WORLD

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | AFP | French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that the Islamic State group faced complete military defeat in Iraq and Syria within months but warned the battle against jihadism would go on. He was speaking after Syrian troops and allied militiamen broke into the IS-held …

Beijing, China | AFP | China signed an agreement Thursday to buy 300 airplanes from US aerospace giant Boeing valued over $37 billion, as part of a multi-billion dollar raft of deals announced during President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing. The agreement for China Aviation Suppliers Holding Co (CASC) to buy …

Paris, France | AFP | Despite signing up to the Paris climate accord Syria has not been invited to a summit on the pact in the French capital in December, the French foreign ministry said Wednesday. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad joins US President Donald Trump in being omitted from the list …

Washington, United States | AFP | World Bank lending to countries like China that are rich enough to finance their own development hurts poor countries that need help, a senior US Treasury official said Wednesday. David Malpass, Treasury’s under secretary for International Affairs, cited China as a prime example of the …

New York, United States | AFP | A US judge on Wednesday authorized a psychologist to examine Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, one of the world’s most notorious criminals, after his lawyer complained that his mental state is deteriorating in a New York jail. The 60-year-old kingpin, accused of …

Shah Porir Dwip, Bangladesh | AFP | Dozens of Rohingya refugees floated into Bangladesh on Wednesday on a raft fashioned from plastic jerrycans, as the persecuted Muslim minority continue to flee violence in Myanmar in droves, officials said. Bangladesh border guards spotted the makeshift raft overloaded with more than 50 …

Barcelona, Spain | AFP | Protesters blocked roads, highways and train tracks in Catalonia on Wednesday as part of a region-wide strike called by a pro-independence union. According to the Catalan Transit Service, people blocked roads in more than 50 places in the region, including major motorways like the AP-7 …

Beijing, China | AFP | US President Donald Trump toured the Forbidden City with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Wednesday as he began the crucial leg of an Asian tour intended to build a global front against North Korea’s nuclear threats. After warning North Korea’s “cruel dictatorship” in a speech in …

Bonn, Germany | AFP | Syria told the UN climate talks in Bonn on Tuesday that it would join the Paris Agreement, leaving the United States as the only nation in the world opting to stay outside the landmark treaty. “We are going to join the Paris Agreement,” the Syrian delegate, …

Geneva, Switzerland | AFP |  The World Health Organization on Tuesday urged farmers to stop using antibiotics in healthy animals to help ensure the drugs remain effective in fighting life-threatening diseases in humans. Overuse and misuse of antibiotics in animals and humans is contributing to the growing threat of “superbugs”, …