WORLD

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea | AFP | The United States said Saturday it will join forces with Australia in the development of a new naval base in Papua New Guinea, a project seen as a move to curb China’s influence in the Pacific. Australia, which has long-standing military ties …

Washington, United States | AFP | South Korea said Thursday it would not restart an industrial zone with North Korea until its neighbor moves to give up nuclear weapons, although it voiced hope for progress. Cho Myoung-gyon, the South’s unification minister, said Seoul was abiding by international sanctions on Pyongyang …

Washington, United States | AFP | The Pentagon will trim the number of US troops deployed across Africa as it concentrates more on countering threats from “Great Power” competitors Russia and China, officials said Thursday. Currently, about 7,200 US military personnel are based in dozens of African nations, with notable …

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AFP | The Saudi government exonerated the country’s powerful crown prince of involvement in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi Thursday as death-penalty charges were announced against five men and the US placed sanctions on 17 suspected of involvement. Riyadh prosecutors announced indictments against 11 people …

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea | AFP | The leader of Papua New Guinea, host of this year’s APEC summit, Friday urged respect for international trade rules by “countries large and small” as spats between the US and China threatened to overshadow the gathering. As leaders from Asian Pacific nations …

New York, United States | AFP | Drug baron Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman paid huge bribes to Mexican prosecutors, police, military and even Interpol to ensure smooth operations for his Sinaloa cartel, a key informant said at his US trial on Thursday. Jesus “El Rey” Zambada, brother of the cartel’s …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Despite facing a fierce backlash to her draft Brexit deal, British Prime Minister Theresa May has vowed to fight on. Amid cabinet resignations and moves by her own MPs to oust her, the battle to save the EU withdrawal agreement and her own political …

Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | The United Nations on Thursday launched what it called a “global first” to harness private-sector funding and expertise to help tackle humanitarian crises around the world. The Nigeria Humanitarian Fund Private Sector Initiative (NHF PSI) has been set up to strengthen the response to the …

New Delhi, India | AFP | A baby died after a monkey snatched it from its mother’s arms, Indian police investigating the incident in the city of Agra, home to the Taj Mahal, said on Thursday. The 12-day-old boy was being fed by his mother when a rhesus macaque monkey …

Washington, United States | AFP | Facebook on Thursday denied allegations in the New York Times that it tried to mislead the public about its knowledge of Russian misinformation ahead of the 2016 US presidential election, but severed links with a Republican consultancy. The Times detailed obfuscation by Facebook’s top …