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Trump blasts 'witch hunt' as Yemen chat scandal mounts

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday dismissed a scandal over leaked plans for Yemen air strikes as a "witch hunt" and defended his embattled Pentagon chief amid calls by Democrats for him to quit.

Bolivia declares state of emergency to combat floods

Bolivia's government decreed a state of emergency Wednesday to deal with floods caused by torrential rains blamed for 51 deaths since November.

Appeals court rejects Trump bid to lift order barring deportations

A US appeals court on Wednesday denied a bid by the Trump administration to lift a lower court order barring summary deportations of Venezuelan migrants using an obscure wartime law.

Trump announces 25% tariffs on foreign-built vehicles

US President Donald Trump announced steep tariffs on auto imports Wednesday, in a move set to fuel tensions with trading partners ahead of further promised levies next week.

Turkish university student detained by US immigration agents

US authorities have detained a Turkish university student, the latest action taken against a foreign learner associated with pro-Palestinian campus activism as President Donald Trump cracks down on the movement.

UNICEF warns 825,000 children trapped in Sudan battle

At least 825,000 Sudanese children are trapped by fighting around the beleaguered state capital of North Darfur, threatened by violence or starvation, UNICEF warned Wednesday.

Jamaica rebuffs Rubio push against Cuban doctors

Jamaica on Wednesday rebuffed a push by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to sever a program that brings in Cuban doctors, who have become critical to health care in fellow Caribbean countries despite allegations of labor exploitation.

Brazil's Bolsonaro to stand trial for attempted coup

Brazil's Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered far-right ex-president Jair Bolsonaro to stand trial on charges of plotting a coup, in a case that could torpedo his hopes of making a Donald Trump-style political comeback.

Global stocks drop ahead of Trump auto tariff announcement

Global stock markets mostly slipped Wednesday as investors readied for an announcement on auto tariffs from US President Donald Trump.

Macron warns of Russia 'desire for war' ahead of Ukraine security summit

French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday warned Russia was still showing a "desire for war" despite efforts to forge a ceasefire in Ukraine, ahead of a summit aimed at boosting Ukrainian security under a potential truce.

Israel PM threatens to seize parts of Gaza over fate of hostages

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened Wednesday to seize parts of Gaza if Hamas did not release hostages, while the militant group warned they would return "in coffins" if Israel did not stop bombing the Palestinian territory.

Rubio says US to examine Russia conditions, peace to 'take time'

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday the United States will examine Russia's requested conditions for agreements with Ukraine, but cautioned that a peace deal would take time.

Fresh Yemen war chat revelations heap pressure on White House

A US magazine published Wednesday the transcript of accidentally leaked messages laying out plans for an attack on Yemen, heaping pressure on Donald Trump's White House and boosting calls for top officials to resign.

France's Schneider Electric announces $700 mn investment in US for AI and energy

French electrical equipment company Schneider Electric said on Wednesday it plans to invest "more than $700 million" in the United States by 2027 to boost energy security and the growth of artificial intelligence.

Sudan army chief declares capital 'free' from inside presidential palace

Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan arrived at Khartoum's presidential palace on Wednesday, declaring the capital "free" of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces after nearly two years of war.

After a week on the streets, Turkey protesters remain defiant

Student protesters were back on the streets on Wednesday as they marked a week since the start of Turkey's biggest demonstrations against the rule of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan since 2013.

Trump reiterates US need to 'have' Greenland ahead of Vance visit

US President Donald Trump ramped up his claims to Greenland on Wednesday, saying ahead of a visit by Vice President JD Vance that the United States needed to take control of the Danish island for "international security."

Rubio in Caribbean to chart new path for Haiti

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in the Caribbean on Wednesday looking for ways forward on violence-torn Haiti and to show support for oil-rich Guyana in its dispute with Venezuela.

Brazil's Bolsonaro ordered to stand trial for attempted coup

Brazil's Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered far-right ex-president Jair Bolsonaro to stand trial on charges of plotting a coup after failing to win re-election in 2022.

Estonian MPs pass bill to limit voting rights for Russian minority

Estonian lawmakers voted Wednesday to ban the country's large Russian minority and other non-EU residents from voting in local elections, as the Baltic state warily eyes Moscow.

Ukraine needs European troops with 'readiness to fight': Kyiv aide

Ukraine needs a "serious" contribution from Europe of troops who are ready to fight, and not peacekeepers, after any end of hostilities with Russia, a senior aide to President Volodymyr Zelensky told AFP on Wednesday.

Trump says 'we have to have' Greenland, ahead of Vance trip

US President Donald Trump ramped up his claims to Greenland on Wednesday, saying ahead of a visit by Vice President JD Vance that the United States needed to take control of the Danish island for "international security."

Finland starts scheme to improve conscripts' fitness

Finland said on Wednesday it has kicked off a two-year scheme to improve the fitness of conscription-age youths, warning that their physical condition was declining, and this was a serious societal issue.

Magazine publishes full US attack plan shared in Signal chat

US magazine the Atlantic on Wednesday published the full exchange of leaked messages between officials laying out plans for an attack on Yemen, as the White House fought fiercely to defend itself over the slip-up.

Sweden to boost defence spending $30 bn over a decade

Sweden will increase defence spending by about 300 billion kronor ($30 billion) over the next decade, the prime minister said Wednesday, calling it the nation's biggest rearmament push since the Cold War.

French actor Ardant defends Depardieu at sexual assault trial

French actor Fanny Ardant on Wednesday defended 76-year-old screen icon Gerard Depardieu at his trial on charges of sexual assault in Paris, saying she had never known him to behave in a "shocking" manner with a woman.

Trump, Macron and Zelensky lead wave of new 'mobile phone diplomacy'

When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky interrupted a press conference he was holding to answer a telephone call from his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, he opened a window into a new world of geopolitical diplomacy.

Magazine publishes entire US attack plan mistakenly shared in chat group

The Atlantic magazine on Wednesday published what it said was the entire text of a chat group mistakenly shared with a journalist by top US national security officials laying out plans of an imminent attack on Yemen.

Erdogan takes Turkey to new crossroads with mayor's arrest: analysts

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has taken Turkey closer to autocracy with the arrest of the elected mayor of Istanbul, but the scale of the ensuing protests could yet shake his grip, analysts say.

Moscow, Kyiv trade blame for strikes endangering truce efforts

Russia and Ukraine accused each other Wednesday of derailing a US-brokered deal that could see the warring countries halt attacks on the Black Sea and against energy sites.

Magazine publishes US attack plan mistakenly shared in chat group