Prehistoric whale fossil found in Peru

WASHINGTON - Paleontologists have found a well-preserved fossil of a four-legged amphibian ancestor of whales, a discovery that sheds new light on the mammals' transition from land to the ocean.

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UN calls for addressing inequality

Developing Asia-Pacific economies need to shift focus on social inclusion to address such issues as inequality and climate change, according to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, or UNESCAP.

May scrambles to avoid chaotic Brexit

LONDON - Britain's government redoubled its efforts on Thursday to win over the main opposition party in a last-gasp bid to avoid a chaotic exit from the European Union next week.

Celebs hit court in US college bribery scandal

BOSTON, Massachusetts - A packaged-food entrepreneur from California became the first of the 33 parents charged in the college bribery scandal to agree to plead guilty. The deal was disclosed on Wednesday as Hollywood actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin appeared in court along with some of the other defendants.

Tech firms face fines, jail over violent content in Australia

CANBERRA, Australia - Australia could fine social media and Web hosting companies up to 10 percent of their annual global turnover and imprison executives for up to three years if violent content is not removed "expeditiously" under a new law.

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Constructive role is right choice for NATO

NATO will be 70 on April 4. It is a timely occasion for the world's largest military alliance to reflect on whether it has helped make the world a safer place, and whether it has a role to play today.

Resilient partnership that's able to withstand setbacks

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad profusely praised China on Monday for how it has transformed itself from a developing country with very poor capacity into a technological leader able to send a probe to the moon within just a short span of time.

Pension pressure up as less paid in, more paid out

Editor's note: The authorities have increased pensions by 5 percent. How is this being funded since the pension contributions that employers have to pay for their employees have been reduced at the same time? A post published on the official WeChat account of Qin Shuo, a financial commentator, says:

Better teachers for kindergarten safety

ON MARCH 27, 23 kids at a private kindergarten in Jiaozuo, Central China's Henan province, suffered from food poisoning. According to the results of the police investigation, the cause was a teacher who put sodium nitrite, a kind of toxic chemical, into the porridge provided by the kindergarten because of a dispute with another teacher. Gmw.cn comments:

Pudong raises its points to deliver better road safety

THE TRAFFIC POLICE in Pudong, Shanghai, have made it compulsory for all couriers to wear yellow safety vests with reflective stripes to catch drivers' attention, and plates attached with a number bound to their personal information. China Daily reporter Li Yang comments: