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Telegram founder Pavel Durov on Wednesday joined fellow tech tycoon Elon Musk in slamming Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez over his "dangerous" plan to ban social media for under-16s.

The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics' sports programme began on Wednesday with the curling mixed doubles, which started two days before the opening ceremony in Milan.

The global cholera vaccine supply is finally high enough to allow regular vaccination campaigns to resume after a three-year halt, the World Health Organization and partners said Wednesday.

Wales flanker Josh Macleod believes his struggling side's Six Nations opener away to in-form England on Saturday could provide the intense physical encounter they need to spring a surprise.

Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed Iran and other thorny subjects Wednesday with both US counterpart Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin, hailing tighter ties with Moscow and calling for "mutual respect" with Washington.

In just his second NFL season, 23-year-old Drake Maye can make history Sunday as the youngest quarterback ever to win the Super Bowl.

Unstoppable Mikaela Shiffrin and Swiss master Marco Odermatt headline the alpine skiing at the Winter Olympics, but doubts remain over comeback queen Lindsey Vonn, arguably one of the biggest names at the Milan-Cortina Games.

US President Donald Trump's administration called Wednesday for a preferential trade zone among allies on critical minerals crucial for advanced technology, in a rare turn to multilateralism in the face of China's dominance.

A first day of talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States seeking to broker an end to the war in Ukraine concluded Wednesday in Abu Dhabi with Kyiv describing the negotiations as "substantive and productive".

Victims of a 2015 dam collapse in Brazil, for which Australian mining giant BHP has been found liable, attended a London hearing on Wednesday ahead of a trial to determine damages.

Global stock markets largely stabilised Wednesday even though a tech-led selloff on Wall Street spurred by AI disruption fears continued.

Russia vowed Wednesday to act "responsibly" hours before its last nuclear treaty with the United States was set to expire, as fears mounted that the agreement's collapse could spur a new arms race.

Scotland scrum-half Ben White believes his three seasons in France's Top 14 with Toulon have made him better prepared for the demands of international rugby union.

The Washington Post, owned by billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, announced major job cuts Wednesday, saying that "painful" restructuring was needed at the storied newspaper.

In-form France fly-half Matthieu Jalibert is ready to step into the spotlight and shine in the reigning champions' Six Nations opener against Ireland, his captain Antoine Dupont said on Wednesday.

An artist who restored a fresco in a church in central Rome with a likeness of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has wiped out his own artwork after it sparked outrage.

As Israel begins to allow a trickle of Palestinians through the Rafah border crossing, Gazans stranded in Egypt are torn between staying in exile without formal status or returning to a land in ruins.

Donald Trump's administration on Wednesday announced the removal of 700 immigration enforcement officers from Minnesota after weeks of operations and the fatal shooting of two protesters that sparked outrage across the United States.

Seif al-Islam, the son of Libya's slain longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi and once seen by some as his likely heir, has been killed.

Daniel Thioune was named Werder Bremen coach on Wednesday and tasked with saving the struggling Bundesliga side from the drop.

Russia vowed Wednesday to act "responsibly" should its last nuclear treaty with the United States expire on February 5, amid mounting fears the agreement's collapse could spur a new arms race between the top nuclear powers.

The son of Norway's future queen on Wednesday admitted a life of excess, blaming it on an "extreme need for recognition", but denied raping a woman at his parents' royal estate in 2018.

US President Donald Trump's administration called Wednesday for a preferential trade zone among allies on critical minerals crucial for advanced technology, in a rare turn to multilateralism in the face of China's dominance.

British Formula One team Williams has made progress but "it's not realistic" to target the title in 2026 or 2027, its principal James Vowles told AFP in the build-up to a new season marked by an overhaul of the technical regulations.

US champion Amber Glenn said Wednesday she may feel like a dinosaur competing in her first Winter Olympics at the age of 26 but she sees it as a great opportunity to put the US back on the women's podium after a two-decade absence.

Gazan health officials said Israeli air strikes on Wednesday killed 23 people, with Israel's military saying it struck after one of its officers was wounded by enemy gunfire.

Italy has thwarted a series of Russian cyberattacks targeting the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, the foreign minister said Wednesday, as security operations ramp up with just hours to go.

Stock markets stabilised Wednesday following a tech-led selloff spurred by AI disruption fears, while precious metals recovered further.

Olympic men's figure skating star Ilia Malinin admitted Wednesday that being the favourite was a tough burden to carry.

A Netflix documentary released Wednesday about a former UK nurse jailed for life for murdering seven babies is taking a fresh look at the puzzling case of the prolific child killer.

Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber believes lifting the English League Cup could inspire the Gunners to even more success this season.

Beijing accused the European Union on Wednesday of taking "discriminatory" measures after the bloc opened an investigation into Chinese clean energy giant Goldwind over concerns the firm unfairly benefitted from state subsidies.

Shares in Danish pharmaceuticals group Novo Nordisk plunged Wednesday after the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy anti-obesity drugs warned of lower sales this year in the key US market.

Lindsey Vonn is convinced that her dream of a medal at the Winter Olympics could still become reality even after knee ligament damage almost forced her to drop out days before the Milan-Cortina Games.

US and Iranian officials are due this week to hold their first talks since Iran launched a deadly crackdown on protests, in a meeting likely to be crucial in determining if the US carries out renewed military action against the Islamic republic.

German police detained a regional lawmaker of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in a state parliament Wednesday for questioning about a suspected breach of EU export sanctions on Belarus.

Doctors Without Borders said Wednesday its hospital in Lankien, South Sudan was hit by a government air strike overnight, after another of its health facilities was looted.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz headed to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to kick off a Gulf tour as the biggest EU economy seeks to diversify its key trade and energy partnerships.

The International Olympic Committee is considering reforming its procedure for awarding future Games to restore "transparency" and establish a clearer timetable, as the contest looms as to who hosts the 2036 Summer Olympics.