WORLD

Tennis: Serena announces engagement to Reddit co-founder Washington, United States | AFP | Tennis superstar Serena Williams announced Thursday she is engaged to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, breaking the news with a poem on her verified Reddit account. Williams, 35, and Ohanian, 33, did not reveal a wedding date in …

Washington, United States | AFP |  The United States on Thursday fired back at Moscow over its meddling in the presidential election, announcing a series of tough sanctions against intelligence agencies, expulsions of agents and shutting down of Russian compounds on US soil. “I have ordered a number of actions …

Beijing, China | AFP | As soon as China abandoned its one-child policy a year ago, Zheng Xiaoyu and her husband started trying for a sibling for their nine-year-old son. Their efforts bore fruit with another boy — one of a million extra births this year. “The traditional Chinese thinking …

Burning ivory, waging war: world battles poaching in 2016 Nairobi, Kenya | AFP |  It was one of the most momentous events in the battle against poaching: 11 giant pyres of elephant tusks going up in flames in Kenya as the world looked on. The largest-ever destruction of ivory, which …

Peking, China | AFP | An aircraft carrier in the Pacific and a newly upgraded combat aircraft: China’s military is showing off its newest equipment less than a month before the swearing-in of US President-elect Donald Trump, who has raised tensions between Beijing and Taipei. In recent days state media …

5. 4. 3. 2. 1. 1… An extra second to see out 2016 Paris, France | AFP | As if 2016 has not been long enough, the year’s dying minute will last an extra second to make up for time lost to Earth’s slowing rotation, timekeepers say. Countries that use …

Palm Beach, United States | AFP | US President-elect Donald Trump poured kerosene on a simmering dispute with Barack Obama Wednesday, accusing him of derailing a smooth transition with “inflammatory” statements and “roadblocks.” Ever since the November 8 election, Trump and Obama have tried to bury political differences in favor …

Kerry warns Israel settlements threaten democracy Washington, United States | AFP | In a stern parting shot, US Secretary of State John Kerry warned Israel on Wednesday that building settlements on Palestinian land threatens the country’s very future as a democracy. Less than four weeks before President Barack Obama leaves …

COMMENT: By Susan Leigh Anderson Armed with critical perspective, machines can handle unanticipated situations correctly The prospect of artificial intelligence (AI) has long been a source of knotty ethical questions. But the focus has often been on how we, the creators, can and should use advanced robots. What is missing …

Pearl Harbor, United States | AFP | Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US President Barack Obama made a poignant joint pilgrimage to Pearl Harbor Tuesday, laying wreaths for the victims of a stealth attack that triggered America’s entry into World War II. The pair paid homage to the more …