The Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano erupted in Kamchatka following a major earthquake in the region, the Kamchatka Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Geophysical Service said on Wednesday.

Also, scientists are tracking flows of incandescent lava down the western slope. Currently, explosions and intense glowing are visible above the volcano. Earlier in the day, an 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck offshore Kamchatka, the strongest in the region since 1952. The volcano’s last eruption was in April 2025.

India has recovered a set of relics linked to early Buddhism more than a century after they were removed from the country during the British colonial period, officials said Wednesday.

The Piprahwa gems date back to around the third century BC and were unearthed in 1898 by Englishman William Claxton Peppe in northern India. India's culture ministry said it secured the return of the gems, which had been slated for auction in Hong Kong in May, in partnership with Mumbai-based conglomerate Godrej Industries Group.

The U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday kept the target range for the federal funds rate unchanged at 4.25 percent to 4.5 percent, though it faces stark pressure and harsh criticism from the Trump administration. Uncertainty about the economic outlook remains elevated, said the statement.

France and 14 other countries signed a “New York Call” at a United Nations conference on Tuesday, calling for recognition of the State of Palestine, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot posted on his social media account on Wednesday.