Factbox: A global treaty to curb plastic pollution

More than 100 United Nations member states will convene this month to draw up a blueprint for the first-ever global agreement to tackle plastic pollution. The U.N. says it could be the most important environmental pact since the Paris Agreement climate deal in 2015.

NatWest earnings soar but rising prices bite

British bank NatWest (NWG.L) swung to a hefty profit on the back of the country’s economic recovery but said rising prices will make it harder to cut overheads, prompting it to lower its cost-cutting target.

Morning Bid: A break in the storm clouds

Markets breathed a sigh of relief after the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken agreed to a meeting with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, raising hopes of a diplomatic solution to the standoff over Ukraine.