* India stepped up efforts on Wednesday to combat high levels of pollution in New Delhi that threaten the lives of residents and others nearby, ordering a temporary halt to operations of five power stations and longer school closures.
* The Kremlin on Wednesday said the certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline was a "complicated process" and that it did not see politics behind the decision by Germany's energy regulator to suspend the pipeline's approval process.
* The dollar reached a four-and-a-half-year high against the yen after better-than-expected US retail data, which also boosted Wall Street equities, although Asian shares failed to follow suit.
* British inflation surged to a 10-year high last month as household energy bills rocketed, according to data on Wednesday that will bolster expectations that the Bank of England will raise interest rates next month.
* Private investment in Israeli defensive and other cyber technologies has reached 6 billion USD in value this year, triple the figure for 2020, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Wednesday.
* Belarusian oil pipeline operator Gomeltransneft Druzhba has restricted oil flows towards Poland for three days for unscheduled maintenance, the TASS news agency cited Russia's oil pipeline monopoly Transneft as saying on Wednesday.
* The United States has signed contracts worth roughly 1 billion USD to secure antibody-based COVID-19 treatment sotrovimab from GSK and Vir Biotechnology , the drugmakers said on Wednesday, with supply expected by mid-December.
* Azerbaijan's defence ministry said on Wednesday seven of its soldiers were killed and another 10 wounded in border clashes with Armenia on Nov. 16.
* Swiss voters look set to support the government's pandemic response plan in a binding referendum this month, a poll for broadcaster SRG showed on Wednesday.
* More than 1,500 members of a migrant caravan that set off toward the US border from southern Mexico last month have been issued documents to regularize their stay in Mexico, the migration authority said on Tuesday.
* Slovakia's hospitals are in a critical situation dealing with a surge in coronavirus infections and the government will approve measures on Thursday to limit access to services for unvaccinated people.
* Top US infectious disease official Dr. Anthony Fauci said it is possible for COVID-19 to be reduced to an endemic illness from the current major health crisis next year if the country ramps up vaccination rates.
* Booster shots of COVID-19 vaccines are likely to be administered to the entire population of the European Union with annual shots likely required to retain immunity, Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said.
* The Republic of Korea plans to cut to four months from six the gap for coronavirus booster doses given to senior citizens as it looks to dampen a spike in serious cases, authorities said on Wednesday.
* Australia says it has toughened foreign interference rules for universities to stop self-censorship on campuses and the covert transfer of sensitive technology, before hundreds of thousands of international students are expected to return as borders closed by the COVID-19 pandemic re-open.
* Domestic borders around New Zealand's largest city Auckland will reopen from Dec. 15 for fully vaccinated people and those with negative COVID-19 test results, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Wednesday.
* Uber Technologies Inc said it was resuming shared rides, which were scrapped during the pandemic, detailing a revamped offer aimed at reducing the previously high losses in the pooled rides segment.
* At the Christmas market on Hamburg's main square this year, only revellers who are vaccinated against COVID-19 or recently recovered will be able to indulge in steaming hot mulled wine and candied almonds or gingerbread under festive fairy lights.
* Britain advised against all but essential travel to Lebanon due to ongoing instability, a fresh blow to the country in the middle of a financial and economic meltdown.
