become, as it was for her, "an opportunity to improve".

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told his Chinese counterpart that his government did not believe Russia was ready for "good faith" negotiations to end the war, his ministry said Wednesday.

Countries have pledged to plant billions of trees to tackle climate change, but half the time letting forests regenerate naturally would be a better option, a major study said Wednesday.

European and Asian stock markets tumbled Wednesday following a disappointing batch of corporate results in the United States and Europe.

France has declared itself prepared for the deluge of Olympics visitors -- and so have Paris's drug dealers.

Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz know they won't win anything on reputation alone playing together at the Paris Olympics but vowed on Wednesday to do everything in their power to overcome a lack of preparation.

North Korean sweet wrappers and packets of crackers made at a factory once visited by leader Kim Jong Un were seen by AFP reporters on streets in the South Korean capital Wednesday.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) awarded the 2034 Winter Olympics to Salt Lake City on Wednesday but warned they could be stripped of the Games if US authorities kept up their feud with the World Anti-Doping Agency.

On the water, perched on rooftops and operating AI-augmented cameras, French security forces will lock down central Paris during the opening ceremony of the Olympics on Friday aiming to prevent an incident that would ruin the biggest show on earth.

Earth withered through a second-straight day of record-breaking temperatures on July 22, the EU's climate monitor said Wednesday, as parts of the world suffer devastating heatwaves and wildfires.

Taiwan closed schools and evacuated thousands from their homes on Wednesday ahead of Typhoon Gaemi, which authorities said could be "the strongest" to hit in eight years and has already killed one person on the island.

Denmark is waiting for Japan's extradition for the veteran anti-whaling activist Paul Watson, arrested this weekend in Greenland, before ruling on the case, the justice ministry said Wednesday.

Italian luxury carmaker Ferrari said Wednesday its European dealers will start accepting cryptocurrency, following a similar move in the United States.