WORLD

Beijing, China | AFP | Philippines’ President Rodrigo Duterte declared his “separation” from longstanding ally the United States, in Beijing on Thursday, as he rebalances his country’s diplomacy towards China. Duterte is in China for a four-day trip seen as confirming his tilt away from Washington and towards Beijing’s sphere …

Las Vegas, United States | AFP |  The third and final debate of the caustic 2016 US presidential election started with a sober tone… but ended up with Donald Trump questioning the fundamental underpinnings of the nation. Here are four key moments: November 9  If Americans entered the debate concerned …

  Las Vegas, United States | AFP |  Democrat Hillary Clinton warned Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is rooting for Donald Trump in the race for the White House because the Republican would be his “puppet.” In a ferocious debate exchange, Clinton cited reports from US intelligence agencies that …

Kigali, Rwanda | AFP |  Moroccan King Mohammed VI on Wednesday began a tour of east Africa to shore up support for a historic bid to rejoin the African Union after more than three decades. The visit, kicking off in Rwanda and set to take in Tanzania and Ethiopia, also …

Beijing, China | AFP |  Two Chinese astronauts entered the country’s new orbiting space laboratory for the first time on Wednesday, state media reported, as Beijing works towards having its own space station. Mission commander Jing Haipeng was first to float into the Tiangong-2 (“Heavenly Palace”) lab, the official Xinhua …

Paris, France | AFP |  The UN cultural agency on Tuesday adopted a controversial Arab-sponsored resolution condemning Israel’s actions at a flashpoint holy site in east Jerusalem that has sparked fury in the Jewish state. The UNESCO resolution on “occupied Palestine” was drafted by Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | More than 50 researchers from 30 countries are to carry out the first scientific full circumnavigation of Antarctica in an attempt to measure pollution and climate change, with the official launch held on Monday. The international team will cruise on Russian research vessel Akademik …

Vienna, Austria | AFP |  The house in Austria where Adolf Hitler was born is to be torn down to stop it from becoming a neo-Nazi shrine, authorities said Monday after years of bitter legal wrangling. “The Hitler house will be torn down. The foundations can remain but a new …

Washington, United States | AFP | Donald Trump fired off an erratic new broadside at Hillary Clinton on Sunday, making more explosive claims that American media and a conspiracy to commit voter fraud are rigging the presidential election against him. Amid the latest Twitter blasts from the Republican White House …

Paris, France | AFP |  A complex offensive is taking place to recapture Mosul, the Islamic State group’s last major stronghold in Iraq and the country’s second city. Questions of timing Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced Monday that operations to liberate Mosul had begun after already calling an operation to …