WORLD

Richmond, United States | AFP |  Barack Obama is returning to the political arena for the first time in months after keeping a low profile and avoiding direct confrontation with his White House successor. The 56-year-old former president is scheduled to attend campaign rallies in New Jersey and Virginia on …

Los Angeles, United States | AFP | The Weinstein revelations have once again shone a light on Hollywood’s seedy underbelly — but rampant sexual harassment in the workplace is hardly confined to the glamorous world of show business. From the cleaning industry to the corporate world, a common thread is …

United Nations, United States | AFP | UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is traveling to the Central African Republic next week to draw attention to the world’s “forgotten crisis” and its heavy toll on aid workers and UN peacekeepers. “The Central African Republic is very far from the attention of the international …

Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump was snarled in fresh controversy Wednesday after he was accused of being disrespectful to a US soldier slain in an ambush in Niger, as well as showing insensitivity to the grieving family. Trump moved quickly to dispute descriptions of his …

  Montreal, Canada | AFP |  Canada’s Quebec province Wednesday prohibited government workers and anyone receiving government services from covering their face, in a move critics say unfairly targets Muslim women who wear a niqab veil. The legislation applies to bureaucrats, police officers, teachers, and bus drivers, as well as …

Beijing, China | AFP |  President Xi Jinping declared China has embarked on a “new era” of challenges and opportunities on Wednesday as he opened a Communist Party congress expected to enhance his already formidable power. Xi told some 2,300 delegates at the imposing Great Hall of the People that …

Singapore, Singapore | AFP | The top US commander in the Pacific warned Tuesday he must “imagine the unimaginable” in responding to the threat posed by the North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme. Admiral Harry Harris, head of the US Pacific Command, made clear that while diplomacy remains the preferred option in …

Beirut, Lebanon | AFP | Syria’s war has spiralled into a complex multi-sided conflict since it began with anti-government protests in March 2011, drawing in regional and international powers including the United States and Russia. Here is a breakdown of the forces involved in the war, which has killed more than …

Paris, France | AFP | A new law will impose on-the-spot fines for harassment of women in the streets of France, a minister said Monday, as the sex scandal engulfing Hollywood honcho Harvey Weinstein encouraged French women to tell their stories. The legislation is being piloted by 34-year-old Marlene Schiappa, …

Washington, United States | AFP |  Celebrities and everyday people flooded social media with personal accounts of sexual assault and harassment Monday, responding to calls to break the culture of silence around such abuse. The massive global response was triggered by allegations recently made public against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, …