Plastic pollution talks must speed up, chair warns
Negotiators must move "significantly" faster to agree on a landmark treaty to curb plastic pollution, the diplomat chairing the talks warned Wednesday, as countries lined up to express frustration about the limited progress.
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Pakistan web controls quash dissent and potential
Besieged by political turmoil, Pakistan's government is turning to draconian internet censorship which threatens to cut the country off from a promising future, experts and citizens say.
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EasyJet annual profit rises 40% on package holidays
British no-frills airline EasyJet on Wednesday reported a 40-percent rise in annual net profit on strong demand for its package holidays.
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Greeks finally get Thessaloniki metro after two-decade wait
Greece's second city Thessaloniki will unveil its new subway system more than a decade late on Saturday after the project was dogged by archaeological challenges and financial difficulties.
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New EU commission to get all clear with big push on defence and economy
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen warned Wednesday that Europe has "no time to waste" to boost its defences and competitiveness, as European lawmakers prepared to greenlight her new executive to start work.
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Australia takes step to ban under 16s from social media
Australian lawmakers moved a step closer to banning under 16s from social media platforms Wednesday, threatening companies that fail to comply with multimillion-dollar fines.
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Volkswagen says to sell operations in China's Xinjiang
German car giant Volkswagen said Wednesday it would sell its operations in China's Xinjiang region, where Beijing has been accused of widespread human rights abuses including forced labour.
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Japan prosecutor bows in apology to former death row inmate
A senior Japanese public prosecutor on Wednesday bowed in apology to Iwao Hakamada, the world's longest-serving death row prisoner whose conviction was quashed this year.
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Thailand to return nearly 1,000 trafficked lemurs, tortoises to Madagascar
Thailand is sending almost 1,000 highly endangered lemurs and tortoises back to their home in Madagascar, in what both countries called their biggest ever operation against wildlife trafficking.
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Indian protest wrestler given four-year ban for avoiding dope test
Indian Olympic medal-winning wrestler Bajrang Punia, who took part in headline-grabbing protests last year, has been banned for four years for avoiding a doping test.
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