WORLD

A US federal judge peppered a top member of Donald Trump's Justice Department with questions Wednesday during a hearing over the office's extraordinary move to drop corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams.

Kylian Mbappe struck a brilliant hat-trick for Champions League holders Real Madrid in a 3-1 win over Manchester City on Wednesday, helping Los Blancos reach the last 16 with a 6-3 aggregate victory.

Ousted South Korean leader Yoon Suk Yeol will become the country's first sitting head of state to stand trial in a criminal case as hearings open Thursday on his bid to impose martial law.

Prosecutors demanded a near five-year jail sentence Wednesday for Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik for defying the envoy who oversees the peace accords that ended the country's bloody 1990s war.

From Mexico's most ruthless drug cartels to Central America's most notorious street gang, these are the eight drug trafficking groups being designated terrorist organizations by US President Donald Trump's administration: - Jalisco New Generation - The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), which emerged in 2010, is one of Mexico's largest, most powerful and ultra-violent criminal organizations.

The European Union will respond "firmly and swiftly" to protect its interests if Washington imposes tariffs on the bloc's goods, its trade chief said Wednesday, rejecting President Donald Trump's claim that US-EU trade ties are unfair.

Syria's tiny Jewish community said they held their first group prayer in decades Wednesday, in a synagogue in Damascus's Old City, expressing joy at the long-awaited return to public worship.

The organizer said the prank could have put racers in danger if they needed medical help.

There is a very small chance that an asteroid capable of taking out an entire city could strike Earth in less than eight years.

Countries bordering the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo sought to shore up defences on Wednesday as violence spreads through the region, with Burundi forced to pull back troops and Uganda securing a key city.

An allegedly intoxicated man vandalized a 500-year-old archaeological artifact known as the 12-Angle Stone in Peru, authorities said Tuesday.

President Volodymyr Zelensky shared his take on President Donald Trump's views about the Russia-Ukraine war amidst growing tension between the two leaders.

Pope Francis, in hospital with pneumonia, is propelled by an energy and stubborn drive that has taken him far -- but could yet prove to be his undoing.

Four British women who have accused notorious influencer Andrew Tate of rape said Wednesday they were "concerned" by reports the US government was petitioning Romania to ease his travel restrictions.

Europe is struggling to make its voice heard as the United States barrels ahead with Russia on talks to end the war in Ukraine.

EU countries on Wednesday agreed a new round of sanctions on Russia, diplomats said, as the bloc looks to keep up pressure in the face of US talks with Russia.

US President Donald Trump expanded his offensive against trading partners on Tuesday, threatening 25 percent tariffs on imported cars, and similar or higher duties on pharmaceuticals and semiconductors.

French President Emmanuel Macron was set on Wednesday to host a new meeting on Ukraine in a bid to coordinate a European response to what he called an "existential threat" from Russia amid a shock policy shift in Washington.

Britain's annual inflation rate rose more than expected last month, official data showed Wednesday, adding pressure to the Labour government which is also facing sluggish economic growth.

Pope Francis, who has been diagnosed with pneumonia in both lungs, passed a "peaceful night", the Vatican said Wednesday, amid growing concerns over the 88-year-old's condition.

Battered and bruised Chinese workers from online scam centres in Myanmar faced an anxious wait to return home, as Beijing and Thailand finalised plans on Wednesday for their repatriation.

The UN nuclear watchdog chief visited Japan's stricken Fukushima plant on Wednesday, the day after Tokyo approved an energy plan that marks a return to nuclear power to meet growing demand for AI. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is monitoring Japan's efforts to decommission the Fukushima Daiichi plant after a 2011 earthquake-triggered tsunami killed 18,000 people and set off the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.

Made from solid oak using authentic Scandinavian plans, a Viking longship built by military veterans battling mental health issue is finally ready after a long labour of love.

Brazil's far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro has been bogged down in legal woes since leaving office, and is now facing a possible high-profile trial while trying to pave a path back to power.

Bogus child pornography claims, fabricated support for communism and fake posts showing Elon Musk calling for his removal -- a deluge of disinformation is targeting a top judge in suspended South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial.

Donald Trump's threats of import tariffs have sent shockwaves through Canada, forcing businesses to question their dependence on the United States -- a reassessment that is creating headaches for many sectors.

An asteroid that could level a city now has a 3.1-percent chance of striking Earth in 2032, according to NASA data released Tuesday -- making it the most threatening space rock ever recorded by modern forecasting.

A US judge on Tuesday declined a request to temporarily block Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from firing federal employees and accessing agency data, a victory for President Donald Trump in his bid to shrink the government workforce.

Dozens of dolphins have died after a pod of more than 150 stranded on a remote beach in Australia's southern island of Tasmania, environment officials said Wednesday.