US to seek social media details from all visa applicants

WASHINGTON - The US State Department wants to require all US visa applicants to submit their social media usernames, previous email addresses and phone numbers, vastly expanding the Donald Trump administration's enhanced vetting of potential immigrants and visitors.

IN BRIEF (Page 8)

LA takes to Chinese folk music

LOS ANGELES - The Dolby Theater, recent host to Hollywood's star-studded Academy Awards, hosted entirely different types of stars on Wednesday night: A performance of Enchanting China, a Chinese folk music concert with a surprise Hollywood guest star.

Electricity finally lights up life on Elephanta island

MUMBAI - Deepa Bhoir used to sit in darkness outside her island home and stare at Mumbai glowing in the distance.

'Ring of steel' to protect royal wedding

LONDON - A $42 million "ring of steel" will surround the May 19 wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, including barriers, vehicle checks, snipers and airport-style scanners, at Windsor Castle in May, British media reported on Thursday.

Astronomers in dark over 'bizarre' galaxy discovery

PARIS - Astronomers on Wednesday unveiled the first and only known galaxy without dark matter, the invisible and poorly-understood substance thought to make up a quarter of the Universe.

Study: Armed security officers are on the rise in US schools

WASHINGTON - Armed security officers are becoming more prevalent at US schools, according to a federal study released on Thursday amid a heated debate over whether teachers and other school officials should carry guns.

Syrian children make up for lost years

DAMASCUS - Upon seeing the people who are evacuating the eastern Ghouta countryside of the capital Damascus, one immediately noticed the unexpected number of children leaving with their families.

Finnish educators trial robot teachers

TAMPERE, Finland - The new language teacher at a Finnish primary school has endless patience for repetition, never makes a pupil feel embarrassed for asking a question and can even do the Gangnam Style dance.

Final straw as food franchise moves to paper

LONDON - McDonald's on Wednesday became the latest big company in the United Kingdom to say it was the last straw for plastic - with plans to start using drinking straws made from paper.

Robots play a role in elder care

TOKYO - Paro the furry seal cries softly while an elderly woman pets it. Pepper, a humanoid, waves while leading a group of senior citizens in exercises. The upright Tree guides a disabled man taking shaky steps, saying in a gentle feminine voice, "right, left, well done!"

England to introduce bottle deposit scheme

All plastic, glass or metal drinks containers in England are to become the subject of a new returnable deposit scheme in a bid to reduce pollution and encourage recycling.