WORLD

Beijing, China | AFP | Nearly 12 tonnes of smuggled pangolin scales have been confiscated by Chinese officials — the country’s largest-ever seizure of the endangered mammal’s prized parts as it seeks to curb illegal trafficking. The pangolin, whose brown scales have earned it the nickname “scaly anteater”, is the most …

Tripoli, Libya | AFP | Human Rights Watch on Wednesday condemned a series of summary executions of dozens of people in areas of eastern Libya under the control of controversial strongman Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar. The New York-based watchdog called on Haftar’s Libyan National Army to make good on a …

Washington, United States | AFP | The US military remains confident it can — at least for the moment — protect against any North Korean missile threat, a US official said Wednesday after Pyongyang tested a new rocket type. North Korea earlier launched a previously unseen intercontinental ballistic missile, which …

Seoul, South Korea | AFP | North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un said his country had achieved full nuclear statehood on Wednesday after a groundbreaking missile test, in a challenge to US President Donald Trump who responded with promises of “major sanctions”. Pyongyang on Wednesday tested its third intercontinental ballistic missile …

Paris, France | AFP | Pop legend Michael Jackson’s “huge impact” on contemporary art will be explored in a new exhibition in Paris and London next year. The “groundbreaking” show claims it will tell the “untold story” of how the king of pop became “one of the most influential figures …

Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP | Scientific testing at what is believed to be Jesus’s tomb dates material there to the fourth century, supporting traditional beliefs surrounding the site, an expert involved in the study said Tuesday. The study offers no further evidence whether or not Jesus was actually buried at …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Meghan Markle will embark upon her transition from US actress to British royal by getting baptised in the Church of England ahead of her marriage to Prince Harry in Windsor Castle next May and applying for British citizenship, royal officials said on Tuesday. “She …

Zagreb, Croatia | AFP |  Bosnian Croat war criminal Slobodan Praljak died Wednesday after drinking poison in a dramatic courtroom scene after UN judges upheld his 20-year sentence, Croatia’s state-run news agency said. The 72-year-old died in hospital, according to the HINA agency quoting a source close to Praljak, after …

New York, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump is “actively considering” moving the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, his vice president said Tuesday, evoking a campaign promise that the administration had sidelined. Mike Pence made the remarks in a keynote address at an …

Singapore, Singapore | AFP | Bitcoin broke through the $10,000 barrier for the first time on Wednesday as it continues a stratospheric rise that has delighted investors but sparked fears of a bubble. The virtual currency hit a high of $10,379 in Asia, according to Bloomberg News, more than 10 times …