WORLD

Davos, Switzerland | AFP | French President Emmanuel Macron told the world’s business elite in Davos on Wednesday that France was back as a European powerhouse under his reformist government. “France is back at the core of Europe,” Macron said in English in a highly anticipated speech, before switching to French …

Lansing, United States | AFP | Disgraced former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison on Wednesday for sexually abusing scores of young girls under the guise of medical treatment. “I’ve just signed your death warrant,” Judge Rosemarie Aquilina said as she handed down …

Davos, Switzerland | AFP | Britain’s planned departure from the European Union is “a mistake, not a disaster”, former premier David Cameron said during a conversation caught on camera in Davos Wednesday. Cameron stepped back from frontline British politics in the wake of the historic 2016 referendum, but was caught airing …

Kirikhan, Turkey | AFP | President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday vowed to press Turkey’s offensive against a Kurdish militia in Syria until “the last terrorist” was killed, as the US ramped up its concerns over the campaign. Turkey on Saturday launched operation “Olive Branch” together with Syrian rebels and Turkish …

Jalalabad, Afghanistan | AFP | Save the Children suspended operations across Afghanistan on Wednesday as Islamic State militants terrorised staff trapped inside one of its offices in an hours-long attack, the latest assault on a foreign charity. Gunmen blasted their way into the British aid group’s compound in the eastern city …

Sydney, Australia | AFP | After years of futile efforts, a fresh hunt for MH370 has set off for the remote Indian Ocean — and the top Australian scientist who helped pinpoint the new search zone is hopeful the missing jet can be found within weeks. Armed with oceanographic analyses and …

Paris, France | AFP | Two dozen countries agreed Tuesday to push for sanctions against perpetrators of chemical attacks in Syria, with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson saying Russia “ultimately bears responsibility” for such strikes. Twenty-four nations approved a new “partnership against impunity” for the use of chemical weapons, just …

Jakarta, Indonesia | AFP | A soldier tore apart a snake with his teeth and his comrades headbutted flaming stacks of bricks as Indonesia’s special forces treated visiting US defence secretary Jim Mattis to an unusual display on Tuesday. Mattis — whose own nickname is “Mad Dog” — seemed impressed by …

Washington, United States | AFP | US Senator Tammy Duckworth, a decorated Asian American army veteran and double amputee, announced Tuesday she was pregnant with her second child. The 49-year-old Democrat from Illinois stands to be the first senator to give birth during her term. “Wanted to share some exciting …

Hong Kong, China | AFP | A senior Al-Qaeda leader has called on Muslims “everywhere” to rise up and kill Jews and Americans in response to US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. In a video released Monday, Khalid Batarfi said Trump’s decision was “a declaration of …