Beijing, China | AFP | As soon as China abandoned its one-child policy a year ago, Zheng Xiaoyu and her husband started trying for a sibling for their nine-year-old son. Their efforts bore fruit with another boy — one of a million extra births this year. “The traditional Chinese thinking …
Read More »Year 2016: World burns ivory, battles poaching
Burning ivory, waging war: world battles poaching in 2016 Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | It was one of the most momentous events in the battle against poaching: 11 giant pyres of elephant tusks going up in flames in Kenya as the world looked on. The largest-ever destruction of ivory, which …
Read More »China flexes military muscle before Trump takes office
Peking, China | AFP | An aircraft carrier in the Pacific and a newly upgraded combat aircraft: China’s military is showing off its newest equipment less than a month before the swearing-in of US President-elect Donald Trump, who has raised tensions between Beijing and Taipei. In recent days state media …
Read More »Year 2016 will last a second longer
5. 4. 3. 2. 1. 1… An extra second to see out 2016 Paris, France | AFP | As if 2016 has not been long enough, the year’s dying minute will last an extra second to make up for time lost to Earth’s slowing rotation, timekeepers say. Countries that use …
Read More »Trump slams ‘inflammatory’ Obama
Palm Beach, United States | AFP | US President-elect Donald Trump poured kerosene on a simmering dispute with Barack Obama Wednesday, accusing him of derailing a smooth transition with “inflammatory” statements and “roadblocks.” Ever since the November 8 election, Trump and Obama have tried to bury political differences in favor …
Read More »US Secretary of State John Kerry’s ‘Israel’ speech in full
Kerry warns Israel settlements threaten democracy Washington, United States | AFP | In a stern parting shot, US Secretary of State John Kerry warned Israel on Wednesday that building settlements on Palestinian land threatens the country’s very future as a democracy. Less than four weeks before President Barack Obama leaves …
Read More »COMMENT: Promise of ethical machines
COMMENT: By Susan Leigh Anderson Armed with critical perspective, machines can handle unanticipated situations correctly The prospect of artificial intelligence (AI) has long been a source of knotty ethical questions. But the focus has often been on how we, the creators, can and should use advanced robots. What is missing …
Read More »Abe, Obama lay wreaths at Pearl Harbor memorial
Pearl Harbor, United States | AFP | Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US President Barack Obama made a poignant joint pilgrimage to Pearl Harbor Tuesday, laying wreaths for the victims of a stealth attack that triggered America’s entry into World War II. The pair paid homage to the more …
Read More »‘Profitable’ Washington Post will expand newsroom
Washington, United States | AFP | The Washington Post, purchased three years ago by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, will turn a profit in 2016 and expand its newsroom, defying the downward trend in the newspaper industry. A memo to staff this month from Post publisher Fred Ryan, obtained by …
Read More »Rare death from snake bite in Australian home
Sydney, Australia | AFP | A man has died a week after being bitten by one of the world’s deadliest snakes in his living room in Australia’s tropical northeast, officials said Tuesday. The 77-year-old, named in local media as David Pitt, was at his home in Cairns when he was …
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