Danang, Vietnam | AFP |  The leaders of the US and China laid out sharply divergent visions for the future of global trade on Friday, with Donald Trump doubling down on his “America First” rhetoric, leaving counterpart Xi Jinping to defend the “irreversible” tide of globalisation. Xi, who has emerged …

Khan Yunis, Palestinian Territories | AFP |  Pineapples are being harvested in the Gaza Strip for the first time as part of efforts to help the impoverished Palestinian territory work towards food self-sufficiency. The fruit, for domestic sale, is grown in a 1,000 square metre greenhouse in the southern Gaza …

Vatican City, Holy See | AFP |  Pope Francis on Friday renewed calls for global nuclear disarmament, warning that new technology had increased the risk of deadly weapons falling into the hands of terrorists. “You only have to note that nuclear technologies are spreading, partly because of digital communications, and …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | US ride-hailing company Uber on Friday lost its appeal against a landmark court ruling in Britain that would give drivers the right to paid holidays and the national minimum wage. The London employment tribunal upheld an October 2016 judgment in a case that is …

Bulawayo, Zimbabwe | AFP |  A Zimbabwe court on Friday released on bail four people facing charges of undermining the authority of President Robert Mugabe after his powerful wife was jeered at a rally. Three men and a woman were arrested after attending a ruling ZANU-PF party rally in the …

Paris, France | AFP |  Healthier lifestyles and higher incomes have helped increase life expectancy in the 35 OECD nations by 10 years in the past half century, according to a report published Friday. The OECD’s ‘Health at a Glance 2017’ report said the average life expectancy throughout the group …

Paris, France | AFP |  Pop star Shakira was forced to cancel the first swathe of concerts of her world tour Friday because of a problem with her vocal cords, the tour’s promoters said. The Colombian singer postponed two concerts this weekend in Paris and a Belgian date on Sunday …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP |  Burundi on Friday slapped away any idea that it would help the International Criminal Court’s probe into alleged crimes committed after the country spiralled into political turmoil in 2015. “Burundi rejects this decision from the very outset,” said Justice Minister Aimee Laurentine Kanyana, a day …

Beirut, Lebanon | AFP |  Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Friday accused Saudi Arabia of detaining prime minister Saad Hariri and of asking the Shiite movement’s arch-foe Israel to launch strikes. Hariri’s sudden resignation on November 4 in a statement made from Riyadh took the Lebanese political class …

New York, United States | AFP |  A US comedian on Friday admitted sexual misconduct and expressed remorse after being accused of masturbating in front of women, a rare statement of contrition in the midst of Hollywood’s burgeoning sexual harassment scandal. Father of two Louis C.K. released the statement to …