Bomb blast kills at least 80, wounds hundreds

KABUL - China has joined a chorus of international condemnation after a suicide bombing in the Afghan capital Kabul left 80 dead and more than 350 wounded.

THAAD report claim causes China 'concern'

BEIJING - China is "gravely concerned" over reports that four more launchers for the THAAD anti-missile system were brought into the Republic of Korea without its President Moon Jae-in being informed, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a news conference in Beijing on Wednesday.

Trump poised to withdraw from Paris climate pact, US media reports claim

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump is expected to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate accord, a White House official said on Wednesday, confirming a move certain to anger allies that spent years negotiating the landmark agreement to reduce carbon emissions.

Abe admits being on school payroll in fresh scandal

TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday said he had received a salary and been listed as an executive member of a school operator run by his close friend, which had been given preferential treatment to open a new department at a university.

IN BRIEF (Page 12)

May, Corbyn clash over Brexit

LONDON - British Prime Minister Theresa May said she would walk away from divorce talks with the European Union without a deal if she had to, but her rival in next week's election, Labour's Jeremy Corbyn, said he would make sure an agreement was reached if he won power.

IN BRIEF (Page 11)

Macron, Putin discuss crises

PARIS - French President Emmanuel Macron met on Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the former royal palace in Versailles, where they discussed the fight against terrorism as well as the Ukrainian and Syrian conflicts, the two leaders said.

Merkel surprises US with frank talk on relations

BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel underlined her doubts about the reliability of the United States as an ally on Monday but said she was a "convinced transatlanticist", fine-tuning her message after surprising Washington with her frankness a day earlier.

S. Korea orders investigation into extra THAAD launchers

SEOUL - South Korean President Moon Jae-in has ordered an investigation into the unauthorized delivery of four THAAD anti-missile launchers in addition to two deployed by the United States military before his election, his spokesman said on Tuesday.

Studying the evolution of sticky rice dumplings

The first dumplings were simple offerings to gods and ancestors. Grain was tightly wrapped in reeds and then boiled. These simple packages were then placed upon the altars of the early deities, and on the graves of the dead.

Out of the shadows

Centuries-old shadow puppetry from Huaxian county, northwestern Shaanxi province is being performed in the Chinese Pavilion at the ongoing 57th Venice Biennale for the first time.