Trump 'confident' over Mueller probe

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that a federal investigation into his campaign's relations with Russia will find "no collusion", in quick response to the Justice Department appointment of former FBI chief Robert Mueller as special counsel to oversee the probe.

Fox News co-founder Roger Ailes dies at 77

NEW YORK - Roger Ailes, who built Fox News into a politically powerful cable giant that helped redefine US television news, has died, the network announced.

Australian tax chief faces fraud inquiry

SYDNEY - One of Australia's top anti-fraud tax officials faces charges after his son and eight friends were arrested in raids that netted cash, luxury cars, two small planes, guns and vintage wine in a $123 million tax fraud, police said on Thursday.

Macron's centrist party stretches lead

PARIS - French President Emmanuel Macron's new centrist party has stretched its lead in the polls ahead of parliamentary elections next month, new survey data showed on Thursday, adding to the positive momentum for the 39-year-old leader.

IN BRIEF

Vigilante on mission to defend English language

By night, he stalks the streets of the southwest English city of Bristol, weapon in hand and stepladder over his shoulder. His mission? To defend the English language against misuse of punctuation.

King was 'secret co-pilot'

Dutch King Willem-Alexander has revealed that he has been secretly flying commercial aircraft for the last four years.

Choked by traffic, Bangkok revs up to beat air pollution

BANGKOK - There are two pictures Thai air pollution expert Supat Wangwongwatana likes to show whenever he talks about Bangkok's transition, in a little over a decade, from a city blanketed in smog to one boasting clear blue skies.

Horsemen of Hunza face final whistle for ancient game

HUNZA, Pakistan - In a remote northern Pakistani valley surrounded by giant ice-capped peaks, villagers gather to watch a game of Buzkashi, an ancient equestrian sport once seen as a key test of virility that is now struggling for survival.

Black Harvard students to hold graduation of their own

BOSTON, Massachusetts - Black students at Harvard University are organizing a graduation ceremony of their own this year to recognize the achievements of black students and faculty members some say have been overlooked.

Mako's choice of commoner sparks debate

TOKYO - Japanese Princess Mako, the eldest granddaughter of Emperor Akihito, will wed a former college classmate, Japanese media reported, heating up debate on the ever-shrinking royal family since she must become a commoner after marriage.

DNA tests identify victim of ferry sinking

SEOUL - DNA testing on a bone found in waters where a sunken ferry was recently raised has identified one of the nine missing passengers from the 2014 disaster that killed more than 300 people, South Korean officials said on Wednesday.