WORLD

Chicago, United States | AFP |  President Barack Obama cast an early ballot in his adopted hometown of Chicago on Friday, highlighting a Democratic drive to get voters to the polls before November 8. During an unannounced visit, Obama stood before a voting machine at the Chicago Board of Elections …

Bogota, Colombia | AFP | In a Colombia left deeply divided by a contested peace deal with the FARC rebels, not everyone was happy about President Juan Manuel Santos winning the Nobel Peace Prize Friday. “Santos doesn’t deserve it,” said Rodolfo Oviedo, one of the opponents of a peace deal …

  Washington, United States | AFP | One month from Saturday, Hillary Clinton is favored to make history as the first female US president. But with a resilient Donald Trump standing in her way, the Election Day outcome remains anything but certain. The possible pitfalls — an “October surprise,” a …

Washington, United States | AFP | Recruits into the Islamic State group are better educated than their average countryman, contrary to popular belief, according to a new World Bank study. Moreover, those offering to become suicide bombers ranked on average in the more educated group, said the newly released study …

Washington, United States | AFP | With Barack Obama’s presidency coming to a close and US policy for Syria at an impasse, Vladimir Putin’s Russia has stepped up efforts to secure its ally Bashar al-Assad in power. US officials fear the Kremlin is racing to consolidate its gains in Syria …

ABOARD THE ASTRAL, Italy | AFP | The horror, terror and joy felt during perilous rescues of migrant boats have been captured in powerful new images published Wednesday, as the latest deadly episode in the Mediterranean fuelled calls for Europe to change tack on the crisis.   DEATH IN THE …

The Hague, Netherlands | AFP | A delegation from the world’s only permanent war crimes court is visiting Israel and the Palestinian territories this week, the chief prosecutor said Wednesday, against the backdrop of a probe into the 2014 Gaza war. The trip from Wednesday until October 10 will be …

Stockholm, Sweden | AFP |  A French, British and Dutch trio of scientists won the Nobel Chemistry Prize on Wednesday for developing the world’s smallest machines that may one day act as artificial muscles to power tiny robots or even prosthetic limbs. Jean-Pierre Sauvage of France, Fraser Stoddart of Britain …

United Nations, United States | AFP | The race to become the next UN chief takes a decisive turn on Wednesday when the big powers at the Security Council will for the first time indicate which candidates they are prepared to block. During the sixth straw poll to pick the …

San Francisco, United States | AFP |  US internet giant Google on Tuesday challenged heavyweight rivals including Apple and Amazon with an array of new gadgets aimed at digital lifestyles. Coming products to watch for: Smartphone ‘Made by Google’  Pixel is the first smartphone designed by Google, with the Silicon …