
Black smoke: Cardinals fail to elect new pope on first try
Thick black smoke emerged Wednesday from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in a sign that cardinals had failed to elect a new head of the Catholic Church in their first conclave vote.
OpenAI on Wednesday announced an initiative to help countries build their own artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructures, with the US government a partner in projects.
Germany's new government said Wednesday it would reject most asylum seekers at its borders as conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz seeks to limit irregular immigration and curb the rise of the far-right.
The United States will host the knockout rounds of the 2025 Pacific Nations Cup tournament, organizers announced Wednesday, with three teams directly qualifying for the 2027 Australia Rugby World Cup.
Six Bulgarians, members of a sophisticated spy network dubbed "The Minions", were before court Wednesday for sentencing, facing up to 14 years in prison for spying for Russia.
Rohit Sharma rose from humble beginnings to captain cricket-mad India and redefined Test batting with his ability to score big hundreds as he dominated opposition attacks.
Wales fly-half Gareth Anscombe is leaving Gloucester to join French Top 14 side Bayonne next season, the Basque club announced on Wednesday.
Shares in Google parent Alphabet plunged more than seven percent on Wednesday after an Apple executive told a federal court that the search engine's traffic fell on Apple products last month.
Ruben Amorim says nothing will change if he wins the Europa League with the "worst" Manchester United team in Premier League history.
Excluded from the conclave to elect a new pope Wednesday -- and more broadly from the Church's entire global priesthood -- some Catholic women were determined that their voices will be heard.
Mammoth has been selected as the nickname for Utah's NHL club, the team announced on Wednesday after playing its first season as the Utah Hockey Club.
Cardinals choosing the next leader of the global Catholic Church were locked into the Vatican's Sistine Chapel on Wednesday, marking the formal start of the conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa unveiled Wednesday a plan to revive South Africa's flagging local governments, weeks after publicly criticising the state of the financial capital Johannesburg as it prepares to host the G20 summit in November.
Chinese stocks rose on Wednesday, as did the dollar, as investors eyed weekend US-China trade talks and an imminent Federal Reserve interest-rate decision.
Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic arrived in Moscow Wednesday for the week's celebrations marking 80 years since the victory over Nazi Germany, risking anger in Brussels as he tries to balance Russian ties and European aspirations.
The European Union is accelerating free trade talks with Asia following hefty tariffs by US President Donald Trump, the bloc's trade chief said Wednesday.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca claims winning the UEFA Conference League would prove that his side must be taken seriously as trophy contenders.
Mexico will fight to keep its free trade agreement with the United States and Canada in the face of President Donald Trump's trade war, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Wednesday.
UN experts demanded action on Wednesday to avert the "annihilation" of Palestinians in Gaza, as rescuers said Israeli strikes across the territory killed dozens of people.
Chinese President Xi Jinping landed in Moscow on Wednesday for a key three-day visit including a grand Victory Day parade and a show of support for Vladimir Putin.
A Finnish F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet crashed Wednesday near the Rovaniemi airport in Finland's Arctic north, but the pilot was rescued after ejecting, the armed forces said.
India captain Rohit Sharma on Wednesday announced his retirement from Test cricket ahead of the team's tour of England starting next month, but will continue to play the shorter 50-over format.
In-form South African sprinter Akani Simbine insists he is no "nearly man" despite missing a podium finish in the men's 100m at the last three Olympics by a combined total of just eight-hundredths of second.
Red-robed cardinals assembled in the Vatican on Wednesday to pray, shortly before being locked in to elect a new pope to lead the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.
The Walt Disney Company announced plans Wednesday for a new theme park in the United Arab Emirates, highlighting the country's growing prominence as a global financial and entertainment hub.
US and Chinese stocks rose on Wednesday, along with the dollar, as investors eyed weekend US-China trade talks and an imminent Federal reserve interest-rate decision.
Ruben Amorim has insisted he wants to keep Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes despite interest from Saudi Arabia, labelling the Portugal international "one of the top players in the world".
The EU is preparing to hit US goods worth nearly 100 billion euros ($113 billion) with tariffs in retaliation for President Donald Trump's sweeping levies if talks fail, European diplomats told AFP Wednesday.
A US warplane plummeted into the Red Sea when trying to land on the Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier, a defense official said Wednesday, the second jet lost from the ship in just over a week.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowed Wednesday to ramp up security cooperation in the face of Russian threats, as the new German leader visited Paris on his first trip abroad.
Germany's new Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Wednesday EU countries should "quickly" ratify a free trade deal with four South American nations that has met with staunch opposition from France.
The world's wealthiest 10 percent of individuals are responsible for two thirds of global warming since 1990, researchers said Tuesday.
Germany's new Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said Wednesday there was "no time to lose" to jump-start Europe's beleaguered top economy, even as hardline US trade policies complicate his task.
Yemen's Huthi rebels will continue targeting Israeli ships in the Red Sea, an official told AFP on Wednesday, despite a ceasefire that ended weeks of intense US strikes on the Iran-backed group.
Hamas insisted Wednesday on a "comprehensive" agreement to end its war with Israel, as rescuers said Israeli bombardment of Gaza killed at least 26 people amid a growing humanitarian catastrophe.
Deadly clashes between India and Pakistan sparked alarm and calls for restraint from around the world on Wednesday.
Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk, known for its blockbuster diabetes and weight-loss treatments Ozempic and Wegovy, cut its annual sales forecast on Wednesday, citing a decline in its US market share.
The Kremlin was forced Wednesday to say it was taking "all necessary measures" to ensure the safety of foreign leaders set to attend its flagship May 9 parade after a wave of Ukrainian drone attacks closed airports across the country, disrupting hundreds of flights.
Stock markets diverged and the dollar rose on Wednesday as investors awaited an upcoming interest rate decision by the US Federal Reserve and looming trade talks between China and the United States.
Danish renewables firm Orsted said Wednesday it was shelving plans to build a massive wind farm off the UK coast due to rising costs, dealing a setback to Britain's clean energy goals.