WORLD

Vatican City, Holy See | AFP |  Pope Francis on Sunday urged leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo to act quickly to resolve its political crisis and curb violence, condemning in particular the use of child soldiers. Violence has flared across the country in recent months, including deadly confrontations …

Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | A real-life version of the hit political drama “House of Cards” is unfolding at the Vatican, from cardinals openly defying the pope to anonymous posters sullying his name. In the latest episode, a group of powerful Princes of the Church released a statement …

Munich, Germany | AFP | Russia Saturday called for an end to what it said was an outdated world order dominated by the West after US Vice President Mike Pence pledged Washington’s “unwavering” commitment to transatlantic allies in NATO. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov offered a diametrically opposed global vision, …

Munich, Germany | AFP |  Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called Saturday for an end to a world order dominated by the West and said Moscow wanted to establish a “pragmatic” relationship with the United States. Lavrov was speaking at the Munich Security Conference shortly after US Vice President Mike …

Palm Beach, United States | AFP |  The US Secret Service launched an investigation Friday, after an object was hurled at Donald Trump’s motorcade as it traveled to his Florida resort. As Trump’s motorcade was moving from the airport at West Palm Beach to his Mar-a-Lago home earlier Friday, an …

Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump insisted there was “zero chaos” in his crisis-hit White House and railed against enemies in the media, politics and the courts Thursday, in a meandering first solo news conference. The 70-year-old US president vented frustrations, wondered out loud about a “nuclear …

Beijing, China | AFP | China is experiencing its deadliest outbreak of the H7N9 bird-flu strain since it first appeared in humans in 2013, killing 79 people in January alone and spurring several cities to suspend live poultry trade. The National Health and Family Planning Commission said on Wednesday that …

Beirut, Lebanon | AFP | As Syria’s war approaches its seventh year, two new rounds of talks on resolving the conflict are scheduled to take place in Astana and Geneva. Here are some questions and answers about the upcoming talks: What talks are scheduled? The first meeting is in the …

Washington, United States | AFP |  US Secret Service chief Joseph Clancy will retire in early March, the elite agency tasked with protecting the US president said Tuesday. A former head of US President Barack Obama’s detail, Clancy returned from a previous retirement to steer the agency two years ago, …

Washington, United States | AFP | The White House battled Tuesday to insulate Donald Trump from a scandal over his top aide’s contacts with Russia, as it emerged that the president was aware of the problem for weeks before acting. With calls for an independent investigation gathering pace, the White …