Japanese space probe touches down on asteroid to collect samples
TOKYO – A Japanese space probe named after a falcon, Hayabusa 2, has touched down on an asteroid more than 300 million km from Earth on a mission to seek…
Future of food under ‘severe threat’ as species diversity disappears: UN
LONDON – The future of food supplies is under “severe threat” because of the number of animal and plant species fast disappearing, a United Nations report says, as the world…
Venezuela’s Maduro starts shutting borders to block humanitarian aid
CARACAS – Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro has threatened to close the border with Colombia as opposition leader Juan Guaido and some 80 lawmakers ran a gauntlet of roadblocks trying to…
Canada PM Trudeau calms restless MPs over shock resignations: sources
OTTAWA – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has calmed restless legislators at a meeting to discuss two resignations that rocked his Liberal government, but side-stepped questions about how he planned…
Taiwan government to unveil draft same-sex marriage law
TAIPEI – Taiwan’s government says that it will propose a draft law to allow same-sex marriage in Asia’s first such bill amid a heated debate over marriage equality that has…
Abuse victims demand to see pope, say bishops should be sacked
VATICAN CITY – Victims of sexual abuse by the Catholic clergy have demanded to meet Pope Francis personally to press demands that bishops who covered up such offences be dismissed…
Italy demands answers over reports daughter of N.Korea diplomat abducted
ROME – Italy has warned there would be consequences to pay if there was any truth to reports that the daughter of a missing North Korean diplomat had been abducted…
Chinese “Ivory Queen” smuggler sentenced to 15 years jail in Tanzania
DAR ES SALAAM – A prominent Chinese businesswoman dubbed the “Ivory Queen” has been sentenced to 15 years in prison by a Tanzanian court for smuggling the tusks of more…
Bernie Sanders launches second Democratic US presidential bid
WASHINGTON – US Senator Bernie Sanders, the progressive populist who mounted a fierce challenge to front-runner Hillary Clinton in the 2016 White House campaign, says he will again seek the…
Islamic State steps up guerrilla attacks in Syria: SDF
BEIRUT – Islamic State has stepped up guerrilla attacks against US-backed fighters in eastern Syria, pointing to the threat the jihadists will pose even after they lose their last enclave…
