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US ski star Mikaela Shiffrin's Beijing Olympics threatened to turn into a winter nightmare but there was long-awaited redemption for snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis as she won Team USA's first gold of the Games on Wednesday.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said on Wednesday he was the "solution, not the problem" following former captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's departure from the club after a series of disciplinary problems.

Stock markets climbed Wednesday on the eve of highly anticipated US inflation data, with sentiment buoyed by easing geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine.

More than 110,000 people have signed an online petition calling for West Ham defender Kurt Zouma to be prosecuted as part of a growing backlash over his abuse of his pet cat.

Vietnam on Wednesday arrested a high-profile environmentalist known for taking on the energy industry on suspicion of tax evasion, state media said.

Snowboard cross rider Lindsey Jacobellis said her infamous fall that cost her a title in 2006 had "kept her hungry" as she won the United States' first gold medal of the Beijing Olympics on Wednesday.

Britain's trade with the European Union has been dented by Brexit, with businesses facing greater costs, paperwork and border delays since the UK's full withdrawal, a watchdog panel of MPs said Wednesday.

British driver Lando Norris has extended his contract with McLaren until 2025, the Formula One team announced on Wednesday.

Japan is offering Europe part of its liquified natural gas imports over fears supplies will be disrupted by tensions surrounding a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, Tokyo's trade minister said Wednesday.

World leaders are under pressure to conclude years of talks on an agreement to protect open oceans that help sustain life on Earth, cover almost half the planet and currently fall under no country's laws.

The death toll from Cyclone Batsirai, which left Madagascar on Monday morning, has risen to 30, according to an updated count from authorities, and could rise further as bodies continue to be found in the rubble of collapsed houses.

Slovakia's Petra Vlhova produced a stunning second leg to win Beijing Olympic slalom gold on Wednesday after Mikaela Shiffrin slid out of medal contention with a botched first run.

A revered athletics powerhouse at the Summer Olympics, Kenya has only ever seen two of its nationals competing at the Winter Games.

Two prominent advocates for sexual abuse survivors pilloried Australia's prime minister Wednesday, decrying "weasel words" and a response to widespread abuse that had not "measured up".

Babar Azam will captain a strong 16-man Pakistan squad named Wednesday to face Australia on their first tour of the South Asian nation in nearly a quarter of a century.

Eileen Gu and Beverly Zhu were both born and raised in the US before deciding to represent China, but their contrasting fortunes at the Beijing Olympics highlight the fine line between love and condemnation for the host nation's naturalised athletes.

Equity markets rose Wednesday following a positive performance on Wall Street as traders prepared for the release of highly anticipated US inflation data, while sentiment was also buoyed by signs of easing Russia-Ukraine tensions.

South Korea said Wednesday it was dropping its vaunted "trace, test and treat" programme as a surge in Omicron cases threatens to overwhelm the country's healthcare system.

The Covid lockdown this week of a relatively unknown Chinese city sent global prices of aluminium rocketing to a 14-year high.

From behind bars, Philippine senator and human rights campaigner Leila de Lima is running for re-election in an against-the-odds campaign that gives her the chance to once again "go after" President Rodrigo Duterte.

Shoppers thronged Hong Kong's markets fearing a shortage of food Wednesday, familiar scenes in a city that is back under gruelling Covid restrictions in contrast to much of the world.

When temperatures plunged well below freezing in Ankara and energy prices soared, Dondu Isler had to make a tough choice to both stay warm and keep her soaring utility bills down.

Asian markets rose Wednesday following a positive performance on Wall Street as traders prepared for the release of highly anticipated US inflation data, while sentiment was also buoyed by signs of easing Russia-Ukraine tensions.

Slovakia's Petra Vlhova produced a stunning second leg to win Olympic slalom gold on Wednesday after Mikaela Shiffrin slid out of medal contention with a botched first run.

Armed with its most charismatic leader in decades, France's Communist party aims to return to its glory days in the upcoming presidential election and win back voters who have drifted to the right.

A relatively flat campaign in which opponents have failed to score points is playing into the hands of French President Emmanuel Macron as he bids for a second term, even if much can still change ahead of the April elections.

Taiwan's push to grow its presence on the world stage as China poaches its diplomatic allies saw Taipei roll out the red carpet on Wednesday to a new friend in a similar position -- Somaliland.

American snowboard legend Shaun White breathed a heavy sigh of relief after leaving it until his second and last run to qualify for the final of the halfpipe at the Beijing Olympics on Wednesday.

The medals ceremony for the team figure skating at the Beijing Olympics has been delayed by a legal issue, the IOC said on Wednesday.

Wrapped up against the cold in a padded camouflage jacket, a Ukrainian border guard cradles his automatic rifle as he looks out over a barbed wire-topped fence into the expanse of Russia beyond.

Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges combined for 58 points and JaVale McGee provided a much-needed spark off the bench as the Phoenix Suns won their third straight game with a 114-109 victory over Philadelphia.

Birk Ruud led from the start to win Beijing Olympic gold in style in the men's freeski Big Air on Wednesday -- even carrying a Norwegian flag in his hand for his third run.

Toyota on Wednesday posted a forecast-beating net profit of $6.8 billion for the three months to December, even as a global chip crunch and a pandemic-driven parts shortage forced production cuts.

Two prominent advocates for survivors of sexual abuse pilloried Australia's prime minister Wednesday, decrying "weasel words" and a response to widespread abuse that had not "measured up".

Paintings by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera are among the cultural jewels whose looming sale has sparked concerns about the future of one of Mexico's most important private art collections.

Malta is best known for its Mediterranean sun but Beijing Olympic snowboarder Jenise Spiteri is on an unlikely mission to get her island nation into winter sports.

The WHO Wednesday urged rich countries to pay their fair share of the money needed for its plan to conquer Covid-19 by contributing $16 billion as a matter of urgency.

Mikaela Shiffrin's Beijing Olympics threatened to turn into a winter nightmare after she slid out of the slalom as fellow American star Chloe Kim starred and then sprawled in snowboard Wednesday.

Toyota on Wednesday logged a forecast-beating net profit of $6.8 billion for the three months to December, even as a global chip crunch and a pandemic-driven parts shortage forced production cuts.