WORLD

Jalalabad, Afghanistan | AFP | Save the Children suspended operations across Afghanistan on Wednesday as Islamic State militants terrorised staff trapped inside one of its offices in an hours-long attack, the latest assault on a foreign charity. Gunmen blasted their way into the British aid group’s compound in the eastern city …

Sydney, Australia | AFP | After years of futile efforts, a fresh hunt for MH370 has set off for the remote Indian Ocean — and the top Australian scientist who helped pinpoint the new search zone is hopeful the missing jet can be found within weeks. Armed with oceanographic analyses and …

Paris, France | AFP | Two dozen countries agreed Tuesday to push for sanctions against perpetrators of chemical attacks in Syria, with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson saying Russia “ultimately bears responsibility” for such strikes. Twenty-four nations approved a new “partnership against impunity” for the use of chemical weapons, just …

Jakarta, Indonesia | AFP | A soldier tore apart a snake with his teeth and his comrades headbutted flaming stacks of bricks as Indonesia’s special forces treated visiting US defence secretary Jim Mattis to an unusual display on Tuesday. Mattis — whose own nickname is “Mad Dog” — seemed impressed by …

Washington, United States | AFP | US Senator Tammy Duckworth, a decorated Asian American army veteran and double amputee, announced Tuesday she was pregnant with her second child. The 49-year-old Democrat from Illinois stands to be the first senator to give birth during her term. “Wanted to share some exciting …

Hong Kong, China | AFP | A senior Al-Qaeda leader has called on Muslims “everywhere” to rise up and kill Jews and Americans in response to US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. In a video released Monday, Khalid Batarfi said Trump’s decision was “a declaration of …

Berlin, Germany | AFP | German police have arrested a 15-year-old schoolboy suspected of killing a classmate on Tuesday by stabbing him in the neck, authorities and media reports said. Media reports said the teenager did not resist when police tracked him down through a helicopter search and arrested him. …

Washington, United States | AFP |  US President Donald Trump is set to meet with the British and Israeli prime ministers, Theresa May and Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Davos later this week, the White House said Tuesday. Trump will meet May Thursday to address the Syria conflict, Iran’s “destabilizing” …

Davos, Switzerland | AFP | Instead of a chilly reception from globalisation’s defenders, US President Donald Trump may find a warm welcome in the posh ski resort of Davos, from global executives delighted with his controversial tax reform. The annual World Economic Forum in the snow-bound Swiss resort is a …

United Nations, United States | AFP | UN peacekeeping forces need to change the way they operate and not shy away from using force to reverse a worrying trend of escalating fatalities, according to a new report made public Monday. The recommendations were submitted to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in …