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US governors, Canadian premiers call for end to vaccine mandate
A group of 16 US state governors and the premiers of two Canadian provinces on Wednesday called on the leaders of both countries to end the cross-border vaccine requirement that sparked protests and briefly closed trade routes.
'I can't move': Queen Elizabeth complains of stiffness during engagement
Queen Elizabeth II complained Wednesday about mobility issues, as she carried out her first in-person official engagements since fears emerged that she could have contracted coronavirus last week.
Macron hosts African leaders ahead of expected Mali withdrawal
President Emmanuel Macron welcomed African leaders for dinner in Paris Wednesday ahead of an expected announcement that France is withdrawing its troops from Mali after nearly 10 years fighting a jihadist insurgency.
Russian planes intercepted US Navy aircraft over Mediterranean: Pentagon
Three US Navy aircraft were intercepted by Russian planes in an "unprofessional" manner over the Mediterranean Sea last weekend, the Pentagon said Wednesday.
Police issue warning to protesters to leave Canada capital
Canadian police on Wednesday warned demonstrators opposed to Covid rules who have clogging Ottawa streets for nearly three weeks to leave or face possible arrest, fines and seizures of their trucks.
Germany to start lifting Covid curbs as Omicron passes peak
Germany will start rolling back most of its coronavirus restrictions as the country's falling infection rate suggests the Omicron-fuelled wave has peaked, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Wednesday after talks with regional leaders.
Poland, Hungary risk funding cuts after EU rule-of-law decision
The EU's top court on Wednesday rejected a challenge by Poland and Hungary to a mechanism allowing Brussels to slash funding to member states that flout democratic standards.
Stock markets dip, oil surges as Ukraine worries return
European and US stock markets headed lower while oil prices shot higher on Wednesday as investors tracked developments surrounding the Ukraine crisis and awaited fresh clues about the US Federal Reserve's interest rate plans.
Putin hails Brazil ties after Bolsonaro talks in Moscow
Russian leader President Vladimir Putin welcomed "constructive" talks Wednesday with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who was on his first official trip to Moscow, defying US concerns amid the Ukraine crisis.
Nepal arrests dozens in protest against US grant
Nepali police fired tear gas and water cannon and arrested 77 demonstrators in the capital Kathmandu as several hundred people protested against a $500-million US grant, authorities said.
French language watchdog warns of English infiltration
The centuries-old language watchdog Academie Francaise has warned that growing use of English by public and private bodies risks poor communication and could even undermine social cohesion.
Outspoken British Olympian Kenworthy 'treads lightly' in Beijing
Outspoken British Olympian Gus Kenworthy said Wednesday that he is biting his tongue while in Beijing because of the "very real risks" of criticising hosts China.
Ukraine marks 'Day of Unity' as NATO warns on Russia pullback
Ukraine staged military drills and defiant displays of flag-waving patriotism on Wednesday as NATO warned Russia is continuing to mass forces for a possible invasion.
Burkina junta chief sworn in as president
Burkina Faso strongman Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba was inaugurated as president on Wednesday, just over three weeks after he led a coup to topple elected head of state Roch Marc Christian Kabore.
French public spending watchdog warns about post-Covid debt
France's public accounts watchdog warned Wednesday about the state of the country's finances, which have deteriorated dramatically in the last two years due to a massive Covid-19 rescue package, tax cuts and spending commitments.
China has expanded statist economic policies over 20 years in WTO: US
China has not adopted the rules of the World Trade Organization even after 20 years' membership, the United States said Wednesday, adding that the world's second-biggest economy had "retained and expanded" its statist approach to the detriment of businesses and workers globally.
Markets rally on hopes for easing Russia-Ukraine tensions
Asian markets rebounded Wednesday and Europe extended gains on hopes that Russia will not invade Ukraine after Moscow said some of its troops on the countries' border had started pulling back.
Markets rally, oil holds losses on Russia-Ukraine hopes
Asian markets rebounded and oil held most of the previous day's steep losses Wednesday on hopes that Russia will not invade Ukraine after Moscow said some of its troops on the countries' border had started pulling back.
Wheat and corn prices ride the Ukrainian rollercoaster
The crisis between Ukraine and Russia, two of the world's biggest wheat and corn producers, has sent the commodities' prices on a wild ride -- with anything from a diplomatic statement to rumor of a maritime blockade roiling markets.
