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Conservationists and the fishing and tourism industries must take pre-emptive measures to protect wildlife and livelihoods as the El Nino phenomenon amplifies marine heatwaves already made more intense and frequent by climate change, scientists said on Wednesday.

Venezuelan children, left behind by parents seeking a better life elsewhere and forsaken by a crumbling schooling system, are increasingly falling victim to sexual predators.

Storms have killed at least 12 people in Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria, with a Greek region hit by more rain in 24 hours than it normally sees in a year, officials said Wednesday.

A "fearless" France are among the Rugby World Cup favourites, former New Zealand star Sonny Bill Williams said ahead of the two teams' heavyweight clash in the opening match of the tournament on Friday.

Dan Cole said Wednesday that Argentina's scrum could still cause England problems in their Rugby World Cup opener even if the Pumas' pack is not the force of old.

The French government on Wednesday revealed plans to ensure tight security at the Rugby World Cup that begins in France this week and avoid a repeat of last year's Champions League football final chaos for crowds of fans at the Stade de France.

Storms have killed at least 11 people in Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria, with a Greek region hit by more rain in 24 hours than it normally sees in a year, officials said Wednesday.

US director Ava DuVernay said she hoped that her entry in Venice on Wednesday, "Origin", would set a precedent as the first by "an African-American woman" at the world's oldest film festival.

Statements by G20 ministers ahead of a key summit are "woefully inadequate" about addressing the climate emergency, the UN's climate change chief told AFP in an interview Wednesday, calling for stronger action from the nations responsible for most planet-heating pollution.

Adrian Meronk said Wednesday he was "shocked, sad and angry" after failing to receive a Ryder Cup pick from Europe captain Luke Donald.

Canada ended Luka Doncic's Basketball World Cup dream on Wednesday with a 100-89 win over Slovenia to reach the semi-finals.

The UK government said on Wednesday it would ban Russian mercenary outfit the Wagner Group by listing it as a terrorist organisation.

As legendary English rock band The Rolling Stones launch their first album in nearly two decades, AFP looks back at standout moments in more than 60 years together.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has called critics of Jordan Henderson's move to Saudi Arabia "morality officers" after the former Liverpool captain apologised for upsetting the LGBTQ community.

Wall Street fell and European stock markets wavered on Wednesday on fears of more interest-rate hikes as oil prices climbed, stoking fresh concerns about high inflation.

Spain player Jenni Hermoso has filed a criminal complaint over suspended football chief Luis Rubiales's kiss on her lips at the Women's World Cup final, a source at Spain's public prosecutors office said Wednesday.

The United States slapped sanctions on top officials of Sudan's Rapid Support Forces Wednesday for a range of alleged murders and rights abuses, including the killing of the governor of West Darfur.

The Rolling Stones will release their first album of new music in 18 years next month, lead singer Mick Jagger announced on Wednesday.

A Russian strike killed more than a dozen people, including a child, in a market in the frontline in east Ukraine, in an attack that President Volodymyr Zelensky described as "heinous evil".

A rise in imports widened the US trade deficit in July, government data showed Wednesday, although the increase was smaller than analysts had expected.

Manchester United said on Wednesday they are "taking seriously" domestic abuse allegations made against winger Antony.

Olympic chief Thomas Bach said Wednesday he was "confident" and "optimistic" swimming events in Paris's Seine River will go ahead at the 2024 Games despite recent cancellations due to pollution.

Manchester United have signed Women's World Cup top scorer Hinata Miyazawa, the club said Wednesday.

The early ancestors of humans deliberately made stones into spheres 1.4 million years ago, a study said on Wednesday, though what prehistoric people used the balls for remains a mystery.

Ukraine's newly appointed Defence Minister Rustem Umerov vowed on Wednesday to recapture all territory under Russian military control, in his first comments in the new role.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday confirmed a major policy reversal by backing his new economic team's decision to drastically hike interest rates to fight runaway inflation.

African leaders on Wednesday demanded sweeping changes to the global financial system and urged the international community to back a surge in renewable energy as they wrapped up a landmark climate summit in Kenya.

Massive demand for diabetes and weight loss drugs made by Danish pharmaceutical group Novo Nordisk have turned it into Europe's most valuable company, giving Denmark's economy a major makeover.

Playmaker Dennis Schroder said he had "probably the worst game I ever played" but Germany still booked their place in the Basketball World Cup semi-finals on Wednesday with a win over giant-killers Latvia.

Moderna said Wednesday its updated fall Covid booster, which is pending approval from the Food and Drug Administration, performed well against the highly mutated BA.2.86 variant.

The European Union's enlargement commissioner told Turkey on Wednesday to address issues around democracy and the rule of law if it wants to boost its drive to join the bloc.

Storms that unleashed torrential flooding in Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria have killed at least 11 people, authorities said Wednesday, as extreme heat gave way to heavy rain.