WORLD

Washington, United States | AFP | Handing out multibillion-dollar fines right and left to domestic and foreign financial giants, the United States has taken on the role of the unforgiving global cop of the business world. In stark contrast to the relative inertia of white-collar law enforcement in Europe, Washington …

Tennis: Serena announces engagement to Reddit co-founder Washington, United States | AFP | Tennis superstar Serena Williams announced Thursday she is engaged to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, breaking the news with a poem on her verified Reddit account. Williams, 35, and Ohanian, 33, did not reveal a wedding date in …

Washington, United States | AFP |  The United States on Thursday fired back at Moscow over its meddling in the presidential election, announcing a series of tough sanctions against intelligence agencies, expulsions of agents and shutting down of Russian compounds on US soil. “I have ordered a number of actions …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …