UK watchdog bans Zara ads over 'unhealthily thin' model photos
Britain's advertising regulator on Wednesday banned two adverts by Spanish clothing group Zara for featuring models that appeared "unhealthily thin", calling the images "irresponsible".
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Natural disasters caused $135 bn in economic losses in first half of 2025: Swiss Re
Natural disasters caused $135 billion in economic losses globally in the first half of 2025, fuelled by the Los Angeles wildfires, Swiss Re said Wednesday.
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Rebuilding in devastated Mariupol under Russia's thumb
Sun-seekers crowded onto the beach in Mariupol in Russian-controlled eastern Ukraine -- a devastated city which Moscow wants to turn into an improbable seaside resort.
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One dead, nine injured in huge France wildfire
Hundreds of firefighters on Wednesday battled to halt the spread of a wildfire in southern France that has scorched a vast area, killed one person and injured nine others.
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German factory orders fall amid tariff, growth woes
German industrial orders unexpectedly fell in June, official data showed Wednesday, as Europe's biggest economy struggles with prolonged domestic weakness and volatile US trade policy.
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Turkmenistan's methane-spewing 'Gateway to Hell' loses its anger
People go to the "Gateway to Hell" gas crater in the middle of the Turkmenistan desert expecting an angry cauldron but are now coming away unimpressed.
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Markets tick up but traders wary as Trump tariffs temper rate hopes
Asian equities edged higher Wednesday as traders weighed Donald Trump's trade war and fresh data that indicated further weakness in the US economy but added to interest rate cut speculation.
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A year on, Ugandans still suffering from deadly garbage collapse
When the giant landfill collapsed in Uganda's capital Kampala a year ago, Zamhall Nansamba thought she was hearing an aeroplane taking off.
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Ozempic maker Novo Nordisk posts strong results but competition weighs
Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk posted a sharp rise in second-quarter net profit Wednesday, but rising competition is weighing on sales of its diabetes and obesity treatments Ozempic and Wegovy in the United States.
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Prince Harry cleared of 'bullying' in African charity row
The UK charity watchdog Wednesday cleared Prince Harry of accusations of bullying in a row with an African charity he founded, but deplored that the bitter internal dispute was played out in public.
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