Trump labels axed FBI chief 'grandstander'

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump blasted ousted FBI chief James Comey as a "showboat" and "grandstander" on Thursday even as the agency's acting leader contradicted the leader's account that the FBI had been in turmoil before he fired Comey.

Japan names and shames to tackle killer karoshi at work

TOKYO - The Japanese government for the first time released a nationwide list of over 300 companies that have violated labor laws, hoping this name-and-shame tactic would help eliminate abuses and prevent karoshi, or death by overwork.

Brazil declares end to Zika emergency

SAO PAULO - Brazil declared an end to its public health emergency over the Zika virus on Thursday, 18 months after a surge in cases drew headlines around the world.

IN BRIEF (Page 11)

Corridor paves way for brighter future

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - With the smooth implementation of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative, the people of Pakistan are gaining tangible benefits.

India's last water men fight tide of history

NEW DELHI - Shakeel Ahmad wanders the cramped alleyways of Old Delhi offering water from a goat hide canteen slung over his shoulder, a centuries-old service welcomed by thirsty vendors toiling under the baking Indian sun.

Acclimatize in bed, reach summit in half the time

KATHMANDU, Nepal - As other Qomolangma hopefuls were trudging up to base camp in April, Singapore-based Brooks Entwistle was at home, planning his daughter's 13th birthday party and preparing for his company's annual general meeting.

Traditional British nannies get counterterror skills

LONDON - Britain's prestigious Norland College, which has trained the creme de la creme of the world's nannies for over a century, has added anti-terrorism training to its curriculum.

Cannes says 2017 is first and last for Netflix unless it changes

LONDON - Netflix, the video-on-demand company, will not be allowed to compete at the Cannes Film Festival after this year unless it changes its policy and gives its movies a cinema release, organizers said on Wednesday.

TCM, martial arts still giants of China's heritage

BEIJING - It is mid-June, and the temperature has reached 40 degrees Celsius on the outskirts of Samarkand, an ancient city in Uzbekistan, where an archaeological team composed of Chinese and Uzbek archaeologists is busy excavating a large tomb of the Yuezhi people.

Teen breaks tweet record in quest for nuggets

WASHINGTON - An American teenager has broken the world record for the most retweets, in a crusade to win a year's supply of his favorite food: chicken nuggets.

Schools test influence of apps with social media block program

MADISON, Wisconsin - Four public schools in the United States have blocked students' access to popular social media apps to test whether behavior, school safety and grades improve with fewer online distractions.