WORLD

UPDATE : 22 injured in London terror attack, says health service Twenty-two people were injured after a bomb blast on a packed London Underground train on Friday, the National Health Service said in a statement. Eighteen were taken by ambulance and the other four made their own way to hospital, …

Rome, Italy | AFP | The small town of Pontida in northern Italy has sparked outrage by offering free parking permits to pregnant women and young mothers — but only if they are married or an EU citizen. The policy, introduced at the start of September, stipulated that free permits would …

Brussels, Belgium | AFP | The EU said Thursday it may allow countries in Europe’s passport-free Schengen zone to carry out internal border checks for an extra two years to tackle terror threats. Home Affairs Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos said there was no longer any need for temporary checks that several countries …

Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced he intends to visit China, Japan and South Korea later this year, a blockbuster maiden presidential visit to Asia. Trump said aboard Air Force One that a US delegation would likely make the trip in November, adding that …

Ankara, Turkey | AFP | Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on Thursday held talks in Turkey with the emirate’s chief ally President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in his first visit abroad since the start of a diplomatic crisis with Saudi Arabia. Erdogan hosted the emir for the talks at his …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Seasoned London commuters are complaining of being robbed of their “expertise” after new green platform markings appeared in a busy tube station showing the best position to quickly enter carriages. “Twenty years of personal tube platform expertise and competitive commuting advantage rendered useless by some …

Séoul, South Korea | AFP | North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan and into the Pacific Friday, responding to new UN sanctions with what appeared to be its furthest-ever missile flight amid high tensions over its weapons programmes. The launch, from near Pyongyang, came after the United Nations Security …

Brasília, Brazil | AFP |  Brazil’s chief prosecutor on Thursday charged President Michel Temer with obstruction of justice and leading a criminal group. Temer was accused along with six heavyweight political allies, a statement from Prosecutor General Rodrigo Janot’s office said. However, the president is widely thought to have enough …

Taipei, Taiwan | AFP | A few extra-keen cities in developed countries are using internet technology to cut energy bills, fight crime and ease traffic congestion. Now everyone else wants to know how they got so far. New York, Singapore, Taipei, Barcelona and London are regarded now as what techies call …

Tokyo, Japan | AFP | German carmaker Volkswagen is aiming to sell 1.5 million electric cars in China by 2025, its boss was quoted as saying Thursday, seeking to capitalise as Beijing mulls a clampdown on polluting vehicles. Speaking on the sidelines of the International Motor Show in Frankfurt, Chief Executive …