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Each year in southern Japan, dozens of people gather at a seafront shrine to honour a British botanist who never visited the country but is credited with revitalising its crucial seaweed industry.

Seaweed has long been a staple food in Japan, but the chunky, slimy kelp hauled into fisherman Ryoichi Kigawa's boat is also starting to attract international attention for its potential as an eco-friendly supercrop.

Chinese companies investing in minerals used in the renewable energy industry have been accused of more than 100 human rights and environmental abuses around the world since 2021, according to a report released on Thursday.

Since Elon Musk took over Twitter eight months ago, users irked by the platform's new regime have vowed to move their online presence elsewhere, though the habit has proved hard to break.

Australian brewing giant Carlton says it is shipping a limited edition "England Bitter" beer to England's cricketers to help them "cool off" from a row over their loss in the second Test.

In a coffee-growing region of Colombia, the world's third-largest producer, a group of farmers have declared a truce with an indigenous inhabitant they once hunted but now hail -- the "Spectacled Bear" of the tropical Andes.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is due to arrive in Beijing on Thursday, kicking off a high-level visit aimed at improving communication and stabilizing the tense relationship between the world's top two economies.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has had surgery on his left knee, the team confirmed Wednesday, leaving the basketball star's participation for Greece in August's FIBA World Cup in doubt.

Europe's workhorse Ariane 5 rocket blasted off for a final time on Wednesday, with its farewell flight after 27 years of launches coming at a difficult time for European space efforts.

Stefanos Tsitsipas insisted Wednesday that his US Open toilet break feud with Andy Murray has been "forgotten" ahead of their second round Wimbledon clash.

Since Elon Musk took over Twitter eight months ago, users irked by the platform's new regime have vowed to move their online presence elsewhere, though the habit has proved hard to break.

Facebook behemoth Meta officially will launch Threads, its text-based rival to Twitter, on Wednesday -- but its release in Europe has been delayed over regulatory concerns.

Climate activist Greta Thunberg has been charged with disobeying police during a June climate protest in southern Sweden, the public prosecutor said Wednesday, most likely risking a fine.

JetBlue said Wednesday it will wind down an alliance with American Airlines rather than challenge a US court ruling that determined the joint venture was anti-competitive.

Argentina's Angel Di Maria has joined Benfica for a second spell after quitting Juventus, the Portuguese giants announced Wednesday.

UN observers appealed on Wednesday for greater access to Europe's largest nuclear plant, after Moscow and Kyiv traded accusations over a possible "catastrophic" act of sabotage at the Russian-controlled facility in Ukraine.

Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek were in cruise control at Wimbledon on Wednesday, but confetti-throwing climate protesters and rain delays caused more headaches at the All England Club.

People classified as overweight though not obese are not at a higher risk of death, according to a new study Wednesday that underscores the clinical limitations of body mass index (BMI), long a standard medical metric.

Russian investigators on Wednesday said they had launched a criminal investigation after award-winning journalist Elena Milashina was badly beaten in Chechnya.

Danish rising star Holger Rune is happy to be the wild man of Wimbledon in the absence of volatile Australian Nick Kyrgios.

Some members of the US Federal Reserve's rate-setting committee supported another interest rate hike in June to tackle high inflation, but ultimately voted for a pause, the Fed announced Wednesday.

Greek fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas survived a thrilling five-set Wimbledon battle against Dominic Thiem on Wednesday to book a blockbuster second-round clash against two-time champion Andy Murray.

US President Joe Biden told Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Wednesday that he is "looking forward" to Sweden's stalled NATO membership bid winning final approval, as the Western alliance prepares for next week's summit.

Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk admits that she has to block out the heartbreaking images of the war raging at home as she plots her way through the draw at Wimbledon because "I can't live what they live".

Facebook owner Meta's new Threads app, meant to rival Twitter, will not be available in the European Union when it launches Thursday because of regulatory concerns, a source close to the company said.

Texas has scrapped a law that guaranteed construction workers in some cities the right to water breaks on the job, drawing anger Wednesday from unions and local authorities as much of America endured a brutal heat wave.

Novak Djokovic became only the third player in history to win 350 Grand Slam singles matches after seeing off the challenge of Jordan Thompson at Wimbledon on Wednesday.

Leading automakers reported a jump in quarterly US car sales Wednesday, reflecting increased vehicle inventory levels and the support of a strong US labor market.

Daniil Medvedev said he was "touched" by the reception he received from Wimbledon fans on Wednesday as the Russian vowed to stop behaving like a "selfish kid".

Authorities in the French capital region struck the name of US black rights activist Angela Davis from a high school on Wednesday, judging her views on race relations to be too radical.

The US military said Wednesday it had blocked two attempts by the Iranian navy to seize commercial tankers in international waters off Oman, including one case in which the Iranians fired on the tanker.

Opener Ibrahim Zadran struck 41 not out as Afghanistan beat Bangladesh by 17 runs on DLS method in a rain-shortened first one-day international in Chittagong on Wednesday.