WORLD

Douma, Syria | AFP | A humanitarian “pause” announced by Russia in Syria’s deadly bombardment of Eastern Ghouta took effect Tuesday, offering a short window for the enclave’s traumatised residents to emerge from their basements. The daily five-hour respite, which began at 9:00 am (0700 GMT), was announced by Russia …

Hong Kong, China | AFP | Banking giant Standard Chartered on Tuesday announced a return of dividends for shareholders after a two-year hiatus as it reported a surge in annual profits following restructuring and cutbacks. The Asia-focused lender said it would pay out a full-year dividend of 11 cents per …

Washington, United States | AFP | Boeing said Tuesday it has reached an agreement to build future Air Force One planes after addressing Donald Trump’s criticism over hefty costs associated with the presidential aircraft. “Boeing is proud to build the next generation of Air Force One, providing American Presidents with a …

Barcelona, Spain | AFP | Blazing fast 5G wireless networks promise to unlock the potential of internet connected devices, or the Internet of Things — making driverless cars and talking fridges a reality. With most European operators targeting 2020 for its rollout, 5G is the term on everyone’s lips at …

Washington, United States | AFP | The White House on Monday said a decision that could see Chinese leader Xi Jinping rule for life was an internal matter for the authorities in Beijing. “I believe that’s a decision for China to make,” said spokeswoman Sarah Sanders, after the country’s Communist …

Miami, United States | AFP | Ancient species of elephants and mammoths interbred, swapping genes that helped them adapt to new habitats and climates, a practice that is lost among modern-day elephants, researchers said Monday. Today, the two kinds of living elephants in Africa — savanna and forest elephants — are …

Seoul, South Korea | AFP | South Korean President Moon Jae-in urged the United States to “lower the threshold for talks” with North Korea on Monday as his aides held rare talks with a Pyongyang general on ways to defuse tensions. Moon has sought to use the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics that …

Beirut, Lebanon | AFP | Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri said he has accepted an invitation Monday to visit Saudi Arabia, returning for the first time to the kingdom where he announced a shock resignation that he later rescinded. The November 4 resignation and his prolonged stay in Saudi Arabia stirred …

Washington, United States | AFP | Former White House intern Monica Lewinsky says she has been reexamining her affair with president Bill Clinton through the “new lens” of the #MeToo movement and has concluded it constituted a “gross abuse of power.” Lewinsky, 44, in an essay published in the latest issue …

Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump said Monday he would have rushed inside the Florida high school where 17 people were shot dead earlier this month, whether or not he was armed at the time. “I really believe I’d run in there even if I didn’t have a …