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Meta beats expectations sending share price soaring
Meta reported robust second-quarter financial results Wednesday, with revenue jumping 22 percent year-over-year to $47.5 billion as the social media giant continues investing heavily in artificial intelligence.

Gaza civil defence says 30 killed in food queue by Israeli fire
Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli forces killed at least 30 people when they opened fire Wednesday on a crowd waiting for humanitarian aid in the north of the Palestinian territory.

Microsoft quarterly profits soar on AI and cloud growth
Technology giant Microsoft on Wednesday said its profit soared above expectations in the recently ended quarter, driven by its cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) units.

Airbus first-half profit climbs 85% to $1.7 bn
European aerospace group Airbus posted an 85-percent rise in first-half profit Wednesday to $1.7 billion, even though it delivered fewer commercial planes compared with the same period last year.

TikTok launches crowd-sourced debunking tool in US
TikTok on Wednesday rolled out a crowd-sourced debunking system in the United States, becoming the latest tech platform to adopt a community-driven approach to combating online misinformation.

'Ours forever': would-be Israeli settlers march on Gaza
Within sight of Gaza, the devastated Palestinian enclave ravaged by nearly 22 months of war, hundreds of Israeli settlers marched Wednesday to stake their claim to the battered territory.

Trump punishes Brazil with tariffs, sanctions over trial of ally Bolsonaro
President Donald Trump ordered massive tariffs on Brazil Wednesday and sanctions against the judge overseeing a trial of his far-right ally Jair Bolsonaro, who is accused of attempting a coup in Latin America's biggest economy.

US sprinter Kerley out of US trials
Former world 100m champion Fred Kerley has withdrawn from this week's US Track and Field Championships in Oregon, ruling him out of September's World Championships in Tokyo.

Ukraine will fix anti-graft law, minister tells AFP ahead of crucial vote
Ukraine will fix a controversial anti-graft law that sparked protests last week, its foreign minister told AFP ahead of a crucial parliamentary vote Thusday, but critics said some MPs might be reluctant to back the changes.

Tata Motors to buy Italy's Iveco for $4.4 bn
Tata Motors of India will buy Italy's Iveco Group for 3.8 billion euros ($4.4 billion) in a bid to create a "global champion" in the commercial vehicles sector, the two companies said Wednesday.

From skies over Gaza, Jordanian crew drops lifeline to civilians
Aboard a Jordanian military plane, aid crates are parachuted into Gaza, where war and blockade have pushed more than two million Palestinians to the brink of famine.
Millions evacuate in face of Pacific tsunamis after Russia quake
One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck Russia's sparsely populated Far East Wednesday, causing tsunamis that forced millions to evacuate homes across the Pacific rim, from Japan to Ecuador.

US Fed holds firm against Trump pressure as divisions emerge
The US Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged for a fifth consecutive policy meeting Wednesday, defying strong political pressure from President Donald Trump to slash borrowing costs -- although divisions emerged among policymakers.

Michael Jackson's dirty sock sells for over $8,000 in France
A single glittery sock that late pop superstar Michael Jackson wore during a concert in France in the 1990s sold for more than $8,000 on Wednesday, a French auctioneer said.

Turkish city calls for help after heat tops 50C
A choking heatwave left astonished locals in southeastern Turkey calling for state help to pay their air conditioning bills after the temperature surged past 50C.

Renault names Provost CEO after De Meo exit
French auto giant Renault said Wednesday that Francois Provost, currently in charge of procurement, would take over as chief executive following Luca de Meo's departure in June.

Le Court makes history for Africa at women's Tour de France
Mauritian Kim Le Court became the first African to win a stage on the women's Tour de France on Wednesday.

Canada central bank holds rate steady citing US tariff 'threats'
Canada's central bank held its key lending rate at 2.75 percent on Wednesday, as the major US trading partner confronts economic uncertainty two days before President Donald Trump's latest tariff deadline.

Henry puts New Zealand in control of 1st Test against Zimbabwe
Matt Henry bowled New Zealand into a dominant position on the first day of the first Test against Zimbabwe at Queens Sports Club on Wednesday.

Stocks edge higher, dollar gains before tech earnings, Fed decision
Stock markets saw mostly muted gains in Europe and on Wall Street on Wednesday as investors waited for earnings from US tech giants, while the dollar rose from recent lows ahead of an interest-rate call from the Federal Reserve.

Palestine Action wins bid to challenge terror ban in London court
The co-founder of pro-Palestinian activist group Palestine Action can launch a court bid to overturn the UK government's decision to ban the group under anti-terrorism laws, a judge ruled Wednesday.

EU urged to act on forests' faltering absorption of carbon
The amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by European forests has reduced dramatically in recent years putting the EU's climate targets at risk, researchers said Wednesday, calling for urgent action to halt the decline.

India secures return of ancient Buddhist gems
India has recovered a set of relics linked to early Buddhism more than a century after they were removed from the country during the British colonial period, officials said Wednesday.

Stokes braced for 'emotional' tribute to late England batsman Thorpe
Ben Stokes is preparing himself for an "emotional" tribute to Graham Thorpe when the late former England batsman is honoured during this week's fifth and deciding Test against India at the Oval.

France's Luc Besson resurrects new 'romantic' Dracula
As a director with no affection for the horror genre, France's Luc Besson has made a new version of "Dracula" with American actor Caleb Landry Jones in the principal role as a lovelorn incarnation of the famous vampire.

Trump hits India with 25% tariff and 'penalty' over Russia ties
US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that imports from India will face 25 percent tariffs, while also announcing an unspecified "penalty" over New Delhi's purchases of Russian weapons and energy.

Chinese sub discovers deepest-ever creatures 10 km undersea
A Chinese submersible has discovered thousands of worms and molluscs nearly 10 kilometres (six miles) below sea level in the Mariana Trench, the deepest colony of creatures ever observed, a study revealed on Wednesday.

Kingscote revels in being the 'villain' of Sussex Stakes shock
Richard Kingscote said with a grin on his face he felt like a "villain" after the 2022 Epsom Derby winning jockey landed a massive shock in guiding 150/1 outsider Qirat to victory in the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood on Wednesday.

English cricket chiefs confirm sale of six Hundred franchises
Six teams in English cricket's controversial Hundred competition have now been sold to private investors, with deals for the Oval Invincibles and Trent Rockets still to be formally completed, officials announced Wednesday.

Wirtz opens Liverpool account in friendly win in Japan
Florian Wirtz scored his first Liverpool goal as the Premier League champions beat Yokohama F. Marinos 3-1 in a pre-season friendly in Japan on Wednesday.

Marchand shatters record as US, Australia win more world gold
Leon Marchand smashed the 200m individual medley world record in Singapore on Wednesday with another breathtaking swim while Australia and the United States celebrated more gold.

Thousands honour Ozzy Osbourne at UK hometown funeral procession
Thousands lined the streets of UK city Birmingham on Wednesday to pay an emotional farewell to hometown hero Ozzy Osbourne as the heavy metal hellraiser was laid to rest.