WORLD

Washington, United States | AFP | Secretary of State Rex Tillerson expressed confidence Tuesday that Washington is doing all it can to force North Korea to negotiate its nuclear disarmament. And he added that if diplomacy and sanctions fail and the US military is forced to take pre-emptive action, it will …

Sydney, Australia | AFP | The Tasmanian tiger was doomed long before humans began hunting the enigmatic marsupial, scientists said Tuesday, with DNA sequencing showing it was in poor genetic health for thousands of years before its extinction. Scientists genetically mapped the animal — also known as a thylacine — using …

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AFP | Saudi Arabia on Monday lifted a decades-old ban on cinemas, part of powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s far-reaching liberalisation drive that is shaking up the ultra-conservative Muslim kingdom. The government said it would begin licensing cinemas immediately and the first movie theatres are expected …

Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump on Monday denied a New York Times story on his daily White House life that says he watches up to eight hours of cable TV news a day. “Another false story, this time in the Failing @nytimes, that I watch 4-8 hours …

New Delhi, India | AFP | Rahul Gandhi, the scion of India’s Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty, was Monday named as the new leader of the main opposition Congress party, which has ruled the country for much of its independent history. Here are five key things to know about India’s most famous political …

Washington, United States | AFP | The US Supreme Court on Monday let stand a Louisiana sheriff’s firing of two of his deputies for swapping wives and families, refusing to review lower court rulings in a case that raised eyebrows. Brandon Coker and Michael Golden, who worked in the southern state’s …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | The criminal investigation into the Grenfell Tower fire in London in which 71 people were killed is “unprecedented”, a police spokesman said on Monday at the opening of a public inquiry into the blaze. “Outside certain counter-terrorism inquiries, the investigation is unprecedented in terms …

Cairo, Egypt | AFP | Russian President Vladimir Putin called Monday for Israeli-Palestinian peace talks to resume, including on Jerusalem, following the controversial US decision to recognise the city as Israel’s capital. Speaking on state television during a visit to Egypt, Putin stressed the importance of “the immediate resumption of …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Uber’s appeal against losing its licence in London will be heard in May or June next year, a court determined Monday. London’s transport authority said in September that it would not renew the ride-hailing company’s licence to operate in the British capital owing to public …

New York, United States | AFP | Bitcoin surged past $18,000 after it began trading on its first major global exchange Sunday, the latest in a series of highs that have excited some investors while leaving others nervous of a bubble. Trading of the controversial digital currency on a futures contract …