WORLD

Manama, Bahrain | AFP |  Jared Kushner said Wednesday that Palestinians were still welcome to engage in his peace initiative, and accused their leaders of not caring about their own people for rejecting his $50 billion economic plan. US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law launched a long-awaited Middle East initiative with …

Berlin, Germany | AFP |  Europe’s record-breaking heatwave was forecast to intensify  Thursday, with authorities on alert as temperatures threaten to surpass 40 degrees Celsius in some regions. The stifling heat has prompted traffic restrictions in France, sparked forest fires in Spain and fanned debate in Germany over public nudity as …

Paris, France | AFP |  Long dismissed as a symptom of narcissistic youth culture, the not-so-humble selfie has become big business. As hotels vie to become the next viral hotspot and new technology is developed to cater to those searching for that perfect picture of themselves, here are five things to …

Washington, United States | AFP | Game console makers Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo have joined forces in opposing expanded tariffs on China, saying the plan would make their products unaffordable for the coming holiday season. In comments filed with the US Trade Representative, the three firms said President Donald Trump’s threat …

Paris, France | AFP | A poorly stubbed-out cigarette or an electrical fault could have started the devastating fire that ripped through Paris’ Notre-Dame cathedral in April, French prosecutors said Wednesday, while ruling out any criminal intent. The statement by prosecutors, which also said an investigation was being opened into possible …

Washington, United States | AFP | Robots are expected to take over some 20 million manufacturing jobs worldwide by 2030, extending a trend of worsening social inequality while boosting overall economic output, a new study shows. The forecast set to be released Wednesday highlights growing concerns that automation and robots, …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Boris Johnson challenged his rival for Britain’s leadership on Tuesday to deliver Brexit by the end of October whatever happens, only to be accused once again of trying to avoid scrutiny. Johnson, the former foreign secretary and ex-mayor of London, is the favourite to succeed …

Washington, United States | AFP | Microsoft missed its chance to be the dominant firm in mobile technology because it was “distracted” during a lengthy antitrust battle with US authorities, company co-founder Bill Gates said Monday. Gates, speaking at a forum in Washington, said Microsoft would be even more valuable if …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Governments, not companies, must regulate social networks, Facebook’s head of global affairs and former UK deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, said Monday. “It’s not for private companies, however big or small, to come up with those rules. It is for democratic politicians in the democratic …

Beijing, China | AFP | China on Monday called on America’s FedEx to explain why a parcel from Huawei to the United States went undelivered, in the second spat between the companies in less than a month. The ongoing tussle between the two firms comes as Beijing and Washington face off …