Chicago, United States | AFP | The Las Vegas gunman who carried out the deadliest mass shooting in recent US history also had scouted possible locations in Chicago and Boston, US media reported Thursday. Stephen Paddock booked two rooms during the Lollapalooza music festival in August at Chicago’s Blackstone hotel, which …

Moscow, Russia | AFP | Saudi Arabia’s King Salman, on a landmark visit to Russia, and President Vladimir Putin on Thursday signed a slew of arms and energy deals as the key US ally seeks to deepen cooperation with Moscow. The leaders of the world’s largest energy exporters discussed an extension …

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AFP | Saudi Arabia Wednesday announced the consolidation of development funds under a unified body led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, cementing the powerful prince’s position in the Gulf kingdom’s affairs. The new National Development Fund joins industrial, agricultural and social development funds under a board …

Brussels, Belgium | AFP | The EU turned the screw on US tech giants Wednesday, ordering Amazon to repay Luxembourg 250 million euros in back taxes and taking Ireland to court for failing to collect billions from Apple. Europe’s competition chief Margrethe Vestager accused tiny Luxembourg of an illegal deal with …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Kenya’s highest profile marathon, due on October 29, has been postponed to late November over fears of political unrest around the country’s re-run presidential election expected on October 26. The Nairobi Marathon, a road race which has often been a platform for young Kenyan athletes to …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Eight female members of one family were shot dead in their homes in South Africa, police said Wednesday, with attackers also setting fire to the houses. Six of the victims were aged between three and 18, while two were older women. Police said the cause …

Paris, France | AFP | The board of the UN’s cultural body on Wednesday began vetting eight candidates vying to head an organisation accused of bias in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and foot-dragging on reforms. The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization infuriated Israel and its staunch ally the United States by …

Pekanbaru, Indonesia | AFP | A giant python attacked an Indonesian man, nearly severing his arm, before hungry villagers chopped up the reptile and ate it, a police chief said Wednesday. Security guard Robert Nababan crossed paths with the giant creature while patrolling an oil palm plantation in the remote Batang …

Strasbourg, France | AFP | The European Commission said Wednesday it was “time to talk” to resolve the escalating political crisis in Catalonia, while defending Madrid’s right to use “proportionate” force to maintain law and order. “It’s time to talk, finding a way out of the impasse, working within the constitutional …

Lausanne, Switzerland | AFP | Long before Jacques Dubochet embarked on the research that earned him a Nobel Chemistry Prize on Wednesday, he made a discovery at age five that helped him overcome a common, yet powerful fear. The retired professor of biophysics and the University of Lausanne has been honoured, …