WORLD

Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump, under pressure to explicitly condemn a weekend rally by white supremacists that ended in bloodshed, on Monday denounced racism and slammed the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazis as “repugnant.” Trump had taken heat from Democrats and Republicans alike for his response …

Islamabad, Pakistan | AFP | Pakistan on Monday celebrated 70 years of independence from British India with a patriotic display including a giant flag and a show of airpower, as the military’s top brass vowed to wipe out terrorists hours before a new bomb attack killed six soldiers. Celebrations began at …

Washington, United States | AFP |  A tweet from Barack Obama drew more than two million “likes” by Monday as the former US president offered a message of tolerance following a deadly weekend clash at a white supremacist rally. “No one is born hating another person because of the color …

Geneva, Switzerland | AFP |  Cholera is believed to have affected more than 500,000 people and killed nearly 2,000 since late April, the World Health Organization said Monday. A full 503,484 suspected cases and 1,975 deaths are attributable to the outbreak that erupted less than four months ago in the …

  Gaza City, Palestinian Territories | AFP |  Egypt reopened its border with the Gaza Strip Monday for the first time in months to allow Muslims from the blockaded Palestinian enclave to travel to Mecca for the hajj pilgrimage, authorities said. “The crossing was reopened this morning for four days …

Mississauga, Canada | AFP | A Canadian pastor recently freed from imprisonment in North Korea spoke Sunday of the “overwhelming loneliness” and harsh conditions he experienced during his two-and-a-half years in a labor camp. Hyeon Soo Lim, 62, was imprisoned by Pyongyang in January 2015 for carrying out “subversive activities,” a …

St. Louis, United States | AFP | Russian chess champion Garry Kasparov owned the game for 15 years, gaining superstar status among fans before retiring and throwing himself into politics — but he just can’t seem to stay away from the chessboard. The 54-year-old former world champion is coming out of …

Rome, Italy | AFP | The Italian government on Sunday welcomed Libya’s decision to bar foreign vessels from a stretch of water off its coast, a move that has prompted almost all international charities to halt migrant search and rescue operations in the area. The comments from Italian Foreign Minister Angelino …

Washington, United States | AFP | CIA director Mike Pompeo offered assurances Sunday there was “nothing imminent” in the US standoff with nuclear-armed North Korea but said he wouldn’t be surprised if Pyongyang conducted another missile test. Pompeo’s remarks cap a week in which US President Donald Trump vowed “fire …

Bedminster, United States | AFP |  The White House on Sunday struggled to defuse the growing criticism of President Donald Trump’s initial failure to explicitly condemn white supremacists for their role in the violent protest Saturday in Virginia, insisting that his condemnation included all such groups. A woman died and …