NEWS ANALYSIS

Munich, Germany | AFP | At least 100,000 babies die every year because of armed conflict and its impact, from hunger to denial of aid, Save the Children International said on Friday. In the 10 worst-hit countries, a conservative estimate of 550,000 infants died as a result of fighting between 2013 …

Paris, France | AFP | The scratching of the superjumbo jet Airbus A380 echoes the sad fate of the supersonic Concorde, another feat of aviation technology that turned out to be a commercial flop. – Concorde, supersonic speeds – The inaugural commercial flight on January 21, 1976 of Concorde, the world’s …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Global energy demand will surge by a third over the next two decades on advancing prosperity, but Indian demand growth will eclipse that of flagging giant China, Britain’s BP forecast Thursday. “The demand for energy is set to increase significantly driven by increases in prosperity …

New York, United States | AFP | Face tattoos, once limited to only a very small group of people, have gained new popularity thanks to today’s rappers — but some artists are reluctant to make such a permanent change to a client’s appearance. In New York’s East Village, some of …

Washington, United States | AFP | During 14 years of intrepid exploration across Mars, it advanced human knowledge by confirming that water once flowed on the red planet — but NASA’s Opportunity rover has analyzed its last soil sample. The robot has been missing since the US space agency lost …

Miami, United States | AFP | On Valentine’s Day of last year, a 19-year-old armed with a military-style assault rifle walked into his old high school in Parkland, Florida and slaughtered 17 people. That spasm in America’s epidemic of gun violence gave new impetus to the debate on controlling firearms, …

Berlin, Germany | AFP | With strong female lead roles from a saviour of street kids to a fiery mafia-fighter and an inspiring figure with Down Syndrome, directors have given girl power a firm place at this year’s Berlin film festival. Films at the event, which is also welcoming an …

Paris, France | AFP | European aerospace giant Airbus said Thursday it would end production of the A380 superjumbo, the double-decker jet which earned plaudits from passengers but failed to win over enough airlines to justify its massive costs. The firm said it would stop deliveries in 2021 of the A380, …

Geneva, Switzerland | AFP |  The global unemployment rate inched down last year, the UN said Wednesday, warning though that jobs often failed to guarantee decent living, with some 700 million workers wallowing in poverty. Unemployment around the world fell last year to 5.0 percent — from 5.1 percent in …

Badiraguato, Mexico | AFP | The downfall of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman has done little to diminish his drug cartel’s power, but locals say it has had a devastating effect in one place: his remote and lawless hometown, Badiraguato. “El Chapo” was born 61 years ago in this small, dusty …