Wetlands, among the world's most valuable and biodiverse ecosystems, are disappearing at alarming speed amid urbanisation and agriculture shifts, conservationists said yesterday, calling for urgent action to halt the erosion.

The leader of Britain's main opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, was to meet senior EU officials yesterday after warning he may oppose any Brexit deal negotiated by the London government.

World leaders gathered in New York to try to breathe new life into the Paris global climate accord, amid backsliding from several nations over commitments made in the historic deal.

British opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn yesterday said Labour would vote against a Brexit deal based on Theresa May's proposals, the strongest warning yet to a prime minister whose plan to leave the European Union is hanging by a thread.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday avoided giving a direct answer on the raging Rafale deal controversy, and said he was

Efforts to contain the latest Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo are being threatened by a "perfect storm" of challenges, including rebel violence and pre-election turbulence, the UN said yesterday.

Sweden's centre-right opposition and the far right ousted Prime Minister Stefan Lofven in a vote of no-confidence yesterday, as the left and right blocs wrangle over who can form a new government after neither won a majority in September 9 elections.

The European Union announced yesterday it will take Poland to the bloc's top court to stop alleged breaches of the independence of the country's supreme court.

Moscow yesterday announced new security measures to protect its military in Syria, including supplying the Syrian army with a new S-300 air defence system and jamming radars of nearby warplanes following the downing of a Russian plane last week.

The popularity of French President Emmanuel Macron has hit its lowest level since the start of his term, according to a major survey published yesterday, with just 29 percent of respondents satisfied with his leadership. The poll by research group Ifop showed an overall fall of five points in September compared with August.

The French government yesterday said it feared damage to its relations with India after former president Francois Hollande stirred controversy about a major deal to sell fighter jets to New Delhi.

A ban on facial coverings such as the burqa has been approved by a two-thirds majority of voters in St Gallen which becomes the second Swiss canton to do so.

France has awarded Aga Khan, Imam of the world's Shia Ismaili Muslim community, with its highest honour, the Grand Cross of

Moscow and Beijing lashed out Friday at Washington's new anti-Russian sanctions that also target China for the first time, warning the United States could face consequences.

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt yesterday accused EU Council President Donald Tusk of "insulting the British people" by needling Prime Minister Theresa May in a viral social media post.

A government minister who allegedly had a physical altercation with a press secretary was fired by New Zealand Premier Jacinda Ardern

Germany approved a delivery of weapons to Saudi Arabia, a government document showed on Wednesday, after saying it would halt arms sales to countries involved in the war in Yemen.

European Union leaders meeting in Salzburg have agreed to a special summit in November to finalise a Brexit deal with Britain, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said yesterday.

There may not be a maniacal cat-killer on the loose in London after all, or at least not a human one.

Exhausted Londoners hoping to take a rest from their busy schedules are being offered an alternative to coffee breaks: a sleep pod where they can grab some shut-eye for £15 ($20) an hour.