New Delhi, India | AFP | The International Cricket Council said Thursday a panel of the sport’s greats would help devise stricter punishments for players caught cheating as the game reels from the Australian ball-tampering scandal. ICC chairman Shashank Manohar said tougher penalties were needed to avoid a repeat of the …

Islamabad, Pakistan | AFP | Nobel peace laureate Malala Yousafzai returned to Pakistan Thursday, saying tearfully that it was “a dream” to come home for the first time since she was airlifted to Britain after being shot in the head by a Taliban gunman more than five years ago. The 20-year-old …

Washington, United States | AFP | Facebook on Wednesday launched a fresh effort to quell the firestorm over the hijacking of personal data, unveiling new privacy tools and settings aiming to give users more control over how their information is shared. The new features follow fierce criticism of the social network …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | A brewery in Windsor, the British town where Prince Harry will marry American Meghan Markle in May, believes it has concocted its own perfect pairing with a “royal beer” celebrating the occasion. The regal-themed brew, a pale ale named “Harry & Meghan’s Windsor Knot”, appropriately …

Paris, France | AFP | South Korean giant Samsung said Wednesday it will set up its third-biggest research centre for artificial intelligence in France. The announcement was made by Samsung Electronics president and chief strategy officer, Young Sohn, during a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. At the same …

Athens, Greece | AFP | A Council of Europe project to help refugees to have their qualifications recognised abroad was extended to include more countries on Wednesday. France, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada and Armenia will participate in the second phase of the three-year project, joining Greece, Norway, Italy and the United …

Ottawa, Canada | AFP | Pope Francis has declined to apologize for the abuse of indigenous Canadians at church-run boarding schools, drawing a polite rebuke Wednesday from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In an open letter, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote: “After carefully considering the request and extensive dialogue with …

Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | Shell has filed a criminal complaint in the Netherlands against a former employee in connection with a 2011 oil deal in Nigeria, a company spokesman said Wednesday. News of the complaint, which was filed last week, comes at the same time the energy giant is facing …

United Nations, United States | AFP | US Ambassador Nikki Haley told countries at the United Nations on Wednesday they need to “step up” and pay a bigger share of the multi-billion-dollar bill for peacekeeping operations. The largest financial contributor to UN peacekeeping, the United States last year negotiated a $600 …

United Nations, United States | AFP | Long-serving American diplomat Rosemary DiCarlo was on Wednesday appointed to become the first woman to head UN political affairs, one of the most high-profile positions at the world body. DiCarlo will replace Jeffrey Feltman, another American who held the post of under-secretary-general for …