With greenhouses as far as the eye can see, the southern Spanish region of Andalusia has been nicknamed the "Sea of Plastic". Intensive farming is the norm and it helps feed the European market with fruit and vegetables all year long. It also produces an estimated 33,000 tonnes of plastic waste every year. Until two years ago, this waste was exported to countries such as China, Pakistan and Turkey. But now that these countries are refusing to take rubbish from rich countries, the "Sea of Plastic" is faced with the urgent challenge of recycling its own waste. Our correspondents report.

Last year in Spain, some 50,000 children were in state care – a high number that is largely a consequence of failures in the care system. In Spain, children can be taken into care as a precautionary measure, a step that is five times more frequent than in neighbouring France. The decision in Spain to remove children from their parents is made not by a judge but by social workers. However, it often becomes irreversible, meaning that those parents face a long battle to get their children back. Our correspondents investigate.

Scotland’s Northern Isles, Orkney and Shetland, have long benefited from North Sea oil revenues. But with reserves declining, and climate change forcing a transformation of energy policy around the world, the islands have become a hotbed of renewable energy innovation. As Scotland prepares to host the COP26 UN climate summit in November, the Northern Isles could serve as an example for other nations, both of cutting edge technologies, and of difficult political choices.

A grave lack of state support programs has driven many young Spaniards to despair in recent years, which were marked by multiple economic crises. As students are suffering the most, efforts are underway to help them.

France, Austria, Italy, Spain and Britain have agreed to withdraw digital services taxes on US tech giants in 2023, while the US will drop retaliatory punitive tariffs.

A Netflix-funded anime academy in Tokyo trains the next generation of cartoon artists as global demand for the genre soars. Japan is facing a shortage of skilled animators, in part because most face years toiling in low-paying jobs to learn the ropes, meaning much of the painstaking frame-by-frame drawing work is outsourced overseas.

Facebook reported an annual 17 per cent jump in third-quarter net profit, driven by an increase in daily active users and strong advertising sales despite the platform facing multiple controversies that have led to calls for tighter regulation.

Benefitting from soaring demand for online ads, Google's parent company Alphabet reported nearly $19 billion in profits between July and September, up 68 percent from the same period last year. Microsoft's earnings also beat expectations, while French consumers are gearing up for some price hikes at the bakery.

A widespread cyberattack has hit gas stations and billboards across Iran, halting some fuel sales. Billboards have been altered to anti-regime messages challenging Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The US Treasury has blacklisted two individuals and four entities involved in Iran's unmanned aerial vehicles program. Washington has said Iranian drones have been used to attack US forces and international shipping.

Patrick Gomes has invented a project that filters wastewater, produces cooking gas and electricity. The architecture student believes that the equipment can help Cape Verdeans deal with the country's water shortage.

After the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, thousands of people were evacuated to Europe. Paralympic wheelchair basketball player Nilofar Bayat and her husband are now living in the Spanish city of Bilbao - making a fresh start on the court.