China may take advantage of Ukraine crisis: US general
China may take advantage of the Ukraine crisis and do something "provocative" in Asia while Western powers are focused on defusing tensions with Russia, a US general warned Wednesday.
North Korea marks ex-leader's birthday with snowy celebration
North Korea marked the 80th birthday of leader Kim Jong Un's late father with a mass outdoor meeting in sub-zero temperatures, state media reported Wednesday, but no missiles or military parade.
Russian army, Putin's favoured foreign policy tool
Whether they have been camped out on Ukraine's borders or moving tanks across the vast country, Russia's battle-hardened troops have made the world listen to Vladimir Putin, who wants to redefine European security.
Ukraine's comedian-turned-president stars in crisis
He was the comic from Ukrainian TV who implausibly became president.
Ukraine marks 'Day of Unity' as US warns Russia may yet attack
A defiant Ukrainian leader urged citizens to celebrate a "Day of Unity" on Wednesday, as Washington warned once again that Russia remains poised to launch a devastating assault.
Online privacy and profit clash with fortunes at stake
Facebook and Google are under growing pressure to better balance privacy and ad-targeting -- with their fortunes at stake as users rebel, regulators loom and Apple pounces on the moment to polish its image.
Tigray rebels gang-raped women and girls in Ethiopia war: Amnesty
Tigrayan fighters deliberately killed civilians and gang-raped dozens of women and underage girls in two towns in Ethiopia's Amhara region last year, Amnesty International said on Wednesday, the latest example of the horrific toll exacted by the 15-month war.
US senators send 'message of solidarity' to Ukraine
US senators joined together Tuesday to express a "message of solidarity" to the Ukrainian people and a warning to Russia's Vladimir Putin, although the chamber failed to agree on drafting sanctions against Moscow.
Russian diplomat tells West to see doctor for 'paranoia' over Ukraine
Russia's deputy ambassador to the United Nations on Tuesday told western leaders they should see a doctor for their "paranoia" over fears that the 100,000 or so Russian troops massed on Ukraine's borders might invade.
'Hold the line': Canada truckers dig in despite new police powers
Trucker-led protesters occupying the Canadian capital showed no sign of backing down Tuesday, despite a newly-invoked state of emergency granting wide new powers to end their weeks-long protest over Covid rules.
Sites of Ukraine defence ministry, state banks under cyberattack
Ukraine said on Tuesday that the websites of the country's defence ministry and armed forces as well as two state banks had been hit by a cyberattack of possibly Russian origin.
US regulator, not Boeing, to do final certification on new 787s
US air safety regulators said Tuesday they will perform final inspections on new Boeing 787 planes, retaining an authority normally granted to jet manufacturers.
Long shot: Putin's giant table sparks jokes -- and speculation
White, glistening and six metres long: the table chosen for Vladimir Putin's meeting with world leaders has sparked a flurry of memes -- and a slew of speculation about its symbolism.
French case closed over plane attack that sparked Rwanda genocide
France's top court on Tuesday confirmed that a probe should be closed into the shooting down of a presidential plane that triggered the 1994 Rwanda genocide, ending a two-decade legal saga.
Israel PM meets Bahrain king, Jewish community on landmark visit
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met Bahrain's king on a landmark visit Tuesday to the small, oil-rich Gulf country, 17 months after they ended decades of tensions to normalise ties.
At new fraud trial, Navalny vows to fight on against Kremlin
Imprisoned Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said Tuesday he would keep challenging Russia's leadership during the opening of a new fraud trial that could extend his jail term by more than a decade.
West sees 'positive signs' as Russia says some troops pull back
Western leaders said Tuesday they were seeing positive signs that Russia was looking to ease tensions over Ukraine, after Moscow announced it was pulling back some of the troops deployed on its neighbour's borders.
Israeli forces kill Palestinian in W. Bank
A Palestinian was killed by Israeli fire in the occupied West Bank Tuesday, both sides said, during what witnesses described as a confrontation between protesters and Israeli troops.
Kyiv residents resolute as Russia signals pullback
At 80 years old, Kyiv retiree Yuriy Mykhailin has seen Ukraine battle through a lot to forge its own path in the world, and he's not going to let Russian pressure daunt him now.
Putin, Scholz begin talks in Moscow over Ukraine security
Talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz began in Moscow Tuesday, the latest meeting in weeks of diplomatic efforts to defuse tensions over Ukraine.