WORLD

Beijing, China | AFP | China is experiencing its deadliest outbreak of the H7N9 bird-flu strain since it first appeared in humans in 2013, killing 79 people in January alone and spurring several cities to suspend live poultry trade. The National Health and Family Planning Commission said on Wednesday that …

Beirut, Lebanon | AFP | As Syria’s war approaches its seventh year, two new rounds of talks on resolving the conflict are scheduled to take place in Astana and Geneva. Here are some questions and answers about the upcoming talks: What talks are scheduled? The first meeting is in the …

Washington, United States | AFP |  US Secret Service chief Joseph Clancy will retire in early March, the elite agency tasked with protecting the US president said Tuesday. A former head of US President Barack Obama’s detail, Clancy returned from a previous retirement to steer the agency two years ago, …

Washington, United States | AFP | The White House battled Tuesday to insulate Donald Trump from a scandal over his top aide’s contacts with Russia, as it emerged that the president was aware of the problem for weeks before acting. With calls for an independent investigation gathering pace, the White …

Washington, United States | AFP |  After pressure from lawmakers, First Lady Melania Trump announced Tuesday the White House will reopen to the public in early March, nearly seven weeks after her husband Donald became president. White House tours are highly popular with visitors to Washington, a perk arranged by …

COMMENT: By Jim O’Neill Six major indicators suggest the global economy is growing at the fastest rate in many years Disconcerting political developments in the United States and the United Kingdom might lead one to conclude that an already challenged world economy will struggle even more in the near term. …

Ramallah, Palestinian Territories | AFP |  US President Donald Trump’s break with decades of support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is irresponsible and does not advance peace, a senior Palestinian said on Wednesday. “This does not make sense,” Palestine Liberation Organisation executive committee member Hanan Ashrawi told …

  The world could be caught off guard by these potentially transformative developments Economic pundits traditionally offer their (traditionally inaccurate) New Year predictions at the beginning of January. But global conditions this year are anything but traditional, so it seemed appropriate to wait until US President Donald Trump settled into …

San Francisco, United States | AFP |  Facebook on Tuesday announced it was rolling out apps to allow people to view videos posted on the social network on connected televisions. The new apps — for Apple TV, Amazon’s Fire TV and Samsung Smart TV — will provide a more convenient …

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | AFP | The body of the assassinated half-brother of North Korea’s leader is to undergo an autopsy on Wednesday, police said as they searched for those responsible for the Cold War-style killing at a Malaysian airport. Two women are believed to have used some kind of …