WORLD

Washington, United States | AFP | A US warship on Thursday sailed close to an artificial island China has built up in the South China Sea, as part of a “freedom of navigation” operation, a US official said. The USS John S. McCain destroyer sailed within six nautical miles of Mischief …

Doha, Qatar | AFP | Lebanon is the only Arab country in the list published at the end of the news conference, although the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council of which Qatar is a member already allows freedom of movement by its nationals. Nationals of 33 countries will now be authorised to …

Rome, Italy | AFP | A top cardinal due to meet Vladimir Putin in Moscow this month says he will be seeking to clear the way for Pope Francis to make a historic visit to Russia. Pietro Parolin, the number two in the Vatican hierarchy and its de-facto foreign minister, …

Tehran, Iran | AFP | Iranian President Hassan Rouhani appointed two female vice presidents on Wednesday but continued to take flak from reformists for nominating no women ministers. The appointments came a day after the moderate president announced his all-male list of ministers to parliament, seen as a betrayal by reformists …

Beijing, China | AFP | China responded to US President Donald Trump’s apocalyptic “fire and fury” threat against North Korea by pointedly warning on Wednesday against any rhetoric that could inflame tensions over Pyongyang’s weapons programmes. Calling the situation on the Korean Peninsula “complicated and sensitive”, China’s foreign ministry issued a …

Seoul, South Korea | AFP | North Korea said Wednesday that it is considering strikes near US strategic military installations in Guam with its intermediate range ballistic missiles, state news agency KCNA reported. The threat came hours after US President Donald Trump threatened Pyongyang with “fire and fury” over its missile …

Washington, United States | AFP | FBI agents seized documents in a raid on a home of former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort last month as the explosive probe into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election gains pace. A Manafort spokesman confirmed the raid, which the Washington Post described as …

Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump issued an apocalyptic warning to North Korea on Tuesday, saying it faces “fire and fury” over its missile program, hours after US media reported Pyongyang has successfully miniaturized a nuclear warhead. “North Korea best not make any more threats to the United …

Trump boasts of US nuclear arsenal in new NKorea warning Washington, United States | AFP |  President Donald Trump said Wednesday the United States’ nuclear arsenal was “more powerful than ever” in a fresh warning to North Korea over its repeated missile tests. Hours after putting Pyongyang on notice that …

Los Angeles, United States | AFP | The Mormon church excommunicated one of its senior leaders Tuesday, without providing a reason for the rare dismissal. The removal of James Hamula as a “general authority” of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was the first time a top leader had …