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Inflation in Germany has surged to a post-reunification high, data showed Wednesday, as the war in Ukraine sent energy prices soaring and diminished the prospects for growth in Europe's largest economy.

A record-breaking US astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts returned to Earth from the International Space Station Wednesday, with tensions between Moscow and the West soaring over Ukraine.

Temperatures in the Middle East and Central Asia have risen 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) since the 1990s, twice the global average, according to an International Monetary Fund report released on Wednesday.

European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde warned Wednesday that a prolonged Ukraine conflict will keep energy prices and the cost of living spiralling, blighting a post-Covid recovery.

Less than two weeks from presidential elections for which he has barely started to campaign, French leader Emmanuel Macron is under fire over his government's liberal use of public money on expensive management consultants.

The EU on Wednesday announced proposals to crack down on "fast fashion" by making clothing easier to repair and more durable as part of a push to bolster environmental standards.

Bangladesh captain Mominul Haque believes his team are well prepared ahead of the first Test against South Africa starting at Kingsmead on Thursday.

England manager Gareth Southgate insists nobody can take their place in his World Cup squad for granted.

Ukrainian seamstress Olga Shandyba had never lived in a castle until she fled war for the Czech Republic. Now she would give anything to leave the fairy-tale lodgings and return home.

Dazed residents emerge from their homes to search for food while Ukrainian soldiers salvage what they can from damaged Russian vehicles abandoned amid the ruins.

Five weeks into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv has kept the extent of its military losses under wraps, but analysts say the country has probably succeeded in limiting the toll thanks to years of preparation and smart tactics.

Ukraine on Wednesday accused Russia of shelling a city where it had promised de-escalation, dampening hopes of any resolution to a conflict that has killed thousands and displaced millions.

Carlo Ancelotti has tested positive for Covid-19, Real Madrid announced on Wednesday, with the Italian likely to miss his team's La Liga game against Celta Vigo on Saturday.

Beijing and Moscow advanced a vision of a new world order Wednesday as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made his first visit to key ally China since the invasion of Ukraine.

Zimbabwe has begun repossessing idle land from black farmers who benefitted from controversial land reforms two decades ago, Agriculture Minister Anxious Masuka said Wednesday.

More than four million Ukrainians have fled the country within five weeks to escape Russia's "senseless war", the United Nations said Wednesday.

Russia's foreign minister will visit India for a two-day visit beginning Thursday, officials said, likely to press New Delhi to resist Western pressure to condemn the Ukraine invasion.

Eurozone stock markets slid Wednesday after strong gains the previous session, as Russia downplayed hopes of a breakthrough in peace talks with Ukraine and Germany's growth outlook darkened.

Shane Warne was remembered as "mesmerising" and a "genius" at a state memorial service in Melbourne Wednesday attended by tens of thousands of spectators and legendary players, with music superstars Elton John and Chris Martin performing by video link.

Sri Lanka on Wednesday began imposing record nationwide 10-hour daily power cuts as more hospitals announced the suspension of routine surgeries in response to severe shortages of fuel and life-saving medicines.

Marta Ortega, whose father founded Zara-owner Inditex, will become the world's most powerful woman in the ready-to-wear sector when she takes the reins of the company on Friday.

His extravagant outfits and jaw-dropping stunts are headline news in Japan, but now larger-than-life baseball manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo has upped the theatrical ante by entering the stadium on a hover-bike.

More than four million Ukrainians have now fled the country to escape Russia's "senseless war", the United Nations said Wednesday.

Talks on Yemen's devastating war started in the Saudi capital Wednesday, but without the Huthi rebels, hours after the Riyadh-led coalition announced a ceasefire for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The German government's economic advisers slashed their growth forecast for 2022 on Wednesday, warning that the war in Ukraine and soaring energy prices would take a toll on Europe's biggest economy.

At home in Pudong district, on reduced pay and playing computer games to lift the gloom, 25-year-old Chinese engineer Terry is in the locked-down half of Shanghai.

Shane Warne was remembered as a "genius" at a state memorial service at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday attended by tens of thousands of spectators and legendary players, with music stars including Elton John performing by video link.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday said Moscow and Beijing are leading the way towards a fairer world order, as he makes his first visit to the key ally since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine last month.

Ukraine on Wednesday accused Russia of shelling Chernigiv in northern Ukraine despite promising to scale back military activity around the city and the capital Kyiv after more than a month of war.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's future looked increasingly in doubt Wednesday after a key coalition partner switched allegiance ahead of a parliamentary no-confidence vote that could be held as early as this weekend.

Iraqi lawmakers were Wednesday set to try for a third time to elect a new national president after two previous attempts failed because of boycotts by a Shiite Muslim coalition.

North Korea faked a "successful" launch of its most powerful long-range missile to shore up domestic support for Kim Jong Un's regime after the real test ended in failure, analysts say.