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Catholic cardinals in Rome marked the start of the Lent religious season on Wednesday without Pope Francis, as the 88-year-old spent his 20th day in hospital seriously ill with pneumonia.

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said an announcement on Canada and Mexico tariffs was expected later Wednesday, signaling potential relief for specific sectors such as automobiles, a day after the steep levies took effect.

Swiss lawmakers voted Wednesday in favour of enshrining cash in the country's constitution as mobile and card payments have taken a dominant position.

Elon Musk's SpaceX is now aiming for Thursday to conduct the next test flight of its massive Starship rocket, following a last-minute cancellation on Monday.

Our ancestors were making tools out of bones 1.5 million years ago, winding back the clock for this important moment in human evolution by more than a million years, a study said Wednesday.

Dozens of mourners gathered Wednesday in Nir Oz, a kibbutz in southern Israel near Gaza, to bid farewell to Ohad Yahalomi, whose body was returned by Hamas last month.

Four Greek opposition parties on Wednesday submitted a motion to trigger a no-confidence vote against the government over its handling of the country's worst rail tragedy in 2023, the head of the socialist party said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that a lasting peace was "entirely achievable" as the Kremlin called it "positive" that Kyiv was professing its readiness for talks on ending the three-year war.

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said an announcement on Canada and Mexico tariffs was expected later Wednesday, signaling potential relief for specific sectors such as automobiles, a day after the steep levies took effect.

German artist Anselm Kiefer, known for work confronting his country's Nazi past, said Wednesday he felt "threatened" by the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which scored its best election result last month.

England coach Steve Borthwick has dropped Marcus Smith from his starting side for the Six Nations clash against Italy at Twickenham on Sunday.

France No 8 Gregory Alldritt said Wednesday he is fit to face Ireland in a potential Six Nations title decider despite missing two training sessions this week with a groin issue.

Vissel Kobe took control of their Asian Champions League last 16 clash with Gwangju on Wednesday but Japanese compatriots Kawasaki Frontale fell to a first-leg defeat to Shanghai Shenhua.

The vast autonomous Danish territory of Greenland, coveted by US President Donald Trump, is believed to hold untapped mineral and oil reserves, but on a global scale these amounts are modest and offer only minor potential for exploitation.

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino on Wednesday accused his US counterpart Donald Trump of "lying" about Washington taking back the Panama Canal.

Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson struck brilliant centuries as New Zealand posted the highest-ever Champions Trophy total of 362-6 in their semi-final against South Africa in Lahore on Wednesday.

Israel's newly appointed military chief Eyal Zamir said Wednesday that his country's mission to defeat Hamas was not yet accomplished, with his inauguration coming at a precarious moment for the fragile truce in Gaza.

An Islamic State operative who allegedly planned the 2021 suicide bombing outside Kabul airport during the chaotic US military withdrawal has been arrested, President Donald Trump has said.

Sri Lanka will launch a nationwide census of nuisance wildlife, including monkeys and peacocks, as part of an effort to tackle the increasing threat to agriculture, the government said Wednesday.

Newcastle striker Alexander Isak's home was raided by a "professional group of travelling burglars" who stole his car and jewellery worth £68,000 ($87,000), a court heard on Wednesday.

France warned Wednesday against dietary supplements promising weight loss that use the tropical plant Garcinia cambogia after a range of rare but serious side effects including one death were reported.

Germany is set to rearm in a way not seen since World War II after the likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz said his government would vastly increase defence spending.

St Peter's Square is bustling, but behind the Vatican's walls, activities have slowed as the Catholic Church grapples with the uncertainty caused by the absence of Pope Francis.

Greenland's prime minister on Wednesday hit back at President Donald Trump's pledge to take the Arctic territory "one way or the other", insisting that islanders did not see their future with the United States or even Denmark.

Elderly Chinese farmers carrying enormous baskets of vegetables squeezed into a subway station as its doors opened before dawn on Wednesday, on the outskirts of megacity Chongqing.

Stock markets rallied Wednesday, buoyed by Germany's plan to massively boost spending on defence, signals that US President Donald Trump could ease huge tariffs and China's economic targets.

China laid out its economic growth goals and spending for 2025 on Wednesday.

The EU faced questions on Wednesday over how much of its money goes to tech billionaire Elon Musk's companies as tensions ramp up between the new US administration and Brussels.

Pakistan cricket fans and former players seethed Wednesday after the host country's already disappointing Champions Trophy suffered one last blow: no final.

Pope Francis rested well during his 19th night in hospital with pneumonia, the Vatican said Wednesday, as celebrations for the Lent religious season started without him.

North Korea has halted international trips to a city near its border with China, travel agencies said on Wednesday, abruptly reversing Pyongyang's recent decision to reopen its frontier to tourism after five years of isolation.

Markets rallied Wednesday as investors welcomed China's economic targets and a US official signalled that President Donald Trump could dial down tariffs on Canada and Mexico.