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Chinese visitors to Japan tumbled 45.2 percent in February from a year earlier, official data showed Wednesday, as the fallout from the countries' diplomatic spat bit for the third month running.

Oil prices sank Wednesday after Iraq said it had resumed exports through Turkey, avoiding the effectively closed Strait of Hormuz, while equities rose following another tech-led advance on Wall Street.

Olympic gold medallists Armand Duplantis and Keely Hodgkinson headline a stellar cast of athletes for the world indoor championships which kick off in Torun, Poland, on Friday.

Chinese visitors to Japan tumbled 45.2 percent in February from a year earlier, official data showed Wednesday, as the fallout from the countries' diplomatic spat bit for the third month running.

Second-hand BTS light sticks were selling for up to six times the original price ahead of the K-pop megagroup's huge comeback concert this weekend, an online reseller showed Wednesday.

James Slipper was hailed as "a special human" Wednesday after being named in the ACT Brumbies side to face the Waikato Chiefs for what will be a record-setting 203rd Super Rugby appearance.

Entrepreneurs will be able to create pan-European companies under new plans to be unveiled Wednesday, which the EU executive says will make it less of a headache to do business across the bloc.

Iran will hold a funeral Wednesday for its security chief Ali Larijani as it vowed revenge, firing off a wave of missiles at Israel after it killed the powerful figure in an air strike.

When the bell rang, William let out a cry drowned out by the crowd: that night, the Greenlandic teen was boxing for his mother, who killed herself two years ago.

A Belgian judge will rule Wednesday in a closely watched case pitting French oil giant TotalEnergies against a farmer seeking compensation for damage to his farm caused by climate change.

Brazil began implementing new measures on Tuesday to restrict minors' access to social media and prevent them from viewing violent or illegal content.

A Thai man broke into the zoo enclosure of Moo Deng, an endangered baby pygmy hippo and internet sensation, police said Wednesday, as the zoo filed a trespassing complaint.

Venezuela scored a stunning 3-2 upset over the United States to capture the World Baseball Classic for the first time on Tuesday in a tense final played out against a backdrop of political tensions.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered a 40-point scoring performance as the Oklahoma City Thunder became the first team to punch their ticket to the NBA playoffs with a 113-108 defeat of the Orlando Magic on Tuesday.

Iran vowed on Wednesday a "decisive" retaliation for the death of its security chief Ali Larijani, firing off a wave of missiles at Israel which said it killed him in an air strike.

Venezuela stunned the United States' star-studded "dream team" 3-2 to win the World Baseball Classic for the first time on Tuesday.

Cuba's leader on Tuesday said the US would face "unbreakable resistance" if it tries to take over the impoverished island nation, as communist authorities scrambled to fix a nationwide electricity blackout.

Asian markets mostly rose Wednesday and oil prices dipped following another tech-led advance on Wall Street, as the United States hit Iranian missile sites near the key Strait of Hormuz and Tehran struck crude-producing Gulf neighbours.

An Iranian missile barrage killed two people near Israel's commercial hub Tel Aviv, medics said Wednesday, as the national railway company suspended operations due to shrapnel impact at a station in the city.

Britain and Rwanda cross swords at an international court from Wednesday, with Kigali seeking more than £100 million it says London still owes from a scrapped deal to deport migrants.

Larysa Gladka was among hundreds of Ukrainians lining the road stretching towards the northern border, holding flags as they anxiously fixed their gaze at the horizon.

The UN nuclear watchdog said Wednesday that Iranian authorities had reported projectile impact at the country's only operational nuclear power plant that caused no damage.

The United States said it pounded Iranian missile sites near the key Strait of Hormuz as the Islamic republic fired missiles Wednesday around the region, vowing to avenge the killing of its powerful security chief.

Having failed to clearly define an objective or exit strategy -- and sell the American public on a new war in Iran -- President Donald Trump finds himself at an impasse, mere weeks into the conflict.

US Federal Reserve policymakers are expected to leave interest rates unchanged Wednesday, as the US-Israel war on Iran sends shock waves through oil markets and supply chains, while economic data has begun to show weakness.

Former Australian Test wicketkeeper Brad Haddin was appointed head coach of New South Wales on Wednesday, vowing to bring "an aura" back to the struggling team.

China coach Ante Milicic said his "brave" team was tracking in the right direction despite their crushing loss to Australia in the Women's Asian Cup semi-finals.

The number of people in the United States tuning in live to watch the Oscars dropped by nine percent from last year, viewing figures released Tuesday showed.

Australia coach Joe Montemurro praised his team's resilience after they ground into the Women's Asian Cup final, but said they know "deep down in their hearts" it was not an ideal performance.

Mauricio Pochettino included out-of-favor midfielder Giovanni Reyna alongside Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie in his squad for the United States' final pre-World Cup friendlies Tuesday, as he warned players that every place remains up for grabs in this summer's roster.

The leaders of Colombia and Ecuador sparred Tuesday over allegations that the Ecuadoran bombing of suspected criminal hideouts near their shared border had spilled into Colombian territory.

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESS Newswire / March 18, 2026 / Pacific Avenue Capital Partners ("Pacific Avenue"), a Los Angeles-headquartered private equity firm focused on corporate carve-outs and other complex transactions in the middle market, today announced that an affiliate of Pacific Avenue has completed the acquisition of Care.com from IAC Inc. (NASDAQ: IAC).