Trump wants 'best and brightest'

Whether or not his new immigration plan passes Congress, US President Donald Trump seems to have intensified the global race for talent by crafting a system that attracts "the best and brightest" to the country from around the world.

UN-Habitat assembly set to provide platform to address urban challenges

Senior officials from Kenya and the UN Human Settlements Programme, known as UN-Habitat, have expressed their optimism that the upcoming first UN-Habitat Assembly will provide a platform for member states to discuss and find solutions to the current and expected urban challenges.

Tech giants set sights on Africa

Microsoft Corporation has become the latest company joining the rush to tap into the software engineering talent in Africa. The tech giant has announced plans to spend $100 million on a development center with offices in Kenya and Nigeria.

SpaceX postpones launch of internet satellites

WASHINGTON - SpaceX postponed a launch of 60 satellites into low-Earth orbit that was scheduled for Thursday night, possibly until next week, citing a need for software updates.

Orient Express may get back on track again

PARIS - It conjures up the atmosphere of rail travel from a bygone golden age, steaming through Europe, experiencing top-notch cuisine and the company of fellow passengers who could be writers or spies.

Teheran rules out talks with Washington

Iran has rejected the likelihood of any negotiations with the United States, amid escalating tensions in the Gulf and sanction pressures.

Europeans foresee EU breakup, survey says

A new survey published ahead of the European Parliament elections later this month has revealed that more than half of voters think that the disintegration of the European Union within the next 10 to 20 years is a "realistic possibility" - and 92 percent of voters feel they would be left worse off.

NY Mayor de Blasio to run for US president

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio is headed to Iowa to kick off his campaign as the 23rd candidate for the 2020 Democratic nomination for US president.

E. Timor set to be first plastic-neutral nation

KUALA LUMPUR - In a region where seas sometimes are awash with trash, East Timor is set to become the world's first country to recycle all its plastic waste after it teamed up with Australian researchers on Friday to build a revolutionary recycling plant.

IN BRIEF (Page 8)

FAA criticized at hearing on 737 Max safety

Delegating aspects of safety certification to Boeing is "not working as Congress intended" and declaring 737 Max jets safe to fly created a "credibility problem" for the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, in view of two recent fatal crashes, the chairman of a House of Representatives panel charged at a hearing on Wednesday.

Oakland may follow San Francisco in banning facial recognition tech

Oakland may follow neighboring San Francisco, which this week became the first major US city to ban the use of facial recognition technology by local government agencies.