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Global stock markets wavered on Wednesday as investors braced for an expected half-point interest rate hike from the inflation-fighting US Federal Reserve.

Ten Burundian peacekeepers were killed in Tuesday's attack by Al-Shabaab jihadists on an African Union (AU) base in Somalia, Burundi's army said Wednesday.

Sri Lanka will have to endure its unprecedented economic hardships for at least two more years, the country's finance minister said Wednesday while warning of an imminent cash crunch.

Migrant labourers are working through the night near the World Cup clock that will start counting down 200 days to kick-off on Thursday, with hosts Qatar facing mounting questions over costs and conditions for fans.

France's left-of-centre parties on Wednesday reached an alliance deal for June parliamentary polls, aiming for a strong enough showing to hinder President Emmanuel Macron's controversial reform plans.

A surge in imports of goods and services in March drove the US trade gap to the highest level ever recorded, with huge increases in purchases of autos, computers, furniture and clothing, the government reported Wednesday.

A Myanmar junta court on Wednesday rejected an appeal by ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi against a five-year sentence for corruption handed down last week, according to a source with knowledge of the case.

US private businesses saw surprisingly weak hiring in April, a survey showed Wednesday, amid low unemployment that's made their quest to find workers even more difficult.

The Venice Film Festival will this year honour the US filmmaker Paul Schrader, behind hits like "Taxi Driver," "American Gigolo" and "Raging Bull," for lifetime achievement, organisers said on Wednesday.

Amnesty International on Wednesday accused a powerful government-backed Libyan armed group of abuses against migrants and Tripoli residents.

A man armed with a replica gun that works like a knife tackled comedian Dave Chappelle as he performed a stand-up set in Los Angeles, police said.

Argentina winger Juan Imhoff has signed a new deal with Racing 92, the French Top 14 club announced on Wednesday despite reports claiming he would leave at the end of the season.

Patriarch Kirill, the head of Russia's Orthodox Church now facing European sanctions over Ukraine, is a fervent supporter of President Vladimir Putin who once described his rule as a "miracle".

The European Commission proposed a gradual ban on Russian oil imports Wednesday to punish Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine, as Russian forces pounded sites to the east of the country and hit targets in the far west near the EU border.

Global stock markets slid Wednesday in cautious deals before an expected half-point interest rate hike from the inflation-fighting US Federal Reserve.

Fifty-seven games into a gruelling season Liverpool could have crumbled when their 2-0 first-leg lead was wiped out before half-time by an inspired Villarreal playing to reach their first-ever Champions League final.

Beijing closed dozens of subway stations and expanded Covid restrictions Wednesday, constricting movement around the Chinese capital despite logging only dozens of daily cases.

India's central bank announced a surprise interest rate hike on Wednesday, as Asia's third-biggest economy reels from galloping inflation in the wake of the Ukraine war.

The European Union's executive unveiled Wednesday plans for a gradual ban on Russian oil imports as part of a raft of new sanctions to punish Moscow for invading Ukraine.

After hearing the shells raining down around her for weeks, 58-year-old Ludymyla is still learning to differentiate between the sounds of the explosions ripping apart towns in war-scarred Donbas.

Valentyna Ocheretna has waited in vain for weeks for a call from her son Sasha. In March, he was wounded in battle against Russian troops in the strategic city of Mariupol. Since then, there's been silence.

Comedian Dave Chappelle was assaulted on stage while delivering a stand-up set in Los Angeles on Tuesday night, according to the Hollywood Reporter magazine.

India's central bank announced a surprise interest rate hike of 0.4 percentage points on Wednesday, as Asia's third-biggest economy reels from galloping inflation in the wake of the Ukraine war.

The rise of social media has allowed dangerous propaganda to flourish and left professional journalists facing constant threat of attack, according to Philippine journalist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Maria Ressa.

It is a rare thing when the story of a book's publication is as fascinating as the plot of the novel itself.

The number of people facing hunger rose to 193 million last year as conflict, climate change and economic crises ravaged people's livelihoods, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization said Wednesday.

Costa Rican President-elect Rodrigo Chaves said Tuesday that his government would not ratify the Escazu Agreement that establishes protection for environmentalists.

Equities fell in Asian trade Wednesday as traders nervously awaited what is expected to be the biggest Federal Reserve interest rate hike in more than two decades.

Volkswagen's first-quarter net profit almost doubled as the German automaker looked anew to the North American market to drive growth after years of muted presence there over "dieselgate", company results showed Wednesday.

Beijing closed dozens of subway stations on Wednesday as Covid restrictions constrict movement around the Chinese capital despite it recording only dozens of cases daily.

Crisis-struck Sri Lanka's vital tea exports have dropped to their lowest level in 23 years, official figures showed Wednesday, hit by a fertiliser ban and the war in Ukraine.

North Korea fired a ballistic missile Wednesday, Seoul said, a week after Kim Jong Un vowed to boost Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal and just days before the South inaugurates a new, hawkish president.