WORLD

New York, United States | AFP |  Nandita Iyer landed in New York from Bombay without knowing anyone, but she didn’t want to live alone in a “sketchy studio.” So instead she opted for a room in a “coliving” unit. She lives with roommates in one of the 14 apartments in …

Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russia’s nuclear agency said Saturday an explosion during missile testing in the Arctic left five of its staff dead and involved radioactive isotopes after a nearby city reported a spike in radiation levels. Rosatom said the force of explosion on Thursday threw several of its staff …

Salina, Italy | AFP |  Award-winning young Italian chef Martina Caruso’s love of food is in her blood — and she has the tattoos to prove it. At just 29, Caruso has become a hit in the world of haute cuisine by using the sunshine flavours of her tiny volcanic …

Washington, United States | AFP | The United States and China have stepped up an increasingly harsh war of words over pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, as Beijing seeks to push its accusations that the mass demonstrations are being fueled by foreign powers. In the latest exchange, Washington on Friday called …

Paris, France | AFP | Not everyone needs to become a vegetarian, much less vegan, to keep the planet from overheating, but it would surely make things easier if they did. That’s the ambiguous and — for many on either side of this meaty issue — unsatisfying conclusion of the most …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Britain’s economy unexpectedly shrank in the second quarter of the year on Brexit turmoil, official data showed Friday, placing the country on the verge of recession. Gross domestic product (GDP) fell 0.2 percent in the April-June period, the first time the economy has contracted in …

Dongguan, China | AFP | Chinese telecom giant Huawei unveiled its own operating system on Friday, as it faces the threat of losing access to Android systems amid escalating US-China trade tensions. The highly-anticipated software is considered crucial for the tech group’s survival as it confronts a looming White House ban …

Des Moines, United States | AFP | Deep-fried corn dogs, a blistering summer sun, and discerning American voters greet the presidential candidates at Iowa’s state fair, a must stop on the early road to the White House. Two dozen candidates — 23 Democrats and a longshot Republican primary challenger to President …

The hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam Mecca, Saudi Arabia | AFP |  The annual hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia’s city of Mecca is one of five pillars of Islam that all Muslims who are able to are expected to complete at least once. More than two million …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled plans Thursday for a new fast-track visa route for “the brightest and best”, in a bid to attract the world’s top scientists to Britain after Brexit. The “shake-up” of immigration rules is aimed at encouraging elite researchers and specialists in science, engineering and technology …