WORLD

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AFP |  The Islamic holy month of Ramadan will begin Thursday in Saudi Arabia, the land of the religion’s two holiest sites, authorities said. “The first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan falls on Thursday corresponding to May 17, 2018,” the Royal Court said …

Paris, France | AFP | Facebook axed 583 million fake accounts in the first three months of 2018, the social media giant said Tuesday, detailing how it enforces “community standards” against sexual or violent images, terrorist propaganda or hate speech. Responding to calls for transparency after the Cambridge Analytica data …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Angry protests greeted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in London on Tuesday as he met Queen Elizabeth II and held talks with Prime Minister Theresa May. Minor scuffles broke out as pro-Erdogan counter-protesters walked in front of Kurdish demonstrators outside Downing Street, with police …

Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The United Nations Human Rights Council will hold a special session on Friday to discuss “the deteriorating human rights situation” in the Palestinian Territories, after Israeli forces killed 60 Palestinians. “The special session is being convened per an official request submitted this evening by Palestine …

Seoul, South Korea | AFP |  North Korea on Wednesday called into question a much-anticipated and unprecedented summit between its leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump. Pyongyang also cancelled high-level talks due Wednesday with Seoul over the Max Thunder joint military exercises being held between the US …

Seoul, South Korea | AFP | North Korea needs to allow more access and monitoring for international aid, the head of the UN’s World Food Programme said Tuesday following a four-day visit to the country. The WFP is one of the few aid agencies operating in the isolated country, which …

Sydney, Australia | AFP | A number of African athletes who went missing from the Commonwealth Games last month have resurfaced seeking advice on gaining asylum in Australia, refugee advocates said Tuesday. More than a dozen were suspected of fleeing during the showpiece event on the Gold Coast. Among them …

Windsor, United Kingdom | AFP | The royal wedding of Prince Harry and his glamorous fiancee Meghan Markle is a moment of light relief for a Britain weighed down by political, social and economic woes. With growth shrinking and the government riven over Brexit, Saturday’s wedding is set to provide …

Paris, France | AFP | France’s economy grew 2.2 percent in 2017, according to revised figures published Tuesday — good news for President Emmanuel Macron as he pursues ambitious reforms designed to make the country more competitive. National statistics office INSEE revised its growth for last year up from 2.0 …

Tehran, Iran | AFP | Iran said on Tuesday that Israeli officials should be tried as war criminals over the “brutal massacre” of Gazan protesters the previous day. “The killing of children, women and defenceless people of Palestine and the occupation of Palestinian lands has become the main strategy of …