Portugal gains control of some wildfires
Firefighters gained control over some of the dozens of wildfires scorching Portugal on Wednesday, as fears mounted that weather conditions could further fan the flames.
Politics
Irish no-frills airline Ryanair said on Wednesday it was dropping three French airports over a "harmful" tax hike on air tickets and urged Paris to change course.
Economy
China said Wednesday that recently announced subsidies to support families with young children will provide a much-needed economic boost, as Beijing seeks to promote spending and avert a demographic crisis.
Economy
A new trade deal struck between the United States and European Union is good news despite fears it is unbalanced, Mercedes-Benz said Wednesday after the German carmaker reported a tariff hit of hundreds of millions of euros in the second quarter.
Sports
Bayern Munich on Wednesday completed the signing of forward Luis Diaz from Premier League champions Liverpool for a reported fee that could rise to 75 million euros ($86.5 million).
Economy
German sportswear giant Adidas said Wednesday it took a hit from US tariffs in the second quarter but did not indicate whether it would pass on rising costs to consumers.
Culture
Italy said Wednesday it opened a probe into social media giant Meta for potentially breaking EU competition laws by installing its AI tool into WhatsApp.
One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck Russia's sparsely populated Far East on Wednesday, causing tsunamis up to four metres (12 feet) across the Pacific and sparking evacuations from Hawaii to Japan.
Boulevard
Russian state television on Wednesday aired footage of a tsunami wave sweeping through a coastal town in the far east of the country, carrying buildings and debris into the sea.
Nature
Japan sweltered in a new record temperature of 41.2C on Wednesday, with the mercury also hitting 40C in the ancient capital of Kyoto for the first time since observations began.
Economy
Premium German carmaker Mercedes-Benz said Wednesday its second-quarter profit plunged nearly 70 percent due to US tariffs and weak sales in China, prompting it to lower its full-year revenue outlook.
Sports
A team of foreign climbers were on Wednesday due to launch a rescue mission for German double biathlon champion Laura Dahlmeier, days after she was seriously injured by a rockfall on a Pakistani mountain.
Weather
Fishers do not usually wish for a "perfect storm". But Latvian boating communities are hoping for exactly that: a rare tempest that might, one day, revive waning stocks of Baltic cod.
Economy
Like many people affected by serious illness in ex-Soviet Central Asia, Almagul Ibrayeva is having trouble finding medicine in her native Kyrgyzstan.
Nature
The spur to build Toronto's billion-dollar-plus flood prevention project dates back to a devastating hurricane in 1954, but planners say its urgency was reinforced by the recent tragic flooding in Texas.
Nature
As blistering summer heat sweeps across the Balkans, poorly managed and illegal dumpsites are bursting into flames, sparking wildfires and smothering towns and cities with toxic smoke.
Boulevard
Japan is waging war on "host clubs" -- where men entertain women willing to pay for romance, but authorities and industry insiders say customers have long been scammed and saddled with debt.
Economy
Chile, the world's biggest copper producer, is hoping for a last-minute deal to stop the United States from imposing a 50-percent import tariff on the red metal.
Sports
Leon Marchand geared up for an assault on the 200m individual medley world record Wednesday as he cruised through the heats to start his world championship campaign in Singapore.
Culture
Thousands of carpets and kilim rugs spread out in the sun form a festive and kaleidoscopic patchwork on the outskirts of Antalya, a coastal tourist city in southern Turkey.
Sports
Former Canada women's football coach Bev Priestman said Wednesday she "didn't feel safe" living in North America following her one-year ban for spying at the Paris Olympics.
Economy
As teenagers in Norway, Andreas Bjelland Eriksen and his younger cousin Vebjorn Bjelland Berg survived a mass shooting together -- a trauma that united them.
Sports
Alexander Zverev made a storming return after a month away from tennis on Tuesday, with the top seed pounding out a 7-6 (8/6), 6-3 win over Adam Walton to reach the third round of the ATP Toronto Masters.
Politics
Thailand accused Cambodia on Wednesday of a "flagrant violation" of a truce deal to end cross-border fighting, saying Cambodian troops launched an overnight attack on the frontier.
Economy
Beyond dancing robots and eager-to-help digital avatars, Shanghai's World AI Conference saw China stake its claim to global artificial intelligence leadership and frame itself as a clear alternative to the United States.
Economy
Stablecoin excitement has gripped Hong Kong as the city prepares to launch a licensing system for the less volatile type of cryptocurrency, but authorities warn against overplaying its future role in financial systems.
Economy
Asian markets were mixed Wednesday as investors kept tabs on China-US developments after they agreed to further talks to extend their trade truce, while eyes were also on tech earnings and a key Federal Reserve meeting.
Boulevard
Tsunamis hit parts of Russia's Far East and Japan on Wednesday after a huge magnitude 8.8 earthquake, with warnings in place around the Pacific of waves of over three metres (10 feet) in places.
Sports
World number two Coco Gauff battled into the third round of the WTA Canadian Open on Tuesday by outlasting US compatriot Danielle Collins 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7/2).
Politics
A Russian strike on a military training camp killed at least three Ukrainian soldiers on Tuesday, following an overnight offensive in the south that killed a pregnant woman and a dozen prisoners.
Politics
Unconditional support for Israel has long been an entry requirement in US Republican politics, but that orthodoxy is being challenged by Donald Trump's populist base -- where invocations of the "special relationship" are falling on deaf ears.
Economy
The US central bank is expected to defy political pressure and keep interest rates unchanged Wednesday at the end of a two-day policy meeting, as the effects of President Donald Trump's tariffs emerge.
Economy
The United States is set to raise tariffs on dozens of trading partners Friday if they fail to reach accords with President Donald Trump to avert the higher rates, and this risks raising prices for consumers.
Economy
US economic growth is expected to rebound in the second quarter, analysts said, in a momentary comeback reflecting trade shifts as companies tried to avoid the harshest of President Donald Trump's wide-ranging tariffs.
Technology
A formidable new radar satellite jointly developed by the United States and India is set to launch Wednesday, designed to track subtle changes in Earth's land and ice surfaces and help predict both natural and human-caused hazards.
Politics
Australia will use landmark social media laws to ban children under 16 from video-streaming site YouTube, a top minister said Wednesday stressing the need to shield them from "predatory algorithms".
Sports
England and India head to the Oval for the decisive fifth and final Test of a hard-fought campaign on Thursday, with both teams battling mental and physical fatigue.
Things to know
An advertising campaign starring Sydney Sweeney for the clothing brand American Eagle has triggered the latest online firestorm causing an internet meltdown.
Boulevard
Almost 2,700 firefighters battled Tuesday to contain forest blazes across Portugal that have led to almost the whole country being put on high alert for fires.
Sports
Las Vegas will play host to the 2026 World Cup draw on December 5, according to multiple reports on Tuesday, with The Sphere serving as the ceremony site.