US takes tougher strategy on DPRK

WASHINGTON - Amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, US President Donald Trump is pursuing a policy somewhat like his predecessor Barack Obama, albeit one that is more direct,US experts said.

IN BRIEF

Creator of Paris 'marvel' reaches century mark

PARIS - The modernist architect I.M. Pei, who was once pilloried for plonking a glass pyramid into the courtyard of the Louvre, turns 100 on Wednesday with his controversial creation now an icon of the French capital.

Astronaut breaks US space record, gets call from Trump

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida - Astronaut Peggy Whitson broke the United States record on Monday for most time in space and talked up Mars during a congratulatory call from President Donald Trump.

Caterpillar joins fight against plastic

PARIS - A moth caterpillar commonly bred to provide fish bait feasts on a notoriously resistant plastic, scientists reported on Monday, raising hopes the creature can help in the fight against pollution.

Rare clouds may have inspired Munch masterpiece, say scientists

VIENNA - The psychedelic clouds in Edvard Munch's iconic The Scream have alternatively been interpreted as a metaphor for mental anguish or a literal depiction of volcanic fallout.

Special schools help teens stay clean

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana - When Logan Snyder got hooked on pills after a prescription to treat pain from a kidney stone, she joined the millions already swept up in the nation's grim wave of addiction to opioid painkillers.

Silence and sirens for Holocaust memorial

JERUSALEM - Israel marked the beginning of its annual day of Holocaust remembrance on Sunday evening with an official ceremony in Jerusalem.

India's inspirational centenarian adds to gold medal tally

AUCKLAND, New Zealand - With a jaunty victory dance, 101-year-old Man Kaur celebrated winning the 100 meters sprint at the World Masters Games in Auckland on Monday, the 17th gold medal in the Indian athlete's remarkable late-blooming career.

Aquarium musicians rise to new depths

AARHUS, Denmark - A group of innovative Danish musicians submerged like fish in an aquarium have created an underwater concerto with instruments specially adapted to resonate in a silent world.

Ethiopia taps Chinese firms to employ growing youth population

ADDIS ABABA - Selam Fantahun, an Ethiopian high school dropout, feels that her prospects have brightened since she landed a job at a Chinese shoe factory in Addis Ababa four months ago.

Retailers ready for 'war' with Amazon

CANBERRA - Australian electronics and homeware retailers are preparing for the invasion of US online giant Amazon, with some vowing to take the fight to the store.