WORLD

Paris, France | AFP | More than a quarter of Earth’s land surface will become “significantly” drier even if humanity manages to limit global warming to two degrees Celsius, the goal espoused in the Paris Agreement, scientists said on Monday. But if we contain average warming to 1.5 C (2.7 …

Sofia, Bulgaria | AFP | Bulgaria, the European Union’s poorest member state, on Monday took over the bloc’s six-month revolving presidency with the ongoing migrant crisis and Brexit among the top items on its agenda. “Bulgaria will take charge of the EU presidency at a key moment for the union …

Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP | Israeli archaeologists unveiled on Monday a 2,700-year-old clay seal imprinted with images and Hebrew words that may have belonged to a biblical governor of Jerusalem. The round button-sized seal was found in a building in Jerusalem’s Old City near the Western Wall and dates back …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Four young men were stabbed to death in unrelated incidents in London on New Year’s Eve, while a fifth is in a critical condition in hospital, police said Monday. The unusually concentrated spate of violence will add to growing concerns about knife crime in the …

Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump lashed out at Pakistan on Monday in his first tweet of 2018, threatening to cut off aid over what he said were its “lies and deceit” in offering “safe haven to terrorists.” “The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more …

Jakarta, Indonesia | AFP | Hundreds of Indonesian couples celebrated getting married in Jakarta on New Year’s Eve in a free mass wedding. The communal event, attended by 437 couples, was staged by authorities to ease residents’ struggles with bureaucracy. Many Jakartans cannot access public services because they have never …

Washington, United States | AFP | A sheriff’s deputy was killed and six other people, including four deputies, were wounded Sunday in what police called a “domestic disturbance” in a residential suburb near Denver, Colorado. The lone suspect was “shot & believed to be dead” after the standoff at the …

Sydney, Australia | AFP | Hong Kong saw in 2018 in spectacular style as the southern Chinese city staged a stunning fireworks display over its famous Victoria Harbour. Thousands thronged the harbourside to see the show illuminate the famous skyline as revellers danced to Auld Lang Syne. “Shooting stars” were …

Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russia’s top court on Saturday rejected an appeal by opposition leader Alexei Navalny against a decision to bar him from running in the country’s 2018 presidential election. The Supreme Court agreed with Russia’s Central Election Commission that Navalny cannot register as a candidate due to …

Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russian President Vladimir Putin called for “pragmatic cooperation” in his New Year wishes to US President Donald Trump, the Kremlin said on Saturday. In a statement on the Russian president’s New Year wishes to world leaders, the Kremlin said Putin told Trump that “a constructive …