Merkel vows to press on with rallies despite jeers

BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel vowed on Thursday to press on with election campaign rallies in places where she has been greeted with choruses of jeers and whistles, saying she intended to take a stand against hate.

Kubuqi desert turns over a new leaf, as planting program blossoms

The Kubuqi, China's seventh largest desert, is turning into a land of green - after years of effort and innovation using desertification control methods.

IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Russia does not accept DPRK's nuclear status

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia - President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Moscow does not recognize the nuclear status of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, as its missile program threatens the security in Northeast Asia.

Louvre Abu Dhabi to open this year

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates - The Louvre Abu Dhabi will finally open its doors to the public in November, bringing to the Gulf artifacts and post-impressionist masterpieces in the first Louvre-branded museum outside of Paris.

Troops back Muslim rebels fighting pro-IS group

DATU SALIBO, Philippines - The Philippine military said it has teamed up with old foes behind a long-running Muslim insurgency as it looks to eject a breakaway gang of radical militants pledging loyalty to Islamic State.

Search starts for successor to Raul Castro as top leader

HAVANA - Thousands of Cubans gathered in neighborhood assemblies which began on Monday night to nominate candidates for local and regional representatives, marking the first step toward the eventual election of a successor to top leader Raul Castro.

Former Brazil leaders deny corruption claims

RIO DE JANEIRO - Two former Brazilian presidents on Tuesday denied allegations of corruption and embezzlement leveled against them as part of an investigation into a far-reaching bribery scandal.

Trump scraps DACA, triggering protests

President Donald Trump on Tuesday ended an amnesty for almost 800,000 young undocumented immigrants brought illegally to the United States as minors, triggering protests in Washington and across the nation.

Zika virus offers hope to conquer brain cancer

MIAMI - The Zika virus can wreak havoc on the brain of a developing fetus, but its destructive power may also be harnessed to fight a stubborn form of adult brain cancer, researchers said on Tuesday.

Baijitan nature reserve sees green recovery due to dedicated efforts

At 63 years old, Wang Youde has worked for the forestation cause his whole life, and is still promoting the recovery of the natural landscape today.

EU wins legal battle on refugee quotas

LUXEMBOURG - The European Union's top court roundly dismissed complaints on Wednesday by Slovakia and Hungary about EU migration policy, upholding Brussels' right to force member states to take in asylum-seekers.