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Asian markets fluctuated Wednesday, with little sign of any relief from recent dour performances as investors remain fearful about the economic outlook owing to the impact of inflation, higher interest rates, China's slowdown and the Ukraine war.

A teenage gunman killed at least 19 young children and two adults at an elementary school in Texas on Tuesday, prompting a furious President Joe Biden to denounce the US gun lobby and vow to end the nation's cycle of mass shootings.

Fearing Russia's invasion of Ukraine will disrupt its crucial supply of fertilizer imports, agricultural powerhouse Brazil is increasingly turning to natural alternatives.

A mass shooting that left 18 schoolchildren dead in the deeply pro-gun state of Texas on Tuesday increased pressure on US politicians to take action over the ubiquity of firearms -- but also brought the grim expectation of little or no change.

At a bar in Brasilia, two longtime members of Brazil's Workers Party retweet messages supporting Luis Inacio Lula da Silva on their cell phones, as part of his campaign's drive to fight the overwhelming presence of President Jair Bolsonaro on social media.

Drones spraying pesticide, sensors taking soil readings, sprinklers that squirt fertiliser at the touch of a button -- a Malaysian plantation is using high-tech methods to boost its crop of pungent durians.

North Korea fired a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile early Wednesday, Seoul's military said, just one day after President Joe Biden wrapped up his first Asia visit as US leader.

In one of the longest awaited musical reunions, Swedish pop legends ABBA return to the concert stage on Friday in London but only as avatars of their 1970 selves shimmering with shiny costumes, glitter and platform boots.

A labor coalition on Tuesday said that Amazon delivery workers are getting hurt due to pressure by the e-commerce giant to quickly distribute heaps of packages to customers.

Ukrainian makeup artist Aliona Antonova had little idea when she fled her hometown the morning of the Russian invasion that she would soon find herself among the stars at the world's top film festival.

When a little-known teenager from the Philippines burst into the global golf spotlight by winning last year's US Women's Open it changed her life -- but left tricky decisions ahead.

India's film industry, the world's most prolific, is taking centre stage at the Cannes Film Festival, but insiders say it's a challenge to please global audiences without losing its massive fanbase at home.

A group of US Democratic lawmakers urged Google on Tuesday to stop collecting smartphone location data that could be used to identify women who have had abortions.

A high-octane documentary on David Bowie has delighted fans at the Cannes Film Festival which is having a vintage year for music lovers.

Republican voters delivered a stark repudiation Tuesday of Donald Trump's "Big Lie" that the 2020 US election was stolen, backing Georgia Governor Brian Kemp for re-election by a huge margin over a candidate recruited by the former president.

It's the first queer play to be staged in Tunisia -- director Essia Jaibi's latest work aims to challenge conservative attitudes in a country where same-sex acts are punishable by prison terms.

Many Egyptians associate the tabla drum with belly dancers and seedy nightclubs but, despite its image problem, percussionists are giving the ancient instrument a new lease of life.

Jurgen Klopp surveyed the wreckage of Liverpool's 2018 Champions League final against Real Madrid and responded with a transformative swoop for Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker.

In Ukraine's only region fully controlled by Russian troops, Moscow-backed officials are pushing for formal annexation while those still living there say they are apprehensive about the future.

Ronan O'Gara held off fellow legend Johnny Sexton for several years as Ireland number one fly-half before finally conceding defeat -- on Saturday he bids to deny his successor European club rugby's biggest prize, the Champions Cup Trophy.

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr made an impassioned plea for gun control in the wake of the Texas school shooting that left 18 children dead on Tuesday as the US sporting world reacted with horror over the tragedy.

A teenage gunman killed 18 young children in a shooting at an elementary school in Texas on Tuesday, in the deadliest US school shooting in years.

Violent clashes broke out in Tirana on Tuesday night ahead of the Conference League final between Roma and Feyenoord, as Dutch fans attacked a local man and injured 10 police officers, authorities said.

Fourteen students and a teacher were shot dead Tuesday when an 18-year-old gunman opened fire at their Texas elementary school, the latest in the United States' relentless cycle of school mass shootings.

An anti-crime operation in a Rio de Janeiro slum left at least 22 people dead Tuesday, officials said, a year after the bloodiest-ever favela raid in the city's history.

Russian troops advanced in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday, pounding key cities and aiming "to destroy everything there," President Volodymyr Zelensky said, as Moscow signalled it was digging in for a long war against its neighbor.

North Korea fired three ballistic missiles towards the Sea of Japan early Wednesday, Seoul's military said, just one day after President Joe Biden wrapped up his first Asia visit as US leader.

Stefanos Tsitsipas came back from the brink to reach the French Open second round as Roland Garros was again overshadowed by the crisis engulfing Wimbledon.

Fourth seed and 2021 runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas came back from two sets to love down to defeat Lorenzo Musetti at the French Open in a first round match which finished early Wednesday.

An 18-year-old gunman killed 14 young children and a teacher at an elementary school in Texas on Tuesday, in the deadliest US school shooting in years.

French daredevil tightrope walker Nathan Paulin on Tuesday claimed a new world record as he completed a 2,200-metre-long (nearly 1.4-mile) trip to Mont Saint-Michel along a wire suspended between a crane and the famous abbey on the tidal island, his team said.

Shaken by the pandemic, the World Health Organization's member states agreed Tuesday to overhaul how they fund the UN health agency, giving it much more money to spend on its own priorities.