WORLD

Beijing, China | AFP | Japan’s Shinzo Abe is due to arrive in China Thursday, the first visit to the Asian giant by a Japanese prime minister since relations between the two countries soured six years ago over a territorial row. Abe and Chinese president Xi Jinping are expected to …

Rome, Italy | AFP | Italy’s competition authority on Wednesday said it was fining Apple and Samsung 10 and five million euros ($11.5 and $5.7 million) respectively for the so-called “planned obsolescence” of their smartphones. The ruling is believed to be the first against the manufacturers following accusations worldwide that …

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AFP | Saudi Arabia’s crown prince is scheduled to address an investment forum in Riyadh Wednesday, his first public speech since the murder of critic Jamal Khashoggi plunged the kingdom into crisis. Organisers of the glitzy flagship Future Investment Initiative listed Prince Mohammed bin Salman among …

Paris, France | AFP | A new treatment for a drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis can cure 80 percent of sufferers, according to a trial hailed Monday as a “game changer” in the fight against the global killer. Doctors in Belarus — a country with one of the highest rates of …

Moscow, Russia | AFP | Donald Trump wishes to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin when the two visit Paris on November 11 for World War I commemorations, the US president’s National Security Advisor John Bolton said on Tuesday. “I think President Trump will look forward to seeing you in …

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AFP | Saudi Arabia’s powerful crown prince appeared Tuesday at a glitzy investment forum boycotted by a host of global business leaders, as the petro-state admitted it is facing a “crisis” after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman smiled and took …

San Francisco, United States | AFP | Facebook on Tuesday announced an overhaul of its Messenger smartphone app in an effort to simplify the service for its 1.3 billion monthly global users. The social network began rolling out a redesigned version featuring three tabs instead of nine, saying it was …

Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP | An Israeli cabinet minister on Tuesday assured major churches in Jerusalem that the Jewish state is not seeking to expropriate their properties. A government statement said Regional Cooperation Minister Tzachi Hanegbi met leaders of the Armenian, Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches in response to …

Paris, France | AFP | Women’s bodies undergo a “striking” change during a specific week of pregnancy that can significantly reduce their risk of developing breast cancer later in life, scientists said Tuesday. Previous research has highlighted how women under the age of 30 can reduce their risk of contracting …

Paris, France | AFP | Bits of plastic have been detected in the faeces of people in Europe, Russia and Japan, according to research claiming to show for the first time the widespread presence of plastics in the human food chain. All eight volunteers in a small pilot study were …