Lusaka - Zambian opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema walked free from prison Wednesday after treason charges against him were dropped, averting a trial that threatened turmoil in the southern African nation.

London - Princess Diana revolutionised the royal dress code with the help of some of the world's greatest designers during a glamorous life that came to a tragic end 20 years ago this month.

Washington - President Donald Trump on Wednesday lashed out at Amazon, claiming the US online colossus is doing "great damage" to other retailers and destroying jobs.Trump, who has criticized Amazon in the past, offered no specific facts to back up his argument.

Moscow - Standing in a warehouse in a Moscow suburb, Dmitry Marinichev tries to speak over the deafening hum of hundreds of computers stacked on shelves hard at work mining for crypto money.

Tripoli - Ali Zeidan PM of Libya between November 2012 and March 2014 was seized from a Tripoli hotel by members of the Tripoli Revolutionaries' Brigade(TRB) headed by Haytem Tajouri.

Hong Kong - Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific on Wednesday reported a massive net loss of HK$2.05 billion ($262.07 million) for the first half of the year as the airline struggled with intense competition from rivals.

The energy choices we make today will have a huge impact on our health, our climate and our economy for decades to come. This is why major oil companies have joined Silicon Valley in backing clean energy technology startups.

Washington - A tweet by former president Barack Obama about the violence in Charlottesville has become the most liked message in the history of Twitter, the company said Wednesday.The tweet by the country's first black president quoted Nelson Mandela.

Toukyo - Sizzling property prices, a groaning debt load, wealthy tourists and tycoons willing to slap down eye-popping sums for art: China is starting to look like Japan before its economic bubble burst in the early 90s.

At the end of last week, U.S. fire managers raised the National Fire Preparedness Level status to its highest level for the first time in two years as California and a number of other Western states are at high risk for lightning storms.

Bejing - The head of the US military said during a visit to Beijing that it was increasingly urgent for China to step up pressure on North Korea, according to a Pentagon spokesman on Wednesday.

Zarzis - Armed with just a spade, Chamseddine Marzoug is determined to give a dignified burial to migrants who drowned in waters off his Tunisian hometown trying to reach Europe.

Atenas - Greece on Wednesday called off a request for European assistance in battling wildfires as Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said firefighters had gained the upper hand in halting a destructive blaze near Athens after three days.

Shanghai - Fresh from shattering China's box-office record, patriotic blockbuster "Wolf Warriors 2" has claimed another slice of history by becoming the first non-Hollywood film to break into the top 100 all-time grossing movies worldwide.

New York - US President Donald Trump on Wednesday praised North Korea's leader for backing off on plans to fire missiles toward the US Pacific territory of Guam."Kim Jong-Un of North Korea made a very wise and well reasoned decision.

Hong Kong - A defiant Joshua Wong, who became the face of Hong Kong's huge Umbrella Movement, said Wednesday he had no regrets as he prepared for a possible prison sentence for his leading role in the mass pro-democracy protests.

Bourg-achard - A French baker has been arrested and jailed in China after being accused of using out-of-date flour by health inspectors and police, his family said Wednesday as they publicised a campaign to free him.

London - Far-right views should always be condemned and there could be no equivalence with opponents of fascism, British Prime Minister Theresa May said Wednesday in comments that implicitly criticised US President Donald Trump.

Berlin - German Chancellor Angela Merkel, campaigning Wednesday for the youth vote on YouTube ahead of September 24 elections, said her favourite emoticon was the "smiley" and dismissed fears about a potential World War III.

Johanesburg - Zimbabwe's first lady Grace Mugabe has claimed diplomatic immunity after being accused of assaulting a 20-year-old model, South African police said Wednesday, in an incident that could test cross-border relations.