The US government began a Christmas shutdown early Saturday, after Congress adjourned without passing a federal spending bill or addressing President Donald Trump's demand for money to build a border wall.Operations for several key agencies ceased at 12:01 am Saturday, despite last-ditch talks that continued on Capitol Hill between White House officials and congressional leaders in both parties.Trump has dug in on his demand for $5 billion for construction of a wall on the US border with Mexico.

Britain called in the army Thursday after dozens of drone sightings grounded all flights from London's Gatwick airport for more than 24 hours, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded on one of the busiest days of the year.The airport, which closed its only runway Wednesday night after "reports of two drones flying in and around the airfield", said late Thursday it could not be reopened following further appearances of the devices. Over 100,000 passengers have been affected by the shutdo

The recent detention of a third Canadian in China differs from earlier ones that authorities allege involve security matters, a Chinese government spokeswoman said Thursday.In the latest case, a woman received an administrative penalty for illegal employment, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a daily news briefing. She did not provide further details.The detentions of two Canadian men last week appeared to be retaliation for Canada's arrest of a Chinese telecommunications executi

Elon Musk on Tuesday took a break from futuristic electric cars and private space travel to unveil a low-cost tunnel he sees as a godsend for city traffic.The billionaire behind Tesla and SpaceX late Tuesday put the spotlight on the a 1.14 mile (1.8 kilometer) tunnel created by his Boring Company for about $10 million.The sample tunnel is part of Musk's vision to have an underground network that cars, preferably Teslas, can be lowered to by lifts, then slotted into tracks and propelled along at

China has arrested a third Canadian national, Ottawa said Wednesday -- a move that comes amid an already tense diplomatic spat with Beijing over the arrest of a Chinese telecom executive.Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau however emphasized that the arrest did not seem to be linked to a former diplomat and an entrepreneur held for allegedly endangering China's national security."We are looking into the details (but) this most recent one doesn't seem to fit the pattern set by the previous two

South Korean boyband BTS are worth more than $3.6 billion to the country's economy every year -- equivalent to the contribution of 26 mid-sized companies -- a research institute said Tuesday.The floppy-haired songsters were also the reason that one in every 13 foreign tourists visited South Korea in 2017, the Hyundai Research Institute said. (Yonhap)Known for their boyish good looks and meticulously choreographed dance moves, BTS -- short for Bangtan Sonyeondan, which translates as Bulletproof B

An explosion at a restaurant in northern Japan injured 42 people late Sunday, police said, with the blast reportedly causing surrounding buildings to collapse.Fires broke out following the incident in the northern city of Sapporo, Kyodo news agency said, and images from the scene showed large flames and plumes of smoke rising in the night air. Firefighters work at the scene after an explosion at a restaurant in Sapporo, in the northern Hokkaido prefecture on December 16, 2018 (AFP)A police offic

Nations on Sunday struck a deal to breathe life into the landmark 2015 Paris climate treaty after marathon UN talks that failed to match the ambition the world's most vulnerable countries need to avert dangerous global warming.Delegates from nearly 200 states finalised a common rule book designed to deliver the Paris goals of limiting global temperature rises to well below two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit). Representatives of nearly 200 nations have been holding talks at the UN`s COP24 summit

Since US President Donald Trump weaponised the term "fake news" during the 2016 presidential election campaign, the phrase has gone viral.Increasingly it is used by politicians around the world to denounce or dismiss news reports that do not fit their version of the truth. US President Donald Trump has popularised the term `fake news` and used it to attack the news media (AFP)But as news outlets defend their work, false information is saturating the political debate worldwide and undermining an

President Donald Trump knew it was wrong to order election-eve hush money paid to two women who claimed to have had affairs with him, his former lawyer Michael Cohen said in an interview to be broadcast Friday.Trump acted because he "was very concerned about how this would affect the election," Cohen told ABC News of the women's allegations in his first comments since being sentenced to three years in prison on Thursday. Trump has said he never directed Cohen to break the law. But Cohen, asked i

The gunman who killed three people at a Christmas market in Strasbourg was shot dead by French police on Thursday as the Islamic State jihadist group claimed him as one of its "soldiers".More than 700 French security forces had been hunting for 29-year-old Cherif Chekatt since the bloodshed on Tuesday night -- the latest in a string of jihadist attacks to rock France.Messages of support for the victims, as well as candles and flowers, are multiplying in Strasbourg streets. (AFP)Interior Minister

A second Canadian citizen who has been questioned by authorities in China is "presently missing", Canadian officials said Thursday, adding to tensions following the arrest of a top Chinese telecom executive on a US request in Vancouver.The Canadian foreign ministry identified the second Canadian as Michael Spavor, a China-based business consultant who facilitates trips to North Korea, met with its leader Kim Jong Un and famously arranged some of retired NBA star Dennis Rodman's visits there. Mic

A gunman killed at least three people and wounded a dozen others at the famed Christmas market in the French city of Strasbourg on Tuesday before fleeing the scene, authorities said.A manhunt was under way after the killer opened fire at around 8pm (1900 GMT) on one of the city's busiest streets, sending crowds of evening shoppers fleeing for safety.Soldiers patrolling the area as part of regular anti-terror operations exchanged fire with the suspect and wounded him, but could not stop him escap

A South Korean taxi driver burned himself to death on Monday in protest at an Uber-like ride-sharing service being introduced by the country's largest mobile chat app, reports said.(Yonhap)South Korean taxi drivers have angrily protested against the car-pooling service created by KakaoTalk, saying it would threaten their jobs and livelihoods. US giant Uber has only a minimal presence in the country, offering only taxi- and licensed-hire vehicle hailing after closing its main ride-sharing service

Six people, including five teenagers, died and 120 were injured in a stampede when panic broke out during a rap concert at a packed Italian nightclub early Saturday.The suspected use of a pepper spray-like substance is thought to have sparked the chaos at the venue in the town of Corinaldo, near Ancona in central Italy, the fire service said in a statement on Twitter. Ten people are in a critical condition with 120 injured in total. (AFP)But carabinieri police spokesman Cristian Carrozza later s