WORLD

Paris, France | AFP |  Paris officials have announced a crackdown on rats which blight parks and gardens around the City of Light and are thought to easily outnumber humans. The city’s rodents were given an image overhaul in 2007 in the hit animated film “Ratatouille” which depicted them cooking …

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  Britain faces an “unprecedented” terror threat that will not subside until the Syrian civil war ends, the head of foreign intelligence service MI6 said Thursday. In a rare speech for an intelligence chief, Alex Younger said British authorities had foiled 12 terrorist plots since …

Islamabad, Pakistan | AFP |  At least 21 bodies have so far been recovered from the site of a plane crash in northwest Pakistan Wednesday, the military said. “Rescue effort continues. 21 bodies recovered so far,” the military, which is part of rescue efforts, said in a statement. There was …

New York, United States | AFP |  Time magazine on Wednesday named Donald Trump its “Person of the Year” for 2016 for his stunning upset victory in the US election, saying he had redrawn America’s political rules. The Republican president-elect dialed into NBC television’s Today show, welcoming the accolade as …

Washington, United States | AFP |  The US Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned a $399 million penalty imposed on Samsung for copying Apple’s iPhone design, in a case watched closely for patent infringement in the digital era. The justices ruled 8-0 that Samsung should not be required to forfeit the …

Washington, United States | AFP | President-elect Donald Trump called Tuesday for the cancellation of a multi-billion dollar Boeing contract to build the next Air Force One, calling the ballooning costs “ridiculous.” “Boeing is building a brand new 747 Air Force One for future presidents, but costs are out of …

Beijing, China | AFP |  Hundreds of photos and videos of naked women used as collateral for loans on a Chinese online lending service have leaked onto the web, highlighting regulatory problems in the fast-growing peer-to-peer marketplace. A 10-gigabyte file posted on the internet exposed the personal details of more …

Antananarivo, Madagascar | AFP | Relatives of missing MH370 passengers launched their own campaign to search for crash debris in Madagascar on Monday, hoping to solve the mystery of how the plane disappeared in 2014. Families from Malaysia, China and France gathered in the capital Antananarivo as frustration grows over …

Essen, Germany | AFP | Chancellor Angela Merkel Tuesday lashed populists seeking to exploit Germany’s refugee influx, but set down a tough line on integration — including a ban on the full-face veil — as she launched into election campaign mode. Outlining a strategy to counter populism that has consumed …

Tokyo, Japan | AFP | Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is to become the first Japanese leader to visit Pearl Harbor, announcing Monday a trip to the site of his country’s surprise attack that launched World War II in the Pacific. News of the journey comes just two days ahead of …