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The Beatles producer George Martin signed the legendary rock band in its early days more for its four members' endearing personalities than for their music, he once revealed in a video posted on Twitter Wednesday by his son.

After Microsoft announced it would spend tens of billions of dollars to buy a video game company, World Bank President David Malpass on Wednesday drew a contrast between the deal and the amount of money rich nations have pledged to help poor countries facing higher debt loads.

Seven-time champions Egypt clinched a place in the Africa Cup of Nations last 16 on Wednesday by defeating neighbours Sudan 1-0, a result which sent five other countries including Ivory Coast through as well.

Title favourite Daniil Medvedev and Nick Kyrgios will square off on Thursday in a blockbuster second-round encounter that could play a big part in shaping the destiny of this year's Australian Open men's singles title.

US broadcaster NBC will not send any of it specialist commentary teams to cover the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic due to fears over Covid-19, USA Today reported on Wednesday.

A defiant President Joe Biden acknowledged missteps over the still-raging pandemic Wednesday but hailed a year of "enormous progress" on the US economy as he took stock of his first year in office.

Atletico Madrid's season went from bad to worse on Wednesday as they were knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Real Sociedad.

Wall Street stocks tumbled again Wednesday following a volatile session as markets grapple with the prospect of higher interest rates, while oil prices scaled new multi-year highs.

A depleted Sevilla were held to a 1-1 draw by Valencia on Wednesday, leaving Real Madrid four points clear at the top of La Liga.

Ralf Rangnick defended Cristiano Ronaldo after the Manchester United star's petulant reaction to his substitution cast a shadow over their 3-1 win at Brentford on Wednesday.

Antonio Conte said he saw the spirit he is trying to implement at Tottenham after Steven Bergwijn scored twice deep into stoppage time to stun Leicester with thrilling 3-2 win on Wednesday.

United Airlines reported another quarterly loss Wednesday on the lingering drag from Covid-19 but offered an upbeat outlook on a travel comeback later in 2022 and in future years.

US stocks reversed course in Wednesday's trading session, ending lower for the second day amid rising oil prices and fears that the Federal Reserve will have to move more aggressively to contain inflation.

Sudanese security forces shot dead an anti-coup protester on Wednesday as American diplomats visited Khartoum seeking to help end a crisis which has claimed dozens of lives and derailed the country's democratic transition.

Seven-time champions Egypt clinched a place in the Africa Cup of Nations last 16 on Wednesday by defeating neighbours Sudan 1-0, a result which sent Cape Verde and Malawi through as well.

Some 1,200 heavily armed military police launched an operation Wednesday to wrench control of Rio de Janeiro's slums from drug gangs, starting with the notorious Jacarezinho favela where residents took cover.

Peru demanded compensation Wednesday from Spanish energy giant Repsol over an oil spill caused by freak waves from a volcanic eruption near Tonga in the South Pacific.

Three US Supreme Court justices on Wednesday dismissed a report of a rift over the wearing of Covid face masks during hearings before the nation's highest court.

Israeli police demolished a Palestinian family's home and arrested at least 18 people as they carried out a controversial eviction order in the sensitive east Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah early Wednesday.

The US military could be forced to withdraw American soldiers currently based in Ukraine if Russia invades the country.

Italy's highest court has upheld former Brazil forward Robinho's nine-year sentence for the gang rape of a young woman, the victim's lawyer said on Wednesday.

The body of a child who apparently drowned trying to cross from Mexico to the United States has been pulled from the Rio Grande along the border, authorities said.

Greece on Wednesday received six Rafale jets from France in a multi-billion-euro arms deal which Athens and Paris claim boosts the EU's defence capabilities, but is mainly seen as countering Turkish ambitions in the Mediterranean.

The plan to restore the Florida Everglades, the largest wetlands in the United States, will receive a federal investment of $1.1 billion to protect the region against the effects of climate change, the White House said Wednesday.

Senior US diplomats met with pro-democracy activists Wednesday in Sudan as part of talks to discuss the way forward after last year's military coup, Washington's embassy in Khartoum said.

Paris Saint-Germain star Lionel Messi, who recently recovered from a Covid-19 infection, was on Wednesday left out of Argentina's squad for World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Colombia, with the twice former winners already qualified for Qatar 2022.

The Premier League could introduce new rules from February in a bid to halt the raft of postponements that threaten to cause a fixture pile-up in the final months of the season.

Temba Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen hit centuries to set up a 31-run win for South Africa in the first one-day international against India at Boland Park in Paarl on Wednesday.

Influential fashion journalist Andre Leon Talley, the first Black creative director of Vogue, died Tuesday in New York at the age of 73, with figures from fashion and entertainment paying tribute.

A defiant Boris Johnson vowed Wednesday to remain British premier and contest the next election as calls for his resignation snowballed and a former Brexit minister demanded he quit 'in the name of God'.

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell said there is a 'nice blend' of experience and fresh talent in the 37-man squad he named ahead of the Six Nations on Wednesday.

The annual rate of inflation in Britain rose to a near 30-year high in December, official data showed Wednesday, stoking fears about a cost-of-living squeeze as wages fail to keep pace.