WORLD

Beijing, China | AFP | A stream little more than a metre wide separates them, but for at least three centuries a bitter rivalry pitted two eastern Chinese villages against one another — until love brought the adversaries together. Wushan and Yuepu in Fujian province, which count between them some …

Vatican City, Holy See | AFP |  Pope Francis will receive US President Donald Trump at the Vatican on May 24, the Holy See said Thursday, ahead of a G7 summit meeting in Sicily. Trump’s audience with Francis in the morning will be followed by meetings with his Secretary of …

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  Britain’s Prince Philip, the 95-year-old husband of Queen Elizabeth II, will retire from public engagements later this year, Buckingham Palace said Thursday. The Duke of Edinburgh, who turns 96 on June 10, is the longest-serving consort in British history, and is still in good …

Washington, United States | AFP |  Facebook said Wednesday it is hiring an extra 3,000 staff to root out violent content as the social media giant faces scrutiny for a series of killings and suicides broadcast on its platform. “If we’re going to build a safe community, we need to …

New York, United States | AFP |  The New York Times said Wednesday it added more than 300,000 digital subscribers this year, resulting in a swing to profit for the newspaper branded as “failing” by President Donald Trump. The Times has attributed some of its readership gains to renewed interest …

Those who regard the scientific method as a core value of society must step forward to defend its central role By Stephen Matlin, Goverdhan Mehta, Henning Hopf, and Alain Krief On April 22, scientists from around the world marked Earth Day by participating in an unprecedented “March for Science.” The …

Seoul, South Korea | AFP | Satellite images indicate activity has resumed at North Korea’s nuclear test site, US-based analysts said Tuesday, as tensions remain high over fears of an sixth atomic test by the reclusive state. Images of the Punggye-ri site captured on April 25 appear to show workers …

Juba, South Sudan |  The latest deployment of British troops has arrived in South Sudan to continue support to the United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping mission, the defence ministry said on Tuesday. An additional 35 UK military personnel will join the current UK presence providing support to the UN Mission in …

Children aged five to 17 months old in Kenya, Ghana, Malawi to test it Ghana, Kenya and Malawi have been chosen to test the world’s first malaria vaccine through a pilot program beginning next year, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on April 24. The vaccine, which has partial effectiveness …

Beijing, China | AFP | China called Tuesday for the immediate suspension of a controversial missile defence system hours after Washington confirmed the shield was now operational in South Korea. “China’s position is clear-cut and firm. We oppose the deployment of the THAAD system in (South Korea) and urge relevant …