WORLD

Moscow, Russia | AFP | Britain on Friday provoked Russia’s wrath by directly implicating Vladimir Putin in the nerve agent attack on an ex-double agent, with the Kremlin saying the claims were “shocking and unforgivable.” The war of words between Moscow and London over the poisoning of a former Russian …

Beijing, China | AFP | China’s President Xi Jinping will get a second five-year term on Saturday, with his right-hand man tipped to become vice president to help him consolidate power and handle US trade threats. Xi’s reappointment by the Communist Party-controlled legislature is a foregone conclusion, but all eyes …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday the alliance did not want a return to Cold War hostilities with Russia while expressing support for Britain’s strong stance on the nerve agent attack. He said the targeting of former double agent Sergei Skripal fit a …

Miami, United States | AFP | The world’s leading brands of bottled water are contaminated with tiny plastic particles that are likely seeping in during the packaging process, according to a major study across nine countries published Wednesday. “Widespread contamination” with plastic was found in the study, led by microplastic …

New York, United States | AFP | The wife of Donald Trump Jr, the US president’s eldest son, filed for divorce on Thursday in New York, according to several American media reports. Vanessa Trump, nee Haydon, married Donald Jr in November 2005. The couple, both 40, have five children between …

Washington, United States | AFP | A US military aircraft has crashed in western Iraq with American personnel aboard, the international coalition against the Islamic State jihadist group said on Thursday. “Rescue teams are responding to the scene of the downed aircraft at this time,” the US-led coalition said in …

Paris, France | AFP | Having finally secured her fourth term as Germany’s chancellor, Angela Merkel heads to France on Friday for talks with President Emmanuel Macron, who is eager to push ahead with EU overhauls. Macron has called for a major reform drive to reinvigorate the European Union at …

Washington, United States | AFP | Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has said if Iran develops a nuclear weapon, Riyadh will follow suit — just days before he arrives in Washington for talks with US President Donald Trump. “Saudi Arabia does not want to acquire any nuclear bomb, but …

Washington, United States | AFP | Donald Trump’s administration levied sanctions against Russia’s top spy agencies and more than a dozen individuals Thursday for trying to influence the 2016 US presidential election and two separate cyberattacks. The announcement follows a lengthy delay, which had caused anger on Capitol Hill and …

Paris, France | AFP | French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday backed Britain’s charge that Russia was responsible for the nerve agent poisoning of a former spy, saying there was “no other plausible explanation”. “Since the start of the week, Britain has kept France closely informed of the evidence gathered …