French FM in bid to resolve Qatar crisis

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian arrived on Saturday in Jeddah, a major coastal city in Saudi Arabia, to help tackle the Qatar diplomatic crisis.

Heavy rainfall, snowstorms lash Chile

SANTIAGO, Chile - Strong rains, thunderstorms, big waves and snowfalls affected 14 of 15 regions in Chile on Saturday, with the country's National Emergency Office issuing an alert.

Trump names special counsel on 'meddling'

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump has named attorney Ty Cobb as an in-house "special counsel" for the White House, a statement said on Saturday.

IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Study reveals shifts in overseas travel trends

Chinese tourists are the biggest spenders in the world, but increasingly direct their dollars away from shopping to local culture

Shimao, Starwood joint venture indicates market optimism

Shimao Property Holdings and Starwood Capital Group announced a new hotel management joint venture, Shanghai Shimao Star Hotel Management, in Shanghai on Tuesday.

Roundup

Appointment

Azur bringing French cuisine to Shangri-La Beijing

Azur restaurant at Shangri-La Hotel Beijing is offering a summer menu that launched in late June, featuring organic and creative French cuisine.

China, US to discuss economic issues

Senior Chinese and US government officials will meet in Washington next week for the first round of a comprehensive dialogue on economic and trade issues.

US mediation in Gulf makes little progress

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia - US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson ended talks with ministers from Saudi Arabia and three Arab allies on Wednesday over how to end a monthlong rift with Qatar, but there was no immediate word of any breakthrough.

Lula gets nearly 10 years in jail for graft

BRASILIA, Brazil - Former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison for graft in a stark fall from grace for the iconic leader.

Venezuelans suffer amid power struggle

CARACAS, Venezuela - The power struggle between the left- and right-wing political forces is consuming time, energy and money that could otherwise be spent on meeting the needs of the people, observers said.