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Buildings in flames, charred cars, ambulance sirens wailing: in an instant, an Israeli strike turned one of Beirut's busiest arteries into a scene of devastation on Wednesday.

Only three ships risked crossing the Strait of Hormuz Wednesday, highlighting the extreme caution about using the key waterway even though both the US and Iran have said the strategic chokepoint would reopen.

Frenchman Axel Laurance said he "became someone else" to clinch the third stage of the Tour of the Basque Country on Wednesday after a late two-man battle with Spaniard Igor Arrieta.

The mediators of a fragile US-Iran ceasefire urged all sides Wednesday to respect the truce as Gulf states endured attacks and Israel launched a massive bombing of Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon.

Frenchman Axel Laurance clinched the third stage of the Tour of the Basque Country on Wednesday after a late two-man battle with Spaniard Igor Arrieta.

A ceasefire between the United States and Iran has left Israel's principal war objectives largely unmet, analysts say, with Israeli opposition figures quick to denounce a major "strategic failure".

President Donald Trump promised "regime change" in Iran but the Islamic republic has emerged intact from the US-Israeli war, leaving opponents and activists disappointed and frightened.

There are no plans as yet to bar the rapper Kanye West, also known as Ye, from the Netherlands, a minister said Wednesday after Britain banned him over past antisemitic outbursts.

France is to ramp up explosive drone stocks by up to 400 percent by 2030, draft legislation showed Wednesday, as the country seeks to accelerate rearmament to face an aggressive Russia.

A former fire safety official in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana remained silent when questioned Wednesday by prosecutors investigating a deadly New Year blaze, his lawyer said.

Former Italy captain Sergio Parisse will take over as the Azzurri's assistant forwards coach later this year, the Italian Rugby Federation (FIR) announced on Wednesday.

Daniil Medvedev slipped to an embarrassing 6-0, 6-0 thrashing by Matteo Berrettini in the Monte Carlo Masters second round on Wednesday, as Alexander Zverev dug deep to beat Cristian Garin.

The ceasefire agreed between Iran and the United States should bring some relief to a world economy that has been roiled since the start of hostilities on February 28, even if not all sectors will rebound at the same pace.

The BBC breached its own editorial standards by broadcasting a racial slur during the BAFTA awards ceremony, an internal probe found Wednesday.

Nearly 70 young Thai men sat on flimsy plastic chairs, faces tense as they waited to draw their fate from a jar -- an annual ritual deciding whether they will serve in the military.

US Vice President JD Vance warned the truce between Washington and Tehran remained "fragile" Wednesday as several Gulf nations endured fresh attacks just hours after the rivals agreed a two-week ceasefire.

The president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) was in Dakar Wednesday, nearly a month after the body's shock decision to strip Senegal of its AFCON title and award it to Morocco.

Daniil Medvedev suffered an embarrassing 6-0, 6-0 humbling at the hands of Matteo Berrettini in the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters on Wednesday.

Olympic champion Mollie O'Callaghan said Wednesday she has Ariarne Titmus's 200m freestyle world record in her sights after clocking an impressive 1:53.69 at the Australian Open.

Oil and gas prices plunged, stock markets soared and the dollar retreated Wednesday after the United States and Iran agreed to a temporary ceasefire that includes the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Tens of thousands of intimate images of women have been traded without the subjects' consent in Telegram groups and channels, researchers said Wednesday, calling for the platform to combat the practice.

Cricket New South Wales said on Wednesday it would support David Warner after he was charged with drink-driving, adding that the former Australian opener aware of the "seriousness" of the incident.

Indian action movie "Dhurandhar: The Revenge" has swept domestic box-office records as the highest-earning Bollywood Hindi-language film, its producers said Wednesday, and is vying for other top spots.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran on Wednesday but said US President Donald Trump's threat to destroy Iran's civilian infrastructure had not been "appropriate".

Azeez Akanni hopped on a yellow bus heading for the central business district on Lagos Island, beads of sweat rolling down his neck and arms.

During their historic lunar flyby, astronauts on NASA's Artemis II mission witnessed meteorites striking the rugged surface of the Moon, a sight that has piqued scientists' curiosity.

German industrial orders rebounded in February due to strong overseas demand, data showed Wednesday, but officials warned that the Middle East war energy shock would likely derail the positive momentum.

China's top sports authority said on Wednesday it was investigating "malicious" online attacks against teenage diving sensation Quan Hongchan.

North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles in two rounds on Wednesday, South Korea's military said, after reporting an "unidentified projectile" was launched from the Pyongyang area the previous day.

Taiwan's opposition leader, a proponent of closer ties with Beijing, said on Wednesday she hoped to sow the "seeds of peace" during a rare visit to China.

It will take months for jet fuel supplies and prices to normalise even with the Strait of Hormuz open, the head of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said Wednesday.

Pakistan has emerged as a key intermediary between Iran and the United States to secure a temporary ceasefire and host negotiations to end the war in the Middle East.